What is more than a simple promise? - Part 1

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us, may be greatly encouraged.
(Hebrews 6:16-18)


Notes:

1. There is no One greater for God to swear by. We go to court and swear to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

That's our promise.

And then we add, "So help me God." That's our
oath. Two elements: a promise and an oath.

2. Those are the two unchangeable (immutable) statements in which it is impossible for God to lie: His promise and His oath.

3. Why both? Why a promise and an oath? God doesn't need to give us both. His promise is all we need.

Because He wanted to make the unchanging nature of His promise clear to the heirs of His promise(everyone since Abraham, including us) and so that we may be greatly encouraged.

Two reasons: to make sure we understand clearly what God is doing and to encourage us in our walk with God.

I notice here how patiently loving and kind God is.

He anticipated how doubt would creep in and distract us. How unbelief would blind us from seeing God's work. How fear would cause us to take our eyes of God's promises.

He remembers who we are.....


Remember Abraham?


God promises him:

 Look up at the heavens and count the stars -- if indeed you can count them...so shall your offspring be.

Abram believed the LORD and he credited it to him as righteousness....

I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of. (Genesis 15:5-7)


But Abraham, who followed God from his homeland in Ur all the way to Palestine, had a moment of doubt.

He said,

O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it? (Genesis 15:8)


What other words in God's promise would convince him? What wasn't clear? What more could God do the reassure him?

I am so comforted the see that God didn't condemn Abraham for His response.

God didn't answer in anger and tell Abraham to just forget the whole thing - go back where you used to belong and I will get someone else to work with, He could have said.

Or, I will punish you for not believing Me! Just for your sin of unbelief I will not use you to further my Kingdom, to rescue my people. You are toast, Abraham, I can't count on you! Why don't you listen to Me?

No, God did not say anything like that. But what He did do was provide a way for Abraham to witness God's confirming oath.

By that oath Abraham could understand more clearly and be greatly encouraged that His faithful God was indeed going to fulfill His promises.

He had the promise - now he gets the oath!


The Oath - see part 2

Grace - Is It For Real?

How Amazing Is It?

"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant. I was a brute before You. Yet I am always with You. You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have nothing on earth I desire besides You" (Psalm 73:21-25).

  Only by facing the darkness and ugliness within us are we able to receive the glorious grace of our loving Father.

  The deeper the darkness, the brighter the stars shine!

  And the more I recognize and admit my sin, the more His grace becomes a reality, instead of just an abstract theory or dream we sing about.

  And then it can cleanse me and shape me.

  Only when I see the depth of my sin will I be electrified by the wonder of His grace!

 And maybe the greatest wonder of all is that He will never let go of me!

(No one is so bad He is out of  reach of God's grace, and no one is so good he doesn't need His grace!)

Going It Alone

If you were meant to go it alone then God wouldn't have put so many good people in your life.

Some to walk ahead of you to light the way, and some to walk beside you to hold your hand.

And some to walk behind you, learning from your example.

Some to encourage you when you're feeling down, and some to help lighten the load.

Some to simply shine a smile in the middle of a gloomy day.

Some to celebrate with you and rejoice in your success when good things come. Some to comfort you when life's hardships and troubles come knocking at your door.

Some to enter your life for a season and some to be your friend and companion on much of the journey.

Some to help you up, and some who will be lifted up by you. Some to give to you and some who will receive from you.

Some to annoy you, to test you, to challenge you, to frustrate you. Some to show you your measure of patience, kindness and gentleness.


All to travel with you on this amazing, adventurous, joyous journey called life.

The God of it All - Clearly Butterflies

A Closer Look ....

The first spring we lived in Brazoria I was surprised to find about a dozen monarch caterpillars -- and about a dozen chrysalises-- out in our garden. I was disturbed because several of the little chrysalises were on very unstable surfaces, like the leaves of a petunia plant! I rescued 6 of them and put them in our carport, tucked safely in a box and secured the fragile leaves to a strong twig.

I also put in the box a couple of the caterpillars -- so I could watch them. I haven't seen this great demonstration of God's Power and Glory since I was in elementary school in Mr. Horton's class.

It was breathtaking -- I watched one of the caterpillars hang upside down, forming a letter "J."
The next day I found him shivering and twisting around, splitting the skin, and then all his yellow and black seemed to dissolve into a smooth greenish sheath. It looked soft and "mushy."

(I read somewhere that this is the stage often called the pupa stage because it is similar to the way an infant is wrapped in swaddling clothes -- and pupa is Latin for "doll.")

There he hung for 10-12 days. The chrysalis hardened into a beautiful jade-green case that reminded me of an elf's magic emerald lantern.

Transparency...

Then the case became transparent and I could see the orange and black wings taking shape inside. I could everything happening -- right before my eyes! I almost forgot what it looked like before -- I was seeing what it was becoming!

There were so many miracles happening at once: God silently transforming the caterpillar into a butterfly inside that little protective case --the case becoming transparent so I could observe it -- and the miracle of me, with physical eyes -- being able to witness it! And with a voice that could proclaim praises to the God of it All..

When the butterflies began to emerge they seem crumpled, damp and weak, probably completely exhausted by the struggle to get out of the tiny cage and take flight. After a few moments their wings appeared to be dry and in their proper shape; they had the strength needed to pursue their lives and they begin to fly away to their own adventures.

Some Assembly Required....

I have read that before the butterfly can fly off, its feeding tube, or proboscis, must be actually assembled. This is a hollow tube the butterfly needs to suck nectar, and when the butterfly first hatches, the two parts forming the proboscis are not yet interlocked, and so he must join those pieces together himself before he can fly off! What a marvel!

There were so many symbols there in front of me. The image of our own death and resurrection.
And how God creates a lowly, but colorful caterpillar, and then transforms it into something even more beautiful.

And also, about the chrysalis becoming transparent. I had never thought about it before -- but isn't that what happens to us....when we first come to Jesus He wraps us in a cocoon of safety and begins changing us into His image.

Then one day, as He is forming His image in us, we become transparent, and those around us don't just see us -- they begin to see the new creature we are becoming -- they begin to see Jesus in us -- and then one day He calls us up and away on His wings of love and we are changed permanently and completely.

I think it's the transparency that teaches me the most now that I am older. When Tyndale translated the New Testament in the 1530's, he used the word "clarify" in John 17, instead of "glorify". I love that idea. We can't truly "glorify" God until we are so transparent that others see God forming His Son in us.

I am told that the word "metamorphosis" is the same word used to describe the "Transfiguration of Jesus" on the mountain when He was with Peter, James and John. And that in Romans 12:2 when we are told to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds," that "transform", is the Greek word metamorphosis.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
                 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.
                  2 Corinthians 3:18 NLV

Can others see it happening in us?

Modern Weapons

                                 

                                            Modern Weapons

"Let your conversation always be full of grace" (Colossians 4:6).

Always...full of grace...

I find this admonition hard (and it is a commandment to us, not a suggestion for people who just want to win friends and be popular).

Words have become weapons these days; they wound and scar, permanently disabling people.

We who love Jesus should stand apart from the world, with its mean-spirited comments on social media. (Most times I think it should be called 'hurtful media', not 'social media'. 'Social' sounds too friendly!)

According to Matthew 12, every word -- even offhanded careless ones -- are indicators of what is really in our hearts.

I need to deal with that!

"Lord, save me from the sins of my tongue and the serious flaws of character that produce them. Make my words honest (by taking away my fear), few (by taking away my self-importance), wise (by taking away my thoughtlessness), and kind (by taking away my indifference and selfish irritability and motives).

Help me speak words full of your grace...always... Words that edify, not tear down. Amen."

"Tetelestai" - It Is Finished!

 "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar of wine vinegar was there, and so they soaked a sponge in it, and put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus's lips. When He had received the drink Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (John 19)

The Greek word translated as 'it is finished' in our English Bibles is 'tetelestai,' a word of various usages.

On many ancient invoices (from the time of Christ) we find that word verifying that the bill had been 'Paid in full - no balance due.' Today we often pay a bill and our receipt is stamped "Paid in full." Same idea: The debt has been fully satisficed.

Other ancient documents (military) we have found show the word is also used to announce that the army has had victory! 'The war is over --  We have won!' A cry of rejoicing!  'Victory is ours!'

Also it can mean a task or assignment has been completed;  we have records of servants reporting back to their masters that they had finished their assignment. 'Tetelestai' -- The job was complete!

Also, an artist, when finally completing their masterpiece, used the word to indicate their work was finished --  there was nothing more to be added. (Sort of like God pronouncing His creation 'Good'!)

Another use of the word relates to a prisoner who has finished his sentence. 'Tetelestai' on his certificate meant: 'no other penalty or punishment required.'

Tetelestai is the present tense, meaning the action was completed in the past, but the results continue into the present and into the future.

All of these meanings have significance for us! 

Just look at what Jesus was telling us  -- with His last breath!

                               *************

"It is finished," was His cry! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Blessednesses

My favorite verse today!  It's the answer for everything!

  "Blessed are those who have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted near a stream with roots that reach deep into the water. They are not bothered by heat or drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

 Perfect, right?

The first word is 'blessed.' It means 'supremely happy and fulfilled.' In Hebrew the word is actually plural -- there is no singular form. It describes a multiplicity of blessings or an intensification of them.

It is also the first word of Psalm 1, and so opens the entire Psalter. (Certainly fitting for the readers!) That verse could have been, correctly, translated, 'Oh the blessednesses of the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night.' (Psalm 1:1)

And it's in His Word, His law, that we find our 'hope and confidence.'

What are we compared to? A 'tree planted' -- purposefully, intentionally situated by the Master Gardener! We are not wild bushes that sprang up after a spring rain for a short life of painfully seeking moisture and nutrients. We have all we need to thrive and produce abundant fruit!

And that's not all. Look at Isaiah 61:3. He plants us, not as solo trees, but with others and so 'They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor!'

He has purposefully planted us where we are -- for our good and His glory! To 'display His splendor!'

Where are you planted? Look around you -- we are right where He planted us -- for our good and His glory! To display His splendor!

(Reminds me of the old phrase: 'Bloom where you are planted!')

I can't think of a better way to start the day!

US - Part 2 - King David, General Washington and Trails of Tears

If I had been your history teacher, King David's retreat would have reminded you of a story in American history, a sad story that, like King David's, eventually, after much suffering and pain, had a good ending.


This story from American history is about George Washington. And it is not a fairy tale. It is real life, at its best and worst.

(When you think about it, the Bible's message of God's enduring love and mercy is the only true 'fairy tale' there is -- why? because we can all live happily ever after!)

For over 200 years historians and scholars have picked over George Washington's whole life. They try to explain why he was so loved -- why his memory has been so cherished by Americans and people all over the world -- why his men stood and fought with him against impossible odds -- how he could give his men the vision to see his dream -- how he could last through all the opposition he faced -- what actually made the man who he was. (And how he rode on his distinctive white horse in that colorful uniform in the middle of battle and was never shot -- bullet holes in his hat, his sleeves, his saddle, but he was never even injured!)

Secular humanists have a three-pronged attack aimed at (1) religious faith,(2) the Constitution, and (3) the lives of our Founding Fathers.

They have put maximum effort into "downsizing" our Founding Fathers, especially George Washington, but as long as people truly study the history of this country, reading original sources and searching out for themselves the truth of our heritage, George Washington just keeps growing bigger!

Their failure to understand the person and significance of George Washington is because they try to reject the spiritual foundation of his life. They would even reject that sentence because they consider spiritual issues to be trivial anyway!

Washington's faith, like many of us today, penetrates every area of his life. It was his worldview! Everything in his life was seen and interpreted through his eyes of faith. It was not a slice of the pie. It was the whole pie!

He believed that God, in His sovereignty, had destined the separation of the colonies from Britain, and the formation of the new country. So he could never give up, no matter what challenges faced him.

When a historian tries to remove Washington's faith in God's sovereignty and his reliance on the work of Jesus Christ in the affairs of men -- they are left with a great mystery. They cannot explain the man.

George Washington can't be understood except by understanding his great faith in God and his confidence that God had brought the American colonies to that place in history so that His kingdom could be advanced, and that it is all for God's honor and glory.

Washington's life cannot be understood in any other way.

And neither can King David's. It is easy for us to interpret King David's life because we have his own writings, and the archives of Hebrew history to rely on.

We have detailed records of his faith in God. Even while retreating, King David could say confidently:

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

(Psalm 63)

The same feeling is echoed in so many of the Psalms.


King David's ordeal happened around 1000 BC. When we fast forward about 2700 years -- specifically 1776, in the fall, we come to George Washington, also retreating in his own land, in the most critical year of this country's history.

Just as we have much information on King David's faith, much from his own hand, we also have quite a bit from George Washington to help us understand how his worldview directed his life. Things he himself said, not what later students of history wrote about him.

I know this is going to be long.

I thought about shortening it, and, actually, I did, or started to.
But then I realized that so much of the problems facing our nation today are the result of neglecting, ignoring, "shortening" (reducing) the teaching of our nation's founding.

If you are not deeply emotional when you read about our nation's beginning, it's because you were never taught it as it really happened. 

I must sound arrogant. I am certainly angry. Our population today has been short-changed. They have been cheated. Cheated of heroes, of greatness, of moral clarity. Of the possibility of authentic courage and selfless motives.

I remember teachers warning us in school about not making judgments because there were so many "gray areas." As I have grown older I see that that was all wrong. There are not many gray areas at all. Most of life is profoundly simple -- black or white. Good or evil. Right or wrong. Choices we make every day.

It's not the knowing of what is right that is hard; it is the doing of right that is hard. They didn't talk about that much in school when I was growing up. And I think it is much the same way today --

We don't care about heroes much these days. Instead we concentrate on celebrities.
We don't care much about character. Instead we promote personality. Cynical comments always get a laugh. Honest appraisals are mostly ignored.

George Washington would probably never win a personality contest. He had no nickname -- no "Ike," or "JFK," or "Silent Cal." Everyone called him General Washington, or President Washington, or Mr. Washington.

He rarely smiled, we are told. He rarely showed any emotion. On the few occasions we know of when he displayed anger, he quickly asked forgiveness and made his enemies his friends.



Think of the time line:
May, 1776. The Continental Congress authorizes each of the 13 colonies to form local governments.

June 7, 1776. Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, presents a formal resolution calling for America to declare its independence from Britain. A committee, led by Thomas Jefferson, is appointed to prepare a draft of the document.

June-July, 1776. The massive British war fleet arrives in New York Harbor. 30 battleships, 1200 cannon, 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 sailors, and 300 supply ships, all under the command of General William Howe and his brother Admiral Lord Richard Howe.

The Declaration of Independence is accepted by Congress on July 4 and signed on August 2, when most of the 55 members of Congress placed their names on the parchment copy.

NOTE: A few weeks ago I witnessed a US Congressman being interviewed by journalists.
He trivialized our Declaration of Independence, saying it wasn't really that important. I wonder -- has he ever read it? That document changed world history. And the penalty for signing it was, because it was tyranny against the King, harsh to say the least.

The crime of treason was punished by dragging the accused by a rope to the gallows.
Then hanging him until almost dead, then taking a sword and ripping his intestines out, burning them in front of him (the executioners were encouraged to move quickly so they could accomplish all this before the victim died), then chopping off his head, and then "quartering him," sending the parts of the body throughout the land.

When John Hancock placed his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, he had counted the cost! as had all the others.

Throughout the first years of the war, the British made generous offers of amnesty to all Americans who would lay down their arms (surrender) and also denounce the Declaration of Independence. These offers were distributed throughout the colonies.
They must have been very tempting, and many Americans did lay down their arms.

August 27-29, 1776. Battle of Long Island. General Howe's 15,000 men severely defeated Washington's 7,000. The colonials retreated to Brooklyn Heights, facing capture and total surrender. They were trapped. Then a miracle happened. Under the cover of rain and a "providential fog" (completely unexpected and unusual for that locale) Washington's remaining troops were ferried across to Manhattan.

During the course of the war, in the years 1776 to 1781, Washington's reports to Congress and to his men cited 67 times that their escape, or their success, was the result of the hand of God. That's about once a month!

We have the record of certain British statesmen and members of Parliament in London, who, when informed of the progress of the War and General Washington's numerous escapes, told George III that it appeared God was on the side of the colonials, not Britain.

Now the colonial army was on the run. In ten weeks Washington has lost Long Island, New York City and Westchester.

To the British it was a glorious adventure, a joyful lark!

Next the colonial rebels lost more ground at the Battle of White Plains.

Another retreat westward. The Americans had held on to a small fort in Manhattan where arms were stored. It fell in October. And the British captured the vital stores of 100 cannon, thousands of muskets and cartridges.

Then the Americans lose Fort Lee in New Jersey to the English General Cornwallis. Washington had lost 3000 troops in these two battles. General Washington abandoned all of New York and moves his forces further westward toward the Delaware River.
Cornwallis pursues him, calling him "that fox" and using hunting horns to intimidate and ridicule the colonial army.

Nathan Hale was caught and executed without a trial. (The British didn't do the other stuff, though.) His last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."

In November and December of 1776 Washington is pushing his men west toward the Delaware River, with Cornwallis right behind. The weather is the worst people can remember. Deep snow, piling up in drifts, wind blowing icy fingers into the men's faces.

They have no uniforms, not even adequate clothing. At least 1000 are without shoes.
Some have taken the hides of slaughtered cattle and tried to make shoes for their bloody, swollen feet, but these didn't hold up very long. Few coats, few blankets, very little food. But they still managed to fell some trees as they went along to hinder the progress of the British army racing behind them.

The British army had colorful uniforms, with bright red coats and provisions on their backs -- including blankets, eating utensils, water and extra boots. The infantry British soldier carried at least 125 pounds of supplies on his back!


The poor ragtag army of George Washington had nothing on their backs! Journals of those men tell us that General Washington often had tears in his eyes as he watched the men file past. He knew they had very little to eat and certainly no hope of blankets that night.

The journals also tell us that as they walked through the blinding blizzard, pointing their faces toward the ground to avoid the piercing blasts of snow, they could not see where they were going. They simply followed the bloody footprints ahead of them -- the only thing visible to them.


(Actually, when you think about it, the colonial infantryman with no shoes and little clothing could probably outrun a fully clothed, well-fed, Britisher who was carrying 125 pounds on his back. So I guess sometimes having very little to carry on the retreat can be an advantage!)

On his white horse, Washington often rode at the back of the line of soldiers. When one started to falter he would crack his whip and say "Hurry, men! They are right behind us! Hurry!"

Later one of the Delaware Regiment, who often brought up the rear, said that the thing that kept them going on that cruel march was the fact that Washington was there. And they knew he would not leave them, so they couldn't stop because they couldn't allow their Commander-in-Chief to be captured. So they had to keep moving!

(P.S. My great, great, great [6 "greats" I believe,] was one of those Delaware soldiers - His name was John Parker.)









.

King David, General Washington, and Trails of Tears - Part 1

There are uniquely sad moments in everyone's life, but King David was dealt a particularly devastating blow when his son, Absalom, led a revolt against him.

We read about it in 2 Samuel 15. Absalom was in Hebron (where David himself had first been crowned) and was recruiting his own group of followers to lead a rebellion against his father.

A messenger (spy?) reported to David, The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.

Apparently David didn't need to verify this. He knew immediately that the messenger was telling the truth. Then David said to all of his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us and put the city to the sword.'


None of us will Escape...


None of us will escape... None of us? Not even David would be spared? Would Absalom's obsession with being King of Israel lead him to kill his own father? Looks like David thought so. He knew Absalom and was afraid for his own life, as well as the others in his court, and even for the residents in Jerusalem.

And so the king's officials told him Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.


And King David fled the city with his household and faithful followers. At one point, David halted and let his army march past. That army included 600 Gittites (people from Gath, where Goliath was from, and where Obed-Edom had lived). Ittai, the Gittite leader, told David, As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.


As David stood there with his household and watched his men march past, he must have felt some measure of comfort, or at least companionship, as he considered what lay ahead, and perhaps some measure of guilt for what was happening.

The Trail of Tears...


The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The King also crossed the Kidron Valley (really a ravine with a wet-weather stream called the Kidron Brook. Jesus crossed this ravine also when He went to the olive grove where He was arrested) and all the people moved on toward the desert. 2 Samuel 15:23

Zadok, the high priest, and other Levites were bringing the Ark of the Covenant with them in their exile. Was David afraid Absalom would destroy the Ark? We can't know for certain, but likely Zadok, who was entrusted with the safety of the Ark, wanted to go with David, and couldn't leave it behind!

As all the people were leaving the city fleeing from Absalom's men, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.


Where should the Ark of the Covenant be?

King David knew the Ark belonged back in the tabernacle. He said to Zadok Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, He will bring me back and let me see it and His dwelling place again. But if He says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.'

But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.

It was truly a Trail of Tears.

Retreating in your own land....

We've all read about armies in retreat and seen movies of those despairing lines of wretched people on the run, bringing their household goods on small wobbly carts and wearing as many clothes as they could layer on, followed by crying children and maybe a few small farm animals. The people usually have a haunted, hopeless look. Pilgrims. Homeless people trying to find shelter and safety.

And retreating armies carrying their wounded, trying to outrun the enemy. Trying to keep ahead. Too weary to run and too afraid to stop.

But even sadder is to imagine soldiers retreating in their own country. Like the Russian army retreating in World War II. Retreating from the advancing Germans, passing villages and farms of shocked people, their friends and family who were counting on them to keep the enemy away. And they had failed.

Imagine how it would be if you were there, watching your own army, men and boys you knew, retreating right past your home, with the enemy right behind them, chasing them. Everything the people (usually the elderly, women and children, since the strong men were already dead or part of the retreating army) had counted on to protect them had evaporated before their eyes and they were left to face whatever horrors the enemy had in store for them.

And imagine how those men themselves must have felt.

So David was fleeing, in front of his countrymen, people who had entrusted him with their lives. It was too dangerous to stay behind and so all those who were able went with David as he fled toward the desert.

David wrote about it later. Psalm 63. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory....
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I will sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

The forward to the Psalm tells us it was from David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

We know of two times David was in the wilderness: once when he was running from the jealousy and wrath of King Saul, and the other time was when he was fleeing from his own son. We can date it to the time he is running from Absalom, because in verse 11 he calls himself "the king." David often referred to himself in the third person in the psalms. (And when he was fleeing from King Saul, he was not the king.)

This Psalm is a well-known one. Most of us know parts of it by memory. And in it we can hear his voice of pain and also his voice of trust in God. (Another kind of sacred counterpoint?)

Continued in Part 2.

Darkness and Light - and Beethoven

This morning I woke up hearing Beethoven's "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" -- especially these words, "Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above....Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away...Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day..."

It is overcast today, and rain seems to hover somewhere up there over us. But our hearts are filled with eternal joy and God's true light.

I had to go back to Psalm 111 and 112 again. Lately I have been unable to focus on other Psalms -- These parallels are impossible to ignore. In Psalm 111 we see God's holiness, and in Psalm 112 we see how man can be holy -- and they are the same traits. That sure clarifies how we are to live and shape our character -- to follow God's character!

In 111 "His [God's] righteousness endures forever." In Psalm 112 "His [man's] righteousness endures forever." In Psalm 111 "He [God] is gracious and compassionate" and in Psalm 112 it says the righteous man is gracious and compassionate. And Psalm 111 tells how God shares and provides and Psalm 112 tells how righteous men are generous and share. And many more.

But I have to stop at 112:4--"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright.."
And then in Isaiah 9 we read "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

I was one of those people -- living in darkness and then -- the Light of God dawned -- didn't arrive -- it had always been there -- but it 'dawned.'

We talk a lot about light and darkness these days. We talk about a curtain of darkness beginning to cloud over our land. Well, in a practical sense, darkness must come when the light is no longer shining. We leave a room and shut off the light.
So part of the darkness around us is because we are no longer shining. And any small flicker of a flame will dispel some darkness. (And wonder if we all lit just one little candle?)

Now I am trying to concentrate on darkness. What do we know about it? Is it just the absence of light?

Remember this C. S. Lewis quote?: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

That is part of my experience -- seeing God's light enables me to see everything else clearer.

Well, anyway, a great writer is Hugh Ross, who is a well-known astrophysicist and astronomer. He is the author of numerous books and earnest in his endeavor to teach "Creation as Science" in our universities. He has founded a Christian group of scientists who promote Reasons to Believe.

So I decided to see his thoughts on darkness:
He says, "...twenty-first century discoveries about cosmic darkness have yielded the most impressive scientific evidence to date for a supernatural, super-intelligent Creator, the God of the Bible.

"In Job 38 God asks, 'Where does darkness reside? Can you take it to its places? Do you know the paths to its dwellings?' For over 3000 years no human could answer. But now astronomers know that darkness makes up 99.73 percent of all the stuff of the universe. They know that dark stuff comes in 3 forms. They've even determined where these different forms of cosmic darkness reside:

1. Ordinary dark matter - resides in halos closely surrounding galaxies of all types
2. Exotic dark matter - resides in halos closely surrounding galaxy clusters
3. Dark energy - resides everywhere, evenly distributed."

Dr. Ross goes on to say, "The precise locations and amounts of this exotic and ordinary dark matter provide exactly what's needed for a stable spiral galaxy, and advanced life is possible only in a stable spiral galaxy....spectacular evidence for supernatural, super-intelligent design. The level of fine-tuning in the dark-energy component alone is astounding. If it varied by as little as one part in 10 120th (that's 10 with 119 zeroes after it) life could not exist in the universe.
What explanation, other than the God of the Bible, can anyone give for this level of design?

Job 38 includes nearly 50 questions about nature that underscore the incomparable wisdom and power of God. Scientists today can only answer 10. And yet the answers we do know show the intricacy of God's plan, the steadfastness of God's purpose, and the magnitude of God's care for the creation, including His living creatures."

Dr. Ross points out, "What's more, each answer researchers find yields powerful new evidence for believers and doubters alike that God exists and that His Word can be trusted. Both our hearts and our minds can embrace His provision for our redemption and our eternal life with Him."

Praise God for His power and for His revelation to us, His humble creatures. We can count on His faithfulness as He has revealed Himself to us.

More from Beethoven (1770-1827).....From his "Ode to Joy" -- part of his Ninth Symphony, which he wrote when he was completely deaf! So we applaud his work, and yet he never heard it! Maybe he has now!

(His Ninth Symphony was his last complete symphony, finished a couple of years before his death.)

"All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise,
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea
Singing bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in Thee!"

To Gaze upon the Beauty of the LORD

 

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)

David's supreme priority is to "gaze upon the beauty of the LORD."

"Gazing" is not a short, one-time glimpse, but a steady, sustained focus.

It is not a prayer of repentance, but praising and admiring, and enjoying God for who He is; to find his greatest pleasure in just being in God's presence.

To sense God's beauty in the heart is to have such pleasure in Him that we rest content and fully satisfied.

My Prayer this morning: LORD, it is no exaggeration  to say that there is only one thing I need in life. And I ask for it now. It is not merely to believe in You, but in prayer and experience to see and sense Your supreme beauty. Help me to love You for Yourself alone, not just for your gifts. And I thank You for the knowledge that one day I shall find the greatest pleasure I have ever known by just being  in Your presence forever. That's my "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."  Amen.

Jairus Just Had to Wait

                     

                        Jairus Just Had To Wait

       Now when  Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, because
       they were all expecting him.

       Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came
       and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his
       house...(Luke 8:40-41)

Jairus was "one of the synagogue rulers" - so we know he was someone of authority and importance.

He fell at the feet of Jesus, a mere carpenter from Galilee. He must have been desperate.

And so he was.

       ...because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve was
       dying. (Luke 8:42)

We can imagine him there, anxious and worried - just one thread of hope - that this man they called Jesus could heal her. If only there was enough time
 - they must hurry - wonder if they were too late?

His heart was pounding. He was frantic. Hurry!

       As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.
       And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding
       for twelve years, but no one could heal her.

       She came up behind him and touched the edge of his
       cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

       "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.

       When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are
       crowding and pressing against you."

       But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power
       has gone out from me." (Luke 8:42-46)


Jairus is probably thinking: "Who cares? Of course someone has touched you! Probably many people have touched you! I must hurry!  Before it's too late!"


       Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.  

     Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.
       Go in peace."  (Luke 8:47-48)


Jairus is getting angry. "That woman," he might be think, has had her illness for twelve years. She has had opportunity for healing, and can later. My daughter has only been alive twelve years!  This is her only chance! Don't delay us any longer!"

No ordinary doctor would behave like this.  The emergency, especially involving an important public figure, would get first attention.

But Jesus is no ordinary doctor.

You know the rest of the story - a messenger arrives to tell Jairus that his daughter has died, but Jesus continues to Jairus' home, saying, "Don't be afraid; just believe and she will be healed." (Luke 8:49)

And the little girl in her bed, like the woman in the crowd, was healed.

One of the lessons for us is that "our timing is not His timing."

Jairus was frantic, the disciples were probably impatient and irritated, but Jesus is calm and composed.

Jesus will not be hurried.  He says, "You may think all is lost if I don't act right now. You may think that I don't love you because I delay. I delay because I love you."

"I have something much bigger to do for you. Just wait and watch!"

Right now, are you anxious for God to work out something in your life? Do you feel He has forgotten, or even abandoned, you?

Are you impatient and frustrated?

Jesus is saying, just as He said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid....don't be anxious....don't panic....just believe and I will astound you with what I am doing!"

Just wait and watch!

Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks

 How Matthew describes Jesus' Ministry

"A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out...in His name the nations will put their hope (Matthew 12:20-21).

And when Matthew specifically links these words back to Isaiah's description of the Messiah in Isaiah 42:3 -- written 700 years before -- he directly connects Jesus as God's promised Messiah, our Rescuer and Redeemer!

What is weaker than a bruised reed or a smoldering wick?

A reed growing in a marshland -- let a small bird land on it and it snaps! Every breeze that blows moves it to and fro, a tiny creature scurries around it and it is bruised and broken. It is hard to find a more fragile part of Gods creation!

And a smoldering wick? There is a tiny spark left in it, but it is almost smothered. Even a baby's breath can blow it completely out. A single tear drop will end it forever.

Some of God's children are made strong to do mighty work for Him. He has His Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza's gates and carry them to the top of the hill. And His Moseses who can lead His people 40 years across the treacherous wilderness!

But most of His people are a timid, trembling group. They are like starlings, frightened at every sound -- a fearful flock of defenseless sheep! Their frail craft bounces along every wave, barely surviving, threatening to sink very moment. Weak things without strength, wisdom and foresight. Yet, weak as they are, and because they are weak, God made this promise to them!

This is grace and goodness. Here is love and kindness A picture of the compassion of Jesus -- so gentle and tender. We never have to fear a harsh word from Him or shrink back  from His angry touch -- those nail-scarred hands caress us with love.

Bruised reeds receive no blows from Him, and smoldering wicks are not attacked in His anger.

Our joyful song, every day, is:

"I am weak,. but Thou art strong...I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, let me walk, close to Thee"!

STICK CLOSE TODAY!

The Tabernacle

 The Tabernacle - Where God Lives

  In Hebrew, the word "tabernacle" means "dwelling place" or "residence."

  It refers to the portable sanctuary carried by the Israelites, which the LORD directed Moses to build. Read about it, in glorious detail, in Exodus 35-38. Later the Temple became the permanent sanctuary. But in the wilderness, as they traveled, they used the tabernacle.

  Where is God's dwelling place now? He lives in us -- our heart is His tabernacle!

   During the wilderness wanderings there came a wonderful moment. God had instructed Moses to build a tabernacle in which He could dwell. Once the project was complete, the majestic cloud, which hovered over them, descended and entered the Holy Place. From that moment on every child of Israel could point to the tabernacle and say, God is there!" Read about that in Exodus 40:34-38.

  Now gesture to your heart and say "God in here!"  On the day you decided to follow Jesus, an unseen miracle occurred. The Holy Spirit descended from the heavens, and stopped directly over your body. He took up residence in you. He turned your heart  into His tabernacle. Paul described it in Ephesians 3 -- "That God  may grant you, through His Spirit, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Or another version says, "That Christ may settle down and be at home in your hearts by faith."

  1 Corinthians 3:16 says: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple?"

  Without question, one of our most remarkable  Christian doctrines is that Jesus Christ Himself, through the Holy Spirit, will actually enter a heart and and make it His home. And He will live in any heart that welcomes Him!

  Have you invited Him in? Have you welcomed Him?

"Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee!"

How God Wants Us To Dress

                                

                                

                                How God Wants Us To Dress!

How God wants us to live -- From Colossians 3 --

"Now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language...do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator....

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with one another and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

So it's about, first, what we need to take off, and then what we need to put on. (We can't wear two outfits at once!)  So let's change wardrobes today - take off our old clothes and put on the new wardrobe God has given us!

The Jesus Story - Is it really true?

The Jesus Story - Is it really true?

If we want to investigate Jesus's life, to discern whether Jesus really did live and die and rise again, to know if the Easter story contains even "a grain of history" or perhaps even the key to history, we need to go to the Gospels, the historical documents that tell Jesus's story.

These Gospels are named after their authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

....Two hundred years ago, some scholars began to propose that the Gospels were oral traditions and embellished with many legendary elements over the generations, and were not written down until more than one hundred years after the events of Jesus's life.

These claims have convinced many people over the years that we cannot know who Jesus really was.

There is now a countermovement going on, however.

One hundred fifty years ago it was confidently asserted that no Gospel existed before the third decade of the second century A.D.

But over the past century the evidence has become overwhelming that the Gospels were written much earlier, within the lifetime of many of the eyewitnesses to Jesus's life and death.

This has led to "faith reversals," as in the well-publicized cases of Anne Rice and A. N. Wilson.

Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
makes, I think, the most conclusive argument that the Gospels are not long-evolving oral traditions, but rather oral histories, written down from the accounts of the eyewitnesses themselves who were still alive and active in the community.

Bauckham cites extensive evidence that for decades after Jesus's death and resurrection the people who were healed by Jesus, like the paralytic who was lowered through the roof; the person who carried the cross for Jesus, Simon of Cyrene; the women who watched Jesus being placed in the tomb, like Mary Magdalene; and the disciples who had followed Jesus for three years, like Peter and John -- all of the participants in the life of Jesus continually and publicly repeated these incidents in great detail.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote down these accounts and so we have the Gospels.

Bauckham also observes that the Gospels are too counterproductive in their content to be legends.

For example, it is astonishing that in the very foundational documents of the Christian church we would have a record that one of the greatest leaders of the church, Peter, was an enormous failure who even cursed Jesus in public.

The only reliable source for the account of Peter's denial and betrayal of Jesus would be Peter himself.

No one else could have known the details we are given.

And no one in the early church would have dared to highlight the weaknesses of its most revered and significant leader with such candor -- unless that very weakness was an important part of the story.

And unless, of course, the accounts were true.

--From King's Cross, by Timothy Keller, in Before.

The Group I Want to be With!

From Psalm 32: (AMP)

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but those who trust in and rely on the LORD shall be surrounded with compassion and loving kindness...Be glad in the LORD you righteous -[Those who actively seek right standing with Him]..shout for joy, all you upright in heart!... 

It's a no-brainer...that's the group I want to be with...those who actively seek right standing with Him!

actively seek...not just talk about....

As He Came Down

                           

                                  As He Came Down

Reading Philippians 2:6-11 this morning and praising God that He loved us so much that He came down in Person to save us. Didn't send an angel - He came Himself!

Scholars tell us that this passage was actually a hymn sung in the early churches, or, if not sung, then chanted together. I like to think of it as a song and wish some musician today would put a melody to it and allow us to sing it, too!  "Way too cool!" as one of my friends says.

Here are the first lines of the passage:

     Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus....Who being in the very       nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to
     be used to His own advantage, rather made Himself nothing by       taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human                 likeness.....

(Paul wrote this, and he wasn't with Jesus on that last night, when
He washed the feet of His disciples - certainly the epitome of 
'servanthood' - but I am certain he had heard about it!)

It brings to my mind an old poem written 400 years ago by George
Herbert:
     

    The God of power, as He did ride in His majestic glory,

     resolved to come to us, and so one day  

     He  did descend, undressing all the way!

     
What a picture! What love!

V E R Y Interesting - Pharaoh Necho - Not Fast Food!

Pharaoh Necho was Egypt's leader about the time of Judah's King Josiah ---in fact, Josiah was killed in battle with Necho, which in itself is a fascinating story- See 2 Kings 22-23 (609 BC).

Anyway, from non-biblical ancient sources we learn that Pharaoh Necho (Neco) commissioned a crew of Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa--from east to west--from Egypt, south and around what was later named the Cape of Good Hope, then north up around Africa and through the Pillars of Hercules (which we now call Gibraltar) and back to Egypt, reporting to Necho at the mouth of the Nile.

The trip took 3 years...that's right, 3 years!

Here's the deal about that--the ships were small, each carrying about 50 sailors. We don't know how many ships. But we do know they were row galleys. There was limited space for fresh water and food.

"Since sea-going row galleys, with little storage space, had to keep a crew of at least 50 officers and oarsmen live and healthy, this Egyptian fleet had to stop ashore when autumn came, to plant, grow and reap a crop of grain. That was their only means of solving the logistics problem."

Imagine that! They had to stop regularly for food and water, and when food was scarce, they had to stop long enough to plant and reap a crop! Determination and perseverance...do we posses these qualities these days?


I found that great information while reading Samuel Eliot Morison's The Northern Voyages.

In those days, like in the days of Christ, people often nibbled on the grain itself. When Christ and His disciples wandered through a grain field (Matthew 12) eating the grains, it upset the Pharisees. Because they would rub the grain to remove the chaff, and that was considered preparing a meal, which they were not to do on the Sabbath!

Taking the grain was not the issue - God had told His people to leave grain in the field for the poor and strangers who needed food - so they were not stealing - they were working on the Sabbath! That was the issue.

I've always been curious--dining on kernels of grain doesn't sound that great. Sounds to me sort of like eating popcorn kernels before they are popped! I guess we are all just spoiled. I prefer my grain ground and made into bread and cakes and cookies!

Sally Lloyd-Jones - A happy/sad celebration/revival

One of my favorite books is a children's Bible story book by Sally Lloyd-Jones titled The Jesus Story Book Bible -- Every Story Whispers His Name.

I read it myself often and share it in Bible study classes.

This is how she paraphrases Nehemiah 8-10; Malachi 1, 3 and 4; and Ezra 7:

Have you ever been to a party that lasted a whole week? How about a sermon that went on all day?

Well, that's what happened to God's people after they came home from being slaves. They had forgotten how God wanted them to live, or who they were supposed to be. So Ezra and Nehemiah read them the rules God had given Moses.

But something odd happened: the more the sermon went on, the sadder they got. Why? Was the sermon that boring? No, not really. It was strange, you see. As Ezra read the book of rules, it worked like a mirror. It showed them what they were like, and they didn't like what they saw. They saw that they had not been living the way they should. They saw that they were cruel and selfish.

"We've blown it," they cried. "Now God will punish us!"


They thought they knew what God was going to do. But they didn't. Of course, they might have picked up a clue from Ezra's name, which means, "Help is here!" And an even stronger one from Nehemiah's name because his name means "God wipes away our tears."

And that, as you'll see, is just exactly what God was getting ready to do.

Ezra looked at God's children. Great, hot tears were welling up in their eyes, and streaming down their cheeks. He stopped his sermon--mid-sentence--and shut the book. "We're having a party!" he shouted.


And so that's just what they did! All week long.

"God wants us to be happy!" Ezra said.

All day they listened to stories about the wonderful things God had done for His people. How He made the world. How He gave a special promise to Abraham. How He rescued them from slavery. How He spoke to Moses and showed them how to live. How He brought them to a special land, how He rescued them -- no matter what -- time after time, over and over again -- because of His Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always Forever Love.

They remembered how God had always, all through the years, been loving His children -- keeping His promise to Abraham, taking care of them, forgiving them. Even when they disobeyed. Even when they ran away from Him. Even when they thought they didn't need Him.

Then God told His children something more...

I can't stop loving you.
You are My heart's treasure.
But I lost you. Now I am coming back for you.

I am like the sun that gently shines on you, chasing away darkness and fear and death.
You'll be so happy--
You'll be like little calves running free in an open field.

I am going to send My Messenger -- the Promised One.
The One you have been waiting for.
The Rescuer.

He is coming! So, get ready!

It had taken centuries for God's people to be ready, but now the time had almost come for the best part of God's Plan.

God Himself was going to come. Not to punish His people -- but to rescue them.

God was getting ready to wipe away every tear from every eye. And the true party was just about to begin....