Psalms of, who?

I recently finished a book about the Psalms and it was frustrating work. The author has some really good insights and observations but in some passages I wondered if he and I were reading the same Bible. He spends a lot of time suggesting and offering the best thoughts of the latest scholarship and is very careful not to disagree too strongly against any wind of doctrine, but I was almost finished with the book before he hinted at his opinion. One popular thought among the scholars suggests (because they always suggest) David didn't write any of the Psalms.

These academics say the "sweet Psalmist of Israel" could not have written the Psalms attributed to him because he could not have been as sophisticated and theologically advanced as the Psalms attributed to him are, or so they say. Because critics don't really believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, they can spend their days teaching us why it's wrong. Many of the same scholars do not believe the history of the Old Testament can be trusted so they developed the "form-critical" view of the Psalms that categorizes groups of songs of praise or lament, and views them through that context. Why? Because they believe we can't trust the history of the Bible to get the context, so this is an alternative lens to read the Psalms. They view the Scripture, not as God's Word, but a historical text to preside over in judgment. These same men give credence to extra-biblical records and histories and those histories trump the Bible. The Psalms are an academic puzzle to be solved rather than God's truth to be believed.

I, for one, believe David wrote a good portion of the Psalms (Psalms 72:20). I'm standing apart from many of the learned, I know, but I think I stand in good company. Jesus believed David wrote Psalms (Luke 20:42;Mark 12:36). Peter believed David wrote Psalms (Acts 1:16; 2:25). Paul believed David wrote Psalms (Romans 4:6). The author of Hebrews believed David wrote Psalms (Hebrews 4:7). Not only did the New Testament writers believe this, but the author of Hebrews attributes a Psalm to David that doesn't have a title AND tells us it was God speaking through David as He was moved by the Holy Ghost (Hebrews 3:7). I'll believe the Bible.

This is why we must be discerning as we read the thoughts of men, no matter how much schooling they have under their belt. The best of scholars are men and all men are liars. Writing and publishing thoughts doesn't elevate thoughts and a seminary education doesn't sanctify them. A book is merely a one-sided conversation of someone's ideas and some ideas are trash. You may not read these scholars. But you might listen to men preach who have read them and are under their influence. My advice is to read the Bible with faith and read every book written by men like a textual critic, and preside over their works with suspicion.

Inherit the Wind

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind, Proverbs 11:29.

I'd rather walk ten miles to avoid senseless trouble than to ride a mile into it. Eliphaz hit the nail on the head when he said, "man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward," and I have more trouble in my life than suits me now, so why would I want to add to my own misery? But apparently, there are a special few who just don't have enough problems in their life so they have to get some of their own making. They must get out of bed, bored to tears, and stir up a heap of trouble to pass the time. The more likely explanation is that a fool doesn't understand the consequences of his actions. People (most people, most of the time) don't want trouble in their life but they have a funny way to go about it because living contrary to God's way is a sure fire path to misery now, and poverty for the future. Sin today troubles the house and will eventually bring it down.

 

If you bring trouble home, you are destroying the future of your own house. How can you expect God to bless your rebellion? The Lord has set before us the path of blessing and the path of judgment (Psalm 1) and having a respect for the Bible, but not following Christ's Words is going to bring trouble home. Venerating the book, but having enough dust on the cover to write "DAMNATION" across it, as the preacher said, is a sure way to bring your house to ruin.

 

You can trouble your house by who you bring home. There are many pious people who wouldn't let a blasphemer abide for very long in their living room or refuse to let a man mock God before their family, unless, of course, he's on television. That's different. Do you think you can bring ungodly people into your home night after night to instruct you and then reap the fruit of righteousness?

 

You can trouble your house by who you keep out of it. Some take great pains to keep people and trouble out of their house. They build fences, put up signs, install security systems, and have a dog on patrol. They remain vigilantly armed to the teeth ready to keep problems out, but they trouble their house because Christ is not in the home. They trust in their strength and their armory. They trust in their valiance and their bullets. But if Christ is not in the home, or the heart, then your fortress is built on sand and will crumble. God is the founder of the home (Genesis 2:23-24). The Lord is the leader of the family (1 Corinthians 11:3). And Christ is the provider and sustainer of the house (Psalm 127:1). So to shut the closet door and not seek the Lord's face in the home is to trouble the home and inherit the wind.

 

 It's bad enough to trouble your own house, but some have the gumption to try and bring trouble to the Lord's house.  The soul foolish enough to bring trouble to the Lord's house will inherit a whole lot more than wind. 

 

Seeking and Finding

Proverbs 11:27  He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him. The book of Proverbs is wisdom literature, so keep this in mind as you read. It's like the man who returned his air mattress to the store complaining it wasn't sea worthy. He wanted the mattress to do something it wasn't made to do. Proverbs are not fortune cookies but wise words designed to teach us how to walk in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:1-7). They are short and sweet generalized principles God gave us to help us make the right decisions in our life.

 

Our text could have a spiritual application, the child of God who serves the Lord with gladness will be rewarded in Heaven, while the wicked will get his payment in Hell. That's a truth, but I don't believe that's the truth here. This proverb is comparing people in the world who get what they got coming to them. Generally speaking, this is how the world works, but not always. Sometimes the good guy doesn't get the girl and the guy in the black hat gets away with the crime. But again, a proverb is instructing us in how to live in the fear of the Lord and giving us principles to live by and generally speaking, doing good will be a blessing and sinning will bring sorrow to your life.

 

The man who is actively working for good will procure for himself good in return. In the first half of the proverb, the person isn't looking for favor, nor is he working to get blessings, but he's diligently searching to do good. The blessing is a byproduct of what he labors for, it's the unintended consequences of doing good. I'll be honest, sometimes it's hard to do good. As bad as it sounds, a person can get weary in well doing. But I've found that doing good, even when we don’t feel like it, generally comes with its own blessing. On the other hand, the man who is looking for mischief will find it and a whole lot more. He will get all the unintended consequences that come with wickedness. We love the pleasures of sin now but hate the consequences. So when a person pursues evil, he'll find it and then get to deal with all that goes along with it.

 

So why do we do bad things? Doing the cost benefit analysis, sin costs more pain in the long run than the temporary pleasure you might get out of it – but we do it anyway because that's our nature (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Wisdom tells us to stop, but we don't listen and despite the pain it brings us, we do it anyway. This proverb proves our dire spiritual condition. That's why we need a Saviour. We need someone to make us clean and give us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:25-27). By trusting in Christ, the Wisdom of God, you can be made clean. 

The Only Comfort

The Heidelberg Catechism (or the 1680 Orthodox, if you are a Baptist) starts things off by asking, " What is your only comfort in life and in death?" I think all of us could easily answer the first part and maybe list more than a few things in this life that give us strength, hope, and consolation. Maybe it's a parent, or a sibling, or trusted friend who can help bear life's burdens. Maybe your job gives you strength and hope to keep pressing on, day after day. President Ulysses S Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer and didn't have much in the way to leave to his wife. He spent his final days writing his biography. There were days when the pain was almost unbearable and he hardly had the strength, but he pressed on, determined to finish the work because he wanted the book to be a source of income for his wife after he died. She was his comfort in life, and knowing he'd leave enough to sustain her was a comfort in the last days of his life.

But what about the second part? If we make a list of our comforts in this life, what would carry over to be our comfort in death? Your work may give you comfort now, but you can't take your job to the afterlife. Your friend may be a consolation to you now, but want about the second after you leave this world? What hope does your family provide you in your death?

What can comfort you both in life and in death? What can provide hope and assurance to me now, and when I die as a sure ground for hope and consolation? I believe the catechism is true when it says there is only one comfort that can help in life and death. "That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him."

I belong to Jesus and I am his purchased possession. He saved me from my sins and delivered me from Hell, and gave me his righteousness. I'm loved by my Father in Heaven, who chose me before the foundation of the world in love, and preserves me, keeps me, and protects me in this world and the world to come. I'm indwelt by the Comforter, my friend who seals me, guides me, and blesses me with assurance and fills me with the fruit of grace.

Fool Aware

A few weeks ago in Alaska, a man and his dog were hiking when the dog spotted a bear cub. The border collie chased the cub away, but mamma was not pleased. She went after the hiker, bit him a couple times before she gave up and went on her way. Bear attacks are rare because bears generally will avoid people if they can help it, but they have limits. Messing with her cub is one of mamma bear's limits. Earlier this summer, I preached a meeting out west, and much to the dismay of my boys (and the joy of my wife) we didn't see any bears in our travels. But I did see a lot of fools doing foolish things and that's more terrifying. Proverbs 17:12 says, "Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly." Since I was heading into grizzly country I read up on some helpful literature from the Forestry Service on being "Grizzly Bear Aware". The Bible has good information about being "fool aware."

Folly is being ridiculous, absurd, and frankly, stupid. Coming back home, we stopped at a National Park for a few hours and went for a hike on a pretty famous trail. It has a beautiful view at the end, but a tad perilous in places. Just past a sign on the path that said, "Dangerous Cliff. Keep Right," a group of impatient teenagers, who thought we were walking too slow, passed us on the left (the side with the dangerous cliff) and jumped off a rock to get around us. One girl slipped when she landed, but was able to get her traction before she plummeted to her death. I passed erratic drivers texting on their phones while driving 90 MPH. I saw people shooting off fireworks in the middle of a drought, in the middle of a dry-as-bones prairie.

God made the world and the world operates according to God's rules. Folly is when you act contrary to or in defiance of God's world. Jumping off a roof is dumb, because in God's world, there is gravity. When silly people act without considering the consequences, or without wisdom, you get a dangerous situation. Most sane people know better than to get in the way of a bear and her cubs, but don't know better than to get in the way of God and His prophets (2 Kings 2:22-24). Sinning is also dumb, because in God's world, there are consequences for breaking his moral laws too. Many cultivate common sense, but not spiritual sense. We warn teenagers about texting and driving, but don't consider where they are going or who they are texting. We caution Jonah to wear a life jacket to stay safe, but not to consider the danger of rebelling against God.

I made it back to West Virginia without any bear encounters, but plenty of fool sightings. I was in much more danger of the fool than the bear.

Mice and Men

"What do you want to do when you grow up?" I never liked that question as a child because I never thought of having a job as being something that anyone wanted to do. I wanted to play center field for the Cincinnati Reds, or be a fighter pilot, or herd cattle in the Old West. But since that wasn't going to happen, I had no idea how to answer the question. It always seemed to me like such a grave matter, a question with such finality that if you answered the question, your fate was sealed and your destiny was fixed. Once you started down that road, you could never turn back.

But often in our lives, even if we know what we want to do, the best laid plans go awry. Life doesn't always turn out like you hope. Proverbs 20:24 says, "Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?" The Christian must always live for the glory of God and commit our ways to the Saviour, and trust in his providence. We can plan, but since our steps are of the Lord and our goings are ordained by God, we can't really correctly predict how our life is going to turn out.

I read of a man who was most likely asked to leave the military because he had a drinking problem. His plan was to retire as an officer, but now out of military life, he was directionless and just couldn't seem to get his life in gear. To support his family, he started selling firewood on the street corner. His life certainly wasn't going the way he planned. Through a series of events totally out of his control and a helping hand from an acquaintance, he was given another shot in the Army. This time he did better and worked his way up the ladder. His name was Ulysses S. Grant and he eventually served as the 18th president of the United States.

Living with the understanding that our goings are of the Lord comforts the soul when life seems spiraling out of control, because in reality, God is in directs our lives. Especially when life is hard and we don't understand. Work to achieve your goals in life, but learn to roll with the punches. This truth gives us direction, as we should be more concerned with our the state of our soul. Our plans change, our lives may be drastically different from our plan, but the Lord never changes. No matter what state we find ourselves in, we can still live for God's glory. The answer to "what do you want to be when you grow up," is, for God's people, "I want to be holy, as my Father is holy. I want to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I want to be wise, understanding the will of the Lord. I want to be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer."

A Different Kind of Victory

If I scored zero in a round of golf, I'd be thrilled. If my final score was zero in a game of basketball, I'll be embarrassed. The victors score looks different, depending on the rules of the contest. Most would agree in a fight to the death, the person left standing is the winner, but here too, it depends on the judge. In Revelation 15:2, there are saints of God in Heaven, who have "gotten victory over the beast." They were in heaven, instead of the earth, because they stood against the beast and were put to death. They refused to worship the false god, take the mark of the antichrist and for their stand, they were executed. And God called them victorious.

Revelation 13:11-18 tells us more about the power the beast has over the world. Anyone who does not take the mark is restricted from participating in society, they can not buy nor sell. Rich or poor, powerful or weak, free or in bondage, it doesn't matter, you take the mark and worship the beast. If not, you die. These faithful few stand refusing to worship the beast. Having their eyes opened by the Spirit of God, turning from their sin to trust only in Christ Jesus, they refused to bow to worship an idol god, even if it costs their life.

From earth, people will see what happened and will be afraid of following suite. They will participate because they don't want to die. All they have to do is take the mark. All they have to do is bow down and worship the image and they live to fight another day. A win, right? How foolish for these people to stand for Christ and get put to death, for what? What did they gain? Think of all the good they could have done. That's the perspective from the Earth. It looks a little different in Heaven. The martyrs lost their lives and immediately were in the presence of the Lord. They didn't lose their battle with the antichrist, they won. All the enemy could do in his persecution, is chase them up to Heaven. If we are worldly minded then we can only think of worldly victories. But the heavenly minded person sees the real battle and by faith knows what victory looks like. As the persecutor put their mortal bodies in the ground, he believed he was ridding himself of his opposition, so naturally, he was winning. But in reality, it was the martyrs who won. God has a different type of scorecard.

They are the victors. Not in a metaphorical way. Not just some sentimental words to comfort those who remain. They overcame the wicked one by the blood of the Lamb, declaring the gospel of Christ, that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ's work alone. They did not gain victory through their own death, but "they loved not their lives unto death," (Revelation 12:11). Faith was the victory that overcame.

Listen to Dad

Here are a few thoughts I had about dads and the book of Proverbs. Happy Father's Day. 

The phrase, "My son," is found over 20 times in the book of Proverbs. Several of those instances are the author pleading with his son to listen to him and to remember what he said. For example, "My son, hear the instruction of thy father," and  "My son, forget not my law," to name a few. This brought a smile to my face, because 2,990 years ago in Jerusalem, there was a dad who was repeating himself to his son, teaching the same thing over and again. People never change. And, there was probably a son who, at least in his heart, was thinking, "I know Dad."  The Bible reveals the thoughts and intents of our  hearts. It doesn't need to be updated for the times, because it shows us human nature. Fathers, read and apply the book of Proverbs to your children.

In Proverbs 4:1-5, Solomon tells his son the story of his childhood. He was, "my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother." We know all about David's  troubled family life in his later years, but it wasn't all bad. Notice the relationship Solomon had with David. He was his father's son. Solomon felt like he was the only and beloved son because of the affection and love David gave Solomon, like he was the only son. But we know that David loved his other children too, and deeply, by reading the heartbreaking words of David in 2 Samuel 18:33, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

David taught Solomon the Bible and applied it. "Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.  Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth."  Solomon is a dad instructing his son, and remembering what his father said to him. Just because your parents did or said something doesn't make it right. Many fathers pass on generational sins to their children by word or example. There are many people who come from a long line of fools and are proud to live out their family tradition. Solomon was passing down wisdom. He took God's Word and applied to. He's teaching his son how to walk in the fear of the Lord. Let the Bible be your family tradition.

Not only did Solomon teach his son wisdom, but he had to undo the bad influences from the world. Proverbs 19:27, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." People never change. There always has been, and  always will be bad influences and dumb philosophies that steer kids in the wrong direction.  Whether it comes from another kid, a movie, or a song, a dad has to protect his children. Stop listening to people who lead you to do wrong. We would save ourselves from a world of hurt if we would listen to wisdom instead.

Magical Mountain Elixir

Ladies and Gentleman, step right up, and gather round. Let me tell you about my Magical Mountain Elixir! Today is a special day, because do I have a deal for you! Does your life seem too joyful and too smooth? Do you long for habitual grief and despise the day of blessing? Would rather have continual gloom and despair? Is your life just a little too serene and what you need is some conflict to vex your soul? Do you grow weary of living peaceably with your loved ones and need some unjustified anger in your heart directed to those who love you most? "Ah," you say," now you are getting close to the desires of my heart." But wait, there's more! When you are talking with others, do you find yourself making too much sense? Are you too coherent and your thoughts are too eloquent and need to disable that restraint in your brain that prevents you from offending people, and making a fool of yourself? What if I told you there is a way to halt that annoying little self-check that keeps you from uttering all that is in your mind, would you believe it? Oh, my friends, what if I also told you that besides all that I've told you, I could also give you health troubles! Some are temporary, but others will plague you for the rest of your life! Dear friends, how about it? Step right up to get a bottle of my Magical Mountain Elixir which will provide you all that I've described and even more, guaranteed! Hello? Where did everyone go?

That may not have been the best sales pitch, but it's an honest one. Proverbs 23:29-30, "Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine." This is what you get in exchange for drunkenness. Years ago, I picked a man up for work. In the house I saw people laying passed out all over the place. There was a makeshift coffee table made of cases of beer, though much of the other furniture had been drank the night before. They were hung-over, sick, and foolish looking. I was embarrassed for them. A grown man, who had lost so much control to alcohol, lost control of his bladder and was laying in his own filth on the floor. His "friends" thought it was funny as they stepped over him. Sounds like so much fun. My co-worker started every workday sick with a hangover, and ended every night in drunkenness. He couldn't drive to work himself because he lost his license. He often drank his paycheck over the weekend and was penniless come Monday. Not quite a beer commercial, but it's reality. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise," Proverbs 20:1. Don't be deceived by drugs and drunkenness.

Just Be Quiet

"A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness," Proverbs 12:23. A prudent person is cautious and careful. He looks before he leaps and thinks before he speaks. Prudence is wisdom in action. Maybe that's why you don't hear the word very much anymore. The prudent man doesn't have to tell all he knows but speaks when it's time to speak and by using his wisdom, knows when the time is right.

The prudent conceals his knowledge, not out of fear of man, but out of fear of God. It would be easy to convince yourself you are being prudent when you are just afraid, but wisdom is our guide and the Bible discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. The prudent uses his knowledge as a tool for good, knowing when and where to lay the hammer down. "A word fitly spoken," is beautiful, pleasing, and valuable (Proverbs 25:11). There is power in words, good and evil, and even the right word at the wrong time can, perhaps, not produce the desired effect. Having a heart to heart with a loved one about their health, and needing to make better choices in their diet may be a worthy endeavor. Having that talk at their wedding reception probably won't be received well.

The prudent man thinks about his answer before blurting it out (Proverbs 15:28). In many situations, you don't have to give an immediate answer to a question, and "I don't know, let me think about it and get back with you," is a perfectly acceptable response. Of course, there are situations where you need to be quick on your feet or the opportunity to speak is gone, but it may be better to think a minute before just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. Some people have a quick wit and naturally have a ready response and a quick answer isn't necessarily a bad one. The wise can answer quickly because they studied the thing out long before you even thought of the question. But it may be better not to reveal the answer, but turn it back to the questioner and guide them to think it through for themselves. Jesus did this often.

The foolish man uses his words like a four year old boy with a hammer, whose goal is more focused on pummeling anything in his path than using the implement for a useful purpose. The fool opens his mouth and lets his words fly. Will his words do good? Will they help? Will they heal? It doesn't matter as long as he can give vent to what's on his mind. His main purpose is to be heard and let fly the words bouncing around his brain. When the torrent of words is released upon society, there won't be much worth hearing, because the "mouth of fools poureth out foolishness." The wisest thing a fool can do in this situation, is just be quiet (Proverbs 17:27-28).

God is Good

For thou, Lord, art good, Psalm 86:5.

When I was a teenager, a man asked me how I was doing and I said, "I'm pretty good." He looked at me for a second and said, "Nope, you're neither one." I was offended by the first, but I knew I wasn't the second. I'm not good, but God is. It's not just the fact God does good things, but His nature and essence is goodness. God is infinitely (Psalm 119:68) and abundantly good (Exodus 34:6) which means the goodness He shows to His creation is plenteous. He's overflowing with goodness. He is infinitely, inherently, abundantly good.

Look around and see the goodness of God in His creation. The Almighty could have created one type of plant, and made it sufficient for pollination, oxygen and food. Rather, He gave us a variety of unique, beautiful plants and trees. Flowers don't have to smell, but God is good. How many billions of dollars will we spend trying to colonize Mars, when God in His goodness, created a place for man and gave it to us, with the perfect amount of light, heat, air, and water? Not only does many deny God's goodness in creation, but he longs to escape it.

The Lord is good and created a variety of animals, with different uses, characteristics, and even tastes. You could eat a steak, drink a glass of milk, then loosen your leather belt because you ate too much, and it all came from the same blessed animal. Veganism (the philosophy, not the diet) stands in opposition to God's goodness and refuses God's good gifts (1 Timothy 4:4). Speaking of a good steak, God's goodness gave you taste buds. A friend of mine enjoys fine foods and one afternoon he brought home a very expensive variety of cheese. He sat it on the counter and went to the fridge to get a drink, turned around and it was gone. His dog was by the counter staring at him, licking his lips over an empty cheese wrapper. He told me the worst part was the dog didn't even enjoy it. You and I were given the great gift of taste buds where we can distinguish and enjoy various tastes.

We don't think about God’s goodness much because we get so much of it without asking or thinking about it. God is so good we take his goodness for granted and complain at inconvenience. An inconvenience presupposes there is a standard of the way things should be and the way things normally are. God is good to us and we despise it because His goodness is nowhere seen better than in Christ. God sent His Son to die for men who had rebelled against Him and to give eternal life, blessing, peace, and joy to a people who hated Him, freely by His grace and mercy. Romans 2:4, "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

Peace in the Middle East

Last week, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. Depending on where you get you news, there are assorted speculations why there was conflict to start with. I read an article saying the hostilities are over territory and ultimately Jerusalem, and this has been going on for decades. This is true, if by decades they meant millennia, at least according to the Old Testament and all recorded history. Others, have a still yet more juvenile opinion and blame religion as the source of the clash because if you got rid of the religion in the region, the fighting would cease. Other neo-Nazis and anti-Semites blame the Jews, because of course they do.

There will always be unrest in Israel and it won't be solved by treaties or proclamations. Every promise to bring peace will fail because of the underlying reason of the hatred – Jesus Christ. To paraphrase H.A. Ironside, this tiny insignificant strip of land is, for God, the center of the earth. The Lord gave this land and defined its borders in the covenant He made with Abraham and gave to his descendants. It is there, in the City of David, God promised the throne would be established forever. It is in this strip of land the Lord Jesus was born, lived, and died. It was here the Lord Jesus was baptized, preached, healed the sick, and saved the lost, where He rose from the dead, then ascended to Heaven. It is to this land, He will someday return and establish His earthly kingdom.

Jesus is why there has been and continues to be conflict in the region. It's not religion, it's reality – Jehovah gave this land to Abraham and his children and the natural heart and mind is enmity against God. There is unrest in Israel because the nation of Israel also will not submit to her King.

Jesus will return to the Earth, as promised. When He does, He will rule this world, from Jerusalem, as Her King (Psalm 2; 2 Samuel 7:1-17). He came the first time, as the Lamb of God, to give Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of His people. He will return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 19:11-21). One of my favorite passages on this topic is found in the book of Zechariah chapter 8. When the Lord returns, Jerusalem will be a city of truth, a holy mountain, a peaceful mountain. In verse 5 it says, "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." During the Earthly reign of Jesus Jerusalem will be a city of peace, safety, comfort, and joy. Righteousness will be regulated from the throne, and the wickedness that puts children in danger will be put down. When there is conflict (any conflict, not just nations), there is sin, and there cannot be peace without Christ. The Prince of Peace is the only hope for peace in Israel. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Risky Business

I recently had a minor surgical procedure (minor to the doctor, but not so minor from my perspective). My doctor told me it was quick and easy, but said anytime you have surgery there are risks. He proceeded to do an impression of  a drug commercial, telling all the possible side effects and things that could go wrong – complications with anesthesia, infections, heart issues, stroke, blood clots and probably more, but I zoned out. After agreeing that I should have the surgery, he scheduled the pre-op tests. I had the blood work and the EKG to make sure the ticker was up to it and look for other possible maladies.  And, of course, the COVID test  I went to the drive through, got, what I can only assume was the ramrod from a black powder rifle shoved up the nostril then I was warned of the danger of COVID and possible outcomes if I contracted the virus.

The surgery went off without a hitch. On the way home we stopped to pick up my medicine (complete with warnings of possible side effects). The traffic was heavy and we had to cross both lanes.  It's a wonder how the traffic often seems to be synchronized as to never let people join them on the road. We saw an opportunity, only three cars coming our way and the other lanes were clear. But, to our disappointment, one member of the trio was out for a leisurely jaunt and their lack of urgency caused us to miss our chance. Not wanting to set up camp at Walgreens and stay the night, we waited until it passed, and quickly pulled out in the median. I saw a box truck and a semi rolling down the road and got in behind them. Finally, on the road. We turned the curve, and saw a wreck. The driver of the semi jumped out to take a picture of the scene. The box truck collided with a car that pulled out into traffic seconds before.

 

After all the tests, and warnings about the surgery, the prayers made on my behalf for the surgery, I could have been killed in a car wreck on the way home. That, I hadn't considered. The doctors told me about all the risks from the surgery, but not all the risks. There are always risks and dangers (James 4:13-15). On the other hand, God is sovereign and has set my time of death just as sure as He has appointed the time of my birth. That's not making light of dangers or ignoring my responsibility and casting aside common sense. But it's looking at things as they really are. God is sovereign and He rules this world from the smallest germ to the traffic in West Virginia. How few people think about what happens AFTER death. Many warnings of the dangers in this life, few warnings of  death without Christ. You are going to die. Then what?  I trust Jesus with my soul, and I trust him with my life. 

 

 

Christian Baptism

Charles Spurgeon:

"Still you say, “You do not regard it as essential to salvation and therefore why do you make this the ground of separation from your Brethren?” My dear Friend, are you a Congregationalist? You do not believe that your Congregational polity is essential to salvation–why then do you not join the Episcopal communion? Are you a Methodist? You do not think the Conference is to save your soul–why do you not return to the bosom of the Established Church? Are you a Free Church of Scotland man? You will admit that people can be saved in the old Church yet. Then why did you make such a fuss about that Disruption business? I do not blame you for the Disruption, not by any means–perhaps you did what was perfectly right. 

A thing may not be essential and yet it may be very far from unimportant. We cannot but regard infant Baptism as the main root of the superstitious and destructive dogma of baptismal regeneration, to which as Protestants we are opposed. We cannot but regard infant baptism as the chief cornerstone of State Church, to which as Dissenters we are opposed. We cannot but regard infant Baptism as unscriptural and to everything that is unscriptural we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, must be opposed. And we do trust that all who differ from us and however widely they may differ, will still admit that we are only doing what is right in maintaining what we believe to be the Truth of God with reference to this matter. 

Up to now it has been in disgrace and scorn and ridicule and oftentimes in persecution that these principles have been held. Up to now we have been a sect everywhere spoken against. Probably the first martyr burnt in England for religion and certainly the last, was a Baptist. And others had trials of cruel mocking and scourging, yes and of bonds and imprisonments–and became destitute, afflicted and tormented. We cannot glory in our numbers, we cannot glory in our power, we cannot glory in our wealth. But we can glory in the faith and constancy by which those who went before us were enabled by Divine grace to sustain the infliction of the most grievous wrongs–wrongs which were all the more keenly felt because they were received at the hands of fellow-Christians, fellow-Protestants and even fellow-Puritans. 

Up to now we have been few in number and have been oftentimes violently and bitterly opposed–nor do I think that there is now any very brilliant prospect of our rising to denominational greatness and basking in the sunshine of popular applause. And indeed, when I see what the effect of such greatness and applause has been upon some Christian churches, I am disposed to say, “God defend us from power and popularity, for these are more dangerous foes than all the contumely and persecution and straitened circumstances with which we have had to struggle in the times gone by.” 

I do hope and verily believe that we have a far purer object in view than mere denominational aggrandizement and that we shall be content, as heretofore we have been content, come evil report or good, to have the testimony of a clear conscience that according to the best of our knowledge and to the utmost of our power we have faithfully tried to maintain God’s Truth against the commandments and traditions of men."

Church Umpire

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, Colossians 3:15. When I played Little League, we had an umpire that was one of a kind. After all these years, I can hear his long and rather ridiculous third strike call. He loved baseball and loved making much of his position as umpire. After decades of umpiring, he had his dance-like moves down to an art. Mention his name to anyone who ever played a game where he umpired, and they'll have a story and probably an impression. People loved to watch him, but hated to play when he was in charge because an umpire's job isn't to be the center of attention, his job is to judge. He has to know the rules to the game so well that he can see something happen in an instant and be able to quickly and accurately and apply the rules to the situation. When fans are booing him and managers are screaming, when the right call will break a kids heart or make his day, a good umpire will deal with the facts and apply the rules to make sure the game is played the right way.

Colossians 3 is dealing with church members. Born again, baptized, members of a local church, who have the peace of God. The Lord will give peace to His people (Psalm 29:11) and Romans 5:1 tells us believers are justified by faith and currently have the peace with God through Jesus Christ. Sometimes, rather than considering that our Father in Heaven supplies all our needs and knows what we have need of before we ask, we let our troubles dictate our actions. We consider our lack more than we consider the lilies (Luke 12:27-28). We think more how our sorrows will overtake us than we do how the sparrows are cared for (Matthew 10:29-31). When we forget the Lord's promises or focus all our heart on our trials the peace of God is not ruling.

The Greek word translated "rule" here is what they called umpires in the Olympic games. God's peace should be an arbiter in our hearts, discerning and ruling. All God's people, regardless of what we look like or where we came from are one in Christ and so, as one of God's elect, called into the one body of Christ, church members are to be merciful, kind, humble, and meek toward each other. God's people put up with each other, we should be longsuffering with each other, and forgive one another when someone does us wrong, forgiving as Christ forgave us. Love in a church is the glue that binds us together in unity. So when trouble comes to church, let the peace of God rule. When conflicts arise, let God's peace judge. When someone sins against us, let the peace of God be the umpire in the conflict, not our emotions or our pride. When we are unsettled, anxious, or confused by hard providences, let the peace of God rule.

Whippersnapper Wisdom?

Psalms 119:100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

Without the second clause, this would be the life verse of most teenagers because the psalmist said he has more understanding than his elders. We are not reading a haughty young man disparaging the wisdom that generally comes with age and experience. This is not the prideful denunciation of some “boomer” who won’t get in line with “progress.” Really, the only way this makes any sense is if it were an unusual situation, the point being a rather remarkable thing has occurred — a young man has surpassed the elders in understanding. “I understand more than my peers” doesn’t really have the same punch and “I understand more than toddlers” is certainly not any better.

The second clause tells the story. There is a reason why there is more understanding and it doesn’t have anything to do with age, but with the Word of God. The wisdom the Psalmist has doesn’t come from experience, otherwise the elderly would have it. The reason the psalmist outstripped others was the source of his understanding and the means he procured it. The source of his understanding was the Bible and he got it through reading, study, meditation, and practice. We are dealing with a godly young man, who has put his heart to learning more of his Lord and Savior.

Since he has “more understanding” he actually knows the Bible. He’s not just “familiar” with themes and stories, but he’s dug down deep and studied the Word and grasped it’s truth. I believe that young people are capable of understanding the Scriptures. Listen to any group of 10 year old boys talk about their hobby and you’ll see rather quickly that if they care about something, they can dig deep and know and understand complicated subjects. The fact is, we do young Christian people a disservice by not pushing them to understand and grasp Biblical concepts.

He doesn’t merely know the Word, but puts it to practice. In order to keep a precept you have to know the law and know what it means. I know a person could be charged with “assault and battery” and until just a few seconds ago when I looked it up, I didn’t know the difference between the two. I have heard the terms for years, but never bothered to look them up. I knew they both had something to do with violence, but wasn’t familiar. Now, I know a little more, but if I were charged with either, you better believe I’d want a lawyer, someone who has more understanding, regardless of his age. Why? Because he would know the law, understand the law and what it says and doesn’t, and has practiced the law. Christian, you age doesn’t give you understanding. Church membership doesn’t either. Time won’t give you an abundance of this wisdom. Get in the word. Read it, study it, then put it to practice for the glory of Christ.

Parable about Parables

I read a story about a Sunday School teacher who wanted to teach her class the dangers of alcohol. She took two glasses, poured whiskey in one and water in the other. Then she put worms in each glass. Eventually, the worms in the whiskey glass died, and the worms in the water were still living. She asked the pastor’s son what he could learn from this? The boy said, “If you drink whiskey, you won’t have worms.” That’s an exercise in missing the point and he may have learned it from his dad. Some people view the parables the same way. We can try to figure out some special significance to every word in the parable and by doing so, we miss the point. I taught this in Sunday School once, and as an exercise, we decided to see if we could discern the meaning and significance of the Canadian Flag, the red and white flag with a single maple leaf. One young man said that he thought the Maple Leaf was probably related to the ancient vexillology of kings, the tree representing strength and stability. Another theory was it symbolized pancakes. Maple leaf, maple tree, maple syrup, pancakes. A third theory was maple syrup is sweet and so are Canadians. Well, it turns out, when we looked it up, there was no special significance to the flag. Canada needed a flag, and someone designed that one and that’s the one they liked. Our flag has symbols, the stripes and stars represent things. The Maple Leaf didn’t have any deep meaning at all. Sometimes a leaf is just a leaf. In the parables, sometimes a leaf is just a leaf. Sometimes, the character or setting in the parable is just a character or a setting with no special significance to the point.

We are much better off getting the truth where the truth is taught. The only sure footing is to follow God’s Word. If I teach and prove a right doctrine from the wrong place, consistency will eventually prove the passage doesn’t really teach that truth. I believe that method of preaching ultimately does more harm to God’s people than it does good. People will either lose confidence they can interpret the Bible, or stop trying to understand it themselves. I think if a pastor is going to preach the Bible, he ought to preach what the Bible says, where it says it. Parables are not spiritual inkblot tests where you stare at the Bible verse until you can see something in the text. You should read the parable, think about it, pray about it, compare it to other Scriptures, and then come to the conclusion of its meaning. Jesus told the parables to make a point about something and the wise and safe thing to do, in my opinion, would be to come to the point Jesus made. Creative interpretations make interesting sermons. But is that worth putting words in the mouth of Jesus?

Bare Necessities

"Distributing to the necessity of saints," Romans 12:13. Thoreau wrote the necessities of life in Walden were, "food, shelter, clothing, and fuel." It appears much has changed about humans since the 1800's since according to some, the basic necessities of life include free college, free health care, and high-speed internet access. If high-speed internet were a necessity to life, we'd be in bad shape in Clay County. Other markers of basic necessities include well being, i.e., the place you live is getting better, or a safe and easy place to exercise. I certainly am not downplaying poverty, nor begrudge anyone for working to have any of these things. In my adult life, I've gone without and didn't care for it, and did my best to get out of the situation. When you start putting comforts equal to needs, you will soon have (or already have) a covetous and unthankful heart.

Paul puts down the basic necessities of life in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 as food and raiment. The Bible doesn't say we can't have comforts or enjoy what He gives us. But the more you think you are owed something, the more unthankful and indignant you are when you don't have it. If we have food and clothing, then we should be content. That's what we need and anything else is gravy on top. Godliness with contentment is great gain and money and possessions are not a danger just for the wealthy. It's not just those who have money, but those who love it who are in peril. I've known a lot of poor people who loved money and coveted after it and wealthy people who had a lot because they loved money and went and got it.

The text speaks of the saints in need, so being without doesn't automatically mean you are a bad person or bad with your finances. Some kids are born behind the eight ball and are in bad shape before they could even make their own bad decisions. Providence sometimes leaves us empty handed and needy. Many saints have lost it all – ask Job. The 'prosperity gospel' is a lie. Saints can have needs. Material prosperity is not a sign of God's love any more than not having anything is a sign of God's displeasure. Better to have necessities and be a saint than have it all and go to Hell. Being poor doesn't make you bad but it also doesn't make you good. Suffering now doesn't save you.

The church is charged in Romans to take care of those lacking the necessities in the household of faith. If a man won't work when he can, having needs are a great motivator. This text doesn't mean the church is responsible to make sure everyone has all they want and live equally with everyone else. It does mean though, if a brother is starving to death, you ought to put him on the prayer list only after you've fed him and got him some groceries.

An Ordinary Baptism

 The Sunday before last, I baptized my youngest son upon his profession of faith in Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord. He expressed his desire to be baptized and unite with the church and we received him into our number. It's really remarkable to think about what happened in Clay, though it may seem rather ordinary. It's what Christians do, go to church, preach the gospel, make disciples, and baptize believers.

We gather on the first day of the week because my Lord was risen on the first day of the week. Every Sunday we honor the fact Christ Jesus the Lord rose from the dead and pronounce our living faith in a living Saviour. The very day Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples gathered together and the next week, they did the same. And the week after that. And every Sunday for nearly 2,000 years, Christians gather on the first day of the week to worship their Lord, and we followed in their steps.

My Dad is the pastor of Beauty Ridge Missionary Baptist in Kentucky and we had him come and preach for us that weekend, so in God's goodness, he was able to witness the event. Sunday morning he preached the gospel of Jesus. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ, and before the Lord's public ministry, John preached repentance unto faith and baptism upon faith. When John saw Jesus he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." We met on the first day of the week, and were pointed to Christ, the Lamb of God. The Lord's people have been preaching that message for millennia as well. The same faith once delivered.

After the preaching, we headed to the water. It was raining that Sunday and I joked with my son that he was going to get sprinkled before he got immersed, but that wasn't true. It was sprinkling the rain, but not my son. The rain sprinkled on him, but he wasn't sprinkled. I baptized him, or immersed him as the Greek word means. That's what John the Baptist did, he immersed men under the water. It's a picture after all, of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It wouldn't be much of a burial to sprinkle a handful of dirt on a body. So we entered into the water and in the name and by the authority of the Holy Trinity, I immersed him. The sin didn't roll away in the water because the sin was paid for at Calvary. The blood before the water. Baptism showed what Christ has already done, a physical act symbolizing  a spiritual reality. Going under the water also symbolized him dying to sin, and then coming out of the water, walking in the newness of life, united to Christ. We baptized him the same way, for the same purpose, under the same authority as Christians have been doing since Jesus walked the Earth, just as He promised. 

So, in one way, it was an ordinary Sunday. There were no reporters on the scene to document Baptists going to church and baptizing a believer. It was ordinary because that's what we've been doing for centuries. But it was extraordinary in that God saves sinners. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, died for sinners, shedding His own blood for a propitiation and we receive it through faith, and united to Him, we are joint-heirs with Him, having everlasting life. It is ordinary, because that's what we do. It's extraordinary that we do it at all. It's extraordinary because God's amazing Grace. 

Mercy Me

The Good Samaritan is a good example of mercy (Luke 10:30-37). Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." The Good Samaritan was a blessed man. Mercy is compassion in action. While grace deals with sin, mercy deals with the consequences of sin and pity for the sinner to relieve their suffering. Thomas Watson said, “love is the friend who visits all and mercy is the doctor who visits the sick." Grace offers pardon while mercy offers relief from the sorrow.

Jesus told the story of a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. They beat him, robbed him blind, then left him half dead on the side of the road. A priest, whose job was to have compassion (Hebrews 5:2) crossed the road to avoid him. Next, another religious man did the same. Later, a Samaritan comes to the scene.

Samaritans and Jews were not on the best terms. The forefathers of the Samaritans didn't follow God's commands of remaining separate from the Gentiles, married into pagan families then adopted some of their practices. The bad blood goes back centuries and the Samaritan man was the enemy of the priest, the Levite, and the beaten man – what would he do?

As this man laid dying, there was no 911, no ambulances, no expert to call. The first responder was the first person to have mercy and respond. The Samaritan stopped, mended the man's wounds, set him on his own animal to ride and led the suffering man to an inn to care for him. The next morning, the Samaritan still had his business to take care of, so he told the inn keeper to keep on taking care of him and put it on his tab. This is mercy. He saw the pitiful condition, recognized the hurt, the harm, the suffering, and went out of his way to relive the misery of someone else at great cost to himself. Empathy is good, but is not enough to have compassion. Feeling sorry about the situation wasn't going to help the man dying in the ditch. Compassion feels bad for someone. Mercy goes to help. Compassion feels sorry, mercy then steps to action to alleviate the pain and hurt.

Jesus is the perfect example of mercy. He came to us, dead in our sins and showed mercy to His enemy. He drew us to Himself, loved us, and cared for us. The Lord Jesus clothes believers in robes of His righteousness and binds our spiritual wounds and healing us through the stripes He bore. The Saviour took all we owed and put it on his account, paying our sin debt.

It's terrible that someone who receives mercy can be so slow to show it to others. Christians have received mountains of mercy from Jesus an so we should follow the Lord's example and be merciful as our Father is merciful (Luke 6:36; Ephesians 2:4) and who delights in mercy (Micah 7:18-20). Our compassion and mercy needs to be guided by Scripture and not our feelings. We can't trust our feelings to guide us because sometimes true mercy and compassion to sinners does the hard thing, which won't seem like mercy to those on the receiving end. Our love, compassion, and mercy must be guided by the Biblical standards of love, compassion, and mercy, not our standards, or the world's standards. 

Thirsty

July, 1945, Cpl. Edgar Harrell was one of a small group of soldiers and sailors who survived the torpedo strike on the USS Indianapolis in WWII. In a few minutes, the ship was gone and he was floating in the ocean. He tells about some of the horrors of the aftermath in his wonderful book, Out of the Depths. He was in danger of the sharks below the water, the Japanese who sank the vessel, drowning in the water, and, ironically, not having any to drink. Many succumbed to dehydration in the vast ocean because there was no water to drink. He wrote, "By the time the sun reached its zenith at midday, our lips were cracked and bleeding and our tongues were beginning to swell in our parched mouths and throats, making our speech slurred almost beyond understanding. Dehydration was becoming our new and dreaded enemy— one that had taken the place of the sharks that would come and go. The only answer for the dehydration was the one thing we did not have— fresh water." Unquenchable thirst.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled," Matthew 5:6. When Harrell thirsted, nothing else could satisfy the great need – water. He must drink or he would die. They desired, thirsted for live giving water. Believe it or not, our culture is hungering and thirsting and striving for a twisted pseudo-righteousness, an arbitrary standard of what is good and right and the only way to be in good standing is to have the perfect righteousness of the zeitgeist. But it's an ever changing standard and it is never enough.

The righteousness Jesus spoke of is God's righteousness. Our righteousness is just not good enough. Usually it's our own standard of good, not God's anyway. You may feel the weight of condemnation of sin and know you've done wrong and know that you should do right. You thirst to be clean. So you decide to live right. Give to charity. Love your neighbor. Get right with God. But you are gulping sea water. Others try to become judge, jury, and executioner of their own standard of righteousness and appease their conscience by setting judging those who don't live up to their standard. But that self-righteousness is shallow and vain and is a dirty sort of righteousness (Isaiah 64:6) making you worse off than before (Matthew 23:15), dead in sins and dry as bones.

The blessedness of the gospel is God not only forgives sins through faith in Christ's blood, but also gives us Christ's pure and perfect righteousness by faith (Romans 3:22). The poor in spirit, desperate for forgiveness and righteousness may come to Christ, without money, without cost and be filled (Isaiah 55:1-2). John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." Do you thirst to be clean and to be free from condemnation? Come and drink and you will be given His righteousness for your own.

Meekness and Weakness

Ambrose Bierce, said meekness is, "uncommon patience in planning a revenge that is worthwhile.” Meekness is not a quality we want or admire in society. I knew a man who thought meekness as an attribute to be pitied and suggested the meek Christian needed to work to get out of that frame of mind. I think his problem wasn't with meekness, but with the dictionary. The meek are not fighters(!) and lack strength while getting run over by anyone and everyone. But that is timidity, not meekness. We are commanded to "be strong in the Lord" and "watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." The armor of God isn't decoration to hang in the living room, but we are to put it on and make use of it. God's people are not "men-pleasers" doing anything and everything we are asked to do, not to upset anyone one, or at least we shouldn't. As for getting run over? Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

Meekness is the Spiritual result of the Spirit's work in our soul. It's not a natural attitude or something you are born with, it's humility of spirit, lowliness of mind put into action in our souls. Matthew Henry wrote, “The meek are those who quietly submit themselves before God, to His Word, to His rod, who follow His directions and comply with His designs, and are gentle towards men” Meekness is gentleness, forbearing wrongs, and submissive to God's will. Happy are the meek? Happy are the assertive, not the submissive and blessed are the renegades not the followers. Happy are the rough and heartless, not the gentle. If you want to inherit the earth, you have to go get it by any means necessary, says the wisdom of the world. If you want temporary wealth and power, then by all means. The strong survive, for a little while. Do you think we could ever again elect a meek president? And if you think having a meek leader means weakness, read Numbers 12:3.

Broken by the poverty of Spirit, mourning for his own unrighteousness, the meek in Spirit is pliable to God's commands to obey, especially when it goes against our heart and natural tendencies (James 1:21). Followers of Christ have a teachable spirit and will come to the truth (Psalm 25:9) and readily receive correction from God's Word and will be pliable to God's direction. God's Word is to reprove, rebuke, exhort us, and the meek will be willing to hear.

Meekness, in fact, is strength under control, reigning in our emotions under God's direction. The meek know there is a resurrection. God will judge the wicked and set all things right. The Lord God will raise up, reward and bless. The earth will belong to the meek, because the Meek One is our King. Jesus Christ will rule this world, and the meek will rule with Him in His kingdom.

Good Grief

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted," Matthew 5:4. Mourning is grief too deep to conceal so how can someone who mourns be considered blessed? I have attended funerals where the deceased did not know Jesus Christ as Saviour and unless God had mercy at the last moments of life, they were in Hell. The family, themselves without Christ, were despondent mourners, without hope. Does Jesus say these mourners are blessed? No, I don't believe so. The particular kind of blessing comes from a particular kind of mourning. The gospel mourning that brings blessing is a Holy Spirit produced mourning over sin. There is a worldly kind of mourning that works death and has no good end and produces nothing but more sorrow. Judas mourned this way after betraying Christ and his self-centered sorrow led him to commit suicide. 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 gives us a clear picture of the two different types of mourning, "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation…but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

Jesus is talking about mourning over our sin, what it is, and what it does. Sin is the true cause of all our sorrow. The wages of sin is death and when sin entered the world, so did the curse for it. We should weep over sin, because of its treachery, and the destruction it wreaks on humanity. Sin is rebellion and lawlessness. It is enmity against God and dishonors His holy name. Iniquity tramples on God’s law, makes light of His love, and grieves His Spirit. Personally, sin steals our joy and robs us of all comfort. Trespassing the law is the path of the Devil, it wounds us, hurts us, hardens us, and kills us. Sin is a reproach to any people and the filthy garments of a wicked people. And we do it willingly.

Do you weep over sin? Do you cry out like the Apostle, "Oh wretched man that I am!" and if you cannot weep, do you mourn it? Sin hardens the heart and worldliness sears the conscience all the while, pulling us down the broad path that leads to destruction. The wages of sin is death. Not only physical death, but spiritual death and those who die in sin will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. The idea of the eternal night, where the worm dies not, is a horrid prospect. And the Bible says, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

Do you mourn? Then lift up your eyes, because there is hope. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Don't follow the path of Judas, but Christ. Indeed, mourn over sin, but then go to the one who can cleanse you. Christ heals those wounded, and brokenhearted mourners. There is happiness because those who truly mourn over sin will find hope, help, healing in the blood of Christ.

Ice and Snow

Johnny Bench is probably the best hitting catcher of all time with a career .267 batting average. That means he failed 73% of the time. If he would have carried that average into a career as a weatherman, he'd been the greatest meteorologist of all time. I check the weather like anyone else, and I know they do their best to predict the somewhat unpredictable, and I treat it as such, a guess based on the best data they have at the moment. And that's a 3 day forecast. Why anyone would believe the same group of people can predict what the weather is going to be like in 20 years is beyond me.

Besides baseball and being wrong about the weather, another favorite American pastime is complaining about the weather. Sometimes I think we watch the forecast so we can prepare our hearts for how best to complain about it. But really, Christians should praise the Lord for the weather He sends us. To be sure, I have my favorites, but the Lord sends us the weather He wants us to have. In fact, it's a point of praise and source of comfort in the 147th Psalm. The Lord heals the brokenhearted, binds up our wounds, and lifts up the meek. Can the Lord Jesus really do that? Well, he is the same God who made the stars, knows their number, and knows the name He gave them. You can buy a certificate and name a star, but God already has named them. God is all powerful and loves his people. Those two facts should comfort you.

Psalms 147:16-18, "He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow." I was thinking about this verse early Thursday morning. I walked outside to see if the weatherman was right. Everything was covered in white, as if someone laid wool over the earth. It was rather peaceful. No trucks rumbling down the road late for work. Just the quiet of a snow fall. Snow dampens sound waves, so that's why it's so quiet after a big snow. That's also the Lord's blessing to us. We got a little bit of ice and that's my God as well. He sends the ice like crumbs of bread. And, maybe, by the time you read this, the snow is already a distant memory. The Lord will cause the wind to blow and warm air will make its way to the region, the snow will melt and make its way to the creeks and rivers and the waters will flow. That's the way the world works and as long as Earth remains, that's how it will continue to be (Genesis 8:22). Snow, ice, and frigid cold come from God. And so does the Spring, which is just around the corner. The Lord is faithful.

Poor in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). A startling opening to the Lord's sermon. Don't miss the point by missing a key word. It's not material poverty that makes you blessed and noble. Jesus clearly says, "blessed are the poor in spirit." Spiritual destitution is the point, not low on funds. Still, being a spiritual beggar is the beginning of happiness? The world says you should feel good about yourself. The last thing you should do is see something deficient in yourself? But worldly wisdom is foolish and empty (1 Corinthians 3:18-23). Jesus doesn't say we need to learn to be poor in spirit or become minimalist and give away all possessions, but the truth is, we need to understand how spiritually poor we truly are. It deals with our relationship to God and our view of ourselves. Poor in spirit is recognizing our spiritual state before God. It's to be humbled before God, knowing our sinful condition and knowing we are sinners before a holy God begging for mercy. Psalms 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

It's not having some weak points – but destitute of good thing within. If I have a bad attitude, I can change my attitude. Many quit drinking every day. Gamblers can call the hotline West Virginia has plastered on billboards on their way home from the casinos. But what if the problem is me? What do you do when you come to see there can be no reformation? What happens when you realize you do wrong because that's who you are? Blessed are the poor in spirit, who sees they are not worthy for the kingdom and come as a beggar to the king, pleading for mercy.

King Jesus has pronounced that all who come to Him, contrite and poor in spirit, renouncing their pride, and seeking pardon will be saved (Isaiah 57:15). The poor in spirit see the riches of God and the alms of grace in Christ. When we are poor in spirit, Christ is high and lofty. When we see that there truly in us is no good thing, when we see how helpless and hopeless we really are, when we realize that we have nothing to offer God, our best efforts are sinful in His eyes, our greatest praise is folly in His ears, when we have nothing in our hands to bring Him, then we are poor, and when we then look to the Lord Jesus for grace, He will give us life. James 4:10, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

I won't sugar coat it – you have a sin problem and the diagnosis is really bad (Romans 6:23). But until you realize your poverty of spirit you won't see the need for the Saviour. You see the kingdom by finding grace in the King. Christ will provide rest for your impoverished soul (Matthew 11:28).

Pray and Don't Despair

   

  

Once upon a time (Luke 18:1-8), there was a big city judge who didn't care what anyone thought. A lot of people say it – this many lived it. He didn't fear God or man. By and by, there was a widow who came to the judge and wanted him to help her with her problem, she needed justice. But she was a poor and powerless widow. She didn't have any political pull or financial influence. In other words, this judge had no reason to pay any attention to her, so he didn't. But, she didn't stop asking. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He said, "I don't regard the opinion of God or man. I do what I please. But this woman is going to wear me out. I'll answer her request just so she'll stop asking. 

Matthew Henry said this parable has the "key hanging at the door," so we don't have to wonder what's inside or crack the code to make our way in. Sometimes parables are difficult to understand. Sometimes they are easy to understand and difficult to apply. The Lord provides the meaning and the application at the beginning so we know what it's about before we get started. Spoilers ahead. Now that we know what it's about, we proceed following the rules to parables. Not every little detail in the parable has to have meaning. Sometimes a city is just a city. Keep your imagination in check. Parables usually have one main point so stick to it and you won't go wrong. Here, it's pretty straight forward – you should always pray and not despair. Two points, we ought to always pray (Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). And when we pray, don't  be spiritless and give up in hopelessness.

In verse 7, Jesus says to listen to the unjust judge. This man didn't care for truth or righteousness. He didn't care for the widow, but still, he answered the request. But God is a good judge, a righteous and a holy king. If an unjust judge hears and answers, how much more shall a loving God? God hears the prayers of His elect in Christ and answers according to His good will.  Jesus said the Father will avenge His people, or vindicate and to show justice, though he bear long with them. God hears, though he might not answer the way we want. Or God might not answer in the timing we want. Sometimes God says no, but sometimes God says no before he says yes. Christian, pray and don't give up, don't despair. Pray, and don't lose heart. Have you trusted in Christ? Then have confidence, because God is good. Have confidence, because the Father sent His only begotten into the world to save sinners. Have confidence because God has chosen you unto salvation, and unto glory, and He who did that great work of Grace, will not leave the lesser things in this life undone. 

There is a purpose to the Bible

  There is a purpose to the Bible. Well, actually, more than one purpose. Indeed the Scriptures point us to Christ, but they also do more than one thing. 2 Peter 1:3-4, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” The Bible pertains to life and godliness. How to live, how to have life, and how to live in this world. What God has promised, and what God forbids and commands of his people. The Second London Baptist Confession says,  “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.”

Psalm 119 is a song in the Bible, about the Bible. The Psalmist loves the Word of God and tells us what we ought to think about the Bible, deal with the Bible, and believe about the Bible (119:140). From this one song, you learn the Bible is true (119:151) and you can trust it (119:42) because it is stable and fixed (119:89) and perfect (119:96). Since it is fixed, it will fix you too (119:38). You’ll never be ashamed by believing the Bible (119:31). We learn from the Bible what is right (119:75) and then how to think rightly (119:66). God will teach you how He blesses and the way to happiness (119:1-2). A counselor to guide us (119:24) and it strengthens us when we are weak (119:28) and in this world of trial and tribulation, it gives hope (119:43). It’s sweet to the soul who loves the Lord (119:103).

The Bible is a great treasure, but only if you read it.  B.H. Carroll said,  “In this Book alone I found the origin and destiny of all created things and beings — hear alone the nature of man, and his relations to God, the universe and fellow man, out of which arise all his obligations and aspirations, and in conformity to which lie his usefulness and happiness. This book alone discloses man’s chief good and chief end. I saw it as the only living oracle, replying instantly and freely in simple, unambiguous language to every interrogatory propounded by life’s problems and perplexities.”

Proud Ignorance

The Dunning-Kruger effect is when people don't see their weak spots because they don't have enough knowledge or expertise to know they have weak spots. The less a person knows about a subject, the more confident they are in their limited knowledge. The less expertise we have, the more apt we are to be proud of ourselves and confident in our ability. That's why people who can't balance their checkbook think they could do a better job running the economy than those who do, with their 'fancy education'. Years ago, in a job interview, I was asked to rate my skills in an area, on a scale of one to ten. I thought for a moment, and I didn't want to seem proud, so I said a seven. Then they tested me. I was more of a three. I didn't get the job, but I did put the first part of Proverbs 29:23 to the test. I wasn't lying to get the job. I just had no idea how much I didn't know. Some of the most confident people I've ever spoken to about the things of God are people who know very little about the Bible, and some of the most humble believers are people who know a great deal. They know enough to understand the true scope of their understanding.

We are not born (or born again) with a perfect understanding of truth. It takes time, work, prayer, and God's grace. But it's not spiritual to remain in ignorance when the mystery is revealed. Ignorance means to be without knowledge. Over and over in the New Testament, the Bible says, " I would not have you be ignorant," and then proceed to give instruction on a particular doctrine or revelation of a mystery. Yes, there are the secret things that belong to God, but regarding that which is revealed, we shouldn't be ignorant, especially if the Bible says not to be.

Having a little bit of knowledge brings its own perils. The Thessalonians didn't have a good understanding of life after death and the resurrection of the body and so they worried about the death of their loved ones. The cure was knowing the truth and taking comfort in God's promises (1 Thessalonians 4:13). In Romans 11:25, Paul winds up a several chapter section on God's sovereignty in salvation, leading to a discussion on God's final plan for the restoration of the people of Israel. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits…" Bible prophecy is important and should be known by God's people. I've heard many preachers downplay these truths and act, rather proudly, that only extremists worry themselves with the prophetic word. There is a good example of how willful ignorance makes a man wise in his own conceits – a man, rather boldly, telling people not to concern themselves with what the Bible tells us to know. They'll reap the consequences.

There is Unity in the Bible

I used to be sort of a Luddite, but then I couldn’t find that happy medium of when I would chose to decide technology became bad. Even those who shun reading on electric devices still are using a rather new technology in the book, when you look at it from world history. Starting somewhere around the 1st century, the idea of a codex came into the Roman Empire. Prior to that, the “books” were scrolls. But with the codex you have the idea of stacking the payprus and binding and it became the standard almost immediately. I’m sure there were a few people who said, “back in my day, we didn’t have these fancy ‘bindings’ . If we wanted to read something, we’d get the scroll.” But, the technology (thankfully) caught on. That being said, with scrolls, you would have collections of scrolls, not just one giant scroll of the “Old Testament”.

But, prior to the New Testament, the people wouldn’t have called their Bible the “Old Testament” because it wasn’t yet old. So why do we? Why are there two different sections? Jeremiah 31:31-34 tells us the old covenant was the promise made to Israel, but also tells us there was a new covenant coming. What is it and when did it come? Hebrews 10:12-18 tells us the new covenant comes with Jesus (Hebrews 12:24). The New Testament is the new covenant. You can think of it this way, it’s not the “last will and testament” but rather it is the promise of what the testament provided, the promises of God to His people. So the Old Testament is the first covenant God made with Israel, until the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus Christ. The New Covenant begins with Jesus. They don’t contradict, since it was part of God’s plan from the start.

The Bible is a little library, divided into sections of the Old and New Testaments and not each book is written in the same style. The Lord divided the Old testament into three sections, the law, the prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24:44). In the New Testament, you start with the gospels, which tells the story of Jesus from four different perspectives, for four different purposes. Luke, was a physical by trade, wrote his gospel as a historian, gathering the facts of eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:1-4). John said he wrote his gospel so you would have faith in Jesus Christ (John 20:31). Matthew wrote his gospel primarily for Jewish readers, and Mark gives a brief account of Jesus life, hitting the high points of His earthly ministry in quick detail. You have history (Acts) and the epistles (which is just a different way of saying letters) written to either individuals or churches, and closing out with prophecy in Revelation.

This is important to better understand what it is you are reading. For example, Psalms 23:1-2, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Here is a truth taught in a poetic way. I don’t think the Lord will literally make me lay down in a pasture, but this is a poem and the image of a shepherd (the Lord) and a sheep (me) and from it I can understand the truth of the Lord’s care for me. Understanding the books and their purposes will help you to read it. Let’s imagine we are back in school, and it’s 8 am and it’s time for history class. You get out your book and you read about the American Civil War. What would you expect to find? Information about key people, important battles, political struggles. You might even find some interesting tidbits about minor players playing a big role. The bell rings and now it’s English Literature class and you get out your copy of Shakespeare’s King Lear and read, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” Now, that’s a truth spoken it a way to make you stop and think about it. The child doesn’t literally have sharp edges, but metaphorically speaking, a sharp tongue. The bell rings and it’s time for Math. You get your book out and there is a brief section on the theory but it’s mostly examples to look at and formulas to remember. You read the problems, think about the theory, spot the concept in the example, then work it out yourself. God also teaches us in the Bible in various ways (Hebrews 1:1-2). Sometimes we read history, sometimes, a poem, or you might read the dimensions of the tabernacle or the sacrifices and offerings in Exodus and Leviticus and look at that pattern and formula for worship and sacrifice and work out from that picture truth about heavenly patterns (Hebrews 9:23).


That being said, just because there are two divisions doesn’t mean there are two different Scriptures. There is unity with the Bible. God inspired the Word from Genesis to Revelation and there is a common and unified plan of salvation, by grace, through faith, in Christ. The old testament saints were waiting on the promise of the Messiah and had faith in what he would do and we look back to the promises fulfilled and what Jesus did for us. The Bible points us to Christ because all of God’s people have always looked to Christ (Luke 24:27; John 5:39). The Bible developed, in time, as God gave more light. The more light added to the unity of the whole. But just because Moses didn’t have the full light of the finished Book, doesn’t mean you should read Exodus without the light of the New Testament. It also means that you can also study the Bible topically, since there is unity. You can learn the Bible as a whole, to see what God says about a topic to gain fuller understanding of God’s will in a particular area. The Bible wasn’t written in a systematic theology, where every truth is found in a certain chapter. There isn’t a Trinity chapter or a “family chapter” but, the Bible teaches those truths throughout, and we mine the depths of Scripture to learn God’s will for us.

Pray for the President

The Roman Empire was hardly friendly to Christianity and filled with gospel-minded men. It was full of corruption, and wickedness. Paul gives Timothy a list of how he can resist the government, fight back against the onslaught of corrupt politics, and take Rome back to her Republic principles. Timothy needed to focus much time and attention in spreading stories about Caesar, and making sure everyone knew his political stand. Oh, that's not what it said in 1 Timothy 2:1-7? 

Do you know what pleases the Lord? It's not political memes. The Lord says we should pray for our leaders, from our local representation all the way up to the White House.   Paul instructed Timothy that the church of God should be a house of prayer. Particularly, Paul narrows in on praying for governmental leadership. Sometimes we know we should pray, but don't know how to pray. Thankfully, this isn't the case here because 1 Timothy 2:1-7  says how to pray for those in authority.

We pray to be able to live quiet, peaceful, godly, and honest lives without persecution or government intrusion. We need to pray that the government would leave us alone and allow us to live Christian lives. To be able to work, and live for God's glory. To be able to raise our children as Christians in peace. To be good neighbors, in the name of Christ for the glory of Christ. To bless those that curse us and bless those we know and love.  To be able to quietly and peaceably, and honestly, live sacrificially for the good of others in our community for the glory of God. To be able to tell that blessed story of our crucified and risen Saviour and openly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We should, as Americans, thank God for the freedom of conscience have now and not take it for granted.

We should pray for our leaders because God has placed them in office for His purpose, and we don't know what that purpose is. I pray because I believe Proverbs 21:1  "The king's (and president’s) heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." Nothing is too difficult for God – and that includes directing the policies of politicians. Let's "lobby" to our God and not put our trust in men. We should also pray for the salvation of their souls and that they would come to the knowledge of the truth. Whether we like or dislike those in authority, they are men and women, flesh and blood. They have souls and will stand before a God who is no respecter of persons. May God send revival. This is one reason why Paul told us to pray for them, because God saves all types of people (I Timothy 2:4). 

Does your Facebook posts show that you believe this verse? If you are publicly mocking the president because he's old, then you are not praying for him. 

I pray for myself. That my words, thoughts, prayers following the election will be seasoned with love. Love for my neighbors  love for my Saviour, and love for my fellow citizens. It is so easy to get angry and hasty with our words when it comes to politics. Let's remember that no matter who is President, as Christians, we are loyal subjects to the King of King's.

Finally, this is a slight edit and repost from 2016. Why? Because it's still true, no matter who the president is and no matter what his politics are. 

The Bible is God's Word

 The Bible says its every word is pure (Proverbs 30:5) and that it shall stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). What this means, then, is that the Bible IS the Word of God. The quickest way a man can make himself seem rather intelligent, is to take a complicated issue and make it more complicated. Many scholars do that with Bible translations.  But let’s simplify the matter. My Bible is the Word of God. It’s doesn’t “contain” the Word of God, but it is. It’s not my view that causes people to doubt their Bibles. I want you to have confidence in your Bible. What does the Bible demand of us, God’s people, who have a vested interest in reading the Word of God? The Lord God has commanded us to read and study  (John 5:29; 2 Timothy 2:15). God has commanded His people to teach and preach the word, throughout all the world (Matthew 28:18-20). But the Bible never tells us we must learn Hebrew or Greek to hear God or to obey these commands. In fact, the New Testament quotes Greek translations of Hebrew, therefore affirming that a translation doesn’t contain the Word but is the Word of God. The Lord in His good will and providential dealings with man ordained His word to be translated into the language of the people because it does no good to have a word in another language that the people can’t understand (1 Corinthians 14:6-28). And since the Lord ordained God’s word to be preached throughout the world, and it is His will for His churches to know, possess, and keep His Word (Colossians 3:16) preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2) and learn and live by the Word that transforms the heart and mind (Romans 12:2) which is also that same incorruptible seed the used of the Holy Spirit in our regeneration (1 Peter 1:22-25) which is also that same Word the Spirit uses in our sanctification and belief of the truth, you can know that we have God’s Word in English. If we don’t have the Word of God in our own language, then we cannot know God, know His will, or obey his command for us. God in His providence has persevered His Word for us, just as God in His providence preserved His church.

 When you read the Bible, it’s God’s Word. When the penmen wrote, it was the the Lord speaking through the prophet. Matthew 1:22-23, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us,” The internal witness of the Bible says it is God’s Word. Moses may have said it, but he was “moved by the Holy Ghost,” (2 Peter 2:21). Isn’t that a logical fallacy? The Bible is God’s Word because it said it is? I am of the opinion that all statements of ultimate truth are circular. You have to start somewhere for authority and then return to that authority. For example, the humanist, says reason is man’s way of understanding and through the process of science, logic, reason, man can understand the world. But how do I know that’s true? Through logic, reason, and understanding? So, when talking about ultimate, foundational truths, a circular argument isn’t a fallacy. Everyone MUST do that, because you have to have a place to start. I believe God’s Word is that starting point, not the fallible mind and structure of men. Besides, I don’t need or have to “prove” the Bible is true. But even if we did, the Bible is a historical document and isn’t determined to be true by “the scientific method” but by evidence. Simon Greenleaf, professor at Harvard  from 1833-48, who was instrumental in founding Harvard Law, wrote a book, “The Testimony of the Evangelist.” He treated Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as witnesses and whether or not what they wrote would be admissible in a court as reliable witnesses. Using the same guidelines he would use in a court of law, he found their testimony to be trustworthy and would absolutely be considered reliable witnesses.

The Bible is no ordinary book

The English word comes to us through the Latin and Greek language, that means “book”.  The Bible is a little library of 66 different books, written by around 40 different people over the space of approximately 1500 years. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says, “Twenty-two of [the books of the Bible] are historical, five are poetical, eighteen are prophetical, twenty-one are epistolary. They contain logical arguments, poetry, songs and hymns, history, biography, stories, parables, fables, eloquence, law, letters and philosophy. There are at least thirty-six different authors, who wrote in three continents, in many countries, in three languages, and from every possible human standpoint. Among these authors were kings, farmers, mechanics, scientific men, lawyers, generals, fishermen, ministers and priests, a tax-collector, a doctor, some rich, some poor, some city bred, some country born -- thus touching all the experiences of men extending over 1500 years.” That is a marvel, of itself. My guess is if I got 40 Baptist preachers to write 40 articles on the church, we wouldn’t all agree on everything and there would be some inconsistency in the work. But not the Bible.

 What is the Bible? Let’s ask the Bible! What does the Bible say about itself? It’s the book (Psalm 40:7). The Scriptures (John 10:35; 20:9; Romans 4:3; 2Peter 1:20), which just mean “the writings.” They are the Scripture of truth (Daniel 10:21) and the Oracles of God. The Word, the testament, and as Psalm 119 says, it’s the law, the law of the Lord, the precepts, the statues, commandments, righteous judgments, and God’s ways. The testimony of the Bible, about the Bible is it is the Word of God. Over and over again, you read, “the Lord said…thus saith the Lord”  or some such expression, attributing the words in the text to God. W.A Criswell said he found that formula around 3800 times. Therefore, it is no ordinary book.