Citizen of Zion

Isaiah 5-12, Amos 1-9, Micah 1-7, 2 Kings 16-17, & 2 Chronicles 27-28

Therefore my people will go into exile
because they lack knowledge;
her dignitaries are starving,
and her masses are parched with thirst.
Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat
and opens wide its enormous jaws,
and down go Zion’s dignitaries, her masses,
her crowds, and those who celebrate in her!

Humanity is brought low, each person is humbled,
and haughty eyes are humbled.
But the Lord of Armies is exalted by his justice,
and the holy God demonstrates his holiness through his righteousness.
Lambs will graze
as if in their own pastures,
and resident aliens will eat
among the ruins of the rich.

Woe to those who drag iniquity
with cords of deceit
and pull sin along with cart ropes,
to those who say,
“Let him hurry up and do his work quickly
so that we can see it!
Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place
so that we can know it!”
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who substitute darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who substitute bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who consider themselves wise
and judge themselves clever.
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
who are champions at pouring beer,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe
and deprive the innocent of justice.

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw
and as dry grass shrivels in the flame,
so their roots will become like something rotten
and their blossoms will blow away like dust,
for they have rejected
the instruction of the Lord of Armies,
and they have despised
the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 5:13-24

Here I am with the children the Lord has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Armies who dwells on Mount Zion. When they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? Go to God’s instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.

They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.
Isaiah 8:18-22

The Lord says:
I will not relent from punishing Judah
for three crimes, even four,
because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord
and have not kept his statutes.
The lies that their ancestors followed
have led them astray.
Therefore, I will send fire against Judah,
and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.
Amos 2:4-5

“Quit your preaching,” they preach.
“They should not preach these things;
shame will not overtake us.”
House of Jacob, should it be asked,
“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?
Are these the things he does?”
Don’t my words bring good
to the one who walks uprightly?
Micah 2:6-7

Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
He will be their peace.
Micah5:2-5a

But I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will stand up;
though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
Because I have sinned against him,
I must endure the Lord’s fury
until he champions my cause
and establishes justice for me.
He will bring me into the light;
I will see his salvation.
…
Who is a God like you,
forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not hold on to his anger forever
because he delights in faithful love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will vanquish our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show loyalty to Jacob
and faithful love to Abraham,
as you swore to our ancestors
from days long ago.
Micah 7:7-9 & 18-20

This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods. They lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites and according to what the kings of Israel did. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower to fortified city. They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. They burned incense there on all the high places just like the nations that the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did evil things, angering the Lord. They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.” Still, the Lord warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and statutes according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through my servants the prophets.”

But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God. They rejected his statutes and his covenant he had made with their ancestors and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.

They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and angered him.

Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained. Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God but lived according to the customs Israel had practiced. So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, punished them, and handed them over to plunderers until he had banished them from his presence.
2 Kings 17:7-20

For the Lord humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the Lord. Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support. Although Ahaz plundered the Lord’s temple and the palace of the king and of the rulers and gave the plunder to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.

At the time of his distress, King Ahaz himself became more unfaithful to the Lord. He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him; he said, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me.” But they were the downfall of him and of all Israel.

Then Ahaz gathered up the utensils of God’s temple, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the Lord’s temple, and made himself altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. He made high places in every city of Judah to offer incense to other gods, and he angered the Lord, the God of his ancestors.
2 Chronicles 28:19-25

On that day you will say:
“I will give thanks to you, Lord,
although you were angry with me.
Your anger has turned away,
and you have comforted me.

Indeed, God is my salvation;
I will trust him and not be afraid,
for the Lord, the Lord himself,
is my strength and my song.
He has become my salvation.”

You will joyfully draw water
from the springs of salvation,
and on that day you will say,
“Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim his name!
Make his works known among the peoples.
Declare that his name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things.
Let this be known throughout the earth.

Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel is among you
in his greatness.”
Isaiah 12:1-6

It’s the day after Election Day 2022. It’s been a tumultuous few weeks leading up to yesterday. I confess I’ve struggled some days to not get caught up in all the political drama, and so today, regardless of the results coming in across the nation, I find myself relieved that the elections are over. I’ve posted lots of scripture today, because, though I haven’t had the time to sit down and reflect on my scripture reading over the past month, I feel as though so much of it is connected (almost like the Bible is one big, cohesive story *wink, wink).

I’ve been reading though the accounts of some of the final kings of Judah and Israel, and the prophets who warned God’s people of His impending judgment. It’s hard not to read about the rebellious and idolatrous behavior that was happening in both kingdoms and not see the parallels that exist in our world today. Time and time again, God warned them though the prophets and seers – but the people would not listen. I was reminded today that the leaders of a nation are a vessel of God’s favor or His judgement. Though Judah and Israel had a handful of righteous kings, they were both plagued with kings who rejected the LORD, committed evil, and turned the people’s hearts from Him. These leaders were their downfall. While I do believe we have good, decent people serving in elected positions, so many of our leaders are corrupt and ministers of wickedness. Today our country celebrates evil and condemns good. We elevate things that should be kept in the darkness and hide the things that belong to the light. We look at the brokenness and chaos of our world and turn our fingers in anger at God, even though we have turned our hearts completely away from His instruction.

Yet in the midst of all God’s warnings and righteous judgments, we see Him give loving promises that one day He will restore us, His people, fully to Himself. Though we have fallen in our sin, we will stand up in His presence; though we sit in this presnt darkness, the Lord will bring us into His light. We will see His salvation! I am reminded that a day is coming when He will be exalted among the nations, we will draw joyfully from the well of salvation, and, as citizens of Zion, we will cry out and sing because the Holy One of Israel will dwell among us in His greatness!

So regardless of who leads and governs our country today, I can find hope in remembering that this world is not my home and that my Savior has overcome this world. I take encouragement from Paul’s words to the Philippians:

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.
Philippians 3:13-21

LORD, help me to see the You reign above it all, and one day we will dwell fully in Your glorious presence. Until that day comes, help me to live faithfully as a foreigner here, longing for Zion! AMEN!

He Loved Them To The End

John 13

Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.
…
When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.

“Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
…
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:1-5, 12-17, & 34-35

I went back and reread my post from this past Easter week when I was in this chapter. I’m going to copy and paste a section that I wrote, because I just don’t think I could better express what I said then:

I just love how John moves into this moment where Jesus humbles Himself to wash His disciples’ feet. Jesus knew that His time had come and that He would soon be returning to the Father. He had spent three years of ministry with these men, He had been intentionally loving them, teaching them, and discipling them the whole time. In one final demonstration of love, He, the One Who created them, bends down to wash their feet. He humbled Himself to be an example to His friends of how we are to love and serve others. If the One under Whose feet all things are placed is able to bend down to wash the dirty feet of his students, then how can we see any act of service and sacrifice as beneath us? Jesus’ love was so intentional, so purposeful, so selfless. It encourages, challenges, and convicts me to love more like Him. He did these things knowing that Judas would betray Him, Peter would deny Him three times, and that all but one of His disciples would run away and abandon Him in His greatest hour of need and suffering. Yet still He loved them til the end.

This was such a great follow up to may last post about worshipping, serving, and testifying for Jesus. If I’m honest, I like the idea of serving more than the act. I can be quick to offer a helping hand, but sometimes begrudgingly do so when the offer is accepted. And let’s be honest, even among Christians – shoot, even within my own home – people can be hard to love sometimes.

I’ve really enjoyed watching the series The Chosen. I think they have done a magnificent job of depicting the disciples as ordinary, sinful people, complete with character flaws, personalities that rub up against each other, and consistent areas of conflict and disagreement. Jesus loved these imperfect men – the same men who often just didn’t get it and needed Him to further explain His teachings, the same men who often lacked faith in what He was doing and didn’t understand the reason He had come, the same men who argued about which of them would be the greatest, and the same men who would run and hide when He was arrested because they simply didn’t recognize that He had been telling them about everything that was going to happen to Him. A perfect God Man loved completely imperfect men. So if we who also are imperfect are loved by a perfect Savior, shouldn’t we find it easier to love other imperfect people?

I think the problem really rests in the fact that we who have been saved by grace through faith often don’t do a good job of preaching the Gospel to ourselves. We don’t remind our sinful, deceitful hearts of the lavish, extraordinary grace, love, and mercy that has been poured out on us. We don’t rest in the forgiveness we have received for every past, present, and future sin. We don’t live in extravagant appreciation for what we have been given or with expectant hope for what has been promised. When I don’t live with the Gospel in full view I am prone to live selfishly, in discontentment, striving for control, grasping for comfort, stewarding my time, talents, and treasures for myself instead of His Kingdom. But Jesus lived every second of His life here on earth with the end in view. I love how John writes, “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father…Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God.” Jesus never lost sight of His mission, God’s plan, and the end of the story. So whether it cost Him laying down His dignity or His life, He knew that His actions ultimately served a greater purpose beyond that moment. I know that if I lived my own life looking beyond each moment, beyond what my eyes can see, with my heart set on the things that are eternal, I would approach every situation with much more care and intention. I pray that the LORD would grow a laser-focused heart within me that is gazing at the things above, the eternal things that TRULY matter. AMEN!

He Saves The Best For Last

John 2

On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”

“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.

Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.

“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.

When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”

Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11

It’s so fascinating to me that Jesus would begin His earthly ministry on earth at a wedding. When you think about it, Creation culminated with a wedding between the first man and the first woman. And at the End of the Age, those in Christ will celebrate the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

I think there is probably a lot of symbolism in the wedding feast at Cana that we don’t see on the surface. Perhaps the 6 earthen vessels are representative of the 6000 years of humanity before Jesus returns to usher in the millennium. You also have the symbolism of new creation, with water being turned into wine. But the commentary and message that stuck with me today, is that God saves the best for last.

Dr. Thomas Pink writes, “The world (and Satan also) gives its best first, and keeps the worst for the last. First the pleasures of sin—for a season—and then the wages of sin. But with God it is the very opposite. He brings His people into the wilderness before He brings them into the promised inheritance. First the Cross then the crown.”

I’ve been thinking about and praying for the people in Afghanistan, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Middle East has been wrought with religious persecution for decades, but the events occurring right now just bring their suffering back into the spotlight. As I was praying for them this morning, I couldn’t help but think of two passages:

These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
…
And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.
Hebrews 11:13-16 & 32-40

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9

My heart is heavy for these saints, and I can’t imagine what they are going through. I pray for their safety and deliverance, that their persecutors would be thwarted from their evil plans; but more than anything, I am praying for their faith – that they would cling to it, stand firm in it, trusting that the One Who called them is faithful and He will deliver them into the inheritance for which they have hoped in!

As the world around us continues to become more chaotic, more evil, more dangerous, and more uncertain, I find myself clinging even more tightly to the hope that Jesus Christ will come again!

I often find myself thinking of one of the stanzas of It Is Well (with my Soul), but all the verses are beautiful encouragement for the days we are living in:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

LORD, as I wait for Your return, or until the day You call me home, let my ultimate hope rest in knowing that the best is yet to come – truly You have saved the best for last. For those in Christ, this life, in all its troubles and trials and sufferings, is the closest thing to hell we will ever experience. When we are fully united with You, we will worship joyfully in Your presence, and rejoice and celebrate that the old has gone and the new has come! Come, LORD Jesus! AMEN!

Anxious To Leave Egypt

Exodus 1

Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation eventually died. But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.

A new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. Come, let’s deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and when war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives—the first, whose name was Shiphrah, and the second, whose name was Puah— “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.”

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Pharaoh then commanded all his people, “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”
Exodus 1:6-22

I love that I am back in Exodus right as Passover is approaching! This first chapter has never really stuck out to me quite like it has today. And I think the commentary from Charles Spurgeon just made it all the more relevant:

The land of Goshen was fruitful and the Israelites had been greatly favored by the Egyptian king. The mass of them, therefore, had little thought of ever leaving that country. They resolved that they would settle there permanently. In fact, though God would not have it so, they became Egyptians as much as they could. They were part of the Egyptian nation, and they began to forget their separate origin. In all probability, if they had been left to themselves, they would have melted and been absorbed into the Egyptian race and lost their identity as God’s special people. To a large degree, they began to adopt the superstitions, idolatries, and iniquities of Egypt. And these things clung to them in later years. Yet all the while, God was resolved to bring them out of that evil connection. They must be a separated people. They could not be Egyptians nor live permanently like Egyptians, for Jehovah had chosen them for Himself, and He meant to make an abiding difference between them and Egypt. The first thing to be done with the Israelites was to cause them to be anxious to come out of Egypt, for it is not God’s way to make people His servants, except so far as they willingly yield themselves to Him. He never violates the human will, though He constantly and effectually influences it. God would not have the people dragged out of Egypt or driven out in chains against their own glad consent. He must bring them out in such a way that they would be willing to come out, so that they would march forth with joy and delight, being thoroughly weary and and sick of all Egypt and, therefore, rejoicing to get away from it. How was this to be done? It was accomplished by a new king who did not know Joseph and his eminent services.

I’ve read his words multiple times and I just keep thinking about where we are today as Christians. Back when COVID first became an issue and we were told to quarantine I began thinking about how this was such a gracious gift from God, almost like a trial run of what things could be like if the church was forced to stop gathering in large numbers. Since then, though here in Texas we have been blessed with far more freedoms and fewer restrictions than other states, the world has become more hostile to the idea of the church being able to continue meeting together. John MacArthur’s church in California has been in constant legal battles to be able to remain open and has done so against the orders of the governor. A pastor in Canada is currently being held in prison for refusing to stop his church’s in person services where the Gospel was being preached. And now, with the new legislation for “equality” possibly being voted for in the Senate, churches may face even more restrictions and violations of our religious freedoms and liberties that we have enjoyed since the founding of our country.

And yet, I truly believe that God is using all these things to make us anxious to come out of Egypt. We often forget that this is not our home and we can spend so much time trying to acquire things to make ourselves comfortable here. Our pastor said something convicting today when speaking about prayer – that often our prayers are small-minded and not about eternal things. The less of an eternal focus we have, the more likely we are to focus on the temporal things, and when we do that we begin to look a lot more like “Egyptians” rather than God’s holy, chosen people.

So I think about all the things that are happening in the world, the things that frustrate, scare, infuriate, and create anxiety in my heart about the future. I can either choose to dwell on them and allow them to create more feelings of anger and anxiety or I can allow them to loosen my grip on this world and cling to the Father, the One Who’s plans and purposes have been established since eternity past and Who is working all things out for the good of those who love Him. It reminds me of what the author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 11, “These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

I’m excited to be in Exodus. To read the account of how God miraculously saved His people from the oppression and slavery of Egypt and drew them out into the wilderness to teach them, instruct them, and sanctify them to be His holy, set apart people so that He could bring them into the Promised Land. This truly is the picture of the Gospel, as Christ saved us from being slaves to sin through the blood of His sacrifice, and draws us out to Him to wander this earthly wilderness – trusting Him and being sanctified through Him – so that we may be presented to Him a Bride without blemish or spot.

Perhaps the wilderness is about the get a bit more scary in the coming months and years. But the One Who is leading us through it is faithful, and He WILL bring us to our eternal home! LORD, make me anxious to leave Egypt and cause my heart to long for more of You! AMEN!

I Know My Redeemer Lives

Job 15-19

But I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the end he will stand on the dust.
Even after my skin has been destroyed,
yet I will see God in my flesh.
I will see him myself;
my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger.
My heart longs within me.
Job 19:25-27

Perhaps God had revealed to Job His future plans of restoration and redemption; His plans to judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous. Spurgeon asserts that Job may not have known the full depth of his words, yet despite all his suffering and the false accusations hurled at him by his companions, Job comes to a point where he declares his believe that somehow, some day in the far off ages, he will be vindicated. Spurgeon says, “[Job] declares that there will be found then, as he believes there is alive even now, a kinsman, an avenger who will stand up for him and set right all this wrong. He cannot conceive that God will permit such gross injustice to be done to a man who has walked as he has walked, to be brought so low and then to be stung with such unfounded accusations. He may but dimly have perceived a future state, but his condition revealed to him the necessity for such a state. He felt that if the righteous suffer so much in this life, often apparently without any just cause, and if the wicked prosper, then there must be another state in which God will set right the wrongs and rectify the apparent inequalities of his providence here.”

I think we can so easily get caught up in the very clear but also the perceived injustices and unfairness of this life. And while we should certainly advocate for equality, justice, and fairness, it is God Who is the ultimate Judge, the only One full of righteous justice and compassionate forgiveness. We will certainly endure hardship in this life – our names may be slanders, we may be falsely accused, we may fall victim to terrible injustices or our bodies may be stricken by a horrible disease. We may gain everything only to lose it. We may suffer persecution and vitriol from those who oppose our beliefs and our faith. But OUR REDEEMER LIVES. No matter what happens to us in this world, we can remain steadfast knowing that our Redeemer has overcome the world. Whatever we endure creates in us a deeper longing for the hope that we have been promised.

I think of Peter’s words of encouragement to believers suffering various trials in 1 Peter 1, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

I think of Paul, who was well-acquainted with earthly suffering, and writes in Romans 8, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” In 2 Corinthians 4, he writes, “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

And lastly, I think of John, and his encouragement to believers in 1 John 3, that we will see Jesus, our Redeemer, “See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.”

Job, though he did not have the abundance of scripture that we are so blessed to have, trusted that this life was not the end, and that at some point he would see his Redeemer face to face, the One Who would right every injustice and vindicate him. We have these precious faithful promises, so how much more ought we live our lives with this hope?!

Finally, I love these verses from Revelation 21, “Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

What a wonderful picture of the hope we have! My heart longs within me! Come Lord, Jesus, Come! AMEN!

Contend Earnestly

Jude

From: Y’hudah, a slave of Yeshua the Messiah and a brother of Ya‘akov

To: Those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept for Yeshua the Messiah:

May mercy, love and shalom be yours in full measure.

Dear friends, I was busily at work writing to you about the salvation we share, when I found it necessary to write, urging you to keep contending earnestly for the faith which was once and for all passed on to God’s people. For certain individuals, the ones written about long ago as being meant for this condemnation, have wormed their way in — ungodly people who pervert God’s grace into a license for debauchery and disown our only Master and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah.

Since you already know all this, my purpose is only to remind you that Adonai, who once delivered the people from Egypt, later destroyed those who did not trust. And the angels that did not keep within their original authority, but abandoned their proper sphere, he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the Judgment of the Great Day. And S’dom, ‘Amora and the surrounding cities, following a pattern like theirs, committing sexual sins and perversions, lie exposed as a warning of the everlasting fire awaiting those who must undergo punishment.

Likewise, these people, with their visions, defile their own flesh, despise godly authority and insult angelic beings. When Mikha’el, one of the ruling angels, took issue with the Adversary, arguing over the body of Moshe, he did not dare bring against him an insulting charge, but said, “May Adonai rebuke you.” However, these people insult anything they don’t understand; and what they do understand naturally, without thinking, like animals — by these things they are destroyed!

Woe to them, in that they have walked the road of Kayin, they have given themselves over for money to the error of Bil‘am, they have been destroyed in the rebellion of Korach. These men are filthy spots at your festive gatherings meant to foster love; they share your meals without a qualm, while caring only for themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; trees without fruit even in autumn, and doubly dead because they have been uprooted; savage sea-waves heaving forth their shameful deeds like foam; wandering stars for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

Moreover, Hanokh, in the seventh generation starting with Adam, also prophesied about these men, saying, “Look! Adonai came with his myriads of holy ones to execute judgment against everyone, that is, to convict all the godless for their godless deeds which they have done in such a godless way, and for all the harsh words these godless sinners have spoken against him.”

These people are grumblers and complainers, they follow their evil passions, their mouths speak grandiosities, and they flatter others to gain advantage.

But you, dear friends, keep in mind the words spoken in advance by the emissaries of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. They told you, “During the acharit-hayamim there will be scoffers following their own godless passions.” These are the people who cause divisions. They are controlled by their impulses, because they don’t have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, and pray in union with the Ruach HaKodesh. Thus keep yourselves in God’s love, as you wait for our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to give you the mercy that leads to eternal life.

And have mercy on those who are wavering— save them by snatching them out of the fire; but on others have mercy with fear—hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Now,
to the one who can keep you from falling
    and set you without defect and full of joy
    in the presence of his Sh’khinah —
to God alone, our Deliverer,
    through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord —
be glory, majesty, power and authority
    before all time, now and forever.

Amen.
Jude 1:1-25

Jude’s epistle seems like an appropriate place to end 2020. He begins his letter by reminding his readers they have been called out, that they are loved by God, and that they are being kept for Jesus. Though he had originally planned to write a letter about their shared faith and salvation, he says that he felt it more necessary and urgent to instead write them a letter of warning and encouragement, because false teachers had wormed their way into their midst, and now more than ever it was crucial for these believers to contend earnestly for the faith.

Looking back over this past year, I feel like the Church still needs these words, perhaps now more than ever. In my life, I have never been more aware of the false teaching that is infiltrating our Christian faith. Granted, I find myself becoming more diligent, ingesting more of God’s word, testing things against scripture, and being wary of anything that the world, and sometimes the church, accepts with eager, open arms. I can see where in the past I have allowed new age teachings, progressive Christianity, and even prosperity ideology to infiltrate my faith and world view, and I am so thankful for the wealth of biblical teachers and authors that have been pointing these things out. I pray that more believers would listen and hear the truth and recognize the deception that is coming in the form of these false teachings that are NOT the Gospel.

The Greek word that Jude uses when he says we ought to contend earnestly for the faith means, “literally, to struggle upon, appropriately, i.e. with skill and commitment in opposing whatever is not of faith.” The dictionary defines contend as “to strive against difficulties.” This year has been full of difficulties…a pandemic and shutdowns, global and societal unrest, natural disasters, high levels of fear, anxiety, depression and uncertainty about the future. Not to mention the continued assault on biblical truth and the resulting and intensifying persecution of those who hold to it. These circumstances can create a level of complacency and lack of effectiveness for believers. When we fall into complacency, when we are not gathering and fellowshipping with other believers who are also running hard after Jesus, when we are fearful of standing up for what is true because we fear men, we can fall victim to believing the deceptive lies that the enemy has dispersed throughout our society that are worming their way into the Church. And hasn’t 2020 been just the sort of year where these things can happen? Because of lockdowns, fear, and uncertainty, we as a society, and even as believers, are more complacent and more isolated than ever before.

So this phrase “contend earnestly for the faith” seems to be the only way we can go into this next year, with all the uncertainty of what it will bring, being certain that despite our circumstances that we can experience God’s love, mercy, and peace in a world that is growing ever more unloving, unmerciful, and without lasting peace. Jude ends his letter by calling his readers to the following:

–Build yourselves up in your most holy faith. The amplified bible says, “continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher.” I think of what Jesus says about the wise and foolish builders: “So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the winds blew and beat against that house, but it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the wind blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed — and its collapse was horrendous!” If we are not building upon our faith, growing in our understanding of God and His word, developing faithfulness and obedience, then we are likely to fall victim to a horrendous fall – that doesn’t necessarily mean we lose our salvation, but we may lose out on the blessings of abiding and walking with the LORD.

–Pray in union with the Holy Spirit. We are to pray in accordance with God’s will – that it be done on the earth, in our lives, and in the lives of others.

–Keep yourselves in the love of God. Dr. Constable’s notes say: “When we depart from His Word and His will, we erect barriers between ourselves and God—thus blocking the free flow of His love to us. We ‘keep’ ourselves ‘in [His] love’ by abiding in Him.”

–Wait for the LORD Jesus Who will give mercy that leads to eternal life. This means that as we wait in our expectant hope of His return and the full measure of His promises, one of which is eternal life, being fulfilled, we will receive His mercy that enables us to endure.

–Have mercy and show compassion on those who have doubts. Constable writes, “Jude’s readers were to tenderly help (“have mercy on”) those of their fellow believers who were struggling, and perhaps stumbling, under the influence of the false teachers. Those in view ‘who are doubting’ are earnest doubters who sincerely cannot decide between truth and error. They are wavering in their loyalty. We should not abandon these brethren, but compassionately seek to restore them.” This one actually can be a challenge for me, and my sin of self-righteousness can begin to rear its ugly head. I can begin to judge those who are “so ignorant” as to believe the deceptive lies and false teachings that are “so obvious”. I need to pray that the LORD would help me to view these people who has been deceived with mercy and to approach them with compassion and love as I counter their doubts and struggles with the truth.

–Share the Gospel with the lost. The truth is, their are people heading straight toward God’s judgement, whether it be because they have been swept away by false teaching our because they are choosing to deliberately run from and rebel against God. We have to make the most of every opportunity to share the Gospel with the lost – I pray that I can grow in this discipline this year.

–Hate any compromise with sin that will stain our own lives. In our world “tolerance” and “acceptance” is a form of love. It makes me think of the warnings Jesus gives to the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira in Revelation 2 for tolerating sin and false teaching. We cannot comprise true love with acceptance and tolerance of sin. J. Sidlow Baxter said, “We must love, even while we contend against the errors of apostatisers. We must love their souls even while we oppose their words and deplore their ways. Sometimes it is delicately difficult to keep these separate, but the love of Christ in our hearts will put wisdom in our lips.” And Charles Swindoll says, “It is biblical to hate the sin but love the sinner. You hate the stuff that has dragged them under, but you love the soul of the person who is being pulled into eternal destruction. As a result, you rescue whomever you can.” I feel these things will become increasingly more difficult as our world continues to promote ideologies and beliefs that go against God’s standard of truth and morality, yet it is what we are called to do.

Contending earnestly for our faith may seem like a hard task in a world that is so opposed to our faith. But I love how Jude ends his letter with this encouragement:

Now to the One who is able
    to keep you from stumbling,
and to present you blameless
    before the presence of His glory
    with great joy,
to the only God our Savior,
    through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord,
be glory, majesty, power, and authority,
    before all time, both now and forever.
Amen.

Jesus is the One Who keeps us. Our lives are hidden with Him. He through Whom and for Whom all things were created and are held together also holds us. So we can trust Him with our lives as we continue to contend earnestly for the faith which He went to the greatest lengths to bring us to. May we all find ourselves more build up in this faith at the end of the coming year. AMEN!

Purifying Hope

1 John 3

See what love the Father has lavished on us in letting us be called God’s children! For that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it has not known him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now; and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is.

And everyone who has this hope in him continues purifying himself, since God is pure. 
1 John 3:1-3

First John 3:1 has long been one of my favorite verses. Yet as I read this chapter today, verses 2 and 3 really stuck out to me. John says that anyone who has this hope continues to purify himself. What is the hope that John is speaking of? It is the hope of Christ’s appearance, His Second Coming, where in an instant, we will be made to be like Him. We do not know exactly what this will be like, but we know it will happen. Paul refers to this certain uncertainty in 1 Corinthians 13, “For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me.” In Colossians 3, Paul describes our transformation at Christ’s return, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is our life, appears, then you too will appear with him in glory!”

So this hope that we have, not only of Christ’s appearing, but also of this future transformation is a purifying hope. Charles Spurgeon said, “It is the nature of this divine hope, — this hope of being like Christ — that it helps us to grow day by day more like him; and so we purify ourselves, as Christ is pure.” Dr. Constable writes, “we anticipate seeing and knowing Jesus Christ fully, and that anticipation (“hope”) has a purifying effect on us now.”

In chapters 1-2 of his letter, John has built up the case for what it looks like for a person to be united with Christ, and now in chapter 3, he reiterates that we are God’s children now. This is the present condition of those who has put their faith in Christ – not a future promise. This should affect the way we live out our lives each and every day – how we think, how we speak, how we act, how we spend our time and our resources.

Steven J. Cole, an author for bible.org writes, “John shows that if you understand biblical prophecy rightly, you will purify yourself from sin. He does not say that you ought to purify yourself, but rather, you will do it. The true hope of Christ’s coming is a purifying hope. Understanding our present position as children of God and our future hope of being like Jesus when He comes will motivate us to grow in holiness now. The Father’s great love for us as His children is probably the strongest motivation for holy living. When you contemplate the staggering truth that God gave His own Son on the cross to forgive all of your sins and to make you His own child, it should compel you to be distinct from the world and to grow in holiness.“

In these three verses, we can see the process of salvation: Justification (we are God’s children because of His great love); Sanctification (as we hope in Christ we purify ourselves); Glorification (one day we will be like Christ at His appearing). As my walk with Christ has progressed and as my faith has deepened, sins that I used to struggle with daily have become less and less appealing, and now when even the thought of committing them arises, it’s easy to quickly turn from the temptation. Now, there are still other sins that I am struggle against, yet because of my relationship with Christ, I have a greater desire to turn from them and walk in purity as I hope in the return of Christ.

Mr. Cole goes on to write of these verses, “John says, ‘We know….’ It is not, ‘we speculate,’ or, ‘the best forecasts indicate…. It is, ‘We know!’ Biblical hope is not a good guess about the future. It is not, “There is a 50 percent chance that this will happen.” It is 100 percent certain because it is based on the sure promises of God and on the testimony of His Son as relayed to us by the apostles in the New Testament. As Francis Schaeffer so helpfully pointed out, one of the errors of our times is to relegate faith to the “upper story,” rather than to recognize that the Christian faith is rooted in true historical facts. In other words, the modern way of thinking is, ‘Your faith is your own subjective reality. It may be true for you personally, but it is not absolutely true for everyone.’

“But, the Bible is clear that God’s truth about Jesus Christ is what Schaeffer called ‘true truth.’ It is supremely revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all of which are historically validated. He fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah. His word about the future is not uncertain speculation. It is absolutely certain, but just not yet realized. We know certainly that He will appear and in that instant, we will be instantly transformed.”

One Day, in that glorious moment when the skies will be rolled back as a scroll, all who believe in Jesus Christ in this life will be transformed completely, in the twinkling of an eye, into His image and we will be with Him for all eternity! This is an incredible hope that we have, and it is one that, should we truly believe it and embrace it, will have a purifying effect on our lives. Like the wise virgins with the oil, waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom, may we be found tending to our lives, purifying them of all the sin that defiles, as we hope in His appearing! AMEN!

Do Not Love The World

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If someone loves the world, then love for the Father is not in him; because all the things of the world — the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and the pretensions of life — are not from the Father but from the world. And the world is passing away, along with its desires. But whoever does God’s will remains forever.
1 John 2:15-17

Dr. Constable’s notes say, “The ‘world’ (kosmos) represents the system of values, priorities, and beliefs that unbelievers hold that excludes God.”

One of the things I strive to impart on my daughter, and one day on my son, is that this world is not our home. We call it our “for-now home” and heaven is our “forever home.” It’s hard enough for me, an adult who has been walking closely with the LORD for nearly 10 years, to fully bring myself to believe that what is promised, yet unseen, is so much greater than what we have and can see; yet, for a child, especially in today’s day and age, I feel that there are soooo many things competing for their heart. How do we convince our children that God’s promises are so much greater than the things we can see, touch, and enjoy here and now?

I think it obviously must start with our own example in how we love God versus how we love the world. Our church has used a diagram multiple times to demonstrate how our world view impacts our beliefs, our beliefs impact our values, and our values impact our behavior. Our children are watching our behavior, and they can tell what is important to us, what our hearts find life and joy and contentment in. This is so convicting because I know even on my best days I can struggle to consistently demonstrate that Jesus is enough, that He is better than enough – better than all the things that can so quickly and easily distract us from Him and living out His purpose in our lives.

Elisabeth Elliot said, “Heaven is not here, it’s There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.” The devil is very good at getting us to settle for this world, to believe that it is enough. We continually strive to make this world as comfortable, enjoyable, and full as we can; yet despite our best efforts, this world just never seems to truly satisfy – because it was never meant to. I love the quote from CS Lewis that says, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

When Jesus prayed for His disciples, as well as for those who would one day come to Him in faith, He said, “I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I myself do not belong to the world. I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.” (John 17:14-19)

I sense in my spirit something that has been building for that past several years, but especially over the past several months, that we as believers will soon have to choose where our heart’s devotion lies. Is it with the world, or is it with Christ? I believe we will have multiple opportunities in the coming months and years to demonstrate that we do not belong to this world. I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but I just sense that the LORD is causing things to happen to loosen His people’s grip on this world as we prepare for His coming. May we be found faithful, watchful, sober-minded, and zealous about our Father’s work. AMEN!

Two Kingdoms; One King

1 Peter 2:9-17

But you are a chosen people, the King’s cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you; but to live such good lives among the pagans that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of seeing your good actions, give glory to God on the Day of his coming. For the sake of the Lord, submit yourselves to every human authority — whether to the emperor as being supreme, or to governors as being sent by him to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that your doing good should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Submit as people who are free, but not letting your freedom serve as an excuse for evil; rather, submit as God’s slaves. Be respectful to all — keep loving the brotherhood, fearing God and honoring the emperor.
1 Peter 2:9-17

What a great passage for today! Election Day in America is less than 10 days away. In my lifetime, there has never been a more heated, divisive election in our country. It’s not just right vs left, Republicans vs Democrats, conservatives vs progressives. It has even pitted the Church against itself. It’s sad to watch the world tear each other apart, shouting hateful accusations and insults at one another. But it is even more disheartening to see people who claim Christ as their King to do it to each other. People have taken very strong stances as to which side they stand on, and while I won’t get into what my personal views are here, it has done nothing to promote dialogue and conversation with people “on the other side.”

As believers, we must remember that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession. Reverend G. Campbell Morgan writes, “[The Church] is a race, and this suggests its life principle. It is a priesthood, and so has right of access to God. It is a nation, and so is under His government. It is a possession, and so is actually indwelt by Him.” We are called out – out of darkness and into His marvelous light – therefore, we should not live as people still in the dark!

Biblical scholar Peter Davids wrote, “The knowledge that [Christians] do not belong [to the world] does not lead to withdrawal, but to their taking their standards of behavior, not from the culture in which they live, but from their ‘home’ culture of heaven, so that their life always fits the place they are headed to, rather than their temporary lodging in this world.” I love this quote so much! Like Paul encourages us, we must “set our minds on things above”, following after our Savior, Who calls us to “seek first His Kingdom”. All of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teaches Kingdom ethics to Kingdom people; and often He teaches that God’s way is contrary to the way that the world applauds.

We may not know who our next president is on a election night. Depending on how close the race is and how strongly the candidates contest the results, it could possibly be a week or more. But what do we do if our side wins, or if our side loses? Should we as believers go out into the streets and violently protest? Should we shout hateful condemnations toward “the other side”? No. Peter calls us to be respectful to everyone. Everyone? Even the people who didn’t vote like me? Yes, everyone. And regardless of who wins, we are called to submit to every human authority. We may not like the results, but like it our not, God is sovereign and He has already determined the leader He will appoint to this office. Dr. Constable writes, “We are to ‘submit’ to the ‘authority’ of government rulers by obeying them. We should do this, not because these individuals are personally worthy of our submission necessarily, but ‘for the Lord’s sake,’ because by submitting to them, we honor God by obeying His Word. Peter reminded his readers that government has a valid and necessary God-appointed purpose (‘punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right’). The presence of political corruption should not blind us to the legitimate role of government that God has ordained.”

I’ve thought about the fact that we have two very unfit men running for the highest office in America. Neither one is who I would choose. Yet as Christians in a country where we have the right to vote on our leaders and representatives, we are always going to be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils; because until Jesus is on the ballot, we will always be voting for another sinful person like ourselves. God can still use wicked, sinful leaders to bring about His ultimate plan for His glory and our good.

Lord Eustace Percy, in his biography on the reformer John Knox, wrote, “Ever since Christianity was first preached the Christian citizen has been a puzzle both to himself and to his rulers. By the elementary necessities of his creed he has been a man living in two worlds. In one he has been a member of a national community, in the other of a community ‘taken out of the nations.’ In one he has been bound to obey and enforce the laws of his State, in the other to measure his conduct by standards not recognized by those laws and often inconsistent with them. This dualism has been made tolerable only by the prospect of a reconciliation. That prospect is, again, an elementary necessity of the Christian creed. Somehow, somewhere, the conflict of loyalties will end. The kingdom of this world will pass; the Kingdom of God will be established.”

We look forward to a world that will only be fully redeemed and reconciled when Christ reigns as King. Until then, we should behave as citizens of that kingdom, setting our gaze on the glory and inheritance that God has promised those who belong to Him!

LORD, the next coming days and weeks will be full of opportunity. Opportunities to demonstrate to others where our hope truly rests. May my heart not become anxious with fear or anxiety, may my thoughts not be filled with judgment or pride, may my words not be spoken out of anger or self-righteousness, may my actions not demonstrate to those watching that my hope is in anything but YOU! AMEN!

Your Temporary Stay On Earth

1Peter 1:17-25

Also, if you are addressing as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s actions, you should live out your temporary stay on earth in fear.
…
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so that you have a sincere love for your brothers, love each other deeply, with all your heart. You have been born again not from some seed that will decay, but from one that cannot decay, through the living Word of God that lasts forever. For

all humanity is like grass,
all its glory is like a wildflower —
the grass withers, and the flower falls off;
but the Word of Adonai lasts forever.
1 Peter 1:17 & 22-25

Just a few weeks ago we celebrated Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, when God commands His people to live in temporary shelters, or booths, for 7 days. (Leviticus 23:43-43) The purpose of this feast is not only to call God’s people to remember their time in the wilderness where He provided for their needs as they dwelt in temporary shelters, but also to remind us of the eternal dwelling we will one day have with God when this temporary home passes away.

With everything going on in the world, I keep getting gentle nudges and reminders through scripture and different sources like church, bible study, friends, and people I follow on social media, that this world is temporary and my hope will be shattered if I choose to cling to it. This can sometimes be a daily struggle as it is so easy to get caught up in the chaos and uncertainty that is hard to avoid.

Peter strongly reminds us to live as temporary residents or aliens throughout his two letters and calls us to focus our attention on the living hope we have in Jesus. Peter’s letters reflect Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

As we walk out our faith in this temporary home, Peter calls us to obey the truth and to love each other deeply. As we move into the next chapters of his letter, he will expand on this more, but for now he reminds us that our actions are being judged by the LORD, therefore, we should live out our time here in fear, or in reverence, of Him. Though it is grace through faith that saves us, our faith is demonstrated by our actions. Our pastor often says, “We are saved by faith alone, but faith that saves is never alone.”

This makes me think of the description of the saints in Hebrews 11,

“All these people kept on trusting until they died, without receiving what had been promised. They had only seen it and welcomed it from a distance, while acknowledging that they were aliens and temporary residents on the earth. For people who speak this way make it clear that they are looking for a fatherland. Now if they were to keep recalling the one they left, they would have an opportunity to return; but as it is, they aspire to a better fatherland, a heavenly one. This is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
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What more should I say? There isn’t time to tell about Gid‘on, Barak, Shimshon, Yiftach, David, Sh’mu’el and the prophets; who, through trusting, conquered kingdoms, worked righteousness, received what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, had their weakness turned to strength, grew mighty in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead resurrected; other people were stretched on the rack and beaten to death, refusing to be ransomed, so that they would gain a better resurrection. Others underwent the trials of being mocked and whipped, then chained and imprisoned. They were stoned, sawed in two, murdered by the sword; they went about clothed in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, mistreated, wandering about in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the ground! The world was not worthy of them!

All of these had their merit attested because of their trusting. Nevertheless, they did not receive what had been promised, because God had planned something better that would involve us, so that only with us would they be brought to the goal.”

It is the faith in the eternal that enabled these heroes of the faith to endure suffering, persecution, and even martyrdom. Had they had their hope set on the temporal, fading things of this world, their faith would have wavered. I would rather spend my days on this earth walking in the fear of the LORD than in fear of what this broken world is becoming. That can only come through faith, trusting that the King of kings is above all and sovereign over this temporary residence. AMEN!