A Grateful Wiser Man

While riding in my car a few minutes ago I was listening to @RickWarren remind us of the generational impact of Daniel standing for God. He pointed to the Wise Men as probable recipients of the grace of God through Daniel. I too am a recipient of the blessings handed down from Daniel's stand for God. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Daniel myself.

Then, again while riding, I remembered what day it is and the fact that I also owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to another who came between me and Daniel who also took a stand...Martin Luther (Google "here I stand Luther). So this short blog is to simply say thank you to Daniel and to Martin. If the Wise Men were spiritual descendants of the stand that Daniel took for God, I must admit that I am wiser today because of the stand Martin took. I am humbly aware of all those who have gone before me who have stood for God. Father, please grant me the grace to stand for you.

In celebration of the "stand" of Martin, i.e. The Reformation, this week I am reading another biography of Luther. This one is Metaxas. (Hope to get to Selderhuis soon.)

Tribute to a Dear Friend: Glen Paden

The Gospel of John tells us: “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47) I’d like to share with you briefly about a man I knew in whom there was no deceit. His name is Glen Paden. If I could have shared at his memorial service here is what I would have said.

Glen Paden was one of the finest, godliest Christian gentlemen I have ever known. He was, in every way, a gentleman — kind to all, gracious to everyone with whom he came in contact. Though he was short in stature he was a giant among those who knew him. When I had the privilege of appointing a task force to study our California Southern Baptist Convention I knew the man we had to have as the Chairman was Glen. He gave the group instant credibility. No one could question his love for our CSBC and his desire to honor God in the decisions that were made.

Glen was also a theologian. From the time I first knew him, he was enormously encouraging to me as a friend and as a pastor. On many occasions we had the joy of discussing sound biblical theology as friend to friend and always found great pleasure in rejoicing together for the grace of God in our lives.

Glen was a model father and grandfather. He was in every good sense a godly patriarch of his family. He loved them deeply and always looked out for their best interests. I have had the privilege of having his grandson Joey as my son-in-law now for six years. I can only say that I hope to have half the close relationship with my grandchildren that Glen had with Joey. Joey admired his granddad and treasured their closeness. He always sought his wisdom in difficult decisions and gladly accepted his advice. My daughter Hannah came to look at him as her granddad also. She loved him and knew of his deep love for her. I am so grateful to Glen for the way he welcomed her into the family.

Glen was a giver. Years ago when I was playing golf with my friend Doug Metzger he let me hit a few shots with a new 3-wood that he had found. I asked where he got it and he said it was one just like Glen Paden had. Later I decided to try to find one online. I wrote Glen and asked for the specs on his 3-wood so I could look for one just like it. To my surprise his 3-wood arrived in the mail just a couple of days later. What a giving heart!!!

So with great sadness that we’ll never be able to talk again this side of heaven I am so thankful to God that my life crossed many paths with Glen Paden. I am a better man for having known him. To God be the glory!

Saints Together

READ 1 Corinthians 1-2

February 23, 2016

Again, as so often happens in my readings, one word grabs me and stops me cold with implications that are profound. It happened this morning in v.2.

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:”

Before I move on, do you think you can pick out the word that stopped me this morning? Could it be church, sanctified, saints, Lord, Jesus or Christ? Well, all of those would have been great ones to meditate on for a while, but none of them is the word this morning. No, the word that stopped me was “together.” Actually the whole phrase must be included. Paul said that he was writing to a group of Christians who were “called to be saints together.” Immediately my thinking went to the church born out of the Day of Pentecost in the 2^nd chapter of Acts. Luke tells us, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:44)

That’s it. That’s the church! We are not called to be saints in isolation; we are called to be saints together. Why? Because we really do need one other. We must love one another and build up one another and be kind to one another and bear one another’s burdens and all the other one anothers of the Bible. The church is the context in which we live out these wonderful, encouraging commands.

So let’s do it. Let’s be a part of one another’s lives and live together in love and harmony in the Lord.

Prayer: Father, thank you that in your marvelous plan for us you gave us the church. Though we know that each of us is an imperfect saint we know that in your grace we can build up one another. Help us to consider others as more important than ourselves and to be the body of Christ to one another.

Some truths are just too big for our minds to fully comprehend

READ John 17-18

Who did Jesus pray for in the upper room? Let’s see what he says. In 17:9 he clearly states that he is not praying for the world. Rather he is praying for those whom the Father has given him. So this prayer is only for those who were a gift from the Father to the Son before the foundation of the world.

Does this include more than the apostles? See 17:20. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” So, if he is only praying for those who were a gift from the Father and this prayer includes all who will believe based on the words of the Apostles, then he is praying for every believer today. And that means… every believer today was a gift from the Father to the Son before the foundation of the world.

Jesus has given eternal life to everyone the Father gave him. (17:3)

Jesus manifests the Father’s name, i.e. who he really is, to those whom the Father gave him. (17:6)

Jesus prays for those whom the Father gave him. (17:9)

Jesus asks the Father to keep those whom he has given him after his ascension. (17:11)

Jesus wants those whom the Father has given him to be with him through eternity. (17:24)

Think about who you are in Christ, friends! Glory!

Prayer: Father, it is a bit mind-boggling for us to contemplate that you chose us and presented us as a love gift to your Son before all of creation. Before we existed in time and space, we were chosen as a part of your forever family and presented by you to your Son. And he came to die for us and bear the penalty of our sin. Father, this is too big for us. Help thou our unbelief!

Peace...in the midst of the storm...right now

READ John 15-16

Where is the source of our peace? When we are faced with difficult times, difficult situations, difficult people — where do we turn to for peace? Do we turn to medication to mask our discomfort? Do we turn to other people for their comfort? Where do we turn?

Jesus makes it clear that our peace is in him. It is not to be found in this world. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (16:33) We are to rest in him and the certainty of our life in him for our peace.

Remember the Gospel. We were under the curse of the tribulation of our own sin. Christ died bearing all those sins in his own body on the cross. His death redeemed us from our sin. He rose from the dead displaying his full victory over the final enemy death and verifying exactly who he is as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. One day he is coming to take us to where he is for eternity. Peace…in the midst of tribulations…in the midst of the storm…right now.

Prayer: Father, help me to face the tribulation of this world in the peaceful grasp of my loving Savior. Help me father, to trust you, and not the situations that I face. Help me to rest in you.

Walking Home in Faith

READ John 3-4

My curiosity often comes into play as I read the Bible because of things we are not told. Obviously, these are things that are not necessary for us to know in order to understand, but they are still things that spark our curiosity. Such is the case as I read the story of the official’s son being healed in 4:46-54. At this point in the gospel of John Jesus has only done one miracle. He turned the water to wine at the wedding in Cana (2:11). Now in Chapter 4 he returns again to Cana and does his second miracle (4:54).

Here are the events recorded. He arrives in Cana. An official with a sick son lives in Capernaum about 7-8 hours walking distance away at the least. The official comes to Cana to ask Jesus to heal his son. So here’s where my curiosity peaks. First, in a town that far away how did he even know that Jesus had returned to Galilee? Second, had Jesus’ reputation spread that much already simply from the one miracle at the wedding? Did the man know Jesus only as a possible miracle worker? (This is highly likely based on 4:48) It’s not hard to imagine the father of a dying son being willing to go wherever was needed for his child’s welfare, but what were the circumstances that prompted him to walk all the way to Cana?

But there is another greater truth hinted at in the man’s behavior. Jesus told him his son was healed at 1:00 in the afternoon. The Bible says that he “believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” (4:50) Notice, when his servants came to tell him his son was healed he was still traveling and it was the next day (see 52). If he was uncertain, he would probably have rushed back and made the 7-8 trip in a few hours the same day. But, evidently, he was in no hurry? Why? Here’s where we see his faith manifested. He was walking the unhurried walk of a man who believed Jesus.

I’m reminded of later in John when Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God; believe also in me.” (14:1) Troubles will surely come, but we don’t have to be troubled when we believe Jesus.

Prayer: Father, help me to be like that official. Help me always to come to you with every need of life. Help me always to turn to you first for your divine help. And help me to trust in you and live reflecting that calm trust in you.

Spiritual Studs

READ Luke 17-18

A common occurrence in the Gospels is for Jesus to tell a parable that the disciples don’t understand. Afterward we find them asking what does this parable mean? But in Ch. 18 Luke reverses this pattern. He relates two of the parables of Jesus and, before he gives them, he tells us what the meaning and purpose of the parables are. Notice this is v. 1 and v. 9. I want to focus on the second for a moment.

“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.” (18:9) It seems rather obvious that he is addressing the Pharisees. And quickly we can discern what the essence of Pharisaical thinking was: spiritual self-confidence and arrogance. The clear statement of intent makes this obvious and the parable follows to pointedly show the wrongness of the Pharisee’s thinking and actions.

I wonder how often today we fall into the trap of Pharisaism? How often do we think of ourselves as having arrived spiritually? I think there’s an easy answer to that question. The first key to whether we are trusting in ourselves that we have arrived spiritually is when we have thoughts that we are more spiritual than someone else. Any time we fall prey to looking down our spiritual noses at anyone else, we are thinking of ourselves as spiritual studs.

Avoid it! Recognize it! Run from it. Let us beat on our breasts and cry out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” For, as is so true, there but for the grace of God go I.”

Prayer: Father, apart from your mercy and grace I am nothing. I deserve hell because I’m a filthy sinner before you. But you, Lord, in your love plucked me from the pit and gave me life with you. To you be all the praise! None of it goes to me. Thank you for your grace that chose me for yourself because, in my sin, I would never have chosen you.

The List

READ Luke 3-4

Do you find yourself tempted to jump over the genealogies in the Bible? I admit it. I do. Oh, sure there are some nuggets of gold to be found in these genealogies but normally they read like public records at the court house.

But I found myself slowly reading the genealogy in 3:23ff this morning. One significant fact stood out to me as I read. Most of these names I had never heard of before, at least apart from this biblical record. I have no idea who they were or what they did with their lives. But then the thought struck me: what was the one most significant fact about each of these people? I think the answer is in the genealogy itself. They made the list! The primary purpose of their life was to be in a long line that got the Savior into the world as God had promised.

Think of another significant list. The disciples had been sent out by Jesus and returned with glowing reports and excitement about the fact that even the demons obeyed them. Jesus reminded them of the most important thing: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (10:20) The most important thing is do you make the list?

Years from now when we are dead and gone no one will remember someone named Walter Price who lived most of his life in Beaumont, CA, and made very little impact on the world. Whatever he may have done of significant consequence is known only to God. But the one question that will matter at that time is very simple, “Is his name on the list?” (cf Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:15) How about you? Is your name included?

Prayer: Father, there is only one way that my name could have been added to your book of life — by your grace alone for me. Not by any works or worthiness on my part, simply by your grace alone. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for my Savior who purchased by redemption. Thank you for giving me your life.

A Life to Match Your Lips

READ Mark 13-14

Oh, Lord, how I want my life to match my lips. Peter and the disciples didn’t. They blew it. “Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “ Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “ If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.”  (14:29-31)

I’ve learned in these many years of walking with the Lord that I am prone to be just like them. So my tendency is to stop making bold pronouncements of how faithful I will be. At times I’m even hesitant to sing some lines of some songs because they profess things that I know I am weak in doing.

But how I would love to have no fear of making brash boasts of what I will do for the Lord and what I won’t do that would dishonor him. How I would love to know that I’d never fail. But I don’t. In fact, I’m fairly certain of just the opposite. So now, I’m more prone to say, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. Show your power in my weakness.”

Prayer: Father, that is my prayer today. Please show your power in my weakness. Help me to be faithful and have the courage to stand strong for you.

If You Are Willing

READ Mark 1-2

So often, when I read the story of Jesus cleansing the leper, I am touched by two words that Jesus uttered. The leper came to Jesus and said, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus said to him, “I will, be clean.” The two words that grab my heart are “I will.” The leper had asked him if he was willing and Jesus replied that he was. That seems to be the heart of Jesus, doesn’t it? He is willing to heal us from the sickness of our sin and for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. to make us clean.

When I think of being like Jesus that seems to be the quality that epitomizes him the most — his willingness. He was willing to leave heaven and come to earth. He was willing to touch and heal many of their diseases. He was willing to forgive sins. He was willing to go to the cross so that our sins might be forgiven and we might have eternal life. He was willing to suffer and die for us.

And when I think of my seeking to live like Jesus, so often the very thing I am lacking is willingness. I may have all sorts of reasons and excuses, but  the truth is, I am just not willing so many times. I need the help of God to be willing. I need the truth of Philippians 2:13 to be real in me all the time: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Prayer: Father, you are the One who makes me willing and able. Help me, Lord, to be willing to do your will. Help me to be willing to love as you love and to live in a way that is worthy of the grace you have shown me.

Word-doing Is More Important Than Sign-watching

READ Matthew 23-24

“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Matthew 24:28) What a strange verse this is but not one that should cause us difficulty in understanding. What is Jesus doing? He is telling about the “the sign of [his] coming and of the end of the age” (v.3). In the midst of this information he interjects this note about the vultures. So what does he mean?

Most of you know that Janet and I recently made a trip to Africa to see our son, Arthur. One of the delights of this trip was to spend 3 days in a national park and go on game drives each day. One of the things we learned from the guide was to watch for vultures, either circling above or sitting in groups in trees. Why? Because, as we all know, the presence of vultures means there’s something dead nearby. And if there is something dead, then there might be the possibility of seeing what killed it, like a lion or cheetah. So we watched for vultures.

That’s what Jesus is telling us. Just as vultures gathering means a corpse near, so do these signs that he is telling about mean that his second coming is near. All one has to do is watch for the signs. Meanwhile, live to the glory of God while you are watching. I think Jesus was saying that the signs will be evident, like vultures, so you don’t need to get bogged down in sign-watching. Word-doing is more important than sign-watching.

Prayer: Father, thank you for telling us what the signs will be when the Lord Jesus returns. Help us to be discerning and not over-reactive. Help us to be about the business of living to your glory while we watch for the signs and not to spend all our efforts and energies only on sign-watching.

Sinister Syncretism

READ Zephaniah 1-3

One of Zephaniah’s accusations against Judah is very fitting for today. It is perhaps one of the chief sins of those who call themselves Christians today. Wherever we turn, we see this manifested in so many lives of those call themselves by the name of the Lord. We find it in chapter one verse five: “those who bow down on the roofs

to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom.” Notice the sinister syncretism found in this verse.

These people still thought of themselves as God’s people. They were, after all, Judah, God’s faithful portion, not like the sinful Northern Kingdom of Israel that had been long ago overthrown by Assyria and scattered to the four winds. No, they were still the chosen ones. But notice what commandment they were violating: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3). The very first of the Ten Commandments. In that command the word “before” is best translated “besides.” God was not just saying you cannot have any gods that take precedence over me. He was also saying you cannot have any gods along with me. This was the sin of Judah that Zephaniah denounces.

What about us today? We claim to be faithful people of God yet so often we still bow down to the other gods around us — Gods like materialism, pleasure, greed, success, power, leisure. We say we worship the one true God but we let other things push him out of his rightful place of worship in our lives. Let us each examine our own hearts to see if this be true, in any way, of us.

Prayer: Father, forgive us for letting our hearts be diluted from the pure worship of you. Help us to resist the lure of other things that take your place in our affection. Forgive us from trusting in anyone or anything but you. Help us in our unbelief.

Every Real Pastor's Dream

READ Jonah 3-4

Every real pastor’s dream! That’s what Jonah experienced when he first went to Nineveh. God gave him a message to preach and he preached it. Then the people heard the message and believed God and responded obediently to what they had heard. Hear the words yourself again, “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.” (3:5)

That’s it. That’s what we pray for and long to see happen in our churches today. We have been commanded by the Lord to “Preach the Word…with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2) so that “we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28) I think I can speak for all true preachers of the Word that our greatest joy is found in knowing that our hearers are hearing the Word and doing the Word. God didn’t call us to develop the Word; he only called us to deliver it. We pray that he will bring about the right response in those who hear.

What about you? Are you a hearer and a doer? Do you, like the Ninevites, “believe God” and then do you live based on that belief?

Prayer: Father, I pray for all who preach the Word that you will help us to be faithful and deliver it in your power. Also, Father, please help all of us who hear the Word to “have ears to ear” so that we believe it and live it to your glory.

"Good Guys" on Jonah's Ship

READ Jonah 1-2

Sometimes those who do not know and worship God still do noble things. Just one verse in today’s reading prompted my thinking on this. The sailors on Jonah’s ship to Tarshish were religiously syncretistic as a whole, with a sort of a “Heinz 57” amalgamation of different gods that were worshipped (1:5). Obviously, none of them was a believer in the One True God, Jonah’s God. But notice what they did when Jonah told them the answer to their fear of the storm was to throw him overboard. “Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.” (1:13) These pagan sailors were unwilling, at first, to kill Jonah to save their own lives.

We see this many times in our lives today: unbelieving doctors and medical researchers who tirelessly give themselves to saving lives, lost military personnel who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of others, public safety workers who put themselves in harm’s on our behalf, teachers who dedicate themselves to the good of their students in selfless fashion, and many, many others of similar quality. There is even an illustration of this in one of the parables Jesus’ told. The Samaritan was certainly not thought of nor depicted even as a follower of God, but he acted in a manner that was “good.”

What’s my point? Simply, gratitude. You and I can still be thankful for the contributions to the good of society and the world from those who do not share our knowledge of God. They may not worship as we do, but they can still do good things. And we should thank them and honor them for this. But we should also remember that those things are temporal. We are an eternal people who have the message of eternal life. So, along with our gratitude we should also seek to love them into the kingdom of God. Their “good works” will not save them.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the better aspects of those who are still lost apart from you. Thank you for their contributions to the world in general and to our lives specifically. God, please use us to show them your love and the glory of the gospel.

Worship-minded People

READ Amos 5-6

Once again we see God rejecting the worship of the people (5:21-23). This time the focus is on their dealings in the marketplace and in the gates (5:10-12). God is wanting them to see that their dealings with people need to be just and righteous (5:24). These are just as much acts of worship as gathering together in feasts and solemn assemblies.

You and I also need to realize this about our lives today. We so often fall into the trap of thinking that worship is only what we do on Sunday morning. We think we can live any way we wish the rest of the week then come and worship God as if all was right. But no, the Scripture makes plain that every act of our lives is potentially an act of worship —how we think, how we speak, how we relate to others — are all to be done “as unto the Lord.”

Paul makes this abundantly clear in Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Presenting ourselves to the Lord as a continual, on-going sacrifice of worship is what God desires from us. We can’t, like the unfaithful Israelites, think we are worshipping God on Sundays while being unjust and unrighteous the rest of the week.

Prayer: Father, you alone are worthy of worship. You are One who creates the heavens, who makes the morning out of the night, who controls the waters of the sea. You alone are worthy of our worship. And you are worthy of our complete worship every moment of every day. Help us to be worship-minded people.

Sanctifying Christ as Lord in the example of Daniel

READ Daniel 5-6

In 1 Peter 3:14-17 we have instructions from the Lord about how we are to live in a culture that is in opposition to our faith in Christ. “But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God' s will, than for doing evil.”

As you know, the NT tells us that the OT was written for our instruction and for an example to us in our Christian lives (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). Well, in Daniel 6 we have a great example from the life of Daniel of being willing to suffer for our faith and also seeing those who oppose us “put to shame.” Daniel remains faithful to God despite the efforts of his opponents and for this he is thrown into the lions’ den, even though the king very much does not want him to be killed. Even this pagan king, Darius, knows that Daniel worships God and he hopes that God will save him from the lions. You know the end of the story. Daniel is saved and those who have schemed to have him killed are killed themselves in the den of lions.

For you and me this story stands as a challenge to live for Christ completely. We must “honor the Lord as holy” in our hearts and live in such a way that others will see the a true hope in us, just as Darius saw hope in Daniel and his God. People around us are watching, wanting to see if what we say with our mouths is shown in what we do with our lives.

Prayer: Father, we need your grace always to live in such a way that others will know we worship you. Help us to humbly recognize that we are always on display as trophies of your grace and how we live casts a reflection on you. Give us the strength and the courage to be faithful, just like Daniel.

What's For Dinner? Blood & Quail Meat

READ Ezekiel 35-36

Sometimes it is a sign of judgment (or possibly discipline) when God gives us what we want. In his prophecy against Mount Seir God says, “Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment, therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you.” (35:5-6) They wanted bloodshed so bloodshed would be there fate.

Remember the Israelites in the wilderness. They were not satisfied with God’s provision of manna and craved meat. So God gave them quail meat till it was coming out of their nostrils (Numbers 11:20). Listen to the Psalmist’s commentary on this experience: “But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.” (Psalm 106:13-15)

The lesson is to be satisfied with what God has for us and not to crave other things instead. Romans 1 has a similar idea when three times Paul says, “God gave them up” (24, 26, 28). In essence, God was giving them up to what they were craving instead of worshipping him as the giver of every good and perfect gift.

So be careful what you set your heart on and desire. Let it be God and what he has for you. Stay away from anything that gets in the way. Quail meat was not a bad thing in and of itself. But it was not God’s best for the Israelites.

Prayer: Father, let me be satisfied in you. Empty me of the hunger for other things that will shield me from you. Let my joy and delight and fulfillment come from you.

A Good Reminder for 9-11

After writing this devotional this morning I looked at the date and was reminded what day it is. Hence the title.

READ Ezekiel 25-26

As we read Ezekiel’s prophecies against the nations surrounding Israel (Ammon, Moab, Seir, Edom, Philistia, Tyre), we can’t help realizing the awfulness of the judgment of God. And that is as it should be. We should recoil at the idea of being judged by a holy God and found wanting. That is one of the reasons that we are a gospel people. We don’t want to see people fall under God’s eternal judgment.

But there is a more positive side to what we see in these two chapters also. This particular aspect is one of the greatest most reassuring truths of all of Scripture. We see it from the very first verses of the Bible to the very last verses. Over and over again it resounds aloud like a whistle from an oncoming train alerting us to its presence. What is that truth? God is sovereign over all things. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. In him all things hold together. Without him nothing would exist.

And within his sovereignty is his divine purpose that is carried out by him at all times in perfect measure. Here we see it in the fact that God is not only Lord over Israel but also of all the nations around Israel. He controls their fates. He raises them up or tears them down according to his will and purpose.

So today as you see the nations in turmoil do not be dismayed and hopeless. God is still in charge. Oh, we may not be able to see what he is doing from our infinitely limited perspective. But we have the testimony of Scripture that lets us know his work throughout all of history. We can be sure that he is carrying out his plan. And ultimately in the outworking of his plan, as he says over and over in these two chapters, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Prayer: Father, today I am so thankful for your sovereignty. I don’t see the end from the beginning as you do. My view is so limited. So I thank you for your Word that gives me the long view both backward and forward. I can rest in your holy sovereignty and trust that you will bring about your purpose and will in all things — even my one little life.

God, make me stop...really?

READ Ezekiel 15-16

Be careful what you pray for. Have you, like me, ever prayed about a particular struggle with sin in your life and asked God to do whatever it takes to make you stop? Seems like a transparent and vulnerable prayer of deep honesty, doesn’t it. But I wonder if we really want to pray that way.

In our passage today Chapter 16 is one of the longest and most explicit chapters of the prophecy as it details God’s dealing with Judah like a faithless bride who has committed spiritual adultery through her sins. His kind husband like love turns to horrendous judgment. And in the midst of it God says, “And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women. I will make you stop playing the whore, and you shall also give payment no more.” (16:41) God’s way of making them stop their sin was a devastating consequence in their life.

Now I’m not necessarily suggesting that’s the way God deals with us all the time. But I wonder, if we thought it was, would we still pray that same prayer? Wouldn’t it be better for us to simply be obedient to the Lord and by his grace and power stop the sin ourselves. We can do it, you know. We can do all things through the One who strengthens us.

Prayer: Father, help us to walk in obedience before you. Help us to hear your Word and do what it says. Help us not to need your rod of correction. Thank you that your Spirit is present in us to enable us to live obediently before you. Help us to do it.

Before It's Too Late

READ Ezekiel 7-8

I am reminded of the potentially sad implications of one of the most uplifting passages in all of Scripture. “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) In these verses we know that every knee will bow and every tongue confess in the last day. Even those who have not believed in Christ as Lord and Savior. For those who have believed it will be a confession of eternal salvation. For those who have not believed it will be a confession leading to eternal damnation.

In Ezekiel 7-8 God pronounces the utter evils of the disobedient Jews and the horrors of their desecration of the Temple with idols and sun worship and other cults. God emphatically states that he will send his wrath: “Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” (8:18) But notice, he will do this even if the people suddenly “cry…with a loud voice” to him. He “will not hear them.” In other words, it will be too late.

That’s what reminds me of Philippians 2:9-11. For those, in the last day, who have refused to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, even though they cry out with confession of the lordship of Christ, it will be too late. God will not hear them. Their doom will be sealed.

This is another of many reasons that should spur us into action to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. We should have pity on them and long to see them come to know the same love and forgiveness that we have experienced. The great missionary C. T. Studd said: “Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.” Will we join him?

Prayer: Father, there are so many, many people who do not know you. Forgive us for our complacency and lack of action. Help us to be witnesses of your grace and glory. Give us the courage and the will to go and tell.