Archive for November, 2021

Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow

Does it ever seem the world has conspired against you? The prophet Jeremiah had reason to, if anybody ever had cause to feel that way for more than 40 years. His message was from God but, highly unpopular. He warned Israel if they did not repent God would allow Babylon to conquer them, destroy the Temple, and take them into captivity. They didn’t and He did.

Despite persistent rejection, Jeremiah proclaimed the word of God for at least 40 years. His ministry lasted from a time when Judah still had the opportunity to change its ways and avoid punishment, to the time when judgment finally came as Jerusalem was destroyed, and the people taken into exile (586 B.C.) Even then there was no “I told you so.”

Two famous artists – Michelangelo and Rembrandt – both depicted the prophet Jeremiah in their paintings. In both depictions Jeremiah is sitting, his hand on his face, and his eyes downcast. It depicts his grief over the hard hearts of the people. It was their condition, not his, causing his forlorn look.

Jeremiah was mocked, ridiculed, beating, and imprisoned. He is known as the weeping prophet, but he never wept publically. Yet he wrote: “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”  Lamentations 3:21 – 23

In 1923 Thomas O. Chisholm read those words of Jeremiah and was inspired to write the words to that grand old hymn (remember those) containing these lines:

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.”

Jeremiah was mocked, ridiculed, belittled, and made an outcast by the mob whose message was “thus saith the mob,” in contrast to Jeremiah’s message of, “Thus saith the Lord.” 

For 40 years Jeremiah endured, strengthened by recalling God’s word and will which inspired hope, the Lord’s mercies, and His unfailing compassion. He had a vice grip on those resources. Understandably at times he got alone and wept. Even then his grief was for Israel, not himself.

God’s faithfulness is revealed in three ways: 

First, despite our unfaithfulness, God is at work.

Second, despite our unfaithfulness, God is just. 

And despite our unfaithfulness, God is gracious.

Pitch your mental tent over those thoughts, and move into the tent.

God is at work, He is just, and He is gracious. If those traits sustained Jeremiah in his hail storm of difficulty, they are sufficient to provide for us. Inscribe those on the scroll of your mind and read them often. Perhaps they are not now germane to your life, but store them up as a future resource. 

Focus on this exhortation for Jeremiah.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

At issue is our trust of the Lord.

Land of the Pilgrims Pride 7/2/00

Ezra 8:21, 22

Jesus Christ had a band of loyalists who lovingly followed and served Him. Unfortunately there were others who were detractors, defectors, and disloyal. It has always been true. It is today. In love He appeals for repentance and renewal. He desires for His followers to enjoy “abundant life.”

Not only is this true among individuals but with churches also. There is a such a need in a broad segment of America and American churches. At one point in history He achieved this through a band of devotees known as Pilgrims. This very day we have sung of the land that was the “Pilgrims Pride.”

In the early 1600s the church in England had become corrupt. They were absorbed in doctrinal error, encumbered with ceremony, bound by tradition, and consequently spiritually anemic. Two groups sought spiritual renewal.

One wanted to bring about reform by staying in the church and purifying it from within. Seeing their efforts to be futile they left England for the new world. They are known as Puritans.

A second group saw the church as beyond renewal and withdrew. In and around the region of Scrooby they were bullied, hounded, imprisoned on trumped up charges, and driven underground. They left England and settled in Holland where they enjoyed religious freedom. Unfortunately they lost most of their physical possessions in their quest for religious freedom. Their jobs in Holland were menial requiring 15 hour work days. Their children suffered because of materialism in their adopted homeland.

They heard of the new land called America and determined it to be the place God was guiding them.

After 12 years in Holland, driven by great hope and inward zeal, they resolved to come to America for a specific purpose. That purpose was “to propagate and advance the gospel of the kingdom of Christ,” wrote William Bradford, their governor for 35 years.

They were not without one last major temptation. Satan uses one of his post attractive allures. Sir Walter Raleigh had returned from South America with stories of gold and great riches. They resolved to follow the goal set before them by the Lord and not the gold promised by Sir Walter Raleigh.

In 1620 they set sail for America on two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower. Soon after setting sail the Speedwell developed problems and the two ships returned to England. There all passengers boarded the Mayflower. Among the 104 on the Mayflower were 16 men, 11 women, and 14 children known as Pilgrims. Others who were on board that were not believers were known as “Strangers.”

What they were to endure required great faith to tolerate. Think of these conditions when you are next inconvenienced. These 104 persons were crowded below deck in a space the size of a volleyball court for over 6 weeks. The stench of an foul bilge, a diet of dried peas, dried pork, and dried fish made for poor appetites. Sea sick, virtually starving, and storm tossed they braved their conditions to achieve their purpose. They did it because of the Christian faith. They believed God had a plan for America and if He did the Dark Prince of this planet could not circumvent it. Likewise, they had faith in His care for them and desired to serve Him. Even in their deprived state they joyfully endured.

In addition to the misery suffered because of their physical condition, they had to endure the taunts of the tormenting crew and antagonistic Strangers.

Several of the crew mocked them unmercifully. The self-appointed leader of this group so despised the Pilgrims for their faith he gloated over their seasickness and delighted in telling them how much he looked forward to feeding their bodies to the fish. Death was a common shipmate among landlubbers.

At the height of this taunting this crewman came down with a fever and died in a single day. No other person contracted the mysterious fever. It was he who was buried at sea not the Pilgrims.

For nearly three months they endured praying all the while. They considered their adversity a call to further repentance and personal spiritual purity. They questioned God. Their question was not the “why” so often heard today. When things are less than ideal we complain to God and in a whiny voice ask, “Why me God?” Yes, they questioned and we should learn to ask their questions. Not “why” but “how.”

“Now that this has happened to me God HOW can you use it in my life?”

Our second question should be one they also asked.

“God what would you like to do in my life because of this?”

They came to America because they wanted to be “light bearers.” They wanted to create a society that would be equivalent to “a city set on a hill” to show forth God’s glory. They spoke of themselves as the stones out of which the Lord might build a new Jerusalem. They had a spiritual purpose in their lives and it gave them meaning.

Their ambition was to settle in northern Virginia, but the many storms they endured blew them off course.

November 9, 1620 the cry was heard, “Land Ho.”

They had begun their journey by kneeling on the dock at Delftshaven to ask God’s blessings: they ended it on the sand of Cape Cod, kneeling to thank Him for His blessings.

A scouting party returned to the ship having found a large iron pot of 36 ears of corn. This was their first taste of the staple that would save the lives of many.

God had not immuned them from adversity but He had blessed them in it and strengthened them because of it.

Their crossing was complete but their journey was not over. They had come ashore near Cape Cod. Finding this an unsuitable place they sailed further to what is known as Provincetown. Realizing their London charter did not extend as far north as Cape Cod, they concluded they were under no authority. Anchored off shore and on November 21, 1620, they drafted what is known as The Mayflower Compact. It was the covenant by which they were to be governed. It was the first such covenant of settlers on these shored. It contained principles our Founding Fathers would later incorporate in our nation’s Constitution. It contained the principle of “natural law” which is so despised today by liberal legal minds. It is a reference to the Creator of all natural law. It spoke of “just and equal laws,” that
is, equal justice under law. Meaning no person is above the law. It opens with these lines:

“In the name of God, amen. Having undertaken
for the glory of God, and advancement of the
Christian faith … a voyage to plant the first
colony in the northern parts of Virginia…”

They settled in a good harbor and called the place Plymouth because that was the name of the last town they left in their home land.

The gentle snow that began to fall did not hint of the devastation and death winter was to bring. Nearly half their number did not survive their first winter. In 1621, 35 more Pilgrims arrived and in 1623, 90 others. The drought that had gripped the land left their greeting party looking like skeletons clad in rage. Yet, they prevailed because they had purpose.

Six weeks of hell on an ill-lighted, rolling, pitching, stinking inferno stirred their emotions. Rather than complain they confessed. It brought to the surface unconfessed sins in their lives. Sins such as self-pity, anger, bitterness, vindictiveness, jealousy, and despair. An instant replay of those sins might make some today mindful of them in their lives:

Self-pity, anger, bitterness, vindictiveness, jealousy, and despair. If any of them are in your life confess and repent of them.

Throughout their voyage regardless of how grim their plight they prayed themselves through their despair and into peace and thanksgiving.

Mercy they sought and mercy they found. They found it because they sought it. Their adversity motivated them to evaluate their lives and confess their sins. Will our gratitude for God’s blessings stimulate us to do the same? Is there any unconfessed sin in your life? If so it is blocking God’s best for your life. As individuals and a nation corporate confession and cleansing is needed. We appropriately pray: “God bless America.” He has. We would do well now to pray: “God cleanse America.” He will.

In addition to our sins of spousal and child abuse, sexual immorality, promiscuity, pornography, and a legion of other outward sins the same ones confessed by the Pilgrims need to be confessed.

Aboard the Mayflower on July 21, Pastor John Robinson preached from Ezra 8: 21, 22:

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river
Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before God,
to seek from Him the right way for us and our little
ones and all our possessions….The hand of the Lord
is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His
power and His wrath are against all those who
forsake Him.”

In that message is contained the confession of John Robinson which might well be acknowledged by many of us:
“Had not the truth been in my heart as a
burning fire shut up in my bones I had suffered
(would have let) the light of God to have been put
out on mine own unthankful heart by other men’s
darkness.”

Do you need to confess and beg His mercy?

It was Jesus who was the Pilgrims pride.

Time came for the Mayflower to return to England. Captain Jones, fearing for the lives of the Pilgrims to return with the ship. For good cause the offer was tempting. Only four couples that arrived still had one another. Many had lost children. Yet, not one returned. Amidst their dying something had been born because of their shared love for Christ. It was a willingness to suffer together for a cause bigger than they.

Understanding Spiritual Math

Following is a lesson in divine mathematics. A one and a zero can equal one. One what? It depends on the relationship of the zero to the digit one. Consider Christ is the one. Aligned with Christ, we become something. Our alignment with the  one digit makes a difference. If the one is placed before the one is diminished to .01 or one one-hundredth. It isn’t much, but it is something. Put two zeros before one and you have .001, or one one-thousandth. The more zeros added before the one, the less the value of the one. The more zeros before Him the more He is reduced.

Reverse the figures: instead of putting the zeros before Christ, the divine one, place them after the one. Nothing, zero, has now become 10, and ten-fold increase. Add another zero after the one and you have another multiple, one hundred. The more zeros placed after the one, the greater the increase. 

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30) said John the Baptist.

We decide on which side of the one we live.

“We are laborers together with God.” That is, “We are God’s fellow workers.” We should be so busy recommending Jesus to others we don’t have time to split hairs.

Together with Jesus we can achieve more than if alone.

When we are properly placed to the right of the one we have:

A better understanding of God’s Word, the Bible.

We make better judgments following Him.

We have godly sorrow over sin.

We not only condemn the bad, we commend the good.

We have a more joyous lifestyle.

We have strength to do with Him that which we can’t do alone.

For example, if there were a cube of pure gold measuring 13″ X 13″ offered to you would you accept it? If you were told that for it to be yours all you would have to do is come pick it up personally and take it with you, would you do it? A thirteen inch cube of pure gold!  Would you like it? It is yours if you simply take it. Most people would love to have such a quantity of gold.  Regardless of how badly you would like it, you could not meet the requirement for obtaining it. You could not pick it up for it would literally weigh one ton. You couldn’t meet the standard of picking it up.

God has made it possible for you to pick up the gift of salvation, more valuable than gold, by providing it for “whosoever.” (John 3:16) All that is necessary is faith in Christ.

Jesus invites you to share your load with Him. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

To obtain this rest spend time alone with the Lord and pour out all the burdens in your spirit by prayer until all of them have left.

Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your burdens.

We are reminded, “The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. Our God is a God who delivers; the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death.” (Psalm 68:19-20)

Three Fountains of Love

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (I John 4:16)

God being love, He is the source of love for the fountains of love. This fountain with God’s love as its source has three heads identified as the heart, the conscience, and faith.

The meaning of the word “love” needs to be established before considering its source. Agape is the Greek word translated love. It speaks of full loyalty to God and boundless good will to people. The Greeks had various words for love. Phileo  was used for brotherly love. The Greek word eros spoke of physical or sensual love.

At the time of the New Testament there was no Greek word adequate to express the love of God. They took a little used word that appears only four times in classical Greek writings and gave it a new meaning, Agape. It is the selfless self-giving love of God. There is nothing physical or sensual about it. Love as used in this regard means to desire and devise the best for others.

“We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).

Once we love Him and know how He loves us, we are well on our way to knowing how to love one another. He loves us with all of our faults, frailties, and failures. How are we to love others? As He loved us.

* Fountain head number one to flow with love is a pure heart. In the Hebrew language used in the Old Testament there is not a word for mind or brain. To understand a word in Hebrew, it is proper to define it in association with words with which it is linked.

Pure comes from the word katharos, meaning clean as opposed to dirty. A “pure heart” belongs only to the person made right by the right relationship with Christ.

“Out of the heart are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23)

Pure means not double minded. It was a word used to describe purging an army of all potential traitors.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Literally, He said happy are the pure in heart. You will never find happiness apart from having an undivided mind, that is, God controlled thoughts. Only a pure heart produces love for Christ.

* The second fountain head is a good conscience. The Greek word used in our text and translated “conscience” is suneidesis. It literally means “a knowing within.”  What is programmed within is the critical issue. To have a good conscience it must be programmed by God’s value standard, the Bible.

Our English word conscience comes from the Latin con-scienta, meaning joint knowledge or co-knowledge, knowing together with. A conscience is a poor guide unless it knows the Word of God.

* The third fountain head is genuine faith. Genuine means without hypocrisy. Are you living on a pretend faith? Faith produces works. Faith is consistently expressive. Is your faith a mirage?

The test of your faith, is does it prompt obedient action? If what you call faith doesn’t, it isn’t faith it’s froth.  It is a fake religious front.

Make certain your three fountains flow freely with love. Therein is joy.

What It Means to Wholly Follow God

There are many who are truly Jesus’, but not wholly His. Jesus is truly their Savior, but not indisputably their Sovereign. He is present in their lives, but not president of their lives.

An example of a person wholly committed to the Lord is the Old Testament character Caleb. The thing best known about him is he was one of the two members of the group of twelve sent to spy out the Land of Promise who came back and gave a good report. He was an unlikely member of this cast of characters.

Consider his background. He was not even a Jew, yet entrusted with such a responsibility. He is described as being the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Kennizzites in general were not part of the Hebrew nation. They evidently were not the loving parents in that they named the son Caleb meaning “dog.” What loving parent would do that? He likely became a slave, sold by his parents, and was cast with the Jews in Egyptian slavery.

He was folded into the family of God as a member of the tribe of Judah. This made him a member of the Jewish aristocracy because from the tribe of Judah came the kings, the great spiritual, political, and military leaders.

Ten members of the reconnaissance party sent to spy out the land gave a discouraging negative report. As a result of Caleb joining Joshua with their positive report, the people wanted to “stone them with stones.” (Numbers 14:10a)

Another thing that seniors today should find encouraging was he was 85 when he undertook his task.

When offered a section of the Promised Land, he had done a little mountain shopping on his spying mission. He asked for a mountain with fortified cities, principally Hebron, occupied by what were considered giants saying, “…the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” As a result, Joshua gave Hebron to Caleb and he drove out the giants.

How is it known he was whole heartily committed to the Lord? The traits are admirable characteristics each of us would be wise to aspire to as our traits.

He confidently said and showed what he professed. “I wholly followed the Lord my God.” (Joshua 14:8)

Moses said of him, “… you have wholly followed the Lord.” (14:9)

God said of him, “…he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully…” (Numbers 14:24)

He earned these accolades as a result of having a constant sense of God’s presence.

He had discernment that came from having a controlled spirit.

He aspired to a place of difficulty as a place of honor.

Can such be said of you? If not resolve that from this time on it can be said.