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In Uncertain Times, We Serve a Certain God
We are living not only in interesting times but uncertain times. Businesses are closing and laying people off until the Coronavirus pandemic is over. Then, there is a question of if they can reopen after it is over. Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed. People are called to shelter in place and enact ‘social distancing’. Workplaces are activating business continuity plans by having employees work from home. All of this is being done in the name of safety and in an attempt to protract the virus’s effect. Many are saying that they’ve never seen anything like this before. They are calling these times, unprecedented.
Though these times may be new to us, they are not unprecedented.
They have happened before. Our ancestors saw them with smallpox and the Black
Plague. While these times are new to us and may have caught us off guard, they
did not take God by surprise. (For more on this, check out my blog, “God and the Coronavirus”.) What is His message to us? We are not to be afraid for He is
with us. This message will only appeal to those who are with Him because those
are the only ones to whom it is true.
The Bible records many times in Israel’s history that the Lord had
to encourage His people in times of trouble. There were times when He told them
to ‘fear not for I am with you’. Other times, He merely demonstrated His power
to show His presence. One such time was the parting of the Red Sea, as
recounted in Exodus 14.
As the Hebrews marched from Egypt to the Red Sea, they later
learned that they were being pursued by Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. Fearful,
they approached Moses and asked why he brought them out there to die. “Were
there not graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the
wilderness?” Moses tried to comfort the people by telling them that the
Egyptians they feared today would never be seen again. Then the Lord told Moses
to command the people to go forward and to stretch out his staff and divide the
Sea. The Sea parted. The people crossed. The Egyptians drowned. That day, God
gained glory. The Hebrews feared the Lord.
Isaiah 7 recounts an attempted overthrow of Jerusalem. The Lord
had to comfort His people during the attack on the city, which was led by the
northern kingdom, Israel, and their neighbor, Damascus. The city was
surrounded. Supplies were cut off. King Ahaz was assured defeat was inevitable.
(Put yourself in their shoes. Can you imagine how you would have felt having
your city/town surrounded by an army that meant you harm, and no one was
willing to help you? Can you imagine the fear, the uncertainty? Even the king
felt defeated.) Isaiah went to King Ahaz and told him to be strong because the
Lord was with him and that he could ask for a sign. Adopting false humility,
Ahaz refused to ask for a sign. So, Isaiah gave him a sign anyway:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and
shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and
honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the
evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both
her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and
your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day
that Ephraim departed from Judah.”
The child was to be named Immanuel. The child’s name and presence
were physical proof that God was with them. He was fighting for them. What a
comfort this should have been to Ahaz.
Today’s believers have that same comfort. We have the Holy Spirit
living within us. He is God with us. Paul reminds us that “God has not given us
a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:7).” Again
in Philippians 4:6-7, Paul instructs us not to worry or stress out over
anything, “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
make [our] request known to God; and the peace of God will guard [our] hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.” (I’ll write more about God’s peace next week.)
History has shown time and time again that God has been there for His
people. He has protected Israel
though many have tried to eradicate her. The church still exists though many
have tried to bring about her demise. Nations have come and gone. Viruses and
plagues have come and gone. Disasters have come and gone. The one thing that
has remained constant: God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He is Jehovah, the Great I AM. He is the Ancient of Days. He is
sovereign. He is in control. He is the Lover and Pursuer of our souls. He is a
God of grace and mercy. He is the same; yesterday, today, and forever. He does
not change. He will be with us. He is a Sure God in these unsure times. He is a
God of consistency in times that are ever changing.
Turn to Him. He is a sure bet. He is a firm
Foundation in unstable times.
Five Reasons the Rapture and the Second Coming Are Two Different Events–Part 4
Fourth, there are signs that precede the Second Coming
A fourth reason the Rapture and the Second Coming are two separate events is that there are signs that precede the Second Coming but there are no signs that precede the Rapture of the Church. As stated in Point 3, Jesus said He would return like a thief in the night. A thief does not leave clues that he is coming to warn the people. Instead, he tries to make his approach as stealthily as possible, as not to get caught. Jesus’ return to get us will be without warning as He pointed out in Matthew 24:39 and 44. That is not to say that there are no signs that foretell when His return is near. In Matthew 24, Jesus gave many signs that will portend His return such as the increase in the number of wars and threats of wars, ethnic groups fighting one another, increase in disease and famine and earthquakes, the rise of many false prophets, and increase in lawlessness and a decrease in the love of many. Though these seem to be general signs, the things He wants us to know is that as the end of the world gets near, these signs will grow in frequency and intensity—like birth pangs on a woman in labor (Matthew 24:8).
According to the scriptures, there are some things that must first happen before the return of the Lord.
- The Great Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)—Paul speaks of the falling away of the church. He spoke of this in his letters to Timothy and Titus but not to this degree. In this passage, he speaks of a “rebellion (ESV)” or apostasy (NASB). What is an apostasy? It is the desertion or departure from sound doctrine. The mainstream church will stop teaching sound doctrine but will teach things that appeal to the flesh of man. It will depend upon programs rather than prayer. It will have concerts and call it worship. It will replace anointed sermons with eloquent speeches. It will stop teaching about sin and the need for repentance. It will stop teaching that Jesus is the only way. It will stop teaching about hell and punishment. Instead, it will teach about the goodness of man and the love of God. It will have a form of godliness but no power.
- The rise of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)—Jesus will not return until after the Antichrist comes on the scene. Who or what the Antichrist is, no one knows. Some have suggested it may not be a person but a system. At any rate, until there is someone who is going to try to declare himself as the savior of the world, Jesus will not be back. Revelation 19 speaks of how Jesus will destroy the Antichrist and the False Prophet in the Lake of Fire. As was pointed out in Point 1, something catastrophic must happen to facilitate his rise, where the nations of the world will cede to him their power.
- The Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-17). The Antichrist will force the world to take a mark of allegiance. This mark will likely be sold as a way to facilitate the transfer of money, the locating of criminals, and readiness of medical data. However, it will also be a mark of loyalty to the devil and his kingdom. Taking the mark will mean the forfeiture of your soul. It is how he will control you, track you, and maybe even torture you. What is the mark? No one knows. It has been suggested to be everything from a tattoo to a microchip. It will be placed in the forehead or on the right hand. You cannot travel without it. You cannot buy food without it. If you do not have it when stopped, you will be arrested. If you refuse it then, you will be killed. This is the means by which the Antichrist will establish a one-world economy.
- One world government. As stated before, the Antichrist will conquer the world through peace, then though the military that he will control. After whatever disaster happens that opens the door for him, he will persuade the world that he has the answers, and through smooth talk, he will get nations to give him their power, their military, and establish him as their leader. Once he has that, he will use that power to keep the people in line. He will be the supreme ruler with a bunch of potentates that will answer to him. As yet, there is no one world government, though the world seems to be headed that way.
- Attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). The prophet Ezekiel speaks of an alliance, believed to be between the Russians and the Muslims, who will lead an attack against the land of Israel. That attack will fail. The Bible says that God will fight for Israel. It will take seven months to bury the dead. If there is any prophecy the church believes may be fulfilled in our lifetime, it is this one. Even today, the Islamic nations are seeking to destroy Israel. They chant, “Death to Israel.” It will not happen. Israel will never again be invaded. She will never again be destroyed. The world is worried about Iran getting a nuclear weapon. It will not matter for it will not hurt Israel. God has promised. If Israel is destroyed, you can take it to the bank that there is no God. He has made an oath.
- Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). The Battle of Armageddon is the event that immediately precedes the return of Christ. It is at this battle that the Antichrist leads his army and the armies of the world into a final battle against the land of Israel, Jerusalem, in particular. He has already declared himself to be God and the Jews expel him as a blasphemer. It is after this even that he declares war on them. Much of Israel will be invaded (not destroyed). People will seek asylum in the Negev and Petra. The armies from the east will go to Israel to fight, not against the Jews, but against the Antichrist. Israel will be caught in the middle. The cause of this battle is unsure. It is believed that something will be discovered either in Israel or by Israel that will cause the Antichrist to sign a [false] peace treaty with them. It is likely he is going to invade them to take control of this resource. The Oriental army, numbering 2 million, will also invade seeking to gain control of it, as well as attach the Antichrist and his army. With all the weapons of war ready to level poor Israel, Jesus returns to save the day (Revelation 19:11-21). In their foolishness, they will have the audacity to turn their weapons on Jesus but it will futile because Jesus will destroy them all.
The Bible says that these things must come to pass before the Return happens. Therefore, we can rest assure that it is not soon. The same cannot be said about the Rapture. In my next post, I discuss the final reason why the Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events: The Feast of Trumpets.
GOD’S GRACE
It is through the writings of the Apostle Paul that we best come to understand the doctrine of Grace. Through Paul’s teachings, we understand that Grace comes by faith, and that the faith that brings Grace comes from God and not from ourselves. We do not work for Grace. If we did then it is not Grace but it is something we earned and therefore not a gift. Paul would open each of his letters to the various churches and to his friends, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon with a blessing of grace and peace. How did Paul come to understand the doctrine of grace? He experienced it.
Saul, Paul’s Jewish name, was a man of two worlds. He was a Jew whose father was likely a Roman because Paul claimed Roman citizenship many times in his writings. He was not only a Jew but a member of the ruling body known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the keepers and teachers of the Jewish Law. As a Pharisee, Paul was zealous for the Jewish faith. He was zealous to the point that he was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). He was a persecutor of the church leading men and women to prison and death (Acts 8:3, 22:4). He not only persecuted the church but likely blasphemed Jesus as a heretic and as well as those who followed him (1Timothy 1:13). Though he was such a man, God spared him and used him in a great and powerful way.
God, through His infinite love and great mercy, decided to extend his generosity to Saul by visiting him one day on his was to Damascus. When going to Damascus to arrest the Christians there to bring them back to Jerusalem to be tried and imprisoned (or worse), he was intercepted by Jesus who appeared in a light brighter than the sun. He spoke with a loud voice that knocked Paul off his beast (Acts 9). Through this powerful voice, He asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul responded, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice came back, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” From that day on, Paul was on fire for Jesus and for spreading the Gospel. Why? Because he realized that he had been spared the wrath of God. He realized that he was fighting against the very God he was trying to defend. He realized that his actions warranted death but God had mercy on him. As a result, he could write, “ that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…(Ephesians 3:17b-19)”
God’s Grace to us is powered by His love for us. He loved us enough to create us and to desire fellowship with us (Genesis 1:27-28). He loved us enough to tabernacle with us when we were lost in the wilderness of sin (Exodus 40:34, 1 Kings 8:10-13). He loved us enough to tabernacle in us through His Spirit because of the blood of His Son (John 14:15-18, Acts 2:1-4). He loves us enough to allow us to one day tabernacle with Him in the Eternal City (Revelation 21:3). It was God’s Grace that elevated a murderous persecutor and blasphemer like Paul to the role of Apostle, planter of numerous churches, and writer of nearly one half of the New Testament. It was also God’s Grace that elevated a lowly rebel like me to the heights of a saint, a priest, and a king (Revelation 5:10).
Have you experienced God’s grace in your life? Paul, Moses, Abraham, all can tell you that it doesn’t matter what type of background you have. It doesn’t matter what sins or wrongs you have committed. It doesn’t matter how bad you have been or you think you have been. He offers you mercy instead of wrath. He offers you adoption instead of separation. He offers you love. He offers you faith. By trusting in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary, you, too, can experience the same grace Paul experienced—the same grace every believer has experienced (and continue to experience). God offers grace that leads to eternal life rather than justice that leads to death. Which will you choose?
The Bible – God’s Living Word
This past Sunday, I asked my students in “Sunday School” if they have heard the analogy that the Bible is like an onion. A few of them raised their hands while one of them blurted out, “Like it has different layers.”
“Exactly,” I said. I went on to explain how each time you read the Word it can say different things to you. Later that day, I was thinking of an example I could give them of this. My mind went back to a time when the Lord took me deeper into His Word. During one of my Quiet Times, the Lord took me to John 4. God used this passage to teach me several things. I thought it was a good illustration of how one can dig deep (and even deeper) into God’s Word.
John 4 recounts Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at a well. In this passage Jesus sends the Disciples into town to buy food while He spent some time alone with the woman (a social taboo in many ways). A look at this passage will show three different levels of digging into God’s Word.
Level one, which I call “the surface,” is what one can glean simply from reading the passage. On the surface, the passage is simply a conversion story. It recounts how Jesus meets a woman and through conversation leads her into the realization that He was the promised Messiah she’d been looking for. He does this by overcoming her objections and revealing Himself to her by recounting for her his life story—something only God can do.
Level two goes a little deeper. A level two reading reveals this telling to be more than just a conversion story but a lesson on how Christians are to treat non-believers if they intend to win them to Christ. First, Jesus went to where she was. If the saints are to win the lost, they have to go where the lost are. They can’t just sit in a holy huddle waiting for the lost to come to them. That just is not going to happen. Second, Jesus knew of her past and he let her know that he knew of her past, but He did not demean her for it. Jesus understood that sinners will act like sinners. It stuns me when saints are shocked when sinners act like they do. It’s their nature. It’s all they know. How ironic that saints expect sinners to act like saints while saints think it ok to act like sinners.
A level three study of the text reveals to us the heart of God. Jesus, being God, had to go through Samaria the Bible tells us. The Jews normally would go out of their way to avoid this area but Jesus made a beeline through it to meet a woman at a well during the hottest part of the day. This woman would go to that well during this time because no one else was there. At that time, there would be no leering eyes and muttered talk. This woman was looked down on even by the Samaritans. She was, in effect, the lowest of women among the lowest of society among the lowest of people groups, at least according to Jewish thinking. But God went directly to her and met her personally. Likewise, God calls us to go to the unlovely and the unlovable to demonstrate His love and concern. Who around us is considered the unlovely? Who is considered the unlovable? Who would we consider to be not worth our time or not worthy of heaven? What person or people group has God placed on our heart? Jesus went to this woman and this woman, the least of her people, became His first evangelist, introducing her people to Him while the Disciples stood idly by. God said He would take the foolishness of this world to confound the wise and the weakness to confound the strong. He did that with this woman. Like Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, the Disciples, Paul—just to name a few—He used this woman to lead an entire city to the Lord. What Billy Graham or Mother Teresa is in our midst waiting to know of the love of God and of the salvation available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
These are by far not the only applications of this passage. I’m certain that as I study it again, God will lead me to other truths. He may have led you to other trusts while you were reading this post. If so, please share so we can all grow from your insights.
Why does the reading of the Word of God produce so many applications? It does so because it is God’s Word. God is living and dynamic and so is anything He creates, including His Word, which, according to Hebrews 4:12, “is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, NASB.”
Essentials of a Church
Church Steeple
This entry is probably more opinion-based than scripture-based but I felt this needed to be said. I was thinking this morning about people who say they don’t go to church because it is full of hypocrites. I’ve addressed that issue in a previous blog entry. To sum it up, it all boils down to this: if you love Jesus and you want to obey Him, you would not let hypocrites stop you from assembling with other believers who love Jesus and who want to praise Him.
The other thing that occurs to me is that people say the church is always asking for money. For some churches, this is true. Some smaller churches ask for money because they need it to meet the church’s obligations but the people are not paying the tithes God asked them to that would support the church. Because of this, some churches have to ask for money to give a love offering to guest speakers because there is no money in the church’s coffers to do this. Then there are the prosperity preachers. They are always asking for money to increase both the church’s treasury, and their own, with the promise of a return from God down the road. Yet, there is nowhere in the Bible this is mandated or promised.
So this got me thinking: what is the make-up of a “good church”? I believe there are several things a new believer (or even an established believer) needs to look for when picking a new church. So, in no particular order:
Sound biblical teaching. I believe this is a crucial thing a God-honoring, God-endorsed church needs. The teaching must be in line with other scripture and the whole counsel of God not just what the preacher believes or wants to teach. The preacher/teacher must also encourage his congregants to search the scriptures for themselves and not just take his word for it because he, too, is fallible. This is one thing that Paul applauded the Bereans for—they didn’t take the teachings of people at face value but they tested their teachings against the revealed Word of God (Acts 17:11).
Emphasis on sin, repentance, eternal life, not just temporal living. A sound church teaches the full counsel of God. This mean they teach the pleasant things and the not-so-pleasant things. Sin and repentance are not pleasant but they are essential to salvation. {I’ll talk more about this is a later entry.} A sound church wants it members to grow more in the image of Christ and to look less like this world (Galatians 5:24). A sound church has an eternal perspective not just a temporal one (Colossians 3:1-2). What good does giving money to gain wealth do if you die the next day in a car accident? What good is it to live a good life if you die and go to hell because you had no relationship with the Author of life? This world is finite but our souls are eternal. A sound church has a biblical worldview and an eternal perspective.
Jesus is exalted. Christ is the head of the Church. A sound church exalts Him and not the world. Praise songs should be about lifting up the name of Jesus. He is the One who saved us and called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. He is the Author and the Perfecter of our faith.
Worship style. This is the most subjective of all. Everyone’s worship style is different. Some like hymns while others like contemporary. Some like a blend of both. There are churches that are for those who like country music, rap, rock, Vineyard, Celtic, Ethnic, Gospel, and Southern Gospel. The point is for the believer to find a church that worships in a way that speaks to them. God wired us all differently. There are congregations out there that any believer of any taste of music can be a part of.
Desire of believers for spiritual growth. Do the members of the church desire to grow spiritually or are they satisfied with superficial teaching? Do they desire to seek out the deep things of God? Do they desire to have a deeper walk and relationship with Him? Do they want meat or just milk? If they are happy with the milk, move on. Some churches are full of hypocrites because they are full of people who are happy with the milk and shun the meat.
Feeling of belonging. This is another crucial part of a church. If there were a list of the things that turn people off from church, at the top would be the teaching and the people. Who wants to be part of a cold church where when you walk in no one speaks to you or even acknowledges you were there. (That has happened to me.) If truly the love of Jesus is in the hearts of its members, even the most introverted person will leave feeling welcomed. Then there are the cliques. Yes, even churches have cliques. These are social groups that hang together at the church (or even outside the church) that no one else can be a part of. This is not biblical. We should welcome everyone and everyone should feel comfortable talking to anyone. If there is no feeling of connection, visitors will leave and not come back. Not only that, they will tell others about their experience. So, no matter how sound of doctrine a church has, if a person doesn’t feel they belong, they will not be there to hear it.
Shepherded. This goes hand-in-hand with a sense of belonging; however, this is about feeling more connected with the leadership. For smaller churches, do you have a connection with the pastor? Does he know you or your family? Has he reached out to you? How about the deacons or ministry leaders? Do they know your name? Have you been invited to be a part of a ministry? For larger churches where the pastor cannot possibly know everyone, does it have a cell, pod, or small group leader that you can interact with? Are they aware of your personality, gifting, and needs? Have they reached out to you to be a part of ministry or fellowship? Do you feel that you are getting the spiritual nourishment and guidance you need from leadership? Whether it is a senior pastor or small group pastor, you should not feel like a castaway Christian who has to fend for himself all alone on an island of salvation. If you do, move on.
These are just a few of the things that I believe people need to consider when picking a church. Now I know there are things that I have left off that you will remind me of, like ministries and community involvement, but I felt these are the essentials. If a church has these things, there shouldn’t be too many hypocrites in it for long.
A God of Our Own Making
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.—Romans 1:18
When we hear of idolatry, we often thing of bowing down and worshiping things made of stone or wood. We have even come to understand that worshiping anything other than God can be considered idolatry, whether it is work, people, hobbies, success, or things. But can attempting to worship the right God, but not the God described in the Bible, be considered idolatry?
The Bible describes God as holy. It says that He cannot be in the presence of sin. Yet, we believe that people can go to heaven without repentance and without being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We even believe that we can enter into His presence or that He will hear our prayers when there is no recognition or repentance of sin in our lives.
The Bible says that we are not to forsake the assembly of ourselves (going to church). There are a number of times I’ve heard people say “they can worship God anywhere” or that they and God have an ‘understanding’. God does understand that you are being disobedient to His word.
Jesus asked, “Why do you call me Lord and yet do not do what I command you?” How many times do the people of God conspicuously disobey God’s word? They sleep around with those to whom they are not married. They use profanity. They steal from their employers. They rob God in tithes and offerings. They only sit in the pew instead of working in the ministry of their church exercising their Spiritual gifts.
God is a God of prosperity and healing but just because one does not have them in abundance does not mean that one does not have God’s favor. God is not so much concerned with our pleasure in this world but in the next (Matthew 6:19-20, John 14:1-3). This world is temporary; the next is eternal. We are spiritual; this world is physical. In this world we will have tribulation; in the next we will have joy everlasting. Eternal life does begin now but it is life in Christ, not life on earth (James 4:4, 1 John 2:16-17).
God is indeed a God of love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness. He is also a God of justice and wrath. God does not ignore sin or tolerate sin but abhors sin to the point that He came Himself to redeem us from its power and punishment.
Do you worship the God of the Bible or a god of your own making? If you worship a god of your own making, then who is really god?
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Those who denied that Jesus was real will bow. Everyone who denied that Jesus was the Son of God will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was God will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was the Messiah will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was the only way will bow. That means that Mormons will bow, Muslims will bow, Jehovah’s Witnesses will bow, Satanists will bow, and atheists will bow. Even Hitler will bow. Pharaoh will bow. Hussein will bow. Satan will bow. Everyone will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Will you bow now by choice?
Praise God from whom all blessing flow, praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
Too Many Hypocrites
Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t go to church because there are just too many hypocrites down there.” I’ve always said that that was a copout. People don’t keep people from going to other places they want go to. After all, what is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is a person who is a pretender. It is derived from the Greek term that means an actor, actually a person behind a mask. Jesus used the term to describe the Pharisees because they used a mask of piety to hide their sinfulness.
The Pharisees hid behind religion. Jesus called them hypocrites because they knew the Law but did not follow it. Ron Carpenter, pastor of Redemption World Outreach Center, once said about religious people, “Religious people are full of rules but don’t follow any of the rules they’re full of.” We’ve all heard the motto of the hypocrite: “Do as I say and not as I do.”
This is why hypocrites should not come between us and our God. My question is this: what does that hypocrite have to do with our relationship with the Lord? We already know they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, so because the hypocrite isn’t doing what he or she should be doing, what has that to do with us? When we worship God, it should be between us and God. Our focus should be on Him and not on anyone else. Our worship of God has nothing to do with anyone else. We can use another person’s spiritual progress to encourage our own, but we should not allow another’s failure to discourage us.
Second, shouldn’t we know that the devil put hypocrites in the church for just that reason? In Matthew 13: 24-30, Jesus told us that the devil would sow tares among the wheat. What are tares other than pretenders—hypocrites? Tares pretend to be wheat when they are not. Hypocrites pretend to be Christians when they are not. Why does he sow tares among the wheat? He does so to dissuade and divide the believers and lead them into heresy. So when people refuse to go to church because of hypocrites, they are playing into the devil’s hands and just doing what he wants them to do, which is really what they want to do anyway—not go—and they use hypocrites as an excuse. The question could be asked, “Who is really the hypocrite?”
This is why I say it is a copout for people to use hypocrites as a reason for them to not go to church.
Psalm 23 Commentary
Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the best known passages in the whole Bible; at least it was when I was growing up. I don’t know if it was because it was easy to memorize or because of what the passage says to the person. What a wonderful passage it is. David is believed to be the writer of this passage. David was a shepherd. It was from shepherding that David was anointed to be king of Israel. As a shepherd, David knew what made for a good shepherd, and in this passage you can see his heart; the heart of one shepherd for Another.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In the very first verse, David says that God is his shepherd; therefore, he will lack nothing. When I first read this verse, I thought it was saying the Lord was his shepherd which he didn’t want. No, it was saying just the opposite. He was glad the Lord was his shepherd. It is because the Lord was his shepherd that he will not be in want for any good thing. He will have no unmet wants, no unmet needs. He goes on to tell how God meets his needs. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).
He makes me to lie down in green pastures. One of the first duties of a shepherd is to lead the sheep. Sheep are not smart animals. They need to be led. David says the Lord leads him into green pastures and causes him to lie down there in peace and safety. He leads him besides the still waters. Still waters reaffirm the idea of peace, calm, and tranquility. God brings peace and tranquility to His people.
He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. God restores, or refreshes, the soul of His people. When we are weary from the world or from fighting off evil, the Lord sends His refreshing upon us and we are revived. He also leads His people in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. Proverbs 3: 5-6 tells us that if we trust in the Lord that He will direct our paths, literally, make our paths straight. God will never misdirect us. Psalms 37:23 says that the steps of the righteous are ordered (directed) by the Lord. Why does He do this? It is so that His name will be exalted. God wants our lives to be a glory to His name.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Another responsibility of a shepherd is to protect the flock. David says that God protects him when he goes through the valley of the shadow of death. What is the valley of the shadow of death? There are likely as many answers to this question as there are people asked. The best interpretation of this phrase is likely a deep, dark time in a person’s life. It may or may not actually involve physical danger. Regardless, the truth is the same. When God’s people go through this time we will not fear because God is with us, much like He was with Daniel in the lion’s den or with the three Hebrew boys were in the fiery furnace. No harm comes to God’s people without God’s permission and when it happens, it becomes an occasion for God to be glorified.
For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. David says that not only does God’s presence give him comfort, but so do His rod and His staff. With his rod, also known as the shepherd’s crook, he gently guides the sheep and keeps them from harm. With his staff, a shepherd beats away any wild animal that tries to attack the flock. What are the Shepherd’s rod and staff? Matthew Henry says that they refer to the Word of God (Christ) and the Holy Spirit. Could it be that the Word guides and the Spirit protects us from that which would harm us?
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The third duty of the shepherd is to provide for the sheep. David says his Shepherd provides for him by preparing a table for him, even in the presence (or face) of his enemies. This alludes both to God’s protection and His provision. When a person can eat in front of his enemies without fear, he does so knowing that he is protected. Where did this food come from? It came from the Shepherd.
Matthew Henry adds that not only is the provision physical but also spiritual. God has provided all things pertaining to both life and godliness… all things requisite both for body and soul, for time and eternity.” God provided His Son Jesus to be the payment for our sin. Because of His sacrifice, the enemy, the devil, has no power over us. We belong to Him and we are protected by Him. Though the devil tries to come against us and steal from us, God is abundant in His provisions, both physical and spiritual.
You anoint my head with oil. In the Bible, anointing with oil has two meanings. The first is the consecration of a person for God’s service. David himself was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. The second meaning is to become refreshed. In Matthew 6, during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He told the people not to fast like the hypocrites who do it to be seen of men. He told them, “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” David acknowledges that God has set him apart for His purpose. The anointing he is referring to could either be literal or symbolic.
My cup runs over. As David looks back over the blessings of the Lord, he realizes that he is so blessed that he cannot contain them all. When Nathan the prophet confronted David about his affair with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, he told David of the blessings of the Lord: “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!” What a statement!
When Solomon became king after his father David, God asked him what would he like for God to give him. Solomon requested wisdom so he could better rule God’s people. In response, God said to Solomon, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding…13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or think.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If God has been good to Him in the past, He will be good to him in the future. David has this confidence because he knows the character of the Shepherd and because God’s Word confirms it. He also knows that when it is all said and done, and life comes to an end, he will be welcomed into His Father’s house where he will dwell forever.
David recognized what a good Shepherd God is. He provides. He protects. He leads. He comforts. He anoints. He restores. He saves. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, demonstrated the goodness and mercy and care He had for His sheep by laying down his life to protect His sheep from death and to provide them eternal rest. Is He your Shepherd? If not, ask Him to let you join His flock. If you do, you will be like David who said, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, all may needs are taken care of.”
Honor the Sabbath
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
The next commandment God gave the Israelites was to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. Just as the Israelites were commanded to be holy, set apart (Deuteronomy 7:6), they were to set apart, consecrate, the seventh day as a holy day. The Sabbath is holy in that it was set apart, different from the rest of the week. The rest of the week they were to work but on the Sabbath, they were to rest.
The word, Sabbath, comes from the ‘shabath’ (shaw-bath’), which means repose, rest, or intermission. The Sabbath was a day of rest or intermission in the week. The Israelites were not to do any work on the Sabbath. This did not mean that they were not to labor but that they were not to work for profit. After Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused Him of breaking the Law. As Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that if their donkey had fallen into a ditch on the Sabbath they would have gotten it out; yet they accuse Him of sinning because He healed someone. He didn’t seem to suggest that saving the animal was a sin but was pointing out the fact that they valued their property more than they valued people.
Jesus told the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. God made the Sabbath as a day of rest for mankind. The Pharisees saw the Sabbath as a day to do no work. They legalistically said what could and what could not be done on the Sabbath thus Jesus’ previously-mentioned encounter with them.
They were not only commanded to honor the Sabbath but they were commanded to remember the Sabbath. Remembering the Sabbath means that they were to keep it before them. They were to calendar it. They were not to forget it. He knew that people’s drive for money, power, and success would cause them to work constantly without rest and the body was not designed to work for long periods at that level. The body needs to rest and be free from stress. Even steel will break under constant stress.
What does this mean for us today? Many businesses are open seven days a week. Some people work two jobs. Should we go back to the days when everything was closed on Sunday? Christians are still called to honor the spirit of the Law if not the letter. The spirit is that we are to take a day off from work to rest. It is also that we are to set aside time for the worship of God and communion with Him. Since we are the church, we no longer have to go to a building to worship Him; we can worship Him anytime, anywhere. In that vein, everyday is a Sabbath Day. But we are not to ignore God’s command to rest. He even used Himself as the example. Six days He created the heavens and the earth and everything in it in six days. On the seventh day, the Lord rested (Genesis 2:2).
Cyber-Discipleship 