Tag: Faith

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What Time I am Afraid…

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David Strangling the Lion by Claude Mellan This is how we all envision the mighty King David but Psalm 56 gives us another view.
David Strangling the Lion by Claude Mellan
This is how we all envision the mighty King David but Psalm 56 gives us another view.
Image in the Public Domain

What Time I am Afraid…

We’ve all heard stories of men and women who seem to bravely and unhesitatingly face incredible and, sometimes, terrifying situations. We love to say that they’re “fearless”. But is “fearless” even possible? Looking up the word “fearless” in the dictionary yields such expected definitions as “free from fear” or “without fear”. Yes, we will encourage and/or embolden and/or strengthen one another by saying “be not afraid”. Psychologists try to give us “the formula for living without fear”. You may have even read on a church billboard that God promises freedom from fear. Well, God doesn’t actually take away fear but, instead, He prepares you for it. He doesn’t isolate you from fear, He carries you through it.

Scientists love to point out that the numbers of people claiming to be religious or even believing in God are dropping. They get all giddy when survey after survey shows that people have become increasingly uninterested in going to church. Science feels vindicated by these trends. The intelligentsia have claimed that they’ve been saying all along that people only turn to religion when times are bad and that now that science and government have it all figured out, people don’t feel they need God anymore. As long as they have science and government then what could possibly go wrong? “Thanks to us,” they say…”they” being either science or government, take your pick. “Thanks to us,” they say, “people are happy and they don’t need church. The citizens of the world have awoken and don’t go for those religious fables anymore. After all, they don’t need them. They have us. God doesn’t love them. We do. God doesn’t take care of them. We (science and/or government) do.” Karl Marx once famously said “religion is the opiate of the masses.” Nowadays, it’s seems to me, that science and government…and ACTUAL opiates (created by science and permitted by government) are the opiates of the masses. Science and government and chemical dependence have become the favored vehicle of happiness, of late. That’s the new religion that, by the way, Karl Marx would be very proud of. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m no anarchist nor do I advocate ignorance. I believe in order and knowledge but I just believe that neither science nor government (nor chemistry) has as many answers as they think they do…certainly not as much as they say they do. Religious expression may be dropping but it’s not because people are all of the sudden happy and well-adjusted. In fact, quite the opposite. Honest science is actually telling us that depression is on the rise around the world. (Interesting, but somehow related side note, the article linked above cites INCREASED longevity of life, a direct result of more science in our lives, as one of the factors LEADING to higher rates of depression. Remember when science convinced us that we’d be happier if we lived longer? Yeah, that doesn’t seem to check out.)

No, people are not skipping church because they’re happy. They’re skipping church because church stopped making sense to the church goer. The message from the pulpit has drifted away from Truth. God wired us for Truth and when we don’t receive Truth there is a disconnect in our spirits. You see, despite what critics and even churchmen try to tell you, God isn’t a choice of last resort. God isn’t someone to look up only when your stomach is rumbling or your hands are shaking and I honestly believe only people in a real relationship with the Father know that and what’s more, the Bible isn’t some talisman to rub when you’ve missed your last two car payments. The Bible is our guide to getting closer to God. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to reveal to us God’s True Nature and once we know what He is really like, we don’t find ourselves going to Him less often; when we start to see God and His Son in their true roles in our lives we will find ourselves turning to prayer, worship and praise more often! Listen, you can’t blame the drop in church attendance on the Heavenly Subject Matter. Instead blame the earthly, earth-centered, backside protecting, people-pleasing and, too often, greedy teachers who are misrepresenting God. If you think the Bible is irrelevant then I blame you, your teachers (which include your preacher, pastors and priests) and the devil. If you’re taught properly and you want to learn Truth then you’ll find out that God and His Word are your only True Path to eventual, ultimate and eternal joy. I’m not saying you’ll get all of this at once. It takes time to wipe off, shake off and tear off the effects of this hostile world but little by little you will discover that in Scripture are the keys to living and life.

That is why we teach from the Bible and one of our favorite places to teach from is the Book of Psalms. As you’ve heard me exclaim so many times in the past, the Sweet Psalmist never fails to hit directly at the heart of a humble seeker-after-God. We can learn so much about how to love God, fear God, serve God and please God through these gems of the Hebrew Hymnal and the one we teach on in this episode, I believe, is one of the finest examples of this truth. Psalm 56 describes the experiences of a well established, long time child of God and that includes, believe it or not, what it’s like to be gripped by fear. Yes, you can be close to God and still be afraid, at times, and God chose one history’s mightiest warriors to demonstrate that to us. Join us as we take an emotional journey through Psalm 56. In this episode we not only find out about fear but we find out how we should deal with fear. Despite what the critics may say, this portion of Scripture will reach directly into your life and present to you an effective, time-tested, king-approved method of overcoming this most basic of all human emotions: fear.

Let me, however, remind you that the best way to prepare yourself for a study of Scripture is to go to God in prayer beforehand and ask Him for His guidance. He is more than eager to assist you in discovering what He has always wanted: a long-lasting…in fact, eternal relationship with Him. The only real way to fully understand God and His Word is to have His Spirit working with you, opening your heart and mind to eternal things. Go to Him now and He will join you in your journey of discovery.

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Psalm 51

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David and Bathsheba by Georg Pencz, 16th Century
David and Bathsheba
Georg Pencz (German, Wroclaw ca. 1500–1550 Leipzig) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966 (66.529.82) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/336291

Psalm 51

One of the reasons that the Bible is so often rejected is because it is constantly reminding us that we’re sinners. Of course, no one will admit it but people don’t like to hear that. Not even the proudest, loudest reprobate likes to face that he was “shapen in iniquity”. It’s not that anyone really thinks that they’re unblemished by faults and failures. I’ve never met anyone nor heard of anyone who claimed to be pure. Most people admit to, at least, one or two past mistakes. “No one’s perfect” rolls very easily and naturally off all tongues but the problem with the Bible is that it makes you regret sin and what’s worse is it insists that you REPENT of your sins. “Hey, I’m willing to admit I’m no saint but that doesn’t mean I have to stop doing whatever I want.”

(Isa 55:9)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“You see, it’s stuff like that. I don’t like when God says things like ‘his ways are higher than mine.'” The Bible makes very clear that in order to approach God we must come in utter humility. In fact, we must be willing to face more than humility, we must crawl to God in humiliation.

(Mat 7:14)  …narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The original in Matthew 7:14 is a picture of a tight space that is contracted with pressure. In other words, it is uncomfortable. The way to life…eternal life, a life with God is not easy because, among other things, it involves stepping out in humility and humiliation. Few people are willing to go so far as to say they are a lowdown, lousy, miserable sinner…even if they KNOW that they are…in order to gain life but that is the only way God will have you. “Okay, I hear you. I’m a sinner and I want to change. I don’t want to offend God and man anymore but I don’t know what to do.” In response to that I would give my usual answer: Turn to God’s Word.

In this episode we discover the beauty of Psalm 51. This is one of the, so-called, Penitential Psalms; penitential meaning something that expresses regret and sorrow for some sort of transgression or offense. In it David perfectly presents the model by which all men and women should come to God. Psalm 51 is a picture of utter shame and disgrace for sin. During this discussion we take time to cover the “back story” of this Psalm. We go over the event that led David to such a state of despair as described in excruciating, yet, poetic detail in this well-known portion of what Spurgeon calls the “Treasury of David”. This Psalm has been referred to and relied upon and meditated over by countless humbled sinners down through millennia as an introduction to their own cries for mercy and forgiveness. With tear clouded eyes we begin our frightened, saddened, burdened pleas for redemption by saying with David, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” Even if your heart and conscience is, at the moment, clear of a conviction of moral and spiritual failure (don’t know too many of those but nonetheless) you should join us just to see inside the broken, crushed heart of one of the most mighty, favored men in all of human history.

If I were a betting man, I would wager that there aren’t too many people out there who aren’t touched by the wretched remorse of a broken king. Perhaps it would be best that before you start the podcast you take a moment to ask God to open your heart to, what I suspect, are the many ways you have failed Him. You may think I’m being a little presumptuous but if you’re even a little bit like me, you have a few offenses that need reconciliation. It’s okay. God already knows who we are. He just wants to make sure WE know who we are because once you and me and God are all in agreement on the miserable human condition then He can do something with us. So, go to the Spirit of Truth and ask Him to reveal to you…you, so that Psalm 51 will be your call to action to set the record straight, put your old self away and start the process of the complete renewal in His Power.

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The Holy Spirit Doesn’t Talk Like That in Traffic

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The Holy Spirit as a bird descending with spread wings at top center; the twelve Apostles standing below gesturing to it in front of an archway by Domenico Campagnola-1518
The Holy Spirit as a bird descending with spread wings at top center; the twelve Apostles standing below gesturing to it in front of an archway
by Domenico Campagnola-1518
Image in the Public Domain

The Holy Spirit Doesn’t Talk Like That in Traffic

Being a Christian is NOT what the world seems to think it is. In fact, strangely, being a Christian is NOT what most of the church world thinks it is either. There are several viewpoints. First let’s start with the world view. Simply being a Christian makes you their enemy; no matter whether they say it or not…but they’re saying it more and more these days. You may think I’m being dramatic. You may think I’m just trying to add Christians to the ever-growing list of populations bent on extorting those that don’t belong to our group into showing us blind, unquestioning respect and unfettered liberty to do as we wish. (Yes, that was social commentary.) Nonetheless, I stand by my statement. Well, it’s actually not mine. It’s Jesus’.

If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. John 15:19

It’s that hatred that shapes the world view or opinion of what a Christian is. The world disapproves of our outlook on life. They see us as intolerant or rigid or conservative or unloving and even racist! But then they refuse to let us be human. One failure and the label “bigot” is replaced with the equally ugly “hypocrite”. To the world, Christians are merely a people who claim to follow a set of rules they themselves disagree with but will quickly condemn when they see us misstep.

We’re actually not much better off inside the walls of the church, to be honest. There is just as much judgment and condemnation from the pulpit and the pews as there is from the populace. Our fellow parishioners are ever ready to point out our bunglings as soon as they become known while calling for patience when their own failures surface.

And then there’s that segment of the church world that seems to think that freedom from sin is the same as freedom TO sin. “If it feels good, do it because Jesus died to give you that right.” To that crowd, forgiveness is equal to permission. They view Grace as pre-payment for future self-indulgence. And then there’s that increasingly influential group within Christianity that declares that we must “evolve”; that we must throw away what we once thought was right and wrong and “modernize” our outlook on things we once held as immutably sacred such as the authority of Scripture and the sovereignty of God. They feel the church and God must yield to societal pressure when judging what’s just and holy. If we seek the answer to some thorny moral question don’t consult the Bible or the Holy Spirit, just ask the world; do an Instagram survey; post a Facebook question; tweet, text or tag. That’s the path to truth…but beware, that truth is subject to frequent change.

So, what’s a sincere Christian to do? How are those of us that are interested in what Jesus thinks supposed to live? Well, any of you who know this ministry will anticipate my answer. Like we do for ALL other matters, we turn to the Word.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16

“But, John, how does that apply to me? My problem isn’t sexual sin.” “I get angry.” Or “I have a drug problem.” Or “I just find myself going back to my old destructive ways.” Well, then this verse does apply to you. In fact, this verse applies to all of us. Galatians 5:16 is far more encompassing than you think. Although we talk in detail about this in today’s episode let me just say here that “lust” and “flesh” mean a lot more than we’ve been told. Whenever you are pursuing your own way…and the Bible makes it clear that we ALL do that (Isaiah 53:6, Philippians 2:21)…saved or not…then we are attempting to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Our sins don’t have to be prurient in nature for this verse to mean something to us.

In this podcast we discuss the persistence of sin in our lives, the need to remove it and how to do that. Sin must be dealt with both before AND after we’ve been saved by Grace and there is only one way to do that and that is what we talk about in this lesson.

However, before you begin, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray that God will assist you in this most important aspect of the Christian life. Pursue God’s Mind on what sin is and how to handle it and He will most certainly open His Word up to you.

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The Other Side of Faith

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Man Protected by the Shield of Faith by Maarten van Heemskerck, 1559
Man Protected by the Shield of Faith
by Maarten van Heemskerck, 1559
Image in the Public Domain

The Other Side of Faith

There is something really quite persistent in God’s Word that by virtue of its ubiquity we should not take lightly. Perhaps you know what I’m going to say that persistent something is. If you guessed “faith” then you win a prize…I really don’t have a prize for you but I can tell you this, ALL of God’s Plans hinge on Faith and no one is exempt. No one can exchange ANYTHING for faith. Well, let me modify that, a bit. You can substitute something for faith but you will not be successful. It is, honestly, the most difficult lesson to teach…and learn. Human beings are doers. I think we suffer from having really good imaginations. We can convince ourselves of just about anything. We see something in our way and think we can move it; no matter what it is. And, you know, not helping matters is the fact that, on the face of it, we’ve done a pretty decent job, so far. We’ve put together some pretty magnificent things. We’ve solved more than a few human-besetting problems (we’ve caused probably more than we’ve solved but stay with me). Humans have raised great cities and cured diseases and visited space and many, many other things. We are honestly the most successful species we know of. We “work” through our troubles. We “charge” toward our enemies. We “clear” our obstacles. Doing is what we do. Believing is not.

(Isa 55:8)  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
(Isa 55:9)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Now, God does not say “Don’t do.” Let’s just make sure that’s clear. God doesn’t say action has no place in His Plan. This isn’t part of the lesson but I just want to make sure you’ve got that straight before we get to the point. God is not advocating you sitting around, waiting for Him to do all the building, planting and harvesting. “Doing” has its part to play but God wants you to know that “acting” is NOT superior to believing and in some things “working” will have no effect whatsoever. The details of all of that is for another time. This lesson is focused on the “believing” part.

In this ministry, we talk a lot about faith. You’ve heard us argue, from God’s Word, that faith is a commandment (1 John 3:23). God expects you to believe and like everything else, God has a very good reason for that. You see, there is something about faith. It has immense power. So much so that it would appear from Scripture that without faith God cannot (or will not) intervene into the lives of men. Jesus confirmed this when He lamented that “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house”. (Matthew 13:57) The original infers that His own people did not value who He was. They didn’t see Him as the One brought to save them and because of this unbelief, “he did not many mighty works there”. (Matthew 13:58) The lack of faith among the Israelites prevented Jesus from performing “mighty works”. The Amplified Version of the Bible says “works of power”.

Faith is the key to unlocking God’s power. There is no explanation in the Bible as to why this is, but it is clear, your faith in God will release His presence and power in your life. Yes, Faith saves. We all know that but faith also helps. When we need God’s power, the key to unleashing it is faith. This is not a “Prosperity Gospel” message. The power of faith is not released for your sake but for His. Can I ask for healing for myself? Yes, because you believe He is a healing God and in your healing He will be glorified. Can I ask God to help me with my bills? Yes, because you believe He is your Father and He will provide your “daily bread” and demonstrate to the world that He is true to His promises. When you are safe, secure and provided for you will show that God can be trusted. It always comes down to faith and that is why it is so important to God. Faith can do so much not only for the Kingdom but for us. That is what I call, “The Other Side of Faith”.

Join us, please, as we discuss the vitality and power of faith. In this episode we investigate what faith can do for us beyond our Salvation. This is a very important topic and it’s essential that, before you begin the lesson, you go to God in prayer and ask for His assistance in opening up His Word to you so that you can apply it to your life and calling.

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The Faithful God

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The Rock of Gibraltar from the 1880s
Artist Unknown
Image in the Public Domain

The Faithful God

Have you ever heard said of someone, “That guy is steady as a rock”? Perhaps you know someone like that. Maybe someone has said it about you. He’s as “solid as the Rock of Gibraltar”. That’s a well-known saying; isn’t it? It’s a compliment we give to people who can be counted on because we view the Rock of Gibraltar as the very emblem of unshakable reliability. In fact, a very old and very well-known insurance company decided to use the Rock of Gibraltar as their corporate symbol. According to their website, in 1896 this company adopted the marketing slogan, “The Prudential has the strength of Gibraltar”. If you’re in the insurance business you want your customers to know you’ll be around awhile; right? You want the insured to know you can be counted on; don’t you? To this very day, you will see the Rock of Gibraltar in the Prudential Insurance corporate logo.

Corporate Logo for Prudential Insurance

There are a few more interesting points I want to make about this famous natural landmark that have some relevance to today’s lesson. The Rock of Gibraltar, known in antiquity as one of the pillars of Hercules…no doubt adding to its legendary mystique of power and invincibility, was formed during the Jurassic Period according to a paper published by Earlham College. It was, most likely made when shells of sea creatures accumulated eventually forming a large limestone promontory. However, what we see today is NOTHING like it was millions of years ago. Here is the relevant point; the point that I want to make that relates to our podcast for today. One of the characteristics of limestone, the rock that forms “The Rock” (Gibraltar, not the actor) is that it is made up of calcite and calcite dissolves…albeit sometimes quite slowly, in water. The Rock of Gibraltar is now actually at the tip of a peninsula. You know what a peninsula is; don’t you. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded, on three sides, by water and, over the many millennia, this surrounding water has significantly CHANGED this mighty formation that ironically stands as a symbol of permanence. Some have suggested that what now sits on one side of the Strait of Gibraltar may have, at one time, stretched all the way across it, cutting the Mediterranean Sea off from the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, one of the more popular features of the Rock of Gibraltar that draws so many tourists, year after year, are the many caves that crisscross its interior. Well, these caves have only appeared relatively recently (geologically speaking, of course). In other words, there were no caves in the Rock of Gibraltar when it was first formed. Slowly the inside AND the outside of the Rock of Gibraltar have changed, significantly. If you and I were around 4.5 million years ago and we decided to visit the Rock of Gibraltar, it would look very different than it does now.

“What’s your point?” The Rock of Gibraltar, that paragon of permanence, that shrine of stability, that rock-hewn chapel of unchangingness is, in fact, in a constant state of changing. Yes, the change is slow but it is changing. Time, wind and waves are slowly but steadily transforming this wonder of nature that we seem to think is immutable. I suppose we could even say that this momentous natural structure will eventually return to the sediment from whence it came. It’s just another example of the inevitable truth of the statement of the so-called “weeping prophet”, Heraclitus. He famously observed that “Nothing endures like change”. All created things change and, what’s worse is most of that change, is, in fact, deterioration. Everything changes. Everything eventually breaks down (see 2nd Law of Thermodynamics). Of all the things I have said to you over the years you must agree this is the least controversial. No one could argue with me on that point…except perhaps a Darwinist but, let’s leave that for another day. Everything changes, even the Rock of Gibraltar. Change is inevitable and inescapable for all things…except One. In all the Universe there is only one unchangeable entity, God. Only the created changes, never the Creator. That is where today’s lesson picks up.

But, of course, before you begin this or any Biblical study, take a few moments to pray that God will guide you through His Word so that you may receive it as He had intended it to be received. Ask God to give you the understanding that will allow you to apply His Word to your life and for His Glory.

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Resurrection Part 2-Questions and Answers

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Supper at Emmaus by Velazques
The Supper at Emmaus by Velazques
Image in the Public Domain

Resurrection Part 2-Questions and Answers

In this episode we continue our in-depth look at the Resurrection. Although I say “in-depth”, the reality is that we are really only presenting a very small portion of the whole topic. After all, as I say to you all the time, it is impossible for a finite mind to fully grasp the infinite. We certainly do our best. We constantly push the boundaries of our human intellectual abilities but, nonetheless, we will ultimately have to bypass “knowing” and simply embrace “believing”.

That notwithstanding, in this second part of the series we pick up where we left off last time. Here we are focusing on the importance of the witnesses. Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t just head on to heaven once He rose? A fairly sizable portion of the story of the Gospel is dedicated to telling us what Jesus did AFTER He died. It actually extends PAST the Gospels and into the Acts of the Apostles. Interestingly, there’s not a lot of details given on those appearances. There is a line or two on what He said but, by and large, it seems almost random…almost…anticlimactic. Before this there was that emotional scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by the dramatic arrest, trial and sentencing. Then there was the horror of those dying moments on the cross. On the face of it, the appearances seem like merely a postscript of some sort. Now, I get why we’re told about the appearance to Mary Magdalene. It was a tender moment between a dedicated servant and her Risen Lord. I understand the appearances to Peter. The man was not only going to be important to the future church but He was also a dear friend of Jesus who was, no doubt, suffering from the shame of the night of the arrest. Our Merciful Lord wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to comfort a nearly broken man. That’s just the kind of Person we serve. Those appearances make sense because they just demonstrate the personality of Jesus so well; but why those two on the road to Emmaus? We don’t even know who they were. Luke says one of them was named Cleopas but that’s all we know. (Luke 24:18). Mark doesn’t even give us that many details in his re-telling of the story (Mark 16:12). How about Paul’s reference to the appearance Jesus made “to 500 brethren at once”? (1st Corinthians 15:6) There we get no information; no names, no locations. The same can be said about the so-called Ascension. We are told by Luke in chapter 1 verse 6 of the Acts of the Apostles that “they” were come together but we can’t be certain who the “they” consisted of. We can be fairly confident that the remaining eleven apostles were there but was that all? The point is we aren’t told and, as you regulars know, when we aren’t told something in the Bible, it isn’t important. It can be plainly seen that in most of the post-Resurrection appearances that are recorded in Scripture, the “who” was not as important as the “why”. Jesus’ appearances have a purpose. That is what we discuss in this episode. So, take a moment to pray for understanding and then have a listen to part 2 of our Resurrection series. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit gives you an appreciation of the incredible love and mercy that God showed when He allowed us to get that ever-so-brief look at His most Precious Son.

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The Alabaster Box Part 2

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Alabaster Cosmetic Jar from Ancient Egypt
Alabaster Cosmetic Jar-Ancient Egypt
Image in the Public Domain

The Alabaster Box Part 2

In this episode we continue our discussion of the woman with the Alabaster Box. This is one of those stories, on which, you could teach five lessons but this time we focus on another aspect of why this event was so important to Jesus…so important in fact that He made sure that those of us He has called to spread the Gospel (and that includes you) also tell this story. If you want to know what brings God pleasure, take a closer look at what this woman did.