God’s work… my part

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Salvation involves the work of God first and foremost. God provided the means of my salvation through the satisfying sacrifice of His Son. The death of Christ provided the satisfaction of the penalty of my sin. The resurrection of Christ provides the means for me to have a new life forever covered by the righteousness of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It all begins with Jesus. It is all provided by this magnificent grace. 

But I must believe. I must, by faith believe this truth. I must commit my hearts and life fully to the reality of my salvation and I must entrust my soul into His care. This is vital. I did not do the saving. I do not do the transforming. But by faith I am saved. By faith I am changed. By faith the Spirit of God comes to dwell within me and my Savior loves to change me. I must believe to know this change. I must commit to Jesus to know I am beloved by the Lord. He did the impossibly hard work of atoning for my sin. I do the trusting, believing, and obeying as He renews my life.

My life has been lived in this tender tension of trusting Jesus Who has done everything for me. And in denying myself, taking up a cross of faith, and following Him, I am totally transformed! And it is He who comforts my heart and establishes me in every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2:17).

test and provoke

They tested God again and again

and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 78:41

How like ancient Israel

is my own living soul

I forget too soon

the God I know

He is patient

in His grace

yet I am sinful

to His face

I will test Him

in selfish ways

make my demands

reject what He says

I can turn my back

to the Savior’s cross

forgetting He saved Me

at enormous cost

I must not test

the Lord my God

that much is clear

in His Word

Instead repentance

should move my heart

turning from sin

at the start

Lord, I am broken

make me true

although provoking wrath

is what I do

I confess now to

the Holy One

I beg forgiveness

from the Son

And as I pray

on bended knee

I know Your Spirit

remakes me

Although I test You

again and again

You take me back

into Your land

how it will be

…when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

2 Thessalonians 1:10

There isn’t much more to add to Paul’s view on how this is all going to eventually be. Jesus will return. Those who have believed in Him will rejoice, marvel and worship Him. Those who persecute Christians will be dealt a quick justice blow (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Those who have suffered for Jesus’ sake will find relief (2 Thessalonians 1:7). Jesus will come with a host of angelic soldiers to inflict fiery vengeance on those who reject God and disobey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). They will enter eternal destruction, permanently and finally cast away from the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

This really is how it will be… for certain. Paul, as an apostle, was taught these truths about the future of the world by Jesus Himself. Paul shared this with the church to encourage believers to faithfully cling to Christ and proclaim the gospel despite the resistance and the apparent rise of evil. This helped them to endure. They lived a difficult existence. But knowing that Christ is King and Judge, Savior and Sovereign, brings comfort and strengthens the church with an unstoppable hope.

The truth here still brings needed perspective. The world gets worse and worse. A season of tyrannical power has emerged in our world once again. Wars are everywhere. Communication may be more global and instantaneous than anyone in Thessalonica in the first century could ever have imagined. Yet hate fills hearts, evil abounds, life is cheap, violence is glorified, God is mocked, and the gospel is hated in words or in actions all around us. The world is on the brink of collapse. This is the result of evil ruling hearts. It is time for Jesus to bring justice and in the end, His eternal rule of peace! 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

King of Creation

For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:3-5

You Who made it all

Creation’s Ruler

Universal King

Controller of wind

Director of waves

Sender of storms

Shaker of the earth

You hold this planet

and all that is on it

God Who made me

Ruler of my heart

King of my life

Controller of my destiny

Director of my story

Calmer of my storms

Shaker of my content

You lead all my experience

and all my future

Great God

King of all

Nothing is deeper than Your depths

Nothing is higher than Your throne

No sea will cover Your majesty

No mountain will dwarf Your glory

I worship and bow down

I kneel before my Maker

I am Yours

Everything is Yours

I am led by You

All is led by You

I will breathe in Your care

and exhale the praises of Your greatness

The importance of “ALL”

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Rejoice ALWAYS. This apostolic command to the Thessalonians was given in a season of intense persecution and suffering. And it was given to a church struggling with the right perspective about their future. But Paul taught them to take comfort in the gospel truth of the resurrection and the return of Christ in glorious reign over the world that currently hates Him and His people. That was the perspective to provide hope for rejoicing. Rejoice when? Always. We worship and rejoice not always at what is, but at what Christ has already done and what is certain to come with our hope.

Pray WITHOUT CEASING. This command also was important for the Thessalonians (and for us) to understand. When times are hard: pray. When things go well: pray. When you need hope: pray. When you have hope: pray. When you feel alone: pray. When you are together: pray. There is never a moment of our mortal lives when prayer is incongruous with our circumstances. It is always needed. It is always necessary. It is always good.

Give thanks in ALL circumstances. Thankfulness keeps us humbly in relationship with the God Who saves, keeps, and helps us every day. And no matter what we face, difficult or easy, being grateful to a gracious, merciful, wise, and loving God is always the response we should have. I have to admit, this is not easy during confusing losses or in a culture where wrong seems to be rewarded and righteousness ridiculed. Lament often accompanies my gratefulness. Yet here is this clear, non-negotiable command to give thanks to God for it all. Why? His grace pours into our mess and is transforming us even in the midst of what is hard to handle. Will I believe and trust this truth? Thankfulness helps me keep trusting.

God is wise in instructing us to keep our hope alive at all times by rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks for it ALL. The God of ALL, over ALL, in ALL deserves ALL our worship in this way!

my dwelling place

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

Psalm 91:9-10

I live in You, Lord

no building of brick and wood

is my true home

it is just a place

to live in Your presence

protected by Your hand

kept by Your mercies

sheltered by Your grace

in awe of Your great name

I live in You, Lord

my refuge from all storms

when life becomes threatening

You are my protection

You are my deliverance

my hope is secure

my help is at hand

my Deliverer is here

I am secure

I live in You, Lord

my tent staked down

until the day that

You take me to our home

I am safe and happy

for God is my dwelling place

the Most High is my refuge

I rejoice in His nearness

I worship in His salvation

those asleep

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

“Fallen asleep”. That’s Paul’s phrase to describe believers who have preceded us in death. It is a comforting metaphor, not because they are somehow soul slumbering in death. It is a comfort because of the reality that those dead in Christ will rise again. They will return with Jesus at His Second Coming. “Asleep” implies “awakening”. It means that resurrection is a sure thing… as real as knowing that Jesus died and rose again. It is a gospel certainty.

There are times that I long to be with loved ones who are “asleep” right now. I wish for a conversation. I crave their perspective in my current confusion. I’d give anything to hear them talk about their ongoing life with Christ, in Christ, beyond death. I want a lovely hand to hold just one more time, a deep conversation with one who really knows my soul, a hug from a long gone parent, grandparent, or mentor. And so Paul’s words informing me that these loved ones are “asleep” and that a future reunion is guaranteed gives me hope. It may be cloudy today. Sunshine is coming. What I long for is real… as real as the moment I feel right now.

Lord,

I have stood by gravesides and memorials and wept. I will do so again soon. One day others will do so for me. I remember dear friends and family, my close loves, now “asleep”. With them I await Your “cry of command”, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God to sound! And I will see them again right by Your side! If I die today, I know that I too after “sleeping” will hear that trumpet and arrive alongside all of them. I do not weep hopelessly. I miss these people. I really do. I miss my sleeping family, brothers, and sisters in Jesus. Yet I hope. I smile in my tears knowing that day will surely come when remembering is changed to an awakened reality. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Amen

thriving and happy

For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

Paul was grateful for good news in ministry. He had his share of difficult circumstances: struggling new churches he was forced to leave too early, persecution from pagan enemies, threats of death from Jewish religious authorities, and the hazards of first century travel in the Roman Empire. Yet to hear that the church in Thessalonica was thriving was exactly the kind of encouragement that kept ministry zeal flowing.

Paul was eager to return to them. Timothy had been dispatched to check in on a church that Paul had been forced to leave too quickly. And Timothy’s news that the Thessalonians exhibited strong faith in the gospel evidenced in a loving community AND that they longed to see Paul again, made all the difficulties and distress melt away. Paul was filled with a love to minister among them again. Knowing that the church stood fast in the Lord revived Paul’s weary soul (1 Thessalonians 3:8).

Now Paul was ready to return. He was ready to make this report a face-to-face experience in joyful reunion. He was ready to enjoy ministry among them. He was ready to instruct, teach, model the gospel, and make disciples… to finish the apostolic work that had been prematurely interrupted. Paul was filled with ministry joy and expectation.

Lord,

You know how Your kingdom grows. And sometimes ministry has seasons of hardship and struggle. Yet the joy that we can know when Jesus lives in us,  the fruit of the Spirit grows in us, and a community of disciples worship their Savior is worth all of the hard work. Keep that vision fresh in me too Lord!

Amen

gentle

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

1 Thessalonians 2:7

Ministry has an intense side to it. Many times people need to wrestle with a hard truth, make a difficult choice, or be confronted about a destructive, sinful behavior. But even in those moments, Paul’s tender metaphor of a mother with her infant child still should dominate how ministry is perceived and experienced. Love is gentle. It can sense when immaturity and need require a more motherly hand.

I know I have needed that sort of gentle nurturing at times. This was particularly true of my early commitment to follow Jesus. There are people in my past, people God used when I was a toddler in the faith, to gently show me what to do. Some of them just imitated Jesus quietly. They were patient. They talked to me. They understood. They didn’t rush, or scold, or smother me. By their example they winsomely won me over to live as they did. They were gentle, caregiving nurturers and stand as giants to me now.

Lord,

I am not sure that my discipleship example has always been a gentle one. Help me to pause, to care, to show with gentleness and to nurture the fruit of the Spirit and the example of Christ. May I be not just an instructor… not just a challenger… but a nurturer.

Amen

our help

O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,

and you have healed me.

Psalm 30:2

This was the testimony of David, whose life was nearly in constant threat. The close love for God that David developed as a shepherd alone in the pastures carried him through very difficult parts of his later life as king. The God of protection and deliverance shepherded the shepherd boy AND the shepherd king. David knew that closeness to God came through those deliverances. God was near at all times. David was comfortable crying for help, trusting the God of deliverance, and finding healing, comfort, and relief.

In the thirtieth psalm David expresses four ways God worked in the first three verses of the poem:

1.  “You have drawn me up…” Psalm 30:1. This was a change in position.

2.  “You have healed me..” Psalm 30:2. This was David’s preservation.

3.  “You brought up my soul…” Psalm 30:3. This was how a depressed soul experienced a pick up.

4.  “You restored me to life…” Psalm 30:3. Death lost. This was God prevailing.

God is near. God is at work. He loves to show Himself in our most difficult moments. Will we cry out? Will we know the God who prevails over death? Will we let God pick up our souls from the depths of the hell we feel? Will we trust Him to preserve our lives? Will we let Him change our position? We can know all this, and more, if we will trust Him, cry out to Him, and let Him do His good work. God will help!

Imitators and Examples

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Disciples follow their master

We do what we are shown

We know as we are known

We live what we see

We model what will be

Disciples imitate

Imitation is not hypocrisy

To follow is not just an act

Following puts feet to the fact

There is the truth in how we live

There is sacrifice in how we give

Disciples imitate

Disciples are an example

Jesus is recognized in us

Disciplemakers modeled by us

Others can do right too

Simply doing what we do

Disciples are examples

Examples can be followed

And in that way we proclaim

and live by our Savior’s name

We call others to follow Jesus

Just asking them to act like us

Disciples are examples

flawed followers

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Matthew 28:17

As Jesus prepared to leave His men at His ascension, He commissioned them to make disciples by teaching His gospel. And although obedient to Him, they were still flawed followers. Yes, they worshiped a resurrected Lord with Whom was all power and authority. And yes, even in their worship they wavered with doubt. Jesus would still use these struggling people who wanted to believe and to follow His commands. We don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus. We don’t have to be perfect to proclaim His good news. God uses us, struggles and all, because the power in not in us, but in Jesus!

When we obey despite our struggles we are believing the authority of Christ. We have none on our own. We are broken, but healed. We are struggling, yet strengthened. We are flawed, yet forgiven. We have to work past doubts yet come to the conviction that a living Jesus Who rose from the dead commands us to tell His story! He is our authority. He is our power. He will use those He chooses so that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses.

We are sent into the world to be used to help others know and follow Jesus. We call them to believe the good news, to repent of sin, to follow Jesus by baptism, and learn from God, by His Word, in the work of His Holy Spirit. Flawed followers though we may be, Jesus builds His kingdom as we simply obey and let His power use us for His purpose.

And Jesus is always with His flawed followers. The last words He speaks in Matthew’s gospel echo through all of church history: “I am with you always, to the end of the age”. And so Jesus lives in us, through us, among us, and with His flawed followers. He calms fears. He removes objections. He stands by us even as our doubts tempt us not to stand by Him. He strengthens us in struggles. He will never leave us. And despite our flaws, Jesus rules and reigns as He remakes us for His glory. AMEN!

cast burdens to God

Cast your burden on the LORD,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved.

But you, O God, will cast them down

into the pit of destruction;

men of blood and treachery

shall not live out half their days.

But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55:22-23

David wrote these words to process disillusionment, disappointment, betrayal, and bewilderment. A person who was once in his inner circle of friendship and leadership had turned against him. Now that former friend has become a conspirator with his enemies plotting David’s downfall. It is more than David is able to stand (Psalm 55:12-14). It is heartbreaking to experience such a betrayal. It was painful for David and in one sense this psalm is prophetic of what Jesus would experience as one of His friends/disciples would also turn Jesus over to His enemies.

But David trusts God and not the fickle allegiances of people. He knew that the Lord would not fail Him even as people would disappoint him and sometimes seek his destruction. David knew God would be his vindication. God judges the hearts of all. God knew all about the betrayal. God would handle the unrepentant actions of those who turned against His king. And the God of justice would take care of what David had experienced. The treachery would not stand. David needed only to trust the God Who delivers! And so David cast His heavy burden down and let God pick it up.

Lord Who catches what we cast,

Give us the faith to trust You with these heavy burdens. Life can have relational heartaches and burdens of betrayal too intense to emotionally understand. Help us, like David, to cast them to Your wise justice and trust You! And when betrayal is evil and real, You will dispense the proper recompense and justice that is more than equal to the treachery we feel. As for us, help us by Your Word and Your Spirit to trust in You… Jesus, through Your betrayal our souls were saved! We know You know and You provide our hope.

Amen

tossings, tears, and trust

You have kept count of my tossings;

put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?

Psalm 56:8

When life is hard

when sleep will not stay

I will trust You, Lord

and not wander astray

I toss and turn

for morning I pray

in my anxious time

with You I will stay

Every flip from side to side

every troubled thought I fear

every prayer with tears

I am confident You hear

Precious are the tears I weep

You are the Keeper of my sorrow

bottled in Your loving hand

kept close to show to me tomorrow

My journal covers joy and pain

but You keep a much better book

and in eternal safety one day

You will let me take a look

Written there by Author’s hands

are the words, the story of my days

We’ll laugh and smile and understand

together it will make sense always

So count my tossings, Lord.

Bottle up those tears.

Write our book together.

I will trust You amidst these fears.

God is for me.

God is with me too.

Nothing happens You do not control.

So I will always trust in You!

resurrection confidence

But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.

Matthew 26:32

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He prepared His disciples for what was ahead. Jesus knew He was going to be betrayed by Judas. He knew that He would be charged with capital crimes by the Jewish religious authorities. He knew He would be handed over to the Romans. He knew He would die by crucifixion. Jesus was not taken by surprise because He knew that His atoning work was why He had come to this world in the first place.

The real surprise for the disciples was not that He knew this. He had been predicting His death by this means for quite some time. The part that had to be puzzling was He insistence that He would be brought back to life. The disciples were familiar with crucifixion. Nobody survived it. It was a brutally, if not excruciating, effective means of permanent execution. Crucifixion meant death. But Jesus very confidently claimed that He would be the first and only crucifixion victim to be raised back to life after such a tortuous death. And when that happened, He would walk away from His grave and back to Galilee where they would see Him and walk with Him again.

Resurrection changes everything. Resurrection defeats death. Resurrection confirms everything Jesus taught. Resurrection secures His atoning work on the cross for our sins. And resurrection guarantees forever our future in Christ with God. Jesus, facing the cross, is already confident in His resurrection. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Continual Hope

But I will hope continually

and will praise you yet more and more.

Psalm 71:14

Feeling sad in the twilight

I’m just trying to cope

I look for some comfort

I long for some hope

I’m trying to reach out

with mixed emotions I grope

needing more than these feelings

I’m reaching for hope

Others may notice

how I’m sad and I mope

yet come short of full comfort

I need much greater hope

Looking to Jesus

I do more than just cope

I find a Savior Who suffered

to bring continuous hope

Not alone in my suffering

I now climb up this slope

strengthened in His mercy

by my continual hope

Timing is perfect

for at the end of my rope

is One who holds me forever

in His continual hope

I will praise the God of all comfort

eternity is the width of His scope

there is healing purpose now in me

I prosper with His continual hope

Jesus is our judge.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Matthew 25:31

Christians should be expecting the reality of Christ’s return. When He does return, he will judge the world. He will reward the righteous. He will cast away the unrighteous into eternal punishment. This is the authority of the risen and reigning Christ. He is our judge. And this is the Jesus with whom all people must one day stand. This is the future we all face… the Son of Man seated as judge upon His glorious throne.

There are three things I notice about our future encounter with Jesus that give me reflective pause. First, Jesus returns in a different glory. We first beheld His glory as the Lamb of God. He was born as a child to peasant parents in simple poverty. He lived as a carpenter and then as a rabbi. He displayed a unique glory in miracles and authoritative teaching. He gave His life sacrificing as the Lamb of God. And He was raised to show His true glory, no longer a Lamb but now a Lion! And it is this second Jesus yet to come that arrives in a blinding flash of power and judgment, seated on a glorious throne Who is our glorious God of justice, commending the righteous ones and condemning those who reject Him!

Secondly, there is a different audience including angels. In His first advent a few angels sang His birth, attended to Him in the wilderness, and announced His resurrection. In His return to judge, ALL the angel hosts of heaven will return with Him, bringing the very throne of heaven to earth. This will be like nothing anyone has ever seen!

A third observation: Jesus will sit on a different kind of throne. In His first advent He was the perfect obedient Son and Servant Who proved He earned the “well-pleased” commendation of the Father. In His second advent Jesus is clearly the God with Whom we all have to answer! The world will be judged by the Son of Man. All the nations of the earth, every last person on the planet, all the world will face Him in order to answer for their choice about Him and His people. It is clear: Jesus is our Judge!

Godly people confess their sin.

Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

Psalm 32:6

Thank God that He does not expect His people to be sinless. The message of Psalm 32 is this: be quick to confess sin. This is the personal testimony of David. He did not do well covering or hiding his transgressions. When he kept silent about sin he become physically ill and emotionally depressed (Psalm 32:3). He lost all energy as the weight of his unconfessed sin bore down on his soul (Psalm 32:4). When he was finally confronted by the guilt of his sin, David confessed it and found forgiveness from God as a result (Psalm 32:5).

David’s conclusion was to call all people to live confessionally before the Lord. Everyone should confess sin. Confession of sin is the activity of the godly person. And David’s repeated admonition is to do so quickly… not to hold onto the guilt and shame of sin. When the rushing waves of painful guilt threaten, THAT is the time to fall to our knees in confession. This is the activity of the godly. Yes, it is a holy thing to confess sin, repent before God, humbly receive His mercy, and be washed in the flood of His forgiving grace through trusting Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf! Godly people may sin… but godly people are quick to inventory iniquity, turn from it in confession and repentance, and realize that they only have understanding in how to live in righteousness by God’s Word and His work in them (Psalm 32:7-9).

Lord,

I will not be like a stubborn horse or mule that lacks understanding and must be jerked by bit and bridle to obey. I willingly acknowledge that I too, like David, am guilty of sin. I must inventory my iniquity as Your Spirit convicts and Your Word instructs. I must see how in all ways… in thought, feelings, selfish words, or pride-filled disobedient actions I too have sinned against You, often hurting others in the process or aftermath of my sin. I release that guilt to the forgiving blood of Christ, my perfect sacrifice, Who forgives the iniquity of my sin. I will pray in confession so that His righteousness will clean me and declare me a godly man, clothed by His righteousness, clean in Your sight!

Amen

four end times dangers

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.”

Matthew 24:4

When asked by His disciples to teach about the signs of His return and the end of the age, Jesus begins with this stern warning. He looks right at the men who left everything to follow Him and warns them they are vulnerable. The first sign of His coming and the end of the age would be that the loyalty of His own disciples would be attacked. Some would fall away. Many false teachers will claim to be what only Jesus is and will seek to lead many disciples astray from truly following Him.

Doctrinal divisiveness and heretical teaching combined with messianic personalities will come at the end. Jesus states that it will be so deceptive that only the most discerning disciples will stay with Him. And that has been unfortunately a problem in every era of church history, with an explosive profusion of false teaching and popular figures luring many people away from the truth of the gospel as we near His return.

Some current dangers readily visible that are dangerously sucking away Christians from the centrality of the gospel:

• Popularism. The internet and social media have created swarms of Tik Tok teachers spouting every kind of old and new heresy. They may even claim biblical support and authority. But just because millions “follow” or they sound persuasive does not make them right at all.
• New Ideas. Many claim that Christians have had it wrong for a long time. Or like Dan Brown they may insist that early on in church history Jesus’ original message was suppressed and hijacked by a controlling monolithic church. But they are instead hijacking the gospel to New Age thinking. Many in this camp link modern casual ethics and liberal sexual mores to re-interpreting Christian teaching, thus rejecting what the Word of God says.
• Tribalism. You want to believe that Jesus advocated the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms? Someone out there has a Youtube channel and followers who buy into that. Want to withdraw to a cave and wait out until the end in a monastic cult? The Internet will lead you to a group somewhere that you can join. False teaching, no matter how outlandish, is easier than ever to find and to propagate.
• Christian Nationalism. Yeah… that is definitely on the rise thanks to politicians both liberal and conservative hitching their wagons to every Christian group enamored with celebrity and worldly power. And it is not just limited to one side of the aisle… you can easily find the political messiah of your choosing. But be careful. That leader will lead you astray from Jesus!

One Father, One Teacher

And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

Matthew 23:9-10

With earthly father

I was born to grow;

yet many men like fathers

I have come to know.

They cared for me.

They taught me Your way.

I am grateful, O Lord,

for all of them today.

Many men like fathers…

but only one Heavenly Father.

Like Jesus too

many have sacrificed

to teach me Your truth

and invest their lives.

I have learned the Way

to live pleasing to You Lord

as many teachers 

instruct me in the Word.

Yet only one Instructor

has taught me: Jesus Christ.

Caring like family

Christians have taught me.

And I have tried to do the same

to other disciples that surround me.

I too am a father

by flesh and by Spirit

I too an instructor

to those who will hear it.

Yet You, Lord, are Our Father.

Yes You, Jesus, are Our Teacher.

abundant mercy

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51:1

Psalm 51 is David’s journal of confession and repentance. It was written after sin with Bathsheba and confrontation by Nathan the prophet, in which Nathan delivered God’s verdict of judgment. The enormity of David’s sin (adultery, lies, murder, conspiracy, and cover-up) demanded firm justice from God. All the painful details are found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. Suffice it to say, under the penalties of the Law, every detail of David’s sins deserved the death penalty. The king knew this too well.

This is why David’s opening poetic prayer in this psalm became a model for clear confession. He knew only God’s mercy could save him from death. He knew only God could remove consequences by a permanent blot out, an expunging of the record of his sins. The very first verse is a sandwich of cries for mercy: “Have mercy on me!…Blot out my transgressions!” You can hear the tears of terror begging to be saved from a deserved destruction.

David knows only an undeserved mercy could eliminate the true charges against him. And so he asks his judge for that mercy. He appeals to God’s own character in between his pleas. He knows that God is gracious. “Steadfast love” is the way the Old Testament Law repeatedly describes what the New Testament calls “grace”. David’s first appeal is to the grace of God. He knows that he does not deserve God’s favor. Yet only grace can release mercy to forgive every one of David’s awful sins.

The second appeal is to God’s abundant mercy. David knows that God possesses not just a little grace and mercy. God has it abundantly. He is rich in mercy. The call then to God is to be generous with forgiveness. The God of grace and mercy is not miserly with His mercy. This is an appeal to what David already knew about God. God had chosen him, least of his family, to be king. God made a covenant with David to bless the world through his kingly line. And wildly enough, in a display of overarching grace and abundant mercy, David’s sinful beginning with Bathsheba would be ultimately redeemed as God leads to her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus. Our Savior descended from these kinds of sinners! Abundant mercy indeed! God forgave David, and ultimately all who believe the gospel, in Jesus, Son of David!

The Astonisher

And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Matthew 22:33

This crowd was astonished about how Jesus put the technically-detailed, self-proclaimed, liberal legal experts, the Sadducees, in their place with His masterful answer to an impossible hypothetical question. The Sadducees were the minority religious group among the Jews in charge of copying scripture. They were comparable to academic university elites of today. They were the religious party of the professional scribes. They also had their own brand of theological and legal experts. They were horribly non-biblical and secular for being so “into” their scriptures. They denied miracles and the possibility of life after death. They taught that the Law was for “this life” and rejected a future resurrection.

Yet they came to Jesus in mock suspension of their own beliefs, hoping to stump him in front of the crowds. They desperately wanted the attention. They created a scenario of a woman widowed seven times who then herself died. Their question: “Which of the seven husbands would be hers in heaven?” They thought this would trick Jesus into a theology where sin would exist in the resurrection. But they were foolish to try to corner the wise God Who wrote the book!

Jesus decimates their argument with three powerful assertions:

1) They deny scripture and the power of God so they have absolutely no authority to speculate on the nature of the resurrection (Matthew 22:29).

2) Resurrected people do not marry as their relationships are complete in the presence of God. Their is no need for one flesh relationships in heaven (Matthew 22:30).

3) Denial of resurrection rejects the very core of Judaism. God is the God of the living: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The scriptures attest that the patriarchs are very much alive with a God Who is presently in relationship with them (Matthew 22:31-32).

This is what led the crowd into appreciation of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus had authority as shown in His grasp of the Word of God and the miraculous display of the power of God. Jesus knew what heaven will be like because He came from there and would return there. Jesus knew the profound theological implications from even the most foundational aspects of God’s covenant with Israel. As such He is a great Revealer, a great Savior, a great Teacher, and the great Astonisher!

God answers and saves.

O LORD, save the king!

May he answer us when we call.

Psalm 20:9

The last phrase of this last verse of the twentieth psalm echoes the first phrase of the first verse: “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!” This psalm is a call and than also a call back to the God Who saves His people. The answer to the beginning and end call is sandwiched right in the middle of the psalm with God’s salvation in verse 6: “…he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.” So we have a prayer for God to answer our need and a confidence that His salvation will be the answer to that prayer. The rest of the psalm then tells how God answers and saves.

The structure looks like this:

I.  May God answer in trouble! (Psalm 20:1a)

     A.  His name protects. (Psalm 20:1b)

     B.  He sends help. (Psalm 20:2a)

     C.  He gives support. (Psalm 20:2b)

     D.  He remembers offerings. (Psalm 20:3a)

     E.  He regards sacrifices with favor. (Psalm 20:3b)

     F.  He grants desires. (Psalm 20:4a)

     G. He fulfills plans. (Psalm 20:4b)

II.  God’s salvations brings joy. (Psalm 20:5a)

     A. He answers our petitions. (Psalm 20:5b)

     B. He saves His anointed. (Psalm 20:6a)

     C. He answers with saving power. (Psalm 20:6b)

     D.  His people trust not in physical deliverance but in His power and reputation. (Psalm 20:7-8)

III. CONCLUSION: God answers and saves! (Psalm 20:9)

O Lord Jesus,

You answer me when I call out to You, my Savior. You see me. You know me. You answer me in all my trouble! You are my protection, help, and support. I offer all that I have and all that I am to You. You grant my desires and fulfill my plans. You are my joy. I trust not in the things of this world, but in You because You provide for me, protect me, and save me!

Amen 

Who is this?

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Matthew 21:11-12

Who is this man

who dared to enter this town

riding on a donkey

like David’s kingly son?

He is Jesus…

a prophet who speaks

with an authority

we have never seen.

Who is this man

who touches the outcast

heals the sick and afflicted

and lifts up the downcast?

He is Jesus…

a healer for everyone

who needs His great power.

Look at what He has done!

Who is this man

who says He will die

crucified by our leaders

yet in three days rise?

He is Jesus…

a suffering Savior Who gives

His life for our sins

so with Him we will live!

Who is this man?

He is Jesus!

hard work / generous reward

So the last will be first, and the first last.

Matthew 20:16

My worth and significance are measured by what I give in service to my Lord. Did He call me to labor in His vineyard? Then, yes, I simply serve my King with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It matters not how or when others may join me in that work. What matters most is that I give my best to the King. I will also rejoice that others may do the same.

I should never compare my level of commitment to others. There are many with greater gifts who have served longer than I have. There are many generations before me who still teach me. There are some who serve in other ways and may not have my margin or my responsibilities. I do not live to compare. Instead, I should rejoice that the Lord of the harvest knows how to utilize the unique contributions of every one of His disciples who labor in His vineyard. My focus should be gratitude. Gratitude for the grace that saved me to live for Him and serve His kingdom. Gratitude that His grace is equally marvelous for all He has called to serve Him. All of us in His harvest serve and sacrifice.

God exhibits an abundant generosity to all who serve in His vineyard… no matter the different individual investments of their time or talents. It is that generous love that reminds me to serve joyfully alongside my brothers and sisters. A generous reward will come for each of us. All of us get more than our sins deserve! Where I am now is a gift of God’s generous grace. So is where I have been, even in the hard parts of the vineyard that seemed unfruitful for a season. All of us will find amazing, generous, eternal reward in Christ and from Christ. Praise to the One Who calls us for His glory to His labor for His harvest in His kingdom!

Kiss the Son

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2:12

The second psalm is thoroughly Messianic, looking to a future kingship by a deliverer on the throne of David. This is, of course, Jesus. And this Messiah rules the world. His reign is characterized by:

• Useless opposition from all the kings of the earth (Psalm 2:1-3)
• Derisive amusement at the impotent unbelief of a world trying to reject His control (Psalm 2:4).
• Absolute rule from Zion that easily speaks the defeat of all opposition (Psalm 2:5-6),
• The King is the Son, given the ends of the earth as His heritage (Psalm 2:7-9).
• The worship and service of the nations as people turn to Him for refuge and rule (Psalm 2:10-12).

Lord Jesus,

I come to the King in grateful recognition that Your power… Your love… Your death and resurrection are the means of Your inescapable rule. Even now though nations rage against You, they cannot win. I choose, in faith, submission, and obedient love to kiss the Son, submit to Your rule and find delightful and enjoyable refuge in You as together we laugh at the feeble fools who dare to rage uselessly against the Son… the God of all power and authority in this world!

Amen

with man… but with God

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

Wrongs abound among us:

injustice,

suffering,

abuse,

destruction,

hate.

With man change is impossible.

Attempts to fix us fail:

education.

politics,

incarceration,

psychology,

science.

All achieve no real transformation.

Gospel hope lives with us:

Divine justice in

Christ’s suffering,

taking our punishment

for our correction

in His love.

With God all things are possible.

And Jesus will change us:

Learn from Him

our Lord.

Bind yourself to Him

soul and

body.

He brings us to God in actual transformation.

A story of mercy and grace

For their sake he remembered his covenant,

and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

Psalm 106:45

God of mercy and grace,

You have a history of mercy. You made a covenant with Your people Israel. And even though they disobeyed You so much You were still merciful even in judgment. You always kept Your covenant with them. Even now as I read through this history song this morning, I too know my own fickle heart. You made a new covenant through the blood of Jesus. And I entered in by faith to find mercy and forgiveness. Yet how like Israel I too have disobeyed! At times I long for Egypt. I too look at idols. I serve what is false. And I too displease You, defiling a new covenant. Yet, in Your mercy You discipline me and bring me back.

You have a history of steadfast love. Your grace pours in and compels this repentant heart in praise of the healing, forgiving gospel! You give me what a sinner never deserves. You clothe me in the righteousness of Your Son. You shower me with blessing. You adopt me as Your child. You place me in Your service. You call me to praise, honor, and the proclamation of the good news of Your Kingdom. Your grace overflows my dirty, broken cup of a life!

God of mercy and grace, I worship You with grateful praise. My history too, though full of my sinful wanderings is redeemed by mercy and by grace. Now this story is for Your glory!

Amen

agreeing with God for the sake of another

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 18:19

Who are the “two of you” in this statement by Jesus? In context, they are disciples, followers of Jesus. Understanding the discourse in which this statement is made is very important. It is not a blanket statement about generic prayer. Jesus has given His followers authority to discipline, encourage, and rebuke sin amongst each other in order to resolve conflicts and settle disagreements. It is a weighty matter, but the goal is always to achieve unity among the body of believers and to win back an errant brother or sister in restoration of relationship (Matthew 18:15). In that process it might become necessary for two or three concerned believers to lovingly confont, filled with clarity and conviction, the person who sins. In context these two are in mind when it comes to this statement about prayer.

What do the “two” agree upon? Again, the context keeps theirs agreement on a matter of a sin-split relationship. The two agree on either an offense that is being ignored after caring conversation, or they agree that repentance and restoration have taken place. That agreement leads them to ask of God in prayer for the situation.

What does God promise to do? He promises to answer the prayer, either to draw an offending brother or sister to peace, to punish a calloused rejection, or to bless a repentant child of His with unity, love, and restorative grace. It appears that follow-up prayer like this is a necessary step in what is often called “church discipline”. The occasion to go to someone in this way is meant to draw believers together as they seek God’s will, restore a broken relationship, and plead for the gospel to do good work. All of this rests on the forgiveness found only in the gospel. And in answering prayers of such agreement, God gets the glory. Not only then do we agree with each other, but most importantly, we agree with God when we turn it all to Him.

shaming enemies, shining crowns

His enemies I will clothe with shame,

but on him his crown will shine.

Psalm 132:18

When King David moved the capital of Israel to Jerusalem, one driving ambition of his was to find a place for the permanent temple of the Lord. David did not rest until Zion became that place. And he purchased that location at great cost, unwilling to force it from the previous owner by royal decree. David was seriously committed not just to personal worship, but for Israel, in covenant with God, to forever worship God in a beautiful temple worthy of His great name.

God, in turn, as sung here is Psalm 132, reiterates His special covenant with David and his generations. David’s enemies would be put to shame. David’s crown would always shine. And of course that crown indeed now radiates forever in the resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lord, the Son of David — Jesus!

Lord Jesus,

I worship You and a countless multitude of saved souls shall worship You forever. Your crown forever shines… Your enemies forever shamed. And in that truth I now live. Yes, I encounter those people in my life who oppose You, to a degree they may oppose me for following You, and they sadly oppose the gospel. Yet You still reign. Nothing changes that! May I always glory in Your shining crown!

Amen

No fear in You alone

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Matthew 17:7-8

Disciples saw You in

terrifying glory

fell down in fear

in that story

You appeared brighter

than noonday sun

and dazzling, scared

each of them

Moses and Elijah

by Your side

and in that moment

disciples tried

to misplace attention

upon other men

until the Father’s voice

corrected them

There Jesus stood

in the end

calming their fear

being their friend

seeing Jesus only

awareness grew

that You were much more

than they first knew

I look upon You

as pages seem to glow

with that same glory

from so long ago

my fears may fell me

yet You have shown

there is no fear

in seeing You alone

I always need the God of salvation.

Our God is a God of salvation,

and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

Psalm 68:20

On a day in which I will be reflecting on the price Jesus paid to redeem me, I am most profoundly aware of my sin and my brokenness. I am my biggest problem. I am at the heart of my pain. I need a God of salvation. I need a deliverer from death. 

I am forgiven in Christ. I know this. Yet I am still so painfully aware of my need for the gospel. I need to confess sin and cling to a Savior. I need a God of salvation. I need a deliverer from death. Yes, I know I said that just a few sentences ago. But I feel it deeply today as I look at Jesus and anticipate weeping before His cross with His people this Good Friday.

I feel my deep, sinful brokenness acutely today. His Spirit brought me low yesterday, painfully fallen by my thoughtless sins. My broken sin shows up in me in these ways regularly:

• Self-absorbed thinking. Me! Me! Me! What about me! Look at me! Give me what I want! Like Bob Wiley “I need! I need!” I Pharisaically project that I am self-discipled to put others first, but even those efforts can have a wicked bent to secretly be recognized for my “selflessness”. What a fraud I often am! I am disgusting in my self-absorption.
• Inconsiderate actions toward others. I am too easily driven by my wants — “Do I look good?” “What will others think of ME?” “How can I gain attention?” “I’ll do this because others will see it.” And I will fly right past the needs of others in my hot pursuit for the spotlight. I am quite aware that occasionally there is a trail of “hit and run” victims behind me.
• Broken relationships. I have several. I kid myself thinking that the hurts are the problems of others and that they just need to “grow up and get over it”. Jesus reconciled me (born the enemy of God) to the Father. I focus on that this Good Friday. He wants me to reconcile to others. He calls me to humbly confess how I break things with people and I need to own this. The cross has the power to break my relationship-breaking bent. Will I humbly ask others to forgive this in me?
• Disappointment with myself. Like Paul I too often moan “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death!” My sin (not the sins of other people) is what leads to my unhappiness. Why do I wait until I am miserable to see this? I need to focus on the continuous saving work of Jesus and the day-to-day transforming sanctification and growth Jesus wants to do in me as I daily reflect, repent, seek Word wisdom, follow the Spirit’s direction, and humble this proud old self!

Seeing my Savior bear the agony of Calvary so that I might be delivered calls me right now to fresh awareness of my need to repent, entrust my soul to Christ, and show Jesus in this old, broken, weary man. I fall before His cross anticipating resurrection.

O Lord! Have mercy on me a sinner!

The One Who is our Judge

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 16:27

This matter-of-fact promise from Jesus about His second coming has a powerful build-up meant to get our attention on ALL of Who Jesus is. The context of Matthew 16 leads to making this statement from Jesus echo with authority and power.

First (Matthew 16:1-4), some insistent Pharisees and Sadducees, who had seen numerous miracles in Jesus’ ministry and fought with Him over them, came to Jesus demanding that He provide some miraculous sign to show His heavenly authority. Jesus chided them for their earthly viewpoint, told them only the “sign of Jonah” (a reference to His three days in a tomb) would be their sole sign, and literally walked away from them. I am sure they were not happy, what with Jonah being a book about Gentiles coming to faith in the true God and a call to repentance by a disappointed legalistic Jew.

Jesus then warns His men to avoid the dangerous, destructive legalism of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:5-12). Their teachings were the “things of men” and led people away from the good news. And what was the good news?

The third section (Matthew 16:13-20) has Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah. Jesus affirms this truth of His clear identity. And then He builds on it, contrasting it with the very human viewpoints of His identity.

The fourth part (Matthew 16:21-23) is Jesus’ clear prediction of His upcoming death and resurrection in Jerusalem. When Peter chides Him for this, Jesus rebukes Peter for having in mind the “things of men”. After this clear communication of His mission, the final part of Matthew 16 is a call to discipleship (Matthew 16:24-28). Those who reject an earthly view of Jesus follow the Messianic Deliverer and sacrificial savior with all their lives! That is where this revelation of Jesus as final Judge of all human destiny is revealed.

The One Who is the very sign from heaven is our Judge. The One Who is God’s anointed Deliverer is our Judge. The One Who died to forgive us and was raised from the dead to grant us life forever is our Judge. The One we follow with our lives now will soon return to repay all people for their actions. 

Searcher of my paths

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Psalm 139:3

O God Who knows me,

How I need comfort in knowing that You know where I am, what I am, how I am, who I am, when I am, and why I am! My days can feel so shaky and uncertain sometimes. I wake up filled with hope and then lie in my bed at night discouraged. Or, I barely roll out of bed in the morning, unmotivated to start my day, and somehow You turn it all around. All I know is this: I do not know the path I will take. But You do. And I have to trust what You know and how You will lead me.

You know every step I will take today. You give me each breath I will take. You will sustain me. You will ordain every mile of this road. So I will trust in what You know, look for how You will lead, and wait for what You want to give me.

Like David I observe that Your wisdom and sovereign control are not just facts, but cause for worship. What You know about me and what You do for me is too wonderful for me to express or even comprehend. Your ways are higher and I will not attain them (Psalm 139:6). I can only look, trust, and worship. And so I entrust today to the Searcher of my paths.

Amen

need in a broken world

Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him…

Matthew 15:29-30a

Everywhere that Jesus went, the great need of the great crowd followed Him. He went into primarily Gentile territory (Tyre and Sidon) and had ministry to an insistent Canaanite woman who had heard of Him, believed He could heal, and begged Him to heal her sick daughter (Matthew 15:21-28). Jesus gave grace to her.

Jesus traveled back into Galilee, the tone of the text reading like He really needs some restorative rest… walking along the lakeshore, hiking into the hills… and even there the crowds found Him. He climbed to the top of the mountain. The determined crowds sat down with Him, desperate as they brought along the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, the hurting, the helpless, and the oppressed. And every one of the broken people were healed by a weary Jesus. The result was that worship erupted as God displayed His love and power in His Son (Matthew 15:31).

There is always need in a broken world. It was all around Jesus, anywhere that He went. It is all around us today at any place we may go. And that need will only be met in Christ. It will only end when He ends it through healing souls and lives by His gospel. It will FINALLY end when He Who has defeated death and sin returns to rule this world, judge the living and the dead, and recreate this broken universe in a new heavens and a new earth. Healing sick people on a hillside was just a fraction of the wonder of my God! He will remake an entire universe again! He makes all things new and whole! He is actively restoring broken things… even me. I can’t wait to see what will come!

“It is I.”

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27

When the winds blew

and the waves raised

I saw You

yet I was afraid

You were drawing near

to comfort me

but in my fear

I could not see

Still You reached out Your hand

as You drew nigh

I rose to stand

as You said “It is I”.

“Take heart,” You spoke

to my trembling soul

into my stormy boat

Your peace did flow

The winds ceased

the waves did too

as Your great peace

filled me through

No longer afraid

I trust in You

for You have said

You’ll see me safely through.

delivered from the prison of a cave

Bring me out of prison,

that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me,

for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 142:7

David wrote these words while hiding out from Saul’s wrath in a cave. And that cave at times felt like a prison. He longed to be a free man. He longed for God to keep His promise to him. But until then the cave would also become a sanctuary… a place to worship, to cry out, to trust God, and to wait.

David modeled this worship in difficult times in this way throughout the 142nd psalm:

• He lamented and prayed, unafraid to express his emotion to God (Psalm 142:1-2).
• He trusted that God knew his condition and had a plan for Him (Psalm 142:3).
• David felt alone and hunted (Psalm 142:4).
• He trusted God as a refuge, not just the physical environment of the cave (Psalm 142:5).
• David threw all his weakness and inability on a mighty God by faith (Psalm 142:6).

Eventually David’s cave would fill with hope, support, and power. God would bring “mighty men” his way to help him. The cave became a war room. And they too would hide with him until God brought an end to Saul and then exalted David as king. And when that happened, David was not alone anymore, crying in a cave or imprisoned by injustice. God clearly answered the prayer He heard from David in a cave!

Generations later, God would not abandon the Son of David in a cold cave of a tomb. He would resurrect Jesus to be King of Kings! And He who turns caves into war rooms will do the same for those imprisoned by a temporary cold cave!

the danger of only seeing one side of Jesus

“Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? … Where did this man get all these things?”

Matthew 13:54, 56

There is a grave danger in seeing Jesus from only one side. Such is the case with Jesus’ neighbors in Nazareth. They knew Jesus… but they could not accept that He was anything more than just a guy from their hometown. What they knew about Jesus, captured in the phrase “this man” shows their exclusive focus on just His humanity:

• an astonishingly articulate rabbi whose teaching was heard in their synagogue.
• the son of the carpenter.
• the son of Mary.
• the brother of James, Joseph, Simon, Judas, and sisters.

Yet those four facts were where their belief about Jesus stopped. They could relate to the human Jesus… the amazing teacher… the son of their town… and even a worker of unexplained wonders. But they failed to see His wisdom as God’s wisdom or His miracles as God’s work. The human Jesus alone will never be the true Jesus. He demands more than an earthly origin story. Jesus requires an acceptance of His divine reality as the Son of God and Lord of His people.

Many are all too comfortable right now with a human Jesus. He spoke powerful words of peace and understanding. He identifed with the outcasts and the downtrodden. He accepted those who came to Him. He was gentle and was greatly misunderstood. But His life was much more than that simplistic human assessment of Him! 

The ones who truly misunderstood Him, including those who only saw Him as a Nazarene citizen, misunderstood that He was sent from God to redeem the world from sin. They reject His gospel mission by only looking at His human side. Jesus was no mere activist. He is instead, the very God of heaven, a Savior, our Lord, God in the flesh demanding our worship and our action in His call to follow Him, to live like Him, to be transformed by Him, and to call this world to repent and believe in the God-man Jesus Christ our Lord!

of trees and treasures

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

Matthew 12:33

Jesus spoke these words about the Pharisees immediately after they accused Him of having power over demons only because Satan had empowered Him. This was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And it was a great evil… one that Jesus said put them at extreme peril on judgment day for their calloused hearts.

Jesus goes on to say that such words could only proceed from corrupt hearts (Matthew 12:34-35). He began His discourse on human motivation with this picture of two trees. A good tree is known as good because from it comes good fruit. Likewise a bad tree is deemed worthless and fit for destruction when it produces fruit that is bad. He then gives an even deeper picture of the treasure chest of the inner person (Matthew 12:35-36). A good person brings good treasure from the righteousness in his heart that he treasures. And an evil person’s dark treasure chest can only bring out evil. A life filled with evil will be miserable, hateful, and never satisfied. Only a heart transformed by Christ can bring out good.

Lord,

Help me understand and evaluate my heart by life fruit and the treasures that come out of my heart. I want to make the tree good as You transform me. I want my treasures to be Your treasures, truth and life that lasts for eternity. Teach me, lead me, heal me, and bless me thus, Lord!

Amen

defended

But you, O GOD my Lord,

deal on my behalf for your name's sake;

because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!

Psalm 109:21

David wrote these words of confident trust as he processed horrible mistreatment by people who should have cared about him. The psalm is heavy on lament and calls God to justice. It does not necessarily suggest a specific occasion for its composition, but I could see David having these thoughts during Absalom’s revolt, when civil war drove David from the throne and many people turned against him. Look at how David describes his mistreatment and see if you can’t identify with it:

• People spread lies about him (Psalm 109:2).
• He is attacked without mercy (Psalm 109:3).
• People that he loves accuse him (perhaps this is his own son?) (Psalm 109:4-5).
• Actions toward David are unkind (Psalm 109:16).
• There is no mercy or empathy for David’s broken heart (Psalm 109:16).
• Curses are called down upon David (Psalm 109:17-18).

David is affected by all this accusation and hatred directed at him. Look at how he feels:

• He is the poor and needy one in the psalm (Psalm 109:22).
• He feels wasted and weak (Psalm 109:23-24).
• He is scorned socially, feeling alone and rejected by people in general (Psalm 109:25).

But David trusts God beyond the intensity and immensity of the hate directed at him. He clings to God’s steadfast love, trusts that God will in the end show His power, believes God can turn their curses into His blessings, and trusts God to put sinful accusers to shame (Psalm 109:26-28).

In the end, even if others hate us, ridicule us, reject us, or cancel us, those who trust Christ will be vindicated… for He Who is at the Father’s right hand defends the right hand of those who need Him (Psalm 109:31)!

fear uncovered

So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 10:26

My soul fears much more than I care to admit and much of my fear is around what other people do. I am at my heart a fearer of people. This shows up in the way I want everyone around me to like me, to be happy, to agree, and treat me the way I think I should be treated. I never want anyone to think bad of me. It is a perverse kind of selfishness that centers my happiness on pleasing others and judging what they think, not about Jesus so much, but what they think about me. This is fear. It is not good for me to do this.

Often a good day quickly goes bad when I do not get the response I think I should from people. I turn sad or sullen or angry or judgmental or often just a mix of all sorts of dark negativity. It is what fear does to me when I choose it. And it will keep me up at night, ruin my days, steal my joy, and pull my heart from the love and worship of my Lord.

This is why I need Jesus to confront and calm my fears as directly as He does in Matthew 10. I am most afraid when I cannot understand why people act the way they do toward me. But God knows hearts, not me. He will, in His time, as promised here, take care of every selfish or hateful motive from others against me. AND He also uncovers my own selfish fears, making them known by His Spirit’s use of His Word so that in His revealing light I can confront my sinful fear and my own judgmentalism of others, acknowledge my faithlessness, and then properly broken by my sinful failure… I repent!

Lord,

This light upon my fear is exactly what I needed as a reminder for today. Thanks for Your timely wisdom. Uncover my fear and expose my heart by Your Spirit and Your Word. Make me uncomfortable about my sin, and stop me from the idolatry of pleasing others! Uncover my conflicted soul! Make Your power known!

Amen

self trapped

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

Psalm 141:10

Fallen in a pit

dug to trap another

hanging from a rope

meant to catch a brother

what the wicked plan

in the ways of man

we can understand

God will bring their end

using their own traps against them

Consequences follow

every evil scheme

God can turn against

the wicked what they originally mean

to hurt, wound, or kill

will never thwart God’s will

God will overrule

using their very evil tool

in irony to destroy them

Trapped in their own net

they don’t trust God and yet

God in mercy shows them

how to repent and turn to Him

they can still turn away

from self and no longer stray

He would always take them back

and deliver them from their trap

if by faith they would trust in Him

intense ministry

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

Matthew 9:35

Jesus really had an intense ministry. It is like nothing else we read of in the Bible. Matthew’s summary description of it here shows a four-fold work taking place:

1.  Jesus traveled to cities and villages. He was always on the move, taking His ministry and message to new places. He was sent to a people (Israel) and connected with them by going to where they were.

2.  Jesus taught in the synagogues. He worshiped with those to whom He was called. And as a rabbi, Jesus was allowed to teach at their gatherings. He operated within the means of worship and instruction that everyone expected.

3.  Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom. He had a new message of hope. He proclaimed salvation to Israel. He pointed the people to Himself and a new way of God transforming hearts that only His work would bring.

4.  Jesus healed diseases and afflictions. People were physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually afflicted. Jesus had mercy and authority over sickness and demonic possession. He healed in order to show that power and authority. And it was no doubt His miracles that brought the crowds to Him as He did what only God could do.

All of this intense ministry was fueled by an authentic and unique love for the crowds… something the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not display. He saw the crowds as harassed and helpless, in need of a gentle shepherd (Matthew 9:36). And Jesus would call all His disciples to love and to serve with kingdom intensity like He did (Matthew 9:37). May His church today carry on with authentic intensity as Jesus continues to empower and enable us to travel, teach, preach, and see Him heal lives!

singing praises in the pressure

…for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

Psalm 63:7

One biblical strategy for not being overwhelmed by stress and anxiety is to truly worship God. Psalm 63 was written in a stressful time for David as he fled from Saul in the wilderness of Judah. There was an entire army bent upon following Saul’s orders. They wanted to “destroy” David’s life (Psalm 63:9). David had reason to fear but chose to fight fear in faithful worship of God.

David acknowledged that his circumstances INCREASED his thirst for God (Psalm 63:1). So an immediate action when given to fear is to see how the painful circumstances call out for desperate faith. Crave God when you feel like caving in to fear!

That thirsty craving led to expressive worship engaging David spiritually and physically. His eyes looked upon God to behold His power and glory. His lips praised God for His steadfast love. His hands were lifted up in praise (Psalm 63:2-4). Choose to fight fear with your whole person — soul and body!

David directed his soul to remember God… even in nights when it was hard to sleep (Psalm 63:5-8). He remembered God as he turned in his bed. He made those nights time to worship and to meditate upon the God Who satisfied him, sheltered him, and held him up in the stress-filled story. He chose to make sleeplessness worshipful.

The last word for David in response to anxious stress was this: “,,,the king shall rejoice in God.” Worship in the hard times can have its own unique joys… if we will only discipline our souls to see them and choose to embrace the gift of songs in such stresses.

Jesus the Healer

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

Matthew 8:17

Mark 8 emphasizes Jesus as the Healer. A simple survey of the chapter yields these insights about how He heals:

• Jesus heals a leper - Emphasis: Jesus wills it so (Mark 8:1-4).
• Jesus heals a centurion’s servant - Emphasis: Jesus has authority at a distance (Mark 8:5-13).
• Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law - Emphasis: Jesus meets needs before we even ask (Mark 8:14-15).
• Jesus casts demons from many - Emphasis: Jesus fulfills scripture (Mark 8:16-17).
• Jesus calms a storm - Emphasis: Jesus commands the physical world (Mark 8:23-27).
• Jesus heals two demon-possessed men - Emphasis: Jesus commands the spiritual world (Mark 8:28-34)

Lord Jesus, 

You are the Great Healer. You have borne all our hurts, our sorrows, our pains, and our illnesses. You have the will to restore us and make us whole. You have all the authority so that nothing… not time, distance, our emotional responses, our fears, or any opposition can change what You will to do for us or what You will for us to be. You see the need we have before we even come to You. You fulfill all that has spoken in scripture concerning You. You command the forces of nature. You command even demons to flee from us.

There is nothing broken that you cannot fix. There is no distance You cannot by grace and power bridge. There is no evil stronger than Your power to command it to cease. My life then is Yours to heal. My broken relationships are Yours to renew. My anxious and weary heart is Yours to calm and mend. My oppressive circumstances are Yours to break. My storms are Yours to still. You are always my Healer!

Amen

From wicked to righteous

The wicked are estranged from the womb;

they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Psalm 58:3

All people are born wicked. We are born in sin. From the womb we are sinners through and through. Our sin will lead our first steps astray. Our first words will be lies. That is our natural state. This is why we are answerable to a holy God before Whom we deserve to be cast in judgment. This is why we need Jesus to save us. All of us, each of us, every one of us is wicked at birth.

Scripture is clear that this lost condition is endemic to us all. And we are held accountable before a holy God. We are born into sin. We do sin. We need a Savior. None of us, born as we are in this desperate and depraved condition, have the capacity to please God or make amends for our wickedness. We remain estranged. We walk further away with each lie we speak, each disobedience we choose, each sin we selfishly commit in disregard of a holy God.

God judges wickedness. There are two methods for this. One is in a life that ends in eternal punishment by a just God. The other is in faith that trusts that Jesus bore that punishment for our wicked nature on the cross, and then rose from the dead that we might eternally live cleansed by His redeeming blood. And this is the “reward for the righteous” from the “God Who judges on earth” (Psalm 58:11). In Jesus we know the forgiveness for sin, the restoration of our estrangement, the righteousness that holds us close to a loving God, and the truth that erases all the lies! Praise Him for the way He turns the wicked to be His holy ones!

with all I am

Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

Psalm 57:8

With all I am

I will praise You

With all my mind

I will seek You

With all my soul

I will worship You

With all my heart

I will love You

Glorious God You deserve

All I have

With all I am

I begin today

With all my mind

I take in the splendor of the dawn

With all my soul

I entrust my life to You

With all my heart

I will feel You near in glory

Saving God I am Yours

With all I am

far from sand

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Matthew 7:26

Lord,

My prayer today is simple: Let me live solidly built on the rock secure foundation of hearing AND doing what You say. May Your authority not only pique my interest but also control my choices. May Your wisdom be more than a thought, but also in my actions. Will You please help me to do what You say?

Your own warning tells me that just because I read Your Word does not mean my life will be stable. Just because I say I am Christian is no guarantee. I must be a man who does what I say I believe, lives what I trust, and puts into practice what my Lord preaches.

The expectation from You, my Lord, is that saving faith is a living faith. This I know, my God. And I will seek to be among Your wise “doers” of all that You say!

Amen

lip service failure

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:23

On a future day

some will say

     “Lord, Lord…”

Surprise declaration

of rejection:

“Depart from me!”

“Workers of iniquity!”

“You said what you do

but I never knew you!”

It isn’t enough

to say verbal stuff

if with the will of the Father

you never seem to bother.

Many can falsely claim

to believe in The Name

while living such a lie

will fail them when they die.

In the now

it has to be how

     Jesus is Lord.

Obedience shows

more than I know.

I seek to obey

what Word and Spirit say

“Well done!” I want to hear

from the Lord I love and fear.

careful inspection

A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Matthew 7:18

Jesus began this section of the Sermon on the Mount with a warning against judgmentalism (see Matthew 7:1). Then he asks His followers to live by a clear criteria that cares about how others wish to be treated… the famous Golden Rule: “…whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…” (Matthew 7:12). This is a standard by which we evaluate our actions and motives and a standard that people may use to evaluate Christians.

But Jesus does NOT teach that actions are neutral. He links what we do on the outside with who we are on the inside. He uses the analogy of fruit and tree to help us understand that nothing we do is motive-free. And the fruit shows the health of the tree. Jesus thus encourages analysis of the fruit… good fruit = good tree… bad fruit = bad tree. Discernment and judgment are to be practiced by Jesus’ guidelines. This is far different than judgmentalism where “my criteria” is the standard. In a context on this kind of careful inspection Jesus Himself called certain people “dogs” and “pigs” (Matthew 7:6) and warns that others might be false prophets (Matthew 7:15). He calls us to recognize fruit and make the determination ourselves (Matthew 7:16). Thus the command to “judge not” in Matthew 7:1 isn’t about making determinations, it is about being careful HOW we do so.

It is important to protect out hearts from the sin of judgmentalism. That means we realize that “how” we look at sin, starting first with ourselves, is key. We don’t forget our own real need to pull logs out of our own eyes first. We realize judgment begins with us and is God’s to do ultimately. We treat others with respect and love as we would want to be treated, wanting to repent of our own sin, and hoping our loving words can convince others to repent of theirs. Yet if bad fruit is clearly in evidence we have to recognize it for what it is. First in our own hearts… then in helping others get to the root of their own diseased tree and stunted fruit. It is wise to evaluate the fruit of our lives by Jesus’ standards.