Bath Time

Have you ever had bath time battles with a child?  I have.  I remember the “cleaning behind the ears” battle I had with one of my sons.  But after finally giving in, I discovered he was right - cleaning behind the ears was not really all that bad!

The people of heaven are all people who realize they were sin stained and in need of a Spiritual bath.  They all came to a place where they understood their need to be thoroughly washed.  Think about John in his island prison.  I do not suppose Patmos Penitentiary had a regular laundry service.  John was probably filthy and wearing very dirty clothes, but in his rapturous vision of heaven, he sees the people of God adorned in brilliant white robes, pure and clean from head to toe.  These robes and their cleanliness represents purity.  There is not  a hint of stain on these people.  They are thoroughly washed, clean, glistening.

This is a picture of what Christ has done for His people.  We are stained and soiled with the filth of sin and disease because we are a fallen people in a fallen world.  Sinful thoughts and deeds create great stains.  As we look upon our sin stained selves we are made to understand that we do not belong in the presence of God.  As we see ourselves as we actually are because of sin, we wonder,   how would we ever dare to think that we may enter into the presence of God like this?  Well, if you are in Christ, you need not be so concerned, Revelation 7:14 lets us in on the remedy:  “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Behold the Man Upon the Cross

When the Spirit of Grace and supplication has been poured out upon the Church, what will happen? Verse 10 of Zechariah 12 answers:  “They will look on Me, on the One whom they have pierced.”  Have you been concerned that I have taken much liberty with this text - - I mean – this is not the church – it is Israel!  This passage has nothing to do with Christ and His church, this is Old Testament.  But note again – this is God speaking, and God says we will look upon Him, whom we have pierced.

How can it be that God Himself will be pierced?  Only in Christ crucified, only at the cross can it be said – “the Lord who stretched out the heaven and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man” is “pierced for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.”  That is why, as a Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus in John 19:37, the Apostle John cites this verse in Zechariah as having thusly been fulfilled.  God incarnate was pierced!

Zechariahs concern is not so much with the manner of crucifixion as it is with our response to it.  When the Spirit is poured out upon sinners, how will they respond?  How do sinners respond  to Grace?  Those to whom the grace of repentance is given will look up to the incarnate God, pierced for sinners.  Remember in Acts 2:37 when the Holy Spirit was poured upon the Church, and the people responded, and Peter stands up and preached.  What did Peter preach?  He preached Christ, and He pierced (crucified)!  And as the Spirit brings the grace of repentance to them, what did they do?  They cried our – they plead, the offered supplication.  This is what Zechariah has been speaking of here.  They saw Christ crucified and they saw their complicity in piercing his hands and feet and side upon that tree, and they cried out!

Do you know anything of that heart cry as you see the reality of your own sin?  Can you say with the hymn writer:

Behold the man upon the cross,

My sins upon His shoulders.

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there,

Until it was accomplished.

His dying breath has brought me life,

I know it is finished!

On That Day - How Will We Come to Belong?

In Zechariah 12:10-14, we are taken back a bit - and the Prophet answers for us, how do we come to belong to this immovable, invincible, victorious church?  This is what God did for Israel, and it is what he shall do as well for us.


In verse 10 we read - I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, grace and supplication.  God will create longing hearts that cry out to Him!   The reality and the longing for grace and the realization of that Grace are the product of the will of God.  Our cries for grace are not initially what activates the grace of God.  Rather our cries for grace are the evidence that the grace of God has already been at work.  Our pleas  are the fruit of the work of grace by the Holy Spirit's powerful ministry in the hearts of desperately lost people.


Our repentance, our faith, every consequent cry of our hearts have their ultimate source and spring in the inward workings of the Holy Spirit applying the same resurrecting power that brought Jesus forth from the grave to our hearts freeing us too from the grips of sin and death.  Grace applies the victory of Christ over every enemy of God - sin, despair, suffering, rejection, death - to a people who did nothing to have deserved such a victory.  It is all of Christ and in Christ that we are saved.  It is all of Christ and through Christ that we are made to belong to the Church. 

On That Day - God Will Assure

Having been armed with an expansive view of the faithfulness of God, Zechariah turns our attention to the Future of Israel.  It is alarming at first, that the narrative the Prophet provides is set in the context of great and terrible struggle.  He speaks of Jerusalem under siege, "like a cup of staggering," in verse 2.

There is no sugar-coating of our reality, sometimes life is hard!  There is ongoing hostility between the world and the people of God - and it is often nasty and vicious and dangerous - - we are after all in a war!

BUT GOD!  BUT GOD, is assuring us that no matter how intense the conflict and how hard we are pressed by the stark realities  and trials that confront us - - God will make us an army that will be greatly instrumental in overcoming our persecutors. 

I realize contextually this speaks of Israel, but I am confident that it speaks of the church of today as well.  And look at verse 3,the prophet depicts the people of God as a heavy stone that injures those who try to move it.  What a wonderful picture of the stability and immovability of the people of God.  Here is the church! Not a temporary institution under threat.  Not held together by the creativity and ingenuity of its leaders; not merely surviving by the good graces of popular opinion and the most clever and "relevant" theological fads, not surviving on the backs of the best praise band and youth group. No - Not at all!  The church is immovable because it is sustained by God

All of the world - the very foundation and elements of this great globe will - as Tomlin sings - melt like snow!  But the Church, the Lords beloved bride, will last forever!  The Church is an eternal thing, it will endure for ever!  What glorious a glorious hope for the people of God!

On That Day - God Will Deliver

In verses 1-9 of Zechariah 12, The Prophet describes the life of God's people in terms, so rich, so far reaching, so conclusive, so extraordinarily, that he first carefully prefaces the oracle to help us remember who it is that is speaking.  Verse 1 - "Thus declares the Lord . . . "

The prophet begins his teaching about what God will do for us by reminding us of what God has already done.  The measure of the reliability of the promises of God is not based upon our strength or faith only, but upon the strength and faithfulness of the One who made those promises.

And what is said of this One who has promised?  He is the Sovereign Maker of everything!  He has spoken all things into existence.  He sustains all things through the might of His Word!  And so the Prophet encourages our thoughtful remembrances of God and his mighty acts to encourage our trust in Him.  When there are doubts concerning the promises of GOD - there is a whole history in the Word, and even in the "cloud of witnesses" who testify of the goodness and faithfulness of God to them spanning all of human history and experience!

Are you struggling today - has doubt and despair gotten hold of you?  Attack those doubts with an expansive look at the Lord your God.  Read of his faithfulness to His people as recorded in the pages of your Bible.  Study the demonstrated faithfulness of your God in the Biographies of Christians through the ages.  Seek fellowship in your church family and you will be encouraged by their own stories of the faithfulness and power of God in their lives.  Arm yourself with a full picture of Gods faithfulness and sovereignty and power and then turn to His promises and trust that He is good and you will be well garrisoned against the attacks of doubt and despair! 

On That Day

You will find the words “on that day” repeated often as you read through Zechariah, especially in chapter 12. What are we to understand of that day of which the Prophet speaks? It is the day of salvations fullness. It alludes to the person and work of the Cross. We live - right now - in the midst of that day!

Today is the day the Prophet had in mind, and so we are exhorted, “as long as it is called today if you hear the Lord’s voice do not harden your hearts.” And so this is a message of hope. But be warned, the term “day” implies this offer is not to last for ever. It is just a day, one day, one opportunity and soon the day will conclude and the overtures of grace and mercy and forgiveness and salvation and hope will pass. I am hoping that you are sensing the urgency of this plea - TODAY. I am hoping that you understand the necessity to act now, without delay. The work of Christ is offered here - in the very words of this page - come now - today in response the Gospel.

Monday Morning Thoughts about Church: For those who love Jesus, but are not so sure about His church.

I recently had a conversation with a person who has “had it with the church.”  He lamented the nit-picking, the back-biting, the old guard who were stubborn and selfish, the "1950's mentality – and well, he has had it!  He will find God elsewhere! When a church is not all that we expect it to be, the temptation to “look for God elsewhere” is understandable. But is it right?

Would Jesus, the Bridegroom and Head of the church, favor a churchless Christianity?  In short - - NO.  At her best and at her worst, Jesus loves his church. He  laid down his life for her (John 10:11). He will never leave or forsake her (Hebrews 13:5). He will complete the work he started in her (Philippians 1:6). In other words, Jesus knows nothing about having more of God by having less of the church. To the contrary, Jesus is married to the church. The church is his chosen, beloved Wife.  Jesus has chosen to love us, warts, bad attitudes, stubborn, and hypocritical as we are - - He chooses to love us! 

What does it say about us if the church is good enough for the Father to adopt, for the Spirit to inhabit, and for Jesus to marry…but not good enough for us to remain committed to?  If the church is good enough for Jesus - - even with all her flaws - - She is good enough for you, and more than that - - you need the church.  You see, as we live in community with one another, we grow in the knowledge and experience of God by being with others who bear his image. As we learn from and rub off on one another we become better, more whole, more Christ-like, and ultimately – more useful to the will and purposes of God.  In fact – it is for the very imperfections of the church that Christ has put us together.  Hebrews says we are together to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, Hebrews 10:24,25:

"And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near"

If you are dissatisfied or disillusioned with the local church, don’t leave it. If the church stinks to you, then make it better. Pray for it. Bless it. Serve it. Love it. 

Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering

I am currently reading two books, both of which I am enjoying thoroughly and commend to your reading.  First is "Desiring the Kingdom" by James K A Smith.  It is a book about Liturgy and Culture and Worship - - a very insightful book.  The other is "Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering" by Timothy Keller, it is from this book that I have been thinking devotionally this morning. 

Let me ask, have you paid attention to what happens to the disciples of Jesus?  They suffered, they received scoffing and rejection.  They died for their faith.  From Keller's book, we are taught that followers of Jesus rest in the hope and joy of eternity even amidst the starkest and most desperate and painful realities of living in a sin ravished - fallen world.   The promises of God DO NOT prevent the problem of suffering; let us not pretend they do.  Jesus said in John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation."  No sugar-coating reality there!  Jesus said the truth - we will suffer - - but praise God, Jesus added - "....but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!"

The world is a messed up place.  Sin has made it a place of hurt and pain and anguish and frustration - and we must not be so naïve  to think pledging allegiance to Jesus is going to make everything better and easier.  Olsteenian theology is a lie - - this is not your best life now!  To be sure - followers of Jesus find peace in the finished work of Jesus himself, nothing else!  But that does not mean that life will always be "peachy."  Even the man who built his house in the rock had to endure the storm.

After having dealt with the reality of pain and suffering, Keller gives a Biblical foundation upon which to stand when the hurtful, painful realities of life come.  This is what makes this book most practical and useful.  Let me share with you what Keller does in the book to help you through pain and suffering.

Keller breaks the book into three parts, first: Understanding the Furnace.  Second, Facing the Furnace.  And then finally - Walking with God in the Furnace.  It was this third part that I found most beneficial.

I recommend this book, "Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering" by Timothy Keller.  In fact - if you are in the Hagerstown area - stop by Lifeway for a visit.  If I am there (I am off Friday this week) - I will gladly show you where to find the book, and I would really enjoy the visit.  Blessings!

Living for the Lord??

Are you living for the Lord?  Based on what I have seen, "living for the Lord" is followed up with a list of accomplishments to prove the claim: "He goes to Church, he's living for the Lord."  "She teaches Sunday School and he is the pastor, they are living for the Lord."  "I have a great kid, she is really living for the Lord."  In other words - "living for the Lord" means doing lots of things for Jesus.  Oh - is that not wonderful, Jesus is just so lucky to have us doing so much for Him."  It seems that living for the Lord, for the most part is all about what we do.


But that really is not what it means to live for the Lord.  Paul clears things us when he says in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  This verse is quoted often, and without fail, the application is understood to be - "so you need to live for Jesus, that is what Paul did."


But please take very careful note of what Paul actually said: He DID NOT say, "for me to live is to live for the Lord."  For Paul - life is not living for Jesus, life is just simply Jesus!  Did you get that, it deserves repeating and understanding - for Paul - life IS Jesus!  Paul said in Galatians, "I am crucified with Christ: never-the-less I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me."


To LIVE IS Christ!  We do not just live to do nice things for Jesus, we do not even live to be sold out to Jesus.  Frankly we have nothing to "sell out!"  I Corinthians 6:20 says that we are not our own, rather we have been purchased by Christ.  That is the New Testament, Gospel reality, "No longer I - - but Christ!"  This encompasses all of life, not just a couple nice things we can do for Jesus - we belong to Him in our entirety! 

Truly Seeing God

In Matthew 5:8 - we are given a great secret - "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."  Purity is the key to truly seeing God!

It is necessary that we understand something about the brand of purity of which this passage speaks.  You see, some have the idea that purity is something that you have when you were born, but it is lost as mess up over time.  But in the Bible, purity is not something lost, it is something gained as you grow in the Christian life.

But understand this as well - purity of heart does not mean sinless perfection either, although that certainly is a proper pursuit for the Christian.  The disappointing truth about us - even Christians, is that we are sinners, and sinners do sin.  Christians are sinners in the process of recovery.  Recovery means incremental growth, progress, but because we are fallen sinful persons, there will never be perfection in this life.  I John 1:8 says, "If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."  You see, I think a good definition of purity is an undivided heart.  Biblical purity is a single minded focus.

A pure heart is a single heart, the opposite of a divided heart, "....not that I am already made perfect...." says Paul, "but one thing I do...."  What is the one thing Paul does?  Paul pursues!  So then, go after purity - pursue a clean heart, an undivided heart - and as you do, and as you grow an undivided heart, you will see and love God more.  You will see Him more in worship, in His Word, in the trials and in your victories.  You will see Him more in His people, his church.  A pure heart, a heart in undivided pursuit of God will be a heart that will realize the promise of truly seeing Him.

Diet Shapes Appetite Over Time

Make a diet if cheeseburgers, over time you will have an appetite for cheeseburgers, and a body that shows it!  Let us talk about church:  Feed a church entertainment and it will have an appetite for entertainment.  Feed a church pop psychology and it will have an appetite for pop psychology.  Feed a church the Word of God and over time that church will hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Diet shapes appetite over time.  This is a fundamental principle.  You will want more of whatever you feed yourself on.  So, that means we want to monitor our diet carefully.

How is your diet shaping your appetites?   Do you like to work out? Sleep? Watch sports?  Read?  TV?  There is certainly nothing wrong with these, but here is the question: are the legitimate pleasures of life holding you back from being all that Christ calls you to be.  Is your appetite for God and His will diminished by a diet of other things?

The best way to subdue any appetite is to cultivate a stronger appetite that will take its place.  How can we cultivate a desire for holiness?  How can we have a greater hunger for God and righteousness?  Matthew 5:6 suggests we simply make a diet of such things:  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. . . . "  Replace a diet of things of the world with a diet of the things of GOD - and over time, you will have developed an appetite for God and for righteousness.

When You are Weak (Part Two)

Did you know - that right now - Jesus is in deep prayer interceding for you?  That means He speaks to the Father on your behalf, bringing specific needs and particular situations that you are facing before God in prayer.  From the life of Jesus, there is a beautiful illustration of this, Jesus knew Peter would come under great pressure during the arrest and trial of Jesus, and Jesus knew that Peter would be tempted to deny Him.  Jesus said to Peter, "Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail" (Luke 22:31,32).


But you may say, "Peter did fail."  Yes he did! Three times Peter failed most miserably!  Three times Peter denied his LORD!  But take careful note that avoidance of failure is not what Jesus prayed for His disciple.  Rather Jesus prayed that his FAITH would not fail.  Failure is a consequence of our sinfulness, our fallenness - - we will fail!  The enemy does attack, and we do at times fail - and fail quite seriously, but our faith does not fail if we are in Christ - we will continue in faith despite our failure. 


Let me prove this from the Narrative we find here in Luke 22.  Satan really worked Peter over, and Peter failed big time!  And that would have been the end of Peters story if Christ had not interceded for him.  But Jesus did pray for Peter, and Jesus' prayers are always answered.  And for Peter, and for us who are in Christ, failure becomes an opportunity to discover the great depth of Gods mercy.  It also became an experience with the Grace of God that became useful as God ministered through Peter to others.


What Jesus did for Peter, He still does for you and I.  So when you are weak - even when you fail, be not troubled! for there is an intercessor pleading your case.  Our Jesus is the great victor over every enemy that may face us - - and in Him we too are victors!   "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?" (Romans 8:35).

When You are Weak.

I have been reminded recently how weak I am.  It seems like when I have it all together, I find myself struggling, and failing. I suppose that is the danger of overconfidence, it causes us to drop our guard and then, as my friend Doug Stahl says - - BOOOM!  


Matthew 26 speaks of the dangers of overconfidence.  There we find the words of Peter who said in verse 35: “I will never disown you!”  He said also in verse 33, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”  Peter was not fully aware of the weakness of his flesh.  And so, he did not watch, he did not pray, and as a result – he did enter into temptation - and he failed unbelievably so - he denied his Savior.  The one who thinks he has all he needs to stand better be careful, because he is setting himself up for failure!

Robert Murray McCheyne said “I am tempted to think that I am now an established Christian that I have overcome this or that lust for so long that I have got into the habit of the opposite grace – so that there is no fear.  I may venture very near temptation, nearer than other men.  This is a lie of Satan.  I might as well speak of gunpowder getting by habit a power of resisting fire, so as not to catch the spark.  The seeds of all sins are in my heart and perhaps all the more dangerously because I do see them.”

We must never fall into such thinking – we must be ever vigilant – ever watching.  In fact Jesus instructed His followers to watch and to pray?  Why?  Because Jesus knew that we are weak.  Do you know this to be so of you??  Do you know the weakness of your own flesh?  It is important that we know this truth, but let the truth not be a discouragement to you.   In fact – this realization is the first step in finding strength.  You must first agree that you are weak, and with such self-awareness, you may now flee to the one of whom Hebrews 4:15 says: “ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

I am weak – and so are you!  But God is gracious to weak sinners in that he has provided the answer to our weakness.  He has provided His own Son, who lived a very real life with very real struggles and temptations and disappointments and weariness and hurt – and yet he conquered every enemy when he rose again from that grave!  And from heaven – that same Son has provided His own presence in the person of the Holy Spirit who now resides in every Child of God to bring strength and direction to empower us that we may live pleasingly before The Father  --  and to bring comfort and assurance when we fail.

Be aware of the danger of overconfidence in life, and thrust yourself entirely, as an absolute invalid, upon the aid of the Holy Spirit.  When you are weak, HE is strong!

Are you fulfilling God’s highest purpose for your life? (Or how to overcome a lousy attitude)

  In Ephesians 5:17, Paul gives us some very important teaching, he wrote:  “….do not be foolish, but understand what the Lords will is.”  There are many things we pursue, things that are wasteful, frivolous, foolish, perhaps even harmful to self and others.  It is possible to spend time and energy on things that are not Gods best.

One way to avoid foolish living and thinking is by studying, understanding, obeying and applying the Word of God.  The Bible contains wisdom for our right living.  When we know and obey Gods Word, we are more likely to be in Gods will and not as likely to live foolishly.  When we are award of God will; when we know it, pursue it, obey it, we are made more useful for the purposes God has for us. I do not think there is anything more joyous than being in and fulfilling the will of God. 

To understand Gods will, our spiritual vision must be clear and our spiritual ears must be sensitized to the will of God.  How do we do that?  I find I am more attuned spiritually when I am able to separate from the busyness and chatter of life.  I make it a regular habit to be alone with God each morning.  This morning, after struggling for two days with not so great an attitude, I refocused my heart with worship and prayer.  Worship to me, is the education of my affections, it teaches me to love.  When I am “worshipping” things that are not God, I am not loving Him as I should, and thus lose the joy of my salvation.  But when I set my mind and heart and body to worship God, I am learning to love Him and regain that joy.  It also directs my heart away from myself and toward others, I am more loving toward them.  This morning I had a wonderful season of prayer along with my time of worship and bible reading, and I am feeling useful, participating in the lives and ministries of friends who are very precious and important to me, and thereby accomplishing in part what God has set me apart to do, glorify Him.

So – are you spending your life resources on things that have no eternal value or purpose?  I encourage you to get alone with God in Worship, Bible reading, and Prayer.  It will direct your life, it will improve your attitude, and will restore the joy of the Lord in your heart.  Blessings.