Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Prayer: Perfumed by His Blood

(An article on prayer by Douglas F. Kelly)

It is easy to speak about Christianity and doctrine and theology and morals and ethics. But in their hearts, many people want to know, "Can God be real for me? Can I touch Him? Could He touch me? Can things in my life be different because of God’s moving and making that difference?" Let me ask you, "Would you like some things to be different? Do you have things on your mind and heart that you are not able to change?" Maybe it seems that some things that concern you are beyond any human help you can think of. If so, you are reading the right article. God has brought this to you.

The first nine verses of Revelation 8 show us how things can be different; things which seem to be beyond any human power any sort of mastery of the will, or quite beyond any worldly circumstances. God uses word images here to help us understand profound spiritual truth—He can intervene! God can change your situation! God can make it profoundly different!

These verses let us see what lies behind the obvious, what makes things happen in this world we live in. It is very much like we are attending a stage play. As we take our seats, the curtains are drawn. As the curtains draw back, we see the set and the actors. The beloved apostle John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is drawing back the curtains which separate the unseen world from the visible world. He is showing us God’s way of ordering history, God’s way of determining what happens in our lives.

A Highway

In one sense, we can say the Bible teaches us that prayer is like a highway running between two worlds. We inhabit a material world. God created it. But there is another world also, one we do not see with our physical eyes. Nonetheless, this other world — the spiritual world, the heavenly realm — is just as real and is even more powerful and significant than the world we do see. Revelation 8 shows us the connection between the spiritual world we do not see and the material world we inhabit. These two worlds are interconnected and what happens in one impacts the other.

If we see Revelation 8 as a stage play, there would be an upper scene and a lower scene. And the spotlight shifts between the two scenes.

The action begins in upper scene, heaven. The spotlight focuses on an angelic being opening a seal. Without going into the prophetic significance of this, we can say that God has the initiative in history, that God really is in control. Behind all of history is the throne of God. He has never relinquished His control.

But in verse three, the spotlight leaves heaven, focusing on this material realm you and I inhabit. We see Christians praying and their prayers are ascending before God. As far as God’s operation of the universe is concerned, the meeting of believers to pray in the name of Christ can be more powerful than transactions of the New York Stock Exchange, the movements of an army, the rising and falling of interest rates or the meeting of a legislature, or a parliament. Simple, ordinary, frail, weak men and women who every day have to ask Jesus to forgive them, make them clean and renew them are praying. Those praying may feel nothing, not one thing. But something important is about to happen. Watch out!

Ascending Prayers

The spotlight suddenly shifts away from the earth and goes back up to the heavenly realm. As the believers’ prayers ascend to the Supreme Court of the universe, to the Lord and God who created all things out of nothing, something remarkable, something wonderful, something beautiful is happening.

An angel is adding a very special incense to the burning coals in a golden censor. We see him broadcasting the fragrant perfume as he walks around before the throne. The fragrance from the golden censor "perfumes" the saint’s prayers, causing them to be sweet smelling in the nostrils of God.

We are reminded of the golden censer the high priest used in Old Testament times. It was right beside the ark of the covenant which enshrined the law. The ark was covered by the mercy seat on which blood was sprinkled to "cover" the people’s sin until the Lamb of God should come and die on the Cross for their sins. In order to make the praises and the lives and the prayers and the worship of an imperfect and sinful, complaining, worrying, frail people acceptable to God, the high priest was to take coals from the altar of sacrifice, place them in the golden censer and sprinkle special incense on them. He would then walk around the holy place swinging the golden censer, wafting the fragrant incense over the mercy seat. This demonstrated that our worship does not smell good because of our sin. Because we are so frail and imperfect and bring so much dirt with us every time we worship, our prayers, our praise, our devotion, our reaching out to God in and of ourselves are not acceptable before the perfectly awesome, holy, pure God of God, Light of Light. So God commanded the high priest to do something to make the people’s praises "smell good" to Him, to make them acceptable.

Entrance Through the Wounds

A biographer of General Stonewall Jackson recounts a very moving scene which occurred the day before Jackson’s funeral. Very much a believer, Jackson had been accidentally shot by his own troops during the War Between the States. As his body lay in state, thousands and thousands of people filed by for a last look at this great southern general. Many threw flowers on his coffin as they passed silently by. Late in the day as the sun was sinking, the marshall gave orders to close the doors of the great chamber even as hundreds of people were still thronging to get in. As the big brass doors began to close, a rough bearded veteran in a tattered grey uniform began pushing his way to the front of the line. The marshall, at this abusive behavior, was about to push the man down the stone steps for his insolence. Suddenly, the grizzled veteran, with tears running down his cheeks raised high the stump of his arm and cried, "By this right arm which I gave for this country, I demand the privilege of one more time seeing the general under whom I served." The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia standing nearby said to the marshall, "Let this veteran in. He has won entrance by his wounds."

Your prayers and mine cannot win entrance to God by our own wounds. But our prayers do win entrance to the very throne of God by the wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Incensed Prayers

Something happens to believers’ prayers when we pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. As our prayers reach heaven, it is as though angels sprinkle perfume on our prayers, making them smell good. They become delectable, delightful things which our heavenly Father is thrilled to receive.

But what is this incense? The incense, the perfume, the fragrance put onto our prayers is actually the merits, the worthiness of life and particularly the atoning death of Jesus in our place.

When we pray it is as though our prayers are taken through the wounds of Christ’s body. They are made acceptable, they are made beautiful, they are made fragrant, they are incensed, they are made things of power. This is what it means to pray in Jesus’ name. It is not just a ritual, not merely a form. It is more than that.

It is a way of saying, "Lord, hear me through the merits, through the worthiness, through the death, through the wounds of Your Son. Perfume my prayers as they pass through the holes in His hands and feet. Make them worthy. Cause all my worship and all my desires to serve Thee worthy through what He has done in my place."

Too often Christians are hindered from praying by the sense of their unworthiness. They believe God will not hear them because they are too imperfect. God’s Church is being robbed of tremendous power right now because His people feel too unworthy to continue persevering in prayer until they see the answer. Our culture is slipping and disintegrating because so many in the Church have been robbed of our prayer power. We know that our own worthiness is inadequate, so we don’t pray much.

Yes, we are imperfect. Yes, we are unworthy. Yes, we have sinned. But we do not pray in our own names. We pray in Jesus’ name. We stand on His merits. We plead His blood and righteousness. And our prayers go up through His wounds.

Your prayers, the prayers of every believer are perfumed, are incensed when they go to heaven. Something powerful happens to our prayers when they get to heaven because of what Jesus has done and is doing. The Epistle to the Hebrews shows Him continually interceding for us. That is Jesus’ primary work since His resurrection and Ascension. Jesus is concerned with taking the prayer of His people through Himself to the Father.

Fire On the Earth

Back at the theater, the spotlight leaves heaven where the prayers are being perfumed and shifts back to the earth. When the saints’ perfumed prayers reach heaven the angels are given authority to cast fire onto the earth.

There is powerful movement between the two worlds. Revelation 8 shows the burning up of ships, illustrating that prayers can turn the tide of battle. There is nothing of any concern, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, whether in the realm of personal relationships—there is absolutely nothing that God’s people cannot take to Him in prayer through the wounds of Jesus.

Fire can be cast into this world against doors closed to the Gospel’s influence. Praying can bring down the fire to burn away those doors. Corruption and iniquity from the depths of a heart opposed to God can be purged away by the fire. God’s fire can fall into the heart of someone for whom we are praying, transforming that heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

Believe It!

What concerns and areas in your life need the fall of God’s fire? Where do you want to see the fire of God, the power of God, the changes of God to fall? You can take them to Him. You can join with other Christians to take them to the Father through Jesus. There is a highway between this world and heaven. Prayer is that highway.

God can make that fire fall. When saints pray, fire is cast into the earth. It all depends upon the worthiness of the Lamb who died for us though Him, in Him, with Him, our God. Lord, teach us to so pray!

This article originally appeared in the May, 1994 PCA Messenger.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Persistent Praying Presupposes Faith


1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary....And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
- Luke 18:1-8

The main thing that we need to see in the parable and the concluding statement made by our Lord Jesus in verse 8 is that God will vindicate His elect. God will give justice to His people who have been crying out day and night for vindication. In other words, we can keep on praying for the kingdom of God to come because God will surely hear us and will deliver us from all our woes in this life.

Notice that in the parable, the idea of giving justice or vindication is quite prominent. There are two main characters in this parable. One is a helpless widow who desperately cries out for justice because someone had wronged her.

The other character is an ungodly and uncaring judge who keeps on denying and putting off the widow's request for justice. He was refusing to grant her request for a while because he doesn't care for her. But the widow would not take 'no' for an answer.

So when the widow keeps on coming to him to the point of bothering him and wearing him out, he finally yielded to her request.

I like the way one pastor described a modern version of her persistence. He said, “[The judge] no sooner leaves the courtroom to go home for lunch, than this woman dogs his steps all the way to his house. When he comes out to go back to work, there she is. When he goes home at night, she’s there again. Every morning she is parked at the door of the courthouse, waiting for him to show up. Every day he tells her to get lost, but she keeps coming back. He can’t get rid of her! She’s beginning to dominate his life. He begins to hate going to work, because he’s going to be confronted by this nagging woman!” That's a good description of her persistence.

The judge realized that the only way to get rid of her is to grant her request. So he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”

And what's the point that Jesus made out of this parable? It is this: If an unrighteous judge can be moved to grant justice to the persistent widow for the wrong reason, HOW MUCH MORE will the Righteous Judge vindicate His people who cry out to Him day and night out of His love and compassion for them?

Indeed, God is unlike the unrighteous judge. In fact He is the opposite of everything the judge was. God loves us and takes care of us as His children in our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we were enemies of God because of our sin and disobedience. Yes, we were dead in our sins and trespasses and were objects of His wrath.

But because of His great mercy and grace, God freely saved us from His wrath through the propitiatory [wrath-removing] death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of His kindness He forgave us all of our sins, justified us and made us His children by faith in Jesus Christ. Such is the love of God toward us, dear people of God.

Don't you ever think that He has forgotten you when you're suffering and struggling in your life! Don't you dare to say that Christ doesn't care when you are assaulted by the world and the devil each day! Don't even think that God leaves you when you're tempted. No!

Even though Christ is in heaven and waiting for the right time to return, He doesn't leave us like a widow or an orphan. He is not totally remote and uninvolved in your daily struggles. In fact, as the book of Hebrews says, Christ sympathizes with us and he prays for us in time of need. He looks at us with compassion and He does something for us so we can deal with our struggles and pains. When sometimes God is silent to your prayers and longings, don't give up.

Again this is where you must see the role of the Holy Spirit as vital in the Christian life. We confess that both the Father and the Son have sent the Spirit as our Comforter and Enabler. The Spirit's work in us and through us is part of God's providential care so we will not give up but persevere in prayer. The Spirit empowers us to do the will of God and to resist every impulse of our sinful nature to sin (Gal 5.16-25).

He helps you and me to endure every trial and affliction even with joy (1 Thess 1.4-7). He strengthens you in your weakness and even intercedes for you when you do not know what to pray (Rom 8.26-27) and do not WANT to pray.

So you see, Christ's compassion toward us moves Him to equip us with His Spirit so we can keep on praying at all times in spite of the many trials in life.

But dear brothers and sisters, Christ is coming again. We do not know when but He tells us to be ready at all times. And the way to prepare for His coming is to be always on our knees praying, “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

When Jesus comes again He will completely and swiftly establish His eternal kingdom of justice and righteousness. He will put an end to all our pain and suffering and to all our struggles against the forces of this world. But when He comes will He find us persistently praying? Will He find FAITH in us? That's the challenge of Christ's instruction to persevere in prayer.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Why Pray Persistently?

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" ~ Luke 18:1-8

When Jesus told this parable to His disciples what was the situation or occasion? In order to find that out we need to go back to Luke 17. In Luke 17:11, our Lord Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem in order to suffer and to ultimately give His life for His people.

Crowds were following Him. Along the way He would heal the sick and answer people's question. In Luke 17:20 the Pharisees asked Jesus about the time of the coming of the kingdom of God. Of course, when they ask this question they were thinking of the coming of the Messiah, the overthrowing of their enemies and the restoration of the Davidic kingdom that will bring worldwide peace and justice. That was their interest in asking Jesus.

Jesus' answer, however, must have baffled the Pharisees who did not acknowledge Him as the Messiah, or the Christ of God. For in effect what He was telling them is that if their idea of the coming of the kingdom is the dramatic overthrow of the Roman authority, they will miss it, because the kingdom of God is already in their midst. Jesus Christ, the kingdom's king, is among them. And whenever He wins people's allegiance to Himself, His kingdom is established.

After dealing with the Pharisees, He turns to His disciples and taught them about the coming and the revelation of the Son of Man, that is, the coming judgment of God by the Son. The instruction to persevere in prayer fits in with this context, as Luke 18:8 also shows. The Lord Jesus told the disciples that the days would come when they will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but they will not see it (17:22).

Jesus, of course, is telling them about the time between His ascension and His Second Coming, when men would go on eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, oblivious of the condition of their soul and of the coming judgment, much as it had in the days of Noah and of Lot. And in one of those days, the Son of Man will suddenly come like lightning that flashes from sky to sky.

So Jesus warns His disciples not to be like Lot's wife (17:32). He is saying that in the hour of crisis you don't live like the world. You don't love the world. You don't turn back longing for the things of the world or you'll be unfit for the kingdom. In effect Jesus was telling us that eternal life hangs on whether you and I are ready when He comes again to judge the living and the dead.

This is the occasion or the setting when Jesus instructed His disciples with this parable. There will come a time after Jesus' ascension when the days will be long and the disciples will suffer persecution, opposition and injustice for the sake of the gospel while the rest of the world will be engaged in business as usual. In the midst of their suffering the disciples would long for Jesus' coming and it's not going to happen. What then are they suppose to do? How can they endure to the end?

This is the same question that we ought to ask ourselves. We know that Christ has promised to return and to take us to be with Him. But life is difficult, we know that. How can we endure to the end? How can we make sure that we don't become like Lot's wife, too much in love with this world to be totally committed to Christ? How can we resist the relentless temptations of Sodom and be desensitized to God's kingdom by the ordinary pressures of daily life?

Our days are evil. But the world tries to convince us that everything is fine or it will be alright. However, judgment in the days of Noah and Lot did not come simply because of gross wickedness and immorality. It also came because in the nice and ordinary activities of life, such as eating and drinking, God was denied. His law and His will were ignored. People took for granted every air they breathe and every meal they eat. They fail to thank God. They fail to recognize that every good gift comes from God.

So beware! The good things in life can make us just as insensitive to the reality of God as the gross things in life can. That’s why as disciples of our Lord Jesus we are left in a tremendous battle which most people don't even know is going on: the battle to maintain radical and self-denying faith in Christ.

This self-denying faith is not only needed in the threat of persecution and sinful temptations but also in the threat of ordinary home life and business life and school life which can numb all our sensitivity to God's eternal kingdom.

So the question is: How can we endure to the end? How can we remain faithful to our calling as disciples in this wicked and godless world? Jesus tells this parable to give us the answer. And His answer is quite simple, though not very easy to live out. He tells us in verse 1 that we ought to persevere in prayer, to always pray and not to give up in praying.

Have you noticed that prayer is not described simply as a duty as it is an absolute necessity? Verse 1 clearly says, "Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they SHOULD always pray and not give up" (my emphasis). Our Lord Jesus is not exaggerating here. Prayer, particularly persistent prayer to God, is indeed the antidote to our tendency to become complacent and impatient in the daily struggles of life.

We would truly desire to pray at all times when we understand that prayer is a humble expression of our absolute dependence to God. We would be encouraged to devote ourselves in prayer when we see it as the continual desire of the soul for God. Or as an old writer would say, we would be earnest in prayer if we view the whole life of the faithful as "one great connected prayer."

Perseverance and Prayer

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." - Luke 18:1

As disciples of Jesus Christ and citizens of the kingdom of God you and I are engaged in constant battle. We live in a day not unlike the days of Noah and Lot when wickedness has reached its limit and when people were more interested in goods and good times than God. Probably the only difference is that wickedness and perversity in our day is more sophisticated than their time. But the struggle for the righteous to remain faithful to the Lord remains the same.

And sometimes the battle can be fierce and tiresome, when unbelievers become aggressive in persecuting or marginalizing Christians, as in the case of many places around the world like North East Africa, the Middle East and China. Surely many Christians from those regions long harder for relief and vindication from the Lord.

But this battle can also be subtle. I say that because we wage war not only against the evil one and against the wickedness around us but also against our own sinful nature that constantly clings to us, against our own complacency and lukewarmness to the things of God. And it comes to us in the ordinary situation at home, at work, in school, even in church, when we eat and drink, when we're on our business trip. For college students the battle rages when they're in the dormitory or inside the classroom.

Whatever our status or situation in life is, our struggle is how to remain faithful to the Lord God and loyal subjects of His kingdom. Whether the heat of conflict escalates every passing moment and relief is not visible in the horizon, retreat or withdrawal from the battle line is not an option.

So what should we do? We can't give up. What we need to do is to persist. In order to persevere, we need to pray. We need to pray with our eyes of faith focused on God, not on the fierceness of our battle.

So we read from Luke 1 that our Lord Jesus instructs us to persevere in prayer and not give up until His return. He told this parable in order to drive the point that we need to pray at all times and not to be discouraged when circumstances in life sap our energy and sanctity, and our prayers seems to be unanswered.

The Lord Jesus knows our weakness and that we all are prone to give up. In light of that, He graciously gave His disciples and us this parable of the persistent widow to show that we always ought to pray until God vindicates us, His people.

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Gospel-blockers

"14For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men 16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last." - 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15.

Paul describes here these unbelieving Jews in verses 15-16 as killers both of the Lord Jesus and the prophets. What Paul means here is that they were the ones responsible for the death of Christ and the prophets of the Old Testament.

Paul also says that they were his persistent persecutors and pursuers. Wherever Paul and his companions go to preach the Word these Jews also follow them, preventing them from speaking to the Gentiles about the message of Christ’s salvation. These Jews may have thought that they please God by opposing all who proclaim and accept the gospel, but in reality what they continually do is counter to God’s will, which is the salvation of the Gentiles (v. 16a).

In that way they displease God and oppose all men for they hinder God’s mandate to advance the gospel to all nations. But it pleases God when people receive His Word even in the midst of trials.

So unlike the Thessalonians who accepted the Word of God with joy in affliction these Jews remain God’s enemies. Their opposition really boils down to their rejection of God’s Messiah, who ALONE has brought peace between God and man by means of His atoning death (Rom 5:1). They hated that message!

This rejection of God’s way of salvation precipitated strong Jewish opposition to Paul’s evangelistic enterprises as well as a general hostility toward all believers. The point here is that the Jews have displayed a consistent attitude of opposition to God’s way and God’s people.

So we have to ask ourselves also whether in our behavior and lifestyle we are hindering others from accepting the gospel of Christ. We should be channels and conduits for people to the kingdom of God rather than walls and fences that prevent them from entering in.

Thus Paul indicts these Jews of their sins. He says that they always “fill up the measure of their sins” (v.16). This expression is actually used first in Genesis 15:16, describing the measure or limit God places upon the sins of the Amorites. Jesus used it also in Matthew 23:32, decrying the sins of the scribes and the Pharisees.

In other words there is a point in our sinful behavior when chastisement or judgment is expected. For the Jews, it may have already come in their persistent rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. God left them in their unbelief and that in itself is a form of judgment. Later, when the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. God’s wrath was also poured out on them. How long will the enemies of God resist His will?

There is an implied warning in this passage which we all need to hear. While we know that God is merciful and compassionate, He is also holy and just. Those who test God’s forbearance in their impenitence will discover that there is a limit to God’s long-suffering.

Outright repentance is what God expects from us in our sins, not delayed obedience. Otherwise His anger will come unexpectedly when the day of salvation is already over. So we always need to examine ourselves and see if there is any wicked ways in us that ‘fill up the measure of our sins.’ God desires for your prompt obedience and growth in holiness, regardless of the situation. And He will do what ought to be done to purify you, even using His rod of discipline.

Now there is also an urgent call here for evangelism and discipleship. While we recognize the dangers and difficulties in bringing the gospel to the world, our task as a church of sending that gospel out and discipling the nations still remain. Who among you are willing to go to China, where believers are persecuted, or to Europe, where Christians are marginalized? Who among you are willing to help the churches in those places witness for and make disciples of Jesus Christ?

And who among us is eager to tell a friend or a co-worker about the love of God in Christ? Who among us is bold enough to warn relatives that the wrath of God is coming to those who do not know God and obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Who among us is gentle enough to tell a brother to stop sinning and to repent from sin before it destroys him?

As a pastor and minister of the gospel, it is always rewarding to see those whom I preach grow and mature in the faith. The same thing, I suppose, for every minister and elder. And so Paul could not contain himself but express his thankfulness to God for the Thessalonians’ warm reception of the Word of God.

Further, Paul is delighted to see these new believers grow in their faith in God and love for the brethren. It would always be a great pleasure for me and the elders in our church to see God’s people embrace the Word of God and live out their faith in Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever situation they are in.

May God grant us the joy to persevere in our service to Him for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of His kingdom.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Willing to Suffer for the Sake of Christ

"For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,..."
- 1 Thessalonians 2:14

Having heard, received and accepted the Word of God, the Thessalonian saints became imitators of the churches in Judea. In what way did they become imitators of these churches? These churches that the Thessalonians imitate are in Palestine, where many Jews live. These churches are in Christ Jesus, which means they are in union with and belong to Christ. They are to be distinguished from the assemblies of Jews that are also in Judea but are not followers of Jesus Christ.

“Being in Christ Jesus is what makes a group of people a distinctively Christian Church,” says one scholar.[1] Another commentator notes that these churches are composed of “the original church of God in Jerusalem (cf. Gal 1:13; 1 Cor 15:9), now in dispersion (as a result of the persecution which broke out after Stephen’s death), together with her daughter-churches.”[2] These churches suffered persecution in the hands of fellow Jews who did not believe that Jesus is the Messiah of God.

What is interesting to note here is that one of the fiercest persecutors of these churches used to be Saul of Tarsus, who is now Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ, the one writing them. Paul was there when Stephen was martyred. Now Paul is testifying to them that these churches in Judea have endured tribulations because of their faith in Christ.

Paul’s transformed life to Christ may have served as a testimony of God’s powerful Word and as an encouragement to these young Christians in Thessalonica. Saul the persecutor has now become Paul the persecuted, just like them.

So in the same way the Thessalonian believers have become imitators of these churches in Judea because they suffered the same things from their own countrymen (v. 14b). When they accepted Paul’s message the Jews started to cause trouble in the city by taking some wicked gang members to form a mob.

This mob tried to hunt down Paul and company and when they did not find them they turned to the new converts, particularly to the man named Jason. And they dragged him, together with some of the brothers, before the city authorities, accusing them falsely (Acts 17:5-6). Since then, these believers have been objects of harassment and discrimination by the Jews and local authorities for their undivided loyalty to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine yourself being dragged in the middle of the night to the city jail for believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? It’s awful, isn’t it? But these young believers are being harassed by their own people who turned against them because of their faith in Christ Jesus.

Often it is true that the most intense persecution we suffer as Christians comes from those who are somehow related to us: a co-worker maybe, a classmate, a relative, or a fellow believer.

Don’t be surprised when a relative hate you because of your strong conviction against sin, injustice, or immorality as a Christian. You will suffer rejection and isolation in this world because of your solid commitment to Christ, His Word and His Church. But be of good cheer. Do not be afraid. You are one with Christ and His Church. You are not alone. There are other believers who are as committed to Christ in their faith and conduct as you are.

Pray together and encourage one another. God promises that He will be with us. No persecution, suffering, sickness, famine, sword, not even death, shall separate us from the love of Christ. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and freed us from our sins by His blood. That is our confidence in life. That is our comfort even in death.

So Paul encourages the believers by saying that in enduring these afflictions as Christians, they are fellow-members of the same body as the Judean churches. Paul already mentioned in 1:6 that they became imitators of him and his co-workers and of the Lord Jesus for they received the Word of God with joy even in affliction. And that’s the ground for Paul to say thanks to God. He is so delighted to see these Thessalonians willing to pay the price of following Jesus Christ even through persecution.

How about you? Are you prepared to suffer for Christ? Are you willing to forsake the comforts of this world for the joy of belonging to Christ?

We see here an emerging pattern or pathway of obedient faith in Christ Jesus. Just as Christ endured suffering for doing the will of God; just as Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the churches of God suffered much affliction because of their labor to get the Word of God out to the world, so also the Thessalonians on account of believing the gospel. So for the sake of the gospel of Christ, are you willing to suffer, whatever that affliction might be?

The Scripture attests that persecution is a natural outcome of being a Christian. We don’t go out seeking persecution here and there, do we? But they come as our priorities, desires, and pursuits as Christians collide with the culture around us. For the believers in Thessalonica to undergo suffering for Christ’s sake proves that they belong to the same body of Christ in Judea and all over the world.

They are, in fact, one with us in this 21st century Philippine context. Their firmness in affliction testifies to the fact that their faith is genuine. And the joy that they manifest proves that the work of the Holy Spirit is present in their lives – joy in affliction…suffering gracefully in the name of Christ. What a tremendous testimony of God’s transforming power to a world filled with grumbling and whining!

As you and I endure many trials we not only unite ourselves with the body of Christ but also testify to the fact that our faith in God and in all that He promised is genuine. Our patience, joy and peace amid these trials further reveal the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. And that’s one way of witnessing to the world about our faith in Christ.

You and I are willing to suffer with joy as Christians if necessary. The world doesn’t like pain and suffering. They are willing to pay the price just to avoid affliction and discomfort. We are different, and we ought to be different. We ought to accept willingly every trial and affliction for doing the will of God. That’s a powerful testimony to the world! That's a powerful witness that we belong to Him who is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.


[1] Andrew W. Young, Let’s Study 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2001), 37.

[2] F. F. Bruce, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, in Word Biblical Commentary, eds. David A. Hubbard & Glenn W. Barker, Vol. 45 (Waco: Word, 1982), 45.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Embracing God’s Word

"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers." - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Do you know what makes your missionaries really joyful in the field? It's not the monthly or quarterly financial support that you send them, though that is very important. It's not the regular letter or email of encouragement that you write them, though that is also very helpful. No. What brings real gladness to every missionary, and even to every minister, is when they see the people they are serving believe and embrace the Word of God.

Tremendous joy can overwhelm every pastor's and missionary's heart when they witness the Word of God working effectively in the lives of the people they minister. It's that kind of delight parents feel when they see their children promptly and wholeheartedly obey their word. Acceptance of God's Word manifested in the faithful and obedient lifestyle of every church member would bring pleasure in every pastor's and missionary's heart.

We turn to our text to meditate on how the Apostle Paul expresses thanks for the effective work of God’s Word. We see in this verse Paul's thanksgiving for the work of God's Word in effecting change in the life of God's people.The first thing we can notice here is the content of his thanksgiving. What is that thing or occasion that made Paul offer thanks to God?

The Thessalonians received the Word of God, which Paul and his co-workers preached to them. They heard it from Paul in the synagogue, where he reasoned with them from Scriptures (Acts 17:2). For three Sabbaths, Paul patiently explained and proved to them from the Old Testament that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead.

This Christ that Paul was telling them was no other than our Lord Jesus, the One whom the Jews rejected and put to death. He came from heaven to do His Father’s will. His mission was to save God's people from their sin. He who is God took the form of a servant and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

He did this to fulfill all the righteousness that the law of God requires so that anyone who believes in Him will receive the righteousness that He achieved in His perfect obedience. Do you believe that Christ lived obediently to earn righteousness for you and me? Are you convinced that His death paid for the penalty of your sins?

The Thessalonians were confronted with similar questions when they first heard Paul. And they believed. They acknowledged that they were sinners in need of God's pardon. They believed that Jesus has suffered and died on their behalf so that in His suffering and death they might be spared from the coming wrath of God. They were so convicted by Paul's preaching that they turned from their idols to serve the living and true God (1:9). They were so convinced that Christ's death and resurrection brought life and hope for them who were dead in sin and enslaved by despair.

This is the Christ whom Paul proclaimed to them from the Scriptures. Is this the same Christ that you believe in? Is the Jesus that Paul proclaimed to the Thessalonians the same Jesus that you confess as your Lord and Savior?

Every time Paul remembers how the Thessalonians accepted and treasured every gospel truth he shared to them, he can't help thanking God for such a response. Of course, we are aware that Paul's evangelistic sermons were done by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who opened the hearts of the Thessalonians, both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, to believe and appropriate the Word of God. And that's the occasion for Paul to say, “For this reason we also constantly thank God...” (v.13). God, through His Word and Spirit is at work in them.

Through Paul's bold gospel proclamation and by the power of the Holy Spirit, coupled by their exemplary lives, the Thessalonians eagerly embraced the Word of God. They were persuaded by it (Acts 17:4), believed its truth claims, appropriated its wonderful promises, and recognized what it really is, the “word that comes from the mouth of God” and not mere words of men. That Word, I tell you, has changed them and their lifestyle.

This is very important to us as 21st century believers. The Word of God in this passage in one sense can mean the whole Bible in its written form handed down to us. It can also mean the body of doctrines that summarizes the whole Biblical teachings on God, Christ, sin, salvation, second coming and other important truths of the Christian faith which we received from our forefathers in the faith. The faithful preaching of God's Word every Lord's Day can also be denominated as the Word of God as the Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter 1, declares, “Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed, and received by the faithful.”

We who are deeply convinced of the power of God's Word ought to be involved in getting that Word out to the world, one way or another. We are not just talking about sending missionaries overseas, though that's part of it.

We are talking about that sense of burden and faithfulness to witness both in word and in deed to our neighbors and friends. These neighbors may have been struggling for years in life and they do not have the same hope and comfort that you have in Christ. They may have never heard about the power of God’s kingdom and the rule of King Jesus. If you go out as a friend and share the good news of Christ, both in your word and action, they might be able to taste God’s goodness, which you have been enjoying.

As one with Christ, we have the ability and resources to make that Word visible to our friends and neighbors. It may start by becoming really acquainted with them and showing genuine interest in asking and listening to them. Before you know it, God may have been working in the heart of that neighbor-friend and he might just hold on to every word of God you share to him. Another soul will enter God’s kingdom as that friend of yours accepts and believes the Word of God.

It is a sad situation to behold when churches that bear the name of Christ reject the Word of God and regard it as mere words of men. An equally distressing phenomenon is the disinterest of the Bible and its doctrines by many professing Christians. Instead of listening and learning from the Word of God, they lean their ears and set their minds on various ideologies and philosophies to satisfy their curiosity. Pulpits and airwaves in this county and all over the world have become venues for selling watered-down gospel and management techniques of how to grow a church.

Of course, you don't want that to happen to yourself and to your church, do you? But once you start neglecting the faithful preaching and teaching of God's Word you are heading for that direction, too. Once you do not diligently guard what you hear from the pulpit and church classrooms, seeds of falsehood or different gospel, which is not a gospel at all, will creep in.
Disregard of God’s Word may also manifest in your failure to find regular time for Bible reading and meditation. It even shows in your lack of interest in going to a Bible study. It could also be seen in your casual and frivolous attitude toward sin.

The way to accept and embrace the Word of God the way the Thessalonians did is by, first of all, longing and thirsting for the pure preaching of God's Word every Lord's Day. Preaching of God’s Word is of primary importance for God’s people. As you let that preached Word saturate your mind you will be constrained by the Holy Spirit to act in obedience to that Word. As you patiently read and study that Word and let it regulate your heart and mind, God will show how great your sins and miseries are.

Maybe He will lead you to confess and repent from certain sins that you've been committing over and over. That Word of God gives you the grace to abstain from doing something immoral and destructive, like hurting your spouse, slandering your brother, abusing your freedom in Christ or even blowing your top.

Parents, how many times have we committed foolish mistakes by flaring up in front of our children, which could have been prevented if we hide the Word of God in our heart? Or how many young boys and girls could have obeyed mom and dad promptly and nicely if they just let God's word that says, “Honor your father and your mother” or “Do all things without grumbling” dwell in their heart.

Acceptance of God's Word would be evident in our lives when we start memorizing and meditating that Word daily that it becomes part of our daily thought and conversation with others. As we let those verses ring in our mind that Word will come out in our praying, in our encouraging and even in correcting in love of our fellow believer.

By filling our minds with Scriptures, praying with Scriptures and singing the Scriptures, we will be faithful recipients of the Word of God. That Word will come out naturally in our behavior and lifestyle. How serious have you been taking the Word of God?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Finding Grace in Drawing Near God

(Another meditation on Hebrews 4:16)

If we draw near to God with confidence on the basis of Christ's atoning sacrifice and as our sinless High Priest, we draw near Him for the purpose of obtaining mercy and finding grace (v.16b). God calls us to come boldly into His throne of grace for there we find mercy and grace to help in time of need.

A minister once said, “Prayer is our supply line to God in the battle. His abundant, sustaining grace flows to us through prayer. Because prayer is so vital, the enemy tries to sever that supply line. When we suffer, the enemy often whispers, 'God doesn’t care about you and He isn’t answering. Why waste your time with these worthless prayers?' It’s easy to get discouraged and quit praying, which cuts us off from the very help that we need!”

The Hebrew believers’ problem is that instead of drawing near to God they are in danger of drawing back (10:35). Instead of facing persecution, they seem to be discouraged to the point of going back to their old lifestyle and inadequate religion.

Some of us who are facing many trials might have been tempted to quit following Christ. This is the same struggle that these Hebrew believers were facing. God comforts us with these words of encouragement. He tries to lift our spirits up by looking unto Jesus, our high priest in the presence of God. So let us keep on looking at our Lord and Savior. Let's fix our eyes on Him.

God presents to us His Son, who endured every attack of sin so that you and I may not grow weary. I know that every trial that comes our way has the potential to drive us to self-pity, depression and apathy. Maybe you may have been praying to God to give you victory over besetting sin which haunts you all the time. I don't know how you persevere in such situation.

But the Scripture is clear in instructing us that when such occasion comes, it should drive us, not away from God, but near Him in prayer. When we do, we find help. We find that much needed 'supply' for that specific time of special need, when afflictions abound and temptations press us sorely.

If your faith in God is being tested today, God reminds you to pray with confidence. He would give you the grace to endure and to deliver you from that trouble. Help comes to those who ask for it!

Sometimes, of course, God does not positively answer our prayers. I think of broken vows in marriage, failing health and prolonged suffering of a relative, maybe you think of an unrepentant friend.

Both in all our trials and in our triumphs, God exhorts us to take delight in drawing near Him in prayer for we always find grace to help in time of need, and that time is actually all the time.

I can't help thinking how our Lord Jesus effectively interceded on Peter's behalf in Luke 22:31-32. There He says, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethen." Peter was fully restored to the faith only because of the faithful intercession of our merciful great high priest, Jesus Christ.

As you actively pursue obedience and holiness in life, be aware that there are trials of various kind. But I urge you to keep on pressing to the goal of godliness, asking God's grace and wisdom when troubles come.

On the basis of Christ's redeeming work and constant intercession, your faith is being strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not doubt the goodness of God when your faith is being tested. Trust His loving-kindness. Believe that in Christ, God will supply your need, even in the most difficult or dangerous circumstance. As you persevere and persist in prayer, God will surely mature your faith. May you and I remain steadfast in the Lord.

Drawing Near God With Confidence

Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

The verse tells us to draw near the throne of grace with confidence. The word confidence is sometimes translated as “boldly” or “with boldness”. Confidence describes the manner or attitude of our approach to God’s throne. That throne itself is characterized as a place of grace. So anyone who comes to this throne must admit his unworthiness, his undeserveness, and recognize that access to it is only through the gracious privilege granted by God.

Through Jesus our Great High Priest we can come boldly before God and expect to find His grace rather than His wrath. Unlike the Old Testament people of God under Moses who were terrified and trembling at the presence of the Lord, we as the new covenant people may come boldly before Him in prayer. We can always stop and pause at work, at school, or at home and reach out in prayer to approach our heavenly Father. This is true any time and anywhere. All this is possible when we come before God in prayer through our perfect mediator. How often do you commune with God in prayer?

John Calvin notes that the author of Hebrews “encourages those who believe in [Christ] to be bold in presenting themselves before the sight of God without any hesitation.” As our high priest who understands our every weakness, Christ is presented in the Scripture as the One who holds out His hand to us, even holding us by the hand, ushering us into the presence of the Father whose love and delight for His children is unmeasured. So Calvin asks, “Indeed if we were so persuaded that Christ was holding out His hand to us, who would not [grab] the full boldness of approaching?”

Boldness of course does not mean presumption. We do not presume that because we feel holy or righteous or mature we have earned our right to approach God. No. This confidence does not come from our own effort or determination. It does not even come from our being Reformed or Calvinist. Boldness here implies faith, characterized by utter dependence on Someone's merit, on Someone's name. This confidence therefore in coming before God is not our own but was purchased for us by the blood of our Lord and Savior and inspired within us by the Holy Spirit.

So our confidence in coming to God comes from the fact that through our faith union with the One who died and rose again from the dead God will hear us. And how do you grow in this spiritual union with Christ? It is by constant fellowship with Jesus, who breathes by His Spirit into your soul the strength and courage of faithful service for the sake of God's kingdom.

As you and I are in constant communion with the living Word of God in the preaching of His Word and in the regular administration of the means of grace, and in prayer, our confidence, that is, our faith is also being nurtured. We want to grow in our faith and confidence in Him so that when we go out, ministering and witnessing to others the greatness and goodness of our God, they would see Jesus in us.

I think those of you who constantly battle against the pressure of life in this broken and sinful world can testify that it is not easy. Trials come. Difficulties abound. Relationships turn sour. We need strength. We need help. We need forgiveness. And the Bible tells us to come to God through His Son Jesus Christ and we will find mercy and grace in time of need.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Lord's Lovingkindness

In Psalm 33:5b, the psalmist continues to remind the congregation that God is not only truthful in His word and faithful in His works, not only that He delights in justice and righteousness, but also that ‘the earth is full of His unfailing love.’ The word unfailing love in the original language is the same as lovingkindness or steadfast love in other translations. Lovingkindness is a concrete manifestation of God’s goodness.

The idea of God’s lovingkindness in this verse is that of a general favor toward all the earth. But lovingkindness is commonly used to refer to God’s special favor toward His own chosen people. This is especially clear in v. 12 where God pronounces blessing upon Israel, His chosen people, whom God has called to be a royal priesthood, a chosen nation, a people belonging to Him.

As God's new covenant people, God’s blessing and special favor rest upon us, the church, through Jesus Christ. As such, God has called us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous kingdom of light. For what purpose? Peter says that God has blessed us ‘that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us].’ God’s lovingkindness is upon you and me that we may go and proclaim to the world God’s work of salvation. He has called us to serve Him as salt and light of this world. He chose us that we may live as strangers and aliens in this world on our way to the heavenly kingdom.

But as we do, God exhorts us to abstain from sinful desires that endanger our souls. He commands us to live such good and holy lives among the pagans that though they may accuse us of doing wrong, they may see our good deeds and glorify God in the end. Such is our calling as God’s chosen people.

While the Lord looks down and sees all mankind, His eyes are especially on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. Verse 19 tells us the reason why God does this to you and me. The verse says, ‘to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.’ No wonder that at the end of this psalm God’s covenant people invoke God’s lovingkindness to rest upon them as they put their hope in Him.

God’s steadfast love is expressed in His acts of grace, patience and forgiveness to those who trust and fear Him. Because of His tender mercies, we are not consumed in the holy presence of God. The bestowal of His lovingkindness to us leads us to repentance.

Not only that, God’s steadfast love also carries us through even in our failures for ‘if we are faithless, He remains faithful’ (2 Tim 2:13). It is God’s enduring principle at work in our life even when all hopes seem to fade and the present seems so bleak for ‘His lovingkindness endures forever’ (Psalm 136).

I remember, when prophet Jeremiah was in the midst of destruction and turmoil, he finds hope and comfort in God’s unfailing love. Because of God’s tender mercies he was able to sing a new song of praise to God saying, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22-23).

Be at peace, children of God, for the Lord is with you. In this world you may go through all kinds of trials because of your faith in God. You may be going through a difficult situation in your work, in your marriage, or in your relationship with your children. Maybe you are having personal issues and troubles that keep on bothering you. God’s abiding love in Christ remains in you through His Spirit. You can therefore lift your hearts to God in joyful adoration for He alone deserves your praise and thanksgiving.

You have a truthful and faithful God who keeps His promises. You have a righteous and just Redeemer and Lord who saves you and forgives all your sins. And you have a loving God who will enable you to persevere to the end. Lay down your burdens to Him. Cast your sorrows upon Him for He cares for you. And together let us join our voices to sing the glories of this God whom we worship and praise.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Praising the Lord Our God - Part 2

[The LORD] loves righteousness and justice... ~ Psalm 33:5a

God "loves righteousness and justice." Righteousness and justice are two closely related moral attributes of God, akin to His holiness and wrath, whereby ‘He maintains Himself as the Holy One over against every violation of His holiness’ (Louis Berkhof, A Summary of Christian Doctrine, p.33). Our God delights in doing what is right and just because He is righteous and just.

As the Creator and Lord over all the earth, He governs the whole world with righteousness and justice. And how does He do that? Through His law which is the standard of His righteousness.

Essential to the notion of righteousness is conformity and obedience to the law of God. The world is full of wickedness and injustice because it rejects the law of God. Our society in general abhors the law of God. In its rebellion against the righteous rule of God the world is under judgment. That’s why Paul says, “the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Rom.1:18).

Friends, God is holy. His holiness sets Him apart from us. He hates sin and evil and punishes them who do evil. Part of His punishment is to give sinners over to their own deceitful hearts, sinful passions and depraved minds. Yet in His righteousness He rewards those who do what is right.

But who among us do what is right always? Who among us obey the law of God perfectly? No one, except our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 3 does not only tell us that no one is righteous and no one does good. It also declares that God manifested His righteousness and justice in Jesus Christ. God presented Him as propitiation, that is, as an atoning sacrifice that satisfied God’s wrath against our sins.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Righteous One, is God’s perfect sacrifice for our sins. He perfectly obeyed the law of God and offered Himself in His death in our behalf.

So none of us can boast before God. All of us are guilty of disobeying His law. None of us is righteous. None of us does what is right. We deserve His wrath. But if by faith you and I accept the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, we are counted righteous. We are united with Him who was tempted in every way yet did not sin so that in Him we who believe become the ‘righteousness of God’ (2 Cor 5:21).

One Puritan pastor puts it this way: “It is our wisdom and our comfort; we care for no knowledge in the world but this: that man hath sinned and God hath suffered; that God hath made himself the sin of men, and that men are made the righteousness of God" (Thomas Hooker).” This is good news! This is the gospel!

So how do we magnify the righteousness of God? The best way is to believe that Christ is our righteousness…that in Him, by faith, God has declared us righteous… that we now stand in a right relationship with God, His law, and His justice…that through Christ we have peace with God and have obtained mercy. Look to Christ. Behold Him as your righteousness and God will not count your sin against you any longer.

We also magnify God’s righteousness by loving His law, His righteous law. When I say the law of God, I’m referring not only to all the laws and commands of God in the Bible but the whole written Word of God itself. Do you love reading and memorizing the word of God? Most of all, do you delight in obeying His Word? Obedience to God’s Word is another way to praise God in His righteousness.

Devoting your time in meditating in order to practice the Word is another way of conforming to God's righteousness. Joshua 1:8 says, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

The law of God is for our good. The Apostle John says, “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). When God justifies us, He also gives us the ability to love His Word and to keep His Word. By keeping His Word, we conform to His righteousness and that way we glorify God.

No matter how hard your situation is, God desires your obedience. When your faith is tested look to Christ as your only righteousness for in the light of it, you can endure, even rejoice, in your sufferings. Look to Him who endured all kinds of injustice and pain for your sake.

In all your trials and suffering, remember Him who suffered for you. But do not forget that in all your hardships, God still does what is right and good for you. In Christ, He turns your sorrows into joy, your mourning into dancing, your affliction into opportunity to grow in your faith and obedience. Suffering builds up good character and strengthens hope for God’s people. God alone makes good out of evil. He alone makes right from wrong. He alone does what is right and just. This is the righteous God of the Scripture.

Oh, how easily we accuse God of being unfair when adversity strikes us. Maybe someone very close to you keeps on hurting you. Maybe you have been cheated or abused by someone and it still bothers you. Before accusing God of being unfair or getting back at your perpetrator, remember Christ and the agony He has to go through in bearing the consequences of your sins.

Remember that He was without sin but because of your sins and my sins, He was forsaken by many, hated, scorned and bruised by those who wished him dead. But He endured them all so that you and I will be forgiven. He suffered so that you and I would sin no more. He was afflicted so that you and I would stop hurting each other and would start building up one another in the faith.

We can glorify God even in the most painful situation of our lives when we recognize our suffering and count it with joy that God regards us worthy to share in the suffering of His Son. God knows what is right for us and He does what is right for us, even allowing us to go through difficult circumstances.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Praising the Lord Our God

Psalm 33:4

In corporate worship, God invites us to come before His presence and be awed by His glory and majesty. As we listen to Him speaking through His life-giving Word, we respond in humility, confessing our unworthiness. We also respond in joyful thanksgiving to Him through our songs and prayers for all the good gifts He gives us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In worshiping God, our highest aim is to magnify Him, to exalt His glory and all His wonderful attributes. It is not to entertain ourselves or make ourselves feel good. Yet in worshiping God, we find Him satisfying our deepest, most basic longing, that is, to glorify the One who is worthy of praise, the One who gives us life and its meaning.

When God’s people find themselves worshiping in His presence, God Himself finds them doing what is right for "praise is becoming to the upright" (Ps. 33.1). Praise is fitting to the saints of the Lord for that’s the reason why you and I were created.

Psalm 33 tells us that God’s people are called to praise God’s excellent qualities. It is one of Israel’s greatest hymns of praise. It opens with the psalmist’s five-fold summons to the gathered assembly of the righteous to praise the Lord. You and I ought to bow down before the Lord our God in humble worship. And the psalmist enumerates for us many reasons in praising God.

We will focus our meditation on verse 4, highlighting the truthfulness and faithfulness of God as reasons for praising Him.

In this psalm, the writer begins by summoning the gathered assembly of worshipers to praise God. Right at the very beginning, he tells the worshipers to sing joyfully to the Lord. Take note how the lyrics vividly express an exuberant note exalting the glories of the Lord.

This psalm boasts of God’s glorious perfections in His own being, in His mighty work in creation, and in His sovereign plan over all the earth, particularly over His own chosen people. It is clear that the word ‘for’ at the beginning of verse 4 connects the invitation to praise (vv.1-3) with the reasons for praising God. Just as the word of God is right and true and His work is always faithful, so is He, in His being.

God is not separated from what He does and what He says. He is, at the very core of His being, faithful and true. So His Word and works match with His character. Thus God cannot lie and does not tell a lie. When He makes promises, He fulfills them. When He speaks, He speaks the truth. When He does something, He does what is right.

Our God is trustworthy. He is dependable and consistent. Do you know who He stands in stark contrast with? The evil one! Yes, the devil fills the world with his lies and deceptions. He is a liar from the beginning. He is the father of lies. He makes lies appear as truth. He makes promises but does not keep them. His works are doomed for destruction.

Our God, however, is always faithful. When He says in vv. 10-11 that ‘He foils the plans of the nations and let His plan alone stand firm’ He really does. History is filled with God’s providential acts of triumph over the wicked plans and schemes of men and nations. You know how God frustrated the arrogant plans of the people in the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11). Their rebellious plan resulted to confusion and the formation of many nations.

Later these nations try to hinder God's sovereign plan to set apart a people for Himself, a holy nation that will worship Him and live under His sovereign rule. At first, Israel has greatly suffered under Egypt's tyranny and oppression. But God frustrates Pharaoh's plan to keep Israel in bondage, delivering her from the house of bondage.

Even the plans of the Canaanite nations to prevent Israel's entrance to the Promise Land did not succeed. God crushed the plans of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. He blasted Balak's plan to destroy Israel.

So Biblical history proves that no one can outwit God. All the nations' plans did not materialize. God's plan, however, came through. For when He says He will do something He will really do it.

God is trustworthy. He towers high above the greatest and brightest of our rulers and politicians who fail to perform all their promises and assurances to the people. When God promises He swears to no one else except to Himself to confirm His word (Gen 22:16; Heb 6:13). He is faithful and true. II Corinthians 1:18-20 tells us that God’s promises to His people are fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus Christ for “all His promises are ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Christ.” God never fails to fulfill His promises. Do you believe that?

This calls for a wholehearted trust to God on our part. God is praised when you and I believe in His promise of salvation and sanctification. Do you believe that by faith God saves you from eternal death and hell through Jesus Christ? Do you trust in God’s providential care even when you are financially broke or physically ill?

Those who are battling against illness and disease, do you really trust in God alone for the ultimate good of your body and soul? God is glorified when you say to Him, “Yes, Lord. I believe that You alone can save both my body and soul.”

Likewise, God is glorified when we remain faithful in our covenant relationship with Him. When God says, “Stop worrying for many things!” or “Seek first My kingdom and My righteousness and everything you need will be provided” do you argue with Him saying, “I try Lord but it’s hard not to worry. Besides, I want to be successful. I want to prove to my friends and family that I am not a disappointment.” When you say, “Lord, I’m not going to worry about anything anymore,” do you really keep your word?

Husbands, you praise God when you keep your marital commitment to love your wife in good times and in bad. The same thing for the wives. When you stick to your promise to remain faithful to your husbands, you honor the God who is faithful and true. Parents, you glorify God when you do what you have promised to do with your children. Likewise, children, you honor God when you do what you promised Mom and Dad to do.

Pastors and elders honor God when they keep their promise to nurture and protect the Lord's flock according to the Word of God.

When you disregard God’s commands and ignore His promises, you are really saying that He is not dependable. Yet you and I know that when we trust and obey the Lord in the home, in school, at work, in church and everywhere we glorify Him for we reflect His worth: His truthfulness and faithfulness.

God's Faithful Provision - Part 2


Another meditation on Luke 12:22-31 and Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 50

There are times when we wonder, “Since God knows our daily needs and since He promises to give us those needs anyway, why then should we ask for them?” The Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 50 gives us reasons why we ought to ask God for those needs.

First of all, in asking God to provide for our daily physical needs, we are acknowledging that He alone is the source of our daily provision. By praying this request - "Give us this day our daily bread" - we are actually confessing that God is our faithful provider. As in the words of James 1.17, we are acknowledging that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

And we ought to pray this daily, just as we need to ask forgiveness for our sins daily. Yes, God has promised to provide for us and to forgive us our sins, yet He also expects us to plead for these things so that we are reminded daily that He alone is the ultimate fountain of everything good.

When we pray that God would take care for OUR BREAD we admit that God is the rightful source and owner of that bread. On our own we have no right to it, but by virtue of our faith-union with God's Only Begotten Son, the Father granted us the right to ask for and to access and enjoy it. As the Great Creator and Sustainer of all things, He is the true owner of everything in this world.

You must recall that immediately after the creation of Adam, God gave him all things. Adam was also given dominion over the entire creation, which he had the right to use in serving God as His Maker and covenant Lord. But you also remember that Adam lost that dominion in the fall. Because of his sin, he lost the right to all things, being rejected and disinherited by the righteous judgment of God.

Since then, no natural man, dead in his trespasses and sins, has any right, such as the children of God might claim, to the things of this world.

So the perspective of this petition is clearly the perspective of those who are recipients of the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. You pray this request as the children of God redeemed by Christ Jesus our Lord. Scripture tells us that all things are Christ's. He is the One Whom God appointed heir of all things, according to Hebrews 1:2. And through the blood of His cross He also reconciled all things unto Himself.

That means that before the face of God you and I have a right to the things of this world only when we have been united by faith to God in Christ. Unbelievers are usurpers of what rightly belongs first to God, then, in and through Jesus Christ, to us His children. Have you ever thought that way?

This truth must set us free then from being greedy or envious of others. In Luke 12.15, our Lord Jesus tells us, “Take care, and be on your guard against all kinds of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Since we also confess in Lord's Day 10 that all things come to us, not by chance, but from God's fatherly hand, we must be very thankful when God takes care of our needs.

I say this because there are times when we receive from God what we've been asking that we forget to thank Him or appreciate His kindness. There are times when we already receive what we prayed for yet we keep on grumbling or worrying, unsatisfied with what God has already provided. Oh, our sinful heart easily leads us away from God to focus on ourselves and the stuff of life. We easily fall into the trap of turning God’s provision into an idol.

But God's provision is intended not only to make us realize that He is the source of everything good. He also wants us to recognize that apart from His divine blessing, “neither our work and worry nor His gifts can do us any good,” as Lord's Day 50 puts it.

Let me cite one example. When God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt they failed to thank and love the Lord in return. Instead they grumbled and wished to return to Egypt. They've been crying out to the Lord for freedom from their oppressive Egyptian taskmasters. Yet when God heard their cry and brought them out of slavery, it did not do them any good.

Later, when God enable them to enter the Promise Land and enjoy the fruits of the vine they also forgot the Lord. They forgot to thank Him. They forgot to love Him back. And they failed to keep His law. Instead, they enjoyed the benefits of being in the Promise Land without seeking the favor and blessing of the One who, in the first place, has brought them there. They enjoyed the promises of God but they failed to keep His commandments.

Such is so common even among us. And we need to fight daily against this greed and materialistic tendency in us by the power of God’s Spirit. And so through this prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread,” the Holy Spirit reminds us that it’s in God alone that we find ultimate satisfaction in this life. It is not in the material things that we have but in the fact that in Christ God has accepted us and adopted us as His children. And with that privileged status God has promised to provide. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8.33).

When you and I fail to realize that it is in humble recognition that God is the source of all good things and that the way to receive and enjoy these things is through our Lord Jesus Christ, we may be the wealthiest and most successful person in the community yet we can be at the same time the most unsatisfied and restless person.

Until our heart finds satisfaction in God alone through His Son Jesus Christ, our worldly success and convenient life could not do us any good. In fact if all our effort are only aimed at success and convenience in this life we are just spending our time and energy on wrong pursuits which ultimately lead to frustration and destruction.

Jesus said to His disciples in v. 29, “Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.” He doesn’t mean, of course, that you should not work to earn your keep. He is but reminding us not to get worked up over food, clothing, shelter, even money. Let your Father take care of those things for you. He knows that you need them and He will give you those things at the proper time.

Do you know what you need to do? Do you know what you should be pursuing more in this life? See verse 31. You should be seeking the kingdom of God above all else. When you pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” your focus should not be on the bread but on the Giver of the bread. You should be seeking His glory and praise in and through your obedience to Him.

The other goal of our praying the fourth petition in the Lord's Prayer therefore is to seek God's honor, God’s glory, "by giving up our trust in creatures and possessions and to put our trust and confidence in Him alone." In our old nature, we tend to think that we provide everything for ourselves and we own things ourselves. We make our livings. We earn our wages. We buy our food and all kinds of stuff. We buy pieces of land and we build our house. Why do we need God? That's our old nature.

The wise man in Proverbs 30 knows that. So he prays saying, “…give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (30:8b-9). We would be wise to learn from this prayer and to really believe it and seek to live it out.

As redeemed and adopted children of God, we pray, “Lord, thank You that You provide for our food and clothes and shelter. You care about those things. You even blessed us with many things that we can live without. Help us therefore not only to believe in Your promise that You would supply our every need but also to learn to put our confidence in You alone and not on ourselves nor on the things that You’ve given us.”

This is the kind of prayer that you and I ought to be asking God always. Our focus must be on God and His kingdom, that is, His righteous sovereign rule over us His people. We recognize that everything is from Him and by Him and for Him, even our possessions, and we must give a careful account for the use of these things.

The reason why God wants us to focus on seeking His kingdom is for you and me to be busy in living out the kingdom principles and standards in our daily lives – principles of righteousness and justice, love and mercy, grace and truth, joy and obedience, freedom and self-control. These are the stuff that we want to see more and more evident in our life at home, in school or work, in the church and in the community.

If you seek to live as a kind employer or as an hardworking employee this week, you will be concerned with truth, righteousness and justice. As you think of your role as a husband or wife, or thinking of how you can be an obedient child to your parents or a diligent student in school, you would never worry about what you would eat, or drink or wear. You would, however be thinking of how to express love to your wife or respect to your husband, or how to honor your parents or faithful to your employer.

If your life orientation is centered on pleasing God and doing what He commands you to do, you would not be worrying about the same things that many people in this world worry a lot.

SO, What is your life goal? Is it loving God and your neighbor as yourself? You will discover yourself that when your priorities are set toward the building of God’s kingdom, the Lord would grant you all that you need pertaining to life and godliness.

It doesn’t mean, of course, that all will be well all the time. But even in the most difficult and trying moment in your life, when your eyes are set on Christ, you would learn to trust God, knowing that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8.28). “Seek God’s kingdom,” our Lord says, “and these things will be added to you” (v.31).

May we never forget that the Lord’s daily provisions are intended not only for us to know that He alone is the source of all good things, but also for us to recognize that these things are for our comfort and motivation to put our trust in God alone. In Christ, He is your gracious Almighty Father.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

God's Faithful Provision


A meditation based on Luke 12:22-31 and Lord's Day 50 of the Heidelberg Catechism

My family and I have the privilege which many of you may not have. We have lived both in an eastern third-world setting and in a western more affluent culture in the United States. While there are marked differences between these cultures in terms of socio-economic situation, both cultures are actually plagued by common challenges and problems. Whether you are in the Philippines or in the US, you will see people struggling against greed, idolatry, and materialism.

And the fourth petition in the Lord’s Prayer becomes relevant and illuminating as we will see how the request, “Give us this day our daily bread,” speaks to our current situation.

Some of you might be thinking that this prayer is more appropriate for many people living in poor communities in many slum areas of Metro Manila or any metropolis. I mean when was the last time you prayed, “Lord, I ask that you would provide for my next meal.” Most probably, the kind of prayer that you’ve said may have sounded like, “Lord, please prevent me from eating another meal. Teach me how to control my spending habit. Teach me to save and to give more to others.”

“Give us this day our daily bread,” does seem a little remote, doesn’t it? If we feel that way that may only show that we really do not understand the truth and the implication of this prayer.

What I’d like us to do is to see and understand that both the Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 50 and Luke 12:22-31 highlight the truth that God faithfully provides for our daily needs. God does provide for the needs of His children.

But what is the nature of this provision?

I want you to see, first of all, that though this fourth petition seems to be simple and unimportant compared with the other petitions in the Lord's Prayer, yet it is very significant and it demands a careful study on our part. As the Catechism explains, when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” in effect we are really asking God to provide us not just our everyday food, but ALL our physical needs.

The word bread in the Lord's Prayer has a broader meaning than just an ordinary loaf of bread that we bake or buy from the grocery stores. It actually covers every physical provision necessary for the support of our bodies and preservation of our life in this world. Notice that I did not say 'every physical provision necessary for convenient life or luxurious living in this world.' No. Luxury or extravagance is excluded in this petition.

When Jesus Christ taught this prayer to His disciples, He was not telling them to think of daily banquet at the king’s table when they pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” What He had in my mind however are common necessities – things such as food, clothing, shelter, physical health and, as an extension, the means to acquire them, that is, money. And because these are very basic to human life, many people worry a lot about these needs.

The passage in Luke 12 mentions about food, drink and clothing. These are the kind of things that the Lord has in mind when He used the word 'bread' in the fourth request. In order to live in this world, we basically need food and drink, clothing and shelter. And Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about these things.” Why not? How can Jesus say that these necessities in life should not be our preoccupation as His followers? His short answer to that is in v.30b, “Your Father in heaven knows that you need them.”

Not only that He knows you need them, He also promised in His Word that He's going to provide these things to His children. In Luke 12, our Lord Jesus argues that God the Father Himself feeds and clothes His own people, whom He loves, even as He feeds the ravens or clothes the flowers and grass of the field, which are of lesser value compared to us His children.

So in saying that the Father cares even for the unclean birds, such as the raven, or for the flowers and the grass of the field that are here today and gone tomorrow, Jesus is emphasizing the truth that God will surely 'deliver the goods,' so to speak, to His children. He does this because we are far more valuable to Him than the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.

This calls for faith on our part. The Bible testifies to the fact that God is the faithful Provider of our daily physical provisions. We read many promises from God's Word pertaining to His physical provision for His people. We read for example in Psalm 23 that the Lord is our shepherd, therefore we shall not want. In Psalm 33.18-19, we see similar promise, “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”

In Psalm 37:25-27 the psalmist testifies, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.”

These promises are never to be doubted by us. When God says that you are more valuable than the birds and He will feed you, you have no reason to worry about the next meal or the clothes you need for next year. Believers in poor countries such as the Philippines ought to learn and believe this truth as much as believers in affluent countries.

The practical outworking of this truth may vary however. Perhaps, most of you have only enough food for the next few days and you start to worry about your food for the next week. This prayer should give us the confidence to trust in the Lord and depend on His faithfulness. But maybe to some of you, you have no problem in terms of material provision. What you might be concerned about is how to get rid of some of your stuff and give it to those who may need them soon. This prayer teaches us to be channels of God’s blessing, to be an answer to this petition.

Remember that God's provision has a corporate aspect to it as well. It pertains to OUR bread, not just MY bread. When you pray this prayer, you must not only be thinking about yourself but others as well, especially those who are needy in the household of faith, both near and far.

God's provision for the bread of others may come from the abundance of your blessing. And in many ways, that's how God operates. He pours out His abundant provision to some of us so we learn to be generous and to take care of each other. As a result, we all learn to thank God and praise Him for His faithfulness in providing for our needs.

But as you know, our daily bread may also mean physical strength or healing. To those of you who are suffering from physical pain or illness, or maybe you have a relative who is battling with a deadly disease, you surely can pray this prayer, hoping and trusting God to grant you or your relative the needed energy or cure.

Isn't it comforting to know that our Father in heaven is not offended when we ask Him things that pertain to our physical needs? He cares for your body just as He cares for your soul. Do not be misled by those who teach that God only cares for your soul but not your body. Both are important to God. Jesus Christ saved us both body and soul. The Holy Spirit makes our body as His temple. Thus we honor God as Creator when we accept the fact that our body is important to Him and we ask Him to provide for ALL our physical needs – may it be material or financial, relational or medical.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

THE CHURCH AS THE PILLAR AND FOUNDATION OF TRUTH

Another meditation on 1 Timothy 3:15-16

The Apostle Paul says, “I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and [foundation] of the truth.” After saying that the church is the household of God and of the living God, Paul concludes that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

You know what, right at the heart of Ephesus was the place of the temple to the goddess Artemis (or Diana), which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (cf. Acts 19:26-27). It had 127 pillars around it. Each pillar, about 18 meters tall, was a gift of a king. All of them were made of marble, and some were covered with jewels and overlaid with gold. The function of the pillars was not just decoration but also to hold up the immense roof.

Most probably Paul is alluding to these pillars of Artemis' temple when he says that the church is the pillar and foundation which holds up God’s truth. Let's deal with this, by noting first of all what this description of the church cannot mean.

The church as the pillar of truth cannot mean that the church creates truth. The church is a gathering of people called and saved by God out of the world. Even though saved, the people of God do not have the power or authority to create truth. So we do not create or produce the truth; we hear it, and by the Spirit's power we obey it, defend it and preach it. The church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” not in the production of truth, but in the proclamation and presentation of truth.

The expression “pillar and foundation” is also suggestive of strength – and the Lord's church, as it ought to be, should be strong in the presentation and proclamation of truth. No institution; no group of people should be stronger than the church in the matter of proclaiming and presenting the truth.

And what is this truth? Or better, who is this truth? No other than our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life.” He is the Lord of the church and the head of the church, as Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians.

As God's church you vigorously preach the truth, especially in this pulpit. You preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. As members of the Lord's church you also proclaim the truth, defend it, and support those who proclaim it ... You proclaim the truth as you teach the truth in your respective home, in the Bible study and Sunday school classes, and as you worship according to the truth. There is this strength so significant and intense, it can be said the church is the “Pillar and Foundation” of the truth.

Every church, Paul is saying, is responsible to support and bolster up the teaching that has been delivered to us. Every church is to be a strong bulwark of the gospel against the assaults of false teachers. And Timothy was dealing some of these false teachers in the Ephesian church.

It has been observed that Christian doctrines are not very popular in many churches these days. But Bible doctrines are what we as the church are called to proclaim and defend. It’s the deposit that’s been given to us for safeguarding.

John MacArthur writes, “Churches that tamper with, misrepresent, depreciate, relegate to secondary place, or abandon biblical truth destroy their only reason for existing and experience impotence and judgment.”

And what is the truth we’re called to proclaim and guard? What should be our focus? Nothing but the apostolic doctrine – the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 16, we have what scholars call an early Christian creed or hymn that contains the gospel in a nutshell. It’s not the whole gospel but it tells us who Jesus Christ is. It contains six truths about Jesus Christ.

By the way, Paul emphasizes the person and work of Christ a lot in 1 and 2 Timothy. You know why? Probably because it was a doctrine under great attack.

You’ll notice in verse 16 that what is about to be said is “the mystery of godliness” which is great and is commonly confessed. “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness...” In other words, it's a common creed, a common confession of faith, of the early believers. Every point of this creed is true. They’re beyond dispute.

It is called “the mystery of godliness” not because it is something that is mysterious in the sense that no one knows it or understands it or because it is mystical. Rather, it really means something that was once hidden and has now been revealed. And the question is not “what is this mystery?” but “WHO is this mystery?” Verse 16 tells us that it is Jesus Christ, the true revelation of godliness – and He has been revealed to us in the pages of the Holy Scripture.

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