Fire and Soul Snatching

Crazy story from today…A transformer (the electrical kind, not the robots in disguise kind) across the street from the church blew from a vicious squirrel attack.   We felt the explosion inside the church and heard a loud boom, while simultaneously losing power to the building.  Our senior pastor, Jon, saw a big fireball go up in the sky.  We went to investigate across the street and sure enough there was a charred squirrel at the bottom of the power pole.  Thinking all the fun was over we started to head back inside when I happened to see some smoke coming from the other side of a house that is just across the street.  I ran to the back of the house only to find flames coming out of the siding and climbing the wall of the house.  I ran back to the church yelling for one of our teachers to get a fire extinguisher.  Not one, but five teachers run out carrying five extinguishers!  I grabbed one and ran back to the fire coming from the house.  Quickly dousing it with fire retardant I put the flames out and patiently waited for the fire department to show up (about 4 minutes later).  They roll up with four or five big fire engines, a couple of police cars, and who knows what else…it was a busy street.  Long story short the dogs inside the house were fine, the house only has minor damage, and everyone walked away…except the squirrel.  About an hour or more after the event I was informed that the fireman told the homeowner that she was fortunate.  The fire was caused by the electrical surge from the transformer, but the fire started right next to the gas line going to their home and the fireman estimates that the whole house was only minutes from “exploding.”  Yikes!  So that experience got me thinking…read this short passage from the book of Jude and think through it with me.

Jude 17-25

¹⁷ But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” ¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. ²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Things to think about:

·         In these last days there will be those that speak against us as believers, they will speak against God, the church, the Bible, and our faith.  Why do people, when they “follow their own ungodly passions” end up opposed to Christ? 

·         How are we to live in spite of this opposition?

·         Read verse 22 again…how can we have mercy on those that doubt? 

·         Verse 23 is what I thought of after my whole fireman experience…save others by snatching them out of the fire.  I didn’t snatch anything out of the fire, but I will tell you when you see flames burning out of control in front of you there is an urgency and a singularity of focus and mission.

·         My prayer for us today is that we would have that same urgency and focused mission to snatch souls from an eternal fire that no extinguisher will ever put out.  May we be people that bring glory to Christ our savior, who snatched us from the fire, by sharing his message of salvation to those around us who need to hear how fortunate they are for one day soon their life will explode and it will be too late. 

God bless you in your ministry of saving souls!

Naps and True Rest

    As many of you know I am a fan of George Whitefield.  Just check my facebook profile picture and you will see a classic rendering of the man.  I like him because of his passion and enthusiasm for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Without doing a full biography know that George Whitefield traveled the colonies of America and the entire region of England and Scotland preaching and teaching the Word of God.  For most of his life he worked tirelessly for the gospel preaching more than 18,000 sermons or something ridiculous like that.  More could be said about him, but the point is that the other day I was reading another biography of Whitefield as well as some select sermons that he preached and I came across a paragraph that made me smile and take a big sigh of relief.  Basically, the biographer quoted Whitefield’s journal where he recorded a Sunday where he preached in the morning and was scheduled to preach again at night so he went back to his room and took a nap!  Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you, but I have often looked at Whitefield’s life and thought he gave it all for the Lord.  And, he takes Sunday afternoon naps!  The smile and the sigh of relief comes to me as the guilt of taking naps just disappears.  If Whitefield can take a nap, so can I.  J  The point isn’t that we should long for naps, but rather, that God has designed us for times of rest.  God rested on the seventh day of creation as an example for us to follow.  God made keeping the Sabbath day rest one of the ten commandments as a way to honor him.  We can honor God by resting!  Today, I want us to take a look at a passage from Hebrews that doesn’t really talk about naps, but it does talk about someone that can give us true rest. 

Hebrews 4:1-13

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. ² For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.³ For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” ⁵ And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

⁶ Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. ⁹ So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, ¹⁰ for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

¹¹ Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Things to think about:

·         This passage really should be read along with chapter 3 of Hebrews for context.  It starts with a big “therefore” so that should tell you to go back and read what argument the author is making to make his “therefore” conclusion.  In this case he is talking about Moses leading the people out of Egypt and the people turning from God and having to live in the desert for forty years waiting to be led by Joshua into the promised land…a land of rest for the people.  (I encourage you to go read chapter 3)

·         Notice the correlation – If you believe you will enter rest…vs 3

o   Do you believe in the God?  Do you believe in His son Jesus Christ as your savior?  Do you believe he is the rest you have been waiting for?  If yes – then enter that rest!

·         God also gives the warning for some will not enter His rest.  Who are those that don’t enter the rest?  Those that do not have faith in God.

·         The author continues his thought…if you believe in God continue to believe in God, do not turn toward sin that does not give rest, but turn toward God who is the source of eternal rest for your soul. 

·         Strive to enter that rest.  How?  How can you enter that rest?  How can you encourage others to enter that rest? 

·         Verse 12 is often quoted…why do you think it appears in this section about rest?  Why are verses 12 and 13 the conclusion of this chapter?  Do they seem out of place at all?  Keep reading in Hebrews and see how they fit in…I promise it will be worth your while.

God's Words Your Prayer

       A While ago I got a great little book.  It was put together by a guy named Kenneth Boa.  He takes scripture passages and turns them into prayers.  He makes them personal and changes the tense of words and edits it to sound smooth, but essentially it is the Bible just prayed back to the Lord.  Often when I run out of things to pray about or feel inadequate in my prayers I will turn to this little book to find words that God has already given us in scripture.  It has been encouraging and instructive as I look at passages as prayers.  I make the words my own and it causes me to stop just thinking academically about the theology of the words and instead to truly feel the passage.  So, for today’s Bible Time with Josh I want you to read the passage of scripture “as is” from the text and think deeply about it, then I will copy the prayer that Mr. Boa provides and I want you to pray it, feeling the text and making the words your own as you speak to the Lord.

Isaiah 53:7-12

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
    and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people?
⁹ And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
¹¹ Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Things to think about:

·         This is a prophetic passage about Jesus Christ.  Read through it and know that God was inspiring Isaiah to write this about an experience that he knew he was going to have…crazy.

·         Think through how this passage is fulfilled in the final days of Jesus.  Where do you see the similarities?  Why do you think it was important for Jesus to die in such a way?

·         In verse 10 God is the one doing the crushing.  Why was it the “will of the LORD to crush him?”  (Because it was the will of the Lord to save you from your sins and crushing Jesus was the only way that would be possible.  Romans 3)

Now let’s turn this passage into a prayer.  Spend a moment or two and pray this back to God. 

Lord Jesus, You were oppressed and afflicted,

Yet You did not open Your mouth;

You were led like a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

So You did not open Your mouth.

By oppression and judgment You were taken away.

And who can speak of Your descendants?

For You were cut off from the land of the living;

You were stricken for the transgression of God’s people.

You were assigned a grave with the wicked,

Yet with a rich man in Your death,

Though You had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in Your mouth.

Yet it was the Lord’s will

To crush You and cause You to suffer.

When You make Your soul a guilt offering,

You will see Your offspring and prolong Your days,

And the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in Your hand.

You will see the fruit of the travail of Your soul and be satisfied;

By Your knowledge, God’s righteous Servant, You will justify many,

And you will bear their iniquities.

Therefore God will give You a portion among the great,

And You will divide the spoils with the strong,

Because You poured out Your life unto death,

And were numbered with the transgressors..

For You bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

(Isaiah 53:7-12)

God Rules the Kings

     Every once in a while I will be reading the Bible and come across something that makes me laugh out loud.  The other day I had one such experience.  I want to share the passage with you, not just because I thought it was funny, but because of the incredible truth that it teaches us about God. 

Background:

·         Our story is from the book of Ezra which takes place after the destruction of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem.  Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem and burned the temple that King Solomon had built to the ground.  The walls were town down.  The people had been removed and displaced to other regions of Babylon.  It was a sad period of history for the Israelites. 

·         The book of Ezra tells the story of how God returns some of those displaced Israelites and their families back to Jerusalem…about 70 years after its destruction. 

·         These newly returned Israelites start rebuilding the temple with the approval of King Cyrus.  Just like in many times and places new leadership shows up and isn’t too sure what is going on and why…so work is stopped for fear of a rebellion.  The people write a letter appealing to the now new king Darius.  Here is what happens next.

Ezra 6:1-12

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. ² And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. ³ In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, ⁴ with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. ⁵ And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

⁶ “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. ⁷ Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. ⁸ Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. ⁹ And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, ¹⁰ that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. ¹¹ Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. ¹² May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

Things to think about:

·         I guess I am just immature, but come on King Darius…why a dunghill?  Did you catch that?  If someone apposed the rebuilding of the temple and stood against the people doing the work then they should be impaled on a beam of wood from their house and then their house should become the village toilet dump!  That would motivate me to “stay away” from any kind of opposition to that project! 

·         Besides the humorous picture of a guy’s house being turned into a dunghill think about the theology of this passage.  Here is God directing the decision of not one, but multiple kings of foreign lands to accomplish his purposes.  God wanted the temple to be rebuilt – so it was going to be rebuilt!  No army, no governor, no king was going to stand in His way. 

·         Stand back today and think about the sovereignty of God at work in our world today.  God still has purposes.  He still has plans.  No king, no country, no terrorist organization is going to stop Him.  God can direct the movements and decisions of anyone anywhere.  That should bring us comfort as we look out and think the world is out of control.  No, nothing is ever out of the control of our Heavenly Father.  We may not understand it, we may not agree with it, we may not see it, but God is there, working, moving, shaping the world to His ends.  His plans will not fail. 

·         That includes his plans for you.  Trust Him today with the craziness of your life and when all seems out of control look to him as the one who has everything under control.  God got the glory all those years ago by the rebuilding of His temple…and he will get the glory today by the rebuilding of your life.  Trust Him, He knows what He is doing. 

Our Sovereign Lord

       Do you ever deal with depression?  Melancholy?  Sadness?  Do you ever question God or the purposes of God?  At different points in our lives I think we all battle negative feelings and despair.  Today, I want to offer one simple truth that I pray will provide hope to us in those days when all seems out of control.  Here is the simple truth – God is sovereign.  A fancy way of saying He is in charge, he knows what he is doing and he carries out his plans and purposes perfectly!  This may not sound very hopeful, but let me share a quick quote from a famous preacher Charles Spurgeon who often suffered from depression and trials, then let us look together at a few Bible passages to once again be remind that God has not forgotten us or forsaken us.

Charles Spurgeon said once,

“It would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by his hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by his arrangement of their weight and quantity.” 

We often don’t think about God sending us afflictions…but the next time you are in a trial or feel overwhelmed remember that God has sent this to you.  Don’t worry about the “why” yet or try and answer the question, “what am I supposed to learn…” just dwell on the fact that this situation is from God, overseen by God, planned by God, purposed by God, and will end when God decides it will end.  It is not out of his control.  It is not beyond his strength.  You are not forgotten to the void of despair.  You are being held tightly by the hand of God with his all knowing, all seeing, all loving heart watching over you.  This is where trust comes in.  Can you trust the Lord to hold you when you don’t know why he caused you to fall in the first place? 

Psalm 107

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever! ² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    whom he has redeemed from trouble ³ and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way to a city to dwell in; ⁵ hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them. ⁶ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress. ⁷ He led them by a straight way
    till they reached a city to dwell in. ⁸ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man! ⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul,
    and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    prisoners in affliction and in irons, ¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God,
    and spurned the counsel of the Most High. ¹² So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
    they fell down, with none to help. ¹³ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress. ¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
    and burst their bonds apart. ¹⁵ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man! ¹⁶ For he shatters the doors of bronze
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

¹⁷ Some were fools through their sinful ways,
    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; ¹⁸ they loathed any kind of food,
    and they drew near to the gates of death. ¹⁹ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁰ He sent out his word and healed them,
    and delivered them from their destruction. ²¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man! ²² And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

²³ Some went down to the sea in ships,
    doing business on the great waters; ²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord,
    his wondrous works in the deep. ²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
    which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶ They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
    their courage melted away in their evil plight; ²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunken men
    and were at their wits' end. ²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁹ He made the storm be still,
    and the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
    and he brought them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man! ³² Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
    and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

³³ He turns rivers into a desert,
    springs of water into thirsty ground, ³⁴ a fruitful land into a salty waste,
    because of the evil of its inhabitants. ³⁵ He turns a desert into pools of water,
    a parched land into springs of water. ³⁶ And there he lets the hungry dwell,
    and they establish a city to live in; ³⁷ they sow fields and plant vineyards
    and get a fruitful yield. ³⁸ By his blessing they multiply greatly,
    and he does not let their livestock diminish.

³⁹ When they are diminished and brought low
    through oppression, evil, and sorrow, ⁴⁰ he pours contempt on princes
    and makes them wander in trackless wastes; ⁴¹ but he raises up the needy out of affliction
    and makes their families like flocks. ⁴² The upright see it and are glad,
    and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
    let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Things to think about:

·         There is a lot in this Psalm and I don’t think we can talk and think about all of it right now.  But, notice the rotating theme of God bringing disaster, stress, calamity, and then God bringing relief from those same disasters, stresses, calamities! 

·         God often teaches us lessons through our struggles, whether they be enemies, illness, or failure. 

·         I also want you to see the theme that when these people were being tossed around at sea, wandering in the desert or suffering in slavery they cried out to God.  That is where we need to be.  When God brings trouble cry out to Him, seek Him, love him, praise him, for he is in control!

Have a great day and no matter where you are or what you are going through seek the Lord, for He is good!  May the people of the Lord say so!