A Plea for Repentance4/30/2024 Daniel 4:27 ~ "Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." How many have it in us to do as Daniel did and plead for the repentance of those who are close to us? Daniel's plea to Nebuchadnezzar reminds us that we also must heed the word of God and plead with those we love to forsake sin and turn to the LORD. Let us consider a few things from our text today. First, who is Daniel talking with? This is the king of the most powerful nation in the world at the time. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered farther than any monarch of his era. He was ruler and Daniel was a slave. Truly Daniel had been elevated to a position of prominence, even of great influence, and yet he still was a captive. And being captive and subservient to the king of Babylon, Daniel did not assert authority over the king to give commands. He entreated Nebuchadnezzar to consider his words and heed his counsel. There are times when we have an opportunity to speak to someone that they should leave behind their sins and turn to Christ. But we have no real authority over them and cannot command them to repent and turn to the LORD. Yet, with words of wise counsel and a heart of compassion, we can entreat others to seek the LORD, to repent of sin and turn to Christ. Daniel was pleading for the very man who took him captive and enslaved his nation. This hearkens us to the command of our LORD to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (see Matthew 5:44). Because Daniel was well acquainted with the king, he did not give a general plea for repentance, but specifically spoke about how such a repentance would look. He did not merely say, "king, you're a bad man and you should repent." Daniel pointed out two very clear categories of Nebuchadnezzar's condition: his "sin" and his "iniquities." Those two terms correspond to both his private and public sins. And his repentance would relate to those conditions: by practicing righteousness and by showing mercy to the oppressed. Jesus gives us instruction on how to go to someone when we know they are in rebellion against the LORD. In Matthew 18:15-20 we are given the necessary steps to call someone back from sin. One of the great truths of this hinges on the knowledge of the offence. Let speculative accusations and hear-say confrontations be dismissed by all of God's children. We should never be party to such gossip. But if you know the truth then let the words of Galatians 6:1 govern your approach, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." And if they are to repent, what might that look like? It looks like a person who has made a shift away from sin and toward righteousness. Paul gives us a clear example in Ephesians 4:28, "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." We hear it from John the Baptist as he called on people to repent. "Soldiers also asked him, 'And we, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages'" (Luke 3:14). Dear friends, our God is rich in mercy and relents from sending calamity (see Joel 2:12-14). Daniel knows this. The prophet pleaded with Nebuchadnezzar that he should repent and discover the abundant mercy of the LORD. And the LORD God was patient, giving the king a whole year before His judgment fell, giving Nebuchadnezzar time to repent. Ultimately, it was the heavy hand of God that brought Nebuchadnezzar to his knees. Let it not be so with us. If there is a sin harbored within your heart, beloved even now repent and turn away from it and practice righteousness. Find in the Scriptures where God speaks plainly about your sin and then how He would have you repent of it. God is slow to anger and abounding in love, He will forgive all who turn away from sin and turn to Christ by faith. Perhaps you are in that season now where you've heard the call to repentance. Don't wait until the hand of God is heavy upon you. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 26:20, "...but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance." Let us all heed these words as well. In His Grace, Pastor Michael
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Covered by God4/29/2024 Genesis 3:21 ~ "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." At the very outset of our rebellion against Almighty God, the two creatures formed from the dust of the earth forsook their love for God and chose, rather, love for self. At that moment the LORD might have immediately struck them dead. The pinnacle of creation became the progenitors of sin. And that sinful condition now would be passed along through the generations to follow. Mankind's innocence was soiled in wickedness and only God Himself could provide the remedy for humanity. So, why didn't God eradicate the race? Did God have a need for man to exist? I've heard it said that God was lonely and wanted company. There are not many more foolish statements made than that! God created angelic beings who hold court before Him, ever rejoicing in His presence. God is Triune--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is within His own sphere of fellowship and is, by His own nature, never alone. God does not need mankind; God needs nothing at all. Why didn't God destroy humanity? Because God, in His perfection, is merciful. Tremble, dear ones, at the very nature of Almighty God. Every attribute of the LORD is always in perfection--His justice, righteousness, holiness, and all other qualities of the nature of God are absolute and His wrath is perfect as well. But God is also perfect in love, grace, mercy, kindness and gentleness. And so the first act of the Divine Creator after the curse was to cover the man and his wife with clothes. He did not first send them out of paradise, which was just. He clothed them with garments of skins, which was merciful. Consider Psalm 86:15, "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves. "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:7). The man and woman tried to hide from the LORD. "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden" (Genesis 3:8). And this is mankind's response still today. We want to hide our shame and sin, and with worldly hands try to fashion some form of covering that will at least conceal our wickedness. Or, when that fails, we try to hide ourselves from the One who created us, running for cover lest we be found out and it be exposed that we are sinners. The fig leaves of human effort are of no value and hiding will never work. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." But God is tender and compassionate and He will cover our sin and shame. And, my dear friends, if you find yourself hiding from the LORD God because of your sin, cry out to Him for He is more gracious than you are wicked. He will do as He promised and clothe you in garments of righteousness. He will cover you with the blood of Christ who paid the penalty for your sins. Listen to the words of Romans 3:23-24, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Perhaps you're thinking that there may not be enough mercy remaining for you? That, after all these eons, the LORD Almighty has reached the limit of His grace? Let me remind you that God is rich in mercy (see Ephesians 2;4). He has a wealth of mercy stored up for all who call upon the LORD Jesus and trust Him for salvation. He delights to show mercy, and will do, even as He did for the first man and woman. If you trust Him, your sins will be forgiven in Christ and you will be covered by God. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Man's Cry and God's Call4/28/2024 Joel 2:32 ~ "And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls." The great tug-of-war between the absolute sovereignty of God in the salvation of man and the necessity of man placing faith in God is found harmonized throughout the Scripture, and truly found in this grand text for today. And though I cannot fully reconcile both ideas with all who may read this, I want to bring you to understand that both are true and necessary for salvation. If you are born-again as Jesus has commanded (see John 3:7) then you have experienced the sovereign work of the Almighty LORD and have also expressed the necessary faith from your heart. In truth, no one escapes the wrath of God unless the Almighty release him and no one flees the coming wrath except that they "pick up their heels" and run to Christ. So we see, in our text today, that those who call upon the name of the LORD are saved... and yet it is those whom the LORD calls. Let us start from the point of God's sovereign will. Our text does say that among the survivors shall be "those whom the LORD calls." The survivors of what? I'm glad you asked. The preceding text tells us that it is those who are the survivors of the coming day of the LORD--the day of darkness and dread that will fall upon the whole earth (see Joel 2:31-32). All who are saved from God's eternal judgment are those whom God called to salvation. Not only is Christ the object of our faith, He is the Author of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 states, "...looking to Jesus, the founder [author] and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." And, being the "Founder" or Author of our faith means not merely being the One whom our faith is fixed, but being the One who originated our faith in the first place. It is God's own sovereign will that we should believe (see John 1:13). People will ask, then, where does my "free will" come in to the conversation? And that is the problem with all mankind--our will is not free. Every person ever born has their will captive to sin, lost in the darkness with no possibility of producing light on their own. God must illuminate the darkened heart; He must give life to the dead soul. So we come to the second: man's necessary faith. Our text reads, "everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." This is the response of faith that God requires. It is the humble and penitent soul who will bow before the God of Heaven and cry out for salvation in Jesus Christ. The world has, for the most part, dismissed the salvation of Christ--looking to Jesus as a rebuke against their love for sin (see John 7:7). But then there are those who are convicted concerning their sin. Consider what happened at the preaching of Peter on the Day of Pentecost. "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:37-38). Do you see it? I'm sure you do--both are working in this very text. The sovereign work of God in convicting those who heard and the call to faith by Peter through repentance. Beloved, have you ever been cut to the heart for the sins of your life--especially the sin of unbelief? Then, dear one, you have been moved by the sovereign work of God Almighty. Do as the Apostle Peter told the crowd that day and call upon the name of the LORD (see Acts 2:21). Do not harden your heart against the conviction of sin. Embrace that conviction as a gift from Almighty God and run to the LORD Jesus who will save all who call upon Him. Let us all, then, give thanks to the LORD Jesus for His salvation--a work of His sovereign will that moved us to believe. And, having believed and called upon the Savior, trust that His promise is forever certain--that all who call upon Him will be saved. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Doing Good in Times of Need4/27/2024 Acts 11:29 ~ "So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea." The life of the church is marked by a willing determination to do good in times of need for those who are in distress. And this is seen so very clearly in the church at Antioch. We have seen before how this church, of all the fellowships that had been born through the preaching of the Apostles, was first to be called "Christian" (see Acts 11:26). The behavior of this group of believers in Christ stood as a strong example to the world of what a fellowship of saints ought to do. It's a tragedy of sorts when church gatherings give up the very elemental instructions of the LORD to conform themselves to a more cultural conception of the gathering of the saints. The simplicity of faith working itself out in love is lost and complex designs and programs take its place. Paul laid this truth out in Galatians 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." But it is this simplicity of faith that found expression through the church at Antioch. After hearing of a famine that would come upon the people of Judea, the disciples of Antioch--a city approximately 300 miles away--took to heart the presented need and did something to aid the challenged saints in Jerusalem. From our text today, this is the first thing we must see--they "determined" to do this. That is to say, the made a willful and conscious choice to set aside resources to aid another church facing a time of crisis. Many Christians today will debate, discuss and let things "die in committees" before they determine to actually do something to send relief to those who are hurting. Let us hear the chastisement of James 2:16, "...and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" We are commanded to not love merely with words, but with action and with truth (see 1 John 3:18). The second thing to see, the church members did not give except according to their ability. It is a terrible tragedy to demand from those who are already poor and destitute of resources to give beyond their means. If the LORD persuade them to make such a sacrifice, all is well. But let no such demand fall from the lips of those in the church! Jesus rebuked the scribes for stealing widows' houses. Consider Luke 20:46-47, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." We are to offer help according to our means. Let not the rich become miserly nor let the poor become barren, for we are expected of God to give according to what one has, not what one does not have (see 2 Corinthians 8:12). Finally, we see the third lesson from our text: the relief was sent by the church and to the church, for they sent "relief to the brothers." There is no knowing how the church in Jerusalem used the resources given, if they parsed it out to those who came asking for help, or if they gave first to the needs of the fellowship. But the Antioch church knew that the one group they could trust with the resources raised would be their fellow believers in Jerusalem. Galatians 6:10 teaches, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." We are to do good to everyone, but our first response is to the needs of our own body--those who are of the household of faith. Many believers render aid through governmental programs and worldly institutions, but I would encourage you to first know that God has commanded us to give relief to those who belong to the church. It is true that some fellowships receive resources to horde it upon themselves. God will judge them for that. But let us not be faithless to the Word of God and defect to the world to give our resources to agencies outside of Christ. May the LORD Jesus bless us with the means to do good to those who belong to Him. In His Grace, Pastor Michael For Such a Time as This4/26/2024 Esther 4:14 ~ "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" You were not "born out of time." I've heard this from several who look to their lives and think about times long ago, romanticized and seemingly more beneficial than the days wherein they live. Nor is there a future (outside of heaven) where you would fit in better, a time where some utopian society has grown out of the ashes of this one. You were born in this day and hour and God did not misplace you. Acts 17:26 states, "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." God has already determined your allotted days. David said that all our days are already written in God's book (see Psalm 139:16). In the days of Esther, a great persecution rose up against the Jewish people living as captives in Persia. Haman, chief official of the king, despised the Jews and sought to rid himself of the entire race through a cunning plot that would have had the entire population authorized to annihilate them. (see Esther 3:13). Mordecai, who raised Esther, looked to her position as queen to be the means by which the LORD would bring deliverance to the Jews. However, as we look to the text for today, we see that Mordecai knew that the LORD would deliver His people: "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place." There is a real confidence of faith that Mordecai shows concerning his understanding that God will preserve His people. And, that, dear friends, is where we need to stand as well. Do you have that same confidence that the LORD Jesus will keep safe those who belong to Him? It is not necessarily a safety from earthly circumstances or deliverance from negative moments, but a confidence that God will preserve His people and deliver them according to His promise. Are you facing persecution? And could it be that God has actually put you into that circumstance for "such a time as this?" That you, being faithful to the LORD, will have the courage to stand and do what God has commanded and in so doing will shine a light so bright for the LORD Jesus that others will see and believe on the LORD Jesus Christ. Truly, most of us will never have the moment before us where our lives can rescue an entire nation from peril. But all of us will have moments given by God where our faithfulness can be used of Him to bring about a deliverance for someone. Paul told the Ephesians, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). There are good works laid before you, and it requires a willingness to walk by faith that you should fulfill them. For Esther, it was an "all or nothing" moment of faithfulness. She needed to enter the king's presence without being summoned, and that alone could cost her life. Esther 4:16 says, "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." Oh that we should have such a faith as this young woman! Let us all strive after that willing obedience to God, though it takes us into harm's way. You are, beloved, born for such a time as this. With the rise of wickedness and hatred of Christians today, the need for courageous faith is paramount. And the LORD created you in this time, and saved you in this time and you are still here--for such a time as this. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Do Not Give Up4/25/2024 Galatians 6:9 ~ "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." I am convinced that every Christian will face that moment--or multiple moments along the way--where they believe that all their effort is of so little value that it is like planting dead seeds into hardened soil. But, I want to take this moment today to encourage you to do as the Apostle Paul writes and not give up. It is hard for us to fathom the idea that we have little control of the results of our effort. We work, strive and labor for the Lord Jesus in this sin-sick world and then look to the potential harvest that will be reaped in the near future. We give our time to the service of our King and expect--perhaps even demand--that the sprouts of life will quickly spring up from our efforts. But that lost person still walks away, that difficult person still strives in chaos and those harsh circumstances of life are just as troubling. The sinner remains unrepentant and the way is still fraught with peril. We sigh, groan and wonder why the LORD allows us to labor in such seeming futility. But is it really futile? Are there no evidences at all of the LORD working through your labors? The first thing to see is that the LORD is pleased with your sacrificial effort. Hebrews 13:16 states, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." In truth, the pleasure of God Almighty ought to be enough to satisfy the heart of every believer. Knowing that God looks with delight upon your willingness to do good and share what you have must be the first spark of fire that ignites the blaze of faithfulness to the LORD. Dear ones, you don't do well because you have been successful, you do well because you have been faithful. Jesus our Lord told us this in Matthew 25:21, "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'" The second stanza in the chorus of perseverance is to realize that the world does take note of your faithfulness. They may not like it--or even want to see it--but they do take note of it. Peter reminds us of this in 1 Peter 2:12, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." There will come that day when the LORD Jesus returns. On that day, your testimony of faithful perseverance in this world will stand as a rebuke against them, for they saw in you the willing faithfulness to the LORD despite the antagonism and difficulties that you experienced. Romans 12:20 says, "To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.'" Beloved, there is a "due season" coming. A harvest will be reaped. It may not happen while you're doing the work of planting seeds or watering (see 1 Corinthians 3:6-8). Paul says that "we" will reap. It is a joint effort of labor, both the planting and the harvesting. You may reap the harvest of another servant's planting. Others may reap the harvest of yours. But the planter and the reaper will rejoice together, for it is the work not of one individual, but of all who belong to Christ. Jesus told us in John 4:36, "Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together." So, do not let your heart be troubled with the weariness of despair. There are times when rest is needed (see Mark 6:31). But, my friends, do not give up. God sees your labor and is pleased with your faithfulness to Him. Let His delight over you ever sustain you in the work that He has given. In His Grace, Pastor Michael God Will Repay4/24/2024 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 ~ "...since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflicted you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." Someday, beloved, God will avenge His people. There is a disparity of life for most Christians. We look at the world and the continued rise of wickedness seems to be unabated. Persecutions against the saints of the LORD seem to be the only unrestricted hatred that happens in our world. In Revelation 6:10, beneath the altar of the LORD, the saints cry out, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" The increasing global hatred for true believers comes from those who, otherwise, would proclaim a level of tolerance for all other members of society. The Psalmist cries out in Psalm 73:3, "For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." And there are many today who see the increasing power and prosperity of the wicked in our world and, perhaps, grow envious of them still. Jeremiah asked a similar question as the psalmist in Jeremiah 12:1, "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?" But, my friends, let me encourage you to not look upon the worldly increase of the wicked as if that is a situation that will last them forever. The church of Thessalonica suffered greatly from persecutors and Paul looked to them as the steadfast example for other churches. Consider 2 Thessalonians 1:4, "Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring." Yet their willingness to remain faithful to Christ in the face of such hatred was evidence that they belonged to Christ. For true faith must be tested and when it is, it will bring glory to God and confidence to the believer (see 1 Peter 1:7). But even as God will use the persecutions that come against His church to strengthen and refine His people, He will also repay those who persecute believers with the afflictions that they had caused the church to suffer. Romans 12:19 states, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" Christian, God has never once overlooked the sufferings that you have endured at the hands of the world. He has seen every hatred, has heard every slander against you and knows that you have been greatly distressed in your faith. Hear the word of God from Isaiah 35:4, "Say to those who have an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.'" But you might ask, "when will this take place? When will God repay the wicked and grant relief to His saints?" The time is soon... sooner than we might believe. In our text, we are encouraged with the knowledge that the day of Christ's return will be the day of final and full relief for those who are born again, and ultimate repayment for those who rejected the LORD and persecuted His people. The Day when our Lord Jesus is revealed is a twofold promise: a promise of full redemption for those who belong to Christ, and also a promise of final judgment for those who despised Him. So, beloved, hold out hope until that day even as we are told in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." 1 Peter 4:19 reminds us, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." So let us be patient and continue to do good. Soon, God will bring a just repayment for His people. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Cost of Faithfulness4/23/2024 1 Chronicles 21:24 ~ "But King David said to Ornan, 'No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.'" How do you count the cost of faithfulness to the LORD? Incited by the enemy of God, David sent Joab to survey the nation of Israel and count the people (see 1 Chronicles 21:1-2). The intent of such a survey would more than probably be to underscore the strength of the nation, noting how many fighting men there were in both the northern and southern portions of the kingdom. This, however, angered the LORD for it looked to the strength of men rather than the power of God to secure the land. David, in repentance, cried out to the LORD and was given the opportunity to worship God at the threshing floor where the destroying angel was commanded to halt the judgment of the LORD. And I want to highlight this truth: we have opportunity to worship the LORD at His willingness not at ours. If God will not receive your service, if He rejects your worship, then, beloved, you are out of fellowship with Him and must repent of any known sins and seek the mercy of the LORD. Consider what the LORD said in Malachi 1:10, "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand." So, you might ask--what is acceptable? David tells us in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." It is humility that God receives, a heart that is broken and contrite before Him. Arrogance and pride must be cast off as we come to offer our sacrifices to the LORD. So, in our text today, David had humbled himself before God (see 1 Chronicles 21:17). And now the king of Israel is commanded to come before the LORD and offer to God a sacrifice of worship, an burnt offering and a peace offering. But Ornan wanted to give to David all that which was required to make the acceptable sacrifice--and David refused on two grounds. First, David said, "I will not take for the LORD what is yours." David was no robber-king, and he would not take from another and present it as if it were his. As king of Israel, it may seem as if David would have the authority to take it--and it was freely offered. But to offer such a sacrifice before the LORD would, in truth, be an offering of Ornan's and not David's. Second, and this is to our main view today, David would offer no sacrifice before the LORD that cost him nothing. What a tremendous truth this is! There is a cost to our faithfulness to the LORD. David knew this, for he wanted to make sure he paid full price for all the required necessities of the offering. In truth, a sacrifice that comes without a cost is not really a sacrifice at all. If I wanted to give to you a gift, but then go and get that gift for free, given to me by another, and then pass it off to you, the value of such a gift is emptied--for it cost me nothing. Do you have this mindset? Are you of the frame of thinking that you will only give to God what is convenient without a cost? Let us all embrace the wonderful opportunity to give to God what He deserves: our very lives. Jesus told us to "count the cost" in Luke 14:28, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" But, be of good cheer my friends, God will not impose on you a demand beyond your ability. 2 Corinthians 8:12 states, "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have." It is often, however, not our abilities that hinder us but our unwillingness that gets in our way. So let me encourage you, beloved, to consider this text and remember what David the king said. There is a cost to faithfulness--let your willingness cause you to rise up and offer to God what He requires. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Blessing of Affliction4/22/2024 Psalm 119:71 ~ "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." It is not an easy thing for people to embrace their afflictions as if they are a blessing. But, my dear friends, it is a good thing that we undergo the affliction of the LORD. In a culture rich with the pleasantries of life and the ability to receive almost immediate satisfaction with the various needs and wants that fill the human experience, it is a difficult thing to imagine that there are benefits to the sufferings we endure. But, in truth, there are ample blessings received along the rough road, benefits that would otherwise be missed if our way was filled only with comfort. So, as we look upon our text today, the Psalmist described his affliction as something "good." The term means beneficial, and can even be translated "beautiful" on some occasions. Imagine that--something beautiful born out of suffering. Ask any woman who has gone through the travail of labor and she will describe the end result of her pain as a tremendous blessing. Hear the words of Solomon from Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." What was the king of Israel concerned with in that chapter--that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity, both the good and the bad, and the Almighty God can make even the hard realities of life a thing of beauty when we look to Him. And consider the end result of the affliction. The Psalmist says, "...that I may learn your statutes." Did you know that there are lessons of truth that can be earned only through the crucible of affliction. Our Lord Jesus endured suffering. Read it in Hebrews 5:8, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered." Did you think that you could possibly learn obedience to the will of God in any other way than how our Lord, Himself, learned obedience? I do believe that we forget at times that we are sinners and we must learn the precious truths of God Almighty in order to walk in His holiness. Intellectual awareness of truth is good, but experiential knowledge is transforming. And we need to be transformed. Hebrews 12:10-11 states, "For they [earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he [Almighty God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hear what the Psalmist said in a verse preceding our text for today, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word" (Psalm 119:67). We easily divert from the "straight and narrow" without the disciplining hand of the Almighty God. And, dear Christian, we ought to love such discipline. In fact, if we do not undergo God's discipline, it tells us that we are considered "illegitimate children" (see Hebrews 12:8). Consider a man who has never undergone discipline. They go through life with the foolish expectation that it all should be measured out for his benefit. And then the harsh reality comes crashing down around him and he rails against all those who would not embrace his folly--especially the LORD. Proverbs 19:3 tells us, "When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD." Dear ones, children that never undergo needed discipline will find that the folly of their youth is never transformed into the wisdom of maturity. Beloved, take a moment and think back to the times of trial that you went through. Could it be that you learned more about Christ, about true faith and real love during those times than during times of ease? Comfort is no sign of God's providential blessing and suffering is no indication of His anger. Let us close out with a word from the Apostle Peter, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7). Perhaps, when we see the difficulty for what it is, we can say with the Psalmist that it was good for us, also, to be afflicted. In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Greater Joy Awaiting4/21/2024 John 14:28 ~ "You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." Dear Christian, do not tremble too much at death. For those who belong to Christ have a greater joy awaiting than any transient delights on earth. Consider our LORD as He quickly came upon the final days of His life. As He gazed forward toward the suffering that would bring us peace with God, and the horrific experience of what was going to be His greatest triumph for the salvation of those who believe, He rejoiced. Hebrews 12:2 says, "...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." In our text today, the LORD reminded His disciples that He was going away. Jesus had told them on many occasions that there was coming a cross for Him, a suffering at the hands of sinful men and, ultimately, His death. But the LORD continued to remind them that His resurrection would follow. We see this in texts such as Matthew 16:21, "From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." But now Jesus also tells them that there is going to be a departure of His physical presence from them for a period of time--that He was "going away." When the payment for sins was complete and His final instructions spoken, the LORD would depart from this world and return to His Father. And, for that, He looked forward with joy. He even told the disciples that it was to their advantage that He depart. Jesus said in John 16:7, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." Consider this from our text today, Jesus said that if they loved Him, they would rejoice at His departure, for He was going to again be with the Father. Oh how difficult it is for us to grasp this! To love Jesus, and all those who belong to Jesus, is to rejoice at their departure to glory. Please don't mistake me, I do not set aside the grief of loss or the pain of the vacancy of a loved one who departed. But, can we not also rejoice because they departed--and because we love them are we not blessed to know that they entered into that greater joy that awaits all who belong to the LORD? As the Apostle Paul considered the matter between remaining here to serve the LORD or departing to be with the LORD he said this in Philippians 1:23, "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Dear ones, don't hold so tightly to the temporary joys of this transient life. There are blessed moments and great opportunities to serve the LORD and find joy in the journey, but there is a greater joy awaiting. There is a heavenly joy--an eternal glory. It is a blessed thing to have a long and fruitful life in serving the LORD while we are here. And even the Scripture teaches of the blessing of years in this life (see Psalm 91:6). But let us hold fast to the truth that the presence of our LORD is far greater, and to depart to be with Christ is a glorious reason to rejoice. And, my friends, I know this: the day when God has determined it is my time to depart and be with Christ, I will exceedingly rejoice. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Hated Messenger4/20/2024 1 Kings 22:8 ~ "And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.' And Jehoshaphat said, 'Let not the king say so.'" The most hated messenger is the one who will speak a difficult truth when the listener would prefer a comfortable lie. This type of lie started in the garden when the enemy of God closed ranks upon the pinnacle of God's creation and deceived them into believing that God's judgment for eating the forbidden fruit was merely a myth. We read it in Genesis 3:4-5, "But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" We are sorely misinformed when we believe that the deceiver will always come with blatant and outright slanderous and vile temptations. No, beloved. The enemy of God slithers near with the promise of good tidings, fair weather and certain victories. He comes disguised as an "angel of light" and the servants of the enemy pose as servants of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). You will always hear from the enemy exactly what you want to hear, unless you actually want to hear the truth. In our text today, we find a man who I've always admired--the prophet Micaiah. King Ahab of Israel brought Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to his city in order to partner with him in a war. He wanted to join forces with the kingdom of Judah and strengthen his hand against Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat was very willing to join his forces to those of Ahab, but first he wanted to inquire of the LORD. Enter the false prophets. As one voice they all declared with unwavering certainty that there was no doubt about the victory that stood before them. In 1 Kings 22:6 we read, "Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, 'Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?' And they said, 'Go up, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.'" But the king of Judah would not be so easily persuaded. Unlike Ahab, Jehoshaphat wanted to hear the truth from God and not just the pandering niceties of the false prophets. Micaiah was urged to agree with the false prophets, but would not say anything beyond what the LORD God would say (see 1 Kings 22:13-14). And, thus, Ahab hated the prophet for, as he said, "he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." And, today, we are inundated with false prophets who always seem to proclaim certain political victories, financial blessings, supernatural encounters and a host of other, positive and affirming words. No matter the actual word of God, written for the believer's instruction, these proclaimers will pander to the moment and deliver a message that would make the enemy proud. Be careful, my friends, when you start to listen to the words of those who call themselves the voice of the Almighty God. When phrases like "I have a word from the LORD" are hanging in the air, make sure that what is said next comes from the actual word of God. It is a great risk to listen to the comfortable lie. The false prophets of Ahab testified to his victory, and the king was struck down in battle. And, one thing more. Micaiah's prophecy agreed with the already revealed word of God, written down by Moses and the prophets. The false prophets only agreed with Ahab and each other. When you listen to those who proclaim a message from the LORD, make sure it agrees with the Scriptures. You and I have no other source by which we can make an accurate assessment. Paul warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." Beloved, God will comfort you with His word. It is not always a difficult truth that we hear. But He also chastises His people and corrects them. So let us do as Jehoshaphat, and listen to the true word of the LORD. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Vain Wisdom of Man4/19/2024 Job 38:1-3 ~ "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.'" Job suffered. There is no doubt that the patriarch went through a time of testing that was unexpected and severe. He was a righteous man, devout in his duty to the LORD, who feared God and turned from evil (see Job 1:8). His character was, in comparison to the world at large, impeccable and unsullied. God allowed the test, and opened the door for the enemy to take from Job his children, his industry and, ultimately, his health. At that point, the suffering man succumbed to his grief and lamented the condition he experienced. He could not reason why his suffering was so profound--for he saw in himself no sense of any real guilt. His friends accused him of hidden sins though they could not point to one. The final statement that described the patriarch is found in Job 32:1, "So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes." After Job's three friends ceased their constant attacks against him, a young man named Elihu stepped in to offer his observations. He chastised the three for not finding any fault though continually making accusations (see Job 32:3). And the young man burned against Job for having justified himself rather than God. Job 32:2 states, "Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God." In all of this, God heard every complaint of Job. And, at the end of the time of trial, the Almighty speaks to the patriarch words that will shatter the pride of every human on the earth. Basically, the LORD asks Job, "Who do you think you are?" Do you feel the weight of God's rebuke? My own soul is crushed under the weight of such a stern reprimand from God. And any who want to claim a superior wisdom or better knowledge than God Almighty had better take a seat and humble yourself before the LORD. It begins with a question: "who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" Dear ones, we hold no glimmer of wisdom in comparison to the full light of the counsel of God. Bring our intellect into some debate with the LORD and all we do is cast shadows and offer no light. We have "words without knowledge." Our understanding is so limited that when we draw near to God, we had better silence ourselves and listen. Ecclesiastes 5:1 tells us, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." Let me ask a simple question: how much of your counsel is drawn from the pages of God's Word compared to your own intuitions and insights? You and I, beloved, have no special insights or greater intuitive wisdom that is superior to the written word of the LORD. Let the Scriptures be the lamp and the light that guides your every step. Seek no other wisdom lest you darken God's counsel by words without knowledge. It ends in a challenge. "I will question you, and you make it known to me." Job had spent his lamentable experience questioning the LORD about his dire circumstances. He never charged God with wrongdoing. Yet Job did what many of us do--we ask the age-old question: why me? God is now going to reverse this interrogation and begin to question Job. Let me encourage you to read chapters 38 to 42 of the book of Job. For God's response is the word He gives to all who will question His activities. Consider Romans 9:20, "But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?'" As God is sovereign, every circumstance and condition is under His control. We can petition our LORD, seek Him in prayer and ask for His gracious hand to deliver us from whatever sorrows we may face. But God has the final say. He alone is the Author of life and the One who bestows blessing or brings calamity. Isaiah 45:7 states it clearly, "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things." Hear Job's final statement to the LORD, "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). As Job did in the final confrontation with the LORD, let us repent of all our ego and pride. Recognize that the wisdom we possess is mere vanity, and cling to the wisdom that comes from God. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Going on Ahead4/18/2024 2 John 1:9 ~ "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." As John opens this brief letter to the "elect lady" there is a tremendous sense of delight and joy as he writes. Who is this "elect lady?" Some understand it to be a believing woman who has opened her home to the church. Others believe it is a cryptic reference to the church itself, the elect of God--the Bride of the Lord Jesus. Either understanding does not negate the letter's joyful expression toward what John saw as a blessing of faith and love being lived out. With great approval, John writes about how he is overjoyed to learn about the faithful lives of the children mentioned. 2 John 1:4 states, "I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father." And, like a parent to the church, the apostle finds great satisfaction that the next generation has embraced the gospel of Christ and are walking in the truth of Jesus as commanded by the Father (see Matthew 17:5). How much more joyful is it to know that even today, after hundreds of generations have come and gone, the truth of Christ is known and the church continues to walk in it. But John warns, also, of those who are deceivers--antichrists--who proclaim a message that is filled with lies and deny the Living Lord Jesus as come in the flesh (see 2 John 1:7). And in our text today, we read the apostle's admonition to those who are going on ahead. John was a living eyewitness to the resurrected Savior and could destroy the arguments of those who denied the Lord. Today, we have the teachings given by God through His apostles so that we have a true road to walk as well. The first part of his admonition is a warning. For those who go on ahead, that is, those who are going forward into life with the idea that they are somehow united with God, they had better be abiding in the teaching of Christ. Again, read what he said, "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God." Is this even possible? How can one go ahead, believing that they are at peace with God, without abiding in the word of Christ? Simple--they trust their own intellect, intuitions and impressions rather than the Scriptures. I heard one man testify that he was a Christian, yet his very next statement was to deny the resurrection of the LORD. He is self-condemned because he does not abide in the teaching of Christ. Dear friends, do not go beyond what is written (see 1 Corinthians 4:6). The Scriptures point us to the Lord Jesus, they teach us how to be saved, how to know we are saved, how to walk in that salvation to glorify the Savior. Anything beyond the written testimony of the Word of God will never truly give you fellowship with the Lord. Which brings us to the second part of John's statement, and it is a blessed encouragement. Pause a moment to consider these words again, "Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." What does it mean to "abide in the teaching?" Simply put, you hold fast to the doctrines of Christ. I know that there are some who believe that "doctrine" is a lifeless intellectual approach to gain knowledge of the Word but empty of the Holy Spirit's power. But, beloved, it is the Holy Spirit who brings us into those doctrines, who guides us into all truth and reminds us of all that Jesus our Lord taught us (see John 16:12-15). And look at the tremendous promise! If we abide in the teaching of Christ, we have both the Father and the Son. We have confidence to go ahead into life within the full fellowship of God Almighty. Understand that this "abiding" is not merely mental awareness of the truth from Christ, but a loving obedience to that which He has commanded. Let us do as the Father commands in Mark 9:7, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Friend Loves at All Times4/17/2024 Proverbs 17:17 ~ "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." We walk alone in this world when we journey through life without a friend. More than an acquaintance, more than a common fellowship, friendships hold the heart and carry the burden of the soul far greater than all other relationships. Families are set upon the relationship of blood--friendships upon that of mutual love. And though we hope that the blood relations hold fast in friendship as well, we know that the inner core of the human need is to have that one person who is woven within the fabric of our heart. An illuminating example of this depth of friendship is seen in David and Jonathan. 1 Samuel 18:1 says, "As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." The tenderness and confidence of this simple statement of our text today clarifies for us so readily the reality of true friendship. This friend, a close companion of another, is the very one who will love at all times. The affection of friendship is experienced and the duration of friendship is timeless. The phrase "at all times" is singular in its construction--it might very well read, "A friend will love in each moment." For, in truth, there are friendships that find a separation of distance and so the opportunity to love is not close at hand. But when that reunion happens or the need surmounts the chasm of miles, the same love is rekindled again into flame and burns brightly, as if no separation occurred. And now, beloved, consider the statement from our Lord Jesus. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." This is the highest peak, the greatest zenith of friendship--the willing sacrifice for the other. And then, consider what Jesus said next in John 15:14, "You are my friends if you do what I command you." Are you His friend? He has certainly been yours. He has laid His life down for your salvation and He invites you into the friendship of God. Psalm 25:14 states, "The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant." This is the friendship that everyone desires to have, but let me ask you this: is this the friend that you are? Because, my friends, if we go forward in life always looking for the other person to satisfy our hearts with their friendship, we also must be willing to set ourselves aside for the sake of another. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Be the one who is willing to help the other up. And, finally, a brief warning for your soul. James tells us quite clearly that Christians must guard themselves against a friendship with the wrong crowd. We find this in James 4:4, "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." You are yoked together with Christ, do not be yoked again with the world. Paul warns the church in 2 Corinthians 6:14, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" This is not to mean that you have no commonalities with the world, or that you completely abandon your relations in the world. For you have a task of sharing the gospel with those who are in the world. But, you must find that your deepest friendships, your closest companions on this journey are those who are following Christ with you. It is in those friendships that you will find that brother who is born for adversity. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Judgment of God4/16/2024 Nahum 2:13 ~ "Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard." In today's text, we step ahead one hundred years from the days of Jonah and we find ourselves back in Nineveh. Two generations has passed between the time when the former prophet proclaimed God's judgment. At that time the city repented and God spared them from His wrath. It only takes a moment to remember what the king of Nineveh proclaimed to the entire city during the days of Jonah, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish" (Jonah 3:7-9). However, things have changed. The city went forward without remembering the warning from the LORD. There is no indication that the repentant generation spoke to the next concerning the mercy of God and their deliverance from His wrath. And in two generations, the city had returned to their wickedness. If they had told the next generation of the proclamation of Jonah, it was certain that the subsequent generations did not listen to or believe the warnings. The city turned back to their evil as if they decided that God was unaware of their sin. They are as the psalmist described in Psalm 94:7, "And they say, 'The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.'" How often is it that, after the warning from the LORD, a people return to their sins? There is a tendency to think that because immediate judgment does not fall upon this sinful world that God does not actually care much about sin. But the truth is, God is patient with this fallen world, but the day of wrath will come. And Nineveh learned this the hard way. Could there be any graver statement than the LORD proclaiming, "I am against you?" That is the most dreadful, horrifying message a people could hear. We love the statement of Romans 8:31, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" But who can be for us if God is against us? If the LORD has determined judgment against a people, there is none who can rescue out of the hand of God. Hebrews 2:2-3 testifies, "For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, but there is no promised blessing for a nation that forsakes Him. Though our land may be as in the days of Nahum, yet let us hear the warning of our Lord Jesus Christ and do as He commands, repenting of our sins and turning to Him for salvation. He is a tender and merciful Savior who will not forsake any who come to Him in humble surrender. For even in the midst of a wicked and fallen land God speaks to His people words of hope, "Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off" (Nahum 1:15). Let us go to Him who is the Prince of Peace and the One who, by His sacrifice, gives good news to all who believe. And, while we have time, let us make sure the generations to come hear the warning of God to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Pity of God4/15/2024 Jonah 4:11 ~ "And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" Do you think that God has no pity upon those who dwell on the earth? The Almighty God holds back wrath and restricts His judgment in order to bring His mercy to light upon a people living in sinful darkness. If you are reading this and you have come to know the salvation mercy of Christ, then you are a living testimony of the pity of God. This idea of God's pity is akin to His compassionate heart to redeem those who will believe. It does not rest upon the worthiness of the individual, but it is squarely set upon the heart of God to make His salvation available to all who believe. As we consider our text for today, we must reconcile in our hearts who are the inhabitants of Nineveh. The city was known for its wanton wickedness. It was the enemy of Israel and feared or hated by most. It was a lawless place--a seedbed of hostility to the surrounding nations. And these, my friends, are the people that God will pity. How often do we come against those who are rancid in their lives--wicked, rebellious men or women that live licentiously, without any sense of honor before the LORD? We, much like Jonah, would prefer to not deliver any message to those who we deem too far gone from God for any hope of restoration. How could God, who is holy and righteous take pity on such a human infestation as Nineveh? But He does. Yet God's pity begins with His warning. God had a message He wanted delivered by Jonah, and it was not a message of hope or a greeting with a promise of a better tomorrow. He did not send Jonah into the city to speak of how much Divine love would change them--He sent Jonah to tell them that they were to be destroyed. In Jonah 1:1-2 we read, "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.'" God sent Jonah to call out AGAINST the city. The evil of Nineveh had become so vile that it reached, as it were, to heaven. God, as Judge, set the charge against them--they were guilty. Next God tells Jonah to speak to the city the words He commands. It will be words of judgment, a sentence to be carried out against them for their wickedness. Jonah proclaims those words in Jonah 3:4, "Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!'" It was a three-day journey across the city and Jonah stopped each day to tell them they were doomed. Have you ever noticed that God's grace for you began with His sentence against you? No one ever seeks the grace of God or His pity or mercy without first coming to understand that there is a great judgment waiting for them--one that will not be missed unless God relents from His sending calamity. Do not reject the sense of guilt that is found when sins are rampant in your life. God will first convict before He offers mercy. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit that when He comes, His first encounter will be to convict the world of sin (see John 16:8). And the pity of God is experienced by the repentant of heart. Consider what it says in Jonah 3:5, "And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them." They believed God and that belief moved them to respond in repentance as seen in their fasting and wearing sackcloth. And that is where the pity of God is received, for God saw their response to His warning and did not send the disaster. Dear ones, our God is a merciful God, sending His Son to be the means by which He can fully and freely pardon your sins. For the King of kings took upon Himself your guilt and bore your punishment on the cross. He will have pity on any who truly repent and desire to be redeemed. Hear His warning, and be moved to call out to Him. Our Savior awaits all who seek Him. In His Grace, Pastor Michael There is a Redeemer4/14/2024 Ruth 3:12 ~ " And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I." It has been said that the story of Ruth and Boaz is one of the greatest love stories told. And what a grand reflection it is of the Great Redeemer, the LORD Jesus. When we consider where we come from, how foreign we are to the LORD in our sinful state, from the land that is at enmity with God, it is a wonder that He would consider us at all. Even David asked the question in Psalm 144:3, "O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?" In the saga of Boaz and Ruth, the necessity of redeeming the house of Elimelech fell upon the closest relative--the kinsman redeemer. This was set as a statute in the law of Moses as the way to perpetuate the name of the deceased. We find this in Deuteronomy 25:5-6, "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel." Boaz, a close relative of the deceased, had in his heart the desire to redeem the house and marry the woman, Ruth. However, a difficulty arose when there was a closer relative, one who had the first right of redemption for the house of Elimelech. This other kinsman refused to redeem saying, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it" (Ruth 4:6). It may be hard to understand, but there is a closer kinship that you and I possess, but one that cannot redeem. That closer kinship is the world. Our sinful state makes us more akin to this world than we were to the LORD. Jesus spoke to the Pharisees in John 8:23 and said this, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world." He is not of this world at all. He has no sin, is perfect in all His ways, there is no impurity with the LORD. Even as Ruth, being a Moabite, had no direct kinship to Boaz, so we, being sinners born, had no direct kinship to Christ. But as the risk was too great for the nearer relation in order to redeem Ruth, so the cost is too high for the world to offer any possibility of redemption. Jesus asked in Matthew 16:26, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" The whole world in exchange for your soul is still too small a price, it does not cover the cost of what it takes to redeem even one sinner. But, dear friends, there IS a Redeemer! Jesus Christ, God's own Son, the blessed Lamb of God and the One who took upon Himself the requirement of redemption. He is our Kinsman Redeemer. He is the Boaz to our being Ruth. He is the strength and love of God for His bride, the church. And He has took upon Himself the cost of our salvation. When we were enemies of God Almighty, He became for us our Kinsman so that He could have the right to redeem us. Will you come? Will you come and lay at the feet of the One who will receive you and redeem you from all your sin? Will you come and see that the Lord Jesus Christ went to the uttermost limit of love by laying down His own life that He should bear away your transgressions and make you holy? Let us, though we are rebellious sinners and born of the enemies of God, come to our Kinsman Redeemer and receive His grace and mercy that we should be His very own. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Opportunity to Trust the LORD4/13/2024 Ezra 8:22 ~ "For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, 'The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.'" There may come that time when your testimony of faith will be put to the test. You, then, will have the opportunity to trust the LORD. During the time of rebuilding the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, Ezra knew that enemies surrounded him. Opposition forces stood against the project and often threatened the work or tried to coerce the king to put a stop to the effort (see Ezra 4:11-13). Yet, under the leadership of Ezra, the Temple was rebuilt and the worship of the LORD resumed in Jerusalem--just as God had commanded. When all that had been accomplished, it was time for Ezra and the Levites to travel. Ezra had seen the mighty hand of the LORD work on behalf of the project, but now that it was done, would God continue to deliver Ezra? With confidence in the LORD, Ezra conveyed his faith to the king. But confidence in God is not proved merely with words, but with action. Take, as an example, the three men who were sent to the fires of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 3:16-18 says, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'" Their faith was not merely in their words, but in their actions as well. Even if they did not survive the fire, they would remain true to the LORD. And such was Ezra's dilemma. He had spoken to the king and told the king that God would do good for those who seek Him. But that brings the test to its reality: would Ezra trust the LORD or ask for guards to take them through the gauntlet of haters. Ezra certainly would have had the right to such protections. As the leader of rebuilding the Temple, Ezra had made several powerful enemies. But he had told Artaxerxes about his faith in God. It would have been of no great concern when Peter saw the LORD Jesus and asked Him to command that the fisherman step out of the boat if the boat was in drydock. But Peter's opportunity to trust the LORD Jesus was out upon the waves of the sea (see Matthew 14:29). Let us gaze upon a few examples. Do you believe that it is only through Jesus Christ that a person can be saved from the wrath of God, and in that belief do you share the gospel? Do you believe that the prayer of the righteous is of great effect (see James 5:16) and then do you fervently pray? You see, at every moment of our testimony of believing God, there will be a corresponding opportunity to trust the LORD. James tells us, in James 2:17-18 that a faith apart from action is dead. "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Real faith is to take God at His word and DO, not merely listen to, what He says. And that is the case for Ezra. He testified to his faith in God, and now it will be tested. Beloved, when you have an opportunity to obey God by faith, make sure you take it. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Requirement of God4/12/2024 Deuteronomy 10:12-13 ~ "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?" How often does this question rise up in your heart, dear one: "What does God require?" Often, the consideration and concerns of our hearts are concentrated on the things that we desire, things that we need or want. Our prayers might sound like a listing of temporary necessities or, worse, demands. But do you pray--"Lord, what do you want of me?" For in truth, the Lord of glory is the King of our lives and the absolute ruler over all that we are and do. It should be the desire of every believer to know the requirements of the Savior. This rhetorical question asked by Moses gives us pause to consider our own hearts before the Lord. What does the Lord require of His people? God had powerfully delivered the nation of Israel out of the captivity in Egypt, and He established them as a people for His very own. And now having rescued with a mighty hand those who believe on the Lord Jesus, these requirements still ring true in our hearts as well. There are five answers given to the question. First, to fear the LORD your God. Christian, what god is there like unto the LORD our God? There is no other Savior, no other Sovereign, He alone reigns in unapproachable light and has descended from heaven to bear away the sins of His people. Does not your heart tremble before the Mighty God? Jeremiah 5:22 asks, "Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it." Second, to walk in all His ways. The world is filled with paths of intrigue and interest, but who is reading this that longs for the highway of the LORD? There are all manner of diversions along the broad road that leads to destruction, but only a narrow way that leads to life (see Matthew 7:13-14). The way of God is the way of holiness. Isaiah 35:8 states, "And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray." Third, to love Him. To love the Lord is to set Him above all other interests or relations and desire His satisfaction as of greatest importance. Love is the most compelling of conditions in the heart--it will move a person to lay all aside and give up all for the sake of the one who is loved (see John 15:13). Jesus responds to the question concerning the greatest commandment, and the answer He gave in Mark 12:30 is this, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Fourth, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. As a court gathers to serve a king, so Christians are to serve the LORD. He needs nothing from our hands as if He were a weak or frail monarch. But His service is required for the purpose of bringing forth glory for His holy name and benefit to those around us. Jesus, our King, said in Matthew 25:37-40, "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" Fifth, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD. To keep the commandments of the LORD is not merely to have a passive observation of them or an half-hearted obedience to them. To "keep" them is to make them a treasured possession of your heart--to keep them as if they are of greater worth than all the gold that could be collected from every mountain in the world. Psalm 19:10-11 states, "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." These, beloved, are the requirements of the LORD. And those whom He has rescued from the dominion of this world will discover their hearts delighting in them. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Draw Near to God4/11/2024 James 4:8 ~ "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." Oh how the Christian heart longs to draw near to the Savior! But how can we draw near? For the promise is clear, that if we draw near to Him, he will draw near to us. Yet what engineering feat must happen in order to find our way to the presence of the Almighty God? The descendants of Noah thought that they could accomplish this task. Genesis 11:4 reveals, "Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.'" They wanted to build a tower that would reach the heavens. They were unwilling to do what God required, which was "fill the whole earth" so they determined the best course of action would be to build a structure that kept everyone together and one that would seat them with the Almighty--in the heavens. But disobedience to the LORD does not bring a people closer to Him. In fact, you will never disobey your way to a closer fellowship with God. Thus, with their languages confused, God forced them to scatter across the earth (see Genesis 11:8). Perhaps we can find our way into the presence of the Almighty with great, personal sacrifice? The prophet, Micah, asked a similar question in Micah 6:6, "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?" God is pleased with the loving sacrifices of His people, but just making grand sacrifices does not guarantee a place in the presence of the Almighty. The indomitable presence of God is not for sale or rent. You cannot buy your way to the LORD. How, then? When the Christian longs for Christ and the desire to be near to the Almighty rises in the heart, what must a believer do? Simple--you must humble yourself before the LORD. The next part of the text for today reads as such: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you" (James 4:8-10). Dear Christian, these words are not evangelistic in their instruction, but they are given so that we might know the means by which every born-again child of God can draw near to Him. It begins with a cleansing and purifying confession and repentance. "Cleanse your hands... purify your hearts..." Let us take to heart 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We must be cleansed and purified, for no unholy or unclean thing can enter into the presence of the Almighty God. It continues with an abhorrence of sin. "Be wretched--mourn--weep." When our laughter is turned to mourning and our joy to gloom then we discover that our hearts are right before God. This is not telling us that the morose and joyless believer is the only one allowed near. This instructs us to quit laughing at wickedness and mourn in grief that we still have sin. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, chastised His people with these words from Jeremiah 6:15, "Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush." Do you boast of sins, or do you blush in shame and repentance that you have sins yet lingering? All of this leads to the final approach of drawing near--and that is humility. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (see 1 Peter 5:5). If you are to draw near to God, you will never do so with arrogance or pride. You must recognize His sovereignty and His dominion over all things--for He created all things, including you. So, beloved, humble yourselves before Him. Isaiah 66:2 states, "All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." Let us enter this day with the promise fresh in our thinking, that if we draw near to God (according to His truth and not our imagination) then we can place our absolute trust in this--God will also draw near to us. And that, dear ones, is a tremendous promise! In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Imminent Return of Christ4/10/2024 Mark 8:38 ~ "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Jesus will return, He will come in the glory of His Father, accompanied by His holy angels. Are you ready for the imminent return of Christ? So very few look upon the return of Jesus the King as a soon-coming event. It is, however, set to happen at a day and hour unknown to anyone. Many have undertaken to try and predict His return, failing at every point and proving themselves to be at the very least foolish, and at worse, false prophets. However, our Lord said in Matthew 24:36, "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." Others foolishly think that they can get in at the last moment and enjoy the pleasures of the sinful nature until just before the gates are shut. They see the opportunity for salvation as something they can hold off on, waiting until there is not much life left or breath in their lungs, and then lay hold of the salvation of Jesus. For those who are in such a state of mind, hear the warning of Luke 12:46, "The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful." The coming of the Lord Jesus is as the lightning that flashes in the sky. Our Lord said in Matthew 24:27, "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." Two things about lightning are quite remarkable in their comparison of the return of Jesus. First, it is unmistakable. A brilliant flash of light that illuminates the sky is seen by all who are in the storm. Second, it is powerful. The forces of nature that God has created displays the immensity of His power as a massive electrical pulse flashes across the heavens. Christ's return will be unmistakable... and, dear ones, it will be powerful. Jesus will return, but will He be ashamed of you? There are those who say they hold to Jesus Christ, and yet their lives display a rebellion similar to those who are of the world (see Titus 1:16). Let's take note of the condition of the world described by our Lord at His return. He called it adulterous and sinful. We look around and see an adulterous people seeking to satisfy their own desires and pleasures. We also see a sinful people, departing from the ways of God and pursuing their rebellions with a resolute determination. We wonder how anyone could be ashamed of our Lord and His words. How could someone be ashamed of the Savior who gave His life as a ransom for many? How could anyone hold in contempt the very utterance of God in the Holy Scriptures? But when Jesus returns, those who held to such a despicable view of Christ and His words will discover that they will receive back what they have given--Christ will be ashamed of them and cast them out of His presence for eternity. So, dear ones, look to the coming of the Son of God. His return is imminent. He is coming again and will judge all mankind. For those who are not ashamed of Him, those who are born-again, who love the Lord and His words, they will be ushered in to the welcoming joy of the Father and of Christ the Son. They will gather in the assembly of the righteous and will partake of the greatest blessing of all: the everlasting presence of Almighty God. In His Grace, Pastor Michael He Is Risen!4/9/2024 Luke 24:5-7 ~ "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." The angelic testimony to the women who came to the tomb gave the ultimate proclamation that would change the world. There is much that can be drawn from their joyous declaration of the risen Lord, far more than we can capture in this moment. But let us look upon it and find some treasured truth for the day. First, do not look for Jesus where He will not be found. The women went to the tomb, fully anticipating that the body of their Lord and ours would be laying in rest. Though the Lord Jesus had told them on multiple occasions that He would rise from the grave, they had not grasped the truth of His words. Thus, we hear the angel's question: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Truly because they had fully believed that His body would have remained where it was placed. And, to bring this text to an illustrative view, why do we, today, seek for Jesus among those who are dead in this world? I do not mean that we go looking for Jesus among the tombs, or seek for the Lord in the burial sites in the nation of Israel. But there are those who look to the world and expect to find the Lord. You will not be able to find Him with any worldly wisdom. The Apostle Paul even said of himself that he once regarded Christ according to the flesh, that is, according to mere human understanding, "From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer" (2 Corinthians 5:16). The wisdom of the world will never be able to give any person the opportunity to find the Lord (see 1 Corinthians 1:21). It is merely seeking the living among the dead. Second, you will not find the risen Lord apart from His revealed truth. The angel told the women who came to the tomb, "Remember how He told you." And Jesus had told them, over and over again, exactly what was going to happen to Him. Consider Mark 8:31, "And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again." In the Gospel of Luke 24:25, The Lord reminded the two on the road to Emmaus of this very thing: "And he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!'" Your own personal inspirations are no measure of knowing the risen Lord. Imaginations and ideologies are no means a person has for coming to walk with and worship the Living God. Everyone looking for Christ will find Him in the testimony of Scripture and nowhere else. John told us this very thing, "But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). We also find in Luke 24:44, "Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Beloved, everything written of Jesus Christ proved true. He was delivered into the hands of sinners. He was cruelly and brutally crucified. And, my friends, He has risen! Open your heart to the message of the angels. Look for Jesus where He is found--in the testimony of His word, delivered to us through those who bore witness of His resurrection. And know that, as Jesus fulfilled everything written about Him, He will fulfill every promise made to all who have faith in Him. Let this promise rise in your heart with the joyful hope of everlasting life: "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him" (Romans 6:8). In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Sabbath without Rest4/8/2024 Matthew 27:66 ~ "So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard." How do you seal up the King of kings? Apparently by violating the Sabbath and posting guards at the tomb where He lay. After the death of the Lord Jesus, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate, the governor, and sought to have the tomb sealed and guards posted. However, one of the great complaints that the Pharisees had against the Lord was His apparent continual violation of the Sabbath. John 5:16 states, "And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath." Consider also Mark 3:2, "And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him." Now, however, they violated their own rules for the Sabbath by going to Pilate and then posting guards at the tomb. In contrast to the Pharisees, the women who followed Jesus observed the Sabbath requirement, "The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment" (Luke 23:55-56). Why is this of such importance? Because those who oppose Christ will do anything, even violating their own made-up rules, to keep Jesus from rising. Even today, there are those who are so adamant against Jesus, that though He is already risen from the grave, they hope to somehow wall Him off and keep Him sealed against all who might discover that He is alive and able to redeem. We see this in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, "For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved." And now, consider something else. The Pharisees and chief priests knew--they absolutely knew--that Jesus said He would rise three days after His death. He died on Friday (Passover), rested on Saturday (Sabbath), and rose from the grave on Sunday (forever known, now, as the Lord's Day). Even the Lord's own disciples struggled with the notion that Jesus could return from death. Somehow, though, the Lord's enemies feared it. At every turn, Jesus proved Himself to be always true. Everything He said He would do, He did. And now, though they had killed the Lord of Glory, they actually did all they could to make sure He stayed put--that Jesus remained in the grave. They told Pilate that they feared the disciples to come and steal the body (see Matthew 27:64). They called Jesus an impostor (see Matthew 27:63). But they were eyewitnesses to His miracles. Consider Matthew 21:14-15, "And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they were indignant." So what do the Pharisees do with the Man they hate and fear all at the same time? They have Him executed and then seal His tomb and guard it lest He prove that He is truly the Lord of life. Even now, the enemies of God want to keep Jesus in the grave, to keep Him from rising in the hearts and lives of those who have yet to believe. They do all they can to seal Him away, hide Him from the world and guard against His resurrection proving true to those who are longing for redemption. But, dear Christian, the sealed tomb did not hold Jesus. The guards did not prevent His resurrection. And the enemy still fears the truth--that Jesus is the Lord of life and has the power to do all that He has promised. Stand confident, beloved, for Jesus rested on the Sabbath and He has risen from the grave. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Numbered Among the Transgressors4/7/2024 Luke 23:33 ~ "And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left." Be thankful, dear Christian, that Jesus was numbered among the transgressors. For being counted there, He took your place and suffered your punishment upon Himself. Upon His arrest in the garden, Jesus endured a sham trial at the hands of the chief priests. His sentence was already determined before He ever stood in front of the court. They took Jesus to Pilate, the governor, and listen to their accusation against the Savior, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king" (Luke 23:2). Their great accusation was founded upon the requirement to give tribute to Caesar. They would prefer to give tribute to a worldly king than to the Son of God, the King of kings? John 19:15 illuminates the priests disowning God, "They cried out, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.'" No king but... Caesar. Their rejection was complete. Three crosses waited upon the hill called The Skull. Insurrectionists and murderers were to hang there. But in what must have seemed an unlikely turn of events, when Pilate offered to free one prisoner in view of the Passover, the crowd cried out for Barabbas to be released and Jesus crucified (see Matthew 27:15-23). Jesus would now be crucified upon the cross meant for Barabbas. In fulfillment of God's word, the King of kings would be numbered among sinners. Isaiah 53:12 says, "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." Why be thankful? Because my friends, we are also transgressors. You and I are sinners by birth and sinners by behavior. We are Barabbas--each of us are already found guilty before God Almighty and condemned to receive a just and eternal punishment for our sins. John 3:18 states, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." We stand condemned already and if we persist in unbelief, we will be condemned eternally. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we can find ourselves released from our just condemnation because Jesus took our place. God intervened. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, took upon Himself the singular task of bearing our guilt and being numbered amongst the transgressors so that He could be the one to take our place. And by His death He tasted death for everyone so that all who believe on Him can be released from sin's punishment and pronounced righteous because of what Jesus did. Hebrews 2:9 says, "But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." Go to the cross and look upon the One pierced for our transgressions. He went there for you. He endured your pain and carried your cross and, by His great love, suffered your death so that you could have eternal life. Look to Jesus who was numbered among the transgressors and if you know yourself to be a transgressor, then take heart for He was numbered there for you. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Betrayed with a Kiss4/6/2024 Mark 14:45 ~ "And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, 'Rabbi!' And he kissed him." Judas... the name has become synonymous with betrayal and often the worst betrayal of all--the betrayal of one who was in close friendship. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus faced the turmoil of His coming suffering. He was to be the propitiation of all who would believe, satisfying the wrath of God by taking upon Himself the punishment for sins, the innocent for the guilty. The agony He faced was more than any man ever experienced. In the time of His travail, Jesus needed the kisses of friendship and support. And when He went back to His close companions what did Jesus find? Mark 14:37 tells us, "And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, 'Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?'" Soon, however, Jesus would receive a kiss from one who was a close companion of His. But it would not be a kiss of friendship, nor a kiss of loyalty and trust. It was a kiss, and it carried with it a bitter betrayal. David knew a taste of this anguish as expressed in Psalm 55:12-14, "For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng." What a tender thing is a kiss. It conveys affection and warmth toward another. It is the mother's remedy for small wounds that life inflicts upon her children. It is the sweet connection of husbands and wives as they share their deep affection with each other. It is the means of communicating love. Even Paul entreats the church to, "Greet one another with a holy kiss" (2 Corinthians 13:12). And what a terrible tragedy it becomes when it is used to mark an innocent man--the only Innocent Man--for betrayal. And, perhaps worse yet, it was given by one who was a close companion. It is a devilish thing to have the kisses of loyalty and friendship used in such a way as to bring about betrayal and treachery. But, beloved, examine your own kisses of loyalty upon the Savior. Do they come in the full affection of your heart toward Christ, or do they mask a hidden deception that cloaks your real motives in drawing close to Jesus? What a fitting statement of our Lord in Matthew 15:8, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." And that might best describe Judas--with his lips he honored the LORD, but his heart was far away. Many have looked to the thief on the cross as the testimony of God's sovereign grace bringing a vile offender to saving faith. And I agree with that. The thief knew Christ for only hours and was transported to glory that same day because of his faith in Jesus. In contrast to that, Judas shows the reality of a man who can be near to Christ, hear all of His words and, in the end, despise the LORD. Proximity to Christ (and now, today, to His people), does not always display affection for Christ or devotion to Him. Dear ones, do you draw near with the kisses of church attendance and the observance of the ordinances? Do you show the affectionate kiss of fiscal fidelity and give your portion to the LORD? Have you kissed Jesus with the words out of your mouth as you speak to others? If all this is done out of loyalty and devotion to the LORD, then rejoice. But if you harbor bitterness, envy and strife within, then I would plead with you to repent and offer up not one more Judas-kiss, but only those affections that are from the heart and pleasing to God. In His Grace, Pastor Michael From the Mountains to the SeaEvery step we take on this journey called life ought to be used for greater understanding. I've lived from the mountains to the sea, and this blog is my personal thoughts and observations with a desire for Biblical understanding. Welcome. Featured BookArchives
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