Perfect

 

 

Seems that I hear it everyday, in one context or another. Perfect. Often its just a one-word commentary of general agreement. Perfect. Other times it’s used as sarcasm. Perfect. The tone of voice and the context will generally give away how “perfect” is meant to be taken.

The one way it less often used today is to express, well … perfection! Maybe that’s because we rarely see perfection here in this world, and with good reason. Ever since Adam took a bite out of that fruit, everything surrounding us has tasted the results of that most famous of taste tests.

But there is one thing we should all be reminded of when the word “perfect” comes into view.  That is a perfect salvation. And a perfect salvation is only possible when neither mercy or justice are compromised, one for the benefit of the other.  On the side of a perfect justice, every sin needs to be punished, period.  Not just forgiven, but punished. On the side of a perfect mercy, none of the sins can be punished, period. Not just a reduced or suspended sentence.  Such a dichotomy can only be overcome by a perfect Savior, one that lived a perfectly sinless life in order that He would be a perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins demanded by a perfect justice.

That is why Jesus is the only way to salvation. Sounds perfect to me.

 

Blinders

Often, if we were to take time to reflect, we might come to realize that we are much like work horses of days gone by, going through life with “blinders” obscuring our peripheral vision. And even if what we can see clearly, right in our line of vision is true, what is hidden by those blinders is also a part of reality.

That might be an apt description of how I have been viewing the issue of abortion with respect to Christianity.  That this barbaric practice is the deliberate taking of the life of a child is so self-evident that, among those who claim Christianity, I have subconsciously viewed support for abortion as a red flag indicating a false profession. But now, due to the blinders momentarily slipping out of position, it has come to my attention that there are some genuine Christians who are on the other side of this issue.  

That does not mean that the truth which is right out there is broad daylight (i.e. that abortion is murder), is any less true.  It means that someone is mistaken. Deceived.  Misled. But I trust that any Christian who mistakenly views abortion rights as anything other than the “right” of a woman to have her baby murdered, will surely bow to what God’s word says on the matter once they read it.

Exhibit A. Exodus 21:22-23  “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.  But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life”

And no, if you find yourself suddenly grasping at straws, this “life for life” is not speaking of the mother’s life.  That was already covered earlier, with the same penalty: “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:12) 

Just to be clear, God’s law tells us that “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13).  God gives the penalty for murder as death.  He gives the same death penalty for causing the death of an unborn child. Given that, can you really justify, from the Bible, the taking of the life of an unborn child?  If so, let’s hear it chapter and verse.  If not, then I call on you to repent.  But on the other hand, if you cannot justify abortion Biblically, and you still will not repent, then maybe those blinders I had on were not really obscuring anything after all.  

Doubling Down on Job

I saw this tidbit somewhere not long ago (don't recall exactly where) and thought I'd share it simply because its the kind of thing that delights me.

In the book of Job, we find in chapter 1 that this man for whom the book is named, was wealthy.  Wealthy to the tune of 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 hundred female donkeys (Job 1:3).  Job was also blessed with 7 sons and 3 daughters (Job 1:2)  Of course you remember the chain of events recorded in the book (if not, let this serve as a spoiler alert).  Job loses everything, including not only his possessions but his health, ...and his children die.

But if you skip to the end of the book, you will find that Job was blessed by God to receive double of all his former possessions (14000 sheep, 6000 camels, etc.- Job 42:12 )) plus another 7 sons and 3 daughters. (Job 42:13).  So, the question then becomes, why double of everything else but only the same number of children as before his trials?  And here is the whole point of this post.  Job DID receive double the children, for the first 7 sons and 3 daughters did not perish, but only departed this earth before their father to be reunited with him in eternity!

The Bible is full of gems like this that are so easy for us to overlook, but God continually blesses his people by sending faithful men to study and expound not only great foundational truths, but even the little nuggets of gold.

Roads and Ditches

In my minds eye I cannot help but see a gate with a road leading from it. The road is a narrow one with a deep ditch on either side. The ditch on the left is called lawlessness and unrepentant sin. That on the right hand side is called legalism and self righteousness. The narrow road between the two is sanctification and holiness. A wise traveler will closely follow the Counselor sent from above who will guide him on his journey.

Matthew 7:13-14
Matthew 15:14
John 14:26
 

The Kingdom

There has been a question that had been on my mind for a number of years now.  I cannot say that the question has been bothering me, since that would infer more prominence for the question than it actually held, but it has often led to my pondering it.  The question is simply this: "Is there a difference between the Biblical terms kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven?"  I have often wondered if I was missing some nuance of scriptural truth in treating them as one. 

If one would venture to do an Internet search on this question, you would get both yes and no answers (Spoiler Alert: Someone on the Internet is wrong!)  In fact some would be so bold as to proclaim that without a proper understanding of the difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God, it is impossible to form a correct understanding of Ecclesiology (study of the church), Eschatology (study of end times), Anthropology (study of humankind), or Arachnology (study of spiders – Okay I just threw that one in to see if you were still paying attention).

But, in preparing to preach an upcoming sermon (Oct 12 at ValleyView Church if interested- you're all invited) I stumbled upon this passage which I do believe answers the question.

In Matthew 19: 23 Jesus exclaims how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, and then in verse 24 he goes on to say “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Emphasis mine).  If Jesus differentiates between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God, would he not have used the term “also I say unto you” rather than “again I say unto you”?   The word “again” would infer that Jesus was speaking of the same rich man entering the same kingdom.

Patience or Approval

These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.  Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Psalm 50: 2-22


These two short verses should serve as a dire warning to those who would mistake Jehovah's patience for approval! 


In context this is addressed to the wicked, who are given a laundry list detailing "these things hast thou done."  It has been said that the wheels of justice turn slowly, and it seems to be human nature to think that our misdeeds which have gone unpunished have been forgotten.  Not so, says the almighty God!  He promises that one day all of our sins will be laid out before our eyes, and at that point there is no one who can deliver you from his wrath.


Consider that ...and if it brings fear to your heart, then perhaps you are ready to hear about the savior who CAN save you from the judgment you deserve.

A Day of Thanksgiving

A Psalm of praise.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
(Psalm 100)

We I have much to be thankful for (I will not presume to speak for everyone).  Good health, a beautiful loving wife, a wonderful family who nearly all claim Christ as Lord and Savior (and live like they mean it), and a business that never seems to lack for work.  Add to that a good doctrinally solid church with a equally good doctrinally solid pastor.  Add to that a great place to live in the country.  Add to that food and clothing enough that I never go hungry or cold.  Add to that a dog who is the best dog ever (and possibly the smartest).  And that is only the tip of the iceberg!

Indeed Jehovah, he is God, and I am very thankful to be one of the sheep of his pasture for he is good. And I am so thankful that his mercy is everlasting, because I, more than most, am a debtor to that mercy!

48 Hours

Less than forty-eight hours to go.  That's right, as I sit down to write this there are less than 48 hours left until the Mayan Calender expires and the world ends.  Sort of the new age version of Harold Camping's doomsday prophesy from some time back. 

Now, I no more expect that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012 than I believed in Camping's nonsense (or Al Gore's nonsense for that matter) and the date may have slipped by without notice had it not been for my lovely wife.  You see, my better half works in an office that attracts far more than its share of new age wackos.  One of them recently asked her if she was frightened by the prospect of the upcoming world's end.  Talk about a wide open witnessing opportunity!  ....but my wife is an employee, so stealing her boss's time, even for a such noble purpose, is just not in the cards.  But that doesn't mean I can't get in on  the action, so here goes.

Are you frightened about the end of the world?

Actually not such a bad question. The Bible tells us this in the book of Hebrews: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:   That ought to cause all but the most hardened to pause for thought.  Suppose the world did end this Friday.  What then?  Well, the implication of the "world ending" is that we would all die.  But the truth of the matter is this: its much more likely that YOU will die this Friday.  No, I don't have some inside information about you personally, in fact chances are very good I have never met you.  But look at the statistics on death.  A whole lot of people die every day.  Do you think you will never be one of those statistics?

While you contemplate your own mortality, though, don't forget the second part of that verse from Hebrews: but after this the judgment.  So just when you have started to come to terms with the fact that you could die at any time, I go and throw the concept of judgment into the mix.  Fine ...you can pretend that there is no God, and/or that there is no judgment ...that the Bible is not the Word of God, or it has mistakes, or whatever other little dodge you use to soothe your conscience ...doesn't change a thing!

The answer of course can be found in the line after the one quoted above:  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. 

There is only one thing that save you from things going very badly in that judgment, whether said judgment happens years from now, on Friday when the Mayan Calender expires, or later tonight.  That is the blood of Jesus Christ.  Unless you have already put your trust in the Lord Jesus and his sacrifice for your sins, there really needs to be a sense of urgency, end of the world or not.

Fear and Forgiveness

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Psalm 130:4

On first glance, that seems like an odd statement, doesn't it? But think about it...

Isn't there an old saying about there being no one more dangerous than someone with nothing to lose? The book of Romans tells us that we are all condemned sinners without excuse, and most of mankind, when caught in a moment of truthfulness, will admit to such. But where does that leave them? If there were no forgiveness from God, then they would be without hope and with nothing to loose. No point in fearing that which is inevitable. May as well go out defiantly!

Ah, but there is forgiveness with our LORD. Now there is hope! Now justice is not inevitable. Now there is the possibility of not receiving the wages of sin. And since this is the case, it does rightly lead to a holy fear of him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. As the book of Proverbs tells us, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

The Heart of the Matter

"I just know in my heart that its what I should do..."

"Yeah, I know I don't live like I should, but God knows my heart..."

"I know in my heart that God wouldn't send anyone to hell..."

"I know I'm saved because I invited Jesus into my heart..."


Consider each of the above statements in light of what God says on the matter:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

There is only one solution to this problem of your desperately wicked heart:

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

That's right; a heart transplant performed by the Lord God Almighty! This would be a good time to seek him for your preoperative evaluation. You'll find it in the Holy Bible.

Why the Rage?

With this post I am instituting a new category on this blog (for those few who may notice such things). Not of sufficient length to be considered "Lessons from the Pulpit", I have decided to label the new category "Short Shots" - not to be confused with the Harley exhaust pipes known for looks and not performance - but rather something more along the lines of "Short Shots in the War Against our Sinful Nature.

Psalm 2:1-3 "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." ...

Certainly what is laid out here in this section of Psalm 2 is as true today as it was the day it was written. History shows us that with very, very few exceptions those in the positions of kings and rulers have always followed the example of the father of lies in rebelling against their Creator ....and it is not the leaders alone.

Submit to God and to his laws? NO! Truly God's word is as burdensome as a slave collar riveted around their necks; constantly bearing witness against their sin. They are far too proud to submit to Jehovah, and they love their sin far to much to admit it as sin. Better to rail against those who would follow the Lord and to rail against the fact there even is a God. Their hearts are set against truth as if made of stone. But plotting against the Lord is a vain thing. Nothing changes the fact that there is a Creator and there is a coming day of judgment.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. The Psalm ends with this point of gospel light; "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Turn from your sins, put your trust in Christ's payment for those sins and you will no longer be counted among those who rage against God.