Sunday Morning Coffee: What Do You Fear?

Because of something I wrote yesterday, I’ve been thinking about this: What do I fear?

Well, I’m deathly afraid of snakes. They are my worst nightmare. It’s not as bad as it used to be. I can actually look at a picture of a snake now, but I definitely don’t seek them out.

I used to be afraid of the dark, and of being in the house alone overnight. Doesn’t bother me at all now. No monsters under the bed. Some dust bunnies, maybe, but no monsters.

I’ve talked with a few people who fear losing their salvation. They are afraid that if they sin, and don’t get it forgiven right away, they could die and go to hell even though they’ve accepted Jesus and believe in Him with all their hearts. So I’ve been thinking about that.

I was always taught that Jesus died to save us from sin. That is clarified by understanding that He died for the sin nature with which we are all born. His death and resurrection does not automatically save every person who ever lived. Our part is that we need to acknowledge our sin, repent of the nature that causes us to sin, and believe in His death and resurrection as our only way to heaven. When we do that, He gives us the gift of eternal life. The best part is that He said, in John 3:16, that whoever believes in Him shall NOT perish, but have everlasting life. Later, in John 10, He say that He holds us in the palm of His hand, and nothing or no one can take us out of His hand. Not even when we sin.

I like to compare it to a parent/child relationship. Once you have given birth, that child is always yours. Period. The child may, later in life, turn his back on you, tell you he hates you, that he never wants to see you again. That’s very sad, but it does not change the fact that he is your child.

Once you become God’s child, nothing can change that relationship. If you choose to follow a sinful path, your relationship with Him may no longer be close. You won’t experience the joy and blessing of being in tune with Him, in the same way that rebellion against your parents will change the relationship. But you are still His child. Period.

Here’s the thing. No one–not a single person–is able to live a sinless life. We may not be living in what we refer to as deep sin, or open sin. But there are sins of the heart that no one knows about but you–and the Lord. Being proud of living without sin is, in itself, sin.

I Peter 1:16 says, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Some people take that as a present imperative command. However, in the original language, the verb tense is comparable to our English present progressive tense. It would be better translated as “Be ye becoming holy,” which is still an imperative, but it is a process, not a single event in which anyone is suddenly completely holy and free of the sin nature. It is a process in which we are becoming more like Jesus as we study His Word, pray, and learn to love Him more deeply every day.

Only when we get to heaven will we be able to enjoy having a nature without sin. We will be like Him.

I can’t wait!

Saturday Soliloquy: Life Goes On

Terry is doing better, although is still not his old self. Maybe never will be. He is nearly 81, after all.

My cold has retreated back to whatever hell colds inhabit.

So life goes on.

A new baby has been born into our church family. A fine older gentleman went to heaven a couple of months ago, and his dear wife is bravely continuing to bless everyone around her.

An old friend who is still in his sixties has developed tumors in his brain. His future right now is radiation. His wife has battled her own cancer, some years ago, and is no stranger to the process.

Young people are graduating from college–students I had in my homeschool co-op, and four of them will be donning cap and gown soon. There is a great deal of talent in this group: Science, writing, music, math. They’ve made their parents proud, and me too!

Older folks are graduating to the position of elders and counselors, a source of encouragement to the younger set.

This is the natural course of life. I remember, when I was very young, thinking of death as a thing to be feared and dreaded above all things. It was strange to me, not having come into close contact with it. I remember thinking about dying sometimes as I lay in bed waiting for sleep to come.

I don’t think about it much these days. I don’t fear it. I used to say that the only thing I feared about death was the possibility of great pain. I don’t fear that so much any more, either. I’ve had my share of pain already, and it’s going to grow worse as time goes on. I’ve learned to accept it and accommodate it as much as possible. Pain will not have the final victory!

If I didn’t know the Lord, I wonder if I would feel differently about pain, sickness, and death. Maybe, because the fear of the unknown is strong in us.

I refuse to live my life in fear. I don’t like what I see developing in the world, in my country. But I will not fear, because Jesus is always with me. He has promised never to leave or forsake me. Even in dying and in death, He will not forsake me.

I’m really not trying to be morbid here. It’s just that I’ve lived long enough to understand that death is a part of life. Knowing the Lord takes the worry out of death and dying.

And I do SO look forward to heaven!

Woe to Babylon!

Psalm 137.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Israel had been defeated by Babylon, and thousands had been removed from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was a time of great grieving, and the people had gone so far as to literally hang up their harps on the tree branches. The music was no longer in their hearts, because of their grief over their homeland.

It is possible that this psalm was written in remembrance of their captivity once they had returned to Jerusalem; or, it could have been written at some point during their captivity. In any event, the psalm captures the sorrow and grieving that the Hebrews experienced in their captivity. Over what, specifically, did they grieve?

• They wept over the death of so many loved ones.
• They wept over the loss of almost everything they owned.
• They wept over the destroyed city of Jerusalem and her great temple.
• They wept over the agony of a forced march from Judea to Babylon.
• They wept over the cruelty of their captors.
• They wept over the loss of such a pleasant and blessed past.
• They wept over the forced captivity of their present.
• They wept over the bleak nature of their future.
• They wept over their sin that invited such judgment from God.

Guzik, BlueLetterBible

The Babylonians could see the open grieving, yet they taunted the Israelites: “Come on, sing us one of your songs!” They wanted their captives to entertain them, but the Israelites had no heart for it.

The final verses of this psalm call down judgment on Babylon: “Let them be treated as they have treated us!” We may recoil at the violence, but it was what the Hebrews had experienced at the hands of the Babylonian soldiers. Warfare was just as ugly and horrendous then as it is now.

His Mercy Endures Forever

Psalm 136. This psalm is so beautiful and powerful that I’m making no comment at all. His mercy endures forever.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods: for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him who alone doeth great wonders: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that by wisdom made the heavens: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that made great lights: for His mercy endureth for ever:

The sun to rule by day: for His mercy endureth for ever:

The moon and stars to rule by night: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And brought out Israel from among them: for His mercy endureth for ever:

With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him which divided the Red sea into parts: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for His mercy endureth for ever:

But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him which led His people through the wilderness: for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him which smote great kings: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And slew famous kings: for His mercy endureth for ever:

Sihon king of the Amorites: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And Og the king of Bashan: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And gave their land for an heritage: for His mercy endureth for ever:

Even an heritage unto Israel His servant: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Who remembered us in our low estate: for His mercy endureth for ever:

And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Who giveth food to all flesh: for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for His mercy endureth for ever.

He Does Whatsoever He Pleases

Psalm 135:6-7.

Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the rain; He bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

This psalm opens with the demand that all God’s creatures should praise Him, all the time! It tells us to sing praises to Him. It says that He is great above all gods, which are made by man and have no breath, no sight, no hearing.

These two verses spoke to me in this time when mankind is so arrogant that we think we can control the weather. Blocking the sun by spraying chemicals into the air, for instance, seems to be a really arrogant effort to manipulate God’s creation.

I have seen rainstorms like that pictured above. We are powerless in the face of the power of Almighty God, Who does “whatsoever He pleases in the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all deep places.”

We are helpless before the power of Almighty God! We think we can control weather, and disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. The best we can do is to take protective measures whenever possible when these events take place. We can even predict some of it, but we cannot stop that which God has ordained.

Sometimes we forget how small we are, and how little we know.

Night Watchmen

Psalm 134.

Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

I didn’t grow up in a church in which lifting one’s hands in prayer or praise was practiced. It is indisputable in God’s Word that He not only allows it, but encourages it. It is certainly a form of acknowledging His authority, power, love, grace, and mercy. Still, it isn’t comfortable for me to do so in church. What I do in private is very different, and very personal.

Clearly, part of the Levitical duties included appointed night watchmen who stood at the doors, or perhaps posted throughout the Temple, to guard it during the night. This short psalm would indicate that while they went about their duties, the watchmen were also to spend time raising their hands to God in prayer and praise. I wonder if they did that individually, or if it was done at appointed times when they gathered together as they did their guard duties. Did they sing together? I would love to have heard that!

Here’s an interesting quote:

“We read, 1 Chronicles 9:33, that the Levitical singers were ‘employed in their work day and night;’ to the end, doubtless, that the earthly sanctuary might bear some resemblance of that above, where, St. John tells us, the redeemed ‘are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in the temple.’ Revelation 7:15.”

Horne, BlueLetterBible

The Family of God

This is the song I woke up to this morning:

If your church isn’t like this, or you don’t even have a church family, I promise you that there are still good churches out there who will welcome you as part of the family.

Saturday Soliloquy: I Hate Colds!

Drippy, stuffy nose. Sore throat. Sneezecoughcoughcoughsneeze. No fever, just a lot of misery. I’m still not sure if it’s a cold or an allergy. Things are blooming like crazy right now. Maybe a combination of both.

The good news is that it’s better today. I haven’t sneezed, coughed, or had to blow out my sinuses today, and it’s already 10:45 a.m. A little apple cider vinegar mixed with water is still one of the best remedies for a sore throat. I think I’m going to survive 🙂

Honestly, this past couple of weeks have gone by so fast that it feels as if all I’ve done is visit Terry at the hospital, brought him home, tried to encourage him into better sleeping and eating patterns, and blow my nose 🙂

Here’s something I’m learning: Once a person is retired, it’s very easy to lose track of which day of the week it is. The lack of routine is somewhat surprising to me, because I’m a person of routine. Terry, it seems, is not. He’s up ’til all hours of the night, eating poorly because he grazes all day, not sleeping well because of erratic bedtimes. Changing these habits is not easy, but we’re working on it. His erratic sleep is compounded by his restless leg syndrome. It particularly bothers the leg he injured 12 years ago when he broke–crushed–his heel. Don’t ever do that. It’s a really terrible injury.

The good news is that his energy is better, and he’s been working on some projects he had neglected. He’s not falling asleep over his supper any more.

I got a message from a friend this morning that her husband had what looked like a stroke, but has turned out to be brain cancer in the frontal lobe. I’ve known him since he was in college. How the years have flown! He’s retired now, and looks as if he’s in a fight for his life. Please pray for him.

Another thing I’m learning is that, as believers, we don’t dread death because it only takes us into the Presence of God. Yet there is that innate will to live, to hang onto life. My mom died at age 87, and was still determined to “set up housekeeping” once she got better. She didn’t want to give up. That’s a normal, and commendable, reaction.

Well, I’m rambling this morning. I need to do some housework–one of my least-loved tasks, so I need to get going. Hoping you all have a lovely weekend!

Unity!

Psalm 133.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Years ago, my pastor shared with me the only reasons he felt leaving a church is justified.

One: Biblical heresy. Twisting God’s Word, or teaching it in a way that undermined the truth.

Two: Immorality that is not confronted; misconduct in the pastoral staff or the congregation.

Three: Illegal activity not confronted; wrongdoers not removed from the membership.

I think there was one more, but my memory fails me.

As we continued talking, I remember asking him about disputes between members. What if those disputes could not be resolved, and caused others in the church to take sides?

His response was Matthew 18: 15-20. God gave us a specific way to deal with such disagreements, beginning with privately addressing the issue; if it is not resolved, take one or two with you and try again; if it is still not resolved, take it to the church body. If the person who is clearly wrong refuses to repent or acknowledge his fault, the he is to be removed from the congregation; but always with the motive of reconciliation. This does not apply to silly disagreements over the color of the new carpeting or the paint in the new auditorium. If folks in the church persist in these relatively unimportant details, there isn’t much hope of ever getting it settled.

Dwelling together in unity is a blessing beyond measure. The oil mentioned in these verses is that which was scented with rare substances, and was used in anointing priests. It is likely the same kind of oil with which Jesus was anointed, dripping down over His head, His beard, and onto His clothing.

In my experience, a church split is NEVER a “back-door revival,” as some like to call it. Instead, it is hurtful, destructive; it breaks friendships and causes untold sadness, never mind the poor testimony it creates in the community outside the church.

If you feel you MUST leave a church, make sure it is for good, biblically sound reasons. Don’t try to take others with you. If you have followed Matt. 18:15-20 and have not found resolution, then leave prayerfully and quietly and refrain from trying to convince others to go with you.

What if it’s a family rift? Same process. Cover it in prayer. Always behave biblically. As much as possible, keep the problem within the family.

Be very thankful if you belong to a church in which there is unity among the members, the pastors, and the lay leadership. It is possible to disagree agreeably.

David and the Temple

Psalm 132: 1-5.

LORD, remember David, and all his affliction

How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

There is no absolute proof as to the writer of this psalm. Some believe it was Solomon, remembering the trials of his father David, and David’s strong desire to build a temple for the Lord. God refused that privilege to David because there was innocent blood on his hands. Instead, Solomon was to build the Temple that replaced the Tabernacle, that had traveled through the desert wanderings for so many years.

I think we tend to overlook David’s suffering and see him only as the progenitor of Jesus Christ. Here’s a list that may help us to remember that David’s life was full of difficulties:

• He was despised and criticized by his family.
• He was placed in many life-and-death struggles.
• He was accused of treason and treachery.
• He was attacked by the connected, powerful, and ruthless.
• He lived many years as a fugitive, a wanted man.
• He had family, home, friends, and career taken from him.
• He experienced a significant season of backsliding.
• He accepted as the king only reluctantly.
• He faced many enemies in battle through many wars.
• He openly criticized and despised by his wife.
• He suffered because of his own sin and scandal.
• He endured great conflict and problems among his own children.
• He suffered a coup staged by his son, followed by a civil war.
• He was openly despised and criticized by some of his subjects

Guzik, BlueLetterBible

Still, through all of his suffering and his own sin, his heart always turned back to God in grief and repentance. But he was denied his strong desire to build a Temple for the Lord, which was another great grief to him.

David did bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Zion ( I Chronicles 15:43) and he did begin to collect materials for the building of the Temple. Did he have any part in its design? I could find no reference to that, but in my imagination David had many conversations with Solomon about his vision for the Temple. Perhaps Solomon, with great compassion for his father, took careful notes on David’s ideas and incorporated them into the planning. That’s only supposition on my part, but I do think it’s a possibility.

David died knowing that God had appointed the building of the Temple to Solomon, the son who had remained steadfastly loyal to his father.