ResponsiveReiding

Margin notes: What’s in a word?

July 12th, 2019

Acts 14:21–23 (ESV) — 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

This text is a snippet from the ministry of Barnabas and Paul. And you will notice in vs. 22 how in returning to cities where they had preached Christ previously, they strengthened “the souls of the disciples, encouraging them.” That word “encouraging” appears more in the book of Acts than it does in any other NT book. It is central to missionary endeavors of the early Chuch. But more, it indicates a perpetual and crying need within the Church – encouragement. A topic that is going to appear in nearly every NT letter.

Now in our text, this encouragement took on a very decided focus: Persevering in the faith in the face of tribulations which are certain to occur in the lives of Believers.

The truth is, we all face a host of tribulations of different species. Sickness and disease. Broken marriages and families. Battles with sin. Misunderstanding by those both in and outside the body of Christ. An anti-Christ culture. Personal failings. Economic uncertainty. War. Civil unrest. Personal spiritual apathy. Strained relationships. Loneliness. Feelings of inadequacy. Loss of meaning. Political turmoil. On and on. All which can contribute to distraction, discouragement, division, depression and despondency. And all of which point to why as Believers, we too need to be committed to the ministry of encouragement.

May I encourage you today to say a word to some brother or sister in the Lord to keep in the battle, to keep seeking the face of God, to remain steadfast in prayer, to get back into the Word, to offer up thanksgiving for blessings and to remind ourselves of the goodness of God’s grace in bringing into the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, the promise of His return and the glory of the resurrection? Oh how we need one another to “lift up the drooping hands and strengthen the weak knees” (Heb. 12:12) of our brothers and sisters.

It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. But His Word is true, His promises certain, His indwelling Spirit available to rely upon and His people around us.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 (ESV) — 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Margin notes: She has done what she could

July 11th, 2019

Mark 14:8 (ESV) — 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.

Last evening as Ben Zwickl led us through a study of this portion of Mark, challenging us to consider what may make our own hearts dull at times – I was struck by the simplicity and power of this verse and its account.

Mary (if indeed that’s who it was) does what is misunderstood by some, scorned and questioned by others, and appreciated only by Jesus. But she did, what SHE could.

Two things stick out here:

a. She broke the flask which contained the costly perfumed oil with which she anointed Jesus for His burial. Her warm and not dull heart didn’t just uncork the vessel and dab a bit on Jesus, she “wasted” it all on Him. Oh that I had such a heart to lavishly waste all I have for Him. But she held nothing back. Breaking the flask meant there was no going back, no withholding and no thought of anything other than that this is what she had at hand, and that it was fitting to pour it all out on the Redeemer of her soul.

b. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought, it was what SHE could do. Nothing more, nothing less. Bishop Lightfoot notes that Rabbins thought it was unseemly for a man to be anointed with aromatic oils. It was foppish and indecent. Culturally unacceptable and done only by someone who was boorish and gauche. And Jesus not only endured it, He praised her for it. He made her extravagant, though outwardly awkward act of adoration an example to be celebrated perpetually.

How He accepts what we do on the basis of what WE can do, at that moment with our resources. God isn’t looking for what we can’t do – don’t be paralyzed by that – but dearly receives what we CAN do, however unseemly or misunderstood that might be perceived by others.

Let the heart warmed by His love and grace pour out naturally in response, without fear that some others will look down. Offer what you can to Him. He will receive it. And proper worship will be done.

Father, grant me Mary’s lavish impulse.
Margin notes: God is angry everyday day

July 10th, 2019

Psalm 7:11 (ESV) — 11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

One of the principles of sound Biblical interpretation is not to take every statement as an absolute, just as it sits. Often, other passages bring additional light so as to give a fuller, richer view of the larger truth. One thinks for instance of Paul’s citation that none seek after God, not even one. In and of itself, that is true. But we must also account for the fact that the Spirit is moving among men to generate a desire to seek God. So in the natural, left to themselves, no one seeks God. That is an absolute – as far as it goes. But we must not neglect the reality that the Spirit IS working and drawing and creating such a desire in some. So in that sense, some do indeed seek the Lord. You get the point.

The same is true in this short passage. Yes, God feels indignation every day. He is angry with the sinner every day. But that isn’t all He feels or is. I am reminded that while Ps. 7:11 is true, this, from Rober Murray McCheyne is also true: “Learn, 1. That he is a striving Spirit.—O! let those of you that are living in sin, learn what a loving Spirit is now striving with you. Some of you, who are living in sin, think that God is nothing but an angry God; therefore you do not turn to him. True, “he is angry with the wicked every day;” still he is striving with the wicked every day. He sends the Holy Spirit to strive with you. Oh! what a loving Spirit he is, that does not at once turn you into hell, but pleads and strives, saying: “Turn ye, turn ye; why will ye die?”

Oh what a great, angry and yet striving God He is!
Margin notes: Spirit-filled speech

July 9th, 2019

Acts 4:8 (ESV) — 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders…

Spirit-filled speech. What is it? What does it sound like? I don’t know about you but when I hear that term my mind most often runs right to Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost. In other words “speaking in tongues.” And there is no doubt that is one great example. Though what is often overlooked in that passage is that we know the content of what was spoken that day – and it wasn’t mysterious at all. The people that day said: “we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Ac 2:11.

But what about in this passage in Acts. 4? Note these 4 things quickly:

1 – Peter revealed no new truth. There was no special revelation. Just as in Acts 2, extant information was in play.

2 – His message was not received with a great response. Just the opposite. Being Spirit empowered did not mean it would be well received or massively impactful in the positive way we might imagine.

3 – Vs. 11 shows how Peter applied an OT passage to Christ. He used the exegesis of Scripture as his means, citing Ps. 118. He did not shy away from using the Scripture as His authority. Amazingly – and in contradistinction to some today – he did not feel the need to untether Gospel preaching from the Old Testament.

4 – Vs. 12-13 shows that it was Peter’s unapologetic boldness to declare the truth about Christ which characterized his speech. This is what the Spirit does. He gives us unapologetic boldness to declare Jesus, the resurrection and His exclusivity. And it is this continued boldness that they all pray for again in vs. 29. This is the concern of the early Church – and in our day, it is all the more needed.

We do not need wild predictions or some new, deep revealed truths: We need to declare the cross of Jesus as the exclusive means to be reconciled to God with unapologetic boldness and uncompromising clarity in the face of any and all opposition and contrary to cultural correctness.

And so in Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

This is what it means to speak in the power of the Spirit.
Margin notes: What you don’t know CAN hurt you!

July 8th, 2019

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 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.” Jn 16:4–7.

There is an old Americanism which goes: “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms says it came from this idea: “If you don’t know about a problem or a misdeed, you will not be able to make yourself unhappy by worrying about it.” It’s a pretty short-sighted concept however, and our text shows how in a very poignant way.

Jesus is about to be crucified, though the Disciples haven’t fully grasped it yet. And in discussing it, Jesus opens up something for them they really didn’t expect. It is subtle but powerful. And it comes by way of shifting their focus, shifting their emphasis. He points out to them that they are sad because He said He is going away, but none of them went any deeper than that information to ask Him why or where He was going. In fact, far more important than the fact that He IS going away, is WHERE He is going. But they are all wrapped up only in that He has said He is going, and that makes them sad.

And what of this sadness? It’s a sadness borne of not knowing the glory which He is about to re-enter. They are only thinking about themselves, not Him. So they are sad He is going, but they haven’t given the slightest thought about what that will mean for Him! It is a sadness stemming from a failure to understand the nature of His reassuming the His throne.

Secondly, it was a sadness which had no category for the blessing of the Spirit which He would send from there. Sadness because they did not know that His going to the Cross would propitiate the Father, and make the way for their sins to be forgiven and to be justified before God the Father. He was about to embark upon a three-legged journey. The Cross, the Grave and the Throne. But no one asked: “Where are you going Master?” If they had, how different would their responses have been? He could have said something like this:

1. I am going to the Cross where I will bear the wrath of the Father against the sin of mankind so that all who believe in me may have forgiveness of sins.

2. I am going to the grave, where in death, the final penalty of sin is paid in full.

3. I am going to my Father, (17) to reclaim my throne, send the Spirit, and intercede for you.

Instead, they were merely sad. And I wonder how many times I am sad or worried or confused needlessly, because I have failed to understand the bigger picture from God’s point of view. Oh how we need to understand His plans and purposes in His Word.

As the old hymn writer said: “Oh what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear.” If they had asked Jesus where He was going, they would have had some sadness at the loss of Him – but what joy at the realization of what was about to be accomplished. Father, help us understand from YOUR point of view.
Margin notes: Water into wine

July 3rd, 2019

John 2:1–11 (ESV) — 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

This is perhaps one of the most recognizable of all Biblical passages. It is used ubiquitously at weddings, and as a symbol of how Jesus was both attentive to the everyday needs of a moment, as well as the Lord of glory in performing the actual miracle. Verse 11 says this was the first of His signs. And that in it He made His glory known. But what exactly was it a sign of? I think the answer lies in seeing this account as the exposition of a verse back in chapter 1: John 1:16–17 (ESV) — 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

In other words, Jesus had not come to bolster or fix the corrupted Mosaic economy. He didn’t come to repair the Judaism of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He came to usher in the New Covenant, not to patch up the old one. He didn’t make more wine out of the existing wine, but created it anew. In Jesus, we have grace – New Covenant grace – atop of or superseding – the grace of the Law. The figure is not hard to discern.

As the master of the feast noted to the bridegroom, “you have kept the good wine until now.” Yes, under the Mosaic economy the blessing of God was made known to and poured out upon His people. But He was keeping the best until last. The Law and the prophets were never intended to be an end in themselves, but only a foretaste of the “good wine” to come. The “best” wine, the New Covenant could only come through the miraculous work of the incarnate Son of God – Jesus Christ. As perfect and holy and good as the Law of Moses was, it could not save. O, it surely did its appointed work in its time – but it was not the fullness to come. That, would have to wait the incarnation. Not until Jesus would come to spill His own blood on our behalf – not until His personal, incarnate intervention could we have the riches, the fullness that best of the grace God had to give. All of His blessings are good – but not all of them are the fullness. That comes in the One in whom dwells all of the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Beloved, never settle for rules, regulations, laws and religion – even given by God Himself as sufficient. Even the divinely given Law was not the end. Look only to the crucified Lamb of God. Only in Him is the wine which never runs out – which is sufficient for our every need – in an overabundance of grace. Only in Him is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant promises. Only in Jesus is that salvation which is merely tasted in the Old. Now the New has come. And only by the miracle of grace wrought at the hand of Jesus is the salvation we long for fulfilled. He, is the fullness of God. The fullness of our salvation. The best wine had come at last. Never go back. When you are tempted to, remind yourself, the old wine has run out. And only Jesus can meet the need.
Margin Notes: The Last Adam

July 2nd, 2019

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 (ESV) — 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Romans 5:14 tells us that Adam, Eden’s Adam was a type, a foreshadowing of “the one who was to come.” Jesus was always the plan. And so it is there are a number of passages like the one above in 1 Cor. 15 where Jesus and Adam are contrasted and/or compared. Adam became a living being, but Jesus? He Himself was a life-giving spirit. Adam had life, Jesus gave it. Adam was formed and came out of the earth – but Jesus, He came down from Heaven. Adam was made out of the dust of the earth and so all of we humans share that same nature. But Jesus, having come down out of Heaven, brings those who believe to share in His heavenly nature. And so as we all have borne the image of the first Adam, all those in Christ will bear His image in time.

But there is another set of contrasts that are not as explicit, and yet carry an exceeding weight of glory all their own. They emerge when we contemplate this scene at Jesus’ crucifixion: Luke 23:46 (ESV) — 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Note first that when Adam had sinned, he hid himself FROM God, red with his own guilt. Whereas Jesus when dying for our sin, went TO God, blood-red with our guilt. “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Note second how Adam tried to cover himself so as not to be exposed. While Jesus was stripped naked and exposed to the world.

And lastly, how Adam pointed the finger at his wife as the reason for his fall. But Jesus took the whole of our guilt upon Himself, that His Bride might be covered.

Oh what a wondrous Savior this last Adam is.
The Fear of The Lord Part 4

July 1st, 2019

Fear of the Lord Part 4

Reid A Ferguson

Psalm 19; Deuteronomy 10:12–13; 1 Samuel 2:12

Audio for this Sermon can be found here

We’ve been working through the topic of the Fear of The Lord.

And I trust it has been useful in both disabusing some of you of false notions of what it means to fear the Lord, as well as a means to instill a right fear of Him that as Psalm 19 says: “rejoices” the heart.

You will recall that we have been taking this 5 step approach:

The Fear of the Lord:

1 – Why Should I Care?

2 – What it isn’t.

3 – What it is.

4 – How it is obtained.

5 – What are its benefits?

So by way of very quick review –

Why Should I care?:

1 – Because Scripture addresses it so often.

2 – Because Scripture places such emphasis upon it.

3 – Because a lack of the fear of the Lord is the signal mark of those who are Godless and lost.

What is isn’t:

1 – Slavish fear

2 – Fear of one who is unpredictable, unreasonable, touchy or irrational.

3 – Has some secret thing against me

What it is:

1 – The Fear of the Lord is: A right perception of God that produces a heart and mind governed by a fitting response to the revelation of God in His Creation and Word regarding His; Nature; Position; Word and Acts.

2 – Reverential Awe

How it is obtained:

1 – Creation

2 – The Word

3 – His Acts

Just before we move into the last portion examining some of the benefits of applying ourselves to seeking out and obtaining this right fear of the Lord, let me expand on the role of the Word of God in this.

I do not believe this part can be overemphasized.

First, because it is in the Word that we find out how and why the Creation begins to bring us to a right fear of the Lord.

If we did not have Genesis 1:1 – we might interpret all of creation from a purely materialistic point of view.

Indeed, many try to do just that.

But to explain all that exists by postulating that everything just came to be without rhyme or reason out of nothing – leaves us with utter and complete hopelessness.

Not only that, it is both unreasonable and contrary to God’s revelation.

Everything coming out of nothing without any cause is a tough pill to swallow. And its implications are staggering.

So it is the famous British Chemist and Scientist Peter Atkins could write: “We are children of chaos, and the deep structure of change is decay. At root, there is only corruption, and the unstemmable tide of chaos. Gone is purpose; all that is left is direction. This is the bleakness we have to accept as we peer deeply and dispassionately into the heart of the Universe.”

This comes from an atheist – one who fully adopts the view that everything just randomly came out of nothing. And even he has to admit that thinking this way leads to this very empty conclusion.

Second, it is only in the Word that we come to know of the incarnation, God’s plan and purpose in it, and the wonder of the atonement as Christ Jesus offered up Himself in our place that our sin might have a full and complete remedy in His blood.

The plan of redemption cannot be worked out through human wisdom or imagination. 1 Cor. 1:21

1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV / For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

By God’s design – human wisdom, uninformed by His revelation – can never come to the right ultimate conclusions about such things. He made us in such a way that we cannot know the truth without knowing Him as He discloses Himself.

In addition, let me take you to Psalm 19 to show you how the fear of the Lord and the Word are absolutely tied together.

Psalm 19:7-9 / Most of you are pretty familiar with the structure of this Psalm, but vss. 7-9 are what I’d like to call your attention to in its unique pattern.

There are a series of synonyms that you see in the text.

The LAW of the Lord

The TESTIMONY of the Lord

The PRECEPTS of the Lord

The COMMANDMENT of the Lord

The RULES of the Lord

The purpose of referring to the same thing – the Word of God these various ways is so that we do not think of God’s law as just a roster of cold commands.

The whole Bible is “God’s law” – His ordering of all things – like the law of nature or physics. It reveals the framework, structure and arrangement of all existence.

And so it is also His testimony – His declaration of all reality. And that it is truthful.

And yes, the Word reveals His precepts, the principles by which He governs all things. The behind the scenes revelation of how the universe – especially the moral universe works.

His commandment – and note this is in the singular – What is His one, all encompassing command? How are we to think of that? As one lexicon puts it, we can consider it as His commission – His divine plan for all things.

And of course His rules: His judgments and decrees about how all things are to work.

But those of you who are quick on the draw here have already noticed I omitted one synonym that casts this entire section into a whole new light – for vs. 9 also takes note of The FEAR of the Lord.

Do you see that? In other words, the law, testimony, precepts, commandment and rules of the Lord can also be classified as the FEAR of the Lord.

How does that work?

It is comprehended in this thought: When one fears the Lord, they take Him seriously in all He says. His Word and revelation become fully authoritative. And it is awesome!

The one who fears the Lord, takes His Word as supremely authoritative in their lives.

Or as one passage we’ve looked at previously reminds us: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isa. 66:2b

I cannot stress this issue enough.

No one can say they “fear the Lord” if they do not tremble at His Word as the ultimate authority in their lives.

This is what separates true Believers from nominal ones or mere religionists.

In fact, let me take you to a very interesting passage in this regard in 1 Samuel that makes this so very clear by means of contrast.

1 Sam 2:12 in the ESV reads: / Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

But the NET picks up a nuance in the Hebrew which is really worth noting: “The sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not recognize the Lord’s authority.” The NET Bible 1 Sa 2:12.

This is of the utmost importance. For if the Bible is not the ultimate authority in my life, then how can I depend upon it to tell me the truth about myself, my sin, who God is, who Jesus is, what He has done, what sin is, how it is to be remedied, how I can be restored to a right relationship with the Father, what life is all about and where it is all going?

Either it is authoritative in all it teaches, or it is not. Either it holds that place in my own heart and mind or it doesn’t.

Each of us desperately needs to know where we stand in this regard.

All of us accede to SOME authority in these matters, be it some person, some system, some religion, or just ourselves.

But the one who is in right relationship to God must own Him as the supreme authority in their lives, which authority is expressed through His Word and the Spirit – which, by the way, ALWAYS agree with one another.

As the old Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote:

The Spirit never loosens where the Word binds;

The Spirit never justifies where the Word condemns;

The Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves;

The Spirit never blesses where the Word curses.

The notion that some have advanced that the Spirit of God has somehow intimated things to them in any way contrary to what He has revealed in His Word is quite telling. It tells you they have no fear of the Lord.

Now all that said, this brings us to the final consideration in this entire topic:

The Fear of The Lord: What are its Benefits?

And for this – we have an absolute treasure trove to pick through in the Scripture. But so as not to lose the impact of some of these by virtue of trying to take in too many – I’ll confine myself to just 10 or 12 here.

But let me take you back to Psalm 19 for one minute so that you can have a sort of handy quick-reference guide to use on your own whenever you need a quick reminder.

Psalm 19:7-13

Let me take you on a bit of a whirl-wind survey.

Here you see this incredible table in the text that makes you both wonder and admire how the Spirit put all of this together.

The Law of the Lord, everything He teaches is perfect – blameless – and so it revives the soul which is what makes it so valuable.

God’s testimony which opens reality to us is sure – trustworthy as true – and so it imparts true wisdom and that makes it sweet to the soul.

The precepts of the Lord – His governing principles are right – straight and not crooked or devious, and so they rejoice the heart by warning us from all true danger.

The commandment or purpose of the Lord is pure – singular, not a mixed bag and so it enlightens the eyes, clears up mysteries and then guarantees the rewards He promises.

The fear of the Lord is clean – it isn’t mixed with dark suspicions of God and His purposes, He remains ever the same and so He can reveal to us the dark places in our own hearts reliably.

God’s rules, His judgments and decrees about how all things are supposed to work in His universe are true – trustworthy and always righteous, never nefarious and so they keep those who fear them back from great sins – especially the greatest of all – unbelief.

If we only had this Psalm, we’d have so much – but let me just quickly run by some other pertinent passages.

2 Kings 17:39 / “but you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”

Scripture tells us that as Christ’s we have 3 enemies: The World system, our own Flesh and sinful tendencies, and the lies and temptations of the Devil.

Those who fear the Lord alone will find a full and free deliverance from these.

Those alone will find the wisdom, the will, the courage and the wherewithal to overcome.

Psalm 25:12 / Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

Those who fear the Lord learn how to make the right choices in life. How to choose righteousness and refuse evil.

To choose with eternity in view and not just today.

Psalm 25:14 / The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

When we gain the fear of the Lord, we are drawn into a personal friendship and intimacy with Him that no others can know.

Only 1 man in all of Scripture is said to have been God’s friend – Abraham (James 2).

And Moses is the only one Scripture says God spoke to face to face as a man speaks to a friend. (Exodus 33)

And it is this singular friendship Scripture says belongs to them that fear Him.

Not a fear that produces standoffishness, but wonder at such grace – that such majesty bows to walk with us in such closeness.

Psalm 33:18 / Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

What is this but the assurance that God take special note of those who fear Him. That He watches them especially. That they are assured of His notice of their every need, concern, care and circumstance.

Psalm 34:7 / The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Those who fear the Lord are privy to special angelic attention and protection.

The singular here may mean it refers specifically to Christ Himself, of that special agent of God sent to guard and protect His people as Michael was uniquely assigned to Israel.

In either case, what a thing to contemplate that we receive such special attention at His hand.

Albert Barnes “Nothing is more clearly or constantly asserted than that the angels are employed in defending the people of God; in leading and guiding them; in comforting them under trial, and sustaining them in death…The most lonely, the most humble, the most obscure, and the poorest child of God, may have near him and around him a retinue and a defence which kings never have when their armies pitch their tents around their palaces, and when a thousand swords would at once be drawn to defend them.”

Psalm 34:9 / Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

The Lord is our Shepherd – we’ll not lack for anything our soul needs. Ever.

Those who fear Him know His supply in times of outward distress, inward worry, doubt and fear. In all places at all times – the great needs of our soul are always met. Even when we are weakest and most insensible we are being met that way.

Psalm 103:13 / As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Who among us who are Christ’s can’t testify to how compassionate He is toward us in our sins and failings?

Oh how He takes such pity on us and how sin has ravaged our hearts, souls, minds and body.

He is a God of great compassion. A compassion that is most tenderly and lovingly bestowed on those who fear Him – not generically, but as a Father to His dearest children.

Psalm 103:17 / But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

And what else?

Those who fear Him do not just know His love for them, but His steadfast love – His unending, unbreakable, faithful, abiding, never wavering love. A love that knows no ups and downs but remains at all times and under all circumstances.

Psalm 147:11 / but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Some of you today desperately need to hear this: That the Lord does not just tolerate those who fear Him – He takes PLEASURE in you. He delights in you. He smiles at the thought of you. He watches you the way a parent delights in watching their child play.

As Zeph. 3 records: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

He is not disappointed in you and gritting His teeth at your weakness. Those who fear Him are assured that He takes pleasure in them.

Proverbs 10:27 / The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.

What comes to those who fear the Lord? The grant of eternal life!

If the fear of the Lord only increased our age numerically in this life, we would have nothing more than sometimes accrues even to the unjust.

But it is not so with us.

The word here doesn’t just carry with it the idea of extending time – but of increasing life itself, enhancing and filling it. It is akin to Jesus’ words in John 10 where He says He came to give abundant life: Extraordinary, over and above, remarkable.

Life lived in the full realization of what life is for, what it is all about and what life in Christ will ultimately lead to.

It is life with confidence for today and the certainty of eternity.

Malachi 3:16-18 / Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Those who fear the Lord are especially noted by Him – with this amazing phrase, that He writes their names down in a book of remembrance: So that on the final day, they are well marked out by name as His treasured possession.

All that remains for us today is to enquire: Am I one who fears the Lord?

Do I know Him with something of this reverential awe as I consider His creation, His revelation of Himself in His Word, and especially in His great redemptive work in Jesus on the Cross?

Has His Word filled me with fear of His judgment on sin so that I run to Him in all of His awesome wonder with the hope only of His promise in Christ?

If so – all these benefits and more are yours today.

And if not, why not? Why not come to Him today?

In all of His unimaginable glory He holds His hands out to you today and says: “Come.” There is forgiveness, cleansing, and reconciliation in the blood of Jesus Christ for you.
Margin Notes: What’s God’s Problem?

July 1st, 2019

Deuteronomy 4:29 (ESV) — 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord. Seek the Lord! It is a ubiquitous phrase in the Bible. And one wonders, what’s the deal? Why all this attention on seeking Him? Is it ego? Does God have some sort of strange thirst to be pursued? Why is He always calling upon us to seek Him? Why do we need to seek Him? Isn’t He just there? And don’t we just live life “in Him and through Him? Isn’t it enough that I go to Church, sing the songs, enter worship, give my offerings and live the “Christian life?” And the truth is, I can do all of the above without ever actually seeking Him at all.

What is this seeking the Lord anyway?

Seeking the Lord is taking intentional time to be in the presence of God. To be in God’s Word, before Him and separate from all other things, to allow His Word to speak to our souls. To encounter Him in Word informed and driven prayer.

And the simple answer to why Scripture calls us to it so often is this: Scripture calls to us to seek the Lord over and over and over as an accommodation to our fallen state. It is reminding us that if we do not intentionally seek HIm, we will not naturally seek Him. At least not since The Fall. God must be sought because the sin in me is perpetually drawing me to everything else BUT Him. Because I will seek comfort, joy, peace, hope, fulfillment and well being in literally anything and anybody else – when in fact I was designed to find all of this in Him.

The Spirit does not remind us to seek Him all the through the Bible because of some weakness or need in God, but because of our brokenness. Because we will busy ourselves with all sorts of things other than Him – to the detriment of our eternal souls.

Every time you encounter this phrase in Scripture, be reminded that it is God Himself seeking YOU out, that you might have the fullness you were created for. It is His voice calling to you – to find your full and true satisfaction in Him. And I know for myself if I do not do it intentionally and daily – pretty soon I won’t do it at all.

Seek the Lord my friend, seek the Lord.
Margin Notes: From 1 Samuel

June 28th, 2019

1 Samuel 16:14–23 (NET) — 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 Then Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you!” 16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre and you will feel better.”17 So Saul said to his servants, “Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.” 18 One of his attendants replied, “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior and is articulate and handsome, for the Lord is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep. 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. 21 David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him a great deal, and he became his armor bearer. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David be my servant, for I really like him.” 23 So whenever the spirit from God would come upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it. This would bring relief to Saul and make him feel better. Then the evil spirit would leave him alone.

A few years ago I met a retired professor of Psychiatry from Harvard in the airport. In our conversation, I asked what the biggest change was that he had witnessed in his profession in his 50 year career. He told me frankly (lamentingly): “we don’t treat people anymore, we just medicate them.” And as I ponder this text, I wonder how many Christians do the very same thing – by what appears to be superficially, a very “spiritual” thing?

You see Saul’s problem was that he had disobeyed God sorely in the affair with the Amalekites in the previous chapter. God has said he would take the kingdom away from Saul as a result. But rather than Saul repenting and seeking forgiveness – irrespective of reversing his penalty – he simply sulked. Sulked and suffered. And indeed suffered at the hand of God in being tormented by a spirit sent from God. True, the Lord had said Saul would lose the Kingdom – but that did not mean Saul himself was beyond recovery. Where there is repentance and a humble heart, God forgives. But at this point Saul would rather get any benefit or relief by proxy than to humble himself before the Lord and seek the remedy in his own relationship with Him. So he employs David to “medicate” him how? – with “Christian” music. For David was a Psalmist. And singing praises to God in that day was sometimes referred to as “prophesying” (see: 1 Sam. 10:5, 1 Chron. 25:103).

And I wonder just how many Christians have lapsed into a nearly identical state? They have sin in their lives, or have suffered a failure, but instead of seeking God directly for forgiveness, repentance and restoration, they defer to simply medicating themselves psychologically by hymns and songs and spiritual worship. The music of the Church makes them feel better – for a time. It is a sort of worship by proxy. But it is not the same as having had their relationship with the Father restored rightly. Never resolving their issue with their God – they let it tragically drone on in this horrible way. From the outside it looks spiritual, when in reality, it is little more than a mild placebo.

It is one thing for us to find solace and comfort in the worship and music of the Kingdom as a part of our ordinary course. God has provided it for us. But it is quite another to use it as a substitute for having our hearts searched and brought back to a right place with the Father. Confession, repentance and by faith receiving forgiveness because of the Cross of Christ will move us beyond the need for a Gospel “pill”, and restore us to sweet and intimate fellowship with the Father. Don’t settle for Saul’s poor remedy.