The Christmas Crucible (Dec 07)

Joe Pistone, a FBI undercover agent, pretended to be a mob figure for six years while penetrating leading Mafia families. When the assignment was all over, a mobster's girlfriend shared a secret with him. Actually, she had known for quite some time that he was not really one of them. She said, "You carried yourself differently. You had an air of intelligence, you know? I knew you were more than just a thief!"

This may seem like an odd way to begin a Christmas message, but it sets up yet another point that will give us a very good start into this blessed time of year. Though this mobster's girlfriend may not have realized it, giftedness and character are two entirely different things. As Dwight Moody and G. Morgan Campbell drove along the roads of Northfield, Moody asked his friend to define character. After he answered, Morgan asked Moody the same question, to which the famous evangelist replied, "Character is what man is in the dark." We can all put on airs of about anything—intelligence or whatever—but what is crucial is that our private thoughts actually line up with the public life. Whatever our giftedness, may it be excelled by a more excellent character—even the image of Jesus Christ!

Ever since Easter, our church has been looking at some of the names and symbolic figures that are used in the Scriptures to refer to the character of God—especially as He plants that character within His people. Right now, we come to a dual description—He is our Refiner and Purifier. At first glance, they seem to be referring to the same thing, but, they too, are two entirely different things. We find this rather graphically as the prophet Malachi closes out the Old Testament and readies our hearts for the coming of the Messiah's forerunner, John the Baptist, and the Messiah Himself, Jesus Christ—"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me…But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (3:1-3)

Permit me to take you back in time to discover the source of this imagery. Leviticus 5:15 tells us, "If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering." This atonement would point to an even greateralways taking the time to make us holy. Patiently He sits at the crucible of your life and mine, removing all that is contrary to His holy mind and will.
atonement, and all of it is symbolized with silver. This precious metal, taken right out of the ground, had impurities all through it and would need to be refined. Using a crucible, or a fining pot, as the KJV calls it, the metal is heated and the dross comes to the surface. Such precious ores as silver require careful, delicate handling, hence the patient sitting posture of the refiner. Such is the image of Christ—never guilty of frantic frustration, but

The Book of Proverbs makes this correlation with amazing force. In Proverbs 17:3, we read, "The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts." The silver or gold smith may think he has a valuable raw material, but God is working on the human heart—even more than priceless! Proverbs 27:21 takes it a step further—"As the refining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise." The praise we receive from others, no matter how much we think we deserve it, is a divine test to see how we will react to it—either in pride or humility. An attitude of pride shows just how self-deceived we really are, for in and of ourselves, we are nothing. Even Jesus made that clear—"…for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) Everything we think, do, or say must come from our commitment to God and His glory, and not our own. When we pass this test of praise, it reveals that we are living to please God—and why wouldn't it? The true Spirit-filled Christian actually lives the life of Jesus—empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Christ in us—the hope of glory! (Col. 1:27)

But He is not only the Refiner; He is also the Purifier. Remember—this is a dual process! The silversmith can not just stop when the dross reaches the surface. This is the perfect time for those impurities to be removed. Now the refiner becomes the purifier—using a small ladle, the patient artisan skims the surface of the molten silver. Very carefully and intently, he presses his tool just deep enough to gather the dross and not the precious silver. If he goes too deep, valuable metal is lost; if he doesn’t go deep enough, impurities are left to decrease the worth of the silver. Our God is such a Purifier. He knows exactly what is needed in each heart and life to get the desired results. How does the silversmith know when his silver is thoroughly refined and purified? When he can see the reflection of his own face in the molten metal. Is this not the same for our Lord—refining and purifying; removing not only the sin, but the sway and bondage sin can have over our lives—and all to one goal, namely that He can see His own image in His own people. Thank God for the crucible of life!

And how is that accomplished? Romans 8:28-29 tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." Praise God—read the rest of the chapter to find out how refined and purified He wants to make those who love Him and know they have been truly called to be His own. Praise God—that calling is manifested in Christmas! Do you remember what the Lord told Malachi?—that He would begin that refining and purifying with the spiritual leadership! In Luke 1, we find Zacharias, an elderly priest, and his wife Elisabeth, both descendants of Aaron, in the Christmas Crucible—then the heat is turned up. The child they had longed for—who would be John the Baptist—was about to arrive, BUT Zacharias didn't believe it. Nine months of silence would test his mettle, so to speak, and Praise God—the impurities surfaced, God scooped them up, and out came the most purified praise ever heard—"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people…to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (vss. 68,79) Well, was Dwight Moody right? Yes, character is what man is in the darkness—even the darkness of silence!

The Christmas story is chock full of such refining and purifying. When Mary was told of her upcoming pregnancy, she praised God—"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." (vss. 46 and 47) She did not pat herself on the back, and say, "Of course God chose me, for I am without sin." Many today hold to that very impure assessment—about Mary, and about themselves. But Mary didn't—she knew her own deceitfully dark heart, and she knew who could save her. When Joseph first found out about the coming child, his first thought was divorce—albeit out of love and concern for his Mary, and not out of frustration or even hatred. But the Christmas Crucible had its way with him, too. From that burning moment on, he would do whatever the Lord called him to do.

Please listen to me! We may think that we get too busy in this time of year—and we certainly do—but the Christmas Crucible is busier still. The Lord is always at work, seeking to burn out the pride and make us humble and pliable in His loving hands. This Christmas, come away from your own "giftedness", and let the greatest Gift ever given have His way with you—"forGIVEness!" Darkness or Light—it's your choice! The mobster's girlfriend saw it in Joe Pistone; will you see it in Jesus? He is far more than a thief—He will not steal your heart, as some people put it nowadays; No, it must be GIVEN…into the crucible!

The Refuge of the Truth (Nov 07)

In 1603, King James of England resolved to show his self-perceived authority over the Church of England. He vehemently opposed all those who wanted to bring the Church's teachings and practices in line with the Bible. These Puritans, also known as Separatists, believed that Christ alone had that authority. One such congregation in Scrooby was brought into court and constrained to keep quiet about the God of the Bible. What were they to do?

They decided to find refuge in Holland, even without the permission of the king—they wanted to freely worship the Lord! But no true refuge could be found there, either, as they continued to be persecuted. Yes, you guessed it—in 1620, they chartered two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower, to take them to another refuge—the New World. Upon dropping anchor at Plymouth Rock, they fell on their knees, thanking God. In the years to come, they, and many others, as well, would come to find out that God alone is the only true refuge, a very present help in trouble. Even now in this country, as the courts bar the 10 Commandments and Nativity scenes, the focus is not on freedom of religion, but freedom from religion; not freedom in Christ, but freedom from Christ.

Edmund Waller, a 16^th Century poet, in describing his England, wrote, "Whether this portion of the world were rent, By the rude ocean, from the continent, Or thus created, it was sure designed, To be the sacred refuge of mankind." Obviously, the Pilgrim Fathers failed to find their own England, as well as any other country, a "sacred refuge," and with good reason—the Lord Himself is the only "sacred refuge of mankind." In Deuteronomy 33:27, we read, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…" The Hebrew word for "refuge" speaks of a den, habitation, and dwelling place. It comes from a word that paints a picture of an abode, a tabernacle, or a place of retreat. Joel 3:16 uses the word in a different way—"The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel." A note in the margin gives us the added picture of a "harbor." But, obviously, it is not just a place of lazy resting, or a neglecting of responsibility. True refuge must never be seen as a flippant "Get out of jail" card for the game of life. No, it is so much more than that!

Perhaps we will find it quite helpful in considering what true refuge is by returning to something we have looked at before—Dr. A.T. Pierson's, "The Law of First Mention." In this, he says, the very first mention of something in Scripture usually contains the "seed" for how that concept is to be understood throughout. In the case of "refuge," we turn to Numbers 35. As the newly acquired Promised Land is subdivided, verse 6 reads, "And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge." They were to be places in which the religious leaders could care for and protect any who had killed another unwittingly or accidentally. You see, in the East, it was an age-old obligation of a kinsman to avenge any such travesty. While any cases of cold-blooded murder were to be met with severe punishment—the death penalty—these other situations must be handled with justice, as well.

This entire provision of the Lord for refuge is chock full of spiritual truths for us today. First of all, these asylums of safety were appointed by God—it was all His idea! At each crossroad, both east and west of the Jordan River, there was a sign declaring REFUGE—"Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge." (vs. 14) The "manslayer," as he is called, could run to the closest city and find protection from the "avenger." In the same way, the Lord is the only"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Don’t forget—ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (3:23) Through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the work of redemption and refuge is complete—the only thing left for us to do is to run to it, and actually experience His eternal safety.
protection any of us can have from that quintessential avenger, Satan. Only in God can we find refuge from the judgment of the law. Paul tells us in Romans 6:23,

Isaiah, speaking also of our own times, writes, "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (26:1-3) Apparently, there were bigger and stronger cities to run to, but in them there was no guarantee of protection—true refuge is indeed God appointed. Furthermore, no "blood money" or bribes could be offered or exchanged, nor could a ransom of any type be paid—the "manslayer" must stay put in that place of refuge. This is the really crucial part to all of this—"But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; and the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood." (Numbers 35: 26-27) In other words, if the "manslayer" leaves the place of refuge at any time and for any reason, the deal is off—he is fair game. The avenger had every legal right to hit his mark. The man being pursued must stay put!

And so must we! There are hundreds of places in the Scriptures that warn us to continue steadfastly in God's truth, or else! If we walk away from the grace which God alone gives, we have chosen to not be protected from the Enemy through that grace. True Christianity is not just a matter of making a commitment in the midst of an emotional moment, and then resting in the idea that it doesn’t matter about how the rest of life is lived. The grace of God isn't just a blanket to cover up all the things we don't like to look at—it is the power of God to cleanse us and free us from all sin—even to the very day we die. It is kind of like the marriage vows—"…Until death do us part." You see, the manslayer was to stay put for the rest of his life, OR until the death of another. And its not the avenger—there is another who is far more important than he. Yes, "…he shall abide in it (the city of refuge) unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with holy oil…but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession." (vss. 25b and 28b)

Praise God—the deal is off when the high priest dies! Who is our High Priest? Jesus Christ! When will He yet die? Nevermore! The Book of Hebrews declares that the priesthood of Jesus is like the priesthood of Melchisedec, who lived in the days of Abraham. He is described as "having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually." (7:3) Due to this endless authority, Abraham gave him a tenth of all that he had. And so is it with Jesus Christ! We must recognize His authority, knowing it also is without end, and cease all running to find refuge in all of the other authorities to which we have been bowing down. Seeking safety in ourselves or others or other things is just not going to hold up and make it through to the end. We are just playing games, and the only outcome is to lose!

There are true Christians all over this world who really do know that this is not a game or a plaything. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas have put out the order, "kill all pastors." As a result, in the past five years, over 300 pastors have been murdered, including Humberto Montoya, 63, and Joel Garcia, 25, both leaving behind wives and children. On July 5^th, they were pulled from their homes by 25 Communist FARC soldiers, and shot execution-style in the head. In the wake of an "Anti-Conversion Law" in India, three young Christian sisters, Kusumam, 20, Kalpana, 18, and Poonam, 16, were threatened and assaulted for their faith in Christ by radical Hindus—and all this as their own parents consented. For years now, the Islamic law against blaspheming Mohammed has been used to maim and kill countless Christians, even if they didn't blaspheme anybody. Where do any of these people or their families turn for refuge? Should they expect to come here for it, considering that many liberals in Washington are poised to enact further "hate-crime laws" that will incarcerate pastors for preaching against any sin that is condemned in the Bible—including abortion and homosexuality? No, what good would that do? Pray, instead, for them and for all of us to stand on God's truth, and find refuge in the Lord alone! Praise God—the city of your refuge is God-appointed, and it is forever—it is Jesus Christ!

Jehovah-Shammah: The Hour of Ambush (Oct 07)

A grandfather once told the following story: "When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we had gotten all of our gear inside and the door closed so as not to attract any pesky insects. Still a few fireflies, or "lightning bugs", were able to follow us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, 'It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.'"

Well, with summer behind us, as well as many of those "pesky" bugs, at least let the experiencereally know the Lord, think of Him in a similar light—a pesky God who is just hiding around the corner, waiting for the opportunity to ambush them, and maybe even jab them. But, oh, are they mistaken—even more so than little Billy. The Scripture is very clear—He is Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord who is there—there with us and in us, but not for the purpose of hurting us. Our God is there for an entirely different reason—to draw us to Himself!
of these two adventurers make a powerful point. Many people today, who don't

In the days just prior to the Babylonian Captivity of Israel, brought about by sin, Ezekiel prophesied that the presence and the glory of God was about to vacate the temple—from the Holy of Holies, to the temple entrance, and finally, ascending from the famed Mount of Olives. (9:3; 10:4,18; and 11:23) It had become "Ichabod"—the glory is departed! At the very end of his book, the prophet describes, in awesome detail, the millennial habitation of the Glory, and concludes with these words—"…and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there." (48:35) This powerful description of the Lord's eternal presence is intended to be seen in stark contrast to the disobedience that caused the vacating of the premises in the first place. King Solomon, who built the original temple, saw the truth of it—"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built." (1 Kings 8:27) Yes, no matter what comes our way, will we see that the Lord is there—even where we are?

Dr. John Macbeth once wrote, "Where is that Presence to be found, and under what circumstances may men find it? It may come to men in some ambushed hour, when least expected; it may be encountered in some bleak spot far removed from temple or shrine; it may be mediated through our friendship, looking at us with human eyes and touching us with human hands, creating for us the experience of the name Jehovah-Shammah, 'The Lord is there.'" Throughout all of time, we can see the ambushed hours that come upon us, but can we see the Lord right there in the middle of it all? For example, Abraham's grandson, Jacob, was forced to leave home due to his trickery towards his own family. Coming to the vast wilderness of Luz, and exhausted from his journey, he laid down on the ground with a rock for his pillow. While he slept, the Lord came and dealt with his heart by giving him a dream of angels ascending and descending. Waking up in astonishment of the amazing presence of God, Jacob exclaimed, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not."(Gen. 28:16) Thinking he was alone and feeling ambushed by the hour that was upon him, he actually found that it isn't the circumstance that ambushes. No, it is really God who had him in His sights—not to blast him, but to bow him to His Glory!

We see it again much later in the days of the Babylonian Captivity. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down in homage to the king and his newly erected statue, even though they were faced with the prospect of the fiery furnace. When the king peered in, he asked how many had been thrown in—to which they answered, "Three!" The king then answered, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (vs.25) All would quickly learn that with Jehovah-Shammah, there is always One more than the visible number, for the fiery flames could not exclude the One who had made all of the elements—it was indeed their ambushed hour!

It is obvious in the New Testament, as well. Jesus, choosing the unusual—as He often did—passed through Samaria, instead of traveling around it. He had not come to by-pass people who needed Him. Lo, and behold, He met a woman at Jacob's well, at a very unusual hour. Most women came very early in the coolness of the morning, but this woman had come about the 6^thrd"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me." Jonah also learned God could be found in the most unlikely hour and place, for his ambushed hour took place in a fish!
hour—12 noon, when no one else would be there. Feeling ostracized due to her shady past, little did she know this would be her ambushed hour. Quite unexpectedly she would meet the only One who could know all she had ever done. In that hour, she drew water out of the well of salvation, for she had found her Jehovah-Shammah. For Him, no place is inaccessible; no time is inconvenient. David, the great psalmist, found Him to be his rock and fortress. (Ps. 18) In Psalm 139, he also wondered where he could flee to and be far from the Divine Presence. In the 23 psalm, he writes,

And not just in Biblical times, but He has been there every day since. Herbert Lockyer once wrote, "The continuous experience of those saints whose lives are full, either of constant movement or of a fixed abode, is that of the sense of the guiding and guarding Presence of Jehovah." David Livingstone, the famous missionary-explorer, often claimed to base his life on the words of Jesus in Matthew 28—"Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world." Concerning this Scripture, he often remarked, "That's the word of a perfect gentleman, and that's the end of it." Mary Slessor, the jute worker from Dundee, who became a very famous missionary and was often called, "the Uncrowned Queen of Calabar", once said, "If I have ever done anything, it is because He always went in front." When John Bunyan, the renowned Puritan preacher and author—best known for his "Pilgrim's Progress"—found himself in the Bedford jail for his faithful witness, he confessed that his Savior came into his cell and that every stone shone like jasper. Oh, sure, many today who don't want to die to self and submit to Him, will declare, "He is nowhere!" But the true Christian can cleave that right in half, and say clearly, "He is 'now/here!'" Oh, Jehovah-Shammah—the Lord who is there!

It is also true today! Not one of us knows what lies ahead for us, even this very day. Whether it be in our homes, at our places of business, in school, or even out in our travels, how prepared are we for that hour of ambush? If, however, we remember that our Lord is right there, we can know, if we are in obedience to him, it will be to bless, to guide, and to undertake. What strength we will have for the trials and afflictions ahead if we will just remember the promise of Isaiah 43:2—"I will be with thee." The Psalmist declared that He would always be a very present help in times of trouble. The author of Hebrews stated it very powerfully when he quoted the Lord, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (13:5) Did you know that this is probably the only statement in the Bible that you can read backwards, and it still means the same thing? Backwards, it reads, "Thee forsake, nor thee leave, never will I." Backwards, forwards, upside-down, or right-side-up—it's all the same, Jehovah-Shammah; yes, He is indeed there!

Returning now to Ezekiel's description of the Glory of God departing from the temple, let's see it in light of the fulness of God's word. That state of "Ichabod" was not intended to be ongoing. In all of these years since the days of Jesus, the Church of Jesus Christ was intended to be filledfirmly plant His feet upon it. Any guesses where? Zechariah 14:4 tells us, "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east…" Yes, the very place from where the Glory of God had departed in Ezekiel's prophecy is the very place where Jesus ascended into Heaven—and where He will return! In the mean time, the true Church will no longer live under the banner, "Ichabod," but now it will read, "The Glory of the Lord is right here!" So, the next time those pesky bugs of difficult circumstances, afflictions, and trials come looking for you—even with their beaming flashlights, know this—The Lord is there! with His glory. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent down to indwell God's people like never before. Since then, all who have absolutely surrendered to the life of God within them, have been set free from sin and have been empowered to manifest His presence. Following the Rapture, when the true overcoming Church will meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17), Jesus will come again to this earth and

Jehovah-Tsidkenu: Three Points, A Poem, And Beyond (Sep 07)

A loving grandmother shares the following story: "I didn't know if my little granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her on them. As we sat there on the living room floor, I pointed to things around the room and asked her what colors they were. Every time she told me, she was absolutely right, but because I was having so much fun, I continued the game. We continued, that is, until the little tyke got up and headed for the door, matter-of-factly saying, 'Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these things on your own.'" Obviously, the little girl misunderstood what her grandmother was attempting to do. We often do the same thing when it comes to truly understanding who the Lord is and what He came to do. The name of God that is before us right now—Jehovah-Tsidkenu—"the Lord is our Righteousness," is a very powerful example of this. It is derived from the Hebrew word, Tsedsk, meaning straight or right, and representing God's dealings with people under the ideas of righteousness, justification, and acquittal. And beyond that, "Our Righteousness" is commanding right and just relationships throughout all of life.

In Jeremiah 23: 5-6, the Lord says, "Behold, the days come…that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Due to the peoples' grievous sin and absolute refusal to repent and change, God cut off the Davidic monarchy in 586 BC. God did promise, however, to raise up a king from the line of David who would be a righteous Branch. This King, of course, is Jesus, and He has come—and will come—to do that which is right and just. When all is said and done, a believing remnant will "be found in Him, not having (their) own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Phil. 3:9) So many today have the idea that their righteousness is in being a pretty good person, or perhaps belonging to or attending a church, but God has another idea.

I think it will be helpful to consider three aspects of what the Bible has to say about righteousness. First, it is something proclaimed. By that, I mean this concept of God Himself being Jehovah-Tsidkenu—the Lord our Righteousness—is proclaimed practically on every page of the Scriptures. Israel and the Church alike are reminded that by Him and in Him we learn and confess Him to be our righteousness—He is Lord, and He is to be the only Lord. The Greeks sought after wisdom and the Romans sought after power and world dominion, but the people who see God for whom He really is and for what He is really trying to do, are seeking after Him, and Him alone. Jesus put it this way—"…seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33) Yes, righteousness has been amply proclaimed through Jesus Christ!

Secondly, it as prescribed. I am thinking now of that which the doctor does for you if you are in need of a particular medicine. Over-the-counter medications may not be strong or appropriate enough, so he or she writes a "script"—a prescription. That order is to be filled with Himself…His Kingdom…His righteousness. A perfectly righteous Creator has every right to decree righteousness on the part of His creatures. As I often say, He has paid the price—He has everyback at you for your disobedience; it is actually His mercy—He imputes His righteousness into us because we have neither the character nor the conduct of our own to lay before a just God. Staupitz, Martin Luther's friend said to the great reformer one day, "I have vowed over a thousand times that I would become better, but I have never performed that which I vowed. Here after, I will make no such vow, for I have learned from experience, that I am not able to perform it." If only we today would come to such a revelation—that which a righteous God desires and demands of people cannot be produced byfor us all!
right to tell you what to do. No, it is not His way of getting people. In our own strength, we are absolutely helpless to workout a saving righteousness—Jesus is the only one who could, and He did—once and for all,

You see, this is actually our third point—it is provided. This is the Gospel—our Jehovah-Tsidkenu became flesh, and was "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30b) A righteous God pronounced death as the penalty for all sin—yours and mine. Paul makes clear that this spiritual death is what we truly deserve, for it is "the wages of sin." (Romans 6:23a) But don’t forget the second half of that verse—"But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." In His love and mercy, He sent Jesus to suffer, die, and rise again, that His righteousness would be provided and planted into the repentant sinner. You see, true saving righteousness is not really attained; it is actually obtained—through no merit of our own!

Webb-Peploe tells the story of a 12 year-old girl lying on her deathbed. Her mother asked her, "My darling, are you afraid to go and meet God?" "Oh, no," she replied, "No, I am not afraid, for I look to the justice of God to take me the Heaven." Thinking her daughter was confused, the mother asked, "Oh, honey, you mean His pity or His love, don't you?" "No, mother," she replied, "I mean His justice. He must take me to Heaven, because Christ is my righteousness, and I claim Him as my own. I am as He is now in God's sight, and God would never reject His own child." Do you see this girl's train of thought? It was Jesus who paid the penalty for sin as He gave His life on the Cross of Calvary. When we receive that personally, we also receive His righteousness. Isaiah 64 tells us clearly that our own goodness and self-righteousness are nothing but filthy rags, and when we recognize that and get rid of them, we can be filled with the pure and holy righteousness of God. Robert Murray McCheyne put it this way—

I once was a stranger to grace and to God,

I knew not my danger, and felt not my load;

Though friends spake in rapture of Christ on the tree,

Jehovah-Tsidkenu was nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me, by light from on high,

Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;

No refuge, no safety, in self could I see;

Jehovah-Tsidkenu my Saviour must be.

My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;

My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came

To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free;

Jehovah-Tsidkenu is all things to me.

When the Lord our Righteousness has become all things to us, then we will become, in all things, what He expects of us. As I am apt to say—it is about time He gets what He paid for. This truly is a point beyond the other three—when our positional righteousness in Heaven is assured, there will also come a practical righteousness right here on earth. The Lord is calling for there to be nostanding in Christ and our state in the world, and when there is, we must truly repent, turn from the contradiction and let the power of the Holy Spirit grow us in purity and holiness. Praise God—it will make its way into every aspect of our lives—"rightness" in conduct, conversation, finances, relationships, business obligations, etc. The prophet spoke of this as worship, and that worship will be in everything we do—"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar." (Zechariah 14:20) In other words, it is not a mechanical, legalistic "right-living," but a living of the holiness of God in every avenue of life—this is true worship! Remember—"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:3) Recently in the Shamoga district of India, 15 Hindus, armed with clubs and knives, mercilessly beat the pastor of the Believer's Church and destroyed the building. In a Pakistani jail, Muslim inmates became furious when a Christian, imprisoned for his faith, drank from one of their cups. He was forced to drink out of a glass used for cleaning toilets. These are only two out of the dozens that I could tell you about who have gone beyond to actually live in the righteousness of God—no matter what! Three points and a poem are nice, but who in these days, will be willing to go beyond—reaching beyond that which they have already grasped? Praise Jehovah-Tsidkenu—we don't have to try to figure out some of these things on our own—its been proclaimed, prescribed, and provided; now, let His righteousness be very practical—live every moment of your life in His righteousness. contradiction between our

Jehovah-Elohay: The Life and Times of Maurice Reuben (Aug 07)

This Jewish businessman had it all! He was a director of Solomon and Reuben, one of the largest stores in Pittsburgh, but it was the life of one of his buyers that convicted him. One day, Maurice told him, "You must have been born happy." "Yes," replied the buyer, "in my second birth. I surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ and was born of God. In my first birth, however, I was no happier than you!"

Maurice was so moved by this testimony that he bought a New Testament. Then one day, on the way to the store, he heard a voice—"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) As this truth flashed upon him, he repented of his sin, received Jesus as Lord, and entered into Life—he was saved! Even though his father's will stated he would forfeit every penny if he changed religions, his brother offered to buy him off if he would leave the area and move to Montana. "No," he replied, "I have had the light in Pittsburgh, and I am going to witness in Pittsburgh."

Due to the voice he heard, he was admitted into an asylum with 29 other patients. Feeling dejected, and almost bitter, he fell to his knees and poured out his heart to the Lord. Waiting on God, he had a vision of Calvary and knew that every true follower of the Lord would carry a cross. He declared, "Whatever You allow me to go through, I will never complain again." And there would be plenty of opportunity along the way for complaining. When he was released from the asylum, his family took him to court over "the voice" he had heard. Praise God, for the Christian judge who remembered that Paul had heard a voice, too. When Maurice tried to reconcile with his brother and his own wife, they would have nothing to do with him. A year later, his wife and their new-born son came to hear him at a camp meeting, and she got saved. She was willing to come home to him, if he would get a real job and stop the preaching. Once again, Maurice embraced the Cross, and even saw his wife and son off at the train station with joy in his heart.

Three years later, she attended yet another camp meeting, and she, too, had a deep revelation of the Cross of Jesus Christ. She testified that she had been a believer, but had not been willing to enter into the crucified life and be poured out for the Lord—like her husband. But now, if it would glorify God, she would be more than willing to join him as his helpmeet and co-worker in the ministry. Glory to God—she did! So often, we try to forge ahead with our own plans and agendas, choosing our way rather than God's perfect way. We strive for an easy life and can get so impatient, but if we will just stop to hear the voice of God, He will reveal our next step. A.J. Gordon once wrote, "Paul sums up all the things he is enduring—the sword, peril, nakedness, dying all the day long for Christ, led daily like a sheep to the slaughter—and then says, 'In all these things, we are more than conquerors.' How? The man who is victorious through victory is a conqueror, but he who is victorious through defeat is more than a conqueror."

Be careful—there are a lot of voices out there. God won't speak anything outside of the fullness of His Word. At all times—easy and difficult—we need to halt, hear, and heed to what the Lord is speaking. This is the only way to be more than a conqueror. David, in the midst of being hunted down by a deranged King Saul, could turn to his Lord and proclaim, "For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness." (Psalm 18:28) This phrase, "the Lord my God," in the Hebrew, is "Jehovah-Elohay," and it speaks of a very personal and intimate relationship between the Creator and His creation. A personal faith in God leaves no room for a complaining spirit. God is truly able to light my candle—my lamp—through the powerif I want that above anything else, it will never go out! Shortly before the times of David, God decided to speak a word to a young boy, in an effort to take him and others in a new direction. 1 Samuel 3:1 tells us, "And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." Perhaps a little explanation is in order here—the word "precious" refers to something costly, valuable, bright, and clear; it does not suggest that people were honoring the truth and were grateful for it, and therefore, seeing it as precious. No, just the opposite—they were living in a time, not much unlike our own, where "…every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25b) No one was hearing the voice of God, for they really didn't want to die to self and let Him be their only focus.
of His Holy Spirit, and enlighten the dark path before me—and

Well, not exactly "no one!" Samuel had been left in the care of the elderly High Priest, Eli, to serve the Lord in the temple. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, the boy was now 12 years old. Eli had gone to bed one night, before, "…the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down." (vss. 3-5) Now this happened again, and with the same outcome—"Go to bed!" Verse 7 explains—"Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him." You see, Samuel did not yet have a personal relationship with the Lord, for he had never heard His voice. Notice, though, that when he did hear God's voice, he responded, but, evidently he didn't wait long enough to hear directly from the Lord. Praise God—the Lord is so loving and merciful that He tries to awaken us before our lamps go out. Samuel was responsible for refilling them with oil so that they would never go out, but he must be spiritually awakened to have this relationship. When we halt in order to truly hear, the Lord will also give the Spirit to heed. In this, He lights my candle, enlightens my darkness, and He, ever more fully, becomes my God!

When the Lord spoke the third time, Samuel had been instructed to say, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." (vs. 9b) And this is the key—truly desiring to hear the Lord speak, not for the word's sake but for the sake of obedience. The Lord said, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle." (vs. 11) This "thing" will vibrate and rattle everyone; so much so that their ears will be reddened with shame and their teeth will chatter with fear. Such is the definition of "tingle." What could cause that? The Ark of God—the most precious thing to the people—was about to be torn from them by their enemies. God had intended for this box, containing the 10 Commandments, to remind the people of His presence—not to become a god to them. What religious thing in my life is more precious than the Lord? If I won't stop what I'm doing and hear from the Lord, in God's mercy, He will rip it away! Israel hadn't regarded the voice of the Lord as precious, and so now the house of Eli was about to fall. Eli, you see, was a big, fat, back-slidden priest, who knew his sons were in sin, but would not stop them. He had reprimanded them, but did not force them to halt. He had taughttrained them. Proverbs 22:6 makes it quite clear—"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This "training" is a narrowing of the way by cultivating a personal seeking of and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You may feel it is too late to do so in your family—then evangelize! Maurice Reuben entered into his training as he waited on the Lord for a deeper vision of Calvary, the call to carry a cross and to deny himself for the sake of others coming into the Kingdom God. Eli would not do that, and on hearing the news of the captured Ark, he fell over backwards—and being heavy—broke his neck!
them, but had not

You see, it is in and through a deep vision of the Cross that we become more than conquerors—victory through what the world would deem to be defeat. He can only be Jehovah-Elohay to me as I stop what I am about, listen for His direction, and then make that my direction. Praise God—the life of Maurice Reuben is not intended to stay back in Maurice Reuben's time—such a crucified life is for all times. This halting, hearing, and heeding could be seen in Samuel throughout his times, too—"And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of His words fall to the ground." (vs. 19) And so, too, for us right now! Jesus once said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:27,28) Halt, hear, and heed!!!

Jehovah-Nissi: A Very Precious Banner (Jul 07)

In late 1944, the Russians fought tenaciously to wrestle Budapest from the German Third Reich. Savage house to house, hand to hand conflicts occurred in the streets, in the rubble, and in the city sewers, not much unlike what we hear transpires in Iraq on a daily basis. The Russian conquest consumed the strength of her troops, bringing a victory that didn't seem to be any better than a defeat.

Though expensive to the Russians, the battle proved fatal to Germany. It so critically weakened Hitler’s army that it had no strength left to beat back the Russian offensive in the Spring. As a result, Vienna and Berlin fell quickly in 1945, and WW2 was all but over. What a lesson to be learned! Not every victory comes easily—sometimes the most expensive one offers significant long-term benefits. Confronting and defeating temptation is like that. It may seem too difficult for our resources—and it is—so we often choose to battle the lesser temptation. But it is the conquest of the tough and brutal issues of life that actually promises the easier defeats of the others. How is it possible? Through the precious Cross!

Remember—freedom is never free! One of the most formidable and persistent enemies of the people of Israel was the Amalekites. Actually, the two were related, in that the Amalekites were descendants of Esau, and Israel can be traced back to Jacob—twin brothers. But it was Esau, who, not seeing his birthright as precious, sold it to Jacob for a measly bowl of stew. This spirit does not see the need to take spiritual things seriously. Many will often say that they do, but their actions prove them to be liars. This strategy of self-importance is one of Satan's most popular weapons, and it is often used very early on in his attacks. In fact, it was the Amalekites that confronted the people of Israel immediately after their divine deliverance from bondage in Egypt.

God had just made the bitter waters sweet at Marah in Horeb, and He had just drawn water from the rock at Massah—both spiritual pictures of the coming Messiah, Jesus, who would cancel the bitterness of sin and its power, and, at the same time, be the Living Water. Exodus 17:8-9 tells us, "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand." As the battle raged, Aaron and Hur joined Moses on top of the hill. As it turned out, as long as Moses held up his rod, the battle went in Israel's favor, but, if he lowered it, Amalek began to win. So, Aaron and Hur, one on each side of Moses, held up his arms, and Israel got the victory. To commemorate and celebrate what the Lord had done, "Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi." (vs. 15)

"Jehovah-nissi" is Hebrew for "the Lord is my banner." Banners and flags have long expressed loyalty to a cause. From time immemorial, these standards have been defended with the last breath of many a warrior. Recently, my wife and I were visiting family in Michigan, and while I began to write this message, I noticed the bright sun literally glistening on the rustling American flag outside the living room window. Interestingly, this "nissi" carries with it the idea of glistening. I began to recollect some of the words of "The Star Spangled Banner."—"And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there…" Through their longest night, the flag inspired them with hope—it was a banner before them that called them on. Countless have perished to keep flags flying—content to die, so long as their colors were still up. Spiritually speaking, true Christians will also be prepared to die rather than lower the standard, because they know that the lower the standard, the lower the living. The word "nissi" is translated "standard" and "ensign" in Isaiah; it is rendered "sign" in Numbers 26; and amazingly, it is the word for "pole" in the story of Moses lifting up the brass snake to give life to Israel. (Numbers 21) Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was also lifted up on a pole to be a banner of victory over the temptations of the world, flesh, and Satan. Dr. F.E. Marsh declares, "The Lord in His death for us is our Banner in victory—our Standard in life—our Ensign in testimony—our Sign to all that He is the Triumphant Lord."

Moses and his staff had become a banner of victory over Amalek—a banner that pointed to an ultimate victory that can be obtained over this re-occurring spirit of Amalek. Immediately after Moses named the altar Jehovah-nissi, he gave the reason why—"Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."very true. In the future days of Israel, her first king, Saul, thought he could determine how he should serve the Lord, with no real regard for what the Lord Himself said. You see, this is the spirit of Amalek—not seeing the ways of God to be precious. God had told Saul that when he enters into the upcoming battle with—you guessed it—Amalek, that he was to destroy all living things, including the animals. The spirit of Amalek was to be crushed, so, what did Saul do? Not only did he refuse to wait for the spiritual leadership of Samuel, he did not kill everything. He allowed their king—their head, so to speak—to live, and the spirit of Amalek lived, as well. And not only that, but he preserved some of the animals. Oh, he had a good excuse—he could use them for the sacrifices to God. Talk about twisted! Somehow my disobedience and laxity are going to honor God. Oh, I don't think so!
(vs. 16) Physically speaking, it was

Today, this spirit of Amalek is manifested in somany different ways, but at the core is rebellion and willful disobedience. Recently, on the News, it was reported that we must never say "no" to our children—everything must be positive. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea, but it is fundamentally flawed. The Lord tells us that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Many today begin with the premise that people are basically good, and they just need a little positive reinforcement. It is just the opposite—we, including our children, need to see the Cross of Jesus Christ as truly precious, repent of our sin that put Him there, be washed by the blood of Jesus, and desire the Holy Spirit to purify us from the inside out. Oswald Chambers put it this way—"The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by the words, 'Come to Me.' Our Lord's words are not just, 'Do this, or don't do that,' but—'Come to Me.' Look at the stubbornness in your heart. Many would rather do anything than this one simple childlike thing—'Come to Me.'' If you really want to experience ceasing from sin, you must let go of everything, come, and commit all to Him."

The self-centered spirit of Amalek will indeed go from generation to generation, right up until the Last Day. But it must not be so in the true Church! Amalek's hand had dared to assault Jehovah's throne to overturn it—even from the very beginning—so the Lord gave the authority and the power of that throne to His people to overwhelm and totally destroy the enemy. Today, that victorious Spirit is available to us—the indwelling Holy Spirit! William Whitelaw wrote, "One man with Jehovah could have chased a thousand; without Jehovah, a thousand could have chased one man. Hence, while Joshua went down into the valley to fight, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up the hill to pray." What a picture—while Jesus, which in the Hebrew, is "Yeshua" or "Joshua," came down into this world to vanquish sin, His Church is now called into prayer, intercession, and spiritual warfare. But not in our way; in His! And that is surely precious!

Jehovah-nissi! He is the standard, not us! So many today spend their time comparing themselves with others, only to feel pretty good about themselves. No! Jesus is the standard; Heprecious! King David knew it—"We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfill all thy petitions…Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth." (Psalms 20:5; 60:4) His son Solomon knew it—"He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love." (Songs 2:4) Recognizing this truth and submitting to it is perhaps the greatest battle—but with this won, the others are put in line. He does it, not us! No matter how strong the enemy, or continuous his attacks, or how reoccurring the spirit of Amalek may be around us, He is with and in His surrendered people—girding them with strength and teaching their hands to war. (Ps 18) Freedom is never free! Come and surrender!!! is our banner; He alone is

Jehovah-Jireh: The God Who Sees To It (Jun 07)

A 4.6 earthquake ripped through the ocean town and shook all the residents out of their sleep. A sharp crack was followed by very disturbing rumblings, flowing like waves throughout the entire metropolitan area. When Dennis Johnson, a local police officer, was startled from his night of rest, he jumped out of bed, and quite instinctively, grabbed for his service revolver. "Dennis," his wife said calmly, "not even you can stop an earthquake with a gun."

For a long time now, our society has shown that we are convinced that we can solve all human problems if enough intelligent people work at it for long enough. All of the so-called solutions can be boiled down to the same few—government spending, stiffer laws, more gun control, harsher sentences, and more police on the streets. But we miss the real answer just about every time—Jesus changes hearts and lives. Let's admit it—if the killer at Virginia Tech had been truly surrendered to and changed by Jesus, he wouldn't have done what he did! Jesus would have seen to it!

Abraham was certainly one who can attest to that. Jesus even said, "…Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." (John 8:56) But before he could see that vision, the Lord needed to reveal much about Himself along the way. Having been called by God to sojourn in a foreign land for many years, Abraham often took some steps ahead of the Lord—remember? When famine struck, he traveled down to Egypt without the leading of the Lord; he lied about his wife in order to provide for his own protection; and when the promise of a son lingered, he sought out his own solution—a child by his wife's servant, Hagar. Each time, God revealed Himself ever more fully, using a different divine name to get Abraham back on track. Once God was known as El Olam, the Everlasting God, (Gen. 21) Abraham settled into the security of the Lord's provision.

The very next thing to happen would be Abraham's biggest test yet—"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (vss. 1,2) Whoa! Can you imagine? First of all, let me mention that is was not really a "temptation", as we usually think of it—a trying to trip someone up. No, it was actually a test—not so that God could see what Abraham would do, but so that Abraham himself could know what it is to totally trust in God. This was the son that they had waited 25 long years to have, and now, would he be gone?—even at Abraham's own hand? Notice there is no arguing or debating—they get up first thing in the morning and take off for Moriah. Abraham could have sacrificed Isaac in their own backyard—why travel all those miles? The word "Moriah" is a Hebrew word that means "to be seen of Jah." "Jah" is the abbreviated form of "Yahweh", sometimes referred to as "Jehovah"—the Great I Am. The eye of God would be on them and on that place.

Let me show you what I mean. A thousand years later, an angel appeared to King David and directed him to establish an altar of worship right at the threshing floor that belonged to Ornan the Jebusite. When Ornan realized the king wanted his threshing floor to worship the Lord, he offered it all as a gift—the place, the yokes for firewood, and the oxen for the sacrifice. But David knew it would not be a real sacrifice if it did not cost him anything, so he paid Ornan for all of it. Years later, 2 Chronicles 3:1 tells us, "Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite." A thousand years after that, when Jesus taught and healed in the temple, it was a different temple but the same place—Mt. Moriah. God has had His eye on that piece of real estate all along—"to be seen of Jah." Two thousand years after that—right now—the temple is gone, but an Islamic Mosque sits in it's place. But not for long—God's own Word tells us that the last day's Antichrist will desecrate the temple, so it must previously be rebuilt—and I believe, very soon! Jah has foreseen the whole thing! (Daniel 9:27; 2Thess. 2:3,4)

As Abraham and his party made their way to Mt. Moriah, "…Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering…" (vss. 7,8) Oh, and that He did! Yes, ultimately speaking, He did indeed provide Himself as that offering for the forgiveness of sin. John the Baptist declared it when he saw Jesus coming to him in the Jordan River—"Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) Through it all, God was foreseeing and foretelling some very crucial things. Once they arrived on Mt. Moriah and Isaac was bound to the altar, Abraham raised his knife—knowing full well that even if Isaac did die, God would have to raise him up from the dead—for Isaac was the son of promise, and God never breaks one of those. (Hebrews 11:19) He always
sees to it!

And then it happened—"…the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." (vss. 11,12) The day before, when Abraham had been called to do all of this, his response was, "Behold, here I am." When Isaac called to his father, his response was, "Here am I, my son." And then, when the angel called Abraham, his response was, "Here am I." Praise God—they are all very good responses, for they all show us submission and surrender. "I am" is from the verb "to be", and in the Hebrew, it is "Jah." All through the story—on the way to Moriah and while at that mountain—"Jah sees and is seen!" Lo and behold, over in the thicket, a ram is stuck by its horns. The ram would be a substitute offering for Isaac, and thousands of years later, the Lamb of God would be a substitute for us. The knife at Calvary was not held back, but was plunged very deep into the heart of Jesus. And praise God, since God must remain true to His promise, the ultimate
Son of Promise—Jesus Christ—was raised from the dead for you and for me!

And look at this—"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." (vs. 14) Literally, this name for God means that the Great I AM both sees and provides. When God foresees something, it is as good as provided. Remember—His pre-vision will always bring His pro-vision. Augustine expressed it this way—"Command what thou wilt, then give what Thou commandest." Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote, "Faithful is He that calleth you, who will also do it.""For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (2:13) In other words, when the Lord foresees something in your future, He will also see to it. He saw to the ram, and He saw to the Lamb—will He not also see to what He wants to accomplish in and through you?
(1 Thess. 5:24) To the Philippian Church, he wrote,

Many would like to think that this means we can just sit back and God will plop all things into our laps. No! Recently, David Wilkerson, founder of Teen and World Challenge, as well as Times Square Church in New York City, returned from a mission trip to the slums of Nairobi, Kenya—no electricity, no clean water, and open sewers in the muddy streets. He met a widow with 6 children, subsisting on spoiled condiment packages thrown out by hotel restaurants, and living in a one-room shack made of cardboard and tin. Are we to sit back and expect God to see to the needs of this impoverished family, and the thousands of others like it? No, the call is upon the true Church to reach out with Christ and His love—the only real solution. Before Pastor Wilkerson left Kenya, he committed himself to help churches there to build a school, a clinic, and an orphanage. The Church of Jehovah-Jireh will see to it for the God who sees to it resides within—by the power of the Holy Spirit! William Law once wrote, "God must do all, or all is nothing. God cannot do all till all is expected from Him. And all is not expected from Him till by a true and good despair of every human help, we have no hope, or trust, or longing after anything but a patient, meek, humble resignation of all to God. There is no true good but what God works Himself." Now imagine what can be accomplished when the God who sees to it, sees to it within us! Oh, Jehovah-Jireh!!!

The Law of First Mention (May 07)

The story is told of a man who took his rather large Rottweiler to the vet—nothing life threatening, like dog food—but to check about another condition. He asked the doctor, "Can you do anything for my dog—he has been cross-eyed since he was born and I just thought maybe something could be done?" "Well," said the vet, "let's have a look." So he picked up the dog and examined his eyes. Finally, the vet said…

"I'm going to have to put him down." "What?" screamed the man, "Because he's cross-eyed?"really heavy." OK, OK, so it's a really stupid joke, but do you see the point? So much depends on whether or not we understand the words that are being used—"put down" can refer to being put to sleep, or just simply, setting the dog back down on the floor. Or consider a third option—what if you wanted to call the dog some demeaning names, so as to "put him down?" As we consider some of the many names the Lord gives Himself, it is absolutely crucial that we know what those words mean. Why? Those very names will be carried by His Church, as God is allowed to live His life through each one! Powerful!
"No, because he's

Dr. A.T. Pierson, in the context of studying the Bible, coined the phrase, "The Law of First Mention." In this, he suggests that much is contained in the first mention of everything in the Scriptures, sort of a seed for further development of the concept. For example, we all know that the Fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 was when sin entered the human creation, but it isn't until Genesis 4 that "sin" is first mentioned. That, or course, is in connection with Cain killing Abel, using the phrase, "…sin lieth at the door." (4:7) The rest of the Bible further develops this "lurking" aspect of this thing called sin—and all from that very first mention of it. We see this "phenomena" with the names of God, too. The very first mention of any name of God is actually the fourth word of the Bible—"In the beginning, God…" (Genesis 1:1) In the Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, that word is "Elohim." While this word is used to describe other entities other than the one true God—ie. idols in Exodus 34:17; angels in Psalm 97:7; etc.—it very powerfully sheds much light on the unity of the Trinity, and what that means for God's people.

The world "Elohim" appears over 3,000 times in the Bible, with 35 of those times referring to His creative power in the first two chapters. The "El" specifically refers to strength and might, while the suffix "him" (pronounced "heem") signifies a plurality. When it speaks of the one true God, it reveals a plurality of majesty and glory that shines forth from God, who does exist in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Trinity, acting in unity, is clearly and specifically seen immediately following the very first mention of Elohim. In Genesis 1:26, we read, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…" He is not talking to the angels, for they were created beings themselves—this is the fullness of the Godhead!

This unity within the Trinity is much further developed throughout the Bible—salvation, deliverance, judgment, sustenance, and so much more—the powerful purposes of Elohim. In Genesis 17:1-8, God promises Abram an almost unbelievable relationship—"I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect…And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be "an Elohim" unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." Do you see it? He doesn't just carry His own name; He plants it within us and we carry it, too—"walk before me, and be thou perfect." Oh, Praise Elohim, for that has been fulfilled in a New Covenant through the Cross and empty tomb of Jesus Christ, the 2^nd Person of that amazing Trinity. In this, the 3^rd Person, the Holy Spirit, implants the life of Elohim in His people through the new birth spoken of in John 3. Dr. F.E. Marsh says, "…for looking at it in the light of the New Testament, we find—The Father in the power of His love; The Son in the provision of His grace; and The Spirit in the potentiality of His strength." When we are reminded by God, "I will be unto you an Elohim," the response of the true Christian ought to echo Psalm 91:2—"My 'Elohim'; in Him will I trust." In this Spirit-filled life, we truly carry and bring forth the Name of God!

Now, keep in mind, an abbreviated form of Elohim is often used to refer to God, too—and that is "El." Jesus uses it as He quotes Psalm 22:1, even from the Cross—"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) In the midst of indescribable fatigue and pain, He prayed, "My strength, my strength," for the "El" literally denotes God as the Strong One, as well as the Only Cause of all things. It is this form, in the singular, that very often becomes attached to other descriptive words to portray His essence, His character, and His attributes. And at this point let me bring into focus one of them—El Elyon—since this name, as well as the "El" by itself, are first mentioned in connection with the enigmatic and mysterious figure of Melchizedek. Genesis 14:18-20 lays it out for us—"And Mel- chizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all." Yes, I'm sure you guessed it, especially from my italics—El Elyon is translated "the most high God. The context of this amazing meeting can be found in the previous verses, but I want to use this space to focus on the name itself. With the added focus on supremacy, we find it in Numbers 24:16; Deuteronomy 32:8; about 20 times in the Psalms; twice in Lamentations, and over 10 times in Daniel. Many of these times, it is found to be a millennial title, focusing on God's reign over the earth—specifically at the time of the restoration of Israel. As we rapidly approach this in these very last of days, we see the very first mention of El Elyon become even more crucial. Why? Well, because the author of the New Testament book of Hebrews makes it clear that this "priest of the most high God" is a foreshadowing of the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amazing! Hebrews 5:8-10 tells us, "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered: And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him: Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedec." Just a few verses before this, we find these words—"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (4:14-16) There it is again—He places His name within us and we carry it. God, in His boundless mercy, built His identity on the foundation of the first mention of His powerful name—using that to point to the coming Messiah—ourgreat high priest! When Melchizedec brings Abram bread and wine, are we not reminded of the one who would give His body and shed His blood to take away our sin, as well as the dominion that sin had over us? And if we find that that dominion still exists, do we see our need for further repentance? As high priest, He has already offered the sacrifice—His entire sinless life—and it is this life He plants in us. No other high priest could do that, but this one did—once and for all! So, may we surrender fully and come boldly to the only one who can plant His obedience within us, causing us to stand fast in His truth. In this, we will carry the Name of God for all the world to see—a totally changed life! From the very first mention, God is glorified through a people who are willing to carry Him into every aspect of their lives. In this, we praise Elohim, the El Elyon!

The Radical Purpose of God (Apr 07)

A British yachtsman sailed around the Falkland Islands, mapping the beaches and the depths of the water. His original purpose was to develop a book for vacationers and swimmers. But during the Falklands War of 1982, the British used this book to totally surprise the Argentines in their effort to reclaim the area. Had it not been for that book, the British would not have known some crucial details about that beach on which they landed. Who would have guessed such a book would have such a radical purpose?

Oswald Chambers once wrote, "Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. The things we try to avoid and fight against—tribulation, suffering, and persecution—are the very things that produce abundant joy in the true Christian." As I sit at my desk writing this message, the date is March 6^th—the anniversary of my sister's death. My grandmother passed away just three days before that—on my Dad's birthday! Needless to say, it was not an easy week. But notice, I did not say that it wasn't a "good" week for me. Oh, yes, very difficult, but "easy" is not the definition of "good." Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." God used that time to put my focus on the Cross and the empty tomb of Jesus Christ—not just as I shared the gospel at my sister's funeral, but forevermore!

As we approach the celebration of Easter, we must know that the Cross of Calvary and the subsequent resurrection are radical, and as such, they have a divine purpose that reaches far beyond what most people think it to be. Many today assume the whole purpose is that we can all go to heaven some day. Oh, it is so much deeper than that! Many picture God as that cosmic deity that is just waiting for us to stumble so that He can smash us to pieces. These same people suggest Jesus is desperately pleading for us before God, trying to convince Him not to flatten us. No, it isn't that mercy is pleading for the sinner and justice is trying to beat him to death. When God justifies a sinner through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, everything in God is on the sinner's side.

You see, Jesus Christ did not die to change God; He died to change our moral situation. When God looks at the person who has received the price paid on the Cross for his sin, He doesn’t see the same moral situation that He sees when He looks at the sinner who still loves and clings to his sin. In the former case, justice sentences the atoned-for Christian to live, while in the latter case, that same justice condemns the unsaved man to die. The unjust sinner can no more go to heaven than the justified saint can go to hell. In other words, justice is always on the side of the returning sinner. 1 John tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is a returning—a returning to the moral situation that existed before sin came into this world. The Father did not send the Son to condemn, but to reclaim and to restore and to regenerate.

Hebrews 12:29 tells us, "For our God is a consuming fire." Allow me to illustrate God's purpose with a brief look at some events in the life of the disciple Simon Peter as seen by the light of three different "fires." Right before Jesus' arrest, Peter had been warned that he would deny the Lord that night—three times before the rooster crowed. While Jesus was being tried in the palace, another trial was taking place outside in the courtyard. John 18:18 reveals, "And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself."folds under the pressure—he doesn't even know Jesus, let alone admitting to following Him. How often do I fold, warming myself at the fires of this world? How often do any of us not stand for the truth of God's Holy Word when the world mocks it? How many people will be duped and led astray by recent false reports of finding the tomb of Jesus and His "family?" How many times will the church choose entertainment and hype, and thereby deny the truth of His purpose?
Away from Jesus, standing in his own strength and seeing to his own needs, he

Think about it? How many times will our own ways win out before the rooster finally wakes us up? It is interesting to note that in Mark's gospel, we find an added detail—the rooster crowed twice; once after the first denial, and again, right after the third. How often does the Lord try to wake us up, even before we are done with all of our denials? And what about the fire? Surely, Satan used it to lull Peter back into his comfort zone, but God intended it to shed light on what was really going on. Praise the name of Jesus—every force of heaven was engaged in reclaimingdid wake up, he got out of that place of warmth and comfort, wept very bitterly over his sin, and repented of it. The rock-like confession of faith that Jesus had promised on which to build His Church, had now been reclaimed—taken back from the enemy of our souls. Easy? No, but "easy" is not the point. God's purpose is the point!
this man. When Peter finally

After the resurrection of Jesus and several of His appearances, we see another crucial fire. Though Jesus had been proven to be alive, the ministry didn't seem to be going anywhere. They were seeing Jesus from time to time, but they were not being sent out to proclaim Him. Finally, Peter decided to go fishing, and some others opted to go with him. In God's mercy, they caught nothing in their own strength, but they did through the power of Jesus—153 huge fish. John, who had been the closest to Jesus, recognized Him. Splash! Peter dove in and beat the boat to shore. Little did Peter know that he would be restored by the all-encompassing love of Jesus that day. Once on the beach, "they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread." (John 21:9b) Jesus did have them haul in their monumental catch and bring it over, butalready provided all that was needed. I truly believe the Lord used that fire, and the breakfast on it, for His radical purposes. When we eat our breakfast in the morning, it literally "breaks" the night-long "fast." Spiritually speaking, a powerful light was shining on the purpose of the "fast" that they had been experiencing—they were like babies being "weaned" off the 24/7 physical presence of Jesus. They were about to break the fast and feast on the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
He didn't use it—Jesus had

And here it is—"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4) All were truly touched by the consuming fire of God—burning away their own self-consumed lives, and giving each a new one. Praise God for the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit! No longer would they spend their lives in their own comfort zones, warming themselves by staying distant from the purposes of God. No longer would they try to storm the beach with their own plans, lacking the heart of God. No longer would they assume they could serve the Lord without dying to self, rising to new life, and being indwelled and empowered by the third Person of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit!

No one said it would be easy; only that it would be very good! Reclaimed, restored, regenerated—this is the purpose of God, which has already been mapped out in His Holy Word. The recreational "swimmer" will not make it—only the adventurous surfer, who rides above the tumult of this life—crucified and raised to new life. A.W. Tozer once said, "We who have the gospel must not think ourselves as PR agents, sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports, or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum." The purpose of God is radical…will you be that radical? If you go through the consuming fire of God, you will be!

The Crux of the Matter (Mar 07)

Jesse Owens, the black track star from the U.S., and German runner Luz Long, were competitors in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Long had already qualified for the running broad jump, but Jesse had come up short on his first attempt, and then fouled at the second. Long had watched his American rival, and walked over to give him some friendly advice—just a matter of technique on his approach. Jesse took it, and eventually won the gold medal—four in all! Luz Long finished second. And then it happened!

After the competition, the two athletes walked together down the runway to the jump. Directly in front of Adolf Hitler's viewing box, Long thrust his arms around the victorious black American runner. Hitler, who had hoped to use the Olympics to prove the Aryan superiority of the German people, looked the other way—absolutely enraged! Two lives had intersected in a very powerful way—the one in need met another who would gladly and willingly meet that need. One life was quite radically given to help the other—and all with evil sneering down at them.

Well, let's get down to the crux of the matter. Oh, incidentally, do you know what that word means? The word, "crux", comes from the Latin, and it refers to a "cross". In the English, it speaks of a pivotal or fundamental point in the effort of solving a tormenting or baffling problem. Other words from the same root are "crucial", "crucible", and "crucify". Spiritually speaking, we must get down to the crux—a place of intersection that brings us to a central point. Such is the "Cross" of Jesus Christ. It is truly the crux of history, defining the function and the purpose of life itself. Another word we often hear and use, in the context of pain and suffering, is "excruciating." This, too, comes from the Latin and means "out of the cross." Calvary is indeed the centerpiece of all of history, intersecting both time and space, and, out of it, God speaks to the deepest hurts of the human experience. God brings both the one in need, namely you and me, into touch with the only One who can meet that eternal need—yes, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Dr. Ravi Zacharias writes concerning these needs, "There are at least four such longings. The hunger for truth, as lies proliferate. The hunger for love, as we see hate ruling the day. The hunger for justice, as we see injustice mocking the law. The hunger for forgiveness, when we ourselves fail and stumble. These four stirrings grip the soul." I'm sure we could all think of a whole myriad of other "needs," but for our purpose right here, let's focus on these. There is only one place in all the world where these four could converge and find their fulfillment—the crux of the matter—the Cross of Calvary! It is truly at the center of the Cross where our need and God's provision meet. Take TRUTH, for instance, and how it stands out in a world of lies. Jesus would even declare Himself to be…"the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) Most everything this man said was punctuated with some form of assertion that what He was saying was the gospel-truth. In John 6:53, we read, "Verily, verily, I say unto you." In all four Gospels, we find this phrase 78 times—He is saying, "I am telling you the truth, so believe it!" Believe what? "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you." No, He was not speaking of cannibalism or even celebrating the Lord's Supper after He institutes it. No, He is speaking of the Cross, and letting Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, abide and live within His people. Many didn't want to hear such a strong word then, and, believe me, many do not want it now—"From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him." Is it any wonder that the reference for that tragic verse is 6:66, since it is indeed the spirit of Anti-Christ that brings us to that tragic place? Jesus had tried to give them the "truth," but they didn't want Him, and so, bam, they collide in the intersection.

Secondly, what about LOVE, as we see hate ruling the day? In Mark 10:17-27, we see Jesus being approached by a rich young ruler, wondering how he can be sure of eternal life. From his own perspective, he had kept the law on about every point—even from his childhood. Verse 21 tells us, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." The possessions themselves were not the problem; it was his attitude towards them. Rich or poor, the question is, "How much will you hold onto everything that is not Jesus. This man had come to a very crucial intersection in his life—a pivotal and excruciating place, a virtual fiery cruciblehates you, and will do anything to block your vision of Jesus—anything, even, "…the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life..." (1 John 2:16) Even your "stuff" can bring you down.
in which his eternity is tested. Crash and burn! He would not yield the right of way to God. So many today are on the same collision course—seeking prosperity instead of a cross, and they have plenty of "prosperity preachers" helping them to their own demise. The Biblical "denial of self" is not exactly today's "buzz" word. Remember—Satan

Thirdly, there is the hunger for JUSTICE, when we see injustice mocking the law. In Luke 11, Jesus nails the problem He has with His sneering enemies—they are content to look good on the outside, but inside "they are full of ravening and wickedness." (vs. 39b) They spend their time pretending to be good and just, but slapping God's justice in the face. Today, they would go to church, perhaps even more than once a week, but without repentance and the resulting heart change. They looked spiritual because they had their lists of do's and don't's, but they neglected the true motivation—love for God! The Lord wants, and will have, both—devotion to Him that will be expressed by total obedience—all through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit! This is justice—God getting what He paid for! Isaiah is speaking to God in 26:3—"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." About this, Oswald Chambers wrote, "Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of weakness and disobedience in the servant's life." Think about it!

Fourthly, there is the longing for FORGIVENESS! In John 8, we find the religious leaders throwing a woman at Jesus' feet—she had been caught in the very act of adultery. The Law said to stone her, but what would He say—it was the perfect trap! Acting as though He wasn't even paying attention to their foolishness, Jesus sat there, writing in the sand with His finger. When they kept it up, He stood up and declared, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her," (vs. 7) and then He went back to what He was doing. Not knowing what to do, they dropped their stones and went away. The lives of the self-righteous had just been intersected by the Righteous One. So had the life of the sinful woman, with one further direction—she was told to sin no more! Forgiveness is not just a pat on the back, and a call to tryabomination before God—you will hate it, and turn from it, and fly into the arms of the Crucified and Risen Christ—with a changed heart and a changed life. This is surely the crux of the matter—truth, love, justice, forgiveness, and every other need we have, can not only be found on the way to the Cross, as we have seen, but at the very place of the Cross. Pilate asked what TRUTH was, and "it" stood right in front of him. As Jesus gave His life, there was no greater LOVE than that. As the One who had become sin hung there, God's JUSTICE was satisfied. And last, but certainly not least, the very first word from that Cross was, "Father, FORGIVE them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Your sin and mine has placed us in a very tormenting and baffling situation—our own good thoughts, words, and deeds can not save us. He has pointed out the fundamental and pivotal issue—we are in need of our own lives being crucified with His. Praise God—our desperate need was met by His provision—one life radically given. He is the only One who could face the Enemy's sneers, and be victorious. This is the crux of the matter—pick up your cross today, and follow Him into eternity! to do better. No, when you truly see your sin for what it is—a hellish