Unnatural Growth

Yesterday Pastor Gord preached another great sermon on the parables of Matthew 13. This time he preached about the mustard seed and he showed us how this parable is often misinterpreted. The significant growth of the mustard plant was unnatural and the birds came and lodged in the tree. Too often we are undiscerning and we do not realize that the birds have come to destroy. When Satan found out that he could not destroy the church from the outside by persecution he then changed his tactics and joined the church.
Today I spent the afternoon with a friend from the Anglican church. He was telling me how the leadership has shied away from the Scriptures as their guide and told the individual bishops to let their consciences be their guide. Our conscience needs to be cleansed by the Word. He then said, "He who marries the spirit of the age will soon find themselves widowed." The birds have come to nest in many of the North American mainline churches and no one notices.

Taste and See

I have been reading John Piper's devotional book, Taste and See. I find Piper a refreshing author. There are a number of people who critise him for being a Calvanist but he does not spend his time refuting them instead what comes through is his love and devotion to God.
I have been in his church and have heard him preach and it is the same in his preaching as in his writings, he loves God passionately.
It is hard to give a description of this book as Piper deals with many ideas in a devotional style. Over the past four months I have been using it as a devotional book.
I recommend this book to everyone.

Teacher and Guide

I have been mediating on the Psalms in the morning and today I was in Psalm 25. The last part of verse twelve says, "He (The Lord) will instruct him in the way chosen for him." The Lord is both our instructor and our guide. We often want guidance but guidance only comes to us as we look to Him as our teachers. Many times we hear that we are to seek the Lord's will for our lives and this is true but there is also and maybe more import way for us to find the Lord's will for us and that is to allow Him to teach us through His Word. Many times in the Scriptures we read that the Word of the Lord came to...
But of course this involves trust. We like to be in control but God says that we are to leave it to Him. Why not trust Him who knows the future instead of trying to figure everything out for ourselves? Remember, the righteous shall live by faith.

The Tabernacle

I think that Mike and I will be doing a series of lessons on the Tabernacle where we will look at Christ in the Tabernacle. In one way this seems to be a natural to follow the Ten Commandments. As the Commandments show us that we need to be reconciled with God they do not show us how that reconciliation will take place. The Tabernacle shows us the way to God and how to be reconciled to Him.

The Talking Donkey - Part 3

This is the conclusion of this snapshot of grace from the Old Testament. Take time to read the last two days before reading this.

God uses many people and circumstances to minister grace to us. He could use a dog barking in the night to wake us up to pray or maybe a rooster crowing early in the morning to remind us to spend time with Him. God can cause car trouble to stop us from going where He doesn’t want us to go or to stay where we are. Many times God interrupts us with His grace but we don’t recognize that grace. Balaam probably thought that it was just his imagination that the donkey answered him and He did not recognize the miracle of God’s grace.

We should take lives interruptions as an opportunity to focus our attention upon God and to ask Him what He is trying to teach us. There are not accidents with God. His interruptions can be times of His grace.

The Talking Donkey - Part 2

This is a continuation of yesterday's post. Please read yesterday's post first and Lord willing I will conclude tomorrow.


Balaam was a prophet but even though God spoke through him, he wasn’t always obedient to God. He was not driven by his devotion to God but by his desire for material blessings.

When Balak saw the Israelites he was afraid so he sent a message to Balaam to come and curse them. He promised Balaam money so Balaam said he would do it. However, on his way to the place where he would curse the Israelites God interrupted him. The Bible tells us that God was angry with Balaam and sent the angel to kill him but God in His mercy sent someone to intercede for him. That someone was neither another human nor an angel but rather it was his donkey.

When Balaam came to a narrow passage way the donkey on which he was riding refused to go any further. Balaam became angry with the donkey and started to beat him. It was then that the donkey spoke to Balaam.

Balaam did not think that it was strange that he was having this conversation with his donkey. He told the donkey that he had made a fool of him not realizing that most people would think that he was a fool for even talking to his donkey in that way.

God gave Balaam every opportunity to change his ways. He finally opened his eyes so that he could see what the donkey saw in the passageway. God in His grace had kept Balaam from cursing His people and if he had succeeded in doing that he would have brought God’s judgment upon himself. God in His grace gives us every opportunity to repent of our actions when we are acting in disobedience. God could strike us dead or send an angel to destroy us but instead He sends interruptions so that we can repent. We do not see interruptions as God’s grace in our lives but they often are His way of getting our attention.

Conclusion tomorrow - LW.

The Talking Donkey – Numbers 22:21-35

What happens when you are awakened in the night by a barking dog or some other animal? Most of us are annoyed when the dog continues to bark and we are unable to go back to sleep. Sometimes, even after the dog has stopped barking we are unable to sleep and we become more and more frustrated. It has been said by someone that when you cannot sleep instead of counting sheep we should talk to the Shepherd. The testimonies are numerous of people who have been awakened in the night and felt compelled to pray for a friend or missionary only to find out later that at that very moment the person for whom they were praying was facing an extreme situation. God can use a barking dog to fulfill His purposes. We often see these situations as hindrances and annoyances but they can be times of God’s grace flowing in and through us.

Part two tomorrow - LW

Wheat and Tares

Today Pastor Gord preached a great sermon on the parable of the wheat and tares. He reminded us that things aren't always what they seem to be. We need to examine our own hearts to be sure that we are in a right relationship with our God.
This past week I learned of an example of this. A man who was a respected leader in his church and in his denomination, a man that I had met and heard preach, confessed to sexually immoral behaviour which disqualifies him from ministry. After many years of preaching and teaching he himself was exposed as a fraud and a liar. Things are not what they seem. We cannot put trust in others, we cannot truly know others, only God does. He is the final judge. We must examine ourselves so that we can stand blameless before the Judge of all the earth. Now this may not be considered what the tares represent but in one way leaders teach not only by their words but by their actions. What is being taught when leaders live a lie?
This also reminds me of the Gideonites who came to Joshua to deceive him. They were not what they seemed to be. If Joshua and the leaders had sought the Lord their duplicity may have been exposed.

Bibles for Missions Grand Opening

Today I attended the grand opening of the Bibles for Missions store in St. Thomas. They stepped out in faith and bought a twenty thousand square foot building with plenty of parking and God has given them more merchandise than they need. They are now prepared to start sending money for Bibles for their adopted country. Sometimes we lose our focus when we look at our own needs or even the needs of our community but we have a single mandate and that is to raise money so Bibles can be placed in our adopted country.

Who do you trust?

This week I was reading Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Now I know that this was written about military strength but it applies to all areas of our lives. I love the word "trust" as it portrays resting in the assurance of God's promises. There are two aspects of faith, one is active and the other is resting (I prefer that to passive). There are times when we need to act in faith but there are other times when we need to rest. Can we trust God with our finances, our families, our health, our church, etc.?

Sundays at Six

The other day Mike, Gord and I met to talk about the fall program for adults at GDAC. Because Mike has a very heavy work schedule this fall he is unable to carry much of a load at church. However, Mike is a valuable teacher and many are blessed by his insights into Scripture and his practical applications.
Gord was also concerned that there would be alignment with what is taught and what is preached. This we agreed with. As Mike said, "It is difficult to eat three steak dinners in one day." We have to use our time wisely to help our people grow in their knowledge of God and His Word.
I will continue our studies in the book of Joshua starting in September. I believe that we will need about seven weeks to conclude that study.
For Sundays at Six we are looking at teaming up as we did with the Ten Commandment series. I will do much of the teaching but Mike would do some practical application to our studies. There are two studies that I am considering. One is "Christ in the Tabernacle" and the other is a study in practical doctrine looking at doctrine without the emphasis on the "ology" words. I am concerned that the church today has shied away from doctrinal emphasis and in doing so has begun to replace absolute truth with relativism.
I would like to have you pray with me about where we should go this September and if you have any suggestions you can either post a comment, send me an email or talk to me at church. Maybe there is another area that you think would be important for us to study together. Let me know. I do not want to do a topical study unless it has a solid Biblical basis.

Grace in the Eyes of the Lord - Part 3

This is the conclusion of this snapshot of grace from the Old Testament that I started two days ago. Please read those first.

God in His grace gave Noah a sign by placing a rainbow in the sky. Every time Noah saw the rainbow he would be reminded of God’s grace not only in keeping him from judgment but also that He would never judge the world by water again. Can you imagine what it would have been like the first time Noah saw the rainbow? First he saw the clouds gathering again, blocking out the sun, and then he may have seen the streaks of rain in the sky coming from those clouds. I am sure he wondered if the rains were coming again. Then he saw the rainbow and he knew that God would keep His promise. The rainbow was the assurance of God’s grace. God in His grace has given us a sign; it is the seal of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit will keep us from the judgment of fire and He will assure us of our safety.

We can see how God measures success. God’s measure of success is faithfulness and not numbers. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” God gives grace to those who are faithful. Noah could have easily become discouraged and quit building the ark; or he could have continued the work on the ark but stopped preaching. Noah continued to do both and in the end only he and his family was saved.

If we are to be successful before God then we must be faithful. God does not measure success as man measures it. God will give grace to all who are faithful.

Grace in the Eyes of the Lord - Part 2

This is a continuation of yesterdays post. Read part one first and Lord willing I will post the third part tomorrow.

Noah was not a very successful preacher because when the judgment finally did come only his family was willing to follow him into the ark. He had preached for 100 years and the only believers were members of his own family. Noah may have wondered if it was worth it all but you may wonder if his sons would have followed him into the ark if he had not been a faithful preacher of righteousness. Though there were many times that he grew discouraged however he remained faithful and God rewarded his faithfulness.

To build an ark took a great deal of faith on Noah’s part. He first had to believe that the instructions were from God and that God would bring judgment against the people. It had never rained on the earth until that time yet he knew that God would one day bring the rain that would flood the earth. I imagine that even as he entered the ark Noah was stepping out in faith as there still was never any rain upon the earth. Perhaps the day that he entered the ark it was another cloudless sunny day. Maybe he stopped and looked at the sky and wondered if this was only an illusion. If he did think that for a moment it did not stop him from being obedient.

Noah was a man of great faith and because of his faith God showed him grace. God could have destroyed all of mankind and began again but He chose to work through one man and his family who were faithful. God then gave him a sign that He would never again judge the people with water and to seal the covenant He placed a rainbow in the sky. God has given us salvation, not from a flood but from the judgment of fire. He has made His Son our ark of refuge. Just as no one in Noah’s day could be saved if they did not enter into the ark of safety neither can anyone today be saved from judgment unless they enter into the ark of salvation, Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Will conclude this tomorrow - LW.

Grace in the Eyes of the Lord – Genesis 6 – 9

Today I will continue looking at snapshots of grace from the Old Testament. Once again I will post this in three parts.

The King James Version of the Bible describes Noah as a man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah lived in a time of great wickedness and there seemed to be no hope for the people but Noah found favour in God’s eyes.

The writer tells us that men’s hearts were wicked all the time and the Lord grieved that He had made man. He would have wiped out mankind completely but for one man, the man who found favour in His eyes.

Noah was not a young man when God gave him the instructions to build the ark. He was the great-grandson of Enoch whom God had translated to heaven without dying and He was the grandson of Methuselah whose name meant “when he dies judgment will come.” Noah watched his grandfather grow older and older until he was older than any other person who had ever lived. Every day he saw his grandfather he was reminded that judgment was coming but as long as he was alive there was still time for people to repent so Noah continue to preach.

Everything about the building of the ark went against the natural inclinations of man but Noah obeyed the Lord. For one hundred years he and his sons built the great boat and for one hundred years the people mocked him. Noah did not become distracted from the task that was his and while he built the ark he continued to preach the message of salvation.

Continued tomorrow LW

Our Dad on Father's Day

The following tribute was written by my sister Grace on the occasion of what would have been our father's 100th birthday.

The picture is of our parents 25th wedding anniversary. Grace is standing beside our mother.

May 24, 2007

A Tribute to DAD

One hundred years ago in Brixham, Devonshire, England, John Henry (Harry) Hall was born to Joseph and Lilly Hall. Dad was a sickly baby and I believe that he was not expected to live. In 1914, the small family came to Canada and headed to the prairies where they settled. Their first year was spent in Saskatoon and then moved on to Sonningdale. In 1925, Grandpa purchased a homestead of 160 acres for $10.00 through the provisions of the Dominion Lands Act. This became home for the Hall family.

Many of my brothers and sisters have vivid memories of Sonningdale, however my memories are few and in bits and pieces.

Dad knew Mom and the Jasper family who lived in nearby Struan, most of his life, at least life in Canada. The Jasper family had a strong and very good influence on Dad and subsequently on his parents. Mom’s brothers were good friends especially Ken who was so very close to Dad’s age, being born on May18, 1907. Dad’s spiritual life was greatly affected by the Jaspers and he, in turn, encouraged his own parents.

Dad and Mom started to date in 1926 but did not marry until September 28, 1937. One time, I asked Mom why they hadn’t married sooner. Her response was that she was waiting for Dad to mature (spiritually).

Most of my brothers and sisters know the details of Dad’s and Mom’s first years of marriage, better than I. However, I will sketch through some of the details. Dad had taken a job in Manitoba as a hired hand, prior to proposing to Mom. He came back for the wedding but he and Mom returned to work for the Lewis’; Dad as a farm hand and Mom in the house for a combined income of $30.00 per month. I remember Mom saying that as they passed through Winnipeg, Dad gave Mom a dollar to go into the Bay to buy some baking tins. Mom said that she bought ten baking tins, and they were good ones. They had returned to Sonningdale before their first child, John Henry, was born on September 25, 1938. They went on to have a total of 8 children (4 boys and 4 girls).
Joe was the only child born in Ontario and that was because Dad was stationed in Fort William during the war years. Dad fell in love with Fort William and was determined to return there some day. This dream was not fulfilled until he was in his fifties.

Dad and Mom were in their 40’s by the time I was born (I was number 7). I only lived in Saskatchewan for my pre-school years, so my memories of life there, are rather sketchy. I remember penny scrambles, walks near the house, seeing robins’ eggs and blue jays, going to town with Dad (including the grain elevator), and other such memories. Dad was a busy man but I have memories of him setting me on his lap and reading or telling me a story. I really liked it when Dad did my bedtime story because he always put such emphasis in his voice. I felt that he was the best storyteller in the world.

When we moved to Fort William, life for me changed. There was school and new friends; and since I was a little older, new responsibility (chores). Dad was very much an authority figure, so discipline and punishment could be expected if we did not measure up to Dad’s expectations. Many may consider Dad’s discipline harsh, but he was a firm believer of “spare the rod, spoil the child”. One time I announced that I wanted to be spoiled, but was ask what we did with spoiled apples.

So many times when we think of Dad we think of our rougher moments with him; times when we disagreed with him, or when we experienced some of his less endearing qualities. Years ago, I started to remind myself of the more pleasing memories. Here are some of them. I encourage you to remind yourself of your special memories with Dad.

Dad taught me how to drive. Yes, believe it or not, he did. And, I don’t think that I’m the worst driver in the world. AND, believe it or not, he was usually very patient with me. I learned to drive on a standard transmission with the gears on the steering column, and the old bucket of bolts used to stall and/or hesitate for seemingly no reason at all. I can remember the car stalling and not wanting to start at the intersection of Arthur St. and the expressway. Car horns were blaring at me and Dad remained calm which helped me when I felt frazzled.

I remember several special outings with Dad (some included Mom and Mary): Sunday afternoon drives out to Kakabeka Falls, bowling on Friday evenings, going for a boat ride on Lake Superior with Dad’s friend Stan, going to the dairy queen or Scollies ice cream parlour. One time, Dad made arrangements for the young teens of our church to go out on Stan’s boat. It became rather rough and a couple of the kids got sick. Cheryl Cuma and I were sitting on deck, sticking our feet down trying to touch the water, and sometimes a wave came up and splashed over us. Suddenly, Dad poked his head up through the hatch and told us rather sternly to get out of there and go back with the others. I thought Dad was really mad at me, but later heard him telling others, rather proudly, how Cheryl and I were real sailors.

I remember one year, Dad let me pick out 2 dolls for my Christmas gift (boy, was that ever unusual).

I remember Dad trying to teach me to swim at Round Lake. Do you remember Dad going swimming? (LOL) Dad hated cold water. He would very gingerly wade into the water until he got in just above his knees, and then he would dip his hands into the water and splash some water onto himself until he got used to the temperature, and then he would completely dunk himself. Now if that isn’t enough of a picture for you: can you think of any man whiter than Dad? And how about the times he burnt the top of his head? And (Naomi you will remember this) then there was the time that he couldn’t find his cap, so he made himself a paper hat from newspaper to protect his bald head from the sun.

Dad was a man who had many interests. He liked his cars and although he may have complained about it, I think he liked the challenge that came with working on his own cars. Dad liked to read. He seemed to enjoy reading about history, and of course, he liked study books on Scripture. Dad wrote many notes on his studies of Scripture, and many nights when I came home, Dad was sitting at the table making notes or reading.

Dad loved people. He made friends with some rather unusual characters. He befriended a native man who lived on the Indian reservation. It was unusual to go to his home and get looks from others who lived on the reservation because this white man (a VERY white man) was coming onto the reservation.
Dad spent many hours with Stan, the man who owned the cabin cruiser. Stan was a man who was very friendly but somewhat coarse, liking is drink and smokes.
One of the things that Dad sometimes did was pick up hitchhikers. I remember waking up one morning and finding 3 strange girls sleeping in the living room.
One time when Carolyn was a baby, I had gone home for a visit. Dad and Mom had gone into town to shop but I stayed home to put the girls down for a nap. I was just about finished feeding Carolyn when I heard somebody come into the house. I thought it was Mom and Dad. I laid Carolyn down and went out to the kitchen. There was a woman and a young boy going through the cupboards looking for something to eat. She looked at me and said, “Who are you?” I replied, “I’m the daughter. Who are you?” It turned out to be someone who Dad had befriended and Dad had let her have a garden in our backyard. She was looking for a snack which Dad had told her to help herself to any time she wanted one.

Mary and I used to laugh together wondering how Dad managed to find out information about people. Dad would meet total strangers, and then come back and say, “Do you see those people? They know….” He could find out that the person was related to the Jackson’s mailman’s next door neighbour’s sister, or something just as obscure. Mary and I would look at each other and ask how he did it.


I respected Dad for his love of Mom. When Dad carried something too far, all Mom had to do was say, “Now Harry. That’s enough.” That was enough to stop Dad in his tracks. Dad never challenged Mom. Dad never said a mean comment about Mom. He always treated her with respect. I don’t remember them arguing, even if they disagreed. They usually kept their disagreements private.

Another thing which I praise Dad for, is his love for God. He wasn’t a perfect man but there is no doubt in my mind that he loved God. Many nights as I passed their bedroom, I saw Mom and Dad on their knees together. It challenges me as to what impression does my spiritual life have on my children. I know that Dad and Mom’s great desire was to have their children love God. Mom was the person who led me to salvation, but Dad had his influence in that area too.

Dad lived 80 years on this earth. Dad was always very determined. If you told him that he couldn’t do something, he would do it; just to prove that he could. Somebody should have told him that he could never reach 100 years old. Just before Dad died, I went to see him in the hospital. He quoted II Tim. 4:7& 8 to me.

What a legacy our parents gave us. Let us run with it so that at the end of our lives we also may say that we have “fought the good fight”.

Thank you for that tribute to our father Grace.

Heart for Asia

Today my wife and I travelled to Cambridge, Ontario for the Heart for Asia conference. The morning focused on the Philippines which is very dear to our hearts and in the afternoon the focus was on Thailand, China and Indonsia. It was good to hear what God is doing in those countries and how peoples lives have been changed when they have been confronted with the crucified and risen Lord. Just as Asia needs to be confronted with the cross so do the people of North America and Europe need to come to the cross. Our prayer should be what would happen in the lives of people if they would allow the cross to break into their lives.
It was also great to see friends again from the Philippines and from Canada. The one thing we noticed was that it is mainly older people who attend those conferences but there are many younger people who are involved in the work of OMF.

Your God is too Safe

There are some books that I reread because they have been a blessing to me. Books by Mark Buchanan fall into that group.
Why is it that we want a safe God? Is it because we want to have a god that we can control rather than a God that controls us? Are we afraid to break out of our comfort zone? We want a god that is love but not wrathful. When we say God is good we like to use our own definition of what is good.
When something good happens some people say "it is a God thing", but if God is sovereign, and He is, then all that happens to us is a "God thing". Maybe we secretly desire a safe god, a comfortable god but not the Holy Wild. Remember, God is not safe but He is good.

Pleasant Places

This weeks meditations in the Psalms took me to Psalm 16 where we read in verse 6, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." I grew up in rural Saskatchewan and it was there that my parents taught me many valuable lessons. It was one Sunday evening my mother explained to me about being a Christian. We were poor but the Lord had drawn the boundary lines for us and that place was the place the Lord had known that I would learn about Him. Since then we have moved a few times. I lived in Thunder Bay, Waterloo, Manila and Chatham. Those too were pleasant places. Thunder Bay was where I worked, got married, raised our five children. Waterloo was where I was educated. Manila was where we served as missionaries for one year and Chatham is where I have retired and continue to serve my Lord. Yes these are pleasant places that the Lord has given me for a delightful inheritance.

The King and the Sundial - Part 3

Here is the conclusion of this snapshot of grace from the Old Testament. Please read the two previous days posts first.

How did Hezekiah respond to the grace of God? Like many of us he grew careless knowing that he had fifteen years. Instead of using those fifteen years to complete the reforms that he had initiated he used them to acquire wealth. He had a son who became the most wicked king in all of the history of Judah. Many feel that it would have been better if he had died childless. He grew careless with the things of the kingdom and showed them to the enemies of God’s people and when he was told that God would judge Judah for that sin he rejoiced in the fact that it would not happen in his lifetime.

Many of us are like Hezekiah. We play fast and loose with the grace of God. We make the grace of God cheap rather than a precious gift from God. God may give us the desires of our heart but with it comes leanest in our souls. I think it is the grace of God that we do not know how long we will live. We can have this assurance that we are immortal until our work here on earth is finished. However, it is God who makes that decision. If it was up to us our work on earth would never be finished. There is always more to do. Sometimes we think that God’s work cannot continue without us. God wants us to know that each day is a gift from Him. It is by grace we live and it is by grace we will die. God’s grace will keep us until He calls us to Himself. Let us not be like Hezekiah and play loose with the grace of God.

The King and the Sundial - Part 2

Here is part 2 of this snapshot of grace from the Old Testament. Read yesterday's post first.
Many of us have wondered what we would do if we knew the time of our death. How would we live as we knew that we had five or ten more years to live? There was a king in Israel that had that knowledge. By the grace of God he was given fifteen more years to live.
One day he faced death and the thought of dying without completing his work and not having a son depressed him. Hezekiah went to bed and turned his face to the wall. When someone goes to bed and turns their face to the wall it usually means that they are depressed but they do not want to share it with anyone. Ahab became depressed when Naboth would not sell him the vineyard so he went to bed and turned his face to the wall. His wife, Jezebel, reminded him that he was king and he could do whatever he wished. Then Jezebel proceeded to have Naboth killed and then went to her husband and told him that he could get up and take possession of the vineyard.

However it was not like this with Hezekiah. He was a good king and he wanted to bring about reforms in his nation. He restored the Passover celebration that brought about a revival. But his work was not completed and the prophet Isaiah came to tell him that he was to put his house in order for he was about to die. Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer. As Isaiah was leaving the palace the Lord spoke to him and told him to return to Hezekiah to tell him that he would have an additional fifteen years added to his life. He then asked Hezekiah what sign he would like to have to show him that God had promised. Hezekiah said that he would like the sun to move back ten steps on the castle stairs.

The Lord responded to Hezekiah’s prayer with grace. He could have let Hezekiah die as he was told he would or He could have added an undisclosed amount of time to his life but instead He gave him a sure promise and a sign.

Concluded tomorrow LW.

The King and the Sundial – 2 Kings 20:1-11

Peter Marshall told the following story: An old legend tells of a merchant in Baghdad who one day sent his servant to the market. Before very long, the servant came back, white and trembling, and in great agitation said to his master: “Down in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and when I turned around, I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Master, please lend me your horse, for I must hasten away to avoid her. I will ride to Samaria, and there I will hide and death will not find me.
The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant galloped away in great haste. Later, the merchant went down to the market place and saw Death standing in the crowd. He went over to her and asked, “Why did you frighten my servant this morning? Why did you make a threatening gesture?”
“That was not a threatening gesture,” Death said. “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samaria.”

Continued tomorrow - LW

The Shack

I cannot believe that I am doing a book report on a book that I haven't read. I don't know where I have been but I didn't hear about this book until this morning and suddenly I find myself having to make some comments about it. I have made it a habit to read books that have caused some controversy so that I can help others understand the strengths and weaknesses of those books. However, I have not read any of the Left Behind series. I suggest that you go to youtude.com and watch two videos. One is by the author himself, William Paul Young, and the other by Pastor Mark Discoll.
Some of the testimonies that I have heard bother me. Why do people go to novels to get their doctrine. Much of what people believe about end times comes from fiction, the Left Behind series and I am afraid that the understanding of the Trinity may come from this book. What has happened to the Word of God? Why do we get our theology from fiction or songs and not from the Scriptures themselves? Is it because we want to be entertained or are we too lazy to study ourselves?

What can the righteous do?

I was reading Psalm 11 and verse 3 says, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Now I know that the foundations are being destroyed. Marriage is under attack, the family is under attack, the church and governments are under attack. Everything seems to have come under attack. Marriage and family are being redefined, the church to many has lost its relevance, the government has many scandals. Often we shake our heads and say as the Psalmist said, "What can the righteous do?" The answer is found in the next verse which reminds us that God is still in control. He has not abdicated His throne. The prophet Habakkuk told us that the righteous must live by faith. It is not hopeless, have faith, live by faith, remember God is in His holy temple.

Pierced for our Transgressions

I have just finished reading a book that was recommended by my son. The title is Pierced for our Transgressions with the subtitle Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach and published by Crossway books. Penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of His Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin. It is a book that all evangelicals should read but it saddens me that such a book needed to be written. Sometimes I am embarrassed to call myself an evangelical because many of the traditional doctrines have come under attack. Many have put human reasoning above the Lordship of God.
This is a book that I would recommend.

The Accuser and the High Priest - Part 3

Here is the conclusion of this snapshot of grace.

God has called us to be ministers of grace and it is a tragedy of the Christian church that so often we do the work of Satan by bring accusations against the brethren. God help us to minister grace. Just as Joshua was guilty and unworthy so are we. Just as Joshua was unable to help himself neither can we. Just as Joshua needed grace so do we. That grace is available. The accuser can only whisper in our ear. He can accuse us but he cannot condemn us. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He cannot separate us from God’s grace as nothing can separate us from Christ Jesus our Lord. We may come with our own righteousness which is nothing more than filthy clothes. Satan tells us that we cannot serve until we get our clothes cleaned up. However, cleaning filthy rags does not change the fact that we are still dressed in rags. We need new clothes and it is only by God’s grace that we can have clean clothes. We cannot clothe ourselves in righteousness but our God can. He can take away our filthy garments and give us the garments of the Kingdom. It is only by His grace that I stand.

The Accuser and the High Priest - Part 2

The following is a continuation of what I posted yesterday. I would suggest that you read yesterday's post before you read the following. Lord willing I will conclude this article tomorrow.

Satan does that to us all the time. He tells God in our hearing that we are not worthy to come before Him. We do not pray enough, we do not read our Bibles enough, we do not witness enough, and the list goes on. He does not tell God anything that is not true. We know our short comings and our sins. Satan tells God that pastors and missionaries should not “sponge” off other people. They should get real jobs and take care of their own needs. His accusations are to make us feel guilty and he is very successful. He always attacks us at our most vulnerable spot at the most vulnerable time.

However, God is a graceful God and he told those who were standing with Joshua to take off the filthy garment and put a clean festive garment upon him. They were to put a clean turban upon his head. Joshua could do nothing. He did not have to take off his dirty clothes, others did it for him. He did not have to supply the festive robe; God supplied the robe and the turban. The only thing he could do was stand before God to allow God’s grace to envelop him.

So it is with us. In the words of the hymn “Nothing in my hands I bring, only to the cross I cling.” It is not by might, nor by power but by the spirit of the Lord. The hymn writer expressed it well when he wrote:

Well may the accuser roar, of thing that I have done.
I know them all and thousands more. Jehovah knoweth none.

(To be concluded tomorrow LW.)

The Accuser and the High Priest - Zechariah 3

It has been said that the clothes make the person. People are told to dress for success. Clothes often are used to help us identify different people. We recognize the police or fire fighters by the clothes that they wear. Even in occupations that do not have a uniform there is usually an unofficial way that they dress. Teachers dress like teachers; insurance sales people dress like insurance people and so on. Even on days when people dress more casually there is usually a pattern in the way that they dress.

Joshua was the high priest of Israel during the time of Zerubbabel but he did not look like a high priest. The high priest was always dressed in spotless white linen with a spotless white turban on his head. However, Joshua was dressed in a dirty robe and there was no turban on his head. It was the role of the high priest to plead for mercy for the people before God however; he could not fulfill his calling because he was in need of mercy and grace, he was not dressed properly.

This day as he stood before the angel of the Lord there was one who was standing at his right side. It was Satan, the accuser of the brethren, and he stood there to accuse Joshua before God. You can almost hear the accuser saying to God in Joshua’s hearing. “How can this man serve as a high priest? Look at him, he has filthy clothes, he does not have a turban on his head. He is unworthy to be a high priest.” Satan knows that if he can make us feel guilty he has rendered us ineffective.

(Continued tomorrow - LW)

Thanks again Mike

Once again I would like to thank my friend and coworker for covering the class this past Sunday. We have now come to the end of this class year but we will continue in September with Joshua.
We have much ground left to cover. There is the battles and the Lord's wonderful provision; Caleb and the dividing of the land; cities of refuge and the two and one-half tribes on the eastern side of the Jordan; and finally Joshua's farewell address.
Over the summer months I will continue to blog but my direction will be slightly different as I read and study for the fall ministry. I still appreciate your comments and emails. Keep them coming.