Mary's Hope

 "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior."   This is the beginning of Mary offering her praise to God as He confirms her status as an unwed mother as divine.  "Here is a rich offering of praise from Mary.  It is remarkable for its theology and use of the Old Testament.  She was a young girl, perhaps about thirteen years old who, like all the people of her day, had no personal copy of the Scriptures.  Her familiarity with the Word of God... was settled in her heart and was readily on her mind when she opened her mouth in worshipful praise.  What a benediction it would be for the church today if the young could be so biblically literate and devout."  

What a breath of fresh air are John MacArthur's words in his commentary on Luke.  The beautiful picture he reveals from God's word about Mary far exceed what the Catholic church falsely proclaims about her.  And as I read the chapter from his commentary on Luke 1:46-55, I was filled with excitement and respect for this precious young woman and her faith.  I was also filled with shame for my own continued lack of faith and trust in my Lord.  But thus is the status of the ongoing growth of the Christian life: shame, repentance and revival.  That is the essence of the study of the Word of God.  And while I'm saddened at the slowness of my own progress, I'm thrilled at God's continued patience with me.  And how joyous is the delight of new revelation of the truth of His divine Word.

He goes on to say in this chapter that praise is central to worshiping God.  And that true worship is defined by our Lord to be in "spirit and in truth". (John 4:23-24)  What are the prerequisites to worship?  First, Dr. MacArthur says, a true worshipper must be controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  Next, the thoughts must be focused on God.  Next, it requires repentance.  Lastly, it requires humbly accepting His will no matter what the circumstances. 

He says, "Mary is an example to all believers of faith, humility, and submission to Gods' will...Mary's praise is the expression of her faith in God, her love for Him, and her deep understanding of Scripture."  What a great way to begin a new year!  To walk in continued faith in God, not proudly as though we have anything to do with it, but humbly like Mary who found herself in a miraculous and scary position at such a young age.  As I think back on 2020 and all the rhetoric thrown out at every direction ie. conspiracy theories, criticism from Republicans and Democrats and all in between, it's sickening.  And the sickest of all are we as Christians who find ourselves in the midst of these discussions instead of against it all with the Power of the Most High God, whom we say we worship.   

The Word of God is just that!  It is the Word of the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  What in this world should we fear?  And what are we proclaiming to a non-believing world, in the midst of these weird times, about hope.  What should the word "hope" be for believers:  "Helping Others Pursue Eternity".  We have a message to share.  And we must remember "in this world 'we' will have trouble but take heart, 'Jesus' has overcome the world."  "My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior."

God's Government Will Stand

 Matthew Poole was a great writer of the seventeenth century.  He lived from 1624 to 1679.  I have come to love his commentary of the Scriptures.  I love his insight and wording of explanations.  The following post is his explanation of Judges 2:16, which I began discussing in the last post, "Nevertheless".   I feel this short explanation speaks volumes of the kind of government we desire to be under.  And it's such a logical and exemplary standard, I wanted to share it as we approach this most controversial and convoluted election we will be facing in 24 days.  What a government this would be!!

And by the way, Mr. Poole uses the 1611 translation of the KJV.  But the commentary translates the old English to the English we use today.  Judges 2:16, "Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them."  He writes: "The Lord raises them up, by inward inspiration and excitation of their minds and hearts and by outward designation, testified by some heroical and extraordinary action."  And the following is the practical and moral description of these men, God's judges.  They were "supreme magistrates, whose office it was, under God, and by His particular direction, to govern the commonwealth of Israel by God's laws, and to protect and save them from their enemies; to preserve and purge religion; to maintain the liberties of the people against all oppressors."  All I can say (because I am not gifted with words) is WOW!  

WOW!  "Under God.  God's laws.  Protect and save from their enemies.  Preserve and purge religion.  Maintain liberties of the people against all oppressors".  What's not to love about that kind of leadership?  This must be our daily prayer.  And most especially, this must be the "self-government" of each individual as well!  We, as believers, through Jesus Christ, must govern ourselves, if we are to hope for and seek a better way of life for our country!  That is where we can begin and that is where we must start.

And how did God's people of that time respond?  Verse 17 says, "And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them; they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obey the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so."  

"Rise up O men of God, have done with lesser things.  Give heart and soul and mind and strength, to serve the King of Kings."  Have done with lesser things!  God's government does and will stand!

Nevertheless

 In the book of Judges, we see once again, as in all the former history of Israel, a pattern of "forsaking the LORD, their God".  Joshua had led well and the people were blessed by God's favor as they followed the godly leadership of His servant Joshua.

Joshua exhorts the people to "fear and serve God in sincerity and truth and put away other gods".  (A great topic for a post another time!)  But Joshua dies and while the people served for a time, Judges 2:10 tells us "another generation arose who did not know the LORD nor yet the work He had done for Israel".  They continually provoked God to anger and found themselves God less.  They would no longer stand against their enemies with success.  They become "greatly distressed".  (v. 15)

Oh, my, what a picture of our own nation!  And not just now in 2020!  It's been going this way for many years.  But listen to this amazing mercy and love of God toward His people in the midst of turmoil, "Nevertheless"!  I so love this translation's rendition of this word.  My NASB says, "then" which is a time word.  But "nevertheless" is a word of mercy!  Dictionary meaning: even so, yet though, in spite of that, be that as it may, regardless and the list goes on.  While God's hand went against this stubborn people (and  that is not just Israel, but a picture of the human race in its entirety), "nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them".

What could be written is "because of His great love and by His mercy, He had compassion on them and provided, yet again, a way out of their great distress".  This is our God, Who does not change.  His mercies, Jeremiah says in Lamentations, "are new every morning".  I'll stop there and continue in my next post.

Random

 "Will I ever feel contented like I'm good enough to be.  All the things in my mind that I invented.  Will I ever feel like I deserve the happiness I seek.  Or will I always be tormented.  Is it wicked to wish for something more?  For a glory or a guarantee?  Will my heart sound like a whisper or a roar?  And will I ever see...what you see in me?"  [Song: "Indigo" by Roan Yellowthorn]

I identify with those words.  Well, an identity that was me before I came to understand the gospel.  The cry of the human heart is real.  And while I don't want to minimize the cry of the heart of this young lady, she's definitely not alone in this search for meaning.  And while she may feel alone, she is surrounded by a world that longs for this same hope, happiness, and guarantee.

Before I learned the truth about humanity and God, that unquenchable longing for identity, for validity became for me a goal that kept running from me, an illusive desire completely out of my reach.  One day I cried out and a process began that is only explainable as supernatural.  I began reading the Bible, a book I never desired to read and "behold, all things became new"!   And for over forty years, the process, called sanctification has been more meaningful than anything else and yet it colors everything else.  

Christ is our contentment, happiness, glory, and yes, a guarantee.  He whispers and He roars.  And I have heard Him through His word use both means to speak.  In fact, all believers do.  Hosea writes in 11:10, He will roar like a lion.  And when He roars, His children shall come trembling..."  In 1 Kings 19, "And behold the LORD passed by , and a great strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD , but the LORD was not in the wind.  And after the wind, an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.  After the fire, the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out stood at the entrance of the cave.

"And will I ever see what you see in me?"  Who she was writing about in this line, I'm not sure.  But using the same words, when Christ saves a person, what God sees in me and everyone else who have put their trust in Him, is the love He showed us.  The love of His putting Himself in our place and taking the punishment for sin.  And now, as long as there is a "now", offering us the hope in His name to understand the meaning of life and the freedom from sin and rescue from torment forever.

Was it random that I came upon this song?  No, nothing is ever "random".  It's tied up orderly in the Sovereignty of God, every detail.  And now what is our responsibility to this?

In One Day

"...I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day."  "The spiritual meaning discovers the Messiah the chief Corner-stone, the gospel church founded thereon, guided by the perfect wisdom and preserved by never-erring Providence, and blest with the pardon of all her sins, taken away in one day, by the meritorious death of her Redeemer." writes Matthew Poole.

Amazing and life-changing words!  To just say "wow" shows the lack of vocabulary of this barely novice writer.  Our entire universe was created in six days.  Not because of God's need to take that long, but because that is the order in which He desired to create.  Man plunged the entire human race into a desolate state by just one act.  And Jesus resolved that act in just one moment of one day for all people in all time.  As the book of Zechariah 3:9 says, "in one day."  You may say, "so what?"

So, what Jesus did "in one day" was to restore the order lost by removing the sins of God's people.  The church, "the whole church" says Poole, "in gospel days, when Christ, the chief Cornerstone, shall have purged away sin, and established his church."  And as verse ten goes on to enlighten us, "In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree."  Mr. Poole's explanation of "shall ye call every man his neighbor" is beautiful: "invite with love, and peace, such as becomes neighbors, who are partakers of the same grace of God, and blessings of a Redeemer."  And for the remainder of that verse which describes the shade and fruit, he writes, "to feast or refresh themselves under the pleasing shadow, and with the sweet, delicious fruit of the vine and fig tree, of both which there were ever greatest store, and of choicest taste, when the people of God, the Jews, did obey, worship, and fear the Lord, and long for the Messiah, and loved each other."

That is what the church is suppose to be about.  I'm not talking about church in the broad sense but the true church of the Living God; the people of God that love and live His word.  No, not perfectly, but with a bent on perfection and desire to continually throw off everything that hinders and look more and more like the LORD of Life who pardoned their sin and began a transformation process in them.  Come to Christ!  All you who are weak and heavy, come to Him Who pardons, forgives, loves and cares for you like no one ever will!  He will do that for you in one moment of "one day".

Desired Clusters

"Woe is me!  for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the first ripe fruit."  (Micah 7:1)  The prophet, Micah, is, in the last chapter of his book, bemoaning the loss of godly men. However, as he meditates on the known goodness of His God, he has hope.  Much like Jeremiah in chapter three of Lamentations, he remembers, therefore he has hope.  And like all true prophets of God, when they take advantage of time spent with God, know that hope is certain.  God's word, above everything, is all anyone can ever hope to expect to be their fulfillment and peace and thus their hope.

Hope is what keeps our faith and foundation secure while we live on this uncertain earth.  And at a time like a pandemic, when we are not able to meet together with others of like mind, it is of the utmost importance to stay in the Word.  There is nothing new under the sun and the Word of God is a resource of encouragement of how godly men of the past rested under adverse circumstances.  The prophet, Micah, was a man just like us, living in a time of confusion, fear, and ungodliness.  As he comes to the end of his prophecy, he cries, "woe is me."  Why?  His hope is shaken.  The godly men are scarce.  He has little camaraderie.

Sounds familiar as our churches cannot meet.  But we do have technology!  I have bemoaned it (technology) much.  But God has used it to encourage us in so many ways during this uncertain time.  And as Micah bemoans the lack of men to which he can talk, we may not be able to meet, but we can talk.  Email, texts, phone, you tube, and livestream have been a great encouragement to me.  Micah had none of that and his complaint is heartbreaking.

Israel and Judah should have been a fruitful vine, full of clusters, yet they were barren.  There was no cluster to eat.  Micah longed for the delight of discourse with godly men.  It's a godly man's encouragement in the pains of life.  Matthew Poole writes in his explanation of Micah's "woe": "Such good converse would as much delight, refresh, and encourage me, as a fair cluster of grapes doth a thirsty and hungry person, but there is not one such cluster."  No desired cluster of discourse for Micah's woe.  He does, however, rest in God's promises by the end of the chapter.

We, above many, have rest as well.  Yes, let us praise God for the times we live, in which we can enjoy the benefits of technology.  But remember, it is the Word of God that is the root of any encouragement.  God is the source of all good things, and it's Him, from which all our encouragement will ever make us the resolute and godly people we must be to be used as lights in this darkness.  And this, above all things, is our work.  This is, indeed, our fulfilling rest.

Seek God and Live

"Hear this word..."  What a light in the darkness is this Word of God.  What a cure for what ails us.  How does one see the light in the darkness and the cure for our hurts?   "Seek Me that you may live." In chapter five of Amos, this statement is repeated three times. "Seeking God is being in tune to everything that we see in His Word", Matthew Poole commentates, "The law is sweet, pleasing and safe for all."

Ask about it.  Repent of despising it.  Obey it in all things for the future.  Inquire diligently what promises God has made and wait for them.  Believe, obey, repent; for this is to seek the LORD.

Who is He? (v. 8)  He is the One Who made the stars, with all the constellations, and not only made them but guides and manages them.  He turns the greatest adversity into the greatest prosperity, yet change prosperity to adversity.   He renews strength in you to spoil your spoilers (defeat enemies). "
In verse 14, it tells us to "seek good and not evil".  We must cry out as undone, dispirited and hopeless men.  Are we there yet?  God is patient not wanting any to perish.  Let us bask in His patience and listen to His Word.  Seek God and live.  He is the cure.  And our need is great!

Worthless Worship

Worship is the sincere consideration (looking intently; thinking carefully) and adoration of the One True God.  Apart from that, it is worthless worship or another way to say it, no worship, empty worship or just take away the word "worship" altogether.  This is not just an opinion but comes from the source where we come to understand God in the first place.

Amos, chapters four through five give us some details in relation to what God thinks about "invented" worship.  I won't copy all the passage here, although it would be a good read to understand.  But God talks about their sacrifices, offerings, tithes to Him, yet to other gods as well.  He talks about their "fat" way of life living on beds of ease while they oppress the poor and crush the needy.  Mr. Poole writes the following in regard to their worthless religion fraught with ceremony and devoid of worship:  "You think you please Me?  You invented it, so it pleaseth you and you will not be reclaimed.  Your worship is yours.  It is unwarranted will worship and displeasing to God."

Then God gives them several head's up affirmations of His control with warnings that should have affected their course.  In Amos 4:6, God says, "I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities..." (famine), yet this starving people repented not of idolatries.  "I forbade the cloud and withhold the rain", Poole says, "that you might see My hand, all to convince you and turn you", 'yet, you have not returned'.  I have inflicted you with other judgments as well (v. 9), yet you have not returned'. (v 10)  "I have overthrown you and house and goods just like Sodom and Gomorrah, yet you have not returned."  Five times in this chapter, God blesses these people with His merciful warnings, yet they did not return.  Consequence comes in verse twelve: "Prepare to meet Thy God."

"God! Who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and makes the morning dark.  God! The most dreadful and terrible enemy and the most desirable friend.  Though you bring the most excellent sacrifice and leave your heart to sin, you have no warrant from God."  What warnings is He giving us today?  An ongoing theme in all these prophets is repeated, "consider, repent, obey."  It's that simple. And we will all meet our God, but we will not all live with Him eternally.  We must heed the warnings because they are just as numerous as in the past.  If we are breathing, we can still receive His mercy through the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, the Son of His love.  "While we were sinners, Christ died for us."

Questioning God

Habbakuk starts off with the cry, "How long, O LORD, will I call for help, and You will not hear?  I cry out to You, 'Violence!' yet You do not save."  And then in verse twelve, he asks, "Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One?"  Matthew Poole writes the following in regard to Habakkuk's question and in turn, because Habukkuk's God, and mine are the same, I am comforted.

"Before the mountains, Thou was God...Holy in nature, law, and government, in Thy mercies and judgment, intend to make Thy holiness to appear in due time by saving us, though Thou seem to forget or at least delay the work, yet Thou art the Holy One in the midst of us and we wait for Thee.  We are Thine, and oppressed, threatened, and exposed to avarice and cruelty [how like now!]; Thou Who has made us Thine by everlasting covenant of mercy, wilt show us such mercy that we shall outlive the rage of our enemies."

"O LORD" says Habakkuk.  Mr. Poole continues: "with humble veneration, Habakkuk doth look toward God and discerneth what quietened his spirit and confirms his faith and patience."  O, mighty God..."he intimateth God to be His people's rock and refuge!"  Like us, Habakkuk's questions do indeed see answers.  "We wait for Thee."

Tragedies

As of today, there have been 125,859 people worldwide that have died from the coronavirus since its onset, about six months ago.  Tragic?  Yes!  As of today, reported by the same source, there are approximately 125,000 abortions a day performed world wide.  Tragic?  Yes!

It's hard to understand the enormous dichotomy between these two views of death.  We  find ourselves at this time in history in the middle of a crisis:  a pandemic where death is desperately feared and great lengths taken to avoid.  Medical teams all over the world put themselves in harm's way to care for the sick and dying, all the while news stories abound of abortion clinics fighting to stay open, fighting for their right to be considered essential.  Why are they essential?  Consider the answer in this next paragraph from one of three stories.

"There will be an uptick in incomplete abortions and other miscarriage complications as people turn to less effective ways to try to terminate a pregnancy, despite the fact that a safe, easy, non-invasive form of medication abortion exists..."

Essential?  Safe, easy, non-invasive?  For whom?  I'm completely baffled by the disorder represented here!  These people are electing to terminate a pregnancy, electing to put an end to a life that is completely viable and desperately in need of protection, yet the terminator needs protecting?  I'm not understanding the reasoning here.  There is no reason here!

The excerpt from this next story needs no commentary:  "We didn't act fast enough to stop COVID-19 from spreading and we could see tens of thousands die because of that inaction.  But we can stop this second health crisis from occurring just as long as we act now.  Every person deserves the right to decide when and if they want to give birth.  We cannot allow a pandemic to strip that away."

And while the next quote is not about abortion but about who should be kept safe during this pandemic, it comes from one who is an abortion supporter.  And it speaks volumes to the double standard of of the abortion advocates.  "My mother is not expendable and your mother is not expendable and our brothers and sisters are not expendable and we're not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable and we're not going to put a dollar figure on human life."  (Mayor Cuomo)

Using terminology from these three recent news stories, consider the tragedy of the dichotomy:

Precious, innocent, helpless little lives have been legally the center of a health crisis for almost fifty years.  There is no safety in the specially prepared haven of the womb from the invasion to which they are now subject.  Every person, every little one who needs the ultimate of protection deserves the right to be born.  We cannot allow convenience to strip that away.  We cannot allow the carelessness to continue.  These babies are not expendable, these little boys and girls are not expendable, these children are not expendable and we are not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable and we're not going to put a dollar figure on human life!  By the help of Almighty God, we will not.

God is Attentive

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name."  Malachi 3:16   What a verse of comfort to God's people.  Many have rehearsed Jehoshaphat's famous words of despair: "For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chronicles 20:12)  But if you read a few verses before it, you'll find a few more things he did first: "Jehoshaphat was afraid (yes, we are) and turned his attention to seek the LORD..."

Are we faithfully "turning our attention to seek the LORD"?  (And Jehoshaphat also proclaimed a fast, which also do most of the prophets in times of disaster, but that's another post.)  What sticks me is that they turned their attention to God; not to find various ways of entertainment to fill up this endless void of time as we sit in our houses and wait.  To turn our attention to God will be of the utmost benefit to our peace not to mention our growth, our strength, and our fruitfulness.   And then we have Malachi who reiterates God's response to that:  "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it..."

Matthew Poole says the following about this verse:  "'Then'; when atheism and bold contempt of God was grown so high..."(remember Mr. Poole writes in the 1600's and he is writing about times pre-New Testament...'nothing new under the sun'!)  He continues about "those who feared the LORD", "those that were truly religious, that knew God's judgments were a great deep, and that His ways were as high above our ways as heaven about the earth, discoursed aright of God's mercy, justice, patience, holiness and wisdom in His government and manage of the sons of men; established one another against the assaults of such proud, contemptuous disputers; encourage each other to wait for God in the way of His judgements. The godly spake things that did become the ways of God"[or in other words 'qualify' or 'appropriate' or 'suitable'...the godly spoke about things that honored God.] And at the end of the verse, the godly are mentioned again "those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name".  Mr. Poole says this about them: "that thought about His name with love, esteem, and holy admiration."

There we are:  more room for growing, more need for strength, and great need for fruitfulness at a time when people are ripe for the picking.  God, bless us with wisdom to make great use of our time during this change in our schedules.  Let us "discourse aright of God's mercy, justice, patience, holiness and wisdom in His government and manage of the sons of men."  Let us "who fear the LORD speak to one another!"  God will be attentive.  He said so.

Huxley Was Right...

As we go through a pandemic with enough food, electricity, running water, TV and the internet, we lack something we long for:  socialization.  Even those of us who are a bit awkward around people find it confining to be connected only by phone, news and computers.  But while I grieve the loss of lives and fear for our heroes in the medical profession who have been spread thin though this calamity, I don't want to miss what I can learn.  The limitations of freedoms has made me think, appreciate and revived my desire for mental, verbal, and physical change.  And I am grateful for God's grace in transforming and starting change in me over forty years ago.  And I realize that there are going to be times and situations that shake our comfort.

And while I've been learning much from the prophets in the last weeks that has strengthened my faith and trust in God, there are other things we can learn as well.  Neil Postman is an author my husband has used many times in his teaching Biblical truth.  In his book, Amusing Ourselves To Death, Mr. Postman writes the following foreword:

"We were keeping our eye on 1984.  When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves.  The roots of liberal democracy had held...we were not visited by Orwellian nightmares.  But...alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another -- slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World." 

Postman continues with the comparison of the two: "Orwell warns we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression.  Huxley's vision is that no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history.  People will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.  Orwell feared the banning of books; Huxley feared no reason to ban a book because no one would want to read one.  Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information; Huxley feared those who would give us so much, we would be reduced to passivity and egoism.  Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us; Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.  Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny 'failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions.'  In Orwell's 1984, people are controlled by inflicting pain.  In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure.  In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us; Huxley feared what we love will ruin us."

That short foreword speaks volumes about where we are as a people today.  And Postman's book is also insightful and nauseatingly true about us.  It will make you think about your own course in life.  It might make you despair where we are but with despair comes crying out.  And when you cry out to God, He guides you what to do with the despair.  "Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?"  Bow down at the foot of the cross.  Jesus suffered the penalty for the cause of despair: sin.  He will put us on a path of thinking that will change you and your world.  And He gives you everything you need to execute the change successfully.

Huxley was spot on.  He had great insight into the human condition.  But insight is not enough.  It's what you do with the insight that frees you from the bondage.  The Bible states the dilemma, the cause, and the cure.  While we wait on a cure for Covid-19, let us not waste the time to implement cure for the condition of our souls.  It has eternal value.

Stirred Up Remnant

In a missions magazine recently, I read that only 4% of Americans follow God (truly follow God).  I am blown away by this, yet I am aware of the decline of the churched and true knowledge of the truth.  What are we to do?  Haggai asks questions too.  In chapter 1:4, he says, "Is it time for you to dwell in paneled houses, while the temple lies in ruins?"  Mr. Poole says, "You unthankful, forgetful ones living in richly adorned homes while God's house is in rubbish, bare and without superstructure."  If only 4% of America are true followers, I would say our "superstructure" needs to be considered.  What can we do about it?

"Consider your ways."  In verse five, "the great God speaks; hearken.  Ponder well the course taken and the success and how you have succeeded...how fruitless your labor has been."  Verse six: "you have sown much and brought in little, you eat and are empty, you drink and are thirsty, you are clothed and find no warmth and what you earn is put into a bag with holes." (sounds so familiar)  In the article, it states that we as a church do not replicate.  We are not growing.  Why?  A bag with holes?  Worthless, heartless, works without the power of God?

God tells us again in verse seven.  "Consider your ways."  And in verse eight,  God gives His people directions: Go...Bring wood....Build.  The foundation of the temple was there but without the "superstructure, the power is omitted.  And this very gracious promise revived an assurance that God will dwell and afford His presence".  "I will!" says God.  I will!"

In verse eleven, God calls for a drought.  This is very important for us to get into our brains!  God is sovereign over ALL things!!  We must not mourn when it oppresses us nor should we forget to be thankful when it delights us!  We bow and worship!  And that is what the political power, the priest and the people did.  They obeyed the voice of the Lord, and God assured them: "I am with you!"  This confirmation of God from Haggai, Mr. Poole writes, "contains all they can need or desire; it insureth God's presence is always with them and His assistance always to them and His blessing, always upon them.  He will be always for, as well as always with them."

And lastly, (I sound like a preacher) "the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zeurbbabel, the governor, and the spirit of Joshua, son of the high priest and the spirit of the remnant of the people; and they came and did the work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God."  Poole writes: "This is the first notable effect of God's presence...a sensible performance of His promise, God inclined their minds, fixed their resolutions and inspired them with courage.  God stirred their heart, mind, and inclinations."

I'm definitely not a preacher, but I'm a remnant!  And I'm stirred up!  Now what?  We have the ingredients as laid out in 2 Peter 1:3:  "everything we need for life and godliness."  Let us be stirred and "do the work".  We must replicate through the power of God's Spirit!  Lead us, Sovereign God!

Sluggish Saints

Haggai, whose name means "a feast", was sent of God to awaken His people.  The temple was suppose to be the work at hand, and it's rebuilding had been delayed.  Matthew Poole describes the audience to whom Haggai was to speak: "through the covetousness of many, the coldness of some, and the cowardice of others among the Jews, who were all bent on their own private concern..."  Also, he says, "and who in all probability would have deferred it much longer had they been let alone."  My post today should be entitled "Ouch".  It sounds way too much like the church today.  But  in all reality, when thinking about God's glory, even saying "ouch" is way too minimal a reaction to such an observance of our own neglect and laziness.

What are we, as Christians, learning about ourselves in this very short span of a wake-up call from God?  One young woman observed, "We are spoiled."  Why are we whining about inconvenience of quarantine when in reality we are "safe at home", she said.   Poole writes, and we need to listen to this for ourselves: "...the Lord doth, in zeal for His own glory, and in mercy to His people, send His servant, Haggai to awaken them to their duty, which was this, the building of the temple and restoring the pure worship of God."  As the young woman mentioned, "we are spoiled" and as Poole said, "all bent on their own private concern."  We need to be thinking, praying and changing our views of God.  We need to repent of sloth and meditate much on God and His glory!  That is the purpose of the church: Worship.  From that grows adoration, obedience and fruit.

Mr. Poole says that Haggai was sent to "awaken the drowsy Jews...who seemed to long for a temple when they were in Babylon."  Are we seeking God more now than before?  Is that not a wonderful effect of this virus?  Will our desire continue after the quarantine is over and threat of life subsides a bit?  We've seen it many times in the past, where conflict seems to bring some "God-talk" for a moment.  The Jews in captivity longed to worship God again but when they were freed to go home, they delayed what should have been first priority.  That, too, should cause us pain as Christians.  "Ouch" is far too light an affliction.  We should experience an intensely sick, nausea in the pit of our stomachs with guilt and regret as we discover how lifeless, indeed, are our spiritual lives.

Maybe it's just me that needs to constantly repent and call on God for change.  But I truly want to learn through this trial, no matter how long it takes.  I do not want to be the same whiny, selfish, and "spoiled" child after this is over.  To be continued....

Exemplary Proceedings

Zephaniah, a prophet of God, heard audibly or was clearly directed by signs the declaration of the purpose of God.  "The word of the LORD which came", Zephaniah declares.  Poole reiterates this with "Zephaniah did not hammer out of his own brain any such news; he received from God what he communicated."  And that, of course, is true of all of scripture.  And the crux of that declaration is that we need to listen.

Why does God allow calamity?  Why, if He is in control, does He not stop this virus?  In Zephaniah, we are allowed an answer from the past.  What was going on in this passage to the Jews was just as devastating, really way worse!!  Chapter one, verse two, God says "I will utterly consume all things from off the land."  That is not good.  And if we read about the flood, we should know that He has the power.  Why won't we bow??  That is the question!

Here's a short list of "why" from just chapter one and this is just about those who were suppose to be His people.  We, as a church, need to take heed from this.  Where are we in our worship?  Mr. Poole comments very unapologetically in regard to chapter one: "Priests..should have been stedfast to God, but had fallen from the true God and His worship, to Baal and his worship.  Persons that mix idol worship and the worship of the true God."  [we should not be cocky here because we don't have "idols" because we do, indeed, have them...]  -These persons have- "...forsaken the Lord and His worship, turned atheist, or in matters of religion, have taken up not what is purest and truest, but what is nearest and most in fashion...pretended religions."  "YET!!  they would not inquire!"  So, in verse seven, God tells them to hold their peace:  "thou that murmurest in discontent or disputes out of frowardness against God, His worship and His government."

Where are we?  Mr. Poole says, "Stand in awe!"  "Cease all thy quarrels and disputes and stand in awe!"  God tells the people this judgment will come to pass that "we might see clearly the just and exemplary proceedings of God; these people sinned in sacrificing to strange gods and God will punish them."  What are our strange gods?  If you are guilty, bow, repent, and amend your ways.  We may feel distressed but at least we are, by God's mercy, allowed to see our error and turn to Him.

Behave Yourself with Joy

Well, so I "jumped the gun".  Of course, Habakkuk's just as good as Nahum and Joel.  And Poole's commentary is excellent in it's instruction to us believers who find ourselves in various trials throughout our lives.  For now, it's the trial of an unseen enemy, a virus.  And for many, it's just inconvenient (I shudder even using that spoiled word!)  But for a large portion of people, it's devastating in so many ways.  Even believers are finding themselves perplexed and questioning their future.

In this book of Habakkuk, we find the famous phrase, "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4).  It was a phrase  that God used to change Martin Luther's life and our world.  God's word does that over and over again and will continue until time is no more.  And that faith is what this prophet was seeking to revive for himself and his people.

Habukkuk's prayer in chapter three is for himself and for his people because they erred.  They were offended at the darkness of Divine Providences and needed pardon as well as instruction.  In verse two, the phrase "make known" is an affectionate request to God to make known by His truth, wisdom, power or compassion that He is their God and still cares for them.

In 3:3, "His glory covers the heavens and the earth is full of His praise", the prophet mentions as a support for his own faith and an encouragement to others.  And in verse sixteen, "that I might rest in the day of trouble", reminds them that fears awaken our remembrance of God; these fears have occasioned Habakkuk's search into the mystery of Providence, that understanding it, he might betake himself to God, that he may rest in Him Who will make it go well with the righteous, even those righteous who live to see and feel the troubles of those days.
 
By verse nineteen, the prophet had made a full profession of his faith and a resolution to "behave himself with joy" in the midst of troubles.  And he knew that it would not be done in his own strength but it is because the LORD God is his strength.  We must do the same.   And though, it will be a constant effort, we must not lose hope because we can call continually.  He knows we are but flesh.  However, He gives us all the provision we need in His word and through prayer!   The "just will live by faith" and must "behave ourselves with joy".

[Most all thoughts here were taken from Matthew Poole's commentary on the Bible.]

Longing for Eden

As I study Habbakuk, I'm not feeling the love as I did with Nahum and Joel.  I'm not sure why except Matthew Poole's description of the Chaldeans are not quite what I want to think about as we face this virus.  I guess if I could say anything positive about my reading and studying Habbakuk, it would be, "yes, things could be worse!!"  But with Nahum and Joel, I learned that I need to be learning in my affliction.  Maybe it's just my mood and the uncertainty.  However, as I thought about this after my study time, I know I've always loved the end of Habbakuk.  It's a famous passage I've heard and read for many years.  You can read it in chapter 3:16-19.  It's the "though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine..." passage.

But for my post today is the  "I've always loved the end of Habbakuk" thought.  Is that not like human nature?  Let me get through this, so my life will be what I want it to be again.  I want it to be normal.  I want to enjoy things again, like I did before.  I want to go on a vacation, a hike, fly a kite, etc.  The reality of it is that when sin came into this perfectly ordered world, Eden was not to be enjoyed again.  Not that there would not be joy in the Lord, in just the beautiful presence of knowing we are His.  But perfection in life would be no more until one day we see Him face to face.

Adam and Eve were banned from Eden until their dying day.  They faced major heartache with the death of one son by the hand of the other.  But their most dread pain was losing fellowship with their Maker.  Horrors of all horrors!!!  And no more Eden, no more perfect beauty and life and love.

We, too, long for order.  We long for things to be made right.  However, we have no concept of what that "really" looks like.  For our order is only a dim picture of what's to come.  And Eden, in all it's beauty, holds no comparison for Zion, the place purchased by the blood of the Lamb of the world.  Only He can make us completely ordered, perfect and presentable to the "Eden" the depths of our hearts truly desire.  "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."  Revelation 21:27

A Timely Repentance

"Nothing new under the sun" says Solomon in Ecclesiastes.   So true!  But Ecclesiastes is not my subject.  I chose Nahum, a short three-chaptered book, to fill my Bible study time over the last few weeks.  Our days have been different to say the least with the Covid-19 infection and quarantine.  As it slowly seeped into our worlds, while wrecking havoc on others in other countries, we did not take it seriously.  There were jokes that should have never been uttered or laughed at.  That seems to be the laxness of the American way.  But that personality has changed quickly as people are infected right and left before our eyes.  And as we stay away from those we love so as not to infect them, just in case.

Nothing new?  Trials, disorder, wars, etc. have occurred throughout history.  Our generation has mostly just read about them not walked through any.  Read any prophet in the Bible and you'll see this over and over again.  Back to my study in Nahum: Nahum, a prophet whose name in Hebrew means "to comfort" and also "to repent".  As I use Matthew Poole in my study of the book, he says that "repentance is a  preparatory to comfort."  Americans as a whole have much to repent outwardly, not to neglect the root inwardly.  When I say as a "whole",  I mean starting with Christians.  We've shouted, sung, raised our hands and swayed to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, faith, peace, and on and on.  But many are reeling through this trying event, with no idea how faith is suppose to look now.  And, quite frankly, it's only been a little over a week for us.  The devastation that occurs in the prophets are years.  And we struggle with a week of change, disorder and inconvenience.  We must repent of our selfishness and rise up to the great work of shining a light to the darkness of those who have no hope.  This will be our comfort, our joy.

And the subject for this post is "repentance".  Mr. Poole says, as he writes about 1:2, God wants to "affect the wicked with terror and awaken them to a timely repentance".  Also, to "affect God's people with joy and hope that they may wait on Him."  This "joy and hope" was to occur in the midst of the trial.  In Nahum, the Assyrians were the afflicting "virus".   But I love what Mr. Poole says about them: "That the Assyrians were not yet destroyed is the effect of God's patience, not impotence.  He knows the good and will protect, rescue and save them.  They must trust, believe, depend and wait on God.  They must depend by faith and wait with hope."  No! He is not without power.  And we cannot quail in the way of this trial.  The virus is not yet destroyed and one cannot think of God as impotent in this delay.  He has purpose along the way.

Verse three goes on to talk about God's way.   Mr. Poole says of "His way":"intimating the unerring steadiness of providence; the straight and known path."  What a comfort these words are for Christians in all times and all circumstance.  We are on the straight path with our God leading the way.  As stated before we cannot give into fear, anxiety, depression in our first week or even if the time ahead continues for awhile.   This is God's path for us at this time.  And while unknown to us, it is "known" to Him whom we follow.  And what an opportunity to live out a faith for those unbelievers who are in dire need of "a timely repentance" before it's too late.

School for the World

"The joy of the Lord is my strength."  How easy to say while things are going well!!  In an article on zeal by J. C. Ryle, he describes the Christianity of our day as "lazy, easy, and sleepy".   It's times like this, that reveal our hearts.  We can say all these wonderful truths of God's Word when things are easy, but how is it with us today?

How blessed I've been with phone texts from friends offering encouragement as we spend our days socially isolating.  One from my sister was scripture.  Scripture is always the best encouragement.  And how wonderful to get one encouraging verse that leads you to continue reading the next one, then the next one and on and on until you think "what crisis"?  God is, indeed, on His throne.  He is not surprised.  And we will not die one day earlier or later than our time planned by God.  For me, it's not the dying that concerns me but the living.  I want to live well through the whatever, that I might shine His light in this dark uncertainty.  We've read the history of others who have made it through way worse!

One of her shared scriptures was Isaiah 26:3-4.  It is good, but reading ahead, I loved verses eight and nine.  "Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, we have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.  At night my soul longs for you, indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; for when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."

What a glorious thought!  That the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.  This is, indeed, a trial, a burden, an overwhelming flood of unknown that shakes us up.  But God, in His amazing grace, teaches us in all kinds of ways.  I want to learn.  I don't want to miss out on what I need to learn to better honor and serve Him.  I do not want to be a lazy, easy or sleepy Christian.  I want to serve Him in humble adoration.  And I want to shine Him to those who don't know Him that they will indeed learn righteousness.  The virus that should concern us the most is the sin virus.  And only the righteousness of Christ can heal that sickness.

The Glorious "But"

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.  BUT when the kindness of God, our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness BUT according to His mercy....by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Whenever we are tempted to whine or complain about those who do not know God, it is good for us to think back!  The glorious "but": "But when the kindness of God".  But according to His mercy.
It is indeed by grace and not of works so that none of us, NONE of us may boast.