Spreading terror in the land of the living

In Ezekial 32:22-32, God pronounces judgement on Israel's neighbours for their evil and cruelty, using repeatedly, the poetic phrase: "spreading terror in the land of the living". In verses 22-23, it against Assyria, in 24-24, against Elam, in 26-28, against Meshech-Tubal, in verse 30, against the princes of the North and the Sidonians.

Then in verses 31-32, God turns the tables:

"When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord God. For I spread terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God." (Emphasis added)

In this dramatic twist, God says that it will be His turn to spread terror among the nations, the terror that comes from willful defiance and disobedience to Almighty God. God is the ultimate executor of justice: the fear that man's machinations may wreak is nothing compared to the terror that God's righteous wrath will spread in the last days. And to what end is this? The answer is given in chapter 38 where God speaks of the judgment that will befall Gog:

So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

May we live everyday in awareness of this, that He is LORD and not turn our backs on him. 

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God

36 “Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’:37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

Jeremiah 32:36-41

This passage contains such hope and spectacular promises. God promises to forgive the heinous sins of His people and restore them to him. He promises to give them a home and grant them safety. Yet, most of all, he promises to be their God and that to make them fear and follow him. And most of all, He promises to accomplish this with all His heart and soul. How great that is! To have Almighty God promising to protect our cause with all His infinitely merciful, loving and powerful being. 

This is one of my favorite sermons from John Piper, I would encourage you to listen to it:

Sustained by Sovereign Grace - Forever

Fundamental Liberties

We had a class on constitutionalism and fundamental liberties yesterday. There is a good measure of debate over what degrees of freedoms should be allowed to citizens in a modern constitutional democracy. Consider some fundamental liberties such as freedom of speech, expression, association or assembly. How much of these should be allowed before we run the risk of endangering public order? Where should the state draw the line between what is permissible and what has to restricted?

Doing my daily Bible reading, it occurred to me that if everyone followed 1 Peter 2:16, this wouldn't be an issue at all:

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Can a Christian sue a non-Christian?

This question has been on my mind recently, in large part because of what I study and read about everyday. In civil law, one tends to sees lawsuits as the basic vehicle through which justice, rightful recompense and distribution of losses is achieved. It is easy to see lawsuits as just another mechanism of the law, become desensitized to how society views them.

Just last week, a church in Singapore started legal proceedings against a neighboring institution for damages to its property. We can imagine that lawsuits can taint the image of Christianity. A church suing another organization stands in jarring contrast with a faith that the world often associates with espousing ideals of "love" or "righteousness" or "forgiveness".

So can a Christian sue another person?

I am glad that Pastor John Piper provided a timely exposition of his views on this question. You can read it at: Is it ever OK for a Christian to sue a non-Christian?

Where the issue is explicitly a matter of justice that goes beyond mere personal vindication, retribution or recovery of monetary losses, it may be possible to justify a lawsuit against a non-Christian. However, I would opinion that, in most if not all situations, a Christian's testimony shines far brighter and stronger when he meekly chooses to forgive or overlook injury done to him than when he seeks punitive justice. That is what Christ did when he submitted himself to death on the Cross. We can endure injustice on this earth because of our confidence that ultimate justice belongs to our sovereign God.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21 (ESV)

I am only joking!

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!"

Proverbs 26: 18-19

I read Proverbs 26: 18-19 last week and had thought of posting on it. I was finally prompted to when I saw Abraham Piper blog on it too. This was the comment I posted in reply:

"I just read this verse in my yearly Bible reading plan yesterday. I was tickled to find today that you had written a post about it recently too. When I read this verse, I was reminded about two cases I studied in tort law class recently:

One is the case of Scott v Shepherd (1773), where the defendant was held liable for throwing a light squib (like a firebrand!) into a crowded market, which ended up blinding the plaintiff.

The other is the case of Wilkinson v Downton (1897) where the defendant was held liable for telling the plaintiff that her husband had been seriously injured in an accident resulting in her suffering nervous shock. He was really fine, and the defendant had been deliberately playing a very nasty prank.

This verse jumped out at me when I saw how it seems to match the facts of these cases so well. I’m sure that this verse does not preclude harmless, lighthearted jokes. However, it does warn against malicious mischief, which is illustrated in real-life by these two law cases.

The Bible speaks so perceptively of human nature. We are so predictably sinful. Thank God that he saved us from our degenerate state!"

I will carry and will save

Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;

even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.

Isaiah 46:3-4 (ESV)

What spectacular promises! Even before we were born, God knew who we were, and destined that we should be carried by Him (echoing the words of Psalm 139:15-16). Three times these verses says that God carries us. His faithfulness is perfect and unchanging. He bears us through life and to the grave. And not only will He carry us, but He will save us. He will enact His mighty, perfectly powerful salvation (Isaiah 63:1). What more can we ask for? In fact, what more should we desire?

Are we able to trust his vast, amazing promise to protect and bear us through life? Or will we content ourselves with our petty anxieties and measly pursuits of worldly gain?

Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him

It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

Isaiah 25:9 (ESV)

The word "waited" is translated, in the NIV and other versions of the Bible, as "trusted". "Waited" is closer to the literal original meaning, but this can help explain what it means, as Isaiah 40:31 says, to "wait for the Lord". As we face troubles and trials in our day-to-day lives, to wait is to trust. Waiting demands bearing with uncertainty, yet believing that He who said He is faithful will give us what is best for us. What then is that? What is best for us is God himself, and the salvation he brings. 

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ... If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11: 9-10, 13 (ESV)

This verses are so easily misconstrued to mean that God will gives us anything and everything that we ask for. Scripture and life experience tells us that this is simply not true. However, look closer: God promises, in the parallel comparison with a human father, to give us "good gifts". Yet, Jesus does not say, that the heavenly Father give even better or greater gifts than an earthly father, rather He says that the heavenly Father will give us the Holy Spirit! That then is what we should desire and wait for: God Himself, the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. That is the greatest gift of all.

So will you wait for Him today? Will you wait for His plan, his timing in your life? Know that He has already satisfied your deepest need, the need for Him. The thing most worth waiting for has already been given to us. Wait for him, as He continues to make us perfect till the glorious day of the new earth. 

The coming of the Son of Man

25 “And t there will be signs in sun and moon u and stars, and on the earth v distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For w the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see x the Son of Man coming in a cloud y with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and z raise your heads, because a your redemption is drawing near.”

...

34 “But watch yourselves f lest g your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness andh cares of this life, and i that day come upon you suddenly j like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But k stay awake at all times, l praying that you maym have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and n to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:25-28,34-36 (Taken from the ESV Online Study Bible)

In Luke 21, Jesus predicts the signs of the end of the times and his return. Verses 25-28 paint a glorious, yet terrifying, and magnificent picture of Jesus' second coming. Jesus tells us to watch for his coming and to be prepared: "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Will be able to face Christ standing tall? Look at His exhortation to us: "But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Jesus goes on to warn us in verses 34-36, to beware the seductions and anxieties of our age. Even in the absence of sinful temptation, we must not be distracted by "cares of this life". What may these be? Our jobs, our studies, our relationships? What are the thoughts and affairs that seize our attention, time and energy away from God? Let us pray daily for the divine grace and strength to stay faithful, that we may be blameless and confident on the day we meet Him.

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel

can avail against the Lord.
The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord 

Proverbs 21:30-31

Like the last post I wrote, the exaltation of God's sovereign willing and acting in this verse jumped out at me. Whatever we do to pose and prepare, God has his own plan, which will always come to fruition. Human wisdom is infinitesimally puny and futile next to his. As he drove away the Syrians (2 Kings 7:6) and smote the army of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:35), victories in our lives are his, not ours. Thank God that he is fighting for us, and we are not fighting for ourselves.

Thought on Proverbs 19:21

In the rush and hurry of life, we like to feel in control. We make plans and lay out a strategy to do what we want and to get what we want. Lest we be carried away, and think ourselves self-made people, remember:

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21

The LORD's will is sovereign and supreme. Whatever we think of ourselves, this verse reminds us that his will and not ours, will govern the path of our lives. Let us examine our every motive, act and decision each day, and find ourselves in his will, not free-wheeling out of it.

First day of school

Embarking on my first day in law school today is a display of the sovereign grace of God in my life. Giving me the program I applied for and a scholarship to boot has reassured me that this is where he wants me to be.

Do not be anxious about anything

Is it very difficult to believe that God can do anything?


Or is it because we know he can do anything, but we don't think he'll do it for us?


When it comes to making requests of God, the verse that comes to mind most readily is probably Philippians 4:6-7.


6 ... do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


So what do these verses tell us? Firstly, we are not to be anxious. I would suppose that any of us would rather set our minds at rest, than be constantly anxious. Yet, we all know that anxiety is not something that is readily controlled. At best, it is a nagging worry that pops up from time to time. At worst, it is a compulsive fear that possess the mind and paralyses us from doing anything else.


How then could Paul tell us to not be anxious? He tells us to fight this anxiety. How? "By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." We are to bring all our anxieties to God: anything that makes us anxious, we are to make known to him.


Paul assures us then that God's peace "which surpasses all understanding", something supernatural and beyond all human comprehension, will "guard" or defend our "hearts and minds in Christ Jesus".


Clearly, the possession of this peace is not dependent on whether or not the request we make is granted. Paul says nothing of God granting our every request, and therefore endowing us with peace. We ourselves know that it would be terrifying if our every whim was granted.


Rather, the key lies in the word "thanksgiving": as we make our request of God, we are to simultaneously give thanks. Note, we are not told to give thanks out of gratitude if and when our requests are granted. We are to give thanks even as we petition God.


Why can we give thanks? Although we do not know if our God will grant our request, we can give thanks for what we do know. We know that God is almighty and all-wise. He will give us what is best for us.


11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  


Jeremiah 29:11-13


God promises a future and a hope. Yet this hope is not in the promise of wealth, health or anything material or earthly. This future he promises is in himself, hence he says: "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."


And this is why we can give thanks, because our hope is not in whether or not our request is granted, but it is in the unchanging character of the Lord God. As he declared himself to Moses at Mt Sinai:


The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation. 


Exodus 34:6-7


He abounds "in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands" and forgives our "iniquity and transgression and sin". This is why we have "a future and a hope" and why, even as we plead of God, we can give thanks. For he has met all our needs already, and we have nothing to fear.

Sin In Us

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Romans 7:21-25

Do you feel this way sometimes? How deeply-rooted is our sinful nature within us! Thanks be to God indeed, for through Christ he redeemed us from sin which pervades every iota of our nature.

Tears in His Bottle

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
Psalm 56:8

Isn't it comforting to know that our God loves us so much that he keeps track even of our tears, storing them up drop by drop?None of our anxiety or grief goes unnoticed or forgotten by him. May we always remember this when it seems to us that our troubles go unseen. So we can say with the Psalmist:

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:9-11

Be still, and know that I am God

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:8-11

Psalm 46 is a grand proclaimation of God's power and the assurance that he is to his people. Verses 1-3 describe the security that we have in God, and promise him as "a very present help in times of trouble" (v1). Verses 4-7 portray the protection of God for his people, "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress" (vs7). Verses 8-11 are sweeping description of God's supremacy and his power. Amid all this grandeur, the verse: "Be still, and know that I am God" stands out in contrast. What does this simple, quiet statement mean? Why, among an overwhelming declaration of God's awesome power and ability, accompanied by promises of protection for his people, is this verse necessary?

I think the answer lies in Psalm 37. Like Psalm 46, this chapter is also an assuring promise of God delivering his people from wickedness and evil. However, the tone and language of Psalm 37 reflect a darker and more afflicted view of life. "The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial" (vs32-33). David does not deny the existence of evil nor the reality that the righteous will sometimes suffer. However, in his sight, God is still in sovereign control. "Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous." (vs16-17)

It is in this context that David says, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"(vs7). When assailed by evil in the world, it is easy to despair and to lose hope in God. David knows that it may often seem as if God has abandoned his people. After he, it was he who wrote, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest." (Psalm 22:1-2) Hence, his advice is this: do not strive in our own strength against the force of the world, rather wait for God, trusting in him to act in his own good time with his infinite wisdom and power.

It is futile for us to try resisting evil and sin in our lives by our own finite wisdom and strength. Furthermore, in our self-confident haze or weary despair, we can easily lose sight of God. Which is why, in Psalm 46, God admonishes us to "Be still". Let us quiet our minds and hearts, shutting off the distracting thoughts, emotions and sentiments of this life. Focus on God through reading his word and prayer that we may know him more and better. In there, will we find an assurance to surpass the anxieties and troubles; the assurance that comes simply from knowing that "though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling" he is God.

If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." 18He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" 21Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-22

What did Jesus mean when he asked the young man to sell away all he had and follow him?

The young man had asked him, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (v16). Jesus' first reply has two parts. First he says, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good." The gospels of Mark and Luke record this sentence as, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone", for the young man had called Jesus, "Good teacher" (Mark 10:17-18, Luke 18:18-19). Evidently, Jesus is refering to God as the "only one who is good". But why did he correct the young man's usage of the word "good"?

Jesus then tells the young man, "If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He then lists the commandments: "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12-16), and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)". The young man's reply is that he has kept all these commandments and asks what else he must do.

This is when Jesus replies, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (v21) Notice that Jesus first says, "If you would be perfect": just as only God is good, only God is perfect. Perhaps the young man believed that he could earn perfection in God's sight through his acts. This would be suggested by his original question to Jesus, "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" He wanted to know what he could do to inherit salvation. What is in fact Jesus' reply? When Jesus tells him to follow the commandments, Jesus is not implying that following the commandments alone will earn one salvation. Rather, in refering the young man to the Law of Moses, he provokes the desired response. The young man knows that the law alone cannot save, for he says, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?"

Jesus then reveals the only way that the young man, or you or I, may gain eternal life, the only way we may be made perfect in the sight of God. He says "Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Is Jesus saying that if we give ourselves to a life of poverty and ascetism, we will gain eternal life? Definitely not, for that would mean that doing some "good deed" can earn a man salvation.

Look at the young man's subsequent reaction and Jesus' response: "22When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." " (v22-24) Jesus told the young man to sell all he possessed because he knew that the young man's worldly possessions were the things keeping him from the kingdom of God. I t is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, for the rich have far more things in the world to distract them from the things of God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus says, "22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." (Matthew 13:18-23)

The question then is, are we rich? Am I "a rich person" that Jesus refers to? When Jesus refers to the rich, he is not talking about those who are wealthy in the sense of the absolute monetary value of their possessions. In the parable of the sower mentioned above, Jesus speaks of "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches". It is not monetary wealth he is speaking of but rather anything in the world, that replaces God in our lives, anything that makes us rich in worldly things but poor in things of the kingdom of God.

What then does it mean to be rich? See what Jesus says in reply to Peter's question, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" (v27):

28Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Jesus promises his disciples a special place in the new earth. This sentence stands out: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." Here he finally reveals who will inherit eternal life. Those who have given up, who have sacrificed for Christ will have eternal life.

This verse parallels another: "37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39

So how then can we lose our life for the sake of Christ. We are naturally sinful, and everything in our flesh calls out for us to glorify ourselves, to satisfy our worldly desires and longings. In one way or another, all of us are rich in the world. Be it possessions, relationships, reputations or ambitions, all of us have wealth in this world. In and by ourselves, we can never give them up for Christ.

25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:25-26

So it is only by the grace of God, as he chooses to show mercy on us, that we may be empowered to surrender our fleshly desires and give ourselves wholely him instead. Let us not cling to the treasures of this earth, but rather pray that God will give us eyes to see and desire the overwhelmingly greater treasure that he is. Then may God enable us to say as the Apostle Paul, "7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Phillipians 3:7-8.

What will we kill for Christ?

Exodus 32 records the episode where the Israelites rebelled against God by building the golden calf and worshipping it. When Moses returned from Mt Sinai, he broke the newly-received 10 Commandments in fury and ground the calf to dust. The Bible describes the Israelites as having "broken loose" or running wild in their idolatrous reverie.

In the chaos, Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and called for anyone on the LORD's side to come to him. Only the Levites came to him. Read what he told them to do:

27And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.'" 28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29And Moses said, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day." Exodus 32:27-29

That day, the Levites proved their faithfulness to God by valuing him more than earthly relations. They were willing to slay their sons and brothers, their loved ones, who were worshipping the calf instead of God. For their zeal in preserving his honour, God blessed them, for they loved him more than anything else.

Read what Jesus says in Matthew that seems to echo the acts of the Levites in Exodus:

34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10-34-39

The Levites experienced this first-hand. For God, they were indeed "set against" their fathers, mothers and their own household. They literally drew their swords against their loved ones for the sake of God.

This brings us to ask: will we be able to do as the Levites did? What will I kill for Christ? Will I kill my willful sin? Or desires that have taken his place in my lives? Even myself?

May God give us the grace and strength to lose our lives and the lives of our loved ones for his sake.

The Pouring out of Blood

16Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, 17and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil. 18And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 19And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar. Leviticus 4:16-19

These were the instructions that the LORD gave Moses regarding sin offerings. To atone for their sins, the Israelites had to kill animals, pouring out their blood and offering the rest of the carcass through complete destruction in fire. Listen to what Jesus told His disciples at the last supper:

27And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:27-28

In describing His impeding death, Jesus alluded to the sacrifice of animals. The difference was that Jesus' death eliminated the need for any further sacrifice. The Jews had to continually slaughter more animals to keep up the flow of redeeming blood. However, Jesus' blood flowed in His death and still flows today to atone for the sins of his elect. It is the perfect, eternal sacrifice. See what the author of Hebrews says:

13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:13-14

May we be eternally grateful for this!

"There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."

William Cowper

Sudden Sin

Have you noticed how easy it is to sin? I know that I do. No matter how hard one wants and tries not to sin, the little white lies, the abrupt unkindness or the angry thought all pop up so easily. Can we stop these sins, somehow keep them out of our daily lives.

Probably not. As a Christian is sanctified, his awareness of God's glory gives him a greater sensitivity to what he should not do. He also has a greater desire to be like Christ, and has a stronger motivation to be careful in his actions. However, we are sinful to the core, and perfect sanctification is not possible in this life. We won't be perfectly sancified till we meet Christ in the new Earth.

7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - Romans 8:7-8

Thank God then for His sacrifice of Jesus that redeems us for every sin we have committed and will commit. Also, take every sudden sin as a reminder of your original sinful state. It would be disastrously misleaded to think that we could be free of sin while in this flesh. See how the Apostle Paul describes this:

21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. - Romans 7:21-25

Let us be reminded that our only claim to righteousness is in Christ's blood, given by the grace and mercy of God, and be thankful.

Visit "Desiring God"

Probably, the Christian site I use the most, is http://www.desiringgod.org. This website contains resources from the ministry of John Piper, pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis Minnesota. John Piper is one of the pre-eminent bible teachers and pastors in the world today. It contains his sermons, books and articles. It is a huge wealth of theological knowledge and biblical exegesis. I would commend this website to anyone who wants to know and love God more.

Do I delight myself in the deity of Christ?

I've just listened to a sermon by Kenny Stokes from Bethlehem Baptist Church on 1 John 1:1-4. I was convicted by his question, "Do you delight yourself in the deity of Christ?"

The first two verses of John's first epistle parallel the opening verses of the gospel he wrote. Compare:

1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— (1 John 1:1-2)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4( In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14)

In both these passages, John establishes the deity of Christ. He wants it to be undeniably clear that Jesus was more than just a human prophet, but God incarnate. He also asserts the claim he and the other apostles have to knowing Christ personally, and bearing witness to both his humanity and deity.

But read what he writes next in the epistle:

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1: 3-4)

He explains his two motivations for sharing the reality of Christ's deity. The first is the desire for his readers to come into all-satisfying fellowship with other true believers, and consequently with God. The second is that his "joy may be complete". He is describing the perfection of the supernatural joy of God that Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:8-9 about believers in Christ:

8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

It should be inestimably joyful for me to share the truth and knowledge of God with someone else, and I am convicted because I know that, for me, this isn't true to the degree it should be.

I quote from Stokes sermon, "If you believe that in God's presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore, you would be a fool, you'd be selfish if you didn't want to share the greatest joy with others, and you'd be dead if it didn't delight your heart to bring the greatest joy to others."

I want delight myself in the cause of the Kingdom of God. I believe Christ is man and God, and I want to want to share this with others. I am praying that he will supply me with all I need to do what he wants.

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Romans 14:20a

In Romans 14, Paul warns against letting disagreement over eating become a source of discord that drives a person in the fellowship away from Christ. Paul, sent to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, probably knew more about racial integration than anyone else of his time. Jews, with their religious regulations on food, dress, behaviour and circumcision, considered themselves as having a special claim to God's promises and salvation. They believed that apart from their religious customs, no one could come to God.

Paul spent much of his life trying to break down the barriers of customary regulations between Gentiles and Jews, even the other apostles. Galatians 2:11-14 provides one of the best examples of this where Paul mentions opposing Peter for behaving hypocritically in not eating with Gentiles. The basis of his argument was that none of these regulations really mattered after all, because they did not lead to salvation. Faith alone did.

21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galatians 2:21

As in this verse above, Paul reiterates over and over again throughout the New Testament that we are not saved by any act of our own: no regulation of diet, dress, relationship or circumcision will save a soul. Further on in Galatians 6 he says again:

2Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

So having proved that we cannot possibly be justified by our works, what does Paul mean when he says not to "for the sake of food, destroy the work of God"? See what the whole verse says:

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. Romans 14:20

Were we to set any regulation on the act of eating (or any other act), and pass judgement on those who failed to follow it, we would "stumble" others in the faith. Why?

Note that the original concept of stumbling of faith comes from Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 8:14 of Jesus as a "rock of stumbling" to the Jews who believed that they had God's special favour on them. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:33 as an indictment of pursuing faith by works.

Thus, when we pass condemn someone over a legalistic issue, we are insinuating that one needs works, the one needs to do a particular act, in order to be justified in Christ. We are insinuating that faith alone does not save. That is heresy. It is in contradiction to everything else the Bible teaches. In that way, we would "stumble" someone, keeping him or her from the faith by placing additional obstacles in their way.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. Romans 14:13-15

Today, most Christians will rarely debate over dietary regulations as a religious issue. Yet, what other behaviours of ours "stumble" others? Is it a holier-than-thou attitude? Or could it be the feeling that we are superior to others because, perhaps, we tithe regularly, or dress more modestly, or do not smoke? While there exist behaviours that are more socially acceptable, and those that are more destructive, we cannot turn any of these into a key issue on which justification depends.

However, that is not to say that we should not correct someone over destructive behaviour. But there is a difference between a constructive rebuke and a hypocritical criticism that is contrary to all the Bible teaches. There are deeds that, if sinfully persisted in, will obstruct the process of sanctification and act counter to the influence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian's life. Paul, in Titus 1:9-13, calls on us to "rebuke those who contradict (God's word)" and to "rebuke...that they may be sound in the faith".

Ultimately, if someones faith is at stake over something that does not ultimately matter, Paul calls us, as believers rooted in our faith, to pass over the issue for the other person's sake. Paul uses the word "destroy" twice in this chapter. It is a strong warning that our hypocrisy can lead a person away from the faith, down the road to hell. We cannot preach salvation in a crucified Christ and still condemn someone over eating. The salvation God, in his mercy, has provided through Jesus Christ, is all we count on and all we need.

"It Is Well With My Soul"

"It Is Well With My Soul" from a Gaither Homecoming video. Lead voices are Guy Penrod and David Phelps.

The cost of hymn writing

What did it cost Horatio Stafford to write "It Is Well With My Soul"? A glorious hymn that has strengthened, encouraged and comforted millions through the decades. It cost him his wealth lost in the San Francisco fire, his son who died of scarlet fever, his daughters lost in a ship sinking and finally even his sanity. Was it too high a price to pay? Can our Saviour ask too high a price of us?

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:37-39