End the Year Well!

Malachi 3-4; Psalm 150; Proverbs 31:25-31

I’m not going to make any comments today. I just want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May God’s grace carry you forward into a new year of enjoying and depending on Him.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Coming of the Christ

The message covered Acts 2:14-39, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Once the Jews understood what Peter was telling them about the Holy Spirit’s coming, they “were struck to the heart.” Why? Because the Holy Spirit’s arrival proved that Jesus is the Christ and that He’s waiting for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet. Yet there is hope. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Walk Like a Priest, Talk Like a Priest

Malachi 1-2; Psalm 149; Proverbs 31:10-24

If you’re a Christian, you’re a priest. You know that, right? Check out 1 Peter 2:4-5: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

So if you’re a Christian, you’re a priest. But you say, “I don’t know how to be a priest. What do I do?”

Malachi has some words of guidance for you.

True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction--because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. – Malachi 2:6-7

Walk with the Lord in peace and uprightness. Talk the truth the Lord teaches you to say. Turn people away from sin.

Because you are a priest.

Thoughts about this?

One King to Rule Them All…

Zechariah 14; Psalm 148; Proverbs 31:8-9

I know some people who think they ought to be in charge of the whole world. And I’m not just talking about the Brain from “Pinky and the Brain”. People who think they should be kings or queens over the universe, even. But most images of such a dominant ruler are like the Dark Lord Sauron in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – destructive and evil.

Only one ruler can rule all and do so righteously.

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. – Zechariah 14:9

It’s good to know His reign is on its way!

What do you most look forward to about Jesus’ coming reign?

What Have We Done?

Zechariah 12-13; Psalm 147; Proverbs 31:1-7

How long has it been since you thought about the effects your actions have on others? And I’m not just talking about all the little consequences that play into the lives of our families and neighbors—though those matter, too.

But how long has it been since you’ve thought about the fact that your sins against God pierced the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you care about Jesus? Do you love Him? Do you believe He loves you? Created you? Gave you life? Gave you food? Gave you breath? Do you believe He has only ever done good to you?

If Jesus is worth knowing at all, then it ought to matter to us how our decisions impact Him. And the painful truth is that we’ve pierced Him by our sins. If we love Him at all, at least, this truth should be painful. As people realize who Jesus is and what they have done, they will mourn:

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. – Zechariah 12:10, NIV

Does your heart mourn over what you’ve done against Jesus?

Worthless Shepherd

Zechariah 11; Psalm 146; Proverbs 30:33

Talk about job accountability!

Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded! – Zechariah 11:17

Lord, make me faithful!

What reminds you to be a good worker?

His Arrow Will Flash Like Lightning

Zechariah 9-10; Psalm 145; Proverbs 30:32

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth. – Zechariah 9:9-10

What a picture of peace! That’s what we’re looking for, you know? A righteous, saving, peaceful king whose rule extends everywhere. We know that king to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Matt. 21:1-11).

But Jesus Himself didn’t always seem to be so peaceful, even immediately after fulfilling the words of Zechariah’s prophecy (Matt. 21:12-13). Why not? Because Jesus’ peace is only for His people, to His kingdom. Yes, anyone may become a part of His kingdom and find peace with Jesus, so in that sense His peace is for everyone. But there are those who reject the Christ’s offer of peace, instead preparing for battle. The problem’s simple: you can’t defeat Jesus, no matter who you are.

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and make you like a warrior's sword.
Then the LORD will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. – Zechariah 9:13-15

This same Christ who brings peace to His people is the LORD who sounds the trumpet and marches into battle against those who reject His offer of peace. No picture of Jesus is complete that denies that He is the LORD whose “arrow will flash like lightning.”

Have you accepted His offer of peace?

Christmas = God Has Determined to Do Good to Us

Zechariah 7-8; Psalm 144; Proverbs 30:29-31

Merry Christmas, friends! Seriously, Merry Christmas!

Here’s the good news. Well, first of all, the bad news…but it will turn good.

We sinned against God. Arrogantly. Flamboyantly. And God had determined to bring disaster on us. When God says disaster, He means it. Think Sodom and Gomorrah—gone. Think the Flood—worldwide death. God knows disaster, and His plans for us were just that… disaster. Not because God loves to create disasters, but because we sinned against God and deserved every ounce of His anger.

Ok, now the good news of Christmas, as expressed in the Old Testament:

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. – Zechariah 8:14-15

Did you hear that? The good news?

God is DETERMINED to do good to His people. Determined! It’s not that we are less sinful than before, but God has set His mind to give us the kind of life He calls good. And He has done this—as we remember every year on December 25th (and more frequently, I hope)—through Jesus.

Through Jesus, God bridged the gap between deity and humanity. Through Jesus, God established a righteous humanity. Through Jesus, God was able to pour out His anger and justice completely, all without destroying every single person on the planet. How? By Jesus’ willingness to obey His Father and walk to Golgotha with a cross on His back, even though He didn’t deserve it. And although Jesus died that day on the cross, God gave us life—good life—through Jesus’ resurrection from on the third day. Jesus lives, and He always lives to offer us life.

If you know the good news, I hope you feel refreshed, encouraged, alive! If you’ve never thought of this as good news before, pause for a moment and take the time to give this news your full attention. Why? Because it’s only good news for you, ultimately, if you believe it. Not that it’s any less true, regardless of whether you believe it or not. The truth is certain. But the news will turn out to be bad news for you if you don’t believe it. If you go through life convinced that you don’t need Jesus, rejecting His offer of His kind of good life, the offer one day won’t be there for you. Remember, the bad news? But the bad news is merely a warning today. And until we die or Jesus comes again, the good news is available and can be experienced starting now.

What a good God we serve! Join those of us who serve Him! He’ll be good to you, too.

Anyone else? Your thoughts on God’s goodness?

Harner Christmas Letter 2009

 

Merry Christmas from the Harners!

So much has happened this year that we decided a Christmas letter was mandatory. We started out 2009 with two children (Emma, now 4 and Michael, now 2), living in Louisville, KY, while Matt attended seminary and worked part-time for the outreach ministry of Sojourn Community Church and Christy supported the family with her graphic design business while preparing for the birth of baby number 3. Matt and Christy took a last-chance-to-escape-children trip to Rome in March. Christy continued work on her first book, Behind Every Illusion, which she hoped to “release” on her own on June 6th, and so dozens of people were slaving away helping her with the editing (thanks to all of you, by the way!). Together we led a community group for Sojourn church and enjoyed the last little bit of our time in Louisville, not knowing where God would lead us come summer.

Well, summer crept up and we still didn’t know where we were going! Matt finished full-time seminary (he still has 1 class to take) and Christy began dwindling down her business, expecting Matt to find a ministry position in the Christian & Missionary Alliance somewhere, to prepare us for future overseas work (a 2-3 year ministry service is required before we can go overseas as international workers). With the economy crashing churches didn’t seem interested in hiring us, and with an upcoming third child (due June 17th) life looked a little bleak and unknown.

The C&MA General Council was held at the end of May in Louisville, so we were lucky enough to attend (okay, Matt registered and Christy just snuck in whenever she felt like it…if you can sneak in between book speaking engagements while nine months pregnant!). Matt’s parents, Bob and Dian Harner, and Christy’s parents, Bob and Joyce Wetmore (who currently live in Pakistan) all stayed with us (some were kicked out to motels, though) while we listened to speakers from all around the world and helped “send off” new international workers to various countries (including the Brake family of Swanton, Ohio, to Indonesia). This was all fine, but Matt and Christy still didn’t know where on earth they would be sent for the next few years. All we knew was that Baby 3 was coming soon and the lease on our apartment would run out July 1st.

Enter the Great Lakes District superintendent, Jeff Brown. Through a friend from college, Matt was informed that a small church in northwestern Ohio needed a new pastor since theirs was headed for Indonesia that summer and that they were actually interested in hiring a missionary candidate (wait…that’s us!). Matt excitedly emailed his résumé to Jeff and told him of our interest in the Northwestern Ohio church in the little town of Swanton, and Jeff responded by inviting Matt to meet up at a District reception the next night. It just so happened that two of the three elders from the congregation were also attending (and also just so happened that this was one of those evenings Christy decided to sneak in), so we all met each other and planned on a next day lunch.

Maybe it was Christy’s hyperactive perkiness (she’d just gotten back from an insane morning speaking at a private middle school) or Matt’s extreme love for God and for getting into a church that made them interested, but—long story short—we were asked to candidate immediately.

Well, things happened. Namely, Tristan Isaac Harner was born on June 4th weighing 8lbs 14oz (Christy would like you to note that he was 2 weeks early and still humongous and that she’s awesome for carrying him). And, if you remember the beginning of our story, this was only two days before her book, Behind Every Illusion, was to be released. And yes, she’s crazy, so she did not delay the release, but spent the weekend on her laptop in the hospital! So now we had three healthy kids and no place yet to live come the end of June! (But we were still hoping the Swanton thing would work out).

LONG story short (yes, again): We candidated a week late, which was the end of June, and LOVED the church, the town, the people, the parsonage (!!!), the parsonage backyard (!!!!), and pretty much everything about it. So we drove home feeling very excited and received a call a few days later (climbing to the phone over mountains of boxes we’d had to pack already) that yes! They did want us to come. Whew…three days to spare on that lease of ours…

So, we packed up our bags and, after a few weeks traveling (to Toccoa with the Wetmores, the beach in NC, and “Grandma and Grandpa Harner’s” house in Zanesville, OH), we picked up Daniel (Christy’s brother, who is staying with us in-between school and possibly the Airforce) and moved to Swanton, Ohio! And despite the fact that Christy SWORE she would never move the “bleak state” as she calls it, this part of Ohio is actually more like Nebraska, where she grew up, and so she loves it more than anywhere she’s ever lived. And the church? Well, here are Matt’s thoughts:

Life here in Swanton has been wonderful. Jesus clearly brought us here to serve at Swanton Alliance Church. Since our start date on August 1st, we've been getting to know the ins and outs of the church—both its people and its programs. Matt focuses mostly on adult ministries--preaching, teaching, discipling--but he’s also enjoyed getting to know the youth some by attending Sunday school classes with them. Matt spends a lot more time in prayer than he ever did before; his need for Christ's help and strength is so evident. And Jesus is providing all we need. Matt has already conducted his first memorial service and his first wedding. What's been a special blessing is to see ways in which various church members have been deliberate about reaching out to their neighbors and the community. Potlucks, community dinners, youth events, an Ohio State v. Michigan open house... the people here want to see people know Jesus. So we’re both feeling at home here in Swanton among the new friends we've already grown to love.

Christy is working part-time with her graphic design job, and will actually be picking up a high school intern this coming semester (so if anyone has any projects they need done for a lower fee than usual, call me!). And last month, her writing career became more than just a hobby when she wrote her second book, the “mermaid manuscript” as she is currently calling it. After completing the first draft, she sent requests out to a dozen agents, looking to see if anyone might be interested in representing the book as well as any future works (including her Behind Every Illusion series, for those of you who keep asking!). Less than 24 hours later, she was in contact with an awesome young agent in NYC who loved the manuscript and wanted to represent her as an author! So on her birthday (Nov 17, fyi), Christy signed a contract with Artists and Artistans, Inc, and began work on rewriting her manuscript (which will be sent out to Young Adult Publishing Houses—like Harper Collins and Little, Brown—come January 4th). During the day, she watches all three kids. She’s also heavily involved in the youth group at church (and has grown close to a number of the youth by heading up a young adult writers club), several Bible studies, and Alliance Women, among other things.

Tristan is 6 months old now, just learning how to pull himself around the house. He has two teeth and LOVES to eat (bananas, bread, baby food, cake—he grabbed some out of Christy’s hand and chugged it down the other day—you name it…), even though he’s quite “tall and skinny” as the doctors say (hmm, he wouldn’t get that from his daddy by any chance?). Michael is “verbally advanced” (which also means he never stops talking!) and loves to cuddle and help with making dinner and cookies. He’s also very much like Matt, which scares Christy (a lot) and makes Matt laugh at her. Emma is a total princess, but is oddly obsessed with Lilo & Stitch as well. She also just learned how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the piano and loves to draw a lot. She tried ballet, but after a few months decided it was “too boring.” We envision a very creative little artist and soccer player inside her.

And that’s our year! Things have certainly turned around quickly with Matt going from being tired of school to having his dream job and Christy going from being a desperate writer-on-the-side to having a real agent and perhaps getting to write YA fantasy for years to come.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Matt, Christy, Emma, Michael and Tristan

Catching Up

I’ve been having so much fun writing that I forgot my promise was to post a devotional reading for you, whether I could write about it or not. With that in mind, here are the devotional readings you’ve missed because I was waiting to post until I had time to write. Enjoy and savor the word of the Lord!

1) Zechariah 1-2; Psalm 141; Proverbs 30:18-20
2) Zechariah 3-4; Psalm 142; Proverbs 30:21-23
3) Zechariah 5-6; Psalm 143; Proverbs 30:24-28

Grace and peace to you all! Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of our King!

Neglecting God

Haggai; Psalm 140; Proverbs 30:17

Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? – Haggai 1:4

We know from what God said to David back in 1 Chronicles 17 that God was not really all that concerned to have “better housing” than His people. But that did not mean God wanted His people to neglect Him. By neglecting His house, the Israelites were now showing a lack of concern for God Himself. In their hearts they were putting themselves first.

God cares about our hearts, and our earthly efforts demonstrate whether our hearts are concerned about His glory or our own. What would the evidence in your life show right now? Is your heart filled to overflowing with the glory of God?

Serving Shoulder to Shoulder

Zephaniah; Psalm 139; Proverbs 30:15-16

Oil and water. Dogs and cats. Twilight fans and the sane. None of these pairs go well together. None of them mixes.

That’s how it used to be with Jews and non-Jews. They didn’t mix, and the true God seemed at times to be only the God of the Jews.

But this true God revealed that He does not want to be God only of the Jews. He is God of non-Jews, too. He accepts them. They can be welcomed among His people. And He—God Himself—will draw them to Himself.

Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. – Zephaniah 3:9

Come and join me, whether you’re Jewish, Afghani, Indian, Native American, European, Hispanic—whoever you are and whatever race you come from. Let’s serve the Lord Jesus Christ, the one true God, shoulder to shoulder.

Yesterday’s readings

Habakkuk; Psalm 138; Proverbs 30:11-14

If you’re reading along devotionally, I just wanted to be sure you didn’t miss out on knowing what the readings were.

When War Means Peace

Nahum; Psalm 137; Proverbs 30:10

Everyone wants peace without war. Right? Who doesn’t? But sometimes achieving peace for ourselves involves a time of war, not because we want war, but because our enemies’ threats and attacks leave us two un-peaceful alternatives: suffer and die or fight.

Even the peace God has in store for His people involves some war. In the first chapter of Nahum, we read these two seemingly opposite declarations, a statement about the horrible wrath of God and one of the all-time most classic announcements of peace:

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. – Nahum 1:2

Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, and fulfill your vows. – Nahum 1:15a

Some people accuse God of being inconsistent, but Nahum sees no conflict. God is a God of peace. And God is a God of war. Peace for His people. War for His enemies. There is no inconsistency in the character of God here.

In fact, although God is a God of war, He has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make peace with His enemies. Instead of launching bombs of fury down on all sinners, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).

God’s offer of peace has come. It’s been firmly established through Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. But we must never forget Jesus Christ, God’s offer of peace, came to save people who had been living as God’s enemies. If enemies do not accept an offer of peace, what happens? War continues. Much of the world has chosen to reject God’s offer of peace. Why are they surprised, then, to hear that God would continue to plan their judgment?

Father, may Your peace reign, and may many more accept Your offer of peace through Jesus’ death before Your final war comes to make peace certain for Your people.

Testimony time! Who else has experienced God’s peace, and what made You realize You needed Him?

Shepherd of Peace

Micah 5-7; Psalm 136; Proverbs 30:7-9

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be their peace. – Micah 5:4-5

Peace is not found outside of Jesus, and it is certainly not found in opposition to Jesus. But Jesus Himself, for those who put their faith in Him and follow Him as their shepherd, is our peace.

I’ve found peace in Jesus. Peace with God. And peace with everyone who accepts Jesus as God, as Creator, as Ruler, as Savior. Do I want peace with others? Yes. But not at the cost of losing Jesus and the peace that comes through Him. So I invite others to join me in this peace. And if they don’t? I still want peace with them. But the condition for lasting peace is Jesus. May the whole world turn to Him.

How has Jesus brought peace into your life?

Jesus is the Greatest and Only God!...Or is He?

Micah 1-4; Psalm 135; Proverbs 30:5-6

Here in Swanton we have a football team. I just moved here, and I haven’t seen them in action yet. But I hear that we rarely win. You know what, though? The town still cheers for them! Faithfully! The Swanton football team is OUR football team, and we’re going to stick by them, even when they lose!

Why can’t Christians be that faithful to Jesus?

I was talking to a man who called himself a Christian a couple of months ago. But as we talked, he said (without my asking), “I don’t believe that people from other religions, like Islam and Hinduism, need to believe in Jesus Christ to go to heaven. If they’re good people, they’ll be fine.”

I was shocked! So I proceded to ask him a series of questions:

Me: So you don’t believe in sin?

Him: Well, sure I believe in sin. But I don’t believe that good people are going to miss out on heaven.

Me: So you don’t believe that good people have sinned? Good people have never sinned?

Him: I suppose everyone’s sinned. But God’s not going to send someone who’s working hard to be good to hell. They may not know about Him, but if they’re trying to serve their own God sincerely, God will be pleased with them.

Me: So you believe they’ve sinned, but you don’t believe they need to be forgiven by the true God?

Him: Well, no. I mean, what if they’ve never heard of Him? Will God really hold that against them? Different religions dominate different areas of the world.

Me: So you don’t believe that the whole world is God’s?

Him: Well, yes, but that still doesn’t mean that everyone is going to know Him.

Me: But if the whole world is God’s—if He created it, and He’s the King over it all—don’t you think He wants the whole world to honor Him above any other God?

Him: I think He understands when people in other areas of the world don’t know Him.

Me: So you think that God only expects to be called King by people in countries like America, where large parts of the country are considered Christian? You don’t think He expects to be called King everywhere in the world, since it’s all His?

Him: Yeah.

Me: Doesn’t [your denomination] send missionaries? What’s the point of sending missionaries if “good people” who don’t follow our God will be in heaven? Why not just let the various teachers of false religions—Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, whatever—why not just let them teach their followers to be devout Muslims, Buddhists, etc.? Why send missionaries?

Him: I don’t know. But I still think they’ll be in heaven.

Me: If an American decided to help out Al Qaeda in attacking an American city, wouldn’t he be considered a traitor and sentenced to prison, or even death?

Him: Yes.

Me: So if someone created by God to be a member of His kingdom decides to rebel against God and serve a false god (and all false gods are Satanic), do you think God is going to let them into heaven for “serving their false god well”?

Him: Yes, I really do. I think God just wants people to live good lives.

Me (final question): Ok, let’s forget for a moment about whether people from other religions will be safely in heaven when Jesus returns. What do you think God has to say about people who claim to know Him; who claim to believe He created and owns the whole world; who claim to have found forgiveness through the death of His Son Jesus Christ—Jesus, who claimed to be the only way to the Father; who claim to have a hope of rising from the dead because Jesus rose from the dead; and who claim to believe that other gods are false gods; what do you think God has to say about His own people when His own people teach that it’s fine to follow those false gods? Is God pleased with Christians when they tell non-Christians that they don’t need to trust in Jesus Christ to go to heaven?

I think the implications are clear. God’s people should be GOD’S PEOPLE. Jesus Christ is the only God. And God’s people need to be faithful to Him, no matter how unpopular it is to say that other religions are false.

All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. – Micah 4:5

Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and many others may be following their own gods. Even though it’s not good and will lead them to eternal death, it’s understandable because those false gods are “their” gods. But we, the people of Jesus Christ, should hold fast to the teachings of our Lord and King. Unlike the Swanton football team, He is ruler of the entire world and tells us that those who follow other gods are idolaters. Even Islam, which has no imagery or sculptures in its worship, is an idolatrous religion because it worships a god of its own imagination rather than the true God. Christians who teach that such rebellious worship practices are “fine” are being unfaithful to Jesus Christ. Let’s walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever!

Your turn: What are your thoughts on what it means to be faithful to Jesus Christ?

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Advent and Joy

The message covered Luke 2:1-20, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Follow the shepherds' journey of joy, from hearing to experiencing to sharing the joy burning within them. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

When Judging is Right and When Judging is Wrong

Jonah; Psalm 134; Proverbs 30:1-4

Have you ever seen someone getting ready to do something stupid? If you have, have you ever tried to warn them or prevent them from going through with their stupidity?

Why is it that when I warn a friend about stupidity, it’s perceived as a warning, but when I warn a friend about sin, it’s perceived as a judgment? Shouldn’t it still be considered a warning? Yet people so quickly throw out the line, “Stop judging me.”

Sometimes it is right to judge. And sometimes it is wrong. How do we know the difference?

In the story of Jonah, God tells his prophet Jonah to go preach against the wicked city of Ninevah (Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1). What message does Jonah end up preaching?

Forty more days and Ninevah will be overturned. – Jonah 3:4

Is that a judgment? Or a warning?

From God’s vantage point, it’s both. It’s a judgment because God had already condemned the wickedness of the Ninevites, and it was only a matter of time before God destroyed Ninevah for their wrath. But it’s a warning because God wouldn’t have had Jonah preach this message if there wasn’t still time for the Ninevites to repent. If God’s judgment had been final, He would simply have wiped the Ninevites off the face of the map. So it’s a judgment (in the sense of a decision) against their behavior, but it’s not yet a final judgment where the punishment has fallen upon Ninevah. It’s just a warning.

And the Ninevites took advantage of the warning. They repented—all of them, even the king (Jonah 3:5-9). And God had mercy on them (Jonah 3:10).

But what about from Jonah’s view? Was his message a judgment or a warning?

Jonah intended it to be a judgment. In fact, he knew that God meant the message as a warning, and that’s precisely the reason Jonah ran away from delivering the message at first—Jonah didn’t want God to have mercy on the Ninevites! So from Jonah’s perspective, the goal was judgment, not warning. He said to God,

O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. – Jonah 4:2

So Jonah knew that the judgment coming from God was really a warning. But Jonah meant it as a judgment, as a final condemnation and punishment on the people of Ninevah.

Final conclusion? What’s the difference between a judgment and a warning?

Answer: The difference is probably not the words that are used. Jonah spoke God’s words, when he finally spoke. The difference is found in the heart of the person speaking. Are the judgmental-sounding words coming from someone like Jonah, who can’t wait to see you get what you deserve? Or are the judgmental-sounding words coming from someone like God, who can’t wait to see you stop sinning so that you can escape punishment?

The judgment (decision) about what will happen to those who continue to sin is final: they will be punished. But that doesn’t have to be the final decision about you, me, or anyone else. Our God, the Judge, is a God who warns. He’s a God who wants people to live. May we His people have His heart.

Can you share a time when someone’s judgmental-sounding warning helped turn your life around for the better?

When “That Person” Fails, Do You Chuckle?

Obadiah; Psalm 133; Proverbs 29:26-27

You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. – Obadiah 1:12

Edom had been glad when Judah’s enemies won the victory. Even though Edom and Judah shared a common ancestry, a common history, Edom acted as an enemy toward Judah. And when Judah was harmed, Edom celebrated.

Of course, Edom thought it was safe. Geographically, the country was a hard one to fight against. Since Judah’s enemies had overlooked Edom, Edom thought they would always be overlooked, always be avoided, always be safe from harm.

But God had seen their treachery, their wickedness, their evil celebrations. And God can reach anyone.

Now this all happened on a national level. But just about every day, something similar happens on a personal level. We all have people who are hard to get along with, easy to overlook, easy to avoid. We all have people who make us feel bad about ourselves and about life, and we would rather that they just stayed away from us.

And when bad things happen to these people, we are all tempted to celebrate at least a tiny little bit.

But God knows our hearts. And God sees our sinful celebrations against these people, many of whom are supposed to be considered our brothers and sisters in Christ. Rather than focusing on our familial relationships and seeking their good, we tend to think of those who annoy us as people who “got what was coming to them.” And we go on our ways in pride, patting ourselves on the back for not being the kind of people who end up with the same problems.

Father, may we love our brothers more than that!

Who has some suggestions for how we can help those who are hurting instead of standing back to scoff?

God’s Work

Amos 6-9; Psalm 132; Proverbs 29:24-25

“I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. – Amos 9:14-15

Only God can set up peoples and nations and have it go well.

How have you had to learn to depend on Him?

What if God Doesn't Like Our Songs?

Amos 1-5; Psalm 131; Proverbs 29:23

People love their songs. Even those who don’t sing well love songs. We all love the feelings we have when our hearts and souls seem to be perfectly expressed by the words and lyrics of our songs.

Especially in church.

Right? I mean, the whole service is called a WORSHIP service. But we value our praise songs so highly that when we say, “Our time of worship,” we almost always, 100% of the time, think about singing. When we say, “Our worship time,” we don’t think about prayer, we don’t think about reading and listening to the words of the Scriptures, we don’t think about sharing testimonies, we don’t think about giving tithes or offerings, we don’t think about listening to a sermon, and we certainly don’t think—when we’re talking about worship—we certainly don’t think about obeying God’s teachings and guidance throughout the week.

I like our songs. But does God?

Not always:

Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! – Amos 5:23-24

God isn’t saying, “Away with the noise of your songs,” just because people are singing off-key. His goal isn’t for the music to be better, more professional and edgy and skillful. What God is saying is that He doesn’t care about our music if our lives aren’t synchronized with His Word.

If our relationship with God is expressed more deeply when we sing than at any other time of the week, then God wants us to stop singing and focus instead on righteous, holy living.

Father, may You receive more worship from me than just nice words and emotive music. May my worship rise to You in every interaction with my wife, every encounter with my children, every meeting with a neighbor, every conversation with a stranger. Whether I’m alone or in public, worn out or energized, at home or at work or at church, may my life be holy and righteous—a symphony of non-musical worship to You.

What simple ways has God shown you by which to worship and honor Him daily?

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Advent and Hope

The message covered Matthew 12:15-24, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. In several hope-giving ways, Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah as He comes to Israel during His first advent. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Be Real

Joel 1-3; Psalm 130; Proverbs 29:21-22

Much of life is spent going through the motions, doing just enough to convince people that you’re alive and active and worth knowing—then sinking into bed, exhausted and apathetic. We know that people judge us by our accomplishments, and we work our tails off to impress them, even if our hearts aren’t in it.

But God is much less concerned with our accomplishments and activities than with our hearts. Not that we can impress Him with our hearts. But He sees them. He knows them. And He therefore knows whether we’re being real with Him or not. He expresses His desire for people whose hearts are truly focused on turning to Him in Joel 2:13—

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

God is gracious, but He’s gracious on the basis of our hearts, not of our impressive outward displays of humility, self-discipline, or anything else. So how are we trying to catch God’s attention? Through half-hearted but effort-filled outward displays of spirituality? Or through hearts torn to pieces by the recognition of how sinful we are and how much we need God’s grace?

Father, help me to seek You with my heart always, both when I’m physically energetic and outwardly solid and when I’m drained and lethargic. May my heart not be lazy about knowing You.

How has God opened your eyes to the laziness and apathy of your heart toward Him?

Spiritual Adultery… It Has Consequences

Hosea 7-9; Psalm 128; Proverbs 29:19-20

What is spiritual adultery? In God’s way of looking at things, spiritual adultery is unfaithfulness toward Him. In other words, worshiping any god or any created thing instead of Him is spiritual adultery. Putting anything before Him is spiritual adultery.

He wants a pure relationship with His people, a relationship in which He loves His people and His people love Him back. There’s joy and expectation and excitement in a good relationship like that.

“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.” – Hosea 9:10a

But too often God’s people commit spiritual adultery. It leaves a bitter taste in God’s mouth and makes His people much less attractive in His eyes.

“But when the came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.” – Hosea 9:10b

And there are consequences—real consequences that God initiates to show His people that a life of blessing is found only with Him.

“Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, no conception. Even if they rear children, I will bereave them of every one. Woe to them when I turn away from them! I have seen Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place. But Ephraim will bring out their children to the slayer.”

Give them, O LORD—what will you give them? Give them wombs that miscarry and breasts that are dry.” – Hosea 9:11-14

So many people are clamoring, in our country, for the right to abort children. Can you imagine a scene like this, where God took away our ability to have children—and if we had children, sent killers after them? Which is more valuable—the right not to have children, or the right to have children?

Spiritual adultery has real consequences, and it can even affect our ability to have children. God is not just sitting out there in space, shouting suggestions at us. He’s here, and He wants faithful people. When we aren’t faithful, He is able to disrupt our desires, our plans, our lives—and what He does here is just a small picture of His coming wrath against unfaithful people and rebels.

Father, make us faithful!

What are the warning signs that indicate to you when you’re beginning to drift away from Jesus?

Day Three

Hosea 4-6; Psalm 127; Proverbs 29:15-17

Something special happens on the third day.

Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. – Hosea 6:1-2

On the third day, the LORD restores His people so that they can live in His presence. What’s that mean? Hmmm, let’s see. What day was it that Jesus Christ was raised from the grave? Oh, yeah. The third day. On the third day, Jesus—who had been torn to pieces and injured and killed for our sins—was healed and His wounds were gone. He was revived and restored, and in His resurrection we are also revived and restored to live forever in the presence of God.

Thank You, Father!

Can anyone share a testimony about how the truth of Jesus’ resurrection led you to do as the first verse urges and “return to the LORD”?

Faithful to a Whore

Hosea 1-3; Psalm 126; Proverbs 29:12-14

God’s faithfulness puts ours to shame.

It’s understandable when men or women divorce an unfaithful spouse. But in our culture, many divorces are the result of “offenses” besides unfaithfulness. Too often the reason given for divorce is “I’m not in love anymore”—a reason that itself betrays the lack of faithfulness not in the spouse, but in the heart of the one initiating the divorce.

But it is understandable, even permitted, divorce someone who has committed adultery. God’s standard of faithfulness is even higher, though, than this!

He tells Hosea:
Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes. – Hosea 3:1

The LORD loves even those who are unfaithful to Him. As long as we live, He is trying to convince us to turn back to Him, to be faithful to Him.

What a testimony it would be if more of us who are God’s children would demonstrate this degree of faithfulness to our unfaithful spouses! It would be extremely difficult, extremely painful. It would require walking by faith, trusting that God could work through our most difficult circumstances, aiming to demonstrate God’s loving faithfulness to people as Hosea did. It would require us to take Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5:43-48 seriously: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Father, teach us Your kind of faithfulness!

Does anyone have a story about a friend or neighbor who demonstrated this kind of faithfulness?

How’s This Thing End?

Daniel 11-12; Psalm 125; Proverbs 29:9-11

The Bible isn’t always the most encouraging book in the world. Turmoil, wars, destruction and devastation are part and parcel of many Scriptural prophecies. No one could take those prophecies seriously and not come away somewhat…ok, quite disturbed.

Daniel didn’t. The last two chapters of the book of Daniel are filled with visions he had—visions foretelling the terribly depressing world history-to-be. At the end of them, he asked the question we all would ask: “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be” (Daniel 12:8)? In other words, How’s this thing end?

You want to know the answer he received? It ends with a resurrection!

He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." – Daniel 12:9-13

Many will be purified. The wicked will be wicked. You will “rest.” And at the end of the days you will rise.

These things are happening right now! Except for the rising part—we’re waiting for the resurrection, too. But since Jesus came, men and women around the world are being purified from their sins. Wicked people still exist. Believers still “rest”—they pass away. But like Daniel, they rest in the confidence that a day of resurrection is coming.

In the meantime, what are we to do? The same thing Daniel was told to do: “Go your way till the end.”

The end is coming, and when it does, Christ’s people will rise to live forever. We should live like it, because we know how this thing ends.

Has knowing that Jesus is coming again ever helped you get through a situation that you could share about here?

Listening and Talking to God

Daniel 9-10; Psalm 124; Proverbs 29:5-8

We’re so used to seeing stories about how people heard directly from God, whether in visions or whatever, that we sometimes skip right past this story. What story? The story where Daniel listens to God through the Scriptures.

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. – Daniel 9:1-2

We never get past the Scriptures. God spoke through them. He still speaks through them. And through them, we can hear His voice. When we hear Him, we should take Him seriously and respond, as Daniel did:

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. – Daniel 9:3

Father, may we listen carefully to You by spending time reading Your words in Your Word. And may we not study them just to be sure that we can answer trivial questions about the details we find there; may we listen to take Your words to heart—and respond in fervent prayer.

What is it that makes you forget to spend time in God’s Word—or not to spend time in the Bible even when you remember that you should?

Beyond Understanding

Daniel 8; Psalm 123; Proverbs 29:2-4

Humanity is amazing. The progress people have made in understanding the world and the principles that govern its cycles since the Enlightenment is astonishing. The rate at which technology advances is blindingly fast. We are constantly learning, and very little—almost nothing—seems to be beyond our understanding.

Until God speaks.

Thankfully, God usually speaks to us in words and concepts simple enough for us to hear, understand, and respond to. God now and then chooses to remind us, however, that He is God and we are not. And in those cases, He reveals to us truths that are beyond our understanding, even though they are revealed to us in our own languages.

After seeing a vision about the rise and fall of kingdoms, as well as the (temporary) desecration of Jerusalem and the temple, this was Daniel’s response:

I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. – Daniel 8:27

Exhausted. Ill. Appalled. Daniel was overwhelmed. The vision was too much for him; it was beyond his understanding—yes, even Daniel could be overwhelmed by God’s revelation.

Father, Your work is beyond my understanding! I praise You for Your wisdom, Your understanding, Your guidance. Thank You that You are in control, even when I am nowhere close to being in control.

Anyone else feel overwhelmed by things God has revealed? What has God revealed that is beyond your understanding?

Nightmarish Reality

Daniel 7; Psalm 122; Proverbs 29:2-4

We’ve all had nightmares, at least when we were little. But part of the way that we get beyond nightmares is by telling ourselves, “It wasn’t real.” What if you couldn’t do that?

Daniel had a dream that turned out to be full of visions from God. The images he saw depicted reality. And Daniel was scared. His visions of four beasts, culminating with a beast that “devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left” (Dan. 7:7), ought to disturb us, too, because this nightmare will come true! The interpretation tells us:

The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will…devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. … The saints will be handed over to [its last king] for a time, times and half a time. – Daniel 7:23-25

That’s frightening because God revealed it and it’s true! This reality is coming someday, maybe soon! Since we can’t tell ourselves that this nightmare isn’t real, how do we grapple with it?

We grapple with real-life terror by turning to the end of the story:

The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever. – Daniel 7:17-18

Or, with more detail, after the saints are handed over to the fourth kingdom’s final king:

But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him. – Daniel 7:26-28

Terrifying days lie ahead, and we don’t know exactly what they’ll look like. We just know that they’re coming, and that even God’s people cannot escape the terror completely. But we know something that can reassure as we prepare and then go through the midst of this nightmare: the Most High is coming to reign forever, and He will destroy the power of even the most powerful wicked rulers. His people will be safe in His kingdom, and all the earth will be subject to Him. In that day, we will be safe everywhere on earth!

Father, help us to trust You!

What fear have you learned to leave in God's hands?

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: The Advent and Faith

The message covered 1 Chronicles 17:1-27, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. David and Nathan decide to act without hearing from God, but God brings them back to faith-based living as He puts a stop to their plans and promises the advent of a Davidic descendant who will reign forever. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Take a moment to share how God's led you to walk by faith.

When the Most Powerful Man on Earth Can’t Save You

Daniel 5:13-6:28; Psalm 121; Proverbs 28:27-28

Sometimes, people simply can’t. Can’t protect. Can’t provide. Can’t be strong. Can’t get there in time. Can’t think straight. Can’t come up with a solution. Can’t buy their way out. Even the most famous, most wealthy people on earth can’t overcome every obstacle they face. Nicolas Cage is struggling to stay financially afloat. John Travolta couldn’t save his son’s life. Barack Obama can’t keep everyone happy.

When fellow-rulers grew jealous of Daniel, they came up with a plan that effectively tied the hands of the world’s most powerful ruler at the time, King Darius. Why? Because King Darius truly appreciated Daniel; he was going to promote Daniel to oversee every other ruler in the kingdom, he valued Daniel so much. So if these murderous fellow-rulers wanted to get rid of Daniel, they had to find a way to keep Darius from interfering.

They appealed to Darius’ vanity. They urged him to pass a law that anyone who prayed to any god or man but to Darius himself—for the next thirty days—would be thrown to the lions. And Darius issued the decree.

When Darius realized what he had done and tried to save Daniel, who would never honor a man above the true God, it was too late. The other rulers came to King Darius and reminded him:

Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed. – Daniel 6:15

Suddenly, there was something even Darius, the world’s most powerful man, could not do: He couldn’t save Daniel.

Enter God.

The next morning, when King Darius went to the lions’ den to see whether Daniel had survived or not, he was greeted by an unscathed, peaceful Daniel, who told him:

O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king. – Daniel 6:21-22

What the most powerful man on earth couldn’t do, God did. He shut the lions’ mouths.

Why don’t we go to this God more often?

Share a time when God came through for you!

Why So Proud?

Daniel 4:1-5:12; Psalm 120; Proverbs 28:25-26

People are so…strange. We compare ourselves in every category: hairstyle, whiteness of teeth, build, wealth, intellect, stylishness, athleticism, etc. And even if we lose in every category but one, we take that one category, make it more important than all the rest, and try to convince everyone else that our pride is justified.

God hates pride.

Here’s a lesson that King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian whose forces were powerful enough to overcome Judah and carry the Judeans into exile, learned from his own encounters with God about pride:

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. – Daniel 4:37

What did it take for the man who was, at the time, king of kings, to learn this?

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. – Daniel 4:33-34a

If God can touch the human king of kings, what hope does any of us have of maintaining our pride?

Pray for humility--pray that God would allow you to see yourself as You are, as He sees you. And then praise Him that He loves you so much that He sent His Son to redeem You by His own death.

When have you realized that God is far more important than you are?

Some Good Writing…

Daniel 2:24-30; Psalm 119:145-176; Proverbs 28:23-24

Seriously, it’s hard to beat God at writing about important truths…

What's your favorite God-written story?

Life and Death and Dreams

Daniel 1:1-2:23; Psalm 119:121-144; Proverbs 28:21-22

Have you ever tried to dunk a basketball? Run a 5K in 16 minutes or less? Explain quantum physics? Pretty hard. But not impossible. People—at least some people—can do these things.

Have you ever tried to interpret a language you’ve never learned? Communicate via telepathy? Interpret someone’s dream without their having told you what it was? Impossible.

Now imagine being asked to do the impossible, but told that if you can’t perform you will be killed. That’s the situation Daniel faced. King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed something one night, and he wanted to know what it meant. But he wouldn’t tell anyone the dream:

The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.” – Daniel 2:5

Of course, no one could tell him what his dream was. So all his wise men were facing the execution block. Daniel couldn’t tell the king his dream, either, but he asked for time and prayed to God, along with his three friends.

During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. – Daniel 2:19a

Daniel couldn’t do the impossible any more than you or I can. But God is not a man. What is impossible for men is possible for God. And God revealed to Daniel, a mere man, the things that only God could know. Even the king’s dreams.

Father, may we remember that what is impossible for us is easy for You. May we stop trying to do what we can’t do, and instead remember to ask for Your help.

For Yourselves and For the Aliens

Ezekiel 47-48; Psalm 119:89-120; Proverbs 28:19-20

I’m an alien. I admit it.

No, not an outer-space alien (though my citizenship is in heaven). An earthly alien. A foreigner to Israel. A Gentile.

Yet these words of promise and hope shine out to me from the midst of Ezekiel’s description of the new Israel, restored and revived by God:

"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the LORD. – Ezekiel 47:21-23

God’s promises to Israel include even aliens—Gentiles, like me. Praise the LORD!

Father, thank You for including Gentiles in Your rejuvenated kingdom!

Don't Leave the Way You Came

Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; Psalm 119:65-88; Proverbs 28:15-16

Dirty people enter a shower to come out clean. Shaggy people enter a barber’s shop to come out trimmed. Hungry people enter restaurant to come out filled.

God invites us to come to Him as we are. Too often, though, we think that means He wants us to stay as we are. We couldn’t be more wrong.

God invites us to come to Him to be changed. To come sinful and leave righteous. To come filthy and leave pure. To come guilty and leave forgiven. To come as enemies and leave as sons. He’s not really interested in having us encounter Him and continue on our way unchanged.

Through Ezekiel, God gave the Israelites (and now us) an intriguing way of portraying the expectation of change:

When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. – Ezekiel 46:9

I can think of no other reason for this command than to remind the Israelites of something important: worshiping God changes us. When we don’t change, does that perhaps indicate that we haven’t truly been worshiping God?

Father, grow me. Change me more and more fully to be like Your Son Jesus Christ.

On My Face in Thanks

Ezekiel 44:1-45:12; Psalm 119:33-64; Proverbs 28:15-16

Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown. – Ezekiel 44:4

Do you realize that the one true God’s glory is overwhelming? That no man can stand before Him unless God Himself makes the man stand? That He is so holy, so good, so majestic that all our sins and flaws are sharply highlighted by His ever-wonderful perfection?

When we come to God, we are not simply coming to some impressive human—a high school star athlete, a homecoming queen, a successful businessman, a winsome celebrity, or a prestigious politician. Some people are impressive in their own ways, but at some level we believe that they are reachable, touchable, knowable. They’re not so far removed from us that friendship is hopeless.

God is. We simply cannot deserve time with Him, conversations with Him, smiles from Him. God would be perfectly within His rights to despise us, avoid us, ignore us. Simply by virtue of God’s glory and our antiglory, we have no right to come to Him.

And yet it is this God who has invited us into His presence. It is this glorious God who has condescended to relate to us, who has lovingly reached out to us without reluctance by sending His own perfect and glorious Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a ransom for our lives. We can boldly approach Him, not because He’s reachable, but because He reached out to us.

If there’s any reason to give thanks today, that’s it!

Father, thank You.

Separated

Ezekiel 42-43; Psalm 119:1-32; Proverbs 28:14

I like things organized, properly set in their places. Some things just aren’t meant to go together—suits and screen-printed t-shirts, paper plates and crystal glasses, plastic jewelry and diamond-studded bracelets. Some items are for special occasions, and some are for… not-so-special occasions.

Ezekiel, describing the vision God gave him of a new temple in Jerusalem, writes this:

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.
– Ezekiel 42:20

God has a way of organizing the world. And He tells us that His design for His temple is to “separate the holy from the common.”

We who have been ransomed, forgiven, redeemed, regenerated, saved and sanctified by Jesus Christ are now God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). And what God intends is for His temple to be the site of holiness. Having been made God’s people, we are no longer to go on thinking, dreaming, envisioning, feeling, enjoying and acting in the ways common to this world. We have been separated from them—not by a wall, but by Jesus’ cross. Let’s live like people who have the mark of Jesus’ cross.

Father, make and keep me holy.

In My Frailty

Yesterday’s Reading: Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 28:11

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 40:28-41:26; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 28:12-13

Hiding. That’s what we feel like doing with our weaknesses—hiding them. But the truth is, we’re all weak. Not only weak, but sinful. We all fall short. We all fail. No one is a success 100% of the time. No one but God.

So I missed another day of keeping this blog—intended to help people with their devotions (if they need help)—up to date. I know that there aren’t many people depending on this blog for their daily spiritual encouragement, but anyone who knows about it and keeps up with it day to day can see one obvious truth: I missed another day.

Don’t worry. I’m not beating myself up over it. But that doesn’t mean that I’m ignoring the conclusion that springs from my neglect yesterday: I fell short. I fall short.

You might ask why I’m focusing so much on my weaknesses if I’m not beating myself up over it. What’s the point of talking about it so much? Here’s the simple answer: I am a man in need. And if I ignore my weaknesses, I can begin to deceive myself into believing I’m not in need. I don’t want to deceive myself. Those who aren’t in need don’t call for help. And my life is, fundamentally, a life of crying out for help.

I couldn’t make it day to day without Jesus, the one who answers my cries for help. Sure, I would go on existing and living my life each day, because Jesus sustains even the people who aren’t aware that He lives and who don’t cry out to Him. But my existence would be all about me. It would be a life of pretense, because I would be going through each day thinking I was something important, that I had created my own destiny, that I was a good enough guy and that I never needed help. I would be missing out on the joy of seeing the hand of Jesus Christ sustaining me, guiding me, cleaning me up, and helping me along. Life makes so much more sense when it’s lived honestly, recognizing my weaknesses, my failures and my sins. It makes so much more sense to see that God is holding the world together—and I’m not.

Good thing, too. If I were holding the world together, what would happen when I died? Jesus lives forever, and our lives are in His hands. Which matters, because we’re weak.

Father, thank You for helping me in my weakness through Your Son Jesus.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Meet Each Other's Needs Because God Meets Yours

The message covered Philippians 4:14-23, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Paul commends the Philippians for their giving, but His praise ultimately goes to the gracious God whose riches in glory in Jesus Christ are the basis for their generosity. Note: This particular recording may not be the best, as the main microphone was not working and recording was done through a nearby microphone. Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

The Prophecy of Life

Ezekiel 37-38; Psalm 117; Proverbs 28:8-10

When is all hope lost? Let’s imagine ourselves sitting at the side of a hospital bed, hearing for the first time the news that our dad has advanced cancer and that it’s expected to end in death. Is hope lost right then?

Is hope lost a few months later, when radiation and chemo have sapped our dad’s strength away and the cancerous tumor, though smaller, is not quite gone?

Is hope lost a couple of weeks later, when the doctors say that they believe they were able to surgically remove the rest of the tumor—but then warn that this particular cancer usually returns within one year?

Is hope lost seven months later, when a checkup confirms that the cancer is back?

Is hope lost two months from then, when dad is again looking weak, but this time because of the cancer itself?

Is hope lost in another month and a half, when dad passes away? Is there any hope on that day?

Is hope lost when dad is laid in his casket and his casket is lowered into the tomb?

How about one hundred years from now, when dad has been in his tomb for a century? Is there any hope for him then?

There is hope. Even then, there is hope.

In Ezekiel 37:1-3, the prophet Ezekiel is faced with what seems to be a hopeless situation:

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

None of us would dare look at this situation with any sense of hope in normal circumstances. When people are so long dead that their bones are all that is left, and even their bones have dried up, the situation for those people is basically hopeless. But Ezekiel sees a glimmer of hope in this dreadful picture. Ezekiel is not facing the atrocities alone. God is with him. And so Ezekiel, rather than saying there is no hope, says, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

And God tells Ezekiel to do something that sounds pretty much crazy:

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, `Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' " – Ezekiel 37:4-6

Prophesy to bones? Ezekiel obeys.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. – Ezekiel 37:7-8

What good did that do? They’re still dead! Sure, they’ve gone from being bones to being bodies. But death is death! Death is hopeless! Death rules all! Right?

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. – Ezekiel 37:9-10

Death does not rule over all. God rules over death. And God rules over the dead. And God can speak, and the dead will obey. The dead will hear His voice and will obey—though they have no life to do so—and they will live if God tells them to live! “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live” (John 5:25).

Because God raises the dead, there is always hope. Pray for even the most hopeless causes—the people whose hearts are the hardest, whose wills are the most stubbornly unrepentant. Pray that God will speak and command the dead to live. If He does, they will live forever! Pray that God will charge you with the same command He gave to Ezekiel—pray that God will use you to bring life to dead bones.

Father, thank You for entrusting us with a prophecy that brings life to the dead. Thank You for bringing my spiritually dead bones to life, and thank You that after I die You will again bring my physically dead bones to life. Thank You that, with You, there is hope!