Truth Matters #47
James 4:17

BE GOOD

Two Christian friends stood talking. One said to the other, “This has been a good day for I have done nothing today of which I am ashamed.” The other replied, “This has been a bad day for I have done nothing today of which I am proud.” In this conversation we have two very different perspectives on life and how to measure spiritual success. One is defined negatively, and one is defined positively. The first man measured success in terms of not doing what is forbidden. He believed that if you could get through a day without doing something really bad like stealing, lying, or getting drunk, you had succeeded. The second man viewed success in terms of doing what is required. He believed that there was more to being a Christian than just not doing some things.  Goodness and greatness were not to be determined on the basis of what he did not do alone.

The apostle James would agree with the second man. In his letter he writes, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good, and does not do it, it is sin” (James 4:17). In this verse, James, the half-brother of Jesus, reminds his readers that sin is not just wrong doing but failure to do right. It is not just the commission of an evil act but the omission of a good deed. For too long we have thought of sin as the presence of evil, while James suggests that it is also the absence of good. We can displease God by what we don’t do but should do, as much as by what we shouldn’t do but do. Our greatest sin as Christians is not that we do the bad things but that we fail to do the good things.

In Ephesians 4:25 through to 5:2, Paul reminds the Ephesian church that they must do more than not do certain things. Paul tells the Ephesians that they must not lie, but he also tells them they must speak the truth. Paul tells the Ephesians that they must not steal, but he also tells them that they must work with their hands. Paul tells the Ephesians that they must not grieve the Spirit, but he also tells them they must be imitators of God.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great London preacher, was once the guest of a man who made his virtues the chief topic of conversation; but his virtues were all of the negative kind, consisting in the bad things he had not done. Disgusted with the man’s self-righteousness, Spurgeon said, “Why, man, you are simply a bundle of negatives. You don’t drink, you don’t gamble, you don’t swear. What in the name of goodness do you do?”  This man like so many was working only one side of the ledger. It is a good thing not to do some things but it is not good enough. Christ came to do something more than stop us from being bad. He came to make us positively good (2 Cor. 5:17).

Truth Matters #46
2 Timothy 1:12

A SURE THING

I heard the story of a polar bear and her young cub living in the frigid extremes of Alaska. One morning the cub came to her mother and said, “Mom, are you sure I am a polar bear?” “Of course you are,” the mother calmly replied. The cub went away reassured. But the next morning the cub asked again, “Are you 100 percent sure that I am a polar bear?” The mother seemed confused, “I promise you are a polar bear. So, why do you keep asking?” “Because,” said the cub, “I am freezing out here.”

There are a lot of Christians who can identify with that little bear. I have met them and you may be one of them. Although we know ourselves to be Christians, and others know us to be Christians, there are times when we need to be reassured of the fact. There can be days when as Christians we don’t feel very Christian at all or look it. On those days the knowledge and guilt of our sin cling to us like skin to a bone. On those days heaven seems like it is a million miles away, and God just as far. On those days we wonder if salvation is a sure thing.

Listen! It is a great thing to be saved, but it is an even greater thing to be saved, and know that you are saved. We are persuaded, like the apostle Paul, concerning God’s saving and keeping power (2 Tim. 1:12; Rom. 8:35-39). With that in mind, let me share three truths that I trust will act as anchors when our souls are tossed about with doubt.

Anchor number one is God’s Word to us. God’s Word is forever settled in heaven, in fact, heaven and earth will pass away but not His Word (Psa. 119:89; Matt. 24:35). When it comes to the assurance of our salvation, we must not rest our confidence on the shifting sands of our own moods or feelings, but on the solid and eternal rock of God’s written testimony in Scripture (John 20:31; cf. 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; 6:37).

Anchor number two is God’s work for us. In the death of Christ as our substitute, the debt of our sin has been fully paid (1 Peter 2:24; 3:18). The sword of God’s just wrath has found its sheath in the atonement of Christ for us (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore there is no condemnation to those who are trusting in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Jesus paid it all!

Anchor number three is God’s witness in us. Alongside the promise of God and the work of Christ, we have the inward assurance of the indwelling presence, and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16; Gal. 4:6). The Spirit of God produces a hunger for the things of God, and this new appetite is a sure sign of life. The Christian is a different person and that makes a difference to our assurance (Gal. 5:22-25).

Truth Matters #45
1 Corinthians 13:5

KEEPING SCORE

Recently I read a beautiful story about a grandmother celebrating her fiftieth wedding anniversary. Surrounded by friends and family, she was asked, “What is the secret of your long marriage?” “Oh, it is very simple,” she said. “Before Henry and I got married, I was determined to write down a list of ten things that I would always forgive him quickly for and then forget about. After we got married, Henry would do certain things and I would think, ‘Lucky for him – that one is on the list.’” The young wives in the room scrambled to find pens and paper, anxious to copy down the ten items on the old woman’s list. “So tell us, Grandma,” one of them said, “what were those ten things?” The grandmother smiled. “To be quite honest about it,” she said, “I never did get around to making that list. So every time Henry did something I didn’t appreciate, I would simply say, ‘Lucky for him – that one is on the list.’”

Lucky for him he was married to her. A not so lucky husband described his wife as a one-woman grievance committee always in session. In marriage as in life it is easy to collect hurts and recite grievances but true love works hard at keeping short accounts. According to Paul, “love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5 NIV). The verb used in this text is an accounting term which means “to credit to someone’s account.” It is the picture of the bookkeeper turning the pages of his ledger keeping tabs on all that has been received and spent. Paul’s point is that love doesn’t keep a black book on people and the wrongs they have done against us. It forgives and forgets. It blots out and wipes away the record of that injury or injustice. Chrysostom observed that a wrong done against love is like a spark that falls into the sea and is quenched.

This kind of love is to be a way of life for the Christian for a number of reasons. On the one hand, it is the only way to survive a broken world. We will be sinned against even by those closest to us, and therefore this kind of love is in a very real sense a matter of survival. We must keep short accounts if we are to prevent our souls from becoming acidic (Eph. 4:31-32). We must keep short accounts if we are not to forfeit today and tomorrow because we are a prisoner to yesterday’s grievances (Phil. 3:13-14). On the other hand, this kind of love is the natural response of those who have been touched by the grace of God. The same Greek word that Paul employs in 1 Corinthians 13:5 to speak of love not keeping a record of wrongs is used often in the New Testament to represent the pardoning act of God toward those who put their trust in Christ’s redeeming death. The record of our sin is put to Christ’s account (Rom. 4:8; 2 Cor. 5:19). If God keeps no record on us, how can we as his children keep a record on others. Bury the hatchet today, and don’t leave the handle sticking up.

Truth Matters #44
John 2:14-17

GOOD AND ANGRY

In the book of Proverbs unguarded and ungodly anger is likened to a destructive flood that swallows everything in its path (Prov. 27:4). Yet, while anger over the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and in the wrong manner is a destructive force not unlike a flood, there is such a thing as constructive anger. It is possible to be good and angry. The apostle Paul tells the Ephesians to be angry and sin not which implies that not all anger is sin (Eph. 4:26-27). There is a rightful place for anger in the life of the Christian. We are not Vulcans. We were made in the image of a righteous God therefore, it is natural for us to react physically and emotionally to a perceived injustice. In fact a person who does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good.

Anger can be a good thing. I am glad that William Wilberforce became angry at the blight of slavery throughout the British Empire. I am glad that Martin Luther got angry over the trafficking of indulgences in the Medieval Church. I am glad that Candy Lightner got angry over the death of her daughter to a drunk driver and started M.A.D.D. Each of these people, and people like them, has changed our lives for the better through their righteous indignation.

But how do we know when we are good and angry, and not just behaving badly? Throughout his ministry Christ experienced and expressed a whole range of emotions, anger being among them. Christ was no stranger to anger (Mark. 3:5; 10:14). The most famous incident involving Jesus’ anger is recorded in John 2:14-17, when Jesus witnesses the sacrilege of the money changers turning His Father’s house into a den of thieves. In expressing appropriate anger, Jesus gave us four benchmarks to measure ourselves against when expressing our anger. These four principles will help us be good and angry: Firstly, we need to make sure that we are angry over what angers God. For Jesus the thing that offended Him was the thing that offended God in the abuse of the Temple. We can be angry and sin not when sin alone makes us angry. Secondly, we need to not let the sun go down on our wrath. Jesus addressed the issue there and then, and did not allow it to simmer and boil over into a bitter spirit beyond the time of anger. While we must be slow to anger we must be quick to leave it behind once expressed. Thirdly, we need to express our anger clearly. Jesus was crystal clear as to why he was angry with them. In losing our temper we must find good and clear reasons to do so. Fourthly, we must control our emotions. Jesus took time to patiently thread a whip, but in using it no one was injured. It was probably used to move the livestock out, and draw the crowd’s attention. Anger is a God-given emotion, but it must be made subject to the controlling influence of God the Holy Spirit. Be good and angry!

Truth Matters #43
1 Samuel 1:19-28

CHILDREN AT RISK

It is the duty of every parent to protect their children from harm and danger. Our children young or old are always at risk from things seen and unseen. They are at risk from germs, passing traffic, sexual predators, bad company, car accidents, unwanted pregnancy, theological error, poor choices, and their own sinful inclinations. The list of dangers is endless, and added to that list is the risk of the prayerless parent. No child is safe who does not live under the umbrella of a praying parent. It has been said that we can do more once we have prayed but we cannot do more until we have prayed. The wise parent realizes this truth, and so they make it a priority to pray with, and for their children. Prayer is our greatest weapon in the defense of the Christian home, and the protection of our children (Matt. 6:13; Eph. 6:10-18). The unprayed for child is the unprotected child!

In rereading the story of the birth of the prophet Samuel, I was struck afresh by the words of Hannah his mother in surrendering him at a young age to Eli for service in the house of the Lord. She said, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him” (1 Sam. 1:27). Samuel was born to a praying mother. Hannah had been childless, and had prayed fervently that the Lord would open her womb, and in due course God answered her prayer (1 Sam. 1:20; 2:5). Samuel was a child of many prayers (1 Sam. 1:12). Hannah had prayed that the Lord would give her a son, and then promised the Lord that if He did that she would give her son back to the Lord, and she kept her promise (1 Sam. 1:10-11; 27-28). Hannah had a strong desire to have a son, but an even stronger desire to see that son become a child of God, and serve God all the days of his life. She not only prayed for her child’s health, but for his holiness, not only for his birth, but for his new birth. Samuel was a product of prayer.

One Sunday in a Midwest City a young child was acting up during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew, but they were fighting a losing battle. Finally, the exasperated father grabbed the little fellow, and walked sternly down the aisle on his way out with the child in tow. Just before they reached the doors to the foyer the wee boy called back to the congregation in a loud voice, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”  We do need to pray for our children. Parents and grandparents we need to pray for their health, their choices, their eternal salvation, their growth in grace, their careers, their service to Christ, their future spouses, and their  children. Don’t put your children at risk through prayerlessness. We sin against the Lord and our children in doing so (1 Sam. 12:23). Perhaps, we should be more concerned about the lack of prayer in our homes than the lack of prayer in our schools.

Truth Matters #42
John 19:25-27

DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THE TRASH OUT

When a man was hanging on a cross, suspended on iron spikes, he wanted one thing and one thing only, death. He thought of one person and one person only, himself. Given that reality that is what makes the seven cries of Jesus from the cross utterly incredible. Unlike all other victims of crucifixion, Christ was more concerned about others and their needs than He was about Himself.

This selflessness is best seen in Jesus concern that His mother Mary be taken care of by John after He is gone (John 19:25-27). In accordance with the law, Christ sought to honor His mother (Ex. 20:12). Occupied as He was with the great work of redemption our Lord Jesus nevertheless fulfilled his domestic duties toward His mother, Mary. Although there was a world to save, Christ did not forget the duties that lay at hand.  

What we have in this cry from the Cross is a beautiful blending and balancing of the great with the small. Jesus did not achieve eternal redemption for mankind at the expense of caring for His mother. Despite the magnitude of the moment and the bigness of the task, Jesus still gave time and thought to other things. In doing this Christ models a couple of principles that we need to take to heart. One, the path to achievement must never pave over competing obligations that might be viewed as lesser (Matt. 23:11-12; Luke 19:17). Accomplishing something great must never be achieved at the expense of doing small things well. In doing great things we must also do the little things as though they were great. Two, the call to save the world must never take us beyond caring for our families (1 Tim. 3:4-5). Charity begins at home. In writing to Timothy, Paul reminds this young minister that God doesn’t call a man to be a father and a pastor in such a way that those two roles constantly war against each other. To be the one you must be the other.

A medical student was profoundly anxious about his future. He was working himself into a nervous breakdown. Then one spring day in 1871 he read twenty-one words from the writing of Thomas Carlyle that changed his thinking. The young man later became the most famous physician of his era. He organized the John Hopkins School of Medicine and became Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford. His name was Sir William Osler and these are the words that he read: “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” Jesus never lost sight of the duties that lay at hand and neither should we. In all our dreaming and doing let’s not forget to take the trash out. The big must never be done at the expense of the small. And the small must be seen as equally big.

Truth Matters #41
Proverbs 13:7

THE POVERTY OF MONEY

While the Bible sees no wrong in wealth righteously obtained and properly managed, it is nevertheless at pains to point out the relative value, and fleeting nature of all things material and monetary (Prov. 23:4-5). We must never trust money to yield what God alone can provide, for unlike our unfailing God money will fail us (Prov. 11:28). Money can buy medicine, but it cannot buy health. Money can buy a bed, but it cannot buy sleep. Money can buy books, but it cannot buy wisdom. Money can buy a crucifix, but it cannot buy salvation. Health, sleep, wisdom, and salvation are all gifts from God. We need to remind ourselves that some people are so poor that all they have is money. The book of Proverbs actually talks about the rich poor, and the poor rich (Prov. 13:7). A man can have everything and yet have nothing, and another man can have nothing and yet have everything. How can that be? Because, a person’s net worth is not to be measured in terms of property or possessions.

Proverbs teach us that true wealth is to be found in the acquiring of godly wisdom which is rooted in the fear of God (Prov. 3:13-18; 8:10-11, 17-19; 16:16). Wisdom which calls for the worship of God leads to enduring riches (Prov. 8:18). There are a lot of things a man or woman can do without, but they cannot do without the enrichment of a relationship with God. Wisdom reminds us of the reward of fearing God (Prov. 22:4). Wisdom reminds us of the treasure of God’s truth (Prov. 23:23). Wisdom reminds us that riches will not profit in the day of God’s wrath (Prov. 11:4). The best things in life therefore are God’s to give through fearing Him, obeying His Word, and living with eternal values. In New Testament terms it means making the Lord Jesus your treasure, the One who was made poor that we might be made rich through His death, burial and resurrection (2 Cor. 8:9). Therefore the greatest investment we can make is to be rich in faith, and rich in good works towards Christ (James 2:5; 1 Tim. 6:18-19).

The story is told of a tax assessor in the old days who visited the home of a poor Christian laborer to assess his tax bill. The Christian told the man that he was very wealthy and said, “First I have life everlasting. Second, I have an inheritance in heaven that doesn’t fade. Third, I have a peace that passes all understanding. Fourth, I have a loving wife who is worth more than rubies. Fifth, I have children that seek to honor me all my days. Sixth, I have a God who supplies all my needs out of the riches of His glory.” The auditor closed his book and said, “Truly you are a rich man, and your wealth is not subject to taxation” Friends, if you want to know how wealthy you are then add up all you have that money cannot buy, and death cannot steal. Watch out for the poverty of money! Seek God’s riches in Christ (Eph. 3:8)!

Truth Matters #40
Revelation 19:6

YOU SING HARMONY AND I’LL SING BASS

The book of Revelation is a very noisy book. It resounds to the clatter of the thunderbolts of God’s wrath poured out upon an unbelieving world. From start to finish it echoes to the sound of war, earthquakes, and demonic beasts. Yet for all its blood and thunder, it is essentially a song book. Amidst the din of a world at war with itself and God, there is to be heard songs of praise offered up to God by angelic choirs and redeemed souls. It is an often overlooked fact that the worship of God forms the background music to the book of the Revelation. There is the anthem of the triune God (Rev. 4:8). There is the creation hymn (Rev. 4:11). There is the new song of redemption (Rev. 5:9-10). There is the angel’s chorale (Rev. 5:12-14). There is the martyr’s canticle (Rev. 6:10). There is the kingdom carol (Rev. 11:15). There is the judgment psalm (Rev. 11:17-18). There is the shout of the overcomers (Rev. 12:10-12). There is the song of Moses and the Lamb (Rev. 15:3-4). And there is the hallelujah chorus (Rev. 19:1-4, 6).  

Beginning in chapter 4 and continuing intermittently through to chapter 19, we have a series of songs around the throne of God that highlight the unchanging reality of an eternal world in which God’s purpose is unfailing, and in which Christ reigns supreme.  History will close and crest with a hallelujah chorus celebrating God’s victory over sin and Satan (Rev. 19:6). In the book of Revelation one throne reigns supreme and that is God’s throne (Rev. 4:2, 10-11; 5:13; 7:9-10; 11:15-18; 19:1-4). Time will tell at the end that all the great figures of history have been bit actors in a drama written and produced by our Sovereign God and His Son, Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:9-11).

Amidst a troubled and tumbling world John fixes our gaze upon a throne that stands in heaven, a throne that has been established forever (Rev. 4:2; Psa. 45:6). The book of Revelation therefore reminds us that God has not abdicated His throne. It is true of life that there is much that runs contrary to God’s will, but where God does not rule, He overrules. So no matter how dark the day the Christian can meet it with a song that says, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”(Rev. 19:6). The worship we see offered before the throne of God in the book of Revelation is a summons to the Christian to live a joyful life of settled peace in the knowledge that God is in control. In the end the godly win. While parts of the book of the Revelation are rather dark and stormy we must not miss the rainbow of a Sovereign God who is worthy of our worship both now and forever (Rev. 4:3). When my father-in-law came to Christ in his native Scotland, his workmates mocked him by saying, “Gordon, has become a hallelujah.” Well! Every Christian is and ought to be a living hallelujah to our loving and Sovereign God! Today, you sing harmony and I’ll sing bass.

Truth Matters #39
Romans 8:26-28

LOST FOR WORDS

As a man was leaving church, he stopped to talk to his pastor and told him, “Pastor, you are smarter than Albert Einstein.” The pastor blushed and replied, “Smarter than Einstein? Einstein was one of the smartest men who ever lived. What makes you think that I am smarter than Einstein?” In answer the man said, “Well, Einstein was so smart that when he spoke people could only understand five percent of what he said. When you speak people cannot understand anything you say.”

Lack of clarity and comprehension is not only a problem in preaching but in praying. Paul in his letter to the Romans acknowledges that there are times in the Christian life where there is a failure to communicate our hearts’ desire to God in a given set of circumstances. We know we ought to pray, but there are days when we do not know what we ought to pray (Luke 18:1; Rom. 8:26). Life leaves us scratching our heads. We stand stir crazy at some crossroads in life not knowing what to ask from God. Our thoughts are all jumbled up leaving us tongue tied before the throne of grace.

In such cases, our garbled prayers are due to the fact that we live in a fallen world as finite creatures. This passage places a groaning Christian in the midst of a groaning creation (Rom. 8:20-23, 26). It is hard to know what to pray for in an upside down world. Besides a fallen world, we are stumped by our own weakness which speaks of our blindness towards the mystery of God’s providence (Rom. 8:26). We don’t know what is best for us, and what constitutes God’s best. Sometimes God’s best can be a bad thing that works for good (Rom. 8:28). There are times because of our world and our weakness all we can do is sigh. Our prayers become nothing more than a whimper.

The good news of our text is that when you and I find ourselves lost for words, the Spirit of God who causes us to pray in the first place, prays for us (Rom. 8:14-17, 26-27). The marvel of Romans eight is that third person of the Trinity is said to become our prayer partner. Our weak prayers trigger His strong prayers. When you and I are without words, the Spirit makes intercession for us with divine articulations or groanings too deep for words to our Father in heaven. Our groaning in a broken world produces His groaning on our behalf. He is indeed the “divine paraclete” who has been called alongside side to comfort us. Watch this! The Spirit of God knows us completely, and God knows the mind of the Spirit perfectly, therefore that which we cannot put into words is presented to God according to the will of God by the Holy Spirit on our behalf (Rom. 8:27). The Spirit fixes our prayers on the way up so that God hears our prayer made better. It is good to know that God hears us even when we are without words.

Truth Matters #38
Psalm 23:5

THERE IS MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM

A lady went to her local bank to withdraw some money from her account. Having received it from the teller she proceeded to count it and then recount it. Wondering if he had made a mistake the teller asked, “What is it lady, isn’t it all there?” The woman snapped back, “It just is!” I am not sure what this woman was expecting but banks are not charities. They give us exactly what we ask for, no more and no less.

The bank of God’s grace however is different. It is marked not by exactness but by extravagance. God doesn’t dole out his blessing in dribs and drabs. The psalmist David gives testimony to this fact in telling us in Psalm 23 that his life brimmed over with God’s favor, and multiplied grace (Psalm. 23:5). The overflowing cup pictures the abundant provision of God in David’s life. Good shepherds in David’s day often drew water for their flocks from wells, some as deep as one hundred feet. They would draw the water hand over hand with leather buckets on the end of a long rope. The water was then poured into stone receptacles beside the well. It was a long and laborious process. If a shepherd had fifty sheep, he might have to work for two hours or more to allow the sheep to drink all they wanted, but the good shepherd did this out of love for his flock.  It was a sign of the shepherd’s special care.

In this image David wants us to see the heart of God toward his people. God loves to give in a way that exceeds our expectations. We don’t have to wring anything from the heart or hand of God. God through Christ loves to fill our lives to the brim with His goodness and mercy (Rom. 8:32). If it is salvation we need, it is a great salvation that He provides (Heb. 2:3). If it is grace that we require, He makes all grace abound to us in all things (2 Cor. 9:8). If it is peace that we crave, He sends perfect peace (Isa. 26:3). If it is life that we seek, He gives it more abundantly (John 10:10). If it is answer to prayer that we desire, He answers above and beyond all that we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20). God is more than good.

Given that reality we need along with William Carey to always expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God. The well of God’s promised provision for us will never run dry (Phil. 4:19). We must not stagger at the promise of God’s lavish love in Christ (Rom. 4:20). There is always more grace (James 4:6). Our plans should take omnipotence into account (Jer. 32:17). Our dreams should not turn back at the border of human imagination (Gen. 48:11). Past achievements should never be the benchmark for future possibilities (2 Kings 2:9). When it comes to God’s kindness there is more where that came from. Raise your glass today and toast the goodness of God.

Truth Matters #37
Psalm 5:3

GOOD MORNING

A PGA golfer will tell you that Thursday is a very important day in any professional golf tournament. It is the day the player needs to get off to a good start. While the tournament cannot be won on a Thursday, it can be lost. They can get so far behind that they don’t make the cut on Friday. I would suggest that what Thursdays are to the game of professional golf, the morning time is to our day. It sets us up for success or failure. It is the rudder to the rest of the day. The day can be won or lost in those first few minutes and hours after waking. Given that reality, let me suggest a good morning routine that will help us all get our day off to a good start.

Firstly, let us look up to God in prayer (Psalm 5:3). We can do more once we have prayed, but we cannot do more until we have prayed. Prayer should be the key of the morning and the lock at night.

Secondly, let us open our ear to the voice of God in Scripture (Isa. 50:4). From the moment we wake, many things shout for our attention but we must push them back until we have heard God speak through His word.

Thirdly, let us resolve to rejoice (Psa. 118:24). We must commit ourselves to give thanks in everything because we know that God works all things together for our good.

Fourthly, let us focus on God’s faithfulness (Lam. 3:22-23). With every new day and demand we can count on God’s tailor-made grace and mercy.

Fifthly, let us rest in God’s comprehensive knowledge of that day (Psa. 139:13-18). God has planned the day we are about to live before we were born.

Sixthly, let us live in the hope that things will get better (Psa. 30:5). One of these mornings God will cause the sun to rise on a new season in our lives.

Seventhly, let us limit our concerns to one day (Matt. 6:34). Each day has its own set of troubles and its own measure of grace. Therefore we must not borrow from tomorrow.

Eighthly, let us live as if it were our last day, for some day it will be (John 9:4). We must not waste our day because its choices will have consequences forever.

It is time to tee off!

Truth Matters #36
Matthew 6:9-13

AND EVERYBODY SAID AMEN

Uncle Irv was not noted for his religious devotion but he needed one million dollars to clinch a real estate deal. So he went down to his local synagogue to pray for the money. By chance he knelt down next to a man who was praying for one hundred dollars to pay his rent. Irv reached into his pocket for his money clip, and took from it a hundred dollar bill which he pressed into the other man’s hand. Overcome by joy, the man got up and left the sanctuary. Uncle Irv then looked heavenward, and started his prayer, “Lord, now that I have your undivided attention . . . .”

I am not sure Uncle Irv got God’s undivided attention because the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, teaches us in the Lord’s Prayer that prayer is not about barging by other people and their concerns while seeking to have God to ourselves.  The Lord’s Prayer begins with “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). This prayer is to be prayed in the plural. You cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and ever once say “I.” You cannot say the Lord’s Prayer and ever once say “My.” This is a prayer not only for the Christian, but also for the whole church. Jesus is warning us to not allow prayer to become childish, and individualistic. Prayer as a treasured gift is not simply to be spent on self (James 4:1-3). Prayer is not a golden lamp with God as our private genie. He is our Father in heaven, and Father to all those who have been adopted into the family of God, and we should bear that in mind the next time we pray (Rom. 8:15-17; Eph. 3:14-21). Many of us have developed a self-centeredness in praying that is unbiblical and unbalanced.

Paying respect to our family ties in Christ carries with it several important implications for our prayer life. First, as we pray we will see the world through a wide angled lens. It is our privilege to cast our individual cares on the Lord, but our praying must not stop there. There must be a kind of socialism to our praying. We must pray for the needs of the whole church across the world.  The apostle John saw the elders in heaven with “the prayers of the saints,” not the prayers of one saint (Rev. 5:8). Second, as we pray we will think about how our requests impinge upon others. We cannot ask for that which might harm, defraud or exclude others. Paul’s prayer and preference was to be with Christ, but he realized that to remain on earth was better for the Philippians, and so he was happy for God to answer their prayer rather than his (Phil. 1:19-26). We ought not to pray at someone’s expense. Third, as we pray we will be mindful of broken relationships and the need to repair them quickly. Simply put we cannot look our Father in heaven square in the face with a smile while deliberately turning our back to brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we are at odds (Matt. 5:21-26; 6:14-15). The Christian is not an only child therefore our prayers are family prayers. And everybody said, Amen!

Truth Matters #35
Psalm 4:1-8

SLEEP WELL

The news of Japan’s surprise and savage attack upon the American fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a bittersweet affair to the British wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. Bitter in the sense that he mourned the great loss of ships and sailors in this unprovoked attack! Sweet in the sense that it would become the catalyst for America’s entry into the Second World War! The sleeping giant had been awakened and now the tide would surely turn against Germany. The country of his mother’s birth would now be arrayed on Britain’s side. It is reported that on the evening of that infamous day in December that Churchill said: “Tonight I shall sleep the sleep of the saved and thankful.”

“The sleep of the saved,” now there is an interesting and intriguing phrase! By inference Churchill’s words assume that those who know God and are known to God sleep better than most, or at least they ought to. Their rest is not found in downy pillows or soft pillow top mattresses, but in trusting God who can be trusted with all their cares and concerns (Psa. 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7). King David is a case in point for he writes in the fourth Psalm, “In peace I will lie down and sleep for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psa. 4:8). The backdrop to this psalm is Absalom’s rebellion which makes these words pop out even more (2 Sam 15-18). David is at rest amidst unrest. David is at peace amidst war. How was he able to sleep at all? God’s smile (v 6), God’s sufficiency (v 7), and God’s security (v 8)! True calm and contentment depends not on circumstances but on God’s loving kindness and promised faithfulness. David was able to sleep in the presence of his enemies, just as Jesus was able to sleep in the midst of a storm (Psalm 23:5; Mark 4:38-39).

Statistics tell us that 70 million Americans have troubled sleeping. Thirty tons of aspirins, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers are consumed every day. America is up when she should be down. If that is you, then let me suggest a couple of things. One, pray to God for the gift of sleep (Psalm 127:2)! Two, ask your Father in heaven to tuck you in with the sure and certain knowledge that in the morning you will find new mercies for the coming day (Psa. 3:5; Lam. 3:22-23)! Third, let God work the nightshift (Psalm 121:4)! You can rest and sleep for God is at work on your behalf (Eph. 1:11). Even though at times it might seem as if God is sleeping or snoring it is never the case. Read Esther chapter six and learn how God turns the tables on Mordecai’s enemy Haman even as Mordecai sleeps (Esther 6:1-13). Ironically, Haman will be hanged on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). Listen and learn! God’s got your back so you go ahead and lie on yours, and sleep the sleep of the saved.

Truth Matters #34
Revelation 1:12-18

UPDATING OUR WORSHIP

The worship offered to God in most churches on Sunday needs updating. It needs to become more contemporary, but not in the way most people think. When I talk about the need for more contemporary worship in our churches, I am not thinking in terms of a band replacing an orchestra, or a worship team replacing a choir, or throwing out the hymnal. The update has to do with who we worship, and not how we worship.

In a recent study of the book of the Revelation, I was confronted afresh by the thought that this is a book about Jesus. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to the apostle John (Rev. 1:1). It is an unveiling of the once crucified, now risen, and gloried Son of God. It is a divine disclosing of Jesus Christ in His present splendor (Rev. 1-3), and future glory (Rev. 4-22). The stated purpose of this book is to help us see Christ as we have rarely seen Him before (Matt. 17:1-8), not as the lowly carpenter but as the lofty king (Rev. 1:12-18; Rev. 19:11-16). He who was crowned with thorns on earth is now crowned with honor in heaven (Phil. 2:9-11). Without this view, the apostle John happily puts his head on the chest of Jesus at the Last Supper (John 13:23). With this view of the post ascension glory of the Lord Jesus, John falls as a dead man at Christ’s feet (Rev. 17). John’s vision of Jesus had been updated, and his worship along with it.

John’s prostration alerts us to the danger that unless we update our view of Christ according to the book of the Revelation, we may be committing idolatry in the very act of worship. Our worship of Christ must be contemporary. It must reflect Him as He now is. His humiliation is over. His glory has been restored (John 17:1-5). The world that laughed at Him will soon wail because of Him (Rev. 1:7). He who came the first time to a crucifixion is coming again to a coronation (Rev. 11:15). Revelation prevents us from committing the sin of idolatry, from worshipping Jesus as someone less than He is.

Whether a church is one hundred years old or one year old, it needs to update its worship in accordance to the book of Revelation. We need to regain our fear of God, and lose our familiarity with God. We need to see Jesus sitting on a throne not hanging on a tree. We need invigorating worship that at the same time scares us half to death just like John. Upon reaching the summit of a high mountain, a climber braved the cross winds, and jumped to his feet in joy. As he did so, an expired guide pulled him down, and said, “On your knees. You are never safe except on your knees!” As we ascend the holy hill to worship God, we need to do so with a due respect and reverence. Don’t forget to download the new worship app from the book of the Revelation.

Truth Matters #33
Joshua 3:11-17

Take the Next Step

What is stopping you from taking that next step? What is it that is making you hold back from boldly moving forward? Is it the size of the task? Is it the doubting of friends and family? Is it the fear of failure? Is it the security of the familiar? There you stand on the doorstep of a great opportunity brilliantly disguised as an impossible situation.

This was the situation of the children of Israel on the edge of entering the Promised Land. In Joshua three, the Israelites are looking across to Canaan with the River Jordan at flood level standing in their way (Josh. 3:1-17). The river’s edge was becoming a swamp (Josh. 3:15). It seems that God had brought them to the east bank of the river Jordan at a most unpropitious time. The more they looked the more impossible the crossing seemed. No boats, no bridges, no way!

Faced with this improbable and impossible situation, God tells the Israelites to take a step of faith by following the priests who bear the ark into the river (Josh. 3:11ff). God promises them that if they will march forward by faith in obedience to Him, that as soon their feet rest in the waters of the river Jordan, He will damn up the river, enabling them to cross, not unlike the Rea Sea episode (Josh. 3:13-16; Ex. 14:15-16). Trusting God, they did take that next step towards Canaan. Passing through the waters, God proved that He was with them and for them in a most marvelous way (Isa. 43:2).

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Well, this story teaches us that there are no God-sized solutions until we get our feet wet, in boldly and believingly taking the next step in what we know to be the will of God for us. Heaven moves to help when we step out in faith to obey. Focusing on the Ark, that is looking to the Lord is good (Josh. 3:11). Sanctifying yourself, that is prayerfully preparing is good (Josh. 3:5). But they are not enough, for we must also be willing to get our feet wet in bold action (Josh. 3:13). If we are going to do anything for God and God for us, we must take that first step into the swelling tide, showing our faith to be large, and our God to be big. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and without God things remain impossible (Heb. 11:6).

In 1994, June and I decided to pack up and leave N. Ireland with our three small daughters for the Master’s Seminary. It was a big and bold move. But God encouraged us with a paraphrase of the words in Proverbs 4:12: “As you go the way shall open up to you.” As a trustee of that school today, God has proved that promise to us in an unbelievable way. But it all started with a step of faith. Go get your feet wet!

Truth Matters #32
Colossians 1:1-2

In Two Places at Once

They say that you cannot be in two places at once, but that is not strictly true when it comes to the Christian. A look at Paul’s introduction in his letter to the Colossians points to the fact that every church and every Christian has two homes, and two habitats. The Colossians were said to be “in Christ” and “in Colosse” (Col. 1:1). The idea of two homes is to be found in other places in the New Testament (Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Rev. 1:9-10). The great truth that comes out of these verses is that the Christian lives in Christ while simultaneously living in the world. Just as branches are in the vine, and just as limbs are in the body Paul sees us being “in Christ” (John 15:1-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-31)! The Christian life therefore is a common life in Christ. Colosse was the sphere in which the saints lived but Christ was the source of their living.  They lived from the inside out. The “who” on the inside, namely Christ, and not the “what” on the outside, namely circumstances, determined the quality, momentum, and focus of their lives. For them to live was Christ, and the life they lived was by faith in the Son of God (Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20).

Perhaps an illustration will help make the point. Many of us have flown internationally and spent a night 35,000 feet up in the air. That was our physical location. But, thankfully, whilst we were 35,000 feet in the air we were also inside an airplane. It was only because we were inside that pressurized tube that we could be in the air. The airplane was the more significant reality to us, enabling us to get off the ground and stay in the air, free from the debilitating effects of the outside temperature and pressure. We were in the air, but safely in the aircraft.

So Christ should be the sphere in which we live, wherever we live and whatever we do. To be “in Christ” is to be in a living and lasting relationship with Him, to have our daily lives shaped and sustained by His life (Phil 4:13). He is the well from which we draw all that is necessary for life and godliness. The Christian lives in two places at once. First, there is their physical location, but, second, there is their spiritual position (Eph. 1:3ff). Therefore the weak Christian finds their rest in Christ. The persecuted Christian finds their security in Christ. The baffled Christian finds their clarity in Christ. The anxious Christian finds their peace in Christ. The Christian must remember who they are “in Christ” wherever they are, and whatever they are facing!

I read that during an interview with a group of astronauts, the crew was asked, “What do you think is the single most important key to successful space travel?” One of the astronauts offered the following response: “The secret to traveling in space is to take your own atmosphere with you.” Living in Christ must be the Christians atmosphere!

Truth Matters #31
Psalm 23:6

YOU ARE BEING FOLLOWED

During the fall of 1974 President Gerald Ford’s son, Michael Ford, along with his wife Gayle attended Gordon Conwell in the Boston area. Because his father occupied the Oval Office at the time, Michael had to have two Secret Service agents with him at all times. They tried to look like students, but their cover was blown. For one thing, most of the agents were chain smokers. Since no one was allowed to smoke in classes, they were often seen taking turns leaving the class to get a nicotine fix. Whenever Mike and Gayle would take walks, two men would invariably be seen stumbling behind them. This led some at Gordon Conwell to remark that the secret service men reminded them of David’s words in Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” So a section of the student body at the school nicknamed the two men “Goodness” and “Mercy”!

While the sons and daughters of sitting American presidents are guarded round the clock by secret service agents, it is nothing in comparison to the glorious truth that the children of God are shadowed day and night by God’s goodness and mercy. Wherever life takes us or whatever life takes from us, we are as God’s family always in the company of His goodness and mercy. Wherever we are there they are, goodness for every step and mercy for every sin. The word “follow” carries the idea of being pursued. This word is used of Pharaoh’s malicious pursuit of the fleeing Israelites back in the book of Exodus (Ex. 14:4). Interestingly, David the author of Psalm 23 spent most of his adult life being pursued by his enemies and God’s enemies, but he found comfort in the truth that God’s goodness and mercy were always hard on his heels (Heb. 13:5-6). By implication God’s goodness and mercy will run after us, find us, and minister to our needs wherever we are. We will never be bereft of God’s love (Rom. 8:35-39).

God’s goodness speaks of the many gifts that He showers upon his creation and church. It is all that makes life bearable and beneficial (Acts 14:17). God’s goodness crested in the gift of His Son as our loving Savior (Titus 3:4-7). God’s mercy alternatively speaks of God’s goodness coming out to us despite our sin (Lam. 3:22-23). It is that which allows for God’s goodness to be shown, in mercy God shows kindness. These glorious actions of God complement each other. In God’s goodness, we get what we don’t deserve, and in God’s mercy we don’t get what we do deserve. Not goodness alone for we are rebels in need of clemency. Not mercy alone for we need many things beside forgiveness. In the one, we have provision for all our needs, and in the other, we a have pardon for all our sins. Therefore, as a child of God, don’t be afraid to step out into an unknown future, because you are being followed by God’s goodness and mercy.

Truth Matters #30
Hebrews 2:14-18

GOD WITH SKIN ON

A little fellow put to bed one night couldn’t sleep. After some twisting and turning, he eventually slipped into a slumber only to awaken screaming by the horrors of a nightmare. His father rushed upstairs to assure him that everything was fine, but the shadows on the wall plus the darkness kept him in a state of fear. After some time his father said, “I am going downstairs but God will watch over you. He is right here.” That seemed little comfort to the child who exclaimed, “I want a God with skin on.”

God with skin on is the marvel and the message of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas is a celebration and commemoration of the fact that God became a man, the eternal Word was made flesh, the highest being became a lowly creature, the source of life became a dying man, and omnipotence was wrapped in a swaddling cloth and laid in a manger (John 1:14; Phil. 2:5-9). God with skin on is one of the great wonders and doctrines of the Christian faith.

In Hebrews 2:14-18, we find three grand purposes to the incarnation. First, Christ came to pick the lock on the prison house of death through his own death, releasing men from its domination and dread (Heb. 2:14-15). Second, seeing that death is the payment on sin, Christ also came to assume the debt of our sin by means of His propitiatory death on the cross for sinners (Heb. 2:17). Third, Christ came not only to die our death but to live our life so that He might become a qualified and sympathetic high priest before God for us (Heb. 2:18). Christ came to release, redeem, and relief us.

Picking up on this final truth, it is so good to know that in Christ God knows experientially and exactly what we are going through. He is so in touch with life, its trials and temptations, because Christ was tempted just as we are (Heb. 4:14-16). Our God is a God with skin on, and Christ has carried our humanity to the heights of heaven forever where He makes well-informed, first-hand prayers for us (Heb. 7:25; 9:24). What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and grief’s to bear!

But Christ not only hears He helps. The Hebrew writer says, “He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18; Heb. 4:14-16). The picture here is a beautiful one of Christ coming to our assistance; much like a mother running to help when she hears the cry of her child. Christ knows our struggle and is willing to shower us with grace, and clothe us with power (John 16:33). When we yield to Christ, we don’t have to yield to temptation (1 John 5:4-5). As Bishop J. C. Ryle said, “Jesus Christ is the Son of God mighty to save and the Son of Man mighty to feel!”

Truth Matters #29
2 Samuel 15:25-26

BEST LEAVE IT TO GOD

One of the great challenges and choices in life when faced with overwhelming trouble is to take things into our own hands or leave them in God’s hands. In life we can find ourselves in a moment of crisis, standing at a fork in the road, having to consciously decide between trusting ourselves, and resting in God’s sovereignty. At that moment the wise man or woman realizes it is best to leave things with God.

In 2 Samuel 15, we find King David having to flee the city of Jerusalem in the face of his own son’s treachery. Absalom had stolen the hearts of the citizenry, and turned them against his father, and was marching against Jerusalem. In the face of Absalom’s advance, David withdraws to avoid the bloodbath of a prolonged siege. Insult is added to injury as David learns that his trusted friend and wise counselor, Ahithophel, had betrayed him. He was also told that Mephibosheth, to whom he had shown great kindness, was also among the scoundrels who had conspired against him.

In the midst of this chaos and crisis, David does something interesting and inspiring. For the sake of the people, the king does a noble thing and sends Zadok, his beloved priest, and faithful friend, back to Jerusalem with the ark of the covenant (2 Sam. 15:25-26). David surmised that if it was God’s will for him to return as king, he would do so. Hence there was no need to keep the ark away from the sanctuary. The royal fugitive muses, “If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place.” If not, “Let Him do to me as it seems good to Him.” David doesn’t take things into his own hands; he leaves things in God’s hands.

Perhaps, like David, your life is in a tailspin. Things are out of control in your body, your home, your business, and your ministry. Your future is out of your hands, and in someone else hands. You feel vulnerable and exposed. You want to do something, anything, but your choices are limited. You want to act but you fear doing the wrong thing, only making matters worse.

If that describes you, remember that even if power has been wrested from your hands, your times are in God’s hand (Psa. 31:15). Nothing happens to you except by the will of God. Your emergency is in God’s hands. Your enemy is in God’s hands. In the midst of your losses, don’t lose your confidence in the sovereignty of God. What seems good to Him is ultimately good for us (Rom. 8:28). Some years ago I read something that Warren Wiersbe said and it has stuck with me and served me well. He said, “God gives his best to those who leave the choice to Him.” Best leave it to God.

Truth Matters #28
1 Peter 1:3-5

SAFE AND SOUND

In his book “Muscular Faith”, author and campus pastor, Ben Patterson, writes, “When circumstances aren’t as agreeable as I want them to be, I practice a little spiritual discipline that has managed to feed my hope and keep me in joy, nevertheless. I have a long version and a short version: Someone will ask me how I am, and I’ll answer, ‘Other than the fact that all my sins are forgiven, and that I am going to live in heaven eternally in the joy of God, I am not doing too well.’ The look on the questioner’s face always amuses me. That and the irony of saying I am not doing too well in the face of such magnificent prospects, usually lifts the cloud a bit. That is the long version. The short version is simply to answer, ‘I am fundamentally sound.’ I may be superficially bummed out, sad, frustrated, angry, but that is the worst I can say about it; it is surface only.”

Fundamentally sound is indeed a great way to describe the Christian’s condition. The Christian may experience loss, change, upset, and set back, but when you step behind and scratch beneath that, things are fundamentally sound. Whatever life takes or time steals, it does not rob them of their spiritual blessings in Christ. Essentially, the Christian’s life is unassailable.

In the opening of Peter’s first letter, the apostle begins with a recital of the blessings enjoyed by God’s redeemed children (1 Peter 1:3-5). Peter reminds his readers living in this temporary and troubled world that through the death and resurrection of Christ, God has brought them to a state of new birth. The result of being born again is that they have acquired an eternal inheritance reserved in heaven. It is an inheritance in Christ that can never perish, spoil or fade. What the saint of God has in Christ is something that remains, and is untouched by decay, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. Through faith in Christ, the Christian has been granted a brand new life, and has everything to live for, including a bright future in heaven.

Life may pilfer from us friends and family, health and wealth, but that which is most essential and wonderful remains unsoiled and unspoiled.  The implication of Peter’s words is that you and I have a guaranteed future in Christ. We have a spiritual trust fund that no one can touch. All the things that are really worth living for and dying with are locked safely away in heaven’s vault. No one can separate us from the love of God. Nothing can rob us of His forgiveness. No one can take His Holy Spirit from us. Nothing can reverse our deliverance from the penalty, power and presence of sin. No one can tamper with our justification and adoption. Our relationship with God and our riches in God are never at risk. Safe and sound is a good description of a Christian’s life and lot!