The LORD's Day, March 30, 2008

A Rare Jewel

Proverbs 20.15

Lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

I love that line from a song by Michael Card:

You and me we use so very many clumsy words.
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard.
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to communicate His love,
He spoke it in one final perfect Word.

One of the countless things that amaze me about Jesus is His ability to say something significant with very few words. We saw that during our study of God’s Word during Holy Week.


Knowledge means a number of things...

1. Perception

Before we speak we need to perceive what a situation is. Speaking with knowledge means knowing our subject matter. It means knowing the person or persons situation. If we lack perception we will speak foolishly. There is plenty of hot air around these days. We don’t need anymore!

This perception is the ability to see more than just the surface and obvious although it includes that. Some people have trouble seeing the obvious.

Very religious people can have know perception.

Isaiah 43.19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Most of the moves of God have not been perceived by the organized institutional church.

Luke 19.41 As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

Perception is seeing things for what they truly are. Perception is insight. It sees the roots and the future of things as well as the current situation of them.

Knowledge also means...
2. Skill

There is an art to speaking. A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.- Proverbs 25.11 Rich and beautiful and rare.

Some it comes easier to.

Proverbs 15.23 A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! Timing in speaking is very important. I never know of right time to say, “I told you so.” When a person is frustrated it is better to do something for them than to say something to them. When a person is upset silent prayer is best.

When we do speak, to speak with knowledge is a skill. Weigh your words- think about how they will be taken. Seek to eliminate clumsy words and noise from your lips. Let knowledge come out. It is a rarity.

It is developed. Few reach that point where their lips are speaking knowledge.

We learn by our mistakes. They should be decreasing in the areas where we are learning.

We hide God’s Word in our so that we will not sin.

We should be growing in this area with increasing ability.

3. Discernment

Religious people can very undiscerning!

Matthew 16.1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested Him by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' 3 and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.

The religious leaders in Jesus’ time on earth did not know the signs of the times. He warned His early followers not to be asleep when He comes again. He urged them to be on their guard. The horrible indifference to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is appalling today. He is coming! He is coming soon. Don’t be one of those who do cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Speaking with this ability to discern is a gift of the Spirit. It is the ability to see clearly and talk straight about things. We all need the LORD to help us more in this area.

Knowledge also means...
4. Understanding

Lips that speak with understanding. How often as we shared a few weeks ago that when it comes to comforting someone who is grieving we would be better many times by being there and saying very little.

When we find people in situations we don’t understand words of encouragement are much more fitting than words of instruction. Many times words of instruction when we don’t have first hand experience or a full understanding of what a person is going through are incorrect and there for would be better left unsaid! Never say to a depressed person, “Come on snap out of it! Get up and get going” That is what they want to do many times but are not able to. Of course if you have gone through it and have a first hand knowledge of depression you would never say that to someone who is struggling with it. You understand- just as someone who has gone through divorce, a miscarriage, someone who has been abused...

5. Wisdom

Lips that speak wisdom are a rare jewel indeed. Remember in the early chapters of Proverbs as Solomon was describing wisdom to his son that he spoke of it as being precious and costly?

Proverbs 3.13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

8.10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

You will not find wisdom on a lot of people’s lips, on the contrary many speak foolishly. I Timothy 1.7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.


We can make decisions to be wise in the eyes of God. It is not complicated. This is open to all God’s children. It is in keeping a steady diet of the Proverbs coming in to our hearts!

Rare it is. The proof is what is on the lips. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Let’s be part of that small company !

The Power Of the Resurrection

Luke 24


The women were going to the tomb to take care of the dead body of Jesus. This was a custom.

In Isaiah 53.9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
The rich men (Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus) went and asked for the body of Jesus from Pilate. Those who had money buried their loved ones with extra care. If you go to Oakwood Cemetery you can see the mausoleum’s- the burial place of the rich. The rich had tombs in Israel, the wealthy in Jerusalem. For burial they covered the body with spices and in paste, and these were tied to the body by layers of white roller bandages. The paste hardened and impregnated the bandages until a hard preservative mold or cocoon was formed. A cap was placed on the head, and often the jaw was held in position by a bandage under the chin. This is why when the disciples saw it they wondered and John believed. They were looking at this empty form without a body. It had not been disturbed because Jesus’s body passed through it like He did when he came through the locked doors of the upper room that night. When they got to the tomb it looked like Jesus was still lying there until they looked and there was no head and the cap was set off by itself. On further investigation there was no body.
John 20.3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

These women were going to a dead body, or so they thought. Look what is in their hands. They had spices they had prepared to put around the body of our LORD. What is in your hands? God asked Moses that question once. Few people fret when they are holding God’s Word in their hands. It is when we take what doesn’t belong in our hands and put it there that we worry and fret. When we take problems from God’s Hands into our hands we fall apart inside.

Our hands give us away They had the goods that they believed Jesus was dead. What is in your hands. Emma and I walked over to feed the cat next door Friday evening- her hand was in my hand. New territory for her and she liked the security.

What is in your mind? These followers of Jesus had a wide array of emotions from guilt, doubts, fears and terror and deep sorrow.

What is on our lips? They asked themselves “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” It was already rolled away. This wasn’t to let Jesus out. That little pebble in front of that tomb was not worth comparing at all with the Rock of Ages inside The stone was rolled away for the women to see in- to see He had risen. You see how foolish it is to worry about things Jesus told us about? Remember that quote by Nelson Bell, missionary doctor to China- Ruth Graham’s father? In May of 1929, he wrote to his mother, I found out here my big trouble is worrying about things the Lord is already working out for me.

What is in your heart? There was love in the hearts of those at the tomb of Jesus that first Easter and thank God He looks in our hearts They loved their LORD.
They came in contact with the power of the Resurrection- Jesus is alive
Blessed are those who see and believe - more blessed are those who do not see and believe!
The Resurrection means:


1. Power over Death

The grief we have in the loss of loved ones who knew Jesus-
I Thessalonians 4
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

The memories of the righteous are a blessing. The expectation of being together again is wonderful and brings encouragement and comfort to our hearts and minds. It is so amazing. We can ache and hurt deeply within and yet be filled with hope at the same time while grieving We do not grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. Edie’s family- John and Brother Hazard both went to heaven just hours before Easter. The scene at the cemetery...

The perspective we have in our mortality. We all will die if Jesus does not come in our life time.
But even facing death because of the Resurrection, we can have things - good things deep in our hearts John 14.19 Because I live, you also will live.

Peace

Joy

Expectation

2. Power for Living

Christ lives within Galatians 2.20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

His Spirit Romans 8.11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you

Jesus give us victory of a life of sin and defeat. We know the Way because He is the Way We have direction and purpose in living if He is in our hearts We have the power to overcome the world, our own flesh and the devil because of the resurrection. Jesus Christ is alive and we share in His resurrection power.

3. Strength for Today

If you look closely at the armor of God (Ephesians 6) it is for standing firm. Jesus rose again so we can stand firm until the end. He promised to be with us always right up to the end of the age.

We are not to worry about tomorrow- each day has enough trouble of its own we are told by Jesus. Through prayer and His Word and the Presence of His Spirit, the fellowship of other believers, songs and hymns, He strengthens us!


4.Hope for Tomorrow

Because He Lives II Corinthians 4.13 It is written: I believed; therefore I have spoken. With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence

Look at those two we read about this morning: we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel Luke 24.21 These men had lost their hope. It is always when the circumstances of life are paid more attention to than the LORD of glory that followers of Jesus lose their hope. He gives us hope for tomorrow

5.Eternity With Jesus

Of course there is an eternal part of the resurrection- I Corinthians 15.1-19
There is a difference between someone being raised from the dead and their spirit returning to their own body and the resurrection. The resurrected body will be one that never dies. All those whom Jesus raised from the dead died eventually. Otherwise there would be people living today that were 2,000 years old

The resurrected body will be different. It will not be subject to the penalty of sin. There will be no more death or decay. No aging, no sickness, no more pain It will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. It is forever!

We believe that Jesus died and rose again

We believe we serve a risen Savior

We have His Spirit with in us

One day He will come for us

The LORD's Day March16, 2008 Palm Sunday

The LORD Always Keeps His Promises

Matthew 21.1-11

This, Palm Sunday, as we call it, commemorates Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which was eventually led to His arrest and death.

There was a great misunderstanding about what was taking place. This was the emotional peak that the disciples descended from into the valley of despair and hopelessness on Friday. How poor of a guide our emotions are! Yet they are used by many to reach decisions in their lives which results in heart ache and chaos. Many are ruled by feelings of despair. They lose out on the joy that could be theirs because they are worrying about something they don’t need to worry about.

May the Lord also bless your Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter.
Jesus is alive…don’t worry about a thing.

Palm Sunday, this day is so important. What we celebrate today is so very deeply significant. It was an emotional day to say the least. But more than that it was a day when prophecy was fulfilled, a number of prophecies. Jesus was entering Jerusalem, being claimed King- Messiah, knowing full well that a few days later, He would be led out of the city to be crucified between two thieves. The disciples were told this but they did everything but listen and believe it. Jesus told them plainly. They has their own ideas and it did not include their LORD dying on a Roman cross.
Don’t be too hard on them. After all they had seen Jesus do some tremendous miracles. They saw Him tell the winds and waves to stop and they did. What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him?! They pictured Him taking on Roman soldiers.
To the crowds it looked like victory on Palm Sunday and defeat on Good Friday. But the crowds seldom get it right. It is finished from the cross was not a cry of defeat but one of victory over sin, death and hell.
The predicament that Israel was in at this time was one that called for a deliverer from God. Jesus fit the bill, the people thought. Their predicament was that they had promises in their Bibles that God gave to David that needed to be acted upon. This Palm Sunday I want to call your attention to something that is very significant. Look over at

II Chronicles 21.1-7 v.7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the LORD had made with David, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

1. God made this promise to David - II Samuel 7.5-17

What an awesome exchange. A man is tested by the praise he receives and David came out of the whole experience humbled. When God does something in our lives we should be humbled.
v.8 I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. You must learn to follow before you lead. God’s best men were shepherds before they led men.
This was an incredible promise to this young man. God’s promises are wonderful. How we need to hide them in our hearts!
If I make I promise to you:
* I could forget I made it. One of the things about children is you never need to worry about forgetting something you promised them- if you do they will remind you with these words: “You promised!” The LORD is faithful to all His promises!” He remembers. Gardening Glove yesterday.
*I could make a promise and then circumstances could make it impossible for me to keep it. Although unlikely and we are to keep our promises even if hurts but still some things could make it so we could not do what we said. Not so with God. He is able, more than able!
This was a very special promise. David well knew that. It was extraordinary. This promise continues to be fulfilled today and has great prophetic significance.

2. Israel broke God’s law and fell under judgment. Ezekiel 2

They were in Babylon 1.2-3
This was at the other extreme of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the city of God, the place of the temple. Babylon was the place of godlessness, the place where man attempted to build a tower to reach the heavens, the tower of Babel, in defiance to God’s Word.
Out of the land- a punishment.
God’s promise with condition: Deuteronomy 4.25-28

3. God promised they would return 29-31
We see the grace of God in the Old Testament.
What a return it was. Psalm 126

Ezekiel was a prophet of the exile and in Babylon as was Daniel.

4. Daniel told about Jesus’s coming Daniel 9.1-24

His prophecy was about the first Palm Sunday when Jesus came as Israel’s Messiah.
The birth of Jesus was wonderful. The death and resurrection of Jesus was wonderful and was the reason He was born. He came to offer Himself up for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Some believe it was Daniel’s writings that influenced wise men to look to the heavens when they knew this time was approaching- thus the wise men from the east who came to worship Jesus.

5. Jesus came on the precise day he said He would v.25-26

"Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens. After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.'’ 69 7's or 483 years. In Nehemiah 2.1 we are given the exact year and month this decree to rebuild Jerusalem was given: Nisan 445 B.C. Nisan is the first month of the Jewish calendar. Since Nehemiah names no other day, the prophetic period must be rendered according to Jewish custom from New Years’ Day. Nehemiah’s date was the 14th of March, 445, BC.
A prophetic year was 360 days. We see this in Daniel and Revelation. (11.2-3) Luke tells us that Jesus’ ministry began in the 15th year of Tiberius AD14.Tiberius began his reign on August 19, 14AD.
Jesus began his public ministry in 29AD Three Passovers after this in 32AD Jesus was crucified. The Julian date of the 10th of Nisan (the Sunday before the Passover that year) was Sunday April 6, 32AD. The length of time between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem March 14th 445BC and the first Palm Sunday April 6th 32 AD when Jesus rode into Jerusalem was exactly 173,880 days, 483 prophetic years of 360 days.
This event of Jesus riding into Jerusalem was so significant.
Several scriptures tell it better than I ever could:
Luke 19.41-44 Matthew 23.37

Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven, His kingdom not of this world.
He rode on a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled and by the week’s end He was dying on the cross for the sins of the world. He rose again and ascended back into heaven.
Philippians 2. 8-9 He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name...

6. Jesus set up His Kingdom in men’s hearts Luke 17.21

He is in heaven but He comes into people’s hearts and lives within them.
People were looking on that Palm Sunday to have an external kingdom, one on earth, now. They still are looking. As we just said, His kingdom is not of this world.
7. All the promises of God can be trusted because He is faithful Psalm 145.13

God kept His promise to David, even though things got very bad in the nation. The LORD does not change like the shifting shadows. He is true to His Word. His Word is truth.
Jesus came into Jerusalem on the very day almost 500 years later that God said in His Word He would come. He is on time always- always.
This morning whatever promise God has made for His people is for you if you believe. It is so unfortunate that many many people live on a lower level than what they have to spiritually. God has promised abundant life. He has promised perfect peace, even in times of trouble and storms. The LORD has promised to direct our paths. He has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us.

God is faithful to all His promises and He is always on time. When we are waiting patiently for the LORD to act He will and our hearts will be in tune with His will and His time. Jesus came on that first Palm Sunday. God kept His promise made to David and He will keep all the promises in His Word that He has made to you!
The LORD is faithful to all His Promises!

The LORD's Day March 9, 2008

Our Tower of Strength

Proverbs 18.1-10


The Proverbs speak about life. Last week we spoke about fiery trials. This morning we are looking at a promise that gives us hope and comfort in all kinds of trials and trouble. Part of life includes times when we have trouble.

It is interesting that often a response to trouble is to run. As a pastor for over 28 years now I have watched people encounter difficulty and say things like “I got to get out of here,” or “I need to get away from this.” The natural reaction to trouble is to run from it.

The real question of life is not running from it. I love that Keith Green song “You Can Run To The End of the Highway”.

Well you can run to the end of the highway and not find what you're looking for,
No, it won't make your troubles disappear.
And you can search to the end of the highway and come back no better than before.
To find yourself you've got to start right here.

Well I came running when I got the news that you were leaving.
I've gotta talk some sense to you, cause I'm your friend.
You say you want to hit the road cause life is so deceiving.
Do you think it's different at the other end?

Oh I came running when I got the news that you were crying.
Oh my friend has life been so unkind to you?
You say you want to find a place where people are not lying.
If you find a place like that I'll go there too.

The real question of life is what are you running to?
The righteous run to the Tower of the Name of the LORD.

1. What does this mean “The Name of the LORD is a strong Tower?”

The character of God is in all His Names. The things we call the LORD, “Jesus, Father, Almighty God...” all reflect wonderfully Who He is. His Name reveals His Character.

His name bring us strength. Psalm 46.1 God is our refuge and strength- an ever present help in times of trouble. One time when I was just a kid I remember looking in my mother’s Bible and seeing this verse underlined.

His name bring us protection.
Jesus’ prayer for our protection. John 17.11 Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name—the name you gave Me—so that they may be one as We are one.

His name brings us peace. He is our peace. He is called the Prince of Peace. He will keep us in perfect peace. His peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

2. The righteous run to this tower.
Look at the next verse. The rich trust in their wealth. The righteous trust in their God Proverbs 11.4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

One of the many deceitful things about wealth is that people think it will bring them happiness and peace. Another thing that the rich think is that it will help them when disaster strikes. Just the opposite is true. The only security is eternal security and that is found in abiding in Christ.

*Those who know Jesus have fled to Him in times of trouble for their refuge.
What more can He say than to you He has said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

*The righteous run to it because they know Jesus will never let them down.
Jesus never fails. Jesus promised that He would always be with us. He is with us

*The righteous run to it because it is the only place where they find what they need.
The world is not going to give you what you need when trouble comes. I have overheard some of the most foolish, godless advice coming from people in a very feeble attempt to give a person help in their time of need. Get your direction from the Word of God

*The righteous run to it because there will be others there who are in need.
There is a fellowship of sharing in Jesus’s sufferings. The picture He draws for us when He told us to pick up our crosses and follow Him is one of a group of believers. We all share in His sufferings. We share in each others. Find a mature believer when you are going through some deep waters who have gone through similar things in their life and there you will find help, direction and sound counsel. Go to some one who is a fly by night, unstable and that is the type of advice you will get.

The righteous run to it because they know Jesus waits for them there.
This is the place of prayer. What a Friend We Have in Jesus

The righteous run to it because there is safety there
More about that in a moment.


3. The action of running.

I have done some things in my yard and have created some problems.
Leaf mulch, more worms, shrews have come, Eastern Shriek Owl has come for the shrews.

Bird feeder, brings birds...Pigeons and the Cooper’s Hawk in the yard. They flee like crazy These Rock Doves know that if they don’t cut through the air as rapidly as they can there is no hope. The hawk will devour them.

The righteous run to it and they are safe. They don’t see if they can handle the evil or the enemy. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, he fled. He didn’t hang around to see if he was strong enough to resist her. And when you are in a situation like that get out of there Don’t wait to see how strong you are.

Peter thought he was strong. Jesus told him, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you.”

It is a lot harder to run than it is to stay. I think of the kids in college today. I know it has to be tough. The great pressure on kids today. I know things were wicked back in my day. But the pressure, the wickedness is greater today. Words that we heard from time to time have become part of “normal” conversation today among young people. God help us. God help them God help you flee.

Flee the evil desires of youth, Paul wrote to Timothy. Flee sexual immorality Paul wrote to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 6.18) (10.14) Flee from idolatry.


4. The result of this running is that they are safe.
Safely set on high/ Securely set on high

To be high, inaccessibly high Psalm 18.33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights.

To be too high for capture Psalm 91

To be high of prosperity. Our souls can prosper in the worst of times. When we are on the run to our Tower of Strength.

To be exalted (of God) Psalm 78.69 He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that He established forever.

If we humble ourselves by running to the LORD, our Tower of Strength we will be safe. He will bring us to Himself, He will set us securely on high places, heavenly places in Christ Jesus. No harm can come to us there. This is the place of prayer, the place of hiding in Christ, the place where we are dwelling in His Word and His Word is dwelling in us.
We see these things in John 15.

So when we find ourselves in distress, in tight spots, in temptation, we run to the LORD our Tower of Strength. We dare not lean on our own understanding. We dare not trust in our strength or wisdom. We need Jesus.



We will leave here in a moment. We’ll fellowship for a while then we are heading back out into the world. We will find ourselves in the spiritual battle. We’ll find ourselves needing to flee to Jesus. Don’t let the enemy trick you into thinking that you can do it on your own.
That is a sure way to fall.


Get up on the heights, the high place with the LORD.


Stay close to Jesus.

The LORD's Day March 2, 2008

Fiery Trials

Proverbs 17.3

Pure Gold and Silver are produced at extremely high temperatures.

I went to Bible College at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I loved driving up into that front range of the Rockies and taking in the mountain air and the breath taking sights. The mountains were snow capped all but in the summer.

Way up near the town of Cripple Creek there was an old gold mine. It was called the Molly Catherine Gold Mine. It is no longer in operation but they do give tours of it. I have been down on the bottom of that mine, where years ago miners took out gold ore which produced pure gold. It is roasted in a kiln to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, burning off the sulfide and carbon. I have some here this morning.

The silversmith used a refining pot or crucible. He sat by it as the silver boiled. If it got too hot it could be damaged. He knew it was done when he could see His image reflected in the silver.

Malachi 3.3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness...


1. The testing of human hearts by the LORD is compared to the process of getting pure gold or silver.

Tests that the LORD design for us are to burn off the dross- evil in us and to bring out the good that God has placed in our hearts by His Spirit.

Let me give you an example. Suppose your spiritual gift is that of giving. God has blessed you and you have this desire to help others. All good. But within your heart is this desire to be recognized for your giving so you tell others about it- not good, rather wrong. God allows tests to come to burn away that desire to be seen and congratulated by man and replaces it with a desire to be seen by Him and rewarded by Him.

The testing that comes to your life may be just simply so that you will reflect His Image more. Tests and trials have a way of doing that we are not aware of. It only is seen by the LORD and others because we are growing in humility and see how far we still have to go.

Certain suffering produces greater capacity for compassion and understanding in us for others as they go through the same things. We have walked where they are walking. We can feel what they are going through. We have been wounded and healed and now we can bring healing. So often this is done, not by giving answers to questions, but by remembering those who simply listened to us in our time of need and how much of a blessing they were. We in turn do the same for others. Brother Hazard did that. People have told me about going to him and talking for half an hour or so and he would just listen and then ask, “How do you feel now?”

Job said, He knows the way I take and when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold.

2. There will be times when we as believers and followers of Jesus go through fiery trials.

Do not think something strange is happening to you. I Peter 4.12-13
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

God is treating us as His children. Hebrews 12.7-8
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons

Remember the Three Hebrew Young Men who went through the furnace. Daniel 3

God was in the fire with them and He delivered them.

Walk with Him in the fire and wait for the LORD to deliver you.


3. Jesus spoke of His death as a baptism of fire. Luke 12.50
But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed (Luke 12.50)

Jesus suffered beyond words. It is not something we can understand completely. We do know this, whatever we go through is not worth comparing what He went through for us to be saved.

However since He suffered He is able to sympathize with us. He knows what we are going through when we go through fiery trials.

Be careful how you use those words, “I know what you are going through.” In fact don’t use them unless you are absolutely sure Don’t use, “I don’t know what you are going through either.” Neither bring comfort to the soul who is suffering. No one’s suffering is the same but Jesus’ suffering includes all of us.

4. Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble John 16.33

*We will have trouble.
Pressure, distress, in straits


*We don’t need to be troubled. 14.1
Jesus’ words to His disciples were just hours before He would be arrested, Do not let your hearts be troubled. We see the examples of God’s people walking through the fire but at the same time realizing He is walking with them. He will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast because He trusts in Him.

Don’t be agitated, don’t have commotion inside. Don’t be restless. Don’t allow your calmness of mind to slip away. Don’t have allow your spirit to be struck with fear and dread


*He has overcome the world.
Jesus has conquered the world.
He has carried off the victory.

We can unwillingly give the enemy what he is seeking for when we dwell on our problems and allow the peace of God to replaced with fretting and worry.

5. Jesus sets the example in His death as to what we are to aim for when trials come to us.

Submit to God’s Will I Peter 4.19
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Sometimes this is easy.
We have this idea that submitting to God’s will is always a struggle. There are certainly times it is but not always. Sometimes where He is calling us to and where He is leading us to is joyful. It was when 25 years ago He began to draw my heart back to the Island.

Sometimes it is difficult.
Abraham was called to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.

At other times is can be very hard.

Jesus offered Himself up at that same place- Mount Moriah, The Temple Mount, Mount Calvary are all part of the same mountain range in Jerusalem.

Humility Hebrews 2.5-13

Look to heaven Mark 6.41

Rest In the Father’s Hands Deuteronomy 33.27
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

In this world you are going to have trouble! There will be times that through fiery trials our pathway will lie. The LORD is purifying our hearts and lives. He wants us to reflect Him.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12.2-3

God is working in us, even when we go through fiery trials. There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth. Life is not a game of Chutes & Ladders or Candy Land. It is a walk o faith and holiness. He is with us and will be with us til the end.

Let Him work His will out in your life. Trust in Him with all your heart.
It will be worth it all!

The LORD's Day February 24, 2008

Motives Are Weighed By The LORD

Proverbs 16.2 (1-9)

So much of what Jesus taught while He was here on the earth had to do with this second verse. What is the driving force behind your actions? What moves you?

He sees our hearts. He knows them. He knows our thoughts, as we shared last week, even before they are formed.

When Jesus came in the first century, there had been a period of silence. God had spoken through the prophets, recorded for us in the last of the Old Testament. Then for over 400 years there was what we have come to call the Inter Testamental Period. The people waited for the Messiah. The Jewish faith became much more organized then before. It was in this time that the Scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees saw their rise. The Pharisees were known for their keeping of the law on the outside, which Jesus saw right through. He pronounced Woes on them, recorded for us in Matthew 23. In the fifth verse Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for men to see.” - that was their motivation. In Matthew 23.25-28 Jesus speaks of what was inside their hearts.

Motives are weighed by the LORD. He is the judge of hearts.


1. What Are Motives?

It is desire. Motive has to do with deep desires within our hearts. One of the reason we called to self examination from time to time is to have the LORD search out the motives of our hearts. Psalm 139.23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. is a prayer of asking the LORD to reveal our motives.

It is moral character. Job was an upright man. Satan falsely accused Job and it was not in any outward thing because he had correct scales. It was an accusation of impure motives or mixed motives. Job 1.9 Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied. 10 Have You not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out Your Hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your Face. What brashness Satan has How wrong He is He told God that Job’s love for Him was based on the fact he was blessed and had not had any great tragedy in His life. The test of a man’s faith is in His suffering. Job passed the test. He served God out of right motives. His words and actions proved that as time went on.

It is the mind and heart acting together. Motive has to do with what I think and what my heart desires. It has to do with these two coming together and acting. As I grow closer to Jesus and become more like the Master, my motives are going to have to do more and more with God’s glory and other’s good and less about me.

It is intention. Motives are what I aim for. The only worthy motive for the believer is love. Anything short of that misses God’s glory and misses the mark.

2. The Weights God Uses In Measuring Them.

We are told that motives are weighed by the LORD. The idea here is one of scales and balances. This is continuous activity. God is taking what is in our hearts and placing them on His balances.

His Word. Hebrews 4.12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. He is not impressed with outward religious activity that is done to be seen by others, rather He finds it repulsive.

Human Conscience and Revealed Truth. God expects us to walk in the light we have been given and to keep our consciences clear. Paul wrote to Timothy, “ (I Timothy 1.5) The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. God looks at our consciences. Our conscience is that ability of the soul to distinguish between good and evil, commending the good and shunning evil. Some have seared their conscience and have lost that ability. They do evil and it does not seem to bother them at all.

He tests us.
God allows His people to go through tests.

Tests show us what is in our hearts. God already knows. It also shows others. When we are tested our motives are shown. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Nothing less will shake a man--or at any rate a man like me--out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself.”

Suffering does some interesting things in the human heart. We don’t have time to get into it this morning suffice it to say that the tests God allows to come to us, the storms of life, the pain we experience has a way of revealing to us what is important, why we are serving God and how much we depend upon Him and trust Him.


3. He sees Our Hearts

There were three areas Jesus spoke about in Matthew 6 that have to do with worship- our worship of God the Father. He speaks about motives here and how God sees our hearts.

Giving

Fasting

Praying

All of these were to be done in secret, so as not to be seen by men. The hypocrites (play actors) did these things in front of men and even went so far as to announce it with trumpets. They had their reward in full. They got what they were going after- men’s applause.

He saw the hearts of the hypocrites in the first century and He sees our hearts today.
He continually watches and examines the motives of everyone, placing them in His balances.
Psalm 44.21 God knows the secrets of the heart

Our giving ought to be between Him and us. It should be out of our deep love for Him and out of joy because of His goodness to us.

When we fast we should only let those know who absolutely need to know and no one else. Like giving you will be rewarded openly.

When we pray we should pray secretly. This obviously does not mean that we should not pray publicly like we will tonight at the prayer meeting but even when we do we need to be careful that we remember we are talking to the LORD. Others may listen but it Him that we ought to be the most concerned about.

Our service to the LORD is to be for Him and seen by Him and done out of love for Him. When we do that there is great joy. God loves to have secrets with us. It is joyful to have secrets with Him These things ought to become more and more a part of our walk with Him.


4. He Knows Our Thoughts

Psalm 139.1 O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.

Our motives as we said before have roots in our thoughts. God knows our thoughts before they are formed Motives are weighed by the LORD. He knows how those thoughts are going form and how they will unite with our heart. We see this early on in human history. He warned Cain in Genesis 4.6-7 God saw his heart and the anger that was in it. He knew what Cain was thinking and warned him about it.

Since God knows our thoughts before they are formed and He knows our hearts, it is always a good idea to listen to Him when He speaks. No one who has taken warnings from God to heart has ever been sorry while those who have taken warnings from Him lightly have always lived to regret it.


5. He is Familiar With All Our Ways Psalm 139.3b

God is intimately acquainted with all our ways. He knows the way we take. He knows our secret sins. He knows everything.

With such amazing knowledge, wonderful and complete knowledge of the past, present and future, the LORD is able to weigh our motives and know exactly what we are about. Even within ourselves our own hearts can deceive us. For instance we might start doing something for Jesus, get commended for it and begin doing it for the commendation. That is why a man is tested by the praise he receives. (Proverbs 27.21) God looks at our motives.

Motives are weighed by the LORD. He sees our hearts, knows our thoughts and is familiar with all our ways. Search me O God, examine my heart, Unite my heart. Give me an undivided heart
that I might fear Your Name and walk in the truth.

The LORD's Day February 17, 2008

Proclaiming the LORD’s Death Until He Comes

I Corinthians 2.1-5

The message of hope and power is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The message of the New Testament Church was Jesus, God’s Son was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, taught and did miracles all over Galilee, died on a cross in Jerusalem, was placed in a tomb, rose again on the third day, promised the Holy Spirit, ascended into heaven leaving promise of His return. The Holy Spirit was poured out, the disciples went out with the good news of salvation, people came in, prayers went up while they waited for Jesus to come back.

Being sick this week and laying low I did a little channel surfing. The stuff I saw troubled me. So much of it had to do with how to improve my life, how to make and reach goals, promotions at work. How utterly different than Paul’s words in the passage we just read.

He was following Jesus. He was speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, when he said, For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (2.2)


1. Jesus is the Lamb of God, Who Takes away the sin of the world. John 1.29

“Lamb” and “taking away sin” always meant death in Biblical Times.

The Lamb slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13.8) was Jesus.

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry John announced these words, “The Lamb of God Who take away the sin of the world. This is the basis of the New Covenant.

The event of the cross, Jesus’ Death on it, was not something that just happened. It was planned at the creation of the world. All human history hinges on this event. It is the focal point and turning point of humanity. It is the center of God’s activity in this world.

The Lamb of God, slain from the creation of the world, Who takes away the sin of the world.

This was the message of the New Testament Church. This is the message of the true followers of Jesus today.

Without this fact, we have no hope. Without its proclamation we have no reason to exist.

Sin is breaking God’s law. God required a sacrifice for sin from the beginning. Lambs were killed every day. Christ, our Passover Lamb has been slain.



2. At Caesarea Philippi Matthew 16.21-28

Jesus concealed His true identity to a degree from the opposition. The hatred of Him was growing and He knew that if His enemies heard Him say Who He was openly that they would have sought to kill Him like they did at Nazareth. His hour had not yet come.

Things changed at Caesarea Philippi. Way up in the northern part of the country is this place. It has great significance.

In Caesarea Philippi there was one of the three sources of water that formed the Jordan River. There was a shrine for the Greek God Pan, believed by the Greeks to be his birthplace. When Jesus and His disciples were there there stood a white marble palace/temple built by Herod the Great, later added on and finished by Philip his son in honor of Caesar, thus the name Caesarea Philippi. It was here Peter made the great confession about Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

We are told that in v.21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

From that time on...! We often fail to see how Jesus’ death and resurrection dominated His teaching, particularly among those who were closest to Him. He had come to die on the cross fro our sins. Paul’s words, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” It is tragic that in so many quarters that is no longer the case.


3. On the way toward Jerusalem Luke 9.51

This is an interesting verse. It appears that Jesus set out immediately for Jerusalem. Actually a careful reading of Luke’s gospel from this point indicates that this is no so. But His face was set towards it. He had His death and suffering in mind as He went through Galilee ministering. The subject was brought up and over and over again to the twelve.

At one point during this time Jesus lamented, But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! (Luke 12.50)

Jesus knew that the work in Galilee was all building up to Jerusalem and that final week, resulting in His death on the cross. God’s Son submitted to be put to death at the hands of sinners and then ended up praying for them as He was dying for the sins of the whole world- yours and mine.

We are to remember His suffering. We are to proclaim the LORD’s death until He comes. That and only that is what purchased our salvation.


4. On Palm Sunday

Prior to Palm Sunday Jesus did not look for the public to proclaim Him Messiah. God’s plan was for Him to come to Jerusalem and die on the cross during the Jewish Passover Feast. He was fulfilling the Old Covenant. The Passover was celebrated to remind the people of how God brought them out of slavery through the plagues, the last one being the death of the first born. The people were to kill a lamb, take some blood and put it on the doorposts of the house and the death angel would pass over when he saw the blood. The preparation for this celebration was taking place as Jesus came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It was national day as well as a spiritual day.

The crowds that came with Jesus to Jerusalem were on their way to celebrate the Passover there. They had heard Jesus speak and watched Him do some miracles along the way. Now they were proclaiming Him Messiah.

Jesus allowed it. This would set off the events leading up to His arrest. He was submitted to the Father’s will and plan. He spoke about. If I be lifted up... just a Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up.


5. Holy Week John 2.19
Destroy this temple... Jesus was proclaiming His Own death! He spoke of His death during that final week in parables.

The crowds thought He come to restore the kingdom to Israel. He had come to die on the cross outside the city gate. He had come to die for the sins of the whole world.


6. Good Friday
The night before - The LORD’s Supper Luke 22.19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My Body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
20 In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My Blood, which is poured out for you.

I Corinthians 11.26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.



7. The Early Church and on

The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was an event that was not to be laid to rest in history and read about once in a while. On the contrary we are to remember it often. We are to proclaim His death until He comes. It is by His death and resurrection that people come into new life.

Peter’s Pentecost Message: Acts 2.22-36

Buried with Him in baptism... Romans 6.1-14

This all works out from the cornerstone of our faith to practical living for Jesus today. He died, we show by baptism we have died to the old way of life. He rose. We rise to newness of life.

We live this life unto the LORD. We offer ourselves to Him as instruments of righteousness.

God help us understand these truths of Jesus’s Great love for us.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
That whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.