Author: Rick (Page 5 of 36)

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.”  John 3:16

Of all the stars in the sky, the North Star has been the most useful to the mariner. Today’s text is a North Star of salvation, because is it has guided more souls to a life in Christ than any other Scripture. It is among promises what the North Star is among the constellations.

It has long been one of the most memorized verses in the Christian faith, but for us who know it well, it would surprise us that there are millions, even in our own country, who are oblivious to its existence.  In 2009 Tim Tebow, a well-known Christian quarterback, wore the verse reference on his eye-black in the national championship game and the verse was googled over 90 million times after the game. Two years later when he piloted an overtime win against Pittsburg it was the most googled term the next day.  As much as we believe this is a “Christian” nation, there are still millions of people who are unfamiliar with even this foundational verse of the Christian faith.  But even if millions are not, the millions of us who are familiar with the verse should know its importance to the fellowship of faith.

Like the North Star, the words in the verse shine with incredible brilliance. In the first half we have the essence of God’s deep abiding love and in the second half we are told how we can receive that love.  This verse is divided into three sections each of which explain God’s part and then our part in spending eternity with Him.

“For God so love the world,” gives a short description of fact.  The word “for” indicates that because He loved us He was going to do something to illustrate that love. “That He gave His only begotten Son,” was that illustration of love.  The word “that” marks the gift. He could give no more than the life of Christ on our behalf.  “So that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life,” then describes our part in God’s wonderful plan of salvation.  The word “so” directs us to believe on Him to receive the offer of eternal life.

J. Vernon McGee tells the story of a boarding house fire in Houston, Texas many years ago. A woman broke through the lines and ran into the house. It collapsed, and she burned to death. The headlines read: “Poor Wretch Dies: Suicide.” Later the newspaper printed an apology. Why? When workman were digging around in the rubble, they found in a back room, a little iron bed, and in that little iron bed was a baby, her baby. She entered that burning building to save her baby. She wasn’t a suicide. She loved that baby so much that her own life became inconsequential. Rescue was foremost in her mind.  In much the same way, the Lord loves us and he is a willing rescuer.  He wants life for us and if it cost Him His own life  it was the price He was willing to pay.

So John 3:16 is the North Star directing us to safety. Because He loves us, He did this (gave his son) and because we need Him, we need to do this (receive His Son).  This verse stands out brilliantly to guide us in the darkest time of our journey. Brilliant against a black sky as it lights the way for us to safety.  The safety of everlasting life.

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.”  1 Timothy 1:17

We should worship God, first of all, because he is the King Eternal. He always has been and always will be the sovereign King of the universe. He has never relinquished His throne and will never relinquish His throne. He is the King over America and the is King over the rest of the world. He is not only the King of this century, but he was King in every century proceeding.  He has been King and will be King throughout eternity. He truly is the King eternal.

We should worship God, secondly, because he is the King Immortal. Paul uses the same Greek word here as Peter uses to describe our “incorruptible” inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). As we look around us everything we see is degrading.  The planet is degrading, our bodies are degrading (boy, do I know it), and the whole universe is degrading. Not only will God last forever, but he will never decay or diminish even one little bit. He remains unchanged throughout all time. He is imperishable in his essence and in his existence, in his character and in his longevity.

Thirdly, We should worship God because he is the King Invisible. Why should invisibility be an attribute that leads to worship?  As humans we often equate realness with what we can see or touch, but we know we cannot touch feelings, yet we know they exist. How much more wonderful it is to have a Person of the godhead who is not restricted in movement or time.  Contrary to what our senses tell us, God is more real than anything that we can see or touch because his existence is not limited in any way.  We are told in the Word that we cannot gaze upon God’s glory because He is impossible to look at.  If we were to look upon Him, we would die.  We can thank God that He is invisible to us so that we can enjoy His glory without danger.

Finally, we should worship God because He is All-knowing.  A father and son went fishing one day. After a couple hours out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, “How does this boat float?” The father thought for a moment, then replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”

The boy returned to his contemplation, then turned back to his father, “How do fish breath underwater?” Once again the father replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”

A little later the boy asked his father, “Why is the sky blue?” Again, the father replied. “Don’t rightly know, son.”

Worried he was going to annoy his father, he says, “Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?”

“Of course not son. If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never learn anything!”

We need a God who has all the answers, even if He does not share them all with us. We can create a god of our own, but if we do so, we will create a god that we can understand.  In other words, a god with few answers! When we create a god, we then are above the god we have created.  That’s why so many create their own gods because they can handcraft them to be what they want them to be.  The one true God has not been crafted by our own invention.  Every god other than the God of the Bible is contrived and allows (or more rightly makes) man try to reach him. 

Man wants to create gods because he likes to think he is able to do something to “reach” God.  But that is impossible.  For one, it is impossible to reach a “non-existent” god, and for two, it is impossible to reach, on our own, the true God of the universe. Our God is the only one who has reached down to us, through His Son, and He loved us enough to freely give us a relationship with Him. He is the all-wise God and all true wisdom comes from him, and so all true praise should go to him.

We should not try to craft God into what we want him to be.  When we do that, we are trying to change a God who cannot be changed, so we are in essence creating a new non-existent god.  A god like that has none of the attributes we see in 1 Timothy because he exists no where but in our own minds.  If we worship that god, we are in essence worshipping ourselves.  Choosing between worshipping ourselves and worshipping the one true and mighty creator of the universe is, as they say, a “no-brainer.”

“My salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior”    2 Samuel 22:3

David had sought refuge in the mountains countless times while being hunted by King Saul. He knew both the discomfort of being exposed and vulnerable, and the peace of being safely tucked away in a strong fortress. Now David, as an old man remembered the many times God came to his rescue, and he writes a hymn of praise to God.  Whether sitting in a cave or a palace, David calls God his salvation, his tower, his refuge.

We need a refuge as well. Most of us will not be hunted by those who want to kill us or probably won’t even find ourselves in life-threatening situations, but what about that army of negative feelings that stalk us day in and day out?  Do we have a safe place to go when we realize that there are things that darken our day both of our own making or the making of others?  Do we have mistakes in our past that cannot be changed, actions that cannot be undone,  wrongs that cannot be righted?

David was a very complicated man.  When he sought refuge in God, God cared for him.  When he tried to do things on his own, God left him on his own.  That will happen to us.  When David stood before the giant Goliath he stood without any worldly armor.  Goliath wore the greatest armor the world had to offer (the biggest as well).  Yet, David faced him confidently, saying: “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hosts the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou have defied.” David in that “strong tower” was safe, as Goliath, in his armor, was not.

When David stood on his rooftop and saw Bathsheba, I am sure he felt that he was not facing an enemy like Goliath.  But he was.  He knew that Goliath was out to destroy him, so David prepared himself.  He donned the armor of the Lord and sought strength from His presence.  He needed to armor up when he saw Bathsheba as well, but he did not.  He did not seek refuge in the Lord, but in his own lusts.  In 2 Samuel 11 we see David’s weakness, “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.” (2 Samuel 11:2-3)  In the case of Goliath David recognized the battle, but he refused to see the battle with his own lusts, so he went into the battle alone.

When temptations surround us and threaten our life of peace, we need a place of refuge where we can feel the presence God’s strength.   But, unfortunately, we sometimes try face our battles on our own.  We don’t go to God for our armor, but rely on ourselves and go into our battles naked and vulnerable.   We cannot be a refuge for ourselves.  David’s comfort did not come from the cave in which he hid or in the men who accompanied him or in his training and past victories.  His high tower, his refuge, was in The Lord.  Without The Lord no cave could have shielded him, no army could have protected him, and no training could have saved him..

So when we are assailed by an army of difficult circumstances that threaten our peace, we must go to the only sanctuary that provides true safety.   People have tried other refuges.  The world advertises them all the time.  But none are lasting, none are effective, none are truly safe. Jesus Christ is a strong tower, a refuge into which we can run and find true safety. He awaits our arrival in times of distress.  There is no enemy too big or need too small.  He surrounds us with His weapons, His army, His safe haven.  No matter how bleak the situation may seem, this refuge will last, this tower will hold, this savior will save. 

A few months ago I had an interesting visit from a couple of older Jehovah Witnesses.  They were polite and so was I.  They wanted to talk about the tragic world situation; I wanted to talk
about Jesus.  I told them that I didn’t want to dwell on the past because I would be inclined to talk about the many unfulfilled prophecies of the Jehovah Witness writings, but I would talk about my future with Jesus Christ who came to earth fully God and fully man, died on the cross for my sins, and has given me, through my acceptance of Him, assurance of an eternity in heaven.  We had a little discussion after that, but they seemed less inclined to stay on our porch.

We didn’t even get into the biggest sticking point between Christianity and every other “religion” in the world-  the deity of Christ.  All the major religions believe in the person of Christ, but they do not see Him as God incarnate.  Skeptics say that the trinity and the deity of Christ are not overtly mentioned in the Bible, but the overall body of evidence is overwhelming- Jesus is part of the triune Godhead and He, in fact, is God.   Let’s just look at a few of the many verses that illustrate this truth.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John 1:1

The cults try to change the translation of this verse, but language scholars are in agreement that this is how this verse should be translated.  We not only see that Jesus was “In the beginning” but that He was God in the beginning.  Jesus was not just a god, but He is God.  That is a huge difference.

John also tells us that there is only one God, and that there will never be another god, or anyone equal to Him. The Jews became angry and wanted to kill Jesus for calling God His personal Father, and making Himself EQUAL to God (John 5:18). Jesus also said the words, “I and the Father are one,” and the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill Him. When Jesus asked them for which miracle were they stoning Him, they replied, “We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  Christ does not disagree with them, but replies, “Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:30-38)

Even Christ’s followers referred to Jesus as God.  After Thomas touched the resurrected Christ he said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  (John 20:28)  He addresses Jesus as Jehovah God, and even though worship is reserved for God alone, Jesus does not correct Thomas.  He accepts the worship. Christ had made it very clear throughout His ministry that we are to ONLY worship God (Matthew 4:10), yet He accepts worship from His disciples (Matthew 28:9), from the crowds (John 9:35-38), and even from the angels in Heaven (Hebrews 1:6).  That is a lot of worship that either He deserves or deserves to be stoned for.

Jesus spoke and acted as God.  He openly accepted worship, forgave sins, counted Himself equal to God, performed miracles, met all prophecies regarding his coming and as Paul said “He was all the fullness of God in bodily form.” Jesus was not just a teacher or good man.  If that were the case, He was a bad man because He falsely portrayed Himself as worthy of worship.  Worse yet, He would have allowed millions to put total trust in His words for eternal life.  Do I understand His deity completely? No, but I believe the scriptures clearly teach it and it is imperative in knowing the true Christ.  As He Himself said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by me.” To accept Him is to accept Him for Who He is.

Like I told my JW visitors as they left, there is nothing more awesome or reassuring than knowing the great God of this universe became a man on my behalf, died for my sins, and as God incarnate undid what man has done by giving us access to the Father.  No one else has ever claimed what He claimed; No one else has ever done what He did. He is what makes what believers believe, believable.

“Declaring the end from the beginning…saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Isaiah 46:10

There is a famous military motto: “No plan of war survives first contact with the enemy.” This holds true in every human conflict because it is impossible to know for certain how one’s enemy will react or what circumstances may intervene to change any planned course of action, but this is not true of God.

I recently heard a story of man who was asked to trade shifts on his job so his co-worker could go to church event the next day.  An explosion took place at the factory and the man who had gone to work was killed.   Friends of the man who was spared saw this as God’s providence, but what of the man who was killed.? Was God uninvolved on his behalf?  Of course, as we look at the verse above, we know this is not the case.

So what explains it?

In a way, trying to explain the unfathomable mind of God with our small minds is pretty fruitless, but we continue to try.  In fact, I am going to try right now.  I see it this way.  God’s view of our lives is not limited in any way.  He knows the past, the future, those around us, those coming after us, He knows all things.  We don’t.   His decisions are made with all the possible information available.  We look at life through the wrong end of a telescope and see just a tiny picture of all there is to see.  Not so with God.  He sees the big picture.  His decisions are based on all this world contains.   

We see life in big events, both tragic and triumphant, and through those events we try to evaluate the degree of God’s love and power.  But life is not just a few major happenings, but thousands and thousands of smaller, every day incidents all in full view of God’s eye.   To argue with God’s providence in one instance is to ignore many,  many more known and unknown daily doings that have an effect on hundreds of people.  

Our lives are a quiet pool being pelted constantly with different sized stones resulting outgoing ripples that affect everyone around us and many others.  God’s love and mercy are shown hundreds of times in our lives and others all day long, every day, in every place.    There is not a single event that does not have far reaching consequences, including that broken shoe lace I got this morning.   God the Master Networker brings all things together, even our free choice, into a world of His good pleasure that in the long run is for our good, as well.

I am reminded of the story of the only survivor of a shipwreck who washed up on a small uninhabited island. He cried out to God to save him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a rough hut and put his few possessions in it. But then one day, after hunting for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; he was stung with grief.  Early the next day, though, a ship drew near the island and rescued him.

“How did you know I was here?” he asked the crew.

“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

Though it may not seem so now, your present difficulty may be instrumental to your future happiness.  Only God sees the whole picture and can turn flames into a smoke signal.

God does not wonder what the future holds and we can be assured that God does not worry about his purposes coming to fruition.  God’s plans are never frustrated, foiled, or even hindered.  His word declares His purposes, His designs, and His works.  He does not just describe the things that will come to pass, He has declared them and designed them.

His counsel shall stand and he ultimately will overrule wickedness for the good of his people and the glory of His name.  His plans are not changed with first contact with the enemy because nothing surprises Him.  That is the kind of commander we want to put our faith in, trust our lives to, and follow wherever He might lead.