Come With Thanksgiving and Praise

Psalm 100

It would be a very special day if I looked in my mailbox and found a personal invitation to come for a private visit to the White House, or to Buckingham Palace, or some other royal or presidential residence.  Imagine, the President or the King invites me to come visit!  And when I enter their residence I should be sure not to be griping and complaining, or have a sour look on my face.  Instead, this calls for rejoicing and thankfulness.  I have been given a special opportunity.  Well, such an invitation is highly unlikely to ever happen to me.  However, I have been given an even greater invitation, and you have, too.  Our psalm for this week describes such an invitation and just how we should respond.  Let’s take a look.

Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to Yahweh, giving us a call to worship Him, and recognize His sovereignty.  The unknown author of this short but beautiful psalm calls us to joyfully worship the Lord, and to show Him our gratitude.  When a great leader, political or otherwise, steps out before a large crowd, we frequently will hear the shouts of the crowds cheering for him, and often there might be music, such as a marching band, playing music fitting for the occasion.  This is to be no different with the Lord.  When we are in His presence, we should give out a joyful shout, and sing with gladness and joy (vs. 1-2).

Who does the psalmist call to bring to God these joyful cheers and songs?  Is it a select few that are called upon?  As we read here, the psalmist says that “all lands” are invited to sing their joyful praise to Him.  This shows that Yahweh isn’t just the God of Israel, alone, or that every other nation should just stick to their own pagan gods.  Instead, He is God of all nations, all lands, and these people are also called to worship Him.  Worship is not just for a select group, but for all people who acknowledge Him.  Our worship and praise should be heartfelt, enthusiastic, and especially sincere.

The psalmist continues by giving us one strong reason why praise is an appropriate response, and that is that the Lord God is our Creator and our Shepherd (vs. 3).   Humans were created by God, in His image (Genesis 1:27).  We did not evolve from some one-celled creatures from the ocean or bottom of a pond.  Neither are we completely self-sufficient.  We need the Lord God every day.  Some people go through life thinking that they are the masters of their lives and destinies, and that they don’t need any deity.  However, there will be a day coming for them when they will have a rude awakening, and know that they didn’t make themselves, nor are they the boss of themselves!

When we get saved, God brings us into His family.  We become His sons and daughters.  All humans are creations of God, and He is their Creator, but only those who are saved through the Lord Jesus are His children (John 1:12).  Not only are we God’s children, but we are His sheep and He is our Great Shepherd.  As a Good Shepherd, Jesus keeps us in His pasture, feeding us and keeping us safe from all harm.  God made us and we are His.  Our identity is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next we read a great invitation by God to come into His presence (vs. 4).  Christians are invited through His gates and right into His divinely royal court.  Some gates are open ones, and any can enter.  Others are closed to all but a select few.  The gates into the presence of God are opened to all who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior.  We are to come with joy , thanksgiving, and praise. We don't enter, though, with grumbling and complaining, nor with a bad attitude.  We are told to enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Those are the first steps towards entering God’s presence.  When we come to the Lord in prayer, we should never be so disrespectful, but instead show Him honor and homage by giving praise and thanks first before bringing our petitions.

As this brief psalm of praise and thanksgiving ends, we are reminded of God’s unchanging nature (vs. 5).  Satan tries to have us believe that God is a distant God, filled with anger and wrath, and is just waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can clobber us.  That is not the case, as our psalmist informs us here.  We read that God is good, He has everlasting mercy for His children, and His truth endures forever.

The values of this world change from day to day.  What is accepted one day, is scorned the next.  What society says is true today, they will claim as false tomorrow.  However, God’s nature is unchanging, and His truth, the Bible, will endure forever.  So let’s get ready to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise each and every day.

What We Need To Hear

Acts 13:15-16, 26-39

Many people want what they want, not necessarily what is good for them.  They want the news that they want to hear.  They want to eat what they like, not particularly what is good for them, which is why parents frequently have to urge their children to “eat their vegetables”.  Once they become adults, many people only want to hear or do things that make them feel good about themselves, so they block out anything that they might disagree with or dislike, and they don’t want someone telling them otherwise.  Unfortunately this often holds with things dealing with spiritual issues.  Thankfully, though, there are some that won’t cater to that thinking, such as the Apostle Paul.  In our Scripture for today we read of a sermon Paul gave, one that some might not have wanted to hear, but one that Paul knew they needed to hear.

As our Scripture opens, Paul and Barnabas are continuing on their missionary journey, and they have arrived in the city of Antioch of Pisidia, which is located in present day west-central Turkey.  Paul had developed a pattern that he generally followed on his missionary journeys, and that was when he entered a city, he first searched out a local synagogue, if the city had one.  If they did, he and his companions would attend the next Sabbath day services.  Many synagogues had the custom of letting any guests speak and comment on a particular Scripture passage if they wished to.  When given that opportunity, Paul immediately would speak up, selecting Scriptures that related to the Messiah, and he would proceed to speak on how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled those prophecies, and how He is the Messiah, who died and rose again to bring salvation.  Paul was given this opportunity in Antioch, and he definitely used it (vs. 15-16).

After giving a brief outline of the history of their people, Paul begins to speak about Jesus, and how the Pharisees and religious leaders, particularly in Jerusalem, condemned Him and had Him put to death, only for God to raise Him from the dead, where He was seen by many (vs. 26-31).  Paul declared to this congregation in Antioch that Jesus is the promised Savior, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.  He highlighted Jesus’ rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection, affirming that these events were foretold in Scripture.

Paul knew his Bible well, and was thus able to back up all of his statements about Jesus being the promised Messiah with Scripture.  We read here quotes from Psalm 2:7 (vs. 33), and from Isaiah 55:3 (vs. 34), and also from Psalm 16:10 (vs. 35).  Paul undoubtedly quoted from other Scriptures throughout this sermon that just aren’t recorded here.  The apostle declared that it wasn’t David they were talking about in these Scriptures, as he died, was buried, and his body corrupted like everyone else’s.  However, Jesus, being the divine Son of God, rose from the dead on the third day.  Paul testified to them that the Law of Moses is unable to justify sinners, and that forgiveness of sins is only found in Jesus (vs. 38-39).

Similar messages preached in Judea by Peter and the other apostles brought anger and wrath from the Jewish religious leaders, and many of the believers there were being persecuted for their faith and preaching the message of Jesus.  Furthermore, as we study the Book of Acts, it was recorded that these religious leaders sent their spies throughout the Mediterranean world to find by whom and where the Gospel of Jesus was being preached, and persecution followed.  Fear of scorn, unpopularity, or persecution did not stop Paul and Barnabas, nor change their message.

Today, in some parts of the world, there is active persecution of Christians, and pastors or priests are severely attacked for preaching the Gospel.  In other parts of the world, the opposition is much more subtle, with only verbal attacks, and decreased attendance at church for preaching a strong, Biblical message.  When Paul came to Antioch, and entered the synagogue that Sabbath day, he did not look out at the congregation and wonder what the people would like to hear.  He didn’t preach a “feel good” message, telling them how wonderful they are, and that they can accomplish anything they want if they only believe in themselves.  He didn’t tell them that they didn’t need to worry, because everyone goes to heaven, that God would never send anyone to hell, or that it doesn’t matter what one believes, that every religious belief is valid, and that “all roads lead to heaven”.  Nor did he preach some 1st century form of the “prosperity gospel”, that if they only give large sums of money to his ministry, God will hear and answer their prayers.

Paul did not preach what these folks wanted to hear.  Instead, he preached what the congregation needed to hear.  They needed to hear how Jesus saves us from our sins, how He died for us, rose again, and that if we place our faith and trust in Him, we will be saved.  Far too many preachers prepare their messages, catering only to what they believe the congregation wants to hear, and not for what they need to hear.  And too many people go out of their way to find a church where the message will specifically make them feel good about themselves.  Neither Paul, Peter, or any of the other apostles made that mistake.  They knew the message of Jesus and salvation through His Blood alone was not a popular one, but they never stopped preaching that.

Breakfast With Jesus

John 21:1-14

What kind of normal, human skills did Jesus have?  We know that from His teen years until age thirty, Jesus worked as a carpenter in His foster father Joseph’s shop.  We also know that Jesus was a very good teacher, often using very relatable parables as spiritual lessons to teach the crowds.  However, did you ever think of Jesus as a cook?  In our Gospel reading today we’ll see where the Lord Jesus prepared a meal, which I’m sure was the tastiest meal one could ever eat!

As our Scripture opens, we see that the disciples had traveled up to the Sea of Galilee, possibly out of obedience to what the angels and Jesus had told the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:5-10).  Seven of the eleven disciples decided to go fishing - Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathaniel, and two others (vs. 1-3).  As was the custom, they took their boat out onto the lake overnight, fishing with nets.  However, that night they had no luck, so they started to head back.  As they slowly got closer to shore, a gentleman standing on the beach shouted out to them, asking whether they had any luck (vs. 4-5).  When they answer back that they hadn’t caught anything, He suggests casting the nets once again on the right side of the boat.  Doing so, they caught a great amount (vs. 6).  Immediately after the catch of fish, John must have recalled a similar event from the early days of being Jesus’ disciples, and he recognized that this man on the shore was Jesus.  When he told the others, Peter immediately jumped off the boat and swam to shore to be with the Lord (vs 7-8).  When the others brought the boat in, they were greeted by Jesus and the breakfast He had prepared for them (vs. 9-10).

So what can we learn from this event that happened a couple of weeks after the Resurrection?  We see, first of all, as we have throughout each of the Gospels, that Jesus has sovereignty over all of creation.  Here He demonstrated His divine authority over nature by directing the disciples to a miraculous catch of 153 fish after their unsuccessful night of fishing.

The disciples show us here that blessings will follow when we obey what the Lord tells us.  At first they didn’t recognize Him, perhaps because they weren’t expecting to see the Savior humbly making breakfast along the shore.  However when they willingly followed what the Lord instructed them to do, it resulted in an abundant provision for them.  When we obey what Jesus tells us, it will lead to both spiritual and material blessings.

It was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee early in His ministry, perhaps right near the same spot, that Jesus had called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His disciples, telling them that He would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-22).  Now, in a few short weeks, Jesus would be sending them out into the world to do just that.

How did Peter feel, just days after having denied knowing Jesus?  Did he feel forgiven, or that he wasn’t worthy to be with Jesus, or part of that group?  When we have a big failure in our life, do we give up and live a defeated life, or do we believe that God can restore us?  Some people believe that after having denied Jesus, Peter no longer felt worthy to follow Jesus in full-time ministry, so that is why he was out fishing that night.  They believed he was returning to his life as a fisherman.  However, Jesus and the angels had told the disciples to leave Jerusalem and go to Galilee, which is why they were there.  Fishing that night was just probably a way to occupy their time until Jesus showed up.  Peter had believed and accepted the Lord’s forgiveness and restoration.

Jesus had predicted Peter’s fall with his denial, but He also prayed for Peter’s faith, and that Peter’s failure would not be the end of the story.  Jesus knew that Peter would stand again, and that he would strengthen others (Luke 22:31-32).  God can use our failures to prepare us to be more effective for Him.  If we humbly turn to the Lord Jesus, He’ll give us a fresh start.

Worthy Is The Lamb!

Revelation 5:1-14

To witness some grand ceremony can be very exciting.  The coronation of a new king, particularly if they adhere to centuries-old traditions, or a royal wedding with pomp and ceremony are all exciting to be a witness to.  Only a select few are ever privileged to witness these ceremonies.  Our Scripture today describes a ceremony that will be grand and exciting to witness, one which takes place in heaven.  Let’s look at what will be happening at this occasion.

The Book of Revelation records a series of visions of future events that the Apostle John had, many of which take place in heaven.  As our Scripture opens, the Apostle John is a witness of an event taking place in the Royal Courts of Heaven.  Not only is John there, but we also see Jesus, the Lamb of God, along with four living creatures, and twenty-four elders.  These last two groups are special angelic type beings.  The four living creatures are also mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel, and many Bible scholars believe them to be Cherubim.  The twenty-four elders are also heavenly beings who hold a degree of authority, as they are seated upon thrones.

John witnessed the Lord God upon His throne in heaven, holding a scroll which was sealed with seven seals.  An angel proclaimed in a loud voice, inquiring who was worthy to open these seals and look at what was inside.  However, no one, either in heaven or earth, was worthy to open the seals of the scroll (vs. 1-3).  John started to weep over this, but then one of the elders informed him that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (both Names for the Lord Jesus Christ) was the only One worthy to open the scroll (vs. 4-5).   The apostle then observed the Lamb of God, though He had been slain, symbolizing His sacrificial death and resurrection, stand and take the scroll (vs. 6-7).   As the elder had said, He had prevailed over Satan and death, and all the enemies of God, and He alone was worthy to open the scroll.

This Lamb would have looked a bit different from any ordinary lamb.  Not only was it noticeable that He had been dead, but was now alive, He also had seven horns upon His head, along with seven eyes.  The number seven has symbolic meaning in the Bible, symbolizing completeness, perfection, and spiritual wholeness.  The seven horns represent perfect power, and the seven eyes symbolize perfect wisdom and omniscience.

The Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, then took the scroll from the hand of God, as He alone has the authority to execute God’s plan for the world during the coming time of tribulation.  When He took the scroll, the four creatures and the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before Him, and brought before the Lord golden bowls full of incense (vs 8).  I love the smell of incense!  To me, there is nothing better than a church sanctuary filled with the scent of church incense. The incense in these bowls represent the prayers of believers.  Our prayers are like incense, rising up to God, which is a pleasing aroma to Him.

The living creatures and elders, these spiritual beings, then break forth into song, praising the Lamb of God as being worthy to take the scroll and open the seals, as He was slain, redeeming mankind to God by His Blood (vs. 9-10).  Then other angelic beings joined in the song of praise, bringing innumerable voices in praise of Jesus (vs. 11-12).  Then joining them, all creatures in heaven, on earth, and in the sea join in singing praise (vs. 13-14).

These songs of praise to Jesus acknowledge His redemption, through His Blood, of mankind from every nation.   His shed Blood has made every born-again believer a king and priest for God.  The four creatures, the elders, all other angelic beings, along with all creation declare the Lord Jesus worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing.  All creation will ultimately bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, recognizing His divine authority.

God's Word Is Truth

Psalm 33

When we were little, we likely believed in a lot of things, that once we grew older we found out were not true, such as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc.  We watched Batman and Superman on TV and in the movies, and found out that they were not real, either.  If some of our friends, siblings, or even our parents were prone to telling fibs, then it might be difficult for us to know who we can believe.  As we get older we wonder who we can believe?  Were our teachers telling us the truth?  What about the news media?  They so often lie to us.  Who will give us the truth?  Our psalm today gives us the answer, that there is one place where we most assuredly will find the truth, and that is in God’s Word.

Throughout our psalm for this week, the psalmist reassures us that God is faithful, and that we can trust in Him because His Word, the Bible, is absolutely true and without error.  The psalmist reminds us in his psalm that God holds absolute authority.  He is the sovereign God, and we can trust in Him.  Because God is trustworthy and omnipotent, and that His Word is true, we should give Him praise and worship (vs. 1-3).  That is a fitting response to His goodness and faithfulness.

Our psalmist continues to instruct us that God’s Word, the Bible, is true and trustworthy (vs 4).  In the last couple of centuries the world has been trying to discredit and negate the Bible, telling us that it is a book of myths and superstitions.  However in a world that is repeatedly showing us that so many of the things we hear on the news are false narratives, we find the truth in God’s Word.  If we struggle to believe that God’s Word is true, then we are doubting God’s very character.  He is righteous, just, and good (vs. 5).  He is both love and truth itself (I John 4:8; John 14:6).  Every time we question the Scriptures we are agreeing with Satan, the father of lies.

As we read on, we see that all of creation came to be by the word which God spoke (vs. 6-9).  As the supreme, almighty, omnipotent God of the Universe, He just needs to speak a word, and that thing which He spoke comes into being (vs. 9).  He spoke forth creation, and all of the heavens and earth, along with all creatures and inhabitants of the world came into being.  When God speaks a word, the thing that the word expresses immediately leaps to life.  When we read in Genesis 1, we read multiple times “God said”, and then what He said immediately was created.  His Words have power!  Only God’s Word has the resurrection power to bring all who are spiritually dead in their sins to spiritual life.  Because He, alone, is the Creator with all-power, we are encouraged to have a strong fear of the Lord, (vs. 8), as all creation should stand in awe of Him.

Throughout history, the world has been in conflict against God.  Rulers have tried to destroy His people, along with His Word.  Even today believers suffer persecution, either directly in some countries, or by more subtle means in other places.  The world tries in various ways to stamp out God in society.  However, God brings all their plans to nothing.  His plans, and His alone, will stand forever (vs. 10-12).   No human plans can ever override God’s divine will.  If a nation or people submits themselves to the Lord Jesus, He promises to bless them, which reinforces the idea that righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34).  However, unfortunately we do not really see that at all today.

With the world feeding us lies and spiritual falsehoods about God, we might wonder if He even cares at all about us. There are some heretical false “Christian” denominations that say the Supreme Being has little, if any, involvement with mankind and life on earth.  Our psalm declares that to be a lie (vs. 13-15).  God sees and knows the hearts of men, and nothing is hidden from Him (Hebrews 4:13).  He searches every heart and thought (I Chronicles 28:9).

We are urged not to trust in our nation, or any other nation’s military might for deliverance (vs. 16-19).  Earthly strength, such as military power and wealth, cannot save us.  Only having trust in the Lord Jesus will bring us true security.  Those who fear Him, and hope in His mercy will be delivered.  In the face of Satan’s attacks, whether they be psychological or physical attacks, we may attempt to use our own armor, our own power or intellect to counter them.  However, our own efforts are hopelessly ineffective.  We cannot earn our salvation, and we cannot defeat Satan on our own.  Our only hope is found in the Lord Jesus.

Our psalmist concludes by declaring that we can trust in God and His unfailing love (vs. 20-22).  Throughout this passage of Scripture we are assured that God’s Word is true and trustworthy, and that it is without error.  He spoke the Word, and all creation came into existence.  Everyone, including all of the nations that oppose Him, are subject to His will.  When we trust and believe Jesus and His Word, we are assured of His deliverance.

Bring Them Back

Jeremiah 32:36-41

Can someone stray so far into sin, then repent and wish to return to God, but find that God would no longer receive them because they had strayed so far?  Some people may believe that, however, our Scripture passage today from the prophet Jeremiah shows how the Lord will keep His covenant with His people no matter what.  Let’s take a quick look at this Scripture.

The prophet Jeremiah ministered to the people of the Kingdom of Judah during the time when they were under siege from the Babylonians, the population being taken into captivity, and much suffering.  The prophet reminded the people that God’s Word and the preaching of earlier prophets had warned them that it was their disobedience to the Lord and their worshiping of pagan foreign gods that brought this about.  God had allowed this judgment to come upon them.  However Jeremiah’s message wasn’t just chastisement for the people’s sins.  Jeremiah did bring a message from the Lord of hope and restoration.  Despite the suffering that their sins brought, God promised to bring them back to their land, and establish an everlasting covenant with them.

The emperor of Babylon had overcome the nation by war, which also then brought famine and disease.  Thus the people of Judah lamented that they were doomed and that there was no more hope or a future for themselves (vs. 36).   The Lord, though, had a different message for His people, one that the prophet Jeremiah was to relay to them.  In addition to being a message that should restore their hope, it also reaffirmed God’s sovereignty in the midst of war and destruction, and showed His faithfulness to His covenant and promises.

As we continue reading, the Lord spoke of how He promised that He would gather the people of Israel out of the countries where they had been exiled (vs. 37).  He had been furiously angry with them because of their idolatry and disobedience to His Word which had brought about their captivity, but now He would return them to their land where they would dwell in safety.

After approximately seventy years of captivity, the Lord brought the people back to their homeland.  However, over the years, though they may not have fallen back into idolatry, many of the people’s hearts were still far from the Lord.  When the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ came, the majority of the nation rejected Him and had Him put to death by the Romans.

When the people turn back to Yahweh, He promises that they will be His people again (vs. 38).  At that time, then, He will give them one heart and one way so that they will fear Him forever, and He will bring goodness to them and their children (vs. 39).  Yahweh promises that this will be an everlasting covenant.  When the people fear the Lord, they will not depart from Him to worship false gods.

God has given us a New Covenant, and that is through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is a sure and true covenant, one that He will never back down on or turn away from.  When we turn to Him, and accept Jesus as our Savior, we will dwell with Him, and His fear will be in our hearts.  God promises to bless us with His goodness.

Show Me

John 20:19-31

One of the United States’ 50 states is Missouri, right in the center of the country.  It’s a beautiful state, with nice, friendly people.  All of our states have unofficial nicknames, and Missouri’s is, in my opinion, an unfortunate one - the “Show-Me State”, seemingly indicating that they need physical proof of something before they will believe.  Sometimes being rather skeptical can be a good thing, but at other times it is not.  That is the topic of our Gospel reading for this week.

As our Scripture opens, ten of the original twelve disciples have gathered together behind locked doors.  Judas, the betrayer, had committed suicide early on the morning of the crucifixion, and for some reason Thomas is not with the others.  It is the evening of the day of Jesus’ Resurrection.  The women have been to the tomb already, and reported back about the Savior’s resurrection, and the ten do not know what to believe about this incredulous news.  Now, at the beginning of evening, as the group remains hidden behind locked doors from the religious leaders, Jesus appears to them (vs. 19-23).

Twice the Lord Jesus blessed the disciples with peace.   Peace was something that they desperately needed right then.  Seeing the risen Savior would be a shock to them.  Even though Jesus had told them multiple times that He would be crucified and then rise again on the third day, they were slow to believe.  In addition, over the last several days they each had gone through a very stressful ordeal.  Jesus knew that, which is why He brought them His special peace.  When we are going through a rough and stressful time, we need to reach out to Jesus and receive His peace.

Several times during the next forty days, the Lord Jesus would commission His disciples to go out into the world with His message, and that evening was one of those times.  Jesus had been sent by the Father into the world to die for our sins in order to bring us salvation, now He was sending us, His believers, into the world to bring His message.  Jesus also repeated another message that He had told His followers several times throughout His ministry, and that was the need to forgive others when they wrong us (vs. 23).

A week later the disciples are again gathered together, and this time Thomas is with the other ten.  When the ten had told him throughout the past week about Jesus suddenly appearing to them in their locked room, Thomas might have seemed like a resident of Missouri.  He told them, “Show me!  Prove it!  Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and actually put my finger in them, I don’t believe it.” (vs. 24-25).  Jesus did exactly that.  He appeared to the group one week later, and Thomas was present.  The Lord spoke to Thomas, showing him His hands and side where the soldier had thrust his lance in, inviting Thomas to put his fingers in the wounds.  He then gently chided him for needing to see in order to believe (vs. 26-29).

Thomas had the proof, and so he believed.  Jesus told us in the Scriptures that those who have not physically seen, and yet believe are blessed (vs. 29).  That includes me, and hopefully you, as well!  The nail holes in Jesus’ hands are evidence of Who He is, and of the love He has given.  We are engraved as scars on Jesus’ hands (Isaiah 49:16).  As Christians, we should live, not only by what we see, but also by what God’s Word tells us, and what the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts.  The Apostle John wrote his Gospel with the intent that those who would read it would come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (vs 30-31).

One final thought before closing, and that is about scars.  Most everyone has a scar or two.  Many are barely noticeable, but some are quite visible.  And if you talked with the person there would be a story behind those scars, whether from some surgery, an accident, or even a war or bad fight.  When we get to heaven, all of our scars, whether physical or emotional, will all be gone.  No one will have scars in heaven, except for one Person, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will eternally bear the scars of our sins, scars that symbolize our rescue from eternal damnation.  The scars that Jesus bears tell a story, a story of His deep, deep love for us!