The Passing Of Time

 Psalm 90

It seems that as we grow older, time seems to fly by more quickly.  I can still remember my days in grade school quite vividly, though they are well over half a century ago.  My first jobs seem like just a few weeks ago.  Yet they, too, were really many decades ago.  Most of my teachers have long since passed away, along with many of my first co-workers.  Life goes by so quickly.  As a child, we feel that time goes by slowly.  A special day that might be a few weeks or months away, seems to take forever to come, and the ten or twelve years till becoming an adult seems like a lifetime away.  A lifetime!  As our psalm today reminds us, that is something that comes and goes so quickly, and thus, something that we should not waste or fritter away.  Let’s look into this psalm, one of several favorite psalms of mine.

Psalm 90 was written by Moses, undoubtedly in his later years.  Like many of us, he probably thought about how quickly life passes by.  One day we’re young, filled with youthful vigor, and the next we’re old and groaning as we try to stand up.  As Moses begins the psalm, he acknowledges how God has been there, with him and with every believer, right from the start (vs. 1).  As believers, God is our refuge, Someone we can run to when we need a safe sanctuary.  Someone to shelter us in the storms of life.  As we look back over our life, we see it marked by both good events and times of trial and hardship.  God has been our dwelling place through them all.

As we contemplate God, Scripture tells us that He is without beginning or end (vs. 2).  He is not bound by time, as He created time.  When we are younger we think that we have all the time in the world to do this or that.  Yet that time is quickly gone, and very soon we see that the finish line is not that far off. Yet with God, a thousand years or one day is the same (vs. 4).  He is not limited or restricted by time.  Because He is eternal, we can depend on Him.

Ever since Adam was expelled from the Garden of Eden, mankind has been under a decree of death (vs. 3).  We are here for such a brief time, however God is always there.  Moses compares our short life to like a sleep at night (vs. 5-6).  We go to bed at night, and before you know it, it is morning again.  He also compares it to a short-lived plant.  We have a flower that grows in our front yard.  When it blossoms it is very beautiful, but the blossoms only last a few short days and then fall off.  Poof!  It’s gone in a blink of an eye.  That’s like our lifetime.  Thus, Moses warns us that we need to evaluate the use of our time in light of the brevity of life (vs. 12).  Life is short, so we need to use the little time we have more wisely, not living for the moment, but with eternity in mind.

Such thoughts can cause some people to fall into depression.  They may feel “what’s the use”.  They may look at their life and see nothing but failure.  Moses could have felt that way.  He, like everyone else, had some failures and mistakes in his life.  He knew that God knows all of our sins, that they are open before Him (vs. 8).  Yet Moses also knew that God is a God of mercy and forgiveness (vs. 13-14).  In this psalm, Moses asks God to have mercy on frail mankind, living in a sin-cursed world.

The only way to make our short and brief life meaningful, and to avoid falling into any depression over the seeming futility of it all, is to turn to the Lord God, depending upon His mercy and grace to give our life value, significance and meaning (vs. 17).  Do you want your brief life to amount to something?  Do you want there to be some meaning to what you do during your time here?  Everything we do will amount to nothing unless it is established by God.  Those who pass through life depending on their own strength will find it a way of labor and sorrow.  However, those who have given their lives to the Lord Jesus, and lean upon Him, will find that He will give us strength and guidance throughout life, even in difficult times, and we will find throughout the years a way of joy and rejoicing.

What Are You Seeking?

 Amos 5:4-15

If there is something important that needs to be found, you will seek it out, searching high and low, until you find it.  You don’t waste any time, and no effort is too great, whether it be misplaced keys, lost jewelry, or even some hidden treasure you heard about.  You also won’t waste your time or effort looking around for something else.  You focus on the one important thing.  In our Scripture passage from the Old Testament prophet Amos, we are told what important thing in our life we need to be seeking after.  Let’s see what God has to say to us here.

Amos was an Old Testament prophet who came from the southern Kingdom of Judah, yet preached God’s Word primarily to the northern Kingdom of Israel approximately around 760 - 755 BC.  He had been a sheep rancher and had fig orchards before God called him to preach His message to the people.  The Jewish people, particularly the northern Kingdom of Israel, had fallen away from true worship of Yahweh and keeping His commandments.  Many had turned to worshipping the idols and false gods of the surrounding nations.

In our passage today, from the messages he brought to the people, Amos admonished the people to seek after the Lord God Yahweh, and not their false idols, to seek Him and live.  Four times in this passage, God, through His prophet Amos, calls us to seek Him (vs. 4, 6, 8, and 14).  Though God will bring judgment, it can be avoided if we seek the Lord Jesus in true repentance.

We need to ask ourselves what we are seeking after in our life.  For many they could list money, power, fame, love, happiness, popularity.  Have we turned them into a type of god?  Maybe we have made our job a god, or a family member, or our house.  Of course, there are still many people who actually worship idols and false gods, following pagan religions or the occult.  For those who seek after anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ, they will not find the truth or fulfillment they seek.  Instead, they will ultimately find death.  God says to seek after Him and live.

Amos mentioned in his preaching to the people for them not to seek after Bethel (vs. 5).  Bethel was a village in the southern part of the northern Kingdom of Israel.  When the country split into two kingdoms during the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, the new king of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam set up two idols, two golden calves, one in the far north, and one in Bethel.  From then on, that village was associated with pagan, idolatrous worship.  God warned them, and us today, not to get caught up in any sort of idolatry.  Don’t worship the stars, or seek the future through them (vs. 8).  Instead, seek Him who made the stars.  The idols we set up, whatever they may be, will not bring us what our souls are really seeking after.

In addition to turning to false, idolatrous, pagan worship, the people also had turned away from showing justice and righteousness in their lives.  They, along with both their political and religious leaders, were corrupt.  They were not following God’s laws, either religious laws or civil ones.  All of God’s prophets spoke out against this, in addition to idol worship.  The law courts should have been places to find justice, and for the poor and oppressed to get relief.  Instead, they were places of greed and injustice (vs. 7).  True justice had been destroyed, causing corruption (vs. 10-13).  The people were seeking their own ways, not the Lord’s.  They were seeking their own power, wealth, and fame, not for God’s justice and righteousness.

God didn’t like it then, and He doesn’t like it today, either.  He is calling us to seek after Him.  Turn to Him, for those who refuse face the fire of His judgment.  God will not have fellowship with falsehood in doctrine, or evil-doing in conduct.  It doesn’t matter how rich or powerful someone may be, God can smite the strongest (vs. 9).  There is no place anyone can hide from Him.

Prophets like Amos and others who spoke out against both religious and civil corruption, were not popular.  They are not popular today, either (vs 10).  People today hate the preachers who speak out against the evil ways of the world, just as they did against Amos in his day.  Yet we need more preachers who admonish and urge people to seek after the Lord Jesus, and His ways.  Seeking and following after anything else will bring destruction upon ourselves, but hope is found in seeking and following God.

A Lesson From A Fig Tree

 Mark 11:12-14, 20-26

Most of us, at one time or another, have gotten upset at some inanimate object.  The thing wasn’t working the way you wanted, so you got angry at it, perhaps gave it a kick, or even threw it across the room if you were angry enough.  Later you might have felt ashamed at the temper tantrum you threw.  Some people think that today’s Scripture describes a temper tantrum that Jesus threw when He didn’t find figs growing on a tree when He was hungry.  As we study this Scripture passage, we will see that this was not the case.

As our Scripture begins, Jesus and His disciples are leaving the village of Bethany, heading into Jerusalem for the day.  Jesus was hungry, and saw a fig tree up ahead filled with leaves.  When He got to the tree, though, there were no figs to be found on the tree, so He proclaimed a curse on the tree (vs. 12-14).  This was not a case of a hungry Jesus, angry that He didn’t get to eat any figs.  We must understand the nature of the fig trees growing in the Middle East at this time.

The type of fig trees that grew in Israel then usually had two crops of figs when mature, a spring-time crop, and then one in the late summer.  Leaves would grow on the tree prior to the first crop.  So, when someone saw leaves on the fig tree, they assumed there would be a crop of figs growing.  The first, early spring crop of figs was the breba figs.  They are not as good and tasty as the second crop, later in the summer, but they are still edible.  Usually the farmers would harvest and sell the later crop, and didn’t mind anyone scavenging for the breba figs.  Jesus saw leaves, which would indicate some fruit, but there wasn’t a single fig to be found.  The tree was barren.

Fig trees were a symbol of the nation of Israel.  This particular fig tree was barren, just like the nation was spiritually barren, not bearing any fruit.  From outward appearance, Israel looked holy and spiritual.  Devout Pharisees were found everywhere.  People came to the Temple.  However, the nation as a whole did not have true faith in Yahweh.  Jesus cursed the fig tree as a sign that the nation of Israel was cursed, and would bear no more fruit until the Time of the Gentiles, which is this current age, is fulfilled when Jesus returns.  True, genuine faith should show fruit.  Empty religion will not.  This fig tree was a warning against spiritual fruitlessness.

Later, Jesus and His disciples walk past that fig tree again, and they notice that it has withered up, down to its roots, Peter pointing that out with surprise (vs. 20-21).  Jesus then used this opportunity to teach them about having faith in prayer (vs. 22-24).  We all have difficulties and problems in our life, for which we pray about.  Sometimes they seem as big and insurmountable as a mountain, immovable, incapable of getting around it.  Jesus tells us that if we truly have faith when we pray, if we believe in His ability to do anything, our mountain of a problem can be picked up and thrown into the sea.

God can remove our mountain of difficulties.  He is a miracle-working God.  He can answer our prayers.  This is, however, not a blanket formula to get whatever we want.  First, we must be saved, having trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.  Next, we must request only what is consistent with Jesus’s character.  Then, we must check our motives.  Is our goal to glorify God, and to let others see Him in us?  Or are they selfish, greedy, and impure?  One seeking to do the will of God will want only what God desires.  The receiving of answers to prayer requires a relationship with God.

Jesus further taught us that when we pray, we must have forgiveness in our hearts for everyone who has done anything to us (vs. 25-26).  God’s promise of answering our prayers and removing our mountains cannot be honored if we harbor unforgiveness.  Unforgiveness breaks down our relationship with God.  We may think we have good reason not to forgive, yet there is no reason given in the Bible to not forgive.  God knows our situation, and He still calls us to forgive.  Believers need to forgive because we have already been forgiven.

Don’t let doubt grow in your heart.  Doubt tears down what faith tries to build up.  When we pray, lift up faith, not the problem.  Lift up your faith in God, not the circumstances.  Don’t tell God how big your mountain is.  Tell your mountain how big your God is!

Greater Than Angels

 Hebrews 2:1-18

Angels have been popular for many centuries.   They have been the subject of many great works of art found in museums.  People sometimes call their loved one “angel”.  And they’ve even been characters on several well-known TV shows.  We read about them throughout the Bible.  Angels are held in very high esteem by Christians and non-believers alike.  As we look into our Scripture passage today from the Book of Hebrews, we will read how Jesus, the Son of God, is greater than any angel ever was.

Frequently we read in the Bible how God brought messages to mankind through angels.  Throughout the Old Testament people were warned to heed the warnings and messages that the angels brought from God, with disobedience being judged (vs. 1-4).   The writer of Hebrews warns us now that we should not neglect the message that Jesus brings.  God has no greater messenger than His Son.  He has no more important message than the Gospel of Jesus.  Just as Jesus is greater than angels, so Jesus’s message is more important than theirs.  If the Old Testament messages, delivered by angels, brought judgment if disobeyed, how much more for that message given by Jesus.  No one will escape God’s punishment if they are indifferent to the salvation offered by His Son.

Our author warns us to watch out that we don’t drift away from the truths we have been taught in God’s Word (vs. 1).  Have you ever been out on a lake in a small boat, perhaps doing some fishing?  You find a good spot and want to stay right there where the fish are biting.  In order to do so, you need to drop an anchor or the boat will slowly drift away.  Drifting happens slowly, not like a speedboat.  Drifting in our relationship with God is hardly noticeable at first.  It happens gradually. We need to be careful to avoid drifting.  Connecting with God regularly through reading our Bibles and prayer is like an anchor to help us avoid drifting away.

As we read on in our passage, we see how Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation (vs. 10).  All good ship captains will go down with their ship when there is a disaster, or at the very least, they will make sure all of the passengers and crew are safe before they board a rescue vessel.  Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation, who sacrificed Himself for us.  He led the way through death and hell, to bring all who trust in Him safely on to heaven.

The concept of a suffering Savior is a stumbling block to the Jews.  Through what Jesus suffered, He became the Captain of our Salvation.  There are several reasons why it was necessary for Jesus to suffer.  First was so He could identify with humanity (vs. 10-13).  Then it was necessary so that He could destroy the power of death (vs. 14-15).  Lastly, it was so Jesus could be our Great High Priest (vs. 17-18).  Through suffering, Jesus completed what was necessary for our salvation.

In addition to being our Captain, Jesus is also our Big Brother (vs. 11).  When we become saved, we then have the same Father as Jesus, and we become His brothers and sisters.  Just like any good big brother should be, Jesus teaches us, leads the way, and protects us.  When Jesus came to earth, He chose to share the experiences of those He came to save.  Throughout His whole life, nothing was missing from His experiences except sin.  Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted.  He understands.  Because He conquered sin, Jesus can help us when we’re tempted.

Lastly, we read that Jesus is our Great High Priest (vs. 17).  In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between God and man.  He would offer sacrifices and pray for forgiveness of the people’s sins.  Jesus Christ is now our High Priest.  He paid the penalty for our sins by His death, once and for all.  The consequences of sin is death, eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).  In order to pay the penalty that sin requires, Jesus died on the cross, God’s perfect sacrifice and atonement.

As we see in our Scripture today, Jesus is superior to the angels.  No angel became the Captain of our Salvation.  No angel became our Brother, suffering all that we suffer in order to be our sacrifice.  And no angel is our Great High Priest.  Jesus became all of that for us, so that if we call upon Him, we can be with Him in heaven for eternity.  That’s better than an angel!

The Blessed Family

Psalm 128 

Check with many newly married couples, and with couples expecting their first child, and most will tell you that they want a happy, successful, and well-adjusted family.  Most old-time TV shows from the 1950’s and 60’s showed families like that, as this was what people wanted and were hoping for in their own homes.  This was an ideal, though many families fell far short of it.  The only way to have a truly successful and blessed family is to follow God’s Word.  One key to having that family is found in our Scripture passage today, Psalm 128.

Our psalm starts right off by telling us that those who will be blessed by God, shown His favor and grace, are those who fear and obey Him (vs. 1).  Having a fear of God is not being afraid of Him, not fearing that God will zap us with His lightning bolts, or come along and clobber us.  Fearing God is showing Him reverential awe, and a proper holy respect.  There is a great lack of that in society today.  Too many people have a very flippant attitude towards God, His Word, the Bible, and anything that is sacred.  They show no respect to the Lord of the Universe, many referring to Him with the disrespectful term “the man upstairs”. Even among Christians, there are many who have an extremely casual view with God, calling Him their “buddy”, their “pal”.  Yes, God is our Father and our Friend, and that relationship is always there for those who are saved.  However, we should always show Him the proper reverence and respect due Him.  Even the closest friends of the Queen, including her family, show her proper respect.  How much more should we show that to God?!

If we are to have a blessed family, we need to be walking in His ways, and obeying His Word.  This goes for the whole family, for the father, mother, and children.  Too often we see that the burden of spiritual leadership in the family is left to the mother.  The father, even if he is saved, often leaves Bible reading and praying with the children to his wife, along with taking them to Sunday School and church.  Though our psalm is addressed to the whole family, in verses 2-4, God is specifically speaking to the fathers.  The father is to lead the family, like a priest would, in spiritual matters.  That doesn’t mean that the wife/mother is in any way a lesser person or part in spiritual matters.  However, when the father is lax in spiritual matters with his household, the more likely the children will follow his lead, and become so, as well.  God desires the whole household to follow Him, and promises His blessing on the family who does.

When a Christian young man and woman decide to marry, there should be three in their household.  The husband, the wife, and God.  When they bring Jesus into their marriage, when they seek His guidance and follow His Word when rearing their children, He promises to bless.  When God is the head of the family and home, He will reward your devotion to Him with inner peace.

We hear a lot about family values, those beliefs and behaviors that are taught and passed down from parent to child, within their family and household.  As we look around today, we might wonder about what kind of values are being handed down from generation to generation.  As Christians, what are we teaching our children?  What sort of values and beliefs are we passing on to them?  What do they see in us, that they will inevitably start to practice themselves?  A Christian who is following the Lord should teach those values which the Bible highlights - love, service, honesty, integrity, and prayer.  These are vital to a godly home life.

Yes, God promises His blessings upon the family that fears and reverences Him, and that follows His Word.  This is a godly legacy that if we follow Him, we can pass on from generation to generation.  One can never be truly happy until one leads a life that honors the Lord.

Three Women Of Faith

 Exodus 1:15 - 2:10

A law has been passed.  Those in power say it must be, and that’s the way it is.  You don’t agree with the law, you know that it is absolutely wrong and immoral, but there’s nothing you can do.  To disobey, or even dare to speak out could easily cost you your life.  So what do you do?  This is the situation in our Scripture for today.  Most people here just went along with the law.  However we will read of three women, a pair of midwives, and then a mother, who with their strong faith in God, dared to trust Him to go against what they knew was wrong.  Let’s take a look.

The Kingdom of Egypt was the biggest, most powerful kingdom the world had ever known at the time, and Pharaoh the most powerful person on the planet.  His word was law, and no one dared cross him.  Pharaoh was disturbed that the enslaved Hebrew people were growing in number, and feared that they might rise in revolt, so he came up with a plan.  He summoned the Hebrew midwives and commanded that they put to death all newborn Hebrew boys (vs. 15-16).  Shiphrah and Puah, the midwives, knew that this was morally abhorrent.  What could they do, though?  To blatantly disobey Pharaoh could easily cost them their lives.  These two loved the Lord, fearing and reverencing His commands, and they knew that they had to obey Him and not man (vs. 17-21).  Just like centuries later when God protected the Apostles for obeying Him rather than the authorities (Acts 5:29), God also protected these midwives when they stood against the mightiest man on earth.  When Pharaoh’s plan to be rid of the Hebrew boys was thwarted by the midwives, he got everyone involved and demanded all Hebrew males babies be killed by anyone (vs. 22).

Our passage continues with another brave woman, Jochebed, the mother of Moses.  This Hebrew woman gave birth to a baby boy, and she was determined to keep him alive, no matter what Pharaoh had ordered.  For three months she managed to hide his birth from the neighbors and authorities, but that couldn’t last forever.  His cries were sure to be heard, and eventually he would start crawling and walking.  Jochebed came up with a plan.  She made a woven basket and lined it with a waterproof substance.  She then placed her baby in the basket and took him down to the Nile River and set him afloat in the water ( vs. 1-3)  I am sure that Jochebed prayed fervently to God during those first three months, seeking His guidance as to what to do with her baby boy, as she was not going to let anyone kill him.  I believe this is what the Lord showed her to do, and she trusted Him, as she believed He had a plan.

What comes to mind when you think of the Nile River?  One of the first things that comes to my mind is crocodiles.  Most crocodiles would just love a nice little baby for a snack!  However Jochebed trusted explicitly in God, that not only would He spare her son from Pharaoh’s death sentence, but He would also keep him safe from any harm in the river.  She believed God had a plan for her son.

God did have a plan for the baby.  The Holy Spirit had the timing just right.  Shortly after Jochebed put the basket with Moses in the river, Pharaoh’s daughter came to that exact spot to bathe, and she heard the baby cry.  The Lord God even had Moses crying, and not sleeping, to be sure that the royal princess would notice him (vs. 5-6).

God had heard Jochebed’s prayers.  Not only was Moses found by Pharaoh’s daughter, and would be raised as a member of the royal family, in privilege and not as a slave, but Jochebed was able to care for him during his first 3-4 years (vs 7-9).  She was able to carefully instruct Moses about Yahweh.  Moses never forgot those lessons, either, and when he became a young man he did not deny his identity (Hebrews 11:24-27).

All three women had great faith in God, and also determined that they were going to do what they believed was right.  They trusted in God and obeyed Him even against a powerful and evil adversary.  The midwives Shiphrah and Puah did not know ahead of time that God would protect them.  For all they knew they could have been executed at that moment, but they trusted and obeyed Him anyway.  Jochebed trusted God with her newborn son, and would not let him be killed.  When placing him in the river she completely relinquished her son’s care and safety to God.  The Lord honored each woman for their faith and trust in Him.  We can follow each of these women’s example by standing up for what we know God says in His Word, the Bible, and trusting Him with our lives and those of our family.

In His Name

 Mark 9:38-48

“Don’t associate with them.  They’re not one of our group.”   Have you ever been told that, perhaps when younger by one of your classmates, or even your parents?  Or even now by one of your associates?   Unfortunately this is something that we sometimes hear in some churches, quite a bit in the past, and even occasionally still today.  In our Gospel Scripture today, we see a little bit of this exclusivity from a few of the disciples.  Let’s take a look.

As our Scripture opens, the disciple John spoke to Jesus, telling Him that he and some of the other disciples saw a man who was casting out demons in the Name of Jesus (vs 38).  John and the others did not like that.  This other man was not one of their group.  They felt that because he wasn’t, he had no right to be using Jesus’s Name in any way.  So they promptly shut him up, and John proudly told Jesus this.  What was Jesus’s response?  Did He agree that the twelve, and they alone, had exclusive rights to His Name?  No!  Jesus told John and the other disciples that what they did was not right.  This other person, even though he was not officially one of the twelve disciples, was a true believer.  If he was out fighting against the kingdom of Satan and evil, casting out demons, and probably also teaching the message of Jesus and God’s Word, he certainly wasn’t against Jesus  (vs. 39-40).  Jesus said that if this other fellow was not teaching or preaching anything contrary to what He taught, then he is not against them, like many of the religious leaders in Jerusalem were.  This man was obviously on their side, on the side of God.

What about today?  Do we see this in any of our churches today?  Some people feel that if someone is not a member of their denomination then they can’t possibly be a true Christian.   I’ve heard some folks say that anyone who attended this or that church certainly could not be saved.  This was what John was believing here.  If that man was not part of his small, select group, then he certainly could not be a follower of Jesus.  What Jesus responded then, He responds now, as well.  If a person truly believes in the Lord Jesus as Savior, if they are following and believing what Jesus teaches, then they are for Him, not against Him.  This other man was a true believer.  The Body of Christ comes from all different groups of people, many different denominations, all nationalities, and all races of people.

Jesus continued on to tell His disciples that any act of kindness done for any of His followers, is done to Him (vs. 41).  Rather than picking up stones to hurl at the man, like John was acting like he wanted to do, Jesus said to instead show him acts of kindness.  Thankfully John did, indeed, learn his lesson.  John became the “apostle of love”, as is evident in his Gospel and his Epistles.  No longer did he want to smack others down.  Instead, he forever after taught others to love one another in Jesus’s Name.

Our Scripture continues on with a warning from Jesus against leading another believer astray, or into sin (vs. 42-48).  As we read here, to entice, trap, or lead a believer into sin is a very serious matter, especially if they are children.  Jesus cares very much about young children, and we are told throughout Scripture how important it is to teach them about God and His Word, the Bible.

Some people have taken issue with this passage of Scripture about cutting off hands or feet, and it’s description of hell as a place of torment, saying that it is way too harsh, and isn’t loving.  They say it isn’t appropriate for today.  Firstly, Jesus did say it, and anything He says is appropriate at all times.  Next, God does not want us to literally disfigure ourselves, but instead, He is teaching us that we need to do whatever is necessary to deal with sin in our life.  Sin is serious business, and we need to take all appropriate and necessary steps to root it out of our life.

Hell is mentioned several times in the closing verses of our Scripture.  Jesus taught about hell.  It is not a fairy tale or a figure of speech to just teach a lesson.  It is a literal place of torment, that those who have not turned to Jesus as their Savior will spend eternity in.  Jesus was not trying to scare people, but at the same time He was trying to teach important truths, as He does not enjoy seeing people end up there.

That is an important question to ask ourselves today.  Where will you spend eternity?   Are you a follower of Jesus, having accepted Him as your Savior, or is that a decision you still need to make?  Do not wait another day, as we are not guaranteed tomorrow.