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22 February 2021
Exodus 35Psalms 92; 931 Corinthians 4; 5"IT IS ACTUALLY REPORTED THAT ... "It is natural to wish that life in serving Christ, in the assembly of believers, should be all smooth. So it should be and can be - if the members are dedicated and possess a true spiritual vision. Daily Bible reading is a foundation factor in creating this. Our reading today of Paul’s admonition to the believers at Corinth contains an important lesson of the need to take action when it is necessary, but any action must be undertaken in love, just as when parents see it necessary to discipline their child – out of love for their child.We read, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant!” [1 Corinthians 5:1,2] It does not say his mother, so we presume she has died and this is his father’s second wife. Why were they arrogant? Had their broadmindedness created this? Such “pride” is growing in many parts of the world today, a spirit of permissiveness that all things that do not actually hurt someone else are allowable, many churches are becoming at least a little affected by this and appear pleased with their attitude.Paul says, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” [1 Corinthians 5:6] As a permissive spirit spreads it corrupts everything – just like rust. This was starting to happen among the believers in Corinth and Paul is very concerned about this and he says, “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” [1 Corinthians 5:5]It is not clear what “to deliver” him means. In his 2nd letter to them Paul writes of how “a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated” [2 Corinthians 12:7] Paul came to realize the positive side of this from God’s point of view and then wrote, “for the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses … for when I am weak, then I am strong.” [2 Corinthians 12:10] What is the type of strength that really matters? It is brought about by situations that cause believers to really know and trust in their Lord.As this world grows more godless, believers must stand firm by Christ’s principles, noting Paul words, “I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother (or sister) if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler …” [1 Corinthians 5:11]. Note his words in his 2nd letter [2 Corinthians 2:2-8] and the good results that standing firm lead to in this case. Note also his words in Galatians 6:1-------- DC -
21 February 2021Exodus 33; 34Psalms 90; 911 Corinthians 3"I ... COULD NOT ADDRESS YOU AS SPIRITUAL PEOPLE"Our 5 chapters today were intensely thought provoking. First, the utterly remarkable and challenging relationship of Moses (and the people through Moses) with the LORD (yhwh) who had delivered them from Egypt. Second, the Psalms of Moses, 90 and 91; “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” [Psalm 90:12]: then noting the opening words of Psalm 91, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High … will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’.” Moses is the ultimate Old Testament example of one who achieved an intimate relationship with God.And now in Paul’s heart searching first letter to the Corinthians we read Paul’s distress at their minimal progress toward real spirituality – so parallel to Moses’ experience with the God’s nation in the wilderness. In chapter 2 we read, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he (or she) is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” [1 Corinthians 2:14] and then chapter 3 starts, “But I, brothers (and sisters - footnote) could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” [1 Corinthians 3:1]He deplores their lack of unity, their failure to see the need to team together under the guiding hand of Christ as he was doing. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants not he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” [1 Corinthians 3:6,7] He goes on to state, “For we are God’s fellow workers”[1 Corinthians 3:9]. Visualise that! As such we team together to build God’s spiritual house which is only seen by the “eyes” of those who have spiritual vision.God laid “the foundation … which is Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 3:11] “Let each one take care how he (or she) builds upon it” [1 Corinthians 3:10] whether it be “gold silver … hay, straw” then “the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” [1 Corinthians 3:13]What does 1 Corinthians 3:15 mean? “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he (or she) … will be saved, but only as through fire.” What is our work? It is the same as Paul at Corinth, to witness, to bring people to Christ beginning with our children. The time appears to be very short; let us become more spiritual, more zealous to build – how close is God’s building to being completed!?-------- DC
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20 February 2021"... We too live in a world of uncertainty and instability, rent by war, torn by suspicion and corrupted by indiscipline—a world that has lost all sense of the absolute and the secure. Its true prophets, speaking from God’s Word, tell us in like terms of a new age to dawn, of a world ruler who will bring peace and hope and joy to the earth. Yet even now the same crying needs of our human hearts, our fears, our doubts, our sadness, our despair can be answered and satisfied in the light which first shone from a babe in a manger, glowed from a life of love, of pain and of death and now pours from the living presence of Jesus in Heaven."- S. HarrisAn Age of Expectancy (1969)
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Do You Want Justice?An aging, once beautiful movie actress decided that she wanted a series of portraits taken by the same photographer who had shot some wonderful pictures of her some 30 years earlier. After a considerable search, he was located and commissioned to take the pictures. When he delivered the proofs to her she went into a rage and screamed out in dismay, “These pictures don’t do me justice.” The patient photographer explained that she had been 30 years younger when he took those beautiful portraits that she remembered. Then he suggested to her that she didn’t want justice, she needed mercy.We, too, had better not demand justice, for we are in need of mercy. “If thou, Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” asked the Psalmist. Strangely enough, we seem to have a double standard, for we want others to receive justice while we hope for mercy.We’ve all seen another driver go right through a stop sign without even slowing down and wished that there had been an officer there to apprehend the offender. Yet which of us has not, at some time, absent mindedly driven right through one before we realized we had failed to stop. On that occasion, we hoped that no one saw what we did.Our Lord has told us to “do to others as you would have them do to you. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. For with what measure you use, it will be measured to you.”If there is one great lesson that Jesus has tried to drive home to us it is this one: He wants us to be merciful. His parable about the king who called his servants before him to settle accounts and found a man who owed him millions but was unable to pay illustrates this point very well. Remember that when he begged, the huge debt was forgiven, yet he went out and confronted his fellow servant and demanded payment of a small debt. He even grabbed the man by the throat and choked him. Because he showed no mercy, he was re-arrested and brought before the king who said, “You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This, said Jesus, “Is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”The parable of the beam and the mote underlines this same important lesson. Jesus’ conclusion was, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” In some of the newer translations, the mote is called a speck and the beam a plank. Our sins so obscure our vision we cannot clearly see to correct our brother. Yet how human to focus on other’s shortcomings instead of our own.We really are going to be judged by the same standard that we have used toward others. Based on this, we have to acknowledge that the mercy of God may be extremely limited when it comes time for us to stand before our Lord. God has told us that He has unlimited mercy, for David says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” We, ourselves, are the ones who limit the amount of mercy He will show toward us by how merciful we have been to our fellows.We need not only to know this, but we need to live what we know in our daily dealings with others. “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
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Do you have the right map?Here is a ridiculous story that teaches us a lesson we would all do well to remember: A man from Los Angeles is invited to fly to Chicago to call on an important business contact. The man in Chicago mails him a street map, as he will be renting a car at the airport and traveling into downtown Chicago to make the call.Unfortunately, the map company made a mistake and some maps of the City of Detroit were mistakenly labeled City of Chicago. It was one of these maps that the man in Los Angeles received.The traveler picks up his rented car and proceeds to travel toward the city with his map on the seat beside him. As he nears the heart of downtown, he pulls over to consult the map. He is totally confused and cannot tell where he is or where he is supposed to go. Since he is parked near an outside pay telephone, he quickly dials the man he is trying to find and informs him that he is lost and cannot find his way.The man in Chicago proceeds to give him a lecture on self-determination, on persistence, and the attitude of never giving up. The bewildered man gets back into his rented car and begins to drive twice as fast and proceeds to get lost twice as fast.Finally, in desperation, he makes another phone call. He is a little agitated as he speaks once again to his Chicago contact. This time he gets a lecture on having a negative attitude. He is asked what he can see from his vantage point at the phone booth. He describes the four corners explaining that there is a bank on one corner, two gas stations on opposite corners and a bookstore on the other. He is told to go into the bookstore and buy a book on positive mental attitude and see if that won’t change his negative and frustrated feelings. He is more than a little upset, but he proceeds to read some of the power-of-positive-thinking from the book that he was told to buy.Now he is so charged up, he jumps in the car and takes off at break-neck speed. He is still lost but now he is so full of positive thinking that he doesn’t even care.Obviously the lesson we learn from this silly story is that all the positive thinking in the world will not help if we do not have the right road map.Think how many people go through life reading the wrong road map or ignoring the only road map that will lead them to a place in the kingdom of God. They may be filled with positive thoughts but they are still lost. The faster they go, the further they get from the goal of the kingdom.It is good to have a positive mental attitude but it must be coupled with a proper understanding of where we are going and how to get there.Solomon tells us that there is “a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”Let’s begin our journey by consulting the correct road map, the Bible, and then let us follow it step by step as we journey on the path of life to the kingdom.David says, “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust ... Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
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20 February 2021Exodus 31; 32Psalms 891 Corinthians 1; 2“UNITED IN THE SAME MIND”Once again we have an overflow of challenging thoughts in today’s readings. Paul’s words particularly arrested our attention. “I appeal to you brothers by the name of our Lord that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” [1 Corinthians 1:10-11]. This is essential among those who follow Christ, but in Corinth they were in disarray because they were following leaders. Paul stresses that the only way believers can be united is to follow Christ, and to do that they should seek to possess the “mind of Christ” [1 Corinthians 2:16] and Paul set them an example to follow.“God is faithful,” writes Paul, “by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” [1 Corinthians 1:9] God is faithful to those who say they are committing their lives to him - and looks for faithfulness in response. A tragic example of failure is the situation we read today in Exodus 32: so utterly tragic after the people had witnessed so much evidence of the Divine presence at Mt. Sinai. We must accept the lessons in our daily reading of the Bible of how, after evidence of divine presence and blessings has been given, God may put people to the test to prove their faithfulness.Paul writes about the challenge of “the cross” [1 Corinthians 1:18]. The message of “the cross is folly to those who are perishing.” The Corinthians had been attracted by the dynamics of the Christian movement and they “are not lacking in any spiritual gift” [1 Corinthians 1:7]. So many in Corinth wanted the experiences the church offered but failed to put their minds to understand that Paul “preached Christ crucified, a message that was “a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles” [1 Corinthians 1:23]Paul’s understanding of God’s objective in his testing is this: “God chose what is low and despised in the world … so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” [1 Corinthians 1:28-29] Where there is boasting and human ego, believers will never be united. So often in serving Christ, those seeking leadership, or looking for leaders to follow, are elevating men: this attitude destroys unity. Our unity that should be based, not on human wisdom, but on the wisdom that is from above (read James 3:17,18).True wisdom is totally lacking in the world today in both material and spiritual things. We must recognise the influence of this on us and Paul’s message to the Corinthians is full of encouragement for them to develop spiritual vision, for “no eye has seen , nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” [1 Corinthians 2:9]-------- DC
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19 February 2021
Exodus 30Psalms 87; 88Mark 15; 16
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
The first Christians did not use incense in their worship, it was only centuries later that it came into use, there is no reference to such use by believers by Jesus or the Apostles. However, there is an interesting spiritual application in the Psalms and in Revelation. Our thoughts on this were prompted by reading today about the small incense altar that Moses was commanded to make: less than a metre high and less than half a metre square, it was totally overlaid with gold and placed in front of the veil in front of the Mercy Seat in the Holy Place.
Aaron was to burn incense on it every evening “at twilight” as he lit the lamps and again in the morning [Exodus 30:1-8]. Imagine the atmosphere as the fragrance of the smouldering incense filled the Holy Place and filtered into the Holy of Holies. The incense was made of special ingredients and no one else was allowed to make anything similar, “whoever makes any like it to use as a perfume shall be cut off from his people” [Exodus 30:38] is the warning given after giving the details of its five ingredients [Exodus 30:34-36] and saying it was “pure and holy.”
When we come to read David’s Psalm 141 we must specially note his words, “Give ear to my voice when I call to you! Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” [Psalm 141:1-2].
What about our prayers?
Now note what is recorded in the book of Revelation when the seventh and final seal is opened. We read of an angel standing “at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints rose before God …” [Revelation 8:3-4] and in chapter 5 we read of the 24 elders falling down before the Lamb having “golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.” [Revelation 5:8]
Prayer is a wonderful privilege; we must give the utmost thought to what we are doing and saying when we decide to pray – and the purpose of our prayer. Today’s Psalm [Psalm 88] of the sons of Korah is a prayer of desperation, “I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?” [Psalm 88:13,14] We cast our minds back to what happened to Korah himself! [Numbers 16:24-40] May we all so learn to pray that we can come before the throne of grace with confidence. Read Hebrews 4:16-------- DC -
19 February 2021
"We cannot read the account of this sacred experience without a sense of gratitude that we have been allowed a glimpse of that night of destiny. Our reverence and awe should be too deep to allow us to discuss its nature. We have seen what the disciples saw. We dare not seek to know what Jesus saw and heard. With Peter we “wist not what to say”, for the brightness of the glory fills our hearts. But we can understand the effect of this night of wonder. For Jesus surely it was an experience of the joy that was set before him. It was a renewed anointing for his death, to the glory of his Father and the redemption of all mankind. The disciples would feel that nothing could ever be the same again ... John would remember that moment as he looked up at the bowed head covered with blood and sweat. Peter would remember it after he had cried, “I never knew him”, and would go out into the night and sob as though his heart must break."- Melva PurkisA Life of Jesus -
18 February 2021
"He that has clean hands, and a pure heart" (Psalm 24:4)"Hands doing good are clean hands, and these are the hands which will merit for us the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of our salvation in that day when our Lord comes to reward his servants according to their works."- Arthur MallinderHe That Hath Clean Hands (1958) -
17 February 2021
"We are a very diverse group of people differing greatly in all our natural characteristics. In the ordinary course few of us would probably be associated together. What is it that can unite such different personalities? It must be something that overrides our differences. The apostle Jude puts his finger on the spot when he says: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” That common salvation, the great faith and hope which we all share, that is the bond that brings us together."- A.L. GalbraithRedemption (1960) -
18 February 2021Exodus 29Psalms 85; 86Mark 14"THIS IS WHAT YOU SHALL DO TO THEM TO CONSECRATE THEM"We are reading in Exodus [Exodus 29] of the elaborate ritual needed to consecrate the High Priest, Aaron, also his sons. There is a lot of detail about the elaborate garments and head covering they need to wear and the ritual involved in sacrificing a ram and the use of its different body parts. We also read of the anointing oil and how it should be used. All this combined to make “a pleasing aroma before the LORD” [Exodus 29:25]. There is also “one loaf of bread … and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD.” [Exodus 29:23]. If any of it “remains until morning then you shall burn the remainder of it with fire … because it is holy” [Exodus 29:34]There is a big contrast in our reading in Mark [Mark 14] and the simple but most significant actions of Jesus - “as they were eating” Jesus simply “took bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them” saying “This is my body”. Next “he took the cup” and after giving thanks said “this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many” [Mark 14:22-24]A simple act as part of a meal, no special dress or ceremony! This became a feature in the lives of the first believers, probably “on the first day of the week” [Acts 20:7], but there is no command as to which day, laws of this nature were entirely absent among the first believers. Paul simply details what “I received from the Lord” in 1 Corinthians 11:23-27, but it must be not be done “in an unworthy manner” [1 Corinthians 11:27] there must be self examination.This thought takes our minds to our reading of David’s Psalm 86 today. “Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant who trusts in you – you are my God … For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” [Psalm 86:1,2,5]Then David looks to the future time, which is still future now, when “all nations you have made shall come and worship before you O Lord, and glorify your name.” [Psalm 86:9]. May we be there. Finally note his intimate personal thoughts of his relationship with God, such an example for us. “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart” [Psalm 86:11,12]-------- DC
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17 February 2021Exodus 28Psalms 83; 84Mark 13“STAY AWAKE”These are the last 2 words in our reading today of Mark 13. They had their initial application to those who heard Jesus say them! Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in AD 70 and faithful believers who were spiritually awake heeded his words “flee to the mountains” [Mark 13:14] instead of staying in Jerusalem with its wonderful Temple, thinking it was impossible God would let the Temple and the Holy of Holies be destroyed.Those who believed Jesus that “there will not be left one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” [Mark 13:2], did “stay awake”; they escaped from this destruction. But Jesus, after speaking at some length on this great tragedy then looks further into the future! It seems clear that while some of his words have an application to the destruction of Jerusalem, they also apply to an even greater time of trouble and destruction engulfing this time, the whole world.Jesus speaks of a coming time of “tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation that God created until now, and never will be” [Mark 13:19]. The Lord is to “cut short” those days, otherwise “no human being would be saved” [Mark 13:20]. Ponder the words which follow about how “after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will be falling …” [Mark 13:24,25]Is this literal? It probably should be understood symbolically. Note Mark 13:31 where Jesus says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” which leads us to recall what Peter later wrote, “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” [2 Peter 3:13] We therefore understand that the collapse of all governments and human institutions is coming, occurring because of their total godlessness. Human “heavens” and systems will be overwhelmed by awesome events. When? Jesus says that even he does not know the day “only the father” [Mark 13:32] His next words are, “Be on your guard, keep awake” [Mark 13:33] which is emphasized in his final words in the chapter, “And what I say to you I say to all (us!): Stay awake.”-------- DC
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Discouraging WordsHAVE YOU HEARD about the cowboy who was fired because he said a discouraging word? According to the song, “Home on the Range”, it was seldom done. Unfortunately discouraging words are uttered rather frequently instead of just seldom heard. They are said almost everywhere human beings congregate, including our own ecclesial meetings. Instead of the encouragement which we all need, some of our own group sometimes weaken the hands of the workers with a discouraging word.We have an example of this with Judah’s remarks in Nehemiah 4:10: “The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.” Nehemiah was doing his best to keep everyone working at the rebuilding of the wall and these negative remarks were about as welcome as measles on a vacation. Already Nehemiah had his hands full with bitter enemies from without who were poking fun at his labors saying, “What do these feeble Jews, even that which they build if a fox go up he shall even break down their stone wall.” The ridicule would have been easier to take if only those with Nehemiah could put up a united front, but discouraging words like Judah uttered often tend to take the heart out of the rest of the workers.Let us make sure that we are not guilty of saying discouraging words when a worthwhile effort for the Truth is proposed. It is always easier to say “It can’t be done” than to try, and this negative thinking is apt to discourage the hands of those preparing to do it.It certainly worked this way when the ten spies came back with their report to Moses. “The land flows with milk and honey nevertheless the people be strong, we be not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we.” The effect of these discouraging words was disastrous. The same thing can happen in our day.The children of Israel had God on their side and still discouraging words prevailed. We are assured, as was Joshua, that if we observe to do according to all that God has commanded, then He will make our way prosperous and we shall have good success. Do any of us dare to be negative when God is so positive? “If God be for us, who can be against us?” No wonder Paul cried out “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”We have nothing to fear if we have God. Peter walked on water as long as he looked toward his Lord. It was only when he looked away at the wind and waves that he became discouraged and began to sink.Discouragement, thought or spoken, can rob us of opportunities to rise up and build. It is important to be sure that we are doing what God has commanded but this being true, let us neither say or listen to discouraging words. “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”
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16 February 2021
"Perfect knowledge of God can only be obtained by those who eventually become partakers of the Divine nature, and share the life of God in the very fullest sense. But we today by our way of life, can illustrate that we are growing in that knowledge. It is the only effective way of declaring our desire for eternal life, for if we have developed no abiding traits of character then in effect we are telling God that we are not really interested in the life He offers us. We might want to live for ever, but we do not want to live the life of God.“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). To have that perfect knowledge, or as John puts it, to “see him as he is”, is to be like him. It is a glorious prospect: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3)."- A.D. FifieldDo You Want Eternal Life? (1960) -
16 February 2021Exodus 27Psalms 81; 82Mark 12"THE MOST IMPORTANT IS ... "In Mark’s Gospel we read how Jesus told parables against the religious leaders with the result “they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people” [Mark 12:12]. After this, “some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians” tried “to trap him in his talk” [Mark 12:13] with a question about whether “it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar” [Mark 12:14]. Imagine the atmosphere that is building up!Then the Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection, challenge him with a question and he tells them they “know neither the scriptures not the power of God.” [Mark 12:24] and he could say that to so many people today!It is a surprise that in this atmosphere one individual scribe [Mark 12:28] comes to Jesus with a positive question about the most important commandment, and is told, “The most important is, ‘Hear O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this; ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’” [Mark 12:30,31] This scribe fully agrees and Jesus commends him saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” [Mark 12:34]One lesson here is that Jesus is calling individuals – and we need to approach him as individuals. When a true and wonderful relationship starts to happen, then it is natural, indeed important, that we associate with others of like mind and so increase each others strength.The other lesson is the nature of the love that is expressed in this most important commandment - it is expressed from four perspectives to illustrate the totality of commitment God is looking for. For some, it is easy to say to others, even to the point of glibness, “I love you”! The lesson here is that it is folly to have this spirit toward God, anything less than a total commitment means we are “far from the kingdom of God.”-------- DC
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Depression Strikes Again“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why are thou disquieted in me? ... O my God, my soul is cast down within me:”Depression is one of the major problems in society today. Millions upon millions of people are depressed, some so much that suicide is one of the major causes of death, Among the young people in particular, suicide is one of the leading causes of death and this among those who should have so much to live for.Depression is not new. It is as old as Cain. God asked Cain, “Why is thy countenance fallen? “Jonah was so depressed that he said, “O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”Elijah expressed similar words when he was depressed. He said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” King Ahab we are told. “came into his house heavy and displeased ... and he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”We see that depression strikes almost all of us, from the king to the servant, both the righteous and the wicked.Now the causes for depression are as many as there are people who are depressed. Some kinds of depression are caused by wrong living and a conscience that lets us know that we are not doing what we ought. This was certainly the case with Cain for God pleaded with him to change his ways and God would accept his sacrifice. Unfortunately he chose to compound his problem by killing his brother and this is one of the outworkings of depression. It often leads to violence. There are angry people today who are willing to take out their frustrations on others by senseless killings. We all realize that this is not the answer. If depression is caused by wrong doing, then repentance is the cure. A complete surrender of self to God will bring amazing results. Even the wicked king Ahab when confronted with his sins, “rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.”Perhaps more of us can identify with the depression of Elijah. He felt so alone. He was trying to do right but he felt he was fighting a losing battle. In the rat race of life all the rats were winning. Things looked hopeless to Elijah but not to God. It is the same today. How thrilled we would be to learn that there are 7000 who believe and are living the truth that we don’t even know about! God told Elijah this encouraging statistic but God did not tell him where they were.We preach and no one comes. We mail out correspondence courses but they do not answer. We teach Sunday School but there are no visible results and we get depressed. This is how Elijah must have felt. It was the way David felt. They said to David, “Where is thy God?” This caused David to weep for he says, “My tears have been my meat day and night.”The way to get over our depression is to throw ourselves into the Lord’s work, to get busy and let God do the rest. This is what God told Elijah to do. Get up and get going, he had work to do. Jonah’s depression came after he had completed his preaching effort. It is only those who endure to the end that will be saved. Take a deep breath and get to work doing something positive for the Lord. He will be pleased with our efforts even if it doesn’t seem that we are making any progress. Read Psalms 42 and 43 and we will get the answer to our depression. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
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15 February 2021"Thought is the most personal thing about us. No other human being is acquainted with our thoughts except in so far as we choose to reveal them. Thought is personal; it is also swift and “leaps like flame”. We may also add that thought is often disordered, undisciplined and undirected. Perhaps it is the hardest thing in the world to control. The Apostle James said that if a man “offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2). The control of thought is even harder, and in fact we know that we must be satisfied with something less. But it remains true that we must strive to be master of our thought, for unless we can master our thoughts we shall never master ourselves. The extent to which we are successful in this most fundamental of problems will determine the kind of persons we are, for “as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7)."- H. SmalleyThinking, Speaking and Doing (1960)
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15 February 2021Exodus 26Psalms 79; 80Mark 11"ACCORDING TO THE PLAN YOU WERE SHOWN"What is at first most surprising, is the detail Moses is given of the way to construct the tabernacle. As we read Exodus we note that, starting with Exodus 20:1 “God spoke all these words” to Moses. Today in Exodus 26 we have God’s detailed instructions; he said to Moses, “moreover you shall make the Tabernacle with …” [Exodus 26:1] and there follows detailed instructions of the texture, length and colour of the 10 curtains that are to enclose its contents. There are also 50 loops and clasps to secure the curtains, and the “ 50 clasps are of gold” [Exodus 26:6].In addition he is to make “curtains of goats hair” [Exodus 26:7] for a top covering, 30 of these are needed, they are to be longer, 30 cubits (about 45 ft. each, nearly 14 metres). Next are details of the sizes of the acacia wood frames [Exodus 26:15-29] and the need for bronze bases [Exodus 26:37]. The verse that particularly stood out was Exodus 26:30, “you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.”Why all this meticulous attention to detail? It led us to ponder the words in the first chapter of the final book of the Bible, written when the Tabernacle and then the Temple were things of the past! The Apostle John says he “turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden Lampstands, and in the midst of the Lampstands one like the son of man …” [Revelation 1:12,13] John is told “the seven Lampstands are the seven churches.” [Revelation 1:20]. The 7 churches, the assemblies of believers, are named and described in Revelation 2; 3. We see them as being representative of all the different types of assemblies of “saints” that have existed throughout the earth since that time. Each is told “I know thy works” because the Son of man was in the midst of them.We recall Paul’s words to the Ephesian believers telling them they were “members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” [Ephesians 2:19-21]Just as God oversaw the construction of a physical tabernacle in the wilderness, we see there is now a spiritual temple that he sees existing! Do we see it? Just as in Revelation John saw Jesus in the midst of the assemblies of believers who knew their works, so also Paul concludes his revelation of the true, but physically unseen state of things by writing, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” [Ephesians 2:22] Are we conscious of the builder? Are we co-operating with him? Moses is our example.Tragically the majority of the people with Moses in the wilderness lost their vision of the spiritual reality behind the physical. Is not the same tragedy happening in today’s wilderness? “Who is on the Lord’s side?”-------- DC
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14 February 2021"Faith changes the scene of action and places us on a vantage ground so that we are able to yield ourselves in simple but complete trust to the moulding influence of our heavenly Father’s all-embracing love which never fails, falters or forgets."- Claud LambSpiritual Wrestling (1998)
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14 February 2021
Exodus 24; 25Psalms 78Mark 10"BUT IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU"We read today how two disciples of Jesus, the brothers James and John, created dissension by asking, “Grant us to sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your glory.” [Mark 10:37] “When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant … ” [Mark 10:41] causing Jesus to say to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you, but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” [Mark 10:42-44]We look out on a world where there is endless trouble in some countries, indeed tensions in all countries including this country, as to who will be leader or remain leader and exercise authority. Israel’s northern and southern neighbours, Syria and Egypt are aflame at the moment in conflicts of leadership. We also look at the religious world and it is the same, although the dissensions are usually kept under cover. Human organisations operate like a pyramid, the Pope and the papal organisation being a prime example of what Jesus said, “… their great ones exercise authority.” [Mark 10:42]How can it be different to this? Subsequent events show how, for the disciples, it was! Their failure of faith at the arrest and death of their Lord humbled them and the book of Acts includes powerful examples of their subsequent teamwork. Their final lesson had been at the last supper when they again disputed “which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” [Luke 22:24] leading Jesus to make the point, “I am among you as one who serves” [Luke 22:27] as the vital role to take. This became the inspiration to their subsequent teamwork.It was one of the lessons the Israelites in the wilderness had to learn in a painful way and it was only the youngest generation who entered the promised land under Joshua who learnt it. Are we following Jesus looking primarily for all the benefits, like the people were doing in following Moses in the wilderness? What a mistake – let us make sure we are those who serve, firstly our Lord, but equally, each other.-------- DC -
D and Four B’sWhen George Gershwin was a young struggling musician he applied for a job at the office of the famous and well-established composer, Irving Berlin.Berlin looked over the qualifications of his young applicant and said to him, “I’ll pay you double the salary that you are now making to come and work for me. My advice to you would be for you to turn it down. If you accept, and become my employee, you will become a second-rate Berlin but if you will persevere and continue to struggle on your own, you will become a first rate Gershwin.” Needless to say, George Gershwin did turn down the offer and went on to become a famous composer in his own name.There is a temptation to all young people to admire the characteristics of someone older, and attempt to copy their style, their delivery as a speaker, their mannerisms, perhaps even their material. By doing this they become a second-rate copy of the one they admire when they should have realized that no two people have ever been made alike, not even identical twins.God does not want us to compare ourselves to one another. We can always find someone to compare ourselves to, that makes us feel superior. We can also find someone to compare ourselves to that makes us feel inferior. When we look at the one, we think, “Well, I am not so bad after all.” or “I can never play the piano like him or sing like her or speak as he does, so why try.” Paul tells us that “we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”God only expects each of us to do our best for Him. He does not expect us to do someone else’s best, for we are not someone else. We are different. God made us each different and He knows that there is someone who can do anything we do better and someone who can not do as well. All He asks of us is, that we do the best we can do for Him.The question we need to ask ourselves is this. Are we doing our best? If not, why not? We cannot justify our poor job by saying “well, we just cannot do this as well as so and so.” That is not the question that is being asked. Are we doing the best that we can do? God will not be pleased with an half-hearted effort when He knows we could have done better.We live in an age of mediocrity where it is uncommon to find people doing their best. “Do just enough to get by,” seems to be the motto of our age and this attitude can become our way of life in our service to our God.We might deceive others into thinking that we are doing our best, we may even fool ourselves, but we will never deceive God. He is watching everything we say, think, and do, and He knows if our efforts in His behalf are half-hearted or our very best.Let us resolve to give God the best we have to give. We want to be the best person we can possibly be in the service of our King.By adopting this attitude towards God, we will discover that not only our life in the truth will improve, but it will even affect our relationships with all those with whom we come in contact in our everyday life.Solomon instructed us saying, “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” When we obey his wise advice we find that the joy of doing our best will help us become as good a person as we can be. If we can remember that letter D and then four B’s, it will serve to help us remember that doing our best is better than being the best. God will be well pleased with us if we have done our best. Doing your best is all that God asks of you, and that is better than being the best.
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13 February 2021
"As we pass by and behold so many things, if we look at them through eyes which have been opened, we shall see the base metal of everyday experiences changed to the pure gold by which we can buy saving faith. "Lord, open the eyes of us all, that we may see."- Leslie JohnsonAs I Passed by and Beheld (1974) -
13 February 2021
Exodus 23Psalms 77Mark 9“YOU SHALL NOT JOIN HANDS WITH … ”Shaking and joining hands is a physical sign of friendship, but Moses uses the term in an opposite context in today’s Exodus 23. We read his warnings about joining hands for bad reasons. He makes some down-to-earth statements of things that God sees as wrong. Many of these are part of life today as men and women act in devious ways to cheat and deceive one another or the Government.“Now these are the rules you shall set before them,” God said to Moses [Exodus 21:1], “You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice” [Exodus 23:1-2].When Jesus said that we should love our enemies [Matthew 5:44], he surely had in mind things which Moses had said - as we also read today, “If you meet your enemies ox or his donkey going astray you shall bring it back to him” [Exodus 23:4]Today’s chapter in Mark finishes in a challenging way, “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its saltiness how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves …” [Mark 9:50] What did he mean? On another occasion he told his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” [Matthew 5:13]. The point is this; those who follow Jesus are to be the “salt” that influences and gives flavour to all it comes in contact with. But what if the salt has lost its saltiness? What if those that should provide the influence of “salt” have ceased to have any influence or have even joined hands with those who ignore God, or at least, turn a blind eye to their ungodly ways of living? Jesus said that such useless salt “is thrown away” [Luke 14:35].There is a really blunt message in Mark 9 from verse 42 onwards; but it said in more complex language. The “hell” and “unquenchable fire” [Mark 9:44] are part of a mini-parable to convey the utter destruction of those found to be worthless. Here Gehenna is the Greek word for “hell”. It is the rubbish dump outside one part of the wall of Jerusalem where fires continually burnt to consume the rubbish thrown over the wall. The lesson of Jesus is that his hearers must get rid of all hindrances in their walk to the kingdom – with special words of condemnation to those who cause others, the “little ones”, to fail. [Mark 9:42] Meditate on Colossians 4:5-6-------- DC -
Commitment Without Involvement is DeadWithout involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment – Stephen Covey.Just how involved are we in the Lord’s work? Remember that at the age of twelve the Lord Jesus asked his mother: “Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”Are we committed to our heavenly Father’s business? Can we be committed if we are not involved? If we are not involved in our Father’s business, in whose business are we involved? What takes our time and gets our attention? Just how do we spend our time each day – taking care of our business or our Father’s business?People who have invested their life savings in a business are committed to making it a success. They don’t just put in their time at work, they work. They don’t come late and leave early if they are committed. It is not difficult in the world to see the difference between a committed employee and one who is just putting in time. The employee who takes a personal interest in the business spends more time on the job and persists until he achieves results.Do we think that the Lord can tell if we are really committed to our Father’s business? If we are sporadic in our attendance at the meetings, are we committed? If we seldom seem to find the time to do our daily Bible readings, are we committed? Remember, without involvement there is no commitment. Are we interested in the lives of our brethren and sisters or do we arrive just in time for service and leave immediately after? Do we help make ecclesial functions successful or do we criticize the efforts of those who organize them?Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”What fruit do we have to show our commitment? If we were a tree, would we have fruit, would it be good fruit, or would we be cut down? There is a time soon coming when we will have to answer to the Lord, who will examine our fruit or the lack of it. The time to be committed is now. If we have commitment now, we are focused and active in the Lord’s service, but if there is no commitment, there is no fruit, no works. James said, “Faith without works is dead.”The message to the ecclesia in Sardis was, “I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead.” Are we dead? The exhortation to Sardis and to us is: “Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.”Let us resolve in our hearts to be fully committed to the Lord by being involved in his business. The extent of our involvement demonstrates our commitment just as our works demonstrate our faith. At the dedication of the temple, King Solomon exhorted the people saying, “But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands.” Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it and underline it and then do it.
TFTBR - February 2021
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