When God's Message Stings

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.  Shout aloud!  Don’t be timid.  Tell my people Israel of their sins!  Yet they act so pious!  They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me.  They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God.  They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.  ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.  ‘Why aren’t you impressed?  We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’  “I will tell you why!” I respond.  “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.  Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.  What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling?  This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.  You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind.  You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes.  Is this what you call fasting?  Do you really think this will please the Lord?  “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:  Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you.  Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.  Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.  Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.  “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal.  Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.  Then when you call, the Lord will answer.  ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.  “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.  Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!  Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble.  Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.  The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  Isaiah 58:1-10

Isaiah was a priest to the rich and powerful people who ran things in Jerusalem.  His voice stung like a scorpion in the wilderness as he preached a message nobody wanted to hear.  Truth be told, nobody wants to hear a prophet with a stinger-tail.

Jeremiah was a weeping prophet because Israel needed someone to weep for their sins.  Amos called the refined ladies of the king’s palace fat cows[1].  They lived lavishly while the ordinary citizens were starving.  And John the Baptist?  Well, the poor listened, but the powerful plotted…and had his head on a platter!

There is little about being a prophet that is attractive to those who value an easy life, career advancement, and perks.  Mainly, the job description calls for telling those who have those values that their whole existence stinks in God’s nostrils; and then they kill you.

And yet, Isaiah says, don’t be timid…speak the tail of the scorpion out clearly and don’t hold back!  Be like a trumpet blast…tell Israel of her sins! 

For a prophet there can be no other choice. 

·       Jonah found that out when he tried to run away from his appointment to Nineveh.  God arranged a submarine ride back to the mission field. 

·       Elijah trembled in the face of adversity, hid in a cave, and hoped to die before ever seeing Jezebel again; he didn’t die, but God’s Word prevailed, and Jezebel’s corpse was eaten by dogs. 

Considering a prophet’s calling, and that for which God always seems to employ His prophets, what would today’s prophet say of America? 

·       Would he be like Jeremiah, the weeping theatrical prophet, dressing in swaddling clothes, and hacked to pieces by an abortion provider?

·       Would he be like Isaiah or Samuel, marching into the White House and Congress with a list 7 times longer than Martin Luther’s 95 points of the sins of leaders?

·       Would she instruct like Priscilla, telling all the so-called pandering preachers, insipid messengers of prosperity and fluff, to cease their endless petting of evil, and start calling our nation to repentance?

Would to God we would see that.

For You Today

If the day of God’s prophets is ended, what hope is there for humanity and righteousness? 

None, I suppose, except, Revelation’s final message, even so, come, Lord Jesus.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

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[1] Amos 4:1

 

Be Strong in the Lord - Part 8 Vespasian's Wrestlers

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.   Ephesians 6:13

When a soldier has been properly outfitted, trained and pointed in the right direction, there is only one sensible thing left to do – Join the fight.  I don’t know what that means for you tomorrow, or even this afternoon; God is the one who defines and directs the strategy.  I suggest you keep an attitude of prayer, and an open heart.  He will bring you into the battle where you’re needed, and at the right time.  Good commanders know their troops.

In the days of the Roman Emperor Nero, there lived and served him a band of soldiers known as the "Emperor's Wrestlers."  Fine, stalwart men they were, picked from the best and the bravest of the land, recruited from the great athletes of the Roman amphitheater.

In the great amphitheater they upheld the arms of the emperor against all challengers.  Before each contest they stood before the emperor's throne.  Then through the courts of Rome rang the cry:  We, the wrestlers, wrestling for thee, O Emperor, to win for thee the victory and from thee, the victor's crown.

When the great Roman army was sent to fight in Gaul, no soldiers were braver or more loyal than this band of wrestlers led by their centurion Vespasian.  But news reached Nero that many Roman soldiers had accepted the Christian faith.  Therefore, this decree was dispatched to the centurion Vespasian; If there be any among your soldiers who cling to the faith of the Christian, they must die!

The decree was received in the dead of winter.  The soldiers were camped on the shore of a frozen inland lake.  It was with sinking heart that Vespasian, the centurion, read the emperor's message.  Vespasian called the soldiers together and asked:  Are there any among you who cling to the faith of the Christian?  If so, let him step forward!  Forty wrestlers instantly stepped forward two paces, respectfully saluted, and stood at attention.  Vespasian paused.  He had not expected so many, nor such select ones.  Until sundown I shall await your answer, said Vespasian.  Sundown came.  Again the question was asked.  Again the forty wrestlers stepped forward.

Vespasian pleaded with them long and earnestly without prevailing upon a single man to deny his Lord.  Finally he said, the decree of the emperor must be obeyed, but I am not willing that your comrades should shed your blood.  I order you to march out upon the lake of ice, and I shall leave you there to the mercy of the elements.

The forty wrestlers were stripped and then, falling into columns of four, marched toward the center of the lake of ice.  As they marched, they broke into the chant of the arena:  Forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown! 

Through the night Vespasian stood by his campfire and watched.  As he waited through the long night, there came to him fainter and fainter the wrestlers' song.  As morning drew near one figure, overcome by exposure, crept quietly toward the fire; in the extremity of his suffering he had renounced his Lord.  Faintly but clearly from the darkness came the song:  Thirty-nine wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown!

Vespasian looked at the figure drawing close to the fire.  Perhaps he saw eternal light shining there toward the center of the lake.  Who can say?  But off came his helmet and clothing, and he sprang upon the ice, crying, forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory and from Thee, the victor's crown! 

For You Today

My friend, it makes little difference where you live, or what epoch in history; the battle is the Lord’s.  Someday the battle will be in front of you.   The question to settle right now, right here – so that you will be ready on that day – is:

Will there be 39 or 40 when Christ calls?

That is the decision Christ invites you to make for Him.  And so the invitation is what it has always been: Christ bids us:  come and die, Christian – Come and die!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

VIDEO

Title image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

This devotion originally appeared 1/20/16 as Faithful Warriors - #8 Vespasian's Wrestlers

Be Strong in the Lord - Part 7 Prayer in the Spirit

 Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Note; this week we are re-visiting a series of devotions from 2016 entitled FAITHFUL WARRIORS.  It’s not something we do often, but this series bears repeating during times of crisis. 

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.   And pray for me, too.  Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.  I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador.  So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.   Ephesians 6:18-20 

Over the past week we have been looking at what it means to get dressed for warfare – spiritual warfare – that which every Christian faces every day.  So far, we have sized up the enemy, and begun to dress for the battle.  We have put on the:

       ·       Belt of truth

       ·       Body armor of God’s righteousness

       ·       Sandals of the Gospel preparation of peace

       ·       Shield of faith

       ·       Helmet of salvation

We will finish this series tomorrow, but today we add one more vital tool for the soldier, and that is communication with the Supreme Commander:

Prayer in the Spirit

Prayer is a matter of unending communion with our Lord.  In his book, Purpose in Prayer, E. M. Bounds quotes these words from former college professor and Confederate soldier, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson: 

I have so fixed the habit of prayer in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking God's blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the seal, never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts heavenward, never change my classes in the lecture-room without a minute's petition for the cadets who go out and for those who come in.

If you are like me, troubling thoughts cloud my mind every time the subject of prayer arises.  It’s as if the enemy knows if he can’t keep my heart from wanting to pray, he’ll put enough obstacles in the way to make prayer a burden rather than a blessing.  Have you ever had these thoughts? 

How in the world can I develop a prayer-life?

I’ve got a zillion things to do – The kids won’t be quiet

The dog barks, the pot boils over, my boss hates me

My business and finances are in shambles

And April 15th is almost here!

Preacher – it’s not that the wolf is at the door…that wolf has moved in and had pups under my kitchen table.

And YOU want me to pray?

My experience has been that we do not pray because we have not grasped the importance of prayer. 

Chuck Swindoll tells in one of his books about a group of amateur climbers scaling part of the Matterhorn near Zermatt, Switzerland.  As they came to a narrow, hazardous passage, about to make a turn, a gust of wind swept down on them.  The experienced guide, knowing the danger this posed for the group, quickly shouted, Get down on your knees! You are safe only on your knees![3]

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, like the guys who followed Jesus, teach us to pray!

For You Today

My dear Christian friend – time never surrenders itself on a platter; you will never have enough time to do all you have to do, until you take the time with Jesus in prayer.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO                                                                                                                  

Title image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

This devotion originally appeared 1/18/16 as Faithful Warriors - #7 Prayer in the Spirit

A Broken Prophet

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.  But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty.  But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets.  I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”  “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him.  And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.  It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty.  But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets.  I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”  Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus.  When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.  Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.  Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha!  Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” 1 Kings 19:9-18[1]

Salmon swim many hundreds of miles to return to the birthplace of their hatching.  Some species live up to a dozen years, others only two or three…IF they manage to avoid hungry bears and make the full cycle.  It seems kind of a pointless existence, hatch, swim, spawn, die. 

And that may have been Elijah’s problem.  He’d had the courage to stand toe to toe with 850 false prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mt Carmel.  Then he realized the head of the serpent (Jezebel) was still sharpening her fangs.  Elijah managed to hack eight hundred bad guys like Rambo on steroids, but he spooked at the thought of one evil woman.  And he felt alone, like John the Baptist, a lone voice crying in the wilderness.  He ran like a frenzied daughter of mine used to run from anything with 8 legs.  Huffing and puffing Elijah returned to his place of safety…God’s mountain…and hid in a cave, shivering more from fear than cold. 

God spoke to the prophet once he settled down enough to hear the small voice after the thundering storms, earthquake and fire.  Whispering, God instructed Elijah how to wind-down his ministry and set the stage for God’s next cycle.  Elisha would take over, and the other kings Elijah anointed would accomplish God’s plans.

A few timeless lessons today from Elijah’s faith (and faults):

1.     God always has His people, no matter what it looks like

2.     No life is worthless when the knee has been bent in reverence to the LORD.

For You Today

So, if you’re facing a fang-bearing queen, or 850 false prophets, here’s the game plan:  make it a fair fight; tie both your hands behind your back, kneel and bow your head, and laugh in the face of all of it; God’s got this, your job is to trust Him!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

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[1] For another post on Elijah’s predicament see Chosen...Still!