Many Christians still sing the hymn that declares:
“What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow! No other fount I know: Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
This is the day when we remember the price Jesus paid for our sins. He suffered for us. He was spit upon in our place. He took the beating we deserved. The prophet Isaiah declared that “the chastisement for our peace (with God) was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Jesus paid it all!!! The Bible declares that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission (no forgiveness for sin).” (Hebrews 9:22) There is power in the blood that stained the old rugged cross…power to make the vilest of us clean before God.
On the day of His suffering and death, as Herod tried to talk the Jew’s out of condemning an innocent man to a cruel death, the people shouted “crucify Him, crucify Him!!! Seeing that they would not relent, Herod took water and washed his hands declaring to them: “I am innocent of the blood of this just person. You see to it!” To which they said: His blood be on us and our children!!” (Matt.27:24-25) They spoke those words with callous indifference but I KNOW what every believer knows today: Without that blood there is no forgiveness – no remission of sins! No pardon for iniquity! No purification of the soul and no peace with God! We need that blood!
Today, take a moment to consider the high price which Jesus voluntarily paid for your sins and mine so that we, by faith in Him could have an everlasting relationship with the Father. It is a bittersweet day – I grieve that He suffered for me but I am also so grateful that He did.
His death is not however, the END of the story….praise God!
Does that describe the hearts of people during a season which I’ve come to call the season of discontent – are they satisfied with less?
Are you?
I call it a season of discontent because when asked, rather than an “I have everything I need”” people young and old readily state what they want for Christmas. In reality, discontent rather than contentment is a problem for many people and the materialism of the season feeds that felt need for more or better.
This isn’t a rant on that but it is meant to challenge you to consider your desires. You see, I believe that the desire which God has for your life is far greater and better than what you want for and from it. I Believe that most people are simply satisfied with less than what God in Christ wants for them.
Those outside of faith in Jesus Christ are perfectly content to be in the condition I just described and that fact makes clear to me that while some people are never truly content with the things they possess – more are simply content with less.
Jesus Christ promised abundant life (John 10:10) to those who trust in Him – abundant life now and forever more but so many people are satisfied with less than that.
So many are satisfied with less because they can’t imagine a better life, a fuller life or a happier life than the one they have – they are satisfied with less because they don’t know or believe that there is more or better than what they have now or that they can have it.
God sent His Son to usher in better things – whether you know it or not, more than anything else, you really have need of those better things – of grace, mercy, forgiveness, eternal life and an eternal relationship with the Lord.
In Christ, those better things have been provided and are yours for the asking.
The month of December is marked by the celebration of Christmas; a time given to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into our world as a baby born to a virgin. I could spend time telling you that while Jesus Christ was most definitely born as the Bible declares – to a virgin (Luke 1:26-27) and at a time of God’s choosing (Galatians 4:4-5), He was not born on December the 25th. I would point out to you the fact that we are in no place in the scriptures instructed to remember His birth but rather His death and promised return (1 Corinthians 11:26). But there is something in the story of His birth that I WOULD like to focus on instead and it is found in the first chapter of Luke’s gospel.
After the angel Gabriel had announced to Mary the plans which God the Father had for her in the accomplishing of His will and Mary questioned the impossibility that she, a woman who had never slept with a man, could conceive a child, the angel made a statement concerning God in (v. 37):
“For with God nothing will be impossible.”” (Luke 1:37)
I want to ask you, does this mean that in that one instance only, nothing would be impossible with God? Today, as we struggle against the effects of a pandemic, and suffer the consequences of addictions we can not seem to free ourselves from – why do we live as if the fact that nothing is impossible for God only applies to the other guy and not to us? Or to another time and not to our own?
I truly feel as if the NIV especially does a disservice to the intent of the words spoken here when it renders (v.37) this way: “For no word from God will ever fail.” Is it true that God keeps His promises? Yes. Is it true that God does what He says He will do? Of course! But this rendering ignores the fact that the things you and I deem to be impossible do not slow God down in the least. With that in mind consider a few other passages which stress the FACT that with God NOTHING will be, or is impossible:
For a couple for whom the term “up in age” would be an understatement God promised a child. Sarah, then in her 90’s, well past her child bearing years laughed at the impossible thought of intimacy with her 100 year old husband let alone becoming pregnant (to relate put yourself in either ones place). “And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”” (Genesis 18:13–14)
“‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17) Jeremiah and all Israel and Judah were about to be taken away captive to another land; for them the possibility of ever seeing home again was hopeless. Yet God instructed Jeremiah to purchase land in Israel (Benjamin Jer. 32:6-8) before they were taken away ultimately indicating what even Jeremiah still had to learn – nothing, including returning the people to their homeland was impossible for Him.
“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” (Matthew 19:24–26) The greatest impossibility of all (for men) is to gain eternal life or to please God by any human effort; yet the message continues to be proclaimed and people continue to be saved today because salvation is of God and only possible through faith in His Son.
Each of these verses shows that nothing is EVER impossible with the God who formed the heavens and the earth along with everything that dwells upon it. But beyond the mundane and everyday things, there remain many things which are absolutely impossible for those who attempt anything without God. That is what Jesus later declares in (John 15:5):
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Paul declared in (Philippians 4:13): “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
We cannot do anything – we cannot overcome addictions and be set free from their curse on our own. Not only that but, though many people try, we cannot be saved on our own or by our works and good deeds. Doing more good than bad will not tip the scales in your favor when God judges men in the last day. We struggle against so many things and cry out “why can’t I stop!” If that describes you today, the answer is simple – stop trying to do in your own power what God wants to do for you (and has already made available to you through His Son Jesus Christ!)!
Put first things first – believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! (Acts 16:31)
Some of you may be thinking, “wait a minute Pastor, I do believe; I am already saved!” Alright, but are you trusting Him to set you free from your addiction or whatever it may be with which you struggle? If you are a believer today, the Bible declares that God’s Holy Spirit now lives in you (1 Cor. 3:16). He not only confirms the fact that you are a child of God to your spirit (Romans 8:16) but He convicts you of sin (John 16:8) and He enables you to overcome it (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit supplies everything we need to live a life that pleases God. In that effort, we do have a part; we can either fight against Him and risk quenching or grieving Him as we willingly disobey or return to things that we KNOW are harmful to us and our life in Christ; or we can cooperate with Him and day by day have victory over those same things.
But the reason God does the impossible may surprise you – He does it to get glory for Himself. (John 15:7-8):
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
God is glorified when through Him we are victorious; this is what Jesus was pointing at in (Matthew 5:16) when He said to believers:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
When God does the impossible in us people notice. When we live for Jesus, people notice; especially when they feel the effects of the change.
What is your impossible?
Throughout the scriptures, God did the impossible through the most unlikely people, through David He killed a giant, through a virgin He brought forth His Son, the Savior of the world, and through some fishermen, a zealot and a tax collector He sent a message that 2000 years later is still being heard. What is the impossible in your life that you are praying to Him about? He has not changed and He still hears both His children when they pray and a sinner crying out to be saved. He will hear you….
It is easy to offer advice to people going through trying
times, just say a few words and “bam” you feel that you’ve done your
part and hope that they feel encouraged. Such an approach to the suffering of others
reminds me of what the half-brother of Jesus said in (James 2:15-16):
“If a brother
or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them,
“Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things
which are needed for the body, what does it profit?”
Am I saying that we really can’t help others until “we’ve
walked a mile in their shoes?” No, but the reality is that our words of
empathy, understanding and compassion can lack a certain authenticity – it is
often as the words of the bereaved state to the one who says “I know how you
feel” – “no, you don’t.”
The Lord has been working on me regarding this subject lately
and He used a well-known quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Rainy
Day” to start it off:
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all, INTO EACH LIFE SOME RAIN MUST FALL,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
Rain, as you may know, is sometimes a blessing and sometimes
a curse. So as to not keep what I mean veiled behind the word, by rain I mean
to point to the challenging moments in our lives that change our life’s
trajectory either permanently or for a season and which, if allowed, cause us to
lose track of our identity and purpose.
With regard to the rain, we don’t get to chose when it comes,
whether it drops from the clouds or it takes the form of an unwelcome diagnosis
or announcement; it comes as it pleases with the permission of the Lord and the
best any of us (especially those who trust in the Lord) can do in advance of
the rainy day or the storms of life is to remain focused on Jesus Christ and
the promises found in His word.
Well, as I said, the Lord has been dealing with me on the subject of dealing with the rainy days of life by taking me through my own and reminding me that the rainy days of life DO NOT have the last word; He used the following Biblical passages to bring me back to the right perspective:
When you want to give in to hopelessness, “Be STRONG in the Lord, in the power of His might!” Ephesians 6:10 (emphasis mine)
LEARN “to be content in whatever state you are in…” (Philippians 4:11)
ACCEPT adversity from God: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10)
BELIEVE that: “God shall supply all your NEED according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
When you think you’re alone REMEMBER that “…He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Because the Lord IS with you, keep the faith: “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:23–26)
The word of God contains multitudes more encouragement for those experiencing an extended season of difficulty. I offer these because it is easy to get caught in the rain (so to speak) and to become so overwhelmed and inwardly focused that we may fail to worship God for who He is; praise Him for what He is doing and serve Him in the work He has for us.
The rut of hopelessness and despair only gets deeper if we fail to recall to mind the Lord’s word and heed it when the rainy days come.
The 23rd Psalm is often read during the most trying times that we as humans experience – the grief of loss. But it expresses a reality which can only be known by someone who has learned to condition his or her life to trust in God at ALL times.
King David, the writer of this psalm began by acknowledging the Lord as his trusted and faithful shepherd; as the One who provides comfort, rest and refreshment while leading him on “paths of righteousness.” This was David’s lifelong confidence: the Lord would provide what he needed in every circumstance.
King David was a worshipper of God and while (as one pastor friend of mine reminded me recently) our worship is neither to pay God back or gain some benefit from Him; it is rather, indicative of our relationship with the Lord. I mention this because I’ve had fairweather friends (hopefully I’ve never been one) who only interacted with me when it was convenient or advantageous to them (I’m sure you had friends like that too), King David was not such a person.
So when David writes, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” he was not treating the Lord like we do our insurance agents, but was expressing his confidence that no matter how bad it got the Lord would be with him.
As I said, most often the reference to the “shadow of death” is mentioned to console us in our deepest moments of grief over the loss of a loved one in death but the grief common to us all is much broader in scope. Maybe today your marriage or family is under the shadow, causing you great grief and concern over what might become of your life together. You may have just received an unfavorable and even terrifying medical diagnosis. Whatever your “hopeless” moment might be I declare to you that there is hope in that dark valley.
We must be careful here though. We are not promised that an exit from the valley of the shadow won’t still result in loss of a life, the death of a relationship, an on-going illness or some other grieving circumstance BUT be assured, we will exit with Him who led us through that valley and because we understand that the Lord IS with us we, like David will not fear.
The goodness and mercy of the Lord WILL follow us all the days of our lives and because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection we WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Is the Lord YOUR Shepherd? Are you passing through the middle of the valley of the shadow of death? Sometimes, it is only in that valley that you are able to see that your greatest need in any moment is a deep and abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The world is full of strife and striving and it is clear that we cannot “all get along” as Rodney King hoped in the midst of the L.A. riots of the early 90’s. Daily we are assaulted by another ignorant soundbite from society in the media. Daily we are hit by the realities of our mortality – the sudden onset of illness, the sudden loss of loved ones, or of freedoms, or hopes and the dashing of dreams – these come at various times sometimes fast and furiously to punch us once more right in the gut.
About that…Jesus warned us; He said in (John 16:33), “In this world you WILL have tribulation...” – we will have trouble.
So let me ask you again, where do you go to get away from it all? Does peace have an address?
First of all, lets consider where peace CANNOT be found; it cannot be found in this world – Jesus said it. Specifically speaking to His followers, the Lord declared that nothing on earth can give you lasting peace. Look what He said in (John 14:27):
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Through His cross, Jesus has “overcome the world” and because of that He said that we could rejoice or “be of good cheer” (John 16:33).
If peace cannot be found around us in this world and Jesus promised that He would leave such a peace with us that we need no longer be overwhelmed by the troubled of this world – where is it?! Where is this peace of which the Lord spoke?
It is IN you. Trusting in Jesus, abiding in Him and He in us (John 15:5) through the person of His Holy Spirit (John 14:17) combine to make peace an ever available resource in every place where your feet may take you.
Sometimes though, we don’t draw from that well within us at first. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed that we become temporarily overcome by the storm around us. Like Peter, we often tend to focus on the storm (see Matthew 14:26-32) around us rather than on Him who calms the storm – we focus on the uncertainties of life and in that moment we are walking in fear instead of faith.
If we focus too long on the storm our heavenly vision gets out of whack and instead of eyes of faith we see through eyes of flesh and what we see drags us down to discouragement, despair and depression.
In that moment, emotion wins out over truth.
The fact is that our emotions and eyes of flesh are always at war with our faith – they seem to have been with the writer of Psalm 42 and 43 and in those moments we must cling to our hope in God and to His promises.
In (Isaiah 26:3) we see one of those promises:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed (focused, concentrating) on You, Because he trusts in You.”
“Why are you cast down, O my soul?” the Psalmist asked himself in (Psalm 42:5), “and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”
Because of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead; because he keeps His promises and dwells within us in the person of His Spirit we don’t have to search for a peaceful place nor be run over by our troubles.
Faith in Jesus makes peace possible in every place and at ANY time.
“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent; a part of the main...” (Meditation XVII/ Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions)
The phrase above has been taken to mean that none of us does well outside of community and that isolation hinders our ability as individuals to thrive. It is true that most people desire to belong and to connect with other people ~ we do long for community. It is often when things are not right with us that we pull back and unplug from people and community and it is often said of such people in those moments that more than ever they NEED to be plugged in.
Can I say that sometimes the only way to hear the “still, small voice of God” is in isolation?
Can I say that sometimes those living around us, life in general and the storms of life in particular can actually deafen us to what God wants us to know or to hear from Him in that moment?
In the case of the prophet Elijah, as he was fleeing from the anger of Jezebel (1 Kings 19) it was the despair and discouragement that his efforts to purify his people from their pagan worship of the Baals was ineffective which drove him deeper into the wilderness of depression:
“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”” (1 Kings 19:4)
God sent angels to strengthen the prophet who journeyed for 40 days further into isolation and it was in that place that he poured out his heart before the Lord. His complaint was “I am alone in the work and I have failed.” (1 Kings 19:9-10)
It was also there that Lord met the discouraged prophet:
“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” (1 Kings 19:11–13)
In isolation, the prophet learned that God speaks in great and small ways, that Elijah was, in fact NOT alone and that God was still with him (see v. 14-18).
In isolation, without the distractions of life in community (even though we are surrounded by people who cant seem to see us), sometimes – not all the time, but sometimes, God can get through to us in ways not otherwise possible.
As I write, this is where I am today – in isolation.
I’m in church but I feel invisible. Thinking that it was something about me that was causing the people around me at work to avoid me, I switched to another location where no one knows me and STILL I’m being avoided. On top of all of this, I recently left (at the Lord’s leading) the church I had pastored for the last 17 years and frankly thought I’d be serving until my death – journeying with every decision further into my own wilderness. It was just a few days ago however, while in prayer that the Lord made it clear to me that these things were not coincidental but deliberate on His part – God wants to work on me right now and He knows that other than the vent He has allowed by way of this website, He would not have my undivided attention if He allowed things to continue as they were.
Does He have your undivided attention?
God called King David “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22). The all knowing God, the One who KNEW that David would fail Him greatly still saw the son of Jesse as a man who would pursue, obey, and submit to His will. But David had to go through a period of isolation as well; his isolation and the cry of his heart in that season is pictured in Psalm 51:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.” (Psalm 51:10–13)
Sometimes, we do without until we seek what matters.
As I wrap it up, consider what the Lord Jesus said in (Matthew 6:33):
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
The other things which would come after you and I put first things first vary. In the passage from which the above verse comes, the Lord was referring to food and clothing; but I’d like to suggest that once we seek “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” things like peace, joy, hope, contentment, usefulness to God and fruitfulness in His service will also be added to us who have read the words of (Psalm 37:4) many times:
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
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