"Forgotten" Christians . . .

When all those who knew him forsook Christ, even upon news of his death, it was a distant disciple and “some women” who attended him. We read of one, Joseph, “a good and righteous man,” a man “who had not consented to their decision and action,” and who was “looking for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23:50ff).  It was this man who boldly stepped up when there was no plan, asked Pilate the governor for the body of Jesus, and laid him in his own tomb. (J. C. Ryle, Luke)

Joseph was an unknown. This is the only place his name arises. There’s nothing in Acts or the Epistles where his name comes up. At no point in our Lord’s former ministry does he ever come forward. His reason for not joining the disciples openly we cannot explain. But here, in the eleventh hour, he is not afraid to show himself openly as one of the Lord’s friends. At the very time when all the apostles had fled out of fear, Joseph is not afraid to step up and show Christ love and respect. And while others confessed him when he was living and doing miracles, it was Joseph’s peculiar privilege to confess him in his death!

Learn that while most may run against Christ, not everyone does. And not every time will we read about them! So, don’t place your hope or trust in statistics. Our figures may be off. Remember, even the great prophet Elijah thought he was the last loyal hold-out. But God told him that he had reserved for himself 7,000 prophets who’d not bowed the knee to Baal! Don’t go by the news channel, or listen merely to hearsay. Trust in God, even IF those statistics may be true!

Know too, that Christ always has friends about whom we may never know. They may not be as well-known as others, but when the going gets tough, they are there showing true love and affection. These are the ones David refers to in Psalm 83:3 as “hidden ones.” It is instructive that Luke refers generally to “the women who came with him from Galilee.” He does not name them, but they were there, and known to God!

We learn that while we may swoon in unbelief, others may be raised up who will show us the way. Faith is not affirmed by consensus. It usually emanates from the minority. Unknowns to us, but known very well to God. Thank God for Josephs and for “the women.” Our faith must rest in God alone, and not in the numbers of those who claim to follow him. 

A Lamp In the Dark

This morning, it was our privilege as a group of men to hold a mini-conference from 7:00 - 12:00 noon. The subject was centered around being a/o becoming godlier men in the face of attacks against our faith. Paul closed his first letter with “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) In light of an impending economic collapse, increasing natural phenomena (earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding in unusual places, etc.), along with increased religious persecution around the world and even being threatened in the US, we need to stand firm in Christ (Eph. 6:10ff). 

We watched "A Lamp in the Dark" a nearly 3 hour DVD on the battle for the authority of Jesus Christ and His Word over the forces of darkness down through the centuries, most notably, certain Caesars, Constantine and the Roman Catholic church along with the Jesuits (15th C). 

Our minds and hearts were convicted by those who willingly laid down their lives so that no established church (esp. the Roman church) would dictate to them what only God has the right to declare. Men like John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, and Myles Coverdale stood toe to toe with Roman audacity, affirming the inspiration of the Scriptures by their great labors to translate the Bible into the common vernacular. If only people would consider the truth of what truly did occur down through the centuries in the "supposed" name of Christ, they would be mortified. At one point, with careful calculations, it was estimated that the Roman church in their pogrom (Inquisition) against non-compliant Christians, killed upwards of 50 million men, women and children! 

The central watershed issue was and is the battle over authority and inspiration. Who is the Lord of the Church? Is it Jesus Christ alone, or the Pope? Is the Bible our sole authority for faith and practice? The Popes view themselves as Christ replacements (Vicars), and in some cases they say of themselves that they supersede even Christ himself! I've no doubt that the vast majority of Roman Catholics do not know and would not agree with their history. Nevertheless, the hierarchy has a lot to answer for before Him who is the Judge of all the earth. 

The bottom line for us protestants is that we must stand against error on any front. Paul urged, "Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Tim. 1:13-14). 

Dining With Jesus-Our Purpose

One reason our Creator gave us taste buds was so that we might see the close analogy between eating delicious foods and loving God. Jesus knocked at the door of the Laodicean church so that he might enter and dine with them (Rev. 3:20). Contrary to common usage, Jesus is not knocking at the door of the sinner's heart in this text (though he may very well do so)! When Martha was overly concerned about Mary helping her get dinner on the table, Jesus lovingly reminded her, "Only one thing is really necessary, and Mary has desired that" (Luke 10:42). And David urged, "O, taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Is this your experience? Do I help that in you?

Some people have a knack for making me hungry to know God. I know a few people who when I'm done talking with them make me want to know and love Him more. I treasure those people. They don't try to be religious. They don't attempt to be spiritual. They simply are themselves and in the process radiate the presence of God. Many of them have trekked through dark valleys yet they still carry a hopeful, persistent, passion and love about them.

To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart. St. Bernard stated this holy paradox in a musical quatrain that will be instantly understood by every worshipping soul:

We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread,

And long to feast upon Thee still:

We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead

And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.

Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking.

-A. W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God,)

The Gross Error of Shrinking God!

God cannot be shrunk, but that does not stop man from trying! And sometimes those most guilty attend church! This is a travesty. The Lord says,

"To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?" 

"To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One." (Isaiah 40:18, 25).

You Thought I Was Like YOU?!

To counter the "buddy-buddy" reduction of the Almighty, read this. Psalm 50:16-21, The Message,

“What are you up to, quoting my laws, talking like we are good friends?  

     You never answer the door when I call; you treat my words like garbage. 

 If you find a thief, you make him your buddy; adulterers are your friends of choice.  

     Your mouth drools filth; lying is a serious art form with you.  

 You stab your own brother in the back, rip off your little sister.  

     I kept a quiet patience while you did these things; you thought I went along with your game.  

I’m calling you on the carpet, now, laying your wickedness out in plain sight.  

     “Time’s up for playing fast and loose with me. I’m ready to pass sentence, and there’s no help in sight! ” 

In a very insightful article by Robert Withnow, he hammers home the weak kind of God prevalent in Small Groups and which we must all watch carefully. 

But small groups are not simply drawing people back to the God of their fathers and mothers. They are dramatically changing the way God is understood. God is now less of an external authority and more of an internal presence. The sacred becomes more personal, but, in the process, also becomes more manageable, more serviceable in meeting individual needs, and more a feature of the group process itself. . . . The deity of small groups is a God of love, comfort, order and security. Gone is the God of judgment, wrath, justice, mystery and punishment. [emphasis mine] ("How Small Groups Are Transforming Our Lives." Christianity Today, 2/7/94) NOTE: For larger quotation, see this blog, April 5.

Does this make sense? Oh, the weight of this argument. Get this wrong, all goes wrong. 

A Mother's Day Postscript - Part 2

The following is part 2 of a brief summary of this past Sunday's sermon. It is, in part, an attempt on my part to recapture this beautiful summary of a virtuous woman from those who would hi-jack it's meaning, turning it into a legalistic litmus test for the "superwoman." By God's rich grace, a woman can be super, but super in what? That's really the question. We turn in this second part to the ending of both Proverbs 31 as well as the ending of the entire book of Proverbs. It is fitting to end this way, for it points to our dependency on God's wisdom in order to live life well, which is to say, to God's superior glory.

Let us see that the woman God puts forth is one whom we all admire for her spiritual focus.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.  

1)  Her Beauty Is Unfading. (v 30). I’m going to tell you young men something that you’ll likely not take seriously. Looks go only so far. The bee is certainly attracted to the flower, but watch out or you’ll find some to be more like a Venus-flytrap! Charm is deceitful in that it promises something it can’t deliver. A flirtatious woman will likely get many guys to surround her, but underneath you will often find rotten character. Note further that King Lemuel's (see v.1) mother warns, physical beauty is vain. It is short-lived & without deeper character. Look for a woman with character, godly character. It’s better not to get married at all than to settle for beauty or physical attraction only! But the woman who is to be praised, what’s she like?

2)  Her Secret for Success Is That She Fears God (v. 30). Godly women do not succeed in their own strength. They rely on God. Proverbs ends the way it began, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7). Because of the Fall, because of sinful tendencies, virtue does not come naturally. A woman may be tempted to abandon her role as a helper suitable to her husband, and choose rather to try to dominate him (Gen. 3:16b). The forgiven woman has the Spirit to enable her to live victoriously. A common complaint you hear from women is, “I might be an excellent wife if he were a better husband.” Yet, the wise woman’s service to her husband is not based on his worthiness, but Christ’s! The virtuous woman does not put her ultimate trust in any man including her husband (Jer. 17:5). She loves her husband, but loves God first, and foremost. Results? . . .

3)  Her Family Readily Praise Her (vv. 28-29). What a blessing when a mother's children so see her worth that they praise her instead of, say, taking her for granted! She does not constrain them to do so. They willingly, readily, happily lift her up. They lift her up because she is not so busy puffing up herself! Proverbs 27:2 says, "Let another praise you and not your own lips." It is one of the marks of a true woman of God that they are not self-absorbed, even in their heart. They really do think of others. They appreciate the praise they receive, but they really do not live for it. Big difference!

4)  Her Very Works Will Praise Her If None Else Do (v. 31). The last verse puts it this way. Let her own works praise her in the gates (out where the wise people meet and judge life issues). It may be that family or husband will not say much in favor of the good woman. They seem to have grown dull to them. In such a case, God will reward them in due time. If one's love is God, and they live in the fear of the Lord, then HIS approval is what they esteem most. Truly! This is critical. She marches to the beat of the heavenly Drummer. As such she is never out of step with God. 

This is the essence of wisdom and of the whole of the book of Proverbs. Oh, that we would see the wisdom in such a life. So much heartache would be avoided if we honestly pursued this kind of love of God.  

A Mother's Day Postscript - Part 1

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. (Proverbs 31:10-12)

Don't Be Intimidated!

Many a woman has been intimidated by Proverbs 31, and with good reason. When the chapter is delivered as if it were a law demanding absolute adherence, it becomes either overwhelming on the one hand or a means of self-exaltation on the other. C'mon! Who really can be such a "superwoman?" 

Remember that these were words spoken by King Lemuel's mother! She knew, right? Of course, they are the inspired word of God, and for that reason alone they breathe life! Chiefly, we must see them as proverbs, wisdom writings meant to guide, not cajole. And they apply to more than women. Just as the words of Solomon to his "son" apply to a large degree to daughters, so these to men and children, where appropriate.

Proverbs 31 Counters 3 Wrong Views of Women

This sort of heroic poem also sets the story straight regarding three overreactions to the role of women. 1) It offsets the prevailing anti-female sentiment that still pervades all non-Christian cultures. I heard Ravi Zacharias, from a Hindu background, insist that only Christianity treats women with proper respect. All other religions abuse them in one way or another! That’s one. 2) Secondly, these verses counter the abuse of women by those who’d treat them only as erotic, sexual objects. In fact, King Lemuel’s mother debunks physical beauty as praiseworthy (v. 30, “beauty is vain”). Also, 3) this poem offsets a third misunderstanding of the role of women often found in Greek literature that prizes women when they are silent, or “homebodies.” Contrary to these misconceptions, the Hebrew picture here is of an ideal woman, who is marked by diligence, a “take charge” mentality, one who engages in profit-making who is also a wise teacher and a philanthropist

A Thumbnail Sketch of A Godly Woman (vv. 10-12)

1)  She is an excellent wife. This word “excellent” (“virtuous”) is the same word in verse three, “strength.” So, King Lemuel’s mother urges him, “Don’t give your excellence or virtue away to women.” But in verse 10, find an excellent woman, a woman of strength. The same word is used of valiant warriors. Obviously, the “weaker sex” is not weaker in every sense! Such a woman is rare and is a gift from the Lord (18:22; 19:14). His Mom is exhorting him not to settle for anything less, but to look for and wait for such a gift from God. Young ladies, it is your call in life to be like this. You CAN be. And if you’ve failed so far, confess your sin and commit yourself to God’s wonderfully freeing standards.

2)  She is invaluable. “More precious than jewels.” This is not referring to cost, but to her being a treasure. Listen, one of the most important decisions you can make is the one whom you will marry. Oh, please don’t take this lightly. It can bring you endless heartache or unending joy. Seriously!

3)  She is trustworthy. “Her husband trusts her.” She does not lead him to doubt her intentions are anything but good and right. She is not selfish, or self-absorbed. How many use manipulation to get their way? This is so displeasing to the Lord. Where is the integrity in our relationships? Where are those who live as if they were right in front of God! Oh, please be this kind of godly woman. Praise God for those who are. So live that your husband has confidence in you.

4)  She is resourceful. “He will have no lack of gain.”  In other words, she so orders the household that her husband and her household will be provided for. Her husband on the negative side, never has to be concerned with her spending money recklessly. She knows how to stretch a dollar. (See vv. 13-27 for the body of her activities). But there’s something far more important bound up in this word. . .  

5)  She is good. “She does him good and not harm all the days of her life.” Hebrew means she provides “moral satisfaction, an aesthetically attractive,” comfortable home, that is a place of peace and love. Further, the virtuous woman devotes herself to assisting her husband in every way she can, particularly in the domestic realm. Such a husband is richly blessed. Many a man has been greatly improved by marriage to the right woman. She consistently does him good ‘all the days of her life’ (v. 12b). She doesn’t let difficult circumstances or her ‘time of the month’ prevent her from doing good. She treats her husband better than he deserves because she does it ultimately for the Lord. An O.T. scholar puts it this way, “Her commitment to her husband’s well-being is true, not false; constant, not temperamental; reliable, not fickle; and discerning” (Waltke, 2:522). God ordained that we men are completed by our wives, and that wives seek to help their husbands succeed in their callings. They form a team; they do not battle for first place!

Tomorrow-Part 2

The Single Eye of Love to the Master

The love-slave has no pleasure like that of serving his master. This is his joy, and his very “crown of rejoicing.” The love-slave is altogether at his master’s service.

• He is all eyes for his master. 
• He watches. 
• He is all ears for his master. 
• He listens. 
• His mind is willing. 
• His hands are ready. 

His feet are swift to sit at the master’s feet and look into his loved face, to listen to his voice and catch his words; to run on his errands, to do his bidding, to share his privations and sorrows, to watch at his door, to guard his honor, to praise his name, to defend his person, to seek and promote his interests, and, if needs be, to die for his dear sake; this is the joy of the slave of love, and this he counts his perfect freedom.” 

-Samuel L. Brengle