Month: March 2015

Habakkuk is a strange book of the Bible. Written after the exile, the prophet begins by calling God to action. The world seems to be falling apart. Society is full of violence and injustice. The wicked are winning, good and godly people are disappearing. Habakkuk can’t understand why God isn’t doing something. Why does God allow this evil to continue? God does answer and says that he will bring judgment but will do it through a pagan nation. Habakkuk can’t understand that either and so begins a dialogue between the prophet and God. What becomes clear is that God is holy, he will bring justice but he works according to his own plan. Habakkuk must surrender himself to God’s plan and trust that God is sovereign over all things. In the end, despite not fully understanding, Habakkuk declares: Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.The Sovereign Lord is my strength;he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,he enables me to tread on the heights. (3:17-19) To many people today it might look like the world is falling apart. Sin and wickedness abound. Terrorists roam the world without restriction. The laws of the land are broken and injustice rules. Like Habakkuk we may call out to God wondering where he is. But God is just as sovereign and in control today as he was in the day of the prophet. While we are confused and distressed by what happens around us we must come to the same conclusion. Regardless of what is happening “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength.” See you Sunday, Pastor David

There was a media uproar over the weekend about a certain American televangelist who was fund raising in order to buy himself a sixty-five million dollar private jet. Yes, you read that correctly, sixty-five (65) million dollars. You see, the ‘man-of-God’ has to travel a lot. He’s in demand around the world and it would just make things so much easier if he could replace his old jet with a new one. Plus he needs to commute from his home in New York City to his church in Atlanta. It’s hard to believe that anyone could justify such a purchase let alone someone claiming to represent Christ. This week his ministry has announced that they are dropping the issue and will be looking out for a new plane only if it is ‘properly priced.’ Until then the poor man will have to travel ‘commercial’. How horrible, is there no end of his suffering for the cause of Jesus? Where in my anger do I begin? How many orphans could be fed and clothed worldwide with $65 million? How many church plants could be started in communities? How many people could be vaccinated against disease with that amount of money? How many new missionary families could be supported for years with that fund? Yet this self-deluded individual believes that he is so important to the world that he can only travel on what is considered to be the world’s most exclusive jet. Thank goodness there will be a heavenly accounting in this matter because that guy has a lot to answer for. The Bible doesn’t condemn wealth or riches. There are lots of examples of rich individuals in the Scripture. But we are warned against seeking wealth above other things. We are told to beware of those “who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:5-10) These words from Paul are sobering. We need this kind of reminder because the world around us (and certain false teachers) keep telling us that our worth comes from the size of our bank account. Nonsense. The Kingdom of God is about people not money. It’s the ‘love of money’ that causes so much grief. We need to learn to be content. As part of the fund raising campaign for the jet, the televangelist was asking for 200,000 people to give $300 each. I have decided to give $300. But not to him or his cause. Instead I know of another situation where there is a need and $300 will make a difference to a missionary and his family. I’m challenging you to do the same. Is there some ministry, some individual, or some cause – far from the media spotlight – that you can donate to this week? Be generous and gracious. The only way to break the power of money is to give it away. .

“For the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10   We all have troubles and trials that wear away at us. There are days we would prefer to stay in bed and avoid the world around us. Life is full of sorrow and conflict. But we are told that our strength comes from the ‘joy of the Lord.’ That’s what we need to draw on. That’s what we need to focus on. This kind of joy has God as its source. It’s about God’s joy over people who repent and return to him. It’s a joy that doesn’t come from our experience or circumstance but an objective joy that comes from God. In Nehemiah chapter 8 the exiles who have returned to Jerusalem are listening to the reading of God’s word. They are suddenly aware of their sinful condition and how they have broken God’s law. A sense of sorrow and sadness overtake them and they begin to weep. There is genuine repentance among God’s people. But that day was to be one of celebration and joy because God’s work had been done. The exile was over, the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and worship in Jerusalem was once again being lifted up. God saw the tender condition of his people, their openness to his work and there was joy. Nehemiah tells the people not to weep but to draw strength from God’s joy in this moment. The people would be able to live again in Jerusalem because of God’s redemptive work. God’s plans had come to pass. We live on the other side of the cross. Christ’s redemptive work is finished and God takes joy in that. The price of our sins has been paid for and the way to eternal life has been opened. We should be conscious that Christ died for us. It brings us to repentance and sorrow over our sins.  But since God’s plan has come to pass we can also rejoice. We move forward not in our own strength or joy but in God’s. Life will continue to be challenging. There will be days full of difficulty. But the biggest issue in our lives has been settled. God has redeemed us. And if he is happy and joyful over that then we should be as well. So we can sing, “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”