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Physician of my sin-sick soul, to thee I bring my case; my raging malady control, and heal me by thy grace. Pity the anguish I endure, see how I mourn and pine; for never can I hope a cure, from any hand but thine. I would disclose my whole complaint, but where shall I begin? No words of mine can fully paint that worst distemper, sin. It lies not in a single part, but through my frame is spread; a burning fever in my heart, a palsy in my head. It makes me deaf, and dumb, and blind, and impotent and lame; and overclouds, and fills my mind, with folly, fear, and shame. A thousand evil thoughts intrude tumultuous in my breast; which indispose me for my food, and rob me of my rest. Lord I am sick, regard my cry, and set my spirit free; say, canst thou let a sinner die, who longs to live to thee? -Isaac Watts
This is from the studies of an astronomer Michael R. Molnar I loved it and wanted to share it with you!
Superposed on the photograph of the coin is what I found: Jupiter underwent two occultations (“eclipses”) by the Moon in Aries in 6 BC. Jupiter was the regal “star” that conferred kingships – a power that was amplified when Jupiter was in close conjunctions with the Moon. The second occultation on April 17 coincided precisely when Jupiter was “in the east,” a condition mentioned twice in the biblical account about the Star of Bethlehem. In August of that year Jupiter became stationary and then “went before” through Aries where it became stationary again on December 19, 6 BC. This is when the regal planet “stood over.” – a secondary royal portent also described in the Bible. In particular, there is confirmation from a Roman astrologer that the conditions of April 17, 6 BC were believed to herald the birth of a divine, immortal, and omnipotent person born under the sign of the Jews, which we now know was Aries the Ram. Furthermore, the coins of Antioch and ancient astrological documents show that there was indeed a Star of Bethlehem as reported in the biblical account of Matthew…
I have always presumed that the story about the Star was more or less explained by my fellow astronomers. I held that view until I came across a Roman coin which showed me that they were not only looking in the wrong constellation but they were also looking for the wrong celestial phenomenon. Having this clue from the coin I felt compelled to uncover the basis to the story about the Wise Men’s Star. My initial investigation quickly uncovered that many investigators were not examining the historical records. They were recasting historical events to fit their modern expectations. Some well meaning people also let their religious beliefs affect their investigation. Thus, my motivation was to take a neutral religious stance and try to uncover any historical evidence.
My hobby is collecting ancient Roman and Greek coins that have celestial symbols. In the spring of 1990 I purchased a lovely bronze coin from ancient Antioch which portrayed the zodiacal sign, Aries the Ram looking back at an overhead star. I bought the coin for $50. But the coin turned out to be priceless because I found that this was the sign of the zodiac that represented King Herod’s kingdom. The so-called “bible of astrology” the Tetrabiblos of Claudius Ptolemy explained that Aries the Ram controlled the people of “Judea, Idumea, Samaria, Palestine, and Coele Syria” – lands ruled by King Herod. I think the coin was issued by the Romans of Antioch to commemorate their takeover of Judea in AD 6. (p. 120-121) Maybe that’s not the entire answer to the coin, but the important point about the coin is that it led me to find where any celestial omen about the birth of a king of the Jews had to appear. That would have been in Aries, not the constellations proposed by other investigators. This finding started me to think more about the Star of Bethlehem.
For religious and astronomical reasons people have proposed Pisces the Fishes as the site of the Star. A fish is a powerful Christian symbol. Also the spring equinox moved into Pisces close to the time of Jesus’ birth. So people assumed that Pisces was the sign for the dawning of Christianity – a beautiful but erroneous conclusion. Others have proposed Leo the Lion (thinking that this was the Lion of Judah), and others like Virgo the Virgin (believing that this was the Blessed Virgin Mary). Another notion claims “the manger” of Cancer the Crab. There are other clever ideas using Greek mythology and Christian symbols which have no basis in the ancient texts on Greek astrology. (p.28)
On April 17, 6 BC two years before King Herod died Jupiter emerged in the east as a morning star in the sign of the Jews, Aries the Ram. The account in Matthew refers twice to the Star being in the east with good reasons. When the royal star of Zeus, the planet Jupiter, was in the east this was the most powerful time to confer kingships. Furthermore, the Sun was in Aries where it is exalted. And the Moon was in very close conjunction with Jupiter in Aries. Modern calculations suggest that this was close enough to be an occultation (eclipse). But the Sun’s glare would have hidden that event. Saturn was also present which meant that the three rulers of Aries’ trine (Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn) were present in Aries. Saturn and Jupiter were said to be “attendants” on the rising Sun, another regal aspect for astrologers. By modern expectations this is trivial, but for ancient stargazers this configuration was truly awesome. (p. 96-101)
The lunar occultation of Jupiter on April 17, 6 BC was not the Magi’s star. Knowing that lunar conjunctions (close approaches) with Jupiter were one condition for a king’s birth, I looked for the closest conjunctions, namely occultations in the time frame biblical scholars claim as likely for the birth of Jesus. I quickly focused on the occultation of April 17, 6 BC after realizing that Jupiter was also “in the east” in Aries. “In the east” is mentioned twice by Matthew because astrologers such as the Magi said this was the most important time for Jupiter to produce future kings. Moreover, the Moon’s incredible nearness to Jupiter amplified that power. Jupiter “in the east” in Aries was the Magi’s star. (p. 64-84)
Jews of King Herod’s time did not practice the astrology of their neighbors because it was tied to pagan Greek philosophy. So Jews did not recognize the Star. But they knew the time of the Messiah was at hand, and the Magi’s message confirmed their expectations and hopes. (p. 11)
Magi originated from a caste of Zoroastrian priests. During Roman times they were recognized as physician-astrologers who healed the sick, interpreted dreams, and cast horoscopes. Their art included “magic” – a word derived from their name. They were considered to be “Wise Men” who were truly knowledgeable. Most importantly, they were well known for practicing astrology. (p. 33, 36-37). Magi were known throughout the Near East: Mesopotamia, Parthia, Syria, Persia. We have no firm evidence about their specific origins. (p. 33) I notice that the Romans depicted them in Parthian garments, so the Magi may have been from there. But no one knows for sure.The Star, namely Jupiter in the east, was in Aries the Ram. This along with the other important astrological aspects showed astrologers that a king was born in Judea, Samaria, Palestine, Idumea, or Coele Syria. Not knowing the precise location they went to the capital of these lands which was Jerusalem. King Herod’s advisors told the Magi that the prophecy said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. So, the Magi went there. (p. 46-47).
The secret service must be scratching their heads after a Virginia couple not on the guest list crashed a state presidential dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
They even shook hands with President Obama.
How embarrassing and unsafe.
Michaele and Tareq Salahi were all smiles and acted like movie stars during the whole event, appearing in such very nice pictures.
Although the Secret Service said the President was not in danger, they had a clip board and their names were not on the list. They still got through.
I mean what a close call.
The Secret Service has screened over a million visitors and protected ten thousand sites for the President but I guess no one is perfect. They are still attempting to see if the couple falsified statements breaking federal law.
In the Bible there was a King that had a problem with his wedding guest list. The Secret Service of his day could not get those initially invited to come, in fact, they were hostile. They mistreated his servants and even killed some of them. The king lost it, “But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” (Mt 22:7).
Keep in mind an invitation from the King was no less than a command from the king. Christ is our King, Lawgiver and Judge. If God invites you, think again, there is no option for refusal. If you refuse to listen to God’s universal call to repentance and salvation, because he “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30) you will be guilty for your actions. As the Canons of Dort state:
“…Many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault. Faith in Jesus Christ, however, and salvation through him is a free gift of God.” (Sec. 2 Art. 6)
After all is said and done the King comes into the party to greet his guests and sees this character who is dressed any old way. We do not know what he was wearing but he definitely stood out in the crowd. The kicker is that this man was invited but not dressed. He was called but he was not chosen. That is when the King asks him,
“Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?”
On one hand, this seems like a reasonable question from this gracious yet powerfully intimidating King. On the other hand, it may seem unfair when you invite beggars to expect them to have clothes to wear. John Calvin comments:
“But a question arises, how comes it that a beggar is punished so severely for not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see the wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the manner in which the garment is to be procured; for whomsoever the Lord invites he at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,) that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire.”
He provides the attire we need. Never forget it. You are not just cleansed but clothed. Not only party preparations were made but I bet there was a spa of some sort. Then these beggars get to choose from the princes, princesses and may I say possible the Kings clothes himself. I know “the violent take the kingdom of heaven by force,” but they were invited and grabbed the garments offered them with joy.
You can’t imagine anyone refusing this invitation and the new wardrobe but being singled out like this, this beggar must have shrunk ten sizes.
“Where is your wedding garment? Everyone else in attendance has one. To be in this wedding you not only are invited but when you come it is a formal affair. You must dress the part.”
You will not be able to crash into heaven per se. You better be dressed in garments of salvation offered by God’s grace alone or you are going to be exposed as a fraud.
“And he was speechless.”
That verse says it. This guy had no excuse. He could have told the King’s servants that he did not have the proper attire for such a royal affair and they would have seen to his needs. The servants of the King are like that, willing in the Day of his Power (Ps. 110). We see the King as powerful, subduing his enemies, gracious invites people who want to come and unpartial raising beggars from off the ash heap of life and the gutters of life up as heads of state and here is this man who does not have the sense to wash up and dress right! He was not even a good wedding-crasher.
The king not only throws him out but arrests him and throws him into what is called “outer darkness.” In this place you could hear the weeping and see the grimacing pain of those outside this party. Eternal hell is real for people who attempt to crash God’s party, his church and yet live as hypocrites. Many are called but few are chosen. Scary right? God’s Word will expose these frauds, quickly and easily on that day. It is difficult now, but the eyes of the Heavenly King weigh motives and actions and he knows who belongs to him and who does not. Let me end with John Calvin again:
“Let us not flatter ourselves with the empty title of faith, but let every man seriously examine himself, that at the final review he may be pronounced to be one of the lawful guests; for, as Paul reminds us, that the vessels in the Lord’s house are not all of the same kind, so let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19,20).”
Examine yourselves and make sure, you are clothed on that day when the King comes and inspects us by the gospel. You are invited to come, rejoice and receive good things from your Lord.
We are in danger of creating a monster! How is that you ask? By abandoning the truth of scripture and “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mk. 7:7). It seems Pastors are teaching what ever suits them using religious language to help people be successful, happy and reach their dreams and potential. In American Christianity today there is no doubt that an ugly caricature is growing at an alarming rate. We are seeing ”worship centers” (I will not call them churches) who want to build the size of their numbers by man-centered sociological, psychological rules rather than by the written Word of God. Then there are the media versions of Christianity that are like infomercials for blessings such as, weight loss, marriage, healing and deliverance.
Since we never would desire to create a monster, we must have every good intention to create something good. That may be the intention of ministers and their staff members today. But no matter. Monsters are a creation of the imagination run amuck. Like the fictional Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Ecclesiastical Scientists (I will not call them Preachers) focus on playing God by creating life from dead flesh. They are attempting to either imitate or replace the work of the Spirit by man-centered principles that are “born of the flesh or products of the sinful nature of men. They want to create people in a religious mould. The One True God asks, ”Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal 3:3). The church growth movement is an religious experiment like no other in today’s form of humanistic Christianity. Rather than relying on the tried and tested testimonies of the scripture they test and try marketing techniques on people in churches. They are salesman selling soul dope and religious paraphernalia. It has ended up creating a religious monster, destructive, worldly and odious.
Only the power of the Holy Spirit can regenerate, only Christ can save and we are but men who should put our entire being into knowing Christ! Oh that America would repent of this great evil-that we have forsaken the Lord and turning churches into fleshly creations of idolatorus imaginations! Oh preachers are much too civilized, born and bred themselves in a religious matrix, and they are unwilling to face the truth and offer people the blue pill that keeps them slaves fed with religious misinformation that blinds them to the shining face of the Son of God (2 Cor 4:4). They are the most diabolical agents of Satan, shimmering angels of light ( 2 Cor. 11:13-14). I think preachers need not only to offer the red pill but say like Morpheus, “Remember, all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.”
But is the truth enough for the man behind the pulpit today? The Gospel is a hard pill to swallow, scripture is dangerous to his projects and activities. American church goers love the fleshpots of Egypt and are losing their freedom (Gal 5:1). They are forfeiting it for a false sense of security and a knock off God made in their own image. They are moral, weight watching, non smokers, non drinkers, heterosexual pro-life Republicans and so people see them as Christian. This is not enough to help those who are dead and lifeless in sin. You may find as you stand before God you worshipped in vain and all you learned was wrong.
Oh minister friend let your plans come to a screeching halt in the presence of a holy God. Let all your fleshly ideas unravel and your comeliness, vigor and strength become pale in the presence of the radiant light of God’s presence (Dan. 10:8)! Stop this foolishness and let the Lord Jesus of the Bible reign in your minds and hearts! The French theologian John Calvin stated, “Man’s mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain.” The greatest idolatry is found right in the human heart-that is why all our notions, dreams, visions and goals must without another thought surrender to the Bible and it teaching about God and serving him.
People are lawbreakers in God’s sight and are hell bound souls-preaching the cross of Christ and the gospel serves as a warning to them. Left to themselves they will go to hell with ease. Like C.S. Lewis said, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” The man of God will warn them with no self interest. The man who shivers and breathes heavy even to correct his congregation is a gutless, spineless jellyfish. The greatest tragedy among pastors is when they step up to the pulpit with a message geared to “meet the needs of the people” rather than a message that is worship to the God who actually only can meet the needs of the people. Many pastors today are big schmoozers skilled at politics rather than “men sent from God” from the burning deserts where they have learned to hear the voice of God in the scriptures alone.
They reject the classical Christian Creeds and Confessions saying that they are inventions of man and tout, “I don’t have religion but a relationship with God!” or “We only need the Bible!” But reject the systematic teaching set forth in scripture by the Reformers and hammered out by men of God in history. They constantly bend, I mean change the rules by introducing something they learned at the new Meccas of Saddleback or Willow Creek. On the other hand, some will try even more extremes that range from a Toronto Blessing or Lakeland Revival.
Have they forfeited their relationship with Christ to be a servant of men? Paul’s idea of spiritual growth was “that I may know him” and his idea of ministry was to “make known Christ” was yet how often have we preached on the attributes of God that conveniently leaves out his Sovereignty, wrath, holiness, justice?! The grace, mercy and love preachers speak of today is not the same as scriptures testimony of the Lord but they have reinvented a more palatable version of Christ, the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit in the name of being in sync culturally.
Theology needs to have a prayer meeting and knee-ology needs to go to school. Forgetting the call has weakened the gospel ministry into religious science and clinically tested churchianity. It is turning people out in the church who are confused in their relationship with God. That is the heart of the problem with religion and that is why the Reformation began in Europe because people ended up religious slaves! God heard their groanings and cries and sent men like Moses the man of God in the humble Reformers.
Many pastors purvey a flimsy, spiritual sentimentality that calls for spiritual disarmament and focus on the pop-culture spin doctor theology. They are creating a monster. The diseased infectious church growth movement is the bogus invention of spiritual mad scientists who for lack of courage to preach the Bible as it is and have embraced motivation psychology above the Word attempting to get the evil world system and the church in a strong relationship on some spiritual E-harmony commercial saying, “We love you” and can match you on 29 points of compatability! It is a false advertisement when in fact they cannot love someone they are lying to.
Martin Luther in his commentary of Galatians said: “To this day you will find many who seek to please men in order that they may live in peace and security. They teach whatever is agreeable to men, no matter whether it is contrary to God’s Word or their own conscience. But we who endeavor to please God and not men, stir up hell itself. We must suffer reproach, slanders, death…The world is crucified unto me,” means that I condemn the world. “I am crucified unto the world,” means that the world in turn condemns me. I detest the doctrine, the self-righteousness, and the works of the world. The world in turn detests my doctrine and condemns me as a revolutionary heretic. Thus the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world.”
It is time for the men who stand in the pulpit to know that God’s judgment will fall like rain upon them removing them from their positions unless they repent! The Lord is passionate for his justice and his glory in his church,“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.” (Isaiah 62:1) and he gladlywill replace the ecclesiastical scientists with men who preach the truth, ”I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, “And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isa. 62:6-7).
How many leaders will end up like Victor Frankenstein that as soon as his monster came to life he said, “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”
Tell them the truth-don’t create a monster!
“After that four hundred years of stillness there came this amazing man, John the Baptist. He shocked their culture. He upset their theology.
Nobody’s going to church. Why? Their all going out to hear a man in the wilderness.
What’s he doing-raising the dead?
No, he isnt.
He’s raising hell.
Did he raise the dead? No he did not raise a dead man but he raised a dead nation. Dear Lord, we could do with a John the Baptist in every city of the nation tonight…
Oh, they loved to hear him because he believed in..but not only believed it but actually raised the dead. The trouble with our theology, its all on the blackboard. Our theology is all in textbooks. It has no life, it has no breath, it has no power, it has no authority…
How in the world could Jesus stand in the middle of the crowd of angry vexed people? He’d antagonize them. He’d reveal their spiritual bankruptcy. They were just getting over the shock of John Baptist standing there in the wilderness. They couldn’t fathom it.
Why are people going?
Read the third chapter of Luke…even the Roman soldiers went…they were fascinated when they heard him.
Nothing like this in Rome, Caesar has nothing like this.
Here is a little strange man with a leather girdle wrapped around his loins and an old camel skin wrapped around his neck and people are swarming from everywhere…
He uses that nobody likes, “Repent…repent!” Not only confess your sin, forsake your sin, repent, run away from it!
Then Jesus comes up afterwards…Don’t you think the next day after he turned water into wine that everywhere they were saying. “Didn’t you hear what he did? They ran out of wine last night and he turned water into wine.”
“This is the man that tosses people out of the synagogues…this is the man that kicks over the extortioners.
This is the man that says to learned men, “You are the enemies of God.”
Merciless.
We are preaching an acceptable gospel today, making it as painless as we can. All we do is give people a shot to put them to sleep so they’ll get to hell quicker. We need some hell fire preaching on repentance.
The was a portion of a video message preached by Leonard Ravenhill called, “Are We Longing For Repentance?”
Recent comments from our Vice President about the swine flu or A1-N1 caught my attention as I am sure it did yours. The Whitehouse had to rephrase his comments (of which I am sure they will do again) about avoiding subways planes, or any close areas and head for an open field and calm the fears of people when it came to this flu which has hit the world in pandemic proportions. Now it seems that the swine flu is old news and we hardly hear about it. But I saw the analogy in many Christians relationship with the world, meaning the people of this world.
You always have to be careful to the way you define the world. The world can be the actual planet on which we live which the Bible teaches belongs to the Lord (Ps. 24:1; Isaiah 66:1-2). The word “world” also can be translated age or a time period. The Bible calls this present evil age in which the the small “g” god of this age Satan, rules over the minds of unbelievers (Gal 1:4; 2 Cor 4:4). In fact, the world can also refer to the order and arrangement of the system of evil or the “age of this world” that seeks to seduce people away from God and attempt to hinder the cause of Christ (Eph 2:2-3).
It is obvious that it is the world system that is controlled by Satan and his lies that with which we should be concerned. Although, people who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior are living lives controlled by sin, we are to love them and lead them to the Savior, not to be afraid of them or catching something from them.
Because such were some of you…
In these areas I see people who say they are Christians going to several extremes. Either they feel they can have one foot in the world and one foot in the church, meaning that they want to be able to say they are Christians and believe at least some of the tenet’s of the Christian faith. But they have made a grave error which is submitting to the “world system” that is controlled by Satan and his lies (Eph 2:2-3). You cannot ally yourself with this world system or you end up being an enemy of God (James 4:4). But the Bible makes it clear that we need to stop acting like people who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior (Jer 10:2; 1 John 2:14-16).
Then there are those who act so afraid of the world they seem monastic and pietistic in their approach to it. They even develop an attitude which says, “I am holier than you” (Isa. 65:5). I think at times we treat unconverted people as though they were going to infect us with a virus of sin. This kind of Christianity is anemic and weak and they need to reexamine their lives in light of scripture. We forget that we are still tainted with sin ourselves and were it not for Christ we would be in slavery to its power.
Jesus said that he overcame the world. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). He did not say that we would be free from trouble and suffering. Bright sunshine and hard rain still falls on the righteous and the unrighteous. The scripture insists and that we must go through “much tribulation” before we reach our heavenly home (Acts 14:22).
It is only “in Christ” and in his his words that we can have peace. There is a rest that comes to us knowing that the welfare of our souls are in the hands of the one who said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29).
This phrase “in me” is a loaded phrase. We are “in Christ” the last Adam, the new life we have because of him as opposed to “in Adam” or the old man, the previous way of the sinful life. The word “in” means a location or position. We are in Christ spiritually. What could this mean? We are positionally in Christ, God has saved us in Christ before the world began. That means that we were in him, together in him, joined to him before the very foundation of the world. That gives me peace in the midst of the storm. What seems bad or what seems good to us does not matter when we know God in his sovereignty and providence is causing all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28).
What does the Lord require? Faith and trust in him. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). Through the eyes of faith we see Christ as Victor seated at God right hand far above everything in this age and the age to come! We are in the victors seat with him and we do not have to be afraid of the world.
“Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.” (Song 1:7-8).
I realize you have been wandering, dear one. The many buildings or places that are called churches are places where you can lose your way. I know you are looking for Jesus, so I hope you will pay attention for a few brief moments. Previously in this chapter, the Shulamite woman is awakened, convinced and longs in her heart for her beloved to, “kiss her with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine.” She has never experienced this before and she desires his affectionate kiss. She insists in so many words if anything is going to happen in their relationship he must kiss her first. In her eyes, the first act of love must be his right from the beginning because not every girl can kiss the King.
Is this not true of Christ and his bride? God has loved us as he loves Christ and that love was before the foundation of the world (John 17:23-24). That is the love of God that chooses us to be his own. His foreknowledge is not his omniscience alone, it is not based on what he sees is going to happen and bases his choice on the choices people make. He did not see us choosing him, we could not and would not (Rom 3:10-12)! Sin made us slaves without strength to reach out to the only one who could save us (Rom. 5:6). But Jesus saw us, he took pity on us! He loved us first! He fore-loved his people in Christ. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). It also is reminiscent of the cry of Augustine who said, “My whole hope is in thy exceeding great mercy and that alone. Give what thou commandest and command what thou wilt.” (Confessions, Book 10, Ch. 24:40). How we must pray, “Lord, you must start the work in my heart or I will be lost, wandering forever in a far more confusing place than the world, but religion which has no power or truth!”
Like Israel who he found abandoned in the wilderness, he desires to take us from being infants in peril and nurture and clothe us with security and then develop us into “exceeding beautiful” womanhood so we are ready to mature ”into the time of love.” (Ezekiel 16:1-13). There is a certain turning point in a persons life after regeneration where we begin to understand the Sovereignty of God in our lives as far as our sanctification is concerned. I am not speaking of another class of Christian but one who is growing in Christ. The scripture teaches this is a point of maturity that develops in the life of a Christian where the milk of the Word is not enough, they must have meat, solid food (Heb 5:12-14). They also put away childish things because they are growing up. They become stable. Everything changes from babyhoodto adulthood (1 Cor 13:11). This woman is ready to know Christ as the lover of her soul and Christ hears her cry and will show her great and mighty things that she has not known! (Jer. 33:3).
She calls him, “O thou whom my soul loveth…” This is where wandering screeches to a halt. This kind of love is is so beyond any human love because it is birthed by the Spirit of God. It is a love where any rival or competition to Christ begins to be put down by the increase of his government that is conquering the heart (Isaiah 9:6-7). Christ is loved by the Christian with their very heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut 6:4-5) but like the conquering of Cannan sanctification takes time. The child of God wants to love God more as they mature and this love must come from the deepest part of us. It is God who loves us first, and in turn we love him and that love makes us want to be near him and we learn to love him with the love he loves us with in some small measure.
She asks him, “where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon.” She looks for the place where her soul can rest and she can eat ”the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:3-4). God requires us to have faith in his provision and not wandering around attempting to find other secondary or tertiary sources rather than from Christ himself. Sadly, this is a common practice among people who profess to be Christians. “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” (Jer 2:13). Christ offers them the children’s bread and to eat from the food off of the Masters table. He calls us to come and dine! Christ is a good shepherd (John 10:11) who feeds his sheep and those who love him are only satisfied with him and the authentic spiritual food he offers! That is the whole mystery of John chapter 6. Christ offers himself as food for the soul, only he can satisfy.
Mature believers recognize how much they need the guidance and protection of God because they are more aware of the dangers around them, wandering is not an option. Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) and he feasts on wanderers. While Jesus is the tender shepherd that carries his little lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11) the person who desires the meat of the Word needs more. The Bible says, “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.” (Micah 5:4). God allows the soul to go through greater trials and snares-sometimes we are at our wits end. So the greater the test, the greater the care and power God places at our disposal. His great Sovereign power is shown by his provison for his people. He never grows faint or weary in doing this!
When a believer matures they stop their wandering in the emptiness of performing mere external service to God they will begin to seek out a place where the LORD feeds his flock and gives “a rest for the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9). This woman labored under the harsh rules of her mothers brethren and almost withered under the blistering hot sun and their constant anger farming their fields and neglecting her own vineyard. She left them behind for love of her King and now she does not want to be seen as one wandering aimlessly.
“For why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?” This is where the idea of protection from evil comes into play. Maturity results in the senses being able to discern between both good and evil. This scripture shows how much she hates the idea of being seen as a wandering woman. We should also hate the idea of being carried away by our own desires. Like her we should say “Why?” It makes no sense when I belong to the King and I am supposed to be under his care. Why should we substitute that relationship by looking even to his close companions when we can say “I am my beloved’s and he is mine!” I have the One himself? Why? WHY?
These companions of the Lord could fall into two classes: they could be true men of God who people look to rather than directly to Christ. Like the Corinthians they divide into parties that say, “I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:12). People have their preferences and their tastes and each on of these men preached the gospel but people separated and created division in the churches based on these men’s distinct ministries. They may have loved the down home values of Peter, the writing abilities of Paul had or the eloquent speaking ability of Apollos. These is a subtle idolatry. But people became distracted from Christ and were on their way back to the house of their mothers brethren because man centered religion is a cruel taskmaster.In these days we will hear many different religious authors, churches, movements, ministries, saying, ”Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not.” (Mk 13:21). He is in that church, that revival, or this movement. No, he is always where he has been- in his Word.
“For thy love is better than wine.”I wanted to complete the verse we started with. She loves her beloved with all her soul because his love is makes earth’s sweetest substance inferior to his love. It is actually plural or loves. He constantly lavishes and demonstrates his love for his own. Paul speaks of the mercies of God (Rom. 12:1) or his many mercies (Psalm 51:1). His compassions never fail (Lam 3:22). Jesus is all you need and he satisfies you souls need for rest and refreshment. How sweet is the love of Christ for his people. It is like wine. The bread of his body and the wine of his blood are real food for the soul (John 6:35-63). The spiritual presence of Christ that we celebrate in the Lord’s supper is where we can lift up our hearts to the Lord and seek those things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1). Do not waste your time, money and energy on religious products that attempt to sell you a better, deeper relationship with God but enslave you to condemnation and guilt. God offers you the free wine and milk that is offered to those who are thirsting for Christ (Isa. 55:1). All Christ offers us for free is also better than those who sell us religion. He has found you dear soul, desring to feed and care for you and your heart cannot rest until it rests in him
Your wandering is over.
Lately, the popular Playing for Peace concept has been gaining momentum, especially with the Ben E. King classic, ”Stand By Me” video on You Tube. It is an incredible effort by sound technicians and well done. I have to give them credit. People from all over the world never having met each other and singing the same song. After watching and listening to the Stand by Me Video you will understand the hard work that goes into such a project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM
Mark Johnson the creator of Playing for Change (playingforchange.com) has the idealistic concept and as he puts it, “desire to inspire each other and come together as the human race and music is the best way to do this is through music…and the belief that we can do a lot more for this world if we work together than we ever can apart.”
The Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is attempting to raise funds for the new Ntonga Music School in Guguletu, South Africa that will help children in extreme poverty. PFCF is also looking to build the Mehlo Arts Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Mehlo Arts Center is a creative writing school or “Talking Songs”" for the youth of Johannesburg. PFCF also is attempting to rebuild and enhance Tibetan refugee centers in Dharamsala, India and Kathmandu, Nepal. All of these things are incredibly important, especially creating a safe place for the persecuted and abused.
Music is powerful. There is no doubt about that. Albert Einstein said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. … I get most joy in life out of music.” But music in its best form has no power to transform the human heart. We see the horrors of inhuman acts done to people and I applaud PFCF for wanting to do something about it.
That is is one problem that stands in the way of PFCF: Human nature. No this is not cynicism talking, it is the undeniable evidence seen in the issues they confront.
The scriptures say of people, “Their feet run to evil and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.” (Isaiah 59:7-9ESV).
I am sure groups like PFCF see religion, politics and such creating war. Who can argue with that. But religion or politics is never the culprit. I think people use this argument to oversimplify the issue but create non entities at which they can throw stones. It is always the responsibility of the individual and a matter of the heart. There are those of us recognize the enemy is not out there, it is within. A enemy so intelligently corrupt, deceitful, so frighteningly warlike unless it experiences a radical supernatural change, there will be no peace. That enemy is within, and music cannot pacify it. There is no peace for the wicked (Isa. 48:22; 57:21).
The concept of music changing the world sounds good (and is not a new concept) on the surface but can it change the nature of people? Can Mark Johnson and PCFC promise that? From my experience with people and especially in churches the style of music can create great controversy and even division. Music is so diverse it represents entire sub cultures and people just are everything from stubborn to unpredictable even when it comes to the idea of taste in music.
Let me also state that words still have meaning. You cannot change that. Lyrics from the Christian worldview should reflect the truth about biblical doctrine. Are they singing the truth or do they need to focus on benign agreeable lyrics that gloss over reality-the reality that human beings are NOT inherently good and moral but there is some radically wrong with each individual. The fountain of their hearts is controlled by the sinful nature. they are radically depraved. Because of this they always will fight and have no peace. Marc and others like him unknowingly may be guilty of the error of the false prophets who offer superficial treatments for people’s mortal wound by giving assurances of peace when there is no peace. (Jer 6:14; 8:11). Music by itself cannot bring peace, or he would not have to use it to raise funds for his causes.
On the other hand, Jesus Christ is called, “the Prince of Peace” and unless the Jesus of the scriptures rules the hearts of people they will never manage their anger, and repent of their hostility or hate. I think churches and their preachers should focus more on the idea of peace, domestically and abroad. But especially peace in the heart. Peace is the result and effect of righteous living (Isa. 32:17; 48:18). This would mean constant strife in the home, church and soceity shows that our heart are not right and we need to repent of the sin of anger. The Bible is clear, “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:18).
May Christ give you the music of peace in your heart and you see his kingdom and his peace.
“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” (Ps. 110:3). In Psalm 85 and Psalm 110 we see the results of conversion in the heart and conversion in many numbers of people. Since Jesus lives and reigns as King the church will always flourish. He sits and all his enemies will become defeated under his footstool. But on want to focus on these willing souls coming to Jesus. Who are these willing people? The simple term “willing,” is very expressive. It denotes the beautiful condition of people who consent to the Holy Spirit’s work. God will beautify them with holiness because they do not hold back from him. Psalm 110 is a picture of the great numbers who will come under the influence of Christ. They are fresh like the mysterious dew of the morning, sparkling, full of life and the church is refreshed by them and made to thrive.
They are as the dewdrops which come mysteriously from the womb or birthplace of the morning. As the dew is new every morning, so is there is a constant string of new converts that give the church uninterrupted youthfulness. David declares that countless descendants shall be born to Christ from his womb and they will spread over the whole earth. They will be gathered out of a world lying in ruins, and inhabited by the unwilling children of wrath regenerated by the Spirit of Christ and by the word.
Before Christ regenerates the human soul they are dead in sins and transgressions (Eph 2:5). They are the focus of God’s fierce anger against sin. Today, many church leaders do not preach certain parts of the Bible that exposes the true condition of people because they do not see that people are this way, or people are not ready to hear it, and people are too hurt and on and on. But God looks with a terrifying gaze upon the souls of people. This is how he convinces them they are sinners. He compares his holiness, his law to their lives. We find then that His holiness has been violated by the sinner’s very existence.
In Romans 3:10-18 Paul weaves together scriptures throughout the Bible that uncover the condition of the human heart. God sees people as they live in a destructive, miserable, darkness. Their throats have a stench of a dead decaying body, their mouth is full of poisonous cursing and foul bitterness and they have no desire to seek after God, but go in the opposite direction, they are murderous, the way of peace they have not known and they do not fear God and act as if there was no God. It is hideous to God. The sinner seems impenetrable until they come under his influence.
God must open the hearts of people or they will be both unwilling and unable to receive the gospel. In Acts 16:14 it says, “And a certain woman named Lydia…whose heart the Lord opened.” This scripture teaches that before she heard the gospel the Lord opened her heart. This was God’s work. God gives us both the desire and power to obey him. Like Matthew Henry says,
“An unconverted soul is shut up, and fortified against Christ, straitly shut up, as Jericho against Joshua (Josh 6:1). Christ, in dealing with the soul, knocks at the door that is shut against him (Rev. 3:20) and, when a sinner is effectually persuaded to embrace Christ, then the heart is opened for the King of glory to come in–the understanding is open to receive the divine light, the will opened to receive the divine law, and the affections opened to receive the divine love. When the heart is thus opened to Christ, the ear is opened to his word, the lips opened in prayer, the hand opened in charity.”
But when salvation comes to someone’s life, God’s glory and presence lives in the heart that was devastated by sin. Christ works a beauty of holiness in the sinner by sowing or planting the precious truth in their hearts.
In the gospels Christ declared to his disciples he was among people like one scattering seed in all kinds of soil. He taught them that human heart is like earth, dirt, soil and it will bear fruit depending to its reaction to seed. The seed Christ plants is the message about the Sovereignty of God. That means he has permanent power, absolute freedom and supreme authority over everything and everyone in the universe! That is the heart of the message of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God and coming under his influence.
There are different kinds of soil or hearts, seed was thrown to the hardened heart, seed thrown upon the superficial heart, and seed thrown upon the heart overwhelmed with worldly cares and then finally seed upon the receptive heart. Three out of four of the soils were unproductive. Only one received the seed. But who tilled, plowed, and cultivated the soil of the heart that was saved? God is the one who prepares that soil. In salvation, we are not the farmers; it is God alone who is the husbandman or the gardener (John 15). It is only after he tills the soil of the heart for eternal life in heaven can we tend to the garden of our own hearts for holy living here on earth.
God says, “For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown.” (Ezek. 36:9). The message of the cross is the plow that God uses to till and soften the heart. It called the rod or sceptre of God’s strength in Psalm 110! The cross is the manifestation of both the love and the justice of God (Rom. 5:5 3:25-26). That cross cultivates the heart and makes it ready for the seed of the Word. God was in Christ, and his beautiful softening power was there in him. God came to us in Christ, loved us first by sending Christ to save us and we came under his influence.
The beauty of redemption must first be seen in its ugliness. Jesus had to drink from the repulsive cup of God’s wrath against sin. On his way to Calvary, Jesus face was so disfigured you could not tell if he was human (Is. 52:7). People surrounded him and ridiculed and spit their hatred at him. They plucked his beard and punched him in the face.
His hands and feet were pierced with nails as they stretched out his body on the old rugged cross. He head throbbed with pain as thorns were forced upon his head. His heart was poured out like water as they punctured his side. Yet the scandalous message of the cross is God’s power and wisdom that brings salvation!
That is what Jesus meant when he said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32). If he is lifted up he will draw people from every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue. Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out…No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me.” (John 6:37, 44-45). A person comes to Christ not for their own eternal welfare, safety and happiness but they come to Christ as a reward for his suffering! We are not saved because we are so special but because Jesus is mighty to save! Yet he is gentle beyond words in his calling. You been drawn with an everlasting love that was focused on you before creation until the day you were born and up to this present time. The heart that produces the fruit of regeneration has been taught by God and desires to come to him in complete surrender and come under his influence.
When God brings people to himself he does not employ some sort of blind force which simply drags the struggling, rebellious sinner into heaven against his will–as a policeman might drag a defiant punk to jail. The grace of God does not twist men and women’s arms against their own desires. We need to realize that God’s grace not only brings His people to salvation, but it prepares them for salvation and works within them the desire to be saved long before their will bends to follow Christ. God by his grace softens hearts that would be otherwise hardened. When God wants you, there is nothing that will stop him. He has already been working on you. That is what it means to be saved by grace, it is all grace. The problem with preaching today is that grace is treated as God’s assistance, not God’s resurrection of dead souls.
How does this happen? In the human heart mercy meets truth! Righteousness greets peace with a kiss! Righteousness comes down like rain and truth springs forth! The truth of the word is planted in the heart and the mercy of God causes the soil of the heart to produce the fruit of salvation. Our hearts were like stone in deception and evil. We needed holy precipitation before salvation. “My doctrine shall drop as the rain; my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.” (Deut 32:2). When Christ was on the cross with strong crying and tears God kept Christ’s tears his bottle. Oh the scripture says, Jesus wept (John 11:35)! God was satisfied with death of Christ and saw his tears. Jesus death on the cross satisfied God and extinguished his wrath against us. He tenderly allows mercy to trickle down, pity like tears of compassionate dew, kindness like rain and showers of forgiveness to soften any resistance against him as they come under his influence!
Another tender scene takes place right in the soul. The human spirit becomes so sensitive to the touch of Jesus it is described as righteousness and peace embracing and kissing on the scene of the heart. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” (Isaiah 32:17). Both the operation and result of Christ’s death for us is the fruit of peace in our hearts.
The springing of truth out of the earth, and the looking down of righteousness from heaven. Righteousness was so far from us as “the heavens are higher than the earth” so is the distance between Gods ways and thinking and our ways and thinking. We were utterly destitute or truth and righteousness so it looked down from heaven and then it sprang forth in earth of our lives. Jesus became our sin we became his righteousness, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:10-11). Truth will spring up in the garden of the human heart.
Salvation seems immediate to us but the tender drawing of God has been over the years beckoning to us, breaking us down until we are ready to “hear the message and accept it with good and honest heart, and go on steadily producing a good crop.” (Luke 8:15Phillips) and come under his influence.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” is the most radical statement ever made. Clearly it means there is a God. God confronts face to face, challenges, dares and threatens people with his existence. Even more drastic, it means that you and I cannot escape God. “You are all around me-in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me.” (Psalm 139:5GW). If you don’t want him around-he’s there anyway. If you want him around he’s not going anywhere. He is always there and always will be there for all our lives and when we are dead and gone. God will always be God. You are eventually going to have to confront the whole “God” issue, now or later.
Genesis teaches that it’s all about God. Is your life really theocentric-centered around God? Is it Christocentric or Christ centered? Or are you serving God for all the benefits that come with being a “Christian?” What is the message that we are giving the world? Do you trust God enough to serve him no matter what trials come or do you exchange him at a religious store for another kind of God? Life cannot be life; love cannot be love without God and his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.
John Piper says, “The crucial question for our generation-and for every generation-is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you have ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked and all the leisure activities you have ever enjoyed and the all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you have ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ were not there?”[i]
[i] John Piper, God is the Gospel, from the chap. What the World Needs Most-the Gospel’s Greatest Gift, God. pg 15 © Desiring God Foundation. Published by Crossway Books Wheaton, Illinois.
