Pastor Goforth

Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

August 21st, 2024

Matthew 5:3 begins the “Sermon on the Mount” with “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”

What a powerful beginning for Jesus seated on the mountains with those following him and trying to become like him.

“I Can, I Will, I Must”. That’s what we often say, and feel like we SHOULD say. But Jesus says that happiness is in understanding our emptiness, accepting our inability, and embracing our poverty.

Yet my Bible also tells me that in my understanding of my bankrupt state, “But God… is Rich “ Ephesians 2:4. God who is rich in Mercy. Why is he rich? Because of his great love.

Oh my, trying to be like God, and sometimes, let’s be honest, we say, “I’m too impoverished, I want to be like Jesus, but I can’t show mercy.” Well, my question, what’s in your ‘love account’”. If my love account is empty, I can’t be merciful, can’t be generous.

Yet Ephesians 2:5 says God… made us alive… even though we were dead… we are saved by Grace

Oh I definitely want to be like God. I want to be a disciple of Christ. This where it starts, embrace your poverty.

Isaiah 57:15 says “For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: ‘I live in a high and holy place, and WITH the oppressed and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.”

Being a disciple of Christ is about coming down and living with the oppressed and lowly in spirit.

Back there in Ephesians 2:6 it says that Christ then he raised us up WITH Him, and seated us WITH Him in the heavenlies

If we’re going to be like Christ in mercy and love, then I will bring people UP, not expect them to “get with it” and come up.

James, the brother of Jesus, writes in James 1:10, “let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field”

Life is short, I’ve got to invest in what will last.

“Let the Rich Boast in Humiliation” – that’s not what you see on a recruitment flyer, but it is the expectation of the one Rich in the Mercy, Love, and Grace of God

1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich… not to be arrogant or hope in their wealth but in God… 18 do what is good… be rich in good works… generous… willing to share 19 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life“

Wow… we are making future investments not seizing earthly wealth. There isn’t anything wrong with earthly wealth if the Lord gives and we use it to his glory, but we will pass away like the flowers.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit…

Oswald Chambers calls it the “Ministry of the Unnoticed” and he says “at the basis of Jesus Christ’s Kingdom is the unaffected loveliness of the commonplace… If I know I have no strength of will, no nobility of disposition… Jesus says – Blessed are you…

It isn’t my goodness, or competency that makes me Happy, it is recognizing my poverty. In my poverty – when we think, “I have nothing to give…” and yet we GIVE what we have and later we find the wealth of what we have done in eternity.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for the Kingdom of heaven is theirs…

…and they give it away to all who will receive
Shaping Your Plans

July 16th, 2024
I think back on my nearly 60 years of life, and more than 40 years of active ministry, and so much I have wanted to do, and so much I still want to do. My natural competitive nature often sees the things I didn’t get to do as failure of some form or another. And yet, the things I have done have been driven by the “obligation” I feel to the call I have.

Paul, writing to the church in Rome says in 1:14-15 “I am obligated... so I preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.“

He writes with such passion for people whom he had not met. v8 “I thank God … for all of you because of the news of your faith is being reported all over the world… I constantly mention you always asking in prayers that if it is… God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.”

There is that word I relate to, “succeed”, this was something he had wanted for a long time, but still as of yet had not been able to succeed, which means in his mind, “I’ve failed to do this”.

And yet Paul was amazed at the power and scope of the gospel, without us. Paul didn’t start that church, he was just in awe of what God had done in the seat of world power, driven by some many things apart from God, and yet God was there and active.
- Paul knew that the Gospel was the answer and the power needed in the world
v9 “I’m telling the good news”

v11 “I want to see you… that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you… 12… to be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith”

The Gospel was the answer to error in society, to error in politics and Paul wanted to share the gospel and shape his plans around that desire and belief, the power of the gospel.
- God’s Plans are more important than ours
v13 I’ve often planned to come to you (but I was prevented)” – Sometimes God’s gospel plans are different than ours…
- There Is An Obligation
Paul expressed his global, cross cultural, obligation to the Greeks and Barbarian… wise and foolish… and to these Romans in his heart.

Paul’s obligation was always to the Gospel Call and the will of God.

He had plans, things he thought would best serve his obligation, but God often has different plans. I thought immediately of Acts 16. Paul went to Phrygia and Galatia in v6 but was Forbidden by The Spirit.

He’s trying to move East, but God is pushing him West. In Mysia, v7, “tried to go to Bithynia, but The Spirit of Jesus did not allow” . Sometimes God says “no” to our best laid plans.

Then he came to Troas, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. God gave him a clear call in a dream to go to Macedonia (Greece) and so they set out to sea and came to Neapolis, near the modern day city of Kavala, and climbed the mountain, along the Via Egnatia – the ancient Roman Road, and went to Philippi. And begins a great part of Paul’s life and ministry.
- God Shapes our Plans
Our obligation is not to the plans, but to our Lord and God, and to the Gospel we share along the way. Plans are important, they keep us moving, but we must be open to the redirection.

Paul was committed to the Gospel, more than the destination. He took it to the peaceful and the fierce, the civilized and the wild, to the wise and the foolish.

Why? Romans 1:16 – I am not ashamed of the Gospel – it is the power of God for Salvation to everyone who believes

If you look at the society Paul lived in, I don’t think it much different than ours, besides clothing and technology, much of the “problems” were the same. I believe Paul hoped to allow the Gospel to change the world, but was also in awe of the fact that God was already doing it without him. He just wanted to get in on it, if allowed.

It was an awful, sin-driven world as described in 1:18-32. That list of cultural sin in verses 26-32 is all because v19 what CAN be know is evident… God has shown it… 23 (they) exchanged truth for a lie

It’s the same things we face today. We often want to focus on “pet sins” in the list, but if you look closely you will find yourself in that list, as have I.

Ok, I HAVE rambled a bit, but Paul knew that the Power and the Plans belong to God

Paul knew that his job was to go where instructed. Paul knew then that “success” was defined by obedience, not desired destination.

Oh, and Paul DID get to go to Rome – but he went there in Shackles, on a Prison Ship, through a Shipwreck, under house arrest for 2 years, and then a second time, to the executioners blade.

But the longest reaching work Paul did in the “Roman Realm” was writing this letter from afar and teach the world, for all of history, about sin, salvation, and grace available through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

May our plans e shaped by our Obligation to the Gospel and the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
Choose Who/What You Will Worship – Joshua 24:15

July 9th, 2024
This is one of the most famous verses in scripture. Joshua at this point is 110 and close to the end of his amazing life. He has been a slave, a soldier, a spy, and a servant to Moses. Then he began the Servant of God in leading the people to and through The Promised Land.

What had he learned more than anything else? He learned that every day we struggle with the choice, the opportunity, for Faith and Following the word and plans of God.

In Egypt, on the road to The Promised Land, at Kadesh-Barnea, in the Wilderness, and then going in and taking possession of the Promised Land; he learned “Choose for yourselves TODAY who, which, what you will worship.”

Asad is the word. It is defined as till, toil, work, serve, accomplish, do, let work – who will you serve/worship. Service is Worship, Worship is service.

v14 – Joshua says, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth

Fear – yare = awe, awesome – This is why about 30 years ago, I decided to stop using the word “awesome” for anything other than the works of God. How can a meal, or a game, or a song be on equal ground in word description with God and his deeds? We too easily say, “this is awesome”.

God IS awesome, some things are good, or exciting, fun, even great, but awesome? God IS AWESOME!

So, while it’s not a BIG DEAL, I just decided to reserve that word for God alone.

I will, with Joshua, worship, be in awe, of God with sincerity and truth, by not giving away his unique quality in description of something else.

sincerity – tamim = complete, sound, unscathed, perfect

truth – emeth = firmness, faithful, lasting

Choose today, each day, to worship God faithfully, firmly, unscathed, completely, serving him with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

When we give some of our worship to false objects, we fail to worship God in truth and sincerity.

In worship, we have to be active in getting rid of the false gods, that others worshipped.

Are there false gods in my life? I’ve often said taht the things that shape our calendar, get our finances, have our allegiance, are at least in danger of becoming an object of worship. Good things / Bad things / Church things, can become an object of false worship. Be careful, be mindful.

Joshua wasn’t forcing he was admonishing. If it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord… then CHOOSE for yourselves

bachar = examine, test, prefer, make a choice

False gods or the True and Living God.

Make a list – what have they done for you. How is your life ordered?

Psalm 13:8 I will sing to the Lord because he has treated me generously

Psalm 52:9 I will praise you forever for what you have done… I will put my hope in your name, for it is good.

Joshua says as for me, and my house, we will worship the Lord

And the People respond emphatically, we will worship the LORD.

Joshua presses them on the harsh reality of that statement. Then insist they will commit to worshiping the Lord and so he gives us a check list –

THEN…v23-25
1. Get Rid of Foreign gods – make a list. For them, there were things they had brought out of Egypt, actually their parents or grandparents had… and they still had them. Make a List. Ask the Lord, “Is there anything I am worshipping besides you, in place of you?”
2. Turn Your Hearts to the Lord – it starts within and then moves outward. Check your heart, your passion, your desires – turn them to the LORD – Make a list at why he is worthy
3. v24 Make a covenant – that word berith = alliance, promise – but I also think of that as the Head Decision to go with the Heart Decision. Get the false worship out of the way, set your heart, and then set your mind, make a commitment
4. Then Worship and Obey – we will worship the Lord our God and Obey Him – this is where we put our hands and feet into the action of our hearts and mind. Do
Choose Today, who you will serve… remove the clutter, set your heart, fix your mind, and get busy in worship
Splinters and Beams

June 18th, 2024

Matthew 7:1-6 is a famous passage. Let’s bookend the passage and then come back to the meat in the middle. Take a minute and read that passage.

Bookend Side 1 – Matthew 7:1. Jesus in the “sermon on the mount” says, “do not judge so that you won’t be judged”

People like this verse from their own perspective, and for their own benefit. The application is “leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone”

Bookend side 2 – v6 finishes, “don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.”

“Dogs” and “Pigs” were slang terms used in pride to refer to “Gentiles” or those who were NOT the people of God. But here in Matthew 7, Jesus is talking to those who claim to follow God. Yet for those who don’t follow God, there are more important things to focus on. Let’s lead them toward a relationship with God first, and then course correction, clean up, comes later.

Proverbs 23:9 “Don’t speak to a fool, for he will despise the insight of your words

Proverbs 9:7-10 instructs similarly: “the one who corrects the mocker will bring abuse on himself… 8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you. 9 Instruct the wise… be wiser still… teach the righteous… will learn more. 10 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… understanding

So, Jesus is NOT saying, “do not correct”. That Hebrew word in Proverbs 9, yasar = admonish, correct, train. But the Greek word here in Matthew 7 for “judge” is krino = pass judgment on, condemn, go to law

This passage is not saying do not correct in proper time and order, but Jesus is warning about Judgement. In Judgment, Jesus warns the standard you use, will be used on you

The reason people often don’t listen to church folks is they feel us passing judgment, condemning, not simply correcting.

They are also rightly saying that there is much wrong with us too.

I seem to remember that “ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Splinters and Beams are BOTH Short of the Glory.

Interesting words used by Jesus, he asks, “why do you LOOK at the splinter?” that word is blepsis = see – We quickly see the splinter, the speck in our brother…

But you do not NOTICE (katanoeo = consider, contemplate) the beam of word in your own eye

Jesus is not saying do not correct, but he IS saying do not condemn, and be fully aware of the personal situation as well.

He is talking about ORDER

FIRST – take (ekbalein = expel, drive out) the beam from your own eye

THEN – you will see clearly – What will we see? that I’m a sinner too, but for God’s grace – I was condemned too. But Jesus has made me righteous, he has made me whole. He is going to present me blameless in Glory.

In order – THEN you will see, and I would add, gain permission to work with someone else to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye

If your friend then is an unbeliever and if they reject the need and offer of assistance, leave it alone. Continue to bring them to, point them toward, Jesus. Continue to love. Seek the more important stuff.

Often we are trying to deal with splinters when we need to be dealing with heart issues, eternal things, not the temporary.

Oswald Chambers, speaking on this passage said, “stop having a measuring rod… there is always one more fact in every case about which we know nothing.”

Then he went on to say, “I have never met the man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God”

Remember, Jesus said in John 3:17 – God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him
Endurance – Gain

May 21st, 2024

“No Pain, No Gain” – That’s what coach always said, right?

Well, that phrase gained popularity in the early 1980s with Jane Fonda’s workout video empire.

Her idea was that muscle is built up by being broken down, it rebuilds after tearing down.

According to Wikipedia, Greek poet Hesiod(750-650) said, “before the road of excellence the immortals have placed sweat. And the way to it is long and steep, and rough at first. But, when one arrives at the summit, then it is easy, even though remaining difficult.”

Rabbi Ben Hei Hei is recorded as saying, “According to the pain is the reward”

English Poet, Robert Herrick’s version in 1650, “if little labor, little are our gains. Man’s fate is according to his pain.”

Benjamin Franklin is famous for saying “God helps those who help themselves”. In defense of this belief he wrote, “he that lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains without pains…”

And one other, R.C. Trench, Dean at Westminster, said, “For the most part, they courageously accept the law of labor, no pains, no gains, no sweat, no sweet, as the appointed law and condition of man’s life.”

Why did I “chase this rabbit”? I was reading Jesus in Luke 21 talking about the end of the age.

v9 when you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed, it is necessary that these take place… but the end won’t come right away

v11 earthquakes… famines… plagues…

v12 (they will) …lay their hands on you and persecute you…

v13 this will give you an opportunity to bear witness…

v14 therefore make up your minds not to prepare a defense….

v15 (but) I will give you words of wisdom…

v17 you will be hated by everyone because of my name

v18 but not a hair of your head will be lost

v19 by your ENDURANCE, GAIN your lives

Hmmm… Coach Jesus is taking us somewhere in our focus, isn’t he?

So I began to be reminded of other scripture…

Hebrews 10:34 teaches us to accept with joy even the confiscation of our possessions because we know that we have better and enduring possessions

v35 don’t throw away your confidence

v36 … for you need ENDURANCE so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive God’s PROMISE… in a little while (v37)

Which leads my mind to James 1

v2 Consider it joy… whenever you experience various trials

v3 because you know that the TESTING of your faith produces ENDURANCE

v4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be MATURE and complete, lacking nothing

Oh it would be a good idea for you to read ALL of James 1, so much there.

But the underlying point here is that none of this life is the summit, or the tableland, it is just the journey, the preparation; the real life, the real reward, is coming.

We are working, not to gain it, but to prepare for it, and to bring others with us. We are sweating to get stronger, to serve greater, to see more opportunities, and be pleasing to our Savior who has laid the path.

Our lives are to serve him. Our pain enables us to serve him better, longer, and give greater pleasure to the one who gave it all to include us.

That took me to one other passage, Romans 5:3-5 – affliction produces endurance… endurance character… character… hope… this hope will not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Pain for Gain
Dealing With Accusations While Following Jesus – Acts 24:5-8

May 14th, 2024
If you have served in almost any leadership positions you have dealt with accusations. This verse just came up in my reading this week so thought I’d talk about dealing with accusations for a minute.

People often will bring accusations against anyone who will not “dance to their tune”

In Matthew 11:16-17, Jesus said, “to what should I compare this generation? Like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children: ‘we played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t mourn.’”

Then the says that the called John the Baptist a demon because he didn’t eat or drink with them, but Jesus DID eat and drink and they called him a glutton, drunkard, and friend of sinners.

So, in Acts 21, Paul comes to Jerusalem to give testament to what God was doing among the Gentile converts to The Way of Jesus. He gave witness, he was respectful, but religious leaders started a riot with intention of killing Paul. For his own protection, he was put into custody.

While in Jail in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him and said, “Have Courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

Let me say, it’s always important to know what God’s saying and where he is leading. Sometimes he says, “do not go”. Sometimes he says, “be silent”. But other times he says, “go, speak, do.” Follow Him.

Well Paul is transferred to Caesarea and his accusers come with diligence and they say to the Roman Ruler in Acts 24:5 “this man is a plague, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarene”.

Accusations:
- a Plague – loismos = most simple a pest. In Acts 16:6 they said of them, “these men who have turned the world upside down…
- an Agitator – kineo stasis = mover, shaker, insurrectionist. He had been here accused of bringing Gentiles into the Temple – Truth was that Timothy, whose Father was Greek but Mother was Jewish – AND he had as a young man been circumcised so that there would be no accusation.
- a Ringleader – protostates = one who stands first among soldiers –
Well – they accused Paul of being a moving, shaking, pest who leads a group of soldiers – I can think of worse things to be called.

Even IF we follow Jesus – well – Especially when we follow Jesus, we will be accused of the like, by those who do not.

They will say, as they did of Jesus, “you don’t dance to our tune, you don’t sing our songs, you don’t celebrate what we celebrate, you don’t mourn what we mourn”

Accusations come – let me just make these short observations of encouragement
1. Let us be sure we are following Jesus
2. Let us be sure we do what he says
3. let us be willing to suffer the consequences
4. Then be satisfied to reap the “well done” of the Father one day
As for me: I will Dance to Jesus’ tune. I will Sing his song. I will Do his work, will, and for his fame and glory.
Remain – Children

May 1st, 2024

In John’s day, in the early church, there were already those who distorted truth for their own benefit. All of the Apostolic writers had to address it.

John was the last of them and the deception of gnostic teachers remained as he wrote toward the end of the first century. They taught that special knowledge was needed, and they had it.

They didn’t believe that Jesus was God IN FLESH, but that he only appeared that way, or that the Divine came and inhabited the body of Jesus of Nazareth at baptism and left him before death on the cross.

That taught either all flesh was evil or that flesh and spirit were separate so do as you want, one doesn’t affect the other.

John says in 1 John 2:21 I have not written because you do not know the truth, but because you DO know it, and because no lie comes from truth

v24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you… then remain in the Son and the Father

v26 I have written these things concerning those who are trying to deceive you.

v27 as for you, the anointing you have received from him remains in you – and you don’t need anyone to teach you

in other words, you have been given, anointed with, the Holy Spirit to, as Jesus promised, will lead you into truth and remind you of truth (John 14:26). So, if someone is trying to teach you something different, something “special” or “secret” – get away!

Instead, REMAIN in Him, so when he appears we may be confident and not ashamed v28 and he continues, everyone who does right has been born of him.

I used to tell my sons when they left the house, “Don’t forget you are a Goforth”. I meant, remember and act like who you are.

John continues – remember he is writing to the CHURCH. He identifies him as “The Elder” (Pastor) so he is talking to the Church.

3:1 How great the love given by the Father… that we are called children…

3:3 everyone who has this hope… purifies himself – ACTS LIKE A FAMILY MEMBER

3:6 everyone who remains in him does not sin (KEEP ON SINNING) That rendering of “sin” is in present active indicative tense. It doesn’t mean we aren’t able to sin, or don’t do sin, but that it is not our lifestyle.

Why? Because wea are children of God – we have new DNA, we have a family way now.

v9 we don’t keep on sinning because the SEED remains and he is not able to sin. That word dynamai – talking about our power to sin. That power is no longer present in a controlling fashion. That word here is in active passive. It is no longer a passive active force in our lives that we must obey, be a slave to sin.

v10 this is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious… the one who does not do what is right is not of God. Especially the one who does not LOVE his brother or sister

And here is where John really shows us something…

There are those who ACT “righteous” but are self-righteous, and yet they do NOT Love – and John says “that is not the family way.”

He is saying that it is more than just sin – but that a life without love is a sign that God doesn’t live in us. Oh, I’m over reading that right?

v14 the one who does not love REMAINS in DEATH

v15 the one who hates is a murderer

Well – thanks for clarifying that – maybe John was there when Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount – you think?

v16 this is how we know love, he (Jesus) laid down his life for us. We SHOULD (opheilo = obligate – present active indicative) also lay down OUR lives.

Well – Child of God – we have an Obligation that shows that we are in the family, and we need to Remain There.

v18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth

v19 this is how we will know that we belong to the Truth

well – pretty plain I think… so I’ll just leave it there

Remain Children Remain
Humble/Submissive Spirit /Trembles at my Word Isaiah 66:2b

April 23rd, 2024
How do we find God’s Favor? How do we find his support and strength? The people of God were facing much and the worst was coming when God began to Speak through the Lord’s Prophet Isaiah. So much in this book even speaking to 100 years later when they would be in Captivity and 500 years later when the Messiah comes.

It still speaks to us 2500+ years later

This is the Lord’s declaration. I look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.

New American Standard Hebrew says this word “declaration” – neum = utterance, whispering announcement – is from an unused word

My immediate thought was that response God lists as expected is often an unfollowed expectation.

We all want God’s favor, but where is the “favor” found? That word means “toward”. Where do we find God “toward” us?

this kind of person: one who is humble
- one who is humble –
Psalm 86:1 Listen Lord… answer… for I am poor and needy

I seem to remember reading “you have not because you ask not” – GUILTY – I have to admit that I am trying so hard to prove myself as “self-sufficient” that I won’t admit my need. And yet that is a Christlike Spirit. Philippians 2 says let this mind/attitude be in you that was in Christ Jesus… He emptied himself… he humbled himself

Solomon taught his sons in Proverbs 16:19 Better to be lowly of spirit with the Humble than to divide the plunder of the Proud

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 take my yoke upon you and LEARN from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart

I need to learn to be humble to find the Lord toward me
- One who is … Submissive in Spirit
Not one who is forced into submission. Not one who is beaten down. Not One who is begrudgingly submissive, but submissive in Spirit

Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God

Yes, that word submissive is nakah = broken, crippled – but it is produced from knowing our need, releasing our desires to “be on top”

What did David say in Psalm 51? A broken spirit and contrite heart is what God desires. This isn’t being crippled and lame, but broken from our self-sufficiency and now being useful to our Sovereign.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit

Sometimes we get there because we have been knocked down, and other times because we are humble and lift our eyes… but either way, we must get there.
- One who… Trembles at my Word
This final statement is so powerful and many options are out there.

We are often frightened by the wrong things. This word, chared = anxious frightened. We are currently studying a series on “fear”. What scares us? Is it powerful? It is Temporal or Eternal?

Let me throw out a controversial statement – Fear is in many ways an “act of worship”. That may be good or bad but still worship. Fear is placing honor, stating our belief in the power of something or someone. Fear is submitting to that perceived power or potentate. So then the question in fear is who are you going to worship.

If you read on in Isaiah 66 as the prophet closes this prophesy, God says we all make choices as to what we fear or worship. God is speaking and he says “one slaughters an ox… another a person… one a lamb, another a dog… one grain another pigs blood… one incense another praises an idol” WOW

God says all of these have chosen their ways.

We can choose to whom or what we will surrender and worship, but God is still eternally the judge on the throne.

Then God says, “I called – no one answers… I spoke… did not listen… (they) chose what I did not delight

He says in v5 you who tremble at his word hear the word of the Lord

God’s final word then for this massive and important book of prophesy is a word for the true Remnant of Israel, but it is also for us as well…

v22 ‘For just as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, will remain before me’ – this is the Lord’s declaration – ‘so your offspring and your name will remain.’

These are important words of reality and promise from God

I will look favorably on the one who is…
- humble
- submissive in spirit
- trembles at my word
Hear the Word of the Lord
Has God Proven Himself? Give Him Your All – 2 Chronicles 16:9

April 16th, 2024

King Asa of Judah, just third King after Solomon and Second after Rehoboam split Israel. Judah and Benjamin made up the southern kingdom.

The people quickly, in both group, began worshipping false gods. Good King Asa served for 41 years after Abijah served just three. His son Jehoshaphat served 25 years and was also a good King.

Asa’s years he was mostly faithful to the Lord. He got rid of false worship and the altars to idols. He had the priests performing their duties. He sought the Lord when under attack, and build fortified cities. Over and again, they cried out to the Lord – he brought them victory.

They battled with Cush, Libya, and Israel. Of course many other countries – when they turned to the Lord and cried out, they found him strong in their behalf.

In 2 Chronicles 15:2 they prophet Azariah told Asa “the Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.”

I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln being asked if he thought God was FOR the Union or the Confederacy, and Lincoln said, “I’m not as much concerned as if God is with us as if WE are WITH GOD.”

Read down through 2 Chronicles 14, 15, and 16, but in 15:7 the prophet tells the king, “but as for you, be strong; don’t give up, for your work has a reward.”

And let me stop and say that the greatest reward is always being WITH God.

Asa removed the idol, he renovated the Altar to God at the Temple, and many people from surrounding tribes defected and lived in Judah because, v9, they saw the Lord was with him.

v14 they took an oath and promised to seek their help only in the Lord

v17 says Asa was wholeheartedly devoted his entire life. They experienced 10 years of peace. Then Israel came against Judah. They began to build a road block in Ramah to block people entering or leaving Judah.

Now 15:18 says that Asa had brought silver and gold, that was consecrated to the Lord by himself and his father, into the Temple and dedicated it to the Lord. That’s important to see.

So, when the conflict with Israel began, rather than cry out to God, 16:2 says he took the silver and gold from the Lord’s Temple and sent it to the King of Aram looking for help.

Aram had a treaty with Israel. Asa paid them to break their treaty with Israel and sign a treaty with Judah. Well, it seemed to work and Israel stopped building the roadblock and Judah’s people carried away the stones and timbers.

Success… Right?

The Seer Hanani came to Asa in 16:7 and said, “because you depended on the King of Aram and have not depended on the Lord, the army of the King of Aram has escaped you”
He reminds him that the Cushites and Libyans had vast armies yet they were defeated, “when you depended on the Lord.”

Then comes a verse I have often quoted as a life verse, the first half, but the second half is a warning, a cautionary proclamation.

Remember 15:17 said Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his WHOLE life

Well… sometimes our definition is different than God’s. “Oh yes I worship the Lord, I go to church, I pray. Asa gave his heart to God, he executed worship, he eliminated false worship, he led others to do the same… But “well this is politics Lord, this is nation building, this isn’t religious stuff”. Well, when you are King, everything is a display of worship, and that’s not just about kings.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with treaties, unless God says, “no”, unless it is a substitute for trusting him.

16:9 the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him…

Then the warning for us, the reality for him… “…You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.”

Oh my when we try to make peace our own way and not God’s way. When we depend on ourselves and not God – the battle always rages. Sadly Asa became angry, had the preacher thrown in prison, mistreated many others, then got a disease in his feet and even then he wouldn’t go to the Lord only sought help in the doctors. Nothing wrong with doctors, and I believe in them, but we need to go to the Lord, humble ourselves and seek him.

The Battle is always the Lord’s. If we don’t go to him, and follow him, we will always be at war, even in peace. But if we go to and follow the Lord we can be at peace even in the midst of war.

Yes God has proven himself, remember and give him your whole heart, whole life, whole faith.
“Jesus came near and began to walk along with them…” Luke 24:15-27

April 16th, 2024
… but they were prevented from recognizing him” Does God move among us and we miss it? Does he work and yet he hides it? Yes and Yes

I wrote a few weeks ago that I have long been fascinated with Genesis 18 that Abraham was so close to God that the question was if he should hide his work from Abraham. I definitely try to be sensitive and aware of the ways and work of God around me. But God is always at work around us, that’s what Jesus said.

So, if God is always at work, then reality is:
1. sometimes we don’t care to know
2. Sometimes we fail to know
3. Other times it is hidden from us, but he is still desiring to teach us.
Luke 9:45: 18:34 Jesus speaks about his coming death and resurrection and it says, “it was concealed from them – so that they could not grasp, and were afraid to ask”

Interesting

I think it was hidden because although well-meaning, they would have gotten in the way. But also interesting they sensed something but, “were afraid to ask.” Maybe sometimes he hides fullness because we don’t want to know what he is doing – we are a little scared that if we know we will be accountable for action.

There was another time, after the resurrection, in John 21 when they didn’t recognize him. Now it certainly could be they didn’t recognize because he “hid” himself, or because they were considering going back to the old business, leaving their call.

Remember they had “pulled their boats on shore and left their nets and followed him.” Then Peter says, in John 21, “I’m going fishing.” Commercial fishing happened mostly at night, so they could sell in the morning – so perhaps this wasn’t casual fishing. Peter didn’t go alone, he took his partners – it was Peter and 6 others. Maybe – though Jesus was alive – they thought their opportunity was gone because of “failure” in leaving Jesus.

But Jesus renewed their call that morning. Feed my sheep… Follow Me… Don’t worry about anyone else… YOU… Follow me

So, I chased a rabbit there, but come back to these men on Resurrection Sunday, on the road to Emmaus. They were discussing and arguing about everything that happened. Jesus shows up – they didn’t recognize. I wonder if maybe his skin had been refreshed and renewed and he just looked a little different.

Jesus says, “what’s the dispute… 17b … they stopped walking and looked discouraged…” WOW that got my attention

Stuff happens – we don’t understand what God is doing – but Jesus IS Teaching and he is Walking With us.

They told this one, who they didn’t recognize, about “Jesus of Nazareth a Powerful Prophet and Preacher… but he was killed… we thought he was going to redeem Israel… Now it’s the Third Day.” Hmm … could it be that they had heard the previous statements of Jesus and half hoped…”

Then they said, “we heard some women saw angels… but the tomb was empty”

Often we are so close to understand… but we are stuck in unbelief.

Jesus says in v25 – “how foolish… and slow to believe… wasn’t it necessary to suffer those things…”

Believe what we already know and what we see will make more sense. Stop trying to make Jesus “fit” your path and agenda

“Beginning with Moses and the Prophets he interpreted for them the things concerning himself.”

Would you have loved to hear Jesus break down the Word? Perhaps he used a list like this:
- Pentateuch (Moses) – Genesis 3:15, 12:3, 22:18; Numbers 21:9, 24:17
- Prophets – 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 52:13-53:12; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 7:13-14, 9:24-27; Miah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9, 12:10
- Perhaps the Psalms – Psalm 2, 8, 16, 22, 23 – among others
They ate it up! They invited him to stay with them for dinner, and then he broke bread and gave it to them and their eyes were opened, they recognized and he disappeared.

“weren’t our hearts burning while he was talking… explaining”

It was evening, but they left and went and told everyone what had happened.

Oh my, look for Jesus, Recognize his teaching, Believe what you already know, and then Tell everyone that he is Risen