by David Scott Robertson
Pizza franchises specialize in delivering delicious hot pizzas right to your house. Hospitals deliver babies, the United States Postal Service delivers mail, and Federal Express claims to be able to deliver your package anywhere in the U.S.A. when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
A speaker delivers a keynote address, a boxer delivers a knockout punch, and a taxi driver delivers a passenger to the airport. Deliveries are commonplace in our modern world. We have come to expect it and view it as routine. But I want you to know that God also delivers.
Many, many times the Bible describes God's delivering His people FROM something harmful. He delivered them FROM distress, FROM death, or FROM the cruelty of wicked and evil men. Often scriptures relate that He delivered His children OUT OF a bad situation or PREVENTED a serious and potentially fatal predicament from ever happening. Jesus delivered many who were oppressed of the devil and countless more from the bondages of sickness, demonic possession, and most importantly, the curse of sin itself.
So, would we be safe in saying that God's deliverance is ALWAYS a good thing? Not necessarily. I guess it all depends on you. Have a look at the following scriptures where God delivered all right, but it's not quite what we have come to expect:
(Judges 13:1 NIV) Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
(2 Kings 13:3 KJV) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
(Dan. 1:2 NIV) And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
Above are three examples when God's deliverance OF HIS OWN CHILDREN didn't turn out so well for them. It's sad, tragic really, when what is normally a good thing, the best thing, the miraculous thing--that is, the divine intervention of Almighty God into the affairs of men--works against them.
The Lord, who is slow to become angry and rich in loving kindness and tender mercy, will not permit His tolerance to sin, rebellion, and disobedience to endure forever. There comes a time when enough is enough, and God delivers. He delivers His enemies into the hands of His people and contrary to popular belief, sometimes He even delivers His people into the hands of His enemies. To disbelieve this is to contradict scripture and ignore history.
The moral of this story is to not put the Lord your God to a foolish test. Do not presume upon the mercy and patience and grace of God. You may be well versed in the power of God to deliver and He may have in times past used you as a vessel to deliver others, but if you persist in a pattern of disobedience--either willful sin or passive indifference--God will deliver you...and you may not like it.
But even in wrath, God is merciful. Even in judgment, God is kind. Even in delivering a person or a people group into chastisement, He is wise. Consider the Messiah's deliverance into the hands of sinners:
(Luke 24:7 NIV) 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'
(Rom. 4:25 NIV) He [Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
God delivers on time, every time, all the time, for all time.
DSR
8/30/04
Monday, August 30, 2004
Monday, August 23, 2004
Idol Busters
by David Scott Robertson
(2 Kings 23:25 NIV) Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did--with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
* * *
I never get tired of hearing the story of Josiah, King of Judah. His father was King Amon, who did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. But at the ripe old age of eight, Josiah replaced his father as king and reigned for thirty-one years.
To summarize, when Josiah was twenty-six years old, he ordered that the temple of the Lord be restored. During this process, the Book of the Law was found (2 Kings 22:8). It was brought to King Josiah and read to him. When the young king realized that his nation was in a profoundly backslidden condition and poised for judgment, he tore his clothes in despair. As a result, the word of the Lord was sent to the king through a prophet saying that God had taken note of the king's grieved reaction to his nation's disregard and careless neglect of God's Law. Because Josiah had languished over Judah's negligence in despair, God promised to defer His sure judgment against Judah until Josiah's life span had ended! Josiah then began one of the most thorough idol-busting campaigns in the history of the nation of Judah. And God was pleased.
I so admire the complete turnaround of this ancient king of Judah that if I were to be blessed with a son born into my household, I would name him after Josiah. I am impressed with this young man's remarkable repentance and subsequent resolve to purge pagan idolatry from his kingdom according to all that was written in the Book of the Law.
Now let's fast-forward this fabulous revival to the future--to our present day. What might an idol-busting revival look like these days? What if a young man of twenty-six years of age came to know the Lord Jesus Christ for the very first time in his life? What if he purposed to completely turn to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with the New Testament scriptures?
Perhaps it could look something like this…
He starts to show up for work on time. He no longer calls in sick when he's not. His speech begins to transform from vulgar and vain to courteous and considerate. He stops flirting with his married co-worker.
He cancels his subscription to a raunchy magazine. He even turns his head in the Wal-Mart line from the parade of flesh brazenly printed for all to see on the shameless tabloids.
Interestingly, his taste in movies dramatically changes as he voluntarily sets up a boundary to view no film that blasphemes God or tempts him to re-enter his formerly sinful lifestyle. The buttons on his radio have to be reprogrammed. His internet travels make a huge u-turn and he no longer stays up until 3 a.m. on the net with his door locked and shades drawn.
Television, which used to gobble up 22 hours of his 168-hour week, now has been curbed back to a reasonable amount with plenty of time left over to study his Bible. Not only that, his insatiable quest for the weird, the bizarre, the esoteric, the paranormal, the extreme in human deviance, has now been replaced with a growing love for nature, the arts, and other healthy outlets of recreation and social opportuntities.
His complete set of horror novels is now posted on eBay--as is over $5,000 worth of music he now feels violates his moral conscience.
He gives away his season tickets to his favorite pro ball team because kick-off conflicts with his involvement at church. And he has come to love his pastor. The man used to irritate and offend him regularly; now the young man actually sees him as a mentor and spiritual father in his life!
It seems these days our young idol-buster is reluctant to binge and overeat, because he begins to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit calling him to present his body as a living sacrifice to God.
He breaks up with the girl he's been dating for three years because she doesn't understand. She tells him she liked him better "before."
One by one, his buddies have dropped him. They want him to stay behind with them in their world and resent him for inviting them forward into what he describes as "a fantastic journey toward God."
This young man is not perfect--far from it. He is definitely under construction. Some say he is too radical, what with all the tattoos, piercings, and hair thing he's got going on. Some say he's not for real because he "doesn't look the part" of what their concept of a Christian ought to be.
But Jesus just smiles knowing that this young idol-buster is in revival!
DSR
8/23/04
(2 Kings 23:25 NIV) Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did--with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
* * *
I never get tired of hearing the story of Josiah, King of Judah. His father was King Amon, who did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. But at the ripe old age of eight, Josiah replaced his father as king and reigned for thirty-one years.
To summarize, when Josiah was twenty-six years old, he ordered that the temple of the Lord be restored. During this process, the Book of the Law was found (2 Kings 22:8). It was brought to King Josiah and read to him. When the young king realized that his nation was in a profoundly backslidden condition and poised for judgment, he tore his clothes in despair. As a result, the word of the Lord was sent to the king through a prophet saying that God had taken note of the king's grieved reaction to his nation's disregard and careless neglect of God's Law. Because Josiah had languished over Judah's negligence in despair, God promised to defer His sure judgment against Judah until Josiah's life span had ended! Josiah then began one of the most thorough idol-busting campaigns in the history of the nation of Judah. And God was pleased.
I so admire the complete turnaround of this ancient king of Judah that if I were to be blessed with a son born into my household, I would name him after Josiah. I am impressed with this young man's remarkable repentance and subsequent resolve to purge pagan idolatry from his kingdom according to all that was written in the Book of the Law.
Now let's fast-forward this fabulous revival to the future--to our present day. What might an idol-busting revival look like these days? What if a young man of twenty-six years of age came to know the Lord Jesus Christ for the very first time in his life? What if he purposed to completely turn to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with the New Testament scriptures?
Perhaps it could look something like this…
He starts to show up for work on time. He no longer calls in sick when he's not. His speech begins to transform from vulgar and vain to courteous and considerate. He stops flirting with his married co-worker.
He cancels his subscription to a raunchy magazine. He even turns his head in the Wal-Mart line from the parade of flesh brazenly printed for all to see on the shameless tabloids.
Interestingly, his taste in movies dramatically changes as he voluntarily sets up a boundary to view no film that blasphemes God or tempts him to re-enter his formerly sinful lifestyle. The buttons on his radio have to be reprogrammed. His internet travels make a huge u-turn and he no longer stays up until 3 a.m. on the net with his door locked and shades drawn.
Television, which used to gobble up 22 hours of his 168-hour week, now has been curbed back to a reasonable amount with plenty of time left over to study his Bible. Not only that, his insatiable quest for the weird, the bizarre, the esoteric, the paranormal, the extreme in human deviance, has now been replaced with a growing love for nature, the arts, and other healthy outlets of recreation and social opportuntities.
His complete set of horror novels is now posted on eBay--as is over $5,000 worth of music he now feels violates his moral conscience.
He gives away his season tickets to his favorite pro ball team because kick-off conflicts with his involvement at church. And he has come to love his pastor. The man used to irritate and offend him regularly; now the young man actually sees him as a mentor and spiritual father in his life!
It seems these days our young idol-buster is reluctant to binge and overeat, because he begins to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit calling him to present his body as a living sacrifice to God.
He breaks up with the girl he's been dating for three years because she doesn't understand. She tells him she liked him better "before."
One by one, his buddies have dropped him. They want him to stay behind with them in their world and resent him for inviting them forward into what he describes as "a fantastic journey toward God."
This young man is not perfect--far from it. He is definitely under construction. Some say he is too radical, what with all the tattoos, piercings, and hair thing he's got going on. Some say he's not for real because he "doesn't look the part" of what their concept of a Christian ought to be.
But Jesus just smiles knowing that this young idol-buster is in revival!
DSR
8/23/04
Monday, August 9, 2004
A Modern Psalm
by David Scott Robertson
"A psalm of praise. Of David. I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever" (Psalm 145:1).
* * *
King David was the sweet Psalmist of Israel. His passion for God spilled out of his heart onto paper (or papyrus or codex or whatever they happened to write on in those days).
There were others who made their unique contributions to the songbook of the Old Testament: Solomon, Heman the Ezrahite, and the sons of Korah also wrote Psalms that appear to cheer the heart and exalt the Lord.
What I love about the Psalms is that they embrace the full range of human emotion while at the same time bear the unmistakable anointing of the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers to express their thoughts in precisely the way God intended.
Although the Psalms were written thousands of years ago, perhaps you are like me in that when I read them I can't help but feel they are relevant to me, now, in my time. Some things never change. Men are still men, God is still God, and men still need God.
As I was meditating on David's Psalm quoted above, I began to experience a "welling up" within me of worship and adoration and praise of the God of both Davids--one Psalmist, a deceased but glorious king of Israel; and the other David, the little toe in the body of Christ, David Scott Robertson, a modern Psalmist.
What I am about to write will not make it into the canon of scripture. I won't even presumptuously make the claim that it's anointed of the Holy Spirit. But one thing I know, what you are about to read is as real praise to my God from my heart as I know how to write. Journey with me through a modern psalm:
"Jesus, Lord, how I praise you on this glorious Tennessee day! From the time my alarm went off this morning to awaken the dawn, my heart has swelled with praise and adoration for you, my Father.
Today in my eyes, and in the eyes of billions of others, you are the bright and morning Star. You alone are completely pure and absolutely holy.
In a world of corrupt morals, epidemic sinfulness, and the spirit of antichrist on the rise, you are the Light that bursts forth in awesome splendor, illuminating the pathway to righteousness.
You represent more power, Lord Jesus, than all the massive fossil fuel reserves of the world combined. You are more powerful, my Lord King, than all the nuclear reactors and warheads in existence. You are more desirable than the most valued stocks and mutual funds, far more precious than plutonium, more lofty than any human political figure or office on the earth.
Your greatness surpasses the unexplored catacombs of the earth; your immenseness extends beyond the very edge of the known universe. Were we to travel the required light years to the farthest expanse of deep space, the love of God would be found there.
Your caring and watchful eye does not miss a detail. Your vision is greater than the most advanced telescope or electron microscope. You see the intangible, the invisible. Your foreknowledge sees the beginning and end of our days and the in between.
Our most sophisticated computers pale and fail miserably compared to your fathomless genius. Yet your mercy is higher than the tallest man-made structures; your grace is deeper than the deepest oil well; your kindness is more durable than the hardest alloy; and your gentleness is more comforting than the love of a mother caressing her newborn child.
You speak and sick bodies are healed. You breathe life into the dead and they live. You utter the word and circumstances and events of world history fall in line according to your perfect will.
You, O God, are higher than any other. And it is at the name of Jesus Christ, the name above all names, that I humbly bow to even now--before the grave, before the Rapture of the church, I bow now and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. I humble myself at your feet; unworthy to even mention the holy name of Jesus or even glance upwards in the direction of your throne in heaven.
Today, I confess that the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, is my chief delight, my supreme desire, my all-in-all. By God's grace I will employ all accessible technologies to resound the greatness of the name of my God. I will go to my people--the human race--and proclaim that there is a God in heaven, and the name of His Son is Jesus. Repent of your sins while there is time and call on the name of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and you will enter into times of refreshing.
Now, Lord, may the words of my mouth and the thoughts keyed into my computer and shared over the internet and in printed form be pleasing and acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer."
DSR
8/9/04
"A psalm of praise. Of David. I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever" (Psalm 145:1).
* * *
King David was the sweet Psalmist of Israel. His passion for God spilled out of his heart onto paper (or papyrus or codex or whatever they happened to write on in those days).
There were others who made their unique contributions to the songbook of the Old Testament: Solomon, Heman the Ezrahite, and the sons of Korah also wrote Psalms that appear to cheer the heart and exalt the Lord.
What I love about the Psalms is that they embrace the full range of human emotion while at the same time bear the unmistakable anointing of the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers to express their thoughts in precisely the way God intended.
Although the Psalms were written thousands of years ago, perhaps you are like me in that when I read them I can't help but feel they are relevant to me, now, in my time. Some things never change. Men are still men, God is still God, and men still need God.
As I was meditating on David's Psalm quoted above, I began to experience a "welling up" within me of worship and adoration and praise of the God of both Davids--one Psalmist, a deceased but glorious king of Israel; and the other David, the little toe in the body of Christ, David Scott Robertson, a modern Psalmist.
What I am about to write will not make it into the canon of scripture. I won't even presumptuously make the claim that it's anointed of the Holy Spirit. But one thing I know, what you are about to read is as real praise to my God from my heart as I know how to write. Journey with me through a modern psalm:
"Jesus, Lord, how I praise you on this glorious Tennessee day! From the time my alarm went off this morning to awaken the dawn, my heart has swelled with praise and adoration for you, my Father.
Today in my eyes, and in the eyes of billions of others, you are the bright and morning Star. You alone are completely pure and absolutely holy.
In a world of corrupt morals, epidemic sinfulness, and the spirit of antichrist on the rise, you are the Light that bursts forth in awesome splendor, illuminating the pathway to righteousness.
You represent more power, Lord Jesus, than all the massive fossil fuel reserves of the world combined. You are more powerful, my Lord King, than all the nuclear reactors and warheads in existence. You are more desirable than the most valued stocks and mutual funds, far more precious than plutonium, more lofty than any human political figure or office on the earth.
Your greatness surpasses the unexplored catacombs of the earth; your immenseness extends beyond the very edge of the known universe. Were we to travel the required light years to the farthest expanse of deep space, the love of God would be found there.
Your caring and watchful eye does not miss a detail. Your vision is greater than the most advanced telescope or electron microscope. You see the intangible, the invisible. Your foreknowledge sees the beginning and end of our days and the in between.
Our most sophisticated computers pale and fail miserably compared to your fathomless genius. Yet your mercy is higher than the tallest man-made structures; your grace is deeper than the deepest oil well; your kindness is more durable than the hardest alloy; and your gentleness is more comforting than the love of a mother caressing her newborn child.
You speak and sick bodies are healed. You breathe life into the dead and they live. You utter the word and circumstances and events of world history fall in line according to your perfect will.
You, O God, are higher than any other. And it is at the name of Jesus Christ, the name above all names, that I humbly bow to even now--before the grave, before the Rapture of the church, I bow now and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. I humble myself at your feet; unworthy to even mention the holy name of Jesus or even glance upwards in the direction of your throne in heaven.
Today, I confess that the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, is my chief delight, my supreme desire, my all-in-all. By God's grace I will employ all accessible technologies to resound the greatness of the name of my God. I will go to my people--the human race--and proclaim that there is a God in heaven, and the name of His Son is Jesus. Repent of your sins while there is time and call on the name of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and you will enter into times of refreshing.
Now, Lord, may the words of my mouth and the thoughts keyed into my computer and shared over the internet and in printed form be pleasing and acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer."
DSR
8/9/04
Sunday, August 1, 2004
A Christian Bill of Rights
by David Scott Robertson
Bill #1: RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT
Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
"Be silent, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world."
BILL #2: RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
2 Cor. 10:4-5 (NLT)
We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the devil's strongholds. [5] With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.
BILL #3: RIGHT TO LEGAL COUNSEL
1 Tim. 2:5 (NLT)
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.
BILL #4: RIGHT TO WORSHIP FREELY
John 4:23 (NLT)
But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.
BILL #5: RIGHT TO WORK
Eccles. 2:24 (NLT)
So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God.
BILL #6: RIGHT TO LIFE
Col. 3:3-4 (NLT)
For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
BILL #7: RIGHT TO DIE
Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
BILL #8: RIGHT TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN
Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)
Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.
BILL #9: RIGHT TO FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT
1 Tim. 5:21 (NLT)
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing special favor to anyone.
BILL #10: RIGHT TO SUCCEED IN LIFE
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! [4] And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.
DSR
8/1/04
Bill #1: RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT
Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
"Be silent, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world."
BILL #2: RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
2 Cor. 10:4-5 (NLT)
We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the devil's strongholds. [5] With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.
BILL #3: RIGHT TO LEGAL COUNSEL
1 Tim. 2:5 (NLT)
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.
BILL #4: RIGHT TO WORSHIP FREELY
John 4:23 (NLT)
But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.
BILL #5: RIGHT TO WORK
Eccles. 2:24 (NLT)
So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God.
BILL #6: RIGHT TO LIFE
Col. 3:3-4 (NLT)
For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
BILL #7: RIGHT TO DIE
Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
BILL #8: RIGHT TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN
Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)
Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.
BILL #9: RIGHT TO FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT
1 Tim. 5:21 (NLT)
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing special favor to anyone.
BILL #10: RIGHT TO SUCCEED IN LIFE
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)
As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! [4] And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.
DSR
8/1/04
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)