We, as Christians, are going to celebrate the coming of our Savior tomorrow. There are many passages in the Old Testament that refer to the arrival of the Savior. There are also many passages that refer to the reason WHY He arrived. The book of Isaiah is full of both of them.
I do not want, in any way, shape or form, to downplay the importance of the coming of Jesus, the son of God, in a human body. He had to put on human flesh if He was going to redeem a human remnant for Himself. But, I know from experience that around this time of year, people's thoughts can sometimes get stuck in the manger, gazing at the baby.
On this, the eve of what is traditionally recognized as the day of our Savior's birth, allow me to share this from Isaiah the prophet, written approximately 700 years before the arrival of our Lord......
"Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
As many were astonished at you-
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-
so shall he sprinkle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned--every one--to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors."
Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 ESV
The baby in a manger became a full grown man. And that full grown man went to a rugged cross and died a horrid death for the iniquity of many. That is the reason for the sinless God-baby in the manger; to grow into a sinless, full grown God-man and propitiate the sins of His people. Keep that truth close to your heart this season.
God bless y'all.....
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Update on Bethel
Here is a video posted by Pastor Chris Rosebrough just a little earlier this afternoon with an update on the situation at Bethel Redding.
They've hired a PR guy to start damage control.
Bethel Church in Redding, CA is Demonic.......
This video is roughly 52 minutes long but it is an informative, eye opening 52 minutes. It is from a guy named Chris Rosebrough. He is a Lutheran pastor and is in charge of a teaching and discernment ministry called Fighting for the Faith. He is a dependable source for truth and comparing what is happening in the world of the "church" against the Scripture.
In short, here is the reason for this video from Pastor Chris....
There is a church in Redding, CA called Bethel Church. If you aren't familiar with this church then you need to familiarize yourself with them. It is a heretical, demonic cesspool and should be marked and avoided. Amazingly, because of the lack of any kind of biblical discernment within the church, Bethel is highly influential. If you are familiar with contemporary Christian music, then I am sure you've heard of Jesus Culture. They come from this church.
The church is led by Bill Johnson and Kris Valloton. Beni Johnson and Jen Johnson are also leaders. They are Bill's wife and daughter-in-law respectively.
In the past few days, a prominent family in this church had their 2 year old daughter Olive die quite unexpectedly. Instead of burying this little girl and the family grieving this devastating loss, the little girl is still at the coroner.....being prayed for.....that she will be resurrected. I'll just leave that right there for a minute to let that sink in.
Pastor Chris takes this video and breaks down what is said and done with Scripture, comparing the 2 side by side.
This is not the only video he has done about Bethel. But it is the latest in a sad history.
Again, if you do not know who these people are, familiarize yourself with them because they are not even remotely biblical in what they teach but they are influential within "christian" circles.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Sovereign Over All or Not Sovereign at All...Round 2
Humans are selfish and proud.
Period.
End of paragraph.
End of Story.
In our fallen, sinful nature, we, in a passive-aggressive fashion, give lip service to God while at the same time telling the world to "Look at me!!!" . People boast about their financial success and how much they are "blessed" with a "#BLESSED" license plate on the front of their Cadillac Escalade. People boast about how spiritually "blessed" they are by taking an obviously staged photograph of their "quiet time" complete with 87 bibles, the entire MacArthur commentary series, notebook, pen, highlighter, dog and cup of coffee and will post said photo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or all 3 platforms at the same time, telling everyone how wonderful their "quiet time" was...under the hashtag #blessed. It's known as "humble brag" and it nauseates me. But I am just as guilty of pride as the next person so please do not think that I am trying to say that I do not do such nauseating things because I do. I have a fallen nature, too. I am guilty of boasting and pride and all kinds of nausea-inducing behavior. But, as I said before, humans are selfish and proud and we cannot always see how nausea-inducing our behavior really is. We are more than happy to "put ourselves out there", so to speak, and let the world see how wonderful our life is and how much God has "blessed" us.
And then, all of a sudden, the wheels fall off the wagon.
In September 2016, my wife and I lost our son, Nathan, through suicide. He was 25. Just a few month's later, my mother's health took a nose dive and in September of 2017, we placed her in a nursing facility because she has Alzheimer's disease and cannot live on her own. In late March-early April of 2018, my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in September he was gone. Rapid fire heartache over the span of 2 years.
Our marriage, and our relationship with God, began to crumble after our son passed and progressively got worse. Debbie and I went in the opposite direction. Debbie, as any mother would, clung to our daughter. She had already lost one child. She wasn't losing another. I, as most guys would, withdrew into myself and put up a stone face as if to say, "I'm ok. I'll be alright'". But I wasn't. And after my dad passed, I threw in the towel.
All of this time, Satan and his minions were working in the background of my mind. I was thinking thoughts that were absolutely ludicrous. "Deb doesn't care about me. All she cares about is Holly. She won't leave the house. She won't do anything with me. She shows no interest in me. She doesn't love me." These thoughts were there day after day and I allowed them to take over my mind. Ultimately, I committed the most grievous sin any man can do to his wife. I committed the sin of adultery. I had an affair.
Now, why do I tell you all of this? A couple of months ago, I talked about God sending Satan to Job to assail him and Job glorifying God in the end by saying that the LORD gives and the LORD takes away...blessed be His name. That's the Stockhover Paraphrase. Today, I'm talking about God allowing stuff to happen with Him getting the glory in the end.
I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that God did not make me commit the sin of adultery and have an affair. I can also tell you that God knew it was going to happen and used my sin sinlessly to achieve His purposes. That is what happened through the affair. I know the context of this story isn't the same but......Remember when Joseph's brothers tossed him in a pit because they were jealous? Then they decided it'd be better for them to make a little money off of him than to just leave him in a pit and let him die, because he was their brother after all, so they sold him to a caravan on the way to Egypt? Later, when Joseph was in a position of power in Egypt, his brothers came there because of the famine. He recognized them but they didn't recognize him. And, in the end, after he revealed to them who he was and the entire family had come from Canaan to Egypt, what did Joseph say to them? Again, the Stockhover Paraphrase.... in Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers that they meant evil against him but God meant those things for good because it saved a whole lot of lives, including his own family. Now, does that mean God caused Joseph's brothers to sell him into slavery? It is entirely possible but I don't think so. Why? Because the human heart is sinful enough and doesn't need prompting from God to do evil things. But God, in His sovereignty, knew what the brothers would do and it was all according to His plan. He didn't cause them to sin. He didn't make them sin. He didn't author their sin. But, he used their sin to bring about His divine purpose.
The same is true of my affair. God didn't take over my body and mind and make me sin. I can sin all on my own. He did, however, use my sin to achieve His purpose. What purpose? I firmly believe that if you are one of God's chosen, even though you sin, He doesn't leave you there. He may chastise you and discipline you but He doesn't forsake you. Take David, for example. He sinned with Bathsheba, then murdered her husband to try and cover it all up. Nathan came to David and rebuked him. David admitted his guilt, repented of his sin and was restored in relationship to God. That didn't alleviate the consequences of David's sin. There would be strife within his house for the rest of his life. The child born out of the original sin committed with Bathsheba would die. But, God didn't leave David in his sin and abandon him. He put David back on the right path. And, ultimately, God received the glory. He has done the same with me.
After I found out my dad was going to pass from his brain tumor, I went into feel sorry for myself mode. My son was dead. My mom was losing her mind and now my dad was going to die. My wife and daughter didn't care about me or so I thought in my warped mind. I felt totally and completely alone. Satan and his minions preyed on that sentiment. I allowed them to do so. It felt good to be all "woe is me" and I let myself go to a place where I should not have gone...emotionally and spiritually. Ultimately, it was selfishness and pride on my part because I wasn't getting the kind of treatment from my wife that I thought I deserved. Never mind the fact that her son had just taken his life not too long ago and that she was an absolute wreck. I was not getting what I thought I deserved. It led to my downfall. But I didn't stop there. Nooooooo. Even after I was found out, I would still make contact. I was so incredibly entangled in sin and bereft of any common sense. I was absolutely a different person. Sin had turned me into something that, if you knew me, you would not have recognized. Mind boggling, is it not? Debbie knew I was not myself and she was able to hold on, with God's help.
Thank God for Pastor Don Green in Cincinnati. Debbie and I had been going to his church because we couldn't find one close to home. The whole time we went, I was neck deep in this sin. He rebuked me...severely. And that is what God used to open my eyes. I was brought to my knees because of what I had done to Debbie, the mother of my children, a woman that I've been with for nearly 30 years. But, more importantly, I was brought to my knees because of how I had sinned against God. He is the one I had wronged. I had broken His law, not Debbie's. He was gracious and loved me enough to send Don Green my way and use him to rebuke me soundly. He was also gracious enough to allow Debbie to forgive me for my despicable, sinful actions. He did not leave me in my sin. He did not leave me where I was...and He got the glory.
The experience has been traumatic. Of course there have been consequences to my actions. But, Debbie and I are committed to each other and to our marriage. As we move forward, our relationship with God and each other grows stronger by the day and we are doing very well, considering the circumstances. But it doesn't go without road blocks from time to time. Consequences for actions taken. Again, He didn't leave me where I was. His purpose was accomplished. Debbie and I were brought back to Him, and each other, through this situation. We were given a love for each other that is deeper than it was before. Most importantly, we have been infused with a trust in God and a love for Him that is more than we have ever had. As we look back at what happened and where BOTH of us were at the time, we can see how His hand was sovereignly moving and directing all along to accomplish His purpose, which was ultimately Him getting all of the glory.
There is nowhere else the glory can go. There is nobody else who could've done what He did. He alone is worthy.
Period.
End of paragraph.
End of Story.
In our fallen, sinful nature, we, in a passive-aggressive fashion, give lip service to God while at the same time telling the world to "Look at me!!!" . People boast about their financial success and how much they are "blessed" with a "#BLESSED" license plate on the front of their Cadillac Escalade. People boast about how spiritually "blessed" they are by taking an obviously staged photograph of their "quiet time" complete with 87 bibles, the entire MacArthur commentary series, notebook, pen, highlighter, dog and cup of coffee and will post said photo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or all 3 platforms at the same time, telling everyone how wonderful their "quiet time" was...under the hashtag #blessed. It's known as "humble brag" and it nauseates me. But I am just as guilty of pride as the next person so please do not think that I am trying to say that I do not do such nauseating things because I do. I have a fallen nature, too. I am guilty of boasting and pride and all kinds of nausea-inducing behavior. But, as I said before, humans are selfish and proud and we cannot always see how nausea-inducing our behavior really is. We are more than happy to "put ourselves out there", so to speak, and let the world see how wonderful our life is and how much God has "blessed" us.
And then, all of a sudden, the wheels fall off the wagon.
In September 2016, my wife and I lost our son, Nathan, through suicide. He was 25. Just a few month's later, my mother's health took a nose dive and in September of 2017, we placed her in a nursing facility because she has Alzheimer's disease and cannot live on her own. In late March-early April of 2018, my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in September he was gone. Rapid fire heartache over the span of 2 years.
Our marriage, and our relationship with God, began to crumble after our son passed and progressively got worse. Debbie and I went in the opposite direction. Debbie, as any mother would, clung to our daughter. She had already lost one child. She wasn't losing another. I, as most guys would, withdrew into myself and put up a stone face as if to say, "I'm ok. I'll be alright'". But I wasn't. And after my dad passed, I threw in the towel.
All of this time, Satan and his minions were working in the background of my mind. I was thinking thoughts that were absolutely ludicrous. "Deb doesn't care about me. All she cares about is Holly. She won't leave the house. She won't do anything with me. She shows no interest in me. She doesn't love me." These thoughts were there day after day and I allowed them to take over my mind. Ultimately, I committed the most grievous sin any man can do to his wife. I committed the sin of adultery. I had an affair.
Now, why do I tell you all of this? A couple of months ago, I talked about God sending Satan to Job to assail him and Job glorifying God in the end by saying that the LORD gives and the LORD takes away...blessed be His name. That's the Stockhover Paraphrase. Today, I'm talking about God allowing stuff to happen with Him getting the glory in the end.
I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that God did not make me commit the sin of adultery and have an affair. I can also tell you that God knew it was going to happen and used my sin sinlessly to achieve His purposes. That is what happened through the affair. I know the context of this story isn't the same but......Remember when Joseph's brothers tossed him in a pit because they were jealous? Then they decided it'd be better for them to make a little money off of him than to just leave him in a pit and let him die, because he was their brother after all, so they sold him to a caravan on the way to Egypt? Later, when Joseph was in a position of power in Egypt, his brothers came there because of the famine. He recognized them but they didn't recognize him. And, in the end, after he revealed to them who he was and the entire family had come from Canaan to Egypt, what did Joseph say to them? Again, the Stockhover Paraphrase.... in Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers that they meant evil against him but God meant those things for good because it saved a whole lot of lives, including his own family. Now, does that mean God caused Joseph's brothers to sell him into slavery? It is entirely possible but I don't think so. Why? Because the human heart is sinful enough and doesn't need prompting from God to do evil things. But God, in His sovereignty, knew what the brothers would do and it was all according to His plan. He didn't cause them to sin. He didn't make them sin. He didn't author their sin. But, he used their sin to bring about His divine purpose.
The same is true of my affair. God didn't take over my body and mind and make me sin. I can sin all on my own. He did, however, use my sin to achieve His purpose. What purpose? I firmly believe that if you are one of God's chosen, even though you sin, He doesn't leave you there. He may chastise you and discipline you but He doesn't forsake you. Take David, for example. He sinned with Bathsheba, then murdered her husband to try and cover it all up. Nathan came to David and rebuked him. David admitted his guilt, repented of his sin and was restored in relationship to God. That didn't alleviate the consequences of David's sin. There would be strife within his house for the rest of his life. The child born out of the original sin committed with Bathsheba would die. But, God didn't leave David in his sin and abandon him. He put David back on the right path. And, ultimately, God received the glory. He has done the same with me.
After I found out my dad was going to pass from his brain tumor, I went into feel sorry for myself mode. My son was dead. My mom was losing her mind and now my dad was going to die. My wife and daughter didn't care about me or so I thought in my warped mind. I felt totally and completely alone. Satan and his minions preyed on that sentiment. I allowed them to do so. It felt good to be all "woe is me" and I let myself go to a place where I should not have gone...emotionally and spiritually. Ultimately, it was selfishness and pride on my part because I wasn't getting the kind of treatment from my wife that I thought I deserved. Never mind the fact that her son had just taken his life not too long ago and that she was an absolute wreck. I was not getting what I thought I deserved. It led to my downfall. But I didn't stop there. Nooooooo. Even after I was found out, I would still make contact. I was so incredibly entangled in sin and bereft of any common sense. I was absolutely a different person. Sin had turned me into something that, if you knew me, you would not have recognized. Mind boggling, is it not? Debbie knew I was not myself and she was able to hold on, with God's help.
Thank God for Pastor Don Green in Cincinnati. Debbie and I had been going to his church because we couldn't find one close to home. The whole time we went, I was neck deep in this sin. He rebuked me...severely. And that is what God used to open my eyes. I was brought to my knees because of what I had done to Debbie, the mother of my children, a woman that I've been with for nearly 30 years. But, more importantly, I was brought to my knees because of how I had sinned against God. He is the one I had wronged. I had broken His law, not Debbie's. He was gracious and loved me enough to send Don Green my way and use him to rebuke me soundly. He was also gracious enough to allow Debbie to forgive me for my despicable, sinful actions. He did not leave me in my sin. He did not leave me where I was...and He got the glory.
The experience has been traumatic. Of course there have been consequences to my actions. But, Debbie and I are committed to each other and to our marriage. As we move forward, our relationship with God and each other grows stronger by the day and we are doing very well, considering the circumstances. But it doesn't go without road blocks from time to time. Consequences for actions taken. Again, He didn't leave me where I was. His purpose was accomplished. Debbie and I were brought back to Him, and each other, through this situation. We were given a love for each other that is deeper than it was before. Most importantly, we have been infused with a trust in God and a love for Him that is more than we have ever had. As we look back at what happened and where BOTH of us were at the time, we can see how His hand was sovereignly moving and directing all along to accomplish His purpose, which was ultimately Him getting all of the glory.
There is nowhere else the glory can go. There is nobody else who could've done what He did. He alone is worthy.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Eternity
18 years ago today, nearly 3,000 people stepped into eternity.
How many of those people were ready to take their last breath on this side and their first breath on the other?
Are you ready? Have you been cut to the heart because of your sin, which is a stench in the nostrils of a holy God?
Have you cried out to this holy God, falling at the foot of the cross, confessing your sin, pleading for forgiveness, acknowledging that there is nothing of any worth inside of you that should merit His favor save for His marvelous grace?
We are all, every one of us, a sinner. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). None of us are righteous in God's eyes. "None is righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10). No one is "good". "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:12). Because we are sinners deserving God's just wrath, we need a Savior. If we wish to escape what every one of us deserve because of our sin, we need a Savior. And we have one. "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5). "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30)
"...Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15).
If you have not done this, do it this day.
How many of those people were ready to take their last breath on this side and their first breath on the other?
Are you ready? Have you been cut to the heart because of your sin, which is a stench in the nostrils of a holy God?
Have you cried out to this holy God, falling at the foot of the cross, confessing your sin, pleading for forgiveness, acknowledging that there is nothing of any worth inside of you that should merit His favor save for His marvelous grace?
We are all, every one of us, a sinner. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). None of us are righteous in God's eyes. "None is righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10). No one is "good". "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:12). Because we are sinners deserving God's just wrath, we need a Savior. If we wish to escape what every one of us deserve because of our sin, we need a Savior. And we have one. "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5). "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30)
"...Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15).
If you have not done this, do it this day.
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Sovereign Over All or Not Sovereign At All
Pain and suffering...
Disaster and heartbreak...
Death and loss...
These things are, sadly, a part of life. These things WILL come. They will knock on the door of life and barge in like a Jehovah's Witness on a Saturday morning. It is not a matter of IF. It is simply a matter of when.
These events are not random. There is a God who sits on His throne in heaven, orchestrating what takes place in our lives, both good and bad. As the late R.C. Sproul said, "If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe then God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God." What he is saying is that if God is not in control of the most minute detail in all the universe, a molecule, then God is not in control of anything. And that would mean God is not God.
A lot of Christians will readily accept any good that comes from God but will balk at the idea that God would send, or even allow, trouble. They immediately pass that off as an attack by the devil, which may be altogether true. But, the truth is that the devil has no power that he hasn't been given by God. He can do nothing outside of being on a leash. God controls Satan.
I want to share two examples...one here today and one next time. One is from the Scripture. One is personal. One shows God sending trouble. One shows God allowing trouble. Both end with God and His glory being magnified.
Job was "blameless and upright". He "feared God and turned away from evil" (Job 1:1). Satan presented himself before the LORD (1:6). The LORD asked Satan, "From where have you come?" (1:7). Satan answered, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it" (1:7). Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" (1:8). Let's take a look at that for a second. What is happening here? God knows what Satan has been doing. He created him. He knows that Satan has been roaming the earth, looking for someone to attack and destroy. In the New Testament we have further confirmation that this is what Satan does. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
God knows His servant, Job. He knows he is upright and blameless and that he fears Him. The LORD also know Satan and his schemes. Knowing these things, He basically gives Job over to the devil but the devil is not impressed. He asks, "Does Job fear God for nothing" and then gives a litany of reasons for Job to trust God (1:9). He then tells God to touch all Job has and he would curse God to his face (1:11). God tells Satan that everything Job has is in his hands; only do not touch Job himself (1:12).
The devil goes to work, taking Job's possessions, his servants, his animals and, ultimately, his children (1:13-20). Job reacted in this way. He tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground and worshipped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD" (1:20-21). Job did not sin or blame God for any of this (1:22).
Some time in the future, the Bible does not specify how much time had elapsed, the same thing takes place in heaven. Satan came in, God asks where from, Satan says from wandering around and God asks if he had considered Job. God says, "He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason" (2:3). Satan then says to God, basically, that a man will give up his possessions for his life. "But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face" (2:5). God says, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life" (2:6).
Satan left the LORD and struck Job with horrible sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job had a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores (2:7-8). Job's wife said, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die" (2:9). Job politely told her to be quiet, that she was talking like a fool, and said this, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (2:10). In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
There is a bunch to take away from this. But, for the purpose of this post, we are going to focus on God's sovereignty and Job's response to it. God told Satan what he could and could not do in both cases. The 1st time, Satan could do what he wanted without harming Job. The 2nd time he could do what he wanted to Job, sparing Job's life. God ordained that. God set the boundaries. Also, notice this at the end of verses 1:12 and 2:7 after God had told Satan what he could and couldn't do..."So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD." Satan didn't leave until God had given him his marching orders. Satan was like a private in boot camp, waiting for the drill instructor to dismiss him. He is under God's control. Make no mistake about that. Far too many Christians give the devil far too much power. He does have power. He is a powerful being. He cannot wield this power if he is not allowed to do so. Satan is not sovereign. God almighty is.
Not a lot is said about Job in these first couple of chapters. We are told he is blameless and upright. We are told in chapter 1 that he made sacrifices for his children in case they had sinned and "cursed God in their hearts" (1:5). But, most importantly to us here, he acknowledged God behind the terrible things that had taken place in his life. He said God gives and takes away. Blessed be His name. He said shall we take good from God and not evil? Those statements are a recognition that God is behind everything that happens to us. God is sovereign over all.
This is enough to chew on for now. Some people may not have thought about God's sovereignty like this before. Some people may not like what they have read. I can hear people saying something like this, "That's not my god". And, they would be right because their god is an idol, made up in the idol factory of their own heart. He is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is sovereign and in control.
If you have a problem with this, ask God in prayer to give you understanding. Believe me, this is not something that my wife and I had been taught or would've believed. But it is something we had to come to grips with because this concept hit us right where we live. That is for next time...
Disaster and heartbreak...
Death and loss...
These things are, sadly, a part of life. These things WILL come. They will knock on the door of life and barge in like a Jehovah's Witness on a Saturday morning. It is not a matter of IF. It is simply a matter of when.
These events are not random. There is a God who sits on His throne in heaven, orchestrating what takes place in our lives, both good and bad. As the late R.C. Sproul said, "If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe then God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God." What he is saying is that if God is not in control of the most minute detail in all the universe, a molecule, then God is not in control of anything. And that would mean God is not God.
A lot of Christians will readily accept any good that comes from God but will balk at the idea that God would send, or even allow, trouble. They immediately pass that off as an attack by the devil, which may be altogether true. But, the truth is that the devil has no power that he hasn't been given by God. He can do nothing outside of being on a leash. God controls Satan.
I want to share two examples...one here today and one next time. One is from the Scripture. One is personal. One shows God sending trouble. One shows God allowing trouble. Both end with God and His glory being magnified.
Job was "blameless and upright". He "feared God and turned away from evil" (Job 1:1). Satan presented himself before the LORD (1:6). The LORD asked Satan, "From where have you come?" (1:7). Satan answered, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it" (1:7). Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" (1:8). Let's take a look at that for a second. What is happening here? God knows what Satan has been doing. He created him. He knows that Satan has been roaming the earth, looking for someone to attack and destroy. In the New Testament we have further confirmation that this is what Satan does. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
God knows His servant, Job. He knows he is upright and blameless and that he fears Him. The LORD also know Satan and his schemes. Knowing these things, He basically gives Job over to the devil but the devil is not impressed. He asks, "Does Job fear God for nothing" and then gives a litany of reasons for Job to trust God (1:9). He then tells God to touch all Job has and he would curse God to his face (1:11). God tells Satan that everything Job has is in his hands; only do not touch Job himself (1:12).
The devil goes to work, taking Job's possessions, his servants, his animals and, ultimately, his children (1:13-20). Job reacted in this way. He tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground and worshipped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD" (1:20-21). Job did not sin or blame God for any of this (1:22).
Some time in the future, the Bible does not specify how much time had elapsed, the same thing takes place in heaven. Satan came in, God asks where from, Satan says from wandering around and God asks if he had considered Job. God says, "He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason" (2:3). Satan then says to God, basically, that a man will give up his possessions for his life. "But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face" (2:5). God says, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life" (2:6).
Satan left the LORD and struck Job with horrible sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job had a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores (2:7-8). Job's wife said, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die" (2:9). Job politely told her to be quiet, that she was talking like a fool, and said this, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (2:10). In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.
There is a bunch to take away from this. But, for the purpose of this post, we are going to focus on God's sovereignty and Job's response to it. God told Satan what he could and could not do in both cases. The 1st time, Satan could do what he wanted without harming Job. The 2nd time he could do what he wanted to Job, sparing Job's life. God ordained that. God set the boundaries. Also, notice this at the end of verses 1:12 and 2:7 after God had told Satan what he could and couldn't do..."So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD." Satan didn't leave until God had given him his marching orders. Satan was like a private in boot camp, waiting for the drill instructor to dismiss him. He is under God's control. Make no mistake about that. Far too many Christians give the devil far too much power. He does have power. He is a powerful being. He cannot wield this power if he is not allowed to do so. Satan is not sovereign. God almighty is.
Not a lot is said about Job in these first couple of chapters. We are told he is blameless and upright. We are told in chapter 1 that he made sacrifices for his children in case they had sinned and "cursed God in their hearts" (1:5). But, most importantly to us here, he acknowledged God behind the terrible things that had taken place in his life. He said God gives and takes away. Blessed be His name. He said shall we take good from God and not evil? Those statements are a recognition that God is behind everything that happens to us. God is sovereign over all.
This is enough to chew on for now. Some people may not have thought about God's sovereignty like this before. Some people may not like what they have read. I can hear people saying something like this, "That's not my god". And, they would be right because their god is an idol, made up in the idol factory of their own heart. He is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is sovereign and in control.
If you have a problem with this, ask God in prayer to give you understanding. Believe me, this is not something that my wife and I had been taught or would've believed. But it is something we had to come to grips with because this concept hit us right where we live. That is for next time...
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