An Extraordinary God

~Photo by h. koppdelaney

 

And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe[a] of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”  1 Samuel 9:21 NKJV

Ordinary tasks can lead to the extraordinary. Ordinary days can show us an extraordinary God at work. This is as true today as it was for the man chosen to be the first king of Israel: Saul.

In some ways, Saul was extraordinary. He stood a head taller than the other men of Israel and was strong and good-looking. Yet, he was from the least tribe of Israel and he was anointed as king while doing a menial, ordinary task.

Lost donkeys? Saul may have scoffed at his father’s request to look for some lost donkeys. He could have said, “Donkeys? Really?” He didn’t. He just faithfully and obediently went out to look for donkeys. I realize in the present day looking for donkeys would not be ordinary task, but it certainly was in those days. It was as menial a chore as taking out the trash or picking the weeds.  He was faithful in the small things.

After this point, his life would change forever. He would leave as a son doing his chores, and return as a powerful king tasked with uniting and protecting a dozen tribes containing millions of people.

God calls us to be faithful in the small things. In a prophecy recorded in Zechariah 4:10, the Lord states, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” (NLT). Jesus also says, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;” Luke 16:10 (NKJV). The extraordinary is entrusted to those who are faithful in ordinary things.

Be faithful in the small things. Look up and see what God has for you. Do everything, every small or large task as unto the Lord. As God promised to Abram, “I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Genesis 15:1 NKJV

Warren Wiersbe says, “Large doors swing on small hinges.”  We might feel like the task we are doing is menial, but God sees all the pieces working together.

May you continue to do the ordinary, knowing that our extraordinary God is at work.

Blessings,

Robert

The Full Picture: God's Justice and Grace

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.  Genesis 6:6-8

Judgment is coming.

In the days of Noah, men and women lived so immorally that the Lord was sorry that He had made them. God sees all and knows all. He must have seen terrible things and heard awful cries. He is just and righteous. He judged men in the days of Noah and brought a massive flood to the earth to bring justice.

God is loving. Yet, He is just. He is a God of great and awesome power. He will cause justice to exist on the face of the earth just as a judge would sentence a criminal in order to save those who that criminal has harmed. God is a warrior and a judge and will set things right.

Noah stood before God, and found grace. I want to be on the side of grace.

One day, you and I will stand before Him.  If you don’t have Jesus as your Savior then you will be judged and sentenced to eternal death and separation from God. You might say, “I think I am pretty good. I think I can make it to heaven on my own merit.” Unfortunately, this is not a good choice. No one is perfect.

“For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,“  ~ Romans 3:22b-23

One day, we will see Him.  The popular worship song by Mercy Me, “I Can Only Imagine” goes through a variety of scenarios describing our response to seeing God for the first time. I am sorry to ruin the song, but I don’t have to imagine what I will do. I know exactly what I will do. I will fall on my face because I will not be able to stand. God is that glorious. We cannot see Him in the flesh and live. You can no more stand in the glory of God than you can stand 1000 miles of the glory of the Sun.

I do not want to follow a God of my imagination.  I want to follow the true, loving, yet terrifyingly glorious God of the Bible.

If we fully grasp the fear of the Lord maybe our lives would change. If we are living in condemnation, receive Jesus as your Savior. Remember John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

This is the full picture. If you give into His love, then you will not perish.

Fall at the mercy of the Almighty God. He will give grace, just as he bestowed grace on Noah. If you do not seek Christ, judgment is coming.

Live on the side of grace.

Blessings,

Robert

Crying out for A King

You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us…” 1 Samuel 8:18-19

The Israelites wanted a king to rule them. A king brought the prospect of an organized army and respect among other nations. A king would make them just like everyone else.  They wanted a king. They wanted to be like everyone else.

But the Israelites were not like everyone else. They were chosen by God to bring Him glory and to be ruled by Him alone, not by a king. Moses declares in Deuteronomy 7:6,

           

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”

To be a special treasure to all the peoples on the face of the earth! That is what the Israelites were meant to be. After years under the rule of the Judges, the Israelite people were ready to cast off their “special” status and have a king just like everyone else.

Samuel, the last judge, who was also a priest and prophet of God surely felt sadness and anger at this request. His own sons were the reason. Their swindling ways were incapable to lead the people effectively and thus presented the need for better leadership. The fateful words, “We want a king” must have sounded much like, “We want poison” to Samuel, who had heard the voice of the Lord leading Him since a young age.

God could have said, “No.” He didn’t. He heeded their request and gave them the king they so desired. But not without warning,

And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men,^[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. ¹⁸ And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

The Lord gave them what they wanted, but in the end, this led to their alienation from Him, Yahweh, the One True God.

Listen. You do not want what God doesn’t want for you. Even if you think want it! You may want that girl or that guy or that new job or that nice car or anything to rule over you.

You don’t want what God doesn’t want for you.

Peter rephrases Moses’ words in Deuteronomy when he writes, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Peter 2:9

Peter is speaking to you, and me. We are now God’s special people ruled by Him and Him alone. Don’t ask for a king, or anything to rule over you. Give it up and turn to Him.

Find your purpose in Him, the KING of Kings.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True…And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

      KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11,16

Blessings,
Robert

A Loyal Heart

 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.  2 Chronicles 16:9

What does the Lord require of you? He does not require sacrifice and outward displays of religion. He requires a loyal heart. To obey is better than sacrifice. God is looking for those whose hearts are loyal to him. 2 Chronicles 16 is centered around the life of a king whose heart was loyal to God, but something changed in his last days. 

King Asa was a good guy. The great grandson of Solomon, he spent the first 36 years of his 41-year reign establishing Judah as a place of God. According to 2 Chronicles 14:3, “For he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.” Good job, Asa. After 10 years of peace, Zerah the Ethiopian came up against Judah. The Ethiopian army outnumbered Judah 2:1. So Asa called upon the name of the Lord for his deliverance and God honored his loyalty. Against all odds, Asa and his army of 580,000 men beat Zerah’s army of 1,000,000 and 300 chariots.

Asa continued to walk in loyalty to the Lord throughout his reign, until Baasha the king of Israel came against Judah. King Asa, whose previous victory against the Cushite army escaped him, did not call upon the name of the Lord.

So, he was not successful.

Not exactly.

In fact, Asa commissions the king of Aram to fight go against Israel and Baasha and his army retreats. Asa was successful even though he did not call upon the name of the Lord.

It is possible to be successful even when doing the wrong thing. Success may come in sin and deceit, but the Lord looks for those whose heart is loyal to Him. Eventual ruin awaits those who turn away from the Lord.

The Lord is gracious. Even after Asa fought without consulting God, Hanani the seer or prophet is sent to give a second chance for Asa to turn to God:

           

“ 'Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:7b-9

Asa could have responded in humility and accepted God’s grace, like his great, great grandfather David who repented sorrowfully after doing a terrible deed. Sadly, Asa’s response is so tragic,

“Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time." 16:10

The Lord is looking for those who are loyal to Him. This does not mean that you will do everything perfect. God’s grace is greater than the worst of sins. King David was not perfect by any means. He lied, cheated, adulterated, and murdered. Yet, when Nathan the prophet comes to correct him, David’s heart is broken within him and he cries the words:

            Have mercy on me, O God,
                           according to your unfailing love… Psalm 51:1

David was not perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart. He had a loyal heart.

Turn to God. He is looking for those whose heart is loyal through good times and bad times, through young age and old age. Asa had a terrible end. He was diseased in his feet and died a cruel king. That is not the best life God intended for Asa.

Be loyal. Turn to Him in every circumstance. He is searching.

Blessings,

Robert Furrow

The Methusaleh Factor: God's Grace

 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
         The LORD will give grace and glory;
         No good thing will He withhold
         From those who walk uprightly.  Psalm 84:11

            Every night is filled with God’s Grace. His perfect timing chimes in the deepest corners of history. Whether I realize it or not, God is full of grace. To those who walk uprightly, looking up to Him, He will withhold no good thing. This is incredible.

            In Genesis 5, we unearth the treasure of God’s grace hidden in the seemingly mundane account of the genealogy of Seth, Adam’s third son. As the names are listed, let us pause on the name Methuselah. Methuselah is indeed the son of Enoch, the prophet who was caught up before dying; Methuselah is also the oldest man recorded in Scripture.  However, God’s grace is present in yet a deeper sense. Methuselah. The name in Hebrew means, “Dying, His death will bring.”

So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son.  And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.” Genesis 5:27-29

            Methuselah. who was the grandfather of Noah, bears in his name given to him by his father, Enoch the prophet, the hint that his death will bring something. A few years ago, I heard that Methuselah’s death coincided with what his grandson Noah is famous for, the Flood. Methuselah’s death brought the Flood.            

           

            Here is where we find the amazing Grace of God. Methusaleh’s death held the promise of great destruction and catastrophe to the world. Yet Methusaleh’s death was kept at bay. In fact, Methuselah lived the longest of any man recorded in history or Scripture.

           

            Was God keeping Methuselah alive to bestow grace? His death brought the Flood, and God’s judgment on the world. However, God waited for the perfect time to bring the Flood. In His grace, he refrained from judgment for many years to give all a chance for repentance.

           

            “How is God gracious? Doesn’t He see all of the horrible pain and suffering.” The answer is yes, He sees every tear and hears every cry. Yet, that is how we know He is gracious.

           

            In fact, if you saw every horrible thing that men and women do to each other in your city alone, you might immediately cast harsh judgment.

            God is gracious. He does not destroy the wicked in an instant. He is longsuffering and gives opportunities for repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

           

            Someday, we shall be caught up in the sky to be with Jesus forever. In the meantime, every second that ticks away is God’s grace bestowed on all mankind. He desires that NONE should perish, but ALL should come to repentance.

           

            God’s grace is full and great. Have you experienced God’s grace? Do you know someone who needs God’s grace today? Pray or commit that person to prayer.

Receive His great grace. Pray that your eyes would see Him working in your life and through every word in Scripture. Make a decision to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.  It will be the best decision you have ever made.

Blessings,

Robert

           

It's a New Year: Time to Rejoice

“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!”~ Philippians 3:1

            Christians were made for a purpose. We are not just creatures sitting aimlessly. We were meant for a dynamic life full of rejoicing in the Lord.

            But…

            This new year brings the promise of unexpected events. These can be great, like a new job, a promotion, a new friend, or it can be scary, like an accident, or a dire prognosis from the doctor. Through all these unexpected events, we are still made to rejoice.

            How can we rejoice in this?

            That question can be the natural response to unexpected, unwanted events thrown into life. You may understand why, to some degree: that although God is powerful, sin has entered the world and make a perfect world highly imperfect. Human sin and choices bring about these unwanted events. Difficult times can make a person stronger. That is Biblical, in fact James 1 says,

^“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

            So trials produce patience and make me complete, but there is that word again, “joy” and “rejoice.” How can a follower of Jesus rejoice when the heart is full of sorrow.

            The answer is found in Philippians verse 13 and 14, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

           

            Forget, strain, press. This is how I can rejoice in all that is thrown in my way. The good, and the “Oh man! My life is over….” I must forget the things that have past, the bad past experiences. Dwell in the future, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and calling me homeward. I daily must press on towards the goal of Jesus in heaven, knowing that this life and this body are temporary.

Be encouraged and rejoice. Live dynamically for Jesus! Look heavenward where all this pain and sorrow disappears in the nail scarred hands.

Blessings,

Robert.

In awe at His Appearing

We come to the end of an old year and the start of a new. I am sure there are many ways in which God will show Himself this year. I thought a good way for us to close out the year was to give you an update on my wife from an article she wrote on her blog, enjoy!

As Christmas Day approaches, it’s good to remember just whose birth it is we are celebrating.

The baby born in that humble manger over 2000 years ago, was not simply a good man, a great prophet or a son of God.

Jesus is God.

Evidences of His deity are splattered all over the pages of scriptures.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  John 1:1-3

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..”John 1:14

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily..” Colossians 2:9

“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:3

Jesus, the Creator left heaven to come to earth and become like us, to ultimately give His perfect life, to pay the penalty due for our sins.

Jesus became fully man while remaining fully God.

Meekness and Majesty, manhood and Deity, all wrapped together in the best gift any of us could ever ever receive.

For me personally tonight, when considering the greatness of our God and Savior, this passage comes to mind:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:15-17

Today, the invisible God, visibly showed His hand at work in my life.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I must concur.

As the doctor handed me the images of my PET scan taken Friday, some things were missing when compared to my previous scan in Oct.

Where, I had 3 cancerous lymph nodes before, 2 “cannot be seen” and the remaining one has reduced in size.

The primary cancerous tumor in my lung, has gone from roughly 3 by 6 centimeters, down to approximately 2 by 2 cm.

The nurse said they were all jumping up and down in the back room and want to use me for a case study, as this is pretty significant change in a short period of tome.

When I told my son Chris that, he said, “Yeah, a case study in PRAYER!!”

Amen!

I see prayer as a great act of love and sacrifice and I am forever humbled and grateful for every single one uttered on my behalf. 

I am also thankful for the medicine that has been used in this process.

BUT no prayer and no medicine, would ever have any effect were it not for the God who is Lord over every atom and every cell, as He holds all things together by His Mighty Power.

All Glory and Honor and praise to HIM, as I find myself this Christmas week rejoicing like the angels did that very first Christmas.... in awe at His appearing.

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  Luke 2:14

May He be glorified in all things in our lives, as we receive the wonders of His great love for us each and every day, in every circumstance. He is faithful.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Eph. 3:20-21