Month: June 2011

Awakening to the Nightmare

“Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes”  (Psalm 73:19, 20).

Very likely we have all experienced a terrifying nightmare and awakened to the peace of home and family in the real world. The psalmist here describes what appears to be the reverse for people who have enjoyed the pleasures of sin in this world.

In his observation of those who had gained material wealth through evil motive and means it appeared that they had a life of ease with riches, position and health obtained without God (v 12). They have no conscience about their ungodly and wicked ways because they deny they will be held accountable. They have gotten away with their schemes among men so they reason that they have also kept their evil ways from God (v 11) if they consider Him at all.

The psalmist stood on the slippery edge when he began to wonder if it was worth while walking with the Lord, living the life of repentance and faith and being chastened by the Lord.

The godly were mocked and put down while the wicked boasted in his achievements and ill-gotten gain. He is full of pride in his achievements and wants all to know he did it his way.

Like the psalmist we may be tempted to wonder if it pays to live a godly life when the ungodly live well and at ease. We will find help to put to death that temptation in the same way he did. He went into the presence of the most holy God. Then he “understood their end” (v 17).

The ungodly live in a dream world that is not real. It is pleasant and they enjoy it but just as one awakes from a nightmare they will awaken from their dream. Then the nightmare without end will begin. The justified outpouring of God’s wrath on the unrepentant sinner will be worse than the worst nightmare and it will be without end.

The psalmist realises afresh that “those who are far from You shall perish” and that “it is good for me to draw near to God” and to “put my trust in God” (vv 27, 28). Let us ensure we live the reality and not the dream.

Obedience Out of Love

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”  1 John 5:3

For most people the idea of obeying God’s Word is a burden that they have no interest in considering. They love and find pleasure in sin and do not even consider it to be sin. After all, sin does give a pleasure or else no one would indulge.

It is the consequences of sin that is distinctly unpleasant but they always come after the pleasure. Sometimes the consequences are so long after the pleasure that the link is not seen and made.

There are many statements in the Bible concerning obedience to the Lord and His Word. What we would do well to consider is our motive and manner of obedience. The sin nature can never obey God’s Word out of a correct motive and doesn’t even want to do so. It loves the pleasures of sin too much for that.

It is only the new creation – Christ in us – that can obey, and desires to obey the Lord. It does not do so out of duty, seeking favour or even thankfulness. The new creation that we are in Jesus Christ desires to obey and can obey because it is of the same nature as the One commanding. Only then is it not a burden.

If we say that we are trying to obey God it is because we are trying to do what cannot be done. The sin nature or ‘flesh’ cannot obey Him. Only Christ in us is able to obey Him with a true motive.

To the Psalmist, the Word of the Lord was a pleasure in which he delighted day and night (Psalm 1:2). The sin nature will never delight in God’s commands in this way. Thank God that in Christ Jesus we are created new and an evidence of this is that we do find pleasure in God and His Word. We find it so because we are of the same nature.

John says that the love of God is manifested in our lives by the fact that we delight in and keep God’s commandments, not out of duty (a burden) but out of a heart of the same nature as the One giving the commandments.

The Irresistible Approach

“Then he (the antichrist-yet to be revealed) shall confirm a covenant (treaty) with many (Israel and surrounding nations) for one week (seven years)” Daniel 9:27

After Israel’s Messiah (Christ) is killed, writes Daniel, and after an unquantified time, the prince (The head of the revised Roman Empire) will make a treaty with Israel and surrounding nations.  The signing of this treaty marks the commencement of the seventieth week of years of God’s dealing with Israel to bring them to the point of receiving their Messiah. This is the commencement of the seven-year tribulation time for Israel that leads up to Jesus Christ returning and being received by Israel at last.

As we have watched events in the Middle East over the past few decades one thing has dominated – attempts to bring peace to the region. The recent instability in the region only motivates the world’s politicians to work harder and with new impetus, endeavouring to bring peace to Israel and the surrounding nations.

All true believers will be taken out of the world in what we call “the Rapture” (lit. snatching up) before this treaty is signed and before the Antichrist is revealed. With the world’s leaders working hard at bringing peace in the Middle East the day of our departure may not be that far off.

Attempts by anyone to state a date for the ‘rapture’ or Jesus’ return are futile as Jesus told His disciples that no man knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36). Any attempt to make a date shows contempt for Jesus and His word.

Over the years several have given dates for either the ‘rapture’ or Christ’s return and they have all lost credibility. When they claim, as the most recent attempt did, that the Bible reveals the date they also give the world cause to discredit the Bible.

Since the exact number of days of the tribulation is given it will be possible for Bible believers in the tribulation to know the exact day of Christ’s return but for us we live every day in expectation but never disappointment.

The Bible does not give us the day but it does reveal what the condition of the world will be during the tribulation. We may not know the day but like the farmer we can see the new season irresistibly approaching.

This should encourage us all the more to be faithful in sharing the Gospel with the unsaved, especially loved ones.

Chewing Gum

“So the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, worship Him.” (Psalm 45:11)

For one who indulges regularly in the habit of chewing gum there is the sweet sense of anticipation before the gum is placed in the mouth. The first bite releases the sweet sugars and freshness of the mint that provoke the taste buds to dance to exciting tunes. Although this initial burst wanes with chewing the memory of the initial gratification lingers so that the jaw continues its motion reminding the mind of the initial pleasure.

Eventually, long after the gum has lost its flavour and freshness the tastebuds manage to get a message through to the brain that it’s all over. There is no flavour and there is no freshness. Then the gum is thrown away and another sought to reproduce the initial sensation.

Unfortunately this seems to be an analogy of many marriages. They start out with freshness and ‘flavour’ but a long time after they are lost the couple concludes that they are no longer ‘in love’.

Satan is working hard at destroying the marriage relationship because he does not want people to see the beautiful imagery of the relationship that has been purchased by Jesus Christ for Himself and those who have been created new in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Those created new in Christ are His bride (Revelation 21:2, 9) and have entered into the most intimate of relationships.

There are some wonderful examples of intimacy in marriage about us but these all fall well short of that which Adam and Eve had before sin entered the world. However, even their perfect intimacy at a human level falls well short of that which those “born of God” may experience now. Yet again, that level of intimacy falls infinitely short of the intimacy that all in the New Creation will experience with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers are a new creation being prepared for and eventually fitted with bodies well suited to the New Jerusalem, new heavens and new earth that our Lord and Saviour will bring into being at a word. The new creation that we are in Christ and our resurrected bodies will be perfect for intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ..

The image that God gave as a visible and tangible experience is being attacked by the enemy of souls but we who love the lover of souls and His Word will taste the reality of that which is to come. No wonder Paul writes, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That is not just speaking of heaven but of our lives now. This he makes clear as he continues, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28).