Plead With the King

Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.

Esther 8:3

Esther’s safety is beyond question at this point. King Xerxes has already put his second in command to death in order to protect her, so she isn’t in danger. And now that Xerxes has made Mordecai his new second in command, I think Mordecai’s safety is certain too. Which raises an interesting question. Will that be enough for Esther? Will she be satisfied with having secured safety for herself and her adoptive father? Is Esther going to forget that her people still have a death sentence hanging over their heads? Or is she going to see this thing through and save the Jews in Persia from the evil plan Haman put in place to kill them all?

Thankfully, Esther saw it through. Notice how strong the language of Esther 8:3 is. Esther “pleaded.” She “fell at the king’s feet.” She “wept!” And she “begged him” to put an end to Haman’s plan. 

In other words, Esther interceded on behalf of her people. Before, Haman had died there was at least some chance that Esther would share in their fate. But now, Esther is certainly free from that danger. Yet, she still selflessly intercedes on their behalf before the king.

How often do you do the same? When was the last time you shed tears over someone else’s plight, their pain, their danger? When was the last time you wept for your brother or sister in Christ? When was the last time you interceded (prayed) on their behalf? When was the last time you fell at the feet of the king and pleaded with Him and begged Him to meet the needs of your brothers and sisters in Christ?

I want to encourage you to think of someone right now who is carrying a burden and commit to pray for them this week.

A Gentle Answer

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand...

Esther 5:1-2

Esther's people are facing genocide. She herself is having to risk her life to try to save them. And her husband, King Xerxes, has been so negligent in his duties that he has unwittingly approved the plot.

I think Esther has every reason to be angry. She has every reason to be scared. And, since she hasn’t eaten in three days, she has every reason to be in a bad mood. But in the midst of all these valid emotions, Esther has to successfully navigate a dangerous situation full of political intrigue to try to save the lives of her people. Literally, tens of thousands of lives (if not more) will be affected by how Esther handles this situation.

So, how does Esther handle this volatile situation? Did she waltz right up to the king and gave him a piece of her mind? No. She didn’t do that. In fact, Esther didn’t approach the king at all at first. She didn’t even enter into the King’s Hall. Verse 1 says that she stood in the inner court where the king could see her from his throne. And apparently she waited (patiently and humbly) for the king to notice her and hold out his scepter to invite her to come forward and have an audience with him.

And if you read the rest of the story, you'll find that Esther defers making her request until the King has come to two separate banquets that she prepares for him. Why? Why doesn’t she just come right out and ask King Xerxes to save her people?

As I was thinking about this question a certain proverb came to mind. Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Esther could have marched up to the King and given him a piece of her mind. She could have approached King Xerxes with harsh words and she probably wouldn’t have gotten very far. But instead, she was wise. Esther and her people were under Haman’s wrath. Now, it wasn’t going to do her much good to appeal to Haman, but if she played her cards right, a gentle answer to the king, just might turn away Haman’s wrath. So, that is what Esther set out to do.

Esther fought genocide with patience, gentleness, shrewdness, and meekness. There is a lesson here for us. So often we make the difficulties and conflicts in our lives worse by how we respond to them. Very rarely do we respond to wrath with a gentle answer. Very rarely are we patient or gentle when we feel that we (or the people we love) have been attacked. But responding with harsh words and impatience and anger… only makes the situation worse. It only pours gasoline on the fire.

Strive to be more like Esther. Strive to have enough faith that God is at work that you don’t have to go off half-cocked. You don’t have to be harsh in your response. Instead, if you will be gentle, wise, shrewd, and patient… more often than not, it will lead to a better outcome.

Unaware

Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

Esther 4:5

If you are familiar with the story of Esther, then you know that wicked Haman went to King Xerxes and put a plan in motion to produce an edict that declared that all the Jews in Persia—young and old, women and children were to be destroyed, killed and annihilated and their goods were to be plundered. (Esther 3:13) A literal genocide had been planned against the Jews in Persia.

But apparently, as queen, Esther was insulated from a lot that went on in the kingdom because it does not appear that she knew about this edict. Mordecai had to tell her. Think about that! Esther’s people are in grave danger. They are about to be wiped out… and Esther is completely unaware. She is so insulated that she isn’t aware of the suffering of her own people.

Is that true of you? I would argue that American Christians are pretty insulated from the persecution and danger that Christians face in other parts of the world. It would be pretty easy for us to be unaware of that or even to ignore it. Do you?

When was the last time you prayed for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith… who are in danger of being martyred for their faith? How often do you think about the plight of Christians in Iran, in North Korea, in China, or in Nigeria?

Honestly, I don’t think about them nearly enough. I doubt you do either. So, I want to encourage you to make a point to pray for persecuted believers this week. Pray for the Christians who live in these hostile places to be bold in their witness and wise in how they conduct themselves. Pray for the orphans and widows of Christian martyrs. And consider giving to an organization like Voice of the Martyrs that ministers to persecuted believers and their families. Let’s not be unaware.

Submit When You Don't Have To

But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

Esther 2:20

Esther is now the queen of Persia! She has wealth and power at her disposal. As Esther's adoptive father, Mordecai has no authority over her anymore! But Esther didn’t allow the power and the money and the position to harden her heart or turn her rebellious. Instead, she remembered the man who took her in as his own daughter when she was orphaned. And Esther chose to continue to honor her adoptive father and submit to his advice… even when she didn’t have to anymore.

In this way, Esther sets an example for us to follow. Many of us chafe under authority. I mean who likes having someone tell you what to do? No one! And oftentimes we are far too eager to break free from and get out from under the godly, loving authorities that God has placed in our lives... like our parents.

Let Esther be a reminder to you that even as adults we can honor our parents and submit to their instruction. If you are blessed enough to have godly people like that in your life, then avoid the temptation to be proud and rebellious. Choose to submit yourself to the advice of the godly even when you don't have to. Often, that's the wisest course. Because often… they actually know what they are talking about.

Salvation Day

In the midst of an entire chapter dedicated to the Final Judgment, the prophet Joel makes an important distinction between the wicked and the righteous. Just a few short verses after he has prophesied that the wicked will be trampled in the winepress of God's wrath, Joel says this: 

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16)

This is an important clarification that should affect how Christians feel about the coming judgment. Make no mistake about it, the Day of the Lord will be great and terrible, but the people of God will have a refuge. God’s judgment is for the wicked. It's for the unbeliever… not for Christians. I like the way the CSB Study Bible puts it. It says, “it is judgment day for Israel’s enemies but salvation day for the people of Yahweh.”* 

In other words, the Day of the Lord means something different for the people of God than it does for unbelievers. On that day, the wicked will be crushed but the righteous will prosper. Judgment Day means salvation for us… but it means condemnation for them.

If you are a believer, then that should affect how you think about the Judgment. The wicked ought to fear Judgment Day. But as Christians, we look forward to it! Because we know that even as God pours out His wrath on the sins of man… He will be a refuge for His people. That is what enables us to agree with the prayer that is presented in the next to last verse in all of Scripture. "Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20) Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, come and rescue us from this wicked world!

*Madden, Shawn C. “Joel.” In CSB Study Bible: Notes, edited by Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax, 1367–75. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.

God's Response to Repentance

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm—

my great army that I sent among you."

Joel 2:25

In Joel 1, God sent an army of locusts against Judah as judgment for their sin. Along with the locusts, God also sent a prophet named Joel to call His people to repent of their sin and return to Him. And apparently... Judah did just that, because the second half of Joel 2 presents God’s response to the heartfelt return of His people.

Look at how God responds to repentant Judah. In Joel 2:25 God promises, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” The locusts had done several years worth of damage to the land. It should have taken years to catch up from that. But God promises to speed up their recovery by blessing their upcoming harvests.

What does this tell us about how God responds when we repent and return to Him? It tells us that if we will repent and return to the Lord, He will not turn us away. God blesses those who return to Him. And His blessing can go a long way to making us whole again, to restoring and rebuilding what sin cost us.

God can repay the years the locusts have eaten in your life. No matter how big a mess you’ve made of your life, no matter how high the cost of your sin has been, God can fix it. Now, I’m not saying that it will all go away overnight or that there will be no lasting effects of your sin. I’m saying that God has a unique way of healing the pain that sin has caused and of redeeming the scars and consequences that are left behind. So, repent and return to the Lord today.

Going Through the Motions

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments.

Joel 2:12-13a

In biblical times tearing your robes was an expression of sorrow or grief. The closest analogy for us might be a person pulling at their hair in anguish. So, in biblical times, when people returned to the Lord, they often grieved over their sins by tearing their robes, and fasting and weeping and praying for forgiveness. 

But Joel makes plain that just tearing their clothes wouldn’t be enough. That was only the outward form. What God wanted was the inward reality. They needed to do more than simply go through the motions.

Have you ever had someone apologize to you and you could just tell they were only going through the motions. Their mouth said the words, “I’m sorry” but they weren’t really apologizing. Maybe, they said something like, “Well, I’m sorry that you got offended.” or “I’m sorry that you can’t take a joke.” Those aren’t real apologies. They don’t admit wrongdoing. They don’t express grief for how they hurt you. They use the words “I’m sorry” like a trump card or a magical incantation that somehow steals your right to be angry that they sinned against you.

Sometimes, we do something very similar with repentance. We think we can do whatever we want to do and then just say “sorry” to God and get off scot free.

Joel says, you can’t just tear your clothes and be forgiven. Forgiveness is possible, but it’s gonna cost you a lot more than a new shirt. God doesn't want to see repentant clothes. He wants to see repentant hearts. We need to be heartbroken over our sin.

Have you ever really stopped to think about how offensive your sin is to God? Have you ever stopped to consider how disrespectful, rebellious, and even hurtful your disobedience is to Him? Have you ever wept over your sin? Have you ever fasted and grieved over it? Have you ever been heartbroken over your sin? Let me put it a different way… have you really repented of your sin? Or were you just going through the motions?

Abusing Your Blessings

Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.

Joel 1:5

Why should the drunkards weep? Because they won’t have any wine to drink.

In chapter 1 of his book, Joel has been describing a great invasion of locusts that has devastated Judah, consuming everything in the land. The destruction of Judah's harvest was so complete that the locusts had not only eaten the fruit, but had also stripped the bark off the vines and fig trees. Now, all that was left were naked, white branches and vines.

This affected everyone in Judah... from the richest and highest in the land to the poorest and lowest. But Joel pauses in verse 5 to specifically address the drunkard. Why?  

Well, it's certainly possible that in their drunken stupor the drunkards had not noticed what was going on around them and were now in for a rude awakening. But I also find it interesting, that drunkenness is the only sin directly mentioned in the book of Joel.* Perhaps, the drunkards serve as a warning to us of what can happen when we take God’s blessings (that He provided for our good and His glory) and we abuse them and use them for sin. If we do that, then we can't be surprised when He takes those blessings away from us.

Are you abusing any of the good things God has given to you? Are you turning any of God’s gifts into sin? Is wine, or money, or food, or sex, or your own comfort and prosperity becoming a source of sin in your life? If so, then don’t be surprised if He takes them away.

*Dillard, Raymond B. “Joel.” In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, 3:618–24. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995.

Asking God Why

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Matthew 27:46

When we suffer, I think it’s human nature to want to ask why? Why me? Why now? Why didn’t God prevent this from happening? But sometimes I hear people say, “I know I’m not supposed to ask ‘why,’ but...” Who told you that? Who told you that you aren’t supposed to ask ‘why?’ In the book of Psalms alone the various psalmists ask God ‘why’ nearly twenty times! And more to the point, Jesus Himself put this question to God the Father in the midst of His own suffering. 

I think that  means that it's okay for you to ask God ‘why.’ But understand that you may not get an answer right away. There's no record of the Father answering Jesus in that moment on the cross.

In the same way, when you face suffering and cry out to God to ask ‘why?’ ... understand that it may be weeks, months, or even years before God’s purposes are made plain to you. In fact, God may not tell you why on this side of Heaven at all. You may have to wait for eternity to fully understand God’s purposes for your pain.

But look at Jesus’ cry here in Matthew 27:46. He cries out to God wanting to know why… and yet, even as He asks the question, Jesus reaffirms His relationship and His trust in the Father. He cries out, “My God, my God.” Jesus isn’t crying out to some far off God that He doesn’t recognize or believe in. He is crying out to His own God. The God He knows and trusts. Even in His suffering… even when He asked why… even when He felt forsaken… He trusted His heavenly Father. And that’s what you should do as well.

Are you willing to trust God in your suffering? It’s okay if you feel the need to ask why, but you need to understand that the answer may be slow in coming… and it may not come this side of Heaven at all. And if you’re going to follow Jesus’ example, then you’ll keep on trusting God anyway… even though it costs your very life.

Remove the Plank

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Matthew 7:3

This is such an interesting, humorous picture that Jesus gives us. You have a plank (a log, a beam, or joist) sticking out of your eye. It’s clearly a major problem. Right? And yet, you pay no attention to it. You completely ignore it. You pretend it’s not there. And then... you want to point out someone else’s (much, much smaller) problem?! (Right? I mean a speck of sawdust is much smaller than a plank of wood.) And even though your vision is clearly obstructed by this plank of wood, you want to perform a delicate procedure on someone’s else’s eye to try to get the sawdust out for them?

Jesus is using hyperbole. He’s exaggerating for effect. One study Bible I read this week called it a “ridiculous exaggeration.”* And I thought, but is it ridiculous??? I mean it is, but we do that don’t we? It seems ridiculous to think that a person could walk around with a plank sticking out of their eye that everyone can see, but they refuse to acknowledge it or deal with it… buuuuuuut… many of us have done that with the sin in our lives. 

It's easy for us to make excuses for our sin... isn't it? We tell ourselves that it isn’t that big a deal. It doesn’t really matter. Let me tell you, sin matters to God. If Jesus died for it, then it’s a big deal. Don’t make excuses for your sin. Don’t sweep it under the rug. Many of you know exactly what major sin is in your life; you just simply refuse to look at it. You are not willing to address the elephant in the room. You would rather pretend that it doesn’t exist than deal with it… so that’s what you do.

Be brave enough right now to be honest about your sin. Fight the urge to make excuses or explain it away. Fight the urge to make little of your sins and much of everyone else’s. Most of us spend far too much of our time looking at other people’s sins and far too little time dealing with our own. So, make today the day, you remove the plank.

* Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

The Twisted Perspective of Grumbling (W.o.W. Rewind)

 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Numbers 11:4–6

‌

The Israelites are complaining about food in the dessert! They are sick and tired of eating manna every day. They begin to look back on their time in Egypt longingly. They begin to crave the food they had there. In fact, if you look down in verses 18 to 20 you will see that these people actually said “We were better off in Egypt!” and “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ‌‌They preferred the meat of slavery to the bread of Heaven. 

This story shows us a common strategy our Enemy uses to get us to grumble. He distorts and twists our perspective to make us see things the way he wants us to. When the Israelites complained ahout the manna, they weren’t remembering the hardships of their slavery. They weren’t remembering the feel of Egyptian whips on their backs. All they were remembering was the food…the fish and the onions and the cucumbers. In other words, they were remembering only the very, very few positive elements of their time in Egypt.

‌‌And at the same time they were forgetting all the positives of their current situation. They were forgetting that they were getting Manna for free. It was just sitting on the ground waiting for them each morning. They were forgetting that the manna tasted pleasant. It tasted like something made with olive oil. ‌And ‌they were forgetting that God was taking them to a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, where they’d get to eat all those delicacies again and more to boot. In other words, they were forgetting all the many positives of their current situation, and were thinking only of this one negative.

The Enemy will try to do the same to you. He has done it to me many times. He will trick you into looking at your life from His twisted perspective. He will make you forget all the positives and focus only on the negatives. Don’t let him do that to you or you’ll start to grumble against God. Make sure you are seeing the whole picture. Ask God to help you to get your eyes off the negatives and help you see all the good things He is doing and has done for you.

One last thing, all of this was possible only because the Israelites had grown tired of God’s blessings and had begun to take them for granted. There’s an old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Every single day, the Israelites were witnessing a miracle. Every day God was performing a miracle to feed them in the desert, and they grew tired of it. They lost the awe of what God was doing for them. They lost the gratitude they should have felt for God’s provision. And they began to hate what they should have been thankful for.

‌‌Don’t take the Lord’s daily blessings in your life for granted. Don’t let the Enemy cause you to hate what you should be thankful for.

Faith Fights Fear

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:40

The disciples were taking Jesus across the Sea of Galilee in a boat when Scripture tells us that a ‘furious squall’ came up. Waves were breaking over the boat to the extent that Mark 4:37 says it was “nearly swamped.” The disciples were terrified! And you can hardly blame them. Their lives were in danger. I would say that fear was an appropriate response to their situation.

But look at how Jesus responds when they call out to Him for help. The passage says Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Then He asked the disciples, “Why are you so afraid?”

The disciples' fear was perfectly reasonable from a worldly perspective. And yet Jesus rebuked them for their fear... because it showed a lack of faith. In vs 40 Jesus asks them, “Do you still have no faith?”

You see, if the disciples had trusted God more, they would have feared the storm less. If they had truly believed that God was in control of all things, they would have known that nothing could happen to them apart from His will. And if they truly had faith that Jesus was the Messiah, they would have known that that storm couldn’t be the end of Him.

Now, let’s apply this to our lives… Why are you so afraid? Is it possibly because you lack faith? The simple truth is that the more you trust God, the less you’ll fear the storms of life. The more certain you are that God is in control, that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His care (Matthew 10:29), the more you’ll trust that no harm can come to you apart from His will

Consider what the psalmist says in Psalm 27:3, “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” What was it that gave the psalmists such freedom from fear? It was faith! Faith fights fear! So... trust the Lord! And have no fear.

Set Apart

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Luke 1:80

It wasn't normal for a young person in the first century to live in the desert, but because of God's special calling on his life, John the Baptist did just that. In doing this, he imitated the prophet Elijah who lived in the desert and was fed by ravens during the famine.* 

And more than just imitating Elijah, "in the Old Testament, the wilderness was the place where God met with His appointed messengers."** For example, it was in the wilderness that God met with Moses at the burning bush. And it was in the wilderness that God met with His people and gave them the 10 Commandments at Sinai. So, John likely lived in the desert not only to emulate Elijah but also to commune with God and to keep himself separate from the world. 

Now, in my opinion some of the monks of the Middle Ages took this mindset too far. I don’t think you should go live in a cave and not see another living soul for years on end. But that isn’t the error that most Christians in our day and age fall into. We aren't in danger of separating from the world too much but too little.

Let John the Baptist serve as a reminder that we are called to live separated lives. Christians ought to be holy, set apart, and different from the world around them. As 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Let’s strive to live that kind of Christian life.

* Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

** Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Do More for Jesus

The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40

Jesus makes this astonishing statement in the parable of the sheep and the goats. Yes, we minister to the needs of the lost as well so that we might lessen their suffering and have an opportunity to share the gospel with them, but it isn’t love for the lost that is our identifying mark as Christians. It’s our love for other believers. True sheep love other sheep. This reminds us of what Jesus says in John 13:34-35. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

People should be able to look at us and judge our Christianity based on our love for other believers. And that’s exactly what Jesus does in this parable. He identifies His sheep by their love for other believers.

Now, this isn’t talking about earning salvation. We aren’t saved by loving believers. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. No, this is evidence of our salvation. When we are saved, we become a part of the family of God. And one of the marks that God places on us is our love for that family. Those who love Jesus, love His children. Thus, our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ marks us out and sets us apart as members of the family of God.

This a test of salvation that you can apply to your own life. Do you love God’s people? Do you love the church? Is their evidence of that love in your life? Are there any believers anywhere who are better provided for or ministered to because of you?

Find ways to love on Jesus by loving on and serving His people... His church. Give generously to your church. Invite the new person at church over to your house for a meal. Visit those who are homebound or in the hospital or in a nursing home. Take meals to the person who just had a surgery or a death in their family. Pray faithfully for them. Weep with them when they weep, and rejoice with them when they rejoice. 

When you do these kinds of things for other believers, Jesus takes that personally! He says, “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.” I want to encourage you to start thinking about it like that. When you minister to another believer or to the church, don’t think of it simply as doing something for them… train yourself to think of it as doing something for Jesus. Let's do more for Jesus!

The Church Needs All Kinds

"Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you."

Romans 16:6

The book of Romans is hailed, almost unanimously, as the Apostle Paul's doctrinal masterpiece. Yet, it ends not with doctrine or theology but with personal greetings. Most of the sixteenth chapter is taken up with the names of various individuals that Paul wants to send greetings to in the church at Rome. Then there are also those who are with Paul as he writes who want to send their greetings to the believers at Rome as well.

If you aren't careful, as you read about the roughly 35 individuals that are mentioned by name in Romans 16, you'll begin to think that this is a waste of time. But as I read it, one overwhelming lesson jumps out of the text at me... it takes a lot of people with different gifts and callings to make the church work.

Romans 16 mentions scribes, public servants and wealthy believers with the gift of hospitality. It mentions ministers and mothers and hard workers and teachers. And I'm sure that more than a few of those named are just regular old everyday church members who loved Jesus. The church needs all of these! 

If all we had were Apostle Pauls and Timothys, then we wouldn't really have a church at all. We need people like Mary who is mentioned in Romans 16:6 as someone who worked very hard for the church. We don't know what she did. We don't really even know who she was. Mary was a very common name back then! And yet, she is memorialized in the pages of Scripture as someone who served the church with gusto. 

Never think that what you have to offer doesn't matter to the church. Never think that you don't matter just because you aren't on stage. God made you the way you are on purpose. And if you're believer, then He saved you and called you to serve His church and advance His kingdom. You may not serve like someone else does, but the church needs all kinds. So, serve in the ways that you can. Work hard for the church, and I have no doubt that your faithful service will be remembered too.  

Faithful Servant?

"His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’"

Matthew 25:21

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:23

In the Parable of the Talents, two servants receive the same word of commendation from their Master. Words that every Christian hopes to hear from their Lord one day. "Well done, good and faithful servant!" What did they do to receive such an honor, and what must we do to receive the same?

First, it's important to note that when Jesus returns, there will be a settling of accounts. You will have to give an account of how you have used what He has entrusted to you. You will stand before Him and answer for how you served Him… and how you didn’t.

Second, hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant” isn’t just about believing. Being saved will get you into Heaven, but it won’t get you a “well done.” This commendation is reserved for the faithful... for those who work tirelessly to serve the master and grow His kingdom... for those who faithfully steward what He has entrusted to them.

Third, the two servants who received this commendation were equally faithful but not equally productive. One servant earned five talents for his master; the other earned only two. That's less than half of five. But both were equally faithful in that they doubled the amount they had been entrusted with. This proves that it isn’t about scale but faithfulness. You don’t have to compare yourself to or try to outdo other believers. You just have to be faithful with what God has entrusted to you. 

Lastly, these servants were not only commended but also rewarded with more responsibility and a higher position. The master says, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” Those who prove themselves faithful in the master’s absence will be entrusted with more when He returns. Though every believer will be saved, we will not all hold the same position in Heaven. There will be work to do in Heaven. There will be things to manage and to care for to the glory of God. And I understand this parable to teach that God, who does all things rightly, will divvy up responsibilities in the kingdom based on how we have proven ourselves here on earth. God rewards faithfulness! 

So, be careful to faithfully use what God has entrusted to you to grow His kingdom. Live in such a way that you will hear your Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

God's Commands Don't Change (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.'"

Exodus 8:20

This is the same command God has been giving to Pharaoh since chapter five. Over and over again God has sent Moses to Pharaoh and had him say essentially the same thing. “Let my people go so they may worship me.” This is the fourth time now that Pharaoh has been given this command, and he will receive it several more times still.

This tells us something about God. His commands don’t change because of our disobedience. Even when you disobey, God keeps commanding obedience. It doesn’t matter how long you have been disobeying Him either. You may have been living with your girlfriend or boyfriend for years, you may have been abusing alcohol for decades, you may be fully addicted to pornography. That won't change God's command. Over and over again, each day God confronts you with the very same commands He has always given you. Keep the marriage bed pure (Hebrews 13:4). Don’t be drunk with wine (Ephesians 5:18). Don’t look lustfully at someone you aren’t married to (that's a paraphrase of Matthew 5:28). 

In the same way that God confronts Pharaoh with a familiar command in this passage, God is confronting some of you in your heart right now with a command He has given you many times before. What command of God are you ignoring? Which of His commands haunt you and meet you every morning when you get out of bed? You’ve felt convicted about it for a long time but until now you haven’t obeyed. It’s time. Don't bargain with God or negotiate. Don't try to wriggle out of it. God's commands don't change. Do what Pharaoh never did. Humble yourself under God's command and offer full and whole-hearted obedience. If you don’t, trouble will follow you.

Secret Disciple

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.

Mark 15:43

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.

John 19:38

As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday, two objects take center stage in the Christian consciousness: the cross and the empty tomb. The cross belonged to Rome; the tomb to Joseph of Arimathea. 

Mark's gospel reveals to us that Joseph was a “prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God.” That means that Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin… the very body of religious leaders who had Jesus crucified! But Joseph didn’t agree to their decision. In fact, John’s gospel tells us that Joseph “was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.”(John 19:38)

So, understand this… Joseph believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but up until this time he had been unwilling to openly associate with Jesus for fear of what it would cost him. He was a man of high rank, wealth and privilege. Joseph knew how much he stood to lose by associating with Jesus. That's why he had kept his faith a secret... until now.

Good Friday, the day Jesus died, was the day that Joseph of Arimathea stopped being a secret disciple. Mark says he “went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” Joseph wasn’t related to Jesus. He wasn’t asking to bury a family member. He was a member of the very ruling body that had accused Jesus of treason against Rome. And now Joseph approaches Rome and asks if he can give Jesus a proper burial?! This was a highly unusual request that was sure to draw attention.

More than that, Joseph likely had to publicly go up to Jesus’ cross and take His body down. Surely, word would get back to the Sanhedrin that he had done this. And then how could Joseph deny what he had done when Jesus was buried in his own tomb?! He couldn’t. Joseph’s actions “amounted to an open confession of personal loyalty to the crucified Jesus... He was a secret disciple no longer.”*

What about you? Are you a secret disciple of Jesus? You believe but you don’t tell your family or the people you work with or your friends because you are afraid of what it will cost you. If you're keeping your faith a secret, then why not follow Joseph’s example this Easter and openly follow Jesus no matter the cost. Go public with your faith. It’s time for Christians to stop being secret disciples.

* John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 191.

Bow & Tremble

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:9

The Hebrew word that is translated as 'worship' in this verse literally means to bow down in worship.* So, verse 9 talks about two often overlooked elements of worship: bowing or prostrating ourselves and trembling before the Lord. Most Christians don’t do these very often, but they are appropriate forms of worship. 

You ought to bow before the Lord sometimes. You ought to humble yourself physically before Him, if you are able. And it's fitting and appropriate that you should, at times, tremble before God as well. 

Worship should include many different emotions or feels. Sometimes it should be upbeat, happy and celebratory as we focus on all God has done for us. Sometimes it should be slow and contemplative (possibly even mournful) as we think of the great price Jesus paid for our sins. And sometimes it should be humble, fearful and full of trembling as we think of how great God is and of the judgment that is coming.

Often, we are more comfortable with celebratory or contemplative worship. But when was the last time you trembled before the Lord? If you never tremble before God and bow before Him in some way, then your worship is missing an important element. Don’t let your praise always be about celebration or always be solemn and serious… sometimes you should bow and tremble before your God as well.

* Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Call Yourself to Worship

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Psalm 103:1

As fallen human beings, we are rarely as focused on the LORD as we ought to be. We are often disconnected, distracted, or even disinterested in the things of God. So, each Sunday our church begins our worship service with a Call to Worship... a song that is designed to fix our attention on the Lord and stir our hearts with love towards Him. In a sense, that is what Psalm 103 is. 

Notice that the psalmist is talking to himself in verse one. He calls himself to worship. He sets out to stir his own cold heart by commanding himself to praise the Lord. And notice too that the psalmist commands himself to do this not just outwardly or halfheartedly. No! He commands himself to praise God from the deepest part of himself, from his soul, with all his inmost being. This brings to mind Deuteronomy 6:5 which commands us to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” 

I want to encourage you to praise like that. Give your all to praising God. Praise Him from your soul... with ALL that is within you. Don’t just praise Him with your lips. Don’t just go through the motions. Praise Him from your soul, with all your inmost being. Call to mind the many benefits He has given you: forgiveness, healing, redemption, deliverance, compassion, and love… and praise Him with all you’ve got.

And on those days when you don't feel like praising... stir up your cold heart and call yourself to worship.