What Could Be Better?

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

“To obey is better…” There is no addendum to this; it has no equal. Not even sacrifice will suffice. Offering external, spiritual, temporal, or ceremonial substitutes will not get us off the hook with God. We can’t impress Him with anything we try to replace obedience with. He will not excuse disobedience. Is it any wonder then that Martin Luther said, “I’d rather obey than work miracles”? I believe it was he who also said the three greatest words in the Bible are, "Obey! Obey! Obey!"

If we are to be loyal to Jesus Christ, we must be obedient. Loyalty and obedience are like Siamese twins. If separated, the result, as in this case, can be disastrous. Loyalty to Lordship demands obedience. “Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” We need not fear the afterward consequence of obedience. Leave that to God. But know this for certain - He promised to give the power of His Spirit to those who obey Him.

Anytime we have a problem in our relationship with God, it can be traced to our questioning God’s commands to us. To debate them is to disobey. Our intellectual reasoning, like Saul, gets in the way of obedience. To obey one Scripture is better than a knowledge of the whole of it that is not obeyed. Remember the devil knows the Bible. May our testimony be that of Paul: “I was not disobedient…”

"The Christian life flourishes when obedience is preferred before being spiritual. "

(rds)

Making Sense of Suffering

I am no C.S. Lewis, A.W. Tozer, or Bible scholar. Nor do I profess to be on the same plain with even the least of the philosophers of old. I am simply saying I am neither in the major or minor leagues - not even among the little leaguers. But I do confess rubbing shoulders with the common kids in the neighborhood and on my block where I live. We’re just a bunch of unorganized sandlot players. Nevertheless, we have all the joys, hurts, and perplexities the aforementioned have.

One of the confusing issues in the game of life, for all the above parties, is making sense out of suffering. This deeply profound question has baffled mankind both in general and in particular throughout these long ages. “Why do good people suffer and bad people prosper?” David faced the same perplexing problem in Psa. 73. When he attempted to understand it he tells us it was too painful. Then he adds, “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.”

God’s Word at times answers our questions fully, at other times only in part, and still at others not at all. We just have to wait. I’m sure Jesus’ mother and loved ones were puzzled watching the Man Christ Jesus suffer the way He did. Especially looking back on His kind, gracious, loving, and exemplary Godly life. But all was made clear later on by His own testimony and the writings of His disciples. IT WAS FOR OTHERS' BENEFIT, not His own, that He tasted the bitter dregs of that cup. And so it is with many of us and our own.

This is my personal opinion of only one facet of why the righteous suffer. It may be of some help in your own sufferings, or that of your loved one. I truly hope so!

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother.”

(Jn. 19:25)

“And Simeon...said unto Mary his mother...(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,)  “

(Lk. 2:34-35)

Did You Forget Something?

I am well aware of how often I call attention to the subheading to our title, The Journal: “Brief, Biblical Essays for Thinking people.” The reason for this is that some years ago I became conscious how God’s people had been sold a bill of goods, buying into it 100%, that real thinkers are to be found only among the educated. Most certainly having both are best, but you can possess the one without the other.

To believe a formal education is necessary to be a thinker one must admit the Lord, who had none, was not a thinker, “And the Jews marvelled, saying, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” You can include the disciples in this also, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men.” Paul would have been a great thinker had he never set at the feet of Gamaliel.

Recently I saw a plaque that said, “Follow your heart but take your brain with you.” I find far too many Christians forgot to take theirs with them. My wife loved Winnie the Pooh. One of her favorite sayings of his was, “Think, Think, Think.” O, beloved, don’t let someone else do your thinking for you. God gave you a mind, USE IT! Thinking people are threats to tyrants. That is why they try to keep you cowering in a corner, dependent on their brains. Thinkers are always free, even when chained.  

In closing, allow me to give you an illustration of what I believe to be the right balance in what I’ve been discussing. In dealing with my extreme grief, I am reading two books, one to the heart the other dealing with the intellect. Both men lost their wives, and that is what the books are about. The former is by an old country preacher by the name of Vance Havner. It is to the heart and is titled, Though I Walk Through the Valley. The latter by C.S. Lewis, titled A Grief Observed, and it provokes thought. Interestingly the one’s wife was named, Sara, and “Salle" is derived from this name. The second, C.S. Lewis wife, was Joy. You who knew my wife personally are aware she was known as, “Joybell.” I have received great comfort from the one and great insight from the other. I NEED THEM BOTH!

Don’t sacrifice the one for the other, it is not necessary. And it could be dangerous.

On Which Side of the Cross Do You Live?

“This man [Apollos] was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.”

(Acts 18:25-26)

Most all televangelist and anemic Christians live on the other side of the Cross. That is, they live their lives and minister pre-Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension. Whereas the media and cults have all set up their camp there. They major on the historical Christ, but know little or nothing of the heavenly Christ. The former has to do with the past whereas the latter with the present. QUESTION-ON WHICH SIDE OF THE CROSS DO YOU LIVE?

Apollos was such a man as mentioned above but, unlike many today, did not choose to stay that way. He was humble minded and did not take offence when two tentmakers, a husband and wife, opened to him a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. He had a zeal (boiling) for God, but not according to knowledge. He used the light he had but there was more to come. “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more…”

There are untold numbers of professing Christians who know absolutely nothing about: being blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places; their union with Christ; being seated in the heavenlies with Him; being accepted in the Beloved; justification; sanctification; and our coming glorification, along with a host of other gems included in our inheritance in Christ. How sad and how unnecessary!

“You’ve crossed the river and are now in your inheritance. Don’t look back and desire the things of Egypt or the wilderness. Let God feed you and satisfy you with the harvest in the inheritance.”

(Warren Wiersbe)

Why So Many Anemic Christians?

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine of office.”

Jesus’ ministry was distinctively Jewish, as were the apostles; the exception being Peter’s initial opening the door to the Gentiles. Church truths are to be found in the Pauline epistles. As it has been said “All the Bible is for us, but not all the Bible is to or about us.” In the Gentile’s classroom, our professor and teacher is Paul, “Whereunto I am appointed ...a teacher of the Gentiles.”

Lift Paul’s fourteen letters (I include Hebrews) from their setting, and you’re left with utter confusion. He is the one person ordained by our Lord to reveal to the Gentiles all the truths Jesus Himself was not able to communicate to His followers while here on earth. The Gospels tells of the earthly historic Christ, but Paul’s epistles reveal the eternal heavenly Christ.

Without Paul’s writings we would know nothing of great doctrines like justification, sanctification, adoption, regeneration, etc. We’d be totally ignorant of such things as the Holy Spirit’s ministry, and our in-depth relationship to the risen Christ. Such as being “in Him” and “raised up together, and made to sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus.” It is Paul alone who explains all these intricacies, along with a host of other blessings that belong to Gentile believers in the Body of Christ.

O, my friends, I am aware I have written on this theme on several occasions, but know this; I will continue to do so till taken Home. After seeing the Lord, I want to meet this “little Jew” who saved me from so great heartache and anguish on my pilgrim journey. Francis A. Schaeffer has a book entitled, “How Then Shall We Live?" If you want to know the answer to this, begin now to read Paul’s letters. And then, continue to do so!

Take His Arm

“Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” Only a man can know that special feeling when his spouse takes his arm. To be sure, it shows her reliance upon him for support and confidence in him as her guide. But it also manifests something much deeper. It reveals a familiarity with him and her fervent affection toward him, while, at the same time, displaying before all her true femininity. This man is the love of her life.

How much more should this be true of the Lover of our souls and us! Not only should we lean upon that everlasting Arm as the weaker vessel in total dependence upon Him, but we should cling to our Beloved, lovingly, adoringly, and with all the affection and adoration of our beings. As we walk down the aisle of life, holding on to our Beloved’s arm, all those who observe should hear our refrain, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”

Love doesn’t know how to let go.

(rds)

Instructional Suffering

“Though He were a son, yet learned He obedience by the things He suffered.” Whatever else this mysterious and perplexing verse teaches, one thing is for sure, suffering can be educational. A saint’s suffering is not for his or her destruction, but rather their instruction. Therefore, our first question should not be a “Why?” but “What?” That is, “What can I learn from this.”

The “man” Christ Jesus learned obedience; Job, patience; Paul, grace; David, the Word. There is no such thing as purposeless pain to God’s elect. Someone has said, “Present pain can bring us eternal profit.” This is true, but it can also be beneficial both to us and others in this life. Suffering need not be a limiting handicap; it can be made an invaluable advantage. Like the old saying, “Make your stumbling stones your stepping stones.”

As our dear Lord and Paul found, God may not answer our request to remove the bitter cup of suffering, but He will use it for our good and His glory. And so, as my dear old Granny used to say, “We need to make the best of it.” I read of a precious child of God who suffered her life-long with no answer from her Lord as to removal of her ailment. It was said of her, “She made magnificent bouquets out of the refusals of God.” My dear wife Salle did this before her Homegoing. The fragrance still fills our home!

Do you think maybe some of us need to pick some flowers from our garden of refusals today?   

Tell Them-God Answers Prayer

I believe it was the day prior to my wife slipping into unconsciousness that she began her discussion with her friends. My blessed daughter-in-law, Sharon, who was with me and Salle constantly the last few days can bear witness to what I write. I am not exaggerating when I report Salle repeatedly said if not once a hundred times, “You need to tell them God answers prayer,” or, “They need to know God answers prayer.”

As A.W. Tozer says of such saints, “They are otherworld minded.” Her friends she talked to, as Sharon called them, were always at the foot of her bed. I once stood there to talk to her, but she motioned with her hand for me to move saying, “I can’t see them.” We laughed on one occasion when she only used her index finger for me to move without saying anything. God answering prayer was a subject both she and I spoke of often in our morning talks after our personal devotions.

If I remember correctly, these were her last words on this earth. How scriptural to the end was this Godly woman who spent some sixty-five years in the King's Book! “Call unto me and I will answer thee”... “Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon the Lord, and He answered them”... “The God that answereth-let Him be God.” Salle believed such texts as these, as well as all other kindred Scriptures.

Someone asks, “How could she believe God answers prayer in her dire condition?” My answer, she was following in the footsteps of her Master. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” When on the Cross, suffering as no human ever had, has, or will, He left her this example. In excruciating pain, and having a sense of being (temporarily) forsaken, He still addressed His Father as “MY GOD.” And in spite of everything, still He believed God answered prayer. By Him asking the question, He showed He expected an answer.

“THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST IN HIM”

(Job 13:15)

On Being a Spiritual Realist

In J.I. Packer’s excellent introduction to John Owen’s enlightening book, Sin and Temptation, he pens the following: “Owen taught me how to understand myself as a Christian and live before God in a morally and honest way, without pretending either to be what I am not or not to be what I am.” He goes on to say, “It is not too much to say that God used him to save my sanity.” Packer says that Owen helped to make him a realist in every area of his life.

Aren't the two things mentioned above the problem in most of our lives today? That is, do we not spend a lifetime pretending to be what we are not? Or go to the other extreme living a life of constant denial as to who we really are? The latter invariably leads to the former. It is then we enter the actors' studio so to speak. I spent most of my early Christian life in this quandary. The Scripture the Spirit used to help me out of this is Romans 9:20-21, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

“Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.”

(Isa.44:2)

Ineffective Intercessors?

In a recent conversation with my son Andrew, I mentioned a thought I had concerning the subject of intercession in the life of a Believer. He encouraged me to write on the subject. I have been hesitant because of the fact, personally, I have never heard or read anything on the topic. But as the old saying goes, “There’s a first for everything.”

Some weeks ago I was mulling over in my mind the ministry of intercessory prayer. How it works so effectively at times, but at other times seems so ineffective. Because of this, many of God’s dear saints lose heart thinking something is out of sorts in their life. Though this can be the case at times, generally speaking, it is not. The problem lies with the one prayed for.

I believe this perplexing difficulty is solved by a little saying I think the Lord gave me. “There must be a cooperation with the intercessor for his or her prayers to to be answered.” When Jesus interceded for those at the Cross, asking God to forgive them, God did so AFTER they repented and asked for forgiveness at Pentecost. This truth is seen throughout the Bible.

Samuel's intercession for Saul was ineffective because Saul was unwilling to cooperate on his end. If you ask someone to pray that you’ll get work, you need to get out and hit the pavement. A young man hearing Hudson Taylor’s testimony on prayer asked, “Mr. Taylor will you pray I’ll get up at 5a.m.?” To which he answered, “Yes, if you’ll put one foot on the floor first.”

So How Am I Doing? You Ask

Beloved Friends,

Personally I didn’t intend to write anything for a while, but for all of you who want to know how I’m doing the following is for your information.

Yesterday (Friday Sept. 8th) was the one month anniversary of my beloved’s home-going.  So I thought I would do something she always loved, as most women, and go shopping.  I drove a couple of hours toward the Bay area to Livermore to the San Francisco Premium Outlet Mall.  It has 189 stores, ladies.  Obviously, it is an all-day excursion.

Since it is individual stores, and not under one roof, I took my time.  The first thing I did, as was our habit, was to go to the food court.  I had a sandwich at a deli she liked.  Then outside I drank a cup of tea at a little table under the sun as we use to do together.

As I entered some stores passing by others, I was so reminiscent of our holding hands as we would stroll together.  It could truly be said of me, as it was of Job of old, "His grief was very great", but no one suspected.  No one one heard the deep groanings of my soul.

As always, generally speaking, I didn’t buy anything.  I loved buying for her.  As she would boastfully tell others, “My husband picked 75% of my wardrobe."  Not because of dominance, but she knew I had an eye for the outfits she would make look good.  Yes, I know what I just wrote.  You see clothes didn’t make her look good; she made the clothes look good!  As I walked through some of the stores, I would say under my breath as I did audibly in past shopping sprees with her, “O, hon, you would be a knockout in this.”

On my trip back home, as on my journey there, I was able to settle some more important matters with the Lord concerning these recent happenings.  I found a renewed peace of mind and heart.

When arriving home, upon unlocking and entering the door, as I do consistently now since her departure, I said, “I’m home, hon.”  Soon I will say it for the last time – I will truly be Home!  And I will enjoy the sweet fellowship with her around HIM that we both enjoyed so much on earth.

Alone But Not Alone (John 16:32b),

Salle’s Husband, Richard

Picture Perfect

It seems, from reading the Holy Scriptures, there is nothing more nauseating to God than when Christians strike a spiritual pose (Rev. 3:16, see context). It is so important for many to appear spiritual to the brethren. I think not so much because of peer pressure without, but just plain old pride within. Some spend the whole of their Christian life posing. An unconscious shot of a subject, I would imagine, is more natural and telling.

It is more important to this type of spiritual sham to be seen publicly before men than in secret behind closed doors with God. You can always spot them. They carry a trumpet everywhere they go. “...do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” So says the greatest authority that ever lived!

I remember when just a young convert, after coming out of a prayer room, looking down and seeing dust on the knees of my trousers. Hoping people would notice this “spiritual” young man's pant knees, I left the soil in place, not realizing God was looking on his heart and not his knees. I’d like to think things have changed; I certainly pray it so. But knowing this young man as I do, the temptation is still there after all these many years.

How to Fight Life's Battles

Anyone, unless you just came forth from the womb, knows this life is a struggle. It is one continuous battle of one kind or another. True, there are intervals of solace, but they are brief at best. Even during these times of tranquility the shouts of war can still be heard nearby.            

And so generally speaking, conflict of some sort will be on our daily menu. How then are we to face and fight these assaults? A great number of saints believe, as the worldling, from a position of strength, but nothing could be further from His Truth. It’s not our strengths but our weaknesses that win the war.

That great warrior of the faith said, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” Paul fought his conflict from the position of weakness, not strength. Being weak is one thing - a weakling another. To mistake the one for the other in a person can be embarrassing when the fight is over. Ask the devil about his skirmishes with Paul.

If you have studied the life of Jacob, you find his problem was not him being strong enough, but the fact he was not weak enough. This is why God had to give him a divine wounding. He, like us, enjoyed flexing his muscle. But as the wise man tells us, God is not impressed with our natural strengths. “He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man." (Psa. 147:10)

Again I say, God wants our weakness not our strength! The latter can be our downfall, “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction." (2Chr. 26:16) If you want to know darling David’s secret to facing life’s conflicts, read the book of Psalms. Over and over you are impressed with how he mentions the Lord being his strength. He knew he couldn’t kill the giants he’d meet in this life in his own power.