Psalm 58 - 2008.08.30

"The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." - Psalm 58:10-11

In the year 1741 in the town of Enfield Connecticut Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and a revival broke out known today as "The Great Awakening." Given the moral and spiritual state of our culture today, one wonders what kind of reaction would greet such a sermon in our day! Certainly it would not be deemed "politically correct" in this era of compromise and corruption.

In fact, such an emphasis was never more necessary, regardless of how unwelcome it may be. The "Good News" of the gospel is little likely to be heeded until we we are smitten with the bad news of our lost condition and its awful consequences. "Verily He is a God that judgeth in the earth," the Holy Spirit declares through the inspired writer. And that ought to stop us in our tracks and move us to pay attention to the word of the lord.

Many welcome Christmas and the "babe in the manger." We can manage babies. Not a few will enjoy Easter and the promise it brings of life after death by way of the resurrection. And some will delight in the general prospect that "Jesus is Coming Again," clinging to the Christmas concept of "gentle Jesus, meek and mild." What is often overlooked, however, is that the return of the King is not a good day for those who have rejected the Savior. The return of Christ will mark the proof that "He is a God that judgeth the earth,"

In another reference the Psalmist prophesies, "… He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity [Ps. 98:9]." That prophecy finds its consummation in the last vision of Christ in the New Testament. There He is portrayed as leading His armies to execute vengeance on the ungodly, and John says, " I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great (italics mine)." (See the whole passage, Rev. 19:11-21) While the language is figurative, it clearly anticipates an awful outpouring of divine wrath upon a rebellious world.

And this passage does not stand alone in the New Testament. Jesus declared, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him [John 3:36]." Luke quotes Paul, "[God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead [Acts 17:31]." Paul himself writes to the Ephesians, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience [Eph. 5:5, 6]. "The apostle Peter predicts, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up [II Pet. 3:10 all italics mine]."

These are representative of the numerous passages in scripture that warn of the wrath of God which will come upon the rebellious multitudes of mankind when God completes His prophetic plan for the ages. Let us remember; those who reject the gospel of the grace of God have insulted God twice. Once when they have disregarded His law, and again when they disdain His love.

Indeed, there is a glorious reward for the righteous— those who have placed their faith in, and pinned their hopes on the Lord Jesus Christ. But let us never forget that there is a reward for the wicked, as well; one no intelligent person would ever want to receive! For "verily He is a God that judgeth the earth!" What will your reward be?!

With eternity in view,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 38 - 2008.08.23

"There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long." — Psalm 38:3-6

Recently I heard a challenging message on the question, "Do you really love God?" The speaker's premise was, given the nature and magnitude of God's love for us, we surely ought to love Him. But, the argument was made, we sometimes mistake religious activity for love of God, and this to our detriment. Church attendance, and all that relates to it, is sometimes offered in proof of our love for God, but it can be undertaken as a matter of pride, a mere exercise of religious discipline or for a number of other reasons.

We ought to love God. John declares, "We love Him because He first loved us [I John 4:19]." And Jesus indicated that our love for God is manifested in obedience across the board, not just in "churchy" things. (Cf. John 14:15). And when He declares, "This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you [John 15:12]," it gets even stickier, because our love for God is measured against our love for "one another," insofar as it reflects the unconditional love of God for failed human beings. When contention and strife and schisms characterize our churches, our love for God is surely to be called in question.

There is, however, another area in which our heart condition is tested, as reflected in our text for today: "Do we really hate sin?" This, too, tests our love for God. The scriptures declare, "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil… [Ps. 97:10]." And, since love and reverence are closely associated, consider that "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil… [Prov. 8:13]."

David was not sinless, any more than you or I. But what distinguishes him and manifests his love for God is his attitude toward sin when it overtakes him. Observe first of all his recognition of the seriousness of sin. He saw it as arousing the anger of a holy God (v.3). He does not view sin as trivial, but terrifying : there is "no rest in my bones because of my sin." He does not compartmentalize sin, but sees it as permeating his whole being; "For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh." (v. 7) Here is a man who takes sin seriously and understands its devastating power. It is not that he never sins, but when he does, he cannot rest.

As David opens thus opens his soul to us, it becomes evident how reprehensible sin has become to him. So ought it to be for every believer who has experienced the love of God.

David knows the moral anguish of sin in a true believer's life. But he knows too the magnitude of God's mercy, and as a result his self judgment does not lead to self destruction. He knows where to go with his sin. "Feeble and sore broken (v.8)," he brings his case to the righteous Judge. "For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin (v.18)." He understands the New Testament principle, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [I John 1:9]." And the love of God is magnified again!

Because our adversary is powerful and crafty, we will have to do battle with sin until the day we die. But, there is a way of deliverance. First, there must be conviction. Just as a lost soul cannot be saved until he is convinced he is a sinner, so cannot a sinning child of God be forgiven until he is smitten with a proper sense of guilt. Second, there must be confession of sin to God. That is not just an offhand admission of wrong, but a genuine brokenness over the sin and what it does to our relationship with God. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy [Prov. 28:13]." Then there follows forgiveness and cleansing from the God of all grace.

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." — I John 1:10

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 57 - 2008.08.16

"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up." — Psalm 57:1-3a

Life in the real world can be full of calamities. They come in all shapes and sizes, in surprising times and places. And they come, ultimately from "him that would swallow [us] up." For David, at this time, the would be devourer was Saul. But behind every Saul, in every Christian's experience, there is another who seeks to destroy us, and if not succeeding in that, would seek to destroy our testimony for Christ. It behooves us, not only for our own sake, but for His glory, that we know how to defend ourselves against our adversary, the devil.

David, in this Psalm, goes to the right Person addressing himself to God and prevailing not upon his own merit, but upon God's mercy. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." Note where he has positioned himself: "in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge." What a refuge! Those who are threatened by life's calamities speak often of the "shadow of death, as does Job many times, and David not infrequently in the Psalms, but here is the triumphant contrast: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty [Ps. 91:1]."

It is a most wonderful thing, in a world of troubles and trials, to have the kind of relationship with God that finds one dwelling where His shadow falls, for there He is in close proximity. And David's God is not a pygmy; He is "God most high," who "performeth all things for me." He is the God of Whom the psalmist says in the concluding verse, "Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth (v.11)." This is the mighty God for Whom there is no insurmountable challenge. "Is anything too hard for God?" And He is the God of all those who have put their trust in the merits of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you, my friend, know Him thus? Have you placed your unwavering confidence in His mercy and His grace? Then He becomes "a very present help in trouble!"

Out of this relationship and confidence, David experiences a twofold assurance. The calamities, whatever their nature, or however long they last, will not last forever; he says, "Until these calamities be overpast." "Under His wings," he is assured that the trial cannot be more than temporary. Furthermore, he is assured of whence his deliverance will come; "He shall send from heaven, and save me… " God, Who is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think," is the power that works both in us and for us. "Whom then shall we fear?"

How glorious is that kind of relationship with the Living God! Read the rest of the Psalm and observe where such faith inevitably leads us — in praise to "God most high." "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise (v.7, e.g.)." The song that began in a minor key ends with a crescendo of praise. And let it be noted that the scene before him has not changed, but his faith has lifted his vision above the horizon to behold the glory of God and the promise of His sure victory. That is the way the saints are to make the journey from here to eternity.

May David's vision be ours of the Person, power and prospect available to all those who truly put their trust in HIM.

"Under His wings I am safely abiding, Tho the night deepens and tempests are wild;
Still I can trust Him— I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow! How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing, There I find comfort and there I am blest.
Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment! There will I hide till life's trials are o'er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me, Resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.
Under His wings, under His wings, Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide, Safely abide forever! — Wm. O Cushing

With eternity in view,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 56 - 2008.08.09

"For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: Wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" — Psalm 56:13

Here, if you will, we have first, the assurance of the saints. "Thou hast delivered my soul from death." Those who are assuredly born again are those who have first been made conscious that "… It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment [Heb. 9:27]." It is spiritual death that concerns them; not the death of the body, but the "death" of the soul, with the implication of being irretrievably separated from God for ever and ever. This, in fact, is the real "fear of death," and that of which the Holy Spirit convinces those who will become the heirs of eternal life. It is, in the language of the New Testament, the "second death."

Physical death is temporal; the second death is everlasting; thus the abounding joy of those who like the Psalmist here find divine deliverance from that awful bondage. For the Christian this joy is in the discovery subsequent to conviction of sin that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." If one's hope of deliverance rests upon any other foundation, that joy must be diminished by some measure of uncertainty. If hope rests upon good works, one can never be sure he has accrued enough good works. If it relies on religion, he can never be sure he has lit enough candles, said enough prayers, or fed enough homeless to satisfy the requirements of a holy God Who is "… of purer eyes than to behold evil, [and cannot] look on iniquity."

The assurance comes when we understand that Jesus paid our debt in full, and we are delivered through faith in Him alone. It is this deliverance Christ came into the world to provide, accomplishing it through His death on the cross and certifying it by His resurrection. Those who receive Him by faith can share the confidence of the psalmist "Thou hast delivered my soul from death," because it is a salvation that rests solely upon who He is and what He has done, not upon who we are nor on "works of righteousness which we have done." (See Titus 3:5-6)

When that salvation becomes a reality it brings with it a passion to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." The believer's apprehension is that he may disappoint or disgrace his Lord. Thus David prays, and prays rightly, "Wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling? Two things are implicit here; first, that we are prone to "falling," a fact every believer knows only too well. Second, that in order not to fall we need divine reinforcement. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jude penned this insightful benediction, "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen [Jude 24,25]." It is God's purpose and power to keep us 'on our feet' spiritually; it is our duty to petition Him for that very thing, as David does in this rhetorical question.

The petition arises, of course, from the believer's aspiration to live a life that glorifies God. David's desire is "that I may walk before God in the light of the living," and that should be yours and mine as well. The Holy Spirit urges the same upon us through the apostle Paul when He exhorts, "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. [I Thess. 4:1]." And there is no greater evidence of God's work of grace in our lives than a desire for holiness in that ordinary routine of life symbolized by the word "walk." We are instructed in Proverbs, "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him [Prov. 14:2]." And the prophet Jeremiah cried perceptively, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing [Jer. 10:23-24]."

May our hearts rest in the assurance of His great and glorious salvation, aspire to "walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory", and appeal to His Holy Spirit in continual prayer to enable us to do so.

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Prayer Needs Update

Miriam graduated to glory this morning (8/3/'08) at 2:30 am.

"Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (II Cor. 5:6-8)

Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. (Prov. 31:29-31)

Sustained by HIS grace,
"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 55 - 2008.08.02

"Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. — Psalm 55:5-6

There is a concept of spirituality that would suggest that a believer should always be on top of every situation, and that any sign of weakness is indicative of spiritual failure. Such an idea does not arise from a careful study of the scriptures.

David and Job both remind us that the human situation in this present world can be overwhelming for even the most mature believer. The apostle Paul sought deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh," and even the Son of God struggled with the prospect of His affliction, crying, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me."

Just as our physical strength and powers of endurance vary, so it is with our emotional resources. One can bear much and another will struggle with a much lighter load, but all have this in common: there is a limit to our emotional resources and when they are sufficiently tested, it will seem that we have more than we can bear. Like David, we will cry, "I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest (cf v.8)."

What is important is how we react when we have reached that breaking point. Here there is no pretense. David, for example, does not pretend a victory he does not have in an attempt to appear spiritual. Rather, his faith enables him to acknowledge his struggle to the One Who knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. We should be candid with God.

It is important, however, to note that it is to God that David carries his weakness and struggle. He quakes, but he does not quit. The man of faith falters, but his faith does not falter. Job did not understand God, but never did he abandon Him. Lacking wings to fly away, we had best abide under the shadow of the Almighty. If we remain there long enough, relief will come.

David begins with a cry, "I mourn in my complaint and make a noise (v.2)." He proceeds with a confession, "I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest." Finally he emerges with a shared confidence; "Cast thy burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (v. 22)."

If perchance you are carrying what seems an unbearable burden, you are not alone. If you are bowed down beneath the weight of it, you have only joined the company of one who says here, "horror hath overwhelmed me." Job's troubles, David's trials, Paul's thorn and the savior's tragic prospect were all different in nature and degree, but they had this in common; each reached a point where he would have liked to "fly away, and be at rest."

When the apostle Paul took his burden to the Lord, he did not experience deliverance. Rather, he tells us, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong [II Cor 12:8-10]."

Many of life's problems come with no easy answers, and no early solution. While we carry those burdens we may fear collapse. Flight is not an option, and it comes as a suggestion from the enemy, as David recognizes in another place: "In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain [Ps. 11:1]?" Those who find their refuge in God and approach Him with openness and honesty will find Him able to sustain and secure them until the deliverance comes— whether here or hereafter.

Yours for a sustained faith,

"Pastor" Frasier