Rend our Heart

Rend Our Heart

Joel 2:12-13

12 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.

   Every prophet in the Bible proclaimed a message which included a call for the people to repent.  From Moses to John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostles the message has been the same:  “Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” - Acts 3:19.

   In every Christian’s life, there are times when repentance is necessary.  Repentance was essential for salvation, and we stray from time to time and need to have our relationship with God restored.  Repentance needs to come from our heart, and we need to recognize when we sin and turn from that sin and return to God.  The sad thing is that we take repentance lightly and we can face the whole thing on a purely intellectual level and never lit it reach our heart.  Repentance of the head is not the same as repentance of the heart.  If we love the Lord as much as we claim, then when we sin it will cause us to be sorrowful.  We should cry to God from the anguish of our hearts, not with dry eyes and calm voices.

   In the Old Testament times it was common for someone to tear (or rend) their clothes when they were expressing great sorrow.  For example, when Jacob thought that Joseph had been killed by wild animals, he “tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days” - Genesis 37:34.  When the Israelites were beaten when attacking the city of Ai, Joshua “tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord” - Joshua 7:6.

   Tearing their clothes was an outward expression of sorrow.  But all through Scripture, God makes it abundantly clear that most people never let their sorrow get down to their hearts.  Isaiah 29:13 tells us how God feels about the sin in people’s lives and their lack of real repentance.  “These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men” Jesus referenced this passage when He confronted the hypocritical worship of the Pharisees in Matthew 15:7-9.

   God has more grace to forgive than we can possibly imagine; but our loving Father expects true repentance.  He’s fully aware of the many ways we sin and fall short of His glory; but until we understand how far we have fallen and genuinely desire to change, we will never appreciate His grace.  Until we humble our hearts and allow His love to wash our hearts clean again we can never experience His “times of refreshing.”  Until repentance gets into our hearts, we will never know the joy of restoration. 

Stephen Cram                                                                            June 30, 2013             

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. Colossians 2:8

Death by Ark

Death by Ark

Hebrews 11:6-7 NKJV

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

   From both the Scriptures and ancient Jewish sources we know the ark took up to one hundred years to build.  And it was a huge barge, about 450 feet in length, or a little less than one half the length of the ocean liner Queen Mary.  We know Noah preached to his generation, Peter tells us that in 2 Peter 2:5 - and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.

   Studies of the Antediluvian world are difficult for obvious reasons, the world today shows signs of damage and we really can’t begin to imagine what it looked like before the flood.  But geologists and others have come to think that there was no rainfall on the earth during that time.  Water came from a mist that formed at night, a mist more intense than a thick London fog.  So if clouds began to form in the sky that would have been an unusual event.  And since we can believe that Noah was telling people about the coming flood, the clouds would have been a sign everyone could see.

   Then the gathering of the animals would have been another sign the people would see.  Animals that were natural enemies coming together in peace and waiting patiently to be taken to their stalls aboard the Ark would have been noticed by anyone in the area. 

   So with all these hints, I can’t help but be surprised that there were only eight people saved from drowning.  Eight - just Noah and his family.  It’s surprising and it’s also a chilling warning to our world today.  They saw and decided to keep on sinning.  “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (Isaiah 22:13b)

   As I have written before, I think I think differently from others.  I see a passage like the story of the Ark and ask questions, like, why did God need an actual Ark to save Noah and his family?  It seems like a labor-intensive project that took a long time to complete.  Why not have Noah go to the highest mountain in the world and gather the animals there in a handy cave and wait out the storm.  Surely it would be no problem for God to stop the flood a few feet short of the summit.  But then I think some more and realize why God chose the Ark.  It was the means of salvation for Noah and his family, but it was also the symbol of condemnation to the rest of the world.  The same Ark that brought life to Noah and his family brought death to millions more.  They saw it and heard the story of why it was being built and chose to ignore it.  They heard that the only way to life was through the single door of the Ark and chose not to enter.  The very existence of the Ark condemned them to death. 

   We are faced with a similar situation today.  We are the preachers of righteousness and we can point to signs and wonders and tell people to repent and ask God for forgiveness for their sins.  The Cross today gives the same choice to millions today that the Ark gave to that generation years ago.  Come through the one door and live or stay away and die.

   The ark must have grown in fame over the years and perhaps attracted visitors from many miles away.  I see traders bringing their wares to sell to the crowds and sightseers and important leaders who had to see the weird ship they’d heard about.  Noah would speak to them about God’s righteousness and His judgment on them that was about to happen.  And they would walk away not quite convinced. 

Acts 26:28 NKJV “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

   We, like Noah, have been ‘warned about things not yet seen.’  Just as the Ark was slowly completed according to God’s original plans, today we see prophecies in scripture slowly being fulfilled.  As judgment draws near it becomes more and more apparent that time is running out on the sinful world.  Matthew 24:37-39 NLT

37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 

38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 

39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

   But….. 

   There came a time when the ark was finished and the door was shut.  The time is soon approaching when the scriptures will be fulfilled and another door will be closed.

Luke 13:24-25 NLT

24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. 

25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

   Salvation is through faith in God’s Son.  And like the Ark there is only way to be saved.  Regardless of the scoffing of unbelievers, continue to bear witness to the righteousness of God.  As Noah warned his generation, we must warn people that judgment is surely coming.

Stephen Cram                                                                                                           June 23, 2013                     

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. Colossians 2:8

Growing From Your Roots Up

Growing From Your Roots Up

Colossians 2:7 NLT

Let your roots flow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.

   Working around some bushes at work I found a maple tree.  It was not a very impressive tree, it looked like a stick that got lost and was trying to hide between the bushes.  It was maybe six inches tall and as thick as a piece of spaghetti.  It had two leaves sticking to a single branch growing from the top. 

   I dug down to get the root out and was surprised to see how deep that root went.  I decided to save it and went and got a pot and stuck the little tree in it and covered the root with dirt and watered it.  That afternoon when I left I took it home and planted it out back of the house we rent.  I put a small fence around it and hoped it would survive.    

   Well, it didn’t die.  Its root must have grown and worked its way down into the rich dirt and water.  That little twig is now more than ten feet tall and its trunk in more than eight inches wide.  Those two leaves on one branch are now hundreds of leaves on dozens of branches.  The lesson here is about the root of the tree.  When planting a tree, the important part is the health of the root system, not the size of the trunk.  If the tree has a healthy root system, it has the best chance to grow to maturity.

   I had the good fortune to have a good root system in my life.  Christian parents who took me to church when I was nine days old, I grew up in a church pew.  Whenever the pastor went to open the church for a service, he had to push past my mother and grandmother to get to the door.  I sat through hundreds of Sunday school classes.  By the time I was a teen I’d already heard the story of most of the Bible characters and memorized dozens of Bible verses.  As a child, I wanted to skip some of the first steps of growth and jump straight into maturity, but growth takes time and watering. 

   The Bible tells us to build a foundation in Christ.  A good foundation allows Christians to sink roots into God’s Word and grow in truth and develop strong faith.  Without this foundation, it is impossible to grow strong.  It is important as followers of Christ to plant our roots deep in the truth of Jesus.  We need to embrace the Word of God and let it water our roots and feed our souls.  When the storms of the world come blowing in, you can stand if you are firmly rooted in Christ.  If your roots are shallow, you are vulnerable to the storms of life.  And in times of drought, deep roots will be able to find the water that lies deep below the surface.  Shallow roots will not touch this water and the tree can wither and dry out.

  When we are being watered and fed by God’s Word, we will grow into maturity.  A mature Christian will produce fruit in their life much like a mature tree produce good fruit.  So let your roots sink deeply into Christ and let yourself grow. And like that old Sunday school song says, “Read your Bible and pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow.”

Stephen Cram                                                                               June 16, 2013                     

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. Colossians 2:8

Challenging the Lord God to a Fight

Challenging the Lord God to a Fight

Psalm 2:1-5
1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:

   Many of the Psalms have authors and titles named in them.  Psalm 3, for example, says "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son."  But Psalm 2 has no byline.  So who wrote it?  We can go to a scholar and ask for their textual analysis, examining word usage and the poetic meter.  They could compare it to the other Psalms and give us their educated guess.  But I can save you a lot of time.  David wrote it.  How do I know? When reading the New Testament, I read Acts 4 and that is where Peter tells me David wrote Psalms 2.  Since Luke recorded Peter’s words and wrote the book of Acts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I will not dispute this statement.
   In Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested for preaching in the name of Jesus. They were threatened and then let go.  When they were released, they went to the other Christians and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard {this,} they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is Thou who did make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, {through} the mouth of our father David Thy servant, did say, why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things?  The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.
Now we know who wrote Psalm 2.
   This Psalm can be difficult to read because different people are talking in different places.  It would seem that the Holy Spirit is talking at first telling us about the Nations are in an uproar against God and they are plotting to fight against Him.
   Then the people of the Nations are talking and they tell us their plan is to break the bonds of God and His Anointed.
   Then we see God laughing at their plotting and puny abilities.  As if mere humans could oppose God!  No wonder He laughs at them.  Yet we see in the world around us how this is actually happening today.  The nations are indeed in an uproar against God.  They plot to take God out of our lives.  It is against the law to pray or read the Bible in many places.  And don’t try to display the Ten Commandments!  You will find yourself in court.  It’s OK for many religions to meet in public and advertise in public and pray in public, but if Christians try it we’re violating someone’s idea of privacy and infringing their civil rights.
   The kings and rulers of this earth have taken their stand against Jesus.  Mankind does not want to admit any accountability to God, the creator of Heaven and earth.  They go so far as deny the very existence of God.  Evolution has been shown to be unscientific and requires more faith to believe in than Creationism does, but it is the preferred teaching in our classrooms.  The Bible has been declared to be “out-of-date” and filled with errors and false claims.  Hollywood portrays Christians as “religious fanatics” and are often the criminals in the storyline.
   They strut and talk a lot about their wisdom and their intelligence and how they don’t need a god.  And in response to all this, we are told God laughs at these people who dare to shake their tiny fists in His face.  Imagine going to your back door and a group of ants are marching and holding signs claiming you didn’t exist.  Would it look silly to you?  Would you laugh at them?
   That being said, it amazed me to find that there is no other verse in the Bible that says God laughed.  The only place we hear about God laughing is here at the ridiculous scene of men opposing God and threatening to overthrow Him.
   Then the really scary verse.  God will laugh for a time and hold them in derision, but time will run out and then God will stop laughing and will display His anger.  Reading the book of Revelation, I cannot even describe the terror that will come upon the people of the world when His righteous anger is poured out upon the earth during the Great Tribulation.  At the end of those terrible years, Jesus will come down and in spite of all that has happened to the people and the world they will oppose Him and assemble an army to try to stop Him.  And then, after reigning for a thousand years, the world will assemble again to fight Jesus and try to depose Him.
   The Bible says that the unsaved have minds and hearts that are at enmity with God.  This means they are enemies of God.  Their only hope is the message of the Gospel.

Stephen Cram                                                                           June 9, 2013                  

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. Colossians 2:8



 

Men Agapao Darkness

Men Agapao Darkness

John 3:19 NASB

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

   Jesus teaches here that men love darkness more than light.  He’s referring to the spiritual darkness brought by sin in our lives.  He came to us as light, but the people who live in sin don’t want light, they want darkness.  More than want darkness, they desire the darkness.

   The Greek language has several different words for “love,” and this can be confusing since we only have the one word: love.  “Eros” means passionate love.  This word is used to describe a physical desire and means intimate love.  “Philia” means affectionate regard or friendship.  The love of life-long friends would be this kind of love.  “Storge” means affection like a parental affection for a child.  And then the word we hear a lot of, “Agapao,” which means a deeper love – a true love that requires a strong word to describe a strong emotion.  We often think agapao is a God-given love, but that’s not the case.  Agapao is used in John 3:16 to tell us that God so LOVED the world and many other places, but it’s also used in this verse, and tells us that men loved (agapao) the darkness more than light.    

   Literally here we can say men desire the darkness with a strong affection and love the things of the darkness.  Agapao is the strongest term for love we can use and that is what Jesus is trying to tell us about people who are not saved.  When we go out into the world, we are amazed at the things the unsaved will do.  But we need to remember to see what they do in the light of this verse.  They will do evil things and like evil things and allow evil things in their lives because they love (agapao) darkness more than the light.  People living in darkness not only don’t know what God wants for their lives, but they are actually opposed to Him and to His love.  A person in a very dark room when a bright light is turned on will shy away from the light and cover their eyes.  This same thing happens to a soul living in the darkness of sin when they are confronted with the light of the Gospel. 

   Ever face a strong, negative reaction to your attempt to witness to someone?  You are experiencing their enmity towards God.  Just as it is easy for you to love God and desire to do His commandments; they are opposed to God and find it easy to sin and desire to do evil.  Do not take their attitude to heart!  It is not you they hate but the light that is in you.  It is not you they are rejecting but the message of the Gospel you bring. 

   The darkness is great but the light of God can break that darkness and bring light to the most hardened heart.  Do not give up hope and quit witnessing.  Don’t hide your light under a cover.  Keep witnessing the Gospel and keep praying that God will give you the words you need to bring light to one who is living in darkness.   

Stephen Cram                                                                    June 2, 2013                     

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. Colossians 2:8