Defended and Covered?

Defended and Covered....YES!

From C.H. Spurgeon:

As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. (Isaiah 31:5)

With hurrying wing the mother bird hastens up to the protection of her young. She wastes no time upon the road when coming to supply them with food or guard them from danger. Thus as on eagle's wings will the Lord come for the defense of His chosen; yea, He will ride upon the wings of the wind.

With outspread wing the mother covers her little ones in the nest. She hides them away by interposing her own body. The hen yields her own warmth to her chicks and makes her wings a house, in which they dwell at home. Thus doth Jehovah Himself become the protection of His elect. He Himself is their refuge, their abode, their all.

As birds flying and birds covering (for the word means both), so will the Lord be unto us: and this He will be repeatedly and successfully. We shall be defended and preserved from all evil: the Lord who likens Himself to birds will not be like them in their feebleness, for He is Jehovah of hosts. Let this be our comfort, that almighty love will be swift to succor and sure to cover. The wing of God is more quick and more tender than the wing of a bird, and we will put our trust under its shadow henceforth and forever.

Christmas Program Rescheduled

Our Christmas concert "An Evening of Story and Song" has been rescheduled to tomorrow (Wednesday the 18th) night at 7pm. There will be dessert afterward. Please join us!

All about the Presence

During this Christmas season as we remember our Saviour's birth, we remain excited about the presence of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in our lives. It can be all too easy to take our eyes off Him and focus on the presents. But our true present lies in Christ and what He has done for us.

Dear Lord, let us remain focused on your PRESENCE, not the PRESENTS. Amen.

God is our Ally

A word of encouragement:

But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. (Exodus 23:22)

The Lord Christ in the midst of His people is to be acknowledged and obeyed. He is the vice-regent of God and speaks in the Father's name, and it is ours implicitly and immediately to do as He commands. We shall lose the promise if we disregard the precept.

To full obedience how large the blessing! The Lord enters into a league with His people, offensive and defensive. He will bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us. God will go heart and soul with His people and enter in deepest sympathy into their position. What a protection this affords us! We need not concern ourselves about our adversaries when we are assured that they have become the adversaries of God. If Jehovah has taken up our quarrel, we may leave the foemen in His hands.

So far as our own interest is concerned we have no enemies; but for the cause of truth and righteousness we take up arms and go forth to conflict. In this sacred war we are allied with the eternal God, and if we carefully obey the law of our Lord Jesus, He is engaged to put forth all His power on our behalf. Wherefore we fear no man. 

-C. H. Spurgeon

UPDATED Creation FAQ

Pastor Dave updated his creation FAQ to include answers to recent questions:

1 HOW DO WE RESPOND WHEN SCIENTISTS SAY THAT EARTH IS 4.5 BILLION YEARS OLD?

Scientists use astronomical data and Carbon 14 dating along with other methods to date the origins of life and the universe.  All of these dating methods are based upon two assumptions. These assumptions are not provable or testable. They are assumptions that are foundational to the methods used by scientists for dating. The first assumption is what we might call zero-based calculations.  Star light began at zero. Carbon 14 dating uses a ratio so that age begins at zero.  Young earth creationists believe that the universe was created in motion rendering these dating methods inaccurate to date origins.  The earth was created with age so our starting point in years is somewhere long past zero.

The second assumption is what has been called “uniformitarianism.”  For these dating methods to work the process must have continued from start to finish without interruption or alteration.  Life on earth must have followed a pattern (a ratio) that never changed.  No global catastrophes took place to change the pattern.  Young earth creationists argue that the universal flood altered the record completely.  Flood geology argues that layers of sediment were changed and laid down in their current form by the flood so Carbon 14 and fossil records can only be used to date back to the flood and not beyond.

2. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE COSMOS WAS CREATED WITH AGE?

Genesis 1 tells us that age was built into the creation from the beginning. Humans were created as adults not babies (Gen. 1:27-28).  They were immediately commanded to procreate and to rule.  All the animals, birds and fish were fully developed mature creatures (Gen. 1:20-22; 24-25).  Once again they were told to be fruitful and multiply from the moment of creation.  God created plants and trees fully developed and mature (Gen. 1:11-12). They were bearing seeds and fruit from the moment they were created.  It is but a small step to argue logically that Carbon-based organic life forms were already laid down in the earth.  One of the most important aspects for dating the universe is the light from the stars.  The travel time for light coming from the stars is calculated to be over 10 billion years and is one of the major arguments for an old universe.  It is clear from Genesis 1:14 that God created the stars with their light already visible on earth from the moment of creation. This eliminates 10 billion years of time from the very beginning.

3. IF GOD CREATED THE COSMOS WITH AGE, ISN’T GOD BEING DECEPTIVE?

No. God is not being deceptive because He told us what He did in Genesis 1.  How could God say it any clearer than what is said in Genesis 1?  God revealed the fact that He created the cosmos mature and in motion (with age). He has not hidden it from us.  To accuse God of deception requires us to say that God hid the information from us so we would be confused. God did not deceive humans about the origins of the cosmos. Humans deceived themselves by refusing to accept the record God revealed.

4. IF GOD CREATED THE COSMOS WITH AGE, ISN’T GOD CAPRICIOUS?

No! Capriciousness is the tendency to act without motive, to be arbitrary and make choices based on whims.  God did not act without motive or on a whim when He created a mature earth (with age).  He did not do this to fool modern scientists or to play mind games with us. God did not create our world with age on a whim. He is not capricious. God created a mature world purposefully and intentionally.  Everything He did was for a purpose. God created a perfect eco-system.  He created the star light visible for humans because it was important to the existence of life on earth to have the light from the sun and stars visible.  God created mature trees bearing fruit because it was necessary for humans and animals to have food.  Humans couldn’t wait 30 years for a tree to grow and bear fruit.  Mature trees require an eco-system to survive.  Decomposing organic life forms must have already been deposited in the ground to provide nourishment to the mature trees and plants that need that nourishment to survive.  Trees could not wait for the decomposition to take place or they would die.  The decomposition of organic life forms is the basis for Carbon¹⁴ dating. God did not build this into the system on a whim but because the eco-system required it for life.

5.  WHY DO YOU THINK THAT CREATION TOOK PLACE 12,000 – 15,000 YEARS AGO INSTEAD OF 6,000?

 Bishop Usher used the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 to determine 4004 B.C. as the date of creation making the world about 6,000 years old.  However, the genealogies contain significant gaps making them inconclusive for dating the earth.  Fitting biblical history into the broader framework of ancient history requires a longer period of time.  Many young earth creationists today argue that the earth is about 8,000 to 12,000 years old.  I personally think that creation took place closer to 15,000 years ago (13,000 B.C.).  We know that stratified city mounds in the Middle East show an unbroken sequence of occupation dating back as far as 7,000 B.C. (9,000 years ago).  Using Carbon¹⁴, stratigraphy, pottery, historical records and crosschecking between all the methods demonstrates that many cultures have an archaeological record that date back that far. The flood must have predated them and creation before that. There is good evidence that primitive cultures were developing as far back as 10,000 B.C. or 12,000 years ago. There is simply too much evidence for these longer dates so I conclude that creation must have been about 15,000 years ago.

6.  WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT GAPS IN THE GENEALOGIES OF GENESIS 5 AND 11?

There are at least 7 major reasons why biblical scholars recognize that the genealogies contain significant gaps of time.  (1) The terms “begat” and “son of” are both used to describe ancestors and sometimes distant ancestors in the Bible (Matthew 1:8; 1 Chron. 26:24 etc.).  (2) The number of years in Genesis 11 was never totaled indicating that the purpose was not to construct a chronology.  (3) The name and years of Cainan do not appear in the text (Luke 3:36). (4) If there were no gaps then Noah would have died just 3 years before Abram was born and Shem would have outlived Abram.  The Bible says that Abram’s fathers were idolaters (Joshua 24:2,14,15) which would be odd if Shem was still alive in Abram’s life.  (5) The ancient versions of the Bible disagree on the numbers between Adam and the Flood.  (MT, 1656; LXX, 2242; Samaritan, 1307; Josephus, 2256). (6)The lists are perfectly symmetrical and stylized with 10 patriarchs followed by 3 sons of the last patriarch in each list indicating that the purpose of the lists was not chronology but ancestry.  (7) There would be approximately 300 years between the Flood and Abram if we take the lists as strictly chronological.  Into this brief time we have to fit the migration and population growth from one family to fill an earth that had been wiped out; the Ice Age; the Tower of Babel and the subsequent disbursement of populations; and the rise of major civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia including the construction of the Pyramids.  John  Whitcomb and Henry Morris in their classic defense of young earth creationism allow for up to 5,000 years between Abram and the Flood (The Genesis Flood, p.489). Archaeologists have added more information since then so I would add a few thousand years to that number to fit what we know about the Middle Eastern civilizations.

7. HOW LONG DID LIFE EXIST BEFORE THE FLOOD?

According to the Masoretic Text (MT) the genealogy indicates 1656 years between Adam and the Flood.  Given that there are significant gaps in the genealogy we can add to that number but it would at least be that much. Using Whitcomb and Morris’s estimate of up to 5,000 years from the Flood to Abraham we could say the same for the time frame from Adam to the Flood.  These conservative numbers would place creation around 12,000 B.C. or 14,000 years ago.  (Adam to Flood – 5,000; Flood to Abram – 5,000; Abram to Christ – 2,000; Christ to our day – 2,000).

8.  WHAT IS THE 2^ND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR OUR STUDY OF CREATION?

The 1^st Law of Thermodynamics says that energy is neither created nor destroyed in a closed system.  The 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics is that the amount of usable energy in closed system decreases over time as it dissipates into unusable energy.  It is sometimes called the Law of Entropy. The point of the 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics is that the universe had a beginning and is now “running down.”  Energy is being dissipated over time.  The 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics says that order moves in the direction of disorder in a closed system.  The creation record is consistent with this law.  God’s creation was complete and perfect.  Life has been devolving into greater disorder since its inception.  The universe is falling apart and disintegrating as it expands.

9. HOW DO WE DATE HUMAN HISTORY?

We rely on the science of Archaeology for our knowledge of biblical and extra-biblical history.  Archaeologists cross check their dates using 1) Written historical documents; 2) Inscriptions on tombs and temples; 3) Stratigraphy; 4) Pottery and 5) Carbon-14.  Most of the data related to biblical chronology comes from the two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt.

10. WHERE DO WE GET OUR HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS FOR ANCIENT HISTORY?

The oldest forms of writing were in pictographs.  Babylonian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics were early pictographic forms of writing. Later the first alphabets were developed for writing.  The earliest documents were written on clay tablets or white limestone shards called ostraca. The administrative records of empires in Egypt and Mesopotamia were extensively documented and we now have massive accumulations of such historical records available today.

11. HOW ARE INSCRIPTIONS ON TOMBS AND TEMPLES USED FOR DATING THE HISTORY OF EMPIRES?

Kings in Mesopotamia and Pharoahs in Egypt documented their own exploits and the stories from the past on statues and temple walls. For example, the Palermo stone and the Temple of Seti 1 have fairly complete lists of kings covering Egyptian history. Priests also documented the religious history in inscriptions on temple walls. We have uncovered the ruins of many of these temples as well as numerous other inscriptions providing an extensive network of information that we can use for dating events in the Bible.

12. WHAT IS STRATIGRAPHY AND HOW IS IT USED FOR DATING?

Ancient cities were built on top of the ruins of previous cities. The results of such construction are giant mounds called “Tels” which can be found all over the Middle East.  Archaeologists “dig” carefully down through the mounds in a “cut” identifying each strata by the contents of that strata.  The contents are cross-checked with similar data from hundreds of sites to determine dates. The “Tel” at Jericho, for example, shows an unbroken sequence of occupation going back to approximately 7,000 B.C.  The flood must have pre-dated the earliest occupation level making the flood at least 9,000 years ago. 

13. WHY IS POTTERY SO IMPORTANT FOR DATING AND HOW IS IT USED?

Pottery is a primary means of dating because it was so common and yet distinctive for each city and civilization.  Broken pottery was discarded but remained in the strata of ancient cities so it is readily available to modern scientists for analysis.  A massive amount of pottery has been collected by archaeologists over the years so comparisons can be made noting both the similarities and the differences from one time to another and one civilization to another.  Archaeologists date the pottery by its ingredients, formation, structure and artistic styles comparing each piece of pottery to the growing library of ancient pottery available today.

14. WHAT ABOUT CARBON-14 (RADIO CARBON) DATING TECHNIQUES?

Carbon 14 is an unstable, radioactive isotope that is used to date once living things. It cannot be used to date rocks but only organic material.  Carbon¹⁴ will decay over time and become Nitrogen¹⁴.  Once a living thing dies the decay process begins.  The decay rate (half life) of C¹⁴ is known because modern scientists have established that rate through testing.  Scientists determine the starting point by comparing the ratio of C¹⁴ to C¹² in living things today.  The date of the organic material is determined by comparing the amount of C¹⁴ that remains with the amount that exists in living things today. The smaller the ratio the longer the organism has been dead.

Carbon¹⁴ dating is a matter of controversy today.  The rate of decay for C¹⁴ has fluctuated over the centuries and is influenced by the earth’s magnetic field, solar winds and climate changes. The rate is therefore not consistent.  The assumption is that all organic materials decayed at the same rate and started from the same point but this is not provable.  However, many studies comparing Radio Carbon dating with other dating techniques such as tree rings have indicated that C¹⁴ is quite accurate for recent dates but becomes less and less accurate the farther back in time we proceed.  So C¹⁴ dating is accepted as accurate when dating organic materials later than 1500 B.C. but becomes less and less accurate as organic materials get older.  It is approximately accurate back to about 10,000 years when corroborated by other evidence.  Furthermore, if the biblical Flood involved a major climate change as we assume then that would have greatly altered the rate of decay making dating beyond the Flood next to impossible.  Archaeologists use C¹⁴ dating in concert with the other forms of dating listed above to arrive at approximate dates for organic materials.

15. WERE THERE CAVE MEN?

Yes … and no.  There were (and still are) humans who lived in caves. The Bible mentions cave dwellers (Genesis 19:30; Job 24:4-8; 30:3-8).  There is considerable evidence that early humans lived in caves but the evidence also suggests that the cave dwelling was mostly temporary and transient.  Hundreds of human fossils and tools have been found so far in locations ranging from Africa to Siberia and the islands of Indonesia.  However, I think we have to be careful with the data and corresponding story line pictured by many scientists.  Some fossil “men” may not be human at all.  It is difficult to accurately determine the true identity of some supposedly human fossils and we do not have to automatically accept all claims regarding such fossil “men.”  The Biblical evidence would indicate that Adam and his immediate descendants were highly intelligent and resourceful humans unlike the typical picture of cave men as primitive half-animal creatures living in Stone Age conditions.

16. WHAT ABOUT NEANDERTHAL, CRO-MAGNON AND HOMO ERECTUS?

In 1856 a fossil was discovered in a cave in the Neander valley of Germany and named Neanderthal man.  Human fossils have been discovered since then in many parts of the world. They often share structural similarities and have been collectively called Homo Erectus.  Neanderthal fossils are found in the Post-Flood period and associated with the end of the Ice Age.  They appear alongside Ice Age animals and plants.  Cro-Magnons appear generally in the more recent layers. Neanderthals seem to have died out about the same time as the Ice Age ended.  Some scientists date them to the end of the Pleistocene Era which can be dated as late as 10,000 B.C. and before the Neolithic Revolution from 9,000-7,000 B.C.  This is the age of settled agricultural living and before urban life developed.  There is no evidence that Neanderthal man is connected to any of the ancient cities unearthed by Archaeologists. It seems reasonable to conclude that the immediate descendents of Noah migrated to various parts of the earth and lived largely nomadic lives until the end of the Ice Age produced by the catastrophic climate changes brought on by the Flood. “Cave men” would belong to this period.

17.  HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THE WIDE VARIETY OF SPECIES IN OUR WORLD TODAY? DOES EVOLUTION OCCUR ON A SMALL SCALE TO PRODUCE THIS VARIETY?

We must distinguish between a species and a kind.  A species is often considered the lowest taxonomic rank in biology and is defined by various indicators including fertility and DNA. The Bible classifies creation by “kind” (Gen. 1:12, 21, 24).  This is also the classification used in the Flood account (Gen. 7:14).  Biologists recognize that many species derive from a single genus so a genus would be closer to the biblical classification of kind.  God created life forms by kinds and there are much fewer kinds of life then species.  We can call these kinds “baramin” from the Hebrew words “bara” (create) and “min” (kind).  “Baramins” are the basic building blocks of creation and each “baramin” contained all the genetic capacity for variation in the ensuing species that evolve on earth.  Evolution certainly occurs at this level. We can call it “microevolution” as opposed to “macroevolution.”  Life forms adapt and evolve from other life forms within the limits of the “baramin” – the genetic limitations of a single kind.

18. DO THE NAMES IN THE GENEALOGY OF GENESIS 5 CONTAIN A CODE THAT REVEALS A SECRET MESSAGE?

Chuck Missler (Cosmic Codes) popularized the idea of secret codes in the Bible and explained the names in Genesis 5 in the following way.  Seth (appointed) – Enosh (mortal) – Kenan (sorrow) – Mahalel (Blessed God) – Jared (shall come down) – Enoch (teaching) – Methusaleh (his death shall bring) – Lamech (despairing) – Noah (rest).  The hidden message reads: “(Man is) appointed mortal sorrow (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) his death shall bring (the) despairing rest.”  There are at least 2 major problems with such secret codes. (1) Deriving the meaning of names from etymology (root meanings) is highly problematic and debatable. For example, the name Seth might mean “appointed” but it also could mean “compensation” or “substitute.” The name Methusaleh might come from two words meaning “death” and “bring” or “send.”  However, it is more likely that the name is derived from two words meaning “man” and “spear” or “javelin.” Even if we could be certain of the exact meanings of all the names it requires inserting additional words to make sense of the hidden message as the parenthetical words above indicate.  This is very subjective and forces a message onto a set of names.  (2)  The idea of secret codes embedded in the Bible traces back to Jewish mysticism and ancient Gnosticism which taught that you could only understand God’s revelation by initiation into the secret knowledge of the mystics.  I believe that God’s revelation is understandable without resorting to secret codes. We call this doctrine the “perspicuity” of Scripture.  The Bible is clear and understandable because God intends us to know what He is revealing.

Calling on the name of the Lord

To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.(Genesis 4:26 NASB)

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same [Lord] is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." (Romans 10:12-13 NASB)

It is notable that in Genesis 4:26 we see the beginning of God's godly line which would be fulfilled through Seth. Scripture says it was at this time - at the beginning of the godly line from which Messiah would come - people started calling on the name of the LORD.

Paul tells us that no matter who we are, when we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. He immediately reiterates, "those who call upon the Lord will be saved."

The seeds of salvation are sprinkled throughout Scripture from the very beginning of Genesis. We saw it in chapter 3 in the covering of Adam and Eve and we now see it in chapter 4 where a godly line calls on the name of the Lord.

Have you called upon the name of the Lord? His name is Jesus and He will save you no matter where you are in life and no matter what you've done.

 ~~~

 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. - Romans 5:6-10 ESV

Advice everywhere! Tools to make a sound decision

Have you ever noticed if you have a dilemma and you ask three different Christian friends for direction, you are likely to get three very different (and sometimes conflicting) pieces of advice?

Who's advice do you take? It's easy to be confused. You probably asked advice for clarity's sake anyway.

Here are a few ideas from Scripture to help you weigh what advice to take to make your decision:

1. Will this action break a commandment? (Exodus 20)
2. Will something die because of it? Your testimony? The truth? A relationship?  (The wages of sin is death Romans 6:23)
3. If you are married, does it honor your spouse? Wives, does it respect your husband? Husbands, does it show love for your wife the way Christ loved the church? (Ephesians 5:25,33)
4. If you are a child, does it honor your father and mother? (Mark 7:10)
5. Have you prayed and asked God for wisdom? God promises to give us wisdom when we ask in faith. (James 1:5)

Sin's Curse: Recap of Sunday's Sermon

Sins’s Curse

(Genesis 3:8-24)

Our sin has consequences only God’s grace can relieve.

1. When we sin, we hide from God. (vs. 8)

2. When God calls, we shift the blame. (vss. 9-13)

3. When we shift the blame, God judges sin. (vss. 14-19)

4. When God judges sin, we trust His grace. (vss 20-21)

5. While we trust His grace, we suffer death. (vss. 22-24)

~~~~~~~~

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you above all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
    and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
    and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
    in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:8-24 ESV)

You are engraved on the palms of His hands

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands."—Isaiah 49:16

O doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in the word "Behold," is excited by the unbelieving lamentation of the preceding sentence. Zion said, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me." How amazed the divine mind seems to be at this wicked unbelief! What can be more astounding than the unfounded doubts and fears of God's favoured people? 

The Lord's loving word of rebuke should make us blush; He cries, "How can I have forgotten thee, when I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands? How darest thou doubt my constant remembrance, when the memorial is set upon my very flesh?" O unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art! We know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His people. He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him. He never faileth; He is never a dry well; He is never as a setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapour; and yet we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the mirage of the desert. "Behold," is a word intended to excite admiration. 

Here, indeed, we have a theme for marvelling. Heaven and earth may well be astonished that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love as to be written upon the palms of His hands. "I have graven thee."It does not say, "Thy name." The name is there, but that is not all: "I have graven thee." 

See the fulness of this! I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there. Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when He has graven thee upon His own palms?

-C. H. Spurgeon

Fertilizer...in your spiritual life????

Fertilizer- Any of a large number of natural and synthetic materials, including manure and compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth

Synonyms: manure, plant food, compost, dung 

                                                                                     - TheFreeDictionary.com

A friend gave some very wise insight on fertilizer the other day - yes, fertilizer. The synonyms listed above for fertilizer are not "pretty" are they? Manure, dung, compost. Actually, they are downright smelly. No one would relish the thought of putting their hands in dung let alone being covered in it!

Yet, as smelly and unclean as these things are, fertilizer is often necessary for the healthy growth of the plant. Fertilizer can make the plant grow bigger, stronger, healthier and more robust than without it. Moreover, fertilizer can even make the plant grow more quickly then without it. Can you guess where we are going with this friends?

We often run away from the odorous situations and uncomfortable challenges that present themselves in our Christian walk - not even wanting to touch them, but it is often NECESSARY for our growth in the LORD! 

Though the Shulamite spoke of a different situation, I think her words can be applied to our own attitude about fertilizer in our lives: "I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again??" (Song of Solomon 5:3c NASB)

Do not run from the fertilizer that the Lord puts in and around your life. Know that in GOD’S time, your seed will begin to break ground and sprout leaves, and then will grow into the plant, then fill out, and, at last will become a robust tree!  You will endure God's trimming and pruning- the cutting away of stray branches that grow out of place, but everything happens in the Lord's own time and season.  

Don't be discouraged and keep pressing on toward the goal!

~~~~

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:1-4 NASB)

What is painful will end

I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls; which I have made. (Isaiah 57:16)

Our heavenly Father seeks our instruction, not our destruction. His contention with us has a kind intention toward us. He will not be always in arms against us. We think the Lord is long in His chastisements, but that is because we are short in our patience. His compassion endureth forever, but not His contention. The night may drag its weary length along, but it must in the end give place to cheerful day. As contention is only for a season, so the wrath which leads to it is only for a small moment. The Lord loves His chosen too well to be always angry with them.

If He were to deal with us always as He does sometimes, we should faint outright and go down hopelessly to the gates of death. Courage, dear heart! The Lord will soon end His chiding. Bear up, for the Lord will bear you up and bear you through. He who made you knows how frail you are and how little you can bear. He will handle tenderly that which He has fashioned so delicately. Therefore, be not afraid because of the painful present, for it hastens to a happy future. He that smote you will heal you; His little wrath shall be followed by great mercies.

-by C. H. Spurgeon

Resolving Conflict

Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene (2 Timothy 2:14-17 NASB)

What an important message. This text begs the question: when the world looks at our life and conduct within the church, does it reflect Jesus? Does the way we resolve conflict bring glory to the name of Jesus or does it bringing shame to our testimony and God's name? There is a godly way to stand for truth and settle disputes within the church and there is an ungodly way.

Paul writes: But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:15 NASB)

When we quibble with each other and wrangle with words, it ruins the hearers (2 Tim 2:14) and we can consume or destroy each other even if that was not our intent. (Galatians 5:15)

May we conduct ourselves as approved to God - as a workman that does not need to be ashamed. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Trusting God when He doesn't seem to answer your prayer

Sometimes God answers prayer in what we perceive is a mighty way and we praise Him! 

Sometimes we pray and pray about a situation we care deeply about only to find that God chose not to answer our prayer - well, that is, He chose not to answer our prayer in the way we hoped. The fact is, every prayer IS answered, it's just that sometimes the answer is "wait" or "no". Those are hard answers to live with at times.

Why?

A "no" or "not yet" answer usually means we have to wait with broken health, a broken heart, or a broken situation that we are convinced that God would get glory out of if He fixed. We trust in His divine justice and goodness. In our human nature we call out to him to deliver us from the midst of the proverbial fire hoping that deliverance IS God's plan for us. Sometimes though, it is not.

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Paul writes that he was burdened excessively, beyond his strength. Have you ever felt like that? I have.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;  indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; (2 Cor 1:8-9 NASB)

Why? Why does God let us become burdened beyond our strength to bear it? One reason Scripture gives us is in verse 9. So that we will not trust in ourselves but in GOD who raises the dead.

God values the deepening of our faith and walk with Him so much that He may allow our lives to be cleansed of anything in the world we might rely on instead of the LORD God: health, jobs, relationships, or possessions.

The Christian has no need to fear though, God always gives us more than he lets be taken from us. 

Sometimes He will restore the situations we pray about, and sometimes He gives us the precious gift of more faith, more perseverance, and  more holiness, taking one step forward to being transformed into His likeness. 

Paul pens:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB)

The best gift we can ever be given is to grow in our faith and our knowledge of God becoming closer to our creator each day.

Child of God - whatever your situation is today, God has you and God loves you.  God will always do what is right - even when it doesn't feel like it. In eternity it will all make sense. For now, we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). In eternity, there will be no more crying, no more pain and God will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4).

Meanwhile, the Lord is our strength on this earth. He will see us through. Amen.

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:1-2 NASB)

Sunday's Sermon: A Recap

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen 2:18-25 NASB)

The First Marriage

(Genesis 2:18-25)

1. Marriage is a complementary partnership. (vs. 2:18-20)

2. God established the functional roles of marriage. (vs. 2:21-22)

3. Marriage is a companionship based on commonality. (vs. 2:23)

4. Marriage means that two become one. (vs. 2:24)

5. God designed marriage for pure transparency. (vs. 2:25)

We is more important than me in marriage.

Understanding

"The Bible will always be full of things you cannot understand as long as you will not live according to those you can understand." - Billy Sunday

 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. - John 7:17 ESV

"Think over what I say"

In 2 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul gives Timothy three main points to ponder in just seven short verses. These lessons are timely for us as well. 

1. Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Are you strengthened by His grace today? Are you comforted knowing Christ has paid your debt? Are you strengthened by Christ and the message of the gospel  - which is His grace in action?

2. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

At the time of this writing, being a Christian meant you would endure very real persecution, and Timothy, being a leader in the church would likely get singled out. God has called His children not away from battle, but to battle. This is not a battle fought with earthly weapons like swords or machinery. It is fought with prayer and godly actions with God's strength. It is standing for what is right and good and holy no matter the cost. It is standing for the gospel even when the message is unpopular. 

Know that when we suffer for the cause of Christ now, we will reap eternal glory.

 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV

3. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

Paul puts it this way in Colossians: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.(ESV)

It is so easy to get our hearts and minds entangled with the things that are on earth. Timothy may have worried about persecution and suffering. We worry with health, finances, things that need fixing, job situations, our 'to do' list, the traffic, and the list goes on. While we need to think about these things and handle them in a godly manner, our main focus, our heart focus should be on the heavenly. 

Since we know these things, we can be strengthened by the grace of Jesus Christ and devote our lives (and thoughts) to His purpose.

Back in Timothy, Paul ends these verses with this exhortation: "Think over what I say...." 
 ....................... I will Paul, I will.

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 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,  and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.  An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.  It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.  Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. - 2 Timothy 2:1-7 ESV