Drawing Near

A Pastoral Perspective on Biblical, Theological, & Cultural Issues | The Personal Website of James B. Law, Ph.D.

Devotional Archive

Friday

22

February 2019

0

COMMENTS

The Gates of Hell Will Not Prevail

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional, Leadership, Preaching

Gates of Hell will not prevail-14When our church celebrated our 100thyear anniversary, I discovered that we were constituted around the same time as Harley Davidson, United Parcel Service (UPS), Blue Bell, Walgreens, and Kelloggs. In thinking about our local congregation compared to these corporate giants, I was taken by the contrast in purpose.

Jesus Christ commended Peter when he made the great confession in Matthew 16. On that occasion Peter declared to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  In turn, Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”(Matthew 16:17,18)

Jesus pledged to build His church in this world, and that it would be indestructible. The Apostle Paul spoke of the church as “the pillar and support of the truth.” (I Timothy 3:14,15)  In fact, in reference to the church, the language of the New Testament is exalted with regard to its purpose and role within God’s plan for the ages. (Ephesians 1-3)

However, this is not the view many possess of the church. A local church is often portrayed as a lethargic, pathetic gathering which is relegated in the minds of many to be a place where you might get married or buried. It’s a place for old people to gather, and they do so out of a duty-bound allegiance to keep the club going. From this perspective, thoughts of church life exploding your soul or changing your life are slim indeed.

Reading the New Testament offers a much different view. I would contend that the church is the only institution called into existence to deal with the ultimate issues: life and death, forgiveness, reconciliation, heaven and hell, relationships, purpose in living, and true community.

On our church’s centennial celebration, I thought of our local Body compared to the corporate giants mentioned above. Interaction with these companies would be much different than a fellowship connection with a local church. For example, you wouldn’t walk into a Harley Davidson dealership and say to the salesman, “I’ve got cancer and the doctor says that I only have a few months to live, would you have the company pray for me?” (more…)

Thursday

31

January 2019

0

COMMENTS

He is Able

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional, Leadership

One of the recurring themes of the Bible is that no matter how great the trial, the shame, or the pain, God is greater still. He delights to guide those who seek Him through any storm, sorrow, or setback.

In the context of fleeing from his son Absalom, King David wrote, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)  David was experiencing great pain and humiliation over the downturn of his family and kingdom, but this tattered man found comfort in the Lord.  David, perhaps more than any biblical writer, allows us to see into his heart through the experiences of his life and his record of worship found in the Psalms.

In another harrowing event in David’s life found in I Samuel 30:1-6, prior to becoming king, his family was taken captive by a rugged band of marauders.  When David and his men came to the city, “they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.” The text says that David and the people “raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.” And in addition to his grief, the people spoke of stoning David. That is what you would call a really bad day! (I Samuel 30:1-6) (more…)

Thursday

10

January 2019

0

COMMENTS

This Much O Lord I Want You!

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional

fasting-1In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ included fasting as a spiritual commitment for those who would follow Him. Jesus gave instruction on how we are to live as Kingdom citizens, and in   Matthew 6 He taught that giving, praying, and fasting were to be a part of a believer’s life:

“When you give (v. 2)…,

“When you pray (v. 5)…, and

“When you fast (v. 16)…”

In this brief post, I want to focus on the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting.  Early in my ministry, I received teaching from several sources in this area, and consequently have embraced fasting in my life and ministry. I have fasted every Wednesday for some years now, and have set aside specific time on these days to seek the Lord in prayer for personal revival, spiritual needs in my church family, awakening in my community, and the cause of Christ globally.

Alan Redpath once said, “Never undertake more Christian service than you can cover by believing prayer.”  This is a great challenge in our generation that is bombarded with distraction. Prayer and fasting helps us to focus on what is truly important in this world, namely our relationship with God. In seeking the Lord in this way, we discover that prayer and fasting is the prescription and pathway for God’s supernatural power to be unleashed in our lives and in His church. (more…)

Friday

21

December 2018

0

COMMENTS

When Darkness Seems to Hide His Face

Written by , Posted in Devotional

Solar EclipseOne of the great truths of the Bible is that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. With the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Magi followed the light of the star that placed them with GPS precision at the location of the infant Jesus.  These wise men had been compelled to leave their distant land in pursuit of the new born king.

This star was created by God for the purpose of leading the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, and so being led by the star the Wise Men made a long and difficult journey over treacherous terrain. They were in danger of robbers and at the mercy of the elements.  When we think about their experience, there is something refreshing about the intensity of their pursuit when compared to many who can’t seem to go a few blocks to worship Christ. They were led by the star to the Light of the world.

Phillips Brooks eloquently described the dark pathways of Bethlehem years ago,“Yet in thy dark streets shineth; The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.” (more…)

Thursday

29

November 2018

0

COMMENTS

Yes It Is! The Local Church is the Epicenter of God’s Kingdom Purposes in This World

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional, Faith & Culture, Family

When I was a freshman in high school, I had a football coach who was intense. Really intense. He had a mustache that resembled the look of a proverbial Viking which made him all the more intimidating. He was the kind of man who during his tour-of-duty in Vietnam spent his free time killing water buffalos with his 50 caliber machine gun.

In the strangest of contrasts, school administrators assigned him to teach driver’s education.  I will always remember how he greeted the class as he looked out at us on that first day, “Well,” he scoffed, “This isn’t the freshman class at Harvard.”

I remember his greeting every time I read the Apostle Paul’s assessment of the Corinthian church, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (I Corinthians 1:26-29)

Paul was saying to the Corinthians, “Notice, your gathering is not made up of the ‘movers and shakers’ of the culture. Your curriculum vitae is not very impressive in the world’s eyes, but that’s okay. It’s okay because the church is not about you. The church is about showcasing God’s grace and glory through the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ.” (more…)

Thursday

15

November 2018

0

COMMENTS

Always We Begin Again

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional

It has been said that nothing drags more stubbornly than a sack of failures. Every one of us who has breathed the air of this world knows what failure is like in one form or another. Whether it is a missed free throw, a failed relationship, a business that went south, or a devastating moral disaster that has caused deep sorrow and collateral damage, the pain from failure and loss can cut deep into the heart.

For the believer in Jesus Christ, His victory over sin, death, and the grave gives to us a living hope and becomes the foundation for our worldview. With an empty tomb, there will always be hope through the Risen One. With every failure and setback we experience, the Lord gives hope and grace to begin again.

In the loving discipline of God, trials come into our lives for the purpose of conforming us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). The Lord’s discipline is multi-faceted and masterfully applied.  For instance, God brought corrective discipline into the life of David; preventive discipline in the life of Paul; and educational discipline in the life of Job. (more…)

Thursday

1

November 2018

0

COMMENTS

His Commandments Are Not Burdensome

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional, Theology

Some years ago media mogul Ted Turner suggested that we ditch the Ten Commandments and hold a contest on who could come up with a better set of guidelines. To put forward the idea of replacing God’s standard of righteousness, and the foundation of jurisprudence, with pithy progressive ideas is the epitome of what C.S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery.” Lewis was referring to the danger of saying that things are better because they are new, and deficient because they are dated.

Ted Turner is not the only one who advocates jettisoning the Ten Commandments. Pastor Andy Stanley in his recent book, Irresistible, writes,“The Ten Commandments have no authority over you. None. To be clear: Thou shalt not obey the Ten Commandments.”

Stanley sought to establish that any contamination of the old covenant commands upon the new covenant life found in the grace of Jesus Christ would be a corruption of the whole relationship. However, Stanley ignores that the Old Testament is full of examples of God’s grace and compassion for His wayward people. (Exodus 34:1-6; Psalm 103)

When Moses received the Ten Commandments on top of the mountain, Israel was below breaking covenant with the golden calf. Upon seeing this Moses shattered the stone tablets. (Exodus 32:19) However, God’s grace is on display when He commands Moses to cut two new tablets, and again He would write these wonderful words of life for His wayward people.

In Exodus 34, this is how Yahweh, the Lord God, is described and revealed, “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

Stanley’s view of the Old Testament directly contradicts the teaching of Jesus Christ who never once questioned the authority and trustworthiness of the Old Testament. The commandments that Stanley calls his readers to not obey are all affirmed and commanded in the New Testament. The exception would be the Sabbath command which is presented as fulfilled in the rest found in Christ. (Hebrews 4:1-11) (more…)

Thursday

18

October 2018

1

COMMENTS

Carry On My Wayward Son

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional, Family

Rembrandt_Harmensz_van_Rijn_-_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_-_Google_Art_ProjectRembrandt van Rijn was a brilliant painter who, among other subjects in his career, captured biblical scenes with magnificent clarity.  His painting, “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” portrays the return of the wayward son to his father based upon Jesus’s parable in Luke 15.

The painting captures that life had been hard for this young man, as Rembrandt presents him with a missing shoe, and with the remaining shoe in tatters.  His clothes and hair are disheveled, and his body emaciated and spent. It had been a mad race leaving him empty, exhausted, and ashamed.

We know from Luke 15 that this son had demanded his inheritance from his father, and in so doing was communicating that he wished his father was dead. The father yielded to the request, and subsequently this brazen rebel squandered it all on wasteful living.

The parable fast forwards us to this son who had spent all his money and was now starving in a pig pen far from home.  The turning point in this rebel’s life is found in Luke 15:17 where the text says in an economy of words, “he came to his senses.” As he reflected on the good nature of his father, he acknowledged to himself that his behavior was indeed crazy.

This is a very helpful commentary on sin and rebellion. In short, it is insanity. The narrative of the Bible underscores that rebels never live “happily-ever-after” if they carry on in their rebellion. From the earliest pages of the Scripture, the Lord God of heaven expresses hatred toward rebellion and pledges to judge it. We also learn that this God who abhors sin is also a Father who forgives and restores those who come to Him with their brokenness and failure. God is the ultimate rebel lover, but we must come on His terms.

One of the memorable rock anthems of the 1970’s was from Kansas entitled, “Carry on My Wayward Son.” The song speaks eloquently of the pride, confusion, and lostness of a prodigal in search of truth and meaning. (more…)

Thursday

20

September 2018

0

COMMENTS

When Rabshakeh Opens His Vile Mouth

Written by , Posted in Devotional, Leadership, Uncategorized

The Old Testament is given to the people of God as vital revelation for the strengthening of our faith, the instruction of our doctrine, the foundation of the Gospel, and the encouragement of our soul.

The historical narratives of the Old Testament are filled with many priceless gems. In this short post, I want to take you to an episode from the life of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was one of only eight kings of Judah who were said to be godly. While not perfect, they did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

In several sections of the Old Testament, we read the account of Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah (2 Chronicles 32; 2 Kings 18,19; and Isaiah 36, 37).  Sennacherib of course was the king of Assyria who had in recent days sacked the northern tribes of Israel leaving a tremendous body count in his wake.  He was a clear and present danger to Hezekiah and the southern kingdom of Judah. His presence was beyond intimidating.

In Isaiah 36, Sennacherib was focusing his military might on the fortified cities of Judah.  He sent the Rabshakeh to deliver one of the most daunting messages recorded in the Bible. The Rabshakeh was a title for an important official in the Assyrian military, and according to Assyrian records came to be the designation for an elevated military position.

This account is a demonstration of how the people of God should respond when fear and intimidation come. The Rabshakeh’s menacing message was especially effective because he spoke impeccable Hebrew, so all the people on the wall could hear the bullying first hand.

Listen to some of the threats of the Rabshakeh unleashed upon Hezekiah and the people of Judah:

*He mocked their faith, “On what do you rest this trust of yours?”(Isaiah 36:4)

*He scoffed at their weakness by saying that even if we gave you two thousand horses, if you were able to set riders on them…a single captain among the least of my master’s servants could defeat you.(Isaiah 36:8-10)

*The Rabshakeh introduced confusion by claiming that the Lord had told him to come up against the land to destroy it. (Isaiah 36:10)

*Speaking in Hebrew, and in the hearing of many, the Rabshakeh says, “you are doomed to eat your own dung and drink your own urine.” Yes, that’s in the Bible! (Isaiah 36:12)

*The Rabshakeh attacked the leadership of Hezekiah by saying, “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you…Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord…Make your peace with me and come out to me.”(Is. 36:14,16)

Gothmog,_general_of_MorgulNeedless to say, this was a full-frontal attack on the minds and hearts of God’s people. This scene reminds me of the one in the Lord of the Rings trilogy where Gothmog has assembled the horde of orcs before Minas Tirith in a siege.  Gothmog says as they stand before the fortress city, “Fear, the city is rank with it.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e_NeF3d5Ew

This is a fitting commentary for Jerusalem on the day of the Rabshakeh’s message. It was indeed rank with fear.

(more…)

Wednesday

5

September 2018

2

COMMENTS

Beware of Religious Silver Bullets

Written by , Posted in Church Life, Devotional, Uncategorized

We are a culture that prizes convenience and pragmatism, and consequently we love “silver bullet” solutions to our problems. By “silver bullet,” I’m referring to the term that commonly describes an action that cuts through the complexity of an issue by providing a quick solution.

silver-bullet-thinkingWhen bacterial infections rear their ugly head, we are grateful for the silver bullet of antibiotics. When the heat of summer blows its hot breath, God bless Willis Carrier for the silver bullet of air conditioning! When traveling globally, I’m thankful for the silver bullet of jet travel which brings a connection of friends for the cause of Christ. I’m grateful, in the common grace of God, for innovations that make life easier, better, safer, and more comfortable.

However, many things in life are not resolved by silver bullets. In fact, some of the deepest experiences in life are journeys of perseverance through many seasons and sacrifices. For instance, no marriage has all the issues worked out by a silver bullet solution. No friendship can remain without giving our best efforts to the relationship. The same is true with one’s relationship with Jesus Christ. (more…)

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