service genset jogja
Job 1:9, Ephesians 6

Talk To Ourselves

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 26, 2024

Satan is a very busy figure in the Bible. In the New Testament, we see him using both Judas and Peter in different ways to discourage Jesus from the accomplishment of His mission on Earth. But, much earlier than this we see that God had allowed Satan to test Job’s faith thoroughly. He destroyed Job’s wealth, his family, and even his body. Satan had done his worst and Job held on to his trust in God through it all. But Satan wasn’t finished with Job. The worst was yet to come. We find Job’s health destroyed as well at the hands of Satan. At the end of chapter 2, we find Job covered in leprous boils, scraping himself with a piece of broken pottery while the dogs licked the sores on his legs. But Satan is still not finished. He will stop at nothing to get Job to curse God.

Just as Satan used Peter, Jesus’ closest friend, to discourage Jesus from carrying out His divine mission, Satan spoke evil words to Job through his suffering wife. The one companion who shared in his success and failure, who was there through all the ups and downs of his life, who suffered the loss of her children and had no reason left to continue living, points out Job’s miserable situation and in great despair tells Job to curse God and die! Some even suggest that her words to her husband in Job 1:9, “Curse God and die,” contain a suggestion that he commit suicide. One might even argue that it’s her suggestion that they go together. They lost everything they had labored for together over the years. Their children were gone and we would assume that the grandchildren were gone also. If there weren’t any, all prospects of having any were gone. No wonder she was in such despair.

But Satan is still not finished. Satan begins to work on Job’s thought life. Job begins to listen to himself. In chapter 3, after seven days of silence, Job lets us and his three friends know what he had been thinking. Satan had used the seven days of silence to plant more pain and suffering in Job’s head. Ephesians, Chapter 6, speaks of Satan’s attack as “flaming darts.” Paul often tells us that our thoughts can also be our enemies. Satan not only uses others to speak to us, he uses “ourselves.” Job had been listening to himself (or Satan speak to him through himself) and exploded with wishes he’d never been born. “The world would be better off without me.” “God is against me.” “My family and friends would be better off without me.” “I am a waste of space.” “The only difference between me and a bucket of slop is the bucket.” You could probably add your own thoughts to these. Like us, Job should be talking to himself instead of listening to himself, as the Psalmist did. “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? Hope in God!” He is addressing himself. We often listen to ourselves when we should talk to ourselves. Satan plants negative little voices inside us, playing discouraging tapes in endless loops. We need to eject those tapes, take ourselves in hand, sit ourselves down, and give ourselves a talking to. As Jeremiah reminded the suffering slaves in Babylon, God has a wonderful plan for your future. Trust it!

Tags: ,
Permalink
Job 1:21, James 5:11

Never Surrender

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 25, 2024

Job is a remarkable man of faith! Notice the four reports he receives in Chapter 1. His sheep, flocks, herds, and children were all destroyed; some by what might be described as a natural disaster, an act of God, a tornado and a fire, and some stolen by terrorists, or invaders. Just one of those reports would have been enough to send us into a tizzy, but the cumulative effect of all four must have been devastating.  Yet, Job, our hero, replies with a verse we all should memorize. In Job 1:21, he says, “Naked I came into the world, and naked from it, I will go. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

You’d think things would get better for Job after such an expression of faith in light of the circumstances and that God would protect him. But then the Lord allows Satan to strike Job once again, and now his health is gone. He’s described as having boils and sores all over, and of course, he’s even unable to sleep. His regular practice was to get up early to do his worship time with God, but now He cries out to God all night long for relief but doesn’t get it! In a day when there was no morphine, Prozac, or anything for physical or emotional pain like we have today, Job felt the entire experience in a way we probably will never have to. I understand how he finally arrived at the point that he says in Job 7:10, “I hate my life and don’t want to go on living.” He even gives up all hope. 7:6 says, “My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle. They end without hope.” Yet, amidst all the suicidal language, He hangs on. He doesn’t let go and “curse God and die,” as his wife suggests.

Thousands of years later Job is still talked about. James reminds us of the outcome. He writes in his epistle, Chapter 5 and verse 11, “you have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about…”  I think the operative word in that verse is “finally.” It took a long time, but the verse goes on, “…the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” Tim Allen, who plays Peter Quincy Taggert as the Captain of the Star Ship in Galaxy Quest, is famous for saying, “Never give up! Never Surrender!” The movie makes that sound as corny as ever, but that seemed to be Job’s motto. They don’t sound so corny, however, when you are facing a trial or a hardship in real life. Winston Churchill spoke words like these as England faced a potential invasion by Nazi forces. He said, “We shall go to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”[1]

[1] Tan, Paul Lee. 1996. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Tags: ,
Permalink
Job 1:5, Various

Blameless and Upright

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 24, 2024

God calls Job “blameless and upright.” That’s quite a commendation! God even brings up Job’s goodness in his discussion with Satan, saying, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”  What is it that makes Job “blameless and upright?” There are probably too many things to mention, but one thing that Job does stands out to me. Actually, this one thing seems to be the only thing about Job’s life’s routines that is described. It’s something, however, that is shared by many biblical characters. And it seems to be commended always. Did Job tithe? We don’t know. But we do know that Job had the habit of rising early in the morning to worship God. Job 1:5 says, “He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings …Thus Job did continually.”

Have you ever noticed that the heroes of the Bible often met with God at daybreak to seek His leading? For example, Abraham got up very early to stand before the Lord (Gen. 19:27). Jacob woke up with the first light of the morning to worship God after having seen a vision of angels in the night (Gen. 28:18). Moses went early to meet the Lord at Sinai (Ex. 34:4). Joshua got an early start when he prepared to capture Jericho (Josh. 6:12). Gideon made his way at dawn to examine the fleece he had placed on the ground to discern Jehovah’s will (Jud. 6:38).  And in the Book of Job we learn that he left his bed at an early hour to offer sacrifices to the Lord in behalf of his children. We can also glean that this was Jesus’ practice as well. Mark tells us about how Jesus would rise before the sun to have private time with the Father.

Most of the people I know commend the early riser. I’ve always been a morning person. That’s probably because of my years in the Navy when I didn’t have any choice. Therefore, for me, it’s best to follow Job’s example. I get up early and do my reading, devotion, and praying before the rest of the household is awake. It helps me start my day. I agree with David Jeremiah. He writes, “If we put prayer at the beginning of the day, it sets the tone for the day. You may not consider yourself a ‘morning person.’ But then again, you are a person, and you do have to get up in the morning. And if you begin your day by communing with your God, it will change the nature and character of your waking hours.”[1] But this is not for everyone. Max Lucado admits that he works best at night when everyone is asleep. He says, “I tried the early morning hours, which for some reason seemed more righteous—but the tow truck I needed to pull me out of bed couldn’t make it up the stairs.”[2] So, Max regularly spends his evening hours after everyone else is in bed with God. I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter. What is important is the end comment in Job 1:5, “Thus Job did continually.” Whatever is best for us, we should make it a habit.

[1] Jeremiah, David. 1998. God in You: Releasing the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Life. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

[2] Lucado, Max. 1987. God Came near: Chronicles of the Christ. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press.

Tags:
Permalink
Job 1.1

Ancient Wisdom

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 23, 2024

The Book of Job in the Old Testament is most likely the oldest of all the books. It’s supposed to even pre-date Genesis. I like what Lindsay says, “The book of Job is one of the most fascinating books in the Bible. It is a masterpiece in literature that has intrigued readers throughout the generations of time. Though the book is ancient and is considered to be the oldest book in the Bible, its insights are remarkably relevant to today.”[1]  The storyline of Job is simple. Job, a blameless worshiper of God, experiences a series of devastating tragedies. Three friends come to comfort him but end up arguing that since God is good, Job must have done something terrible to deserve his intense suffering. Job refutes them and, in the process, points to injustices God permits in His world. A young observer suggests that God may have other purposes in suffering than to punish. Then God Himself speaks to Job. The Lord gives no reason for what has happened to Job, but Job realizes he must submit to God rather than question Him. Job is restored. His three pious friends, who have so forcefully held to their “retribution theology” as the only explanation for suffering, are rebuked by the Lord. Job goes on to live a long and blessed life. Job is part of the biblical literature we call “The Wisdom Literature.” Like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Job gives us insights to manage our lives in this world.

Most scholars agree that the book was written before 2000 BC.  Courson says, “This would make it not only the oldest book in the Bible but one of the oldest books in human history. I find this intriguing because one of the oldest books in the Bible, one of the oldest books in human history, deals with the question we still ask to this day: Why do bad things happen to good people?”[2] The Book introduces us to Satan, the adversary, in the first chapter and details his desperate attempts to get Job to curse God. Even though Job is vindicated in the book, God never explains Himself to Job. He just calls for faith.

That’s the way it is! God doesn’t always explain himself.  Life doesn’t always make sense, and God doesn’t give us the answers for all the suffering in the world. He doesn’t give us the answers to why the wicked prosper in our world, either. Like Job, we must realize that it is our duty to simply submit to God’s plan and program for our lives without questioning Him. This is what faith is: Trusting God in all the confusing, painful, and threatening situations of life.  No matter what happens today, this week, this month, or this year, we must never forget that God always has our best interest foremost in mind, and His good plan and purpose for our lives will find complete fulfillment in the end.

[1] Lindsay, Dennis Gordon. 1998. Harmony of Science and Scripture. Creation Science Series. Dallas: Christ for the Nations.

[2] Courson, Jon. 2005. Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Volume One: Genesis–Job. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Tags:
Permalink
Revelations 19:1

Much People!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 22, 2024

We usually use the word “much” as an adverb. It adds intensity to an action as we laugh too much, or the opposite, it doesn’t matter too much. In the days of the King James Bible, the word much was also used as an adjective in the same way we use the word “many.” It appears 25 times in the KJV, referring to people. When Joshua went out to go to battle, he had armies that consisted of “much people” (Joshua 11:4). The NIV calls this a “huge army.” In the Gospels, “much people” is now translated with the phrase “great crowds” or something like that. There are many more references like this. But the one I’m interested in this morning is from Revelation 19 and verse 1. It says that there will be heard a “great voice of much people…” who will be worshipping and praising God in heaven. The English Standard Version puts it all this way, “After this, I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah!  Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just…’”

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  Was Jesus telling us that there wouldn’t be very many people going to heaven?  Although we don’t know how many people will be in heaven, Augustine speculated that it would be the same percentage as the angels who fell (one-third; see Rev. 12:9), but the Bible nowhere says this. Others take Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 to be teaching that only a small fraction of all the people who ever lived will be in heaven.

Some scholars argue that this takes the passage out of context. B. B. Warfield, for example, says that Jesus is referring to “the immediate and local response to Jesus” message, not to the ultimate and universal statistics of heaven.” Geisler also argues, “Indeed, granting that all who die in infancy go to heaven, that life begins at conception, and that the mortality rate before the age of accountability down through the millennia has been roughly half of those conceived, it would seem to follow that there will be more people saved than lost. This is to say nothing of much of the world’s population since the time of Adam being still alive at this time; a great revival before Christ’s return could sweep even more souls into God’s kingdom.” Also, if we keep Augustine’s analogy, there are two-thirds of faithful angels, there will also be two-thirds of all adult humans who will be saved. This is just speculation, but since we know that God does not “want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance,” we can be sure that there will be “much people” to sing God’s praises along with the faithful angels.

Tags:
Permalink
Judges 2:8-10

My Heavenly Home

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 21, 2024

Mary Slessor, an English missionary residing in West Africa, received word of the death of her mother and sister. She then wrote to a friend, “Heaven is now nearer to me than Brittan.” When I used to think of heaven, I would think of the wonderful biblical descriptions: the streets of gold, the beautiful colors, the tree of life, the end of sadness, sickness, and disease. I would picture a perfect world with complete harmony and ultimate fulfillment of my desire to know more about God. When Kathy’s dad, Freddie, passed away in 1978, we began to think about heaven more often. When my dad died in 1979, I began to think of heaven a little differently. It was a great place to go before (and, of course, it still is), but now I knew someone who was there. I had someone there. Then, when my Mom died in 1985, it became an even more interesting place with a deeper value to me for reasons other than the joys and pleasures I would enjoy when I got there. When my sister died at 48 years of age in 1993, heaven started to look more like home for me.  Kathy’s mom died in July of 2012, and it added to the population of people we knew in heaven. There were others there that I had never met. My great-grandfather, who was a Danish Lutheran Minister in Copenhagen, Denmark, had gone to heaven years ago. I’ve wondered about him a lot. I think I’m beginning to understand what Mary meant. Home is where my loved ones are. It’s not a place.

I like it when the Bible says that Abraham was gathered to his people. Moses was also gathered to his people. It uses the same phrase for others in the Old Testament as well. It was applied to the whole generation of Israelites who died with Joshua. Judges 2:8-10 says, “And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers.” Some have argued that it simply means he died and was buried. When we read the story of Abraham’s death, it says he died, then he was gathered with his people. His body, then, was buried by his sons in the cave at Machpelah. As Maclaren says, “It is then the equivalent neither of death nor of burial. It conveys dimly and veiledly that Abraham was buried, and yet that was not all that happened to him. He was buried, but also ‘he was gathered to his people.’”[1]

At 77, I think that I have more friends and relatives in heaven than I do on earth. It means more to me to think of heaven as my home now. In her book, Who Walk Alone, Margaret Evening tells of a dream that helped her understand the nature of heaven and hell. She writes, “In the dream, I visited Hell, where the sub-Warden showed me round. To my surprise, I was led along a labyrinth of dark, dank passages from which there were numerous doors leading into cells. It was not like Hell as I had pictured it at all. In fact, it was all rather religious and ‘churchy’! Each cell was identical. The central piece of furniture was an altar, and before each altar knelt (or, in some cases, were prostrated) green-grey spectral figures in attitudes of prayer and adoration. ‘But whom are they worshipping?’ I asked my guide. ‘Themselves,’ came the reply immediately. ‘This is pure self-worship. They are feeding on themselves and their own spiritual vitality in a kind of auto-spiritual-cannibalism. That is why they are so sickly looking and emaciated.’ I was appalled and saddened by the row upon row of cells with their non-communicating inmates, spending eternity in solitary confinement, themselves the first, last, and only object of worship. The dream continued . . . but the point germane to our discussion here has been made. According to the teaching of the New Testament, Heaven is community. My dream reminded me that Hell is isolation.”[2] Going to heaven is going home. Going to hell is going to be alone.

[1] Maclaren, Alexander. 2008. Expositions of Holy Scripture. Heritage Educational Systems.

[2] Green, Michael P., ed. 1989. Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively. Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Tags:
Permalink

What is Heaven Like?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 20, 2024

According to the “Pastor’s Story File,” children often have strange ideas about what heaven is going to be like. For example, 8-year-old Eric thinks, “It is a place where there is a lot of money lying around. You could just pick it up, play with it, and buy things. I think I am going to buy a basketball, and I am going to play basketball with my great-great-grandmother.” Seven-year-old Scottie says, “Heaven is up in the sky, and you could look down at circuses for free if you want to, except you have to ask God for permission first.” Seven-year-old David says, “Heaven is kind of big, and they sit around playing harps. I don’t know how to play a harp, but I suppose I should learn how to play that dumb thing pretty soon.” Finally, seven-year-old Tommy says, “I know what heaven is, but I don’t want to go there. I want to go to North Carolina instead.”[1] Adults are not so naïve, but I’ve heard enough “mature” understandings of heaven that I sometimes think I’d rather go to North Carolina, too. But I think the normal assumptions all miss the mark.

I don’t suppose we’ll ever be able to grasp the nature of the wonder and glory of heaven.  As a matter of fact, the mystery of heaven makes it even more attractive. I can take the biblical descriptions for face value and not have to wrestle with making more out of them than is intended. I know it’s a wonderful place. When Paul quoted from Isaiah, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9), I’m confident that the details of the experience are hidden alright, but the glory of the place and all the joy that awaits us is clearly what has been revealed to us by God’s Spirit as Paul continues to say in 1 Corinthians 2:10. Also, remember that when Paul speaks of the one who was caught “up into the third heaven” he speaks of a person (probably himself) who had witnessed things that were unspeakable. He could not, and knew that he should not, talk about those things.

Marco Polo, the famous Venetian traveler of the thirteenth century, when lay dying, was urged by his attendants to recant—to withdraw the stories he had told about China and the lands of the Far East. But he said, “I have not told half what I saw.” Whatever awaits us is something beyond the scope of our experience on earth and, therefore, something we cannot understand until we arrive. Whatever is there, it will be the most glorious that we can ever imagine. Our sorry descriptions will all seem so futile.  The most important detail about heaven is it is where God and Jesus live.  When I see Jesus, I will become like Him! Billy Graham said in his book World Aflame, “Heaven will be more modern and up-to-date than any of the present-day constructions of man. Heaven will be a place to challenge the creative genius of the unfettered mind of redeemed man. Heaven will be a place made supremely attractive by the presence of Christ.”[2]

[1] Morgan, Robert J. 2000. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes. Electronic ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[2] Jones, G. Curtis. 1986. 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Tags:
Permalink
Proverbs 13:24

The Value Of Discipline

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 19, 2024

One of the most difficult challenges in life is children. We love them. We are always proud of them. We always value them. The Bible gives the responsibility of children to their parents. The government does not own our children. The public school system does not own our children. Children are the responsibility of their parents. Hurley says, “Parents who refuse to discipline their children and punish them when discipline fails stifle their learning skills. Only children who learn accountability and who suffer for irresponsibility can constructively handle pain, disappointment, and failure as they mature. In responding to parental penalties, children learn how to manage greater rejections later. Children will grow older naturally but will mature only as parents prepare them for adulthood.[1] The book of Proverbs has numerous instructions to parents on this responsibility. One of the primary verses is Proverbs 13:24. It says, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”

I’ve known this passage to be used to justify the abuse of children. That is not what is meant by it. The scriptures are solid instructions for training and discipline, not only for children but for all of us. We are valued by God. That means we’re loved. God’s discipline in our life is evidence of His love for us. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament say this. We all face discipline when we disobey, and we should train our children accordingly.  Hurley goes on to say, “Hardly any child-behavior expert denies that parents need to clearly define and enforce rules for children.”

In a Navajo puberty ceremony, the child lies on blankets placed on the ground. He has his legs and arms pulled straight to grow tall. Then, his mouth is slapped four times so he will not talk too much. Each culture has its own approach to child-rearing. I don’t think my mouth was slapped enough when I was going through puberty. My mouth got me into more trouble when I was a teenager than I care to admit. I still struggle with saying the right things at the right time. Solomon said in Proverbs 14:3, “The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline, but the lips of the wise protect them.” We are no longer diligent to discipline. We have children killing other children. We have teenage mobs robbing our retail stores in major US cities.  Our culture seems to have raised a generation of rebellious, disrespectful, loud-mouthed kids who are know-it-alls and won’t listen to any instruction. The entertainment industry does not help this situation. Hurley adds, “The permissive American approach is shocking to many other cultures. Having bombastic, know-it-all kids on our television programs has only exacerbated that perception.” I used to tell my sons that if we, as parents,  didn’t discipline them when they were young and under our love, care, and protection, the police, courts, and the prison system would have to make up for our failures. I don’t think I can say that anymore.

[1] Hurley, Virgil. 2000. Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations. Electronic ed. Dallas: Word Publishers.

Tags:
Permalink
sewa motor jogja
© Chuck Larsen 2019. Powered by WordPress.