Behold The Glory Of Christ

The night before His death, Our Lord Christ prayed to the Father and prayed for us as His followers. He prayed that we would behold His glory. This is the greatest blessing for us from Christ, to see Him.

John 17:4–5, 24 ESV “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. . . . Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

This summer my two teenage sons and I are reading and discussing together The Glory of Christ by John Owen. This short book encourages us to behold the glory of Christ now by faith, with the assurance that later we will behold His glory by sight. 

John Owen opens his series of teachings and meditations by saying, “The glory of Christ is the glory of the person of Christ.” He encourages us to consider three aspects of this.

Person of Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the One Triune God, who became man. He is fully God and fully human. This mystery of His one person in two natures is glorious. Beholding this glory by Bible reading, prayer and meditation brings joy and amazement, satisfying our souls over and over again.

Character of Christ

Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God. Through Him we know God and what God is like. His earthly life and ministry recorded in the Gospels show us the true character of the true God. We see His love, mercy, grace, as well as His truth, righteousness and just judgment. Beholding this glory revealed and recorded in Scripture by prayer and meditation fills up our souls.

Work of Christ

Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins, rose from the dead for our justification, and ascended to glory. He accomplished redemption and brings the full blessings of salvation into our lives through the Holy Spirit. Soon He will return with the fullness of the Kingdom. Beholding this glory which is beyond all human strivings and hopes, written from the beginning to the end of Scripture, is yet again seen by faith through prayer and meditation.

Regularly beholding the glory of Christ by faith will transform your life and your ministry. I often give out The Glory of Christ by John Owen as a gift to ministers around the world, and they later testify to this reality. 

Take time daily to truly behold, to see and enjoy, the glory of Christ in the person of Christ. Do this by faith now, and know that soon we will behold Him with our very eyes!

When you read the Word of God, what do you discover and see about who Christ is? Stop reading and praise Him for who He is in the glory of His being. What do you see highlighted about what He is like as a person? Again, stop and behold His glory in adoration and enjoyment. What blessings are described as a result from Christ’s work on the Cross and in His Resurrection? Yet again, pause and use the very Words of Scripture in your worship of the Glorious One.

How To Enjoy The Goodness Of Good Friday

Good Friday is so very important! 

As Christians we should not overlook, but take advantage of Holy Week to meditate upon the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross.

Here is my integration, or harmony, of the Scriptural texts surrounding Good Friday. Take your time this upcoming week to read, wonder, ponder, enjoy, pray and ultimately rejoice in your Savior, Jesus Christ!

There are five movements: The Garden of Gethsemane, The Jewish Trial of Our Lord, The Roman Trial of Our Lord, The Cross at Golgotha and The Tomb.

“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. . . . I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’” (John 12:23,24,32) 

The Garden of Gethsemane

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.  Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.” (John 18:1-2)
“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
“Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter.  ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’
“He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’  When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.” (Matthew 26:36-44)
“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:43-44)
“Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’  While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.” (Matthew 26:45-47)
“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’  ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)  When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.
“Again he asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’  ‘I told you that I am he,’ Jesus answered. ‘If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’  This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled:  ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’” (John 18:4-9)
“Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.  Jesus replied, ‘Friend, do what you came for.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
“With that, one of Jesus' companions [Peter] reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest [Malchus], cutting off his ear.  ‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’  [And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.]  At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’ Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:48-56)

The Jewish Trial of Our Lord

“Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.  Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.  Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door.
“The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.  ‘You are not one of his disciples, are you?’ the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, ‘I am not.’  It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.  
“Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.  ‘I have spoken openly to the world,’ Jesus replied. ‘I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.  Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.’  When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face.  ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ he demanded.  ‘If I said something wrong,’ Jesus replied, ‘testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’  Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.” (John 12:12-24)
“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.  Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.  Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:  ‘We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’’  Yet even then their testimony did not agree.
“Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’  But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.  Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’  ‘I am,’ said Jesus, ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’  The high priest tore his clothes.  ‘Why do we need any more witnesses?’ he asked.  ‘You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?’ They all condemned him as worthy of death. (Mark 14:55-64)
“A little later someone else saw him [Peter] and said, ‘You also are one of them.’  ‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied.  About an hour later another [servant of the High Priest, a relative of Malchus] asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.’  Peter replied, ‘Man, I don't know what you're talking about!’  Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him:  ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’  And he went outside and wept bitterly.
“The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.  They blindfolded him and demanded, ‘Prophesy! Who hit you?’  And they said many other insulting things to him.
“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.  ‘If you are the Christ,’ they said, ‘tell us.’  Jesus answered, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.  But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’  They all asked, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’  He replied, ‘You are right in saying I am.’  Then they said, ‘Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.’” (Luke 22:58-71)
“They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
“When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.  ‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘for I have betrayed innocent blood.’  ‘What is that to us?’ they replied.  ‘That's your responsibility.’  So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.  Then he went away and hanged himself.  The chief priests picked up the coins and said, ‘It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.’  So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners.  That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ‘They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.’” (Matthew 27:2-10)

The Roman Trial of Our Lord

“Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.  So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?’  ‘If he were not a criminal,’ they replied, ‘we would not have handed him over to you.’  Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.’  ‘But we have no right to execute anyone,’ the Jews objected.  This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.” (John 18:28-32)
“And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’” (Luke 23:2)
“Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’  But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor.” (Matthew 27:13-14)
“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’  ‘Is that your own idea,’ Jesus asked, ‘or did others talk to you about me?’  ‘Am I a Jew?’ Pilate replied.  ‘It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?’  Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’  ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate.  Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’  ‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked.” (John 18:33-38a)
“Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no basis for a charge against this man.’  But they insisted, ‘He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.’
“On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.  When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.  When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.  From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle.  He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.  
“The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.  Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.  That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies.
“Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,  and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.  Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.’” (Luke 23:4-16)
“Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested.  A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.  The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.  ‘Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. (Mark 15:6-10)
“While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’” (Matthew 27:19)
“But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.” (Mark 15:11)
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.  The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they struck him in the face.
“Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.’  When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’  As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’  But Pilate answered, ‘You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.’” (John 19:1-6)
“But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’  When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man's blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’  All the people answered, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!’ (Matthew 27:23b-25)
“The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.’  When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace.  ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.  ‘Do you refuse to speak to me?’ Pilate said.  ‘Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’  Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’
“From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’
“When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).  It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.  ‘Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews.  But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’  ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked.  ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered.” (John 19:7-15)
“Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:15)  
“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.  They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him.  ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.” (Matthew 27:27-31)

The Cross at Golgotha

“As they led him away, [carrying his own cross], they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.  A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.  Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’  For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"  Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.” (Luke 23:26-32)
“They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).  There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.” (Matthew 27:33-34)
“there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.  Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’” (Luke 23:33b-34a)
“Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.  The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, ‘Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.’  Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’
“When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.  ‘Let's not tear it,’ they said to one another.  ‘Let's decide by lot who will get it.’  This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, ‘They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.’ So this is what the soldiers did.” (John 19:19-24)
“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’  In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and 
the elders mocked him.  ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:39-43)
“The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ . . . One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’  But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don't you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’  Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:36-37,39-43)
“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’  From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:25-27)
“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ -- which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’  When some of those standing near heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he's calling Elijah.’” (Mark 15:33-35)
“. . . knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.” (John 19:28-29)
“The rest said, ‘Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.’” (Matthew 27:49)
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’” (John 19:30a)
“Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’  When he had said this, he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46)
“. . . the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.  The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.’” (Matthew 27:51-53)
“The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’  When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee [to care for his needs], stood at a distance, watching these things.” (Luke 23:47-49)

The Tomb

“Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
“The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.  But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.  Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.  The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.  These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’” (John 19:31-37)
“Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.” (Luke 23:50-52)
“. . . Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.
“With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.  He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.  Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.  Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:38b-42)
“The women [Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses] who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.” (Luke 23:55)
“. . . He [Joseph] rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matthew 27:60b) “Then they [the women] went home and prepared spices and perfumes.  But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56)
“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “after three days I will rise again.”  So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day.  Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead.  This last deception will be worse than the first.’
“‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered.  ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’  So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.” (Matthew 27:62-66)

(If you are interested in learning more about the meaning of Jesus’ Cross, one of the best modern books written about this topic is The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott.)

DO NOT FEED (Dogs & Pigs)

How do we know when to stop evangelizing someone?  Is there such a point?

Most of us have great love for an unsaved friend or relative, who does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We eagerly desire their salvation, and so we share the Gospel with them. We do this over and over, using a variety of approaches.

Yet, the person only seems to get more and more annoyed and even grows in hostility. We wonder: is this my fault or is it simply the result of the Gospel itself? We ask ourselves, “should I stop evangelizing?” Is this even a Christian question?

Jesus Gave a Stopping Point 

Matthew 7:6 ESV ““Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

The teaching of the metaphor feeding swine and wild dogs is quite straightforward: holy things are not to be given to the unholy. Why not?  Because the holy things, which are the details of the Gospel of the Kingdom, will be trampled and the giver of them will be torn to pieces.

“Dogs” and “pigs” are derogatory terms, since they are unclean animals according to the Law. Here they stand for people who have a proven track record of hostility toward the Gospel of the Kingdom.

These people are relatively easy to identify because of their characteristic way of treating the Gospel. Pigs trample down pearls, (they criticize and ridicule the precious treasure of the Gospel), because it is not the food they want. Dogs eventually spurn the sacred truths they have been chewing on and turn on the one who gave it to them.  

The teaching of Jesus here is that members of the Kingdom are not to let these people have continued opportunity to disgrace the Gospel. The dignity of the Gospel must be preserved at some point in the process of evangelism.

These people have shown themselves to be unworthy of the Gospel by their response of contempt and hardness toward the Gospel. When this level of resistance is reached in the hearers of the Gospel, we are to no longer offer them the Gospel, so that we may go on to reach those who will receive the Gospel with great eagerness and joy.  

Jesus would later instruct His disciples according to this principle:

Matthew 10:11–14 ESV “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”

And the Apostle Paul ministered according to this principle in his missionary journeys. Take a look at Acts 13:44-51 when he proclaimed people unworthy; 18:5-6 when he shook out his garments; and 28:17-28 when he indicted people with the words of Isaiah.

A (Spiritual) Wisdom Call

How do we know when the point of stopping is reached? It is a wisdom call. Not human wisdom however, but a spiritual wisdom that comes through the Word and prayer.

We have to proclaim the Gospel first to know into which category people fall. We need feedback from the message. We cannot and should not pre-judge peoples’ response to the Gospel. Once we have their responses we are not to continue to preach the Gospel to those that have proven themselves hard toward the Gospel and contemptuous of it. 

These are not those who are indifferent or mildly unreceptive; we should keep annoying them with the Gospel! These are those who ridicule it without really even listening. They are hostile, even violent, toward the Gospel. 

We do not want the glorious Gospel to be besmirched and ridiculed before the world. We don’t want to bring disrespect to the Gospel by letting people ridicule it. We will not save people by our own efforts no matter how hard we try. We will not honor God’s name among men if we give opportunity to blasphemers.

We also want to be strategic with the Gospel and our efforts in evangelism. We don’t want to fail to proclaim salvation in every situation that we should. We will not be those bringing Good News of salvation, if we stop too soon; and we will not see the power of the Gospel. We want the saving power of the Gospel to be what the world observes!

Prayer is the Answer

Matthew 7:7 ESV ““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

What is the answer? It is prayer. Do not take this too lightly.  Many of us do, and that is why we are often so bewildered. Instead of asking too many questions we should pray!  At least, let us pray first!

It is better to pray too many prayers (if there is such a thing) than to ask too many questions and try to answer them in our own wisdom. Prayer will bring the answer of wisdom in evangelism.

In evangelizing difficult people with the Gospel, we should pray first to know how to approach such a person. Then we should proclaim the Gospel boldly and compassionately, praying all the while in our spirit. Finally, we should consider the response we receive. Consider it in prayer that is, not in human wisdom. 

Repeat these three steps prayerfully, asking each time, “Lord, how much longer? . . .  Will you be pleased to save? . . . Should I continue or move on? . . .  Am I honoring the dignity of the Gospel? . . . etc.” 

When it is time to stop proclaiming the Gospel to certain people for a while, keep praying. Keep praying for his or her salvation, yet remain content in God’s ways of working and His timing. Go find new people with whom to share the Gospel of the Kingdom!

My Worst Enemy Became My Best Friend

He probably wasn’t my worst enemy, but it sure felt like it at the time.  

He really didn’t become my best friend either, though after being so strongly against me, by comparison it felt like he had become my best friend.

The Worst Enemy

He was always the loudmouth contrarian at every business meeting, so it was only a matter of time before my ministry was his next project, and me.

Most of the trash talk was behind my back. He would put questions into people’s minds about my effectiveness. He would come up with ministry suggestions that he knew I wouldn’t support and were outside our mission as a church.  

He knew what he was doing and I knew what he was doing and he knew that I knew what he was doing. The worst part was that he would question my motives, slandering me before others in the church.  

It wasn’t long before I couldn’t do anything right. I suspect that he was even part of group, probably the leader or instigator, that anonymously tried to stop my ministerial credentialing and get me fired or get me to quit.

The Best Friend

I have no idea what I ever did to get on his bad side. At first it was frustrating and I tried in vain to answer all the questions people and my supervisor would ask. But after a number of months it turned into a church politics game that I learned to enjoy and became fairly good at myself!

Actually, I learned a lot during this time about how to pray for my enemies! I have attempted to put my thoughts together on this subject here: O Lord Smite My Enemies, But In A Loving Sort Of Way!

Nevertheless, humanly speakng, I have no idea what I ever did to get on his good side. One day he snapped. All of a sudden he supported me in everything I did.  He praised me and my work publicly. He would speak encouragingly to me and tell me how much he was praying for me. It was a weird relief.

We started connecting and enjoying one another. I suspect that the Lord used my prayers (and maybe his), that the senior leader got through to him, that his wife got through to him or that he finally saw that we were on the same side for the spiritual health and growth of the church. People are oh so interesting! And God is oh so powerful!

We started working on ministry plans together, and he started to love on my family and children.  My new “best friend” would move on to glory about 20 years after this. Someday I hope to get the full story of how God healed our relationship.

Here is both a prayer list and a to do list in these situations.

Romans 12:9–21 ESV “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Do not give up on those who oppose you, for you never know if God might turn your worst enemy into your best friend.

We Don’t Always Have To Pray About It

How often do we hear people say “I will need to pray about it” and we wonder why this is really necessary?

Certainly, praying about a decision is spiritually wise and biblically correct.  But, some prayers should be relatively brief and a decision made quickly.

Here are three common mistakes in thinking we need to pray over every decision, with three suggested adjustments.

Avoiding a Decision or a Person

Sometimes people already know their answer.  And often it is the right answer.  But they say they will pray about it to avoid being honest and direct.  Perhaps they are afraid to say “no,” especially if pressured to pray about it, or to say “yes” too suddenly. 

In such cases it is not likely that serious prayer will be performed.  Instead, we should be clear with people from the beginning with a “yes” or “no” and a simple reason why.  This may lead to a deeper conversation and even possibly truly thoughtful prayer about the decision.

Mistaking it for Humility

How can anyone disagree with prayer?!  It is the Christian thing to do to submit to God in prayer.  But I wonder if this type of humble prayer is taking place as often as it is reported.  There are many things in life that we just decide without conscious prayer for direction; and this is fine.

Humble reliance upon the indwelling Spirit of God should allow Christians to make many decisions with confidence, and not use prayer as a means of delay.  There is no need to feign humility and spirituality if it is not needed, or you already know the answer God wants you give.

Denying the Obvious Will of God

Many times, in fact very many times, when people say they need to pray about it they already know God’s will in the matter.  This is tragic.  Because, if God has been clear in His Word, clear in our mind and heart, clear in godly counsel and clear by life’s circumstances, then we should get on with it!  

It is an insult to God and foolish to pray against His will, like Gideon in Judges 6.  Instead, we should pray with great thanksgiving that He has equipped us for the task at hand, and led us so faithfully!

Different Decisions and Degrees of Prayers

Certainly, there are many decisions that require significant amounts of prayer and intense searching before the Lord.  If this is required we should definitely give ourselves to the Lord in prayer.   It takes spiritual wisdom to know the outcomes of an upcoming decision and how to match it to the degree of prayer necessary.

We should challenge others and ourselves when we say “I need to pray about it.”  Do we really need to do so, and for how long?  If we are abiding in Christ, walking in the Spirit, and enjoying our relationship with our Father, then we will find that many decisions can be made without delay and with spiritual confidence and humility.

If Prayer Works There, It Must Work Here Too

If you want to change your prayer life go on a mission to a difficult location.

Even within one week you will learn to pray in new ways for new things, and see God at work as you have never seen Him before.

Different Lives, Different Prayers

Our teams from our church prayed for safety from militants, healing for suffering children and freedom from demons and their influence.  And we do have our stories of favor with powerful leaders, healings that led to salvation and spiritual warfare that brought glory to Christ and the Gospel.

It was very important for us to learn, that although those seemed like exotic prayer requests to us at the time, they are normal prayer requests for most Christians in the world today.

But, we also prayed for more normal things to us like unity on the team, success with the Gospel, general health and safety, Spirit inspired words to speak, stamina, love for all kinds of people, and the list goes on.  These are just as spiritual of requests.

God answered what we considered unusual requests in ways that changed our thinking.  But He answered our more usual requests so immediately and palpably that we were just as amazed!

We would return home from these mission campaigns having learned that prayer works, that our faith works.  Actually, we learned that God is mightily at work in the world to bring glory to His Name through Jesus Christ and crush His opponents in the spiritual realm!

Now, Different Prayers in Our Lives

We learned that not only does prayer really work, but how to pray more according to His will.  Our Lord Jesus taught us about His Mission, our role in it and the place of prayer.

John 14:12–14 ESV ““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

To pray in Jesus’ name means that we are praying for His honor and glory to increase, for the Gospel to advance, and with confident trust in Him for the details.

We started to pray very differently, more fervently and focused. We learned to pray for more important things in people’s lives and with greater confidence and simplicity.   Prayer meetings became lively encouraging and visionary experiences, not the dull and poorly attended ones you might avoid.

1 John 5:14–15 ESV “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

Prayer worked there, so it must work here as well.  It is not that God didn’t answer our prayers before we went.  But, we became more observant, concerned for the answers that would advance the name of Jesus Christ.  We became more faithful, sensitive to the true needs, especially the spiritual needs, of those around us.  We became more faith-filled, praying like we meant it and that we believed God cared.

Even more importantly we learned how best to be praying four our national partners and our missionaries.  Many have returned often; and some have signed up for a new life and Gospel mission in a different part of the world!

Pray That Other People’s Prayers Get Answered First

Your friends might pray better prayers than you do.

The Praying Prayer Team

I have many friends who regularly pray for me, my family and my ministry.  Sometimes, I wish I could listen in while they are praying.  This is because I know them and how spiritually-minded they are.  I am confident they are praying for my best and for the advance of the Gospel of the Kingdom through me.

One reason I would like to listen is to hear how the Holy Spirit might be leading them to pray for God’s will for my ministry.  But, I don’t need to hear their prayers because I will see the results of their prayers soon enough!

Borrowing Their Prayers

Sometimes I have a hard time praying for myself.  The same is true for my ministry.  I might just be tired, or tired of praying the same things over and over.  And I am sure I don’t see all the things for which I should be praying.

Every so often I start by praying, “Lord answer the prayers of Dave & Beth, Bala & Carol, Tim & Lisa, Tim & Michelle, Raymy & Jennifer, Brian & Pearl, Bob & Pam, John & Debbie on my behalf.”  These dear friends form my core prayer team.  Other days, the Lord will bring to mind other prayerful friends.  Whatever these people have prayed is surely good.

A Really Good Solution

This kind of praying opens my mind to the broader purposes and workings of God in the world and our lives.  I end up praying for those who are praying for me, and our partnership in the Gospel is strengthened!

Have you ever noticed how the Apostle Paul truly valued the prayers of his mission partners?  He understood prayer to be a powerful means of support, encouragement and actually making a difference in his ministry.

2 Corinthians 1:11 ESV “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” 

Colossians 4:3 ESV “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ . . ." 

Ephesians 6:18–19 ESV “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel," 

Romans 15:30 ESV “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,”

It is wonderful to know that we are co-workers through our prayers.  Pray for those who are praying for you, that God answer their prayers for your ministry even before He answers your own.

Going After The Other Nine

Many people cry out to God in their distress and ask for relief, even those who do not know Him.  God is a merciful God, and so He often answers their requests, and even in the very manner they asked from Him!

Thanks, But No Thanks

But what thanks does He most frequently get?  Is the thanks only a simple prayer, “thank you very much, God?”  Maybe He gets a good deed or two out of it, or a check for a few dollars sometimes.  Perhaps, a little more, as long as the feeling or memory lingers.  But, is that all God deserves?

Would not the proper response include a seeking hard after God, to know Him and serve Him?  God is constantly merciful to so many people.  But, so often, once people get what they want from Him, they discard whatever faith they had.

Why then is He still so merciful?  It is because God really is a very merciful, patient, kind, and forbearing God!

God’s acts of general mercy should point people to see the glory of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him, receiving from Him the best mercy of all—eternal salvation!

A Story from Luke

Luke shows us that God still acts mercifully today, and tells this story of the Ten Lepers hoping to lead many who have received God’s mercy to a true faith in Christ Jesus.

Luke 17:11–19 ESV “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.””

The Tragedy of Getting Too Little

Luke challenges unbelievers to return to God like the Samaritan and receive more than just a few met needs, like the other nine lepers.  He challenges them to receive salvation in Jesus Christ the Lord.

When people get want they want from God, they mistakenly think it to be enough.  This might be a miraculous escape from danger, or special help for their sick child, or relief from intense financial pressures, or a myriad of other needs.  This is tragic, because there is so much more available to them from Jesus Christ.

We see such behavior all around us today.  People get healed or rescued, but never go to church to praise God and learn about Him.  Some of them even had made a vow to do this very thing if God answered their prayers!

Challenge the Unbelieving

Feel free to challenge people on how lightly thy may have treated God’s gifts of mercy, especially if you know their situation was recent.  This is yet another way to begin what might turn out to be a spiritually profitable conversation.  This obligates people to look back and see their ingratitude and hopefully their need for true faith in Christ.

Don’t let people abscond with God’s mercies without an engaging Gospel conversation!  Follow Luke’s example and go after those who act like the nine lepers.

God responds mercifully to so many who cry out to Him.  It is good to cry out to God in Jesus’ name for healing and for whatever one needs.  Jesus still responds to calls for mercy and then He still expects faith as the proper response.  

Pray with the Unbelieving

Almost everyone has cried out to God and received mercy from Him at some point in their life.  And we should encourage them to do so.  

Sometimes we shy away from this because we have a strange notion that unbelievers shouldn’t be praying to a God they don’t know or don’t really believe in, or that God doesn’t hear them or act on their behalf.  

Times of distress and crisis and weakness are wonderful opportunities to minister to people. We should display the same general compassion of our Lord Jesus.  Of course, we will also desire more than this for them – a faith leading to salvation.  And so, we will follow up with them with the specifics of the Gospel message.

Pray with unconverted and for them, for acts of mercy from God.  God is really a generous God, and people need to know this and see this.  Many people respond to this kind of ministry, and many actually come to a true God-glorifying faith in Jesus Christ!

A Church With Two Clocks

Guest preachers would almost always do a double take, and some even wondered out loud, “why are there two clocks in the back of the sanctuary?”

The congregation would laugh.  “It is because we have an eccentric pastor,” I heard shouted a few times.  Although, after the worship service people would inform him of our vision for mission work in Asia.

Why Have Two Clocks?

Each clock was labeled by its time zone, but one of them was set for an Asia time zone. This clock corresponded to the country where our global mission focus was located.

The two clocks kept us on time with our vision.  It was a constant visual reminder of our unique calling to strive to advance the Gospel and plant churches among an unreached and unengaged people group far across the world.

As church members and even as a church, it is easy to forget our vision commitment, and sometimes even to forget the larger mission of the church in the world.  We get absorbed in our own lives and organizational concerns, among other things.

Why Not Have Two Clocks?

We would hold our World Christian Prayer Meetings in the same room.  The clocks helped us to pray better.  Not only was it motivational to see them, but we could picture what was going on at that specific time and date with our national ministry partners and friends.

It is true that many comments and jokes made it into many sermons over the years, but we liked it that way.  The pulpit comments from our guests helped us stay committed to our global mission focus and ready to articulate it.  In addition, a number of my preacher friends would re-tell the story of the church with two clocks and help spread the vision.

Every vision needs a little eccentricity to help move it forward.  It strengthens a group’s identity, commitment and fun together in fulfilling their calling.  I believe this congregation loved the strangeness of its pastor and his vision.

God's Approval Process

Why is it that some of our plans work out and some do not?  Have you ever considered that they have to pass though God’s approval process first?

God is sovereign over the affairs of the world and the plans of all humanity.  Ultimately, only His designs are the ones that indeed move forward, even when He allows the wicked to go ahead and succeed temporarily.  Everything must have God’s approval to take place in this world; and this is re-assuring.  

Even more personal to us as His People is having our plans line up with His plans.  We don’t just want Him to let us go ahead with our plans as if we were heathen.  We want our plans to really please God and truly advance His purposes in this world.  It is our responsibility to align our motivations and plans accordingly in order for them to be established by Him and used positively for His purposes. 

The Process

We are familiar with approval processes.  Maybe we have an idea, or a plan, but it needs approval from those in authority.  Such a review will usually improve the idea or strengthen the plan.  It will also ensure that it fulfills the right purpose and accomplishes what it should.  This is common procedure in our workplaces, in our schools, in government, and even with our parents.

Sometimes it can be frustrating and slow; other times it can be helpful, re-assuring, and resourceful.  Overall, it is good to have approval from authority and a well run process, so our lives and societies can be lived in an orderly and fair manner.

Proverbs 16:1-3 talks about God’s approval process over all the plans of all people.  Certainly, the analogy will break down at some point, but the author of Proverbs would have us consider it anyway because it is helpful for us.

Proverbs 16:1–3 ESV “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”

The Details

Verse 1 makes it clear that God has, as we might say, “the last word” on any given matter.  He gives the “answer” to any particular path of action.  This might also be interpreted as Yahweh working in the actual words of people.  He let’s spoken what He wants, and He even confounds as people speak.  Further, for His own, He leads them in what to say at right time and in right way.  We can easily envision, even recall, how such things have come to pass.

Verse 2 tells us that Yahweh is constantly evaluating the motives behind the plans contained in verse 1.  Everyone, generally speaking, is self-justifying in their motivations.  Sometimes this is trickery, sometimes delusional, other times it is just naïveté.  We are complex beings with complex motives, often beyond our own self-understanding.

But, Yahweh sees the truth always, even when people do not see it about themselves or others.  He alone is able to weigh the complexities of human thoughts and drives.  This is important for us to recognize and pray through for ourselves.

Psalms 19:12–13 ESV “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”

Psalms 139:23–24 ESV “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” 

1 Corinthians 4:3–5 ESV “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

Verse 3 provides us as believers the best course of action given the above truths in verses 1 and 2.  We should commit (literally “roll”) our plans over to Yahweh willingly at beginning when we make them, and then all way through to their completion.  In doing so, He will establish them as they should be.  As earlier taught in Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge him [meaning to know and be with Him], and he will make straight your paths.”

The Confidence

We need not worry then too much about purity of heart, because we do not have it, nor will we ever have such an experience in this life.  We all know this and know our need for His continual mercy.  We need not worry too much either about our effectiveness, our assessments of situations, or the expected outcomes from our plans.  In other words, we are not concerned with self-confidence regarding our motives or our abilities, but having a God-confidence in what we are doing.  

We are encouraged to be taught that everything must have God’s approval to take place in this world.  As Christians, our goal is not just to push our plans though God’s approval grid.  We must continually learn to “commit our work to Yahweh” for Him to establish it.  We want our plans to be pleasing to Him, and even advance His purposes for His glory. 

Identifying Messianic Psalms

The Messianic Psalms are the Psalms that speak about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Which ones are they?  This question is not as easy to answer as it might seem.

The Usual List

We start by taking note of the Psalms that are quoted in the New Testament.  Then, we add to the list those which, though not quoted, seem to overwhelmingly point to Jesus, nonetheless.  This might be because the language of the Psalm looks beyond its original situation, or Messianic terms are used, or a certain circumstance in the New Testament fits a specific Psalm so well.

Then they are often arranged in two groups, those about His life and those about His Kingship.  And so, we end up with about 21 Messianic Psalms.

Kingly Psalms:  2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 61, 72, 89, 110, 132, 144.
Personal Life Psalms:  8, 16, 22, 35, 40, 41, 55, 69, 102, 109.

The Full List

However, when searching through the Psalms you will start to wonder if this list of 21 is really sufficient.  Remember the teaching of our Lord Jesus Himself in Luke 24:44.

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Might it be more accurate to declare that all the Psalms are Messianic?  Although not all are Messianic in the same manner, but in a variety of ways.

The Christ is the ultimate extension of King David in the Psalms.  He Himself is also the ultimate resolution of all human aspirations expressed in the Psalms.  These things being so, the full and final satisfaction of each Psalm will be found only in Jesus Christ.

How To Read the Messianic Psalms

It is easiest and most rewarding to start with the most recognized and celebrated, the list of the most obvious 21.  Give yourself about 30 minutes to spend in each Psalm.

Here are five steps to follow when reading these Psalms:

1. Read through the Psalm from the perspective of the original audience.  Restrain yourself from thinking ahead.  Do this multiple times.
2. Read through the Psalm from the perspective of Messianic fulfillment.  Restrain yourself from going back in history.  Do this multiple times.
3. Stop.  Sit in awe.  Recognize the glory of God and Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you in His Scripture!
4. Offer up prayers of praise, using the Psalm itself, and even using the New Testament fulfillments you discover along the way.  Take your time and do a lot of this.
5. Recognize the value of the truths to yourself, to your time in Redemptive History.

The Kingdom of God has been inaugurated by the Messiah; it is expanding currently by proclamation of the Gospel; and it soon will be consummated with His reign upon the earth, and then forever in the New Heavens and New Earth!

So, let us give ourselves fully to the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ!  Missions is for the greater glory of God and Christ in the world now, and the world to come!

The Post-Suicidal Hitchhiker

About seven years ago our team chartered a mini-bus for a remote mission in a southeast Asian country.

Shortly after we got on the road that morning our driver stopped to pick up a man.  When the man found out that this vehicle was not for hire, he asked to ride with us anyway to a certain town.  We agreed to the hitchhiker’s request, but informed him that we had a couple of stops to make first.

A Discarded but Well-Placed Tract

We continued eagerly planning our mission strategy for the day.  The hitchhiker heard us talking and could sense that we were Christians.  He pulled out of his jacket a well-worn Gospel tract and excitedly told us his story.

He was a hopeless alcoholic, his life was full of tragedies and pain, he was estranged from his family and snubbed by his small community.  A few months ago he was going to commit suicide because of his shame and pain.  But, on that particularly day he saw a booklet on the side of the road and picked it up to read it, and it changed his life!

That booklet was filled with Bible passages explaining how to have a personal relationship with the One True God who created the universe.  He grew up in an atheistic society, yet a society that still held on to ancestor worship and animistic practices.  This was part of his story of despair.  But this small booklet gave him hope and told him what he knew deep down was the truth—that there was a God.

It carefully and clearly explained the holy character of God the Father of All, and how through Adam’s sin all mankind is in rebellion and estranged from God.  Likewise it compassionately explained how the Lord Jesus Christ, being the Son of God who became man, was the perfect mediator for reconciliation with God.  He died upon the Cross as the propitiation for our sins and was raised from the dead for our justification and peace with God.  And that He would come again in glory.

Our new friend had put his trust in Jesus Christ for salvation from his sin, his shameful past, and for hope of eternal life.  His life was under a radical transformation these past few months.  That discarded tract ended up being a well-placed tract, Divinely placed.

More Mission than Planned

He didn’t have a Bible, so he had just been reading his treasured pamphlet and the Bible verses in it, over and over, many times a day.  That is why the paper was so worn and hardly legible any longer.  The Holy Spirit used these dozen passages of Scripture to sustain and renew this man daily, to give him hope and to direct his prayers.

He didn’t know any Christians either.  He was rejected by his friends and family earlier because of his anti-social behavior, and now he was further rejected because of his faith in Christ.  Although, he was now a radically different person, and filled with joy in the midst of it all!

And so, he was praying that God would introduce him to some other Christians if there were any near him.  And here we were on the bus!  A handful of foreigners and a handful of Asian mission partners.

We had him ride with us the whole day.  We told him some of our stories of salvation and redemption from life’s trials, personal struggles and temptations.  We prayed with him and encouraged him that the Lord would continue to bring healing to him and his relationships.

We spent time reviewing the Gospel in greater detail than he knew up to that point.  We sang worship songs together.  We gave him a Bible, showed him how to use it and studied Scripture together.  We had him observe as we shared the Gospel at a few different mission points throughout the day.

The Day Had to Come to an End

We circled back at the end of the day and dropped him at his originally desired destination.  He was bursting with encouragement, amazed at what God had done in his life that day on the bus!  So were we.  And we still are.

The next day, we were headed in a different direction, and for other reasons, we couldn’t take our friend with us any of the following days.  But, we obtained his contact information, and our friends who knew the area were able to follow up with him and find him a local group of believers for worship and fellowship.

This passage of Scripture forever holds new meaning for our team and for our brother we met on the bus that day:

Romans 5:6–11 ESV “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.”

Pray And Get Over It

I have received a lot of grief over the years for using the statement, “pray and get over it.” 

I don’t remember where this saying came from.  Perhaps I said it on a mission trip.  Or, maybe it was in a sermon somewhere, and I was in the moment and it just came out of my mouth.  Regardless, it stuck, and has been used against me many times.

Knowing What is Meant

Context is everything.  The congregation knew what I meant.  But, they teased me relentlessly, and still do.  Yet, because we all love one another and know that the saying is true I believe that it has been helpful to all of us.

We are prone to exaggerate concerns in our lives, or concerns for our own church.  And we too easily focus upon matters that are trivial in light of the grand mission of God in front of us.  It was such situations that gave rise to this mildly famous saying of mine.

Certainly, isolated from context such a saying appears insensitive, simplistic, overly concise.  Praying through difficult and emotional circumstances all the way to the end is a process, not given to a momentary solution.

However, sometimes we do need the simple truth simply put in our face.  And it works best coming from those who care for us, people we love and trust.  Though even coming from others, such a truth has immediate benefit.  

Our Reality

When we are under fear, suffering pain or trudging through disappointment, the reality is that so often we don’t go first to prayer.  We go to other things, such as the advice of friends, resources, reasoning, or other distractions and pleasures.  These may all be good things in themselves, but they can not accomplish what prayer does.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

All I meant by the saying was that if we pray, then we will get over it, just as this Scripture informs us.  God will minister to our souls through prayer.  

So, I don’t really regret saying what I said.  And for those who still don’t like it, maybe you should just pray and get over it.

Plead With God For Men, Plead With Men For God

Is the controlling passion and vision of our lives to fulfill Jesus’ plan of reaching the world with the Gospel?

If it is, we will not hold grandiose dreams of future service to the Lord without a present reality.  We will never become great soldiers of the faith somewhere down the road unless we actively evangelize and disciple now.  If we cannot do it now, then we will not do it later.  

Charles H. Spurgeon once described the Christian life as “pleading with God for men, and pleading with men for God.”

Our Daily Prayers

First, this means that our day should begin with prayer, entreating God for the salvation of people through us, the Lord’s humble servants.  The Apostle Paul expressed his intense concern for the salvation of his fellow Jews in his letter to the Romans 10:1 ESV, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

Paul asked God for their salvation because salvation is only God’s to grant, just as our Lord Christ taught in John 6:44 ESV, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.”  And so, a desire for people’s salvation should lead us to fervent prayer, knowing that only God can cause people to be born again.

Growing in our desire and concern for people’s salvation is interactive with praying for their salvation.  Paul’s prayer intensified according to his concern for people, and the concern grew during, and as a result of, his prayers.  Without both prayer and personal concern in our hearts and lives, we will not plead for men.

Our Daily Conversations

Second, as the spiritual battle rages during the day, this desire and concern for people’s salvation should continue to be our inward prayer as we assault, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the work of the evil one who blinds the eyes of the unbelieving, by begging people to be reconciled to God.  We will plead with men for God.

The Apostle Paul entreats men and women everywhere, along with all our fellow ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”.  The Lord will accept all those who come to Him, for He Himself declared in John 6:37 ESV “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”  God’s success is guaranteed!

If God’s success is guaranteed, then why do we at times seem to resign from our ambassadorship?  It seems to be some fear that overtakes us:  fear of looking, feeling and being thought of as foolish; fear of not knowing what to say or how to answer questions; fear of losing friendships; fear of personal injury or loss of earthly security; fear or confrontation and discomfort; fear of personal involvement; fear of ridicule; or fear or whatever.  

But, it is in going forth with the results entrusted to God that God’s glory is put on display.  Observe Paul relying on the Spirit:

2 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV “For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.”

If we do not speak can we truly say that we are convinced that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation?  How can we then assure ourselves that we are truly concerned for people’s needs and faithfully loving them?  Without first pleading with God for men, we will not be able to trust the Lord when we plead with men for God.

Our Life’s Labors

The work does not end with fruits of evangelism, rather the process of perfection just begins.  Disciples must be established, equipped and built up to continue the work of Christ in saving and perfecting the saints.  This is the mission of the church and the final goal is nothing less than perfection in Christ.  

Our Apostle Paul defined his ministry in this manner, in Colossians 1:28–29 ESV “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

May our lives be lived for Christ, and not for ourselves, by pleading with God for men, then pleading with men for God!

Acts 20:24–27 ESV “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. . . . Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”