Having it all, but for what?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Seau

On May 2, 2012, Junior Seau, best known as a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, was found dead by his girlfriend at his home in Oceanside, California with a gunshot wound to the chest, apparently self-inflicted. His football career spanned 20 years. He had his own clothing line, his own restaurant, and even started a foundation to help troubled youth. Truly, if there was somebody who could be said to "have it all", he was one of those people. Yet, it did not satisfy.

Junior had it all, but what ever "all" was, it wasn't enough. What he needed was Jesus.

2 Corinthians 7:10 KJV - [10] For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Matthew 16:26 KJV - [26] For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

We can only guess as to what drove Junior Seau to take his own life. Did he no longer find joy in life? Was he unable to adjust to his post-NFL career?

Even if you don't take your own life, you won't be around much longer. Nobody knows how many days they have to live.

James 4:14 KJV - [14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

So, knowing that we're all going to die someday, what in life is truly worth going after?

Matthew 13:45-46 KJV - [45] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: [46] Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Jesus is worth more than anything else there is.

"Knowing God" is not sufficient.

James 2:19 KJV - [19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

There is a Heaven, and there is a Hell. Jesus explains in the parable of the wheat and the tares:

Matthew 13:24-30 KJV - [24] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: [25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. [27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

and the explanation

Matthew 13:36-43 KJV - [36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. [37] He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; [38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; [39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; [42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

You are not going to Heaven automatically. You have to choose.

Romans 3:23 KJV - [23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Jesus is calling us to turn from our evil ways and live with Him instead.

Luke 5:32 KJV - [32] I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 15:7 KJV - [7] I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

If your name is not written in the Book of Life, you are bound for Hell.

Revelation 20:12-15 KJV - [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Jesus loves you, wants to be part of your life right now, and wants to spend eternity with you!

John 6:51 KJV - [51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 7:37 KJV - [37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 10:9 KJV - [9] I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 14:1-6 KJV - [1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. [4] And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. [5] Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? [6] Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And well, folks, that's it. What more could you possibly want?

Tempted of the devil

Let's take a look at the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 4:1-2 KJV - [1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

Forty days. I find myself hungry after forty minutes. Jesus was as much man as we are. He got hungry. Jesus was tempted just like we are tempted.

Hebrews 4:15 KJV - [15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

The difference is, well, He is Jesus! He is our high priest, come down to be a man, tempted just like we get tempted every day, and yet, He managed to not sin.

Matthew 4:3-4 KJV - [3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. [4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

This is so like the devil. The devil knew Jesus was hungry. Jesus was out there in the desert for 40 days, and the devil waited until day 40 to bug Jesus. The devil waits until you are vulnerable before he tempts you. The devil knows when you might give in to "just this one time".

Also, notice how the devil throws a little bit of doubt in Jesus' direction? "If thou be the Son of God..." You can hear the challenge in there, too. "If you're really God, you should be able to do what you want, right?"

Jesus could have responded to the devil's call in a variety of ways. He could have struck the devil dead right there on the spot. I wish He did. But, that would not have fit in with God's plan as revealed in the Book of Revelation. Jesus could have turned His back to the devil and ignored him, much like that useless advice teachers give to students. But bullies don't go away or quit teasing you just because you ignore them, that's why they are bullies. Evil persists. But how did Jesus respond to the devil? He responded with the Bible. "It is written."

You know the Bible is a weapon?

Hebrews 4:12 KJV - [12] For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

So Jesus' response to the devil was basically a stab right back at him.

The devil, he is a persistent creature. He doesn't give up on tempting us, and he didn't give up on tempting Jesus either.

Matthew 4:5-6 KJV - [5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, [6] And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

You see how it said the devil took Jesus into town? Let me tell you what; if the devil offers to drive you somewhere in his car, don't go! The devil even took Jesus to church. But of course, the devil didn't take Jesus there to worship and be part of the service. He dares Jesus to leap off of the roof. I mean, the devil knows Jesus wasn't going to go 'splat' on the ground, so why bother with the high school dare?

You ever notice that when somebody takes advantage of you, it is rarely just a one-time thing? One thing leads to another. One evil act leads to an even more evil act. And it often starts out very small. So maybe the devil was hoping that Jesus would play along and jump off the roof, so that the next dare would be even more dangerous.

Well, Jesus again responds with a stab to the heart.

Matthew 4:7 KJV - [7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

"It is written." Hit the devil with what hurts, the Word of God. When you get tempted, don't sit there pondering the temptation. Throw the Word of God at your temptation.

Philippians 4:13 KJV - [13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

1 John 4:4 KJV - [4] Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

And don't let your past drag you down, either. You may have given into that sin before, but every new temptation is a new chance at victory.

Proverbs 24:16 KJV - [16] For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Now as for the devil, he has not given up yet on tempting Jesus.

Matthew 4:8-9 KJV - [8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; [9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

The devil offers Jesus exceeding wealth and fame, and all he asks for in return is some respect. Is that too much to ask? Well, yes, it is. Besides, what makes the devil think the world is his to offer in the first place?

Psalm 24:1 KJV - [1] [[A Psalm of David.]] The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Exodus 20:11 KJV - [11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Sounds like it belongs to God, not the devil. That doesn't keep the devil from pretending. Here in Anchorage a few months back the news was covering a story about a scam artist. This guy was renting out houses and apartments to people, collecting the first month's rent and a security deposit. The thing is, though, that guy didn't own those houses at all! He simply took the money and left town. That's the devil for you. He offers what isn't his to offer. He offers us junk and tells us it is treasure. He is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44b KJV - ...there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

So what was Jesus' response to the devil this time?

Matthew 4:10-11 KJV - [10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [11] Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

That response worked for Jesus, and it'll work for us. "devil, get lost!" And after Jesus stood His ground, angels came and ministered to Him. We need to be encouraged in that.

So in summary, when the devil tries to tempt you, hit 'em with the Word of God. Stick it to him!

A song for Jesus, a song for us - Part 1

The 69th psalm is one of those bits of scripture that speaks, and the echoes of that word carry far into the future. This psalm came from King David, yet it speaks prophetically of Jesus, and we can see ourselves in it as well.

Psalm 69:1-3 KJV - [1] [To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm of David.]] Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. [2] I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. [3] I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

King David was going through a really painful period in his life. Have you ever been there? Sure you have. Have you felt sorrow grip you and pull you down, like being pulled down into quicksand? Have you felt despair choke you? King David was there. He knew the love of God, and yet still went through awful times in life. Some of those times were of his own doing, and he knew he was to blame. That knowledge provided little relief, though. Suffering is suffering regardless of where it came from or who is to blame.

Psalm 69:4 KJV - [4] They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

This is one of those verses that cross over many areas. King David wrote of his enemies here, and this verse speaks of Jesus also being condemned.

John 15:25 KJV - [25] But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Maybe you have experienced being hated without a cause. Jesus did.

Psalm 69:5-6 KJV - [5] O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. [6] Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

This verse certainly doesn't speak of Jesus but it sure speaks of us. I know my sins are not hidden from the eyes of God. He has seen my foolishness time and time again.

Psalm 69:7-8 KJV - [7] Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. [8] I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

Now we're back to speaking about Jesus. He took our sins upon himself, bearing our shame upon the cross. Earlier in his life, his brothers tried to get him killed (John 7:1-3). Maybe you have experienced rejection from your own family and friends.

Psalm 69:9 KJV - [9] For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

Early in Jesus' ministry, He used a whip and beat the money changers out of the Temple. His disciples remembered this psalm, and it is recorded in the Gospel of John.

John 2:17 KJV - [17] And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Looking back at Psalm 69, we see that Jesus lived a hard life.

Psalm 69:10-12 KJV - [10] When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. [11] I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. [12] They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

Jesus was mocked in His day, just as sure as some of you don't want to hear about Him right now. Not all of you, but some. In Jesus' day, alcoholics were making up drinking songs about him, probably remembering fondly when he turned water to wine, or perhaps mocking his mother's insistence that he was born of a virgin. He was the laughingstock of the town to some. And people mock Him to this day. I pray you aren't one of those folks.

Psalm 69:13-15 KJV - [13] But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. [14] Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. [15] Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

Now this is something we can relate with. Deliver me out of the mire. Don't let me drown. Deliver me from my enemies. Keep me from Hell.

By the way, if you want to know more about spending eternity in Heaven instead of Hell, give this a look: http://www.blueletterbible.org/knowgod.cfm

A time for everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV - [1] To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: [2] A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; [3] A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; [4] A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; [5] A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; [6] A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; [7] A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; [8] A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

If you're old enough, you recognize that passage from a famous song, "Turn, Turn, Turn", sung by the Byrds back in the '60's. The words, though, were penned by King Solomon thousands of years ago. And they still ring true today. You may find yourself today at the lowest point in your life, or you might be experiencing victory and breakthrough. Everybody will experience low points and high points in life. Everybody will experience suffering and joy, love and hate.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 KJV - [14] I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

God is eternal. His work will stand forever. His judgements will stand forever. I think this is where one can find the truth about atheists. There are no true atheists, just anti-theists. Atheists are really people who know full-well there is a God, they just hate His guts. They hate His eternal rule and reign, they hate His decisions, they hate His judgements. God is eternal, God is in charge, and they hate Him for it.

Ecclesiastes 3:15-17 KJV - [15] That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. [16] And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. [17] I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

There truly is nothing new under the sun. Wars are nothing new. Technology is nothing new, there have always been great life-changing discoveries. Evil is also nothing new. Corrupt judges are nothing new. Corrupt politicians are nothing new. God will bring every work into judgement because some day, we will all give an account for our lives.

A time for judgement

2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV - [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Now here is the thing which many people find so maddening. What you do in life, that isn't what is going to get you into Heaven or Hell. This is a judgement of reward. This is not a judgement where you sit in a scale and somebody weighs out to see if you have more good works than bad works to see if you get into Heaven or Hell. In this judgement, you are either perfect or condemned.

Romans 3:23 KJV - [23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Isaiah 64:6 KJV - [6] But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

God will not have sin in his presence, and our best just is not good enough. Take heart, though. God, in His mercy and love, has not left us condemned. While our own efforts will not do, His son Jesus has paid for our sins in full by His death on the cross,

1 Peter 3:18 NKJV - [18] For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

So that now, that payment has been made once and for all. All you or I need to is to appropriate it. You

Rom 10:8-13 KJV - [8] But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; [9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The true purpose of life

There is only one "work" you can do that will stand on Judgement Day, and that is to believe on Jesus. Not just say "I believe", but to truly believe on Jesus. That is our job, our role, our purpose here. Believe on Jesus. Is there more to it than that? Of course there is.

I haven't even gone over important topics such as repentance, or walking the Christian walk. If you truly believe on Jesus, you will find your self repenting of your sin. If you truly believe on Jesus, you will find yourself walking with Him. The Christian walk starts with that first step, and you can take it today.

Fundamentally, Heaven or Hell for your permanent address hinges on one simple question: Do you believe on Jesus?

Don't want to believe? There is a verse for that, too.

2 Corinthians 4:3 KJV - [3] But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

No Complaining

The beginning of sorrows

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. - [Matthew 24:3-8 KJV]

As I write this, two days ago, a massive earthquake has rocked a portion of Japan to the ground. Just a few weeks earlier, Christchurch, New Zealand, was rocked. Are we experiencing more earthquakes? I googled "Recent earthquakes" and one of the top links was a news story telling people not to worry. Yeah right. Here, as plain evidence is a snip from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/

• Magnitude 8.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN March 11, 2011
• Magnitude 5.4 MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION March 10, 2011
• Magnitude 6.5 NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA March 09, 2011
• Magnitude 7.2 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN March 09, 2011
• Magnitude 6.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS March 07, 2011
• Magnitude 6.5 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION March 06, 2011
• Magnitude 4.7 ARKANSAS February 28, 2011
• Magnitude 6.3 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND February 21, 2011
• Magnitude 4.1 ARKANSAS February 18, 2011
• Magnitude 6.6 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE February 14, 2011
• Magnitude 6.8 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE February 11, 2011
• Magnitude 6.5 CELEBES SEA February 10, 2011
• Magnitude 7.2 SOUTHWESTERN PAKISTAN January 18, 2011
• Magnitude 7.0 LOYALTY ISLANDS January 13, 2011
• Magnitude 6.6 VANUATU January 09, 2011
• Magnitude 4.1 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA January 08, 2011
• Magnitude 7.1 ARAUCANIA, CHILE January 02, 2011
• Magnitude 7.0 SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA January 01, 2011

Still thinking we aren't seeing an increase in earthquakes? I think we can agree we are indeed seeing an increase of quakes. What about world tension? Wars? Rumors of war? See what is going on over in Libya? Tunisia? Yemen? Saudi Arabia? Not to mention our ongoing battle in Afghanistan, of course. Will Iran or North Korea decide to step in and stir up more trouble? I think the case can be made that the conditions of Matthew 24:7 are upon us. If the world right now is in fact a fulfillment of Matthew 24:7, then we can only accept with grim resignation and trust in our Savior that Matthew 24:8 is also upon us. "All these are the beginning of sorrows."

Complaining? Who, us?

The children of Israel can tell us a lot about complaining. They personally experienced God deliver them from slavery. They crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. They saw the dreaded Egyptian army consumed in the very same sea. And as soon as they not see where tomorrow's meal would come through, the complaining began.

And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. - [Exodus 16:1-3 KJV]

Do you think those people were any worse than we? Do you think they were all a bunch of godless heathens with no faith? If we were there, do you think we would have fared any better? Anyhow, in spite of their lack of faith, or perhaps because of it, God meets their need in a way nobody would have ever expected.

Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. - [Exodus 16:4 KJV]

And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. - [Exodus 16:8 KJV]

So, God heard their complaining, and He is acting on it, but do you think He is pleased? I think not. The people were complaining about Moses, but God says they were complaining about Him. He delivers them bread falling from heaven, and they no longer have to worry about food. They get out each morning and there it is. But once the thrill is gone, the complaining starts back up.

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. - [Numbers 21:5-6 KJV]

God does not like complaining!

Korah was a complainer. He complained about Moses' leadership, and even had a "new teaching" about everybody being holy he wanted to dump on Moses.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? - [Numbers 16:1-3 KJV]

So Moses could have spent some time arguing back and forth with Korah, but instead decided to kick it up a notch. Why squabble amongst the servants when you can take it up with the Master?

And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer. And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron. And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. - [Numbers 16:16-21 KJV]

As you can see, God does not like complaining.


The lesson for us? When we complain about our circumstances, the lot life has dealt us, who are we truly complaining about? Has God provided for us? Indeed He has. It may not necessarily be the way we would have it, but He has meet our needs. And sometimes, at the moment, there is no escaping that the situation is pretty grim.

Handling personal tragedy

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed? - [Lamentations 3:38 NKJV]

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? - [Luke 13:4 KJV]

When the world turns against us, it is easy to fall into a pit of despair and complaining. You want to know who could handle whatever life threw his way? Job could.

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. - [Job 2:9-10 KJV]

Even Job reached his breaking point, though. That's why the book of Job is 42 chapters long. Job lost almost everything he had, and it took a face-to-face encounter with God to come to grips with it all.

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. - [Job 42:1-6 KJV]

Conclusion

Simply put, we may never know why suffering comes our way. How we respond, though, will demonstrate where our heart and treasure reside, and to which God we owe our allegiance. We may be entering a period of time that, as Chuck Missler says is "a time about which the Bible says more than any other time in history." We will need to hold fast in the face of disaster, in the face of tragedy, in the face of misery.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. - [Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV]

Or perhaps more fitting for our today:

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. - [Luke 21:36 KJV]

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; - [Philippians 2:14-15 KJV]

Cain was first, and in more ways than one

"Cain."

What comes to mind when you hear that name? "Murderer?" Probably so, and rightfully so. Cain was the first murderer, this is undeniable. But there is something else about Cain you might not have noticed before. Let's take a look at the Scripture:

[1] And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. [2] And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [3] And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. [4] And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: [5] But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. [6] And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? [7] If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. [8] And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. - Gen 4:1-8 KJV

Check out verse three. Abel did not bring the first offering to the LORD, Cain did. Not Adam, not Eve. Cain. We do not know why Cain sought to bring an offering to the LORD, and we do not know why the LORD paid no respect to Cain's offering. Of course we can speculate. It may be that Cain's offering did not fit the archetype that the LORD wanted for an offering, an offering of blood which would never cover all sin until the perfect sacrifice was made (Hebrews 10:4). But we do not, as a matter of record, know exactly why the LORD rejected Cain's outreach.

For a moment, forget everything you know about the Cain and Abel passage. Instead, pretend you picked up your local newspaper, and read about a domestic violence incident that resulted in murder. Two sons, and one seeks to gain his father's favor by presenting a gift to his father. The younger son decides to do the same, and he also presents a gift. The father is loving to both, but clearly enjoys the younger son's gift more. The elder son is fuming. It was after all, probably his idea, and even if it wasn't, he was the first to act on it and present a gift. And who gets the glory? The younger son. While nobody is condoning the violence which follows, you can at least see a glimpse as to what was behind it.

So now, with that in mind, re-read that fourth chapter of the Book of Genesis. Do you see how any of us could have been Cain that day? Have you ever toiled at at your job only to see somebody else get the credit? Did you have a younger brother or sister who on occasion stole your thunder?

I'm not trying to be an apologist for Cain. He was the first murderer and nothing can ever excuse that. But perhaps you might now see how Cain came to commit that awful act, how any of us could come to that murderous point should the circumstances turn against us. What makes us any better than Cain? Even as a believer in Jesus Christ, we still have that human nature which will take over if we turn our eyes from the cross of Jesus. The LORD reached out to Cain, and Jesus reaches out to us. Amen.

Pelted with rocks

I had a dream last night. I was in Israel or somewhere in the Middle-East. I was with a group of fellow believers and we had a busted up old pick-up truck, like an old Toyota. One of the bolts holding the rear axle was gone, and we had to drive through a dangerous neighborhood. I believe I was with Israelis trying to drive through a Palestinian area, but being a dream, I was not entirely sure.

Those who could crammed into the front of the truck, and somehow I was the lone rider in the back. That was not good. The driver of the truck gunned it and as best as the truck could, we started driving through the streets, which were reminiscent of those one sees on TV over in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Out of nowhere, hoards of people came running out of their houses, their shops, whatever, to yell at us in some foreign tongue, and hurl rocks. I was covering the back of my head as best I could, but of course the truck was flailing about madly as we ran the gauntlet. Rocks were smashing the windows out, the sides of the truck were being destroyed, and the din of the seething crowd was terrifying.

I believe we made it through, but I awoke and thanked God there I was in a bed in a home in Alaska. This dream I had could just as easily have been somebody else's reality. There are Christians in the Middle-East who live that life; persecution, hateful mobs, rocks thrown at them by any number of anonymous enemies. Jesus, give those true martyrs an extra dose of strength today.