March Quotes

Better suffer anything than do wrong.

-C.H. Spurgeon

Do you want honest, upright, able men to guide our country's future? Those men are sitting in high chairs today in your dining room.

-Jenny Chancy

There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

–C.S. Lewis

God never witholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God's refusals are always merciful -- "severe mercies" at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our hearts desire except to give us something better.

-Elizabeth Elliott

If God is for us, then the opposition, which inevitably comes against us, is ultimately of no account. 

-Alistair Begg

Why would we want fame, when God promises us glory? Why would we be seeking the wealth of the world when the wealth of heaven is ours? Why would we run for a crown that will perish with time, when we're called to win a crown that is imperishable?

 -Paul Washer

He comes to the dry and thirsty land of the human heart in its wild and desperate struggles for survival. He comes to the wilderness of our lives, and a furrow at a time he reclaims the land, restoring something of the Paradise that has been lost. He comes to the weary heart to give it rest. To the lonely heart to give it friendship. To the wounded heart to give it healing. To the sad heart to give it joy. And if no joy, at least the companionship of someone who has known what it's like to be sad, wounded, lonely and weary. 

-Ken Gire

True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie.

-A.W.Tozer

Lord, I give up all my own purposes and plans, all my own desires and hopes and ambitions, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take a second place in my heart. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Work out Thy whole will in my life, at any cost, now and forever. 

-Betty Stam

Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” 

Notice: it does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes, and the battle begins. So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike. 

-John Piper

Godly households are the greatest martial assets of the Kingdom of God. Establishing and maintaining them is a matter of spiritual warfare. 

-Andrew C. Romanowitz

The day is gone from us--and is with You. We leave it in Your hands. Whatever we have done that was not according to Your will--may You graciously forgive. The things that pleased You--may You bless. 

-J.R. Miller

Look for yourself and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

-C.S. Lewis

How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend.

-J.R.R. Tolkien

May your convictions be deep, your love real, your desires earnest.

-C.H. Spurgeon

A Fortress and A Strong Tower

I memorized Psalm 46 a few nights ago, and since they have been recurring verses in my mind recently, I thought I'd use some of them in my post for this week. 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (Psalm 46:1-3)

We don't often experience the physical and geographical aspects of these last two verses where I live. We haven't suffered any major earthquakes, the mountains are still in the same place, and we haven't seen any tsunamis or the like. But in a metaphorical sense, sometimes it does seem like the earth has given way, and that that normally steadfast mountains have crumbled around us. Even in those trials and challenges, Psalm 46 offers the security of a Savior and the fortress of the God of Jacob as our refuge.

Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." I was thinking of that verse when I got to Psalm 46:7 and 11 which says, "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." The fortress or the strong tower is pictured as a place of safety in the midst of danger. The battle-weary soldier who is defeated on all sides runs to that tower, and finds safety from attack inside those walls.

So often we don't like the limitations and rules or restrictions around us. We'd rather have freedom to do as we please, but when it comes to danger and hardship, we long for those walls, that place of retreat where we can find safety. When we face trials, we ought to run to the place of safety, a place of boundaries amidst the turmoil. And that place is found in the LORD--Yahweh. The leader of His children and the defender of those who call on His name. His name is our fortress, and those who take shelter under His wings will find a security that no outside force can pierce.

Remember Whom to run to the next moment you're facing temptation or heartbreak. Seek the walls of a Fortress...the fortress which is built on the Cornerstone. 

"For it stands in Scripture: 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" (1 Peter 2:6) 

Despite the collapsing mountains and roaring waters and shattering earth, we stand on a Rock who is unshakable. 

"Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress." (Psalm 71:3) 

Ask Him to lead you to that Higher Rock when your heart is weary. 

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." (Psalm 61:1-3) 

His Word is a refuge and strong tower. 

"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." (Psalm 62:1-2) 

In that fortress, you'll find the necessary silence to be still, and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:11)

His Light!

As I've been reading, listening, praying, and studying the Bible the last couple weeks, there has been a theme running throughout the topics I've gone through. And that is the theme of light. Light is mentioned all throughout the course of Scripture, but I'll just highlight a few of them here this week.

Let there be light.

Perhaps the most obvious reference to light is at the beginning of creation. When nothing except darkness exists, and the Creator ushers in the opposite of that darkness and drives it aside. He doesn't cast darkness completely aside, for day and night are meant for signs and seasons. Perhaps the darkness is also a reminder to us, too, that no matter how deep and dark the night is, dawn always comes, because light drives out darkness. You can't drive out darkness with darkness; only light can do that. And so even at the beginning of time, God offers a contrast, a hope, a difference, to what already was (darkness) by bringing light to the world.

The Lord is my light.

I was reminded of the my post last month quoting Psalm 27. Here, David the psalmist, contrasts the light of redemption to the darkness of condemnation. In his opening verse he says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" The name Yahweh, often written as LORD, refers to God's deity, that He is the self-existent and self-eternal One. It has its roots in the name Ehyeh which is the name God uses in Exodus 3:14 to say "I AM". As fire from the burning bush, Moses did indeed see that the Lord is our light, just as David says in Psalm 27. I've heard it said that "Only those who can say 'The LORD is my light and my salvation' can say 'Of whom shall I be afraid?'".

I AM the light of the world.

I studied this in the first half of my Bible course on John. The setting in John 8 is the Feast of the Tabernacles. All Jewish males were required to celebrate this feast which took place during harvest season. The people lived in "tents" created out of tree branches for the first seven days of the feast, commemorating God's provision for their forefathers in the wilderness.There was also a special water-pouring ceremony, as well as singing, sacrifices, and dancing. Jesus uttered this description of Himself ("I am the light of the world") likely after a special lamp-lighting ceremony took place. Huge cadelabras were lit in the Court of the Women where Jesus was speaking. These lights were apparently so bright and so large that no court in Jerusalem would have missed seeing them. Everyone danced around them in celebration while singing praise to God. They were a reminder of how God led the people by a pillar of fire at night through the wilderness. And against this backdrop, Christ proclaims "I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). This is the same word that Jesus uses in Matthew 4:16 when He quotes Isaiah: "The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." He was the physical light that led them, but He came as the promised spiritual light to the dark and empty hearts of the world.

You are the light of the world...let your light shine before others.

Matthew 15:14-16 lists some well-known verses for believers. Not only does God create light, express it in His being, and show forth the radiance of light in His Son, but He also gives that light to us. Through salvation, we become witnesses and inheritors of that light, and we're to set it on a hill and spread it all around. We share in that light, that Gospel message. It's ours to claim through faith in Christ, and it's ours to share through His commission. 

Let us...put on the armor of light.

Paul reminds us that as children of light, walking in the light, we're to put on the armor of light. Armor is meant for protection against the enemy, and Paul details the armor of God in Ephesians 6: the belt of truth, the breastplate of rightousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Combined with prayer and perseverence, these pieces of armor provide a formidable force against any foe. We must continue to put away the works of darkness and we do this by putting on the armor of light daily. If we profess to own the Light of the World in our hearts, then we must wear the armor of the Light that we're representing. Our ministry must match our message. 

Light in the dark.

Light is offered as comfort to us from the Lord. It's also something people would pray for in distress or praise God for in times of rejoicing. 

"Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!" (Psalm 4:6)

"For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk befor eGod in the light of life." (Psalm 56:13)

"Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous." (Psalm 112:4)

God's Word is light.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) In the darkness of this world, God's word provides the light necessary to continue walking through the valleys. For those who don't have this light, this world is the best they will ever get. But for those who have the "light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Cor.4:4) they will have the Light of the world dispelling the darkness of their hearts and providing a path on which to walk. Our road map is the Word of light, because "the unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple" (Psalm 119:130). We're a new creation that radiates the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor.4:6).

The Lord God will be their light.

This world isn't all. There is a life after death, and for believers we will live with the Creator and Being of Light. The Light that was given to us in our hearts and proclaimed by the Word will be the light that we live forever with. We only demonstrate a fraction of this light, but in the new heavens and new earth, we will live in the light of the Lord. There will be no night, no darkness, to dispell anymore. No physical night and no spiritual darkness will be there. "[We] will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be [our] light, and [we] will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 22:5). The best is yet to come. Our Everlasting Light will not just be in our hearts, but He will stand before us, and we will bow to and reign with that Light. 

And so, with the physical light of day being our reminder, let us keep the light in our hearts burning, as we remember the Creator of Light who sent His Son as Light to the world. He offers the Word of light as comfort and direction to all who believe, and we are given the armor of light to fight against the forces of darkness. We are the light-bearers to the world, until that day when the Light comes from heaven and we reign in the glory of the Light of the Son of God.

When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.

-Micah 7:8b

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

-Isaiah 2:5

Gospel of John, Part 2

Last month I posted my first assignment from the course I'm taking on the Gospel of John. Here is my second writing assignment.

Writing Prompt:
In what ways does Jesus fulfill the symbolism underlying the Feast of Tabernacles?

~~~

First recorded in Exodus 23:16 as the Feast of Ingathering, The Feast of Booths—or Feast of Tabernacles as it’s called in John’s Gospel—was perhaps the greatest feast for the Israelites as a nation.[1] The first seven days of this feast included booths or “tabernacles” made from trees and branches from the surrounding area. They would also offer specific sacrifices for each day.[2] The eighth feast day was to be a day of rest in which the people also presented offerings to the Lord[3] and prayed for rain.[4] All Jewish men were required to attend the annual Feast of Booths[5] which started during the month of Tishri (September/October) during harvest season.[6] This feast time and festival served as thanksgiving to God for current firstfruits of the harvest, as well a time of remembrance for the forty years in which God cared for them in the wilderness.[7] Jesus would have been well aware of the customs and culture of His day regarding this feast, and in many ways, Christ fulfills the symbolism of the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles).

The temporary “tabernacles” made out of branches and trees[8] were used during the seven feast days as dwelling places for a reminder of God’s provision in spite of their sin.[9] In Jesus, God provided protection and eternal life when “the Word became flesh and ‘tabernacled’ among us”. [10] Christ didn’t leave them with the image of a temporary shelter for a feast day, but instead lived in human form and provided rescue from sin and an eternal home with God. [11]

In John 6, Jesus describes Himself as the Bread of Life. Perhaps the Jews would have remembered the bread that came from heaven while their ancestors wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Now standing before their very eyes was the One who was the sustaining and satisfying eternal Bread of Life.[12] The crowd demonstrated previously that they remembered the manna in the wilderness,[13] but yet the hearts of the religious leaders grumbled and disputed against Christ because of the emptiness of their outward religion.[14]

One of the specific ceremonies during the Feast of Booths was a water ritual. This was not a commandment given by God, but rather an important tradition of the religious leaders, and again it was a reminder to the Jews of God’s provision of water during the wilderness wanderings of their ancestors.[15] The priest drew water out of the pool of Siloam for each day of the feast, and then, along with a procession of others, the sounds of the trumpet, and the Hallel chorus, the high priest poured out the water as an offering to the Lord.[16] With this in mind and likely in the minds of the Jews, Jesus spoke these words: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”[17] Jesus was not merely a temporary quench of thirst to parched throats, as the waters in the wilderness were; rather, He was the eternal water from which no one would ever thirst again, if they would only come to Him and drink.

Jesus second “I AM” statement occurs in John 8, and it also held much rich symbolism for the Jewish[18] Perhaps as high as 75 feet high, these lamps were a visible reminder of the fire that led the Israelites by night through the wilderness and also of Yahweh’s promise to send the Messiah and redeem Israel’s glory among the nations.[19] It was likely that after this ceremony, in the physical darkness of Jerusalem, Jesus spoke these words to the people:[20] “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”[21] Once again, using the symbolism and ceremonies of the Feast of Booths, Jesus points out the spiritual darkness of the Jews and calls them to repent and “walk in the light, as he is in the light.”[22]

culture. Another ceremony practiced during the Feast of Booths was the Illumination of the Temple. Four huge golden candelabras or oil-filled lamps were lit in the Court of the Women.

---

[1] Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John, 69

[2] Numbers 29

[3] Leviticus 23:33-43

[4] Joel Wilbush, Three midwinter celebrations: an exploration, 235-6

[5] Deuteronomy 16:16

[6] Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John, 69

[7]  Ibid.

[8] Nehemiah 8:15-16

[9] Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John, 76

[10] John 1:14

[11] http://www.jewishroots.net/holidays/feast-of-tabernacles/feast-of-tabernacles-holiday-page.html#Messiah (accessed February 4, 2016).

[12] Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John, 64

[13] John 6:31

[14] John 6:4152

[15] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: John 1-11, 312

[16] Ibid.

[17] John 7:37-38, ESV

[18] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: John 1-11, 334

[19] http://www.jewishroots.net/holidays/feast-of-tabernacles/feast-of-tabernacles-holiday-page.html#Messiah (accessed February 4, 2016).

[20] Leon Morris, Jesus is the Christ, 112

[21] John 8:12, ESV

[22] 1 John 1:7, ESV