Bible

One Reason Many Christians Don’t Vote

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

Most Chrsitians in America believe in what is called the Rapture: the idea that at any moment Christians all around the world will be instantaneously “raptured” or “snatched up” into heaven by God. Accompanying this idea is the belief that the world is going to get worse and worse leading up to the rapture. There will be an increasing decline in morality; an almost total abandonment of true religion; chaos worldwide and dramatic political upheaval. Simply put, the current craziness of our world today is the harbinger that Christ is about to return at any moment – certainly within our lifetime, but most likely within the next couple years, weeks or even days. This doctrine I believe has the power to have a profound effect on the worldview of Christians specifically as it pertains to politics and voting. Here’s how:

If the world is certainly going to hell in a handbasket, and if Jesus is literally about to snatch the church away from this world, why would we invest any effort into culture or politics? As it is commonly stated that it is foolish to “polish the brass of a sinking ship.” If Jesus is coming back tomorrow afternoon the list of things to do is very limited: basically shout the gospel from the rooftops until he comes. Not only is there no time for casual activities, but there’s also no time for wholesome, godly, constructive activities such as: reading books, planting a garden, building homes, writing songs, starting schools or businesses or striving to redeem our state and the culture we live in. 

As a new Christian I took the rapture and its corresponding end-times belief system to heart. I think this is one of the main reasons why I used to not vote. Why would I vote? I thought, “It doesn’t ultimately make a difference. Things are going to get worse and worse anyway. This world is not my home. We just need to get the gospel out to the world before Christ returns, etc.” 

Over time I have seen another possibility from the Scriptures, namely Post-millennialism, or A-millennialism. What both of these views share is the belief that the world is actually going to slowly but surely become more and more Christian until ultimately the world as a whole will be discipled, which will culminate at the 2nd coming of Christ. I like the way Doug Wilson describes this: “In other words, the Great Commission will be successful in history.” Not only will all of the people groups of the world as a whole be converted, but also the governmental structures and systems of the world will also be redeemed. The world will become a Christian world. 

Now, how does this viewpoint affect the mind of the Christian as it relates to politics and voting? Well, if we have the promise that Jesus is already the King of all the Kings and that he is the ruler of the nations (Rev. 1); that he is going to save the world (John 3:17); that all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth already (Mat. 28:18-20); and that he is committed to partnering with the global Church and all Christians to redeem the world: then the time to get involved is now. In this system the harbinger of Christ’s coming is that all enemies are placed under his feet (1 Cor. 15). So, it’s not the ungodly passions of the world that attract the coming of Christ for judgment, but rather the passion of Christians redeeming the world and presenting it to Christ at his coming.   

The point of this article is not to defend in detail the postmillennial view over the premillennial view (maybe a later time some more analysis will be given), but my goal is to show that these different systems do exist in the minds of Christians and they do have an impact on how we view the world and live in it. 

Whether you are premillennial or postmillennial there is no absolute guarantee that Jesus will come back in your lifetime. It has been 2,000 years, it may be another 10,000 before he comes again. Either way there is nothing in Scripture that would negate the possibility that you might experience the greatest revival that has ever happened in history; that your country might become the most Christian nation that has ever existed.

So, pray, then go vote. 

The Scandalous Grace of God

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

I want to talk to you a little about the grace, mercy and love of God. 

It’s one thing to give mercy to a guilty person. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to give grace to a guilty person. Grace is by definition un-merited (un-deserved) favor, but God’s grace is not only extended to the righteous, but also to the guilty. This, of course, is completely on the basis of the offering of the perfect life of Christ at his crucifixion on our behalf. But it is still a wonder, and still very hard to accept – even for those who have been regenerated.  

God’s grace is greater than all of your sins. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. If Adam didn’t sin there would be no mercy, forgiveness, healing, or redemption. 

We know that God doesn’t want us to sin. He never tempts us or lures us into sinning so that we can experience more forgiveness. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! 

However, God knows in advance that we will sin. He can see beforehand the decisions we will make that will bring destruction into our lives. Why does he not stop us from making them!? Wouldn’t he stop us if he were truly loving and merciful? 

We may not understand it all, but we can rest assured that his heart is all love and favor. He designs that our failures will turn out for our good. The Father planned that the Son would come to die for our sins before Adam sinned. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! Your good Father in heaven planned some good to come out of your failures before you made those bad decisions. 

Our worldly, man-centeredness thinks that it is only our successes and moral victories that bring good into our lives and that all of the pain and suffering in our lives we deserve. This is partly true and we should be very careful to not overlook those realities. However, this is not the whole story. God’s love and favor towards us is greater, more powerful, and more determined than our failures. 

God wants us to be at peace. He wants our hearts settled and resting in the full, unreserved, glad acceptance of the heart of God. He wants us to be able to look into his Eyes of kindness and joy towards us, not to look down in shame in his presence. We should be ashamed of our sins. But if we acknowledge them, confess them, turn away from them and turn to him – through Christ – then they are gone! This may at times even be a moment by moment exchange. Are you repentant? Look into His Eyes: behold his love for you. 

Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t think that any form of flagellation will bring you joy or bring pleasure to God. You cannot pay for your sins. It’s offensive to God when you try. The only thing God wants you to bring to the equation of salvation is your own sin and brokenness. Jesus paid it all. Isn’t he good? The Gospel really is good news. Believe it. Do you think the Gospel is actually more amazing news than you realize or less? It is much more unbelievable than we realize.

I pray today that your whole heart and soul would be baptized in the all encompassing, all-enveloping love of God; that tears would well up out of your heart and out your eyes, and that you would be able to say nothing less than, “Thank you Jesus. Thank you God;” that you would be assured deeply in your own heart that God is unbelievably good at all times and in all ways.           

He makes everything beautiful in his time (Eccl. 3:11). 

Don’t Quit (John Mark)

/ Lee A. Robinson / 1 Comment

John Mark (or simply Mark) is not a Bible character thought of much, but like most of the time, meditating in God’s Word draws out unapparent depth and richness. Mark’s story is one of a promising beginning, unfortunate fracturing of important relationships, and blessed reconciliation. If you’ve spent any time building important relationships only to see them destroyed then this article might be helpful. Also, if you’ve made decisions that have brought discouragement to yourself and other people and you’re struggling with the thought of giving up, then keep reading as well… 

I’d like to first paint a picture of Mark in the setting of the early church, then talk about the crucial moment in his life when he split from his missionary team, and end with the glorious story of how God redeemed this problem for his glory and the good of his people.

We first hear of Mark in Acts chapter 12 in the story when Peter was miraculously delivered from prison. The angel of the Lord led Peter out of the prison and then departed from him. At this moment Peter could have fled anywhere, but he chose a specific house to go to. The house he chose was “the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:12). Up to this point in the book of Acts Luke was focused on the apostle Peter and the church in Jerusalem. Peter was definitely seen as the chief of the apostles and the foremost leader of the church in those early days. In other words, we’re talking about the most preeminent Christian leader of their time. At this critical moment this prominent leader decides to go to this particular house. Mark’s mother was most assuredly a very strong disciple and member of the church. We find that many were gathered praying, but most notably the other apostles probably were not present (Acts 12:17). So we get the feeling that Mark’s household was very special to Peter. Not only his household, but particularly Mark himself. Peter calls Mark “my son” in 1 Peter 5:13 indicating that he probably led Mark to Christ or discipled him, and/or could also could mean that he was a father figure to Mark (It seems as though Mark didn’t have a father, since the record describes his home only as his mothers home).  We also have a record from an early church writer named Papias that the Gospel of Mark was actually a compilation of accounts that Peter personally related to Mark. The point I’m trying to make is the unique, fortunate, spiritual experience Mark had as a young man. He’s witnessing a history altering revival; he has a strong Christian heritage; he’s rubbing shoulders with the giants of the Faith of his day; and he himself was already becoming known as a promising young man in the church. And this is literally just the beginning…

Around this time, Saul, the powerful persecutor of the church, was converted. Barnabas, the encourager, had to persuade the church (this will be important later) to give Saul a chance because they were suspicious of him. Saul (Paul) quickly became a powerful force in the church and it’s probably safe to say that outside of Jerusalem Paul had the most popular name as was the most critical Christian figure of their time (2 Corinthians 11:15; 1 Corinthians 15:10). Well, Paul and Barnabas had a specific mission they were fulfilling in Jerusalem and “when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark” (Acts 12:25). God called Mark to be a missionary, and he just happened to join the most formidable missionary “A-Team” in the world. Mark transitioned from being a sidekick of the great Peter, to be an apprentice of the great Paul – a truly unique position!  

Of all places they are heading to the city of Antioch, dubbed “the cradle of Christianity,” where the disciples were first called Christians; the church from which the first foreign missionaries were sent out; here to participate once again in a critical shift in history – the door to the gentiles being fully swung open wide for the Gospel. Mark was at the epicenter of all of this. 

Acts 13 tells how a specific calling was placed on Paul and Barnabas to become the first official foreign missionaries in the history of the church. As they were being sent away it says that “they also had John (Mark) as their assistant” (Acts 13:5). Being an assistant was a critical role. He was there basically to be their deacon, so they could focus on the major task of preaching and teaching. Anything else they needed Mark could handle – whether it be communications, lodging, food, ministry help, etc. Here goes Mark, setting sail with these two giants. Imagine yourself launching out on an important mission, getting on a plane with the likes of Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham in their prime, or Jonathan Edwards and DL Moody (you pick the team!). And to know that this is all in the perfect will and pleasure of God to do a great work for the Lord. 

The first stop was the island of Cyprus, where Mark witnessed some extraordinary things: Paul rebuked bar-Jesus the magician and false prophet, then cursed him with blindness that resulted in public humiliation. This in turn led to the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus, the Roman leader of the whole Island. This was certainly a powerful beginning to the journey. From there they fully crossed over the Mediterranean and landed in Asia Minor. It was here – we don’t know why – but for whatever reason – Mark decided to abandon the mission. Something happened. Something pretty big somewhere along the road led up to this decision. Everything up to this point is just one glorious experience and great opportunity after another! Why just forsake it all now?! 

What happened? We don’t really know, but I think it would be helpful to think through some possible explanations…

Maybe young Mark jumped ship out of fear? Maybe he was troubled by the strange demonic activity and spectacular power of God in Cyprus? He may have been thinking, “This is too much for me.” Demonic forces are powerful and dark and can strike a terrible fear into you. Maybe he was afraid for his physical safety? There isn’t a record of their team being persecuted in Cyprus. He did see it in Jerusalem, and we know that later on this mission would prove to be excruciatingly painful (Paul was stoned to death basically), but Mark couldn’t have known for sure that would happen. If this is the case he chose to be ruled by fear over the power of God and the fear of God. 

Maybe it had something to do with his family? Mark didn’t go back to Antioch, but back to Jerusalem…back home. Maybe his mom was sick and needed him? This would certainly be a touchy situation based on the Lord’s teachings relevant to this: “And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:59-62), and, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). 

Maybe there was some kind of sin in his life? Perhaps he, like Demas, forsook the mission because he loved the present world? Or, maybe he was torn up internally because of some sin that he committed which drained him of spiritual fortitude and perseverance and just couldn’t hang in there any more. 

Maybe he was physically just worn out? It was definitely a supernatural work of God that kept Paul going through all of those missionary journeys over the years.  

Maybe Mark was confused and upset about how freely Paul was encouraging Gentiles to come into the Faith without meeting Jewish requirements first? The Jerusalem council was on the verge of happening. Mark was most likely Jewish. 

Maybe he was upset with Paul or Barnabas about something and there was tension between them? This very well could be- its hard to travel the way they did. Decisions could have been made by his superiors that jeopardized their safety, personal reputation, or the reputation of the Gospel. 

 In the end the Holy Spirit intentionally left the account vague. We fill in the blanks with our imagination and own circumstances. From everything I gather about who John Mark was, and whatever the reason why he left, I get the impression that it wasn’t a flippant decision. He probably wrestled hard over it and regretted very much that it happened. Perhaps this was even the hardest decision he had ever made in his life. I bet he felt like he was between a rock and a hard place, that no matter what he decided to do someone was going to get hurt. Maybe he didn’t even have confidence in the decision he was making, but made one because he felt he had to out of necessity. He may have lived with regret the whole voyage back home. He probably felt much embarrassment, having failed in this wonderful opportunity to travel with Paul and Barnabas and ashamed that he disappointed them, and left a great burden on them for the rest of the journey with no assistant. 

There’s some speculation on this next point, but I get the impression that when this decision was made, Mark hit a low point spiritually, maybe on the way back, maybe after he got back to Jerusalem and it really set in. “I blew it. This was my chance and I coward, or I yielded to my flesh, I gave up. What am I good for now? If I failed in this opportunity, what are the chances I’ll get another one like this?” 

Let’s start bringing home some applications. . . 

Maybe you’re the kind of person who had a wonderful initial experience with Christ. Maybe you had a great upbringing with some wonderful Christian friends and leaders, or maybe you came into that environment when you were converted. You jumped in, got involved, saw some amazing things happen, and you were promoted in the church because of your faithfulness. You rubbed shoulders with great saints and were a trusted servant to them. You got opportunities to serve alongside them. Then you got into the thick of the ministry in some way, or at least into the thick of deep, long-term relationships in the church. Then something happened. Something that brought you to a crossroads. Something that brought you to a decision that would disappoint other people and disappoint yourself. A decision that would break critical relationships, would rock the boat and have some negative fallout. The catalyst could have been anything – fear, sin, change in beliefs, doubt, exhaustion, etc. You rode on excitement for a while or on the original surge of your salvation, but now you’re wondering if you actually counted the cost or not. Whatever the reason behind the decision, the decision has been made. NOW, you are discouraged because of the effects of your decision. So what are you supposed to do now??? Let’s continue with the story . . . 

The next mention of Mark is as follows: “Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God” (Acts 15:35-40). 

A few things jump out at me here: 

#1 Mark is in Antioch serving in the church. The last we heard from him he went back home to Jerusalem, but now we see him back to the place where he left off serving the Lord: in the church, serving and available for the call to missions when it came. What should you do? Whatever has knocked you down spiritually, you must shake it off, and get back into the game. “A just man falls seven times, but he gets back up again” (Proverbs 24:16). I don’t know the exact time frame, but it was not very long after Mark departed that this new situation happened. Do whatever it takes to get back involved in whatever capacity you are able to, as quickly as possible. The longer you stay away from the church, from Christians and from the work of the ministry, the harder it is going to be to get back involved. 

# 2 Be thankful for Barnabas and don’t be discouraged by Paul. Neither Luke nor the Holy Spirit tells us who had the right position in the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. It makes sense knowing their personalities: Barnabas was an encourager and wanted to give Mark a second chance. Paul was an aggressive leader and didn’t want to involve anyone who would jeopardize the mission. Both sides had a point. I’m sure it hurt Mark knowing that the great Paul thought he was useless. Thankfully, there was another leader there willing to give him another chance. 

How about you? You may have been hurt badly by someone. Maybe a leader? Maybe someone you were totally blindsided by? Perhaps they didn’t handle their disagreement with you in a Biblical/Christ-like manner? Let me encourage you to not be so beat down by one, or a few individuals. Paul was wired by God to be the way he was. He was like a wise general who knew that victory in the field inevitably requires some casualties. Force your mind and heart to think the best of the people who have hurt you and mistreated you. Give them grace and mercy. I’m not saying to excuse their mistreatment of you, but I am saying to not allow their mistreatment of you to continue mistreating you through bitterness or discouragement. Mark continued with the mission, with the one who would give him a second chance. Instead of focusing on the people who have rejected you, focus on Jesus, who has fully and eternally welcomed you to himself and his mission. Find those people who do love you, understand you, and are willing to partner with you in the Gospel. 

#3 I see the providence of God at work here. Yes, there was unfortunate disagreement and tension. Yes, a great missionary unit was split. However, what this meant now, is that there were TWO teams going out, in opposite directions, to cover more ground for the Gospel! Two teams with seasoned veterans. Two teams with younger men who could now hold greater responsibility on the mission. God redeemed this disagreement and separation. 

Be encouraged my friend. Of course, God doesn’t want Christians to fight, be bitter and separate from each other. However, God doesn’t waste these situations either. He redeems them by using them to grow his children and to reposition them out in his field more effectively. If you let this take you out, that is definitely not the will of God. He wants you and still has a great plan for you. You may not see it now, but in time you’ll see more clearly how this heartbreaking situation is going to prove to be for the best in the end. 

Later On

This story really has a touching conclusion, namely, the reconciliation between Mark and Paul. It didn’t happen until about 10 years later, but it happened. Paul’s last years were spent in trials and imprisonment in Rome. Traveling, preaching and persecution was one kind of torture for Paul, but dwelling alone in a dungeon by himself was a whole different kind of torture for him. The book of 2 Timothy gives us a big glimpse into Paul’s heart in those times. He said, “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me” (1 Timothy 4:16). In other words, the first time he gave a defense before the court in Rome, he had no one there as a support witness. Now Paul is writing to Timothy from prison, shortly before he was to die, and at the end of the letter he talks about how he has kept the faith and that he fought a good fight and that he was ready to depart this earth. He mentions how his close fellow workers had either deserted him or left him: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:10-11). It is here, in this place of loneliness and discouragement, where Paul requests of Timothy to “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” Wow! Paul is actually proactively requesting for Mark to come help him. He said that Mark was profitable (valuable, useful) to him. We don’t know what happened a decade earlier that caused Paul to so mistrust Mark, but thankfully, whatever it was, Paul had a change of heart and mind. 

Let me encourage you – It may take a decade for you to be reunited with those who have abandoned you. It may take two decades, or three. Paul was on death row. It may not be until those people are on their deathbed before they have a change of heart towards you. But be encouraged by this. It may happen, it may not, but in this story it did. I pray that you will receive that phone call one day, text message or email. It may just be a friendly communication, there may be an apology, or there may even be words of affirmation or gratitude, or may even be a call to work together with you again. If it does, amen. If that call never comes, then know that no matter what happens the Lord is with you. Never give up and hope that in God’s good time he will reconcile you.  

FLY. (Faithfully Learn to Yield)

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

If you could choose to be any animal what would you be? I would want to be an eagle, or any high flying bird. One of the most spectacular images from nature to me is seeing a bird suspended in mid air, unstriving, just coasting in the breeze. Wow. Every time I see this my heart fails a little and I ask God to help me to live just like that: to live in the power and freedom of the Spirit. The bird is not inactive, he’s probably hunting. He’s doing what he needs to do. He doesn’t realize it, but he’s doing an incredible feat, not in his own power, but utilizing the dynamics of the wind. In one sense, the Chrsitian life is supposed to be easy. “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mat. 11:30). This is a great image, because it includes hard work (yoke, burden). The thing is though is that if we are yoked with Jesus he is doing all the work. We’re just along for the ride. 

Why are we so stubborn? Why do we insist that our ideas and desires are so much better than the will of God? Every moment is a simple choice: do what I want in my own strength and wisdom, or do what God wants and rest. 

As much as I would want to fly in open skies, I know that I would be absolutely terrified if I could just all of a sudden lift off and start flying. What if I fall? One reason we do not do God’s will is because it is absolutely terrifying. He calls us out of our comfort zone to do impossible and often implausible feats. But how many times did he say, “Fear not.?” We should be afraid to not do his will. I know with myself I am afraid that I will mistake my own inner voice from the voice of God. I have the desire to jump or go and act, but it’s just me and not God. This is a trouble for me, but one that I hope to become more clear on. So we must learn to discern his voice. If we follow his Word, we follow his power. “For the word of God is quick and powerful.” 

If we are not terrified and doing things that are impossible for us to do then we’re probably not doing the perfect will of God. Something to think about today. 

Get quiet. Pray. Remember the Word. Then fly. 

Don’t Quit (Peter)

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

For Audio . . . https://youtube.com/live/SLSiVK9SwjY

“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? . . . Feed my sheep.” – John 21:17

Peter loved Jesus. He was a genuine follower. Jesus had transformed him from an average, worldly fisherman to a saint and pioneer of the new kingdom God was about to build. However, Peter still had his struggles. He was often stuffing his foot into his mouth. Once he brazenly rebuked Jesus – never a good idea. As bad as that was, it wasn’t the worst. The day he totally blew it was when he denied his Lord. Sweet Jesus: the one who found Peter lost in his sins, who brought him on board the Great Mission as leader of the disciples; the pure, humble teacher healer who had come to Israel, the gentle lamb who was hated, wrongfully arrested, being beaten, about to be crucified. At that very moment, when Peter (of all moments!) should have been there for his friend and Lord, warming his hands by the fire, he repeatedly denied him, with cursing! He had given in to embarrassment, fear and betrayal. He instantly knew it too. All it took was one look from the Lord and he knew he had sinned a great sin. He wept bitterly. Peter was crushed because he had crushed his friend in his greatest hour of need. He also let down his other friends who he was supposed to be leading. What was he good for now?  

How about you, Peter? Every Christian sins, but perhaps in your case it seems like you have sinned a particularly grievous sin in a uniquely corrupt way. Some sins seem tolerable – like perhaps gluttony, or gossip, or materialism – but other sins truly seem to reveal your depraved heart, like adultery, pornography, rage, violence, drunkenness/drug abuse, idolatry or theft: the kinda stuff that many unbelievers don’t even participate in. Maybe you have fallen into a great sin as a genuine follower of Christ. Or, maybe you have given in to “little” sins so repeatedly that they have caused big problems for yourself and those around you. Maybe you feel like God could never forgive you, or, if he would forgive you he certainly would not use you in any special way. Maybe your reputation has been tarnished? Perhaps, like Peter, you may even feel like giving up, out of respect for the Lord, not desiring to dishonor him anymore…

We do seem to get the indication that Peter was giving up. He went back to fishing (John 21:3), back to who he was and what he had done before he met the Lord. He probably thought, “The Lord gave me this wonderful gift and calling, and I let him down. I failed. I guess I’ll default back to who I used to be.” The temptation after failing is to give up: to revert back to who you used to be, and to do what you used to do before you knew Jesus. You begin to think more about secular pursuits than the ministry God has called you to; to make church attendance and involvement less of a priority; to replace personal worship and study of the Word with other hobbies; to replace sacrificial giving to the Gospel with other financial priorities, etc.

How did this turn out for Peter and the others? “They caught nothing” (John 21:3). Remember when Peter met Jesus? That was also a day where he “caught nothing,” meaning a day when not only were his nets empty, but his soul was also empty. His life was void of ultimate meaning and purpose. It’s no accident that as professional fishermen they caught nothing this new day as well. It was on purpose, for the Lord to show him that he wouldn’t find anything genuinely meaningful compared to Christ if he were to go back. 

Don’t go back. Don’t give up. Why? Because you really can’t go back. You are different. You’ve been born from above. You’re a new creation in Christ. You’re sheep not swine. It can’t be the same. You may give up on pursuing Christ and working in the ministry, but whatever idol you put in the place of Christ is not going to satisfy you. You have tasted the heavenly gift and the powers of the world to come. The Holy Spirit lives in you! You’ll never be blessed unless you pick yourself up and begin to pursue Christ afresh! 

He’s Not Done With You

Thankfully, Jesus was not done with Peter. In fact, the glory that Peter had experienced over the first 3 years with Jesus was nothing compared to the glory that Peter was yet to experience with his Lord for many years to come! 

Jesus came to Peter in the sweetest way. As they were fishing, catching nothing, Jesus appeared on the shore, beckoned to them to throw the net on the other side causing them to enclose a massive catch of fish. This is reminiscent of when Jesus first revealed his desire to call these disciples – perhaps symbolic of re-calling them again to discipleship. Jesus was already on the shore making a meal. As they approached him there was the sweet smell of baked bread and fish being fried over the fire. Jesus greeted them with an invitation to “come and dine” with him. This initial meeting with Jesus could have been much different, right? Jesus could have hunted Peter down and wrathfully rebuked him, or punished him in some way. Think about it… or, perhaps worse: Jesus could have just given up on Peter and never returned to him or communicated with him again and left him to wallow in his regrets. But no. There is no one like Jesus. Think about the worst thing you have ever done to someone. The next time you saw them face to face were they preparing you a feast, desiring to share a meal with you? If so, praise the Lord for that person, but most likely that did not happen. 

The reality is, that no matter what you have done – to the Lord or anyone else – Jesus is waiting for you to come to him. Not to come crawling over broken glass to be punished forever for what you have done. He wants to fellowship with you. He wants t oconfirm his love for you and his commitment to work his plan out in your life. He knows your broken heart, regret, and your shame for what you have done. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is nigh to the broken hearted,” and Psalm 51: 17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” It’s hard to accept how gentle and forgiving his heart is towards us. We beat ourselves up over our sins. Other people treat us very harshly over our sins, but Jesus doesn’t do this. He was beaten on our behalf; mocked, shamed, killed. He wants it in the past and he is looking to the future. 

After seeing Jesus present himself to Peter in this reconciling manner, we get to the heart of the whole situation. As the finish the meal Jesus asks Peter a question, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” Wow. What a question! He could have said, “Simon, why should I forgive you,’ or ‘Why should I let you follow me?” But, no, he’s looking forward, not backward. Remember: Jesus knows everything. This question was not for Jesus, but for Peter. Deep down Peter knew that he loved the Lord, but up to this moment, in his won mind, I’m sure that his internal dialogue was all self condemnation. “How can you say you love the Lord when you sided with his murderers?” Jesus was pulling from deeper down in the well of Peter’s soul. He was leading Peter to recall his true self, which was genuine love for Jesus.

Just because you have sinned doesn’t mean that you don’t love Jesus. “A just man falleth seven times, but he rises up again” (Proverbs 24:17). Righteous men fall. Christians sin. Our love is not determined by whether or not we sin, but what we do with our sins. Unbelievers make excuses for their sins, the care less whether they have offended the Lord or not, they certainly don’t confess their sins and repent of them, and they don’t fear God’s chastening in their lives. But if you are a genuine believer, you do all of those things. You are guilty over your sins, you’ve probably already confessed them, your striving to overcome them, and it tears you up that you have offended your Lord and hurt other people. This means that you love Jesus!!!

Do you remember how you first came to Jesus, who you were when he called you? He didn’t call you because you were righteous. He called you because he had a plan for you. Thankfully, his plans have not changed: Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” So, if you love him, feed his sheep – continue striving to be what he has called you to be and continue doing what he has called you to do. What a wonderful Savior we have – he wastes nothing and recycles every fault and weakness of his followers! You do not dishonor Jesus by serving him after you sin. He didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. You do honor him by exemplifying the Gospel: continually repenting of your sins and coming to Christ alone for forgiveness. 

  One last note on Peter: at the end of their conversation Jesus revealed to Peter that not only would he persevere in his faith, but that he would also in the end give his life for Jesus, which, according to tradition Peter requested to be crucified upside down because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Savior. In response, Peter asked what was going to happen with John. Jesus didn’t answer his question but rather said to him, “follow me.” This is interesting to me. Jesus was lazer focused on his relationship with Peter, having a most intimate conversation with him, and what is Peter doing? He’s wondering about John and what is going to happen with him. Don’t be so focused on other people – what they are doing or what they think about you, or how you appear to other people. Focus on your relationship with Christ, what he thinks about you, and what he has called you to do. The path for every Christian looks different. Embrace yours. 

“Father, I pray for whoever may be reading this, that they would have a deep abiding peace and relief that you have forgiven them of their sins and that you still desire to use them in special ways. Help them to see that your power and glory is easier seen through broken vessels than “whole” ones. Reinvigorate a lasting desire for the things of heaven than the things of the earth. Grant them wisdom, power, grace and faith to fully overcome and break free from their besetting sins, and to have full liberty in heart and mind as they serve you. Amen.”       

How To Handle Betrayal

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

Feelings of betrayal can arise from a range of interactions with others: someone you love and trust may have simply let you down in some way, all the way up to a trusted “friend” intentionally putting you into harmful circumstances. Betrayal hurts deeply in a peculiar way because of the sensitive breach of trust. You made yourself vulnerable to another in love and they exploited that openness to stab you in the back. “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company” (Psalms 55:12-14). As sinful, broken humans ourselves there is a huge temptation to handle betrayal wrongly. We must patiently allow the Spirit of God to teach us how to respond. This article takes a look at the life of a very godly man (King David) who suffered much betrayal and how he correctly responded to it. We’ll mainly focus on David’s interactions with the people of Keilah and the Ziphites (1 Samuel 23) along with corresponding Psalms he wrote during that time in his life – Psalms 52 & 54. 

David didn’t deserve betrayal. He was such a spiritual champion of his time: he had a heart pounding for God; he was a talented musician/songwriter; he was a courageous, powerful warrior; and he was a divinely anointed King. His story intersects with the mainstream when he alone stood up to the giant Goliath, defeating him in an epic showdown. This thrust him into immediate fame, recognition and position. As a result, King Saul ended up contracting severe jealousy (he “eyed David from that day forward”) and became obsessed with killing David. David was faithful to Saul: his greatest warrior, a faithful friend and even comforted Saul through playing his harp for him. What did David get in return for all of the goodness he showed to Saul? Betrayal. A javelin to dodge – twice. Alos, Saul promised David that if he continued to serve him by fighting for Israel that he would give David his daughter Merab to be his wife, but when the time came she was given to another man. Wow, that is so messed up… Eventually David ended up having to flee and hide for his life. One place he came to was a city name Keilah…   

David had heard that an enemy was attacking Keilah so he asked the LORD if he should go help them, and the answer surprisingly was, “Yes, go.” I say “surprisingly” because David was on the “most wanted list” of the King. The most prudent thing for David to do, it would seem, would be to lay low, not to thrust himself out in the public limelight again, but he loved God and Israel, so he went. So David and his small army came to Keilah and ended up saving the city from the Philistines. What kind of relationship and reputation do you think David established with the community in Keilah by doing this? You would think they would be overwhelmingly grateful and feel totally indebted to him, but the opposite ended up happening…Keilah would betray him. 

Saul was delighted when he heard the news that David was in Keilah because it was a walled city – it would be easy to trap David in there, to catch him and have him killed. When David found out that Saul was planning to come, he prayed and first confirmed with the LORD that Saul was intending to come. Then, for some reason, he had a suspicion and asked the LORD, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver thee up.” (1 Samuel 23:11-12) What! Really? Whaaooh… After David and his men just saved your life, your family and your city, you’re now going to turn him in? Yuuup… You’re going to hand him over to a wicked king?… It is what it is. So David fled from Keilah. But that’s not the end of it… 

From there he ended up in the wilderness of Ziph. The long story short here is that the Ziphites proactively betrayed David: “Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doth not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.” (1 Samuel 23:19-20) The Ziphites were not even asked or threatened by Saul, they just went ahead and turned him in. Fortunately, God once again worked in favor of David and delivered him from the hand of Saul.  

You can imagine how the series of events: Goliath – David ministering to Saul and fighting his battles – javelins – to fleeing and barely escaping death – to Doeg turning David in – to Keilah – to the Ziphites… You can imagine that at this point David is feeling pretty discouraged, betrayed, abandoned, alone, etc. How did David handle all of this? Let’s look at a few things . . .      

  1. Pray.

Psalms 52 & 54 were one of David’s chief responses to these betrayals in his life. David was a man of prayer. He prayed about the situation with Saul. He prayed in reaction to Doeg turning him in and killing the priests of the LORD (Psalm 52). He prayed about whether to go up to Keilah and whether he should leave Keilah. He prayed in response to the situation with the Ziphites. In each time prayer either gave David specific direction or comfort through the situation. 

Prayer is a safe place to run to and hide. It hurts to be betrayed. It has a peculiar power of cutting deep into the soul. It’s because the central basis of your relationship was undermined – trust was utilized for personal attack. It is friendly fire. You were stabbed in the back by the exact one who was supposed to watch your back and protect you. It makes you feel like you cannot trust anyone any more. 

BUT…

GOD is truly our sufficient refuge. Run to him in prayer! He will never do you like that. He is too good. God doesn’t need to use us for his own gain: the earth is the LORD’s and its fullness. He doesn’t need to gain any more power: he has all the power. He doesn’t have selfish cravings that need to be fulfilled: he is the source of all things, of Life itself, more pure than rays of light. So when you feel betrayed or forgotten, run to God in prayer. Get alone with Him. pour out your complaints, fears and anger to him. He is the perfect and only completely trustworthy counselor. Ask for his help against those who hurt you. Ask him to deal with them in a saving way if possible, and for him to deal with your enemies in his justice. God will comfort you with his love and he will remind you that even if the whole world would be against you (which isn’t the case) you would still have enough if you only had him. 

  1. Trust God to righteously deal with those who have betrayed you. Don’t revenge. 

David was given the opportunity multiple times to kill Saul and take the crown that God had rightly given to him, but instead he committed the situation to the LORD. We know that in the end Saul was killed in battle and the whole nation came to appoint David as king with great honor and a spirit of repentance & reconciliation with him. This exaltation was far better than what David could have achieved on his own. What probably would have happened if David took matters into his own hands would be that the people would think that David treasonously murdered the King and unrighteously stole the kingdom. Then very few would trust him or be faithful to him. God’s ways of straightening things out is far better than what we can accomplish.  

Psalm 52 is David’s prayer to God to God in response to the situation with Doeg: “God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” (Psalm 52:5-7) According to Rabbinic literature Doeg died a shameful death as a leper. Either way, everything we know from Scripture would lead us to think that Doeg died a miserable man under the judgment of God for all that he did. 

How are you responding to the person, or people, that have betrayed you? Are you vengeful? Are you looking for opportunities to hurt them? Are you betraying them now? If so, stop. Remember David. Remember Jesus on the cross.  “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21) Whoever your betrayer(s) are, do your best to love them. Wish them well. If possible do them well. In the end God will straighten things out. 

  1. “Trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)

The word here for “mercy” is the Hebrew word chesed which in a fuller sense means “loyalty, covenant faithfulness, joint obligation, steadfast love, goodness, grace.” When others betray us we must lean back on Almighty God, Yahweh (the One who always IS), the all-powerful, all-wise, ever present, omnibenevolent God; the One who has promised, secured and guaranteed his favor and loyalty to us through the shed blood of Christ on our behalf. God has given himself fully to you if you are in Christ. If you are a child of God, then God is for you (Romans 8). And if God is for you – who can be against you? It may not seem like God is working (Remember Joseph in the dungeon, or Job in his affliction, or David in the cave, or Jesus on the cross), but he has swore an oath by his own name to work graciously in your life through every detail and event. David learned through all of this “Surely goodness and mercy (chesed) shall follow me (pursue after me) all the days of my life.” “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy (chesed) for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…” (Exodus 34:6-7)

  1. Just continue fighting the LORD’s battles, no matter how counterintuitive it may seem. 

When Saul was saturated in jealousy David continued as a warrior in his army. When David was being spied on and hunted he continued to fight in public. When he was afraid to even live in the land of Israel for fear of betrayal he still continued to fight Israel’s battles. The last thing you probably want to do when you’re betrayed by someone close to you is to continue being loyal and faithful to causes that will benefit those people. Whether at home, church, work or just in the world, continue doing the good thing that God placed you on the earth for. Continue benefiting those who have hurt you. 

It’s not easy: David’s struggle with rejection and excommunication by Saul and others in Israel were a waaay tougher enemy to David than Goliath and the Philistines. After the situation in Keilah and Ziph, it would totally be understandable that David would not want to help out another Israelite town again. But David was able to look over the shoulders of his unfaithful brothers and see the Redeemer of Israel. He had the grace to love the heritage of Yahweh and expend his life for her good, despite the unfaithful in the land. Don’t let your heart get hard. Don’t clam up and hibernate. Move forward. Put one foot in front of the other with humility but confidence in Christ.  

  1. Recognize that you do still have true friends. 

The songs of David reveal how often David felt like he was all alone and how difficult it was for him to trust people, but through it all there were always people who were truly David’s faithful friends. One in particular stands out – Jonathan. Jonathan knew early on that David was a special man called by God to lead the nation. He tried to pacify his father’s anger towards David. After David fled Jonathan met with David and this is the report, “And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.” (1 Samuel 16-18) Joanthan risked his own life to support David. He met him at a critical time in his life to encourage him. He spoke to David about the promises of God and good hope for the future. He vowed to be faithful to David no matter what! 

You may feel alone, but you are not alone. There has always been at least someone who cares about you, who has not forsaken you, who understands you to a degree, out there. It may be a parent, or a sibling, or a friend. You may only see them or talk to them once a year or every few years, but those conversations are more critical than you might imagine. It is important to say here that it is critical to not isolate yourself and shut out other people. “Why would I get involved with other people – it’s just another person who is going to hurt me at some point.” We take risks no matter what we do: isolation has risks just as as building relationships with people. God made us to be relational creatures. We are not sufficient alone. There may be times when the only person we know to look to is God. He is the only one who will always be there for you. However, much of the time God listens to your brokeness through the ears of another person; he embraces you through someone else’s hug; he encourages and motivates you through another persons counsel. Recognize who your friends are, be thankful for them, and continue seeking out new friends. Remember – Jesus was friends with Judas knowing that one day he would betray him. It’s too hard for us to try to judge who will betray us from who won’t. Perhaps our most trusted friends are the ones who we would least expect.    

  1. Have pity on those who betray you instead of bitterness. 

If someone has truly betrayed you then they are weak themselves. They are probably being abused by some kind of besetting sin themselves that they are struggling through. Sometimes, unfortunately, we become the outlet of people’s anger when we didnt do anything wrong. Saul spread terrible rumors about David all over the country. Perhaps the Ziphites received false information about David and assumed that he betrayed Saul and the kingdom, and they thought the right thing to do was to turn him in. The Pharisees sure seem to have been thinking that they were doing the right thing by crucifying Jesus. Of course they were horrifyingly wrong and were superb hypocrites, but they couldn’t see it. So how did Jesus respond? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” When people hurt you, more often than not they don’t see their actions as being as destructive as they are. We’re like that too – we tend to miss our sins and minimize the severity of its effects, while being hyper vigilant about seeing other people’s sins, and the effects of their sins have on others around them. I’m not recommending to excuse anyone’s sin, but I am suggesting that it would be wise to not let them hurt you even more than they have by letting bitterness take root in your soul. Try not to take it personally. You probably don’t deserve the betrayal. People are broken and unrighteously use others. God knows. Job was released from his season of difficulties when he stopped arguing with his friends and in pity started praying for them.  

  1. Continue worshiping. 

When David received the news about the people of Ziph betraying him he said, “I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.” (Psalm 54:6) Don’t give up on God because one (or many) of his followers has let you down. We didn’t come to Jesus ultimately because Christians are so great. We came because we ourselves recognized that we were broken, lost, depraved and hopeless, on our way to eternal death and destruction. We came to recognize that our Creator came in flesh to receive in his own human body the pain, agony and torture for our sins that we deserved. We recognized that we betrayed our God. We left him and went astray. We cold heartedly used the life and body he gifted to us to do all kinds of selfish, sinful things with. Yet, he called us back to himself in love. He bore the consequences of our bad choices. He rose from the dead and has committed himself to us forever in a gracious relationship… This is why we began to worship him, love him, learn from him and serve him. This is why we began to love others in his name. So, continue. Say, “Thank you God for bringing this trial into my life. The blood of Jesus is all the proof I need to believe that this is better for me than if it never happened,” then begin to sing songs of praise to the goodness and faithfulness of God, whether you feel like it or not. 

“If you never speak another word of blessing,

And your silence leaves me with a sense of loss,

I’ll remember when my heart begins to question-

Any doubt that you love me was settled at the cross.”