God

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). 

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.”

A Salute To Our Servicemen

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Secondarily, it is also appropriate to recognize all servicemen & women who by mere entrance into the military have been willing to give their lives in service to our great country (especially those who have been deployed into combat situations). It is fitting to honor and bring attention to those who have given their lives in the service. There is no greater price that can be paid than to give one’s life for the benefit of others. As Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) 

To all of those who gave your life so that I might be free: Thank you. 

To all of those who were willing to give your life as well so that I might be free: Thank you. 

To all the families who have lost a loved one: Thank you. 

To all of the families who had to be without a loved one for a long time, and who still struggle with the effects of war and service: Thank you. 

I especially want to honor two specific people that have been close to me in my life. First, my Grandfather (Roy Robinson), who passed away last year at 100 years old. He was born and raised in Illinois and joined the U.S. Navy to serve in WW2. This was followed by a 20 year military career (retired as a Chief). He didn’t talk much about his time in the military, but I’m sure he had many close calls sailing in the pacific during a time of war. He was a very steady, kind and sacrificial man. I’m thankful for the household that he built and for his service to his country and family. May the Lord Jesus help us to live in a way that honors your service. 

I also want to honor my brother in law, Steve McDonough. Steve reluctantly joined the Army in the aftermath of 9/11. He went as a result of feeling led by God to join. He was deployed twice to Afghanistan and experienced all of the horrors of war. Steve and his family have sacrificed so much in love for our country. He has borne the burden of many serious, ongoing physical health issues as a result of his service. The McDonough family is one of the sweetest families I know, who live to serve others, and most of the time under the radar without much recognition. Since retirement Steve and his family have given many years in serving military members in various ways. We love you guys and are so thankful for all that you have sacrificed in the path that you’ve walked with the Lord.        

How can we honor? 

Perhaps the greatest way to honor those who have died is to not abuse the freedoms they helped to secure. The Scriptures say, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Galatians 5:13-14). It is a blessing to be free. Freedom is never free, it always comes at a cost. Those before us courageously and sacrificially did their part to do what was necessary to keep evil at bay enough for us to live in peace. Of course, our nation is in many ways a sinking ship, but we still enjoy the benefits of their service in many ways. So don’t use your freedom to live selfishly with fleshly, ungodly living, but rather use it to build upon, to make your life, your family and our country better and stronger. It reminds me of a man who lived righteously and worked wisely and diligently throughout his life, in order to pass down to his children a strong inheritance. The kids can either continue the tradition to strengthen the estate and make it greater than their father, or they can squander the bounty and end up miserable and broke. We should strive to be the faithful children, who are grateful for our prosperity, and use it to engage in lifestyles that tend towards growth and prosperity. Honor God. You are free to worship God, so worship him. Love the Bible: read it, live it. Be grateful for everything. Use your freedom to work hard and to serve others in some way. Strive to live in moral purity. Goldiness tends towards more freedom, ungodliness to slavery.  

Another way is to follow their example. It may not be your calling in life to join the military, but find a cause that is worth you giving your life for. The best place to look here is to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He left all to be humbled in death so that a lost, fallen world could be saved and set free. We still live in a fallen world that needs to be saved and set free. Allow the love of Christ to sink into your heart and transform you. Let God give you a love for your friends and enemies, a love that desires them to be saved. Learn of Jesus and follow in his footsteps. 

To those whose hearts ache today because of the tragedy of war – May the God of heaven, the commander of the universe, give you a peace that passes all understanding. May your heart be comforted today and at rest. 

And finally, may God revive our nation by His mighty mercy and grace, so that we, as a whole, can rightly see what is good and what is evil. May we have the grace to be humble, to repent of our sins; courage to confront the evil in our own hearts and then the following boldness to confront evil in our neighborhoods, our states and around the world. May this occur, so that those who do desire to defend their country will have the utmost assurance that what they are fighting for is truly justice and righteousness. May the battles of our nation truly be the battles of the Lord. “Father, make your Name, your reputation, honored and recognized in this land. May all of its people bow down in humble reverence at the feet of Jesus Christ. May your kingdom of love, peace, joy and righteousness come to this place. May this be a land that reminds all other lands of the heaven that is to come. Amen.” 

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GRACE REIGNS

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

Romans 5:19-21

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

From the time of the first man (Adam) sin and death has reigned among men. Sin and death are likened to a unified dominant king controlling men and their destinies. It’s almost as if we had no choice: we were made sinners by the disobedience of Adam. We were all born sinners into a kingdom of sin. Sin was natural and normal to us. There is such a power in the world, a universal law, that excuses and encourages sin. Sin reigned, and sin finishes its work by ultimately slaying the subjects of its kingdom. We are slaves, low born, disadvantaged, destined for this. 

But there came a new King into the world. One who evaded the natural way of conception through virgin birth. He was born righteous and pure into the world of sin. As the God-Man he triumphed over every temptation to sin. Ultimately he was lifted up, to receive in his body God’s judgment wrought by King Sin and Death, so as to set free those who were all their lives subject to his reign. He defeated Sin and Death and established a new kingdom.
In contrast to the former kingdom, the kingdom of Jesus is characterized by GRACE – favor, benevolence, help, beauty, gift-giving, kindness, compassion, etc. Through the new birth, our nature is changed – we are now naturally righteous and pure. We are also ushered into a new realm of living that is dominated and permeated with these qualities of grace. GRACE REIGNS in the life of a Christian. We are born as spiritual free men: privileged, high class, advantaged. We were made saints by the obedience of someone else – that’s very good news. Our lives are under the control, ownership and supervision of God’s Grace. Grace reigns. I am not the king of my life – Grace is, and because my King is so gracious I can find great comfort in knowing that he will defend me against every enemy in my life, including myself. The King of Sin and Death delighted in deceiving and destroying, but the King of Grace delights in teaching, encouraging, forgiving, restoring, redeeming and resurrecting. Grace is greater than all of my sin and will prevail. All hail King Grace!