My God Is Real

Berean Baptist on May 29, 2017

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. (Psalms 89:11) 

(Note: This article was originally posted in 2015 for our congregation)

As I write this article three weeks before you read it, CNN has just released a story about NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. Launched about nine years ago, the spacecraft is nearing the planet (?) Pluto which is the farthest outpost of our solar system. When I say “nearing” I do not mean “near” as in Rohnert Park is near Santa Rosa. This is “near” in the vastness of space terms as in 126 million miles near. The spacecraft traveled about 3 billion miles from earth when it woke up and started to take its first pictures of Pluto. From the time I wrote this to the time you are reading it, about 16 million more miles have been traversed which adds a little more clarity to the pictures. These first pictures were of two small moons that are orbiting the dwarf planet.

The mission of New Horizons is to get better pictures than those of the Hubble Telescope of the planets and territory beyond our solar system. In the coming months, scientists expect to learn more about the mysteries of the universe. While I believe the greatest truths of the universe are lost on scientists, each of these amazing pictures ought to remind us of the immensity of God. Without looking at the heavenly bodies, just the measurement of distances is mind boggling.

The elliptical orbits of the planets makes nailing down a distance figure difficult, therefore average distances are used. The distance from earth to Pluto averages a little less than 4 billion miles (less as in 10,000 times around the earth) and the speed of the spacecraft is now about 31,000 miles per hour. This is just slightly less than I was clocked by the CHP south of Novato about a year ago. At this speed, it takes about 45 seconds to get to LA, but actually a little longer coming back because you have to stop for the toll. So, the spacecraft would take 45 seconds to get to LA but about 14 years to get to Pluto. Thankfully, they shifted into fifth gear part of the way because they made it in 9 years. I keep telling my wife such things are possible if you do not stop at the rest areas.

What are we learning from these adventures? I would say we learn more about God than anything. We learn the Bible is true that no one but God could have laid the foundation of the world. We learn no one but God has the power to uphold all things by the word of His power. We learn that impersonal forces could never make all this work. But more surprisingly, we learn how gracious God is that in the vastness of the universe He cares what happens on this tiny speck of space dust called earth.

Scientists are on their quest to prove how the universe began. They have spent years developing the technology and spent billions of dollars to make the trip, when all they needed to do is read Genesis 1 or Psalm 19 or 89 or Romans 1 or Colossians 1. If they would just read a $3.50 King James Bible they would have discovered they do not have to leave earth to prove it was God who did it all. The heavens declare the glory of God—just the visible parts seen with the naked eye and without telescopes and spacecraft. Does God exist? Ask a housefly with two compound eyes of 4000 lenses each that can see in all directions—a fly that its practically impossible to swat—if God created him. Isn’t an annoying fly enough to tell you this stuff does not happen by accident?

The universe with its immensity and the creature with his complexities are proof of the immeasurable wisdom and knowledge of God. Yet the more evidence we see, the dumber we get. If there is one point I would argue with God, it is this—man is a rational being. Every day at school our children are taught to be irrational. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every NASA image was captioned: “More proof our God is real?” I know He is without seeing the photos. He is real in my heart, which is the most rational thought I ever had.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Unparalleled Sorrow

Berean Baptist on May 22, 2017

Psalm 88

Each week when I write on the Psalms, I begin in nearly the same way. I do a simple reading of the text to see if there is anything that stands out and speaks to me in a special way. Next, I go to commentaries to see what others have said and usually to pick up some historical background. When I finished reading this psalm, I said to myself, “Oh man, how sad and how so much like Christ!” I did not feel I needed to go further because it sounded so much like the agony of Christ as He went through the sorrows of the cross.

The psalm needs a comment on every verse, but I cannot do that here. As you read, the parallels to Jesus are so striking that you will not miss my commentary. Surprisingly though, after reading commentary, there were some commentators that made no connection to Christ. Since apparently it can be missed, let me point out just a few verses. Once you see the pattern, you can easily fill in the blanks.

Notice verse 4: “I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength.” In Jesus dwelled all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All power belonged to Him, but as a man He subjected Himself to the weaknesses of the flesh. He was cruelly beaten until it was impossible for Him to lift His cross. He was a man with all strength taken away.

Verse 7: “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou has afflicted me with all thy waves.” God poured out on Him the fury of hell because He had taken sin on Him. No one knows the extent of the pain and suffering. It was the equivalent of the infinite suffering of hell for those who would believe.

Verse 8: “Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou has made me an abomination unto them…” Who can help but think of Peter who cursed in his denial, “I do not know the man!”

Verse 11: “Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?” Jesus knew the Father would raise Him. If He agreed to die, the Father would complete the plan. A dead and corrupted Christ in the grave would dishonor the Father. He must be raised to take on a glorified body. He is the firstfruits of the resurrection which ensures the Father would be glorified in our resurrection.

Verse 14: “LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?” Does this not sound like, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Verse 15: “I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up…” As just a boy, Jesus said, “I must be about my Father’s business.” As a young man He said, “For this cause came I into the world.” What cause? The cruel death of the cross. He lived with the view of where He was going from the time He was old enough to understand.

Someone wrote this is the saddest of all the psalms. Who cannot agree when it gives such a vivid picture of the sorrows of Christ? He went lower than anyone has ever gone. Here is our solace. To the bitterest of depths went Christ (v.6), but He arose triumphantly over the grave. Sin, Satan, death, and hell are defeated. His sorrow is your joy, for by believing in Him the dark night of the worst terrors is done.

 

Oh the grace of Christ the Sovereign to receive around His throne

Distant souls from every nation, once estranged, but now His own!

Bound by blood, we’ll stand together, unified by love’s great cost;

With one voice, we’ll sing forever, “Thank you, Jesus, for the cross!”

 

Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

Berean Baptist on May 15, 2017

 

Psalm 87:3

The New Testament gospels speak frequently of the Second Coming of Christ. However, the Old Testament has far more references to the millennial kingdom which Christ will establish than it does to His First Advent. Old Testament prophecies blend into one on this subject which is the reason for much confusion when Jesus came in the first century. He said He was the Son of Man, the Messiah who would sit on the throne of David, but no physical kingdom gushed forth from His claims.

Psalm 87 is another of the prophecies of the magnificent kingdom to come. In this psalm, the prominence of Jerusalem is mentioned: “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.” Zion is Jerusalem (v.2) the city of God. Few today can scarcely believe Jerusalem will become the capital of the world. If you travel to the Middle East, you might name much more suitable locations for the seat of worldwide government. The Arabs have built the magnificent city of Dubai that glistens in the sun with more splendor than the imagination can conceive. Jerusalem pales in comparison if not for beauty then certainly for location.

Dubai is just one example but it serves as a good one because of the billions of dollars that have been spent to build it gleaned from the sales of oil. By contrast, one wonders how such riches could be so near to Israel and yet there are no oil fields in the country or other highly valuable resources in great quantities. Natural gas has been discovered, but who builds cities like Dubai on the back of natural gas?

If you want a taste of minerals in Israel (literally!) go to the Dead Sea and take a swim. You will wear Israel’s minerals in a yucky coating on your skin. The point is there is no attraction for Jerusalem. It has its tourist trade because of its history and connection with Christ, but little more. It has no strategic value for any of the world’s governments.

When Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon, there were no kings that said, “We must rebuild this city!” When a decree was made to rebuild the temple, it was soon shut down because of opposition from those who remembered Jerusalem as more a thorn in their sides than anything. They reasoned another temple in that city meant nothing but rebellion.

Why does the psalmist say, “Glorious things of thee are spoken?” The reason is for what Jerusalem will become. No one would choose this city, but God did. God chose the land and gave it no oil fields because He intends its riches will flow from heaven, not from the ground. Never has Israel been great for natural resources, vast population, or powerful armies. God needs none of these. He always told His people to come to Him for their help.

Our God intends to have a glorious city that will have a new temple gleaming with the brightness of the glory of His Son. All nations will come there and bow before Him. It is required and all will come to render obeisance. Jerusalem will be a lifetime destination made so by the God who chose her.

It is a strange thing when today you cannot even land a commercial airliner anywhere near the city. It is a travel destination that travelers have difficulty reaching, but it will change. All roads will lead there in the great Messianic Kingdom. Glorious things of her are spoken—not now but then.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

A Psalm of David or a Psalm of Peter?

Berean Baptist on May 8, 2017

Psalm 86

As the title of Psalm 86 reveals, this is a psalm of David. As I read the psalm this week, I noticed how David’s thoughts parallel what must have been in Peter’s mind after he denied Jesus for the third time. This was a dark period in Peter’s life. This is the lowest point, the farthest he ever sunk in the trials of Christian living. Although he made the great confession of faith in Matthew 16, and although he steadfastly protested when Jesus told him what he would do, he still had a moment of weakness that was as bad as the traitor Judas.

The purpose of the story of his failure at the end of Matthew 26 is to show how easily we can fall into denial. In persecution, we may stand strong; in times of heightened sensitivity, we may gather ourselves and with strong resolve, we will not give up our faith. However, Satan rarely attacks at those times. He prefers to wait until we are unprepared; until we are smug and self-assured before he slings his fiery darts. When you lay aside the armor or are too casual to pay attention, Satan has the advantage. Peter was not felled by a burly Roman soldier, but by a little harmless maiden who made no threats.

Peter’s failure was not as sudden as we might think. It was a step by step process. The same is true of our failures. We rarely go from a stellar workhorse for Christ to a scared little weasel who pretends not to know Him.

How does this fit with the psalm? The psalmist wrote in a moment of despair, “Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.” We catch up to the psalm after Peter’s denials. This is when Peter realized his awful mistake. It was when Jesus looked at Him with disappointment that he knew how miserably he failed. Peter’s reaction was the reaction of a true Christian, not of a Judas. It was a gut-wrenching moment and he could not live with himself for what he had done. His tears were not merely tears of regret, but much more deeply felt. They were tears of godly repentance. Can we not image when Peter went out and wept bitterly that verses 5 and 6 of this psalm were the cry of his heart? “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.”

Peter’s denial was as serious as it gets. Jesus said those who deny Him before men He will deny before His Father in heaven. Peter denied before men, not once but three times. What kept Christ from denying Him? It was his repentance. He proved he was a child that God promised never to forsake. David and Peter prayed with the same confidence knowing that when they fell they would not be finally cast down.

When we sin, their plea must be our plea. Paul wrote, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” No sin is too big for God to forgive. Peter’s story teaches us this lesson. Bitter tears of repentance are always followed by blessed forgiveness and renewal. It is God’s word and you can always count on it.

Pastor V. Mark Smith