Conditions for Answers

Berean Baptist on February 13, 2017

Psalm 77

Several times in preaching on the need for total dependence upon Christ, I have told the story of a dark period I went through about thirty years ago. This was during an economic downturn in our city when business was failing, and it seemed everything I worked for was ready to collapse. I won’t go into the details now, but that period spawned a real test of faith in which I seriously questioned if God had forgotten His promises.

When I was just a child, my dad taught me to be faithful to the Lord’s work and to always keep up with my tithes and offerings. My first job was working for him, and out of the $10 I received each week I always deducted the proper tithe along with a little extra for missions. I was faithful to do this and I believed if I did there would never be a time I was without.

Up until this difficult time in my life, I never had any serious troubles. Married life was good, finances were good, church was as usual, and faith was never severely tested. The brewing financial storm and prospects of failure changed all of that. Those were the most serious days of prayer in all my life. During this time, I sought solace in the pages of scripture trying to find any passage that would ease my anxiety. One day I was reading 1 John 3:22 for the nth time when the verse popped out on the page: “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” I took this as intended—an absolute promise.

As Christians, we are never in a bargaining position with God over our salvation. Salvation is an irrevocable gift purchased by the blood of Christ and given to us freely. The ability to keep the gift is neither ours as salvation is unconditional no matter how unfaithful at times we may be. However, the realization of peace, assurance, and loving companionship are conditioned upon how we respond in obedience to God’s commands. Please note I said realization of these not the reality of these. For a Christian, an unspiritual mind causes the perception to become perceived reality. John said that whatever we ask we receive with this condition—we must keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.

My determination was to stop the pity party and obey the verse. In fact, I had been obeying the verse, at least in part. I was doing but not asking, or should I say not doing and asking with faith believing. To make a long story short, God turned everything around. My fears were unfounded, and the next year was one of the most financially outstanding of my life.

I wrote this little essay in conjunction with Psalm 77. Note how the psalmist was overwhelmed at the beginning with his personal problem. He was at the point of giving up on God and believed God had given up on him. We don’t know what put him in such despair, but it hardly matters because there are numerous issues that park us beside the psalmist. The situation looked bleak, but as Charles Spurgeon said there would be a good outcome because the first verse starts with a prayer—“I cried unto God with my voice…”

It took ten verses for the psalmist to work through the emotions of his problem. Finally, he took the focus off self and put it on the Lord. He remembered in the worst of times God was always there. In verse 10, he said: “This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.”

Whatever you fear may make the way bleak and nigh impossible. The best course is not to focus on you and the problem, but to focus on God who solves problems. Always remember to keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. These are the conditions to receive what you ask.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Count Your Blessings

Berean Baptist on January 9, 2017

 

Psalm 73

Psalm 73 expresses what I am sure are the sentiments of every Christian. This psalm was written by Asaph who makes an affirmative statement of the goodness of God in verse one, but very quickly confesses that he sees a great disparity between the physical, financial, and material character of God’s people and the world.

Who among us has not felt some kind of inequity when thinking about how well off are many unbelievers while we as Christians often face the hardships of life? There are some who see this disparity and they try to compensate for it with a theology that says God intends for all His people to live in financial prosperity and never suffer the physical ailments that are common to man. In other words, God has provided something more in His atonement than their salvation from sin and the effects of the curse. They are determined that all the benefits of the atonement should be immediately realized. They postulate the reason we do not receive them is because of lack of faith in God’s intention.

I do not have the time or space to argue the intricacies of the atonement, but I will say this psalm certainly rejects the idea Christians should be free from suffering because of it. The psalmist may very well lament the difficulties of life, but he overlooks them in favor of the rich spiritual blessings we possess in Christ. God promised to rid us of all inequities in another time while those who enjoy the pleasures of the world now will lose out forever in the world to come.

The feeling of being shortchanged in the present life is at times common to us all. I feel it at times as I travel. I love to travel but I do not have the resources to do it often nor to travel in luxury. I wait to board an airplane with the cattle call with great feelings of inferiority as I enviously pass through first class and its soft seats looking at those who board first. On my last trip, I took my place in the last row next to the restrooms where I sat for 5 ½ hours in a seat that would not recline.

I took the flight magazine out of the seat pocket and began reading an article about how increasingly common it is for Americans to have second homes in places like the Hawaiian Islands. This particular article told of a family that had a vacation home in a community with 180 degree views of the ocean. They were in a planned housing development where the lots start at five to ten million dollars. The article stated it like this, “Why don’t you own at least two of these?”

I am the guy sitting in coach with my knees under my chin, so why let me read something that makes me feel like a total loser? I refinanced my house four times just to keep up. So, I put the magazine away and took out my Bible. I read Psalm 73 and relived the agony of the psalmist. But then I came to the last part. By far the majority of the extremely wealthy know nothing of life and peace with God. The Psalmist said these people are far from God and they will perish. Jesus said, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” I decided a $10 million lot in Hawaii is nowhere near worth what I have in Christ. So, I sat in coach and counted my blessings. After all, I could have spent my vacation in Bakersfield.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

“Fear not I am with thee…”

Berean Baptist on May 16, 2016

Psalm 44

Have you ever felt that God has abandoned you and you have no real discernible reason why? Have you examined your heart for sin and found you are doing your best to serve God, and yet despite your best efforts it seems God is nowhere to be found? If this is how you feel, you have just hit upon the gist of this psalm.

We do not know the author of the psalm although we do know he was a descendant of Korah. This means it could have been written anytime over a period of 1400 years. Apparently, Israel had just suffered a stunning military defeat and the psalmist did not understand why God had not come to their aid. There were times in the past when it was very clear why Israel had been defeated. Those times were connected to obvious sins, usually the sin of idolatry when Israel fell into the worship of false gods. This was not one of those times which makes the defeat all the more puzzling.

The psalm is divided into three time periods. The first eight verses are about the past as the psalmist remembers the stories told by his forefathers about the miraculous deliverances from their enemies by the Almighty God. This section ends with the admission that each victory won was because of God, not because of Israel’s military might.

The next section (vv. 9-22) is about the present. This is the psalmist’s lament as he tries to understand why they were defeated and why it seemed God did not care. The third section (vv. 23-26) is about the future as the psalmist is sure that God had not forgotten them. He cries out for God to awaken from sleep—a metaphor for God’s supposed inattention. How much this reminds us of that fearful night when the disciples were tossed about by the boisterous waves on the Sea of Galilee. While they rowed and worried, Jesus was asleep in the boat. The tumult of the sea did not bother Him. He was awakened to the disciples’ pleas for help. A hymnist expressed their words this way: “Carest thou not that we perish? How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threatening a grave in the angry deep?” There was no trouble for Jesus. He awoke and said, “Peace be still.”

The explanation for God’s refusal to help Israel is not given in this psalm. However, we know the character of God. He said He would never leave us or forsake us. If it appears He has, we know it must be for His divine purposes. Sometimes trials come upon us simply because we have been called upon to suffer for Christ. Peter wrote: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13).  Paul also often mentions the sufferings of Christians, even his own as the divine providence of God. This is often hard for us to understand just as it was for Christians in the early centuries that suffered so much persecution. We notice, however, they always held on. They were firm and steadfast and waited for God’s deliverance. Sometimes the deliverance was death—but death is no problem when the destination is the glories of heaven.

Christians today need to do what the psalmist did. Look back to the past and remember the victories you have won in Christ. Examine yourself in the present to make sure sin is not your problem. Consider the future because you know God will never abandon you. When it seems God is not there, be sure He is. He is closer to you than in your boat—He is in your heart. Peace comes when you are fully dependent upon Him. Another hymnist related the sentiments of God’s heart: “Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

The Promise of Peace

Berean Baptist on December 15, 2015

 

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

 Although Christmas is a time of celebration and happiness, the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the coming of Christ were often born out of depressing times. When Israel needed some glimmer of hope because of oppressing conquering armies, God had the prophets remind them that He had not forgotten His promise to them.

I have chosen as the subject for this article a passage from Isaiah that is quoted in the New Testament upon the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. Isaiah 9:2 says, ”The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” This reference is to the land of Galilee where Jesus grew up and spent most of His time preaching, healing, and giving hope to a sin darkened people.

At the time of Isaiah’s writing some seven hundred years before Christ, this area of Israel had been overrun by the Assyrian army and the people were living in a war-torn nation. There was great anguish and distress as we might well expect when people were completely helpless to remedy their ills. The northern kingdom of Israel had been warned by the prophets for many years what would happen if the people did not return to God. God would have protected them from these armies if they would repent, but they did not, and so now they were reaping the just reward of their sins.

However, we must remember they were God’s chosen people and despite their sin, God was gracious to promise restoration. Verses 6 and 7 promised the coming of the Messiah who would deliver Israel from their oppression. These two verses form a sweeping prophecy that encompass both the first and second advents of Christ. A child would be born—this is the first advent—and this child would bring the light of the gospel to Galilee. This is why we find verse 2 quoted in Matthew chapter 4. The prophecy then moves forward more than two thousand years to a date still in the future when Christ shall return the second time to begin a kingdom upon the earth. At this time, the promise to Israel will be fulfilled that a king shall sit on the throne of David forever. King Jesus will be ruler of a kingdom no longer gripped in the throes of war, but one in which peace reigns over the whole earth. Israel’s oppression will be forever ended and God’s people will always dwell in peace and safety.

This is a wonderful promise given by the prophet. It speaks of a loving and gracious God who is willing to forgive sin and restore the penitent to His divine favor. Though these verses are primarily a promise for Israel, we must remember that God has promised to make Gentiles a part of His kingdom. The light has also shined upon us and this is why we celebrate Christmas today.

This is good news for us all because in our deepest despair when there seems to be no hope we can find refuge in the merciful and gracious Saviour. Our hope and prayer today is that you have met your King and surrendered your life to Him. Christmas is far more festive when you truly know the one for whom it is named.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Hope for Discouraged Christians

Berean Baptist on July 25, 2015

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matthew 19:29)

This passage in Matthew is most helpful for discouraged Christians. Jesus knew the exact time to give His disciples encouragement because there were many negative overtones to His teachings. It was necessary for Him to deal with the sinful nature of men and to issue warnings of the wrath to come; and indeed we find much of the Bible is concerned with the destruction of the flesh, the downfall of the world’s systems, and the final punishment in hell for all that do not receive Christ as Saviour. It is also necessary for us to deal with these doctrines because a person must know of his sinful condition and the consequences of it before he can repent of his sins and trust Christ. After this information is given, we must further instruct those that believe concerning the hardships of living the Christian life. Unsuspecting new converts can be shattered unless they know it is not unusual to experience pain and suffering because of their faith. This is an inevitable result of following Christ. As Jesus said, the world will hate us because it hated Him. You can see from this that much of the Bible’s teachings must be negative because we live in a fallen, sinful world.

With so many negatives, is there anything positive? The disciples wondered this as they were being trained because they were graphically living out the negative aspects of following Christ. When Jesus perceived the weight of their present problems was becoming extremely burdensome, He broke through the negatives in scriptures such as Matthew 19:28-29. This is the promise of a glorious future in which He will come to sit on the throne of David and will rule the world in perfect peace and righteousness. This is a wonderful prospect which is far more than they could expect. Just to live in a holy kingdom without pain, suffering, hunger, and the constant attacks of Satan is more than they could ask. These factors alone are great encouragement.

However, in this scripture, Jesus steps beyond His personal ruling authority to let His disciples know they will also have their part ruling in the Kingdom. This is what they hoped for all along even though they did not fully understand what it would take to occupy their places of authority. They would become great in the Kingdom by first becoming the lowly servants of others. But still, without this full understanding, these verses came when they surely needed encouragement. They were on their way to Jerusalem for the last days of Jesus’ life when it would seem discouragement was all that was in store.

One of the great truths of this passage is to teach us not to always focus on our present circumstances. When our thoughts are too much on the present, they spoil the ability the future has to give us hope when needed. Christ taught the disciples in this place to look beyond their current hardships to their glorious future. The coming Kingdom would prove that everything they gave up for Him would be more than equally compensated; it would be exponentially increased with eternal rather than temporal value.

This is the same hope we are to look forward to in this promise made by Christ. These disciples are typical of all disciples—it will be worth it all for all of us. Never doubt the reality of His precious future promises. It will make all the difference in the world of how you are able face life’s challenges.

Pastor V. Mark Smith