If Not for God…

Berean Baptist on February 12, 2018

Psalm 124

This article was posted in our bulletin in January 2016. The occasion was the death of Tom Dewitt’s father, Clif.

Clif was one of those brave men from the World War II generation that served his country well facing the dangers of the enemy while flying bombing missions out of North Africa. On November 10, 1943, he flew a mission headed to destroy a freight supply line to Germany from the town of Bolzano, Italy. There were problems with the mission that caused them to abort, and with complications Clif’s plane was low on fuel. The plan was to return to an emergency base on the island of Corsica, but before they could make it, they were attacked by German aircraft. Clif’s plane was hit and the crew was forced to bail out. Clif was wounded in the process and later captured and spent 17 months in a German prisoner of war camp.

These kinds of stories have been told over and over as brave soldiers stood to fight for our country. Unlike Clif, thousands did not come home. We are left to wonder what if those men did not make the sacrifice and what would it be like in America today if we had lost the war? Surely America would be a much different place if God had not intervened to preserve our freedom.

As we look at Psalm 124, a great question looms. What if the Lord had not been on the side of Israel? Israel became a nation at Mount Sinai when Moses was given the Law. Only months before, a rag tag group of Jews stood at the Red Sea with a body of water too deep to cross. Behind them was the Egyptian army bearing down to either destroy them or force them back into slavery. What if God had not parted the sea? Later, the multitude came to the waters of Mara. They were hot, thirsty, tired and ready to die. The waters were poison and they were unable to drink. What if God had not made them sweet?

When they reached the Promised Land, the swelling of Jordan was before them. Beyond Jordan was the city of Jericho, fortified against invaders with walls too high to breach. What if God had not made the walls fall? Fast forward to the time David wrote this Psalm. No specific trouble is mentioned but there were surely countless times David faced enemies too big to conquer. What if God had not been on their side? And so, the history of Israel goes. From Elijah at Mount Carmel to Hezekiah facing the invincible Assyrian army that had never lost a battle, each time Israel was preserved because God was on her side.

The question comes down to this: if God had not continually taken sides with Israel, she would have been destroyed. Along with her destruction, would have been the ruin of redemption. Israel survived because the Redeemer must come from them. They had to survive because God promised it as far back as a few days into the creation. If God had not been on her side, you and I would have no hope of salvation. We praise Him now because every believer knows He is on our side too. “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalms 118:6). “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

There is always a big “what if” in nearly every situation. What if God had allowed Clif to be shot down and killed? He never would have made it to the age of 92 when he received Christ as Saviour. The “what if” is hell instead of heaven. We are helpless without Christ. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. I am thankful He is on my side and nothing can separate me from Him.

Do you have the same assurance? Are you worried about the “what if’s?” Rest at ease IF you know Christ. There is no worry if the Lord is on your side.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

God Is Grieved with this Generation

Berean Baptist on August 7, 2017

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

(Psalms 95:10-11)

In April when we began our reading of Book IV of the Psalter, I mentioned this portion of the psalms is linked to the book of Numbers with the theme of unrest and wandering. This is especially evident in today’s reading of Psalm 95. This psalm mentions Israel’s temptation in the wilderness and how God was grieved with their unbelief. Israel saw God’s wonderful works numerous times, yet still they hardened their hearts in sin. As punishment, God would not allow them to enter their rest in the Promised Land. The entire generation that left Egypt died in the wilderness without realizing their hope.

Two weeks ago, in preparation for this article, I was reading the results of a Pew Center study that said the numbers of people in America who identify as Christians has reached an all-time low and is still sinking. Most in our church would not find it hard to believe seeing we live in California where real Christians are as scarce as hen’s teeth. Our assumption is there are far more Christians in other places, particularly in the Bible Belt where I was born and raised. However, the phrase “real Christians” is a very limiting term. For many, many years the numbers of “real Christians” even in the Bible Belt has been dismal.

Russell Moore who is president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention noted there was a time that anyone living in the South or Midwest had to at least claim to be Christian to be considered “normal.” Good parents and good neighbors and people you weren’t afraid to have your kids around would always carry the Christian label. Any other claim would push them out of the mainstream of accepted social behavior.

Moore rightly acknowledged that Christianity for maintaining social status is not really Christianity at all. Including those types in the definition of Christian, has caused many mainline denominations to tailor their doctrinal beliefs to the masses. The result of churches making peace with the world is that too soon the church is the world with no discernible difference. These denominations are losing their identity which means the Bible Belt is taking in notches from a size 40 as if it was on a crash diet.

America is certainly in the wilderness of unbelief. We never hear of the revivals that gripped this country like they did in the early days. Poorly guarded theology is a huge reason for this which has given us unconverted “Christians.” These pseudo-Christians eventually lose the need for the label. When we think God did nothing for us, why do we want to have anything to do with Him?

As each year goes by, we wonder if there is anything worth saving in this country. Our brand of democracy has seen its own conversion to one that more seeks a mandate not to worship God rather than for freedom to worship Him. Perhaps God is letting this generation die in the wilderness. Has He sworn they will not enter His rest? If so, real Christianity is not dead. The gates of hell are no stronger than they were. As Moore said, the light of Christ still drives out the darkness of all false gospels.

Remember this—God’s Promised Land is for His people. They are still going, still trudging on with enemies on every side. The worse the foes the greater the grace, and we shall never fail to make it there.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Failing but Not Forgotten

Berean Baptist on March 13, 2017

Psalm 78

Psalm 78 is a record of Israel’s history from their deliverance from Egypt to the reign of David. This psalm describes Israel’s often rebellion but also records how God would never let them go too far away to the point He would forsake them forever. The reading of this psalm might have been a little more appropriate in conjunction with next week’s study in Matthew, so you might catalog these comments in your mind and use them as an introduction to the disciples’ denial of Christ in Matthew chapter 26.

The Bible is an amazing book for many reasons, not the least of which is God’s way of exalting Himself from what seems to be an upside down position. If we were trying to convince people to follow a God they never desired, and if we wanted to preach His ability to change lives for the better, we would surely pick examples of His followers’ successes and leave the rest untold. Moses parting the Red Sea would be enough without telling how God kept him out of the Promised Land because he disobeyed by twice striking the rock. Joshua’s great victory over Jericho is enough without telling the story of Achan’s sin and the defeat at Ai. Samson carrying the gates of a Philistine city to the top of a hill is enough without telling of his terrible weakness of lust in falling prey to a conniving woman. And of course, David’s victory over the giant Goliath is enough without telling how he betrayed a trusted friend by committing adultery with his wife and then having him murdered in the cover-up.

The complete details of these fallible men’s lives would have been better left untold if we wanted to preach the marvelous virtues of our great God. However, God seeks glory in uncommon ways. The revelation of all the details shows how exceedingly gracious and merciful He truly is. How much love is needed to love someone who loves you? Jesus said if you love those that love you what thanks do you have? Even sinners love those that love them.

It would be enough to tell of God’s salvation of sinners who did not love Him if we wanted people to see how superior God’s love is. But what if God should add more details? What if after sending His Son to die for them and saving them those He loves are terribly ungrateful? How much more love does it take not to obliterate them in anger? It takes even greater resolve to love those that multiple times turn their backs on Him after receiving His rich benefits. God’s love is magnified as He promises to preserve His people despite their constant failures. This is the way God works. This is the way He wrote His book. Tell the whole story and God will be glorified in most uncommon ways.

After many verses of Israel’s obstinacy, the psalm ends on a note of peace. God gave Israel her greatest king. David, the shepherd king, brought Israel to prominence as he led them with a gentle hand. David symbolizes the last king of Israel. He is also a shepherd that feeds His flock and gently cares for those that are with young (Isa. 40:11). Christ is the great King. He loves us with unconditional love. He will never leave us or forsake us. Tell the whole world the story of Him and they will never find failure in Him. He came to make up for failures. God accepts us because of Him.

Thank God for His book. We see ourselves reflected in stories like Psalm 78. All too often they are tales of failures, yet we can still claim His promise that He will bring us home to glory.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Doomed to Repeat the Past

Berean Baptist on February 20, 2017

Psalm 78

In the 78th Psalm, we come to one of the many instances in which the history of Israel, the ups and downs of their relationship with God, is recounted. The purpose of these places is to teach that we must remember the failures of the past and to warn those who have not yet learned the lessons we have learned how to avoid the holes we have fallen into.

In dealing with the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged them to pay attention to Old Testament scriptures. They are not passé and of no benefit. Rather, he says in the 10th chapter that the experiences of Old Testament Israel were for our example. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen used the historical record to point out how the Jews of his time were no different from their forefathers. They claimed to be the righteous children of Abraham, but Stephen skillfully discovered to them they were certainly more like the children of Abraham than they cared to admit. At every turn, their forefathers continually rejected the grace of God and these more modern Jews were no different. They proved it when they crucified God’s own Son (Acts 7:51-52).

Psalm 78 can be rightly called a reminder of Deuteronomy 6:6-7:  “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” The power and might of God in taking Israel to the Promised Land were to be an incentive to follow faithfully. Whenever Israel failed, it was a direct result of disobedience, of stubbornness, and refusal to remember what happened each time they disobeyed.

I believe we find the same incentive in the New Testament in words that are written to Christians. Hebrews 12 speaks of chastisement which we strictly want to avoid, but who among us has not gone back to the same sins time and time again? Who learns the lesson well that the same sins always yield the same results? It seems we have great difficulty learning our lessons as if the holes we fall into are not hard enough at the bottom to make us want to keep from stepping into them again.

While there is no excuse for this, we do have to chalk it up to human nature. We surrender to the flesh rather than continually crucifying it with its affections and lusts (Gal. 5:24). If you wonder how Israel kept doing what they did after seeing the power of God to deliver them, just remember we fare no better. Many times the authors of scripture tell this story about Israel and many times we are challenged to be strong in the faith. Shouldn’t one chapter in one book of the New Testament be enough to keep us straight? Apparently not because encouragement to forsake the flesh and follow Christ is an often repeated theme.

God wants us to keep up the fight. We are not to surrender because the way is hard. Every temptation has a means of escape just as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 10. God knows we will fail—He understands us better than we do ourselves. For this reason, He offers forgiveness rather than condemnation. As the Psalmist wrote in verses 38 and 39, God knows us: “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.”

Thank God His compassion is deeper than our holes. When we repeat the past, His forgiveness is there. When we come in confession and repentance, He never fails to forgive. In our flesh, we may be doomed to repeat the past, but the blessing of our salvation is in Christ. He took the blame for us for which we will be eternally grateful.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith