Mercy, Judgement, and Grace

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Joel 2:18-27

Joel 2:25

I will restore^[c] to you the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent among you.

(ESV)

Mercy is one not receiving what they deserve, judgment is one receiving what they deserve, and grace is one receiving what they do not deserve.  The essence of the Gospel is a path moving one from judgment due to sin to mercy and grace (John 3:16-18; Romans 8:1).  The nation of Israel has sinned and received a measure of God’s judgment from destructive locusts.  However, as Joel 2:18 reminds us, God has jealousy for the land and pity on his people.  The Hebrew word for jealousy in this text is qanah meaning jealousy, envy, and one who is very zealous.  God directs His jealousy at the land and not the people indicating a desire to restore the land.  God directs pity or chamal towards the people indicating God having continued passion for the people despite their sin.  Judah received a measure of God’s judgment with the attack of locusts with God telling of the coming day of the Lord bringing judgment without measure.  However, God shows grace by sending grain, wine, and oil to replace what the locusts have destroyed.  God also shows grace by removing the northerner or threat of invasion far from them (Joel 2:19-20).  These are all symbols pointing to the ultimate demonstration of God’s mercy and grace on the cross.

As a further illustration of the magnitude of God’s mercy and grace let us imagine each of us standing accused of some capital crime.  We know we are guilty and committed the crime (Romans 3:23) and appear before the judge awaiting our sentencing.  As expected, the penalty for our crime is death (Romans 6:23) but after the pronouncement of our sentence, the judge does not bang the gavel and dismiss court but continues to speak.  The judge tells us he is prepared to have mercy on us and brings his only adult son out from his chambers.  His offer is hard to believe but this judge has never lied before and gives us no reason to believe he will begin now so we listen intently to his offer.  The unbelievable offer is that the judge’s son will take our death penalty, even though he is not guilty, and that the judge will adopt us into his family (Romans 5:8; John 1:12).  The judge then goes on to demonstrate his grace by informing us that the act of taking our death penalty has already occurred and that all we need to do is accept it (Romans 10:9-10).  The most amazing truth about this illustration is that it is true and available to anyone. 

I want to encourage those reading this to take a moment to honestly reflect on their lives.  We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are under a death sentence from God, our judge, for these sins (Romans 6:23).  We now stand before the judge with a choice, do we leave the courtroom having rejected the judge’s offer of mercy and grace and suffer the judgment we deserve or do we take the judge up on his offer and receive a full pardon.  The choice is obvious, we should accept the pardon.  For those reading this that have never done so, I want to invite you to accept God’s full pardon by praying with me now.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Those that just praying have experienced God’s mercy and grace and have rescue from God’s judgment for their sin.  You also have adoption into the family of God and can call God your Father.  As with any family relationship, you should spend time with your new family and learn from your father.  We learn from our heavenly father through studying the Bible, the word of God.  We should also spend time with other adopted sons and daughters of God which occurs when we come together at church or in a Bible study.  Just as God had pity on Israel, restoring what the locust had eaten, God has had pity on us by taking our judgment upon himself (Romans 5:8), providing forgiveness for our sins and adoption into the family of God (John 1:12).  May God bless all reading this post. 

An Attitude of Prayer

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 9:14-29

Mark 9:28-29

And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹ And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

(ESV)

The heading for Mark 9:14-29 in the English Standard Version is “Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit.”  This heading describes the miracle occurring in the passage, a miracle Jesus has previously performed in other places in the Book of Mark (Mark 1:32,34,39; Mark 5:1-20; Mark 7:24-30).  This is also not the first instance where the 12 Disciples cast out demons (Mark 6:12-13).  However, this time the Disciples, minus Peter, James, and John, found themselves unable to cast out the demon.  When the Disciples were in the house with Jesus, they asked why they were unable to cast out the demon this time with Jesus telling them that casting out this kind of demon requires prayer (Mark 9:28-29). 

The Greek word for kind in Mark 9:29 is genos from which we derive our word genealogy.  Its connotation implies that this demon comes from a genos or family of demons with extremely evil demonic power that requires prayer to empower one with strength when entering a confrontation to cast it out.  Jesus is teaching His Disciples and us that there are spiritual confrontations and struggles we may encounter that require special fervent prayer.  The challenge for us as believers is that we do not know when we may encounter such a challenge and therefore must maintain an attitude of prayer throughout the day to be prepared for any situation.  The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-14) provides a pattern on how we as believers can maintain this attitude without having to neglect our daily lives here on earth through maintaining an attitude of praise, thanksgiving, and worship throughout the day. 

1)      Begin with praise and thanksgiving to God (Matthew 6:9) – When we do not make prayer a continuous attitude in our lives and only pray in a crisis, we tend to begin by telling God about our need.  A continual attitude of prayer is an attitude of worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God throughout our day that maintains an open communication line with God. 

2)      Aligning our will with those God’s will (Matthew 6:10) – Alignment of our heart with the heart and will of God means that when we pray, we will be bold, but also surrendered to God’s will in our lives.  In Mark 9:14, Jesus, Peter, James, and John come into the middle of an argument.  Jesus earlier conversation with the remaining nine disciples was telling them of his pending death and resurrection (Mark 8:31-38).  Besides facing a demon of a difficult genos, perhaps these disciples believed Jesus was going away and that they now must carry on the ministry out of a sense of duty without first having empowerment from God through prayer.  This lack of Godly empowerment in their hearts means they are trying to cast out a demon in their own strength and will instead of Gods.  If they had practiced an attitude of prayer, when confronting a demon-possessed boy, their first response would have been praying for strength from God.  This not only applies to the casting out of a demon but also applies to challenges and times of crisis we may encounter throughout the day. 

3)      Presentation of petitions to God from an aligned heart of worship, thanksgiving, and praise (Matthew 6:11-13) – In the age of wi-fi, an aligned heart of worship, thanksgiving, and praise are like staying connected to wi-fi.  This continual attitude of prayer means that when a physical or spiritual need arises, we need forgiveness, or find ourselves tempted by evil throughout the day, we have a connection to God who has the power to meet these needs.  This should be the first response of a believer but does not occur smoothly unless one has an attitude of prayer through worship, thanksgiving, and praise that maintains an active connection with God. 

Prayer is a powerful and needed tool in the toolbox of not only those in ministry but all believers.  This is why the Disciples needed to delegate some of the duties of running the church as it grew to ensure the Disciples could continue in prayer and study of the Word of God (Acts 6:1-7).  Proverbs 15:8 reminds us that prayer has a higher value to God than our service.  James 5:13-20 reminds us not to underestimate the power and effectiveness of prayer, possibly due to James recalling the events of Mark 9:14-29.  It is therefore important for all believers in Christ to maintain an attitude of prayer throughout the day through worship, thanksgiving, and praise to God so that when a crisis or opportunity to minister presents itself, as it did with the disciples, we are effective.  May God bless all reading this post and may we maintain an attitude of prayer, so we are prepared to effectively minister or share the Gospel when the opportunity arises. 

The Three R’s of Returning to the Lord with All Our Hearts

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text: Joel 2:12-17

Joel 2:12-13

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.

(ESV)

It is common for the news to have someone caught in some or mistake scandal issuing an apology for what they have done.  We typically take the persons words at face value because we are not God and therefore, cannot see what is in the person’s heart.  However, when repenting and confessing sins to God who can read the contents of our hearts, it is crucial that the repentance be from our heart and not just regret over being caught in some sin. 

God is aware of the sins of Israel and if not for His grace, the nation may have suffered total devastation, but the grace of God does have limits, limits Israel is about to reach leading to exile.  The destructive attack of the locusts was a warning providing a chance for Israel to repent but history reports Israel failed to heed the warning and would go into exile (2 Kings 25:1-21).  However, God remains gracious by not destroying Israel while in exile but using that time to bring Israel to repentance and according to God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14, returns Israel to the Promised Land (Ezra 2).  Likewise, our sins are fully known by God, requiring a heartfelt return to God.  A heartfelt return to God bringing revival in our world requires,

1)      Repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14) – The word repentance means one making a 180-degree about-face in behavior.  It is beyond a regret at being caught in some impropriety or sin and a desire not to repeat the sin again.  Unfortunately, this level of commitment to a change in one's lifestyle away from sin is absent in modern culture with people desiring the freedom to do whatever they want.  Sadly, even some churches teach a Gospel of total mercy and grace with one simply making a decision for Christ receiving a free pass to continue in sin.  While God is gracious to sinners which include all of us (Romans 3:23), believing God’s grace is a free pass to sin is not biblical (Romans 6:1-14) and is actually one using God because their real heart's desire is to live in sin. 

2)      Renewed commitment (Romans 8:11; 12:1-2) – True repentance should be followed by a commitment of obedience to the Word of God.  A truly repentant person should have a desire to live a life of obedience to God and His Word through presentation of ourselves to serve God and continual transformation of our thinking from that of the world to following Godly principles (Romans 12:1-2).  However we must remember that this is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit which lives within all that have Jesus as their savior (Romans 8:11).  The transformation of Peter from one denying Christ out of fear to one boldly declaring the Gospel to some of the same people previously calling for the crucifixion of Christ is an example of a renewed life (Matthew 26:69-75; Acts 2:14-41).  This level of commitment after repentance is crucial to bringing revival to a lost world.

3)      Responding with service (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20; James 2:20) – James 2:20 reminds us that faith without action is dead or useless.  Jesus’ final words before ascending to God the Father was to take the Gospel to the nations and make disciples.  The early church, many of whom actually witnessed the risen Lord (1 Corinthians 15:6) did this and turned their world upside down (Acts 17:6).  Commitment to faith followed by action has the power to transform lives and change the world. 

Like the early church, the church today has a calling, and the potential through Christ to turn the world upside down and bring revival.  It is time for the church to prepare by exercising the three R’s of renewal, repentance, renewed commitment, and response to the call of Jesus to spread the gospel and make disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  I urge all reading this who are believers in Jesus as their savior to repent of any unrepentant sin in their lives, make a renewed commitment, and then go and spread the Gospel in words, and deeds.  As each believer makes this commitment, the church can turn its world upside down just as the early church did in Acts 17:6. 

The ABC’s of God’s Glory

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text: Mark 9:1-13

Mark 9:2-3

 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³ and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one^[a] on earth could bleach them.

(ESV)

While making intercession for the people of Israel, Moses asks God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18).  The context of this request is Moses interceding for Israel after their sin of making and worshipping the Golden calf (Exodus 32).  This sin revealed that those God gave Moses to lead are a rebellious people, capable of great sin.  Moses must have understood the need to have God’s guidance and wisdom as he is about to leave the glory of Mount Saini and begin the journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land.  Perhaps in his heart, Moses wants to experience the glory of God one more time and why he asks to see God’s glory.  However, Moses’ request is a death sentence for no one can see the face of God and live (Exodus 33:20).  Fortunately for Moses, God shows him grace by not allowing him to see God’s face and die but hides him in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:21-23).  This symbolizes the protection we have by experiencing redemption from sin in Christ, the foundational rock of the church (Matthew 16:18). 

The passage of this post begins with Jesus telling all the Disciples that some of them will not die before seeing the power of the kingdom of God (Mark 9:1).  The six days that occurred between Jesus making this statement and the taking of Peter, James, and John upon the mount of transfiguration might have resulted in great contemplation in the context of Jesus previously telling them of His death and resurrection (Mark 8:31-38).  Did Jesus mean that he would establish the kingdom of God right after resurrecting from the dead?  Did he mean that the second coming after His ascension would occur prior to the death of all the Disciples?  In hindsight, we know that neither of these occurred but find the answer to what Jesus meant in the subsequent verses (Mark 9:2-13). 

After the passage of six days, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to the mount of transfiguration where they see God’s radiant glory in Christ.  Experiencing God’s glory is something that should burn in the hearts of all believers in Christ.  The experience of God’s glory by Peter, James, and John teach us the ABC’s of experiencing God’s glory in our lives.  To experience the glory of God in our lives we must be,

1)      Available for God to show us His glory – Jesus does not take all the Disciples to the mount of transfiguration but only Peter, James, and John.  Scripture is unclear on whether Jesus invited all the Disciples with only these three agreeing to go or if Jesus specially chose them to experience the glory of God.  However, what is important is that Peter, James, and John made themselves available by going with Jesus, and experience the glory of God.  We make ourselves available to experience God’s glory through regular prayer, Bible study, and meditation on scripture.  We also make ourselves available to experience the glory of God through regular church attendance where we experience others worshipping God and studying the Bible. 

2)      Bask or spend time in God’s glory – It is important to spend time experiencing God’s glory when it comes upon us by simply taking time to be still and experience it.  Unfortunately for Peter the extrovert who tends to speak when he should not, the experience of God’s glory for Peter, James, and John is cut short by Peter’s arrogant statement that it is good for them to be there and his desire to build tents of worship for Elijah, Moses, and Jesus (Mark 9:5-8).  While we will not eternally live in the glory of God till we die or meet Jesus in the rapture, we must spend time quietly basking in the glory of God through humble worship when we experience God’s glory. 

3)      Communicate or tell others of God’s glory in the context of the Gospel – The natural reaction to seeing the Glory of God at the transfiguration must have caused a desire in Peter, James, and John to tell everyone they knew.  Jesus words of caution are an instruction to always communicate an experience of the glory of God within the context of the Gospel.  The Gospel is our cleft in the rock allowing us to safely experience the glory of God.  We enter this cleft in the rock by accepting Jesus as our savior through expressing a belief in Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.  If you have never prayed and expressed a belief in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, I invite you to do so now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

For those that just prayed with me, you have protection from the glory of God in the cleft of the rock of the Gospel and can safely experience the glory of God.  However, to experience God’s glory you must make yourself available, take time to bask in God’s glory, and tell others within the context of the Gospel so they too can safely experience the glory of God.  May all reading this experience the Glory of God through Jesus Christ. 

The Day of the Lord

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Text:  Joel 2:1-11

Joel 2:1-2

Blow a trumpet in Zion;
    sound an alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,
² a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
    a great and powerful people;
their like has never been before,
    nor will be again after them
    through the years of all generations.

(ESV)

Followers of Jesus Christ find comfort in the words of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 for it speaks of the day they will be caught up to be with the Lord for eternity.  The Greek word translated caught up in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is harpazo from which we get the word rapture.  1 Thessalonians 4:18 tells Christians to comfort one another with the words of hope of spending eternity with Christ.  This is the day of the Lord Christians live in hope of but is not the day of the Lord spoken of by the prophet Joel in Joel 2:1-11 for this day is a day of destruction. 

As with all studies of the Bible, we must take things in context.  The context of this passage regarding the day of the Lord occurs after Joel’s call to repentance.  Locusts have already destroyed Israel’s crops and yet it appears Israel still does not come to repentance for their sins.  Now God brings an invading army that will take the people of Judah into exile from which they will come to repentance (2 Kings 25:1-21; Ezra 2).  Deuteronomy 28 informed Israel of the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience which included the destruction of locusts and going into exile.  The prophet Joel is attempting to give Israel a final warning to repent and turn back to God before the invasion leading to exile occurs. 

Joel 2:3-11 uses symbolism to illustrate the devastation of this invading army comparing it to destruction like a flame of fire.  With the destruction of the Locusts leaving dry stubble where green crops used to be, the prospect of an army coming in and setting the stubble on fire would have been devastating.  Joel also literally speaks of an army of war horses and chariots coming over the mountains to attack Israel.  The attack of the locusts and destruction of crops has most likely left the people weak and easy prey for a powerful army (Joel 2:4-6).  Joel warns them that the invading army will be determined and ruthless able to scale the walls designed to protect the city and invading the homes of people in the city (Joel 2:7-9).  Using symbolism Joel compares the destruction of the army to that of an earthquake so massive it shakes the heavens and darkens the sun, moon, and stars (Joel 2:10).  Joel 2:11 reminds Israel that this destructive day of the Lord is directed by Him with the purpose of bringing the nation to repentance to receive restoration from the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:14). 

The world today faces the same choice as the nation of Israel in the time of Joel.   There is global support for the murder of babies through abortion.  These babies in the womb are wonderful creations of God being formed to become people with the potential to serve God and do great things (Psalm 139:13-14).  God created male and female people with the intention that they would join in marriage to have and raise children to ensure the continuation of humanity.  The perversions of homosexuality and transgenderism are a slap in the face to a creator God, telling Him that you made a mistake in creating them with a particular gender and that the sacred institution of marriage can be between people of the same sex.  Of course, a culture that has removed the idea of a divine creator God would see no problem with abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism.  Fortunately, just as with Israel, God has been gracious but just as with Israel, this grace has limits.  Before it is too late, it is crucial that nations in the world, especially nations like the United States, founded on Godly principles, repent and turn to God. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Joel 2:1-11 speak of monumental days of the Lord.  However, the day of the Lord in Thessalonians is a day of hope with God’s people caught up or raptured to meet the Lord.  The day of the Lord spoken of by Joel and prophesized in Revelation 9 seem similar with the mention of locusts, horses, and chariots with the difference being the day of the Lord in Revelation being global and something yet to occur.  Those reading this post have a choice of whether to experience the hopeful day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or face the globally destructive day of the Lord in Revelation 9.  To become part of the hopeful day of the Lord, one must accept Jesus as his or her savior.  If you have never done so, I invite you to accept Jesus as your savior now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations on becoming part of the hopeful day of the Lord.  I now encourage those that prayed to find a church or Bible study where they can associate with others having the hope of eternity with God.  May God bless all reading this post. 

Gain Through Loss

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 8:34-38

Mark 8:35

For whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 

(ESV)

Those with investments in the stock market either from direct investing or through their retirement plans find themselves on the rollercoaster ride of market peaks and valleys.  The goal of investing is the achievement of financial gain but that only comes through riding the peaks and valleys as markets typically show gains over the long-term requiring patience.  The main theme of the text in Mark 8:34-38 is Jesus reminding His followers that following Him requires taking up one’s cross and following Him.  While some of those listening to Jesus in this passage would literally take up their cross and suffer crucifixion for their faith, the symbolism of the cross also speaks of one suffering persecution and rejection for their faith in Christ.  Just as an investor must have willingness to commit to staying in the market for the long-term, Christians must have commitment to continue proclaiming and living their faith even in the face of persecution, rejection, or even death.  The question every believer in Christ must ask is am I committed enough to take up my cross and follow Christ.  Do I have the commitment to endure?

1)      Persecution (Matthew 5:10,12) – For a follower of Jesus, persecution indicates one sharing in the reward of the kingdom of heaven.  While it may mean enduring some pain, this pain is like the pain one investing in financial markets experiences during a dip in the market.  The choice for the investor is should I keep my money in the market based upon a history of markets gains over the long-term or pull my money out.  For a follower of Christ the choice is should I endure the persecution knowing I have a great reward in heaven (Acts 7) or go silent about my faith or even reject Christ (Matthew 26:69-75). 

2)      Rejection (Matthew 26:47-56) – Jesus is all too familiar with rejection suffering it from His followers and the religious leaders of His time who should have realized who He was from Scripture.  The religious leaders were expecting the Messiah to march onto the scene and throw out their Roman oppressors and establish the Kingdom of God.  When this did not occur after Jesus’ triumphal entry on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:1-11), they believed Jesus was a blasphemer and worthy of death by crucifixion for instead of throwing out Pilate, Jesus cleansed the Temple (Matthew 21:12-17).  What these religious leaders failed to realize was that while Messiah will establish the Kingdom of God on earth, he must first suffer death by crucifixion to provide salvation from sin (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22).  Their rejection is based on failure to observe from Scripture the two comings of Messiah first as savior and second as conquering King.  The Disciples rejection is due to fear of also suffering death by crucifixion and loss of friendships.  This is the source of much rejection of Christ today and something people can only overcome with realization of their eternal reward of eternity with God through a restored relationship due to the death burial and resurrection of Christ. 

3)      Death or punishment (Hebrews 11) – Included with those honored for their faith in Hebrews 11 are those killed or tortured for their faith (Hebrews 11:36-37).  This is the highest level of persecution and rejection and something our Lord is also familiar with.  While in many parts of the world, like the United States, one suffering death or punishment for his or her faith typically does not occur, increased legal persecution such as Christians losing their livelihood because of their faith indicates it could occur in the future.  While we should pray persecution and rejection of Christians does not devolve to this level, we must remain committed to Christ and the Gospel even though it could mean death or punishment. 

Just like an investor investing money, people must invest in their relationship with their creator through Christ.  Like all investments, this investment begins with one accepting Jesus as their savior and inheriting eternal life (John 3:16).  If you have not made this investment in your life, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

The Christian life is not an easy carefree life of plenty as some erroneously teach but instead a life of loss.  True believers in Jesus as savior give up their desires, dreams, and wishes and take up the cross of Christ and follow Him.  The reward of this decision is one inheriting the kingdom of God and eternal life (Matthew 5:10,12; John 3:16).  However, the decision to take up the cross of Christ results in persecution and rejection that in extreme cases could lead to punishment or even death.  When weighed against the reward of eternity with God, rejection and persecution are a small price, even when facing death.  I pray those reading this find deeper strength and commitment to Christ and have the boldness to endure persecution and rejection and participate in the spreading of the Gospel.  May God bless everyone reading this. 

The Humble Path of the Three C’s

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Joel 1:13-20

Joel 1:13

Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;
    wail, O ministers of the altar.
Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,
    O ministers of my God!
Because grain offering and drink offering
    are withheld from the house of your God.

(ESV)

In Ohio, there is a highway connecting the cities of Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati known by those living there as the three C’s highway.  This highway makes it possible for one to traverse the entire state of Ohio from north to south in a few hours.  Likewise, there is a highway of humility in Christ that connects the three C’s of courage, confidence, and contentment in the life of a Christian.  The onramp to this highway is repentance, something unfortunately absent in the teaching of many churches today.  Joel 1:13-20 is a call to Israel and all people of God to take the repentance onramp to a life of courage, confidence, and contentment in Christ. 

In the Beatitudes, Jesus said the meek would inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) with Proverbs 16:18 reminding us that pride precedes a fall.  Jesus also taught that the path to following Him required one denying themselves and taking up their cross and following Him (Luke 9:23).  Biblical humility is not one believing they have no value but instead one acknowledging their need for Christ through denial of their own ambitions and a willingness to suffer persecution symbolized by taking up the cross to follow Christ.  Joel’s call to repentance precedes Jesus death on the cross but is similar as it tells people to repent of sin and live in obedience to God.  This is the onramp of humility leading to a life of courage, confidence, and contentment. 

1)      Courage (Joshua 1:9) – Biblical courage is not the absence of fear in one’s life but a mastery of fear knowing that the Lord God is with us wherever we go.  Since fear is not of God (2 Timothy 1:7), and since God is with us wherever we go, we must turn to God for comfort and strength when fear comes upon us.  However, when fear of calamity is due to sin in one’s life, the path to courage and mastery of fear requires repentance.  Joshua encountered this during Israel’s claiming of the Promised Land at Ai (Joshua 7-8).  Maintaining courage requires staying on the highway of humility and avoiding the offramps of sin.  However, if one takes an offramp, they can re-enter the highway through repentance and confession of sin (1 John 1:9).

2)      Confidence (Philippians 4:13) – The Apostle Paul is in prison where it seems he cannot do anything to advance the spreading of the Gospel, but from this situation, he writes about being able to do all things (Philippians 4:13).  Had he left it at being able to do all things without adding through Christ who strengthens him, we might believe he has lost his mind due to being in prison.  This passage illustrates the confidence of the Apostle Paul did not come from confidence in his abilities but instead confidence in Christ.  Confidence on the highway of humility comes through the surrender of one’s life to Christ and His will for their lives.  After his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19), the apostle Paul’s life purpose changed from the persecution of Christians to spreading the Gospel and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  Paul also understood there would be persecution since he was once a persecutor but had confidence that no amount of persecution would prevent the spread of the Gospel for he had the power of the risen Lord within him (Romans 8:11). 

3)      Contentment (Isaiah 26:3) – Life as a Christian is not easy but comes with trials and persecution, something Jesus warned us of (John 16:33).  However, the Apostle Paul wrote of finding contentment in both good and bad times (Philippians 4:11-13).  This level of contentment goes beyond one just being happy through to having courage and confidence in one’s relationship with Christ.  However, without entering the highway of humility through repentance, the achievement of this level of contentment is not possible.  Entering this highway to courage, confidence, and contentment begins with one surrendering their life to Jesus as Savior.  If you have not previously done so, I invite you to pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Modern secular culture promotes one finding confidence through their abilities and application of these abilities in their life.  To do this one must find courage through conquering fear by speaking positively in their lives.  The myth is that this will bring contentment with on able to live a life free from struggle.  This sounds good and brings comfort to our souls and why this is the mantra in many churches today.  However, this goes against the words of Christ in John 16:33 and also means the Apostle Paul who, spent many days imprisoned and persecuted for his faith, must have lacked the courage and confidence to overcome his struggles. 

Christians, however, are not to adhere to the philosophies of secular culture and instead, find their courage, confidence, and contentment through humbly coming to God with a heart of repentance.  I invite all reading this to take the onramp of humble repentance to the three C’s highway of Godly courage, confidence, and contentment.  I also encourage everyone reading this to point others to the benefits of taking this journey through sharing this post.  May God bless all reading this.   

From the Mountain Top of Praise to the Valley of Rebuke

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text: Mark 8:27-33

Mark 8:29, 31-32

 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” …  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

(ESV)

In the passage of Mark 8:29, 31-32 we see Peter making the giant leap from one praising Jesus as Christ as Messiah to Peter’s rebuke of Jesus for telling the disciples He must suffer rejection, death, and miraculous resurrection.  Peter’s rebuke of Jesus is indicative of Peter’s lack of understanding that Jesus came to save them, not defeat their Roman oppressors.  However, the rebuke also indicates a desire in Peter not to experience separation from Jesus. 

The mountain top of praise for Peter was being with Jesus in Caesarea Philippi.  This area of Israel was a Roman community where a shrine to the Roman God Pan was located, referred to as “The Gates of Hell.”  Matthew 16:13-20 records the same account of Peter’s confession of Jesus as Christ but adds Jesus response to Peter’s statement by telling him the declaration of Him as Christ is the foundation of the church.  Jesus also declares that the gates of hell would not prevail against this truth, possibly referring to the temple the shrine of pan in the side of the mountain (Matthew 16:18). 

Scripture does not reveal the amount of time that transpired between Peter’s declaration of faith and Jesus telling the Disciples of his imminent death, but the language implies it was soon after.  Peter has heard the teaching of Jesus but does not understand the purpose of His coming.  Without Jesus death and resurrection there could be no redemption from sin.  However, Jesus does not directly rebuke Peter but rebukes Satan.  Peter is guilty of setting his mind on the things of man or his desire never to suffer separation from Jesus instead of the greater things of God, his salvation. 

The application of this passage in the life of the believer is its illustration of the depth of one’s belief in Jesus as Christ.  The passage illustrates,

1)      A bold declaration of faith when on the mountain top (Mark 8:29) – Anyone following Christ for some time can most likely attest to mountain top experiences where the worship and message from the Word or something discovered in one’s personal Bible study clicked, leading to a mountain top experience.  Peter is with Jesus and feels safe in declaring his belief in Jesus as Lord.  Scripture does not give reason to doubt the sincerity in his declaration, so Peter meant what he said. 

2)      Faith will be tested (James 1:2-4) – When considering the testing of one’s faith, thoughts typically go to one experiencing some trial like sickness, loss, or financial calamity.  However, Peter’s declaration of faith is tested by the truth Jesus as Messiah must suffer rejection, die, and rise from the dead (Mark 8:31).  Faith tested by truth requires one’s surrender to the truth but if one has a lack of understanding of the truth, they may reject truth as Peter did in his rebuke of Jesus.  We see the additional rejection of this truth with Peter’s denial of Christ when seeing Jesus’ actual rejection by the elders, chief priests, and scribes (Matthew 26:69-75).  However, Peter does pass the test of his faith after seeing the resurrected Lord and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and boldly declaring the Gospel to a crowd, some of which previously called for Jesus’ crucifixion (Acts 2:14-41). 

3)      The truth will be tested (Mark 8:30) – The charge by Jesus to Peter not to declare Jesus as Christ seems out of place during the mountain top experience of Peter.  However, as Peter’s rebuke of the truth of Jesus death and resurrection illustrate, Peter was not ready to have the truth tested.  Had Peter immediately went around declaring the truth Jesus was the Christ, he would have suffered the same trials Jesus did that led to His crucifixion.  Peter’s rebuke of Jesus (Mark 8:32) and his denial (Matthew 26:69-75) indicate Peter needed to witness the risen Lord and receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:14-41) to be effective in declaring the truth of the Gospel. 

Boldness of faith in Jesus as Christ comes through encountering the risen Lord through the study of the Word and understanding through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Like Peter, it is easy to make a declaration of Jesus as the Christ on the mountain top.  However, the true test of one's faith comes either through struggle (James 1:2-4) or through encountering truth from Scripture that we may not agree with.  May we not react with rebuke when encountering uncomfortable truth but instead react with obedience.