Jesus, Our Avenger in Spiritual Battle

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 35:1-28

 

Psalm 35:28

And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long.

(NKJV)

 

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a day set aside for us to remember the things we are thankful for. This can be difficult because we live in a chaotic world where the news is full of evil, tragedy, and sorrow. However, there is something we can all be thankful for. When our ancestors Adam and Eve sinned, and God evicted them from paradise, God did not turn His back on them but instead began the process of restoring humanity to a relationship with Him. However, like any relationship, it is a two-way street with God already doing His part (John 3:16), waiting on us to do our part (Romans 10:9-10). David knew the Lord was his avenger, but do we know that when facing battles in our lives?

 

David, as King of Israel, faced many battles, beginning with Goliath and then King Saul wanting to kill him. The time of the writing of this psalm is unknown, but it likely occurred during a time when David felt overwhelmed by his enemies. It begins with David pleading his case before the Lord, asking for deliverance from enemies pursuing him, seeking his destruction (Psalm 35:1-3). He then asks the Lord to put those seeking his harm or death to shame and dishonor and to be thrown into confusion (Psalm 35:4). David asks that their way be dark and slippery, with them being like chaff blown in the wind, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them (Psalm 35:5-6). These enemies of David have no cause for seeking to harm or kill him and have tried to ensnare David in a net, which David asks the Lord to turn back on them (Psalm 35:7-8). David’s soul shall be joyful in the Lord and rejoice in salvation with his bones, saying who is like the Lord, the deliverer of the poor and needy (Psalm 35:9-10).

 

Fierce witnesses have risen up, asking David things he does not know, rewarding him with evil for good (Psalm 35:11-12). David even prayed for these witnesses when they were sick, like they were his friends or even a brother (Psalm 35:13-14). Instead of being grateful for his prayers for them, these people rejoiced and, unknown to David, gathered as attackers against him (Psalm 35:15-16). David then asks how long the Lord will just look on, pleading for rescue (Psalm 35:17). David then promises to give thanks to God in the great assembly and praise Him among many people (Psalm 35:18).

 

David does not want his enemies to rejoice over what happens to him because his enemies do not seek peace but devise deceitful plans against the people of the land (Psalm 35:19-21). David knows the Lord has seen all that is occurring and asks that He not be silent or far from him (Psalm 35:22). David asks the Lord to stir Himself up and come to his vindication in righteousness so that his enemies will not rejoice or gloat over him (Psalm 35:23-25). David asks that his enemies come to shame, dishonor, and confusion (Psalm 35:26). In contrast, David asks that those favoring his righteous cause would shout for joy and be glad, with them continually magnifying the Lord, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant (Psalm 35:27). David vows to speak of the Lord’s righteousness and to praise Him all day long (Psalm 35:28).

 

Like David, God’s people come under attack from enemies who seek to destroy or silence them. The psalm begins with David pleading with the Lord to fight against those fighting against him (Psalm 35:1-3). His desire is for the Lord to avenge him and bring his enemies down (Psalm 35:4-8). While David had real flesh-and-blood enemies seeking his destruction, the conclusion of this psalm reveals the heart of David, as he understands that the battle was spiritual, requiring praise and speaking of the Lord’s righteousness. In the New Testament, Paul wrote about a battle that is not against flesh and blood, emphasizing the need for spiritual weapons and continual prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18). We must, like David, remember that the battle belongs with the Lord and not to attempt to fight it alone, something David may have learned from Samuel (1 Samuel 17:47).

 

We are in a spiritual battle, a battle that began in the Garden of Eden. In this war, Satan successfully separated Adam and Eve from God, along with their future descendants, of which we are all a part. However, God also began the process of reconciliation with the first messianic prophecy in Genesis 3:15. This prophecy had fulfillment with the birth of the Messiah as recorded in Luke 2:1-20 and came to full fruition with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 27-28).

 

Now, anyone who believes in Jesus, which means acknowledging their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for salvation from sin (Romans 10:9-10), can have reconciliation to God that was lost in the Garden. God created us to have fellowship with Him, and why He went to such great lengths to reconcile His relationship with us (John 3:16). If you have not done so, I invite you to pray with me now and begin a relationship with God, your creator.

 

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.

 

May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post. 

What Do I Do with Jesus

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 19:1-16

 

John 19:12

From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

(NKJV)

 

Decisions, decisions, decisions, life is full of them. Some decisions are simple, like what to wear or eat. Others are more complicated and could even alter the direction of our lives. When making a decision, there will also be those in opposition to what we decide and those supporting our decision. As a believer in Jesus as my Savior, my decisions must be biblically based, in accordance with the will of God. Pilates' decision may seem like the wrong decision, but it is in accordance with God’s plan to redeem fallen humanity.

 

The events begin with Pilate scourging Jesus and the soldiers twisting a crown of thorns for his head and putting a purple robe on him (John 19:1-2). The soldiers then mocked Jesus by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (John 19:3). Pilate then went out and addressed the crowd, telling them he found no fault in Jesus (John 19:4).

 

Pilate then brings Jesus out to the crowd wearing the crown of thorns and purple robe and tells the crowd to behold him, perhaps believing they would want him released (John 19:5). However, instead of wanting Him released, the crowd beholding Jesus cries out for Pilate to crucify Him to which Pilate tells them to do it themselves because he finds nothing about Jesus requiring crucifixion (John 19:6). The Jews tell Pilate that Jesus has violated Jewish law by saying He is the Son of Gpd (John 19:7). This caused Pilate to fear, so he takes Jesus to the Praetorium again and asks him where He is from, but Jesus gives no answer (John 19:8-9). Pilate is concerned that Jesus does not answer him, reminding Him that he has the power to either crucify or release Him (John 19:10). Jesus tells Pilate that he has no power over Him unless it came from God Himself and tells Pilate that those delivering Him to Pilate have the greater sin (John 19:11).

 

From that point on, Pilate sought to release Jesus but the crowd placed a guilt trip on him by reminding him that if he let Jesus go he is no friend of Caesar because anyone making himself a king speaks against Caesar (John 19:12). Pilate then brings Jesus out, sitting down on the judgment seat (John 19:13). It was about the sixth hour of Preparation Day for the Passover when Pilate brought Jesus to the crowd saying, “Behold your King!” (John 19:14). However, the crowd continues to cry out for Jesus’ crucifixion with Pilate asking them if he should crucify their king. The crowd responds by telling Pilate they have no king but Caesar (John 19:15). To appease an angry crowd, Pilate delivers Jesus up for crucifixion with the soldiers taking Him away (John 19:16).

 

The events of God’s plan leading to the crucifixion of Jesus are unfolding with Jesus now before Pilate, who must decide whether to crucify Him or not. It is not an easy decision to make because while there is no evidence to convict Jesus of a crime worthy of crucifixion (John 19:6), there is an angry mob that wants Jesus crucified. As a political leader, Pilate must decide whether to do the just thing and release an innocent man or appease an angry mob by sending an innocent man to his death. Pilate chooses to appease the angry mob, and while this may appear to be the wrong decision, it is a decision that would pave the way for each of us to have reconciliation with God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s plans do not always make sense, but God’s will is always done.

 

Every person has a decision to make regarding Jesus: do I accept His free gift of salvation and spend eternity with Him in Glory, or do I reject the gift and spend eternity separated from God? We are all born into sin (Romans 3:23) and as such live under a death penalty (Romans 6:23). With this in mind, the logical decision is to accept the gift of salvation and spend eternity in the presence of God. However, not an angry mob, but a peer pressure mob is out there screaming at us to not accept the gift and continue eating, drinking, and being merry for tomorrow we die (Isaiah 22:13).

 

Like Pilate, every person reading this faces a decision that has eternal repercussions in their life. The fact is, we are all going to live eternally with the decision being where we want to spend our life after dying and leaving this world. Will we do nothing and choose the default setting and spend eternity separated from God, or choose to accept the gift of God offered by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and spend eternity with God, our creator? If your choice is to accept the gift of salvation from God, 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, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you just prayed, I want to encourage you to find a local Church teaching the Bible so you can grow closer in your new relationship with the God you will spend eternity with. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.

Happiness of Those Trusting in God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 34:1-22

 

Psalm 34:1-3

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

(NKJV)

 

When we find ourselves in trouble, our response may be to go somewhere safe. For David who was fleeing for his life from Saul, it meant going to Achish the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10). If Gath sounds familiar, it is also where Goliath was from, and in fact, David had gone to Gath with the sword of Goliath (1 Samuel 21:9). Perhaps David realized where he was and whose sword he had and out of fear of attack from king Achich, faked being mad to escape attack (1 Samuel 21:12-15). This is the historical context of when David wrote Psalm 34, a psalm of praise to God even in these troubling circumstances.

 

Psalm 34 begins with David declaring he will bless the Lord at all times with His praise continually in his mouth (Psalm 34:1). His soul will also make its boast in the Lord with the humble hearing it and being glad with David inviting everyone to join him in magnifying the Lord and exalting His name (Psalm 34:2-3). David sought the Lord when fearful, and the Lord heard and delivered him with those looking at David radiant and unashamed (Psalm 34:4-5). David, as a poor man, cried out to the Lord and was heard and delivered (Psalm 34:6). David declares that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and they are delivered (Psalm 34:7).

 

David invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good with those placing their trust in Him, blessed (Psalm 34:8). David invites us to fear the Lord, for there is no need for those doing so (Psalm 34:9). Young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those seeking the Lord lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10).

 

David then invites the children to come and learn from him about the fear of the Lord (Psalm 34:11). A man who desires a long life to see good must keep his tongue from evil, speaking deceit, and depart from doing evil, doing good, and seeking peace (Psalm 34:12-14). The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous with His ears open to their cries, with the face of the Lord against those doing evil, cutting their remembrance off from the earth (Psalm 34:15-16). When the righteous cry out, the Lord hears and delivers them from their troubles (Psalm 34:17). The Lord is near to those with a broken heart and saves those with a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18).

 

The righteous have many afflictions, but the Lord delivers them out of them all, guarding their bones so not one of them is broken (Psalm 34:19-20). Evil shall slay the wicked with those hating righteousness condemned (Psalm 34:21). In contrast, the Lord redeems the soul of His servants with no one trusting in Him condemned (Psalm 34:22).

 

The context of the writing of this Psalm is when David pretended to be mad before King Achish, with him driven away (1 Samuel 21:10-15). This leads to the question of why David would experience happiness in trusting God at this time. The answer lies in the source of David’s happiness. During this time in David’s life, his circumstances were not good, and if he based his happiness on these circumstances, he would be unhappy. However, David’s happiness was not based on his circumstances but on his trust in the Lord, who he knew would deliver him from all his fears (Psalm 34:4). David could experience sustainable happiness and joy because it came from an unchanging God.

 

We may find ourselves in unusual or even strange circumstances with no seeming possibility of happiness or joy, yet David shows us it is possible when we trust in God. If my happiness and joy are based on circumstances in my life that constantly change, I will find myself on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. One of the benefits of living with a trust in God is the stability of joy and happiness that is not based on one's circumstances, but on trust in an unchanging God.

 

When Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water with Jesus, it was because his eyes were on Jesus (Matthew 14:29-31). However, when he looked at the storm going on around him, his circumstances, Peter began to sink. Such is our joy and happiness when we focus on our circumstances and take our eyes off the Lord. To do this, one must have a relationship with God through what Jesus did by confessing our belief in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10), opening the door for us to build our life on the stability of an unchanging God. If you are reading this and have never made this confession of faith, 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.

 

I urge you to find a Church teaching the truth of God’s word so you can have sustainable joy built on this foundation of truth. May God challenge and empower everyone reading this post. 

Warfare on Two Fronts

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 18:28-40

 

John 18:39-40

“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰ Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

(NKJV)

 

In the passage of John 18:28-40, we see Jesus as the focal point of warfare on two fronts, spiritual and political. While what is occurring in this passage is chaos and something out of control, with an innocent man tried and even the Roman leader of the region finding nothing wrong, this is part of God’s plan. Jesus came into the world to die as the Lamb of God and then to resurrect from the dead in victory over death with these events the fulfillment of this plan. God’s plans often do not play out according to how we think they should, but they are God’s plans and something we must follow.

 

After His mock trial before the Jews, Jesus is taken to the Praetorium early in the morning to face a Roman trial (John 18:28). The Jews could not go in with Jesus so Pilate went out to the Jews, asking why they have brought Jesus to him (John 18:29). The Jews tell Pilate that if they did not believe Jesus was an evildoer, they would not have brought Jesus to him to which Pilate responds, telling them to try Jesus according to Jewish law (John 18:30-31). The problem for the Jews is that it is unlawful for them to put anyone to death with this fulfilling how Jesus said He would die (John 18:31-32).

 

Pilate returns to the Praetorium and asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, to which Jesus responds by asking Pilate if he is saying this of Himself or based on what others have said (John 18:33-34). Pilate responds, asking Jesus if he is a Jew, reminding Him that His own nation and chief priests have delivered Him to him, asking what He has done (John 18:35). Jesus tells Pilate that His kingdom is not or this world, otherwise His servants would fight to rescue Him from the Jews (John 18:36). Pilate then asks Jesus if He is a king to which Jesus responds with that being the reason He was born with a mission of bearing witness of the truth (John 18:37). Pilate asks Jesus what truth is and immediately goes out to the Jews, declaring he finds no fault in Jesus (John 18:38).

 

Hoping to defuse the situation, Pilate reminds the Jews of his custom of releasing someone to them at the Passover, asking them if they want him to release Jesus, the King of the Jews (John 18:39). The Jews ask for Barabas, a robber instead of Jesus (John 18:40). This leaves Pilate with only one solution if he wants to avoid a volatile situation, release Barabas and execute an innocent man.

 

Jesus’ hour has come, and after a mock trial before the council of the high priest, Jesus is delivered to Pilate, setting in motion the fulfillment of prophecies about how Jesus would die. The spiritual front of this war against Jesus is the result of Satan blinding the eyes of the Jewish religious leaders to the fact Jesus is their Messiah (Isaiah 6:10; John 12:40). However, the Jewish leaders have a problem, their law forbids killing Jesus so Pilate returns to Jesus, asking if He was the King of the Jews (John 18:31-33). Jesus tells Pilate he has come to bear witness of the Truth, with Pilate asking Him what truth is. Returning to the Jews, Pilate tells them he finds no wrong in Jesus (John 18:36-38).

 

Now we see the political front of this war over Jesus. Pilate has a custom of releasing someone to the Jews during Passover and believes they will release Jesus since He has done nothing wrong, calming the volatile situation. However, when the Jews ask for Barabas, a robber instead of Jesus, Pilate has no choice if he wants to prevent a riot but to offer an innocent man up to death. All of this is according to God’s plan for Jesus to be the ultimate Passover lamb offered up for the sins of the world.

 

The Church is engaged in spiritual warfare between truth as expressed in the Word of God in print and in the flesh in Jesus Christ (John 1:1). However, the Church is not fully engaged in the battle and is therefore lukewarm and weak. When the political whims of a woke culture are against the Church, many will cower in fear and fail to speak out against atrocities that go against the Word of God. It is easier for the Church to preach a feel-good message of prosperity to avoid speaking out for truth, like the Church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-17). Instead of preaching the Gospel and the need for salvation from sin through the blood of Christ, many churches tickle the ears of the congregation with a self-help message, leaving their first love, Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:4-5; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). The Church must repent of its apostasy and return to the Great Commission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).

 

If you are a Church leader and have fallen away from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I invite you to repent and return to what Jesus commissioned the Church to do. If you are part of a Church that has fallen away from preaching the Gospel, leave and find a Church that does. If you are reading this and have never prayed to receive salvation by a profession of faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 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, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I pray the Church returns to a Church that turns the world upside down, or right side up, like the Church in the Book of Acts (Acts 17:6).