Roots by the River

Every day, I come across verses of Scripture I want to preach, proclaim, shout, or sing. Here is one: “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin” (Psalm 36:1-2). This is such a good description of the sinfulness of the wicked. The wicked man cannot see, much less hate his own sin. The reason is that he flatters himself. This is the ultimate expression of selfishness and self-conceit. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

Some time ago, I was struck by the Spiritual needs of three fathers in the New Testament and how their needs were met by Jesus Christ. ·        The first was a nobleman whose son was at the point of death (John 4:46-54). ·        The second was the Philippian jailor who was about to take his own life because his jail had fallen apart (Acts 16:22-40). ·        The third was Cornelius, a Roman army officer who was searching for God (Acts 10). All of their needs were urgent, desperate needs—so urgent that in each case the man sought help and got the help he wanted, and more, in a wonderful way. Here is something extra that blessed me in reading these paragraphs. “By this the father knew that it was at the very time when Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son is living,’ and he himself, with all his household , believed in Jesus” (John 4:53). “Afterwards he took them up to his house and set bef...

Dear Friend, It has been several weeks since we have talked. In one of our more recent conversations, I promised you a letter. This is the beginning. Recently, in the car, I listened to two cassette tapes by Elisabeth Elliot entitled Me, Obey Him? I was so impressed with Betty’s graciousness and her strength. Actually, much of her talks were readings from a book called Me? Obey Him?: The Obedient Wife and God's Way of Happiness and Blessing in the Home by a classmate of hers from Wheaton College, Elizabeth Rice Handford. It has been my position, but it is more difficult for a man and a husband to teach it. I ordered six sets of the tapes and two of the books to give away. I have known for a long time your strong position on Scripture. Where you and I have differed has not been on the meaning of the text (any text) but on the application. In the teaching on these talks by Elisabeth Elliot, I am convinced that you will agree, and I hope you agree also on the application. No...

Dear Friend, As I understand it, you are convinced of your salvation because of the commitment you made to the Lord Jesus Christ many years ago. That could well be. When Jesus Christ saves, He does it for eternity. However, some of your relatives doubt your salvation or are convinced you are not saved. This is the main reason for my letter. I want to give you a list of biblical parameters that will help you know for a certainty one way or the other. The same will help others know of your salvation, but not with the same degree of certainty. I can be sure of my own salvation. I cannot be sure of someone else’s salvation in the same way. However, I can doubt someone else’s salvation without being guilty of “judging.” Here is why. 1 Corinthians 5:12 says, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside ? God will judge those outside.” The paragraph on judging is in Matthew 7:1-5: Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in...

Dear Friend, This letter is long overdue. It has been in my head for months. First, I think you know that I both love you and like you and respect you. If you do not know that, please take my word for it. You know that I am willing to be confronted without dissimulation. In the many years we have known each other, I have assumed you were a Christian. I do not have to know absolutely (God knows those who are His). You have had an interest and an education in Christianity. Even if you were not, or are not, a Christian, this does not affect my love, like, or respect for you. The last few times we have been together, you have assured me that any adultery was in the past and that you were ready to get right with the church and with your family and that you had repented toward God. You assured me that you loved your wife and your children and you were committed to them. I recognize that Christians can (and sometimes do) sin repeatedly. I also understand that it is possible for Chri...

Dear Friend, Thank you for listening to us. We both love you, and as I said we’ve been friends for a long time and have agreed with each other about many things. I am grateful for the friendship. You are right when you say I do not understand the hurt you have gone through for the last twenty years. I understand it in words, but not in experience. I have listened to you of your desires in marriage and of all the effort you put into the marriage. When I have talked to your wife, I have talked to her about her. It has been difficult to talk to you about you, at least on the subject of marriage. You have insisted on talking to me about her. 1. The last few years, you have been very angry and accusative toward your wife. Even if all of your accusations are true, your continued anger is unrepentant, unforgiven sin. You need to repent. 2. This anger has been building up for years, even though you were doing things a Christian husband should do. 3. In Luke 17:3, we have Jesus’...

“Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20). We are bombarded with “godless chatter” every day. In university towns like the ones we minister in, we are immersed in it. In all of this, there is some of God’s truth. People hear the part that is truth and consequently do not recognize the “godless chatter” for what it is. This makes the godless chatter even more dangerous. Nevertheless, Timothy was instructed to turn away from it. There are three ways to discern godless chatter: 1.      Know the wisdom of God very well. “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” ...

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)   This is one of the great verses of God’s character expressed toward us. Most of us know that He is with us, that He saves us, and that He loves us. But there are two additional expressions which cause me to wonder: “He will take great delight in you.” That ought to help any Christian with a “poor self-image.” God delights in me greatly! “He will rejoice over you with singing.” Most of us love to sing praises to Him with joy. Here it tells us that He also sings with joy over us. There is grandeur, wonder, and awe portrayed in Revelation 5:11-14 where a hundred million plus angels and every creature everywhere sing “to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” That is wonderful, but it is far more wonderful that God will sing with joy over me. This post coordinates with today's read...

There is a frightening prophecy in the book of Amos: “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it’” (Amos 8:11-12). I have no idea whether this prophecy was ever fulfilled in the past. If not, it is, of necessity, still future. It certainly is not in the present. In this world we have places where the Word of God is very accessible. The supply is greater than the demand. There is a famine in the midst of plenty because people are not reading the Word. There are places where the Word of God is not available at all. People do not know it is not available. They are in a famine and do not know that they are in a famine. There are still other places where there is a famine and people know it. They are eager for Bibles. T...

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:1-5). “That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, f...

One of the great God’s great self-declarations was given by Him to Moses on his second trip up the mountain in Exodus 34:6-8: “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.’” We see here the truth that upset Jonah: “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:1-3). God was not angry. Jonah, however,...

“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ …Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:19-21, 23-24). “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. C...

In recent days,* I have been struck again by the partial repentance of the kings of Israel and the partial repentance of the kings of Judah. Here are two examples from many. Israel: “Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit” (2 Kings 10:31). The last sentence was said of every king of Israel. Judah: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there” (2 Kings 14:3-4). This last sentence was said of Amaziah and his son, his grandson, and his great-grandson. Amaziah was one of the good kings of Judah. Hezekiah, his great-great-grandson, turned things around: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He r...

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2). “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:1-2). “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6). “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun...

I have been overwhelmed this last year* with God’s expressions of His view of idolatry: Disobedient: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Deut. 5:7-9). Stupid: “But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:4-8). Demonic: “Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but...

  This post was written by Matt Meyer, CCM board member and director emeritus. “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law plead against them” (Proverbs 28:4). After a number of weeks of coming for counseling, a young Chinese woman recently* called on God to forgive her sins. For several weeks before that, she was sure that God was real and good and that she was a sinner, but she was having a hard time connecting her sin with the death of Christ on the cross. When she was asked to describe what she meant by “being a sinner,” it was clear that her focus was horizontal instead of vertical. She thought she was sinning against her husband, her family, and herself. When she finally understood that our sin (or lawlessness as John describes it) is first against God, the lights came on. “I’ve broken God’s laws,” she repeated numerous times as the realization finally hit home. Do we have the same sense that we are breaking God’s laws when we avoid Bible passag...

“‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate’” (Matthew 19:4-6). The marriage service says that marriage is a “holy estate.” Christian marriage is more than physical, economic cohabitating and child-bearing and rearing. It is a spiritual fellowship; it is an earthly picture of Christ and His body, the Church.   “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with wa...

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). You would think this should not be a difficult piece of advice to follow. The voice of God thundered from Sinai in the second command: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4-6). Within the month, the people of Israel were busily building an idol, a golden calf. It did not last long. Rachel, Jacob’s wife, stole her father’s household gods. All of the sons of Jacob had idols. “So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.’ … So...

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). God commands us to obey Him. If we do not keep His commands, He has the ability to forgive us. It is either obey or confess, and He has made provision for both. Christmas is coming up soon. We can think of it as a time of giving or as a time of getting. The basic expression of love is giving . The basic expression of selfishness is getting . If you think of everyone according to God’s commands, we are to love the Father, we are to love our neighbors, we are to love the brothers, we are to love our enemies—and the conclusion is that we are to give to these people we love. We are to give for whatever is the highest good of the person we are giving to. We are not to give in order to get; we give because t...

I would like to draw attention to a few scriptures about our enemy and our relationship to him. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:18-21). “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ...