YOU and GOD

Your Adversary

Lots of names are given to him in scripture—Devil, Satan, Deceiver, Murderer, Liar and the father of lies, “god” of this world, and many more; but concerning each of us personally, probably the most significant appellation is “your adversary, the devil.” (I Pet. 5:8)

He is a person older than time itself, and he will be confined, after time shall be no more, in an awful fiery abyss forevermore. It is well that we reckon with this ancient foe, assessing who he is, what he is about, and what role he plays in the “big picture” as it relates to the world in which we live.

Satan, “the old serpent,” was created as “Lucifer,” an angel of light; in fact, the archangel. A graphic description of him in Ezekiel’s prophecy portrays him as originally created as “the anointed cherub…set upon the holy mountain of God…perfect in his ways until the day that iniquity was found in him.” He was, tragically, lifted up in his heart because of his beauty, coming under the judgment of his Almighty Creator God. (Ezekiel 28:14-19) Isaiah further describes his pride and plight as one fallen from heaven—“O Lucifer, son of the morning”— whose demise was willfully thinking that he could exalt himself above the stars of God, to then dethrone God Himself and ascend above the heights of the clouds, so that he said “I will be like the most high.” God said, in response: “Thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isa. 14:12-14)

This Luciferian coup against the creator God of the heavens resulted in Lucifer’s being cast out of heaven to earth, the tail of the red dragon drawing a third of the created angelic beings with him in his rebellion. (Rev. 12:3,4)

From that time on, Satan has had “access” to heaven as an accuser of God’s people, but he will never be able to call heaven his home as he once was able to; and, at some future date, he will lose this access to heaven and be confined in his war against the dominion of God to the sphere of this world. He has supernatural powers still, so that he is called the “god of this world” (II Cor. 12:4) and the “prince of principalities and powers,” as he presides over the “rulers of the darkness of this world” and commands “spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12)

Satan is powerful and no human being, in his or her own strength, is any match. But he is not all-powerful, and the believer clad in the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10ff.) can deflect the fiery darts of the Devil, discerning also his wicked wiles. Peter admonishes us to resist the Devil, assuring us that when we do, by faith, the Devil—though appearing as a roaring lion that is on the hunt to devour—will flee from us. (I Pet.5:8)

Neither is Satan, that old serpent the Devil, omniscient. He is incredibly knowledgeable while lacking any true wisdom. He rules over an organized kingdom of darkness—and will until this present age is over—with myriad “little devils,” or demons , poised to do his bidding in executing his dark dominion; but his knowledge is limited and can in no way approach the infinite knowledge of his creator God.

The evil one is powerful, and knowledgeable, without being omnipotent or omniscient; and though his sphere of operation is the heavens as well as the earth, he is not omnipresent. He can be at only one place at a time; thus, he makes his influence and reach worldwide through the work of his devilish diminutives. While some of the fallen angelic beings are presently chained in caverns of darkness waiting their everlasting judgment (Jude 6), an incalculable number of that original one-third of the angelic creation that joined Satan in his rebellion against God are still navigating in this present darkness, fulfilling the “great omission” of their leader, Apollyon.

From the first days of human history, Satan has made it his first and foremost goal to tempt members of the human race to rebel against the authority of God. He succeeded in lying to the first couple in Eden’s exhilarating Garden, questioning the integrity of God, with such convincing success that Eve, and later her joined-at-the-rib husband, Adam, both willingly disobeyed God. By biting into the serpent’s subtle deception, they introduced sin into the human race for all of time, with its dreaded consequence(s) and the ultimate penalty of death.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

The Devil, no doubt drunk with power and success, thought he could use the same bag of tricks in tempting the fasting Jesus of Nazareth to yield to the lust of the flesh (stones to bread); the lust of the eyes (all the kingdoms of the world); and the pride of life (cast thyself down). Of course, Jesus would not sin, and Jesus could not sin; but the temptation was no less real when Satan threw his poisoned darts at God’s Son in the wilderness where He, Jesus, was “tempted in all points like as we are”—yet remaining through it all, sinless. God sent a special envoy of angels to minister to His Son when the temptation was concluded, so fierce it was. (Matt. 4:11)

Satan will continue his illegitimate lordship over this age, as the “god of this world,” until the rapture of the Church, at which time he will join forces with the Beast (antichrist) in the seven-year tribulation period on earth—until Jesus Christ comes in power and great glory. (Matt. 25:31ff.; Rev.19) At the second coming of Christ, the Beast—with his cohort the False Prophet, both of whom, with the Devil, will deceive multitudes during the Day of the Lord (Tribulation period)—will be cast into the Lake of Fire, their ultimate and eternal abode. (Rev. 19:20 ) Satan will then be bound and cast into a bottomless pit for a thousand years (the Millennium; Rev. 20:2,3), at the end of which he will be loosed, only to deceive and organize one more war against the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jesus. This wild and desperate attempt of course will fail, and Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which was created originally for him and his fallen angelic followers.

“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and all things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.” (Rev.10:5,6)

“Forgive us our debts”

If you were living during the Vietnam War, it is quite possible that you remember a picture of Kim Phuc, a nine year-old Vietnamese girl who, in the horror of war, was almost killed when napalm started falling on her village from a plane flown reportedly by a South Vietnamese pilot. The picture that was flashed around the world showed the child, running naked with outstretched arms, hoping to escape the horror of the napalm that was burning her skin. The pilot thought the village had been abandoned by all civilians.

Kim Phuc survived the attack after multiple surgeries. But though she recovered physically, her heart was full of anger. The physical pain required treatment decades after she survived the body burns, but she later testified that the psychological, emotional and spiritual pain, living as the “Napalm girl,” was even greater. She said, though, that “My faith in Jesus Christ is what has enabled me to forgive those who had wronged us, no matter how severe those wrongs were.”

Walter Everett, a Methodist pastor in Connecticut, experienced the ultimate test of forgiveness. His son had been slain by another man, who was convicted of man slaughter. The pastor let it be known that he had forgiven his son’s killer, explaining that “people won’t be able to understand why Jesus came and what Jesus is all about unless we forgive.” End of story? No. The convict accepted Christ while in prison. When he was released and wanted to be married, Pastor Everett performed the ceremony. (copied, Our Daily Bread)

An unknown author celebrated the power of forgiveness when he penned the following lines:

Not far from New York is a cemetery lone,
	Close guarding its grave stands a simple headstone;
And all the inscription is one word alone—“FORGIVEN.”

No sculptor’s fine art hath embellished its form,
	But constantly there, through the calm and the storm,
It beareth this word from a poor fallen worm:  “FORGIVEN.”

The death is unmentioned, the name is untold;
	Beneath lies the body, corrupted and cold;
Above rests his spirit, at home in the fold—“FORGIVEN.”

And when, from the heavens, the Lord shall descend,
	This stranger shall rise and to Glory ascend,
Well-known and befriended, to sing without end: “FORGIVEN.”

Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson said of Abraham Lincoln: “His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it for the memory of a wrong.”

English preacher Charles Spurgeon gives this advice: “Cultivate forbearance till your heart yields a fine crop of it. Pray for a short memory as to unkindness.” (Rev. David Currens)

A story is told of William Gladstone, who, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in England, once relied on the calculations of a trusted clerk in a budget speech before the House of Commons. Unfortunately, the clerk had made some critical miscalculations, which made Gladstone the object of ridicule. Gladstone sent for the clerk, who anticipated being fired. But instead, the statesman said to the embarrassed clerk, “I sent for you because I could imagine the torture of your feelings. You have been for many years dealing with bewildering intricacies of the national accounts, and you have done your job with exactness…. It was because of your splendid record that I did not trouble to verify your calculations. I have sent for you to compliment you on that record and to set you at ease.”

Part of forgiving is determining not to seek revenge. Here is a test that was once posed: “Imagine that you are given a choice to: (a) torment for all eternity those who have harmed you the most: the one who sexually abused you, your unfaithful spouse, the date rapist, the drunk driver who killed your child, your abusive parent, or (b) see them brought to brokenness and to their knees before the God who has been so kind to you. Which would you choose?”

Jesus told about two servants who illustrated the need for forgiveness. One had been forgiven by his master a huge sum, but he would not in turn forgive one of his debtors a relatively small sum. Rather, he had him thrown into prison until the debt was paid. Jesus said that the master of the wicked servant who had been forgiven so much–yet was unforgiving of a small amount–upon hearing of this injustice, was wroth and had the wicked servant delivered to the tormentors until all that he owed was paid. (Matt.18:23-35)

“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matt.18:35)

“And forgive us out debts as we forgive our debtors.” (Matt.6:12)

Praises This Thanksgiving Day

Margaret Sangster captured in a poem what most everyone feels in our hearts today: “For the days when nothing happens, for the cares that leave no trace; for the love of little children, for each sunny dwelling place; for the altars of our fathers, and the closets where we pray, Take, O gracious God and Father, praises this Thanksgiving Day.”

Surely, we join the poet in that praise on this Thanksgiving Day! So much to be thankful for—both what we have and what we do not have!

I heard about a man who owned a piece of property that he wanted to sell. He talked with a realtor, who asked him to write a brief description of the estate. When the listing was ready, the agent took it to the gentleman for his approval. “Read that again,” the owner said. So the real estate agent read the advertisement again. “I don’t think I want to sell this property after all,” the man said. “I’ve been looking for an estate like that all my life, and I just now came to realize that I owned it.”

We have so very much that we sometimes do not appreciate the goodness of God in supplying all our needs and more.

A mother with two small children was destitute. In the cold of winter, the desperate mother took the cellar door off its hinges and propped it up against the corner, where the children were huddled to sleep, in order to keep some of the cold draft off of them. One of the little ones said, “Mother, what do those poor children do who have no cellar door to put up in front of them?”

Have you thanked God for all that you have—and for that which you do not have?

Paul wrote to believers in his epistles, repeatedly speaking of his thankfulness to God for them: “We are bound to thank God always for you…We give thanks to God always for you…I thank God that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers…We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…I thank my God upon every remembrance of you…Wherefore I also cease not to give thanks for you…First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all….” (II Thess. 1:3; I Thess. 1:3; II Tim.1:3; Col.1:3; Phil.1:3; Eph. 1:15,16; Rom. 1:8)

In 1991, after a military coup in Haiti, an embargo was imposed by the international community on the Caribbean island. A missionary reported that a Christian woman during those difficult days stood up in a prayer meeting and prayed, “We thank You, Lord, for the embargo. It has taught us to depend more upon You. And it has given us a greater longing for heaven.” Can we follow Paul’s exhortation to “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”? (I Thess. 5:18) (copied, Our Daily Bread)

“Peace and Mercy and Jonathan—and Patience (very small), stood by the table giving thanks the First Thanksgiving of all. There was very little for them to eat, nothing special, nothing sweet; only bread and a little broth, and a bit of fruit (no tablecloth); But Peace and Mercy and Jonathan—and Patience, in a row, stood up and asked a blessing on Thanksgiving long ago. Thankful they were their ship had come safely across the sea; thankful they were for hearth and home, and kin—and company; they were glad of broth to go with their bread, glad their apples were round and red, glad of mayflowers they would bring out of the woods again next spring. So Peace and Mercy and Jonathan—and Patience (very small), stood up gratefully giving thanks the first Thanksgiving of all.” (Nancy Byrd Turner)

Are you grateful, too, for the bounty with which you are blessed this Thanksgiving Day, not the very first of all? If not, don’t forget this reminder:

“Today, upon a bus I saw a lovely girl with golden hair. I envied her…she seemed so gay… and wished I were half as fair. When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle. She had one leg and wore a crutch—but as she passed a smile. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two legs, the world is mine!

Later I stopped to buy some sweets. The boy who sold them had such charm, I thought I’d stop and talk awhile—if I were late, ‘twould do no harm. And, as we talked, he said, ‘Thank you, sir, you’ve really been so kind; It’s nice to talk to folks like you because, you see, I’m blind.’ Oh, God, forgive me when I whine; I have two eyes, the world is mine!

Later, walking down the street, I met a boy with eyes so blue; but he stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do. I paused, and then I said, ‘Why don’t you join the others, dear?’ But he looked straight ahead without a word, and then I knew—he could not hear. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine; I have two ears, the world is mine.

Two legs to take me where I go; two eyes to see the sunset’s glow. Two ears to hear all I should know. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I’m blessed indeed—the world is mine!” (unknown)

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.” (Ps.95:2)

A Thanksgiving Prayer and Promise

(Sixty years ago this Thanksgiving, I wrote the following Thanksgiving prayer and promise to my fiancé, Ellen. It is as true today as then, and I thought it might be time to share it with you all.)

Prayer:

        O Thank You, Lord, for every gift,
	     That life affords to me;
	With voice to Thee my prayer I lift,
	     To show my thanks to Thee.

	I thank You for the gift of life,			
	     For health and strength and breath;
	For hope in loss, and strength in strife,
	     For victory over death.

	I thank You, Lord, for Mom and Dad—
             They’ve been so good to me;
	For when I was but just a lad,
             They pointed me to Thee.

	And, thank You for a pastor true,
	     Who preached the Word of God;
	Who always said, “What e’re you do,
             Only believe, trust God!”

	And for salvation, full and free,
             With tongue I cannot say,
	The joy it is to blood-bought be,
	     With sins all washed away.

	And God, as long as I can pray,
	     I’ll say a prayer each night.
	To thank You for that blessed day,
	     My love came to my sight.

       I’ll love her, Lord, I’ll love her true,
           ‘Til Thou shalt call us home;
       And from the time I say “I do,”
            She’ll never be alone.		 

       For though the miles may part us some,
            We’ll always love in heart.
      Until our life on earth is done,
           Our love will never part.

Promise:  

        “My Love, on this Thanksgiving Day,
              I pause to thank our Lord;
	 For all the love you’ve shown my way,
              In smile, in deed, in word.

	 And I shall love you, Ellen, Dear,
              With body, mind and soul;
	 On every day of every year,
              To love you is my goal.

	 And, if you’ll only want my love,
	      I’ll give it all to you;
	 I’ll love you like a precious dove,
              I’ll love you, ever true!

Tony Slutz

Thanksgiving Day, 1964

A Tribute to Ted and Margaret

(My parents celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary 20 years ago this fall; I marked the happy occasion with this tribute that is late getting up on “You and God.”)

They were hard, lean times…the worst of times. The “war to end all wars” was past, and the drumbeats were soon to mark the beginning of another one to come, yet bloodier.

In the heartland of America, against the backdrop of those dark Depression days, two young lovers’ lives were merged, molded, and melded in the furnace of attraction into one.

He, stout, handsome, somewhat shy. She, tall, slender, beautiful, and not so shy. Separated by a half-dozen years and just a few more miles, fate drew them inextricably together, and providence, nature, and the powers of youth bore upon them, ‘til love had its way and blossomed beautiful like a morning rose, fresh with the dew of life and promise of a bright and lovely day.

They met, they courted, they lived and loved and, in time, entered into a covenant of life.

Little did their youthful feelings that day betray the joys and sorrows, the tears, trials and triumphs, the valleys and heights and depths and sheer duration their journey would entail.

Never could they have imagined, hand in hand, heart to heart—as they echoed 70 years ago “I do”—that life’s highways would be so long, so sometimes rugged, so frightful and yet so full of golden memories.

It was a trip indeed! In Model A’s and Model T’s, in rattletraps and through mud ruts; in Studebakers, Impalas, VW’s and vans—to the deep South and to the far West; to Canada and Mexico, to Washington and Arizona and Florida—in pursuit of truth and in search of people, with interest in places and causes, they traveled and traveled and traveled.

Five children touched their lives from Heaven. Their oldest, a daughter and bright ray of sunshine—and joy in their new home—was strong and hard-working and independent at an early age; she met and married a fine, young Iowan serving in the United States Air Force, and they gave them their first two grandchildren, sons, and later yet another.

Their second, a son, gentle, kind, boyish, the apple of their eye, brought them the greatest delight and the deepest sorrow. God lent him to them just eleven brief years, then called him back to his heavenly home via a tragic summer drowning incident. Their family circle broken, they would never cease feeling the ache for his loss, nor would they ever begin to question the wisdom and ways of God in choosing this lot for them.

Next, a daughter gave them their greatest pleasure and their greatest pain. She made them laugh, and then brought them to tears. After her maverick youthful years, she became a devoted darling to them and brought them joy unbounded. She married a man that they would learn to love as a son; and to this union was born an only child, the dearest of their lives.

Their fourth, another son, no substitute for one now gone, yet a gift from a loving heavenly Father’s guiding hand; their Teddy’s death had brought the family to Himself and, in due season, the second son answered the call of God to bear the good news of the gospel of grace. He is their preacher boy, and he and his beautiful Carolina wife bore them three grandchildren; two lovely girls and a son, name-sake of his grandfather.

And finally, another girl: devoted, consummate mom; kind and generous with all the best traits of her siblings, always a source of cheer and comfort to her parents. She gave them four grandsons—all men of character and caliber.

Along the way of life, a multitude of friends were made. Most of them shared their love of Bible preaching, church, and conservative causes. Friends from Canada and Florida, India, Iowa and Pennsylvania—friends from everywhere, most of whom they have outlived.

Books, ideas, politics, and people were her loves in life. A good homemaker and loving mother was she. Crusader for truth, advocate of the underdog and champion of the prophet, preacher, and politician who stood for what was right. This is her legacy.

His: strength and integrity, family and a work ethic second to none; a love of people; strong, with depth of feeling and sensitivity, and a bedrock faith in God’s Word and works; a toughness produced by enduring the Great Depression, death, and disease. A strength that was gentle, and a gentleness that was strong. This was the man.

Today, 70 years after they covenanted “till death do us part” we honor them.

We give to her that life-long wish: roses while she is still living. And with them our sincere and deepest appreciation for her life, labors, and love on our behalf.

We give to him our heartfelt gratitude, honor, and respect for a sterling life, a life well lived that models fatherhood to the generation to come.

Today, mother and father, Margaret and Ted, all of your family and friends—those here and those not here—express to you the best of wishes with a prayer that His goodness will be yours until your journey is ended and you reach life’s final destination. To God be the glory.

(Within four years of this writing, Margaret and Ted had both taken up residence in heaven.)

“Thy father and thy mother shall be glad….” (Provs. 23:25)

“I Will Come Again….”

Richard C. Halverson, chaplain of the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1995, said of the Second Coming of Christ: “If you could pin people down, I think you would find very few longing for the return of Christ. His return now would instead constitute an interruption of our plans.” (Christianity Today, 1982)

That, in spite of the promise that Jesus made shortly before He was crucified on Calvary. When He would come, He said, it was to “receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also.” (John 14:3) Paul referred to this promise as “that blessed hope.” (Titus 2:13)

A Scottish preacher said, “The doctrine of the Lord’s second coming, as it appears in the New Testament, is like a lofty mountain that dominates the entire landscape.” One student of scripture pointed out that there are more than 300 New Testament references to it.

It should be noted that the Second Coming of Christ will be preceded by the Rapture of the Bride of Christ, His Church—an event that since His ascension back to heaven, followed by the birth of the New Testament Church (Acts 2), has always been, and remains to this day, imminent. (Titus 2:13; I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18; Matthew 24,25)

The tribulation—the Great Tribulation—will happen on earth following the Rapture and preceding the Second Coming. The tribulation will be a seven-year long unleashing by God of a three-tiered series of awful judgments upon the earth, an earth that will—for the duration of that time—be dominated by Satan’s opposition to Christ, in league with the Antichrist (the Beast), and the False Prophet. This unholy trinity will deceive the inhabitants on earth at that time and, if it were possible, the elect. The seven-year time of unthinkable judgments will be “shortened” (terminated), culminating in the promised return of Jesus Christ “in power and great glory”—putting down the Satanic opposition to His rule in the great battle of Armageddon, fought by the kings of the earth and their armies of 200 million soldiers, under the command of the arch-enemy of Christ, the Old Dragon, the Serpent Satan. Jesus will, of course, prevail. Satan will be bound and cast into a bottomless pit for the duration of the millennial reign of Jesus on earth. The beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire—forever. Christ shall rule and reign—with His Church—on earth for a thousand years. (Rev. 19,20)

Following the 1,000-year millennium—a period of worldwide peace on a renovated earth that will have been restored at Christ’s second coming to pre-fall, Edenic-like conditions—Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit. True to his demented, devilish modus operandi, he will once again deceive masses of earth-dwellers who have been born during the millennium, many of whom will not have personally trusted Christ as Savior and Lord. There will be one more great battle (think of it as Armageddon 2.0). Jesus will handily put Satan and his army down (Rev. 20:7-10), and Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire, where he will dwell eternally.

Immediately following that last battle, the unbelieving dead of all ages will be resurrected to appear before God at the Great White Throne Judgment. Sets of books will be opened, and the Book of Life will be opened. Whoever’s name is not found written in that Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire, their eternal domain—an unspeakable place of torment that God originally prepared for the Devil and his fallen, angelic cohorts in evil. (Rev. 20:11-15)

As horrendous as the Great Tribulation will be, climaxing with hail-stones falling from heaven that weigh 100 pounds each (Rev. 16:17-21)—while men blaspheme one last time the name of God—no one need live in fear of going through that time. Jesus is waiting now for anyone who will to come unto Him for salvation, which is “by grace through faith.” (Eph.2:8,9) John put it as simply as he possibly could: “But as many as received Him (Jesus) to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12)

It has been a long time since Jesus said, “I will come again.” Don’t let the Devil use this “delay” to deceive you into believing that He is not really going to return. Peter anticipated this modernistic denial of the Second Coming when he wrote: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all men should come to repentance.” He hastened to warn that “The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” (II Pet. 3:9,10)

So, to repeat, Jesus said: “I will come again.” When He does, it will be too late to prepare. Paul declared that “now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor.6:2) Come today. Take Jesus at His word: “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)

Josiah—A King in a Class of His Own (10th and last in a series on Old Testament Kings)

“And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, neither after him arose there any like him.” (II Kings 23:25)

Those words were written about a king who sat upon Judah’s throne shortly before God brought judgment upon the land. Before that storm of judgment, the nation experienced a relatively calm period during King Josiah’s 31-year reign.

His father, Amon, was—like his grandfather Manasseh—a wicked scoundrel, ruling in Jerusalem for two brief years, but Josiah had a godly heritage in the person of his great grandfather, Hezekiah. In some ways, he even surpassed the spiritual plateaus reached by his forefather.

His life story is one of the most interesting found in the Word of God. Careful study of it can yield both inspiration and instruction. Note with me, please:

His view of service (II Chr. 34:2,3): Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign. We read that “while he was yet young, he began to seek after God. At the age of 20, he instituted a purge, cleansing Jerusalem of idols. At the age of 26, he began to repair the house of God.

His view of sin (II Chr. 34:4,5): The altars of Baalim were “brake down” and “beaten” in his presence, scripture says, not only in Jerusalem but in other parts of the countries round about. “And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel….” (II Chr. 34:33) The words “uncompromising,” “intolerant,” “narrow-minded,” “fanatical,” and “negative” were probably labels hurled at this young, wise king who had no time for idolatry, specifically, or sin in general.

As a young man, Josiah evidently did not buy into the fallacy that “you have to try and taste of sin” before you can appreciate the life of godliness. He was not willing to delve into sin, even though had he done so he might have blamed his father or grandfather for the bad examples they had been to him.

His view of scripture: When Hilkiah the priest found a copy of the Law while cleansing the temple, it was brought to Josiah, who upon “hearing the words of the law…rent his clothes.” (II Chr. 34:14-22) He was humbled, anxious to understand, willing to listen to the Word, and ready to obey it. (II Chr. 34:23-32) He would have totally agreed with John Quincy Adams: “The first and foremost book that deserves unwavering attention is the Bible.”

His view of sanctification (II Chr. 35:1ff.): Josiah, having purged the land of Baal worship and idols, and having led in the cleansing of the Temple and in reading and heeding God’s Law, next set himself to keeping the Passover. He encouraged the priests “to the service of the house of the Lord.” His instruction was to “prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David, king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.” (II Chr.35:4) God’s commentary on the Passover that Josiah reinstituted is recorded in II Chr. 35:18: “And there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests…and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

Well-meaning Josiah met an untimely death in a battle that he did not have to fight. Necho, king of Egypt, was engaging Carchemish by Euphrates, and Josiah went out against Necho. Necho sent word that he had not come to do battle with Josiah, and that he would be wise to turn back and go home. Scripture gives us “inside information” that this warning of Necho was actually from “the mouth of God.” (II Chr. 35:22) Josiah failed to consult God and—not convinced by Necho’s admonition—forged headstrong into the fight. He was mortally wounded, dying at the age of 39.

So, in the Valley of Megiddo, where victories had been wrought by Gideon, Barak, and others of Israel’s warring soldiers and sovereigns—and where the great battle of Armageddon will be fought and won by Israel’s Messiah at a future date—Josiah’s life ended. Quite possibly, his death was not so untimely. One has written that “the providence that directed the shaft to its lighting place intended that wound for a stroke of mercy.” A handful of years later, the first of the deportations of Jews to Babylon would mark the beginning of what is known as The Captivity. The godly Josiah was spared living through any part of that, having ruled in a rather peaceful slice of Judah’s history. God “looked past his death to his glory,” mercifully saving the best of kings to reign as one of Judah’s last.

Thus Jeremiah lamented Josiah’s death: “And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.” (II Chr. 35:25)

The Principal Thing

If you achieve every goal, reach the pinnacle of your profession, enjoy every imaginable luxury in life, and leave this world with banks full of money for your posterity—but fail to possess and practice what God calls wisdom—you will have been an utter failure.

God says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Provs. 9:10) Solomon, the wisest of mere men, expanded on the worth of wisdom: “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Provs. 4:5-7)

Of course, Solomon was speaking of God’s wisdom, not man-centered wisdom, called by James “the wisdom that descendeth not from above.” (James 3:15) James characterized this worldly wisdom as that which is “earthly, sensual, devilish,” the fruit of which is “bitter envying and strife in your hearts, confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:14,16) Contrasted with that low-level wisdom, James goes on to characterize “wisdom that is from above” as being that which is ”first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without hypocrisy;” (James 3:17)—the fruit of which is “righteousness…sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:18)

Wisdom is the principal thing, for here are some of the things that wisdom has accomplished since creation: It founded the earth; will bring man happiness; will yield length of days; will cause one to inherit glory; will preserve one’s being; will give one’s heart rest; will help a person to build a home and establish it; and will instruct the warrior on when and how to conduct war. (See Provs. 3:19; 3:13,16,35; 4:6,33; 24:3,6)

Where could you find something that would do all of the above? What would it cost? What in creation matches it?

T.S. Eliot—poet, playwright and literary critic—affirms that knowledge is not enough: “All our knowledge only brings us closer to our ignorance, and all our ignorance, closer to death, no closer to God. Where, then, is the life we have lost in living?”

The English preacher Charles Spurgeon clarified the difference between knowledge (“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”) and wisdom: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” (Provs. 1:7)

So, we need to fear God in order to get knowledge that squares with God’s truth; then we need wisdom in order to make use of the knowledge that we have acquired from God.

After listening to Job and Job’s friends, plus Elihu, God puts it all into His perspective: “Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26) “Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? (Job 40:2) And God uses illustrations from the natural world to demonstrate His incomparable wisdom. Jeremiah picked up that theme in his prophecy: “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtledove and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming.” (Jer. 8:7)

Here is a splendid example of the creative wisdom of the Almighty: “A tiny bird weighing less than half an ounce and only 5 to 5 and one-half inches long, the blackpoll warbler, takes off on its annual migration from the coast of North America to fly over the Atlantic and Caribbean of South America. Its ocean, nonstop flight is 2,300 miles, lasting an average of 86 hours. A scientist, Dr. Williams, in “Mysteries of Bird Migration”by Allan C. Fisher, Jr. (National Geographic, January 1979) says that the metabolic equivalent for a man of that nonstop flight would be to run four-minute miles continuously for eighty hours. During one part of its incredible journey, it will fly at the cold, oxygen-starved altitude of 21,000 feet in order to find favorable winds. In a year’s time, the blackpoll warbler may journey as much as 10,000 miles.” (copied)

The answer of God to Job and his “miserable friends,” continued in Job 39: “Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? Canst thou number the months that they fulfill? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? They bow themselves; they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows. Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn, they go forth and return not unto them.”

And, for the rest of Job 39 through chapter 41, God continues to take Job and the others to school. The result: “Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing and, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” (Job 42:1,2)

Oh, the unsearchable wisdom of the Almighty! We can never achieve such knowledge or wisdom in our finiteness, but we can realize all the knowledge and wisdom that it pleases God to grant us from and through His matchless Word. Let us therefore “say unto wisdom, thou art my sister; and call understanding (our) kinswoman.” (Provs. 7:2)

“There is no wisdom but that which is founded on the fear of God.” (John Calvin)

“Sir, We Would See Jesus.” (John 12:21)

And, it is my heartfelt desire that all who read this will, too, see Jesus! Of this Jesus, an unknown author has written: “He was born in an obscure village, and grew up in another obscure village where he worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was 30, and then for three years as an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a city the size of Indianapolis; He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place where He was born. He never did any of things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He was only 33 when the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends deserted him. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two common thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying—and that was his coat. When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed tomb through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is still the central figure of the human race. It is far within the mark to say that all the armies ever marshalled, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, put together, have not affected life upon the earth as dramatically as has that one solitary life—Jesus.”

The song writer says, “He washed my eyes with tears that I might see.” May our eyes, too, be washed with tears as we see Jesus—in the cradle, on the cross, and with His crown.

Jesus in the cradle. See His name, announced by the prophets: “Wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God; the everlasting Father; the prince of peace.” (Isa. 9:6). And, announced to Joseph by an angel before His birth: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)

See His names throughout God’s Word: “The Alpha and Omega; the Author and Finisher of our faith; the Bishop of our souls; the Bread of life; the Captain of our salvation; the Chief Shepherd; the Chief cornerstone; the Chief among 10,000; the Christ, the Counsellor, the Desire of all nations; the Diadem, the Door, the Everlasting Father, the Faithful witness; the First begotten; the Friend of sinners; God with us; the Great High Priest; the Great Shepherd; the Head of all things; the Heir of all things; the I AM; Immanuel, the King eternal; the King of glory; the King of kings; the Lamb of God, the Life; the Light, the Lilly of the Valley; the Lion out of the tribe of Judah; the Man of Sorrows; the Messiah; the Passover; the Great Physician; the Prince of Peace; the Prophet; the Propitiation; the Redeemer; the Resurrection; the Rock; the Rose of Sharon; the Savior of the world; the Shepherd of souls; the Son of God and the Son of man; the Star out of Jacob; the Stone; the Son of Righteousness; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; Wonderful, and the Word!”

See His divine nature: He is God and could not sin; He is man and would not (and could not) sin; He is the God-man: “Remaining what He ever was (God) and becoming what He never had been (man)—ever to remain: the God-Man.” “Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh….” (I Tim. 3:15)

Jesus on the Cross. His suffering: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities…oppressed and afflicted…brought as a lamb to the slaughter. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels; my strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; thou hast brought me to the jaws of death; I may tell all my bones.” (Isa. 53; Psalm 22) “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2) “Who is the Savior of all men, specially of them that believe.” (I Tim. 4:10)

Jesus with a Crown. He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, exalted by the Father with a name that is above every name, at which every knee should bow…and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Hebs. 12:2; Phil. 2:9-11)

He will “come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, and then He shall sit on the throne of His glory.” (Matt. 25:31) He will wear many crowns: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse: and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.” (Rev. 19:11,12)

“Jesus shall reign where e’re the sun, doth its successive journeys run.” (Watts) “Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.” (Bridges and Thring)

So, yes, we would still see Jesus today—like the Greeks, who came to the feast to worship and said to Philip, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” (John 12:21) Have you, reader, seen Him yet? Have you seen Him as the Son of Man who came to seek and to save that which was lost? (Luke 19:10) Have you seen Him as the Savior of the world, whose substitutionary death on the cross was for the purpose of bearing the penalty and payment for the sins of all mankind, thus satisfying the demands of the law? Have you seen Him as the coming King, crowned with glory and honor, ruling and reigning forever and forever, inviting you to be a part of His kingdom? “Look to the Lamb of God, look to the Lamb of God. For He alone is able to save you, look to the Lamb of God!” (H.G. Jackson)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

The Power of 1

“By the grace of God, I am what I am,” the Apostle Paul, church planting evangelist par excellence, said of himself humbly in I Cor. 15:10—just after confessing that he was least of all the apostles and not worthy to be called an apostle. Yet he was what he was!

And, so are you! You have never been called or commanded to do the work of any other person. You are your unique self, one person, and you are only able to do exactly what your Creator has planned for you to do today, one day at a time.

And, today is Election Day here in the USA. The polls are open; hopefully you are registered to vote. You have approximately until sundown, depending upon which state you live in, to get to a designated voting place and cast your ballot for the candidate of your choice.

The two major political parties, with their candidates, have made their cases to the American people. Every office is important. You no doubt have heard it said that “all politics are local politics.” At the grassroots level, debates, deliberations, and discussions have occurred that have shaped the direction of the party platform that will eventually impact the direction and destiny of a nation. There is no inconsequential vote to be cast, no unimportant office to fill, and no candidate for any office that should be considered with indifference. Today is an historic day in our nation’s history.

Today, America stands at a crossroads: We will choose our leaders, lawmakers, and executives for another two, four, or six years. Each vote is hugely critical. Each person who casts a ballot or pulls a lever will vote for life or death, morality or immorality, truth or tyranny, socialism or capitalism, freedom or oppression.

Yes, the contrast could not be more pronounced. Long shadows are being cast over our nation’s horizon by little people. Churches are harassed by petty bureaucrats. Laws, customs, mores, history books, and monuments are being turned upside down to accommodate the “woke” world. People who are dedicated to keeping neighborhoods, streets, malls, and public squares safe places to congregate are dodging bricks, vile epithets, and lawless mobs—while the peace-keeping thin blue line of law enforcement is abjectly abandoned by city councils gone crazy. It’s not the America most of us have known; it’s not the America most of us want to know. You, friend, must vote.

Yes, you are only one, but you are one. One vote can turn—and has turned—the course of history. The Middleton, Massachusetts, homepage cites some elections won or lost by the narrowest of margins: In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected President by one vote in the House of Representatives after a tie in the Electoral College; in 1824, Andrew Jackson won the presidential popular vote but lost to John Quincy Adams after an Electoral College deadlock; in 1845 the U.S. Senate passed the convention to annex Texas by just two votes. More recently, in 2000, the Presidential election was decided by just 537 votes, with millions of voters having voted. So, yes, one vote—your vote—is very important.

Do not let the huge early voting numbers discourage you from doing your civic duty: Get out and vote today. You will not regret doing it. But you most certainly may regret not doing it. See you at the polls!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

(This “You and God” post is a reprint of the article of the same title published on Nov. 3, 2020.)

“Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17