Humility

In the crucible of humiliation by the hand of God our pain is proportionate to our pride.

J.A. Matteson

Fully Persuaded

J.A. Matteson

"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." 1 John 5:11

Are you fully persuaded of the joyful anticipation and implication of eternal life?  Is eternity something you daily ponder in light of your present difficulties?  Do you fret and strain during the course of the passing years and sigh at the changing reflection in the mirror?  How often do you catch yourself calculating your estimated time left this side of the grave with a foreboding sense of melancholy?   Answering yes to these questions indicates you are walking in the flesh rather than by faith.  And walking in the flesh will never deliver the joy and peace you seek.  The child of God is eternal life in nature by the promise and power of God.  Once that reality is grasped in its magnificence it changes everything.  It alters how we view our stuff that God has made us managers of.  It transforms our relationships with believers and non-believers.  It radically impacts decisions affecting our calendar and checkbook.  And perhaps most notably it alters our thinking when enduring difficulty, of whatever variety it may be.  Stop counting your mortal years and projecting an estimated end to them.  Yes, God has appointed a final day for your present sin laden body to return to the ground from which it was taken, but you will continue for eternity, eternity!  In God's appointed time he will provide you with a glorified body that will never age, become ill, or in any way suffer imperfection.  And in that perfect glorified state you will forever be with the Lord Jesus Christ, who ransomed you from the power of sin and death, to be with him forever.  Eternal bliss and joy inexpressible is promised you.  Now, don't miss this most important fact, what God has promised you already possess; that is, eternal life is not waiting for you in the future, it is a present reality.  Listen to the promise, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).  You see, eternal life is not merely a state of being, it is foremost a relationship with Jesus Christ, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).  It was this truth as illuminated in the minds of the apostles by the Holy Spirit that infused them with a boldness that shocked the world, obliterated fear and recalibrated their perspective to an eternal plane from an earthly orientation.  This same joy is available to every child of God today when eternity is embraced in their daily experience.  The apostle Paul expresses this joy beautifully, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). 

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God endures forever."). Isaiah 40:8 

To Walk By Faith

J.A. Matteson

"...all the people were embittered...but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."  1 Samuel 30:6

Trouble will come.  It is appointed to every child of God to suffer, for a student is not above his master.  The Son of God suffered, but he entrusted himself to him who judges rightly.  And to what was his trust anchored upon?  Was it wishful thinking, fantasy or delusion?  God forbid!  Rather Jesus Christ endured all things "for the joy set before Him...." (Heb. 12:2); viz, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel" (Gen. 3:15).  Endurance in suffering finds its source in your identity, knowing who you are and who's you are.  When God speaks a promise to you he is not like a man that he should lie (Num. 23:19).  Jesus Christ knew who he was and who's he was.  There was no confusion in his thinking about his identity, his mission, or his destiny.  The Father had made specific promises to his Son and those promises, both of suffering and of glory, were guaranteed.  David knew who he was and who's he was.  He strengthened himself in knowing that the promises made to him by God would not fail.  Even in the midst of darkness and troubling circumstances he knew him who calls light out of darkness, life out of death.  Herein is the key to victorious Christian living: let the promises of God define reality, not circumstances.  That, beloved, is what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.  In the midst of his suffering, which was very real and not an illusion, David remembered God's promises to him, thereby like Abraham, reasoning that nothing is impossible for God (Heb. 11:17-19).  Make it your aim, therefore, to mark out all of God's many promises to his children preserved for them in his word.  Be well acquainted with them.  Meditate upon them, internalize them, let them interpret troubling circumstances in light of God's goodness and faithfulness.  By dong so you, like David, you will be strengthened within, enabled to endure all things with the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit.  Listen to the apostle Paul, who like David, rested upon the promises of God, "for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:11-13). 

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...for the word of our God stands forever.")  Isaiah 40:8

Wait Patiently

J.A. Matteson

"As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish."  1 Samuel 26:10

The sovereign LORD lives; nothing escapes his notice.  The secret things will be made known and that which is known will be revealed.  Retribution is in the hand of the LORD; vengeance is his prerogative.  Perpetual injustice provokes attitudes of revenge, recompense for ills suffered unjustly.  "O LORD, how long?" we cry, "Smite my enemy with the hand our your righteousness!"  The LORD sees, he is not deaf to the taunts of wicked men.  But what is the duty of his servant?  Let mercy and forbearance have their place, grace and lovingkindness their habitation.  For the natural man exacts vengeance by the hand of his adversary, his gratification is fleeting; but he who waits upon the LORD will be exalted.  The sovereign LORD lives, his appointed means and ends in dealing with wicked men is certain, righteous, and just, its timing is perfect.  Behold, the sovereign LORD lives, he intercedes to rescue his people.  Wait patiently, therefore, for the LORD to avenge your adversary, to meter out justice to the one who opposes you for Christ's sake.  Let the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be on your lips, and his loving kindness to all draped upon you as a garment.  Blessed be the one who receives you in his name; woe to the one who rejects you on account of his name. Let mercy and justice find their fulfillment and season in the mighty hand of the LORD who lives.

Copyright 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever."). Isaiah 40:8

When the Word of the LORD Directs You

J.A. Matteson

"I have obeyed the voice of the LORD.  I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me."  1 Samuel 15:20

Beware of reinterpreting the clear word of the LORD to better suit your fears, phobias, presumptions, and biases.  I AM does not suffer fools who pledge obedience to him, yet behave rebelliously.  The test of obedience to the LORD often comes through those near and dear to us who place human pragmatism ahead of obedience, presenting to us a reasonable alternative to revelation which can appear unreasonable.  Never allow yourself to elevate reason over revelation. When the LORD directs you, be aware of a juxtaposing providence to follow shortly thereafter, one that tests your obedience over human pragmatism.  Reason seems right, it feels honorable, yet it is sin if it's fruit is disobedience to revelation.  Servants of the LORD are called to walk by faith, not by sight.  Partial obedience is complete disobedience, and delayed obedience is immediate disobedience.  Whether the word of the LORD strikes you as reasonable or not, obey it completely and immediately.  For the ways and thoughts of the LORD are high, pure, correct, righteous.  The LORD is not seeking philosophers and intellectuals to accomplish his purposes, but obedient servants who do not second guess what he has spoken to them.  Such was the demise of Saul, a foolish man who lived an ego-centric life rather than a Christo-centric life. May the tragedy of his life serve as a warning to us to always chose obedience over external religious acts of service.

Copyright (c) 2016  Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever."). Isaiah 40:8  

The Heart of the LORD is Clear

J.A. Matteson

"And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years." Judges 13:1

The passions of unbridled sin by God's people guarantees a divine response of chastening.  Forty years is a long time to be vexed and oppressed by purveyors of wickedness.  Imagine those born in Israel during that time, distress is all they knew, it as a normal part of their life experience.  Then there were pious adults who had maintained their fidelity to the LORD while many of their brethren pursued other gods. Certainly their grief tormented them as they witnessed the chastening of the LORD upon the nation.  And it is not as though the Philistines were not previously in the land before judgment visited Israel.  They were there, but providentially subdued.  Failing to expel them from Canaan the Philistines remained as thorns in Israel's side.  It may be instructive at point to at least consider the possibility of divine judgment upon many nations today, including the United States, in response to the unbridled sin among the people who identify themselves as Christians.  For decades now sin has found a foothold within local congregations while church discipline wanes.  All manor of sin is accepted under the contemporary banner of "tolerance."  And so it should not be unexpected that increasingly the people of God find themselves oppressed and vexed by wicked and evil people in the land who lay no claim to Jesus Christ, being hostile to all that is Christian.  Apparently the people of God have a high pain tolerance because they have yet to repent of sin and return to the LORD who saves them.  It is a certainty that the chastening will continue, and intensity, until God's people cry out to him in humility and desperation.  Until that time oppressors of God's people will taunt, vex, harass, annoy, persecute, pursue, and malign them, flaunting wickedness and evil openly, calling evil good and good evil, viciously denigrating righteousness and biblical truth. At any moment God can end the distress of his people; indeed, he desires to end it. But he will not end their misery until they repent and call upon his name, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chr. 7:14).  The heart of the LORD is clear.  The question is, when will God's people turn to him in repentance for his deliverance?

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever.") Isaiah 40:8

To Grow in Mercy and Love

J.A. Matteson

"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.'" Luke 5:4

Peter was an able fisherman, skilled in the trade. An overlooked nuance of truth in his encounter with Christ this day was in the how of Jesus' invitation to join him in his messianic work, not simply the what of it. That Simon would engage in proclaiming the good news of salvation was fundamental and further empowerment and training would be forthcoming. Yet in the haul of fish in his net that day were likely a variety of fish species. Simon would later in a vision behold a variety of unclean animals set before him with the command of the Lord to take and eat. Protesting a violation of his strict kosher diet Simon hesitated, only to encounter a deeper truth about Christ and the gospel; viz., it is for all people, Jew and Gentile.  It is likely that in Simons net were many varieties of fish.  When Christ bids us to join him in his evangelistic work we must confront our own prejudice if we are to be of value to the Lord in his work.  To reveal your prejudices to you expect the Lord to repeatedly place you in settings where people unlike you reveal their hearts and anxieties. Take note in that moment how you instinctively respond to them in your heart. Anything less than a heart of love and compassion is not the heart of God towards them.  Who gets under your skin, irritating you? God wants to love them and extend his compassion to them through you.  Using Simons perspective they represent your Gentile, anathema to you.  Here is God's lesson: the gospel is for all people, Jew, Gentile, rich, poor, educated, illiterate, liberal, conservative, democrat, republican, libertarian, white, black, Latino, Muslim.  All of these types of people are fish in the net of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Take note, therefore, when you find yourself avoiding certain groups of people, esteeming them as unworthy of compassion and love, for that revelation is God inviting you to grow in mercy and love in order that you might more fully reflect his nature in the world to which he has called you to be salt and light.

Copyright (c) 2016 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever.") Isaiah 40:8