2 Ch 15:15 “… they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.”

Many of us…yes even those who claim the mantle of faith, are “restless” today. We are unsettled and jittery. We have the attitude, “If I could do this, then I would find rest. If I could get this, then I’d have rest. If I could just manage this level, then I’ll be rested.” Yet we never get there, and we never know what it really means to be at rest in Christ.

Hebrews 4:7 says, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice’…” It doesn’t say “If you will do this thing or that thing.” It’s clear that He actually wants us to hear His voice! Israel saw the hand of God for 40 years in that wilderness, but they never came to a point where they actually knew God. They just kept looking …kept wandering. They “always went astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways. So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”Ironically, that peace was, for 40 years, literally within their reach, and yet they never laid hold of it. It was right before them the whole time and yet they died out there, just as so many of us will.

Coming out of Egypt’s slavery, the people moved forward just far enough to come right up to the Promised Land, that place of promise. God said, “I’ve got this land of milk and honey. I’ve got this land of wealth, this land of rest, this land of safety, and I want to give it to you.” The people got right up to the river’s edge…they could literally see it from where they stood, but because of fear, because they didn’t really believe God despite all He had already done, they respond with, “Oh, I don’t think so….there is giants and battles over there. I think I will stay here where it’s ‘safe.’”  They were so close, but still missed it by a mile…

And so God answered, “Ok, …alright… fine. No rest then. Wander.” Yet even after His people rejected His invitation into the rest…after they choose rather to wander around the desert year after year, God, on some level, still blessed them. The scriptures say that He led them through the wilderness by a cloud during the day to shade them and by His fire at night to show them the way.  He provided food to eat every day and gave them shoes that never wore out.

But year after year, the offer remained: “Come to my house. Know that peace that I created you for.” And yet, as they wandered—by the hand of their own doing, remember—they actually had the incredible audacity to start complaining! They grew bitter and angry, and pretty soon, they were all up in Moses’ face and each other’s too. Sound familiar? It ought to. It’s happened here in front of you enough times that this should be a familiar story. And what happened to them? What happened to those that we have witnessed on that road? The same thing that happened to the Israelites. They died out there. They lived their lives and died out there in the wilderness.

Oh yes…God loved them! But they never really knew Him! They ate that same bland manna every day and grumbled about it, even though God didn’t want them eating manna any more than they wanted to eat it. But that was the result of the decisions they had made and were still making! He wanted them to have big chocolate chip cookies and pudding at His house, but no, they wanted to wander around in the wilderness instead and then grumble about it! 

“Today, if you hear His voice…” Do you? Are you even in a place to hear Him today? He’s trying to talk to you, but where are you? Angry? Bitter? Harboring ill feelings toward Him? How many of us are in the wilderness and yet still want to insinuate that it is somehow His fault or the fault of other believers that we are there. Yet those individuals made it a second career to try to wave you off and coax you over to God’s house for pie and coffee, or in this case, “milk and honey,” but you wouldn’t go. CS Lewis once commented “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

God is still calling you, even if you are like so many out there in the wilderness today. You can turn around and come home. Turn around and find that peace, that rest for your soul that God wants to give you. Go back to that place where you told God “no” and ask for another chance. Step across the river and find rest for your soul. Ps 116:7-9 “Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me… He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!”

“The life of a Christian consists very much in our love to Christ. Without love to Christ, we are as much without spiritual life as a carcass when the soul is fled from it is without natural life.” – Thomas Vincent (1634-1678)

Thomas Vincent ministered at the time of the London Plague, the last major outbreak of the Bubonic plague in England. Seven from his household died as a result of the plague. This article is based on excerpts from his final work, “The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ”. It is intended as an encouragement to keep our eyes on what matters, despite present circumstances.

Conviction of Sin

While surrounded by sickness, Vincent declared the greatest illness to be sin, preventing us from loving Christ. He said, “If you would attain true love unto Jesus Christ, you must get conviction of sin… The prevailing love and liking of sin is inconsistent with true love unto Jesus Christ… While your hearts go after your covetousness, or your voluptuousness, or are set upon any other wickedness, your hearts cannot be set upon Christ. Before you can love Christ, your hearts must be taken off from sin.”

He continued, “Look upon sin as the most mischievous thing in the world. If there be any evil in any temporal calamities; if there be any evil in future miseries, in the extremity and eternity of hell’s plagues and punishments, be persuaded that there is far more evil in sin, which is the cause of all.”

What is the most mischievous thing to us? Do we find fault in the present circumstances… or in other persons? Or is the greatest mischief within our own hearts, keeping us from loving Christ?

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15

Christ’s True Love

The greatest need in Vincent’s time was not for medicine, but for love… He said, “Christ loves you with the truest love. There is little true love in the world; you have many that truly hate you, and there is much dissimulation in the pretend love and affection of some; all that flatter you do not truly love you… But love in deed and truth… where there is the greatest need, that is rarely to be found.“

He continued, “None do or can love you with such a true love as Jesus Christ. There is no flattery or dissimulation in His love. His love is not the least counterfeit. It is not the least selfish and for His own ends. He does not love you to receive good from you, but that He might do good unto you.”

Where do we look to have our greatest needs met? To the world? To other Christians? Or to Christ’s love?

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
John 15:9

Our Duty to Love

Despite personal tragedy, Vincent reasoned, “It is your duty to love Christ. If it be your duty to have natural affection unto parents and children, it is much more your duty to have spiritual affections unto Christ. If it be your duty to have conjugal affection unto your earthly husband and wife… if it be your duty to love brethren, sisters, and kindred that love you, it is a greater duty to love Christ, who loves you above all relations… who is your best friend.”

He continued, “Christ has the most right to your love, and will you not give to Christ His due? If you are bound to give men their due, are you not much more bound to give unto Christ His due?”

In times of difficulty, who has the right to our love? Does the world? Does another person? Or does Christ?

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”
Matthew 22:37-38

The Christian Life

Perhaps our Christian life consists of regular church participation, faithful Christian service, healthy Christian fellowship, daily bible reading, prayer, and moral uprightness…

But is there any true love unto Christ? Is our greatest conviction our own sin? Is our greatest need Christ’s love? And is our greatest duty found in loving Christ?

Vincent said, “Faith without love to Christ is a dead faith, and a Christian without love to Christ is a dead Christian.”

Let it not be said of us. May we be known, above all else, by our love to Christ.

A-ha!

A few years back, I got an idea… I vowed, whatever next potluck holiday gathering I’m invited to (whether family, friends, or otherwise) I was going to resurrect one of those bizarre 1950’s unflavored gelatin salad recipes and bring that as my contribution. A notorious one is the classic liver-sausage shaped like a pineapple. The recipe calls for 1 pound liver sausage, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, Sliced stuffed olives, and a Pineapple top.

…I didn’t do it, guys! Don’t worry. (…but consider yourself warned)

It’s hard to imagine that at some point in history, Americans used an ungodly amount of unflavored gelatin, mayo, fish, veggies, fruit, and liver sausage in one dish, but they did. To be honest, gross food aside, the 1950s is one of my favorite periods in American history… mostly because of the music and cars.

Hmmm…

All of this got me to thinking about the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19. We are talking about a feast hosted by the Savior and attended by all believers of all time. It made me wonder if we’re very good at the idea of celebrating. I looked online for a suitable artist depiction but, let me tell you, they all seem odd. Some show everyone dressed like we’re from first-century Nazareth. Really? Others depict some sort of mid-1800’s formal English dinner with fine China with brass chafing dishes. No thanks. Maybe it’ll be like a 21st century Wisconsin potluck? All I can say is, I hope not. Spoiler alert, it will be way beyond our imagination and we won’t be concerned with the look and feel, but the Host!

Huh?

“So, what are you doing for the holidays?” That’s a big question this year with all the restrictions. Isn’t it funny how many of our families seem to be tossing out all pandemic concerns for the sake of the holidays? Especially now with the highest numbers recorded since March. “What?! We can’t skip Thanksgiving or Christmas! That’s just wrong!” Unfortunately, we cannot be together like in past years, but maybe it will make us appreciate it more.

Celebrating is good for us. God instilled a practice of celebration in the Israelites. It wasn’t “parties for the sake of parties” as we see in college house-parties. God provided times for people to pause their lives and celebrate His goodness. Weddings, seasonal feasts, etc. all helped Israel remember, reflect, and realize the goodness of God. Even psychologists agree that celebrating improves a person’s wellbeing. And doing so together with others helps us feel we’re connected. But with this pandemic, how can we do this?

First of all, ask yourself, is it the worst thing for us to skip the old holiday routine? It’s just for one year, guys. We’re such creatures of routine. Second, maybe you should get to the bottom of why you do the holidays as you do. Maybe you’re sincere… or maybe you do what you do because “my family would be pissed if I didn’t”. Third, how about applying some creativity? Are you single with one or more roommates, why not make this year a special year with your housemates? Are you married or have a family, maybe it’s time you all stay at home and make it a special celebration just with those of your household …and, in the spirit of the scriptures, make it a time of reflection on the goodness of God. And I mean celebrate! Do something out of the normal… special.

Ohhhh!

As we celebrate whatever way this year, we should reflect on the coming celebration-of-all-celebrations, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Try and imagine what you think it will be like. Let your imagination run for a bit. I picture a 1950s backyard cookout.

Revelation 19:6-9 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure’—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

1980’s

When I was in high school, most cars and home stereos came equipped with a cassette player. The varied level of equipment-quality presented a level of risk. An investment of $10 in the latest album from your favorite band could be reduced to garbage if you put that tape in the wrong player. Back then it was known as “eating tapes”. You didn’t want to put cassettes in players that might eat tapes. It was not uncommon to find a cassette along the road with its entrails stretched into the weeds of the ditch. Everyone knew what happened to that tape when they saw it.

1990’s

Fast forward to the mid-’90s and attending church at JFB in Menomonie. Back then it was called Calvary Chapel. In those days there was a designated room with racks all around the walls containing sermon tape sets to teach you through whole books of the Bible. Periodically there would be at least one or more people in the church who would check out book after book after book. That person was “eating tapes” like they were going out of style. We would eat Chuck Tapes and Courson Tapes and Damien Tapes. It was not uncommon to shoot the breeze with others who were eating their way through a book of the Bible on tape. They would discuss the things they were learning… along with the funny things the pastors would say… like:

“Immanuel Velikovsky, in his book Worlds in Upheaval, said…”
“…people say Christianity is just a crutch… I don’t need a crutch! I need an ambulance! I need the Mayo Clinic!”
“…and I took him by the lapels and said, ‘If you ever look at my daughter again, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and kill you with my bare hands!'”
“…WHO! IS! YESHUA!?”
“O-ho-ho-ho-ho… The Pharisees were unfair, you see… and the Sadducees were sad, you see…”

2000’s

In the age of “information at your fingertips,” we seemed to have turned aside from the ability to feed ourselves. It’s very strange. I think about the work a man like Charles Spurgeon had to put into personal bible study. I am sure he had his own little library of commentaries and resources but he also had to physically get up and stroll down to the local university or library to continue his research. Funny enough, today “there’s an app for that”. Yet with thousands of resources (more than Spurgeon had) at our disposal via computers and phones, we do less research, less study… Is anyone hungry?

Now Serving 24/7

If you make your way to the SERMONS link in the menu above, you will find a link in the drop-down menu called SERMON ARCHIVES. When you click there, you will be taken to a page that offers 2 blue buttons. One takes you to JFBelievers teaching archives and the other takes you to sermons by other teachers. In this link, you will find we have reorganized the files inside to wrangle together all of the verse-by-verse teachings in one place, sorted by the name of the teacher.

This folder requires a username and password to enter. If you want access, just send us an email: office@jfbelievers.com and we will give you access.

It’s time to eat!