Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (Exodus 14:2-3)

Morning Thoughts,

Exodus 14:2-3, "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in."

This morning, man still thinks more highly of himself than he ought to think, particularly when so many things happen that he cannot control or govern. Have you ever stopped to ponder just how many things happen on a daily basis and thought of the ratio of things we have some control over to those we have no control over? Just for starters, being time and location bound creatures, we cannot control much if anything that happens in other geographical locations. I have no sway or control over anything in other countries or locales. Yet, even in my local vicinity, so many things happen daily that I cannot control, and I must admit that my limitations are great. So, when great things happen in this world, how foolish would it be for me – a small, limited man – to claim credit for the wondrous thing! Further still, looking at the things I have some control over and my historical record for making large messes in my life, again how foolish would it be for me to claim credit when wondrous things happen in those areas as well.

In our study verses above, we are on the cusp of one of God's great deliverances of the children of Israel. He has just brought them out of Egypt with a high hand. After suffering the ten plagues from the Lord – ending with the death of the firstborn in Egypt – Pharaoh finally relents to let the people go out from Egypt. Yet, the Lord is not through with His work on this wicked ruler. (Romans 9:17) Though the Lord could have directed His people in any direction He was pleased to purpose, He chose one of the most puzzling routes, when looking at it from natural man's perspective.

From the outset, we freely admit that the overarching spiritual application of this passage is a correlation to regeneration. The parallels are too numerous to ignore. All the children of Israel came out of the dark land of Egypt: all of God's children came out of sin, death, and depravity. They came out with a high and victorious hand, spoiling their enemies as they left: God's children come with the righteousness of Jesus Christ being partakers of His spoils over His enemies. Every man, woman, and child went into the banks of the Red Sea dry shod, crossing to the other side: all of God's children land on the other shore by the power of God, fully there by His grace and mercy. Again, the parallels are endless, but let us broaden our thoughts on the study verses to take into account not only the primary application of regeneration or free grace, but also the Lord's providential direction and protection as He did for His children on this occasion.

Looking at the route that God sent His nation in, there seems no path of escape, naturally speaking. With a sea in front of them, mountains on either side of them, and Egypt behind them, surely Pharaoh's thinking has natural merit and validity. The wilderness has shut them in, and they were not even smart enough to take a path that would not entangle them with the land's natural traits. Verse 4 tells us that the Lord specifically shows His power in this decision and will be honoured upon Pharaoh and His host for this action. In other words, God is again doing things according to His good purpose – not some random and haphazard decision – and the end of the day will be marked by an overwhelming manifestation of the power of God and His work of deliverance.

Consider the primary application of this lesson firstly. If regeneration did require a cooperative effort between man and God or even worse a sole effort of man to affect it, who would be honoured? The man would either share or have the glory and honour that rightfully belongs to God. Just as man was the last of God's natural creation (thereby removing any ability man could have to claim creative power over anything), so also man is the last when it comes to his spiritual creation in Christ. He knows nothing of God's eternal purpose beforehand, did not assist Christ in His work of redemption, does not seek the direction or counsel of God one moment before He is created alive in Christ, nor does He yearn for God in the slightest inkling of his being. (Psalm 10:4, Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1, Isaiah 1:6, Romans 3:10-18)

Therefore, when regeneration comes to the man, no credit can rightfully be claimed as there was nothing of man's power to affect this change. The children of Israel find themselves "hemmed in" as it were with no observable way of escape. Yet, the way of escape not seen before it arrives proves 100% successful for them and 100% unsuccessful for their enemies. So, also our deliverance from sin, death, hell, and the grave is 100% successful in the person of our Saviour, while He, by the same token, vanquished sin, death, hell, and the grave forever and ever. Do we have the power to control death, hell, sin, or the grave? Short of God's power, we would have been "hemmed in" forever. Short of God's power here, they would have been hemmed in to die at the hands of their enemies.

Moving into the field of providential protection, consider the analogy we started with: just how little we are able to control on a day to day or moment to moment basis. Should there be any doubt that when majestic and marvellous things happen where the source of that thing is? There should not be, though oftentimes man tries to ignore the facts. For the minister, have you ever been carried up and away to a place indescribable? For the hearers, have you ever been carried up and away with the minister when that display and demonstration happens during his discourse? (I Corinthians 2:4) Hopefully, we can answer yes, but what do we make of those times? When such an event happens to the minister (would to God it happened every time though it sadly does not), he many times sits down thinking, "What just happened here?" Oftentimes, I have witnessed while in the congregation a series of muffled "Wows" when the demonstration of the Holy Spirit concluded at the end of the message. Both the speaker and the hearers understood that naturally speaking, nothing that great should have happened.

When surveying the scene of our natural lives, how many times should you have died in your life? The number of times is too numerous for me to count up each occurrence (or perhaps remember them all). Yet, looking back at some of them, I was hemmed up completely with no conceivable way of escape or deliverance. Still, here I am today: alive and walking this earth. Nothing short of the power of God and His providential protection can possibly suffice to explain how our lives continue to this very hour. The wilderness of life does entangle us, and the land seems to constantly shut us in, but the Lord has led us thus far and will continue to lead us on to our bright and heavenly home.

One last thought of providential care and protection is the thought that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ continues to this day. Looking at the bloody pages of church history, there is no naturally conceivable reason that she should still be here, yet she abides on this earth still. Who can study the history of the church without exclaiming a series of "Wows" about the Lord's remarkable providence to provide the way of escape for His faithful, little flock here in this earth? (I Corinthians 10:13) Sometimes the dear and faithful saints suffered the loss of life for following the cause, and sometimes the Lord directed and moved them elsewhere. Yet, she is still alive in this earth today.

Friends, our enemies seek the advantage over us at every turn in the road. Solomon cried that some of our enemies – such as sin and death – are never satisfied to have enough. (Proverbs 30:15-17) Can any doubt the persistence of these two enemies even today? We see them all around us. The enemies of the cross of Christ seek to serve their own bellies and devour the flock of God's heritage, and the enemies of the gospel seek to overthrow the faith of some. (Romans 16:18, II Timothy 2:16-18) In all of these things, we find ourselves "hemmed in" from time to time. Sin, death, hell, and the grave had us hemmed in but for the grace of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. The enemies of the Lord's church seem to hem in God's people, yet the Lord's gracious providence keeps her to this hour.

May our course be to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. May we move at the command to move, and may our eyes ever be attuned to see the way of escape and deliverance that He graciously puts in our paths. Even if death be our course, that provides escape into the blissful shining portals above. Since death and hell cannot hold us, the experience of death should not frighten us. Since the Lord promised to be with and never leave us nor forsake us, we should not be affrighted when our enemies encircle us with the land entangling us. Who doth know how the Lord will deliver us in that trial? However He is pleased to do so, rest assured, the way will be honouring to Him upon the heads of His enemies. While I do not sometimes see it while in the midst of a trial, I remember what another minister told me when I was faced with a difficult ministerial situation: "Well, I am looking forward to watching this." When I asked why, he responded, "I just can't wait to see how the Lord delivers you and brings you through it."

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts-in the afternoon (Romans 10:10)

Morning Thoughts,

Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

This morning, many times man says "too much" for the position that he tries to take. Have you ever talked with someone and caught several contradictions within one conversation? Perhaps they made excuse for not doing something they should then later mentioned other reasons besides the excused version for their shortcomings? Indeed, man's natural reasoning alone is not sufficient to enlighten him to spiritual things. (I Corinthians 2:14) But, sometimes natural reasoning alone will nullify positions that men take about God and His work of salvation. What God does is logical and sensible. Therefore, while logic will not discover God's teachings by way of revelation, logic will corroborate what God's enlightenment reveals unto us.

Consider the popular, oft-travelled "Roman Road to Salvation." These days, any religious discussion seems to arrive at one of two places – or both. People will eventually pull out John 3:16 or hit the "saved" passages from the book of Romans. However, the speakers do not exhibit any working knowledge of the context of the passages. We say not these things to poke fun at them nor to berate them, for Paul himself dearly prayed for people like them that they be saved to the knowledge of the truth. (Romans 10:1) These people do not, most of the time, realize just what their belief system imposes on a verse or passage. Romans 10:9-10, 13 are often used to promote the idea that one must believe and specifically confess or call upon the Lord to go to heaven.

Before looking at the high and supreme importance of believing and confessing the Lord Jesus Christ, let us examine just "how much" our study verse teaches should it really and truly teach that man must call upon the name of the Lord to get to heaven. Notice that Paul attributes two characteristics to two different actions. Belief yields righteousness, while confession yields salvation. To the common application, confession is necessary to get to heaven (i.e. be saved). Yet, is it possible to have belief without confession or vice versa?

John 12:42 tells us about some chief rulers that believed but did not confess. The text clearly indicates that they were believers in Jesus but out of fear of being cast from their naturally lofty position were unwilling to confess Him. Taking these particular people (of which I believe many today also fit into this category), what is their plight based on the most common application of Romans 10:10? Well, if they are believers, then they are righteous, but if they are not confessors, then they are not saved. The most logical connection to make for these people based on such an application is that righteous believers are going to hell for lacking the salvation that confession brings! Would any dare say that a believer with a righteous soul gets cast into hell? The text says too much for it to apply to eternal consequences.

Yet, knowing that such cannot be the application what is the connection and distinction to make between belief and confession? Paul specifically attributes two different things to the two actions. Belief in the Lord and His work does indeed yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. While the belief is not what "makes" someone righteous before God, it does bring out sweetness from the nectar of righteousness that we already possess. Belief confirms to the child of God that they are indeed unspotted before the God of heaven. Consider the position of the believer contrasted against those that Paul prayed for in the opening verses. Since they were not believers in the finished work of Christ and were going about to establish their own righteousness, true contentment could never be enjoyed by them in this world.

Have you ever talked with someone that leaned on their own righteousness, good works, efforts, labours, and victory to save themselves for heaven or others as well? Their life cannot be in rest for they have not the peace that passes all understanding in feeling themselves righteous before God. Belief in what Christ has done confirms to our minds that we do stand just before God. Belief that He is who He says He is, did do what He said He would do, and has sat down just as He said He would yields an aroma of goodness (righteousness) that nothing else can down within our soul. Confirmation of what has been done arrives on the gallant steed of peace.

Yet, if that is the feeling of the soul, what is the purpose of confession? Consider those chief rulers in John 12 for a minute. They verily believed in Christ and what He was doing. By not confessing Him as they should, they lived in fear of losing something that their natural flesh enjoyed: prominence. If we fall prey and victim to the same lifestyle, we may have the peaceable fruit of righteousness bringing comfort to the soul, but the enjoyment is hampered by still having fear of loss in this world. The believer who confesses Jesus as His Lord is not doing so to ensure that He gets to heaven, but his confession says, "Since Jesus has given His all for me, I desire to give my all for Him. No matter what man may say or do, I am going with Jesus all the way."

The end result of such an attitude is salvation: salvation from fear. By confessing Jesus, we fear no reprisals for that action. By confessing Him and professing Him as our Saviour, we show forth no shame at all for naming Him and desiring to follow Him. By submitting ourselves to water baptism, we say that we desire to be identified with Him and His people, no matter how afflicted the road may get. (Hebrews 11:25) By walking in sweet communion with His saints, we show forth a lifestyle that says, "I may not have much of what this world can offer, but I am rich in Christ Jesus my Lord." Truly, there is a deliverance in such behaviour that cannot be had otherwise.

Therefore, let us not ever be found berating those of other beliefs, but ever prayerful to God for them that they might know those things that we know. Do you find relief when you freely say, "I follow the Lamb of God" to those that ask? Does that sweet river of peace flood your soul every time you think of Him and His finished work? Does that story of Christ and His free grace still seem as fresh and vibrant as the first day you received it? The answer to these questions should be yes, yes, and yes. So, may we walk in such a way that shows the peace, relief, and deliverance that we feel, earnestly desiring that our fellow pilgrims that hunger and thirst after righteousness would feel these same things as well.

In Hope,

Bro Philip