Monday, November 22, 2010

PRIDE + TIME = JUDGEMENT

"Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, 'Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar answered and said, 'My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw... it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.' " - Daniel 4:19, 20, 22

Pride plus time equals judgment. Always. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). You cannot change that law. Pride is the attitude of heart which exalts itself above others and above God.
That's the application of Daniel's words to King Nebuchadnezzar, "The tree you saw... it is you, O king." You're the tree about to get chopped down. Daniel goes on to basically tell him, "You're gonna go insane. You're gonna lose your mind and act like an animal, sir." Those who study these things believe that Nebuchadnezzar actually developed a form of mental illness where he believed himself to be an ox. And it was a judgment from God.
Daniel 4:27 records Daniel's counsel. He says, "Dude, if I was you, I'd humble myself before God right now! Maybe God will give you a little bit more time before you lose your mind and start living like an animal." The next verse tells us a year later the dream came due. Nebuchadnezzar didn't do anything with the warning! And twelve months later he’s walking in the palace, talking pride-fully to himself (see v.30–31). "While the word was in the king’s mouth" (v.31). How sudden is that? One moment boasting; the next, out of his mind. A voice breaks into the palace declaring all the details of the dream are now a done deal.
Fast-forward seven years. We can laugh about this crazy picture of the king turned ox, but this guy is one of the greatest leaders known in human history. He eventually gets his kingdom back. Verses 34–37 record the king's personal, humbled testimony. The climax comes in v.37: "And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." God is able to (and will) humble those who walk in pride. Every person needs to hear this, "God is able to humble those who walk in pride." It's not a problem for Him. He's not stretched in any way.

Why is this crucial? Because as long as we walk in pride, we can't walk with God. We are never commanded to be humble. We're commanded to humble ourselves - the lesson all of us, even a king, need to learn. And we will; one way or another. --- James MacDonald

Monday, November 15, 2010

But the Lord's portion is His people - Deut 32:9

How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company unto eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained election.

They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and paid for them to the utmost farthing, hence about his title there can be no dispute. Not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord’s portion has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on his estate; no suits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court, and the Church is the Lord’s freehold forever. See the blood-mark upon all the chosen, invisible to human eye, but known to Christ, for “the Lord knoweth them that are his”; he forgetteth none of those whom he has redeemed from among men; he counts the sheep for whom he laid down his life, and remembers well the Church for which he gave himself.

They are also his by conquest. What a battle he had in us before we would be won! How long he laid siege to our hearts! How often he sent us terms of capitulation! but we barred our gates, and fenced our walls against him. Do we not remember that glorious hour when he carried our hearts by storm? When he placed his cross against the wall, and scaled our ramparts, planting on our strongholds the blood-red flag of his omnipotent mercy? Yes, we are, indeed, the conquered captives of his omnipotent love. Thus chosen, purchased, and subdued, the rights of our divine possessor are inalienable: we rejoice that we never can be our own; and we desire, day by day, to do his will, and to show forth his glory.

--from Charles Spurgeon's Morning by Morning.