Devotions

Just a few decades ago, if a national leader was caught in any kind of scandal he resigned immediately. But today there is little shame attached to these acts. I think of the Lord’s words to Jeremiah: “Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 8:12, ESV).

As Christians we know our hope doesn’t rest in this world. Whenever we have put our hopes in a leader or institution, we have been disappointed. Yet, the open sin that has built up over the last twenty years has become an outrage. And as God told Jeremiah, He will not remain silent.

In just a few years’ time homosexuality has become normalized when the Bible clearly teaches against it. As Christians we love homosexuals and anyone else dealing with a sexual sin. Yet, no matter how you look at it, same-gender sexual practice can’t be reconciled with Scripture. (Some churches say it can be, but by trying to make it happen they profoundly compromise God’s authority.)

As we follow Jesus’ example to sacrificially love all people, including homosexuals, we’re labeled haters and bigots. But there is no hate speech in the Bible — only uncomfortable speech about sin. Right now society is basically commanding us to extract the passages that speak of homosexuality as sinful. My heart breaks over this, because homosexuals are being sold a lie. It doesn’t matter who we are; if we do not turn from sin, our relationship with God derails horribly.

“The people stayed in the tent of meeting. They murmured against Moses and Aaron and they were even blaming each other, saying, ‘It’s your fault.’ The plague had begun and multitudes were dying. Aaron took the flame from God’s altar and ran into the midst of the people. As he stood there, between the living and the dead, on behalf of the people, the plague stopped” (see Numbers 16:41-48).

We see in this passage a powerful and important image of so much of the modern-day Church—of ourselves—perpetually looking to stay inside, in “the tent of meeting,” locked in a mentality of “our needs are so great and the people outside, the heathen, the ‘unsaved’ are so evil.”

EGOCENTRIC CHRISTIANS

The egocentric congregation stays inside, with no time, energy or passion to take outside because of the battles waging within the four walls of the church. Religious ritual has a foot on the throat of any redemptive initiative and the church is dying. Platitudes have replaced passion. Rationalism has choked revelation. There is a religious hierarchy but no real heroes.

The disciples were on the Mount of Transfiguration standing in the presence of Jesus. The glory of God surrounded them amidst breathtaking prophetic revelation. Peter announced triumphantly what sadly became the rally cry, the anthem, for hundreds of thousands of modern believers, “It is good for us to be here. Let us build three tabernacles to dwell in and stay here.”

BE A HERO FOR GOD

The people wanted to stay in “the place of meeting” and Peter wanted to dwell on the Mount of Transfiguration. However at the foot of the mountain, there is a tormented, captive man, hopeless and abandoned by all, who needs a hero to come down from the mountain to bring him deliverance.

Claude Houde is the lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.

We know that through the centuries those who have trusted in Jesus have suffered much. Since the time of the cross they have been martyred, some viciously. Some New Testament believers lost their houses and lands and lived in caves.

Beloved, no true preacher of God’s Word will ever promise that you won’t suffer, that you won’t lose property, that your lifestyle will be protected. But there is a “great cloud of witnesses” in heaven who would say to all of us who love Jesus:

“It is true that in Christ we were safe — eternally safe. His grace was sufficient for every crisis. Yes, there were seasons of pain, suffering and hard times. But no trial can ever take you out of Christ, the Ark of safety.”

I want you to hold on to this wonderful promise from 1 Peter 1:3–9:

“According to his abundant mercy [He] hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”

If I am to live by my faith, I must do as Noah did and build an ark to ride out the storm.

“By faith Noah . . . moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Hebrews 11:7).

The ark that Noah built represents Jesus Christ — and there is no other safe place on earth.

When Isaiah prophesied of a king coming to reign in righteousness, he was clearly describing Christ:

“A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2).

All over the world people are desperately searching for a safe place to hide their money. Multitudes are buying guns to protect their families during what they believe will be a dark time of “every man for himself.” These include Bible-believing Christians.

Yet there is no place of guaranteed safety on earth, except to abide in Jesus. I don’t state this as some empty theology that Christians often say thoughtlessly. For over two thousand years, those who have trusted in Jesus for safety have proven God’s Word faithful.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust” (Psalm 18:2).

Right now, I believe the Church needs a refresher course on God’s majesty and power, much like Job was given. The Lord said to Job, in essence:

“What is all this dark, hopeless talk I hear from you? Stand up and listen to Me. I laid the foundation of the earth; I made the light and the darkness; I created the rain, snow, ice and wind; I gave wings to birds and I feed the beasts of the field. I control all of nature.

“Tell me, Job, who can thunder with a voice like Mine? Who can look into every man’s heart and see its condition? Who is able to identify the arrogant, locate them, and then bring them low?” (see Job 38).

Beloved, the same God who knows the name and address of every proud person also knows your name, your address, your condition. And He will keep you in His heart all of your days, through every calamity. To accept this is to live by faith.

If I live by faith, I will not fear for the future of God’s people or the Church in calamitous times.

“Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

This pledge from Jesus has emboldened the faith of generations. And it is meant to sustain us now in our present global calamity.