A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Monday,
June 14,
2021
Saturday we attended a huge car show sponsored
by a local church with reportedly 1000 vehicles on
display. Without a doubt this 1928 Ford Model AA Dump
Truck was the most unusual one. It's for sale, all
accessories included, if interested. Perhaps it's a
distant cousin to the Jed Clampett truck from "Beverly
Hillbillies", a cut-down 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46
Roadster.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
"The
Peril Of Clinging To Worthless Idols"
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"Those
who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s
love for them" (Jonah 2:8).
In April
we visited Cape Cod for several days intending to ride
our bikes although it ended up being a rainy, cold
weekend. However we made the best of it with some
sightseeing, including a trip to Wellfleet to visit
the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Wellfleet just made the news due to a
Bible-like experience a lobsterman had on Friday off
the coast of Cape Cod. Michael Packard was taken in by
a whale and was in the whale's mouth before getting
spit out. (See below for link to video and article.)He
detailed the incident in a Facebook post Friday
afternoon.
“Hi
everyone, I just want to clarify what happened to me
today. I was lobster diving and a humpback whale
tried to eat me. I was in his closed mouth for about
30 to 40 seconds before he rose to the surface and
spit me out. I am very bruised up but have no broken
bones.”
Can you
imagine the call he made to his wife on the way to the
hospital, "I just got swallowed by a whale". This most
unusual experience may very well bring about an
epiphany in his life story. I know already where your
mind is wandering off to, as you're already
considering the first story of a man swallowed by a
whale, though he spent a lot more time in the belly of
the whale as God was dealing with spiritual issues in
his life.
Jonah
was running from God's call and experienced a very
unique consequence in his famous whale encounter. But
he had an epiphany while in the whale and seemed to
come to his senses as revealed in his prayer (Jonah,
chapter two) which includes today's text. He makes a powerful theological point
concerning, "Those who cling to worthless idols".
What were the "worthless idols" Jonah was referring to in the daily text? Likely he meant the objects of worship that we normally associate with idolatry in the Bible. Bible commentator Albert Barne's considers worthless idols as, "All people's idols, idols of the flesh, idols of intellect, idols of ambition, idols of pride, idols of self and self-will. People 'observe' them, as gods, watch them, hang upon them, never lose sight of them, guard them as though they could keep them. But what are they? 'lying vanities,' breath and wind, which none can grasp or detain, vanishing like air into air."
However in light of the current political season here in America, regardless of party, candidate or ideological position, many place their hope in a person, program, or a cause to make things right. I sure see a tendency for many people to idolize a person. The first part of the verse is very descriptive, "Those who cling to worthless idols." There are many "worthless idols" we can cling to.
But today let us consider a worthless idol concerning those who grew up in church and in religious homes and yet have an inferior understanding of God's love and grace. They may be extra hard on themselves and judgmental toward others. They may have difficulty accepting God's forgiveness or His assurance of their personal salvation that leads to peace and the abundant life.
Trying to attain righteousness with God through good works is a "worthless idol" that many cling to and thereby "turn away from God’s love for them". The clear New Testament teaching on this matter states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). This leads to truly resting in the all sufficient grace of Jesus and having a lasting and peaceful assurance of our salvation!
The Bill Gaither Vocal Band sings a great song, "Child, You're Forgiven" which has a powerful expression in it: "I've traded performance for amazing grace. What a relief, I can't earn my way." Do you identify with the expression, "What a relief, I can't earn my way?"
The late Jerry Bridges notes, "God's grace does not supplement our good works. Instead His grace overcomes our bad works, which are our sins." Erwin Lutzer observes, "When the mask of self-righteousness has been torn from us and we stand stripped of all our accustomed defenses, we are candidates for God's generous grace."
Good works are an outflow of God's amazing grace, not a replacement! Accept God's generous grace today and proclaim with the Palmist, "But with You there is forgiveness" (Psalm 130:4).
What were the "worthless idols" Jonah was referring to in the daily text? Likely he meant the objects of worship that we normally associate with idolatry in the Bible. Bible commentator Albert Barne's considers worthless idols as, "All people's idols, idols of the flesh, idols of intellect, idols of ambition, idols of pride, idols of self and self-will. People 'observe' them, as gods, watch them, hang upon them, never lose sight of them, guard them as though they could keep them. But what are they? 'lying vanities,' breath and wind, which none can grasp or detain, vanishing like air into air."
However in light of the current political season here in America, regardless of party, candidate or ideological position, many place their hope in a person, program, or a cause to make things right. I sure see a tendency for many people to idolize a person. The first part of the verse is very descriptive, "Those who cling to worthless idols." There are many "worthless idols" we can cling to.
But today let us consider a worthless idol concerning those who grew up in church and in religious homes and yet have an inferior understanding of God's love and grace. They may be extra hard on themselves and judgmental toward others. They may have difficulty accepting God's forgiveness or His assurance of their personal salvation that leads to peace and the abundant life.
Trying to attain righteousness with God through good works is a "worthless idol" that many cling to and thereby "turn away from God’s love for them". The clear New Testament teaching on this matter states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). This leads to truly resting in the all sufficient grace of Jesus and having a lasting and peaceful assurance of our salvation!
The Bill Gaither Vocal Band sings a great song, "Child, You're Forgiven" which has a powerful expression in it: "I've traded performance for amazing grace. What a relief, I can't earn my way." Do you identify with the expression, "What a relief, I can't earn my way?"
The late Jerry Bridges notes, "God's grace does not supplement our good works. Instead His grace overcomes our bad works, which are our sins." Erwin Lutzer observes, "When the mask of self-righteousness has been torn from us and we stand stripped of all our accustomed defenses, we are candidates for God's generous grace."
Good works are an outflow of God's amazing grace, not a replacement! Accept God's generous grace today and proclaim with the Palmist, "But with You there is forgiveness" (Psalm 130:4).
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, as
we experience amazing grace through Your
forgiveness of our sins it compels us to show
compassion to others who have not yet applied
Your grace to their lives. As Jude writes, we
are to "Be merciful to those who doubt;
snatch others from the fire and save them; to
others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even
the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
In reaching out to those living in sin help us
to be discerning, wise, and cautious, always
loving the sinner but never embracing or
justifying the sin. May our redeemed lives be
living examples of the freedom we enjoy in this
life after we forsake worthless idols in
exchange for the grace that is ours through
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray.
Amen.
Daily
prayer: Father, as
we experience amazing grace through Your
forgiveness of our sins it compels us to show
compassion to others who have not yet applied
Your grace to their lives. As Jude writes, we
are to "Be merciful to those who doubt;
snatch others from the fire and save them; to
others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even
the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
In reaching out to those living in sin help us
to be discerning, wise, and cautious, always
loving the sinner but never embracing or
justifying the sin. May our redeemed lives be
living examples of the freedom we enjoy in this
life after we forsake worthless idols in
exchange for the grace that is ours through
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray.
Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Wonderful Grace of Jesus"
Video
Ernie
Haase & Signature Sound
Video about lobster
diver.
Article about
Massachusetts lobster diver swallowed by
humpback whale off Cape Cod coast.
Today
we will show photos of several cars we saw
at the car show on Saturday
Sharon
and Phil with Sharon's '67 Chevy Nova. We
see Sharon each week when we visit JK
Mechanical and she has become a good friend.
Phil has been a mechanic for 51 years and
currently repairs and maintains U.S. Postal
vehicles. Sharon's car is a reminder of our
"antique" age since Brooksyne drove a white
'64 or '65 Chevy Nova her senior year in
high school. Her folks surprised her in her
freshman year at CBC with a '71 orange Ford
Maverick which we both drove in 1976 after
we got married.
Donna,
another good friend from a company we
served as chaplains for over 12 years, was
there with her brightly decalled mustang.
At 11:30 that morning engines were revved
up altogether and this roaring mustang was
among them.
It's
nice to talk with owners and they are
pleased to have you look at their
restoration including beautiful bucket seats
in the interior. This fella is from nearby
Columbia and we have seen his truck often.
Brooksyne teased him that she would be
surprised to see lumber loaded in the back
of his pristine truck bed. He agreed that
she would not!
We
especially enjoyed the restored old trucks.
There's
no mistaking which team this Camaro owner is
for!
I
read a story about a
snowflake New York Times reporter being
triggered by seeing trucks with American
flags on them. This one would probably send
her to the hospital!
Finally
today:
This morning we had our air
conditioning system tuned up by two
service techs from JK Mechanical. We serve
this company as chaplains so we personally
know the technicians. Tom (near the unit)
has been with the company since long
before we started in 2010 and Chad (left)
is a recent graduate and intern from
Stevens Institute of Technology. We
commend these two men and those who do
jobs like this that keep things going.
They have been very busy which can take a
toll especially in the extreme heat. Tom
was talking with me as I was preparing to
take this photo and rested his hand
between the decking floor and this privacy
fence right where he is now
standing. Suddenly he was startled
as a wet "critter" began sniffing his hand
so he immediately withdrew his hand from
the deck. We had quite a chuckle as we
informed him that our dog, Mollie, was on
the other side of the privacy fence and
checking him out.
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& Brooksyne
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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