“The Lord Will Again Comfort Zion” (Zech 1-2:5)

So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

¹² Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”

¹³ And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words.¹⁴ So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“I am zealous for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great zeal.
¹⁵ I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For I was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”

¹⁶ ‘Therefore thus says the Lord:

“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts,
“And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

¹⁷ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“My cities shall again spread out through prosperity;
The Lord will again comfort Zion,
And will again choose Jerusalem.”’” (vs11-17)

Spiritually, we’ve been oppressed, and God’s used it to get our attention, but now, He’s ready to save (vs17). He says, “The Lord will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”  He hasn’t forgotten His church, but He has humbled us by affliction, and now, He returns to comfort us and to prosper.  This God gives us repentance, so that He can bless us with His presence. He saves sinners because He loves us enough to humble us, so that He can lift us again.  He says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”, therefore, “humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:6-10).  This lifting up - this returning to us again - is the BRIGHTER hope of tomorrow for all who believe Christ and His promises.

We didn’t listen when He warned us, so we were chastened.  Like Israel, who for seventy years endured bondage under the enemies power, sin has mastered us more than we’d admit to each other.  We were down and bound because we didn’t fear God, and we hadn’t learned to obey Him (vs4-6).  He says, “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? Yet surely My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they return and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”  Now, not because we have overcome Satan, but because God is weary of his oppression, He has lovingly returned to us in mercies, revealing Christ more clearly, and enabling us to obey.

We didn’t listen, but God never intended to destroy us. He warned us, and like Israel, He purged away the fat, but He’s had His eye on us, and He will restore our mercies because He hates sin and chooses us for good.

Don’t be ashamed of the past, as if the future has no hope or very little. I know the past makes you think, “I will be forsaken”, or at least, “I will be small all my life”, but don’t think this way. There is a time to pull down and a time to build.  There is a time to scourge us, and a time to comfort and heal us.  We have SUFFICIENTLY paid the debt of our chastisement, when we believe that God has turned us, again, freely.  Remember, Israel was released by the King of Persia, not themselves, so that God will save us by a power that we don’t have (Ezra 1).

Take the promise and enjoy.  

Finally, the Lord is why we shall be saved with power!  It is because He is a wall of protecting fire to us (Zech 1:18-2:5). He says, “Jerusalem (the church) shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.  For I’, says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst”.  Salvation isn’t because of us, because we are able to do anything ourselves; it is because of God’s love, God’s turning us and Himself, and God keeping us from sin. It isn’t that I’m strong; it is that He is my strength, and He will assuredly save all who believe.

Do you believe, for Christ’s sake, that God is FOR you, even though you have been evil?  Do you believe He chastened you in love, so that He could turn you to Himself and restore joy producing power?  Do you believe God is WHY you’ll be saved?  Then you’ll be saved indeed!

“My Spirit Was Overwhelmed” (Ps 77)

I cried out to God with my voice – to God with my voice; and He gave ear to me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed” (vs1-3).

Unbelieving thoughts are in us all,but what will we do? Will we refuse to be comforted? He said, “my soul refused to be comforted”, but it isn't wise. We are never to say, “It is too hard, I'm in too much trouble”, or, “My sin is too severe”. We're to receive the grace that's in Christ; it conquers sin and makes us able to rejoice and do God's will. Paul said, “I can do all things thorugh Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

Never say, “Things are bad, so I won't believe”, not when Christ died for sinners! Never say, I will starve, when loaves of mercy are on the table. You are not worse than anyone else, and your trouble is not greater than the Son of God. He is the mighty God and Savior, able to save you from sins, able to give you obedience in your condition, and able to fulfill every promise, bringing you to glory in the end.

Many say, “It's too late”, “I've done too much evil”, or “My hope is gone”. Hope in self is gone (and it shouldn't have been there in the first place), but hope in Jesus Christ is never misplaced, so long as He rules this world and saves the struggling. Christ isn't a fair weather god, someone with you in the good times, but in the darkness, he shrinks and fades. It is when unbelief is strong, sin is powerful, and tears are flowing that we find Christ to be all that we need: faithful, gracious, and full of giving and comfort.

Many say, “I refuse”, but aren't we wise to preach Christ to them graciously? Haven't you refused, and then He still pressed you with promises and care? He isn't like us, giving to the worthy, but He's unique. He gives to the sinful, His power is for the weak, and His comfort is for people who are FILLED with misery. Someone said, “I'd lost my job, my mother died, the house was foreclosed on, and I didn't think I had any hope, no where to go. So, I slit my wrists, waited to die, and hoped to slip off into nothingness”. This isn't faith. This is sight; it is judging by what we see and feel, rather than by eternal truths and promises. We may be miserable in circumstance, but the comfort God gives is more than peace; it is sanctifying and holy, and it produces changes in character as the attitude and spirit are renewed (2 Cor 4:16). Comfort is the start of new ambitions and fruitfulness. Comfort isn't because you deserve it or your problems are small; comfort is BECAUSE OF Christ.

Secondly, recovery comes by the word of God, received, chewed upon, and believed (vs4-15). He said, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has his promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in agner shut up His tender mercies? This is my infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of your deeds.” He got himself into the word, remembered his blessings in Christ, mulled them over, discussed them with himself and others, and then received what he'd been missing. This is the way! The B I B L E is the answer, and open discussion of His truth, along with pondering it for your comfort, is the way that peace is received.

Time comes in our lives when we must close the book, but there's never a time to forget what He says, when we're in need. He doesn't comfort, ever, apart from the word of God, so we look to Him who saves by the message of the cross, so we can believe. I go to church powerless and helpless, needy and feeling like I'm empty with nothing to give, and yet, God's word, prayed about, studied, believed, and preached brings me into another state, where defeat is no longer an option, and the world, I'm assured, will be conquered and subdued beneath me., “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith” (1 John 5:4). What changes? God's gotten inside of us by the scriptures, as His means of lifting us up. He draws us near, makes us ponder spiritual truth, and then, He reveals Himself to us in our need by the word we doubted finally convincing us! Stay near to the word of God and return to Him by it. Truth makes you believe.

Finally, God uses human hands to lead us (vs16-20). He says, “You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron”. He uses men who wrote the scriptures, and He even uses men who open the scriptures to us now, pastors and teachers, using the church as a whole, as we love and help each other. Scripture says, “but, speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Eph 4:15). Knowledge comes from God, but He leads by human hands!

I bless God that when I preach and write, I do nothing. I add nothing to the word - no cleverness and no extra shine. The word of God is enough, and I will not alter it, trembling before His throne. He says, “But on this one will I look: on him who is afflicted and of a lame spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Is 66:2). His word opened is how we see Christ in His beauty, and it is God's power to save!

Don't disregard human hands as if you don't need them. You do. But, they are moved by God, if their hands do you any good.

“Forgive Them” (Luke 23:1-34)

“There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”. (vs32-34)

The grace and mercy of God are displayed miraculously in Christ. We have rejected Him – both Pilate with the Gentiles and Herod with the Jews. Scripture says, “Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other”. We ourselves chanted, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”, and we SINNED against all light. Yet, He says, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”. He is GRACIOUS beyond comprehension, and we must STOP believing that we're saved because we're good or have anything to contribute; we're saved FREELY by the grace of God, as grace abounds much more than our sin. Romans 5 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him”, and again, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

Don't be foolish and think of your sins are more than grace, as if what you've done is worse than can be healed by Christ, as if what He's done is too tiny for your sin; it cannot be. The blood of Jesus Christ, the Perfect One, cleanses us from all sin, so that we can receive every grace freely. God doesn't call us to be what we are not, which is sinners; He demands that we admit our errors are grievous and receive His grace as glorifying to God, His GIFT of eternal life. You may have this FREELY, which is the only way, AFTER you REALIZE that we CANNOT pay a dime, a penny, or one thing. Luke 7 says, “And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both” (vs42).

One thing that helps me tremendously is realizing I'm sinful and depraved, dark and ruined, so that I do not look to myself or expect anything from myself. Scripture says, “And they all cried out at once, saying, Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas – who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder... they shouted, saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him... and [Pilate] released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will”. This isn't a license to sin; it is the freedom of grace; it isn't a way to get over on God; it is the way to get from God what you need as poor and helpless, depending upon nothing but His goodness to the OBVIOUSLY depraved and destitute. Look at Him! Behold the Son of Man in His glory pardoning sinners by their unjust murder of His Person! He is loving to the hateful and the unworthy, and if this is you, if you're guilty of the crime, then Christ DID your time in punishment, bore away your sins, and earned every blessing of grace, every promise, and EVERYTHING that you need. He said, “Father, forgive them”, not, “Make them earn”, or, “Bless them when they improve”. No, no longer see your sin only, but SEE God's grace much greater, covering your sins, and walk in the merit of Christ entirely, instead of any greatness or standing in self. This will produce freedom and love, whereby you'll serve and honor God.

“The Lord Delivers Him From Them All” (Ps 34:1-22)

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (vs19)

There are many trials and afflictions with being righteous, but the Lord delivers us from them all, keeping us safe. We suffer, but we triumph in the end, even as the Son rose from the dead, victorious, having put away sins.

We have, firstly, a praise report (vs1-7). The delivered say, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad”. God's salvation brings us joy that brings joy to others. All are not happy with Christ and despising Him is common, yet some, those born of God, will love the praise report that you give, delighting in God's grace, even as you, for they have the same heart and receive it themselves. Don't be ashamed, proclaim it allowed, so that others may rejoice with you. Give Him His due.

Secondly, the prescription for peace and joy is obedience (vs8-14). He says, “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Don't deceive yourself. If you want God's blessing, then walk His way, doing good to people, even your foes.

God willingly and abundantly blesses people who honor Him by faith, who receive the atonement and live atoned lives. He gives the grace to change our behavior, and then He gives the newness of joy and peace, even as He has said.

Thirdly, God has promised the obedient will be saved and the wicked damned (vs15-22). He says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth... The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit”. You and I may take God's word surely. We know the broken heart, the heart that obeys the word of Christ, will be heard and healed. We know the righteous, afflicted even unto death, will be kept by God, so that nothing destroys us. He said of Jesus Christ and us, “He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken”.

I've been reading about William Tyndale, the man responsible for more than 80% of the King James Bible, and how he was persecuted, chased from country to country, imprisoned 16 months, and then executed by strangling and burned in the fire. He gave up his life to give us the gospel message in English, and the Lord rewarded him abundantly, keeping his soul safe and raising him from the dead to Paradise. You and I will be hated of all men for His name's sake, but in the end, we'll never be forsaken by God, and we shall rise again, one day soon, to see that God has rewarded us abundantly in eternal bliss! Is it not written, “Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned”? Bless God. We believe Him in order to escape the wrath assuredly coming upon the wicked, and we'll escape in style.

“Therefore This Distress Has Come Upon Us” (Gen 42-43:10)

Then they said to one another, "We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us." And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us."

The Lord makes us bow to Him, confessing our sins. Reuben said, “We are truly guilty... therefore this distress has come upon us”. We cannot bow to Him acceptably, unless we are filthy sinners, depending on His mercy. We must be so bad that only election could save us – He must choose us in spite of sin. We must be sinful enough that only Christ's death can cleanse us. And, we must be so miserably wicked that only the Spirit can produce obedience. Only WRETCHED sinners really bow to the Christ who delights in mercy, and He will not commune peaceably with any human on any other terms. He cannot be loved as an Example only. He must be a Savior who came to die, for He shed His blood for a reason, and He will never receive us nor accept our bowing, until we bow to Him to fix our sins, reconcile us to God, and make us right by obedience.

Secondly, all things are for you and me, not against. Jacob said, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me” (Gen 42:36). He didn't see that Joseph was exalted to the throne, Simeon was safe under his care, and Benjamin was being brought to meet his brother, so that all the family could be saved. He saw the misery, but not the mercy. He saw JUSTICE in his afflictions, but he couldn't see the justness of God who only does good to those who love Him.

We have painful “no's” from God, but they're for our good. We have repercussions because of sin, but they're to drive US and others to Jesus Christ. Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. We will look upon this life, after we're in heaven, and BLESS God for every FAILURE that He forgave. We'll give Him mighty praises for every success and obedient inclination, as our good works follow us to bliss (Rev 14:13). We will see that Christ is RIGHT in all that He has done, and the love that sent the Savior has ordained all things to work together for good to all who love Him. He can't DIE in your place, and then be part love and part hate. The fact He chose you and me to salvation DECLARES that His every intent... all that He does in misery and mercy... is for you.

Thirdly, the Lord Jesus is the surety, or the One responsible for saving the sheep. Judah pictures Christ saying, “I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever” (Gen 43:9). The Father intrusted us to Jesus Christ, and He must SAVE us or bear the blame. And, because He is EXALTED on high with all power, we know that His blood conquers sin, brings in righteousness, and we can be sure that all obedience is freely and assuredly given. If Christ is responsible for me, then I will obey, overcome, and endure to the end.

Lastly, let the gospel excite hope in you. Look into the love of God, confess your sins as sinful, and know there is no condemnation. Believe in hope, in spite of the pain that you experience. Believe He has afflicted rightfully, so that He may graciously and wisely comfort. Believe the Son has EARNED all that you need – the Spirit, the power, the obedience.

Grace

For me, there is hardly any more wonderful truth than the truth that God is a gracious God. When I look at myself, when I look at my experience, when I look at my ministry, when I look at my performance, when I look at the world around me, when I look at other people I am refreshed and comforted and motivated and uplifted by the thought of the grace of God. Indeed, if I didn’t know that God is gracious, I would be devastated, hopeless, fearful, anxious and lacking in vision and enthusiasm. 

sent to me by Jean-Claude Souillot

“He Blessed Him” (Gen 32:29-33:20)

“Then Jacob asked, saying, Tell me Your name, I pray. And He said, Why is it that you ask about My name? And He blessed him there” (vs29)

The Lord blesses us in spite of the fact that we barely know God, He blesses us with a painful dependence that keeps us believing, and He blesses us in spite of CONSTANT indwelling sin. These things assure us that we shall make it home to heaven in safety and face to face assurance with God (Gen 33:18-20).

First, He blesses us in spite of our ignorance, us knowing so little of God. Jacob said, “Tell me Your name, I pray. And He said, Why is it that you ask about My name? And He blessed him there” (32:29). It didn't matter that Jacob didn't know much. He knew he'd gotten the blessing by faith, as given to him by God, that he was unworthy and God blessed him freely. He knew eternal life was his.

Likewise, we know God, but so little of the gospel is received. We know LITTLE of unchangeable love, so we worry. We know little of our forgiveness, and so love is small. We know little of eternal happiness, so heaven isn't as hopeful as it could be. And yet, we're still forgiven, still given power, and still heaven bound, even though we're ignorant of many things. He blessed us and loved us as tiny Christians, and He blesses us continually, in spite of the fact that my knowledge is small and my deeds evidence ignorance.

Secondly, He's blesses us WITH painful dependence on Christ because of need. We read, “Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip... because He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank” (vs31-32). The world is cursed, and thorns and thistles DRIVE us to Christ our Savior. Paul would have been useless and proud, if the Lord didn't give him a thorn, even as He has us.

You struggle with something, and the Christian life doesn't get “less dependent”. I know that we want to be free of weakness, but Paul said, “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). Paul knew that needing help was the means whereby he'd look to help from God, so that he could serve in the spirit of Christ, rather than the strength of Paul, which helps no one. We need DEPENDENCE, and Jacob limped – a painful reminder – the rest of his life from this encounter with God.

Thirdly, we're blessed IN SPITE OF constant indwelling sin. Sin hasn't been eradicated, and it is with us continually, 24 hours a day, staining everything with the flesh. My best worship is stained, and then I have the stain of my own personal wickedness and unbelief. Jacob has gotten God's blessing, the only thing that matters, and God is on his side, and yet he cowers before Esau and schemes. We read, “Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. Then Esau said, What do you mean by all this company which I met? And he said, These are to find favor in the sight of my lord”, so that he gave Esau too much credit, fearing man, when he had God (Gen 33:6-8). And, we do this.

We are not what we should be, and we sin against God, and yet He's still blessed us. I have thought, “How could God bless me yesterday or this morning, knowing what I'd do tonight?” But, for Christ's sake He blessed you, taking away all of your sins. You won't make it because you're worthy and have paid God back in full. You and I are saved and heaven-bound because God is gracious, passes by transgression, and forgives sin. The Psalmist wrote, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Ps 103:13-14).

Therefore, don't think the blessing isn't yours because you're ignorant, because you struggle, or because you have sin. These conditions NEVER stop God.

We know Him, the Savior. We have Him, the Strength. And, we're going to make it because He is faithful and good.

“To Weep For Her” (Gen 23:1-2)

(vs1-2) “Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of heth, saying, I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight”.

We have tears in this life because of sin and the consequences thereof. We may be blessed, endure great temptations, and get eternal life, but we still will shed tears in this sin-cursed earth, where there is death, consequences for sin, and while we long for heaven.

Heaven is not here; here, we cry. “Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her”. He had been blessed of God, comforted, and he enjoyed long life with Sarah, but it must come to an end. All of God's love would not spare him the sorrow of God's verdict against sin, which is death, pain, and tears, because we are evil and have done wrong, because in Adam, “all sinned” (Rom 5:12). When the world was made, no sin, so no tears were in it. But, soon as man sinned, shame, guilt, fear, lying, blame, hate, self-righteousness, and death came into the picture. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Gen 3:8). As soon as we did wrong, Paradise became filled with parasites that eat dead flesh.

Our tears make way for comfort. Abraham is weeping, but Sarah isn't. She has entered her rest along with all who trusted Christ. 1 Thess 4 says, “the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (vs16-17). She is weeping no more, and she is passed from the valley of tears to the land of blessing, peace, and joy unfettered. There is a reward to the righteous, but it isn't fully experienced here, and no amount of holiness will keep us back from loss, struggle, heartbreak, and weeping.

Weeping endured for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Just as God comforts the cast down, He comforts us amidst the tears of life. Abraham would bury Sarah out of his sight, picturing her dying in Christ, and in Heth, which is the Promised Land (Gen 23:2). She had a field for her, which Abraham bought with money that God had given to him, even as the Son of God BOUGHT the remission of sins and a good resurrection by His shed blood and grace to us. Thus, Abraham was able to deal with the loss in a good way, to weep, but to bury... to pay for a field, and to be comforted by God.

You and I have GOD in the midst of tears. Do not run to the world or seek favor with men. Seek the face of God your Savior who gives you songs in the night, who hears your cry, and who shall wipe away and does wipe away your tears. We read, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5). Receive the comfort of Christ.

Lastly, don't be ashamed to weep. You and I don't have to pretend that we're strong, but grab hold of your comfort in Christ.

Comfort by Comfort Received (2 Cor 1:1-13)

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort: who comforts us in all our trouble that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (vs3-4).

Christ comforts us, so that we comfort others.  We are not indifferent to others, so long as we‘re “happy“. Instead, we are blessed in our misery and comforted in our heartbreak, so that we can preach the SAME Christ to people in need - “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation” (vs5-6).

If your faith is tried, then you will find Christ faithful.  He who sends the storm will not fail to comfort you by the gospel, but He will send you peace - “And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation” (vs7).

If you’re troubled, it is for the good of others, and if you’re comforted, it is for others, too, so that God LINKS us together, so that what I go through is for your good, which helps us understand purpose in this world.

Don’t live for your happiness, or you won’t be happy. Live to HELP others know God, and you’ll have God to help you do it, you’ll have joy and peace in helping them, and you’ll rejoice in seeing them helped.  He puts us through STRENUOUS, soul-emptying, unbelief exposing trials, so that we can be at the end of self, so that He can be honored in saving us, so that we tell others, “Trust God who raises the dead”, rather than secretly pointing them to their own self-trust - “For we would not, brothers, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (vs8-10).

Don’t think it strange that you’re troubled.  You and I, like Paul, need purging. There is UNBELIEF in us hiding below the surface, and we need to see HOW we trust in self, so that we can repent of this false confidence. We must see that though I’m unable, God is able. Though I deserve misery, God is merciful to sinners who should be punished.

This great God of comfort gives us hope and peace by the means of the prayers of others - “You also”, Paul says, “helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf” (vs11).  We trust God to save people, not by indifferently saying, “God is sovereign” and thinking no more of it, but by PRAYING to the Sovereign, expressing our love, and then being useful in other people’s good.

The gospel is NOT a solo affair. Paul and Timothy wrote to the church - “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: grace to be you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (vs1-2).

“Comfort One Another” (1 Thess 4:13-18)

“Wherefore, comfort one another with these words” (vs18)

We comfort each other with the truth of the gospel, and there is no other comfort from God.  For the BELIEVER, there is hope in Christ, and for the unbeliever, there is no hope after death, and there is no real comfort in this life. We don’t speak idle words like, “It’ll work out”, but we know our Father works all things after the counsel of His will.

If you’re in Christ, then you’ll die well, and we ENVY those who’ve gone before us. They are WITH Christ, which is far better.

If you’re an unbeliever, then you die like a beast only to be punished eternally, and there is NO hope for you - “Man that is in honor, and understands not, is like the beasts that perish” (Ps 49:20).  All of your good things have been received in this life, and in the world to come, nothing but torment shall afflict you forever (Rev 14:11).

If a believer dies, then we’ll meet again in heaven, when Christ comes in glory - “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess 4:15-17).  It is not the end of the believer, and God’s goodness will only begin in its perfect enjoyment.  You are with the Lord, and He’s faithful to repay you for all that He and you suffered.

The comfort of the believer is Christ Himself and the truth of His word, no matter the circumstance.  Paul said “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord”, and, “comfort one another with these words” (vs15, 18). When we suffer, it is the Father who loves us.  When disappointment happens, it is God who gives obedient strength to love Him in the moment (1 Sam 3:18).  When hardships are endured, it is God - who only does good and wisely - that comforts our heart, in knowing what the bible teaches.

Therefore, child of God, if you want comfort, then find it in the truth of the gospel. Don’t go to drunkenness, the psychiatrist (except for meds), the unbelieving friend, or to “mind over matter”. Go to the written revelation of God and believe what He says to meet your condition. He has good news for you, where you are.

If you’re in bondage, be comforted that He sent you to Babylon for your good, and He’ll bring you out for His glory and your joy, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an hoped for end” (Jer 29:10).  If you suffer from failures, be comforted by the forgiveness of sins.  If someone comes to Christ and then falls away, be comforted that the sheep will hear His voice and follow Him (John 6:37-39). 

In everything, don’t be like those who have no hope, who see circumstances, but they can’t see God’s gospel - “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others, which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (1 Thess 4:13).  Be knowledgeable of God’s goodness and use this ointment in every situation, until you leave this world, to be eternally comforted without pain or fear.

Luther Lovingly Reproves Melancthon

Justin Taylor points us to Luther’s loving rebuke to his friend, Philip Melancthon, written in a letter dated 27 June 1530.  Faithful indeed are the wounds of a friend (Prv 27.6):

    Those great cares by which you say you are consumed I vehemently hate; they rule your heart not on account of the greatness of the cause but by reason of the greatness of your unbelief. . . .

    If our cause is great, its author and champion is great also, for it is not ours. Why are you therefore always tormenting yourself?

    If our cause is false, let us recant; if it is true, why should we make him a liar who commands us to be of untroubled heart?

    Cast your burden on the Lord, he says. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him with a broken heart. Does he speak in vain or to beasts? . . .

    What good can you do by your vain anxiety?

    What can the devil do more than slay us? What after that?

    I beg you, so pugnacious in all else, fight against yourself, your own worst enemy, who furnish Satan with arms against yourself. . . .

    I pray for you earnestly and am deeply pained that you keep sucking up cares like a leech and thus rendering my prayers vain.

    Christ knows whether it is stupidity or bravery, but I am not much disturbed, rather of better courage than I had hoped.

    God who is able to raise the dead is also able to uphold a falling cause, or to raise a fallen one and make it strong.

    If we are not worthy instruments to accomplish his purpose, he will find others.

    If we are not strengthened by his promises, to whom else in all the world can they pertain?

    But saying more would be pouring water into the sea.

“Look Again” (Jonah 1:17-2:4)

“Then I said, I am cast out of your sight: yet I will look again toward your holy temple” (vs4).

The only hope we have is Christ, so look again. It does no good to deny reality in hope that salvation will come some other way, for “they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy“ (vs8). These lying vanities that teach us to seek salvation from sources other than Christ are wrong, and this is true for saint and sinner. Jonah LOOKED to his wisdom and got himself into a mess, and now he must look to God’s mercy in Christ to get him out.

In grace, God SHUTS every other door, damning us under the law to eternal death and offering no relief except faith in His Son. He closes doors in this life, so there’s NO HOPE of eternal welfare or temporal deliverance except God. We cannot choose sin, because He proves that choosing sin will not alleviate the WRATH that I shall endure. And, it is God’s love to put us in positions where we must trust Christ. Without His pain, I’d spit on Him continually, but by the pain, we learn to submit ourselves to Him, to bow to His will, and receive good. Luke 15, that great story of the Prodigal Son, says, “When he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger (vs17)!” He didn’t care about God, until he got hungry (Luke 15:11-20).

People wanted Lazarus NOT to die, but God wants us to see His glory, so Lazarus dies, so He can raise Him again. We want this and that, but God says “No”, and forces us to look to Christ for salvation. Then, He gives us FAR BETTER than we were expecting: He gives us love, knowledge of His goodness, peace, submission, and FAITH… these great things are PRAYED for us by the Spirit, which become things that we rejoice in too - “Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom 8:26-27).

Are you in sin’s misery? Then look again to Christ. Has He FAILED to comfort you thus far? Then LOOK AGAIN to Jesus Christ. He gives us STRENGTH to obtain mercy and strength to seek the Lord, so we can be strengthened by the mercy that we receive (1 Kings 19:7-8). There is no plan B, no other option, and no other hope for life: this is what He teaches the elect, and the evidence I’m His, is that I feel compelled to look to God’s mercy in Christ. I’m encouraged to trust Him, though things are hard, and He RECEIVES my petition (Jonah 2:6). Though He chastens, He will not destroy any that believe. It is written, “All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise (for no reason) cast out” (John 6:37). This hopeful word enables me to look to Christ because He has closed every other door other than the mercy that’s in Him, the mercy that’s FOR sinners through Jesus bearing the curse away in His blood.

God’s graciousness to the miserable comforts and encourages us. Will you look again to Jesus for mercy, or will you and I die in our sin? Will you believe without any options to do anything else, being encouraged by God’s grace that is for sinners, or will you rebel and find comfort in lies, before going to hell? Sovereign grace DEMANDS the elect look again, and we will (Ps 110:3).

“I know Not Where They Have Laid Him” (John 20:13)

“And they say unto her, Woman, why weep you? She said unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him”. (vs13)

Unbelief is the crime we commit against God, and we hurt ourselves thereby too. We don’t believe what He says, cannot see by our cursed eyes, and must be spiritually taught by God as children. We are as weak as these disciples, because this natural man is like that man Peter, John, Mary, and all the disciples who BELIEVED NOT the resurrection. Had they believed, they’d have expectant joy. But, unbelief brought fear (John 20:20).

Yet, Christ appears to us, as He did them (John 20:14-16). We have missed Him for so long, but now He is back to shine unto us His glory and reveal Himself again. We may have the Christ that we lost before, to be the honor and treasure of life. We may have meaning in our lives, help from God, and the miraculous power of Christ, if we only BELIEVE God. If we do, if we see Jesus Christ in His glory, loving us after our sinfulness and alive after glorifying God in obedience to death, if we behold Him here to help and keep us, then we lean on and look to Him for everything, taking God at His word as children (Gal 4:6). This joy of Christ is for those who see Him as He is now, and when joy is gone, we must see anew our treasures in Christ, that He who damns people has SAVED us SINNERS by His own blood and sacrifice, by Himself, without help, contribution, or dependence upon us at all (Is 63:1). He is an Independent and Successful Savior, with grace for me from His heart ETERNALLY. It is covenant mercy that can’t fall down because of me, but makes me and you serve God in repentance and honesty.

We bless God for Christ, and then joy happens (Rom 15:13). We JOY in Christ, and enjoy things PROPERLY and wisely, using them for God‘s glory in thankfulness to Christ. We thank God for Christ only AFTER He’s revealed Himself to us, or we‘d stay blind, so we LOVE with what we see, rather than beat everyone or impress people. As He said, we “minister” and feed His sheep with knowledge of the greatness of Christ and God thereby (Matt 20:28).

Don’t be discouraged. Believe the gospel and know that your seeing Christ is of God and for you to love others (John 20:17).

The Lord Shall Comfort Zion & Choose Jerusalem (Zech 1: 17)

“Cry yet, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts; My cities through [good] shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.”

First, it doesn’t matter what is happening, when God ends His chastisement and gives deliverance, nothing can stop it – “Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years? And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words” (Zech 1:12-13).


He doesn’t help us because we’ve improved; He helps because the time that He predetermined has come – “Therefore has the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he does: for we obeyed not his voice…Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake” (Dan 9:14,17). He established 70 years for the destruction of Jerusalem, and then on schedule, like a man awoken to work, He sets forth to bless. The enemies have wrought havoc upon us by God’s purpose, and now, He is ANGRY that they have treated us so lovelessly. Therefore, He intervenes – “And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. Therefore thus says the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem” (Zech 1:15-16). He does us good because He is good; it isn’t because I’m learning, growing, or improving; it is BECAUSE HE is gracious - O my God, incline your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our supplications before you for our righteousnesses, but for your great mercies” (Dan 9:18).


When He saves, there is no unsaving. No accusation can be laid against us and no power can stop God – “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom 8:33-34). We can be sure about revival of soul, if we BELIEVE the blessing is for Christ’s sake and the time has come, according to scripture. If we believe, then we have what is written – “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt 9:29).


Secondly, God’s grace is permanent grace and one day, we shall see God DELIVER us from all alarms. The tears of life, poverty of soul, etc, shall be conquered by His faithfulness to us, which was determined before we entered these bodies of sin – “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thess 1:7-8).


Thirdly, if God is your Savior, then don’t be afraid of sin, man, or anything – “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (I Cor 10:13). God is above all, stronger than the enemies, and faithful to His word – “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace (Rom 6:14).” And, again, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).” We are not slaves of sin because God is stronger than Satan and everything in us.


Lastly, the time has come, let us work, but as we work, let us believe that salvation is BECAUSE of Christ and THROUGH Christ and FOR Christ’s glory.