Daily Bread

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Twenty-Seventh Psalm --Adopt It as Yours

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

We thank the Lord for preserving for us the Christian experience of David, the Psalmist. He is brutally honest with himself: he confesses that he is a sinner of sinners, that he deserves to have the Lord remove from him forever the blessing of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 51:11). This meant--his eternal salvation.

He makes no effort to hide the guilt of his double crime--his sin of adultery, his coveting of his neighbor's wife, plus the sin of adultery with her, plus the terrible sin of his murdering the lady's husband (we can't say one sin was worse than the other!). David is reduced to the lowest place and he doesn't try to hide it.

In Psalm 27 he teaches us in a simple way how to be happy in the Lord:

(1) He begins by recognizing the truth: The Lord [alone] is his light of life, and his salvation. A good confession of faith; let this be our confession, to begin with (vs. 1).

(2) He accepts the Lord's New Covenant promises and contradicts Satan's effort to make him afraid (vss. 2, 3).

(3) He states the truth in powerful terms: even if an enemy army comes against him, he chooses that his heart shall not be afraid (that's how to conquer fear: choose not to let your heart be troubled, says Jesus in John 14:1-3).

(4) David makes the choice: what he wants above all else in life is simply to "dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life" (vs. 4).

(5) And that's not to become wealthy: no, his prayer is to "behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple" (vs. 4). The infinite wealth of the Lord is for anyone to take, and it makes Him happy to see someone on earth who appreciates Him enough to desire Him more than what this earth can offer us.

(6) "The time of trouble" scares many serious-minded Christians; it doesn't hurt to think about it ahead of time, BUT think as David does--in absolute confidence that the Lord whom you worship "in His temple" will hide you "in the secret of His tabernacle" (vss. 5, 6).

(7) You are not to feel proud because of this holy preference the Lord has for you; it's simply His "family love" for you since you are a member of His family by adoption (see Eph. 1:3-6)!

(8) Your heart is moved to sing, because His love (agape) has redeemed you (vs. 6).

(9) But yes, there is something for you to do: when the Lord said to you, "Seek My face," you responded immediately, no dilly-dallying about it, "Your face, Lord, I WILL seek!" (vs. 8). Your heart was one with the heart of the Lord!

(10) You think of the loving care your earthly father and mother lavished on you, but good as they were, your parents could only go with you a certain distance: they had to leave you to go on alone with the Lord in ways they could not understand (vs. 10).

(11) David confesses that he would have "fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (vs. 13), that is, unless he had believed that he would see the answer to all his prayers while he was still living--before the Lord comes. Sobering thought!

(12) But what you can't see with your earthly eyes, see with eyes of faith. Psalm 27 is a treasure; adopt it as yours.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 31, 2008.

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Strange Prophecy in Zechariah

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

There is a strange prophecy in Zechariah: "They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him ..." He was "wounded in the house of [His] friends," (12:10; 13:6). Jesus says in the promise He made just before His cross, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This He said, signifying what death He should die" (John 12:32, 33). That is how we "look upon Him."

Zechariah says that the Lord will give a special gift of repentance to His people so that they will see something they've never grasped before: it wasn't the Jews or the Romans who crucified ("pierced") our Savior; WE DID IT. The Holy Spirit will give the precious gift of discernment--how deep is our sin (and that's always Good News to say Thank You for!).

The Holy Spirit will give this gift of repentance to two groups within the church: "the house of David" (that is, its leadership), and to "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (that is, the common people). Hard worldly hearts will be melted by this "spirit of grace." The result: prayers like we've never heard before, "a spirit of ... supplications." The Hebrew word has a strange root--the idea of bestowing rather than begging a favor in prayer. It's "supplications" to the Lord that convey to Him a blessing, that make HIM happy, not just vice versa. (That's a new kind of prayer! And indeed Zechariah is telling us things that will be new.)

Put with that Isaiah 53:11, speaking of Jesus: "He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied." Think of a chef who cooks for you a delicious meal. If you gobble it down without a word, is he "satisfied"? It's time the Lord's people be given those "enlarged hearts" (Psalm 119:32) that can appreciate the "breadth, and length, and depth, and height, of the love [agape] of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph. 3:18, 19). An appreciation of Christ crucified leads to self crucified--with Him. All pride and arrogance are gone. Now finally the Lamb is "satisfied." His "wife" understands Him at last (Rev. 19:7, 8). Now HE enjoys communion with "someone" who cares, His church.

Now let's finish what Zechariah says: "In that day" when that "most precious" gift is received, "there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David [the leadership of His church] and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem [the lay members] for sin and for uncleanness" (13:1). In simple terms: "righteousness" will be by faith, not works; faith = a humbled heart that begins now to "comprehend" what it cost Him to save us. Then His love (agape) can constrain us.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 22, 2004.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Love Is a Precious Gift from Jesus

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

In case anybody is wondering, "Does married love get better the older you become?" the answer is YES, it gets more precious as time goes by. Gradually the truth begins to penetrate one's selfish soul to realize: the loving devotion of your spouse is something you don't deserve. A wise author said it a century ago: "Love is a precious gift which we receive from Jesus." It may take one a lifetime to see it's true; but the sooner you believe it, the happier you will always be.

But suppose everything has gone wrong. You never expected the horror of divorce. It has crushed you. There's no human pain quite so bitter as to be hated by the one whom you loved more than anyone else in the world. It's like suffering an amputation; despised and forsaken you hobble emotionally on one leg. (Amputees tell us they have nerves that say the limb is still there when it isn't.) You may be tempted to resent anything a happily married person might say ("what right do you have to talk, you've never been through this!"). But listen:

(1) No one on planet earth deserves love. It comes from Christ--a gift to be received.

(2) Calvinism is wrong when it says God "elects" some to be saved and abandons others to be lost, but it's also wrong to think God arbitrarily gives some people happiness and denies it to others.

(3) And it's also wrong to think (and this is a common misconception) that love depends on hard work. Plenty of men have never missed a beat taking out the garbage, yet the wife has abandoned them; and there are faithful homemakers whose husbands have walked off. If salvation is not by "works," neither is "married happiness by works." It's also by faith in Jesus. (Yes,--that's true!)

(4) Let's assume that all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put Humpty Dumpty together again; you say God can't either (you may still be wrong if only you knew). "Life has been terribly unfair" (and it's true); but don't despise fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. John the Baptist had done everything right and yet Herod locked him in a dungeon, until the executioner ended it all. It was so unfair! And Jesus, only a few miles away having a great time out in the sunshine, didn't come personally to visit him (the story is in Matthew 11:2-14; 14:1-13). But Jesus was with him through the Holy Spirit in that dark dungeon.

(5) John was comforted with His companionship and that of angels. And he became a source of encouragement for millions ever since. Life does not end when you're "despised and rejected of men" ... (or of women!). You still have the Savior through His Holy Spirit. And that's real life.

(6) If you're one of the few who has married bliss--be humble about it and thank Him.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 7, 2004.

Monday, March 12, 2012

A Seemingly Impossible Task

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

In the early centuries there was some serious talk that the Book of Hebrews doesn't belong in the Bible. Even today some dear Christian people don't like the main theme of the Book of Hebrews: perfection of character. They say it's impossible, that God can never have a group or body of people on earth who have "overcome even as [Christ] overcame," who reflect as in a mirror the beauty of Christ's perfect character of self-denial. They say that as long as Christ's body on earth is composed of people who have a fallen or sinful nature, it will be impossible for them to be perfect in character.

But for all such the Book of Hebrews presents a formidable challenge: no less than eleven times we read there that perfection of character in His people is the goal that Jesus is working toward (you can read them: 5:14; 6:1; 7:11, 19, 25, 28; 8:9; 10:1, 14;11:40; 13:21).

How does He accomplish this seemingly impossible task? The answer: through His ministry as Great High Priest (also a theme that makes Hebrews unique in the New Testament, for nowhere else in the New Testament is He so designated).

We modern people have a problem identifying with the word "priest," especially "high priest." It embraces so many "offices" that Jesus fills, for He wears many hats: He is a Counselor, a Teacher, a Leader, an Executive, but best of all, He is a Physician, not only of our bodies (He was called "the Great Physician"), but also of our souls. In other words, Jesus as our Great High Priest is functioning as our Divine Psychiatrist. That's what Hebrews 4:15 is telling us: "We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." "Wherefore He is able to save them perfectly that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (7:25).

Our problem is simply this: are we willing to humble our hearts and confess that we need the services of a Psychiatrist? Most people will angrily say "No!" They're okay, they insist, "rich and increased with goods" spiritually and mentally; they don't need healing. But the Book of Revelation is in tandem with the Book of Hebrews, and there we read that we are woefully in need of such a Divine Psychiatrist (3:14-21). The Book ends with the assurance that Jesus will have a people on earth who, as a body, respond to His appeal, accept His ministry of "perfection," repent, and prepare for His second coming (7:1-4; 14:1-5, and 19:7-9).

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 20, 2000.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

A 400-year-old Controversy

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Dear, sweet, kind Christian people sometimes want to shy away from controversy within the church. But controversy is not always bad. It stirs people up to think and to study and thus to discover very precious truth that God's people need to appreciate. We are coming close to the second coming of Jesus and the end of the world, and we need truth in order to stand. If you want to run away when controversy arises, let me tell you where is the only place you can go to find none: the cemetery.

Jesus said, "Take heed that no one deceive you" (Matt. 24:4). The only way to be sure not to be deceived is to study the word of God for ourselves, for the Scriptures "testify of Me," said Jesus (John 5:39).

One controversy that has stirred good Christian people for 400 years is between Calvinism and Arminianism. The problem is what the Bible means when it says so clearly that "Christ died for the world," is "the Savior of the world," "gave Himself a ransom for all men," "tasted death for every man," is "the propitiation for the sins of the whole world," "all are being justified freely by His grace," "the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life," etc. Calvinists have always said those texts mean that Christ has accomplished salvation for some people--that is, only those whom God has predestinated to be saved. Arminians say those texts mean that "all men" have a potential for being saved, it's possible for them to be saved, but it is only IF; Christ didn't actually accomplish salvation for anyone UNLESS ... And between these two views a great gulf is fixed.

The story of Esau resolves this controversy of 400 years. It was an accomplished fact that he HAD the "birthright." It was his by birth, no one could take it from him, not even God, for it was his by the oath of God to the firstborn among Abraham's descendants.

But Esau "despised" what was HIS and what had been GIVEN him, and then he "sold" it. And "Esau" is the name of every person who will finally be lost. Christ GAVE salvation to him but he wouldn't have it. He refused to receive the atonement that would have reconciled his alienated heart to God and to God's holy law. He has unfitted himself for heaven. Don't be Esau!

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 26, 2004.

Friday, March 09, 2012

The Most Perplexing Spiritual Disease of All Time

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

A thoughtful person wrote: please explain the contrast between Calvinism and Arminianism. What practical effect does it have on our daily happiness?

Both were great blessings on the pathway of God's people through the centuries, successive steps out of the 1260 years of papal darkness. Both have been taught up until our present time by dedicated pastors who did the best they could with the ministry of preparing souls for the resurrection.

But in God's agenda for His church, there is growth in grace and in understanding. We "follow" Jesus--never stand still. He is leading His people to get ready for His second coming. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18). "The everlasting gospel" of Revelation 14:6-15 prepares a people for that time when John saw "a white cloud, and upon the cloud sat like unto the Son of man, ... the harvest of the earth is ripe." The second coming of Christ!

Arminianism tried to correct a misapprehension that grew out of Calvinism. Christ died for everybody and He wants everybody to be saved. Very true! Calvinism had drifted into the idea that some are predestinated to be lost. But Arminianism also said that the sacrifice of Christ does no one any good unless he believes. Sounds good, but "the everlasting gospel" is better news than that. When understood by the church, it delivers from the most perplexing spiritual disease of all time--lukewarmness (Rev. 3:14-21).

On His cross Christ actually redeemed the world, died "every man's" second death, gave him every blessing he has ever had including sunshine and rain and the gift of salvation. None will be lost who does not resist or disbelieve the truth.

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 4, 2005.