May 8, 2024 · 8:51 AM

Is God Failing?

Things looked bleak. It seemed like everyone was giving up on God, turning away from worshiping him. There was a new god in town: Baal.

Elijah refused to give up on the God of Israel, the true and living God, Maker of heaven and earth. God blessed Elijah with a miraculous victory over the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18-19).

Despite the great victory over Baal’s prophets, things didn’t seem to get any better. Elijah’s life was threatened by the evil queen, Jezebel. She was a devoted follower of Baal.

Elijah was afraid. He was discouraged. He fled.

The frightened prophet ended up in a cave on Mt. Horeb. God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The prophet explained that everyone had abandoned worshiping God. He was the only one left and they wanted to kill him.

God told Elijah to stand on the mountain in his presence. When he did, there came a mighty wind, but God was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then fire, but God was not in the fire.

After the fire was a still small voice. Elijah covered his face and went out to meet the Lord. The discouraged prophet told God all his troubles, how he was the only true worshiper left, how they were trying to take his life. What was the point in carrying on?

God responded to Elijah’s discouragement in two ways. First, he gave Elijah some things to do. It was no time to give up and stop working.

Second, God told Elijah that he was not alone. Seven thousand had not turned away to worship Baal. They were still faithful to the Lord.

Generations later, the Apostle Paul referred to Elijah’s experience. In Paul’s day, most Jews were rejecting Jesus as God’s promised Savior. Like Elijah, some people were questioning God’s work, wondering if it was failing.

Paul pointed out that God had a remnant chosen by his grace. God always has a remnant chosen by his grace, in the Old Testament, in the early days of the Church, and now.

Today, followers of Jesus may be tempted to adopt Elijah’s pessimism. We can easily feel outnumbered by those who have turned their backs on worshiping and serving God. After all, how would we assess the spiritual condition of our nation today? Things do look pretty bleak.

How would we assess the spiritual condition of the churches in our nation? It would be easy to give in to discouragement because of the spiritual decline we see all around us.

Remember God’s answer to Elijah. I have left seven thousand for myself. The first-century apostle put it like this: “In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.” Chosen by grace means it is according to God’s sovereign choice and plan. God has not lost control of the situation!

God’s people have always tended to be a remnant. If this is true in our day, we should not be surprised. Elijah implied that God was failing. God assured him that was not the case. Neither is God failing today.

Elijah was acting out of his fear of Jezebel. Elijah’s trust in God should have been greater than his fear of Jezebel. Our trust in God must be greater than our fear of this world’s powers.

God gave Elijah work to do. It was no time to quit. It is no time for us to quit. God has work for us to do because his kingdom plan is advancing toward the inevitable victory.

God does some of his best work when things look bleak. When Jesus was dying on the cross, God was providing salvation for the world. We can trust him and continue his work, for his work will overcome all obstacles and lead us to the ultimate triumph.

May God’s Spirit inspire and enable us to be faithful despite discouraging circumstances,

Brother Richard Foster

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April 3, 2024 · 5:28 PM

Praying Like Jesus

Jesus prayed to Abba. Who is Abba?

Abba is an Aramaic word. Aramaic was the language spoken by Jesus and his fellow Jews in the first century. It had taken over from Old Testament Hebrew as the common language in Israel.

Abba was a familiar term in the first-century Jewish household for addressing one’s father. Some people equate it with our word daddy,but that might be too informal. Something like dad is a close English equivalent, maybe papa.

Other Aramaic words appear in the New Testament. Mark’s Gospel records Peter’s eyewitness accounts about Jesus’ life and ministry. In some instances, Jesus’ words had left such an impression on the fisherman, that he related them in Aramaic then translated them into Greek for his audience.

When Jesus raised a little girl from the dead, he said, “Talitha koum!” which is translated, “Little girl! I say to you: Get up!” On the cross, Jesus cried out, “Eloi! Eloi! Lama sabachthani!” which means, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” These were certainly unforgettable events.

Abba is the word Jesus used to address God when he was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before he went to the cross. “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup from me! But not what I want, but what you want.” In his humanity, Jesus struggled with the suffering he faced. Through prayer, he bowed to his Father’s will.

Jesus’ striking familiarity with God was a dominant feature of his ministry and teaching. In fact, Jesus irritated the Jewish religious leaders with his unusually intimate relationship with God.

It’s not that Jews or the Old Testament never spoke about God as Father. The Israelites did think of God as their Father. But Jesus did so in a new and remarkable way that made them uncomfortable.

And Jesus taught his disciples to do the same. “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father (Abba) in heaven.’” Followers of Jesus for 2,000 years have imitated Jesus in this practice. It is a sign of being Jesus’ follower, a sign of having a close relationship with God like Jesus does.

In Romans 8:15, we read that God’s Spirit enables us to cry out, “Abba! Father!” Of course, that’s just the beginning of the prayer. The content comes next. What is your prayer to the Father? How do you complete this prayer right now? Abba, Father! Thank you for. . . . Abba, Father! You are my. . . . Perhaps you have a cry for help. Abba, Father! Please. . . .

We have in our hearts the Spirit sent from the God of heaven and earth. And, we call the God of time and eternity our Father! The one who spoke the universe into existence and who gives us life, he is our Father!

Let’s rejoice over our privileged position before the Lord. And let us take full advantage of our access to the Almighty. Pray without ceasing!

May our Father in heaven always hear and answer your prayers,

Brother Richard

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March 1, 2024 · 4:07 PM

He Gets Us But Is That All?

He Gets Us. Jesus Gets Us.

Okay. So what? Why is that important?

“He Gets Us” is an ad campaign designed to remind people that the story of Jesus belongs to everybody. The ads have certainly stirred a lot of debate. Their most recent efforts included ads during the Super Bowl game. The ads featured several versions of a single theme. Each one depicts someone washing the feet of another person.

The idea of foot-washing comes from an incident in Jesus’ life which is recorded in the Gospel of John. The night before he was crucified, Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. Walking on dusty roads made people’s feet dirty. Once indoors, a servant usually washed those dusty feet. On this night, the job was undone. So, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. He did the humble work of a lowly servant, even though he was their Teacher, their Master.

Surely the room was filled with silence by the time Jesus finished this menial task. Once he was back at the table with his disciples, he explained his act of kindness. It was symbolic of his servanthood, an attitude he wanted his disciples to adopt. If he was willing to serve them in such a humble manner, then they should serve one another in the same way, which includes far more than foot-washing.

On one occasion, Jesus said that he came not to be served, but to serve. His service was not limited to his close friends. Not only did Jesus wash his disciples’ feet, but he also reached out to people who were marginalized by the dominant cultural group at that time. Jesus courageously and lovingly crossed cultural barriers. The recent “He Gets Us” ads focus on this attractive aspect of Jesus’ life and teaching.

So, why have the “He Gets Us” ads been criticized? Simple: The ads present only a fragment of Jesus. True, it is a lovely fragment, but it is far less than the real Jesus. The foot-washing ads reduce Jesus to a super nice guy who encourages acts of kindness.

Yes, Jesus engaged in acts of kindness. Jesus has nothing against acts of kindness. I would certainly agree that Jesus is an advocate of acts of kindness. But is that all? Is that what has made Jesus the most important person who walked the face of the earth in the past two thousand years? his acts of kindness?

Jesus said that he came not to serve but be served. But that’s not all. He also said that he came to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus not only gets us. He saves us. He transforms us. He makes us right with God.

The story of Jesus does belong to everybody, but not in the sense that anybody can rework and reinvent Jesus for their own purposes. The Jesus of history belongs to everybody in the sense that everybody needs the truth about Jesus, the real Jesus, the complete Jesus. Everybody needs the truth about Jesus because Jesus is God’s one and only Savior.

The reason we still discuss Jesus is not because he was a nice inclusive guy who advocated for random acts of kindness. The reason we still talk and write about Jesus is because his claims are off the chart.

He is sent by God. He is God’s one and only Son. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He is Lord of creation. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Jesus. He has power over death. He is coming back to take his followers to be with God in heaven forever. Wow!

Not only are Jesus’ claims of cosmic proportion. They are true. Jesus still has a commanding place in culture not simply because his story is compelling, but because Jesus is alive and he is Lord!

May the Risen Lord Jesus Christ reign in our hearts.

Brother Richard

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February 9, 2024 · 1:34 PM

Disaster Relief and Following Jesus

Jesus called people to follow him. 

Those who answered his call had the wonderful experience of watching and learning from the Master himself. They learned Jesus’ message. They saw his compassion for people. 

Then Jesus sent his followers out. He gave them his authority so they could represent him, so they could do as he was doing. He sent them out two by two so they could encourage one another, help one another, and hold one another accountable. 

After going out, Jesus’ disciples would gather and report to Jesus all they had accomplished. These were times of rejoicing and affirmation. They were also times of learning more from the Lord so they could go and do more. 

Gather then go. Go then gather. This is the rhythm of a healthy spiritual life. Jesus calls us to himself, to gather with other believers. While gathered, we are equipped, encouraged, and empowered to carry out the mission, to be ambassadors for Christ in this dark and corrupt age. 

The Gospel writers tell us what the disciples did when they were sent out by Jesus. Mark 6:12-13 is typical: “So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them” (CSB). In other words, they did the same things that Jesus was doing. 

They proclaimed Jesus’ message: “that people should repent.” To repent means to turn away from disobeying God and become followers of Jesus by putting saving faith in him. Christians are first and foremost a people with a message. Jesus sends us to tell others about the forgiveness and eternal life that is available because of his death and resurrection. We urge people to join us in following Jesus. 

The disciples also drove out demons from those who were demon possessed, and they healed people from their illnesses. Like Jesus, they helped people with both their spiritual and their physical needs. Meeting people’s needs was an expression of God’s love that highlighted their message and affirmed its validity. 

For two thousand years the church has tried to model the ministry of Jesus by proclaiming his message and expressing his compassion. Over the years, the church has developed many ways of expressing the Lord’s compassion by helping people with their physical needs. Hospitals and orphanages (now called group homes) are two examples among many. 

In 1967, Baptist men in Texas responded to the needs created by Hurricane Beulah. This marked the beginning of a ministry that has helped people caught in disasters for more than fifty years. When a need arises, Christians go and prepare meals, repair roofs, provide childcare, remove debris, wash clothes, rebuild homes, and tell folks the good news about Jesus Christ! 

This ministry is called Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Members of Grace Baptist in Camden have participated in Disaster Relief after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and after Hurricane Harvey in Houston. 

Giving up a week of your life to go and help those who have suffered loss in a disaster is a sacrifice. It is also hard work. Some people cannot go because of their job or some other circumstance in life. But they can help by giving money to help send others and to help send much-needed supplies. 

God’s word says it clearly: “If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily foodand one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16, CSB) Saving faith is an acting faith, not to earn God’s gift of salvation, but to cooperate with God’s salvation working in us. 

You can learn more about Disaster Relief at abscdisasterrelief.org. 

May God inspire us and enable us to be like Jesus in the world today, 

Brother Richard 

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January 6, 2024 · 12:13 PM

Honoring God His Way

King David wanted to honor God. He made extensive preparations. He gathered a large group of people. It was a big congregation. He put together some wonderful music. They used all the latest instruments.

At first, things went great. But all the enthusiasm and the music came to a bitter end. One of the men serving that day died in the middle of all the excitement. He was struck down by God.

They were moving the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem. The ark was the ancient container that held the people’s copy of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments reminded them of their covenant relationship with God.

More than that, the ark was a symbol of God’s presence among his chosen people, Israel. They were blessed because the God of heaven and earth invited them to approach him and to worship him.

God instructed the people to keep the ark in the innermost room of the tabernacle, the room called the holy of holies. It was seen only by the high priest, only once a year, and only with the proper sacrifices.

When it was necessary to transport the ark, only Levites were supposed to carry it. When David moved the ark to Jerusalem, however, it was transported on a cart pulled by oxen. The oxen stumbled. Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark.

That’s when it happened. The Lord struck Uzzah down. David was angry. But David also feared the Lord that day. He seriously doubted the ark could ever be brought up. He left it in the house of a man named Obed-edom.

David could have let his bitterness grow and become a permanent barrier between himself and God. Instead, David learned from his mistake. He adjusted. He tried again.

On his second attempt, David made sure the ark was transported as the Lord instructed: not by a cart, but by the hands of the Levites. He also offered sacrifices to the Lord. By offering sacrifices, David was acknowledging that sinners can only approach a holy God by appealing to his mercy and his grace.

This time, things went well. David and the people had a wonderful time worshiping the Lord. The ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem where the temple would later be built. There, God’s people would worship him for many generations.

Success! But not perfection. After the worship was finished, David went home to bless his family. His wife, Michal, ridiculed him for his passionate public display of worship. David had been dancing before the Lord with all his might. Michal accused him of making a fool of himself in front of the people. What a disappointment!

David did not let criticism change his mind about worshiping God, even though the criticism came from someone in his own household. He was committed to honoring God with his very best.

This episode in David’s life reveals important truths about seeking and serving God. David learned to honor God on God’s terms. Even though it required him to make adjustments to his original plans. David was committed to passionate public worship, even though it required him to suffer criticism inside his own household.

Let’s worship and serve the Lord with passion this year. Like David, we may sometimes need to make adjustments. And, like David, we may sometimes face criticism. But the Living God who loves us and saves us is worthy of our very best.

Honoring God his way includes participation in regular public worship. And, as New Testament believers, we honor God with the Lord’s Supper. Remembering Jesus’ sacrifice with the bread and the cup is the premier act of worship for Christians.

Honor the Lord his way, passionately!

May we seek to honor God with all that we say, think, and do,

Brother Richard

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December 8, 2023 · 8:31 AM

Windshield, Rear-View Mirror, and Christmas

The windshield and the rear-view mirror are a great team. Every driver needs to see both forward and backward. Christmas is like a combination of windshield and rear-view mirror.

Christmas enables us to look back on things that matter. For many of us, thinking about Christmas in the past is a way of measuring changes in ourselves and in our families.

I remember Christmas as a kid, anxious to open presents and eat candy. Christmas as a young adult, going to parties with friends and coworkers. Christmas as a dad, watching my son open his presents and play with his new toys. Christmas as the years add up, missing family members who have passed away and are now absent from holiday gatherings.

Christmas helps me think about things that happened in my past, reminding me of who I am and where I came from.

Christmas also enables us to look forward. We make plans. We put up the decorations. We purchase presents. We send out cards. We prepare for special times of worship and family gatherings. Christmas Day becomes a focus of anticipation and hope, always moving closer in time. In addition, there’s always another Christmas next year.

This year, Karen and I were planning to go and spend Christmas with my sisters and brother, with our son and his girlfriend, with our family. Christmas plans remind me of who is important to me now, who I want to see and spend time with now and next year.

Christmas is more.

Christmas enables me to look back much further than my own lifetime and to see things much broader than my own personal family and friends. Christmas gives all of us the eyes to look back two thousand years and see God’s personal presence entering our world in a remarkable way, through the birth of Jesus.

Christmas is a marker in time that reminds us about some essential things. God loved us enough to send Jesus. Jesus’ birth was God joining us in history, bringing good news. God has not forgotten or forsaken us despite our disobedience. God cares about us and has deep compassion for us.

Christmas is a reminder that God fulfills his promises. He promised to send a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. He came, just like God promised. So we can believe in God’s promises that are still pending. If God did what he promised on the first Christmas, then God will do what he has promised to do in our future.

God promises to send Jesus again, his Second Coming. The first time Jesus came, he saved us. Next time, he will come to gather us and bring us home to him and to his eternal blessings. Be amazed! Be encouraged! God started something on that first Christmas. He will finish it!

May the Lord give us eyes to see clearly both backward and forward this Christmas,

Brother Richard

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November 4, 2023 · 12:38 PM

My Dad Was A Faithful Man


My dad was Eugene L. Foster, known to most folks as Gene. He was born in 1935 and passed away October 8, just twelve days before his 88th birthday.

My dad was a faithful man. He was faithful to his wife, my mom Barbara. They were married in 1959. They made a life together until she passed away in 2014, fifty-five years. My dad was a widower for nine years, and it was clear that he missed his ‘better half.’

My dad was faithful to his family. Mom and dad kept their arguments private when we were young. Occasionally my siblings and I would be witness to one of their disagreements. Mom used the ‘silent treatment’ on my dad when she was angry. He would sometimes get so upset that he would leave the house. He always returned, but I wondered where he went.

Once, he took me with him. I guess he thought I was old enough to learn the secret of where he went and what he did when he left in a huff. On that occasion, we went and bought French fries at McDonald’s. While we ate them, he told me not to worry about their arguments or his going out to cool down. He promised that he would never leave us. He never did. He stayed with us, even when things got tough.

Once, when money was tight, he was forced to drive a lumber truck. That must have been difficult for someone who spent his life in comfortable offices, wearing business clothes, and working as an accountant. We always had what we needed. He provided for us.

My dad was faithful to his church. He was a member of the same Baptist Church in Euless Texas for more than forty years. He attended faithfully. He served as a deacon. He went on mission trips. He did more than I will ever know.

When Karen and I left Texas to serve at Grace Baptist in Camden, Arkansas, my dad visited us regularly. He and mom both came to see us until she passed away. After a while, I started to notice that dad visited us when the church was having a potluck, or our Sunday school class was going out to eat! But he worshiped with us, too.

Dad also went on mission trips with Grace Baptist. Once, when we were knocking on doors and doing outreach in a community near Memphis, a dog attacked him and bit him on the leg. His injury required a trip to the Emergency Room. I was mortified! I was sure that would be his last mission trip with us. It wasn’t. He took it in stride.

Dad made a lot of friends at Grace Baptist. In fact, the church family in Camden accepted him as an honorary member of Grace. He was encouraged by such love and acceptance, especially after my mom was gone. Dad was blessed to have two church families!

My dad was more than a faithful man. He was a man of faith. More than that, he was a man of the faith, the Christian faith. His trust was in Jesus Christ. His life was filled with service and worship of God and fellowship with other believers.

To all who trust Jesus, God’s word says, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians, 3:20, CSB). As his life in this world was slipping away, my dad was clear about his desire to go and be with his Lord. He wanted to go where his permanent citizenship is. He wanted to go home.

My dad is forever home now. I’m honored and proud to report that he leaves behind the witness of a faithful life.

May God in heaven inspire us to be faithful in all things,

Brother Richard

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October 5, 2023 · 9:43 AM

What Makes God Happy?

God was unhappy. The spiritual leaders of his people had failed. The Lord rebuked them through the prophet Ezekiel. They were not strengthening the weak, healing the sick, bandaging the injured, bringing back the strays, or seeking the lost (Ezekiel 34:4).

The language God used was taken from the world of shepherds and sheep. David’s 23rd Psalm made this comparison famous: “The Lord is my shepherd.” God’s people are his sheep. He protects them, provides for them, and guides them as a shepherd does his flock.

God’s desire for his people is expressed in the list he gave Ezekiel. The Lord wants those who are weak to be strengthened. He wants those who are sick to be healed. The injured must be bandaged. These three actions are related. We could summarize them with these words: Help those who are hurting.

The final two items on the list are also related. Bring back the strays and seek the lost. The strays are those who were formerly in the flock. They have wandered away for some reason. As a result, they are in danger.

This category seems especially relevant in our COVID-altered culture. The stresses and strains of the pandemic scattered many people who were formerly participating with a local church family. As shepherd of the flock, the Lord wants those who are scattered to be gathered. He wants them to be in fellowship again.

Just as surely as sheep need a flock, Christians need a church.

Last on Ezekiel’s list is God’s desire to seek the lost. We can think of the lost as people who have never been part of the Lord’s flock. They have never been eternally saved and adopted into God’s family. The Lord wants them to be found, to be saved. He wants them to hear the good news about salvation by faith in Christ. He wants them to become followers of Jesus.

Jesus exemplified the actions listed in Ezekiel 34:4. He used his miraculous power to help those who were hurting. People came to Jesus by the thousands, bringing friends and family members who were sick. Jesus healed them. He gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, cleansed those with leprosy, and more.

Jesus also brought back the strays and sought the lost. The religious leaders harassed Jesus because he ‘rubbed elbows’ with tax collectors and sinners. He assured them his mission was to those in need of salvation. He came to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus portrayed his mission in pastoral terms. He is like a shepherd who has a hundred sheep and loses one. He leaves the ninety-nine and goes looking for the one lost sheep. He rejoices when he finds it. In the same way, Jesus said, there will be more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who is found than over ninety-nine righteous people who are already saved (Luke 15:1-7).

“I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus said. “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus is fully invested in God’s people. His personal sacrifice on the cross at Calvary proves fully and forever his deep and eternal love for his flock.

It is the wolf who scatters the flock, the Enemy. To this day, our adversary is feverishly working to scatter the flock, to divide believers from their church families, and to keep unbelievers from hearing the gospel.

Jesus has honored his followers with the great task of making disciples of all nations, of all peoples. He has entrusted Christians with God’s mission to gather a people for himself. We gather the lost by proclaiming the good news about salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is our message. He is the Savior. Jesus is our authority. All authority in heaven and on earth is given to him and he has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus is also our power. He promised to be with us even to the end of the age. The Spirit of Christ enables us to successfully carry out the work of seeking the lost.

In a dark world filled with confusion and deception about the meaning and purpose of life, we have the greatest mission, the greatest message, the greatest authority, and the greatest power. Victory awaits us!

May God’s Holy Spirit always inspire us and enable us to seek the lost,

Brother Richard

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September 6, 2023 · 9:19 AM

Need Some Soul Refreshment?

David risked his own life by facing the giant Philistine champion Goliath with a sling and a stone—and with his remarkable faith in God. God gave him the victory. What did David get? King Saul was bitterly jealous and tried to assassinate David.

David played the lyre for Saul when he was tormented by an evil spirit, trying to make him feel better. What did David get? Saul kept throwing his spear at David, trying to kill him.

David served with distinction in the military under Saul’s rule. Time after time he saved the people from their enemies. What did David get? Saul’s assassination attempts got so dangerous that David was forced to flee. He lived in the wilderness, moving from place to place, trying to stay one step ahead of Saul’s relentless pursuit.

Saul’s hatred for David was deadly. The jealous king believed the priests at Nob were assisting David, so he had them slaughtered and their city destroyed. David knew that all those who were sympathetic with him were in danger from Saul’s irrational violent acts.

The pressure on David must have been enormous. The temptation to doubt God must have been ever-present. How long can a person live under intense stress? Even someone as strong as David needs a break now and then.

On one occasion, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men. Suddenly, Saul was called away to go and fight the Philistines. A coincidence? Hardly. God’s providence at work! Not only did God’s invisible hand remove Saul for a while, but David just happened to be near a place called En-gedi (1 Samuel 23:29).

En-gedi is notable because it is a beautiful oasis near the western shore of the Dead Sea. After all their running and hiding in wilderness strongholds, what a refreshing change it must have been for David and his men to spend time at an oasis. Abundant springs of water. Lush trees and fragrant plant life. And their enemy Saul was kept busy with the Philistines.

Finally, a precious moment of rest.

We may sometimes experience times of great stress. Our faith in the Lord may waver and wobble. We may grow tired and weary, worn and wanting. We need a break. Even Jesus occasionally retreated from the crowds and his teaching and healing ministries. In his humanity, he needed to be recharged.

Watch for the opportunities God makes available to you. His invisible hand is always at work. Sometimes he distracts our enemies, giving us rest from the battle. Sometimes he brings us to a spiritual oasis, giving us refreshing for our souls. We need these times and God is good to provide them.

After all, the Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not want!

May the Lord protect us and lead us to places of beauty and refreshment,

Brother Richard

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August 2, 2023 · 10:48 AM

God’s Early Warning System

Nobody likes bad news. On the other hand, nobody wants to miss an important warning about impending danger.

In the ancient world, cities were surrounded by sturdy walls. They offered protection for citizens from hostile enemies. During the day, however, many people had to leave the safety of the walls and work in the fields. Some people lived outside the walls. They were vulnerable if an army attacked.

The watchman had a vital duty. He stood on the wall and kept an eye out for threats. If he saw an enemy army approaching, he blew the horn to warn everyone so they could take the appropriate actions.

If someone working in the fields heard the horn and failed to run for safety inside the city walls, then he had nobody to blame but himself. The watchman had done his job and given him the chance to avoid death or capture at the hands of the enemy.

The Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel was appointed by God as a watchman for his people. He was a spiritual watchman. Instead of blowing a horn, he was to speak the word of the Lord. When the people were in danger of God’s judgment, Ezekiel spoke in the name of the Lord and warned them to take the appropriate action.

The appropriate action for the people of Ezekiel’s day was to stop disobeying God. They were to trust and obey the Lord. If they refused, they would suffer the consequences of God’s judgments.

Jesus was a faithful watchman, warning those who heard him to repent because God’s kingdom had drawn near. Jesus did not hold back. He warned about eternal weeping in outer darkness for those who refused to seek safety in God’s grace and salvation.

His early followers were also faithful messengers of God’s word. They called on everyone to be saved from the judgment to come. Not everyone responded positively, but many did.

For nearly two thousand years, the church has been God’s watchman, warning people to find safety within the walls of God’s grace. Now it is our turn to be faithful in our generation. We are the ones entrusted with this vital mission.

It’s true that people don’t like to hear bad news. The church is accused of being too negative with its ‘fire-and-brimstone’ message. Should we ‘soften’ the message? make it easier for people to hear and accept?

When Ezekiel spoke to the people, he often included the words, “this is the declaration of the Lord God.” He boldly proclaimed the unedited words of the Lord. We must also be true to the word God has given us. The gospel is clear, those who do not trust in God’s Son Jesus will perish. Those who do trust will have eternal life.

In the ancient world, if the watchman failed to blow the trumpet when danger approached, he was held accountable for the lives that were lost. Ezekiel was warned by God that he would be held accountable if he did not faithfully report to the people all that the Lord gave him to say.

We, too, are responsible to our Lord for being faithful with the gospel message. Like Ezekiel, we are not responsible for those who refuse to listen. Nevertheless, I hope we are moved by compassion to continue praying and to continue looking for every opportunity to persuade everyone we can to find safety in God’s salvation.

May the Lord inspire us and enable us to be faithful with his words,

Brother Richard

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