A Word about the No-Win Scenario

Today I want to share a word about the no-win scenario, as I comment on Psalm 71:1-6.

That passage reads: 

In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.

When There Are No Good Options:

Have you ever considered what you will do when the day comes that there are no good options? When you face what Star Trek’s Captain Kirk called a “no-win scenario?”

In the modern world, we have come to expect there to always be a way out of a crisis situation. In times past, we relied on family and on our own skills to work our way out of a jam. In modern times we have often turned to our government, the most powerful and affluent in the world, to help us when things go bad. And, up to now, for most of us, these sources of help have come through. 

But, what if they can’t? Even if they wanted to, the day may come, sooner rather than later, when those earthly sources of help may not be enough. When that day comes, what will we do?

I don’t know, to be honest, but I do know what four U.S. Army chaplains did when they faced that day.

The Four Chaplains:

During the Second World War, the S.S. Dorchester was steaming in a convoy from Newfoundland to Greenland on the night of February 2 & 3, 1943. The former passenger liner had been commandeered for use as a troopship, and 902 souls were on board when the German submarine U-233 torpedoed her with less than 150 miles to go on her journey.

It was bedlam aboard the sinking ship. Many Soldiers were unable to find their life jackets, and others were forced to flee the rush of incoming water without coats or gloves on that freezing winter’s night. Some of the troops began to panic, but four U.S. Army chaplains, George Fox, Alexander Goode, John Washington, and Clark Poling offered them hope and encouragement.

The four chaplains gave away their life jackets and gloves. They sang hymns and said prayers. As the ship went down, they were seen with linked arms, praying as the water overtook them.

How could these men sacrifice so much and be so brave? They knew God and trusted Him above all.

Security is in Knowing God:

We may never have a “come to Jesus” moment like occurred on the S.S. Dorchester. 

We may never have to decide if our faith is strong enough to give away our life jacket. 

We may never go down with a ship as a martyr. 

We all, however, unless Jesus comes, will face the day that our own mortality will be realized. Even more frightening is the fact that such a day may come for a loved one, or some other calamity will beset one whom we love but whom we cannot help. What will we do then?

The thing we must do is to follow the model of the Psalmist did and say, with gratitude, “In you, O LORD, I take refuge.”

We should not live in dread, but we do need to be realistic. One day, like the pilots of a crashing plane we will “run out of speed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time." When we do, we will face the same decision as faced the Four Chaplains 79 years ago. The good thing for us is that in those intervening decades, their God, and ours’s,  has not changed.

A No-Win Scenario?

Star Trek’s Captain Kirk did not believe in the no-win scenario. The good news is that our God doesn’t either, and neither do we, as long as with the Psalmist we say, “In you, O LORD, I take refuge.”

When we face the day when we have no options, because God is our refuge, we, too, can sing hymns. Let me suggest the one that says,

“I know whom I have believed,

and I'm persuaded that He is able 

to keep that which I've committed 

unto Him against that day!”

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Ignorance is not Bliss

 

Today I want to share a word about Ignorance Is Not Bliss, as I comment on Nehemiah 8:1—3 and 8-10. This Scripture reads: 

All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You:

An old saying goes, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” Sadly, that statement is more of a wish than it is a fact. Often times what you don’t know can cause you many problems. I found this out years ago when I was a young officer in the U.S. Army, Let me explain:

At the time this incident happened, I was a Military Police lieutenant, and I was working as the duty officer for the midnight shift. My duty day ended at 7:00am, and then I would go home and go to sleep so that I could get up in time to spend the evening with my wife before reporting for duty at 11:00pm that same day. It was the day after my last night of a three-night tour as duty officer, and I was tired. I slept like a log!

The problem was that just after I left the installation to drive home, an unannounced inspection of my unit took place. I was home sleeping like a dead man while my phone in my living room rang off the hook! When I finally heard it ringing and got u to answer it, one of my squad leaders was on the other end of the line. “Hey sir,” he said. “You’re sleeping through our surprise inspection!”

I just shook my head, climbed back into my uniform, and headed off to the base. It was all over but the shouting by the time I got there, and even though I had a reason for not showing up, that did not ingratiate me at all with my commander, who, to tell the truth, didn’t really like me much in any case. 

What I didn’t know may not have hurt me, but it didn’t help me, and it was awkward, to say the least!

Ignorance is Not Bliss:

By the time Nehemiah had journeyed to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city Ezra the High  the priest had also returned from exile in Babylon. While Nehemiah was primarily concerned about the defenses of the city, Ezra was concerned about the spiritual condition of the Jews there. Their interests merged at the time when the new walls were dedicated to God. Ezra was asked to bring out the Word of God and to read it to the people. He did so, and not only did he read it, but he also explained it.

When the Children of Israel heard the Word, they were shattered. They wept because they had sinned against God. They did not know God’s standards and His intent, because they had not read God’s Word. What they didn’t know was hurting them. Now they had a choice to make.

They could choose to go on living as they had before. They could go on ignoring God’s Word and His Ways. They could continue to live in their sin, and suffer the consequences of it.

On the other hand, they could choose to hear and obey God’s Word. They could make a decision of their will and repent of their wicked ways. They could follow the Word now that they knew it.

What would they do?

 Bliss is Knowing God:

Ezra, Nehemiah, and other leaders in Israel knew God. They knew that God loved His people and that He had allowed them to rebuild their city. They also knew that God was gracious to allow them to hear God’s Word and understand His Way. From their perspective, repentance was a good thing!

So the leaders of Israel told the people to wipe their tears and to celebrate the God that loved them. Instead of hiding in shame, or running away in fear, they should enjoy their revived and refreshed relationship with their God. They should rest in the knowledge that their God is a loving God and one who forgives the repentant sinner.

Conclusion:

A true saying that I learned is the Army is that “Bad news does not get better with age!” We need to take a hard and realistic look at our lives. We need to compare our lives to the revealed Will of God as found in His Holy Word. Instead of ignoring the difference, we need to embrace it, to repent of it, and to turn to God for His forgiveness and Him to rebuild our lives.

Thank God today for His love and care for us in that God that He gives us the bad news to turn us toward the Good News. Let’s yield our lives to God and learn to follow His Word and His Way, and to receive His glorious blessings!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Distinction that Makes a Difference

 

Today I want to share a word about the distinction that makes a difference, as I comment on Psalm 36:5-10.

This Scripture reads: 

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

The Distinction that Makes a Difference:

Human have many different ways of saying the same thing. For example:

“Six of one and half a dozen of another.”

“Lead, guide, and direct . . .”

“Working mother”

“Am I right, or am I right?”

“A nod is as good as a wink”

“Two sides of the same coin”

“Its the same difference”

We call these types of comments, “distinctions without a difference.” In Psalm 36, the Psalmist, however, was making a clear distinction between the wicked, whom he described in verses 1-4, and God, whom He exalts in verses 5-10. The qualities of God that the Psalmist made his focus are still active on our lives today.

The Extent of the Difference:

It is easy to see that the Psalmist is trying to describe a God whose difference from frail, fragile, and fault-filled humanity is unlimited. It is as high as the sky and as deep as the bottom of the ocean. It is as rugged and imposing as mountains, and it includes all creatures. God is just . . . different! Greater! Higher! Better!

People struggle with getting the right balance in our relationship to God. For some of us, God is our best friend and we expect Him to be as understanding of our failures as a close friend. For others, God is an awe-inspiring terror who is all-righteous, almighty, and all controlling. The truth is He is both and neither at the same time.

God is just so great and mighty and so far above us our words fail us when we try to describe Him. The Psalmist did well in this passage, but even he could not do God justice. One point is driven home however. God is different! Wow, is He different!

The Quality of the Difference:

As we stand in awe of God and how different He is from us, we would have every right to be afraid. Humans often shy away from something with which they are not familiar or which they do not understand. The blessing for us, then, is that difference we find in God is not just overwhelmingly huge, it also has the quality of love.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 that greatness without love is useless:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

The good news for us is that, like John told us, “God is Love.” The Psalmist expressed that love in a number of vibrant word pictures that showed us the quality of love God has for His people. His love is as great as the difference is between Himself and humanity. As Paul also said, God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” What an encouraging thought in difficult times!

The Endurance of the Difference:

The Psalmist concluded this passage by making the point that, not only is the difference great, and not only is the difference a blessing, the difference is also continuous. God will continue to love His people with a great and mighty, life altering love.

I have always preached with notes, and in recent years I have begun to take a tablet into the pulpit instead of paper notes. I always have a tablet with me, so there is no need to print notes which will be discarded after the sermon is preached. The one thing I have to remember to do, however, is to make sure the screen of my tablet doesn’t shut itself off in the middle of a sermon. I need my tablet screen to  display my notes continually during a sermon. Otherwise, I may lose my place and it can get ugly.

It is a good thing for us that God’s love never switches itself off and neither does it have an expiration date. The Psalmist knew this, and he encouraged God’s people to trust Him and rely upon Him for He is trustworthy. Today we can claim the promise that Jesus gave the Disciples, “Lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” God is with us for the long haul and we can rest in Him!

Conclusion:

The Psalmist fell over himself trying to describe how God is different than wicked humanity. He did well, but because he, too, is human, his words fall short of God’s true glory. 

As great and wonderful as the Psalmist said God is, the amazing thing is that God is even greater. What that means for us is that God is willing, able, and qualified to bless us beyond measure, and He will never stop loving us. 

Thank God today for His love and care in our lives. Learn to rest in Him and receive His glorious blessings!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Getting More than you Bargained For

 

Today I want to share a word about getting more than you bargained for, as I comment on Luke 3:15-17 and 21-22:

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR:

Sometimes we get more than we bargained for. I remember once when Teddy, our Chocolate Labrador, was a puppy and he decided to get in the face of Oreo, one of our momma goats, barking as dogs do when they want to intimidate another animal. He discovered that he'd made a mistake when she, as goats do, launched herself at him, horns and head first. Teddy boy was knocked sideways for several feet, and after that he decided to leave Oreo alone. 

I have to believe that the people who gathered at the river to inquire of John about Messiah had no idea what they were about to hear and see. From the time of Adam and Eve, people have been caught off guard by God again, and again, and again. It seems to me that the Baptism of Jesus was one of those occasions.

MORE THAN JOHN:

John was a remarkable man with a remarkable ministry. His birth, too, was eagerly awaited and involved the Hand of God, but John was not the Messiah. The people there on the riverbank that day may not have been ready to hear John say that, since they had been so blessed by his ministry, so he gave them two concrete examples of the superiority of the real Messiah.

First, the Messiah would give people spiritual power by sending God’s Spirit upon them. People, as a species, are talented, but we are spiritually weak and addicted to our sin. Power from the Messiah is the only hope humanity has to overcome their fragility. John could only call them to repentance, but the Messiah would give them power to live for God.

Second, John was a mere mortal. As dynamic a preacher as he was, and as much as he denied himself to serve God, he was just like everyone else gathered at the river that day. Like them, he knew that his righteousness was like filthy rags as compared to the Messiah. He was, like them, a sinner in need of a Savior.

The people gathered at the river knew John, and they followed John, but John was not enough. They, too needed a Savior, a Savior that John was not and could never be.

MORE THAN A MIRACLE WORKER:

One part of this passage that we often overlook is John’s description of Jesus as farmer who separates the wheat from the tares. Because the Messiah is righteous, He has the authority to do this. Because the Messiah is spiritually powerful, He has the ability to do this. Because He was responsible to His Father, He had the responsibility to do this.

Many people came to Jesus during His ministry seeking a miracle as entertainment or to resolve a crisis sin their lives. Jesus did help people, but His priority was not to heal physical wounds, but to heal spiritual wounds. His priority was not to make our lives more comfortable, but to transform them and make them new. This requires a spiritual winnowing that can be compared to the way a farmer discards the tares but retains the wheat or how a smith refines silver by burning away the dross.

The Messiah was more than a miracle worker; He was a purifying agent for sinful humanity.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE:

When Jesus came to John for Baptism, other passages of Scripture record that the crowd paid no attention to Him. He appeared to be an ordinary Jewish man, with nothing visible to mark Him as different, as Holy.

Only John recognized Him and the tried to prevent Jesus from being Baptized, because he knew Jesus had no reason to repent. Jesus, however, knew that there was more than one reason to be baptized. He needed to be obedient to His Father and to fulfill all righteousness. 

When Jesus came up from the water, God the Father affirmed Him visibly and audibly. It must have been an amazing event!

Those who took Jesus for granted did so at their own peril. He was so much more than what could be seen and the same is still true today!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt