The Fountain of Youth

In 1513 a man by the name of Juan Ponce de Leon began a search for a treasure that promised riches beyond the wildest imagination of man. With unmatched pride, he set out with the expectation of finding the fountain of youth - drinking from which would ensure eternal life to its finder. With a following of over 200 of Spain's finest conquistadors, Leon toured the Carribean coast in order to find this mythical treasure, and for years he searched lands that had previously never been explored by any European people. In his frantic search for the fountain, Leon eventually stumbled upon the land we know today as Florida. Although many regarded this as a major success, it just wasn't enough for Leon. Stepping away from the history lesson (as this isn't in any history books), I like to think about how many times Leon bent down to drink from a stream or river thinking that he had finally found the fountain. Even into his last days I can assure you that Leon had thoughts lingering in the back of his mind about the fountain of youth. Juan Ponce de Leon died in 1521 at the age of 46. He did not find what he was looking for.

Often times when I read a Psalm like the one we're going to read this week, I find myself point my fingers at "sinners" - people that make me feel like my life is in check. People that I choose to instrumentally make me feel a little more like Jesus Christ. Sadly, I'm not the only one. After reading this Psalm, I came to realize that these same sinners are no different than Leon - they are looking for something that they cannot find. They are bending down and drinking of the fountains that are offered in this world only to find that they promise nothing. Rather than life, they bring death. It was Jesus who said, "whoever drinks of the water I give will never thirst - the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). We have found the fountain of life - one that rests in Jesus Christ. For me, reading this Psalm helped me realize that these "convicting" Psalms are not about pointing fingers as much as they are about helping people find the fountain of life. Psalm 36




Verses 1-4 It doesn't take much to realize that this section is talking about people living apart from the will of God - outside of the family of grace and love in Jesus Christ. This section talks of sinners. People who live their lives for themselves pursuing the lusts for every type of sin imaginable. This is the part in the Psalm when it becomes easy to detach ourselves and begin to pick on the sinner. Problem is - this section is as much about us as it is about the "worst" sinner in the entire world. We are the wicked. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of perfection. Psalm 58:3 is even a little more up front, telling us that we are wicked from the womb - we are born sinners. The only difference between us and most of the world is that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Does that make us better? Not necessarily, but it does tell us that we have found something that the entire world is looking for (whether they know it or not). Just think about a time you struggled with sin - where you felt distant from God's presence. That's where most people spend the entirety of their lives. Rather than pointing fingers, we can show are friends, relatives, and class mates that we have found happiness, joy, and contentment in the love of God the Father.

Verses 5-10 This is the dividing point - where we as Christians have become separate from the entire world - to live in it but not of it. What act did you do that made you worthy to be called a son or daughter of Christ? What aspect of your life makes you worthy of the kingdom of God? Nothing ... nothing but the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-10 is an excellent passage that talks about God's grace in the context of the fact that he would have none perish. Once again, we were born sinners - we were born unworthy, but our God is rich in mercy and love. Our God is jealous for us, so he sent his only son to die on a cross as a payment for our sins. That we may freely enter into his presence. You didn't do anything to do it. You did nothing to earn it. As much as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses would teach it otherwise, your works are but filthy rags before the Father (Isaiah 64:6). King David wrote knowing that the heart of our God was one filled with grace and compassion. How can you impress an infinite God? You can't. How can you know that an infinite God love you? By looking at the work he has done in Jesus Christ. Verse 9 talks of the fountain of life as well as "the light." Jesus once said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Also, think about the previous verse in which Jesus promises living water. It is in Christ and Christ alone that we have found eternal life.

When the world searches and searches
for the fountain of youth, know that
you have found it in Jesus Christ.

- Chris

Psalm 35 - The Anatomy of Justice

When I was young I never thought that God wanted to hear my problems. I never believed that my pains and my aches were any of his concern, that He had much better things to do. I thought that maybe God was too busy for me and that's why he gave me parents. Fortunately, I was wrong as we'll see. 1 Peter 5:7 says that we are free to "cast our cares" upon God, frankly becasue he cares. In second grade, I remember having a bully who was four grades ahead of me and a lifetime of growing beyond me in size - he was huge. Anyway, I remember when my five foot mama heard about this during our car ride home - she was furious and drove me straight back to school to take care of business. She confronted the boy that was actually probably bigger than she was, but the young man quaked in fear. I don't even know what she said, but the boy never bothered me ever again - simple, swift justice. Now, you might be thinking - Chris, you just told me that God wants to deal with my frustrtations and my worries so why doesn't God take care of my "bullies" in life like your mom took care of yours? Great question. Although God is a just God, His timing is specific - allowing people like you and me to have a chance to understand his love in Christ Jesus. God is just, but God is also love. Because its frustrating anc confusing at times, today we get to study the anatomy of God's justice - Psalms 35



Verses 1-9 King David seems to spend a lot of time in the Pslams talking about his enemies and his afflictions - which seems weird as the Psalms is generally looked at as a book of praise songs. Anyway, this section of the chapter is devoted to David voicing his concerns and his desire for revenge, but he wrote it in a poetic pslam - weird. David is probably one of the few men to ever walk the Earth that understood our first postulate in the anatomy of God's justice - "God is no slack concerning his promises" (2 Peter 3:9). I could recite that verse over and over, but I think my heart is set on a scope of instant justice. In a world with microwaves, airplanes, text messaging, and all the other modern ammenities, it's easy to become impatient with God. When something crummy happens, we wonder why God doesn't just get to business. When a jerk shoves us into a locker at school, we wonder why God doesn't consume Him with righteous flames. When someone cuts me off on the freeway, I always with that I had the ability to pop their tires with a simple prayer, but such is not the case. One of the biggest problems with our understanding of God is that he is not on the same time scale that we are in. When we consider God's work to be too late or too early, He acts precisely when He means to. When God makes a promise to avenge us and to judge the wicked, he will follow through (Rev.). In verse 9, after pleading his case, David is joyful as he truly understands God's timing in regards to justice. The first important aspect of God's form of justice (backed by an infinite amount of wisdom) is that it is timed precisely perfectly.

Verses 9-21 Even though nothing has happened in regards to finding justice, David says that he will rejoice in God. One of the major concepts I struggle with personally is the idea that bad people get away with what they do. Sure, they pay the consequences of their actions, but most of the time, in my humble opinion, they reap a far less "punishment" than they deserve. Even more so, there are people in the world who prosper off of their evil - how is that fair? How can God let this happen? In the Old Testament, there is a book named after a prophet named Habakkuk. In this book are the complaints are a very disgruntled man. As Habakkuk looks at the world, he cries out for God's justice to sweep throughout the world so that all the evil men would die. In Habakkuk's opinion, God was being trampled on. He was being disrespected. King David shows us an interesting aspect about God's seemingly "delayed" punishment for evil. Galatians 6:7 tells us that God is not mocked. That means in God knows what is happening and he has a plan. The verse continues to say that a man will reap what he sows - both physically and eternally. Hebrews 10:29-30 tells us that those who trample on the name of Jesus Christ will be trampled on in return. King David is able to rejoice in the understanding that God has already won. There is no one like our God - no one that can match his power. So why should he wait? Why shouldn't he just show us his victory now by taking out evil once and for all? Well ... that is because God's love is unmatched as well.

Verses 22-28 At the end of all things, we know that evil will not stand. There will come a day where all in the world that is wrong and spiritually numbing will be washed away; that there will come a day when Jesus Christ returns to claim his bride (the church) and destroy all those who tried to corrupt her. Deuteronomy 32:35 (as well as Hebrews 10:30 & Revelation 12:19) tells us that vengeance is God's and not ours. King David was a man filled with joy - known for music, his outbursts in dance, and his life of praise. David understood that it was not his job to take care of his troubles - that he was not in charge of keeping evil in check. What a relief - to know that God is in control. Know that God is in control with good reason. If I were in charge of destroying evil ... a lot of people would be dead ... including people who need to hear the love story of Jesus Christ. Reading the second part of 2 Peter 3:9, it becomes clear that God's primary objective is not too kill all that is evil, but to weed out even the smallest portion of good that exists in mankind. God's wish is that all would come to know the redemption He has provided in His son as a sacrifice. Why does it seem like God is taking a lifetime to do business? Why does it seems sometimes like He's turning a blind eye to the evil that plagues this world? It's because he's giving our lost brothers and sisters a chance to come back home. The anatomy of God's justice is preceded by the potency of His love.


- Chris

Psalm 34 - Surviving Finals Week

Well, it's been quite a while, but I'm glad we got back into this when we did. This week [or next week], as some of you might know, is finals week. We all know how stressful finals can be, how boring studying is, and how frightening it is awaiting the outcome of our grades. On the other hand, the title of this weeks Psalm, at least in my Bible, is "Happiness of Those Who Trust in God." No matter what aspect of life you look at, the stress that amounts to it can never be compared to the peace that we have found in Jesus Christ. This week, we look at a few things that king David did to make sure that he stayed focused on God rather than the worries of this world. Psalm 34




Verses 1-3 One of my least favorite parts of finals week is hearing the complaints that come out of peoples mouths. I know that I am just a guilty, but every year, without fail, there are always people wandering the campus ranting about how they are going to "fail" their classes. I love king David ... he is way too awesome sometimes. The first step, in my humble opinion, to finding peace in Christ is to recognize that His praise always deserves to be on your lips. Think of what God has done for you - the list is, not surprisingly, endless. Now think on the other hand, what God asks from you. I'm so glad that our God is not a God that demands perfection. On the contrary, God is more concerned with the effort you put forth. Knowing that none would ever attain perfection, Paul constantly talked about "the race" in the New Testament. God knows that all of his sheep are failures ... sounds kinda sad right? WRONG! God adores His sheep. He is jealous for His sheep. God knows what you are capable of and fully understands your capability. It really is marvelous. 1 Peter 5:7 says to cast all of your cares upon Him for He cares for you. Your complaints are not to be shouted from the rooftops - rather your worries are to go to God. Now that he has taken the words right out of our mouths, all that is left is praise. First lesson of the week - get rid of all your worthless mumbo-jumbo and lift up the Lord in praise and adoration. How much better would this world be if Christians as a whole stopped talking of their personal sorrows and began speaking the wonders of our maker. Let the praise of the Lord always be on your lips.

Verse 8 I think often, when it comes to the youth, there is this feeling that God is for old people. That you can only be a real Christian later in life when your married, have kids that have kids (grandkids), and you're roughly 3-4 years away from dying. This is not so. I think this thought process comes from this problem that youth are not "tasting" the fruits of the Lord. Growing up, there were foods that I did not want to eat, but my friends or parents insisted - "It's good." Today, cheesecake is my favorite desert thanks to my dad ... just saying. I urge you to do the same thing - taste and see that the Lord is good. Maybe the previous paragraph was a little difficult to swallow. Maybe there have been times in your life that your thinking about that seem to be much more than God can deal with. I promise you - taste and see that the Lord is good. Let his praise be on your lips - see what that does. Get up early and read your Bible - see how your day changes. Lesson number two - taste and see that God truly is who he says he is. Find the peace in Him that he promises.


Verses 13-16 Lastly, and I'll be quick on this one, is to stray from evil. At the beginning, we talked about the "negative nancy" people that always like to complain and grumble. Let me be the first to tell you that God's children are not grumblers. Keep your tongue from evil - whether its inappropriate words, or more so, grumbling and complaining. Why? Why does it matter? God's eyes are fixed on the righteous - those who are praising him. Lesson 3 - "Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it!"


The end.
- Christopher