Enabled to Stand

It all started like a regular day at church:  there was prayer, fellowship, and giving.  Things changed after a large financial gift was presented to the church leadership.  Instead of commendation, blessing, and acknowledgement, there was rebuke.  It was divinely revealed the man had only given a portion of what he claimed, and suddenly he fell down dead.  This was a day at church no one would ever forget, and three hours later it became even more crazy when the wife of the man also fell down dead in the congregation for lying to God.  This is a true story, and you can read about the demise of Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts chapter 5.

The Bible says great fear came upon all those who heard these things, and the wise today still take notice.  After teaching this portion of scripture at church this weekend, I put myself in the place of a congregant in the church in Jerusalem.  How would I felt to see these sudden deaths for lying to the Holy Spirit?  Then I started thinking, what if something like this happened in church today?  What would be your response if this happened in your church on Sunday?  What would you tell your children who were eye-witnesses?  Would you keep going to that church, would you look for other church options, or would you quit going to church altogether?  Though the early church met from house to house, there was only one "Christian" church option in Jerusalem.  How might have this display of power affected you or your worship?

I cannot speak for you, but seeing Ananias and Sapphira fall down dead would not have put me off following Jesus or gathering to worship in Jerusalem.  The word of knowledge through Peter, the discernment provided by the Holy Spirit, and the power over life and death proved the presence of God was there.  As a lover of God, where else would you go?  Wonders, healings, and deliverance from evil spirits continued in the name of Jesus Christ by the apostles and believers, and people were added to the church continually.  Why?  Jesus alone has the words of life and only through faith in Jesus is forgiveness and salvation.  The God who kills can also make alive, and all who have been born again through the Gospel can rely upon the goodness, mercy, and grace of God forever.

It would not be long before persecution scattered the true church in Jerusalem across the globe.  New churches united in the name of Jesus sprang up in every place, having been grafted into the body of Christ.  Today we have the benefit of various expressions of faith and fellowship in Jesus Christ, and like nomads many believers drift from fellowship to fellowship looking for something.  If the words of life - the teaching of the Word of God - are absent, it should be no surprise if the power and presence of God is quiet.  Praise the LORD Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to fill every Christian, and even in a church gathering some might classify as "dead" there is new life ready to spring forth.  Let us be as those in the early church, brave pioneers who were glad to continue meeting even when people fell beside them.  Followers of Jesus can say with assurance, "A thousand may fall at my side but it will not come near me." (from Ps. 91:7)  As God enables us to stand, may we do so in purity, holiness, righteousness, and power.

The God Who Is

God is not like a person who conveys, "Do as I say but not as I do."  He is not like a parent who needs to apologise after doing or saying something they forbid of their children.  He is utterly consistent in His righteousness and purity.  His holiness reaches infinitely beyond our ability to ascertain, and He says truly of Himself:  "I am the LORD; I change not."

Romans 1:31 sums up the condition of a sinner worthy of death with five words which are the antithesis of the of character of God:  "undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful."  Having established His throne on righteousness, God is the source and sustainer of all life.  God is discerning, knowing all things.  He is absolutely trustworthy for He cannot tell a lie.  God is loving, demonstrating this reality by sending Jesus Christ to save sinners.  He is forgiving, a quality not found in men who nurse grudges and remember wrongs done against them.  He also delights to show mercy because He is merciful.  This is the God who was, is, and is to come.  He is our Creator and divine sovereign who is worthy to be worshipped and praised.

Though we have all been undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful, we sinners can be born again and sanctified by the grace of God.  The wickedness which marked our lives we cannot undo, yet God can make us new with a clean slate.  Because of the Holy Spirit who indwells us, our thoughts, motives, and ability to perceive spiritual truth begins to align more with His.  Naturally in us there is no good thing (Romans 7:18), and thus any attribute deemed good has been gifted by God to us.  How we need Him, and may we do more than appreciate Him:  let us praise Him, exalt Him, and honour Him now and forever.

Eyes Open to See

"And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

2 Kings 6:17

It seemed like a hopeless situation:  the Syrian army surrounded the city of Dothan to bring Elisha to the king.  When the servant of Elisha saw they were surrounded by this great force he was overwhelmed.  He said, "Alas my master!  How shall we do?"  "Alas" is a word used to express pity, grief, or concern.  The servant of Elisha realised he and the inhabitants of the city were out of their depth given the tenuous situation, and given the circumstances it is likely most people would have panicked.

The perspective of Elisha was quite different than his servant.  Elisha didn't ask what they should do because he knew something his servant did not:  they were not alone or forsaken.  God was with them and had the situation completely in hand.  He said in 2 Kings 6:16, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  Elisha asked God to open the eyes of his servant, and then he was divinely enabled to see the Syrian army was completely surrounded by horses and chariots of fire.  God could have laid waste to His enemies in a moment, yet He would have them live.  When the Syrians came to arrest Elisha they were struck blind and he led them to Samaria.  After feeding them he sent them on their way.

I wonder how many times we are lamenting an overwhelming situation like Elisha's servant when Jesus our Master has everything in hand?  How often have we been afraid because our eyes have been closed to God's promises and presence in our lives?  Walking by sight things seem impossible, yet with God all things are possible.  He has all knowledge and power at His disposal, and He is gracious to deliver and save.  This passage shows even those who rise up against God and His people benefit from His grace.  May God open our eyes to see we are never alone and can have complete confidence in the God who sees and knows all.

It is a little thing for Christians to perceive potential danger or opposition rising against us.  It is obvious we live in a world where there is great animosity against God and His people.  Those who know God and whose eyes have been opened to see remember those who are with us are more than those who are with them.  Elisha and his servant were two among countless foes, yet because God was with them they were the far stronger side.  Praise the LORD for this!

A Presence Regarded

Have you ever received a call you declined to take because it was a "private" number?  In the old days people would "screen" their calls by listening to the caller speak on their answering machine in real time:  if they wanted to take the call, they could.  But if it was a caller they would rather not talk to at the moment (or ever!), the machine ran interference.

This morning I read a passage which showed similar to how we screen calls, God in a sense screens prayers.  Those who do not fear or regard Him do not have the access and immediate response He gladly gives to those who trust and obey Him.  The situation is described in 2 Kings 3 when the king of Moab rebelled against Jehoram king of Israel.  Jehoram enlisted the aid of king Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom.  Of the three only Jehoshaphat feared the LORD.  When Jehoram blamed God for dooming their mission, Jehoshaphat suggested they inquire of the LORD and Elisha the prophet was summoned.

2 Kings 3:13-14 reads, "Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab." ¹⁴ And Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you."  Elisha the prophet was a man who spoke for God, and idolatrous Jehoram nor the king of Edom were deemed worthy of an audience.  The presence of Jehoshaphat, on the other hand, was regarded by God.  Access to the glorious presence of the LORD cannot be earned but is happily granted by God to all who trust in Him.  The cries of the humble will be heard and answered by the Almighty God of Israel.

God was gracious to respond to the inquiry of Jehoshaphat in spite of the kings who he sat beside.  God's grace is even greater magnified by God's answer and action which would benefit them all by giving their cattle water and smiting the Moabites before them.  The requests of unbelievers went straight into the spam folder, but God honoured the presence of Jehoshaphat as a son in whom He was well pleased.  Who would you rather be:  to be one whose presence God regards or to be one He will not look at or see?  Do you want your prayers to be screened and silenced or to be likened to a call God immediately takes at any hour of day or night?  Those who regard God's presence will be gladly regarded by Him.

God, A Consuming Fire

Placing our faith in God ought to change our perspective.  If we believe God created all things seen and unseen, if everything has been made by Him which has been made, then He has authority and control over it all.  Things which appear impossible to us are possible with God, and insurmountable obstacles for us are no hindrance at all to our great God.  Every man and woman of God can be assured of God's protection, help, and power in every situation of life.

I was reminded today of when king Ahaziah sent a captain and his 50 to arrest Elijah and bring him before the king.  The backstory is the injured king had sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub (god of Ekron) if he would recover.  God took exception to this and sent a message by Elijah to condemn the king's act and inform him he would not recover but die.  The king was not pleased with God or Elijah speaking to him in this manner.  2 Kings 1:9-10 says, "Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: "Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down!' " ¹⁰ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty."

The captain addressed Elijah as "Man of God," and given the situation this is most ironic.  If Elijah truly was a man of God, then there was indeed a God in Israel.  And if there is a God in Israel, why didn't the King inquire of Him - the One who was revealed to Amaziah's father Ahab and all Israel through Elijah calling fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice on Mount Carmel?  God's wisdom and insight was displayed in knowing when, where, and why Amaziah sent messengers.  Why didn't Amaziah honour God?  It seems Amaziah had forgotten that at the request of Elijah rain did not fall in Israel for three and a half years, and at his request God caused the rain to fall in torrents.  Since the king nor his men feared God, God gave the king an awesome display of His power by consuming his captain and fifty men in fire.

Undeterred, Amaziah sent a second captain with his 50 to Elijah, demanding he go with them.  Can you guess what happened?  They too were consumed with fire from heaven as the previous group.  Amaziah stubbornly sent a third group to fetch Elijah, but the demeanour of the captain was different than the previous two.  2 Kings 1:13-15 reads, "Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: "Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. ¹⁴ Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight." ¹⁵ And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king."  The third captain went in obedience to his master, but he came humbly before Elijah and his God.  He begged for his life, acknowledging what God had done to the previous captains and their fifties.  God responded graciously by sparing the captain and his 50 and guided Elijah to go with the men without fear.

How fitting it is for us to acknowledge all God has done and humble ourselves before Him!  God already knew why the third captain had come and the orders he had been given by Amaziah.  The God who can withhold rain and cause fire to fall from heaven is worthy of honour and greatly to be feared.  Imagine a man demanding anything of God!  Are we in any position to make demands of God or to think we must inform Him of what is going on as if He didn't know?  What do we know?  As men and women of God we ought not to think it is our place to call fire down from heaven upon others, even upon those who hate or oppose God.  When the disciples James and John suggested they do this upon Samaritans who did not receive Jesus Luke 9:55-56 states, "But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. ⁵⁶ For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village."

It is not for man to avenge himself or even to try to avenge God's honour, as if God needed any assistance from man to do so.  God has said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay."  He is King and will execute justice and judgment in the earth.  God's heart of love is seen in Christ who came to save lives, not destroy them.  He does not kill first but allows opportunity for men to humble themselves and repent.  Our God is love and also a consuming fire.  Those who humble themselves and acknowledge His sovereignty will experience His love and grace, but those who vaunt themselves against Him and proudly make demands will have another experience entirely - and those flames will never be quenched.

A Real Enemy

An enemy can be defined as one who is opposed to and hostile against another.  When King Saul realised the people cheered David, he was envious of the praise and saw him as a threat.  He became David's enemy and sought opportunity to kill him.  Murder lurked in the heart of the king who was lifted up with pride.  This unchecked pride led to other sins, such as consulting a medium for guidance when he had been tasked by God to rid the nation of such abominations.  Samuel's chilling response to Saul's inquiry include those found in 1 Samuel 28:16:  "Why then do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?"

Because Saul opposed the righteous judgments of God and sought to murder the one chosen and anointed by God to replace him, God also became Saul's enemy.  Most who have basic Bible knowledge realise the devil, Satan, is an adversary and enemy with whom Christians must contend.  What we may not understand is the principle when we make ourselves enemies of God, He will oppose us as an enemy.  He will discipline us, even as a father the son whom he loves.  Many times God delivered His beloved people into the hands of their enemies and placed them under oppression because of their unrepentant sin against Him.  The Almighty God who is our refuge can also be as a real enemy against us when we are lifted up with pride and oppose Him.

Still not convinced?  Consider the words of Isaiah 63:7-10 concerning His dealings with His people:  "I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD  and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. ⁸ For He said, "Surely they are My people, children who will not lie." So He became their Savior. ⁹ In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. ¹⁰ But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them."  God is loving to oppose His people when they work for their own ruin, and His opposition may actually be our salvation.

King Ahab reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel and did great evil in the sight of God.  For three and a half years God withheld rain so people would know He was the true God over all.  When King Ahab went to take possession of Naboth's vineyard after his wife Jezebel arranged his murder, the prophet of God Elijah was sent by God to speak with him.  1 Kings 21:20 says, "So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD..."  Ahab viewed Elijah, a man of God, as his enemy when in fact it was Ahab who was an enemy of God!  He fought against God and therefore God opposed Him.  How foolish this proved to be, for who can fight against God and win?

Paul was right to ask the rhetorical question in Romans 8:31:  "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  God is able to deliver us from all evil and trample our enemies under His feet.  Yet it is not by virtue of our new birth or faith in Christ that God is for us:  God is for everyone who believes Him and walks in righteousness.  If we live in sin we are presumptuous to think He will support or deliver us.  When we chose to oppose God and His righteousness, the one who works against us is God Himself.  The devil is not to blame for all that "goes wrong" in our lives, for God is able to graciously work for our redemption through them.  The question is not if God be for us, but are we living against Him?  Only a fool is fine to remain an enemy of God.

Speak the Word

"However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."

Acts 4:4

A farmer who desires a harvest must first sow seed, and if we will see people converted to Jesus Christ we must preach the Word of God.  In the Parable of the Sower Jesus told, the seed represented the scripture sown into the hearts of listeners.  Some hearts were compared to a dusty footpath whilst others were prepared hearts where the Word of God produced much fruit.  After Peter healed a man in the name of Jesus Christ, he preached the Word to the people.  Many of them believed and became part of the Body of Christ, the church.

There is a quote commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (though there is no factual evidence I know to support this claim) which is, "Preach the Gospel by all means. If necessary, use words.”  Though this quote is not authentic, it is a quote commonly quoted because many people like it.  I believe many Christians support the idea that our actions are significant and words alone are not sufficient to convey the Gospel.  The concern I have with people latching onto the quote is it can be a cop-out of the responsibility we have as Christians to boldly speak forth the Word of God.  The Gospel cannot be conveyed without words, and God's Word in particular.

How will people hear if God's Word is never spoken?  I have been convicted lately how I have not been as vocal concerning the Gospel as I should be.  I run the risk of being known as a "decent bloke" without anyone knowing it is only through Christ living in me anyone could possibly arrive at this conclusion.  It does very little for the sake of God's kingdom to be loving, kind, generous, or compassionate unless there is a clear correlation between doing good, proclaiming Jesus, and being loyal to Him.  I seriously doubt someone who does not believe in God after observing kindness in another person would muse to themselves, "Maybe I am a sinner.  I need to repent and trust in Jesus to be saved."

Peter's deeds and words worked together to bring many people to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  We too must be filled with the Holy Spirit to be God's witnesses wherever we go, speaking boldly the truth of God's Word when we have a willing audience.  Let us not hide behind quotes (false ones at that) to justify our reluctance to speak forth God's Word.  If we will see people converted to faith in Jesus Christ, they must hear the Word of God.  How can they hear if no one will speak the Word?

God Dwells Among Us

"I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. ⁴⁶ And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God."

Exodus 29:45-46

The children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, and God promised Moses His people would be set free.  He tasked Moses to deliver a message to Pharaoh, to let His people go to serve Him and offer sacrifices a three-day journey into the wilderness.  It seems as long as they served Pharaoh baking bricks and building his cities they could not properly serve God.  Serving God is an exclusive task for Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters."

God would bring His people out with a mighty hand and show His wondrous power to the world through great plagues.  Though Egypt was destroyed, God preserved His people in their land.  He spared His people the afflictions visited upon the unbelieving oppressors.  God's intent was to dwell among His people, but it was not fitting for Him to dwell among His people in an idolatrous nation.  He would birth the Jewish nation out of bondage in Egypt and then dwell among them.  He said, "And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them."

God knew and called His people unto Himself, and brought them out of Egypt so He might dwell among them.  The God who created the universe desired to dwell among people.  He wanted to be central in the lives of those He loved.  I find it remarkable God would choose to dwell in a tent in the midst of a stiff-necked people.  I find it even more unfathomable how God now has extended salvation to whosoever will come to Him in faith.  He desires to dwell within each of us.  That we would be filled with the presence of the Living God is beyond comprehension yet is realised through faith in Jesus Christ.  The children of Israel were not forced by God to leave Egypt, and no one is forced to leave a life of bondage to sin.  But if we desire fellowship with God leaving the old life marked by sin is necessary.

I am reminded of Paul's strong words in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18:  "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." ¹⁷ Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." ¹⁸ "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty."  Jesus says we cannot serve God and money, and there are countless things which vie for mastery over us.  If we want fellowship with God we cannot embrace lawlessness, walk in darkness, or join ourselves with unbelievers.  If we will have God as our Father, then we must be obedient and loyal to Him.

In coming to God we are not moving from the dungeon to a chain-gang:  we go from bondage to joyful freedom.  We do not "give up" anything to leave Egypt, so to speak, but we only gain:  where our LORD is and Good Shepherd for our souls we lack no good thing.  It is true the Israelites often looked back to the food of Egypt with longing (conveniently forgetting the hard labour which caused them to cry out to God in the first place) as they were led by God through the wilderness, but remember they were stricken with unbelief.  This selective memory can affect us as well, causing us to lose sight of all we have in God, His promises, and presence.  Let us value God's love and presence over all, for in Him is life, light, and liberty for all who believe.

Making His Mark

There is a longing in every person for significance, to make a lasting impression in the world.  No matter how much effort we put towards this end, however, will ensure success.  Absalom wanted to be remembered so he built a tomb which stands to this day, but it is an testament of his failure because he never was buried in it.  After he was killed for his villainy he was dumped in an unmarked grave.  Recently a surgeon was caught burning his initials into the liver of his patients - seriously.  Far more common is when people etch their names or press their palms into wet concrete, but even well-formed slabs aren't permanent.  Monuments, plaques, and tombs carry memories precious to some which fade over time.  It is as the Bible says:  our lives are as a breath, like vapour which vanishes without a trace.

As I walked around the oval during cricket training yesterday, I noticed a bare patch of silty dirt surrounded by turf.  This dirt had many impressions upon it:  I recognised the tyre treads of a truck, a bicycle, and and few shoe prints.  With a little wind, rain, or others trampling the surface these marks will be erased forever without memory.  I started thinking about how footprints in a sandy beach are noticeable at first but in moments begin to fade.  How many sand castles have been carefully formed which later were flattened by waves!  The great holes in the beach we dug as children have effortlessly been filled in over time, and not one person can tell exactly where (or why) they were dug.  This is the vanity King Solomon talked about, great effort and accomplishments with the passage of time seem meaningless.

While I pondered these things the question Jesus asked rang in my mind:  "What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his own soul?"  Most people approach life without thinking about what happens after our life on earth is finished and therefore do not invest in what will endure.  Money, gold, silver, and Bitcoin all have their limitations and we cannot take what we acquire with with us.  Like any legacy we leave, it will be left for others to use, maintain, or waste.  The words Jesus said strike at the heart, for we all know this life on earth with someday end - the world itself has a limited life span.  We are all using borrowed money and a gift of time we have no idea when it will be rescinded.  The clock is winding down, and we have not the power to wind it again.  In choosing Christ we only have gain, though perhaps not as the world measures it.  But the gain the world is after will all perish;  it will all fade, be forgotten, and worthless to us when we are gone.

We all want to make our mark on the world, but sin has made permanent marks on us.  Not one of us measures up to God's standard of righteousness and our souls are doomed to destruction in hell forever.  But God has made a way of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ through faith in Him and supplies the everlasting richness of God's kingdom.  Psalm 130:3-4 says, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."  How glorious it is to be forgiven, to have our souls saved and cleansed forever!  This forgiveness can be obtained without money but through faith in Jesus and the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary.  He has imputed His righteousness to each one who is born again through faith, and this mark is a permanent one.  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit and are guaranteed to live forever.  Better than making a mark in this world is when God puts His mark on us, claiming us as His very own.