Ministry and Word of Reconciliation

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

How compelling is the love of Christ!  During our mid-week Bible study at church, we spent time discussing them together.  The overwhelming theme of scripture is Jesus Christ and how man can only be reconciled to God through faith in Him.  The Bible teaches us of our perfect Creator and God, how man has been estranged and alienated from God through our rebellion and sin, and that God has made a way for man to be reconciled to God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  When we repent and trust in Christ, receiving His love and forgiveness, we are born again through the indwelling power of the the Holy Spirit.

Consider the overwhelming theme of reconciliation in the above passage.  God does not need to be reconciled to man, but man has a great need to be reconciled to God.  What amazing love and grace we see in God, that the Almighty would desire to have reconciled to Him such sinners as we!  In scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ, God made flesh, we see a divine revelation of love so pure, merciful, and good.  It is a love which never grows old, a love confirmed again and again through our Risen LORD and Saviour.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new.  One thing I have been considering of late is the fact that God has committed two things to all Christians:  the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation.  God has commissioned all believers as His ambassadors to all people alienated from God through sin, doubt, unbelief, and rebellion so they too might be reconciled to God.  This is the truth:  God the Father made Jesus who never sinned to become sin for all, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  Amazing, incredible truth!

How do we effectively labour in the ministry of reconciliation?  Warren Wiersbe puts it this way:  "Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God." (On Being a Servant of God, pg. 3)  The most basic of all human needs is to be reconciled to God.  Human bodies have physical needs, and we are to meet physical needs with love to address the deepest spiritual need of forgiveness and salvation most remain ignorant of.  The ministry of reconciliation should never be divorced from the word of reconciliation.  Jesus is the Word made flesh, and God has given us the Bible, the Word of God.  Food will enter the mouth and be eliminated, but the Word of God will endure forever.  The words of Jesus are the words of life.

God has committed the word of reconciliation to us:  how committed are you to practice and proclaim the Word of God?  Scripture does not exist for us to debate and argue, to prove how we are right and others are wrong, for us to grow in spiritual knowledge and pride, to beat people up and tear them down:  God has given us the Bible so we and others might be reconciled to Him.  That is why Jesus came to earth, faced the cross, and rose from the dead!  The word reconcile basically means "to change, restore."  God wants to change us and make us new creations through His grace.  He desires to restore us to a close personal relationship with Him because He loves us.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Let us be students of the Word and use the scriptures for their intended purpose, all to the end that sinful man would be reconciled to His loving Creator.  John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Scatter Good Seed!

Today I planted some seeds in our small garden in the back yard.  I planted some chili peppers and tomatoes in pursuit of some delicious fresh salsa.  As I poured the seeds into my palm from the tiny packet, I looked from the tiny seeds to the picture of a huge tomato on the envelope.  The pale, dry seeds were extremely tiny, yet the package said to plant them almost a full meter apart!  It is phenomenal that one miniscule seed in the proper environment will certainly sprout into a large bush and bear much fruit.  Amazing!

Planting the seeds was very simple.  I felt no pressure whatsoever, because the growth of the plant and its fruitfulness does not depend on my ability.  They will either grow or they won't.  If there is not growth I will plant more!  I carefully dropped seeds into a slight depression, covered it with soil, and pressed it firmly.  In mere minutes I had sown, watered, and now the waiting begins!  I was reminded of a passage of scripture, Psalm 126:6: "He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."  This is a great verse which illustrates well the heart of evangelism.  For the love of God and His everlasting glory, we are to humbly, meekly, and obediently sow seed in the hearts of any who will receive.  In the Parable of the Sower, the seed is the Word of God (the Bible) and the condition of the soil represents the hearts of the hearers.  Not all seed that is sown will grow, but some will.  God's Word is the seed of finest quality and we can trust it will be fruitful according to God's promises.

I think many people put pressure on themselves when it comes to evangelism.  Instead of holding fast to the spiritual perspective that sometimes we sow, water, or harvest in complete reliance upon God, we can make an activity to personally measure our faith and holiness.  When the Word is rejected we take it personally.  When seeds are sown and nothing seems to have changed, we can become disillusioned and lose heart.  As I planted those seeds in boxes filled with clean topsoil, all my confidence was in the seed and the Designer who engineered it:  God.  It should be exactly the same when I share scripture and my faith with others.  Instead of placing my confidence in my words, experience, training, or a tract, I ought to place my faith in God's Word, the blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate and save.

When the use of God's Word is divorced from evangelism, we should not be surprised when our effort is wasted.  It is like turning the earth with a spade but never planting anything!  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:6-8, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour."  If we are faithful to share the Word of God as led by the Holy Spirit, God will give the increase.  God's Word will always accomplish the purpose for which it is sent, and will never return void.  Scatter it liberally!  If much fruit can come from a tiny dry seed which satisfies the mouth and stomach temporarily, how much greater is an eternal harvest of souls for the glory of God?

Beware of Thieves!

I spent a couple hours this morning digging in the backyard.  With spring rapidly approaching (and today it felt like it had arrived full-force!), it was time to start preparing the plot for a small vegetable garden.  We aim to plant different varieties of chiles, beetroot, tomatoes, and lettuce to start.  As I cleared an area overgrown with grass and weeds by the fence, I found myself having to contend with roots from our neighbor's trees.  Several of his trees near the fence apparently have found an abundance of water in my yard.  Whenever I found one, I dug up as much as I could and cut it off.

I don't know why, but God often teaches me things as I work in the yard.  Lately the lessons have a common thread:  the proper use of my time.  I consider the roots of my neighbors trees as thieves, intruders on my property.  They rob the plants I am trying to cultivate of water and nutrients.  They choke out my plants and impede my ability to properly turn the soil and irrigate.  They destroy the fence and lift up brick pavers.  Under the surface, they deftly grow strong and deep.  I have declared war on those thieving roots, and I am not sympathetic to a single one.

Imagine your life as a Christian like a fenced yard.  Inside your life, within the boundaries of your relationship with God, the Holy Spirit is cultivating spiritual fruit to bring glory to God.  Your thoughts and actions are to be wholly governed by God.  But there influences outside the walls of your heart:  hobbies, cares, and concerns which vie for our attention.  It could be a preoccupation about watching a football game, who was eliminated last night on Survivor, browsing on Facebook, or playing Angry Birds.  It could be absolutely anything, and likely nothing in itself that is sin.  But these roots are a real threat to our relationship with God.  Notice I did not say "can be" a threat.  Every one of those roots ARE threats to take our mind off of Christ and onto things of this world.

In my backyard, I have no sympathy for those thieving roots.  But God is showing me that in my spiritual life I harbour sympathy for particular time thieves.   For example, time at the movies, playing games, and watching sport can rob God of time He desires to spend with me and I should spend with Him.  But wait just a moment, you might say.  Am I saying there is something wrong with hobbies and recreational activities?  Not in themselves.  The problem is within us because we are always unbalanced.  God and the world are not to be weighed on scales with the false balance of cultural Christianity.  I doubt anyone would dispute we give too much thought and time to things we shouldn't.  Next to life in Christ, time is one of the great gifts God has given us.  Time is easier wasted on the world than invested in godly things.

I am slowly, ever so slowly, coming to grips with how hardcore the lifestyle of a Christian is intended to be.  It is evident what I have seen and experienced of Christianity has been more influenced by western culture than it should be.  How much time did Jesus spend extolling the virtues of hobbies and recreational activities?  How often did He justify anything done solely for personal gratification?  I can't think of a single instance!  Jesus always went straight for the heart of the matter, the purpose and motivation behind what we do and why we do it.  Two men can play rugby:  one can play it motivated by pride, because he wants to crush people and win, while the other plays so he might have an opportunity to glorify Jesus Christ through his example.  Same activity, different motivation and outcome.

Christ is supposed to be my all in all, but I sorrow to think He has been reduced to some.  That is just not good enough.  He deserves better.  I encourage you to consider this question:  what do you spend a lot of your time thinking about?  What commands your attention apart from Christ?  That is the thing which has roots creeping under the fence, threatening to sap you of spiritual strength and power.  One by one as those roots come to your attention, do battle on them.  Everything has its place, but we should not be sympathetic towards anything which robs God of time with us and us with Him.  Your spiritual walk will be better and stronger for it.

Use Time Wisely

I read an interesting article about the lack of team chemistry in sports these days due to modern technology.  This claim has been substantiated by many coaches at the professional level.  It used to be that when the team rode the bus, traveled on planes, or sat around in the dressing rooms, they would be talking with one another.  Camaraderie grew between the players as they ate food, told stories, cracked jokes, made fun of each other, or shared in ridiculous antics.  A good team became better because players were not just teammates but friends.  There was a large overlap between personal life and the playing field.

Where there used to be conversations, now there is silence between people.  Everyone has their headphones on or their ear buds in.  A little world is created where the programming, playlist, and activities are all controlled by the user.  It is all about me.  People play mindless games on their mobiles to fill the time, or surf the net on their tablets.  Silence means distance, even when you share a seat.  Quoting Adrian Dater, the writer for SI.com:  "The rise of smartphones, with all their instant-communication and entertainment options, have created insular worlds into which distracted players too often retreat instead of bonding with teammates."  The ironic thing is that people are still bored stiff!

It isn't only team sports which have suffered from this unbridled advance of technology:  families all over the world face this all too common disaster.  Mobile phones used to be used only in case of emergency.  But now they operate as a phone, video camera, personal computer, mp3 player, movie theater, television, and gaming system in one.  Parents and kids are easily sucked into an alternate reality that literally drains half of your productive waking hours away.  Instead of playing board games, everyone sits on the lounge playing their own game, sending text messages, or chatting with friends who are sitting on a lounge somewhere else.  Without restraints, life flows in the direction of least resistance.  Technology can be very helpful, but without strict limits and guidelines it is dangerous and destructive.

As a pastor my concern is not only with individuals and families, but the state of people's relationship with God.  If sports teams are feeling the pinch, if families are becoming virtual strangers in their own homes, how much is addiction to technology robbing God of the close relationships He desires and deserves!  Here is a strange thing to consider:  instead of a son confiding in his parents, he shares his struggles with a grown man on another continent he has never seen; instead of a daughter spending time with God in prayer, she plays games for hours; instead of spending time with her husband, a wife night after night chats late with people she doesn't even care about or will ever meet.  And why don't we spend time studying the scripture, praying, and having close family time?  Because we don't have the time.  Yeah right.  We all have the same amount of time:  we must choose to use our time productively doing things which really matter by investing in family and eternity.

I offer this challenge:  place limits on how, when, and how often you and your children spend time utilizing technology for personal gratification.  You may find it hard to abide by your own rules!  If this is the case, consider that you might have a problem that will not go away on its own.  Give up things that draw you away from God.  Seek the LORD and allow Him to order your day and the use of your time.  As parents, let me remind you that you are completely responsible for the actions of your children.  Take the reins and hold them firmly.  If you child or teen responds with tears and tantrums, you are doing the right thing!  Stand fast and stay strong!  As John Wesley says, "Never, on any account, give a child anything that it cries for."  Take control of your personal lives and your families, for the devil would like nothing more than for us to twiddle our thumbs all the way to our graves.

In and Upon

Early this morning I walked into my son's shared room to see Abel lying on his back, shivering in bed.  The air was chilly and the room dark.  Though Abel had thick blankets available for him to use, one had fallen off the bed and the other was at his feet in a ball.  His arms clung tightly to the thin flannel sheet as he slept.

My initial reaction was a cross between amusement, annoyance, and compassion.  It struck me funny that Abel clung to the thing which offered him least protection against the cold.  But if the bed had been completely made with the blanket tucked it could not have slid onto the floor!  The boy was cold and needed warmth.  The steps which precipitated the shivering was not as important as the cure:  lifting the blankets back onto the bed, smoothing out the blanket pile, and Abel laying underneath them.

In Australia, a thick bedspread is often called a "doona."  In the States where I was born, a common term is a "comforter."  The LORD impressed upon my heart that Abel's condition is not unlike many in the body of Christ in a spiritual sense.  The Holy Spirit is referred to as the "Comforter" who will guide us into all truth.  His role is to glorify Jesus Christ, teach us of the things of God, and lead us according to God's will.  There are many Christians who are shuddering in the cold because they have not embraced the Person of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit provides gifts to be used for the edification of the Body and the glorification of God.  In his sleep, Abel was blind and insensible.  He was cold when he could have been warm.

Christ baptized the disciples with the Holy Spirit and fire on the Day of Pentecost, and He baptizes people in like fashion today.  Many have kicked the idea of baptism with the Holy Spirit to the side of their Christian experience.  Satan has done much to warp perception of this baptism through excess, abuse, and confusion.  But the biblical precedent is clear and simple:  we receive this baptism through faith in Christ with the asking, even as a child receives a peeled egg from the hand of his father.  Eggs are to be ingested, and blankets are to be snuggled under.  Praise God for His compassion upon us, that He has not left us in the dark or in the cold!  Our heavenly Father has given us the Holy Spirit through Christ's intercession as Jesus says in John 14:16-17:  "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

Jesus affirms in Luke 11:13: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Let us not be cold or settle for lukewarm, but fanned into a burning flame through the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is like oil ignited:  when mixed with the Living Water which flows from our hearts the flame is not extinguished but spreads with great intensity!  The Holy Spirit is in all who repent and trust in Christ:  may He be upon us as well.

Done Your Duty?

Definition of "duty" (first of seven) in Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, First Edition, 1828

DUTY, n. [from due, Fr. du.] - That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform.  Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.

Definition of "duty" (first of seven) in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, 1992

DUTY, n. - An act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion.

A lot of things transpired during the 164 years between the printing of these definitions.  Not all changes have been for the better.  The Webster definition hails from a biblical worldview, while the American Heritage definition is left ambiguous and theoretical.  No doubt many today would bristle at the suggestion that God does exist, created man, and therefore man owes God.

Time does not change truth.  IF God does exist and created all things, man does owe Him.  IF the Bible is truly God-breathed, man has a responsibility to heed and obey it.  IF God has revealed His perfect Law through scripture, then man's duty is to keep it.  IF we have broken a single law of God, the Bible says the wages of sin is death.  IF Jesus Christ came to the world, died on the cross for the sins of the world, and rose again to prove His victory over sin and death, we have a duty to give Christ the reward of His suffering through repentance and trust in Him.  The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.  If God has given a gift, it is our duty to receive.

John 3:14-16 reads, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  It is man's duty to trust in Christ and fully live to please Him.  We fulfill this duty best when we do it for God's sake, not for our own.  We are the benefactors of God's love, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and grace.  Gratitude and love for God compel us to see this duty done!

Leisure or Rest?

While reading a book yesterday on the importance of ordering the inner life, I began to reflect upon the differences between leisure and rest.  From a worldly perspective, they could almost appear to be synonyms.  As I compared and contrasted the two, I was amazed at the vast differences between them.  Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  Rest is not the absence of work, even as peace is not the absence of war.  Jesus bids us to take His yoke upon ourselves.  A yoke is attached to a plow and allows the ox to do work he could not naturally perform.  The strength of an ox when yoked to a plow can aid a farmer to sow and reap much grain.

When we are fatigued physically or spiritually we often seek rest through the ceasing of effort or activities.  Yet if we do not seek rest in the person of Jesus, it will not satisfy the need we have for rest.  Rest is simply the inner man seeking to enter the presence of the Living God and abiding there.  Leisure, while perfectly fine in itself, is no substitute for the rest Christ has given.  If we seek rest through the leisure of long weekends, holidays, the neglect of chores or spiritual duties, we find ourselves duped by a cruel substitute:  we remain weary and things remain undone.

Leisure activities can be very costly in terms of money, time, and mental activity.  Yet even the most expensive and exciting hobbies and pastimes become boring and dull.  The most appealing diversions don't satisfy us the way we thought or hoped they would.  Leisure is focused on the external realm, the relaxation of the body or the checking-out of the mind.  You can try to escape in movies or fiction novels, therapeutic massages and spa treatments and still be completely wound inside - because you know at some point the game will be over, the weekend will end, and Monday morning starts early.  The excitement of the senses is a big part of leisure.  But the senses are never satisfied:  eyes never grow tired of seeing, ears never grow weary of hearing, and stomachs are always looking to be filled.

Contrast leisure with rest found in Christ.  It is not without cost, but those who have experienced the presence of God know it is priceless.  Instead of being discovered though external means, true rest is found when we intentionally focus on seeking God and listening for Him.  We find in Christ a satisfaction and refreshment for the soul not found in worldly pursuits or endeavors.  It is exciting to seek God's will and to receive direction from Him.  God never ceases to amaze!  Rest is not found through the emptying of our minds, but in purposely cultivating a relationship with God with heart, mind, and soul.  Whether we work long hours or are unemployed, we can be at rest.  When the storms of life hit with full-force, we can rest in Christ and the comfort He provides.  We know He will never leave or forsake us.  Making Christ our chief pursuit allows us to rest in His rest.

There is great value in a Sabbath rest.  When we are willing to put down our hammers and saws, God will built us up.  If we are only about advancing our careers, following the dictates of our hearts, or substituting leisure for rest, burnout is not far away.  The Pharisees made keeping the Sabbath all about externals, but God had another plan altogether:  He desires that our souls will purposefully enter into His rest through Jesus Christ.  Jesus promises in Matthew 11:29, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."  It is this labour of love which brings rest to our souls.

We enter into this rest not through working to do so, but through belief.  Consider Hebrews 3:18-4:2:  "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? ¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. ¹ Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."  Jesus has given us rest, and we are called to enter in by faith.  Leisure and ease provides rest for our bodies, but not for our souls.  Let us enter into the rest God provides by coming to Christ and abiding in Him through faith.  In Him we find rest for our souls.

No Pleasure in Death

"Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'"

Ezekiel 33:11

Before I finally went to bed last night I flipped back and forth between a couple of movies.  I wanted to see the end of both "The World's Fastest Indian" and "The Count of Monte Cristo," movies I had seen previously.  I wanted to see Burt Munro finally open up the throttle on the salt flats.  Then I couldn't remember the exact ending of Monte Cristo, as Dantes took his revenge upon the wretched traitor Mondego.  He is a most unlikable villain who even makes Nurse Ratched seem genuine and caring.

As I saw the final battle scene of the movie that ends with Dantes' sword skewering Mondego's heart, I sensed a difference in myself.  The satisfaction I expected from seeing the fitting end of the snake Mondego never came.  Instead, all I heard were the words repeated over and over in my mind:  "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked."  It was a revelation to me, though I was already familiar with the passage in Ezekiel.  But it made me think about God and the misconceptions I have had concerning Him over the years.

There is a tendency for us to think God must think like us. Movies with the theme of revenge are common in both the theater and on the screen.  A happy ending is the right people live and die:  a bad ending is when the "wrong" people live.  Therefore we have this idea that God is pleased when "bad people" die because we are.  In the cases of the ends of the movies I caught last night, both were happy endings:  Munro finally fulfilled his dream of racing in Bonneville, and Dantes killed Mondego, was wealthy, and had a bright future with the woman who loved him.  Mondego acts the part of villain so well I'm sure most viewers really want to see him dead!  After scheming, murdering, lying, and deceiving all the way through the movie, it wouldn't feel like a good ending if Mondego lived, right?  In God's eyes, a good ending would have Mondego repent and live.  And if justice demanded the death of Mondego, God would take no pleasure even in that.

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked!  Ezekiel 18:20 states, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."  Death has come into the world because of sin.  The wages of a single sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Even when people commit sin and deserve death and eternal condemnation under the law, God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.  Why will people die when Jesus has died so they might live?  There is no divine satisfaction when serial rapists and murderers are executed for their crimes.  God has no satisfaction to see people die and their souls perish in hell. 

Contrast this with Psalm 116:15: "Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints."  The wicked depart into eternal torment, while those righteous through faith in Christ will spend eternity with Him.  What gives God pleasure is for people to turn from their sins and be forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus.  He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but in the salvation and redemption of lost souls.  John 11:25-26 contains a wonderful promise to those who trust in Christ.  "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"  Even a man being strapped into the electric chair is not beyond salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus.

Do you take pleasure in the death of the wicked?  God doesn't.

The Authority of Christ

How important it is for Christians to comprehend their identity concerning their authority in Christ!  Jesus has all authority in heaven and in earth and has granted that same authority to all who repent, trust in Him, and are regenerated through the Holy Spirit.  We have been fully equipped and enabled by God to operate according to the power which raised Jesus from the dead for God's glory.  I think it would be safe to say that this power has not been realized in the day-to-day living of many Christians.  But we must be convinced that it is God's will that our lives be a demonstration of the Holy Spirit in power before we can ever do it.  I do not need to convince you:  I trust the Bible and the Holy Spirit to do that!

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  This passage reeks of spiritual authority granted by God to the believer to be used for the glory of God.  The source of the authority of a Christian comes from Christ and is to exercised in humility and meekness.  The problem is many associate meekness with timidity and weakness.  Paul was not a timid man, but was bold as a lion.  He shook a viper which latched on his hand into the fire without injury, cast out demons, pronounced blindness on a government official, healed the sick, spoke with boldness when faced with torture, imprisonment, and death, wrote strongly worded letters, and even rebuked Peter to the face when necessary.  Paul exercised authority both within and outside the church while remaining under the authority of Jesus Christ.

Now consider for a moment examples of Christ's power and authority.  Even the wind and the waves obeyed Him!  No condition, disease, demon, or Satan himself could withstand His commands.  With a word demons were cast out even over great distances, and when tempted by the devil Jesus said as He stood upon the authority of scripture in Matthew 4:10:  "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve."  Before His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension Jesus said in John 14:12:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."  Even though Jesus emphatically (the verse begins "verily, verily" in the KJV) stresses the truth of this statement, I confess for a long time I didn't live like I thought this was true.  Even now it can be a struggle.  Then He continues in John 14:13-14:  "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."  Whoa.  Do we believe these words of Jesus?  Really?

There is a verse I was discussing with a friend the other day which some have used as a stumbling block in exercising the biblical spiritual authority of a child of God as revealed in scripture.  Jude 1:9 states, "Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"  I have heard people say things like, "If the powerful archangel Michael when contending with the devil refused to speak harshly against him, what right do we have to do so?"  In this letter, Jude is dealing with apostasy.  It was not written with the intention of restricting us from exercising the authority we see manifested in Jesus Christ.  I will break it down like this:  the devil is a contentious, accuser of the brethren.  Christians are never called to revile or accuse anyone, much less Satan.  That would be returning evil for evil and answering a fool according to his folly.  Michael the archangel knew his role, knowing full well the authority and power of God to deliver.  There is no need to argue or resort to accusations when God can end it instantly through divine power.

Here is a point that may blow your mind:  as a child of God in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, you have more authority and spiritual power at your disposal than Michael the archangel!  Surprise you?  Angels have not been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ, but every Christian has.  Jesus has made a New Covenant with men by shedding His own blood.  There is no scripture which states that Michael has the Holy Spirit dwelling in or coming upon him in fullness.  But this is true for the believer who has been filled with the Spirit!  Believers have been adopted into the kingdom of God as His children and are co-heirs with Christ.  We read nowhere in scripture that Michael has received a commission from God accompanied with all the power of Jesus Christ:  Matthew 28:18-20 reads, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."

Satan would love for us to fall short of appropriating the authority God has given His people through prayer, walking in the Spirit, and obedience.  Isaiah 54:17 says, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD."  I share this not so Christians will start strutting around like peacocks, looking for the devil so they can try to beat him up or bully him around.  Not at all!  Such a one would fare no better than the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-17)!  There is nothing more humbling than recognizing that all our identity and all we possess is by the grace of God, and all our righteousness, power, and strength comes from God alone.  It is not our ability but God's.  Jesus did not speak on His own authority, and neither should we (John 12:49).  The Spirit is the One who leads and guides us in what we should say (Luke 12:11-12).  Jesus never backed down from satanic confrontation, and neither should I when the Holy Spirit resides within me.

Believer, flee from temptation.  But you walk in sin if you flee from the devil!  You need not fear, for God has empowered you through the Holy Spirit for such conflict.  Ephesians 6:10-18 reads, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..."  I gladly run the risk of being called a fanatic to the end that people will embrace the authority and heritage Christ has granted them through His shed blood.  I am no fanatic to believe the words of Jesus Christ.  I am a Christian, and Jesus is my LORD and Saviour.  What He says I believe, and as the Spirit leads so I will say.

Have you walked in the authority of Jesus Christ and the empowerment of the Spirit today?  That is what abiding in the Vine and walking in the Spirit is all about.  God, grant me the strength, wisdom, and discernment to keep putting one foot in front of the other, trusting in you to supply my every need.  Thank you for saving my soul and protecting me from evil.  May you be glorified in my life as I seek your face and trust you to guide my every step.  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

Clean Hands and Pure Hearts

As I walked back home from dropping off the kids at the bus stop, I sang the words to the familiar song by Chris Tomlin:  "We bow our hearts, we bend our knees, oh Spirit come make us humble.  We turn our eyes from evil things, oh Lord we cast down our idols.  Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts; let us not lift our souls to another..."  I thought carefully about the lyrics of this song I enjoy singing to God.  My mind focused on the phrase, "Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts."

Immediately my mind went to James 4:8:  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  When I compared the song to the verse, I saw a subtle but profound difference.  Now don't get me wrong - I am not trashing the song by any means.  When singing the song, I asked God to give me clean hands and a pure heart.  When I read the passage in James, these are things I have the responsibility to appropriate.  The song takes a more passive feel where the scripture dumps the reponsibility upon me.

The truth is we cannot clean our hands or purify our hearts through our best efforts.  This cleansing only comes through repentance and faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  God gives us clean hands and pure hearts, but only when we meet His conditions:  humility, confession, repentance, and faith.  As I mused upon this fact, it occurred to me that we as Christians often request God to give us things He has already given.  The disconnect is we have not fulfilled our responsibility to trust and walk in faith.  God is not to be blamed for the fact we have dirty hands and impure hearts.  He has made the way through Jesus:  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He has given us the Holy Spirit who teaches, leads, and empowers us.

Years ago I attended a ECYWA meeting (just a little shout-out to my youth workers in East County!) during which prayer requests were shared with one another.  There was one youth worker who asked for prayer because he was struggling to get out of bed and was often late for work - which began at 10am!  It seemed he was asking God to do something for him he was unwilling to do for himself.  I wish I could have seen my shocked expression.  Billions of people every day get up and arrive to work on time without seeking the help of God.  God does not exist for us to justify our laziness.  God has given you breath and life:  you can go to bed earlier and set an alarm clock!  The old adage "God helps those who help themselves" is not scriptural but still makes a valid point:  though God works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure, by God we are held responsible to fulfill the duties He places before us in obedience.

Let us seek to lay hold of the promises of God by faith.  Instead of asking for what God has already given, may we simply walk by faith in the truth.  We are to cleanse our own hands, and purify our own hearts through faith in the shed blood of Christ.  Prayer is no substitute for work:  prayer IS work!  God won't do for me what I am unwilling to do myself.  We do not labour for our own glory, but the glory of God!

Don't Mistake Methods for Means

The Bible is an amazing book because it is the living Word of God.  It is also amazing how many books have been spawned through biblical wisdom.  Though thousands of commentaries and millions of books (and blogs such as this!) have been penned inspired by the Bible, not one of them excels the divine inspiration of the original.  Books written by godly men and women can be beneficial and influential in sparking ideas and bringing clarity to our minds.  Though valuable resources, they should never replace the Bible.

It seems like today people are interested in methods.  People want to know what "works" or has been found successful and seek to emulate the process to achieve a desirable result.  They read book after book in a quest to discover a machine where raw materials can be combined in a prescribed order to receive what we want:  three elders, laying on of hands, 10 mils of oil applied just right - and divine miraculous healing is the result!  This misses the point.  When it comes to things of God, the Means is always more important than the methods.  The Holy Spirit is the Means, and we are to obey His methods.  He is our source of life and power.

We can know we have salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ through faith.  It is God's Word which provides us this assurance, not anything we have done.  Titus 3:5 reads, "...not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit..."  In the same way we are to appropriate all the promises of scripture:  faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.  God's Word was written so we might believe it and walk accordingly.  Make sure that you never neglect the study of the Bible itself.  It is not enough to read books by well-known preachers.  Listening to sermons and pod-casts can never replace the necessity of breaking apart the actual Word taught and applied to you personally by the Holy Spirit Himself.

Have you listened to the Holy Spirit today?  Jesus says in John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."  He is the Means by which we can hear from Christ and glorify God.  How cool is that?

Spirit-Filled Life Conference

This past weekend at Calvary Chapel Sydney we hosted a conference on the Holy Spirit-filled life.  We were blessed to have two pastors share with us currently ministering in New Zealand, Mark Walsh and Scott Clifford.  All who attended were no doubt encouraged, challenged, and strengthened in our walks with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It was a great opportunity for the fellowship to gather together, open the Word of God, and enter into the presence of the LORD.  I have no doubt that it was fruitful and will continue to be so as we appropriate all God has for us by His grace.

I would say Christians are quite at ease with the idea of God revealed in the person of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ.  But the same people can be uneasy with the operations of the Holy Spirit.  The reservations people have about the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives can be infinite.  If we were to do a word association with "baptism with the Holy Spirit," I wouldn't be surprised if words like "weird" or "wrong" were suggested.  But there is nothing weird about the Holy Spirit taking up residence in you through faith in Christ for salvation, and it is no more strange that this same Spirit of God who empowered Christ to do signs and wonders empowers Christians for service and ministry today.  It would be wrong for a Christian to try to do God's work without the power of God working within and through them.  Our God is supernaturally natural.  One of the primary hindrances of stepping out in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit is it requires faith.  When people are willing to take the initial step of surrender and obedience to God's leading in faith, that alone clears a huge amount of mental hurdles out of the way.

One point made at the conference which really stuck with me was the hindrance of unbelief in relation to walking in the Spirit.  During a Q & A session, the pastors discussed how many people think it is the volume of faith we have which makes the difference.  They attempt to muster up faith to a degree that it will tip the balance of the scales away from unbelief and then healing or answer to a prayer will come.  This is not the case.  It is the presence of unbelief which stays God's hand.  Jesus said that if a man has faith the size of a mustard seed, he can command a mountain to be moved into the ocean and it would obey.  A mustard seed was one of the smallest reference points of Christ's day.  In our day we might say "a molecule of faith" or "an atom of faith."  The smallest amount of genuine faith without doubt and unbelief frees God to do His wonders.

Another point of emphasis was how the Holy Spirit is the Conductor of the symphony in the Body of Christ (the church), which is not comprised of gifted soloists who work independently of each other.  As musicians tune their instruments with one another, so Christians are instruments in God's hands tuned through the Holy Spirit with one another in concert.  God has given each Christian gifts for the glory of God and the edification of the church and Christ as He wills.  Quoting pastor Scott, "When you overplay your strength it becomes your weakness."  It is good for a believer to receive gifts from God and walk in them.  If your gift is evangelism, the temptation might be to be dissatisfied with the lack of evangelistic activities in your church,stir up dissension or leave.  God has made you an evangelist, but it doesn't mean everyone has that gift!  Your role then is to further cultivate that gift and appreciate the other gifts God has given.  Instead of magnifying your gift or office, do all for the glory of God and serve one another in love.

One pastor emphasized that in all things we are the weak link.  Is God's hand shortened that He cannot save?  Are His ears and eyes closed to the requests and needs of His people?  Certainly not!  A dangerous tendency is to filter scripture through our experience and adapt it accordingly.  Let us say a man has never seen a person miraculously healed.  He then assumes that the gift of healing and miracles must no longer be in operation today because he has never observed it.  Is this scriptural?  No!  Mark 16:17-20 says, "And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." ¹⁹ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen."  The Bible says this healing is a sign which will follow those who believe.  We must always take God at His Word, even as we believe we have assurance of salvation through the Gospel.  Unless I believe the gifts of the Spirit are for today, I will never desire them, ask for them specifically, or exercise them.  Of course I will not see divine healing!  Jesus says in John 14:12-14, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."  Jesus is right and true, I can be wrong and deceived.  I am the weak link, not Jesus!

When I reflect upon the weekend, I see it all as a huge answered prayer.  The fact that many people came was a testimony of God's faithfulness and goodness.  It was awesome how God drew people to unite and worship in His name.  We did very little in the way of advertising except occasional announcements and reminder emails, but people came!  I asked the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment and He did so.  As we worshiped together, prophetic words of encouragement were shared with the group.  There were prayers for healing and restoration.  A tongue and an interpretation was given.  All was done decently and in biblical order, and I came away from each meeting knowing I had been in the presence of God.

Thanks to all those who prayed for the event, attended, served, and shared.  May our faith continue to grow as we seek to walk in the Spirit continually.  Heavenly Father, grant us the strength and ability to take the next step of faith as you entreat us.  Not to us, but to you be the glory both now and forever!

Work Hard!

A difficult thing for Christians to balance is the necessity of hard work.  I have heard it preached (myself included!) that spiritual growth is a natural product of abiding in Christ.  The life of a Christian will produce spiritual fruit due to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  This is completely true.  At the same time, we have been called and empowered by God to labour for Him.  These are not a conflicting statements, but are intended to compliment one another.  We have a responsibility to choose to follow Christ, submit to the leading of the Spirit, and work hard motivated by the love of Jesus Christ.

In our modern society, we seem to grasp at anything to make life easier or find ways to eliminate work or effort to obtain the results we want.  Some body-builders and athletes resort to supplements to achieve faster results from workouts.  We buy all sorts of kitchen appliances and gizmos to make meal preparation and household chores easier.  We want the results now!  Even Hollywood enforces the desire to skip over hard work.  The famous "Rocky" movies starring Sylvester Stallone all chronicle a fighter's rise from a nobody to a world champion.  Every movie I've seen includes a short training montage of about three minutes in length with inspirational music and slow motion.  We see Rocky jogging, doing push-ups, punching sides of beef, running on the beach, or working on the speed bag.  Months and months of hard work and total commitment are condensed into a short scene.  Tons of movies do this exact same thing:  the hard work, determination, sweat, pain, and persistence are glossed over so we can quickly get to the part where the underdog wins again.

The Christian walk is hard work.  We can fall into the trap of emphasizing God's part to a degree that we ignore completely our responsibility to labour for God's glory.  Recently I started working out with a barbell and kettlebell because my overall fitness has suffered from five years of office work.  It would be ridiculous for me to suppose my muscles will automatically grow stronger and my fitness level will naturally increase through sedentary habits.  If I desire stronger, toned muscles, I must work to obtain that result through lifting weights, riding a bike, jogging, eating good food, and not eating too much!  Spiritually speaking, our sanctification works in similar fashion.  By working I cannot be any more justified than I am before God by His grace.  Yet I am called to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling!  There are things I must work to cultivate in my life:  prayer, fellowship with God, reading of the Word, and feeding on God's faithfulness.  There are also area I must show discernment and restraint:  what I watch on TV and the internet, my attitudes, habits, and thoughts.

Galatians 2:20-21 reads, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  My salvation is God's finished work, as is my sanctification.  It is God who works in me both to will and do of His good pleasure.  Though this is true, it does not permit me to live life as a sedentary Christian, duped to think that God will do a work within me despite unconfessed disobedience, selfishness, and pride.  God has designed an amazing partnership with His people, that it is no longer we who live but Christ in us.  The work I must commit myself to is to allow God to do whatever work He desires through me:  it is a work of repentance, humility, and submission - a work only He can accomplish!

Jesus says in John 5:17, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  May we follow Christ example in labouring for the glory of God!  It would be foolish for us to substitute methods when God has provided the means through the Holy Spirit.  There is no set spiritual workout for Christians to do, no pill or tablet to take to quicken the process of sanctification, no book to read outside of the Bible which will unlock the path to spiritual growth.  The Bible teaches we must be led by the Spirit and empowered by Him to embrace a life of hard toil for God's glory.  A runner does not start with marathons, nor does a man begin his workout routine by squatting 300 kilos.  Start small, but start working!  Don't give up!  There are no shortcuts in the race God has set before you.  Look unto Jesus and be strong in the LORD and power of His might.  We are all in this together, and God has provided Himself as the means of strength and victory. 

I close with Philippians 1:3-6:  "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..."  Our triumph is not in ourselves, but in Jesus Christ who has overcome and put all under His feet.  As He works in us, may we work for Him!

Good Habits

After our family eats breakfast every day, we read a daily devotional called "Keys for Kids."  Today's story was about a group of boys who made the habit of cutting the corner of a block by walking across a lawn.  At first there was no evidence of their path on the turf, but toward the end of summer there was a clear trail of damaged grass.  This brought to mind my own lawn.  Mail carriers in Australia are called "posties," and instead of delivering mail on foot they ride small motorbikes.  Because there is no fence around my lawn, the postie has made a habit of cutting the corner of our property.  As I mow the lawn I cannot help but notice the deep ruts his tires have cut when he traverses the lawn in wet weather.  The more he cuts the corner the deeper the track goes.

Our habits, whether good or bad, have repercussions.  If a man habitually uses tobacco, his body inside and out will present evidence of that fact.  In the same way, if someone is a weight-lifting enthusiast his muscle tone and strength will not be easily hidden.  When I think about the postie cutting through my lawn, I am struck by the fact his habits affects me and my ability to have a nice lawn.  It is a wise thing to consider that the habits we form and perpetuate can have long-lasting affects not just on ourselves, but on our spouses, children, and friends.  Our habits can encourage and inspire or weaken and tear down.

Instead of looking at "habits" as being generally bad, we ought to work to cultivate and maintain good habits.  Scripture affirms this with the exhortation found in 1 Corinthians 15:33:  "Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."  Habits can be good, and we must be mindful that our good habits are not corrupted.  The word "corrupts" here means "to wither or shrivel."  The slow process of atrophy hides the reality from our casual glance.  We can be deceived to think that our associations and choices will not affect our good habits.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough, and a little compromise can endanger the survival of good habits!

Titus 3:8 reads, "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men."  May we take this to heart and choose our habits carefully!

The LORD is Able

It's wonderful to witness the power and provision of God at work in another person.  It's even more incredible when you have firsthand experience yourself of God speaking through His simple yet miraculous ways.  Sometimes a simple impression on my heart through reading the Word or a coordination of events undeniably confirms just what I've been thinking or feeling.  This week I had a lovely reminder of how God will provide for me and my family.

It began with God challenging me to trust Him in the area of finances.  We all know that God "owns the cattle on a thousand hills" in our brains, but we can falter when it means giving by faith.  As I sought the LORD's direction through prayer concerning giving, I came across an appropriate passage in 2 Chronicles 25.  King Amaziah had hired men from the tribe of Ephraim as mercenaries and paid them 100 talents of gold, a kingly sum.  A prophet of God visited Amaziah and told him not to allow the men of Ephraim to fight alongside the warriors of Judah, because God was not with them.  2 Chronicles 25:9 reads, "Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this."  Amaziah asks the prophet, "But what about my money?  What about the loss of my investment?"  The prophet shot back, "God can give you much more than this."

Upon reading this passage, in my heart it was confirmed what I must do in the area of giving.  I took confidence in God and His Word and made a decision to follow through.  Money will come and go, but the Word of the LORD will endure forever.  I would have been happy with only this passage, but God gave me two more reminders of His faithfulness to provide.  Later in the day I opened my bank account and saw that we had received a financial gift from friends.  The words used to describe the transaction which grabbed my attention in all caps:  "GIFT FROM GOD."  How cool is that?  Immediately after logging onto the site, I called my bank and spoke to one of the representatives.  At the very end of the conversation in a very offhand way she said, "Oh, I see your savings account is at 4.75%  How about I raise that for you to 5.75% for three months?"  I hadn't asked for gifts, I hadn't asked for a better interest rate.  But in His natural, supernatural way, to me God said this:  "See?  I haven't forgotten about you, and I will provide for your needs.  Trust me!"

How awesome is our God!  He doesn't promise us earthly riches, for all of this worldly system will someday pass away.  But God uses it to show us how much more we need to trust and rely upon Him to supply those needs.  Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven, and we ought to spend the remainder of our days on earth obeying and glorifying Him.  Our God is one who lives, sees, provides, and speaks.  Our God is able!  I close with the benediction of Ephesians 3:20-21:  "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Forget Not!

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³ who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵ who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:1-5

It is God's will that sin would not reign in our mortal bodies.  Because of this fact it is reasonable to conclude it is God's will that sickness, a product of original sin, would not reign in our mortal bodies either.  While we agree to the first statement our faith can waver with the second.  How can this be?  What happens when God's Word seems to contradict our experience?  Should we trust what we see with our eyes or the naked Word of God?

Our God is a God who forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, and redeems our lives from destruction.  Perhaps we falter at believing God's Words because the answer does not take the form we think it should.  We think of healing as being the freedom of pain and limitation.  I need not look further than Jesus Christ to know that He was limited in a body of flesh and experienced much sorrow and pain.  Yet He was a partaker of the benefits of the same God who offers them freely to all who repent and believe.

I do not believe this scripture means that we will ultimately be forgiven from our iniquities or eventually be healed of our diseases.  This is a promise to be entered into today!  Our sins can be forgiven today, and today can be a day of healing and deliverance.  Romans 6:8-14 reads, "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."  Christians have been freed by the dominion of sin through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

I have an insightful book called Indwelling Sin in Believers by Puritan John Owen.  He explains well the internal conflict of a Christian Paul discusses in Romans 7.  When we are born again through grace and faith in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, we are justified before God.  Our sins are forgiven and we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ.  But does that mean we are perfect?  No!  Because our souls reside in a body of flesh, we will undoubtedly sin.  The good we do is because we are dead and Christ lives through us.  Romans 7:17 reveals a remarkable truth when we sin after justification:  "But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me."  In the way that sin should no longer govern our lives, sickness is no longer to have dominion over us!  Our God forgives all our iniquities and heals all our diseases!

Does this mean that God-fearing people are guaranteed bodies that will never experience physical illness or pain?  No.  It is God's will that none should perish, yet there are many who do.  There are many who are sick, but God has the power and desire to heal every one.  Do you let your circumstances, emotions, or physical condition reign over you?  Sickness can plague our bodies, but you are not to be governed by your sickness:  we are now governed by Jesus Christ, the Healer of both body and soul!  Choose to place your faith in Christ and believe the truth of the Bible!

Let us not forget the benefits of Jesus Christ freely bestowed upon those who rely upon Him.  Does sin, sickness, or despair have dominion over you today?  Our strength is not derived from the food we eat, but from the Saviour Jesus Christ who IS our life!  Ephesians 6:10 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  Look to Jesus as LORD and King, for there is healing in His wings.

Dolphins, Ants, and Bees

An article on CNN.com caught my interest yesterday written by  Kaj Larsen.  In the waters of San Diego (my hometown), the U.S. Navy trains dolphins and sea lions to counter the threat of combat divers and marine terrorist attacks.  Quoting from the article, "While it seems strange that in this digital era, there's such a seemingly lo-fi approach to guard the Navy's most sophisticated and expensive assets. But according to Rothe, nothing in today's hi-tech world can compete with these mammals' biosonar abilities."  Five times the CNN reporter tried to swim across the bay both on the surface and using scuba gear, only to be found and tagged by either a dolphin or sea lion.  It's amazing that bottlenose dolphins have natural biosonar which is far superior to any device engineered by man.

I find it astounding that most people in the world believe that dolphins evolved this "biosonar" from some other species, developing these incredible abilities by random chance over time.  Being a Christian, I am convinced by the overwhelming evidence that both man and animals have been designed by God, a Divine Being with intelligence not fully comprehended through any amount of technology or research.  Compare the human eye made by God with the glass eye made by man.  Both are functional, but serve different functions.  Their only similarity is they both fill the eye socket and at a cursory glance appear similar.  But how different they are!  A natural eye can focus with amazing clarity and range while the other is an inanimate object without life.

It is neat how humans can train animals, but I think it more amazing that animals have the intelligent capacity to be trained.  Even crazier still, many animals work amazingly without being trained!  As I watched bees buzzing from flower to flower yesterday, I wondered how they know exactly where the flowers are, how to gather the pollen, and how to find their way back home.  Hundreds of thousands of ants hurried along my back fence in the sun, carrying their eggs for whatever reason.  There is an intelligence given them by God to do the things they do.  Insects have small brains, but they have determination, focus, and efficiency that puts us big-brained humans to shame.  I don't believe there was ever a day when ants and bees didn't fulfill their function for the good of their colonies.  King Solomon wrote thousands of years ago in Proverbs 6:6-8: "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, ⁷ which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, ⁸ provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest."

God, in His unfathomable wisdom, uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.  I need look no further than ants, bees, and dolphins to know that there is amazing intelligence and wisdom among things which are created.  There are too many other examples to count!  In all that is created there is wisdom revealed of the glorious Creator who has made all things.  I will spend the rest of my earthly days in awe of the glory of God revealed in nature, and all of eternity as well!