31 October 2013

Imperfect, but Being Perfected

This morning I read 1 Samuel 27, the passage when David and his men fled to the land of the Philistines to seek refuge from King Saul.  After ingratiating himself with Achish the king, David persuaded him to give him some land.  Achish complied and gave David the town of Ziklag.  For the space of time David remained in Philistine territory, he lived a double life.  He was outwardly loyal to Achish but secretly remained loyal to Israel and God.  He and his men would go on raids of the native inhabitants of the land and when asked by Achish David would lie, "Oh, we went on a raid in the south of Judah."  He would give some of the spoil to Achish, who became absolutely convinced of David's allegiance and sword.

I think some can make the mistake of seeing a God-fearing man like David playing the hypocrite and believe this scriptural account is an endorsement of this behaviour.  I do not believe David was right in living a double life, and I do not believe God in any way endorses hypocrisy.  Just because something is recorded in scripture does not mean what happened was good or right.  God can redeem all evils, but we should never use scripture to justify sin.  The Bible is unique in that God does not sanitise His people.  We employ great effort to hide our warts, but God lays even wicked motives bare for all to see.  He does not withhold the truth to make His disciples appear blameless.  The fact that Barnabas and Saul had a fierce contention does not mean we should justify contentions with brothers and sisters in Christ!  Barnabas and Saul contended with each other because they were sinners, human beings reliant upon the grace of God for salvation.  Even men filled with the Holy Spirit make mistakes.  I will even risk the fallacy of personal experience to unequivocally affirm this point!

I believe the account of David living a double life in Ziklag is a warning to all who will heed.  David was a man after God's own heart, but this did not spare him from making sinful decisions with catastrophic results.  The move to Gath was not because David sought the LORD.  It was a natural response to his fear of death, not faith in God.  I think it is most significant that for the year plus David was in Ziklag, not once do we read of him inquiring of the LORD.  Because David did not seek the LORD and did what was right in his own eyes, he was likely blind to his own hypocrisy.  He justified his choice to co-habitate with the enemy by fighting for Israel in secret.  Perhaps he even saw his successful raids as proof of God's favour!  We do not read of David inquiring of God at all until Ziklag was burned to the ground, his wives kidnapped, all his possessions were stolen, and all his men wanted to kill him!  That is what it took to bring David to his senses.  Sometimes it takes tragedy and loss for us to see our great need for God.

Out of distress, David fled to Gath.  He went about things the wrong way.  It took disaster for David to seek God again.  1 Samuel 30:6 reads, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."  I think, "Ah David, why didn't you strengthen yourself in God before seeking refuge with the enemy and living in hypocrisy?"  I find David does not need to answer, because in his situation I see myself.  Have I always seen my mistake of trusting myself instead of finding strength and guidance from God?  Of course not.  God is willing to bring us low so we might look to Him.  That time in Ziklag was not wasted time but a teaching moment God employed so David might never, ever seek refuge in anyone else but Him.  Never again did God want David to do what was right in his own eyes.  After this incident, David sought God often.  There were bumps along the way, but a valuable lesson was learned:  one learned only through such a catastrophic failure.  God's people will learn our lessons when we respond through the exercise of faith in God.

28 October 2013

The Troubled Heart

"Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe."
 1 Samuel 24:5

Observe the tenderness evident in the man after God's own heart!  When King Saul persecuted and pursued David, seeking to kill him, David was presented with an opportunity to kill Saul.  Men loyal to David goaded him on, telling him that moment was a fulfillment of God's word to deliver all his enemies into his hand.  Yet David refused to kill Saul and would not allow any of his men to do so.  Instead, he cut a piece from Saul's clothing as a sign he had opportunity to kill Saul but did not.  It seemed justifiable to David at the time as a sign he harboured no ill will against Saul.

But later, David was troubled by his actions.  He was convicted by the Holy Spirit and regretted what he had done.  He would not lift up a finger against God's anointed, nor even speak poorly of him:  how dare he damage Saul's robe?  Some would have felt justified in killing Saul in cold blood, yet David was deeply convicted over simply cutting a piece of Saul's fabric!  God convicts people of sin that extends far beyond the limited reaches of the Law because it aims at the heart.  Even when David showed great restraint, God wounded his conscience and taught him a deeper lesson still.

May our hearts be smitten even when we think of evil, before our sword is unsheathed and damage done.  Often we do not perceive our actions as evil because we have justified them according to the twisted perspective of the flesh.  It is only afterward our hearts are troubled because we realise we have done wrong in God's sight.  Remorse and regret are wayfaring professors who will do us much future good if we will heed their lessons now.  Acknowledgement of past failures according to God's standard is the first step towards walking in a biblical, God-fearing manner in the future.  When our hearts are troubled because of our sin, let us repent before God and man.  May we humble ourselves and take correction as obedient children before a loving Father who seeks to restore.

God receives the repentant with a smile and open arms.  Rejoice when convicted, O sinner, for in that moment God speaks.  What grace that He communicates such instruction to us!  Let us take to heart His correction and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, though the entire world counsel us otherwise.

26 October 2013

When God Overrules

It has been nearly three years since God moved me and my family from southern California and transplanted us in Sydney.  I can say by God's grace we are looking healthy as a unit, like a well-established tree.  The leaf-casting season was short, and I'm not aware our leaves even drooped as we drew up water through well-tilled earth!  Our roots have shot down deep into good soil, and the loving Body of Christ has been a huge part of that on both sides of the Pacific.  We have had exceptional support from family, friends, and from so many at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  When I think of all God has done from establishing the boys at a great school, strengthening my marriage, and granting us permanent residency, I am in awe.

For almost the entire time our family have been in Australia, we have lived in one house.  It was certainly a God-send, granted at the time we needed it most.  There have been issues scattered over that time with an occasional repair required, but for the most part we have been without complaints.  Of course on those super hot days air conditioning would have been nice, but we've also become more acclimated to Sydney weather!  A couple months ago, we received a notice our rent would be increasing.  Laura decided it would be good to test the renting market and see if we could find a comparable house for less money.  Now I am one of those people who really don't like to move.  I would rather go to the dentist every day for a week than pack everything up, change our address with more people and businesses than I care to count, and deal with the hassle of unpacking, arranging, re-arranging, and hanging pictures.  How long will it take me to learn where things are in the kitchen?  I don't even want to think about it.

For the past couple months, Laura has been checking online, going to open houses, and us boys tagged along for a few.  The more houses we saw, the more I was convinced what we have been paying - even with the increase - was excellent value for money.  So many of the houses we saw were beat up rentals with too many problems:  garages converted to shabby rooms, exterior doors that scraped so hard on the tile they won't open, carpets that resembled a spattered crime scene, and no storage whatsoever.  Even Laura had pretty much resolved to stay at our place, something I was resolved to do before she ever started looking.

But then one house came up which caught Laura's attention.  It was a comparable size and relatively close to the boy's school.  There were some sizable concessions (detached garage without an automatic opener, electric cooktop, and a much older house), but there were also pluses:  single storey, air conditioning, less than a one minute walk to a park, and located in a cul-de-sac with a pool - all for $80 less a week than we had been paying for our current home.  Laura filled out the application and we arrived at the open house Saturday and were greeted by a gaggle of well-dressed prospective renters.  As I saw all the people, I assumed most of those folks were in a far more financially viable position and was fairly confident we wouldn't stand a chance.  At that moment I figured the only way we could have a sniff at the property is if God miraculously opened the door.  And to be honest, I didn't want Him to.

Does that sound bad?  I don't know if it is or isn't.  But I know you can be very honest with God.  Your honesty doesn't offend Him.  Honesty can offend people, but not my heavenly Father!  The fact was, I was very comfortable in our home and did not welcome the aggravation and stress that comes with moving house.  I would be happy to stay in a comfortable, predictable environment and trust for God to provide for our needs right where we were, which He has been graciously doing.  So as I drove away with admittedly selfish motives I prayed, "LORD, I pray we won't get that house.  What a pain to have to move."  Now my wife and I have an agreement we have made with God:  if He opens the door, we will walk through it.  In our minds, the only way the door to renting that property would occur if God opened the door.  I continued on through the day, thinking very little about the property.  Consider my surprise when Laura sent me a text message with three words:  "We got it."  Laura later told me she had just put down a deposit, and we had been chosen out of 25 other applicants.  I was more than surprised.  I was more like, "Oh no!" but not in a bad way.  Obviously God had overruled my plan.  He opened the door to that rental property, and I am delighted to walk through that door.  What are my shortsighted plans compared to God's?

This morning I was laughing to myself.  How ironic that I would uproot my family from San Diego and move to Sydney, only to balk at moving to another suburb!  The fact is, God has every right to order my steps and tell me where to live.  This morning I read in 1 Samuel 22:5:  "Now the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth."  Fearing for his life, David had gone to the land of Moab and stayed with the king in his stronghold.  But God sent the prophet Gad to tell David not to remain there, though Saul sought his life, and to go to the land of Judah.  Obediently, David did as God commanded him.  This move certainly required faith for David, seeing as there remained only a step between him and death.  Yet God was gracious to protect and provide for David, as He will for our family as well.  God will never mislead or trick us.  The children of Israel were reliant upon the presence of God leading them in the desert, and the leading of the Holy Spirit is the same for Christians concerning our actions as well as where we live.  Moving for me is an act of faith, and I know God will use it for good.

It is a good thing to consider:  when you are overruled by God, will you choose to obey and rejoice?  For me my joy was not immediate, but I tell you the truth:  what peace, joy, and delight is found when we choose to obey and rest in God's will.  He knows us and the struggles we will face.  He will see us through every one and bring us to His desired end.  It will be difficult at times and it will not always be comfortable.  But what a joy to know that God is leading, directing, and upholding us by His gracious love.  I am praising God for the provision of a place to stay, and I covet your prayers as we prepare to move in the next few weeks.  Glory to God, for He rules over all!

23 October 2013

On Spiritual Fitness

Our family recently signed up for private health insurance.  There were many reasons we did so.  The primary reason was that if we did not to opt for private health insurance in Australia within the first 12 months of being permanent residents, there would be a sizable rate increase we would have to pay for the rest of our lives.  Basically, the government strongly advocates private health care as well as public.  The cost of private health care through Bupa is about half of what we were paying for international health care through Aetna, so we're actually saving money!

There are many benefits to private health coverage I was aware of, but there was a promotion I was not aware of.  After signing up for Bupa, we were given the choice of three gifts:  a $200 New Balance shoe vocher, 20 movie tickets, or a Fitbit One wireless activity and sleep tracker.  After mulling over the options, we decided to go with the Fitbit One.  It's an amazing piece of technology, very small and clever.  It keeps track of how many steps you take, calories burned, distance walked and incline climbed.  The tracker syncs with your mobile device and computer, keeping track of how you are doing.  It notifies you when you have reached a goal and new goals can be set.  You are able to input exactly what foods you eat and how much water you drink.  Strap it on your wrist at night and it keeps track of how long you were in bed and how long you were restless or awake.  My, the things I'm learning about myself!

What is great about this device is not only that it keeps track of what you do, but it also pushes you on to do more.  It is a silent encouragement in my pocket to be more active and to consider my health with eating and drinking choices.  I thought to myself:  what if we did the same with our Christian walk?  It might be very useful to know how long I have prayed, how much screen time I have had during the evenings, and how often my mind intentionally considered scripture.  After walking yesterday and looking at how many calories I burned, I was unimpressed:  "I only burned 130 calories after all that?!!" (I did go over 3,000 for the day)  I wonder how many of us actually gauge how effective our spiritual exercises are.  Our means of measuring is far more subjective.  But we don't need to clip devices on our pockets to be able to answer these pertinent questions:  what did God say to me in prayer?  How can I apply that passage to my life today?  Am I intentional in sharing my faith with others?  Do I have new stories about how God has revealed Himself to me?  We need to take careful stock of our spiritual health, even as it is beneficial to carefully observe our activities, food choices, and sleeping habits.

How spiritually healthy are you?  What sort of things are you putting in your mind?  Are you standing strong in the LORD and in the power of His might?  Are you utilising the gifts God has entrusted to you?  If all we did is eat without exercise, we would balloon up.  If all we do is gain knowledge through scripture without putting it into practice, we become the equivalent of a couch-potato Christian - someone who impacts furniture more than people.  Let's get moving!  We all have room to grow in Christ, and He will lead the way.  We cannot only be content with what we have done yesterday, but be spurned on to do more today for God's glory!

21 October 2013

Seek Christ and Live

"For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live; 5 but do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. 6 Seek the LORD and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel."
Amos 5:4-6

A few nights ago I came across this passage.  It illustrates one of the common pitfalls of God-fearing people:  seeking fulfillment through ritual rather than seeking God.  Amos was a working man turned prophet through the call of God.  Amos issued many warnings to Judah and Israel because of their idolatry and sin God would certainly judge.  God gave Amos a series of visions to share with the people to aid their understanding.  Through Amos, God predicted the dispersion of His people and their ultimate restoration.

I don't know what is worse because they are both bad:  unbelievers who refuse to seek the LORD, or believers who also neglect to seek God.  My opinion is when believers actually seek after God with all their hearts, their influence to lead others to God will grow exponentially.  The problem is not so much with the unbelievers in the world because they are doing exactly as one might expect.  The heart of the issue is found in the hearts of professing Christians.  Instead of wringing our hands because of the sins of this world, may God rend our hearts for our feeble witness and propensity to seek anything but God.

In the days of Amos, the Jews who feared God were overtly religious.  They made pilgrimages to Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba.  At the time, Bethel was a place of gross idolatry.  King Jeroboam had set up two calves in Bethel so the people could "worship" without going to Jerusalem.  This of course was strictly forbidden under the Law God gave to Moses, but many people were willing to make worship of God more convenient.  Gilgal was the place were a monument of stones had been raised when the children of Israel first crossed over Jordan into the land of Canaan.  It was intended to memorialise what God had done in divinely parting the Jordan to allow His people entry into the land on dry ground.  Abraham and Isaac both called on the LORD in Beersheeba.  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there, and Isaac built an altar to the one true God.  People thought by visiting these "holy sites" their efforts would be rewarded by God.  Though the people were very religious, despite their efforts and sacrifices, they neglected to do the most important thing:  to seek God!

Over the years, the worship of God had been reduced to a grab-bag of idolatry, tradition, sacrifices, offerings, and ancestor worship.  Through Amos, God rebuked the people for seeking after experiences rather than seeking Him.  At great cost they would travel to Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba, in their eyes a show of genuine piety and devotion.  But God told them otherwise.  "Seek Me and live!  Don't seek Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba!  Seek the LORD and live!"  Worship of God was life for the Jews.  God reminded them worship is empty in itself:  life could only be found in Him.  It is very easy to substitute a church building for Bethel, a Bible study for Gilgal, and an outreach for Beersheba.  May we never substitute anything for seeking God.  It is fine for you to go to church and teach a Bible study.  But are you seeking God when you go?  Do you hear His voice speaking to your heart?  Are you seeking God like you would for valuable treasure?

Life is not found in activities or service, but in God alone.  When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, He testified that the Bible was their Bethel.  They thought through obedience to the Law they would have life.  Interpreting and following the Law was their life, but it could never provide it!  Jesus said in John 5:39-40:  "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."  There is no life apart from Christ.  He is the world's only source of life, forgiveness, salvation, and peace.  The words spoken by Amos ring clear and loud today:  "Seek the LORD and live!"  Are you willing to come to Jesus that you may have life?  Seek the LORD while He may be found.

19 October 2013

Pain into Joy

God is able to redeem the pain of our lives.  Sometimes pain continues after the healing is over.  Our bodies are designed in an amazing fashion, able to adapt and compensate for injuries.  I have many injuries suffered years ago that I still feel every day.

During my years working with youth, I racked up all kinds of injuries.  Matt broke my left thumb with a small basketball during a dodge ball game.  My thumb still works, though it looks deformed and has limited movement.  Jason busted something in my right thumb during a football game.  This one is special because I have to adjust it multiple times a day.  I can get three to four cracks at a single time!  Kevin popped something in my right elbow when we were arm wrestling - and yes, it is sore especially after I pitch.  That was the day I retired completely from arm wrestling, a young man's game!  Brian chipped one of my teeth during a inflatable games jousting match, and I totally deserved that one.  When you give someone a "free shot," what can you expect?  Those are just the injuries that made the cut!

The funny thing is, I am not in the slightest mad at those who had a hand in breaking down my body a bit early.  I remember all those kids in the best light, happy for the times we spent together.  When I was feeling pain in my thumb today, it reminded me to pray for Jason.  Forget sticky notes or strings around the finger:  I have nerve endings as my reminders!  I am deeply grateful for the season of working with the youth at Calvary Chapel El Cajon, and I pray they would make a great impact on the world for God's glory.

Pain is a great reminder of our mortality and frailty.  As C.S. Lewis famously said, pain is God's megaphone and through it speaks loud and clear to hearts tuned by the Spirit.  I am grateful the reminders of fun times, wonderful friends, and God's sustaining grace through it all.  Only God can turn pain into joy without regret.

16 October 2013

Freezer Expectations

Man can become resentful when his expectations are not met.  Even if his expectations are idealistic, unrealistic, or perfectly ridiculous, resentment and bitterness can influence his attitudes, decisions, and interactions with others.  I am eternally grateful God is not like that.  He does not have "expectations" like a man does because He has perfect knowledge of past, present, and the future.  He does not become resentful and withhold good from people because we have disappointed Him.  He does not withhold good things from us because we will never use what He gives us perfectly in the future!  Again, disappointment comes from my desires remaining unfulfilled in the way or timing I prefer.  God is gracious, and He is always good.

A couple years ago I received a freezer from a family who was moving house.  It served us very well for a season, and we were recently blessed with a freezer which is bigger and more energy efficient.  Putting into practice the principle of "Freely you have received:  freely give!" I decided not to sell the freezer but offer it on the kerb for any who had a use for it.  We had been blessed by the generosity of others, and I wanted to ensure that the same blessing was available to others.  So I defrosted the freezer, wiped it clean, and set it in my yard with a "free" sign.

It was during dinner we began to discuss how long it would take for someone to pick up the freezer.  Like someone seeking to find a good home for a pet, I had this idealistic view of someone on our block who really needed a freezer and would be so delighted and blessed to receive it.  And then a thought hit me and my wife at the same time:  oh no!  I hope we won't see the freezer relocated to a front yard down the street!  I felt my heart sink.  When I accompany my sons to the bus stop, we walk by a front yard that is packed with junk.  From the outside, it appears the hoard once contained in the garage has spilled out onto the driveway, is stored in the back of a truck, and spread under tarps in the front yard.  There are dented bonnets, greasy radiators, tires, pieces of bikes, countless oily cable harnesses, bits and pieces everywhere.  LORD, please help the right person to pick up that freezer, I thought to myself.  Just not THAT guy.

The next day I went out to make sure the door of the freezer was open so it wouldn't grow mould.  The freezer was gone!  I instinctively swung my gaze down the street to see if my prior suspicions were valid.  Sure enough, there was my - now his freezer - sitting in the front yard surrounded by stuff, still resting in the handtruck used to cart it to his house.  I shrugged my shoulders and walked back inside.  Oh well.  I was disappointed.  I had offered the freezer with the intention of someone actually using it, not taking up space in the front yard.  Today I walked by the house again and there was the freezer, moved to another location among the churning piles.  I recognised that I did not give that freezer like the gifts God gives men.  I gave with expectations.  I pray good comes out of that freezer, and whether it is used to store food or dismantled and sold for scrap it will accomplish God's will.  God does not give randomly, but purposefully and perfectly.

This presents another point to consider:  even as I did not give the freezer to sit idle, unplugged, and growing mould within, so God gives gifts not to add to our collection but so we might use them.  Suggested by its very name the "freezer" has been designed for a purpose.  It has been designed to use electricity to keep things frozen and preserved.  God has given us forgiveness and new life in Him, and those who have received the Gospel through faith are called Christians.  We are to love God, love people, and make disciples of Christ.  We are to live for Christ.  God gives gifts so we might use them for His glory, not hoard the spiritual and physical blessings He gives for ourselves.  Instead of building bigger barns, let us give as God has given.  The scriptures say God has given us all which pertains to life and godliness.  The perfect peace which Jesus has given is complete, lacking nothing.  So let us purpose to be generous, godly, peacemakers who forgive others as Christ has forgiven us, without placing expectations on others.  God does not give us blessings to reward our performance, but rather out of the storehouses of His grace.  Take time to thank Him today for all He has given!

14 October 2013

The Sunburnt Legs Lesson

Yesterday I rose early and took a two hour drive to Thompsons Creek Dam.  It was a learning experience in more ways than one.  Since the weather has been so hot of late, I was largely unprepared for the blasting, freezing wind that blew continuously all day.  The water was choppy, the fish weren't biting, and I would have paid big money for a beanie!  It felt like my ears were going to fall off and my lips were numb.  As the clouds dissipated overhead, the sun shone bright and clear.  But the wind persisted and we continued to freeze.

After a day of fishing we drove back and parted ways, and I could faintly see the sun and wind had affected the faces of my fellow fisherman.  I had come prepared with polarised sunglasses, large hat, windbreakers, and sunscreen.  Unfortunately, my sunscreen remained in the bag I carried around!  I had been so cold from the wind all day that I never even thought to put on the sunscreen.  After removing my boots, I came to the immediate conclusion that I did not only get a little sun - but had received a lot of sun on my legs and face!  I had been wearing shorts, and from knee to sockline I had been sunburned.  The Australian sun spares no skin, and sunscreen does no good in the bag.  Leaving sunscreen in the bag is like going to a lake with a fishing rod but never casting out a lure.  And as God has been showing me, this principle applies to our spiritual life as well.

While I fished alone for a while, I spent some time in prayer with God.  At the time I didn't have a clear impression of what He was saying so I sang praises to Him.  Before bed last night I read in Hosea 10:12:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  In the middle of the night I woke up because my legs were burning.  When I rose to put some aloe vera gel on them, this verse came back to me in a rush.  That was the lesson of the sunburnt legs!  God spoke in that moment clearly.  The suncream was of no value to me because it remained in my bag, and the same can be said of God's righteousness.  Justification and the imputing of Christ's righteousness is not simply a "trump card" to give a man access to heaven, but the righteousness of God is to be sown intentionally by us.

In the world today, many people still rely upon seasonal rain for the success of their crops.  God will bring the rain, but we have a role to play.  He has provided righteousness through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He has given the Holy Spirit to quicken, convict, instruct, guide, and comfort.  We must act in faith, purpose, and intent, breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts and sowing for ourselves righteousness.  It is time to seek the LORD.  Treasure hunters must expend money to buy costly equipment to locate and retrieve valuable treasure, even as a fisherman buys tackle to snare trophy trout.  Treasure seeking and fishing often require early mornings, traveling long distances, and a sacrifice of time.  We must expend our lives to seek God, living righteously, reaping mercy, and breaking up our fallow ground.  What good is righteousness if we choose our own way?  What good is a plot of land unless it is cleared, plowed, and planted before the rains come?  What good is justification if we will not labour in our sanctification?  People will go to great lengths to find hidden gold or catch a fish:  how far are you willing to go to know God and live righteously as He reveals Himself to you?

If the sunscreen remains unopened in the bag, it will be of no use to protect our skin from the burning rays of the sun.  There are far graver consequences spiritually than temporary skin discomfort if we sow wickedness instead of righteousness.  Trusting in our own way rather than God will lead us to certain destruction.  We know the means of protecting our skin, but we must individually agree to and put forth the effort to cover all exposed skin.  We even need to humble ourselves to ask for help to get those spots we can't reach.  In the same way, we must be willing to apply the scriptures to our lives:  to our minds and the way we think; to our words and actions; even to our motives and the inmost desires of our hearts.  We need the Holy Spirit to aid us, applying God's word effectively to our minds and hearts, in those recesses only He can see and reach.  Let us be intentional in the way we live, choosing to heed this exhortation found in Hosea 10:12.  It is time to seek the LORD, and He is coming quickly.

10 October 2013

Jesus People

After hearing Greg Laurie endorse a book by Larry Eskridge titled God's Forever Family:  The Jesus People Movement in America, I was immediately interested.  I "Kindled" the book and I have found it invigorating and thought-provoking.  The book chronicles the "Jesus People Movement" in the United States of which Calvary Chapel was a part.  I first began attending Calvary Chapel in 1980 as a child and a relationship with Jesus has been a massive, transformative part of my life since.  The "counterculture revolution" was a bit before my time, but the Holy Spirit utilised the thirst for enlightenment and truth to direct many hungry, lost souls to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Some of the facets that marked the hippie Christian movement throughout the States was using the book of Acts as a script for daily living.  There were people who actually sold their belongings and moved into communes or shared dwellings to have "all things in common."  Coffee shops featuring Gospel presentations and Christian rock music popped up across the nation.  Runaways, hippies immersed in a hedonistic anti-establishment bent, and all manner of down and out people were evangelised.  What struck me as I read these accounts was those sharing Christ did more than give a message.  They shared the love of Christ in generous, practical ways.  Simple things like the use of a toilet or a shower was extended to homeless hippies.  Humble peanut butter sandwiches and coffee were given away for free.  Music the culture was familiar with was played accompanied with the message of salvation in Christ alone.  The new Christians didn't often have too much, and they were willing to give all they had away for the sake of Jesus.

Now this is where the modern church has diverged greatly.  The hippies of those days have cut their hair and moved out of their communes.  People have bank accounts, careers, and retirement funds.  They have their spouses, 1.9 children, two vehicles, and their holidays planned a year in advance.  The story has been repeated again and again:  those anti-establishment idealists have become the institution - and it is a far cry from the book of Acts.  Some churches even set forth the passage in Acts 2:42-47 as a model for their vision of ministry:  "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."  Churches these days have idolised the second part of verse 47 but have neglected the preceding verses!  This is not intended to be a formula for church growth, but an example of the outworking of the Holy Spirit to save and enable God's people to live in unity.

So what should we do?  Are we to sell all we have and live in communes?  No.  But for the church to become effective as at the first we must be willing to.  We must be willing to quit our careers, move our families, and give generously according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  My observations are not an indictment over a particular fellowship, but the general impression having been in the church for over 30 years.  When I read this book it came to me:  over time "church" has become more an activity than community.  It can be more a hierarchy than a Body.  People can attend church because of what they can receive rather than what they can give.  Is there a hunger for God at the first or just a desire to further establish our theology?  We are full!  Yet we are content and discontented at the same time.  I can fall into this rut as well.  We would love to see changes in theory, but we are unwilling to change.  We are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to see the fulfillment of Acts 2:42-47 in our churches, families, and communities.  There is no place for signs and wonders because we do not expect them, nor do we need them.  How much of your life actually necessitates a walk of faith in God?  Walking in faith grants us strength from God, but without faith we are weak as any other man.

It would be wrong for us to read of the "Jesus People Movement" and long for those days, just as it is foolish for us to try to create the conditions of the early church so we might duplicate their result.  We live in a different culture; it is a new day.  Instead of trying to return to a point in time, recreating the past through present efforts, we must return to Jesus Christ, our First Love.  The power of Jesus to save remains unabated and the power of the Holy Spirit as fervent and fiery as ever.  God has plans for you and your church fellowship in these last days.  He will do a new thing if we will return to the old path of faith and complete reliance upon God in all things.  Anything short of an all-out commitment will not do.  Are you willing to do whatever Christ commands?  If God told you to quit your job, sell your house, your two cars, your stuff, and bring your spouse and 1.9 kids along for the ride, would you?  What is holding you back?  Don't make the mistake of giving God your wretched past and holding onto your future.  He has plans for you, to give you a future and a hope.  Is that good enough for you? :)  God help me:  may You be my all in all!

08 October 2013

How God Handles Authority

This morning I was struck by how God's ways are so unlike the ways of man.  Give a man a little authority and he will fight to maintain it; God has all authority and He chooses to allow men to do as they choose.  He does not force.  He warns, but does not threaten.  He tells us the certain negative consequences of our rebellion and disobedience, and even allows His own children to wander from the right way.

This facet of God's gracious character is displayed when the children of Israel demanded that Samuel establish a king over them.  When the people communicated their desire to be as other nations and have a king to lead them into battle, Samuel was angry.  He knew that God was the King of the nation and over all, and this desire to have a king was a grave affront to the grace He had demonstrated.  For the Hebrews to say they wanted an earthly king instead of God, it was like a son disowning his own father.  Instead of smashing this insurrection with a heavy hand, God chose to give the people their desire.  1 Samuel 8:7-9 reads, "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."  God was rejected by His own people, the ones He delivered from slavery in Egypt and brought them victorious into the Promised Land, having established them as a nation.  Though He did everything for them, they cast Him carelessly aside.

God did an amazing thing in allowing His people to have a king.  Saul started well, but became proud, bloodthirsty, and quite insane.  God later established David as king, a man after his own heart.  Though the people rejected God by wanting to be like others, God would send a Messiah to redeem all people from their sin through the line of David.  This is phenomenal, that God would redeem even the wanderings of His own people to provide salvation through Christ for all!  Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jews, even as the Father's rule was rejected by the Jews in Samuel's day.  God has even redeemed this as well, for because of the Jew's refusal of Christ as Saviour the Gentiles have been brought into the kingdom of God through the Gospel.  In Christ we see that same gentle spirit, meekness, and all authority.  The Good Shepherd knows when His sheep wander, and He allows them to do so.  In the end His purposes will be obtained, and He receives the glory for it.  When we wander, He pursues us to win us back.

In the position of authority God has granted you, do you tend towards domineering?  Do you fight and angle for control?  When the authority God has given to you is challenged do you become angry and take up the case with God?  Or do you threaten, force, or coerce others to fall in line through your own schemes?  When the authority of Moses was challenged in Korah's rebellion, he fell on his face before God.  God fought for him.  When the authority of David was challenged by his own son, he fled the city and trusted God.  God delivered him from the sword and established him again upon the throne.  When Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, tortured and murdered - though the Son of God, God-made-flesh with all power and authority from the Father - He allowed the scourge to open His back, the thorns to pierce His brow, and nails to pierce His hands and feet.  He said, "Father, forgive them.  They know not what they do."  Three days after His death Jesus rose to life glorified, having all authority over life, death, and hell.  Those who remain in their sins will face the fierceness of God's wrath, but those who heed His warnings and repent, trusting in Christ as Saviour, will be saved.

All on this earth will someday answer to the Ultimate Authority:  God.  The supernatural way He loves people and compassionately, patiently offers them mercy and grace with forgiveness is the touchstone for how the authority God has granted to us must be exercised.  On our own this is impossible, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

07 October 2013

Labour and Submission

This week I heard a great message on the subject addressed in Hebrews 4:11:  "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."  This is an interesting paradox, that we should have to labour to enter into the rest God has provided for us.  There is a rest God offers which transcends the cessation of activity.  This rest God speaks of can be intentionally entered no matter our circumstances, just like the peace God offers that passes understanding.  We will never be perfectly at rest until we are free from the fetters of this body of flesh, yet we are called to labour to enter that rest today.  It is not a fleeting mirage that taunts us, ever slipping from our grasp, but a state of heart and way of living we enjoy as we abide in Christ.

This touches on something I have been thinking about often of late, the contrast between being passive and submissive.  Biblical submission is something often misunderstood.  Some correlate submission and passivity, but they are complete opposites.  These two responses are defined not by outward actions, but the condition of the heart.  When someone is passive, it is defined as the absence of outward activity.  When we submit to God and one another in love, at times it can look like passivity.  Yet submission is the voluntary laying down of our will in obedience to the Father, purposing even in outward inaction to rely wholly upon God.  "Submit" is a verb; it is an action we purpose to take.  Submission to God is always intentional and impossible to accomplish without faith in God.  Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Submission is a labour of faith in which God is well pleased.  Jesus gave His back to the scourge, His cheeks to the smiters, and His hands and feet to crude Roman nails in submission to the Father.  The response of Christ to the buffeting of his tormentors may have appeared outwardly passive, but in reality it was nothing of the sort.  His path to the cross was not as a passive sheep, ambling onwards in ignorance, but was purposeful, intentional submission as the Lamb of God sent to be a sacrifice for sin.  Let us submit to one another in love, casting our cares upon Christ because He cares for us.  All our burdens He has already bourne.  We are also called to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, to love one another as He has loved us.