Can We Earn It?

In one of the final scenes of "Saving Private Ryan," a dying captain uttered his last words.  Captain Miller had scoured war-ravaged countryside and many men died in their efforts to find and escort Private Ryan to safety.  As his life ebbed away on the bridge, Miller directed his attention to Ryan and said, "Earn this...earn it."  He exhorted Ryan to live a life worthy of the sacrifice he and others had given to save him.  As the elderly Ryan stood at the tombstone of Captain Miller, he said he remembered those words every day and did the best he could.  But was it enough?  Ryan wasn't so sure.

All those who attempt to earn the gracious sacrifice of others will always fall short.  Captain Miller in his dying moments demanded something of Private Ryan he simply could not give.  How could he possibly "earn" the sacrifice of Miller and valiant soldiers who gave their lives so he could live?  What short of sacrificing his own life could even begin to measure up?  Since many men he didn't know had already died for Ryan, how could he possibly repay them?  And how could the one life Ryan had to offer be enough to pay for all the men who perished on the battlefield for his sake?  It seemed to me the sacrifice of others haunted him because he could never fully rid himself of the weight of perceived debt.

Many people think they can earn God's favour through personal sacrifice.  But no man can earn the gracious sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  What an insult, to think we must earn what God has offered as a free gift of forgiveness and salvation for sinners!  God demonstrated His own love for us, that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  We were not noble, worthy kind of man Private Ryan turned out to be.  We were dead in sins, mockers and scoffers, enemies of God Jesus loved enough to seek and save.  It would be impossible for us to earn Christ's sacrifice on Calvary.  But we can receive the gift of salvation through faith, live our lives in light of that divine love, and share His love with others.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can walk worthily of His sacrifice.  We don't need to worry about being denied heaven because we haven't quite earned it.  We are unworthy and Christ died for us anyway.  We were hopeless, lost rebels, yet He has loved us with an everlasting love.  We are unfaithful and foolish, yet He calls us by name to faithfully seek us.  We were all like Steamboat Willy, and Jesus took the bullet for us.

We can't earn loving sacrifice.  When we realise Christ wasn't simply following orders but loved and sought us when we were worthless and gave His life in our place, what joy and peace is ours.  Let us rejoice in what Jesus has done.  Jesus has no tombstone, and we do not need to wonder if He hears us.  He is risen, just as He said!  Not only has He saved those who repent and trust in Him, but He invites us into His presence so He can help us.  Hebrews 4:16 says:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Instead of, "I hope I have done well enough" we can have the God-glorifying perspective of, "Let me tell you of what Jesus has done for me!"  That is the abundant life worth living!

Affliction, Pain, and Favour

The rapid advances in medical treatment and effective medications have changed the world in more ways than we might realise.  We have easy access to tablets of many kinds to relieve inflammation and discomfort, elevate iron levels, and balance hormones.  The accurate diagnosis and treatment of all manner of diseases and illness has prolonged the life of countless children and adults alike.  Physical damage to joints and bones once considered permanent can be restored through surgery.  Because of the access and availability to pain-numbing drugs, pain is often seen as a terrible inconvenience - even a great evil - that we should no longer need to endure.  When the pain hits our thoughts are typically something like, "How can I make this pain stop?"

During my reading of Psalm 25, I was struck with David's quite different approach to affliction and pain.  Our tendency is to try to avoid trouble or misery at any reasonable cost.  Many are so desperate to end their awful pain, taking their own lives seems a reasonable trade for that prospect.  David wrote in Psalm 25:18:  "Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins."  I must say, I was a bit shocked as I carefully considered what David said.  He did not ask God to change his troubled circumstances or to eliminate the pain he experienced.  He simply asked God to look upon his affliction and pain.  Like a person who goes to a doctor for a thorough physical examination, David did not demand God take a certain course of action.  It is common for us to use the internet to diagnose and treat our symptoms.  Because of our abundance of knowledge, doctors have lost some of the authority they used to have.  We think we know our bodies and symptoms better than anyone, and our doctor has become a means to accomplish our desired end.  We just want them to write a script for tablets so we can start feeling better.  How presumptuous we can be!

David didn't approach God in that manner.  He humbled himself before God, exposing what hurt him before the Great Physician and Saviour of our souls.  In this case, David did not ask God to relieve his pain.  In fact, a study of David and others in scripture reveal affliction and pain for God's people is a sure sign of future divine favour.  Let this fact sink into your hearts!  Remember when pregnant Hagar ran away from her heavy-handed mistress?  The angel of the LORD met her in the desert and told her to go back to that difficult situation with this promise in Genesis 16:11:  "And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. you shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction."  How about the sad state concerning Leah, forced to marry a man who didn't want her?  Genesis 29:31 reads, "And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren."  She recognised the blessing of a son was a direct result of God seeing her affliction.  The next verse reads (Gen. 29:32), "So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me." A similar story is found in 1 Samuel 1, where Hannah was provoked severely by a rival wife for her barrenness.  She cried out to God in her affliction, God heard her, and she ended up giving birth to the prophet Samuel and five other children besides.  What about when David fled from Jerusalem and Shemei cursed and accused him, throwing rocks and kicking up dust?  Abishai begged David to allow him to go over and cut of Shimei's head!  David refused.  He did not pray God would make his great affliction or pain stop because he recognised God was in complete control.  2 Samuel 16:11-12 says, "And David said to Abishai and all his servants, "See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. ¹² It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day."  When God looks upon the affliction and pain of His beloved children, He knows what to do in every case.  We might want our circumstances to change or the pain to end, but God knows better still.

The thing David requested of the LORD in Psalm 25:18 was to look upon his affliction and pain, and forgive him of all his sins.  God will be faithful to do this to all who ask Him.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  God allowed His own Son Jesus to face the agony and pain of the cross, and has exalted Him above all others.  Jesus was bruised and afflicted, but He opened not His mouth.  He asked on the cross for God to forgive those who were responsible for His crucifixion and those who scoffed and mocked as He died:  "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Though Jesus was made a sacrifice for all sin, He remained the Lamb of God without blemish or spot.  The Messianic Psalm 22:23-24 says, "You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! ²⁴ For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard."  The atonement for our sins has come through faith in Christ, and we know God will look upon our affliction.  Our afflictions and pains are not worthy to be compared with the glory God will reveal in us.  Our Father will certainly hear our cries and answer!

I Shall Not Want

I have begun the process of preparing to speak at a teen holiday camp (Kedron) next week.  I have been struck with the simple, old truth of Psalm 23:1:  "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."  The Hebrew word translated "want" the Strong's concordance defines as, "to lack, by implication to fail."  Because the LORD was David's shepherd, he knew with absolute certainty he lacked no good thing.  Having God as his shepherd assured David he would not fail.  Every word of God's promises would come to pass.

We are born in this world in desperate want, far beyond our minds can understand.  We are born naked and helpless.  Humans begin life without the capacity to speak, walk, design, provide money, or even see clearly with developing eyes.  Every one of us was born completely dependent on others for food, clothing, physical touch, washing, protection, and training.  Even when we mature and develop, our needs do not lessen.  Greater responsibilities and requirements are added upon us in adulthood than we ever realised as little children.  The trouble is, in our later years we can be duped into thinking we have become self-sufficient.  We may think we no longer need the shepherding of our parents and teachers - or even God.  This is great folly and evil, for it is God who supplies all people living with breath during our allotted time on earth.  We never outgrow our need for love, forgiveness, and God's gracious salvation.

The LORD impressed upon me the thought that He has made every person unique, but there is not one original thing about any of us.  We all are followers of someone or something.  Should we play the rebel, we cannot deny many rebels have blazed that same trail.  We follow our favourite celebrities, fashions, sports teams, musicians, or the "almighty dollar."  All the people we follow are following someone too.  We are all born with stomachs which are never permanently satisfied, with eyes that never grow weary of seeing.  As we grow we realise there is more of this world we want, yet the more we have the less satisfaction we seem to experience.  It didn't matter if David was a shepherd in a field, a fugitive in a cave, or a king in a palace:  the LORD was his shepherd.  "I shall not want," said David due to the character of God revealed in scripture.  David knew God would always provide for his needs graciously and abundantly.  He wrote in Psalm 34:10, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."

David had everything he needed, and knew His future was secure in God.  Should David follow God's leading, he could not fail.  These facts provide those who follow the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ with great consolation.  David did not say, "The LORD is my shepherd, therefore my needs are met."  The implication David's needs had been met, and he spoke confidently of the future:  "I shall not want."  David had enough today, and God would be faithful to supply his needs tomorrow.  David was led by God in the present and knew God would lead him tomorrow as well.  Do you experience such assurance and peace?  Unless the LORD is your shepherd, you cannot say with certainty what David did.  God is perfect, unchanging, and good.  David faithfully demonstrated the wisdom Jesus later exhorted His disciples to embrace in Matthew 6:31-33:  "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Teach Me!

"Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. ⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day."

Psalm 25:4-5

How great is our need as Christians to be taught by God!  Those who worshiped God in the writing of the book of Psalms highly emphasise their desperate need to be taught.  Like babies straight from the womb, as born-again children of God we do not have the natural capacity to know God's will or His ways.  We cannot do the simplest spiritual exercise without God's leading and empowerment.

There is a difference between "learning" and asking someone to "teach" you.  It is quite possible to learn on your own.  With our capacity for thought and observation of life, we can learn many sensible things.  We can learn from a book or a television program.  We can learn what to do, and what not to do by observing others.  But this is a far cry from being taught.  When we make a request for someone to teach us, it demonstrates humility and submission.  It is a claim of weakness and ignorance.  A teacher is a person to whom a man willingly hears and obeys, believing his teacher and trusting his judgments.  True disciples of Jesus Christ are not mere learners, but those who have asked Jesus to teach them and have chosen to heed His Word, instruction, and correction.

When I read this passage, I thought about how common it is for me and perhaps other Christians to pray for God's leading, guidance, help, empowerment, protection, and strength.  But how often do we pray for God to teach us?  God is willing and pleased to teach those who humble themselves before Him.  Let's make it a daily practice to ask God to teach us in all areas of our lives.  He is not like a counselor who gives advice we can take or leave.  May God open our eyes to see our great lack and to value His teaching above our own experience or what we perceive through our senses.  God will show us His ways and teach us His paths.  He will lead us in His truth and teach us - if we ask, we will receive!

Time Thieves

I heard pastor Levi Lusko say in a sermon:  "If the devil can't kill you, he will settle for your potential."  This is true.  Satan is not able to overpower God, nor is he able to destroy the souls of those purchased by Christ as His prized eternal possession.  Since the devil does not own us, God has set limits on what he can do.  But if we willingly yield to satanic suggestions - allowing him footholds in our lives through sin, disobedience, or distractions - we can become mired in sin and powerless to extricate ourselves.  It is not that we are without power through Christ, but we can be clueless of our true condition.  Coddled by a belief system, we can turn a blind eye to our lack of victory, power, and holiness.  We only admit being distracted when we realise we have embraced a substitute for what we truly ought to be doing.

As I preached last Sunday at Calvary Chapel Sydney on the second half of 1 Corinthians 7, the LORD gave me fresh insight on the power distractions can have in our lives.  The analogy He showed me was the picture of how I worked to distract my kids when they were little.  Mum needed a break, so I would spend an hour or two playing games, reading books, throwing and catching, or building with blocks.  My job was to keep the boys occupied with activities so Laura could have some much needed and deserved rest after a long day.  There were some days I had things I needed to accomplish, so turning on the TV helped me happily occupy my little couch potatoes.

It occurred to me that when a man is born again, Satan seeks to occupy our minds and turn our affections towards things of the world.  If he can no longer control us, the devil will settle for distracting us.  If the devil is successful in distracting us, he can accomplish more of his work!  A distracted person always fails to operate at full potential.  Distraction causes us to lose focus on the important matter at hand.  A distracted driver is a dangerous driver.  It is impossible for us to process too many things simultaneously.  If the TV, a book, or our phones have our attention, we will not listen well when someone is speaking to us.  The devil knows this too.  Therefore he labours to encumber and inundate us with distractions to keep us from the purpose God has for each one of us.  He cannot kill us, but if he can distract us he can prevent God using us for His glory.

Now I have heard people refer to common distractions - television, mobile phones, social media, the internet, career pursuits, sports - as "thieves" which rob us of time with God and rob Him of glory.  But I am convinced this is an incorrect view.  Inanimate objects, things, and activities do not possess the ability to steal anything.  No one blames a car for stealing itself, and the TV does not magically turn on without help.  Stealing only can occur by direct actions of a living person or being.  Jesus contrasted Himself with the devil in John 10:10:  "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  Satan, being a living spirit, is capable of stealing things.  Unlike objects or activities, he has the ability to exercise his will to commit sin and steal.  So these distractions, these "time and affection thieves," as we might call them, have been conveniently used as a cover up for the real criminals:  you and me!

We are the thieves!  The issue is one of the heart.  God has richly given us everything for our enjoyment.  Our tendency is to become self-centred and self-absorbed with the gifts rather than delighting ourselves in the Giver.  Being distracted is a choice we make, which ultimately becomes a habit.  We then become complacent, having an uncritical satisfaction with ourselves concerning our lifestyle, ways of thinking, and actions.  When we allow ourselves to be undisciplined and distracted, we choose to rob God of His time and glory.  We likely do not frame it with malicious intent, but robbing God of His time is the end result.  Some people are very protective of their "time."  Us Christians who have been bought with a price have given God ownership of our lives.  Our souls have become God's possessions, our bodies are also God's, and "our" time left on the earth has become - you guessed it - God's time!  Satan delights to distract men to waste God's time and sap our potential God has graciously given.

Once we realise it is not the phone, nor the internet, our hobbies, or the TV that are thieves but we are actually to blame, the first steps can be taken back to God through confession and repentance.  As you seek the LORD in humility and submission, examine your use of time throughout the day.  Analyse when and how you become distracted.  But I caution you not to fall into the trap of simply eliminating things from your life without intentionally replacing them with spiritual disciplines.  Throwing out the TV doesn't begin to touch the areas in your heart which caused TV to distract you from God's purposes and directives.  Deleting that app will not change the way you think or renew you in the spirit of your mind.  That is why we ultimately fit another distraction into the empty slot.  We need to take to heart and put into practice Ephesians 4:22-24:  "That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Our walk with Jesus is not aimless or random, but intentionally cooperating with God according to His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Satan is a thief, but he delights in others doing his dirty work:  who better than God's own children?  A distraction enjoyed becomes a temptation leading to bondage and separation from God.  If we are stealing time from God throughout the day, we will become increasingly distant from Him.  Distractions keep us from hearing the LORD or even noticing He has spoken.  We cannot blame the devil, anyone, or anything for our failings.  Let us own them, admit our guilt, and follow God's plan so we might know Christ and walk in the power of His resurrection!

Living in the Dark?

Both the houses we have rented in Australia have shared at least one thing in common:  the lighting has been ordinary.  For non-Aussies out there, "ordinary" means very poor!  There is not nearly enough lights for our liking, and the light fixtures are a hodgepodge of different styles and bases.  The renters before us in both homes used all kinds of different globes:  frosted, clear, and florescent.  Nearly half of the globes of both houses were spent when we moved in, and the others didn't last for long!  Some of the globes demanded too many watts, and others were so dim they were virtually worthless.  Over time we have achieved consistency with the lighting, though in most rooms the light is poor for reading.

Last night I noticed our bathroom was much more dim than usual.  The light fixture has three spots for globes, and one has been missing since we moved in.  The globe over the sink went out, which left the bathroom ridiculously dark.  So I went to the closet and grabbed a couple of compact florescent globes as replacements.  After installing the globes I was amazed with the difference.  It occurred to me that all along we had been living in darkness!  With two of the three lights working, it was not nearly as bright as when all three were operational.  For all that time we had been in relative darkness, and didn't even know it.

It made me think about the Bible - God's Word - that is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (Ps. 119:105, Prov. 6:23).  After we are born again through repentance from sin and faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us.  For the first time, we are able to see spiritually.  The reality is, however, even after we begin following Jesus we can remain in relative darkness.  We continue living in the same body with the same mind and in many ways is like taking over a house from a previous renter.  We are new renters, but in the same old house.  Christ is now our new owner, but the evidence of neglect and distance from God in daily living is still evident.  As we read the Word, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, light is shed upon our lives and we realise we have had light, but to a degree we have been living in the dark.  We begin to walk in the light when we confess we have erred, we agree with God concerning His correction, and take necessary steps to obey.

When the light shown brighter in my bathroom, it had an immediate effect of making me want to clean.  Increased illumination opened my eyes to neglected tasks I did not notice before.  As we walk with Jesus, embracing our own sanctification is part of our calling.  We cannot content ourselves in the old ways of thinking and living when the Light of the World has illuminated our hearts.  Ephesians 4:22-24 exhorts "...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."  What a difference light makes in a house, and how much more pronounced should the transformation be in a heart enlightened by Jesus!  I am convinced we must shine the light of God's Word upon our hearts, actions, and embrace obedience as led by the Spirit before we can shine extraordinarily in this world for Jesus.

God Hears and Yields

I have been blown away of late by this simple fact:  God listens to people.  The prayer of one person has changed the course of nations.  We may think because God is sovereign over all and already knows His complete, ultimate plan, everything is fairly set.  Though God does have a plan, many times we observe in scripture God in heaven listens and heeds the prayers of people who simply pray.  This really is an amazing thing, that lowly man can have an audience with God - and God listens to us when we speak to Him!

Think about the powerful and influential men and women in the world today.  No man easily gains a personal audience with them.  You might write a letter to a politician, but it may never even reach their desk.  They have layer upon layer of attendants and handlers to deal with the requests, calls, e-mails, and ideas of people.  Even if you were able have a phone conversation or a face-to-face meeting with a prime-minister or president of a company, it is utterly unlikely your suggestions would impact the plans which have already been set in motion!  The fact is, to offer suggestions to the Prime Minister on policies from the position of a "man on the street" cannot take into account all the politicking taking place behind closed doors.  We see only a fraction of the big picture.  Since this is the case, what wisdom or insights could a Prime Minister hope to gain from a United States transplant like me, who has only been in country for four years?  From his perspective, I can't see any upside for him agreeing to such a meeting!

If the divide between men can be great, how much more of a infinite chasm stretches between the Creator God and shortsighted man!  Yet God has granted all who trust in Him an audience in His throne room of grace to find mercy and help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).  He does not squeeze us into a 10 minute time slot because He is too busy or important to spare more time.  And wonder of wonders, we can directly impact His decisions.  Does this blow your mind?  Many times in scripture we see God make a statement, only to willingly adjust it according to a direct request from one of His servants.  God does not only hear prayers, but He answers them.  There are many recorded instances in scripture when God was willing to alter His "plan" because of supplications from His children.  It's true that sometimes says "No," but that does not change the fact He also says "Yes" to requests!  Here are several examples:

• God revealed to Abraham He was going to destroy Sodom and the surrounding cities due to their great wickedness.  The text says Abraham "drew near" and asked if God, being a righteous Judge, would destroy the righteous with the wicked.  Genesis 18:23-33 contains the dialogue of the interaction, and Abraham reasoned with the LORD.  Instead of a wholesale destruction, Abraham received God's promise Sodom would be spared completely if there were only 10 righteous people within the city.  God heeded the voice of Abraham.
• When the children of Israel worshiped the golden calf Aaron made during the absence of Moses as he met with God to receive the Law on Mt. Sinai, God told Moses He was going to destroy all the people of Israel and make of Moses a great nation instead.  Moses protested and pleaded with God on behalf of the people, and God listened.  Exodus 32:13-14 reads:  "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" ¹⁴ So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people."
• Elijah was a man like the rest of us, but God shut the heavens at his earnest request.  It says in James 5:17-18:  "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit."  When Elijah prayed for rain again, God heard and caused torrential rain to fall the same day.
• Nineveh was a city God sent Jonah the prophet to warn of impending destruction:  "Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"  When the people heard of their imminent overthrow, from the least to the greatest they mourned, fasted, and wore sackcloth and ashes.  Though they were Gentiles, they believed God.  God responded and repented from the evil He was planned to bring upon them (Jonah 3:5-10).

God responds to more than mere words:  He is looking for faith demonstrated by works.  God invites whosoever will to repent of sin and come and reason with Him.  Would you refuse the opportunity to converse with your Maker?  Isaiah 1:16-20 says, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, ¹⁷ learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. ¹⁸ "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ¹⁹ If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; ²⁰ but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword"; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."  God has spoken, and His Word shall come to pass.  However, this does not mean He will not heed the voice of those who cry out to Him in faith.  David the shepherd wrote in Psalm 34:6, "This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles."

We need not be rich or influential in this world to have an audience with God.  God has invited us to reason with Him, and it is not a token "meet and greet" with a handshake and signed photo:  by God's grace we have the freedom to converse with God, to praise and thank Him, and make our requests known to God.  Who knows?  In the meekness of His wisdom, God is willing to yield at the voice of a man.  This mind-blowing fact rejoices the heart!

Time for Temple Inspection!

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

When I visited the Temple Institute in Jerusalem this year, it was exciting the see the many preparations undertaken for the rebuilding of the Temple.  Our tour was led through a maze of rooms displaying artwork, models, the ephod and breastplate which will be worn by the high priest, the table of showbread, the altar of incense, and silver trumpets.  As the guide presented the articles and talked of the future temple, there was a sense of awe and excitement.  With all the expense and effort being expended in preparation for the building of the third temple, one might think the temple was always reverenced, being the dwelling place of God.  A brief examination of biblical Jewish history proves otherwise!  Though the Jews were the people God chose as His own, committed to them His Laws, and dwelt among them, the condition of the temple varied greatly.  When we realise that under the New Covenant of Christ's blood born-again Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, looking back at the conditions which existed is instructive in self-examination.

So what are some of the negative conditions we find in the tabernacle or temple historically?  Here is a brief and hardly exhaustive list:

• The priests did not know the LORD, robbed God of sacrifices brought by the people, and fornicated with women in the tabernacle - 1 Samuel 2:12-24
• The light was allowed by the priests to burn out at night - 1 Samuel 3:1-4
• In the days of Joash there were leaks and gaps, the Levites were slack to organise repairs, and Athaliah's son's had broken into the temple and presented the holy things to idols - 2 Chronicles 24:2-7
• King Ahaz took the holy vessels and cut them into scrap, polluted the holy place, and sealed the doors of the temple - 2 Chronicles 28:24
• Hezekiah commanded the unsanctified Levites to sanctify themselves and cleanse the holy place.  The doors had been shut, lamps extinguished, and no incense or burnt sacrifices had been offered - 2 Chronicles 29:4-7
• The holy place was polluted with so much filth it took 8 days to cleanse it - 2 Chronicles 29:16-17
•  The book of the Law was lost in the temple, and therefore it had not been read, heard, or obeyed - 2 Chronicles 34:15-21
• The high priest Eliashib allied himself with the Ammonite Tobiah, an enemy of Israel.  He prepared a large room for Tobiah to live in which should have been reserved as a storeroom for tithes and offerings - Nehemiah 13:4-5
• On two occasions Jesus cleansed the temple of moneychangers, animals, and kept merchants from using the temple as a thoroughfare - Mark 11:15-17, John 2:13-18

The people God had tasked to build the temple as a house of prayer did not always maintain the purity and reverence of which God is worthy.  This fact should lead to a critical question for every born-again Christian to consider:  what is the current condition of my temple?  Have I robbed God of sacrifices?  Are there impurities in the holy place?  Have I misplaced and ignored the Word of God?  Since we are called priests unto God, have I been slack to be sanctified and do the work of the ministry?  Have I allied myself with enemies of God and provided them space to live and oppose God's work in my heart?  We observe when the nation of Israel was ruled by a wicked king who promoted idolatry, the temple and worship of God was polluted and neglected.  It is the same for us.  Should we allow ourselves to be ruled by sin, lusts, and pride, our temple falls into spiritual disrepair.

Praise God that in every case mentioned above, there remained sure hope and help when people returned to the LORD in humility, repentance, and obedience.  This means there is hope for those who have not kept their temple in holiness and purity.  Even if the temple has been utterly destroyed, it can be rebuilt.  Twice the temple was destroyed, but the Bible reveals it will be built again.  God is more concerned about the people created in His image than mere buildings fashioned by the hands of men.  Those who destroy the temple God will judge, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17:  "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ¹⁷ If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."  We are to remain pure in a world filled with sin because our God is holy.  2 Corinthians 6:16 reads, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Allow me to close with an excellent exhortation from 1 Peter 2:5-12:  "...You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." ⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," ⁸ and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. ⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. ¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, ¹² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."

Keep the Light Shining!

"And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. ²¹ In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel."

Exodus 27:20-21

God commanded the lamp in the tabernacle and later the temple was to burn continually in the Holy Place.  From evening until morning it was to be carefully attended by the priests before the LORD.  Oil was to be added and wicks trimmed through the night to ensure it remained lit throughout the night.  Light was to shine continually in the Holy Place though the sun disappeared and night fell.

In the days of the Judges, we read men did what was right in their eyes.  Though God's Law had been committed to His people and the tabernacle had been erected according to God's design, the days were dark.  The priests had neglected the command of God to keep the light burning, and the implications for Christians today are enormous.  We read in 1 Samuel 3:1-4:  "Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. ² And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, ³ and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, ⁴ that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!" 

There are several telling observations from this text.  The word of the LORD was rare in those days.  There was no widespread revelation.  Eli, the High Priest descended from Aaron's line, was physically blind.  His eyes had grown increasingly dim to the point of blindness.  Whilst Eli laid himself to sleep, the lamp of God was permitted to burn out in the tabernacle of the LORD.  How suggestive is this!  Eli and his sons neglected to tend the lamp of God according to His command, and it was an indicator of their slack approach to God.  1 Samuel describes the sons of Eli as desperately wicked, and though Eli heard all about their debauchery he did nothing to stop them.  There is a clear connection in the passage between allowing the lamp of God to burn out and blindness, lack of vision and divine revelation, and the rarity of the word of the LORD.  The priests had despised the commandment of God and embraced sleep instead.  Darkness in the temple resulted in blindness, ignorance, and distance from God.

One glorious truth in this tragic passage is though the light was permitted to burn out, God spoke directly to a young boy who did not even know the LORD yet!  It may have seemed a helpless situation with ever-increasing darkness and wickedness, but God graciously revealed Himself to someone who would be faithful to hear and speak forth His truth.  The lamp of God was permitted to burn out, but the light of life shone through little Samuel even as a child, and none of his words fell to the ground.  Jesus said in John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  Jesus also told His followers in Matthew 5:14:  "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."  Jesus is the Light of the World, and all who repent and are born again through faith in Him have the Holy Spirit living within them.  Oil is a type of the Spirit who sets us aflame, the fuel to empower Christians to comprehend and live out the scriptures in truth.  We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5:16:  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

If you are a Christian, consider these questions:  is hearing from God a rarity in your life?  Is fresh understanding and personal application from the scriptures seldom experienced by you?  When you read the Bible is it dry and dull?  Is your vision increasingly dim?  It could very well be due to the neglect of obedience to God's Word.  Perhaps you have never been baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  Maybe the Holy Spirit has been quenched, resisted, and grieved by decisions you have made.  Praise the LORD, there is hope for those born blind as well as those whose eyes have gone dim!  Acts 9:17-18 speaks of when Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and his eyes were opened.  "And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized."

How is your vision, dear Christian?  Have you recognised your desperate need for spiritual sight and light from the Holy Spirit?  If your heart has been darkened by sin, there is hope for you in Jesus Christ.  Jesus will forgive, heal, and restore those who admit they are blind, yet those who believe they see will remain blind.  No matter how dark the world becomes, Jesus remains the Light of the World.  Instead of doing what is right in your own eyes, obey God's commands faithfully night and day.  Keep His light shining bright!

Surrender, Praise, and Enjoy!

There is truly nothing more exciting, humbling, and amazing than being part of God's forever family.  The life God has for us is better and broader than we could ever have dreamed up for ourselves.  God is faithful to lead and guide His people faithfully, providing for our necessities and granting opportunities to serve all over the world.  It is wonderful when we experience the joy and peace of God and are content in our circumstances - only to have God prompt us to go through an open door He has sovereignly placed before us.  God's ways are past finding out, and what a joy to know it is He who will be faithful to lead us every step of the way.

Years ago I served on staff at Calvary Chapel El Cajon with Lynette Lynn.  A time came when God moved her to another local ministry where she has been serving for six years.  She posted a status update that took me back in my mind to the time when I discovered God had called me out of ministering in San Diego and would establish my family and me in Australia.  I was blessed by her honesty, transparency, and obedience to share what God revealed and confirmed to her heart.  And with her permission, I am delighted to share her exhortation to faith in God with you!

In early July I sat on the beach with Lord, journal in hand, asking Him to speak to me. As I stared out at the ocean God reminded me of my love for roller coasters. Just as quickly He reminded me of that love, He reminded me of one ride that I HATE at Magic Mountain called "Viper." The reason I hate Viper is because the beginning of the ride goes VERY slowly, giving me 30 seconds to think about all the possible ways I might die on the ride. I love roller coasters that start out fast and end fast because there is no time for me to think. Naturally, I asked God why He was talking to me about roller coasters. Clearly He impressed on my heart this message "Lynette, you have two choices when it comes to doing what I ask you to do. One choice is to hang on for dear life and white-knuckle this ride. The other choice is to put your hands up in surrender and praise and enjoy the ride. The reality is, the ride is taking the same course no matter how you decide to ride."

As I sat there marinating in that thought, God made it clear that my season at the Rock Church had ended. I sat there shocked...I've been there 6 years and I was convinced I would be there until the day I died. I left the beach and didn't tell anyone, including my husband what God had told me. I spent the longest week of my life wrestling with the Lord. I was anxious all the time. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat (much), was in tears at the drop of a hat. I was irritable, angry and just lacking peace. I finally decided I would tell my husband Bob what God had told me. His response: "Lynette, I would go anywhere God told us to go, even the desert." My response: "Whoa, that's just crazy talk! You know I am a beach girl." Well... as God would have it, one text, and 2 hours later I received an email from a church in Indian Wells, Ca. (IN THE DESERT) looking for a someone to direct their Kids Ministry!

I don't want to make this long post any longer but I will tell you that I have NEVER EVER seen God's hand so clearly in directing my life. I would say there has been a minimum of 20 different ways God has confirmed this is the way we should go. So the bottom line is, I am humbled and honored to say that I have accepted a position at Southwest Community Church. We are packing up our world in San Diego and moving to the DESERT (this must be God) early in the month of November. Everything is moving so fast, last night our house went on the market and today we are having an Open House. As Bob Goff would say "We are living on the edge of YIKES."

What I do want to say is that there is NO GREATER JOY than being in the center of God's will. The past month has been a crazy roller coaster ride and every day I have to CHOOSE to put my hands up in SURRENDER and PRAISE and enjoy this ride!  Friends, if God is calling you to do something, whether big or small JUST DO IT and receive the blessing He has for you!

The Wisdom From Above

In the Matrix film trilogy, there is a character deemed the "Oracle."  Morpheus and Neo sought her advice concerning the future because they believed she had wisdom they needed to be successful in their efforts.  Most things the Oracle said were ambiguous and unclear.  She limited herself and would not say all she knew, but said enough to put her seekers on the right path.  The implication is they would have to discover the truth for themselves - an approach which fits well in our current day of the embrace of relative truth.  Unfortunately this approach to wisdom is not limited to the science fiction but has been accepted as truth.  Relativism by many has been deemed absolute truth in a time when the existence of moral absolutes is flatly rejected.  There is great irony here for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

The wisdom of God is nothing like what often passes for wisdom in this world.  Wisdom is far more than information or even the correct appropriation or personal application of knowledge.  The Bible says the "Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."  True, genuine wisdom comes only from God.  Wisdom is not displayed by knowledge, belief, or mental understanding, but through the fear and reverence of God.  A wise man believes God exists, created all things, and is in control.  He recognises God is not like a man, and men are naturally opposed to God.  This means man, despite his best efforts, cannot know or walk in the wisdom of God.  The scriptures say that when fallen, faithless men see God's wisdom openly displayed, it appears to them foolishness (1 Cor. 2:14)!  Conversely, 1 Corinthians 3:19 says, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness."

The wise of this world flaunt their knowledge, yet the truly wise are revealed in their willingness to receive correction from God.  A wise man realises in his natural state he is not inclined to do God's will and therefore needs to be changed from within.  He must be born again and embrace a life of being changed more into the image of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Christianity is more than hearing God's Word and doing it:  the implication is after being born again we must choose to accept God's way of thinking and live in dependance and obedience to His Word.  Our old life and ways of thinking must be replaced with God's plans for our future.  Jesus told a parable in Matthew 7:24-28:  "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

The foolish man in the parable heard the words of Jesus but chose to build in a place and in a way he saw fit.  He disregarded the instruction and correction of God.  Though he no doubt worked very hard at great expense, because his house was not firmly established on the rock it all fell to pieces when the storm hit.  He put aside God's plans for building his life and decided instead to build his dream home according to his own design and in the location he preferred.  He wanted beachfront property and he temporarily obtained his desire.  Sadly, all those efforts were a tragic waste.  The wise man heard the words of Jesus and chose to throw out his own plans.  He decided God's location and plans for building a life were better than his own.  He embraced all changes to his plans, methods, and future God demanded.  He built on the rock when a house on the beach still  sounded amazing.  Perhaps he would have been happy to build in the exclusive community that built on the sandy bluffs overlooking the sunrise.  I am not suggesting beachfront property cannot have a solid foundation on the rock.  The point is, wisdom is displayed in our willingness to admit our plans need to change, our way of thinking must change, our idea of a dream future on this earth must change, everything about us must change according to God's revealed design in His Word.

There are many smart, knowledgeable people in this world who do not possess wisdom from above.  They may be very wealthy, successful, influential, and powerful, yet they still lack God's wisdom.  James 3:13-18:  "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  The wisdom is displayed through meekness, not arrogance or pride.  The wisdom of God is revealed in motives of love and humility.  True wisdom is not shown by how much we know or what we believe we have accomplished, but in gentleness and willingness to yield to God's control and commands in daily living.  The righteousness of a Christian is obtained by grace through faith in Christ, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.  Wisdom is revealed when we accept chastening from God and even correction from men.

Are you willing to yield when Christ speaks?  Will wisdom from above be displayed in your life when you lay down your precious plans and adopt God's plans for your conduct, life, and thinking through scripture?  Only Christians have the wisdom from above, but do not be deceived to think by virtue of your beliefs by default you are living wisely.  How many times have we built something God condemned because it was not in His plans!  How easy it is to stray from building on the foundation of Christ because we have decided our ideas and plans are best.  Our plans are precious because we've poured our hearts into them, they cost us a fortune, and we are not willing to give them up!  True wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy.  When you read "partiality and hypocrisy," don't primarily think of how you relate to others, but how we can be partial and hypocritical concerning ourselves.  When it comes to biblical change, Christians are wise to adopt a "Me first!" approach.  Mary told the servants, "Whatever Jesus says, do it!" and we are wise to heed her words!  Wisdom is not something we discover on our own, but something Jesus is for us.  1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

Mourners and Mockers

Once a man named Jairus came to Jesus and asked him to heal his sick daughter.  As they made their way to his house, a messenger came bearing bad news:  the twelve-year-old girl had died.  "Do not trouble that Master any more," was the suggestion.  What more could Jesus do now?  Jesus told Jairus, "Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole."  They continued their trek to the house of Jairus.

When they arrived at the residence, many mourners wailed the passing of the girl.  Luke 8:52-53 says, "Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." ⁵³ And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead."  The KJV says the mourners "laughed Jesus to scorn," knowing she was dead.  They knew a dead body when they saw one!  Who was this man who suggested they should cease mourning?  If she wasn't breathing, how could she be sleeping?  His suggesting was insulting and offensive.  They did not know it yet, but it was the mourners who were the offenders.  They insulted Jesus with their mockery, for they did not believe Jesus had power over death.

The mourners wailed over the girl's death, but Jesus was in the home to restore life.  They believe mourning was a more valid response than to suggest the girl merely slept.  Jesus, being God, was able to discern the truth concerning the girl's condition.  She appeared dead and lifeless, but it was not a time to sorrow for Jesus Christ had come.  Her permanent condition could be reversed because Jesus had the power to do whatever He wants.  After sending out the mourners turned mockers, Jesus took the little girl by the hand and told her to rise.  Her eyes opened and she stood up!  It was a remarkable display of the power of Jesus Christ to save, even when hope seemed an impossible dream.

How many times do we mourn because we do not believe anyone - even God - has the power to redeem or restore the situations we face!  This event proves even death is not a problem when the Resurrection and the Life is in the house.  If Jesus is our Saviour we are more than conquerors through Him.  The mourners and mockers were thrown out and did not see the miracle.  That is true for us as well.  Whether we mourn or mock in disbelief, insulted at the prospect of hope or restoration, we will not experience the power of God working in our lives.  How important it is we believe and trust, knowing that Jesus is able to accomplish what concerns us today according to God's perfect will.

The NFL Fast

Most people who know me also know I am fond of watching and playing sport.  In my adulthood I have been on 10-pin bowling teams, company and church softball teams, and have played baseball during the last few years.  I used to enjoy going down to the park and playing touch and tackle football (gridiron) on weekends and holidays with my brother and friends.  Being from San Diego, I have been a Padres and Chargers fan since the early to mid-80's.  Long before I had a TV in our home, I would carry my little battery-powered radio around and listen to the Padres games.  Every year I would actually write a letter to the Padres office to request the annual schedule.  Every year I rejoiced to receive that envelope in the post, stick my new schedule to a cork board, and listen to as many games as I could.

Even now as I sit at my desk, I can see last year's San Diego Chargers schedule hanging in plain view.  As much as I enjoyed the Padres, the Chargers have been my number one team for my whole life.  The quality of my Sundays as a kid was directly impacted by the Chargers, and let's just say growing up all those 4-12 seasons took their toll.  But I was a true fan.  Whether the Chargers went to the playoffs or won a single game in a season I stuck with them faithfully in good times and bad.  I remember the day when the Chargers drafted LaDainian Tomlinson.  I can say without fail I watched 99% of every play from scrimmage he ever had as a Charger.  When I wasn't watching the Chargers, I listened to talk radio of people discussing the Chargers.  I loved the games, replays, competition, drama, strategy, and the edge-of-your-seat excitement.  I love football, what can I say?

As the new NFL season is about to begin, there is something a bit odd about my schedule:  it is the schedule of last year.  I haven't printed out a schedule of this year because I am not going to watch a single game, even if the Chargers (against all odds, I shouldn't wonder!) reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.  It wasn't my idea to take a season off from watching the National Football League.  It is not because of the rule changes, issues I have with team ownership, the vast revenues and salaries, the prevalent injuries, or the culture of pride.  The reason why I am not going to watch a game this season is because I am convinced God clearly has told me not to, and the way He did it was miraculous.

Have you ever had a time when your heart was unsettled and you knew something wasn't right?  Perhaps you found you were almost arguing with yourself, trying to convince yourself everything was fine - but there was a conflict within.  I have had many such internal battles during my life.  This year, of all things, I had reservations about buying my annual subscription to NFL Game Pass.  I felt conflicted about it, and I couldn't understand why.  One day I am certain God impressed upon my heart, "Admit it.  You LOVE football."  Immediately I denied it.  "I like football, don't be ridiculous."  But then I started thinking.  Before I had a subscription to NFL Game Pass I would set my alarm to wake up at 3am to stream a game from Australia.  I checked the website daily for news and enjoyed reading the articles and watching highlights.  If I wasn't watching football, I enjoyed thinking about it.  I relished the drama of the last second field goals, the amazing kickoff returns, catches, and runs, crazy comebacks, bone-crushing blocks, and talented feats of agility and strength.  "You are right, God," I relented.  "I DO love football.  I have loved it for a long time."

The fact that I would give up virtually anything to keep watching football told me there was something wrong with my love of the game.  Football may be the greatest game ever (and without question my favourite to watch or play), but even things good in themselves can be detrimental.  You may not think my admitting I loved football was a big deal.  So what?  Don't lots of people love football?  It is a big deal because I believe the Bible is the Word of God and therefore loving things of this world is a serious problem.  1 John 2:15 plainly says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  God used this verse to confront my misplaced affections.  My love of football - which is not an allowable exception to the truth of 1 John 2:15 - revealed my love of football was conflicting with my love of God.  Placing my affections on a game, a thing of this world, robbed God of love He deserved to freely receive from me.  That is why I initially resisted admitting I loved football.  And the implications stood:  it was either football or God.  If football demanded even a fraction of the love God intended me to demonstrate for Him, my priorities and my heart needed to change.

Even after I admitted I loved football, the resistance wasn't finished.  The battle continued as I was conflicted about what to do.  At some moments I thought God wanted me to quit watching football indefinitely, maybe just for a season, or simply to repent and to remain vigilant football was not claiming my affections.  Leading up to the Israel trip this year, I was still coming to grips with the fact I loved football.  Of all places, God clearly spoke to me in the Garden of Gethsemane during that trip.  As I sat quietly in the place where Jesus cried out to His heavenly Father facing crucifixion and death, there I was waffling over watching football or not!  I didn't want to even think or pray about the football issue, but it kept coming back.  I was disgusted.  I said, "LORD, I have the sense you are asking me to not watch football this next season.  Please clearly tell me what you want and I will do it."  Precisely at that moment, I raised my eyes and saw a small round item on the ground.  I wonder what that is, I thought.  I picked it up and began rubbing it between my fingers to clean off the corrosion.  As the face of Abraham Lincoln came into view, I was amazed to be holding a United States penny.

There I was in the Garden of Gethsemane in Israel, and to find a U.S. penny was shocking.  Faintly I could make out the inscription:  "In God We Trust."  Instantly I was reminded when Jesus was being tested by the Pharisees about whether the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar or not.  He said, "Show me a penny."  Since moving to Australia, I have not seen a "penny" for years.  The massive single cent coins in Australia were removed from circulation decades ago, and change is given rounding up or down five cents.  Jesus continued to ask, "Whose face is on the money?"  "Caesar's," they answered.  Jesus said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."  The latter half of Jesus Christ's answer hit me:  if God asked me to give up watching football for a year, that is His just due.  Since I have been bought with a price I must choose to honour God instead of myself.  In light of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary, was football too precious to give to God after all Christ had given for me?  It was settled then, and the peace of God filled my heart.  My heart rejoiced in God's love, and all doubts fled away.  I would fast from the NFL for a season.  I am not losing anything, for God is more than sufficient to fill my heart and mind in years past occupied with football.

God does not require us to do more than He asks.  Right now He has asked for me to give Him this NFL season.  He has not yet asked me to stop watching gridiron for the rest of my earthly days, but even if He did it is not too much for God to demand.  The question will come to us all who follow Jesus:  is there anything in your life that you set your affections on in God's place?  Are there things we are unwilling to forsake for the purpose of pursuing God?  We are told, "Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  God may not ask you to lay aside the things you love, but don't forget at times He commands to lay aside even the things we need - like food!  Jesus fasted from food and drink for 40 days in obedience to God by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  The lesson is that man shall not live by bread alone but by every command from the mouth of God.  God is more necessary than food for us, and obedience to God is more important than sacrificing a century of football!  As we go through this life, God desires we forsake all other loves in response to His great love He demonstrated on the cross.  Football never loved me, but Jesus does!

Receiving Correction

The true measure of wisdom is not found in the amount of knowledge you possess, but your willingness to receive correction from God.  Christ has become for us wisdom, and a broken and contrite heart God will not despise.  Proverbs 15:31 says, "The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise."  How we respond to rebuke and chastening of God is one of the most accurate gauges of whether we are walking in wisdom or not.  Both the wise and foolish man hears the words of Christ, but the wise will adopt His ways.  The wise will heed His rebukes and take appropriate action.

This wisest among men realise God is righteous and good.  Even when God's ways appear unreasonable or ridiculous, a wise man humbly affirms that if anyone needs correction it is himself.  Habakkuk was a prophet of God who was dismayed with God's plan to use the Babylonians to judge the people of Israel.  It didn't make sense to Habakkuk God would choose to use a heathen nation which deserved the wrath and judgment of God to judge God's own people!  It seemed a grave injustice and inconsistent with Habakkuk's understanding of God.  It was utterly appalling.  How could God seemingly tolerate such great wickedness and refuse to defend God's people from violent overthrow?  Why would God use a corrupt nation to judge another?  How could such methods be just or righteous at all?

But Habakkuk was a wise man.  He knew no matter how things appeared to him, God was still God and in control.  God remained righteous, just, loving, merciful, and true.  Though confused and without answers, the prophet sought God's answer.  Like a watchman who carefully scanned the horizon, Habakkuk looked to God to correct his faulty perspective.  Habakkuk 2:1-4 reads, "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. ² Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. ³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. ⁴ "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith."  Habakkuk realised it was not God who needed to be corrected, but he needed God to correct him.  God's plan hadn't changed, and God gave Habakkuk a charge to clearly write the vision and make it plain.  God would surely bring it to pass.  "The just shall live by his faith," God said.  Babylon would someday be judged in righteousness, but God would use them as His servants to chasten His people to repentance.

Sometimes God allows situations we cannot understand to accomplish His purposes.  At times we may look back and see the wisdom of God's ways, but other times we are at a loss.  Wisdom is not found in man being able to explain how and why, but in us willingly receiving correction from God and walking in obedience.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, but fools hate correction.  Habakkuk was challenged to walk in faith even as all men are.  Will we trust God despite the apparent injustice?  Will we continue to faithfully follow Christ despite difficulty, pain, and obstacles?  The wise actually seek correction from God and do not despise His chastening.  He disciplines us out of love and compassion for our good and restoration, not our destruction.  Even when Jerusalem was sacked and the temple destroyed, God remained good.  He did not leave or forsake His people, and He will not forsake us either!