The Gift of Trust

I have been the happy recipient of the unexpected gift of trust.  It profoundly affected me.  Trust is something the world figures must be earned, but the impact of trust is greatest when it is all of grace.  Years ago I had an experience confirming this I will never forget.  The battery on my wife's car had gone flat, so during my lunch break I took it over to Viking Battery in Santee, California.  I knew the shop carried the type of battery I wanted.  When I walked into the tiny shop with a handful of batteries on display and a dog lazing on the dirty floor, it was far from the polished displays of conventional retail stores.

A friendly man (who I assumed to be the owner), supplied the battery I was looking for as I handed over my old one.  But as I pulled out my credit card to pay, he surprised me:  "Sorry, we don't accept credit cards here.  Only checks or cash."  I was flummoxed.  Having left my checkbook at home, I found myself in a bind.  Laura had already been without her car for the day and I didn't have time to return to pay.  To stretch the battery replacement to another day was a problem.  "I trust you," the man said.  "Tell you what:  take the new battery home and just send me a check in the mail when you can."  "Do you want me to leave my details or give you a business card?" I asked incredulously, wondering how this was a reasonable way to do business.  "No need," he said.  "I trust you."  I was dumbfounded.  The man didn't even know me, but he trusted me enough to make good on payment.  I thanked the man and left with my new battery.

I have never forgotten the man's gesture of goodwill and trust.  I did pay for the battery of course, and included a letter thanking him for trusting me.  Perhaps it was easier for the man to trust me because he did not know me.  Had I robbed him once he might have carried resentment and suspicion.  "Once bitten twice shy," the saying goes.  As a Christian, I am learning to extend grace like this man displayed - not trusting in the "good of humanity," but by actively trusting God. When I choose to entrust my circumstances and life to God, trusting other people can be an extension of my faith in God.  If we create a condition where trust can only be earned, we run the risk of creating an arbitrary, legalistic standard which is not obtainable by any means.  When I consider that God entrusted the keeping of earth to men, the scope of this phenomenal responsibility shocks me.  The fact God has entrusted a wife and children to me, given me ministry as a Christian and entrusted resources completely at my disposal is all of grace.  I never earned the right to have valuable souls entrusted to me, just like I did not deserve to walk out of the store with a new battery without paying.

Friends, I urge you to trust God.  Entrust you life and future into His capable hands.  He is able to protect, provide, and support you in every way.  May our lives be a beacon of God's grace, loving others and walking in obedience to the Spirit of God.  He is the One who binds our wounds and broken hearts so we can trust Him more.  You have received the gift of trust from God, though you did not ask for it nor deserve it.  Praise the LORD for His wondrous gifts and for His unspeakable grace.  Never forget that God is trustworthy!  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  Trusting people may not always be profitable for business, but when it is borne of faith in God it is good.

Fellowship of His Suffering

Paul desired to be found in Christ so he might experience the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:9-10).  He wanted to be conformed to the death of Jesus Christ so he could partake of His life and resurrection.  All men, Christian or not, are lured by a desire for power.  Most people would love to possess the miraculous power displayed in the life of Jesus Christ.  But very few people have any interest whatsoever to share in the sufferings of Christ.  All people suffer, and to increase our degree of suffering seems to have little upside from an earthly perspective.  It is important to recognise it is impossible to have the power of Christ without suffering with Christ.  And if you are content to have one without the other, there is a disconnect between God's will for your life and your own will.

When you think of suffering for Christ's sake, it is likely persecution which leads to suffering by unbelievers which comes to mind.  It actually goes far deeper than that.  When we choose to walk in love as Jesus did, we will suffer on all fronts.  You will experience the same feelings of rejection in sharing the Gospel with people who don't care as Jesus did when He invited people to follow Him and they refused.  You will understand a new depth of sorrow of watching people ignore biblical wisdom and destroy themselves with sin.  You will mourn over people who love to debate the truth which has never managed to impact their attitudes or choices.  How Christ suffered these same things Himself, called a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  At the cross His pain could have stopped with that climactic moment in history, but no:  He rose from the dead as conqueror and overcomer, alive with a heart which loves, cares, and continues to feel profoundly.

Faith in Jesus Christ provides the power we can draw upon to suffer.  God's ministers suffer to a high degree in many ways, and Jesus gives the miraculous source of strength to persevere.  It is hard to lead Christians to the Living Water and watch them leave thirsty and despairing.  It is sad to offer the Bread of Life to a starving soul and watch them fade away into a spiritual coma.  It is sorrowful work to stamp out fires of the flesh when the desire of all believers is to see people baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they refused His love, and it is a grief when we are reminded that  the nature of man towards the love of Christ or His ambassadors has not changed.  Love suffers long and is kind, and when our love reaches an end we can know it was our love, not God's.  It is shocking when the faithful follower of Christ becomes a prodigal, and to see them content with the companionship of swine with no desire to come home.

Yet this story of suffering and dying to self does not have a tragic end:  out of the terrible pain God brings new life!  Jesus suffering immeasurably on the cross for the sins of mankind, yet He rose glorified with healing in His wings.  Though we will suffer in this Christian walk, we have fellowship with God which brings wonder, joy, and contentment beyond price.  There are no shortage of encouragements and moments of ecstasy to see the light pierce through a darkened conscience, when the truth of the Gospel is received with joy and salvation comes to a household.  It is painful when people choose to leave the fellowship of the local church, but how lovely it is to see young lambs gamboling about!  The fellowship of Christ's sufferings makes these victories all the sweeter, and it is clear Jesus Christ is the author of these unspeakable joys.  It is His power which makes life worth living and to taste the sweet fruit of His sacrifice is a double blessing.

If you are in a season of suffering, do not despair:  fellowship with Jesus Christ is available to you through faith in Him.  He supplies the power to continue walking with Jesus.  Consider how Jesus suffered and that the Father never made Him suffer needlessly.  You need not suffer alone, for Jesus has opened His arms wide to you.  He will faithfully speak to you from the Bible.  The Father has sent the Helper and Comforter to indwell you.  He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.  We will suffer upon the road, but Jesus will bring us to His glorious end.

The God Who Thunders

Whilst driving today I was caught in a massive downpour.  Traffic inched forward with very limited visibility as lightning flashed.  Asaph wrote in Psalm 77:17-18:  "The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; your arrows also flashed about. ¹⁸ The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook."  There is something awe inspiring in the power of nature, and God put souls in men with the need to worship what is greater than themselves.  For this reason men have worshiped nature, the sun, moon, stars, and things God has made.  Men bow before their human idols in appreciation and admiration.  A violent storm cell brings men uniformly back to those common feelings which can become unfamiliar to us:  awe, fear, and the understanding we are small and our existence is precarious indeed.

As I cheered on God for the powerful display, my mind went to the passage in Psalm 29:1-6, a song of David:  "Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. ² Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. ³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. ⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. ⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox."  I have seen rain, hail, snow, lightning and heard booming thunder which pumps the adrenaline.  When the power of these elements are unleashed it brings people young and old to windows to admire and causes vehicles to pull off to the side of the road.  It is revelation of power so much greater than a man, and the power of God is far greater than this world.  This recognition of such power drives a man to worship.  It is his only response.  He must worship something; he cannot help himself.

Speaking for myself, I am convinced Asaph and David had it correct.  Skeptics would say those superstitious men of old foolishly attributed natural phenomena which can be explained scientifically to a "god."  But if the God who created and sustains the heavens and earth exists and does all things, couldn't He do a thing and reveal the science behind it to men?  To explain lightning does not mean mastery, and God has no master.  In light of His majesty I cannot just acknowledge Him with a wink or nod:  I must fall down before Him and worship Him as LORD over all.  It is foolish to worship the creature over the creator, and when God's power is displayed through the elements I impulsively worship my Maker.  Every man longs to be part of something bigger and greater than himself, some significant thing that will endure.  This desire is satisfied only in the worship and adoration of the great God of the Jews, the King of kings!  Nature itself bows humbly before Jesus Christ, for the wind and the waves obey Him.  Every man will one day bow the knee before Jesus Christ as well - some in worship and others at the prospect of His justice.  And a God who thunders like that...wow.  And thunder is compared to just His voice!  Think of it!

Chesterton and Comparative Religion

I have ramped up my reading of late and have been delighted with a book bought years ago but never actually read:  The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton.  I encourage you to open and read your own books.  Many treasures sit unknown or forgotten on our own shelves as we place another online order of books.  Spread your branches far, but recognise depth of root is needed to support the growing weight of knowledge.  In the priceless gem that is Spurgeon's Lectures To My Students, he gave this exhortation:  “Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them…digest them. Let them go into your very self. Peruse a good book several times and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes from hasty reading. Some men are disabled from thinking by their putting meditation away for the sake of much reading. In reading let your motto be ‘much not many.”

G.K. Chesterton was a journalist, prolific author, and brilliant thinker.  Those who tackle his books must be prepared for long paragraphs and deep thinking, but it is worth the effort.  In The Everlasting Man, Chesterton exposes many fallacies in thinking which impact the world today.  He exposes the "...habit of a rapid hardening of a hypothesis into a theory, and of a theory into an assumption."  (Chesterton, G. K. The Everlasting Man. 1925 ed. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2008. Print. page 75)  He explores the place of myth, legend, and comparative religion to the rational mind.  I was particularly intrigued by his claim that paganism is the only legitimate rival of the Church of Christ.  To introduce his point, Chesterton explained how Christianity is often and incorrectly lumped in with other religions:

Comparative religion is very comparative indeed.  That is, it is so much a matter of degree and distance and difference that it is only comparatively successful when it tries to compare.  When we come to look at it closely we find it comparing things that are really quite incomparable.  We are accustomed to see a table or catalogue of the world's great religions in parallel columns, until we fancy they are really parallel.  We are accustomed to see the names of the great religious founders all in a row:  Christ; Mahomet; Buddha; Confucious.  But in truth this is only a trick; another of these optical illusions by which any objects may be put into a particular relation by shifting to a particular point of sight.  Those religions and religious founders, or rather those whom we choose to lump together as religions and religious founders, do not really show any common character...In truth the church is too unique to prove herself unique.  For most popular and easy proof is by parallel; and here there is no parallel.  It is not easy, therefore, to expose the fallacy by which a false classification is created to swamp a unique thing, which it really is a unique thing.  As there is nowhere else exactly the same fact, so there is nowhere else exactly the same fallacy. (Chesterton, G. K. The Everlasting Man. 1925 ed. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2008. Print. pages 84-85)

I am glad God gifted men like Spurgeon and Chesterton to think deeply, logically, and communicate persuasively.  The truth of God lies in plain sight for all to receive and believe, and holding fast to Biblical truth is not faith against knowledge but according to it.  When you find an author who has a firm grasp of truth with genuine faith, those are the books to read.  There is no shortage of skeptics today who are most glad to inoculate others to truth with their skepticism.  Sowing doubt is their ultimate aim without ability to guide to truth.  They have no sure answers about anything - except they are right - and smugly adjust their agnostic badge.  I exhort all seekers of truth to go to the source of all truth:  Jesus Christ and the Word of God.  In this world you will find no parallel.

The Law and Grace

"I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law.  The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man's heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it."

C. H. Spurgeon

A man must see the enormity of his sin and his offense before God before he can truly repent of it.  There may be many clever analogies used by preachers unfortunately without a basis in scripture, but this is not one of them.  Paul wrote, "I would not have known sin except by the Law." (Romans 7:7)  Sin is so natural to a human being we would never recognise it as wrong without the clean mirror of God's Law.  Without knowledge of sin there can be no repentance, and without repentance there is no hope for forgiveness or salvation.  A man must submit to the reality of his deadly disease before he will seek and receive the cure.  Unless a man submits to his condemnation under the Law, spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit - the Living Water Jesus spoke of - could not be received.

The truth of Spurgeon's claim is presented in a remarkable passage in the book of Numbers.  The children of Israel had been delivered by the mighty hand of God from Egypt, and God provided water from a spring in a miraculous fashion.  Numbers 21:16-18 says, "From there they went to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water." ¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it-- ¹⁸ the well the leaders sank, dug by the nation's nobles, by the lawgiver, with their staves." And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah..."  The Moabites had refused to provide the Israelites with water, but God would give them water.  He commanded them to gather together and sing.  God was the lawgiver who committed the Law to Moses who then passed God's directives to the people.  As the people sung in obedience and the nobles dug with their staves into the wilderness - which were symbols of authority - living water burst from beneath their feet.

Our hearts are naturally a dry wilderness, devoid of life.  It is significant God is called the Lawgiver, for the staff of Aaron which budded was proof of God's authority (Numbers 17).  God wrote the 10 Commandments on tablets of stone and effectively rendered the entire world guilty before Him (Romans 3:19).  The Law can only condemn and is compared to a schoolmaster which leads us by the hand to salvation through faith in Christ.  The Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is only good news when a man recognises he is damned and cut off without hope for eternity because of his sin.  When the Law breaks through the heart of stone of a guilty sinner, only then is the way cleared for repentance and salvation.  Drinking from the clear spring of Beer did not prevent eventual death for the thirsty Israelites, but Jesus promised Living Water who brings salvation in John 4:13-14:  "Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The needle of the Law makes the way for the Gospel, even as the staff directed by the Lawgiver made way for Living Water to flow forth.  Amazing truth from an awesome God!

Why Do You Weep?

God knows perfectly all motives and intentions of people.  We are called, as followers of Jesus Christ, to examine carefully ourselves with the probing sharpness of God's Word.  A splinter of wood covered by a callous of skin can be uncovered and removed only with a sharp instrument, and the sin which festers in our hearts is revealed by the sterilised scalpel of scripture in the hand of the Holy Spirit.  Our actions are more easily observed and judged than our motives.  Because it is outwardly visible our aim can be mistakenly on modifying our behaviour rather than dealing with the underlying sinful motive hidden within.  Man's tendency is to focus on relieving symptoms and with little thought of the root source.

Nothing is hid from God's sight, even when it is our motive in grief.  Tears do not fall from our eyes without a reason.  David recognised God's careful observance and divine documentation of his troubles and tears.  He wrote in Psalm 56:8, "You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?"  While this verse can be used to offer consolation to those who mourn and weep (and there is real comfort here), it is important we recognise not all tears are equal in God's sight.  There are tears flavoured with love and compassion for others, tears of repentance which mourn our sin before a holy God.  These tears are accepted by God.  But there are tears of self-pity, pride, hatred, and bitterness without the motive of love which are detestable and abominable, evidence of a heart opposed to God which only add to our guilt.

This fact is proved by Esau, a man who despised his birthright and was denied his blessing.  His only thoughts were for himself, his loss, and nursed a murderous grudge toward Jacob his brother (Genesis 27:38-41).  Further insight into Esau's weeping is seen in Hebrews 12:14-17:  "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears."  Esau wept much, but he did not weep tears of repentance.  He was sorrowful, but it was a work of the flesh.  His tears were the result of a sinful heart, and he was rejected - despite his show of contrition.  God knew his heart, and He knows our hearts too.

Consider the connection between God-honouring motives borne of faith and those of the flesh mentioned in Jeremy Taylor's classic book The Rules and Exercises of Holy Living:

Hezekiah repeated his good deeds upon his sick-bed, and obtained favour of God; but the Pharisee was accounted insolent for doing the same thing:  because this man did it to upbraid his brother, the other to obtain a mercy of God.  Zacharias questioned with the angel about his message, and was made speechless for his incredulity; but the blessed Virgin Mary questioned too, and was blameless:  for she did it to inquire after the manner of the thing, but he did not believe the thing itself:  he doubted of God's power, or the truth of the messenger; but she only of her own incapacity.  This was it which distinguished the mourning of David from the exclamation of Saul; the confession of Pharaoh from that of Manasses; the tears of Peter from the repentance of Judas:  for the praise is not in the deed done, but in the manner of its doing.  If a man visits his sick friend, and watches at his pillow for charity's sake, and because of his old affection, we approve it; but if he does it in hope of a legacy, he is a vulture, and only watches for the carcass.  The same things are honest and dishonest:  the manner of doing them and the end of the design makes the separation.

Holy intention is to the actions of a man that which the soul is to the body, or form to its matter, or the root to the tree, or the sun to the world, or the fountain to a river, or the base to a pillar:  for without these the body is a dead trunk, the matter is sluggish, the tree is a block, the world is darkness, the river is quickly dry, the pillar rushes into flatness and ruin; and the action is sinful, or unprofitable and vain. (Taylor, Jeremy. The Rules and Exercises of Holy Living. New York: E.P. Dutton. Print. pages 12-13)

Take care to examine your heart as well as your tears:  why do you weep?  Do your tears spring from a pure source, as when Christ wept over the city of Jerusalem, longing to gather the beloved of His soul?  These tears were evidence of great love.  Or is your spring of tears polluted with selfishness and spite as with Esau?  Only the LORD can give a man a new heart and purify our motives from within.  Invite the searching gaze of the Holy Spirit to examine your feelings and tears, for He is a faithful and true discerner of hearts.  Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Cut Off Sin

"Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! ⁸ If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

Matthew 18:7-9

Jesus spoke these words to show the gravity of sin's consequences.  It would be better to endure pain or lack on earth than deny yourself the ultimate joy of eternity shared with God in heaven.  Jesus was not suggesting men should mutilate their bodies, for the whole of scripture makes clear what is needed is inner transformation, not outer reformation.  Cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye does not eliminate the source of sin in a man:  his depraved heart and mind.  Only when one is born again can he be forgiven of sin, walk uprightly in the power of the Holy Spirit, and be deemed righteous before God. 

Hands and eyes are part of a human body, and those who have these functional body parts use them almost continually during waking hours.  They can represent, then, any part of the flesh which causes us to sin.  Sinful behaviour is as natural to a man as using his hands or eyes.  A baby does not need to be taught to rely upon his hands or eyes, and no person born with the fallen nature of Adam need be taught how to lie, cheat, or steal.  The sinful tendencies we rely upon to gain advantage for our flesh must be cut off as we learn and adopt God's ways.  Whatever causes us to sin must be willingly cut off, or else we cut ourselves off from fellowship and life with God.

The second important point is this:  we are called to cut off what causes us to sin.  This is something every man must do for himself.  I am not called to cut off the hands or feet of others, and no one has been granted permission to cut off my own.  All men will stand before God to give account for their lives, and I will never need to answer for another man.  No sailor who stands at attention must provide an explanation to his superior why his shipmate's shirt is wrinkled and shoes unpolished.  He must answer for himself and face the consequences.  God has taken the initiative to reveal His perfect will and ways, and we are each called to respond appropriately in obedience concerning ourselves.

Sin brings infinite woe, and only Jesus provides the atonement and reconciliation with God all men need.  When we take seriously this call to cut off ourselves from sin - not sharpening our swords to dismember others from their sins - we save ourselves from much future pain!

Christian Vanity or Reality?

In my youth when I read Martyr of the Catecombs, Jesus Freaks, or Foxe's Book of Martyrs, I at times pictured myself facing the life and death decision of those faithful saints who gave all:  would I boldly stand for Christ or would I capitulate?  I would always convince myself I would take a stand for Christ if it came down to it, but didn't Peter say the same thing in the upper room to Jesus?  It only took a few questions from servants to bring his fantasy crashing down.  Boiling down a decision to follow Jesus into one climactic moment in time is easy when it is fantasy and because it is one decision, not a continuous one.  We can deny Christ without a gun being placed to our heads through disobedience or indifference without even knowing it.  The little decisions provide evidence of how we likely would respond to great challenges of faith.

Separating fantasy from reality is a product of renewing our mind according to God's Word.  It is easy for Christians to live in a fantasy world, imagining ourselves as possessing great faith because we view it through a microscope!  We tell ourselves things like, "Seeing a miracle would really build my faith."  Maybe it would.  But more likely we would fall into the trap of needing to see a miracle to believe, which is not faith.  It is not for a lack of miracles our belief remains small, but because our flesh longs to walk by sight rather than simple faith in God and His Word.  We are masters of spin, convincing ourselves that the overtly miraculous (whatever we fancy at the time) is the precise way God will receive the most glory from a given situation.  The truth remains:  miracles don't make believers.  It is from knowing God and recognising His power, presence, and praising God despite difficulties where our faith grows best.

Consider this quote from William Law in his book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life:

There is nothing that so powerfully governs the heart, that so strongly excites us to wise and reasonable action, as a true sense of God's presence.  But as we cannot see, or apprehend the essence of God, so nothing will so constantly keep us under a lively sense of the presence of God, as this holy resignation which attributes everything to Him, and receives everything as from Him.

Could we see a miracle from God, how would our thoughts be affected with an holy awe and veneration of His presence!  But if we consider everything as God's doing, either by order or permission, we shall then be affected with common things, as they would be who saw a miracle.

For as there is nothing to affect you in a miracle, but as it is the action of God, and bespeaks His presence; so when you consider God as acting in all things, and all events, than all things will become venerable to you, like miracles, and fill you with the same awful sentiments of the Divine presence.

Now you must not reserve the exercise of this pious temper to any particular times of occasion, or fancy how resigned you will be to God, if such or such trials should happen.  For this is amusing yourself with the notion or idea of resignation, instead of the virtue itself.

Do not therefore please yourself with thinking how piously you would act and submit to God in a plague, or famine, or persecution, but be intent upon the perfection of the present day; and be assured, that the best way of showing a true zeal is to make little things the occasions of great piety.

Begin therefore in the smallest matters, and most ordinary occasions, and accustom your mind to the daily exercise of this pious temper, in the lowest occurrences of life.  And when a contempt, an affront, a little injury, loss, or disappointment, or the smallest events of every day, continually raise your mind to God in proper acts of resignation, then you may justly hope that you shall be numbered amongst those that are resigned and thankful to God in the greatest trials and afflictions." (Law, William. A Serious Call To a Devout and Holy Life. London: J.M. Dent, 1902. pages 323-324, Print.)

As followers of Jesus, we are called to no longer entertain vain and futile thoughts which can deceive us.  According to God's Word we are to put off the old man, be renewed in the Spirit of our mind, and put on the new man.  Ephesians 4:17-24:  "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ¹⁹ who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² 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."

When we recognise the presence of God in the little things, even the smallest details shout thunderous praise unto the God we love, serve, and worship.  What rejoicing and thanksgiving we experience in His presence!  Instead of feeding on the wind of fantasy, we are to sink our teeth into the reality of our fantastic God who loves and cares for us.  In this way the mundane becomes miraculous, God receives the glory, and our faith will steadily grow.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

God graciously gives us all things to richly enjoy.  As Christians mature in faith, we enter into new territory God granted us from the beginning we couldn't be bothered to explore for years.  In the church I grew up in, in my younger years I cannot recall any talk of being "baptised with the Holy Spirit."  There was no explanation of how children or youth as born again believers could be filled and gifted with the Holy Spirit for God's service.  In retrospect, there seemed to be a disconnect between various operations of the Holy Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit was often spoke of, but specific gifts of the Spirit were not a point of discussion.

As my faith in Christ became increasingly my own in adulthood, my curiosity and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit also grew.  Searching the scriptures illuminated my lack of this baptism with the Holy Spirit, a specific "coming upon" of the Spirit that can coincide with justification or be received later.  I remember my pastor saying something from the pulpit like, "If God has a gift for you, don't you desire it?  Would you turn down a gift God offered to you?"  Of course I would want God's gift for me, I thought.  God had gifted me with salvation, and only a fool would turn good gifts from God down.  Should I deny for myself gifts God selected purposefully and freely offered to me?  I became convinced through the scripture my risen Saviour Jesus is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11).  I was also convinced the promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit is for as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39).  I took honest stock of my life and recognised I had never asked for and thus never received this baptism with the Holy Spirit:  I had not because I had not asked in faith (James 4:2, Galatians 3:2).  I admittedly always bristled with the suggestion there was more God had for me I had not yet received!  Finally, I recognised I fervently desired this baptism, for every gift offered by Jesus through the Spirit is for His glory and the edification of the church - something I could not do alone.

God be praised, for He was true to His Word in Luke 11:13:  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  I believed the promise, asked, and received.  During a time of prayer a brother laid hands and prayed with me that I might receive the baptism with the Spirit, and it is that simple.  Now unfortunately, the baptism with the Holy Spirit - possibly because many like me had quite a long journey before we willingly entered in and received this baptism - is often approached as only for the more seasoned or worthy disciples.  This is untrue.  The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a fundamental, most basic inheritance of every single follower of Jesus Christ.  When Paul went into a new area, one of the first things he inquired was concerning was whether Christians had been baptised with the Holy Spirit.  There was no catechism, classes, or six-month vetting process.  It may have been a complex process for me to be humbled before God, a long road with many pitfalls and sidetracks, but the promise of the Holy Spirit was offered to me by Christ from the first.  I just didn't realise it!  Having had such an outpouring of the Spirit, should I be content others to trudge through the wilderness for years until they attain some arbitrary amount of knowledge before I lead them to be baptised with the Spirit?  Baptism with the Spirit is the starting point towards exponential growth and spiritual maturity, not the end.

Consider the simplicity of this example in Acts 19:1-7:  "And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." ³ And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." ⁴ Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." ⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷ Now the men were about twelve in all."  Paul did not bother to quiz these believers on their grasp of various doctrines but went straight to the point.  The baptism with the Spirit was not something to work up to but God's work within them.  There is no set formula for this baptism.  See for yourself by reading through the book of Acts.  The order and manner of this baptism was greatly varied, but the outcome was always the same:  supernatural gifting in various ways, empowerment was provided for serving God, people walked in boldness and wisdom, the church was built up, and God was glorified.

Isn't this a description of what you desire in your life and for all those who comprise the church purchased with Christ's blood?  May the Holy Spirit come upon all God's people with power so we can enter fully into the inheritance God has for us.  Let's not make confusing the simple promise of the Father, or withhold this knowledge because we were late bloomers.  In these last days the Holy Spirit is being poured out on all who ask believing.  If you are thirsty, come to Jesus and drink.  He is the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire, "for the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:39)

God Was Pierced

For those who have eyes to see and a heart to understand, the Bible is packed with wisdom and eternal truth.  As we walk with God through our earthly journey, the Holy Spirit sharpens our discernment of God's Word.  We may read a passage a thousand times and never see spiritual reality which has always been hiding in plain sight.  Just this morning I read a familiar passage which struck me like never before concerning Christ's deity.  In blank pages in the back of my Bible I record verses which emphasise the divinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Though it was already noted, God's truth refreshed my soul anew.

I was reading Zechariah 12:9-10 which says, "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. ¹⁰ "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." (emphasis mine) God the Father is speaking through the prophet concerning the Messiah, His only beloved Son sent to be the Saviour of the world.  I was struck by the shift of pronouns in verse 10:  God said they would look upon "Me whom they pierced."  Jesus was pierced on a cross with a crown of thorns, nails through His hands and feet, and a spear in His side.  The passage immediately continued with, "Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son..."  The change of pronouns is grammatically difficult to reconcile unless God the Father and Jesus Christ share the nature of the One True God.  Those who looked upon the crucified Christ were looking at God made flesh.

Jesus said in John 4:24 concerning the Father, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  The Father could not be crucified, nor could His blood be shed without human form.  Yet consider what Paul wrote of God in Acts 20:28, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."  God purchased the church by shedding His own blood.  The only way that God could shed blood is if He become flesh, and in Colossians we are told in Jesus is the fullness of the godhead bodily (Col. 2:9).  Jesus was sent by the Father, indwelt by the Spirit, crucified on Calvary, and raised in eternal glory and power.  He is a man, and He is also God.  Unless Jesus is God, He cannot be good for He told us plainly there is no one good but God (Mark 10:18).  Either Jesus is not good or He is good and God!  Only God could provide a perfect atoning sacrifice for sinners, and Christ willingly laying down His life on Calvary was a demonstration of God's love for all.

1 John 4:12-15 says, "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."  No one has seen God the Father at any time, but John beheld the glory of God through Jesus Christ.  Positionally Christ submitted to the will of the Father as a man and as an example for men, yet His nature was wholly divine.  This passage ends with a promise:  those who confess Jesus is the Son of God - God made flesh - God abides in him and he in God.  This glorious reality is afforded all who repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Saviour.  Jesus came as Emmanuel (God with us) and through faith in Him we can experience God IN us through the Holy Spirit.  Praise God for His Word and the revelation of His divine love and power!

Doing God's Will

Among some Christians, "God's will" has a perpetually mysterious quality.  People wonder what God's will is concerning their lives and for each circumstance they face.  This approach to know God's will can resemble greatly a quest in seeking a medium, palm reader, or fortune teller believing special knowledge will provide useful aid.  It is important we recognise God has revealed His will through His Word, and He has done so for the express purpose we would walk in obedience to it.  Christianity is more than knowing the truth but living it out aligned with God's desires.  It is a shame when Christians live in state of self-imposed paralysis and confusion, not knowing what to pray or do because they are torn in recognition of their limited perspective of "God's will."  God has provided much more than facts about Him:  God has provided Himself and all that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Because all humans tend to worry, knowledge of the future brings an ease and comfort the flesh enjoys.  Sometimes God does reveal the future to people through various means.  But God is not interested in coddling our flesh and therefore rarely spells out His overarching plans for why He allowed our tyre to go flat or why the power shut off at 2am and the alarm clock was reset resulting in us being late.  God has revealed His will so we might know His character, like where it is written in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."  God has also revealed His will for people as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:  "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  God's will can be known, and we through faith in Christ can accomplish it.  The Bible is absolutely packed with revelations concerning God's will.

It is easy for us to figure an eternal, all-powerful Being could simply impose His "will" however He wishes in the world He has made.  God's will in this sense shall always be ultimately accomplished in His time and sovereign way.  But our great struggle is to comprehend how God permits what He does not approve.  For instance, God is not willing any should perish yet people die every day.  People who die in their sins face eternal justice in the fires of hell.  Since God created man in His image with the freedom to choose, God imposes His will of eternal righteousness and justice upon those who refuse His remedy for salvation.  It is God's will that men would rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks to Him in everything - but that does not mean God will force a man to do so.  God enables and empowers man to accomplish this through the Holy Spirit, but He permits man to go his own way.  When you are unsure of God's will, the wise response is to seek the God who has spoken, will speak truth, and has promised to guide our every step.

Knowledge in itself is a false comfort, for only in God can we experience rest for our souls.  God tells us His will so we might do it.  Ephesians 5:15-17 shows we can know God's will:  "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  We know God's will only through knowing Him.  The fool does not account for God's power, promises, or purposes concerning his life, but the wise man fears God and trusts Him alone.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and our faithful practice of walking obediently to God's will cultivates true fellowship with God.  Paul prayed for Christians to know God's will and this prayer is according to God's will.  Colossians 1:9 says, "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding..."

Knowing is one thing, and belief and subsequent obedience is another.  God's commands in His Word reveal His will concerning your life.  One example is Jesus commanded Christians to love one another as He loves us.  We can know this is God's will, His perfect plan to govern our words, attitude, and works.  It is in discovering God through His Word we learn to walk in His will.  Knowing the will of God may be novel, but this knowledge alone does not save:  being born again by genuine faith in Christ results in obedience.  Matthew 7:21-23 says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' ²³ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"  If your desire is only to know the will of God, you will likely remain in confusion.  But if you desire to know God's will fervently so you might obey it you are not far from discovering it.  If we will seek God we will find Him, if we seek Him with our whole hearts.

A Trinity Illustration

God has chosen to reveal Himself to men.  Without His light and divine assistance, we could only stumble in the dark.  That being said, the ability to know God is only through faith according to knowledge revealed in scripture.  Because God is eternal and infinite, He cannot be completely known.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways.  An element of faith is required on every step as our understanding develops and grows.

Take being "born again," for instance.  When Jesus told Nicodemus a man must be born again to enter into God's kingdom, the learned man was confused.  Was Jesus saying a man must squeeze himself back into his mother's womb to be born a second time?  No!  Jesus immediately pointed to the wind:  the effect of the wind is clearly seen in the trees, but no one knows exactly where it comes from or where it goes.  So is the way of the Spirit of God.  When a man repents and trusts in Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit enters a person and creates a new man.  He is given a new living nature, is cleansed from all sin, and is made righteous before God.  We cannot explain scientifically how the Holy Spirit does this, but we can know for certain He does through clear evidence.

One sticking point for many is understanding how God is One yet manifested in the Bible in three distinct Persons:  God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  All creation speaks of the glory of God, and one of the best illustrations to explain the Triune Godhead is our sun.  The sun is a ball of gas burning in the heavens which provides light and heat to our world which promotes life, health, and fruitfulness.  When we say we are "in the sun" we do not mean we physically are walking on the sun's surface.  That would be impossible!  God the Father is the eternal spirit, unapproachable in His holiness, and a "consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29).  The Father is represented by the sun, the heavenly body.

The sun provides light for the earth.  Light has dual properties of being both wave and particle.  Jesus is the "Light of the World" with the dual nature of God born in human flesh.  Jesus is called Emmanuel in Isaiah 9:6 which means, "God with us."  The light of the promised Messiah shone in the darkness, and men did not comprehend it.  Though the scripture affirms many times Christ's divinity, many remain in unbelief.   John 1:11-14 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

John the Baptist prophesied Jesus is the One who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  Not only does the sun provide light, but it also generates heat.  When a person has the light of the sun shining upon them they are warmed.  Before Jesus ascended to the Father in heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit who would guide His disciples into all truth.  The Holy Spirit is represented in the heat of the sun, the one who indwells a man and makes him "on fire" for God.  The Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Christ on the Day of Pentecost, and He has been filling and empowering believers in service for God ever since.  He helps and comforts us in His warmth, provides gifts and fruit of the Spirit, and causes us to grow and mature like a healthy tree planted by deep springs of water.

We cannot fully comprehend God's thoughts and ways, but we can know Him intimately.  All is possible for those who believe, for nothing is too hard for our God!  Though it takes faith to know God, I pray this illustration would be useful to better understand the great God who loves us and is worthy of all honour and praise.  I conclude with 2 Corinthians 13:11-14:  "Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³ All the saints greet you. ¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

To Know Perfect Peace

Man’s idea of “peace” cannot compare to the real thing.  Man, having settled down in God’s judgment seat, believes he can accomplish what God says is impossible:  the experience of genuine peace apart from God.   Isaiah 48:22 says, “There is no peace, says the LORD, for the wicked.”  There it is!  Man’s concept of peace is inherently selfish, making concessions only when compromise provides a more favourable outcome than standing fast.  Peace is not made through treaties, political leverage, popular opinion, or acting in one’s best interest.  Peace is not making the choice not to kill people who were once your enemy without reconciliation, love, or joy present in your heart towards them.  No signature on a document can change the hearts of the men who sign it.

Peace is not the absence of war or political conflict, but unity of heart and spirit in love.  And God makes it perfectly clear no one can experience true peace while remaining in sin.  A man who refuses to make peace with God is without hope of any peace with men, no matter how rich or respected he is.  Consider this from another perspective:  say a person receives exactly what he desires and demands in full.  Does this bring peace to the heart of a man?  No!  His greed, distrust, and suspicion of others will not allow him to rest.  People who have all the world can offer still suffer niggling doubts, insecurity, anger over how they have been unjustly treated, or frustrated their expectations remain unmet.

A building project is a perfect example of how peace man’s way always falls short.  Say you have a set of drawings drafted to your exact specifications.  The most perfect plans in short order prove themselves lacking.  Amendments to the plans, issues with the builder, shoddy workmanship, delays of receiving hardware, cost overruns, and the time-consuming nature of building is a constant stress.  Man’s peace may look good on paper, but it can never be a reality as he imagines it.  Even if the house is built perfectly, nothing can prevent wear and tear.  More work and money will be required for maintenance and repairs.  Nothing can keep the paint from fading, vandals from targeting the façade with eggs, gates from squeaking, water damage, slippery floors, carpet from collecting dust, and the appliances wearing out.  Those who remain enemies of God because of their sin cannot dream of lasting peace, for God has spoken the truth:  “There is no peace for the wicked.”

Only in Jesus can a man find rest for his soul, a rest enjoyed apart from the circumstances of life.  The world can be a living hell, but the man who has peace with God discovers profound repose no trial or struggle can shake.  We are all born enemies of God due to sin, yet Jesus is our peace and has united us with Himself by grace through faith.  Ephesians 2:13-22 says, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²²  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

God has offered peace to all who will make peace with Him through repentance and faith.  Peace primarily is an internal reality, not external or temporary.  It is a peace which endures as long as the Prince of Peace Himself.  Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can fulfil the exhortation of Philippians 4:6-7: "Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." What a joy, to know the peace which passes understanding!  Though the depth of God’s peace cannot be plumbed or the breadth measured, it can be intimately known and realised.  Do you know this peace?  Do you want to?  Only those made righteous through faith in Christ can know peace, a peace this world cannot know apart from Him.

The "Nevertheless" Men

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed Bible trivia.  I have spent a portion of nearly every day of my life from childhood immersed in its pages, soaking in God's wisdom, and delighting in the truth God reveals.  Because of my own dullness sometimes I read without much effect, but there is nothing on this planet so powerful, inspired, and brilliant as the revelation of God through His Word.  It is like an old friend who manages to continually surprise and impress.  People of the Book such as myself recognise the scripture is simple enough for a layman to comprehend, yet has a depth of meaning and application which will not be fully appreciated for eternity.

Here is an opportunity to test your vast Bible knowledge and flex those memory muscles!  Can you tell me the significance of this list of names - and here is a hint - from the book of Numbers?  The names are:  Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel.  If I had been asked the same question yesterday, I would have no idea.  And to be perfectly honest, if you told me to list these names by memory tomorrow I could not do it.  After reading through the corresponding passage last night, I have termed them "The Nevertheless Men."  Alright, here's the answer:  these 10 men are the heads of tribes who were sent to spy out the Promised Land.  Everyone knows about Joshua and Caleb, two spies and the only two people to enter into Canaan from the first generation who came out of Egypt.  If you recognised these men I congratulate you, because these aren't men often talked about.

We all like a winner, the one who does well.  Many sermons have been graced with the bold and valiant words of Joshua and Caleb, but these fearful nevertheless men are largely unknown and forgotten.  It is a sobering thought that notable, called, and chosen men of God could have such a promising beginning and a tragic end.  Numbers 13:1-2 says, "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them."  God promised to give His people a rich land which flowed with milk and honey.  After 40 days in the land, 10 of the men brought back figs, pomegranates, a massive cluster of grapes, and provided this report in Numbers 13:27-28:  "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸ Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there."

They affirmed the land was exactly as God had said.  But then they uttered a word so steeped in doubt and unbelief it cast fear into the hearts of the congregation:  nevertheless.  In spite of what God promised, there were seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  Yes, God promised to give them a rich land and so it was.  Nevertheless there seemed to be strong opposition - and they were no match for the land's inhabitants.  Had they only trusted the promise of God more than trusting their eyes and looking to themselves!  They weighed the promise of God against the fortifications and the giants who inhabited the land and foolishly shrank from God's promise.  Numbers 13:30-31 says, "Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we."  Caleb trusted God and His Word, yet these 10 "nevertheless" men were disarmed of their courage and strength by lack of faith in God and what He had said.

These men were punished according to their deeds, for they gave a bad report to the people.  What God did in the sight of the congregation clearly showed the consequences of the grave sin of unbelief.  Numbers 14:36-37 says, "Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, ³⁷ those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD."  That was the end of those "nevertheless" men:  they doubted in spite of God's character and promise, and thus did not receive it.  Consider how these 10 out of the 12 leaders called and chosen by God fell short of entering into the promise through refusing to trust God.  They expected to fall at the hands of their enemies, so what is so different about falling by the hands of the God made your enemy by unbelief?

God has offered His people rest through faith in Jesus Christ.  "Jesus Christ is wonderful," you might say, "but the world is in a terrible state.  My personal debts, chronic pain, and family troubles coupled with global issues like stateless refugees and climate change are too much to bear,.  There is no rest for me."  Dear ones, should we fall into the same trap as the "nevertheless" men?  God has offered rest, but perhaps you believe the obstacles insurmountable.  Tell me:  if you will not willingly enter into the rest you can through faith now despite obstacles, what makes you think you can find rest in Christ for eternity?  There is a rest we can enter into now, not because of our might or ability compared to that of our enemies, but according to God's promise.  The One who brought us out of bondage can surely bring us into His rest.  We can be as Nehemiah, who when faced with opposition from sinister enemies chose to trust God and pray.  He saw the opposition, nevertheless chose the path of faith - not the other way around.  He wrote bravely in Nehemiah 4:8-9, "...All of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. ⁹ Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night."

Wavering heart, consider fully this passage and find rest for your soul in Christ.  Hebrews 4:11-16 reads, "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. ¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

What sort of "nevertheless" man or woman are you?  One who sees the opposition and chooses to trust God's Word like Joshua, Caleb, or Nehemiah?  Or are you like the 10 spies, who knew the promise of God but in spite of it gave place to fear and unbelief?

The Bountiful Refuge

Few people have ever been the focus of a nation-wide manhunt, but David was such a one.  King Saul, infuriated over David's popularity with the people, his suspicion stoked with pride, sought to hunt David down and kill him.  Though David had also been anointed king of Israel, he refused to wage a smear campaign or command his men to retaliate against the LORD's anointed, King Saul.  He left the comforts of home and family and fled into the wilderness.  Many times David sought refuge in a cave, and the heading in my Bible says Psalm 142 was written during one of these occasions.

He wrote Psalm 142:1-6:  "I cry out to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. ² I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. ³ When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have secretly set a snare for me. ⁴ Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul. ⁵ I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. ⁶ Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I."  David sought refuge in a cave, but it only could provide temporary and feeble protection for his body.  As he held his breath in the deep, dark recesses of the cave, he knew the cave could also be his tomb.  In the musty blackness he knew a bright light would betray his presence to his perusing enemy.

But in the darkness David discovered the peace and presence of God, the One who was a refuge for his soul.  God knew exactly where David was, how unjustly and wickedly he had been treated, and the greatness of his need.  David sought refuge in a cave, but the cave was not David's refuge:  God was!  When David was overwhelmed, he cried out to God and was heard.  In God was a sure hope no damp cavity of earth can provide.  He concluded his song in Psalm 142:7:  "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Your name; the righteous shall surround me, for You shall deal bountifully with me."  Through God those who trust Him have abundant salvation and deliverance.  Have you made God your refuge in faith?  Jesus has come to set the captives free and proclaim liberty to those in bondage.  There is no substitute for the refuge provided in Christ alone.

On His Shoulders

Carts make heavy lifting lighter work.  When I used to work in the shipyard, having a motorised cart for hauling tools and materials over long distances was critical for efficiency.  Carts are also useful when moving multiple books, totes, or packages at once.  One cart greatly reduces the amount of trips necessary to move items from one location to another.  People might say the use of a cart is working smarter, not harder.  This is usually true - but not always.  God wisely directs us in what must be done and how to do it.  Sometimes the way that seems easier and more efficient isn't the right way.

After the tabernacle was built, anointed, and sanctified by Moses, the princes of the people brought an offering of six carts and 12 oxen.  Numbers 7:4-9 reads, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ⁵ "Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service." ⁶ So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service; ⁸ and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ⁹ But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders."  Moses distributed the oxen and carts to the Levites to help them in their service unto the LORD.  Though true Levites, the sons of Kohath were not given carts.  Their role was to carry the holy things of God upon their own shoulders.

The special role of the Kohathites is explained in detail in Numbers 4:1-20.  Their privileged responsibility was to carry the most holy articles in the tabernacle when it was moved.  The high priests and his sons were to cover the ark of the Covenant, table of showbread, lampstand, altar of incense, and all the instruments used in the service of God.  The coverings of skin and cloth was for their protection.  Things they were not permitted even to look upon they could carry when properly prepared.  Once covered, the sons of Kohath were tasked to carry these items directed by the high priest as commanded in Numbers 4:15:  "And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation."  They were not to place any of the most holy things on a cart but to be carried on their shoulders.  The most holy things were not to be treated as bricks, lumber, grain, or goods for trade:  they were specially designed and made for use in the worship of God and should be treated as ordained by God.

What I find particularly special is the connection between the duties of the Kohathites and that of the high priest.  Though the high priest was granted carts to be used by his authority, he was called to bear the names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders before the LORD.  Exodus 28:12 states, "And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial."  Even the Messiah revealed as Jesus Christ, both King and High Priest, would bear the government on His shoulders.  It was prophesied in Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  There are some burdens and responsibilities God has ordained men to carry in a particular manner, and this is even true concerning the Messiah.

A personal application for bearing burdens ordained by God is found in Galatians 6:2-5:  "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load."  In ministering unto the LORD, we find ourselves with a weight of responsibility.  We can succumb to the temptation of putting the ark of God on a cart as a common thing, to try to lighten our load in ways contrary to God's plan.  We are called as one body to bear one another's burdens, but we are also called to carry our own load.  Fatigue and burnout comes from the neglect of our responsibility before God to carry our divinely prescribed burden or trying to carry things for ourselves or others in a way God has not permitted.  We are not to look at other people using "carts" and wish we might have a reprieve from our responsibilities before God, but to examine our own work.  Ask yourself:  am I faithfully carrying the thing God has called me to do?  Am I taking shortcuts or shifting my duty onto the shoulders of others?  Am I doing the right thing in the right way?

God did not load the Kohathites with unnecessary burdens, nor give them an impossible task.  They were to submit to the guidance of the high priest and do as they were told.  It is the same with every Christian, for Jesus is our High Priest.  He has provided us wisdom and guidance through His Word and the Holy Spirit.  We can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.  Ensure every burden you carry has been first covered by Jesus and divinely distributed for you to shoulder in obedience.  We will find ourselves strangely, amazingly helped and able to endure.  Let us rejoice in the privileged duties with which God has tasked us, for even as we bear burdens on our shoulders our King and High Priest bears us upon His.

Meeting God's Conditions

"If I keep drinking, I'm going to die."  The wide eyes of the heavily tattooed man stared unflinching into mine.  "I have to get clean.  I'll do anything."  This man had walked into the church minutes before, asking to speak with a pastor.  That's one thing about serving the LORD:  you never know who He will bring across your path or what unexpected thing He might call you to do.

"If you're serious, I know of a place which can help you get clean," I told him.  "Let me warn you though:  it is a very intensive program which requires total commitment.  It is a free program, but you have to commit to a year of staying clean, working your way towards a job and renting your own place, and Bible study."  I didn't want to waste the man's time or the time of the people at Set Free, as it was called at that time.  I spent a few moments explaining my basic understanding of what was offered and requirements my visitor would be subjected to.  He was keen because in his mind it was a choice between life and death.  He had been recently locked up and didn't have transportation, so I gave him a ride over to the facility because time was of the essence.

Upon arriving, I talked with a pastor I had met before.  After my new friend briefly explained his alcohol addiction and dire situation, the pastor in a friendly manner began to explain the program.  As my friend sparked up a cigarette the pastor said with a smile, "And that's another thing.  You'll have to give up smoking."  All the sudden the demeanor of my friend changed.  He became extremely nervous, almost agitated.  "Man, quit smoking?  I can't do that.  I can't smoke in the program?  I just bought this new pack of cigarettes!"  The discussion continued, and I watched that man begin to work his way through the whole pack, still debating whether the program was for him or not.

I never knew whether my friend ended up entering into the rehabilitation program or not.  It was free to those without money, but it was not without personal cost - a cost that man initially was loathe to pay.  He saw his drinking as a life and death issue, but not his smoking.  What he did not seem to realise was refusal to give up cigarettes would disqualify him from the program which could save his life - so his smoking was just as deadly as his drinking.  Refusal to agree to quit smoking was symptomatic of a spiritual heart problem more deadly than lung cancer.  This shortsightedness is not limited to alcoholics.  We can do the same thing as Christians.  We might recognise sinful problems in our lives and deem some worse than others when they are all linked and equally deadly.  We might want to be rid of an addiction because of the negative impact we perceive in our lives, but other things can also control our hearts and equally distance us from God and fellowship with others.  It is stubborn disobedience and unwillingness to submit to God in our hearts which proves more deadly than actions which are mere symptoms of an inner sickness.

Sin brings death.  It is not alcohol or smoking in themselves which doom a man to hell, but the refusal to confess and repent of sins, choosing to deny self and obey God.  If there is anything in your life which hinders you from coming to Jesus to be forgiven and cleansed, holding onto that thing says you love it more than Life Himself.  Does God have your affections and desire?  Are you willing to do everything He asks without question?  Or is there one little thing you are not yet willing to submit to His rule?  Following Jesus is a life and death decision.  To follow Him is life, and all other ways are death.  Giving up the old life and choosing to follow God in obedience requires faith.  As it is written in Hebrews 11:6, "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."

Ways and Deeds

In my morning reading I was quite taken with reading Zechariah 1:4, "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds." ' But they did not hear nor heed Me," says the LORD."  God made a distinction between the ways of the people and their doings.  God's people had turned from the Living God, and did not do the things which pleased Him.  Their motives and pattern of life had deviated from God's righteous course, and their deeds were also polluted with greed, selfishness, and pride.  They refused to hear or heed God's voice through the many prophets He sent to them, and by this God was sore displeased.

Here we see the loving and gracious nature of God, who sends His Word as a light illuminating the path to those who willfully stumble in darkness.  Unless God gave me the necessary understanding I could not have known Him or recognised wickedness in my own heart.  God first loved us, and love is not content to sit at a distance when the one He loves hastens to plunge into hell.  Instead of enacting some "mind control" to save us, God through His love appeals to our conscience and reasons with His gracious love.  He does not bombard us with facts though He knows all things, nor does He threaten and bluster to intimidate.  With His still small voice He beckons, and with outstretched arms of love He invites all to come and find rest for our souls.  Now is the time to turn; today is the day of salvation.  God has supplied us life, all that we possess, and the wisdom to live in the highest and best possible manner by which a man experiences the utmost satisfaction for God's glory..

This line of thinking, that our ways and deeds ought to glorify God as we hear and heed Him, is a theme brought forth in another book I am currently reading.  I have been blessed beyond measure by William Law's A Serious Call To A Devout and Holy Life.  Within the pages are vivid illustrations and sound logic reasonable minds cannot ignore.  He concluded chapter 11 with these wise words:

"All that we have, all that we are, all that we enjoy, are only so many talents from God:  if we use them to the ends of a pious and holy life, our five talents will become ten, and our labours will carry us into the joy of our Lord; but if we abuse them to the gratifications of our own passions, sacrificing the gifts of God to our own pride and vanity, we shall live here in vain labours and foolish anxieties, shunning religion as a melancholy thing, accusing our Lord as a hard master, and then fall into everlasting misery.  We may for a while amuse ourselves with names and sounds, and shadows of happiness; we may talk of this or that greatness and dignity; but if we desire real happiness, we have no other possible way to it but by improving our talents, by so holily and piously using the powers and faculties of men in this present state, that we may be happy and glorious in the powers and faculties of Angels in the world to come.  How ignorant, therefore, are they of the nature of religion, of the nature of man, and the nature of God, who think a life of strict piety and devotion to God to be a dull uncomfortable state; when it is so plain and certain that there is neither comfort nor joy to be found in anything else." (Law, William. A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. London: J.M. Dent &;, 1906. 132. Print.)