Found What You're Looking For?

The band U2 had a popular song in my high school days which repeated, "But I still haven't found what I'm looking for."  After climbing mountains, scaling walls, speaking the tongues of angels, and holding the hand of the devil, the desire for satisfaction remained insatiable.  There was still something Bono was looking for but not able to find.  Perhaps he didn't know exactly what he was looking for!  God made a promise to His people who sought Him in Deuteronomy 4:29 after they turned to the LORD wherever they had been scattered:  "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."  Again God promised in Jeremiah 29:12-13, "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

A lot of times the things we are seeking are not God and likely have much more to do with us than Him.  A divided heart is a troubling thing because it renders us incapable of seeking the LORD and finding Him.  God can and will be found by His grace, and if we have not found Him we cannot rightly place the blame on God who became human flesh, dwelt among us, died for us, and rose from the grave.  There He is if you will have Him.  Whether man judges Jesus worthy of worship is a very small thing indeed, for over what other man has the voice of the God boomed from heaven, "This is my only begotten Son in whom I am well-pleased?"  God is pleased to rejoice over and reveal Himself to all who trust in the LORD Jesus Christ.

After we place our faith in Jesus and endeavour to follow Him faithfully, undoubtedly we will face cares, sorrows, and troubles in this life.  David, a man God judged to be a man after His own heart, wrote in Psalm 27:13-14:  "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"  David would have fainted and lost heart had he not believed he would see the goodness of God in the land of the living - especially when things went wrong.  It was faith in God and His goodness which provided David courage and strength to persevere in the face of danger and betrayal.  He urged his readers to wait on the LORD and take heart.  God has been incredibly patient with us though our history is one of repeated failure:  shouldn't we be content and joyfully expectant to place our faith in the LORD and wait on Him who is only good?

The singer in the U2 song looked all over and never found what he was looking for, and when we stop looking to Jesus Christ we will start waiting on the wrong things.  If our hopes are pinned on our circumstances changing we might never receive the encouragement we long for.  If we look to others for strength and hope for the future we should not be surprised when discouragement, disillusionment, and frustration become our wretched companions.  But if we will look to the LORD, believing His goodness will be apparent and His grace sufficient, we will discover strength and encouragement everywhere.  When you are cast down or depressed, what are you looking for?  Waiting on the LORD turns our hearts toward Him again and puts our feet back on the solid ground of hope which is never disappointed.  Praise the LORD for the goodness He has shown to us and the encouragement He provides along the way through others.  How I rejoice to know and proclaim the goodness of our God who will be found when we seek Him with our whole hearts.

The Peril of Self-Trust

"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."

Proverbs 3:5-6

The tendency for me to trust self is something God has been bringing to my attention lately.  Trusting our own judgments and feelings is as natural to man as breathing - something our bodies do without even having to think about it.  Before the moment of decision we must determine to trust God and have our ways submitted to His will.  God has promised to direct the paths of those who trust Him, but if we do not admit and deal with our sinful habit to lean on our own understanding we will choose wrong.  A.W. Tozer gives good insight in his book The Crucified Life:

Sometimes a trial comes along, and we run to the Bible, pull out a quote and say, "According to this Scripture right here, we got it."  We have certain confidence in ourselves.  We think we know exactly what is going on.  The problem is that we do not know what is happening, and so God will deal with our self-trust.

God certainly knows our feelings.  He knows we are so proud of the way we rightly divide the word of truth and that we can disjoint a text like a butcher getting a chicken ready for the barbecue.  With words are carefully laid out and knowing just where to put your finger on this or just where to put your finger on that, you are too smart for God to bless you.  You know too much.  You can identify everything, but the dear heavenly Father knows you do not really know much at all.  He lets things happen to you until you recognise that you do not know what is happening.  Your friends do not know what is going on either.  And when you go to somebody you feel you can trust, that person will not be able to help you either.  That is actually good news.

It truly would be terrible if we had some holy Saint Francis to whom we all could go to find out where we were, what was happening to us and what life is all about.  God loves us too much for that.  He is trying to teach us to trust Him, not people - to lean on Him, not on people...As a Christian, you know some of the means God uses to teach His people.  As a Christian, you love God, but you are sick of all the nonsense in the world.  Your heart is crying after God just as the doe yearns for the water brooks.  Your heart and flesh cry out for the living God.  Yet in spite of all this, you still trust yourself.  You testify that you love your Bible and that your time of prayer is precious, but still your tendency is to trust yourself. (Tozer, A. W., and James L. Snyder. The Essential Tozer Collection. Bethany House, 2017. The Crucified Life, pages 108-109.)

Knowledge of God and His Word are gifts from God, but let us not lean on our own understanding.  Truth does not change over time, but there remains much truth packed away even in the most familiar verses we do not grasp or practice.  How we need to rely upon God to teach and direct us!  Let us trust the LORD, and when we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit we will begin to mature into the disciples Jesus saved us to be.

Broken - Then Revival

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart-- these, O God, You will not despise."

Psalm 51:17

If you were described as having "fallen to pieces" or that you experienced a "complete breakdown," would it paint you in a positive or negative light?  We hate to be seen without makeup and are embarrassed to be seen as weak.  When our emotional or physical capacity overflows and we collapse in a heap, it does not present the independent, tough, and resilient persona this world values.  If a team leader was "breaking down" regularly under the pressure of business we would suggest that person should take a break.  This passage written by David in response to his sin reveals a very different picture, how a broken spirit and contrite heart are acceptable in God's sight and not to be ashamed of.

Think of the many sacrifices which people in scripture delighted to offer God.  They brought Him gold, silver, precious stones, money, expensive fabrics, first-fruits of flocks, herds, and produce.  Their generosity was likened to that of a king, and the children of Israel when preparing for the construction of the tabernacle were told to stop giving because too much had already been received.  In the end it wasn't about what was given or how much which God took notice of but the condition of the hearts of sinners who approached Him.  All the gold and gems in the world are no substitute for a shattered soul over guilt of sin and a heart which has been broken into pieces and repents in sorrow.

When this verse was spoken last night during prayer at church, I went to the back of my Bible where under various headings I have listed relevant verses.  The importance of humility before God struck me as I turned to Psalm 138:6-7:  "Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me."  Then I looked up Isaiah 57:15 to read God's voice blasting like a trumpet:  "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  These verses made clear the necessary connection between humility, brokenness, revival, and abiding in the presence of the Almighty God.

We prefer to have leaders who appear strong and impervious to pressure, but God is not taken in by this outward display:  He looks at the heart.  He brings about circumstances to break us, not to ruin us because pride and arrogance have ruined us already.  When we fall to pieces before Him in repentance and humility that is when the Holy Spirit fire falls.  We do not earn the privilege but when we submit in faith to the will of God in our brokenness He hears, heals, and revives.  Many people look upon the power of God with desire, but it is the contrite heart which is granted the capacity to wield it with the fear of God and trembling.  How precious humility before God is!  And beyond great is our God and worthy to be praised for putting on human flesh and saying as the cross loomed before Him to the Father, "Not my will, but Yours be done."  Before His body was broken on Calvary the sacrifice of His broken heart already had been offered and accepted.

See the risen LORD Jesus!  If we will be revived and raised to newness of life, there must be breaking.  We tend to fight this rather than surrender to it.  This is not the good fight, brothers and sisters, to build a fortress around our hearts to hide how broken we actually are.  When heaviness grips our hearts and a contrite tear spills from our eye a great battle has been won.  Let us fall to pieces before our LORD so He might heal and restore us.  I am not aware of any therapeutic value of crying alone, and what can our tears change?  But when a broken heart cries out to God, He will hear and answer according to His perfect will.  The sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit is an offering everyone can bring.  It is not the rich but the poor in spirit who are granted the kingdom of heaven.

According to God's Will

It is easy for us to mix up "wants" and "needs" and prove ourselves presumptuous.  There are things we take for granted on the level of basic human rights like good health and a consistent job.  We say things like, "She really needs healing" or "He needs a better job."  But are those pressing issues needs from God's perspective?  Isn't He able to do exceedingly above what we ask or think?  When we are ill we desperately desire health, yet the LORD is able to leverage something awful like illness to accomplish divine purposes beyond our comprehension.  Who is man to assert what God ought to do, the One who does awesome things without number?

In my own life (and prayer life too) I have observed a tendency to substitute what I see as beneficial changes in circumstances instead of a closer walk with Jesus and increased faith.  Pains, troubles, and uncertainties are often the impetus for us to seek God with greater fervency, and I suggest one purpose God allows these is so we will learn to seek and trust Him in a greater degree when things are well.  How good it is when instead of superficial and temporary fixes we endeavour to draw closer to Jesus.  When someone needs physical healing they really need Jesus; when a man is out of a job He needs Jesus too.  Jesus is a Saviour, Provider, and Redeemer - especially for those who are born again.

When people don't yet trust in Jesus as Saviour, our prayers can be for the salvation of others.  But once they are being saved we need to rely upon Jesus more than ever and cultivate the practice of seeking Him.  Just because I placed my faith in Jesus Christ for salvation or believe the Bible is the Word of God does not mean I am trusting the Holy Spirit for guidance in my present situation.  If we are facing impossible circumstances in our lives and need a miracle, if we are hoping for the miraculous our longing is misplaced:  we need Jesus, the One who does the miraculous.  If we are seeking the blessing alone we are misguided. for it is Jesus who blesses, heals, and restores souls.  The Giver is better than the gifts.

Proverbs 16:25 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  The "good life" we naturally want for ourselves and our children ends in a grave - regardless of the education, relationships, career, money, and achievements gained.  God's ways are higher than our ways, and He is worthy of our trust and adoration.  I am not suggesting we cease praying for others who are struggling or be cavalier concerning trials, but we ought not be presumptuous and assume God wants what we do.  We can see only one way out of trouble, yet the trouble might be the very thing which causes us or others to advance in faith.  If we had our way, we would often short-circuit what God has been working toward all our lives.  Trials and tribulations can be a boon to our faith.  This is the perspective held forth in 1 Peter 4:19:  "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."

Imagine it, that suffering could be according to the will of God!  Jesus suffered according to the will of God, didn't He?  Sometimes we suffer as the result of our sin, but Jesus was perfectly righteous and still suffered.  See how God redeemed it!  Can't He also redeem our suffering, o we of little faith?  Isn't our unbelief a great cause of our suffering?  With eyes of faith turned towards our Saviour we can rejoice in suffering, knowing our LORD loves us and suffered for our sakes.

In God's Likeness

"As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

Psalm 17:15

David saw with eyes of faith the reality of a future no man could imagine unless God revealed it to him.  This reminds me of what Job declared in Job 19:25-27:  "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; ²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, ²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"  David and Job both knew the death of the body was not the end.  Their flesh would be destroyed and see corruption, but they would ultimately be raised immortal and incorruptible.  Such is the enduring future for all those deemed righteous through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Job spoke of seeing God, but what caught my attention is David knew he would be raised in God's likeness.  It is one thing to observe a person with your eyes, but another thing altogether to be likened to them.  David knew satisfaction beyond explanation would be his when he awoke in God's likeness.  I am not aware of a promise to this end in the Law, but David received this revelation from the Holy Spirit even as the apostle John related in 1 John 3:2, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52:  "Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- ⁵²  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."  And what a profound change this will be.

We are transformed on the inside when we are born again through faith in Jesus, and we shall be changed physically into the likeness of Christ after we depart this earth.  We will not look like Him, but we will be like Him.  All human beings share the same basic features, and our risen LORD Jesus remains a man.  Upon graduation to eternal glory we will not be made into angels, stars, or disembodied spirits, but our perishable body will be made into an imperishable one likened to Jesus after His resurrection.  We see the future dimly, but the day is coming when we will see our Saviour face to face.  That is something Job and David spoke of, a future assured for all those who are made righteous through faith in Jesus.  If we look forward to a holiday, the big game, or special gatherings with glad anticipation, then it is only proper for us to be excited about our eternal future in the presence of God.  Everything we look forward to on earth passes by quickly and is overshadowed by future plans, but our glorious future will remain in the present forever.

The Sustaining Word

Elijah was a prophet of God who experienced distressing and discouraging times.  After great victory by God's grace against the prophets of Ba'al on Carmel, all gladness was quickly soured by threats from wicked queen Jezebel.  Many preachers and Christians have been incredulous concerning Elijah's response, almost accusing him of forgetting what God had done or minimising the impact of a death threat.  Elijah was certainly a man of God and had the Spirit of God upon him, but he was a man like the rest of us.  At a point the demands and pressures of life can become unbearable.  I have experienced lonely moments like this, when trials immediately deflate us of joy - and my life wasn't even on the line.  A heart at rest in the victory of God can be easily battered and beaten at the whim of disappointing news, and our enemies are not merciful.

The prophet, upon hearing the threats of Jezebel, isolated himself from his servant and went on alone.  He despaired of life, and it felt like dying was better than living.  God in His grace would provide all Elijah needed to continue, both physically and spiritually.  1 Kings 19:5-8 says, "Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." ⁶ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. ⁷ And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." ⁸ So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God."

God sent an angel who provided Elijah with bread and water twice to sustain him for the journey which stretched ahead Elijah was not yet aware of.  In the strength of the food God provided Elijah pressed on for forty days and nights until he came to the "mountain of God."  Here is a great picture of the life of faith in Jesus Christ, how He is our Living Bread and He supplies the Living Water we need to persevere through this earthly pilgrimage.  It's hard to keep on going; it's tough when you feel alone.  All the continual effort and caring doesn't seem to accomplish much.  And if we look to ourselves, others, or to our circumstances for hope there is none to be found.  But pains and discouragements have a way of recentring our gaze on the LORD, His Word, and His promises.  If we don't eat or drink spiritually we will waste away and be unable to continue, and this is a reason why many gifted and called servants of God quit.

Yesterday I was treated to the sustaining power of God's Word throughout the day.  Let's just say the day did not go like I thought or hoped it would.  In my morning reading I came upon Psalm 13:5-6:  "But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. ⁶ I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me."  The Psalmist David wrote this when he was feeling alone and forgotten.  He experienced sorrow daily and felt beaten up by his enemies.  But he came to a place when, without any change of his feelings or circumstances, his perspective shifted to focus on God.  David was reminded of the mercy of God and he had been granted salvation from God.  This caused a change in his mind and heart and he sang praises to God because of the bountiful way God had dealt with him.  Boy, these verses encouraged me all day long when temptation to despair came!  I had salvation going for me, and how bountiful God has been towards me!

How good is the Word of God, and how well it sustains us!  The Word is compared to good seed, and when sown in the heart of a believer it is very fruitful according to its own kind.  Our circumstances are like the sharp blade of the plough which painfully open our hard hearts to receive God's Word.  It does not produce baked loaves of bread which can be eaten straight away:  the grain it produces can be eaten raw, but it must be threshed, prepared, and ground into flour.  Elijah had cakes prepared for him by the angel, and God prepares great bounty for us to feast on.  Who knows what the next forty days holds for us, what God will accomplish in that time, or how He will lead us in pressing on!  All I know is we need the Bread of Life and the Living Water, the Holy Spirit.  Thank God He will sustain us, and His Word is an indispensable supply for all our need so He might lead us to Himself.

Hosanna in the Highest

"Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' ¹⁰ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Mark 11:9-10

The scene described in Mark 11 took place when Jesus rode in triumph into Jerusalem on a donkey.  People laid down their clothes and palm branches before Him as before royalty, and even the children shouted, "Hosanna!"  Not being a Hebrew speaker, I needed to look up the word for the definition.  The Strong's Concordance explains the meaning like this:  "oh save!; an exclamation of adoration."  Jesus was worthy of such adoration and praise, for He is the Saviour God promised who would save people from their sins.

The Jews which cried out the words of Psalm 118:25-26 were an occupied and oppressed people by Roman rule.  How they longed for the promised Messiah to deliver them from their enemies and restore the kingdom of David to its former glory.  It is fitting Jesus would humbly ride into Jerusalem in fulfilment of scripture in Zechariah 9:9, and not as a Roman general on a chariot pulled by white horses.  The cross of Calvary loomed before our meek Saviour, and He would save not only the Jews but provide salvation for all who repent and believe through His sacrifice.  The people shouted, "Oh save!" and they had no idea how great a salvation Jesus would accomplish through His death and resurrection.  Jesus would do much more than establish an earthly throne which perishes, but by His shed blood would establish an eternal kingdom of which there will be no end.

How glorious is our Saviour, a One also to be greatly adored.  We reserve the word "adorable" to attend the cute and cuddly, but Jesus deserves our adoration and appreciation.  The beauty of Christ transcends anything we can admire with the eyes or desire in our hearts.  His power to save is greater than all the armies of the world; the praise of which He is worthy is greater than all men and the angelic hosts shouting in unison.  We say "Hosanna" to urge God to save and to adore Him at the same time, a wonderful picture of how He is worthy and able to meet our every need.  I need salvation as much now as ever before, and the more I read about Jesus and spend time with Him my love for Him grows too.  No matter how much I love Him, His love for me is infinitely greater and constant.

As fitting as it was for Jesus to be praised when He rode into Jerusalem, so it is right for all to exalt Him today.  Throughout the day "Hosanna" by Carl Tuttle has been singing in my heart:  won't you sing along?

Hosanna, hosanna,

hosanna in the highest

Hosanna, hosanna,

hosanna in the highest

Lord we lift up Your name

With a heart full of praise

Be exalted, oh Lord my God

Hosanna in the highest

Glory, glory,

glory to the King of kings

Glory, glory,

glory to the King of kings

Lord we lift up Your name

With a heart full of praise

Be exalted, oh Lord my God

Glory to the King of kings

Glancing or Gazing?

Last night at youth my wife Laura shared an observation from a book:  in museums and art galleries there are often glancers and gazers.  Some are so intent on seeing everything they breeze through the exhibits, perhaps only briefly pausing for something which catches their interest.  The visit to the museum is a task to be completed, and with the aim of seeing everything possible only a cursory glance will do.  For gazers, however, spending quality time with a work of art cannot be rushed. They are content to contemplatively view a painting from various angles for hours.  They can be seen sitting or standing staring at the canvas, even writing down notes.  The glancers think of such people, "What are they looking at?  What of interest can they see in that?  Am I missing something?"

If I must choose a side which fits my natural bent, I tend toward the glancing side.  I am largely a destination oriented person.  Scenery is nice, but it isn't worth stopping the car which slows progress toward my intended destination.  At the same time, I would rather spend more time in the Australian War Memorial or Yad Vashem (World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Isarel) than rush through.  I am not a big art fan, but I believe the memory of people ought to be remembered and honoured.  I find the tales of courage, bravery, and sacrifice move my heart and sober my mind, and in that environment one must walk slowly and think deeply.  When I am rushed my feet move but my heart remains unmoved.

A good question to consider:  how do you approach the reading of the Bible?  It is God's Word written to us, and our familiarity with the text or our aim to tick "Bible reading" or "devotions" from our daily checklist can make us glancers rather than gazers.  Glancers are off to the next verse so quick they don't think deeply about what God is saying or how it applies to their own life.  I think everyone can fall into the habit of glancing rather than gazing and grazing on the good Word, giving time for our minds and hearts to digest all the LORD is saying.  As a cow is content to stand and chew its cud for a good part of the day, our engagement with the messages in God's Word be similar.  It is one thing to hear the Word or read it, but another thing to take it personally.

Reading the Word is most profitable and necessary, and it is intended - more than viewing art or visiting a memorial - to not only move us but change us.  Reading the Bible is not the end in itself, but to transport us into the presence of the Living God.  People can be emotionally moved by beautiful songs and artwork; they can shed tears as they feel the pain and loss of victims of war.  Many things in this world are designed to transport us somewhere physically or emotionally, and God has provided us His Word to move our hearts towards Him, to cause our gaze to be fixed upon Him.  We are rarely moved at a glance, but when our hearts and minds are engaged to consider and think deeply we can be drawn into the very presence of God.  Let the Word do its work in your heart and mind to transport you, and as we gaze on our Saviour may our hearts be moved to praise and worship Him in Spirit and truth.

Flipping the Canvas

It is amazing what a change in perspective will do.  I can adequately paint a wall with the right equipment, but I have never learned how to paint artistically.  Artists are able to see what others cannot and have the ability to bring an empty canvas to life with colour and detail.  It impresses me how people mix oil paint and use brushes to create pictures with a photographic and textured quality.  Bob Ross on KPBS often said anyone could paint, and I suppose he is right depending on how you define "painting."  I can apply paint to a canvas like a child, but I haven't painted anything recognisable yet.  I have seen paintings done by apes and elephants far superior to my efforts.

Perhaps I am easy to impress, but I always enjoy presentations when an artist basically attacks the canvas with quick swipes, splatters, and flourishes.  After a minute, when I still have no idea what is being painted, suddenly the artist with a quick flip of the canvas brings a recognisable image into view almost like magic:  a face, a scene, something which remained completely hidden to my eyes until the painter kindly turned it right side up for all to enjoy.  The artist knew much I did not know:  he knew what he was doing when I had no idea.  It required a change of my perspective - done for me by the artist - and then I could better appreciate the end result.

During our lives there will be many times when we struggle to understand or appreciate what God is doing because we do not have the correct perspective - His perspective.  In these times we often lose sight of God entirely.  We try to make sense of something we cannot make sense of no matter how hard we try.  Now God doesn't always flip the painting over to show us what He is up to, and He is under no obligation to.  But we are called to trust Him even when we don't understand, trusting the character and promises of God in His Word.  Focusing on ourselves or problems in the world cannot bring the peace and rest available when we look to Jesus.

God is able to do what a painter cannot do with oils and brushes:  He sometimes allows painful circumstances so He might bring a bountiful blessing from them.  He can take a severe illness and make it an asset rather than a destroyer.  He can take the loss of a job or promotion and use it to strengthen our faith in Him.  The deepest pains can lead to profound purpose which remained previously hidden all our lives.  By the grace of God from death can spring life; the lost can be found, and failed dreams can transform to enduring hope.  What would crush us God uses to strengthen, and even our faults redeemed for His praise.  I do not know how God does this, and nor can I explain how a painter can paint upside down.  But I know God is able to do everything - far beyond my ability to understand.

I daresay God at times turns our lives upside down so we might re-centre our gaze on what counts and will endure.  His ways are glorious, and His works perfection.  He is able to make this blind man see and He will do the same for all who look to Him in faith.  We do not always understand, nor can we explain.  But by His grace we can seek our great God and know certainties where all else is darkness and shadow.  In God there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17):  it is we who must be turned!  Rightly Asaph wrote in Psalm 80:19, "Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved."

Friend or Client?

I remember the event very clearly:  a former co-worker (who had never once been to my house before) showing up at my door unannounced at 8pm, and it was the first time I had ever seen this man in a suit.  I was happy to see my friend, but my heart sunk when he awkwardly explained how he wanted to sell me something.  I can't explain the depth of disappointment, a feeling I can only describe as betrayal.  Friendship had been exchanged for the meagre gain of financial profit, and sadly the situation has been repeated many times - and every time it hurt.  Worse than being friend-zoned is when you are reduced to clientele.  It is true clients can later become friends, but to cross the line from friend to client jeopardises the quality of the relationship.

My intent is not to blast people who are trying to earn an honest living or feel social media is a ideal platform for free advertising.  But the willingness to leverage friendship for the opportunity of personal financial gain or to risk endangering it - regardless of the "benefits" you offer or products you swear by - is an awful, regrettable choice.  I would rather a friend who is struggling financially to ask me directly for money than try to sell me something or make me part of their diversified revenue stream.  It is no wonder some in the quest for wealth treat friendship with utilitarian disdain, for the lure of riches causes people to err from the right way.  Paul warned of the love of money in 1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."  Greed pierces those guilty of it, and their targets can be wounded as well.

I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, to value friendship rather than potentially sacrificing friendship on the altar of financial gain.  Greed can build walls between close friends and endanger the relationship once enjoyed.  Better to have a loyal, trusted friend than a client.  If you are willing to risk friendship for money, don't be surprised when friendships start drying up.

The Way of Repentance

When questioned concerning what was the great commandment of the Law, the reply of Jesus to the lawyer is seen in in Matthew 22:37-39 "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'"  Jesus would later give a new commandment to His disciples, that they should love one another as He had loved them (John 13:34).  The love of Jesus was demonstrated and culminated on Calvary's cross where He laid down His life for sinners.

In church today we read the passage in Acts 17 when Paul addressed the council, philosophers, and religious people in Athens.  He said in Acts 17:30 God "...now commands all men everywhere to repent...".  Repentance is a change of mind which results in a change of practices.  It is agreement with God concerning what is wrong, choosing to forsake sin, and do what is pleasing in God's sight.  Repentance is a command God has issued to all people, for those who have not yet been born again and those in the church.  Sin keeps a man from fellowship with God, and repentance is a step in restoring the broken relationship.

As I mused on this during a song of worship to God, it struck me repentance does not happen in the pews.  Repentance begins with a commitment but does not stop there:  real repentance occurs in the moment of temptation.  Let's say you struggle with gossip.  Repentance happens when you have a juicy bit of gossip to share but in the moment recall to mind tale bearing is a sin and choose to remain silent.  Say God puts His finger on your gluttonous appetites, eating more than you should.  Repentance may begin in a church service or on your bed at night confessing before God your gluttony, but it is proved when you choose not to have a second helping of dessert - or forgo it altogether because you have had your fill.  Repentance is proved when the opportunity for sin reveals itself, and in obedience to God the repentant heart intentionally avoids doing what is wrong and does the right thing instead.

This is how repentance goes from being a decision in the mind to being a practice in your life; this is how repentance passes from a commitment before God in church in response to a sermon to a way of life.  Repentance is simple obedience moving forward.  God commands all men everywhere to repent, and praise the LORD He has made a way of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Good God

One of the most prominent red herrings offered by sceptics concerning God goes like this:  "If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow bad things to happen?"  What this question suggests is because "bad" things happen God is not good, is not all-powerful, or He does not exist at all.  Better than trying to answer this ill-founded question, logic can be employed to illustrate the folly of it.  If the person asking is convinced God is an imaginary construct and the Bible filled with fairy tales, there is no value to entertain hypothetical questions.  God's love compels us to engage, not so we can win an argument but ultimately so Jesus can save a soul.

Considering the aim of the question according to the claims of God in His Word, respond to a genuine seeker with questions along these lines:  should we doubt the reality of light because darkness exists?  Is it right to blame an upstanding judge because criminals commit crimes?  Is the law wicked because people insist on breaking it?  Is a good shepherd at fault because there are wolves that seek to prey on the flock?  "It is not the same thing," some may protest.  Well said, for nothing can adequately be compared to God!  But reality proves the presence of darkness does not negate the existence of light, for we cannot know one without the other.  An honest person will admit it would be silly to blame a good judge because people do wickedness.  Whilst we may not agree with laws made by men, God's law is perfectly righteous and our inability to keep it reveals our wickedness:  there is none good, no not one.  A good shepherd should be commended for putting his own life at risk to save the sheep, not blamed for the existence of hazards.

God is light, and in Him is no darkness.  The Bible teaches and assumes God was, is, and will ever be.  God graciously formed man in his own image with a conscience, the ability to reason, and the power to choose.  God allowed man to sin with the aim of providing redemption through His own death on the cross in the person of Jesus Christ.  His love was revealed in dying for us on Calvary, and His power revealed in the resurrection from the dead.  God is indeed all-powerful, and He will display this power openly when He judges the world in righteousness.  But God is also longsuffering, patient, kind, gracious, merciful, and compassionate.  Those stricken with doubt and racked with pain struggle to accept this in difficult times.  Yet those trials are the proving ground of our faith, to reveal to us clearly if we love and trust God or if we will deny Him.  Doubts, cares, and fear are all swallowed by faith when we breathe in the truth of God's Word.

Let us join in the song with the angels and elders around the throne of God today and always as we read in Revelation 7:12 "...saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."  Our God is good, and let us always ascribe all honour and power to Him!

God Shows Himself

During a morning walk it was obvious it had rained last night.  The footpaths and streets remained wet, and droplets of water suspended on grass gleamed under a grey sky.  Through the mist I could see two parrots (galahs I think) sitting besides each other on power lines.  I stopped walking to have a better look as they gently preened each other.  It made me think about how strange it is love, affection, and care for others should appear in a world some say relies upon "survival of the fittest."  Life is more than surviving:  love is part of life on earth because God is love and made it so.  In a world saturated with self-love, the sight of two birds loving on each other warmed my heart.

When I saw the birds I thought of my beautiful wife, a precious gift God has given me.  God intended people who are married remain so for life, and it is indeed a blessing to have someone by your side during all seasons of life.  Those bonded birds spoke to an issue greater than companionship or marriage but the relationship God desires to have with all the people He has made - a relationship which transcends and extends infinitely beyond our temporary existence on earth.  Before God created the world, He remained alone.  By the words of His mouth He created the earth, planets, stars, ministering spirits, plants, animals, people, and all living things.  It was mankind He looked upon with keen interest, for into Adam God breathed a living soul.  He gave man spiritual capacity other living creatures do not possess.

In the movie "Toy Story 3" I enjoyed the scene when Barbie and Ken met one another for the first time.  As they are dazzled by each other's lovely appearance, they blurted out in unison:  "It is like we were...made for each other!"  So it is with us and God:  He has created us for Himself and desires to have a close relationship with each person He has made.  If only we would love Him as He loves us!  I hear His voice call out to us as the voice of the beloved in Song of Songs 2:8-10:  "The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; he is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice.  My beloved spoke, and said to me: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away."  Do our hearts leap as the Shulamite to hear our Saviour speak?  He has given us ears to hear and eyes to see and He reveals Himself everywhere.  Everything is not God, but much of what we see in nature proclaims the wisdom, goodness, and love of God we ought to take to heart.

How awesome and amazing it is God would love me and you!  All people are born into this world alone and we will die alone.  It's true we have family and friends, yet ultimately all must face death alone and then judgment before God.  We can be surrounded by people and activity and at the same time be struck with a profound sense of loneliness.  But praise the LORD we do not need to ever be alone, because God is close to all who draw near to Him in faith.  He will accompany us during our days on earth and for all eternity because He who has promised is faithful.  Distance, time, and death cannot separate us from Him.  How good it is to be loved and accepted by the great God who reveals Himself.

My Moses Moment

God has important lessons to teach us every day.  These lessons can be presented to us in various ways:  from what we observe or read about, through personal experience, and from the past mistakes of others.  Moses was a servant and friend of God, but his disobedience to God in one instance prevented him entry into the Promised Land.  We are grateful for the second chances God gives as our Redeemer (for we cannot redeem ourselves), but the event detailed in Numbers 20 shows there are times when the consequences of sin can be permanent.  Praise the LORD He still loved and utilised Moses as leader amongst His people despite his error.  At the same time, however, God provided a lesson for Moses and for all who observe it to take to heart.

I have my own "Moses moment" of sorts, and the situation couldn't have been more different.  I had been given no command from God, no particular directive that day as I stepped upon the mound to pitch in the baseball grand final in Castle Hill.  It was a hard-fought game and a very sloppy one for a championship match.  Every error in the field meant more strain on my tired body and painful shoulder.  I gritted my teeth and toughed it out on the hill.  We had won three grand finals as a team and the coach trusted me to pitch the entire game.  When the umpire finally shouted "Time and game!" to conclude the contest, we had won.  I don't even remember the score.  Beyond the gladness of winning I felt a wave of relief mixed with intense frustration.  I felt like the whole team was riding on my shoulders and I was glad to have the stress over with.

From the moment it happened, I instantly and continually regretted what followed.  I was fired up after a taxing win and the adrenaline was flowing, but that was no excuse.  Instead of turning to embrace my teammates in celebration or dropping to a knee to thank God, I shouted, stamped toward the dugout, and threw my glove as hard as I could into the fence.  I don't know anyone really noticed this or cared.  We had won!  But I had the immediate sense God had seen it, and it was displeasing to Him.  I had not given God the glory for the victory, even as Moses did not give God glory for the miracle of causing water to flow from the rock.  Though I played baseball for an additional three seasons, I never returned to the "promised land" of a grand final match.  The next season started promising but in the fifth game I tore my ACL and had nearly two years off.  When I returned from injury my vision had deteriorated, and over the course of the next years I separated my shoulder, sprained my ankle, snapped something in my pitching elbow, and I was done.  How good God was to allow me to compete into my forties and even to be a part of a winning team!  I am grateful for such a gracious heavenly Father.

I don't know that anything can prevent us from experiencing a "Moses moment," a time when we regrettably sin against the LORD in doing what displeases Him.  Perhaps you can learn from the lasting consequences Moses faced when he disobeyed God or by my experience playing baseball.  It is good for us to realise sin has consequences, and sometimes permanent ones.  A permanent consequence is a lesson provided by God's grace because it is like a personal tutor who travels with us to instruct us during our remaining years of our earthly pilgrimage.  Moses had a constant reminder - not just that he had sinned - but his sin denied him further favour from God.  I am certain this revelation kept him from future sin and continued to work in his life to humble him.  How mindful he was to cease doing what displeased God!  How he laboured to sanctify God in the present and future because he had been careless in the past.  I'm still learning the lesson from my "Moses moment" and praise the LORD He still has much He wants to say to me - and to you! :)

Jesus is Exalted

Last night at the Calvary Chapel Sydney prayer meeting we sang the Twila Paris song "He is Exalted."  I have always enjoyed the melody and the lyrics resonate in my heart:

He is exalted

The King is exalted on high

I will praise Him

He is exalted, forever exalted

And I will praise His name

He is the Lord

Forever His truth shall reign

Heaven and earth

Rejoice in His holy name

He is exalted

The King is exalted on high

During the time of prayer it was fitting a thread running through many of the spoken prayers was that Jesus be lifted up.  It is fitting God's people should exalt, magnify, and seek to make famous our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Whilst it is good for us to intentionally do this, we do not need to put undue emphasis on our role to the point it becomes an effort of the flesh.  When with our eyes we do not see people doing what we think should be done, the flesh rises up with a protest (perhaps because we too have been negligent):  "I will take it upon myself.  I will be the example.  I'll show all these lazy and sleepy Christians what it really means to live for Jesus."  This perspective is as dangerous as the careless believer whose life says, "Who cares?  If God wants to do something He'll do it with or without me.  I'm going to heaven anyway so why bother?"  The flesh cannot accomplish the works of God,  and before long our resolve will quickly erode away into disillusionment.  Firing up the flesh or coddling it is not the path to exalting our LORD.  Words or songs alone aren't enough:  we need the power of the Holy Spirit overflowing through our lives.

The Bible teaches what the song of Twila Paris joyfully exclaims:  Jesus is exalted.  God has already exalted His Son, having lifted Him up on Calvary as the Saviour of sinners.  John 3:14-16 says, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  After the death and resurrection of Jesus then ascended to the right hand of the Father where He lives to make intercession for all who believe.  In His humble obedience to the Father Jesus has been exalted over all as it is written in Philippians 2:9-11:  "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus was and is exalted, so therefore let us exalt Him!  God's future plans to not rely upon us any more than we caused ourselves to be born.  When we were born again by grace through faith in Jesus we needed to cooperate and be in agreement with God through repentance, and this is the humble agreement we must cultivate so Jesus Christ may be exalted in our hearts and lives first.  Revival begins with me, and if you desire revival it begins in you.  Jesus has been lifted up and has drawn all people to Himself, and let us do our part to lift Him up as well.  Praise the LORD our exalted King will help us, and nothing is too hard for Him.

The Dirty Trough Choice

As a person in charge of building maintenance at a church, Proverbs 14:4 is a verse I take to heart.  It reads, "Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox."  If you were a farmer, would you rather have a clean trough or the assistance of a strong animal in work?  A dirty trough may be a good trade.  In a church building it is good to strive to keep toilets clean, surfaces wiped, carpet vacuumed, and chairs aligned, but it is frankly impossible when many people are involved.  I would rather have damaged paint and stains on the carpet - because there are people enjoying serving and in fellowship with one another - than to have an clean facility free from the wear and tear of life.

Today a friend told me about a sister-in-law she had who kept her kitchen in an immaculate condition, and she was able to do so easily because she never cooked!  I like the thought of never having to clean a BBQ, oven, and especially a flat electric cook-top, but the reality is with any use these items will need regular cleaning.  Looking through old photos the other day I noticed how clean and shiny my BBQ once was on the inside, and it has been a very long time since then!  When I think of all the wonderful meals which I have enjoyed cooking and eating through its use, however, I do not regret losing the initial stainless steel shine.

The ox and dirty trough trade can be compared to the potential messiness of church life.  When we chose to follow Jesus and seek to serve Him, we can be involved in many potentially uncomfortable and unpleasant situations.  Jesus did not shy away from people some would have termed "undesirable," "unlovable." or "hopeless" - and some were men He chose to call as His disciples to follow Him!  My grandfather worked as a carpet layer for many years and and after a while chose not to have an apprentice or helper.  He said, "What's the point?  I'll have to always fix his mistakes."  We can have this view for developing leaders in church, almost preferring a clean trough because oxen require training, patience, and are expensive to feed.  It seems easier to do things on our own.  This is true in a sense, but an ox is a valuable asset which allows a farmer to be far more productive.

I am grateful God has chosen us as followers of Jesus to serve Him - though oxen might be easier and cleaner to manage!  We are the ones whose stubbornness can put that of an ox to shame.  He really loves us, doesn't He?

The One Who Succours

Much is made of Esther's uninvited approach of King Ahasuerus and for good reason.  Under the law of the Medes and Persians which could not be changed, all who approached the king without an invitation were sentenced to death - unless the king held out the golden sceptre towards the one who approached as a signal of his favour.  Queen Esther had not been called before the king for 30 days, yet after three days of prayer and fasting she drew near to the king to plead for her people.  She found favour in the sight of the king and her life was preserved because the king delighted in her.

Did you know Esther did not only approach the king once but did so a second time?  After Haman's treachery was exposed, Esther again appeared before the king uninvited.  Esther 8:3-6 states, "Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ And the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, ⁵ and said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favour in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. ⁶ For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?"  The first time Esther approached the king she did so after three days of prayer and fasting, but the second time there is no mention of a period of prayerful preparation.  Her life was at stake the second time she came, but the situation was approached differently.  Gone was the formal and stately demeanour:  she fell at his the feet of the king weeping.  I do not believe she trusted God any less, but having received the favour of the king previously she was emboldened to do so a second time.

The king extending the golden sceptre to Queen Esther is a beautiful picture of how God extends grace and kindness to all people who draw near to Him in faith.  Our sin under the Law demanded death, but Jesus our LORD and Saviour shed His blood so we could be forgiven through repentance and trust in Him.  He does not offer us grace at the beginning and withdraw it on a whim, for His love remains active for us.  God will never forget to be gracious, but it is we who can neglect to draw near to Him.  It is good for us to have a sense of trepidation as we approach divine royalty, yet at the same time we can be bold like Esther the second time because He has given us access into His throne room of grace.  The truth of Hebrews 4:16 never grows old for me:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

God is gracious and will help those who humbly seek Him.  A word we do not often use today but is most appropriate for our need to seek the LORD is "succour" which can be used as a verb or a noun.  As a verb it means "literally, to run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering."  Utilised as a noun "succour" means, "help; assistance; particularly, assistance that relieves and delivers from difficulty, want or distress."  When we succour God's favour, He is able to succour all who come to Him.  Our God is a Deliverer, One willing and able to help in times of trouble.  Instead of trying to help ourselves, let us seek the LORD for succour.  When we run to God for help, He runs to help us.