Holy Spirit Without Measure

God directed Moses after the exodus from Egypt to gather 70 elders, and He promised to take a portion of the Spirit that was upon Moses to equip them to do the work He called them to.  Numbers 11:24-25 relates, "So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. ²⁵ Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again."  Even a portion of the Holy Spirit spread between 70 elders enabled them to exercise  the miraculous, spiritual gift of prophecy.  In the case of these elders, this was a one-off occurrence which demonstrated their calling and gifting to perform their God-given roles as rulers in Israel.

Elijah was another prophet upon whom God placed the Holy Spirit and enabled him to be God's faithful servant and mouthpiece.  By the power of the Spirit this regular man prayed to God, was heard and given ability to raise a dead child to life, to cause a drought for years and later bring the rain, and at his word God consumed an offering by fire from heaven.  Before he was taken up into heaven Elijah rolled up his mantle, struck the waters of the Jordan, and the waters parted so he and his protégé Elisha could pass over on dry ground.  2 Kings 2:9-10 says, "And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." ¹⁰ So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."  God gave Elisha the desire of his heart, and the prophets affirmed the Spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha after the departure of the prophet into heaven, for Elisha parted the Jordan as Elijah previously.

The revelation of Jesus Christ ushered in a new condition John the Baptist observed in John 3:33-35:  "He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. ³⁴ For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand."  Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit beyond measure, and to all who believe on Him Jesus will give Living Water of the Holy Spirit that springs up in us to eternal life.  Born-again Christians do not receive a portion of the Spirit Who was upon Jesus or a double-portion:  we receive the Holy Spirit Who gives power from on high without measure.  Rather than puffing us up with pride, we ought to be humbled the almighty God would fill us with His glory to accomplish His will, be spiritually fruitful, exercise spiritual gifts and be His witnesses wherever He sends us.

Because the Holy Spirit's presence and power is immeasurable, it is certain we have yet to discover the full reaches of His love and power towards us and through us Who believe.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Walking in the Spirit by obedience to God's word and Christ's example, we are equipped to use spiritual gifts God gives according to His will to benefit the body of Christ and glorify God.  Even as the 70 elders needed the Holy Spirit to fulfil their function in the congregation of Israel, so believers must be guided by God's love in the operation of all spiritual gifts.  Whether we are able to operate in a spiritual gift "on demand" for the purpose of other people recognising our office or gifting is far less important than drawing near to the LORD Jesus today humbly in faith Who gives the Holy Spirit without measure.  Praise God He chooses to place His infinite glory in those redeemed by His grace so all may glorify Him.

A Good Testimony

I was encouraged this morning by 3 John, a letter written by the apostle John to Gaius.  In the body of the letter John addressed Diotrephes, a man who loved to have the pre-eminence in the church--perhaps the same church body Gaius was part of.  Diotrephes was described as one who was inhospitable and unwelcome to fellow believers, including the apostles.  He was given to slander and gossip about brothers in Christ and excommunicated those who were friendly towards them.  Diotrephes was a man in a leadership role in a church whose heart and actions revealed fundamental ignorance of God.

John assured Gaius he would personally address the situation upon his arrival.  In light of Diotrephes, John's exhortation is a comfort to all people who discover problems with church people in 3 John 1:11:  "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God."  Gaius was reminded he was beloved of the LORD and of John.  He and the brethren were not without help or consolation in the conflict concerning Diotrephes.  John nor Gaius needed to be moved by fear of man or worry over what to do.  There was no need for retaliation or immediate intervention.  Gaius was told not to imitate evil, but to keep doing what is good.  Doing good was something, by the grace of God, Gaius and we can do.

John did not saddle Gaius with the responsibility of attempting to enforce church discipline upon Diotrephes, to gather together men intent on dethroning him, or to flee from fellowship.  Gaius was to avoid following Diotrephes' sinful ways and follow Jesus Christ in obedience, humility and submission.  Even if Gaius was the next person to be thrown out of the church, he was not to resort to the ways of Diotrephes in an attempt to set things right.  It is not uncommon for conflict or difficulties to arise between people in the church.  A bigger potential problem than the original offence is when troubled believers do not respond with grace and humility in dealing with their own sin, justifying ungodly means to expose flawed leaders with fleshly tactics like Diotrephes did.

Whether a person is in a leadership role in the church or not, the command of John is one we all ought to take to heart.  We are not to imitate evil examples but to do what is good.  Those who are of God will walk in the steps of our LORD Jesus Christ in humility, meekness, and obedience to the Father.  The church Diotrephes was a part of were blessed and benefitted greatly from having brothers like Gaius and Demetrius around as John said in 3 John 1:12, men unspoiled by the wicked influence of Diotrephes:  "Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true."  In refusing to imitate evil and doing what is good, may our lives be a good testimony to all that we know God and walk in truth.

Temptation Without Sin

"And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."

Luke 4:13 (KJV)

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness where He was tempted by the devil.  After shattering all temptations with the word of God, Satan departed from Him for a season.  The NKJV renders this passage "...until an opportune time."  It is useful for us to know Jesus did not draw upon divine reserves or abilities born again Christians lack, for He wisely wielded the word of God to counter every temptation.  This ought to bring our hearts great comfort, that God supplies wisdom and strength to recognise and defeat all temptation to sin.

We observe the season of temptation had an end, yet opportunities for temptation would come again.  Jesus had been fasting from food for 40 days and was at a physically weak point when the devil suggested He turn stones into bread.  This shows us Satan will tempt us to sin in the area where we are currently weak.  He looks for opportunities to lead us to satisfy fleshly appetites rather than continuing to trust in God and obey His word.  Jesus understood obedience to the word of God was of greater importance than filling His stomach with food even when He was starving, for His life was in God and for God.

God had to physically become a human to experience and resist temptation, and it is not a sin to be tempted because Jesus remained without sin.  Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."  Jesus experienced the same temptations we do, yet He was able to remain pure, holy and righteous.  It was required under the Law of Moses for people who had sinned to bring their sacrifice before the high priest and confess their sins, and when we believe on Jesus as Saviour He understands perfectly the lure of temptation as well has how we have chosen sin over obedience to God.

Because we have a great High Priest who understands our struggles in seasons of sins, the context of Hebrews 4:16 shines bright with loving acceptance for the humble sinner:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  The human body needs food, and we sinners need forgiveness and strength to resist the temptation to sin.  We are powerless in ourselves to keep resisting a single temptation, but thanks be to God who has overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God given to us.  Jesus Christ has given Himself to us by shedding His own blood on Calvary, and now we can obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Let our confidence not be in our ability or wits to avoid temptation but in Jesus Christ Who has overcome all temptation and sin that easily besets us.

A More Sure Word of Prophecy

Awhile back I had a conversation with people about ways the living God speaks with us.  One fellow mentioned his wife was apt to hear God's voice in an audible manner.  Although this has not been my experience, there is much biblical precedence for hearing the voice of God audibly speaking to people.  At the same time, there is no need for believers to feel "left out" if they cannot say they have heard God speaking audibly with them, and we have this on strong scriptural authority.

When the apostle Peter went with Jesus and other select disciples and witnessed the transfiguration of Christ in shining glory, they all heard God speak audibly.  Peter, overwhelmed by seeing Jesus in glory as He conversed with Moses and Elijah, started to suggest they build three tabernacles when God the Father interrupted Peter and said, "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased."  After Peter related this incident in his second epistle to believers, he went on to say this in the King James Version of 2 Peter 1:19-21:  "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."  This rendering emphases the supreme reliability of God's word in the Bible, for Peter's experience confirmed what the prophets had spoken previously.

The Bible we hold in our hands is a more sure and reliable revelation of God and His word than a voice that booms from the heavens.  The Bible is the divinely inspired, verified, genuine word of God no one can add or take away from.  Anyone can claim they have heard God's voice and the accuracy of their claim depends on a person who can be mistaken, how long ago the event transpired, how tired they were, words subject to interpretation that could possibly be misunderstood.  Based on the biblical revelation of the God who does not change, we know when God speaks He will support and not contradict anything He has previously said.  Peter affirmed the scripture and prophecies therein are not of private interpretation or the will of man (which dreams, visions and voices can be) but were provided through men of God guided to speak by the Holy Spirit.  Our hearing can be muffled and our eyes bleary, but God has spoken clearly and accurately to all people in His word we ought to treasure and heed.

The voice of God speaking during the transfiguration hearkened back to what the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet in Isaiah 42:1:  "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles."  Jesus is the Word that become flesh, and the psalmist wrote what Jesus fulfilled in a literal sense when shone with glory brighter than the sun in Psalm 119:105:  "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Through Jesus God caused the great light to shine in darkness, and by faith in Jesus the scriptures are opened to us in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit Who authored them.  All God speaks in an audible voice will confirm and align with what He has already spoken.  Praise the LORD He does not only speak to a select few, but has spoken to all and continues to speak by His grace for our good.

Preserved by God

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Having forgiven our sins and purified us by the Gospel of grace, He is able to preserve us blameless until Christ returns.  A "life preserver" is intended to save a potential victim of drowning, and Jesus is faithful to save all who trust in Him.  As it is written in Jude 1:24-25, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."  During study preparation I was intrigued by the concept of how God preserves His people and realised His manner of preservation is very different than ours.

When we preserve things, we do so with the intention to keep them exactly as they are.  The first thing that comes to mind are fruit preserves or conserve, fruit canned with a high-sugar content to prevent spoilage.  I thought of pickled organs or body parts suspended in formaldehyde, or even entire bodies stored in glass tubes in clear fluid like in science fiction movies.  There are chemical preservatives added to food to keep it fresh as long as possible.  Artwork is preserved by sealing out moisture, dust and insects, and by maintaining an appropriate temperature out of direct sunlight.  All is done to keep things how they currently are to prevent further decay, damage or degradation.

This is not God’s way of preservation.  He does not put us in glass tubes to protect us from potential dangers of the world, nor is He like an additive infused into us to slow the decomposition process.  After we are born again, He does not preserve us how we are:  He uses our experiences in our fallen world, other people and trials to refine us, gives us His word to change us and supplies the Holy Spirit to transform us.  Our whole selves are blameless by His atoning sacrifice and no one can snatch us from His hand, yet God puts us through the fire of affliction and preserves us while He refines and purifies us.  Spiritually we are made righteous and preserved blameless, but He also moulds us to be more like Jesus every day.

By faith in Jesus we are enabled to endure and press on--even if we feel like the stress and toil of life is tearing us apart.  We can have all confidence in God's preservation and salvation during this life and also when our souls are required of us in physical death.  Having been made alive to God through spiritual regeneration, He desires us to keep growing, learning and choose to joyfully embrace our sanctification.  He does not treat us like the servant who buried the talent in the ground merely to preserve it:  God desires we would be invested in life for His glory and to be fruitful.  Praise God for preserving us blameless and also helping us mature and be changed for the best at the same time.

Jesus With Us

The Bible is the powerful word of God that has profound meaning packed into each individual word, phrase and sentence.  In cross-referencing different books of the Bible fresh insights are illuminated, providing additional points of personal application.  Because some verses or statements that convey comforting truths are repeated often to the point of becoming cliche, it is possible the context of the scripture can be ignored or forgotten.  The immediate context of a verse is extremely significant, for without it we can miss the purpose of why it was written and how God intended it to impact our outlook.  A verse I read this morning illustrated this well.

If you have been a Christian for a little while, it is likely you have heard Jesus has promised believers "never to leave or forsake you."  This is true in every sense.  But this is the second half of a verse without providing the reason why this was brought up at all--and it might surprise you.  For the sake of context I will include the previous and following verses in Hebrews 13:4-6:  "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. ⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ⁶ So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"  Now there are many situations where we are comforted and encouraged to know Jesus is with us and will not forsake us, yet the immediate context of this promise is an exhortation against covetousness and to be content.  I suspect the cliche version is rarely used towards that end.

Reading these verses together gives us insight how fornication and adultery demonstrate covetousness, to pursue a romantic or sexual relationship outside of singleness or marriage.  There are people who are not married and covet a spouse, and others who are married and desire to pursue others in lust.  Because Jesus is with the single and the married person alike, regardless of our marital status we can experience contentment through faith in Him.  We might not struggle with covetousness concerning relationships but with other things others have and we do not.  Our conduct as children of God ought not to be marred by covetousness--greed and sinful ingratitude for what God has provided us or our current marital state--but we can find contentment and rest in Jesus alone.  You may not have experienced this yet, but based on the promise of Jesus contentment is offered along with His presence.  As real as the offer of salvation is through the Gospel for sinners, so contentment is provided by Jesus by faith for the naturally covetous.

The following verse is also connected to the contentment we have in Jesus alone:  "So we may boldly say:  "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"  Because Christ is with us, we can have confidence in the LORD's help today without fear of man.  We can also rest comfortable in a future that seems uncertain, for no man is greater than our Saviour Who is with us and will never forsake us.  People can mock and scorn us; man can even kill us.  But no one can separate us from Jesus Christ, His love, and deprive us of sweet fellowship with our Saviour.  We are greatly helped and realise we are never alone because Jesus will never leave or forsake us.  Many people have been left by their spouse and been heartbroken, but Jesus will never break our hearts like this.  We ought to have broken hearts for all the times we have coveted, looked with lust, and lived without contentment when Jesus was faithful to be with us and never left us alone.  The contrite and repentant heart Jesus will heal and purify, and this is reason to rejoice forever by faith in our Saviour Who is with us.

The Ministry of Righteousness

"But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, ⁸ how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory."

2 Corinthians 3:7-9

What an appreciation we should have for Jesus Christ and the new covenant made with His shed blood.  The Law of Moses is good when used lawfully, but the Gospel of grace is established on infinitely better promises.  Ministry under the Law was a ministry of death, for it required the sacrifice of animals to provide atonement for the sin of people and the nation.  The sacrifice and offering of clean beasts under the Law was a perpetual requirement with no end in sight because no one could possibly keep the Law--for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  Paul's point in the 2 Corinthians 3 passage affirms the ministry of death and condemnation was glorious, for the face of Moses shone after communion with God, yet the ministry of righteousness through the Holy Spirit who regenerates and sanctifies Christians is far more glorious.

The book of Hebrews develops this concept further, proving the supremacy of Jesus over all angels and even the prophet Moses who was revered by the Jews.  The priesthood of Jesus Christ was not according to the Law, as He was of the tribe of Judah, but of the order of Melchizedek who was greater than Abraham!  Jesus did not enter the sanctuary with the blood of bulls and goats according to the Law but with His own blood that once for all cleansed sinners, providing eternal redemption by grace through faith.  Hebrews 9:13-14 reads, "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"  Through animals sacrificed according to the Law and the sprinkling of the water of purification that contained the ashes of the red heifer, the bodies of sinners could be cleansed.  The work that Jesus accomplished by His death and resurrection cleanses us inside and out permanently--and this includes our conscience.

People kept the Law out of fear of divine reprisal, punishment, being potentially cut off from society, family and their inheritance.  Those who feared God were subject to ordinances they kept to the best of their ability, slaves to keep a Law that could not save them but could only condemn.  Jesus ushered in a marvellous change as it is written in Romans 8:1:  "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."  The Law that condemned us was nailed to the cross with Jesus.  Instead of continuing in dead works of sacrificing animals--which cannot permanently cleanse and could never save--we are born-again, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit to go beyond the Law in loving God and others, faithfully serving Him, made fruitful by the Spirit Who indwells us.  This is not "the Law plus," but the Law is out of the way:  Jesus is the Way!  Having received the Gospel, we are free of the guilt and condemnation of the Law of Moses.

Of Jews in the early church who were born again, many kept the Law of Moses as unto the LORD and to remain in good standing in the community to influence and win fellow Jews to Christ.  The Gentiles were not called to become Jews when they received Christ, but out of love were commanded to avoid doing what could stumble Jews or Gentiles.  Love goes beyond the letter of the Law to glorify Jesus and serve one another, governing our lives and hearts from within in righteousness.  Christians have a glorious ministry of righteousness by faith in Jesus; we have conscience cleansed from dead works so we can serve God free of condemnation.  The new covenant Jesus has made to redeem sinners and reconcile us to Himself makes us new creations with clean consciences--able ministers of the new covenant by His grace.

Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 is a fitting conclusion:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Coming To Ourselves

There are a passages in scripture where people "came to themselves," and they were suddenly, even miraculously, convinced of a reality they knew was true.  This realisation is a gift of God.  One such occasion happened after Peter found himself in the street after being led out of prison, and at first he thought it was a dream or vision.  He was joyful over what had done and Acts 12:11 says, "And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."  Encouraged and excited by God's deliverance, he went to a house where he discovered Christians were literally praying for his release.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus described what happed to a man who wasted his inheritance in a foreign land and during a famine found himself in want.  The poor man was so desperate to survive he took on a job feeding pigs and was so famished the pods he fed the swine started looking tasty.  Luke 15:17 reads, "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"  The realisation his father's servants ate to the full, coupled with the grim reality he was starving, compelled him to humbly return to his father to beg for a hired position.  He did not only realise he was hungry and his father was generous:  he realised his grave sin and was desperate to be forgiven and accepted again.

Divine revelation and personal realisation are required to begin the process of repentance and restoration before God.  The LORD has revealed plainly many sins in the Bible of which we have been guilty, and whether by ignorance or neglect we may not realise it.  Since God has also given us the Bible and a conscience, plus parents, teachers, government authority and laws, the majority of the time it is not a lack of revelation of what is right or wrong but our unwillingness to receive personal revelation that leads to wilful blindness.  Our sin can be clear as day, yet we are insensible to it:  we deny or deflect blame, justify ourselves, point out how others are worse than us, imagine the good we have done cancels our guilt, or we just don't care.  We can pretend sin isn't there when it has us by the throat and is choking the life out of us.  It might not be until we have suffered poverty, loss and loneliness like the prodigal before we accept God's wisdom of what is sin, realise we are wrong, and desperately need to change.

When we drift from God from carelessness or stubbornness in sin, we might wonder how it all came to this.  We are overwhelmed at the prospect of retracing our steps to try to find our way back to God over the years of disobedience, rebellion and folly.  We have no clue where or when things went so wrong.  But what did the prodigal do after realising his sin?  He realised he had sinned and humbled himself and simply went by foot to his father.  He left the pigs and his boss who never gave him anything and went with a heart willing to do anything his father asked because he had nothing.  1 John 1:9 shows the way of repentance and restoration to God for believers, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  When we come to ourselves and realise we have sinned, let us confess our sin to God and repent, knowing God promises to cleanse us from sin through the Gospel.  We are also to confess our faults to those we have wronged and pray for one another.

An incident in Ephesus made a positive impact when imposter exorcists were beaten up by a demon who knew Jesus and Paul.  Acts 19:17-20 says, "This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed."  The passage tells us there were believers in Jesus who continued to practice witchcraft, and God used this situation to reveal their need to confess and repent of sin.  Part of the process of repentance was to destroy their books, and this is a good example we should follow for anything that leads us to sin.  There are a great many things we may have continued reading, viewing or following after coming to Christ that are sinful.  These sins include (but not limited to!) habits, desires, language, attitudes and thinking patterns that have no business being in our lives because we are in Christ.  The result of burning the books of magic enabled the Good Book to expand and it prevailed--to a far greater degree than the evil spirit prevailed over the sons of Sceva.

Having come to ourselves over the realisation of our sin, let us return humbly to our Saviour Jesus in repentance.  Feeling guilty or sorry for our sin is not repentance.  If our sorrow for sin is not mixed with faith in Jesus that is marked by obedience to Him, such sorrow leads to despair.  Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 to believers he rebuked for sin, "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."  God and all heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents, and every Christian is a sinner.  God does not only rejoice the first time we repented but every successive time our coming to ourselves results in us returning to God in humble faith and repentance.

Peace Without Anxiety and Fear

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

John 14:27

On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus was the least troubled or anxious person in the room among His disciples.  Jesus was not troubled or afraid at all in the face of certain excruciating death because He was not alone, for His heavenly Father was with Him.  As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2, Jesus is our peace Who has reconciled sinners to God through His sacrifice on Calvary, yet even before He died and rose again He freely gave lasting, perfect peace to His faithful followers.

In light of the peace Jesus gave His disciples He said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  There is no trouble or fearful situation a person can experience that can overwhelm the peace Jesus gives.  By faith in God according to the revelation of scripture, we are given ability from God to choose to trust Him rather than being slaves to anxiety and fear.  I am reminded of another time Jesus gave a similar command to Peter in Luke 5:4-5:  "When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." ⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."

Peter was a fisherman and knew very well how to lower the nets from the boat.  He was a pro at untangling, repairing, and using nets in his livelihood so the problem Peter faced was not physical:  it was a matter of the will.  Jesus direct Peter to lower the nets to catch fish after he had fished all night and did not catch a single one.  It is likely Peter knew the best times to fish, and the deeper water in the middle of the day was not the prime place or time to fish.  What moved Peter to lower the net--rather reluctantly it seems--was only because Jesus told him to.  The ironic thing is after Peter obeyed Jesus he was unable to draw the net into the boat because it was miraculously loaded with fish, and the net began to break.

Luke 5:7-8 reads, "So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  Isn't this amazing?  Peter by himself was not able to haul in the catch of their fish and even two boats were not able to stay afloat under the weight!  Peter was so astonished by what Jesus did he realised the folly of doubting Jesus or His word.  Instead of condemning or mocking him Jesus said, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."  The one who fears God Who loves us drives out all fear, for He is our Peace.

As Peter was told to let down the net, Jesus says to His disciples:  "Let not your heart be troubled; let your heart not be afraid."  The question is, will we submit our will to His voice and obey even when we are tempted to be troubled or afraid?  Will we justify being anxious and panicked when He has given us His peace and left it for us?  Jesus Himself said in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  On our own such weighty peace is impossible for us to receive by the power of our flesh, yet Jesus has given us the Helper, the Holy Spirit who anoints and empowers us to do God's will.  Our feet slip and hands grow weary; we cannot comprehend what God could accomplish in our struggle, yet those who wait upon the LORD He will gird with strength and an abundance of peace that is frankly astonishing.  Let us trust and rejoice in our glorious God and Saviour who is our Peace without anxiety and fear.

Not Under the Law

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"

Romans 6:15

In the movie The Princess Bride, a hired swordsman named Inigo wondered if his boss knew what "inconceivable" meant because he repeated it over and over.  "You keep using that word," he said.  "I do not think it means what you think it means."  There is debate over whether the swordsman was showing his ignorance, that he ironically instructed his "genius" boss or accurately identified hyperbole.  The fact is, people can mean different things by saying the same word or phrase.  "Taking out the trash" may mean carrying rubbish from inside the house to outside or also include hauling the bins to the kerb for pickup.  Not understanding the full implications of a word or phrase can lead to misunderstanding or a job only half done.

Sometimes I feel a bit like Inigo when I hear people talk about not being "under the Law."  The biblical phrase is used with regularity in Christian circles, but I wonder if we comprehend the full force of it since we have never experienced life as a Jew under the Law of Moses.  To them it was a badge of honour and identify with God, not the drudgery we expect it must be.  The implication I pick up on from Christians is gratitude for not being under the Law is appreciation not to observe rules and regulations.  As we read the Law in the Torah we are blown away by the almost oppressive nature of it in every area of life:  the hundreds of commands and prohibitions, kinds of food to be eaten or refused, the composition of clothes to wear, ceremonial cleansings, sacrificing, appearing before the LORD in Jerusalem in observance of feasts and on.  Born-again Christians can be like happy children because time-consuming chores on their daily list have already been completed by an adult, and thus they can do as they please and embrace playtime.  If this is what not being "under the Law" means to you, some important realities are not being considered.

Not being "under the Law" does not mean we are free to do as we please, for having been born again we are led by the Holy Spirit in our thoughts, words and deeds to go beyond the letter of the Law of Moses.  Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount repeatedly made the point to His disciples "It has been written...but I say unto you..."  The definition of adultery was expanded beyond sleeping with a married woman to simply looking with lust; instead of hating enemies followers of Jesus were to love them, pray for them and do good unto them.  Because the Holy Spirit fills each Christian, we are provided guidance, wisdom and help to do God's will even as Jesus did the will of the Father--not according to the letter of the Law of Moses, but by the leading of the Spirit.  We are not to limit the good we do by the leading of the Spirit to the extra mile but to the ends of the earth for God's glory.  Being under grace does not mean our workload has decreased at all but increased from being under Law that could never save a soul.  Jesus has established a new standard for living by the Gospel, for He works within us to do the Father's will.

No longer being under the Law is cause for rejoicing because we have been freed from the condemnation and curse of the Law:  the letter of the Law kills, but the Spirit gives life by faith in Jesus.  The handwriting of ordinances that condemned us has been taken out of the way and nailed to the cross, and Christ's righteousness is freely imputed to us by faith in Him.  The Law had no power to save and could only condemn, and those who kept it as best as they could still had no promise of everlasting life.  Hebrews 8:6 speaks of what Jesus accomplished:  "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises."  The Jews searched the scriptures, thinking in them they had eternal life, but Jesus said they testified of Him.  The Law was like a schoolmaster that led the Jews by the hand to know and receive Jesus Christ the Saviour of sinners.

Rather than obeying the letter of the Law out of fear of punishment or retribution from God, we are under grace that leads us to humble ourselves before God in faithful service who has drawn us to Himself in goodness, love and mercy.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Instead of trying to work to measure up to an impossible standard that was incapable of saving us, Jesus has provided the gift of salvation for all who trust Him.   As His workmanship and new creations, we walk in obedience to God and joyfully do the good works He has prepared for us to do that go beyond the Law.  We repent of conviction for sins that are not plainly condemned in the Law because the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.  Jesus did what the Law could never do by atoning for our sins and adopting whosoever will believe in Him as children of God, and He is worthy of all praise and rejoicing.  Better than rejoicing we are no longer "under Law" we ought to rejoice in our Saviour Jesus Who continually works in and through us under grace.

Strengthen Yourself in God

Though people of faith in God mentioned in Scripture had experiences different to ours, they are relatable because we trust the same God.  Many times the situations people faced were far more extreme than our current struggles and troubles, and this ought to inspire great confidence that God is able to help us in all He allows.  In my youth I was foolishly distracted by flaws or inconsistencies in God's people in scripture rather than emulating steps of faith they took and the LORD who helped them overcome all.  One such person is David, a man after God's own heart.  He was not a perfect man, but who among us is?  His steadfast faith could put the most stalwart among God's people to shame.

While on the run from King Saul, David and his men spent over a year in Philistine territory.  After their return from the field of battle, they were shocked to find their city Ziklag a burnt ruin, all their wives and children taken captive along with their possessions.  The Bible tells us the men lifted up their voices and wept until they lacked strength to weep any more.  1 Samuel 30:6 says, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."  David grieved over his two wives being taken captive, and was greatly distressed when the men spoke of stoning him in a rage over their loss.  Instead of making excuses, trying to deflect blame, threatening or challenging the men, David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

Faith in God enabled David to look beyond the furious, tear-streamed faces and hands that clutched stones and see the LORD who ruled over all, the sovereign and living God Who anointed him king, protected and led him every step.  In God David discovered strength he did not possess, for when he did not even have the strength to weep God had abundant strength to guide, deliver and save.  The child of God finds strength to endure and overcome in the LORD our God.  In response to Paul's repeated requests to remove a messenger of Satan from his life 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us, "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  Instead of removing Paul's thorn in the flesh, God allowed it to remain so he might experience the sufficiency of Gods' strength provided by grace to all those who are in Christ by faith.

The experiences of David and Paul provide wonderful applications for us even when we have never had a kidnapped spouse or a demonic messenger pester us.  When we feel greatly distressed, when bad things happen to us that are out of our control, or we are too weak even to weep, by faith in Jesus we can strengthen ourselves in the LORD our God.  In doing so we consider the greatness of our God, His faithfulness to us, His good promises and all He has done.  Because our God is the LORD over all, nothing can undermine or overthrow His power to deliver and save.  By faith in God David recovered all without loss and Paul embraced his infirmities that the power of Christ would rest on him.  Following their example in the overwhelming circumstances of our lives is most wise, for God's grace is sufficient.

Godly Edification in Faith

"As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, ⁴ nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."

1 Timothy 1:3-4

Paul urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus for the purpose of directing some to teach no other doctrine than those that result in godly edification in faith.  In his introduction Paul mentioned Jesus Christ our hope along with with grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus our Saviour.  These are fundamental Gospel truths that adorn all sound doctrine in scripture.  Previously in Corinth Paul kept Christ central in his preaching, for he determined not to anything among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

As in modern times, there were some in Ephesus who taught, emphasised and discussed topics or doctrines that promoted controversy.  It is possible for genuine believers to be swept up in and become preoccupied with topics, conflicts, problems or conspiracies that mar our discussions and teaching.  Paul said Timothy and others were not to teach or even give heed to fables or endless genealogies which led to disputes and arguments.  A fable can be defined as a short, fictitious story--and Jewish history has no shortage of extra-biblical stories about people we read about in the Bible.  Tall tales about Abraham, Moses, Solomon and others were abundant and widely repeated.  They were to preach the word of God, not to give these fables heed or parrot them to others.

They were also not to give heed to endless genealogies.  We might see the genealogies in the Bible fairly exhaustive, but there were many extra-biblical genealogies people dug through and referenced--not to affirm the truth of scripture but as fodder for speculation.  They went deep down rabbit holes that provoked questions, arguments and divisions rather than using the scriptures God has supplied to edify and encourage us in faith.  Instead of revealing truth, these supposed breakthrough revelations obscured the truth and distracted people from feeding on the milk and meat of God's word.

Godly edification which is in faith in Jesus is the result of sound doctrine well-applied, even as it is written in 1 Timothy 1:5:  "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith..."  Our teaching and discussion ought to be to edify people in their love of God and one another, to nurture a good conscience based upon all Jesus is and has done for us by genuine faith in Him.  We need not fear deceptions or the wrath of God when we are grounded in Jesus who is the Truth, having been forgiven and justified by God's grace.  We are to build our lives upon the foundation of Jesus Christ by hearing His words and putting them into practice, and let us encourage our brethren to do the same.

Godliness and Contentment

When my eldest son was learning to pray out loud to God, he said something that makes me smile to this day.  Shortly after our kitchen had been remodelled, before a meal he rattled off a series of things he was thankful for.  As he made a sweeping gesture with his arm he said happily, "And thank God for the countertops!"  We never had new countertops before, and we were all pleased to have them.  His exuberance over our remodeled kitchen was unexpected and fun to see.

At Calvary Chapel Sydney we are studying through the book of Ecclesiastes, and Solomon was no stranger to new or nice things.  One thing he discovered, however, was no matter how many nice things he had they would not remain his forever:  new things quickly grow old, and things in themselves cannot provide meaning or satisfaction.  We only had our new countertops for a short time before they took damage from an exercise ball that inadvertently knocked a chisel into the bench surface near the sink.  It was a test for me:  would I become angry and frustrated over the damage?  Would I justify bitterness or resentment because of what happened?  How could we take precautions to prevent this from happening again?  Was I praising the LORD with gratitude the chisel had not landed on a little foot or hand?

In contrast to those who believed gain was godliness, Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6-7:  "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."  Whether Paul had money in abundance or was on a tight budget, he discovered contentment in God that did not depend on his present circumstances.  Paul was content to walk the streets of Jerusalem as a free man or be incarcerated in Rome.  He maintained the eternal perspective knowing he came into the world with nothing and would leave the same way.  While quality countertops are useful, we cannot take them with us.  Those who realise in God all our needs are met can be genuinely thankful and grateful for all we have and not be addled with covetousness over what we do not have--which leads us not to appreciate all God has provided.

Should it become apparent our outlook is marred with greed, covetousness or discontent, many people "try" to be content--as if that is the problem in itself.  The reality is, our lack of contentment is evidence of lack of godliness.  Children of God can fight a continual losing battle to be content in the LORD when we have not first acknowledged and repented of our greed and covetousness and thanking God for all He has given.  Confessing and repenting of our sin is a critical step to walk in godliness with contentment.  Our good God will see to it we will remain troubled should we remain unrepentant in sin.  Contentment is not carelessness or rejection of material possessions but gratitude, thankfulness and joy in the LORD who has given us all that pertains to life and godliness.  We can be thankful and praise God for all He provides for us--even when a chisel gouges the counter.  In our God is only gain, and by faith in Him we can be content by His grace.

God Brings About Good

"Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."

Genesis 50:19-20

With eyes of faith in the God of his fathers, Joseph perceived God's redemptive power and purposes in evil he endured.  His brothers had done terrible evil to him, yet at the same time God meant it for good.  It can be difficult--impossible even--to see good in the bad we have suffered.  Our sense of pain, betrayal and loss can prevent us from looking to God who is always gracious and good.

It is one thing for us to exercise faith Paul's confidence God is able and will work all things together for good who love God in Romans 8:28:  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  By placing faith in the God Paul knew, he had strong confidence God worked all things he suffered for good even when he could not see it.  It is another thing to believe the evil things we are guilty of could also be redeemed for good by God, and this is the position Joseph's brothers and perhaps you find yourself in.

Joseph was sold to Midianite traders by his brothers at 17 years of age, and he was reunited with them about 20 years later.  Joseph wept when he heard them talking among each other and expressing regret they had sinned against Joseph and were being made to answer for his blood.  They believed Joseph was dead and felt guilty over all they had done, and even after Joseph revealed himself to them they still were afraid of retribution 17 years later after Jacob died in Egypt.  Some 37 years after they ripped off Joseph's colourful tunic, sold him and lied to his father about what happened, they were still wracked with guilt and fear over their past.  Genesis 50:16-17 tells us, "So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, ¹⁷ 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you." ' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him."

Joseph had forgiven his brothers long ago, yet they were burdened with guilt, remorse and fear because they had not received it.  Joseph accepted God meant the evil that happened to him for good, and it was his brother's turn to believe evil they had done was also intended and redeemed by God for good.  There was no question what they did was sin, nor does God's grace and goodness excuse our wickedness--imagining we are free to do evil so good might come.  The point, is there are many God-fearing people who have repented of sin that continues to weigh heavily upon them with shame, guilt and fear for decades or even the rest of their lives.  As many times we have been in Joseph's sandals because of wrongs done to us, when we find ourselves in the position of his guilty brothers we can rest assured God will forgive our sins when we repent and miraculously bring good from evil we have done.

We might never be able to perceive all or some of the good God does through evil in the world, yet when we look to our LORD in faith we focus on Him Who only is good.  If we are preoccupied with our own pain, shame, the trouble we have caused, lamenting what could have been, wishing we could go back in time and do things differently, we can lose sight on the God who is with us and leads us in righteousness and faith moving forward.  While sin always has negative consequences, living in fear, regret and guilt is not God's intention for the repentant, humble believer who has received forgiveness purchased at the price of Christ's shed blood.  Those who are guilty of grave sin can be brought to a place of rejoicing in God who saves, forgives, redeems, heals and sets captives free.

Godly Sorrow

"Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

Paul previously wrote a letter that identified and rebuked sin the Corinthian church, and it resulted in godly sorrow that lead them to repent of their sin, an eagerness to clear themselves of all wrongdoing, longing for reconciliation before God and man, and swift readiness to do justly.  From Paul's words it follows there is a sorrow that falls short of repentance, a worldly sorrow that produces death.  We see this sort of worldly sorrow in Judas after he betrayed Jesus.

During the Passover feast in Jerusalem, Judas secretly met with priests and covenanted to deliver Jesus into their hand at a convenient time and was paid 30 pieces of silver.  As promised, Judas brought the religious rulers with temple guards to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where He was arrested.  It seems Judas was not fully aware of the murderous scheme of the Pharisees and priests to deliver Jesus to the Romans who sentenced Him to be crucified.  Matthew 27:3-5 reads, "Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" ⁵ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself."  Judas experienced sorrowful pangs of guilt and acknowledged he had sinned.  Yet we do not see him repent at all for his greed, deceit and hypocrisy:  he imagined if he admitted he was wrong and returned the silver, he could off his guilt.

When the religious rulers refused to receive the silver from his hand, Judas threw it into the temple and went and hung himself--a physical demonstration of a spiritual reality.  Admitting he had sinned, his attempt to return the silver, and the experience deep sorrow did not lead to repentance because Judas did not sorrow in a godly manner.  To commit sin is to make a covenant with death we cannot escape or ignore; nothing we do can undo the evil we have done.  Because Judas only sorrowed in a worldly fashion--without faith in the goodness, grace, redemption and forgiveness freely offered by the living God--his focus was on himself, his wrongs, awful feelings and the bad situation he helped create.  Judas showed admission of sin can stop short of humbling self before God and then he played God by choosing to end his life.  When he could have fallen down before God broken for his sin with tears, he likely wept over his sorrow as he strung himself up.

Judas nursed great regret he could not escape by admitting his sin or trying to set things right by returning the silver.  It was not suicide that prevented him from entering into eternal life (for God forgives murderers who repent and trust in Him) but his refusal to humble himself by faith in repentance before God when he sorrowed for sin.  Sorrowing for sin in a godly manner that leads to repentance is something to rejoice over, for there is hope in God who imputes righteousness to humble sinners who repent.  We cannot right our wrongs by depth of sorrow, admitting our guilt or returning the proceeds of our crimes:  it is by casting our pride, sorrows and ourselves at the feet of our Saviour Jesus Christ in repentance, trusting He will forgive all by the power of the Gospel of grace.  Praise the LORD for the assurance God gives to believers in 1 John 1:9:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Time of War and Peace

Wise Solomon observed in Ecclesiastes 3:8 there is "...a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."  With spiritual insight we see love and hate, while seemingly opposites, can exist at the same time and even compliment one another.  Due to active love of God within us, a child of God chooses to hate sin and every evil way.  Even in the midst of conflict, the one who trusts God can experience perfect peace by faith in Jesus Christ.  But the point Solomon made is spelled out in Ecclesiastes 3:1:  "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...".  God has good purposes and plans He accomplishes in every season of life, and we can have confidence He knows what He is doing.

It may seem strange to think in this wonderful world created by God there would be a time for hate and war.  Yet this is not at all odd when we realise and acknowledge we live in a world of sin where people are always at war with God:  hating Him, slandering and opposing Him, filled with malice and bigoted against Him.  Because God is righteous, He cannot and will not make peace or be united with sin He hates.  Sin is altogether contrary to Him and destroys life He created to be good, separating souls eternally from His presence.  Jesus died on the cross and rose form the grave to defeat sin and death, and one day God will also wage war upon and destroy all sinners as the righteous Judge and KING OF KINGS that He is.

Judges 3:1-4 explains reasons why God allowed the children of Israel to experience conflict and warfare, and relates to the born-again children of God today:  "Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan ² (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), ³ namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses."  The generation that entered the promised land was commanded to destroy the inhabitants of the land and take possession of their inheritance by lot.  After that generation passed away, their children had only known peace and prosperity.  God did not wipe out the enemies of Israel, yet allowed them to remain for several reasons:  to test them, to see if they would obey His commands.

The Law of Moses contained many promises of victory and peace to those who feared God and kept His commands as in Leviticus 26:6-9:  "I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. ⁷ You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. ⁸ Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you. ⁹ 'For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you."  Conversely, if God's people did not keep His commands, He would give them over to their enemies and would flee in terror when no one pursued them.  If they would then confess their iniquity and transgressions in humility before God, accepting the punishment of their iniquity for hating His judgments, God would remember the covenant made with their fathers and deliver them.

God allowed His people to experience long seasons of war and conflict so they might learn--not primarily how to use a sword, spear, bow, shield or tactics--but to depend on their LORD God for victory, knowing peace is found only by faith and obedience to Him.  This is also one reason God allows believers to experience trials, illness, oppression and enemies during our season on earth.  God's will is we would learn to fight the good fight of faith, choosing to seek and trust Jesus rather than looking to ourselves or others for an escape.  When we face enemies stronger than ourselves, God watches to see if we will keep trusting and obeying Him.  God uses battles that overwhelm us to teach us of His faithfulness and mighty deliverance so we might live for His glory and praise long after the battle is done.

A Feast for Our Souls

During the long season in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, God taught His people that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  At His command living water flowed from the rock, bread from heaven appeared on the ground, and quail flew in on the breeze.  Though God gave His people His Law, revealed Himself in power and sent prophets to speak to His people, at times they forsook Him for false gods.  When God's people in the northern kingdom of Israel refused to hear and obey His word, He sent a famine of hearing the word of the LORD.

Amos 8:11-12 reads, "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. ¹² They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it."  It was not that Hebrews did not have His word written down in a language they spoke fluently, for it was carefully transcribed for generations to this day.  The prophets God sent did not speak in a foreign tongue, for their clear voices were understood perfectly by their hearers.  Yet because the listeners disregarded the word of God and did not obey it, God sent a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.  They prayed and received no answer; they inquired of the LORD and were met with silence.  The heavens were like impenetrable brass to their cries that echoed back to them.

If God's chosen people Israel could be stricken with a spiritual famine of hearing the words of the LORD, so can those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  We can have an assortment of Bibles translated into our own language, read them every day, and not hear God speak because we have not put into practice what we know God has already spoken.  Because we have not walked according to the truth God has revealed, He can send a famine of hearing His word so we might humble ourselves and seek Him.  Imagine, reading the Bible and not hearing from God!  We can sit through a Bible study or sermon where God is quoted often yet not hear from Him ourselves.  We do not likely need to imagine what this is like, for we have also experienced seasons of famine of hearing the word of the LORD.

Should we find ourselves in a midst of a famine of hearing the word of the LORD, God provided a solution for His people in Amos 5:4-7 we ought to take to heart:  "For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live; ⁵ but do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. ⁶ Seek the LORD and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel--⁷ you who turn justice to wormwood, and lay righteousness to rest in the earth!"  God urged His people to seek Him, not to imagine the cure for their ills lay in a geographic location or performing religious rituals when the issue was one of their hearts and will.  God commanded His people seek Him, and having done so the implication was they were to do what was just and righteous, to walk in His ways.  It was not in the house of God but in the God of the house they would find salvation, redemption and abundant life.

Prayer is more than talking to God but waiting on Him to guide and direct us.  Reading the Bible ought to be more than reading chapters or verses but considering and ruminating on what God is saying and how it is personally applicable to our lives, a call to action by our LORD.  More than gleaning information, God's word works transformation in those who yield to Him in humble faith and obedience.  It is a good question to ask ourselves:  have I heard a word from the LORD today?  When God speaks He goes beyond thoughts in our heads but touches our hearts, and this impacts how we live our lives.  God who created us with ears can also hear, and He who created our mouths and all languages still speaks.  May we be those who are not content until we have heard and walked according to the word of the LORD.  The souls who hear and do what God says enjoy a spiritual feast that is vital for the abundant life God has given us by faith in Jesus.

Putting on Jesus Christ

We have a tendency as human beings to ascribe honour to what is undeserving and not give honour to whom it is due.  We credit a person with being a good teacher when it is Jesus Christ Who teaches them.  I have been to "holy sites" in Israel that are crawling with people (literally crawling!) to venerate slabs of stone believed that were  supposedly touched by the body of Jesus.  In the church I attended in my youth, effort was to prevent kids running or wearing hats in the sanctuary because it was "God's house," a place set apart for worship and ministry of the word.  It was easy to think being in that room meant you were closer to God than somewhere else--like in a movie theatre, bowling alley or video game arcade.

There were occasions in the scripture where the LORD told people to remove the shoes off their feet because they stood on "holy ground."  With childlike understanding I imagined Moses and Joshua happened by chance to wander onto a patch of ground that was somehow holy.  It was like the restaurant sign that said, "No shoes, no service."  It seemed as a prerequisite to walking on holy ground, shoes were not to be worn.  What I didn't understand was the ground was holy because the presence the holy God was there!  In the high priest's attire sandals or shoes were not mentioned, and thus many believe those who ministered in the tabernacle and temple did not wear them.  In every case when a person was instructed to remove their shoes, they did so without hesitation.

When Jesus was transfigured and His glory was revealed on the mount with Moses and Elijah, three disciples were with Jesus.  They awoke from sleep to behold Jesus shining like the sun, speaking about His decease and all He would accomplish in Jerusalem.  Not knowing what he was saying, Peter piped up it would be good to build 3 tabernacles, one for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.  He would have memorialised the spot when the presence of God the Father surrounded them.  Luke 9:35 said, "And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"  The voice of Jesus, God-made-flesh, was to trump the voice of the Law and Prophets who spoke of Him.  Rather than setting up tabernacles that would likely become shrines of a moment or place in history, God directed His people to look to Jesus as their stand-alone Saviour.

It is intriguing after Jesus Christ the Son of God assumed human form and put sandals on his feet, there is no mention of holy ground.  Peter, James and John did not need to remove their sandals from their feet or even wipe the sleep from their eyes before beholding the glory of Jesus Christ.  Jesus has revealed the glory of God to us lost sinners, and by grace through faith we stand with feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.  We are not to put off the Holy Spirit, the spiritual armour He provides, His fruitfulness or gifts, for it is only through Him we are empowered to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  It is ourselves we are called to put off having been made holy by spiritual regeneration:  by faith in Jesus it is by denying ourselves we discover the true, abundant life God provides by grace.  It is not places, things or people we are to venerate but Christ Whom we love, trust, follow and hear.

Rather than taking shoes off our feet to stand in God's presence Romans 13:12-14 tells us:  "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."  The shoes we wear or the life we lived before Christ did not lead us or result in us finding life, but putting on the LORD Jesus Christ by faith Who is our life is to walk in holiness.  Whether we are on a mountain or wearing shoes on our feet is of little consequence to our good standing before God by grace through faith.  Praise the LORD for all Jesus accomplished!

On Keeping the Law

"Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."

Romans 3:31

The Law of Moses is good when used lawfully under the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ, for by Law is the knowledge of sin.  Unless there is a righteous standard in force that holds man accountable before God, there would be no righteous judgment of grace possible.  The Law's power to condemn a Christian has been nailed to the cross, even as our sin has been destroyed forever by atonement in Christ's blood.  We have been justified by faith and held to a higher standard than that of Law.  The fact Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill does not mean "Law-plus" for the Christian.  No one but Jesus ever kept the Law or even came close, nor does God call Gentiles to to live as Jews.  This was clearly established in the early church when Jewish believers were pushing circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses as necessary for salvation after people believed on Christ.

They were not saved by the works of the Law, but there was a legalistic draw for them to place upon others a yoke they nor their fathers were able to bear.  Did they forget what Jesus said about the Law on the Sermon on the Mount:  "It has been said...but I say unto you?"  Since Jesus is the substance, Christians are no longer obligated to keep the Law that was a shadow of the Righteousness Who has now been revealed.  We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone by God's grace.  Now if we do what is written in the law by faith in God we do not sin nor are condemned, but to lay this yoke or requirements upon others for salvation or good standing with God is clearly in error.  The Galatians returned to what Paul called the "beggarly elements" in their zeal without knowledge or consideration of all Jesus accomplished, and we can too.

To fail to keep the Law in one point means a person is guilty of breaking the whole Law.  Legalism is the demand placed upon others to keep the Law (usually picking and choosing because much of it is impossible to keep today regarding feasts, sacrifices, etc.) as the standard God has called us to live up to when Jesus leads us to go further.  Instead of merely honouring our father and mother God would have us also love them--including all our enemies.  The legalist pushes against lawlessness; antinomianism pushes against the idea God holds Christians accountable to any moral standard.  Antinomianism means "against Law," and this view discards the Law as completely irrelevant and unnecessary when it still is profitable to bring knowledge of sin, establishes a righteous standard for living, and magnifies God's grace.  God did not save us to keep the Law of Moses, nor are we to be lawless, immoral or use grace as a cloak for our sin.

Jesus has fulfilled the Law, added to it, and finished it.  It does not need to be kept (as far as legalistically followed as a means of earning good standing before God) but it should be kept (as in retained and considered) because it is God's word and His righteous standard that reveals man's sinfulness and need for a Saviour, leading us by the hand to Jesus as LORD.  Our confidence ought to shift from our efforts to keep the Law to our LORD Jesus Who fulfilled it, provided atonement for our sins, and gives us commands to obey.  Rather than keeping the letter of the Law, Jesus has given new commands founded upon His love.  1 John 5:1-3 says, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."  Having been justified by faith, we are called to love God, one another and obey Jesus Christ.

Receive Encouragement

"And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage."

Acts 28:15

As Paul's voyage continued towards Rome, brethren who heard of them came quite a distance from Rome to meet with them.  Instead of being content to wait until Paul and those who travelled with him arrived, they took the initiative to introduce themselves and extend a gracious welcome.  Paul responded by thanking God and he took courage.  Their difficult voyage over many months was finally coming to an end and God had been faithful to bring them all safely to Rome as He promised.

A popular worship song begins, "Everyone needs compassion..." and I think it is also true that everyone needs encouragement--even a bold and hardy fellow like Paul.  Webster defined "courage" as "Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution."  Paul took courage from the interaction with the brethren who came to meet him, and it is possible he did not realise how much he needed encouragement on the cusp of finally arriving at Rome.  A difficult, protracted voyage was coming to an end but many new challenges awaited him that would require refreshed bravery to navigate resolutely.

We don't often realise we need encouragement until we receive encouragement.  Only then do we say, "Thanks, I really needed encouragement!"  It is after eating a hearty meal that we sit back satisfied afterwards and say, "I was really hungry!"  The satisfaction of hunger pangs reveals we had been feeling them more than we realised before we sat down to eat.  I believe the same is true concerning in-person Christian fellowship.  It is only after people have been away for a week or a month from genuine, loving fellowship in the body of Christ they realise what they have been missing.  Fellowship resulted in Paul giving thanks to God and taking courage, and engaging personally with other believers at church services can have a similar result for us.

The thing about taking courage is we must be willing to receive it.  Undoubtedly God has brought much encouragement our way that led to increased discouragement because we were unwilling to trust God and thank Him in our current circumstances.  There is much that happens (like a shipwreck) or bad feelings (like rejection) that can lead to fear, weariness or despair.  The one who chooses to place their faith in God despite what has happened, is happening or might happen can take courage in Him.  The little things like meeting up with people for a couple hours suddenly become a big encouragement to keep going.  When we see fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, let us thank God and take courage.  Our faithful God is with us and has good purposes and plans in what we have experienced and where He is leading us.  Thank the LORD!