Cleansed by Grace

Under the Law of Moses, any who were defiled or unclean were commanded to wash in water.  Before people went to approach the presence of God to offer sacrifices at the temple were directed to wash in a mikveh.  After a woman's "customary impurity" was complete or the "seed of copulation" went forth from a man, each were required to wash in water.  This washing was more than taking a bath or a shower for hygenic reasons, but it was for ceremonial cleansing in obedience to the Law.

Ceremonial washing in a laver was important for the priests as they discharged their duties in service to the LORD as it is written in Exodus 30:20:  "When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die."  The need to be washed and purified before approaching God was entrenched in the Jewish Law, and thus the groundwork for John the Baptist was laid long before his arrival to preach repentance of sin and to prepare the way for the LORD Jesus Christ.  Jewish people flocked to the wilderness to be baptised in the Jordan by John and his disciples, and the people were expectant for a Saviour.  The Jewish rulers sent people to inquire of John why he was baptising people if he was not Christ, and he explained it was to make the Messiah manifest to Israel (John 1:19-34).

The commands of the Law of Moses to be ceremonially cleansed were a shadow of what Jesus is the substance, for according to His word sinners can be born again and filled with the living water of the Holy Spirit.  Through the power of the Gospel, Jesus provides spiritual cleansing, righteousness and salvation by faith in Him.  John 3:16 tells us, "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."  The Law made no provision for eternal life through washing in water, and being baptised does nothing to save a soul under the new covenant either.  Forgiveness and eternal life is offered as a free gift by grace through faith in Jesus, and all who repent and trust in Jesus have assurance of eternal life--like the robber on the cross who believed in Jesus as LORD.

One thing we do see in the New Testament is people were baptised in water after being born again by faith in Jesus, and this signified being cleansed from sin and raised from death to new life, obedience and identification with Jesus.  The Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, the apostle Paul and many others were baptised in water after trusting in Jesus Christ as LORD.  Their forgiveness and salvation came by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit well before they were wet; they were already spiritually cleansed before they came out of the water.  Jesus commanded and ordained all His disciples to go and make disciples of Jesus of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).

The Jews under Law washing in water to be ceremonially cleansed what a shadow that pointed to the Saviour Jesus who spiritually cleanses us from within by faith in Him as it says in Titus 3:3-7:  "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Refined by Reproach

I am encouraged today by these verses found in 1 Peter 4:12-15:  "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."  The implication of Peter's initial statement is fiery trials can catch us off guard.  We wonder why we are being persecuted, experience trouble or have persistent struggles.  Peter reminded believers we are beloved by God and affirmed trials will most certainly come.  Trials are not allowed by God without good and redemptive purposes, however, for they are intended to test, refine and purify us to be more like Jesus.  While the process can be unexpected and seem unwarranted, by God's grace we can be glad the results are amazingly good.

God established a principle in Israel after God's victorious people plundered the Midianites in Numbers 1:21-23:  "Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses: ²² only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, ²³ everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water."  Items like jewellery, iron tools and weapons could be safely put through the fire, but articles made of linen or leather were not to be put through fire because they would be consumed.  The principle was any spoil plundered from enemies that could endure fire must go through the fire to be purified before it is brought into the camp.  The water of purification that contained ashes of the red heifer, the same water used on the 3rd and 7th day when a person needed purification after touching a dead body under the Mosaic Law, was used to ceremonially cleanse objects.

Under the new covenant established by the shed blood of Jesus, Christians have been purified from all sin and declared righteous by grace through faith.  We are given eternal life and the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts.  While we continue living in these human bodies as disciples, servants and ambassadors for Christ, God chooses to refine us.  We may have sound theology and in a relatively short time grow in spiritual maturity, but we are far from perfection.  Our outlook, attitudes, words, deeds, and habits require continual refinement, and fiery trials are a way God removes the residual impurities of sin He alone is able to expose in our minds and hearts.  Paul pointed out the son of the bondwoman Ishmael mocked the son of promise Isaac, and so those who remain slaves to the Law of Moses, humanist philosophy, atheism, self or anything of this world mock and criticise those who are being saved by the Gospel.  Jesus was perfect and was hated by His fellow Jews, and a servant is not above his master.  If people hated Jesus, those who follow Jesus as LORD will also be hated.

Being put through a fiery trial causes us to suffer burns that hurt, but we need to remember trials work for our refinement and greater usefulness--not our destruction.  Rather than being depressed or embittered by suffering for Christ's sake, Peter urged believers to rejoice.  If we are made partakers of Christ's sufferings, when His glory is revealed we can be glad with exceedingly joy.  If we are reproached for Jesus' sake, we are blessed because the Holy Spirit rests upon us.  Jesus said in John 15:19:  "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."  When people blaspheme Jesus it grieves us, yet by our patient and loving response Jesus is glorified.  Beloved, when we face fiery trials that are sure to come, let us rejoice and glorify God in humbling ourselves before our LORD who sanctifies and purifies us.  How truly blessed we are and will ever be!

A Familiar Flavour

We are blessed the unchanging, eternal God has made the way of salvation simple enough for a child to understand:  by faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour, God who became flesh, sinners who repent can receive forgiveness and eternal life.  A child knows what it is like to trust their parent to pick them up and carry them.  You don't need a doctorate to understand what it means to rely or depend on someone.  A baby can tell the difference between good and bad milk, and very early in our Christian walk God helps us to discern truth from deception.  You don't need 20 years of professional experience in the dairy industry to know when milk has curdled and gone off.  If a child failed to do a sight or sniff test of sour milk before drinking it, only a brief taste would be required before the whole glass of milk would be rejected.

When I observe eating and drinking habits of children, they notice when flavours are different.  They can drink too much of what makes them sick, and they can avoid eating or drinking what is healthy for them.  God has so designed children to have parents to provide food for them and guide them to "try" new foods that are healthy when children would be more pleased to eat dessert only.  This is similar to the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, for through God's word He presents new ways of thinking, speaking and living that are foreign to us.  As we submit and surrender to Him, obedience to God provides satisfaction living for ourselves cannot supply.  Jesus is the Bread of Life, and His word sustains and guides us with His wisdom.  We become familiar with God's voice, His tone and prefer the Scriptures rightly divided--to the point we notice when doctrine or teachings are off.

There are many accurate, edifying ways to teach the same Bible verses, and God is able to help us discern truth from error.  While there is freedom for a variety of interpretations at times (the Bible being infinitely complex and multi-faceted), by the authority of God's word Christians can know what they believe and why.  God's ways and thoughts are beyond our understanding, and when confronted with things we do not or cannot know we can comfortably fall back upon the God we know and knows us.  It used to bother me when my kids pointed out something in my cooking or baking was "different" this time, but I have grown to appreciate this because it demonstrates a spiritual truth:  as our palates can be refined to noticed subtle changes, so our spiritual "palate" can weigh words which are spoken and discern truth from error.

Hear the observation and exhortation of Job 34:3-4:  "For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. ⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves; let us know among ourselves what is good."  Because the Holy Spirit is good, guides us into all truth and dwells within us, we can go beyond catering to our preferences or our personal bias and open our mouths wide, trusting God to fill us and supply all our needs with His truth.  God and His word do not change, and spiritual maturity correlates with familiarity with God's wisdom and putting it in into practice.  At the same time, it is said there are no "adults" of God--only children of God.  This reminds us of our need for God, His protection and provision, to rely upon Jesus for our physical and spiritual bread He is faithful to supply.

Maturity by Grace

The last time I read through the Bible from the beginning, I noticed something I hadn't considered before.  With the exception of the first command--for Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden--prohibitive commands were established by God after the offence took place.  God did not plant the idea of sin in the heart and mind of mankind:  committing sin was man's own doing.

For instance, Cain was the first man guilty of murder when he struck Abel and killed him.  This was not a transgression of any law as Abel's murder occurred somewhere around 1,500 years before Noah's flood, after which God issued a prohibition and punishment for murdering people in Genesis 9:6:  "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man."  There have always been negative consequences for sin (for the soul that sins will surely die), but God graciously spelled this out so people could recognise sin and avoid doing it.  There was no prohibition for priests drinking wine while they were serving in tabernacle until Aaron's sons transgressed by offering "strange fire," burning incense when they should not have.  It was then God gave the command the priests were not to drink when they entered the Tabernacle to serve so they could tell the difference between holy and unholy (Lev. 10:8-11).

I noticed this pattern throughout the Old Testament, that it was not until man sinned that God held forth laws and statutes to guide the people to avoid wickedness they naturally drank like water.  In regard to specific sexual sins, God said in Leviticus 18:26-30:  "You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you ²⁷ (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), ²⁸ lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. ²⁹ For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. ³⁰ Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God."  The reason why God forbade sinful sexual practices is because they were rife and leading people painfully to their destruction.

The fact God laid down prohibitions for sin after they were common practices is instructive for us today.  There are times we do not realise we sinned until after the fact, but God would have His people respond in repentance to His word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  We often learn more by failure than by our success, for by our failures we see our need for forgiveness and salvation.  Rather than being governed by laws written on tablets of stone, born-again Christians are to be guided by love--God's love demonstrated to us by Jesus when He laid down His life on Calvary, washed the disciple's feet, extended mercy, compassion, was patient and graciously restored Peter who denied Him.  Praise the LORD He holds us to higher standard than the letter of the law with the indwelling Holy Spirit so we might grow spiritually to maturity by His grace.

A Purposeful Reminder

We don't have to be the most intelligent human beings to tell the difference between something done on accident or on purpose.  When I was a boy, a friend of mine at school pushed down hard on a see-saw (teeter-totter or whatever those illegal schoolyard apparatuses are called nowadays) and smacked me right in the mouth.  I found myself lying on my back in a daze, blood pouring from a gash in my lip, glad I still had all my teeth.  He was mortified and very apologetic, and I thought or felt no ill towards him whatsoever:  it was an accident, and accidents happen.  There were plenty of times growing up the words and actions of others incensed me because they were mean and hurtful on purpose--even though they didn't involve stitches or result in a scar on the face.

This understanding of the difference between accidents and things done on purpose illustrates an important role reason plays in everyday life.  Because things exist that have intended purpose, by observation I am convinced life itself is filled with purpose.  Meaning and significance does not arise by accident.  What some would call coincidence or blind luck, those who believe God created the heavens and earth see His hand and wisdom at work in countless things.  I do not have the faith to say nothing created the universe, that the metamorphosis of a butterfly is a happy coincidence, or that reason and human understanding has arisen without a reason from random chemicals or cells.  Life cannot arise from non-life, otherwise I might suspect a rug or my couch could swallow me whole.

While I may be in the minority, I believe the only way anyone can experience anything good is because God is good.  Since I have a relationship with the living God who knows, sees, hears, speaks and can do everything, my eyes are at times open to His influence in my world--when I just know something was not done by accident but was on purpose.  As a child you could not have convinced me my friend intended to split my lip open, and there still remains no doubt in my mind since we talked about it later as middle-aged adults.  With childlike faith in a friend I knew truth I could not prove in a test-tube or laboratory.  

The title of this blog is "Marching Forth!" and the background is March 4th was my wife's favourite date because it was an action.  I was intentional to propose marriage to her on March 3rd so March 4th would be the first full day of our engagement.  There was a reason and purpose behind the title to this blog because it connected with the date I became acutely aware God was calling me to go to Australia after years of wondering:  yep, it was March 4th and can read about it on my post "Speaking in Symphony."  More recently God provided much needed encouragement for me in an unexpected way.  I had sent my U.S. passport in for replacement in January and I was wondering if there was a problem with my application because it was taking a long time.  Yesterday I received my passport, and guess what date it was issued?  March 4th!  It was a lovely way of God reminding of His faithfulness, His calling and His goodness.  He has continued being wonderful, awe-inspiring and glorious without fail.

To some people that would be a random coincidence or accident, but I'll take it as on purpose--a sweet reminder from the LORD He never has forgotten or forsaken me and remains faithful.  By God's grace may I remain faithful to Him, the God who creates life full of purpose and joy for those who trust Him.

Obeying the Gospel

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney I taught through Romans 10.  After Paul emphasised God's election of believers by grace through the Gospel, I enjoyed considering the emphasis on man's responsibility to believe in Jesus Christ.  Paul wrote in Romans 10:14-15:  "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"  In teachings of this passage I have heard many emphasis our need to go, a missional thrust of application.  The flow of the passage in context, however, shows God is the One who faithfully sends His messengers to bring the message of salvation through the Gospel so people can hear and believe in Christ.

Paul continued in Romans 10:16-18:  "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ¹⁸ But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."  Paul spoke of the message of the Gospel having gone out to all the earth!  People heard the Gospel but did not obey it by submitting themselves to Jesus as Saviour.  God's will is the save people, He provided salvation through Jesus, and sent the Good News through the whole world.  The only way people exercise saving faith is by hearing and believing the word of God He has graciously provided for us.

When I was a kid and within Christendom to this day, there are efforts being made to reach people who are unreached with the Gospel--often in lands and languages foreign to us.  I applaud these efforts and praise God He has continued to send people to far away places to people He loves and desires to save.  Let us not forget that to every Christian couple who have a baby, that little one does not know God.  There are hundreds and thousands of babies born every day in our cities and nations who have never heard the name of Jesus except as an expletive.  This work of spreading the Gospel to every person needs to be done again after it has already been done, for the population of the earth continues to multiply.  Praise the LORD this is His work to accomplish His plans to save, and He is the One who sends us.  It is not a church or a mission board who does the sending, though at times they are His instrument, but God sends forth labourers into His harvest.  As we have received the Gospel and believed it, so we should obey it and share it with all:  to love one another as Jesus loves us.

The Giver and Gift

When I was a boy, I heard a story from a classmate that appalled me.  While it was still dark on Christmas day, my classmate's younger brother, about 4 years old, opened up all the gifts that were wrapped under the Christmas tree.  His parents awakened to find the living room completely littered with paper.  This act of sabotage prevented the joy of both giver and receiver of the gifts.  So what did they do?  The parents promptly sent the boy to his room under a vow of secrecy and re-wrapped all the presents so they could properly exchange gifts all together.  This was one of the unwritten rules of Christmas for children:  never open a gift unless it is yours and you are given permission by your parents to do so.  I shuddered to think of the consequences I would have faced for such a brazen transgression.

Because the boy who opened the presents was very young, it is likely he did not fully understand the unwritten rule.  Maybe due to immaturity he lacked self-control.  If he was malicious in tearing up all the wrapping paper out of rebellion, spite or anger,  I suspect the consequences would have been more dire.  This situation with opening presents before the giver gives permission recently came to mind as an illustration of what fornication (sex outside of marriage) is like before God.  People who know God has provided sex to be enjoyed solely within a marriage relationship can choose to open this gift before the appropriate time.  People who would never dream of being so rude to open birthday or Christmas presents early may not think twice before transgressing before God in the area of sex before marriage.  1 Corinthians 6:18 reads, "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body."

There is a difference between opening presents early and choosing to give away your virginity before marriage, for sin committed cannot be undone or taken back.  But for those who are born again followers of Jesus Christ, all sin can be repented of, forgiven by God and forsaken!  I exhort those who have sinned in the passed or presently engaged in ongoing sexual activity before marriage to do what the parents of the boy did:  re-wrap the gifts, and wait for the appropriate time after marriage.  God has given people the gift of sex to enjoy in marriage, and we can honour him by waiting to receive that gift from His hand.  Give Him the pleasure of acknowledging we appreciate Him and all He has provided in a spouse and the physical intimacy He has designed.  We thank Him by choosing to wait fox sex until He joins us as one flesh in marriage.

God is not a God of second chances but new beginnings.  Rather than lamenting over bad decisions that cannot be taken back, we can rejoice with every new opportunity God gives us by His grace to honour Him by doing what pleases Him today and going forward.  May we honour God who gives us all that pertains to life and godliness more than His gifts.

Our Need to Unlearn

In a sermon I heard, the preacher spoke of Simon of Samaria who came to faith in Jesus after being a practicing sorcerer.  For a long time he held the people of his city spellbound by his supernatural abilities, and he duped them into thinking he wielded the power of God.  After Simon believed in Jesus, was baptised and continued with Philip the evangelist in fellowship, he saw when visiting apostles laid hands on people they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  He foolishly offered Simon Peter money so he too could have the power to lay hands on people so they could receive the gift of God.  Acts 8:20-21 tells us Peter's fiery response:  "But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God."

It is very possible this idea of offering money for power carried over from Simon's life when he was a sorcerer, for power was always on offer--for a price.  In Acts 19 after the fear of the LORD Jesus Christ fell on the people of Ephesus, those who repented of their witchcraft and confessed Jesus as LORD brought their books of magic together and burned them, and the value of those books combined was 50,000 pieces of silver.  Satan is willing to exchange power for a price (always a wretched deal), for he offered the cities of the world to Jesus if He would bow and worship him.  Because of his background, it is likely Simon imagined it was perfectly legitimate to offer money for a supernatural ability like a magician does for a new trick.  Peter rebuked Simon for offering money when the Gospel and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is freely offered by God to all who trust in Jesus.  Simon had a lot to learn.

Simon, like all people who come to believe in Jesus, also had a lot to unlearn.  This is one of the great challenges that faces all Christians, for we naturally carry into our Christian life oversized baggage full of assumptions, hearsay, misunderstandings, the emphasis of one truth to the neglect or negation of another equally important truth, falsehoods and even heresies.  A person who spent time as a spiritist or was a member of a cult has a crooked foundation of thinking laid that does not automatically disappear by the addition of faith of Jesus Christ.  Believers who spent their childhood or their adult life attending churches that had a legalistic style can be influenced by a legalistic lens in their reading and interpretation of the Scriptures, judgments they make about scores of things, and their daily decisions.  Adding knowledge by reading God's word does not by itself remove rubbish ideas we assumed were correct because they are the only thing we have heard or known.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, we must grow to be dependent on the word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit to observe the scripture, understand what it means, and how to apply it personally.

Praise the LORD He is the One who transforms us, and the light of the Gospel brings countless sins and our errors to light.  God also uses fellow believers to exhort and even rebuke us when bitterness or pride rises up within us, when we crave the spotlight and grab for power like Simon did.  Our journey of being sanctified day by day more into the image of Jesus means we need to keep changing for good, and this means the old ways of living and thinking must be identified and thrown out so we can be better aligned with our LORD Jesus.  People who have had genuine faith in Jesus for decades can still be influenced by assumptions, habits and ways of thinking that are unbiblical.  God forbid we should be like those Paul described in 2 Timothy 3:7, those who are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."  This suggests an unwillingness to lay aside old falsehoods combined with unwillingness to obey the Gospel.  Unless we put what we learn of God's word into practice by faith in Him, we will not grow spiritually.  Jesus is the Truth and has given Himself to us, and by following Him faithfully in submission to Him we embrace our sanctification.  Though progress may seem slow, we have all assurance God is faithful to complete the work in us He began by His grace.

The Fight of Faith (part 2)

While some believers have been trained or conditioned to see opposition and trials as spiritual attacks from the devil, the Bible holds forth an alternative view that may surprise you:  to view all we experience as from God Himself.  Since God's ways are higher than our ways, everything He does is beyond our understanding.  This means by our own reasoning we are unable to discern or determine what God is doing or exactly why He has done something--unless He reveals it to us personally.  This may happen later, and sometimes we will never know.  But knowing God is always good, righteous and worthy of being trusted means we continue to trust Him even in the midst of pain or loss.  Rather than blaming Satan for robbing him of his wealth, family and health, Job said of the almighty God in the first part of Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."  Those who imagine God is like a genie obligated to fulfill their wishes or Santa who rewards them for being good girls and boys, it is no wonder many are disillusioned by the idolatrous image of God they have created in their minds.

The Bible teaches that regardless of the instrument God chooses to employ, God ultimately takes responsibility for allowing everything that happens.  This is frankly impossible for some people to accept because they are unwilling to submit themselves to God in faith according to His revelation of Himself in the Bible.  In light of their pains and disappointments, they will not believe God is altogether good and gracious, a Saviour and redeemer.  They cannot comprehend how God could be good and still allow evil to occur.  Without faith in the truth of God's word, it is not difficult for these people to look at their lives, pains, losses, or those who suffer and imagine there are countless reasons to doubt God's goodness.  This is where the fight of faith in God is won, by continuing to trust God as revealed in Scripture is good, righteous, just, merciful, compassionate and faithful to His word in every instance--even when we cannot understand and it hurts.  God is never the source of evil or sin, but He is good and powerful enough to use what is meant by men and Satan for evil and make it work for good.  Without God, there could be nothing good in this world or in our lives.  Paul suffered the loss of all things and counted them as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ and the righteousness of God by faith he received by God's grace.

When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we do not need to try to make excuses for what God has chosen to do or allow.  Though Satan worked to destroy Job, he said by faith in God concerning his suffering and loss in Job 12:9-10, "Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, ¹⁰ in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?"  Job credited God for causing him to suffer, not realising it was God's design to doubly bless him in the end, a man victorious by faith in God.  The prophet said in Amos 3:6, "If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?"  God is able to use a foreign nation to chasten His erring people, a lying spirit in the mouths of false prophets, the sound of marching in the trees, a plague of leprosy He puts in a house (Leviticus 14:34), or Satan who filled Judas Iscariot to accomplish His awesome plans that are good and glorious.  Faith the size of a mustard seed in God is able to accept this without becoming bitter and resentful towards God or envious of others who have not suffered as we have.  If we will receive good from God's hand we should also receive evil, knowing God loves us and will refine us as gold.

David maintained this perspective of seeing God over all things even when he fled Jerusalem to prevent bloodshed by his usurping son, Absalom.  As David and a great company departed, a man named Shimei mercilessly cursed David, threw stones and kicked up dust.  When Abishai suggested he decapitate the Benjamite for speaking thus of the king, 2 Samuel 16:10-12 says:  "But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David.' Who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" ¹¹ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, "See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. ¹² It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day."  Now had the LORD God literally commanded Shimei to curse David?  I cannot say, but it is plain from the Scripture that is how David viewed the situation.  David reasoned because God allowed him to be afflicted with insults from an angry and wicked man, it provided an opportunity for God to bless him in the end.  This is what winning the fight of faith looks like.

God employs tests, trials and tribulations to serve His ends, and one purpose for them is so we can know our faith in God is genuine.  There would be no fight of faith if our lives were without troubles or pain-free since our conversion.  God tested His people by allowing enemies to remain in the land of Canaan (they refused to drive out) to see if they would keep His commands or not.  God already knew His people would depart from Him, and God who gave them His Law by which is the knowledge of sin graciously provided a way for cleansing and restoration.  God also knew He would demonstrate His love by sending His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross for sinners to save them forever.  Faith in God does move us to malign Him for what He does or has chosen not to do, for faith knows He loves us with an everlasting love.  The Bible teaches God is far more than the giver of good and the doer of what men see as evil:  He is only good and in Him is no darkness at all.  We are often in the dark because of our ignorance and fleshly folly, but through faith we worship our glorious God and rejoice to praise Him forever.  The fight of faith isn't primarily against the world or the devil but takes place inside us:  will we choose to trust, hope in and love God or not?

The Fight of Faith

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

2 Timothy 4:7

I have observed Christians who really latch onto military language to describe their daily life with Christ.  They see themselves as "under spiritual attack" when troubles arise.  They nod in agreement when someone says something like, "Our Christian values and freedoms are under attack like never before"--when it is very difficult to make such a claim considering we are alive to make it.  Even if this general statement could be supported, it conveniently overlooks all the opposition and troubles the Body of Christ has endured and overcome for thousands of years.  When someone feels "under attack," they may become defensive or even fearful.  They also can be aggressive and brash.  Some celebrate troubles as proof they are doing something right and their every move is on Satan's radar.  "We're in a spiritual battle," they say.  It seems warfare is the only lens through which they see the world, and their focus seems to be a lot more on Satan's flaming arrows than the Holy Spirit who protects us by faith in Jesus Christ.

While there are references to Christians and spiritual warfare in the New Testament, for the amount of publicity they garner they are surprisingly few.  Indeed, some of the passages like the one referenced written by Paul shows the good fight is to keep the faith in Jesus Christ who loves us, a fight that is won by Christ inside us by our surrender to Him.  Even the well-known passage in 1 Peter 5 that refers to Satan as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, is sandwiched by exhortations to submit to one another, to be clothed with humility, to be casting our cares upon God who cares for us, to be sober and watchful, and to resist the devil while remaining steadfast in faith.  This battle is fought in our minds and hearts, for doubts can enter and work to undermine the truth of God's word and His promises.  Our fight is to bring our thoughts into obedience to Christ, to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might, and to stand by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus revealed Satan's desire was to "sift him as wheat," but Jesus prayed for him that his faith should not fail, and when Peter returned to God broken and humbled he was to strengthen his brethren in the LORD (Luke 22:32).  Rather than the conflict being viewed as us fighting off attacks of Satan, this internal fight is really to keep trusting Jesus and obeying Him no matter what.  The devil seeks whom he may devour, which implies he cannot sink his teeth into anyone without explicit permission from God.  He sought to destroy Job, yet God had a hedge of protection around Job the whole time.  The "battle" was not fought or won by Job rebuking Satan, for God graciously delivered Job who trusted in Him despite his physical suffering and personal loss.  In Paul's life, God allowed a messenger of Satan to buffet him because God's strength is made perfect in man's weakness:  when we are weak, God is strong.

God forbid we would imagine ourselves as strong and mighty spiritual warriors because of our knowledge or authority when God is the One who fights our battles and has already won!  I would not be surprised if Satan is permitted by God to take advantage of the proud Christian who imagines himself able to contend with the devil by his own strength or willpower.  Our fight is not fought by steeling ourselves against satanic attacks but by humbling ourselves before Jesus Christ in faith.  Every Christian is a member of Christ's own Body, the church.  Jesus will not allow one of His feet or hands to be severed because He is unable to protect Himself from the devil's vicious attacks, and no one can snatch us out of Christ's hand.  We are the sheep of His pasture, and He knows each one of us by name.  Satan cannot even effectively bring a charge against us (Romans 8:33), and there is no arrow that can penetrate the shield of faith God has provided us by the Holy Spirit.  It is by faith in Jesus we enter into His rest and the victory He has won, for we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us.

Choose Kindness

I recently read a notification from a ministry leader who announced shortly after a family came on staff, was found not to be a good fit and were moving on to continue ministry elsewhere.  When I was looking into options to immigrate to Australia, this was something a mission support group warned me about.  There are believers who have good intentions, are called to ministry, go all in with training, raise support and sell everything--only to go to the field and discover things do not go well.  Conflict arises, expectations are dashed, and there can be disillusionment why things have not gone as planned.  As Paul said, being married and bringing a whole family makes any mission work and move more complex and challenging.

When I hear about situations like this, I feel compassion for everyone involved.  An organisation brings a family on board because they have a need, and a couple or family have left their family and culture in the service of God and not fit where they thought they would.  Children left school and friends behind, and many people rallied to support the missionary family through prayer, giving money and helping however they could.  To see things seemingly collapse or fall apart inevitably leaves people scratching their heads and even looking for something or someone to blame.  The temptation to live in regret and shame over things not working out as expected is very real, and if fallout was the result of a sinful scandal it adds another layer of grief for everyone.

It would be a shame to malign anyone in a situation like this, for even Paul and Barnabas had a sharp contention over whether John Mark should accompany them that led to them parting ways for a season.  Their contention should never be an excuse to justify strife, quarrelling and refusing to minister with one another, but it shows genuine apostles who love the LORD and have faithfully served Jesus can experience painful conflicts.  There is no point for me to take one side and condemn the other, to make critical judgments of the situation that I am frankly ignorant of.  It would be foolish to do so with the example provided of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15, for who are we to judge God's servants?  On the subject of personal convictions that differ between believers, Paul wrote in Romans 14:4:  "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

I urge you brother and sisters, let us be those who seek to be peacemakers because Jesus is our peace.  Let us realise God is so awesome and glorious that in spite of us and the conflicts we create or contribute to, He is working in and through our lives--and the troubling situation--to accomplish good according to His will.  Since God was able to redeem Jesus Christ being crucified though innocent of all crimes, He is also able to redeem contentions and division to edify the church and increase our faith in Him.  How often we have been embittered by a bitter conflict that did not even directly involve us, and this is evidence we have bitterness in our hearts God has used the situation to bring to light.  As it is written in Ephesians 4:31-32:  "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."  Rather than criticism and finding fault, our aim should be to be kind to one another.

God's Workmanship

One thing I relish is the completion of a job done well.  I have caught myself, on a number of occasions, going back to look over a project around the house that finally was finished.  I went out of my way to feast my eyes on my handiwork, drinking in the satisfaction of a completed work.  There were plenty of times I would rather not look at a finished job that was sub-standard.  "Don't look too hard," I've thought to myself or told others.  Sometimes it is better a task be finished than wait for perfection and never complete it.

I have found a similar inclination in myself when I have acquired something I considered valuable.  In preparation to propose to my future wife I bought a ring.  Occasionally I would open the box and look at the ring--as if I had forgotten what it looked like.  It was amazing to finally have the special item in my possession with a plan in mind to gift it to the woman I loved and wanted to marry.  After our marriage we had children together, and seeing our children born into the world was a delightful novelty.  We looked at one another and our children with wonder, grateful to God for making us parents.

When God created the heavens, the earth and all that is in them, God looked upon what He made and saw that it was good.  He did not bask in proud self-adulation but acknowledged everything He created was exactly as it should be.  He literally thought of everything and perfectly implemented His designs.  Man's sinful rebellion sullied God's beautiful world, yet God is a Redeemer and Saviour.  When it comes to being born again by faith in Jesus, I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:17:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God's workmanship, and we are made new through the Gospel.  He looks upon us with delight and joy like a father does his newborn baby--because He IS our heavenly Father.  Because God makes all things new and renews us day by day, this season of newness and novelty never wears off.

Paul also wrote in Philippians 1:6 of believers:  "...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..."  Some people are able to look at a rusted-out car and see it how it will look in a restored state, and the thought compels them to tirelessly labour toward that end.  Another person sees in a dilapidated, derelict house a dream home for themselves and their family.  Because God sees our lives from an eternal perspective, He views us as who we are in Christ:  we are complete in Him.  During our lives on earth, God continues to refine His beloved children in faith, wisdom and character to be like Jesus.  It is an amazing to consider God looks upon us with delight as a father over a newborn child and the satisfaction of a master builder drinking in the sight of a job well done.  We never grow old to Him because He makes all things new.

I Am Persuaded

Times of study, reflection and discussion of God's word do not disappoint.  The LORD is faithful to speak to those who are hungry for His word and to do His will, and last night at church provided another example of such a time.  Some of the final verses we discussed have been going through mind, Paul's declaration by faith in God found in Romans 8:38-39:  "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Believers in the early church (Paul included) faced fierce persecution from Jews and Gentiles.  Paul was persuaded that despite being flogged, beaten, imprisoned, slandered, stoned and left for dead, nothing could separate him or other believers from the love of God.

A brother remarked that to be "persuaded" means that convincing was required.  Paul did not begin his Christian walk persuaded of what he later was assured of through the testimony of God's word, the revelation of Jesus Christ, and personal experience.  For a long time Paul was persuaded Jesus was not the Christ and all his followers were to be rounded up and punished to the full extent of the Law of Moses--even consenting to the death of Stephen.  When Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus (who was called Saul at the time), his physical blindness led to spiritual insight.  For the first time he called Jesus LORD as he lay in terror before the risen KING OF KINGS, and three days later received his sight, was filled with the Holy Spirit and was baptised.  He immediately preached Christ in the synagogue in Damascus, proving from the Scriptures Jesus was indeed the Christ.

Over 20 years passed from the time Paul was born again to when he penned this letter to the church in Rome.  He had endured many trials by the Jews, Gentiles, false brethren and even a messenger of Satan that buffeted him.  He literally had been pummelled with rocks to the point his attackers believed he was dead and left his bloody, battered corpse outside Lystra, yet the LORD miraculously strengthened him to rise again and enter the city with boldness.  Webster defined "persuaded" as:  "influenced or drawn to an opinion or determination by argument, advice or reasons suggested; convinced."  Based on God's faithfulness, God's promises and his experience, there remained no doubt in Paul's mind nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD."  Paul's present persuasion gave him firm confidence in the future--a persuasion we can embrace with joy.

Since the crucifixion of Jesus is a demonstration of His love for us sinners, we can rejoice to know His atoning sacrifice once for all has cleansed us from the penalty and power of sin.  In prayer last night a brother observed how it was not the nails that held Jesus Christ on the cross, but His love for us that compelled Him to submit to the Father and drink the bitter cup of death we deserve.  If we have nothing but God's love for us in this world, it is more than sufficient because God's love is infinite in power and eternal in duration.  Paul prayed for believers in Ephesians 3:16-19:  "...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  To know God is to begin to know love, and may we be persuaded like Paul that nothing can separate us from His love by His grace.  We can be convinced of God's love that is beyond knowledge because we are in Christ, and He is in us.

More Glorious Than Gold

Yesterday while at the baggage carousel, I saw a fellow traveller who wore an assortment of chains from which dangled charms and crystals.  She even had a silver charm glued to her forehead!  I observed her begin at the lowest crystal and align them with her fingers in ascending order towards her chin.  In some spiritual circles, it is believed wearing crystals promote healing and provide protection from negative energy.  My observation is many people put their trust in crystals, amulets and charms that only the almighty God is worthy and able to receive.  Since God is powerful and mighty to protect, save and heal, all who fear God and trust Him can rest assured He will shepherd us without fail now and forever.

When David expressed willingness to fight Goliath, king Saul insisted David wear the king's armour--even though it did not fit him at all.  It was God who preserved David and gave him skill to fight, and thus David faced the giant armed with a sling and stone with no armour at all.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, David was bold to face the champion of the Philistines and prevailed like he had against lion and bear.  He wrote in Psalm 20:7-8, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. ⁸ They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright."  It was not the harnessing of metaphysical properties of stones created by God or armour fashioned by man but a relationship with the living God that caused no weapon fashioned against David to prosper (Is. 54:17).

As born again children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, our confidence is not to be placed in charms or crystals because the Strength of Israel indwells each of His people.  2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."  Because the knowledge of the glory of God has illuminated our hearts and minds by the power of the Holy Spirit, we need not fear or be dismayed in times of trouble.  The Light of the World Jesus guides our steps in real time by His grace, and He also supplies energy and strength that benefits us, even as plants and solar powered devices utilise the rays of the sun.

The Scripture teaches Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, and this divine presence is to powerfully influence us inside and out.  All other spiritual powers and authorities in heaven and earth--seen and unseen--all bow trembling in complete subjection to God.  The design of the Ark of the Covenant provides a wonderful illustration of how God's presence within us ought to be consistent inside and out.  Exodus 37:2 says of the Ark constructed by Bezaleel, "He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it."  The wooden box was not just to be overlaid with pure gold where it could be seen by people but on the inside that was always hidden.  We are not to be as Pharisees who projected an clean image when they were polluted within but to have integrity inside and out by the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells, guides and strengthens us.  Builders are not as careful with concealed work as finish work that everyone can see, but Jesus spared no expense to fill us with knowledge of His glory within.

We are compared in our flesh to earthen vessels God has imbued with the glorious treasure of His presence.  God's intended result of this spiritual inner strength is expressed outwardly as it is written in 2 Corinthians 4:8-11:  "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."  Thus God's glory that He has given us on the inside is intended to be seen on the outside as we trust the LORD because His design for us to to manifest the life of Jesus to others through us.  How glorious, that God's strength revealed in our weakness!  How much more glorious is our God than gold!

It's OK to NOT Be OK

As born-again believers in Jesus Christ, the goodness and glory of God has been revealed to us personally through Him.  We learn to look at life through the lens of God's greatness and power, and we can attest to wonderful things He has done in our lives.  When troubles and difficulties arise, our response can be to gloss over our struggles in conversations with others--as if experiencing a painful trial is an indictment of our lack of faith.  Should someone ask us how we are doing, we might be tempted to ignore the question and respond with a cliche like "God is good."  Or we might take a Pollyanna approach to paint everything in the best light because we do not want to burden anyone else with the burdens we carry.  Friends, it's OK to NOT be OK.

This is a common way, without even thinking about it, Christians can be prone to lying.  We know our good, awesome God loves us, and it is good to keep Him in the forefront of our minds.  But this does not mean we are always doing well, nor does it follow we are carefree without struggles and burdens because we are not God.  We can put on a smile and pretend we aren't grieving, we aren't offended, that everything is on the up when we are cast down and grieving.  It is true people can be uncomfortable in a social setting when we are honest with them and admit we are struggling, a medical prognosis is bad, or we don't have good news to report.  Sharing we are in the midst of an overwhelming trial is not an indication of our lack of faith, for it is by faith in God we are honest and transparent with people who might judge us negatively.

In a chat this morning with my mum, she told me the story behind her wearing glasses.  It was not until she went to school it was discovered by her teacher she needed glasses to see anything clearly.  At the time if you asked her, she would have claimed to be able to see--but the words all the other students could read to her looked like a blank sheet of paper.  After being fitted with glasses, she was gobsmacked at the new world that opened up before her gaze:  she saw clouds for the first time, trees actually had individual leaves, and roses were not a blob of colour but had lovely petals.  The glasses helped her to see clearly what had been a blur or completely unseen before.  The LORD does this for us spiritually and much more, enabling us to know God by faith in Christ.  It is after knowing Him we begin to see more clearly just how immense our need for Him was and continues to be.

Jesus promises to fill the thirsty who come to Him, and it is the hungry He satisfies by His grace.  It is the lost whom He finds, He opens the eyes of the blind and lifts up the depressed soul.  If we carefully put a positive spin to conceal our struggles before others and act like all is well, should we be surprised when our turmoil continues?  Should God cater to our hypocrisy, deceit and pride when we pretend to be OK, when we pretend to be sufficient in ourselves when the LORD alone is our strength?  Australia has a "R U OK?" day, and the catchphrase is "A conversation can change a life."  If we are unwilling to be honest in conversation with people who love the LORD and care about us, it is unlikely we will receive the full benefits God has for us who works in and through His people.  When we are not OK, we are blessed to know God remains good.  Humility before God and others is a path God uses to let our needs be made known, to pray with one another, to seek the LORD, and to bring us to a place of rest even in ongoing struggles.  If we imagine we are OK ourselves, when will we ever seek God out of need?

Knowledge and New Life

In the Law of Moses, God demonstrated the knowledge a person has is a determining factor in consequences for transgression.  Exodus 21:28-29 says, "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted. ²⁹ But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death."  If the owner was made aware and knew of the propensity of his ox towards violence, he was responsible to restrain it in a appropriate manner.  Should the owner of the ox neglect this duty and the ox kill a person, his life would also be required.

In the book of Romans, Paul makes a strong emphasis on what born again Christians can know since we know Jesus by faith in Him, and this ought to directly impact our actions.  Romans 6 strings together many things a believer in Jesus Christ ought to know (bold emphasis mine):

• Romans 6:3:  "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?"
• Romans 6:6:  "...knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."
• Romans 6:9:  "...knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him."
• Romans 6:16:  "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

Paul explained what happens spiritually when a person places their faith in Jesus Christ:  we died to sin and are raised to a new life with Christ.  Paul urged born again believers to reckon (to consider) this our new, immutable paradigm and reality.  Knowing we are dead to sin means we are no longer under the dominion of sin or the Law of Moses.  This knowledge ought to govern our decisions like knowing we are deathly allergic to peanuts makes us vigilant to avoid eating them.  If we own a car that uses petrol we never fill our tanks with diesel--even if it is bit cheaper at the pump.  If we quit one job and started another one, this knowledge direct us to wisely drive to the correct office to do our work and attend an important meeting on time.  God has graciously given us His word and the Holy Spirit so we can know God personally and helps us to do His will, for we can do all things through Jesus who strengthens us.

Believers know our body of sin was crucified with Jesus so we are no longer slaves of sin, the resurrection of Jesus shows death has no dominion over us, and that we ought to present ourselves as slaves of Jesus in obedience to Him.  The Law tells us what is right and wrong but gives us no power to follow it.  By the Law comes the knowledge of sin, and leads us to Jesus who has ushered in a new and living way to righteousness by faith in Him.  Man no longer can hide behind ignorance, for God commands all people everywhere to repent and believe on Jesus Christ Who will judge the world in righteousness with entire, perfect knowledge (Acts 17:30-31).  Know Jesus and know abundant life!  He is awesome beyond words.

Random Blessings

I am often intrigued by the odd and unusual--especially in advertising.  Yesterday it was a brand name that sparked my interest:  Random Harvest.  This is apparently a well-known brand used for gift hampers in Australia that has been in business since 1981, but not well-known enough for me to have heard of it after living Down Under for over a decade!  It was amusing to consider how tasty a salad dressing could possibly be if it was compiled of a harvest of random ingredients.  I would imagine the dressings and chutneys produced would render the brand infamous and be out of business before long.  If by "random" it implies unexpectedly good perhaps it works, yet it remains a stretch.

This prompted me to think of an occasion in the Bible when a random harvest had terrible consequences.  2 Kings 4:38-40 reads, "And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets." ³⁹ So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were. ⁴⁰ Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it."  During a famine food was scarce, and when men found wild gourds on a random vine they included them in a stew.  It seems some who ate the poisoned concoction experienced sudden violent illness from the gourds and no one could (or would!) eat the stew after that.

Then the LORD did an amazing thing through Elisha the prophet in 2 Kings 4:41:  "So he said, "Then bring some flour." And he put it into the pot, and said, "Serve it to the people, that they may eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot."  It seems random Elisha asked the people to bring flour and he put it into the pot--an ingredient typically used to thicken a stew, not purge it of poison.  When the people followed the directive of Elisha and by faith in God ate, the ill-effects of the gourds were neutralised.  While the addition of flour was unexpected, the provision of food was not random at all:  it was a means of God revealing His power over death and ability to provide sustenance for those who trust Him even in the midst of a famine.  To us God's ways seem random at times, but He has good plans and redemptive purposes even in a bad stew.  A failed dish can frustrate us even when no one has been poisoned, but even should that happen God is still worthy of our trust and obedience.

Seeing God at Work

Today in church we sang "Battle Belongs" by Phil Wickham.  The lyrics go, "When all I see are the ashes, You see the beauty, thank You, God.  When all I see is a cross, God, You see the empty tomb."  We often need to be reminded of God's love, power and purposes in the past, how He has been faithful to redeem trials for our good and His glory.  Should we be left to our own devices and walk by sight or how we feel, we can miss the redemptive power of God who uses tribulation to draw us to Himself.

Recently in conversation a friend of mine referenced "hard ground" in ministry, how it seems difficult or nigh impossible to make an impact on others when they are resistant to the Gospel.  In thinking over the phrase, it struck me how man has discovered techniques and developed tools to deal with hard ground.  If digging a hole for a post or tree is too difficult for a spade, a mattock or digging bar may do the job.  It is sometimes advisable to soak the area with water to soften the soil or to try digging after rain.  Should a rotary hammer or jackhammer fail to make headway through rock in a mine, professional earth-moving equipment or even dynamite has been used to blast through hard ground.

It is good for us to acknowledge there is hard ground beyond our ability to dig through by our efforts, yet at the same time to focus on God's miraculous way of cutting up hard ground without breaking a sweat.  Indeed, we likely are able to recognise hard ground in others because we have that same tendency in our own hearts:  the hard ground of pride, self-sufficiency and unbelief in God often develops inside us.  I take great comfort in God's word in Zechariah 4:6-7:  "So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. ⁷ 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"  How awesome is God?  The hardest heart can be pierced by God's word easier than a spade cuts through loose sand.

We might lament the ashes of our ruined dreams, the high cost of obedience, or the hard ground we wish was soft, yet we can gladly turn our eyes to God Who can move mountains with His word alone.  While we struggle to dig a small hole in the earth, God can shift mountains of unbelief by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He can redeem the death of His only begotten Son and provide grace and salvation to all lost sinners by grace through faith in Him.  Rather than being an obstacle, the mountain is an opportunity for God to show His might, majesty and sovereignty over all--starting with us believing Him.

Jesus Changes People--For Good

The other day I passed by a digital sign that read, "Stop Domestic Violence."  It struck me as rather odd.  I wondered who the target audience was.  It could not be addressing those who suffer from domestic violence, a battered spouse or the verbally or physically abused children at the mercy of a grown bully.  It must be primarily directed at the one responsible for the violence, ironically the one who could be incapable of recognising or stopping their violent and harmful behaviour.  It is one thing to suggest beating the summer heat by the installation of a pool to swim in, but it is another thing altogether to say "Stop Summer Heat."  Good luck with that.  One might as well try to stop the earth's orbit around the sun--or domestic violence with a sign.

My fervent desire aligns with the digital sign:  for domestic violence in every form to stop.  But raising awareness of a problem does nothing to convince people it is their problem, their sin.  Looking at the scourge of domestic violence and other sins from a biblical perspective, a complete change of heart and mind is needed to begin to foster this change.  To try to fight the flesh with the flesh is a losing battle, for we cannot will to do what is right when we are wrong.  The natural man is dead in sins and incapable of changing himself, and to cease from domestic violence is no easier than ceasing from envy, lying or looking with lust.  Change at the source is needed as it is written in Ezekiel 18:30-31:  "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. ³¹ Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?"

To be saved from ourselves and hell Jesus revealed we must be born again through faith in Him, and the Holy Spirit makes transformational change possible.  He changes our perspective, helps us to avoid sin and to begin to do what pleases God instead.  One reason why domestic violence is fundamentally sinful it is the opposite of loving one another.  Bullying a spouse or a child shows a great lack of the fear of God Who will bring all our words and actions into judgment.  The world often focuses on trying to eliminate the symptoms or fruit of sin when God is able to deal with the root of the problem.  Notice the sign did not say the words of Jesus to His disciples, "Love one another as I have loved you" but to stop domestic violence.  From a worldly view stopping bad behaviour is of primary importance, yet the biblical view is to repent, be born again, and be led by the Holy Spirit in love.  Those who are walking in love will not abuse others.

If our salvation and spiritual transformation was based upon our efforts, not one person could be saved or changed.  God is the One who changes people; the almighty God is able to give us a new heart and mind.  Hebrews 10:16-17 says, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," ¹⁷ then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."  We cannot change or even help ourselves, but God can and does.  Those who repent and trusts in Jesus can be set free from the shackles of all our sins and be empowered to live lives that follow Christ's example.  Domestic violence can stop when those guilty of it have hearts changed so they no longer practice it--a transformation made possible by faith in Jesus Christ Who makes all things new.  Even better than the prospect of domestic violence stopping is for all people to love one another as Jesus loves us.

The One God Forever

Names and words are very important.  This is observed in fairy tales where incantations are used to wield magical power, and the invocations are used in pagan and religious rites.  In the animated film Prince of Egypt, the magicians invoked the power of Ra to do their bidding, similar to cartoon He-Man shouting, "By the power of Greyskull I have the power!"  From a Christian biblical perspective, no name can compare with the name of Jesus Christ, for God has put His name above all others forever (Phil. 2:9-11).  All other names and powers are subject to Him--even those who say His name.

Some people imagine that knowing or saying a name gives them power over the one they refer to when the opposite is more accurate:  to call on a name of a deity with an invocation is a claim the deity wields power we willingly submit to.  God revealed Himself to Moses from a burning bush, and when Moses asked by what name God should be identified to His people Exodus 3:14-15 reads, "And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " ¹⁵ Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'"  God identified Himself as "I AM," the self-existent, eternal God who always was, is and will ever be.  But this is not the only name by which the God of Israel--Who is sovereign over all principalities and powers--is identified.

Later God revealed in Exodus 6:2-3, "And God spoke to Moses and said to him: "I am the LORD. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them."  The patriarchs knew the one true God as "God Almighty," but they did not know Him by what is translated LORD, which is transliterated YHWH or YHVH, the name of God to the ancient Hebrews  This four-letter divine name of God has been termed by scholars the Tetragrammton, and while there is no consensus concerning the etymology of the word, Yahweh is the most accepted transliteration while Jehovah is still used by some.  Moses had a greater revelation of the same God Abraham personally knew, believed and obeyed, the almighty God who knew Abraham as friend (James 2:23).  The God known by Moses and Abraham was the same God, for He never changes.

The Christian view is Jesus fulfilled the word spoken by the LORD through the prophet in Isaiah 9:6:  "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  When Jesus referred to father Abraham as a contemporary, the people scorned the thought.  John 8:57-58 reads, "Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" ⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  This enraged unbelieving hearers of Jesus, for He identified Himself with being the one and only God worshipped by Abraham--now in human form standing and speaking in their midst.  Jesus Christ is a revelation of God Abraham and Moses did not know but we can know personally by faith in Him.

The almighty God has revealed Himself to the world in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.  God identified Himself by "I AM" to His people in the days of Moses, and Jesus revealed Himself as the same God while in Jerusalem.  Jesus showed himself greater than Solomon when, after the temple of His body was destroyed, rose from the dead and ascended to the Father from whence He came.  In rising to the Father He demonstrated He always was, is and will ever be, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  Jesus and the Holy Spirit have given us a greater revelation of God through the Bible than the Hebrew patriarchs had, for Jesus Christ has come--the same God forever to all generations.  We pray in the name of Jesus, not because our words make Him do anything, but because God our LORD and Saviour does everything (Job 42:2).