A House of Sacrifice and Prayer

It is not wrong to be amazed when God miraculously answers prayer.  We serve an amazing God who does amazing things!  In Acts 12 it was unbelievable when Peter, who had been imprisoned under heavy guard, was led out of prison by an angel.  People who had been praying continuously for his release did not immediately believe Rhoda it was actually him knocking at the door.  It didn't mean they lacked faith in God.  More likely their disbelief revealed God did not answer their prayer in the way or timing they expected.

People talk about the "power of prayer," but belief there is power in my praying is misplaced.  All power belongs to the Almighty God who answers the prayers of faith in His time and way.  Christians are to pray - not because it is effective or it works - but because God commands us to pray.  God works in those who pray and works in response to their prayers.  It may seem a trite distinction but it is an important one.  If we only pray because we hope to receive something from God our motive is self-centred.  We can reduce following Jesus to a utilitarian religion where God's goodness and blessing hinges on our efforts.  There are blessings God gives to the obedient but it is all of grace.  But when we pray in obedience to God's command, according to His leading and will, we can expect an answer.  We don't pray just so we can have our answer but in response to what God has already spoken.

After King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple, 2 Chronicles 7:12 says, "Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice."  The prophet also spoke of the temple and those who love and serve God in Isaiah 56:7:  "...even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."  These verses describe the Temple as a house of sacrifice and prayer for all nations.  Paul brings home the significance of these purposes for Christian in 1 Corinthians 3:16:  "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"  Since Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are called to present our bodies joyfully as living sacrifices before God.  Another primary purpose of Christians is to pray by making supplications, intercessions, and to give thanks for all men (1 Timothy 2:1-8).  Even as Solomon's temple was adorned with gold, panels of cedar, and precious stones, so prayer is the holy material which adds value and beauty to our lives.

We do not pray because "it works" but because God works.  If God works, we ought to labour in prayers according to Christ's example.  Like the savour of sacrifices rising from the altar, the prayers of faith of all saints rise up as sweet-smelling incense before God's throne of grace.  The prayers and alms of the centurion Cornelius came up before God as a memorial.  Wouldn't you be pleased for God to remember your words and answer them?  Philippians 4:6-7 states, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  We shouldn't pray in the hopes of only obtaining something from God, but so something good will come out of us by His grace.  Blessed are those who labour in prayers day and night, for God delights to hear our voice.  Have your prayers come up as a memorial before God today?

Avoid Foolish Disputes

During the morning prayer meeting, these verses were read from 2 Timothy 2:23-26:  "But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. ²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵ in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."  When we hold to a biblical position in this world, strife is something we Christians can count on.  Yet we are not called to lash out or squabble with people who do not agree with us.  They might mock or slander us, but we must exhibit self-control and remain gentle.  God has taught us the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God (James 1:20).

Men who are humble before God do not need to shout to be heard, for their meek conduct speaks volumes.  Jesus is the epitome of a man who was gentle, patiently taught, and corrected the errors of those who challenged Him.  When His shouting accusers sprayed lies before Pilate and Herod, He opened not His mouth.  It is nigh impossible for a man in the heat of betrayal and false accusation to remain silent, but Jesus had already committed His life into the hands of His Father in heaven.  He knew those who accused Him did not realise what they were doing.  They had been deceived by lies.  They had been taken captive by the devil to to his will.  Judas, one of Christ's disciples, had been filled with Satan himself!  Jesus remained compassionate towards His enemies even after being nailed to the cross and cried out, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

The thing which struck me from the passage in 2 Timothy is we can think as Christians because we are stewards of the truth of God it is up to us to bring people to their senses.  When we are met with opposition or our efforts do not seem to be achieving our desired effect we might increase our volume of speaking or intensity of argument.  Instead of patiently defending the truth we can start attacking others in an unloving manner.  If all who have chosen this course would honestly consider the results of this approach, all would agree it tends to generate much strife but very few - if any - transformed hearts.  Our role as Christians is to speak the truth in love from God's Word and to pray for people to come to their senses.  We aren't to look for fights or to insist on having the last word.  Beat people over the head with your Bible if you wish, but it will never manage to sow God's truth in a receptive heart.  There are two general responses to an attack:  fight or flight.  Either way the defenses are immediately up and we hinder Christ's cause to bring them to their senses and escape the snare of the devil.  It was not his loving father or self-righteous brother which caused the Prodigal Son to see the folly of his ways.  After being left alone with the pigs for awhile the man started listening to the sensible reasoning of his own conscience.  His awful situation brought him to his senses.

God has given every human being a conscience and they are in all sorts of conditions.  The Bible refers to a good conscience, a seared conscience, evil conscience, and a pure conscience.  Regardless of the state of a person's conscience, the Bible is the appropriate tool to cut to the heart of the matter.  The way we wield the Sword of the Spirit - God's Word - is very important.  Jesus told His followers to gird on their swords on the night He was betrayed.  When Jesus and His disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane and saw men coming to arrest Jesus Luke 22:49-51 reads, "When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him."  Peter had the sword and felt threatened.  He asked a question of Jesus but never waited around for the answer!  He started swinging the sword and a man was horribly maimed from the attack.  When we handle the Word of God like this we can unnecessarily wound others.  Praise God Jesus is a healer of wounded souls, but let us not be guilty of generating strife through useless quarrels.

A New Thing

Sheep and human beings share the same trait of having a long memory concerning negative experiences.  Past experiences have a way of colouring the way we see the world and others.  Negative bias is easily confirmed due to this naturally skewed perspective, yet we remain self-assured we see clearly.  Our failures and past struggles hinder us from moving forward and burden us with a preoccupation with self and the assumption others judge us as severely as we currently judge them.  How can we even find the way forward in this state?  The cure for all these ills is found when a person fixes their eyes on Jesus Christ in faith, the One who promises to make all things new.  Before our risen LORD we must each confess our sins and repent saying, "Woe is me!  I am undone!"  He is the One who heals the broken hearted and sets captives free.  No longer need we be saddled with the weight or our inferiority or the expectations of others because we have been made new creations through faith in Jesus.

To a people who would experience war, destruction, and decades of captivity, God said through the prophet in Isaiah 43:18-21, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ²⁰ The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. ²¹ This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."  How easy it is for us to immerse ourselves in thinking of the former things:  regret with what has happened, obsessing over our failures, fantasising if things had gone differently, and drowning in self-pity.  After the Exodus the children of Israel longed for the leeks and onions of Egypt rather than the milk and honey in the Land of Promise!  This is the natural tendency of all people, thinking the best is somehow behind us when the Spirit of God leads us on.

God said He would do a new thing, making a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  How many people have been lost in a wilderness and frantically searched for a trail, a path to lead them home!  Countless people have perished in the fierce heat of a desert, hallucinating over oasis after oasis which proved to be nothing more than cruel mirages!  God said the jackals and ostriches would honour God for His provision, and these are not animals known for their brilliance.  Sad, isn't it, that beasts without understanding could honour God more than people He has delivered from death ?  Yet God's grace is shown because He choose us sinners - though at times brute beasts acknowledge and trust Him more than His own redeemed.  God be praised that despite our weakness, that we are blind, miserable, poor, and naked, He opens our eyes to see Him, grants us heavenly riches, places clean apparel on us, and looses our tongues to declare His praise.

Will you take God's exhortation on board?  Do you believe the Word of God, that He will do a new thing and now it shall spring forth?  He is able to make roads through the wilderness and bring refreshing rivers in the desert.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  In every regenerated heart Jesus Christ is enthroned the heavenly reality proclaimed in Revelation 21:5 rings true:  "Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."  We are eyewitnesses of these things.  Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus and trust, not just try.  Will you declare God's praise?

Broken Vows

When God says something, He can be counted on to keep His word.  Man qualifies his promises with swearing and oaths, but not God.  His Word is true.  Because God is righteous His deeds, character, and word are always in perfect alignment.  Men will someday answer for their own words and will even be judged by them:  every idle word will be accounted for and brought under God's judgment (Matthew 12:26).  Numbers 30 is an entire chapter in the Law of Moses establishing the fact that every vow a man or woman makes is important before God.  If a man made a vow to the LORD, God will hold him responsible to do all he has said.

How many times as a Christian have we said we were going to do something, followed through best as we could, but ultimately fell short of what we said?  We don't have to "cross our heart or hope to die, stick a needle in our eye" to make words spoken in secret binding before God.  I was reminded of this yesterday when I read from J. Edwin Orr's book Full Surrender.  "A man's word is his bond" it has been said, and this rings true concerning the words which come from a man in God's hearing - and He hears all.  The chapter I read made me think:  how many times had I spoken something and not followed through?  Has my relationship with God been hindered because of ignored vows, promises which were proved empty over time, words I simply forgot?  Better to confess my sin and fall on the mercies of God now and be restored than to answer for idle words in the future with negative eternal consequences.

Consider the closing thoughts of Dr. Orr in the first chapter:

"Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?"  Not all prayer is acceptable.  If one regards iniquity in one's heart, the Lord will not hear him.  A broken vow is a sin of omission.  It is also the commission of an affront to God.  It must be confessed as sin before fellowship is completely restored. Otherwise, the discipline of God, the chastening of the Lord, begins to operate.  It is necessary for the Lord to bring our schemes to nought in order that we may not waste time and effort in building of wood, hay and stubble.  Our Friend becomes our opponent, not our enemy, and says "check" to each move until, checkmated, we begin again with Him.

What then are the vows that Christians customarily make to God in times of blessing and on special occasions?  More time in prayer, more intercession for others, more devotional reading, more study, more personal witness, tithing of talents and money, better example to others, patience with children, personal purity, self-denial - there are the vows that are made in watch-night services, prayer meetings, evangelistic campaigns, deeper life conventions, missionary meetings, and the like.  These vows go unfulfilled.  Part of the price is kept back.

Until broken vows are mended, it is difficult to make progress along the way of consecration.  Before seeking blessing from God, one should carefully consider in retrospect one's previous dealings with Deity.  It is not enough that no offence was meant.  It is not enough that no deceit was planned in advance.  The sin against God arises from the most serious transgression of any commandment, that of nursing a coldness of heart towards God Himself. (Orr, J. Edwin. "Broken Vows." Full Surrender. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1951. 18-19. Print.)

Cut to the Heart

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

God's Word is alive and more sharp than a laser, uncovering the truth often concealed in the hearts of men.  Men often do not perceive their own hypocrisy until it is pointed out to them, and those who fear God and love His Word have the benefit of hearing that still, small voice which corrects often.  I don't know a man alive who enjoys being corrected by others, but wise men see great value in learning to walk in the way which fully pleases God.  The same word which is loved by one is hated by another.  Proverbs 9:8 says, "Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you."  In the book of Acts there are two contrasting examples provided.

After Stephen was brought before the High Priest and Jewish rulers, he gave a stirring historical overview in Acts 7,  He spoke of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.  He explained how Moses knew he had been called by God to deliver the people from bondage yet was pushed away when he tried to bring peace to fighting Hebrews.  After 40 years, God appeared to Moses and sent him back to Egypt.  God brought forth His people with a mighty hand, and Moses led the people out.  Yet it was not long until the people's hearts longed to go back to Egypt and refused to obey Moses.  Stephen said in Acts 7:37, "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear."  The covenant of Law came through Moses, but the covenant of faith came through Jesus.

Stephen connected the rejection of Moses by the people to his hearer's rejection and murder of Jesus Christ.  The comparison cut them to the heart and infuriated them.  Stephen said in Acts 7:51-58, "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³ who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it." ⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" ⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city and stoned him..."  Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the truth, yet these men refused to hear.  They literally stopped up their ears, violently cast Stephen out of the city and savagely stoned him to death - proving again their resistance to the Holy Spirit.

Earlier in Acts, there is one other mention of people being "cut to the heart."  On the Day of Pentecost at 9am, Peter and the disciples who gathered together in one accord received the "promise of the Father," the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  As people gathered around in amazement hearing them speak the wonderful works of God in languages foreign to the speakers, Peter addressed the multitude.  Peter told his curious listeners they were seeing a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy of the Holy Spirit being poured out.  Peter boldly proclaimed Jesus was indeed the Christ, the One promised by God.  He had been rejected and crucified by wicked men.  He said in Acts 2:32-38, "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, ³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' ³⁶ "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

The response of Peter's hearers provides a stark contrast from those Stephen addressed.  When these people were cut to the heart, they did not shout, stop up their ears, lay hands on Peter, and stone him.  The asked an honest question, acknowledging the truth of what Peter said:  "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"  They did not only ask a question, but they heeded the words of Peter.  Acts 2:41 reveals the miraculous effect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit through Peter:  "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them."  Jesus was preached on two occasions where people were "cut to the heart."  The truth of God's Word had skewered these people with opposite results.  The same good word led to the salvation of 3,000 glad souls and also preceded the martyrdom of Steven by an enraged mob.  How could the reactions be so different?

Hebrews 4:12 quoted above is following on from a previous statement, as it starts with the word "For."  The writer of Hebrews used the children of Israel who came out of Egypt as a example and warning.  They had the Word and Law of God and the presence of God with them, yet they were unable to enter into the land because of unbelief.  It is one thing to be brought out of bondage, but we must also enter into the rest God has prepared for us through faith.  Hebrews 4:1-2 says, "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."  For the Word of God to have God's desired effect upon our hearts, it must be mixed with faith in God.  That is the difference.  There are many people who have been cut to the heart with God's Word and they react violently to it, lashing out with anger and hatred.  Others who are cut to the heart mourn over their sin and repent, the Word being mixed with faith in Jesus Christ.

When we are cut to the heart, faith in God enables us to humble ourselves.  A violent reaction or humble response to God's Word reveals if we are walking in the flesh or by faith in the Living God.  How do you respond when the Word cuts deep?  Do you close the Bible, shut your ears, and lash out?  Or do you ask God "What shall I do?" as you commit to obey His answer?

Evergreen Leaves

"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

Psalm 1:3

When Jesus was approached by Nicodemus at night, He compared the movement of the Holy Spirit to wind.  No man can control the wind or the Holy Spirit, but the effect of wind and the presence of the Holy Spirit are easily seen.  Trees do not move by themselves on a still day, yet strong wind causes leaves to shake and limbs to bend and creak.  The Holy Spirit is the One who regenerates a soul that repents and trusts in Jesus, bringing transformation to the life of that person by His grace.

There are no formulas to manipulate the Holy Spirit of God to act according to your will.  Born-again Christians are like trees which ought to bend to His will.  A sailboat by virtue of sitting in the water cannot cause the breeze to blow, but sailors adjust the sails to catch the wind to move the boat towards their destination.  When I was a kid, we used to climb a large Chinaberry tree in our front yard.  I used to climb into the canopy and shake the branches, later collecting bunches of berries which fell to the ground.  I could make branches of the tree shake like the wind was whipping past, but I had no control over the wind.  Through the effort of the flesh people can imitate a move of the Holy Spirit, but it ought not be mistaken for the real thing.

The Psalmist compared the man who delights in God and His law to be like a flourishing tree in a well-watered location.  This tree brings forth fruit in due season and its leaves shall not wither.  Chinaberry trees are deciduous and drop their leaves in autumn, but the Christian is not compared to a deciduous tree:  our leaves shall not wither.  They should be evergreen, soft, and flexible.  Strong winds may move branches and twigs, but how much more sensitive are green leaves to the subtle, passing currents of air!  When a Christian is walking with Jesus in a lifestyle of repentance, obedience, and walking in Christ's love, such a one will grow and flourish.  A Christian filled with the living water of the Holy Spirit will bear spiritual fruit and be increasingly sensitive to His leading.

If we sin by ceasing to walk in love, it is as if leaves begin to dry and drop.  Our hearts become cold as winter, hard as frozen stone.  We begin to lose sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit.  Personal conviction and sorrow for our sin seems a thing of the distant past.  We may still be able to operate in our spiritual gifting, but the fruit of the Spirit falls before it is ripe.  Blessed is the man whom God corrects, who mourns over his own sin and dryness instead of being focused on the faults of others!  Only when we confess our sin and repent can we be sensitive to the still small voice of the Spirit.  Consider your life:  how much of your everyday decisions and life is guided and governed by the Holy Spirit?  When was the last time you heard Him speak?  What did He say?

Jesus supplies Living Water and provides rest for our souls.  We cannot make the Holy Spirit to move, but when He moves we are quick to respond in humble obedience.  My desire is for my life and those in the church to fulfill the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21:  "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ 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. ²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Open the Dam!

We had a lovely time of prayer at Calvary Chapel Sydney last Saturday evening.  Many people gathered to seek the LORD and pray for one another, and it is always special when God's people unite in prayer.  Leading up the evening I felt I needed to "get out of the way" and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and move according to His will.  Instead of spending a great deal of time sharing requests with one another, I felt God directing us to "let our requests be made known unto God" as we gathered as one (Phil. 4:6).  As believers we must be cautious not to approach God with our own agendas, even though they often seem good and reasonable to us.  There is no formula to conjure a move of God's Spirit, though many things often accompany His move.  Jesus compared the movement to the Spirit as the wind blowing through the trees, and no amount of shaking trees will cause Him to blow.  We are to be like the trees with flexible boughs and leaves sensitive to the most subtle current of the Holy Spirit's presence so we might respond in obedience as He leads.

During our meeting, I was reminded of the Waikato river which collects above the Aratiatia rapids in Rotorua, New Zealand.  These rapids only flow a few times each day when the dam of the Waikato river is released to generate hydroelectric power.  As I was praying in silence in my mind I could see the water surging and building around the dam, creating great pressure.  Below the dam there stretched a valley which was dry.  The water swirled around violently, but it could not pass through the dam to water the valley.  I felt like the water was a picture of the Holy Spirit, and our group was the dry valley.  There was a strong dam in between.  How we needed His Living Water, His power, His refreshment!

"Break the dam," I prayed.  "Break it down."  The impression I had from the LORD was immediate:  "You do not break dams:  you open them."  Instantly I understood.  I wanted God to do something only we could do by His grace.  God's presence was among us as we worshiped and prayed, for He inhabits the praises of His people.  Where two or three gather in Christ's name, there He is in the midst.  Yet if we remained unwilling to pour out our hearts in worship, to open up to one another with honesty, and give space to the Holy Spirit to move in full surrender, we restricted the movement of the Holy Spirit.  We can deny ourselves the Living Water God has provided, having sent Him to comfort, teach, and guide into all truth.  I believe many experienced the presence and move of the Holy Spirit.  He spoke to other hearts as well as mine.  Yet I am convinced there is more for us when we all open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit without confining Him to our expectations or previous experiences - or perceived lack thereof.

The dam which creates the Aratiatia rapids is only opened a few times each day, and many spectators wait around for scheduled opening times.  How sad it would be for this to be a reflection of our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit!  It would be tragic for God to only have the freedom to move in and through the lives of His people on Sundays or during prayer meetings.  God forbid there would be spectators at prayer meetings!  We should continuously cultivate the presence of the Holy Spirit, for this Living Water is without limit.  The more we open the gates of what dams our praise, worship, and humbly pouring our complaints before God, the more this Living Water will flow.  And though we may position ourselves properly to catch the wind in our sails, God's grace does not depend on us.  This is a wonderful truth.  We are called to believe, seek, ask, obey, and present ourselves living sacrifices before God, yet no one can make Him move.  As C.S. Lewis famously repeated in his books concerning Aslan who is a picture of Christ, "He is not a tame lion."  We cannot make Him move, but when the Spirit moves let us be sensitive and obedient to His leading.

The Blessing of Jesus Christ

"To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Acts 3:26

Peter said this to men of Israel who gathered at the temple in Jerusalem, amazed at the miraculous healing performed on a lame man in the name of Jesus.  As I consider what Peter said, what strikes me is how Jesus has been sent to bless people.  People ask for God to bless them, yet I wonder if people know what they are asking for.  Blessing from God is not health, wealth, and comforts - though those are blessings indeed.  The blessing provided by Jesus Peter referenced was very specific:  "in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Have you ever thought God's blessing is to turn you from your sins?  The thing about our sin is it is always personal.  I used to have an idea that sin is always terrible, awful, and disgusting.  It is all this and more.  But the truth is, our sin (especially at the beginning) does not seem bad to us.  In fact, it may seem strangely exciting, even liberating.  Sin always appeals to our flesh.  It has a strong upside which allows us to justify our behaviour.  And because our flesh is by nature sinful, the roots reach down into our very soul - almost tangled up in our personality.  To deny our sin is to deny a part of us - a part we have grown very fond of and helps to define us as a person.  God wants to bless us, and Jesus was sent to turn us from our sin.  This is indeed a blessing for which we ought to be thankful and rejoice in.

In the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the "Ring of Power" provides a great example of sin in the life of a person.  The Ring came to Frodo, having ensnared and corrupted all who held it previously.  All previous ring-bearers held and stroked the bright ring with wide eyes, yet it was actually the Ring which gripped them.  The three Lord of the Rings films chronicle the epic tale of Frodo's trek to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring.  Heavier and heavier it became as Frodo carried it along.  When he finally held the Ring over the river of lava which would destroy it, a wicked gleam came into his eyes.  He was unable to drop the Ring, nor did he want to.  "The ring is mine!" said Frodo as he slipped it onto his finger.  Frodo found himself just as far from destroying the Ring in Mount Doom as he was in Rivendell or the Shire.  Frodo, nor anyone who had been taken by the Ring would be capable of destroying it, and the same can be said of sin.  Once it has you, it will never let go.

Praise be to God, for He has blessed us by sending Jesus in turning away all of us from our sins.  He grants faith and makes repentance possible.  So the next time you pray for God to bless you, realise as a Christian He has blessed you and wants to continue blessing you:  He desires that we would turn from all sins which easily ensnare us.  The blood of Jesus is able to cleanse us from all sin.  In turning away from sin, let us turn to Jesus.  Only He can lead us to walk in righteousness and enable us to experience the peace and joy He supplies.

The Rejoicing Father

I woke up this morning with rain pattering down and a series of thoughts flooding my mind concerning the Parable of the Prodigal Jesus told in Luke 15.  A young man demanded his share of inheritance before his father's passing, and his father actually agreed to give it to him.  He promptly left home and wasted all his money partying with prostitutes and drinking.  There was a famine in the land and the man found himself in want.  He was reduced to a job of feeding pigs to survive.  When the pig-food began to appeal to his grumbling stomach, he finally came to his senses.  In his poverty and brokenness he hatched a plan in desperation to return home to his father and plead for a job as a servant.  This man knew he had done wrong and had treated his father terribly.  He had wasted his father's money and lived in scandalous rebellion.  It flew in the face of propriety to think he could slink back as a son:  no, he would beg to be a servant.  Perhaps then his father would show pity on him and allow him to stay.

When the destitute young man was even a long way from home, the chain of events which followed showed the son grossly misjudged his father and the depth of his love and forgiveness.  The father saw his son afar off and ran to him.  While the son was stammering out a rehearsed request for the position of a servant to earn acceptance, the father threw his arms around him and kissed him.  He called for his servants to provide rich clothing for his once wayward son, placed a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet.  There were no sharp words of rebuke, no angry stares or silence, no distance:  love, acceptance, and forgiveness spanned the rift.  The son had hoped for food marginally better than what the pigs ate, but the father commanded the fatted calf be slaughtered for the joyous occasion:  his son who was as good as dead had returned! (See Luke 15:18-24)  The son who saw himself as possibly a servant was gladly welcomed by the father as a son.  The illustrates the fact when recognise our unworthiness because of our sin and humble ourselves in returning to God we will be accepted by Him with great rejoicing.

Jesus told this parable to illustrate His previous statement in Luke 15:7, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  We have much to learn from the father's response to the change of heart and repentance of his son.  Our natural response when people make mistakes is to take pains to ensure they realise how greatly they have screwed up.  Because we are insecure we might arrange a series of hoops for people to jump through to prove their worthiness for us to accept them again.  We would not imagine putting a ring of value on a son who had spent half our money.  We would not place shoes on the feet which had been so quick to run to evil.  Our natural response to being hurt is to make sure they know how much we have suffered and they should appreciate the great sacrifice it is for us to even consider uniting with them in fellowship, friendship, and as family again.  We see none of this rubbish with the father in the parable, nor our Heavenly Father.  In the pigpen the son realised he had sinned against heaven and against his father.  It took desperation to return to the one he had wronged.  Some do not deem humble repentance enough for the restoration of relationship and celebration.  But God does.

Instead of lamenting the loss of money or the sinful rebellion of the son the father rejoiced when his beloved son returned.  The father did not rejoice because his son was responsible but because he freely chose to return.  The son did not need to prove he was trustworthy but was accepted because his father loved him regardless.  Like the son, we Christians have come to God without demands, realising we have sinned against heaven and others.  Before the Father we have knelt without any rights or claims.  We knew we were not responsible, trustworthy, good, or worthy even to approach the Almighty God in our filthy state.  Yet He has bestowed such love upon us by His grace to celebrate us!  Since God lavishes such love upon us, isn't it fitting we do the same for others?

In the Clefts of the Rock

When I visited Israel in 2015, I enjoyed seeing and teaching the Bible at many historical sites.  Yet of the entire trip, the most memorable incident was when God spoke to my heart from His Word.  One morning our group had just passed through the security checkpoint to gain access to the Western Wall.  I took this picture of the Western wall as we waited for the entire group to assemble.

The picture shows the women's area to the south (right side) and the men's area to pray on the north.  There are nothing particular picturesque about this shot.  I have seen finer pictures than this one, and several I have taken myself!  But what you likely did not notice was the little white dove that flew into a depression in the stone over the women's side.  As I was pulling my camera out, it alighted in the wall.  It is in the far right of the photo.

At the time I had been teaching through Song of Solomon at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  Instantly the words of the Beloved came to mind found in Song of Songs 2:14:  "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely."  I was blown away.  At a place designated for prayer to the Almighty God, this dove was a sign of God's invitation to me to take refuge in Him through prayer.  In Jesus Christ God's people find refuge.  God is more desirous to hear our voice and see us seek Him in prayer more than we are willing to pray.  How beautiful to God are the praying voices of His people!

Pastor Drew Macintyre said during that trip to Israel, "Many people say the Bible comes alive in Israel - I say people come alive to the Bible in Israel."  I heartily agree.  In the Song of Solomon, the Beloved affirmed his love to his self-conscious future bride, the Shulamite.  Her Beloved came to her, calling her name, because he desired to spend time with her.  God's love has been demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice on the cross and He says to us:  "Rise up, my fair one, and come away!"  To God His chaste children are as white doves with sweet voices and lovely faces.  He has washed and purified us; He has forgiven and redeemed us.  For all who take refuge in the cleft of the rock - in our Rock of Salvation Jesus Christ through faith - He looks upon us with love, and His ears are open to our cry.  We want God to answer our prayers, but shouldn't we first respond to His gracious invitation with humble thanks?  How God delights in us, that He would allow us into His throne room of grace through prayer "...obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

There were many clefts in the rocks of the Western Wall, yet only one dove sought refuge there.  In Christ there is safety and rest for all who come to Him in faith, yet many do not take the time to seek Him in prayer.  Do you cultivate a secret time of prayer in the presence of God?  Do you have a particular time or spot when you will come away from the cares of this world and speak to Him?  He bids you come without delay, "for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely."

"If It Pleases The King"

Nehemiah is a man I greatly admire in scripture.  He exuded great faith in God, was a man of prayer, and found favour in his role as cupbearer before king Artaxerxes.  When he inquired and heard of the hardships faced by people who had returned to Jerusalem after seventy years of captivity, he grieved deeply.  He sought the LORD in prayer about the correct course of action for him to take.

When the king noticed Nehemiah being out of sorts, he asked Nehemiah if he was ill.  Some people would not admit the true source of their sadness, but Nehemiah was honest about he source of his despondency.  He told his king he mourned over the sad state of Jerusalem.  Nehemiah 2:4-5 reads, "Then the king said to me, "What do you request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."  Chapter 1 of Nehemiah is mostly a prayer to the God of heaven, and when King Artaxerxes asked for his request he continued to pray.  He was a cupbearer by trade but Nehemiah was willing to ask the king to send him to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem.  That is faith and boldness in action.

Twice in chapter 2 Nehemiah prefaced his request to Artaxerxes with, "If it pleases the king..."  Here was a man whose true KING was God, yet he carried himself with an attitude of humility before Artaxerxes.  He did not demand; he would not force.  He had orders and guidance from the Most High God, yet he made his petition before the king with grace, patience, and respect.  He did find favour in the sight of the king, and the king was happy to send him for a set time so the walls and gates of the city could be rebuilt.

It struck me:  how important it is for us to have such an attitude of humility before God!  Because Nehemiah said "If it pleases the king..." it follows he desired his king would be pleased!  Since Nehemiah showed such respect and humility before his king, isn't it critical that Christians would desire that God be pleased?  Shouldn't we ask ourselves concerning our behaviour or choices, "Does this please my King?"  The LORD has used this line of thinking to convict me of sin.  If Jesus is my King, then pleasing Him ought to be important to me.  I am reminded of Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9-12:  "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."  We walk worthy of our Saviour when we fully please Him for He is the One who ordains cupbearers to build walls and qualifies Christians to be fruitful in all seasons of life.

Are your requests, attitudes, and choices fully pleasing to King Jesus?  If we will be fruitful and have our prayers answered, we must not only pray according to God's will but live in the way that pleases Him.  Nehemiah ended up returning to Jerusalem and in less than two months the monumental task of building the walls and gates - which had been destroyed about 140 years before - was completely finished.  When people from all walks of life gather as one in obedience, seeking to please the LORD in His service, God does marvelous things.  Let us seek to please our King, for this pleases Him.

Building With God's Blessing

Ezra was a scribe and learned teacher of God's Law in Babylon who prepared his heart to seek the LORD (Ezra 7:6-10)  Cyrus the king of Persia was directed by God to rebuilt His temple in Jerusalem.  He exhorted all men of Judah to rise up and help with the building project.  Those who chose not to go back to Jerusalem or were unable the king commanded for them to supply the necessary materials and animals for sacrifice.  This was a fulfillment of the word spoken by the prophet Jeremiah that at the end of 70 years of captivity God would cause the children of Israel to return to the land of Judah (Jer. 29:10; 2 Chron. 36:22-23).  These were joyous times for the faithful among God's people who longed to return to their inheritance.

Though God and the king of Persia commanded the rebuilding of the temple, not everyone was pleased with this development.  People returned to the land, built the altar, offered sacrifices, and kept the feasts as prescribed in the Law seemingly without opposition.  There is no mention of any enemies or adversaries until the foundation of the temple of God was laid.  This is very significant.  The enemy of our souls is not opposed to gatherings, sacrifice, or ceremonial feasts.  But he despises God and fears His holy presence.  The laying of the foundation of the temple caused the enemies of God's people to mobilise.  Since Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit not made with hands, it is no surprise when spiritual attacks gain strength and frequency.  Praise the LORD He gives us wisdom, strength, and discernment to endure and walk in victory.

The first tactic of the enemy was to covertly hinder the work through infiltration.  They feigned friendship and allegiance to God to cover their insincerity.  Ezra 4:1-2 says, "Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel, ² they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers' houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."  These adversaries were judged by their own mouths and proven frauds.  They came with the promise of help, but their intention was only to hinder.  They claimed to have sacrificed to God since the days of the king of Assyria, but this was impossible after the destruction of the temple.  Zerubbabel and other devout men saw through their deception.  Ezra 4:3 reads, "But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel said to them, "You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

I admire the courage of these men as they looked to God to accomplish through them the work He called them to do:  "You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God."  When it comes to God's work, it is not "the more the merrier."  Though "many hands make light work," we must not defer to others when God has given us a clear command.  These men of Judah took their task personally and seriously.  Their adversaries came to them with smiles and offers of aid, but Zerubbabel rejected their offer without apology.  This passage teaches us the importance of uniting with people to labour for the LORD who are truly on God's side in word and deed.  Gladys Aylward wisely learned early in her ministry unto the LORD she should never ask anyone to do anything she believed God asked her to do.  Zerubbabel knew this as well and would not be denied the opportunity to work for God and complete the task set before him.

When the attempt to infiltrate failed, their adversaries tried other means to stop progress, and their methods were successful for a time.  They weakened the hands of the people and troubled them in building, hired cousellors to frustrate them, and ultimately wrote a slanderous letter to cease the work through political means.  This temporarily halted the work, yet the story has a encouraging ending.  Zerubbabel and other faithful men and prophets continued to build.  They knew they worked according to the command of king Cyrus and most importantly in the authority of the Almighty God.  When their labours were challenged, they wrote a letter to king Darius to confirm what king Cyrus had decreed years before.  A search of the archives confirmed the right of the Jews to build and exponentially strengthened them in building.  The king commanded those who questioned and opposed the building to supply all the materials needed for building and sacrifice daily upon pain of death (Ezra 6:7-12)!

Let us read the triumph of our God who turns the devices of His enemies against them in Ezra 6:14-15:  "So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. ¹⁵ Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius."  Unless the LORD builds the house they labour in vain who build it, but if God builds the house none can withstand Him.  Our role as followers of Jesus Christ is to trust and seek Him, walking in obedience to what He has called us to do, and to do it with all our might.  No matter the tactics of our adversaries, we have an Advocate in Christ and a Comforter in the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.  What God begins He is faithful to complete.  Praise the LORD!

Well-Driven Nails

"The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright--words of truth. ¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd."

Ecclesiastes 12:10-11

God created human beings with the capacity of critical thought and the ability to communicate through spoken and written language.  Speaking and writing are both learned behaviours and are useful to convey ideas, feelings, and instructions.  There are perhaps an infinite amount of motivations, purposes, or desired ends for speaking, but the overarching purpose is communication.  Solomon was a wise man and sought out to convey upright words of truth to others.  God had given him great wisdom and understanding and he compared true words as "well-driven nails."

The first eight-hour day I remember working was when I was about 11 years old.  My dad was renovating our home by extending the garage and adding a large room upstairs.  He snapped chalk lines across sheets of plywood and my job was to nail the sheets down.  With my 16-ounce hammer I tapped 8-penny nails into the ply.  I say tapped because I didn't have the skill or strength to do what my dad could with a hammer.  In three quick hits he could set and drive a 16-penny nail flush perfectly every time.  Trying to copy him sent nails shooting off everywhere!  I kept a nail-puller (cat's paw) on hand because I had the ordinary knack of bending nails.  Hey, cheap labour.  What can I say?

Solomon compared words to nails, and upright words of truth are well-driven ones.  Good words spoken from a pure heart are like straight, shiny nails ready to be driven home.  Words spoken out of envy, spite, and hatred are like rusty nails which have been pulled a couple of times already.  Here are some observations of how God's Word and our delivery of them can make them well-driven and effective:

• Using the right nail for the job is important.  There are many different kinds of nails for different jobs and applications.  Using the right words is also important for maximum effectiveness and a clean finish.
• Every nail has a point.  In the same way, the words we speak should have a good point.
• Nails have different lengths.  When we communicate God's truth with little ones we need to use short words they can understand.  Terms should be defined and explained patiently.
• The placement of a nail is critical.  It is fine to bang nails into a piece of wood, but they are only effective to hold sheeting when they catch a joist or stud.  Our words should be carefully placed and aim at the heart of the matter.
• Nails are used in construction to fasten material in building.  Our words ought to have a constructive purpose and edify and not be used to deceive, wound, or humiliate others.
• Sometimes a skilled carpenter will blunt a good nail so the wood will not split.  We should never deviate from the truth, but we should use tact in speaking so as not to break sensitive hearts when we want to encourage them.
• Well-driven nails hold two separate pieces of wood together.  Words can be used to unite, encourage, connect us with others, and set our feet on the sound foundation provided by Jesus.
• Nails can be used as a hook for hanging objects.  If every nail was driven flush they would not be effective for this purpose.  In the same way, we do not need to fancy ourselves as the Holy Spirit.  We do not need to say all that is in our minds but limit our words to what God has impressed upon us to say.

How else might upright words of truth be compared to well-driven nails?  Praise the LORD God has provided great wisdom well-driven by the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives.  God is faithful to build His church, and let us follow His example in love and edifying others.