Fruit Unto God

The scenery of life changes, but the core issues remain the same:  will I live for myself or for God?  Who am I going to rely upon?  Whose approval do I value and seek?  What is my motivation for serving God and others?  The answer we give with our mouths is not always reflected in our hearts and minds.  I thank God for the Bible which illuminates our hearts and the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin and guides into all truth.

As we serve God, there is a very real possibility we might do so for selfish reasons.  Our motive may not be selfish at the beginning, but we can fall into a works-based trap that we ought to see a measurable return on our investment.  We consider our sacrifices and efforts as great and feel we have not been adequately recognised by God or men.  When our focus drifts to what is not we discover selfish expectations tucked away in the recesses of our hearts.  I remember vividly as a young teen when a man helping with the youth group at church angrily stormed out of a Sunday night meeting because he wasn't "seeing any fruit" from his efforts.  I never saw him again and would not know his face if I saw him today.  But his anger and frustration has always stuck with me.

I believe there is no shortage of servants of the Most High God who tangle with anger and frustration, people who struggle to cope with their dashed expectations.  They are embarrassed by the lack of "fruit" from their efforts.  People come and go from church.  Youth leave the ministry people have poured their heart and soul into for another group with more kids their age, better facilities, or more fun activities.  And maybe, just maybe, they leave because they are sick of the preaching!  Like Jacob we can say, "All these things are against me!" or finally realise we ought to serve God for God's sake, not so we can bask in the fruit of our labour as if we have done anything.  When we understand the church is the Body of Christ and He is faithful to build His church we are freed from the burden of our failed expectations.  Our wildest dreams are pathetic and feeble compared to the plans God has for every one of His beloved children.

It is good for us to recognise disappointment and frustration in our hearts immediately and realign our eyes and purpose with Jesus Christ.  Remember the joy of God calling you to serve Him in the church?  For those who serve in a foreign field, remember how you wondered how God would bring such desires to fruition?  You wondered how God would establish you in a foreign land and now in the field new questions crop up:  how can we reach the community?  What am I supposed to be doing?  Why does it feel I am spinning my wheels and being bogged down in the mire of administration?  Where are other faithful labourers?  All these questions and concerns are answered by the presence of the Almighty God.  We labour because He labours; we serve because He serves; we sacrifice because He gave all.  Anger or frustration concerning the lack of fruit in the lives of people we are serving likely reveals we ourselves have ceased to abide in the Vine Jesus Christ and have begun to look to our own works for validation instead of God's love and grace.

People are constant in our labours as Christians, but it is Christ who must remain central.  When ministry becomes about people or ourselves we begin to serve a master other than Jesus, and this master cannot deliver on a single promise or meet one of our needs.  Let us heed the words of Paul when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit."  We quench the Spirit of God when we cease to rejoice, pray, or thank God in everything.  This will cut us off from fellowship with God and hamstring our ability to run the race with endurance God has set before each one of us.  When we labour and run our race for God's sake He will see we reach the end and finish strong by His grace.  It is through abiding in Christ's love we will bring fruit unto God.  We ought to rejoice that God causes fruit to spring from our barren hearts and repent when we are frustrated or bitter there isn't more.  The fruit is for God, after all!

The Heart Reveals the Man

"As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man."

Proverbs 27:19

In our social media age, people go to great lengths to craft and polish an online persona.  Mobile phones have cameras ideal for selfies complete with settings to remove blemishes.  Instead of mirrors people use their phones to arrange their hair, apply makeup, and practice their perfect "duck face."  Touching up photos is a common practice in magazines to the point where models claim the image presented in print looks nothing like them in reality.  It's a funny thing that mirrors made of polished metal were dim and cloudy, yet with modern mirrors people don't always like what they see.  We aren't comfortable with reality so we feel an intense need to cover up, augment, or smooth out our blemishes with software.

That is the sense of this verse in Proverbs:  the clear reflection of a face in water does not lie.  A mirror image is a true representation of reality.  Sometimes when the conditions are clear and still over a large glassy body of water, the mirror image is breathtaking.  The point being made by Solomon is even as a person's reflection in water is a true indication of reality, so the heart of a man reveals the man in truth.  Spiritually the heart of man is the real person; the habits, body, and mind of the person is the reflection.  There can be a great disparity between what resides in the heart of a man and the carefully crafted image or physique on the outside.  A man who appears in the prime of health can be unknowingly dying of heart disease or cancer.  People can dye their hair, surgically augment their bodies, and refuse to be seen in public without makeup or fashionable clothes.  But it is the inside - not the outside of a person - which provides a picture of a person in truth.

It is cliche to say "it's what a person is on the inside that counts" yet in a spiritual sense the heart is the only genuine indicator of what sort of man or woman a person is.  And according to the Bible, in our natural state the hearts of men aren't a pretty sight.  It reminds me of a poster I used to have in my bedroom of an anti-smoking campaign which pictured a smoking woman supposedly covered in tar with the statement, "If what happened on your inside happened on your outside, would you still smoke?"   I would think very few would answer in the affirmative.  Forget duck face:  old tar-face is not a look any sane person would desire.  We would try to clean up our hearts if we could.  The Bible says Jeremiah 17:9-10, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? ¹⁰ I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."  We might be able to conceal the wickedness of our hearts from men, but nothing is hidden before the searching gaze of God who will judge all in righteousness.

A fair question is posed in Proverbs 20:9, "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?  The rhetorical nature of the verse implies no man can make this claim.  Praise God He has sent Jesus to wash people of sin and to impute His righteousness to all who repent and believe.  Even after we are born again and made new creations, we must continue to guard our hearts and minds.  We can't let a clean complexion in the mirror deceive us to thinking all is well within our hearts.  It is the Word of God and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit which make us aware of our true condition and profound need for cleansing.  Only the power of God can align our new nature birthed by spiritual regeneration with our lifestyles.  It is good for us to labour to this end.  It is easy for us to think clean living ensures the heart is clean, but Christ's criticism of the hypocritical Pharisees is proof of this folly.  It is the condition of the heart which is paramount.

It is not a man's appearance, words, or deeds that make a man:  it is his heart which reveals him in truth.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  When you examine your heart, what do you see?  If we are embarrassed about a sliver of lettuce in our teeth or to be seen without makeup, consider this:  if what was inside your heart was exposed on the outside, would you do something about it?  Paul said of Jesus Christ came in Acts 26:18 "...to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."  Those whose sins are red as scarlet He can wash white as snow.  Good news indeed!

When It Rains It Pours

Today's message at Calvary Chapel Sydney was titled, "When it Rains it Pours."  What has become a modern cliche was first coined and copyrighted as a company slogan by the Morton Salt company in 1911.  It carried quite a different connotation than it does today.  Morton Salt was marketed as superior because of an additive which kept the salt pouring freely even in damp weather.  Today people say "when it rains it pours" to convey how bad or trying circumstances seem to come in bunches.  There are plenty of problems in this world and our lives to be sure, but as children of a loving heavenly Father we can turn our focus in all situations Him with joy.

A common response of all people in the midst of a trial or unfathomable pain is "Why?"  Often God does not give explanations but responds to the humble seeker with a fresh revelation of Himself.  It is good for us to recall to mind how God has already blessed us with life, love, grace, and mercy.  He has continued to rain down blessing on us.  The probing question we are faced with is, are such blessings pouring from our lives?  Pride and selfishness could be compared to the damp which caused salt to clump and hinder it from pouring freely.  We are the salt of the earth, and the Holy Spirit enables us to shed abroad the love of God He has placed in our hearts.  An additive will do us no good:  we need transformation obtained only possible through spiritual regeneration through faith in Christ.

Can you say concerning your life, "When it rains it pours?"  Does the joy, light, and life of Christ have a free release in your thoughts, words, and deeds?  May it be so LORD Jesus!  

The Crown of Glory

"The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendour of old men is their gray head."

Proverbs 20:29

It was in 1994 when I started shaving my head, and this regular practice has continued until this day.  I never really knew what to do with my hair and for years combed it to the side, but a simple buzz cut answered many of those questions.  It looked decent as well.  I find it amusing people pay money to regrow their own hair and I invest in quality clippers to keep it shaved short!  When my hair grows back after a couple of weeks, I often receive comments from friends about how gray it is.  I don't know if having gray hair makes me feel magnificent, but it is a welcomed mark of maturity for someone who historically has maintained a youthful look.

The days of any glory in my strength are near their end, and for me the distinguished splendour of age increases daily with silver bristles.  It is a common practice among many people to dye their hair, so perhaps turning gray is seen more as a curse than a blessing.  But the reality is, not everyone lives long enough to grow gray hair or have it fall out.  I have heard it said the gray head is a sign of wisdom, but this is not a guarantee.  It is true wisdom may grow with age, but all true wisdom comes from God - not from time served on this planet.  Anyone can grow old and gray and be just as foolish, polluted, and dark as ever.  It does not require skill for people to advance in years, but how good it is for your latter years to be deemed your best and brightest.

Long life is a blessing from God, and those who walk in His ways are a blessing to all.  Proverbs 16:31 says, "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness."  There is great beauty and much wisdom to be gleaned from those venerable saints who have faithfully followed Jesus.  It is a glorious sight to behold a person who loves God and walks uprightly as the shadows lengthen.  They have no physical strength to be desired, but they possess the rare quality that when you converse with them you approach holy ground.  A person's temporary hair colour is insignificant in the gleam of eternity, for it is the adornment of the soul in righteousness that is precious before God.  It is renewing of the inner man day by day by the Holy Spirit which is of great value, not the cutting, arranging, or dyeing of hair.

If the colour, length, or condition of hair on our heads matters to us, how much more important ought it to be for us to live righteously before God and man!  Hair is here one day and gone the next, but God and those who fear Him will endure forever.  It is written of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:28-30, "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ²⁹ "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all." ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."  A gray head is glorious when it found in the way of righteousness, through faith in Jesus Christ.  May we receive God's grace to walk righteously!

The Arbitrary Risk

I am always wary of arbitrary attempts to catagorise people.  When I worked primarily as a youth pastor I grew weary of hearing the phrase "at-risk youth" which was often used to heighten awareness of need.  This arbitrary term was employed most often to describe unchurched youth raised in a single-parent home.  Statistics were shared to prove how this combination led to many social problems, incarceration, drug and alcohol addictions, teen pregnancy, and violence.  How can you argue with statistics, right?

Since we all have our lenses through which we view the world, I am aware of another group of people which are equally "at risk" because I have experienced and seen it firsthand myself:  those who have been raised in relative comfort with two parents, who grew up attending church, and grew dull and spiritually proud through knowledge.  Seemingly inoculated to the power of the Gospel by much exposure without true repentance, these "churched" kids often grow up to lead lives which rival that of any heathen.  What does it mean, to be a youth "at risk?"  Aren't all young people exposed and susceptible to dangers of all kinds, whether it is pride, lying, hypocrisy, self-righteousness, youthful lusts, fornication, deceit of this world, and greed for riches?  There is a risk which comes from ignorance, and another risk from self-confidence and pride.  There are great needs all around us.

I suppose the reason why this terminology and focus bothers me is the implication particular groups of kids should be more of a priority in ministry than others.  The way it sounds to me is we don't need to worry about the kids already going to church, but those outside the church we need to labour to reach at any cost.  Now I believe we ought to do what we can to sow the good seed of God's Word and be faithful to water wherever God has us, but not to the neglect of one group over another.  I think we miss out when we begin to categorise groups of people instead of seeing individuals with needs and seeking to minister to them as God leads.  Jesus went to the lost sheep of Israel, but He was deeply concerned with individuals.  He addressed crowds but also conversed with people one-to-one.  His did not adopt strategies which translated people into numbers but souls which were hungry, thirsty, and lost.

We cannot solve a single problem of this world  or in the life of another person ourselves, but as Christians we know a Saviour who is able to do everything.  Life brings with it inherent risk for all people, for we live in corrupted flesh in a world under the sway of Satan.  We run the risk in Christian circles of measuring our efforts by worldly and superficial means.  Should I congratulate myself for addressing a million people with the Gospel when I am a dad who is largely absent from the life of my kids?  Is it a divine badge of approval should God use me to lead thousands to profess Christ as Saviour when I place my marriage at risk through sin?  Is it right to exclusively target men, women, youth, or children as a arbitrary ministry strategy based upon statistics and overlook the single person God brings across my path?  How we need to be attentive and led by the Holy Spirit in our ministry.  In spreading the Gospel Jesus did not promote a niche ministry but ministered to all whether they were disciples, family, foreigners, children, groups, and individuals according to the leading of the Spirit at the time.  May His Body today do the same!

Glory in the LORD

"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence."

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Isn't it amazing the God who created and sustains the universe and all living things would use the weak things of the world to put to shame the mighty?  In the scope of eternity a single man is a little thing indeed, yet the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ.  He was not born into wealth or high social standing, nor was he privileged with private tutors or schooling.  The life afforded Christ from His beginning on this planet was common to all men - without the advantages or luxuries of the learned and respected.  From His humble birth in Bethlehem to His crucifixion on Calvary, Jesus epitomised how God has chosen to use obscure, common people to glorify His name throughout the world.

Consider for a moment who Jesus claimed to be when He claimed to be the Son of God.  The Jewish religious leaders were infuriated, for this was a clear claim to deity and oneness with the Almighty God! (John 5:18)  Though Jesus Christ was, is, and forever will be God, think about the word pictures through which He portrayed Himself:  the door, the bread of life, the good shepherd, the light of the world, the true vine, the resurrection and the life, and the way, the truth, and the life.  Now I can't imagine a ruler or leader today claiming to be "the door" or "the bread" or "the true vine."  It is true Jesus spoke to people from an agrarian society, but He chose the most common, unimpressive things with which to align Himself.  A door is not a complex thing, nor is bread novel.  But they are practical, useful, and serve a necessary function.  Joseph told his father shepherds were despised by the Egyptians, but this did not hinder Jesus from comparing Himself to a good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.  As the Good Shepherd Jesus brought to nothing all those who claimed to be somebody in their pride.

What was God's divine purpose in choosing and using the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to put to shame the mighty?  So "no flesh should glory in His presence."  When a woman was caught in the act of adultery, men rushed her to Jesus and posed her case as a legal conundrum.  The text in John 8 says it was not because they had a genuine question, but they hoped His answer would provide an opportunity to accuse Him.  Jesus could have debated those men silly, but He refused to take the bait.  Instead of citing precedent or laying out legal arguments, Jesus silently stooped and wrote in the dirt.  Think of it:  the One who had all wisdom and who would become wisdom for all who believe said nothing.  As they continued to harass Him, He replied:  "He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7)  He continued to write on the ground.  These powerful men of great influence were convicted each by their own conscience and left the woman and Jesus alone.  The men who hoped to seize upon Christ's glory were put to shame.

The chapter in 1 Corinthians directed to the saints finishes with verses 30-31:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  Through Jesus and the simple Gospel God has provided riches of wisdom and love beyond measure.  God uses the foolish to confound the wise so He will be glorified.  God has chosen the weak, foolish, and despised to do His work in this world so both friend and foe have no choice in truth but to say, "Glory to God!"  The One who has called us is worthy of all glory, honour, and praise.  

Despising and Judging

"Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ² For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him."

Romans 14:1-3

The Bible contains wisdom and insight concerning God and men.  After Adam's rebellion against God, sin and death passed to all men.  Adam passed to his progeny his genetic code and also spiritually a constant, consuming, malicious sinfulness.  The Bible aids us in fleshing out what sin looks like, and these verses provide a perfect example.  We can dispute over even the most doubtful things.

Do you find it interesting how bothered and offended we can be over things other people do, say, or believe?  It is most remarkable how the beliefs of a person can enrage someone else.  This is a natural tendency of all people.  If a person does or believes something and we disagree, it can create a wedge which can destroy friendships, families, and marriages.  There is nothing easier than finding fault in others, and we can become preoccupied and obsessed with how wrong other people are.  And we can't seem to let it go.  This is a product of our natural self which is corrupted with sin.  As these verse tell us, hatred and condemnation are common reactions in all men.  The fact this passage was written reveals this tendency is the natural bent of the flesh of even those who are born again.

Say a man named Bill eats meat, but Ted does not because he is a vegan.  Ted cites reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle, and Bill also has his reasons for eating all varieties of meat.  Despite diet being a small factor in the scope of our lives, verse 3 suggests Bill's tendency would be to despise (hate, think less of) Ted for his choice not to eat meat, and Ted's tendency would be to judge (condemn, call into question) Bill for eating meat.  They might be quite civil with one another when interacting, but each of their hearts can be set against the other over what they do or don't do.  In the scope of this universe and eternity the food a person eats is a small thing indeed.  If you do not agree, that is alright too!  The point is, the hearts of human beings can seize on the smallest of things and hate and judge others for what they do, don't do, say, or believe.

Once we are born again followers of Jesus Christ, no longer are we a slave to our sinful heart's natural inclinations to hate, despise, judge, and condemn others.  We are free from this burden, this necessity to critically size people up and look down on them for what they do or don't do.  We have been freely received by Christ despite our sins:  shouldn't we choose to love and accept others God has received?  You can accept people without agreeing with their choices.  God will receive all sinners who come to Him in faith and humble repentance.  If God has received a person in spite of their flaws or convictions, is it right for me to condemn them?  Those who exercise a liberty are commanded not to hate those who abstain, and those who abstain aren't to judge those who do that things they have strong convictions about.  Then we will walk in unity and experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers.

Hatred and being judgmental towards others does not protect us or the church from evil but actually injects the sin of self-righteousness into our souls which will eventually poison many.  Even if what a person is doing is wrong, we should not hate or judge them.  God is the righteous Judge and His Word has already spoken on the matter.  Our call is to meekly come alongside of believers overtaken with faults and to aid them in being restored to righteous living (Galatians 6:1).  We are commanded by Christ to love our enemies:  should we love less those God has received in the Body of Christ as His own beloved possession?

Loving the Law at Midnight

Have you ever suffered from insomnia?  It's lousy to feel exhausted and at the same time being unable to fall asleep in bed.  I had one of those nights recently.  I fell asleep almost immediately after prayer, but then I woke up in the middle of the night and trying to go back to sleep seemed a complete waste of effort and time.  I have a comfortable bed but there seemed no way to find comfort.  Ultimately I did drift off but not before hours were spent shifting from side to side without sleep.

During last night's evening reading of Psalm 119 I came across a passage which grabbed my attention in verse 62:  "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments."  The Psalmist was not afflicted by insomnia but intentionally rose at midnight to thank and praise God for His righteous judgments.  Now when was the last time any of us did this?  Few if any think there would be value in setting an alarm to rise at midnight to thank God for anything!  A casual reading of this chapter reveals the writer of this Psalm deeply loved God and things which are quite out of fashion for most today:  God's law, precepts, judgments, statutes, and testimonies.  Psalm 119, the longest single chapter in the Bible, is completely given over to praising God for His judgments and professing delight in His law.  I wonder if we love God's Law like this, to thank God with such profusion day and night?  I suppose my tossing and turning without rising to thank God suggests I don't love as I should.

Here is just a small sampling from this amazing chapter:

• "I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law." (Psalm 119:113)
• "Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!" (Psalm 119:127)
• "I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments." (Psalm 119:131)
• "I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure." (Psalm 119:162)
• "My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly." (Psalm 119:167)

Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.  That means He completed it, finished it.  No longer are born again Christians under the yoke of the letter of the Law Jesus has lifted.  As yoke-fellows of Jesus we are to love one another as He loves us and thus we too can fulfill God's Law.  This is something God calls us to do.  I read just this morning in Romans 13:8-10, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."  We have received Christ's righteousness by faith and our entire lives are in debt of God's grace, mercy, and love.  We owe love to others, for in loving others we will obey Christ's commands when He said, "It has been written...but I say unto you."  There are many "one another" commands in the New Testament, and not one of them can be performed in isolation.  The greatest of Christ's commands is found in John 13:34:  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments.  You who claim to love Christ, do you obey Him?  Do you love His commandments as an extension of Himself, having sprung from His righteous character, goodness, and grace?  If the Psalmist saw fit to rise at midnight with the express purpose to thank God for His Law, so should we.  Here is a biblical approach for insomnia:  embrace being alive and rejoice to offer God a sacrifice of praise.  Forget sleeping!  Do you rejoice at God's Word and pant for Christ's commandments at midnight?  Love is the law of Christ's kingdom.  It is written of Jesus in John 1:16-17, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  Jesus did for us internally what the Law of Moses could not do externally.  Faith in Jesus makes us new creations through whom His love flows to this world and brings light into the darkness.  Let us rise day and night to thank God for His goodness and grace unto men!

Clean Candy

The world which denies God also infinitely reduces the value God has placed upon human life.  This is revealed in the way we speak.  Saying someone is a "product of their environment" is not true of a person created in the image of God.  It minimises the power of God to transform people by the Holy Spirit.  Many today see humans as primarily sexual beings, but God created men and women to be defined by something far more profound than passing carnal appetites.  The Bible reveals human beings to be primarily spiritual beings who live in a human body for a short period of time on earth.  Since man has been created in the image of God we possess eternal souls which are of great importance to God and men as well.

Genesis 1:27-28 reads, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."  Because God maintains dominion over all things He has the authority and power to delegate authority over the earth and creatures He has created to men.  God has blessed mankind abundantly, providing us a habitable planet which suits our every need.  For the most part men have not praised God according to the blessing He has graciously provided.  We have abused our privilege, neglected to acknowledge or thank God, and have praised the works of our hands.  We have valued the gifts over the Giver.  We have defined ourselves according to our will and desires rather than according to God's righteous designs.

A friend of mine told me a story about the kids at the school where he teaches scripture.  He had brought back bags of candy from the United States to bless the kids in his class.  Upon arriving at the school after a break, he was surprised to find wrappers and candy still in plastic around the campus.  He went to the classroom and discovered all the candy he had brought to bless others was missing.  Someone had stolen the treasured candy and wasted it.  It cost them nothing.  Stolen bread is sweet, and sweeter still are Jolly Ranchers.  Candy meant for students in the classroom had been stolen, wasted, and was gone for good, eaten and thrown around by people who did not value it as they should have.  Sweet candy had become dirty and thus good for nothing.

This story made me sad.  But it also made me think about how God has blessed humans with many pleasures we can enjoy:  eating, drinking, sport, and sex are just a few of them.  Sex in this world has become like those sweet candies.  The Jolly Ranchers were meant for the classroom and sexual activity was intended by God to be enjoyed within the context of marriage God ordained between one man and one woman.  Yet man has chosen to feed greedily upon this gift without God's approval and it has become an idol for many.  Clean candy was wasted on the ground because of theft, and people rob themselves of God's blessing through fornication in the vain pursuit of satisfying their lusts.  My friend had no idea who stole or ate the candy he supplied, but God knows the hearts and actions of all.  God is the Judge who will see justice carried out for sins even carried out in secret.  If you think no one is hurt through infidelity or fornication, think again.  The one who does this works to destroy himself (1 Corinthians 6:18).  God created sex to be clean and pure in the correct context.

Whether you are married or single, hear the wisdom of God concerning sexual purity written in Proverbs 5:15-23:  "Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. ¹⁶ Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? ¹⁷ Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you. ¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. ²⁰ For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress? ²¹ For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths. ²² His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. ²³ He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray."  Only Jesus can break the bonds of sin.  He is the One who gives us new beginnings and a fresh clean start.  Hebrews 13:4 tells us, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."    Praise the LORD for His good gifts and for supplying all our needs.  We don't need candy to survive, and we don't need sex for a fulfilling or complete life either.  But praise God for the good clean gifts He gives!

Scrolling? Be Praying!

I've started reading Britt Merrick's book Godspeed and am enjoying it.  He speaks to the heart of God, one of a mission to reach people with His love and salvation.  God desires to work in and through the lives of His followers to engage people with the gospel wherever they are.  The first few chapters in particular are a needful reminder for Christians to serve God faithfully and embrace God's mission right now where they are.  Merrick writes:

In order to live at Godspeed, the disciples abandoned everything hindering them from living on mission with Christ.  What is Christ calling you to forsake?  What is hindering His mission from going forward through your life?  It's a mistake to think you calling is going to look just like Peter's, because the call of every person is distinct.  For most of us, Jesus isn't calling us to leave.  Instead He's calling us to stay and be faithful.  Even still, faithfulness often requires us to leave something behind.  Whether it's relinquishing a sin, a relationship, a consuming passion, or a selfish comfort, Jesus' call will radically affect our lives.  We the church are a sent people.  You and I are called by God to be on mission with Jesus within our current contexts.  Going on mission doesn't mean buying a plane ticket.  It means going where Christ has already sent us and being faithful to Him there.  Stop reading for a moment, and look around.  Your mission assignment is to this time, to this place, and to the people you interact with along the way. (Merrick, Britt, and Allison Trowbridge. Godspeed: Making Christ's Mission Your Own. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2012. 53. Print.)

As Christians, being faithful to pray is a massive part in us accomplishing God's mission to this world.  The capacity to pray according to God's will through the Holy Spirit to the God who loves, hears, and will answer us is a great gift provided us by God's grace.  I was convicted recently that I can scroll through the news - much of it awful - and continue scrolling without praying to God about what grieves my soul.  What if social media, instead of being a platform for personal expression, became a personal invitation to intercede for others?  How about if news reports became our new list of prayer requests - not praying for what we think needs to happen, but asking God how we might pray and what we might do to make a difference for God's glory and the good of others?

The mission of Jesus to seek and save the lost ought to be ours, as well as encouraging and edifying the body of Christ.  The ministry of Jesus was packed with prayer and He engaged daily with all sorts of people.  Being led by the Holy Spirit Jesus was never enslaved to programs or the expectations of any man or group.  He always did what pleased the Father, and through faith and obedience to God's Word we can do the same.  Instead of quickly scrolling to the next news story to satisfy our curiosity, let's take the time to seek the LORD in prayer.  When we wait on the LORD and prayerfully follow His lead, we will be a viable, fruitful member of the Body of Christ.

The Mighty King of All

"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Romans 10:12-13

The might of an earthy king often is measured by the strength of his people.  Without loyal subjects a king is not much of a king.  King Saul understood this and sought valiant and mighty men to attend him (1 Samuel 14:52).  King Nebuchadnezzar was not interested to invest in the poorest and weakest in Israel, but took the best and brightest to be trained as his advisers.  Men are not willing to accept just anyone.  But God is not weak like a king of this earth.  God's strength is absolute, not dependent upon men or anything lesser than Himself.  He has opened His arms in love and the everlasting kingdom of heaven to anyone who will come.

Think of that truth:  whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved!  Concerning salvation there is no difference between Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or free.  Even in our age of grace men and women retain their unique roles, but God shows no partiality between those people might deem weak or strong:  He will be LORD over all and rich to all who call upon Him.  God is LORD over all whether men will have Him or not, but those who repent and trust in Him will receive the riches of God's kingdom and the glorious presence of God forever.

God loves all and is willing to receive sinners, outcasts, those considered by the world to be "damaged goods" as His own inheritance.  Eternal citizenship in heaven is available to people who by the world's standards completely without merit.  Governments are not interested to take in immigrants without limit who will be a "drain" to the system.  The richest governments have limited wealth and resources, but not God.  He is able to abundantly supply all the needs of the blind, lame, paralysed, and dead - and has healing and transformation in store for us as well.  Those who have a history of asthma or cannot pass a fitness test can be disqualified from serving in the armed forces today but it is people who are the equivalent of being bedridden in hospice care without hope of recovery God invites to join His righteous side.

Consider God's promises to people often marginalised in Isaiah 56:4-8:  "For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, ⁵ even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. ⁶ "Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants-- everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant-- 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." ⁸ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him."

God does not only care for or make eternal promises to those of Israel but also to eunuchs, sons of foreigners, and the outcasts.  In these people the LORD is glorified and His grace is magnified.  Praise our awesome King for His goodness to all!

Life and Peace

"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

Romans 8:6

After church on Sunday, I spoke with a brother in Christ about the peace God gives.  Some mistakenly have their own idea of "peace" they desire which involves financial prosperity, unfailing good health, ease, a lack of conflict coupled with material blessings.  That all sounds very fine, but that is not the peace God offers those who trust in Him.  Jesus has become for us Peace and as the Prince of Peace He knows all about it.  The peace God gives is not of this world and therefore is not coupled to anything transitory in this world like wealth or health.

Those whose minds are carnal and worldly - fixed solely upon the passing pleasures of this life with no regard for God or living righteously - death will be the result.  Sin brings with it a curse which separates us from God and brings us under His wrath and judgment ending in the death of the body and the eternal death of our souls in hell.  Yet those who are born again through repentance and faith in Jesus are made spiritually minded and receive from God eternal life and peace.  This peace is not an absence of conflict, for Jesus has promised His faithful followers in this world we will have tribulation.  This peace means to join, to bring back together as one again.  It is divine reconciliation, like a estranged son being joyfully and permanently reunited with his loving father.

This peace is well described in Ephesians 2:12-15:  "...that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace..."  The life and peace described here are as inseparable as God the Father and God the Son Jesus Christ.  There can be no peace apart from eternal life, and there can be no eternal life without the peace of God that passes understanding.  It is only through Christ we can experience this life and peace God promises and is not contingent on our circumstances.

This peace with God is experienced through rest and contentment within a person even in the midst of trials.  Yet if we recognise we are conflicted in our mind or heart we are called to seek God's presence once again in humble repentance.  Matthew Henry wrote this concerning the peace of God in his book Experiencing God's Presence:

There is a lesson in all this:  those who have the assurances of God's favour toward them may enjoy, and should labour after, a holy serenity and security of mind.  We have both of these put together in that precious promise, "The work of righteousness shall be peace" (Isaiah 32:17).  There is a present satisfaction in doing good; and in the final outcome, the effect of righteousness will be quietness and assurance forever - quietness in the enjoyment of good, and assurance in a freedom from evil.  A holy serenity is one blessed fruit of God's favour:  "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep."  While we are under God's displeasure, or in doubt concerning His favour, how can we have any enjoyment of ourselves?  While this great concern is unsettled, the soul cannot be satisfied.  Does God have a controversy with you? (Henry, Matthew. Experiencing God's Presence. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1997. 117. Print.)

God's peace is more than prosperity or feelings of contentment but actual union with God.  Because Christ is our life - He in us and we in Him - the peace of God can be ever-present reality in our daily experiences.  How amazing and good God is that He would be our peace!  Praise the LORD His peace is not dependent on this changing world but established on His timeless character and love.  In all situations we can greatly rejoice and experience God's peace through faith in Him

The Latest Craze

Over the past week and a half I have been busy hosting my nephew and niece (teens) visiting from the United States.  We have enjoyed a trek in the Blue Mountains, have eaten some local fare, and even went beach fishing early this morning.  it was cold and windy!  My nephew had the joy of a kookaburra swiping a bit of sandwich from his mouth.  I had one brush my chest as it swooped down to steal my pilchard as I was baiting the hook.  I was very thankful one of big ganged hooks I use didn't catch him!

One thing I have grown familiar with is taking guests to some of the "touristy" spots.  I highly recommend the free walking tour of Sydney and taking the ferry over to Manly for fish and chips.  There aren't many surprises when riding the train or driving around town.  But our walk past the Sydney Opera House was certainly memorable.  Circular Quay is one of the most picturesque areas of Sydney with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, but very few people were taking pictures.  They had phones alright, but they were using them for an entirely different purpose.  Crowds of people were milling around and scanning their phones to find virtual monsters with the app "Pokemon Go."  Hundreds of people in their 20's and 30's were completely engrossed in playing the game alone and others laughed with friends.

This struck me as most bizarre.  There we stood at a world famous site, but it seemed the locals or tourists playing the game never paused to take in the beauty of the scene and the approaching sunset.  The glorious evening didn't make the impact the game seemed to.  In His dealings with human beings, I imagine God sees this sort of thing all the time.  He has given us life, surrounded us with beauty, and speaks to us in many ways.  Yet we can be so taken with a game, technology, a virtual world of social media, passing amusements, that we miss out on so much which would enrich our lives for eternity.  God's grace is revealed that He lavishes beauty on those who are not looking for it and speaks to people who aren't listening.  He continues to reach out to people He loves and provides opportunities for everyone to lift their eyes and see His glory.

It's crazy that "Pokemon Go" will become a "Pokemon god" for some, and like other gods it can never deliver in the end.  Crazes and fads come and go, but God endures forever.  Only God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think - without server issues, malware, bugs, updates, and ads.  It is ridiculous to compare the Living God to anything, but the truth remains we often settle for infinitely less than spending time with Him.  Let us praise Him for His goodness towards us and the beauty of His holiness.  How might your life change for good if spending time with Jesus became your latest craze?