Can Purity come from Impurity?

I came across a flask on the ground the other day.  It was a empty water bottle in the shape of a flask by a Lake Tahoe company called "Liquid Salvation."  The company slogan grabbed my attention:  "Pure Water for an Impure World."  On the bottle was a "she-devil" or succubus, a female demon.  When an order is placed for water online, you can choose between the "horns" or "halo" packaging to suit your taste.  The whole thing is in bad taste if you ask me, and is a further sign of the moral erosion and perversion of what is good.

The devil loves nothing more than cheapening the goodness and grace of God.  He will stop at nothing to pervert the straight way of the LORD, and the world loves it!  Halo or horns, it doesn't matter!  But I am confident that the horns are much more popular.  These are the days when wickedness is called good the prophet Isaiah spoke about. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

The rainbow in the heavens was a sign of a promise God gave to Noah and all the inhabitants of earth, that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again.  The homosexual community has taken the curved rainbow and made it straight, perverting God's creation.  God instituted marriage to be monogamous between one man and one woman, yet countless websites are dedicated to enabling and teaching people to cheat on their wives and husbands without being caught.  Their catchphrases are "Have an affair - life is short."  and "Married but looking?"  On cnn.com there was an article today about if monogamy is realistic in our modern culture.  More and more people are convinced it is not a moral decision if you swing or have affairs, but a personal one that no one can say anything about.  Pornography is no longer seen as a vice or dirty but a healthy way to spice up lovemaking and is an acceptable rite of passage for today's youth.

Is salvation to be found in a liquid?  Is there any purity to be gained from this impure world?  Is forgiveness no longer necessary?  Is the brazen attack by Satan upon the family God instituted and designed certain to succeed?  2 Tim. 3:13 warns us, "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."  God has given us His perfect law which does not alter.  The pure message of the Gospel did not originate from the earth, but from God in the heavens.  Deceived people have suggested that God does not exist, there is no absolute truth, and even if there was truth it is outdated and does not apply to us!  The culture of today is primarily humanism, hedonism, and heathenism.  Anyone who thinks that technology has made humanity more "advanced" is a fool.  Modern technology enables man to pursue the basest of sexual sin with more reckless abandon than ever before in his history.  His pride and arrogance in this pursuit will be his destruction.

Now is the time for Christians to make a stand for Christ.  I do not mean that we should write television producers, set up picket lines, stand in front of abortion clinics with tape over our mouths, sign petitions, or put our faith in politicians.  We must be personally right with God first, walking in righteousness.  Could you imagine a world where the Christians could never be rightly accused of hypocrisy?  Can you imagine a world where Christians never looked at pornography, did not cheat on their wives or husbands, had the lowest rate of divorce, were sexually above reproach, were never closet alcoholics or drug users, and were the hardest workers, the best soldiers, the most courageous, bold, loyal,  honest, and upright citizens?

We all have sinned and made mistakes.  1 Cor. 6: 9-11 says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, [10] nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."  This is the true message of the Gospel today, same as it has been since the beginning.  All men have sinned and the wages of sin is death.  But now that we have repented and been converted by the blood of Jesus by grace through faith, let us walk uprightly.  It is not for us to point fingers and complain because the lost are lost, the spiritually blind are spiritually blind, fornicators fornicate, or drunkards drink.  Will you show them the way to Christ through your righteous conduct?  How shall they hear the Gospel unless they first see a person demonstrate the power of God through a sanctified life?

There is nothing pure in this world.  Even bottled water has been tainted by the appearance of evil and lies of the devil.  But our hope is found in Jesus Christ, and the promise of the Holy Spirit now without measure.  He will make us fountains of Living Water, and all who thirst Christ will satisfy with eternal life.  Allow me to conclude with 1 Thes. 4:3-7:  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; [4] that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, [5] not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; [6] that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. [7] For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."

The Life of a Messenger

Have you ever had to deliver an uncomfortable message?  I remember the time I was asked by a friend to serve a mate with divorce papers.  Uncomfortable and awkward is how I would describe that interaction.  Many times when I worked at a church I would approach transient people in various stages of sobriety and volatility and ask them to leave the property.  There have been times in preaching when I have been led by the LORD to touch on a sensitive subject or confront an issue.  It is always hard, and my flesh tends to resist.  If I said it always feels rewarding to deliver God's messages it would be a lie.  There is nothing more rewarding than walking in obedience to God delivering His messages, but it is not easy, simple, or fun for the flesh.  Sometimes it is grievous, gut-wrenching, and painfully hard to say what is right.

As children of God, we are tasked to deliver His message to the world.  Praise Him we are not alone in this joyful duty!  The message is greater than the messenger, and the one who sends the message is greater than the message itself.  In a Christian's case Christ is our message, and we remain less than the message.  He is the Vine and we are the branches.  Any branch that would elevate itself will be separated from the Vine and rendered powerless.  King Saul is a perfect example:  he exalted himself over the commands of God, and God's Spirit left him and an evil spirit was sent to torment him.  Saul was once small in his own eyes, but he was lifted up with pride and great was his fall.

What message has God given you to deliver?  The other day I was struggling to pray and asked God what He wanted me to do.  Though I have regular times of prayer, it has been a challenge to remain focused.  As I waited on the LORD, the only thing He impressed upon my heart was, "I want you to open your mouth."  Now if you know me personally, you know I have no problem with talking.  I feel like I need to shut my mouth rather than open it!  But the LORD showed me that He wants me to open my mouth concerning His righteous statutes, judgments, and truth.  A lot of times I stay quiet when I should speak.

2 Tim. 4:2 says, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."  I have never met a teacher who could not speak.  I am not saying you cannot learn from a mute teacher.  Communication is best done through verbal or written words.  Can a man convince, rebuke, exhort, or teach with hand signals?  He would probably not be very effective, persuasive, or clear.  The Word is our message, and before we can teach we must have learned.  A man who knows nothing is not convincing.  We must know what is right before we can properly convince, rebuke, or exhort.  Because this task requires spiritual discernment, we must be empowered with the Holy Spirit, whom the Father gives to all who ask Him.  Jesus says in Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Your life is sending a message to the world whether you choose to open your mouth or not.  What message does it hold forth?  Even if we speak the truth, we must remember to be longsuffering.  God is longsuffering, one of His wonderful attributes.  2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."  If God was not longsuffering, we would all be damned.  He is not lazy or a procrastinator.  We are the ones who excel at these vices!  I am glad that God is longsuffering towards the heathen and godly alike, for if God treated us according to our sins who should remain?

When I went on a mission trip to Israel in 2005, God opened my understanding concerning the delivery of the message of the Gospel.  People will not warm to facts, but to love.  When people realize that you come to them because of your love for them, they will listen.  When we bring a message because we are right and they are wrong, they will likely be defensive and closed to the message.  Though words are important, the way we say something is more telling than our words.  1 John 1:5-7 says, "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

The messenger is not responsible for the reception of the message.  But we have a responsibility to deliver God's message with the grace, love, and longsuffering of Christ.  We need not apologize for the truth, and it cannot be diluted.  As a patient with a potentially terminal condition must hear the truth to be convinced to undergo radical life-changes for a cure, people need to hear the unadulterated truth of God's message:  we who were once far from God can now be brought near through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and those who believe on Him will never die.  May God grant us the boldness to speak the truth in love.

A Sacrifice of Praise

Recently I attended one of the larger churches in the Brisbane region.  The church building has all the amenities of a modern, lavish fellowship in the States.  For a price lunch could be purchased after the service in the church's outdoor food court.  The building was bustling with activity:  Sunday school for the children, a large information desk with several attendants, greeters, ushers, and on.  It was the kind of place it would be easy to keep to yourself, show up late, leave early, and keep a low-profile.

From the moment the service began, it was flash and dash, razzle-dazzle.  About twenty people filled the stage as lights flashed above and behind them.  Cameras would shoot close-ups of the half-dozen people towards the front of the stage who danced as they sang, and the image simultaneously projected on enormous screens.  I couldn't help but notice the strikingly similar style of them all.  They were all young, energetic, attractive, the males sporting short mustaches and tousled hair, and the team all clapped with the same form.  When they raised their hands it was as if they had been trained by the same "worship" teacher, imitating a single motion.  But there was something strangely absent in the hoopla and showmanship of the worship team.  Oh, I heard them say the name of Jesus many, many times.  But I'm not sure that Jesus was there.  He wasn't really needed.

I jotted down some lyrics from the songs:  "You make me stronger...we're breaking down these walls...it's the sound of victory."  Huh.  I must disagree with the premise.  Jesus does not make us "stronger" because that assumes we have a measure of strength in ourselves.  Paul said when he was weak, God was strong!  No, apart from Jesus Christ we are all like Samson when the Spirit of God left him:  weak, blind, bound, taken captive, imprisoned, and enslaved.  Can we break down a spiritual wall?  Jesus is the one who by Himself as broken down the wall of separation as it is written in Ephesians 2:13-14:  "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..."  We cannot break down a wall, we cannot calm a storm, we cannot even lift our own heads!  It was David who wrote in Psalm 3:3:  "But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head."

As I watched the people on stage saying the name of Jesus, eyes closed, with hands raised in identical fashion, it occurred to me that many people believe the display on stage is "worship."  I am convinced the people on stage believed it was worship too.  No:  it was singing and dancing.  A song is no better than the message, and the message was humanistic.  Worship is the praise, adoration, and glorification of God.  Worship of God can be enjoined through the skillful playing of instruments, singing, or dancing.  "Worship" is not something reserved for Sundays with flashing lights and electric guitars.  Worship is submission to God in every facet of life.   I had the feeling I was watching the prophets of Ba'al on Mount Carmel trying to call down fire from heaven.  But God is not like a dog that comes when you whistle.  James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

We are in the age of the "All You Have To Do Is Believe" gospel, with a little "g."  It is uncommon in modern churches to hear about the necessity of repentance and confession of sin.  A man cannot be converted until he has repented; he cannot repent until he has been convicted; he will not be convicted unless he is faced with the All-powerful righteous God.  It is the impending harsh consequences that move a felon to confess his crimes.  In the same way, a man must confess before God his gross sin and rebellion.  It is the goodness of God, not the harshness of our punishment which leads a man to repentance and salvation through faith.  Hebrews 10:19-22 says, "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, [21] and having a High Priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

During the service I was not angry or indignant.  But I was certainly grieved because of the lack of sound doctrine according to scripture.  Christianity is not about what God can do for man, how He can prosper our finances and do miracles in our lives.  When we follow the doctrine of humanism (God exists for the happiness of man) we sever the head of Christ from the Body of Christ.  Our power becomes political, not spiritual.  Our focus becomes activity, not piety that God would be glorified.  Many would rather rejoice in their flesh than repent.  God would rather godly sorrow than our songs with self-empowering themes.  2 Cor. 7:10 says, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."  I think it's time for us to come to God on His terms for a change.

There are an infinite number of ways to worship our LORD and Savior, for He is infinitely good and worthy of all praise.  Informal, liturgical, traditional, there are many styles for many tastes.  But if the salt has lost its savor, it is garbage.  Make sure that Jesus is the savor that marks your meetings.  Ephes. 5:2 says, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."  Instead of offering strange fire before Him, let us offer ourselves as a sacrifice of praise, worshiping God in spirit and truth.

Fear is good?

Tonight I had an unplanned adventure.  This evening at dusk, I decided to take a run past the bridge on Illaweena Street.  Once I reached the bridge, I decided to crawl under the fence and run a trail along the motorway that I have been theorizing loops to the top of my street.  Crows croaked to each other overhead, and animals rustled through the dead sticks and leaves on my right.  Early on I decided that I was committed to finishing the loop, dark or not.  Though I was running uphill, my pace quickened.  On my left was a fence separating me from the oncoming cars on the motorway and to my right was a thickly wooded forest as I ran down the rocky path, wide enough to accommodate a full-size truck.

I had not run far before I ran through a single strand of spider web to the face the thickness of dental floss.  Great, I thought to myself, knowing that the path eventually narrowed ahead.  As I ran I quickly took inventory of my shirt, making sure that I had not picked up some fearsome Aussie eight-legged beast.  Now I don't consider myself afraid of spiders, but the thought of running face first into webs of spiders whose fangs are visible to the naked eye in the dark did not sound good.  Jesus, I need you to get me through this, I prayed out loud.  "Do you trust me?"  Yes, LORD.  "Then trust me to lead the way.  Nothing will harm you."  As much as I wanted to turn around, I pressed on through the falling darkness.  By this point I knew where I was and I thought of the thickening woods towards the end of the path.  What was I thinking, running through the woods after dark?

Was I afraid?  I suppose so.  I could feel adrenaline tingling through my legs and arms, bringing goose bumps to the surface.  If there was no such thing as fear, there would be no need for adrenaline!  Then it occurred to me:  if there was no such thing as fear, there would be no impetus for faith.  Why trust God if you are capable in yourself?  It is fear of burning to death which moves a person to jump three stories from a burning building onto the pavement beneath.  That person does not have a death wish:  he wants to live.  He wants to live so badly that he is willing to jump from a height that under normal circumstances he would never consider.  Fear stimulates the need to exercise faith.

Before I preach, I experience a full-range of emotions.  I am excited about what God has called me to deliver, but I tremble at the monstrous responsibility of the task.  Should a messenger tarnish the King's command, his blood will be on his own head.  There is a reverential awe that turns a man toward complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit for utterance, for without anointing it will be wind without effect.  Like Joseph when he was asked to interpret Pharaoh's dream, I can say the ability to preach is not in me.  But I know it is what God has called me to do, and so I will do my part to be faithful to that calling when opportunity presents itself.

I challenge you to answer the question:  what makes you afraid?  God knows.  Allow your fear to direct your heart towards deeper faith in Jesus.  True to His Word, I emerged from the forest in the dark without harm.  Adrenaline is a powerful chemical that enables us to push harder, to "fight or fly" with strength beyond natural capacity.  When fear strikes, faith can be stronger.  Faith in our God allows Him to work supernatural wonders in our lives which bring Him glory and praise.  I believe fear is a good thing because it moves a man to pray.  It coaxes us to jump for salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.  When we reach the end of our ability and we recognize this, we must rely upon the One who will see us through.  We will say like David in Psalm 23:4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."  Those who fear God need not fear, because fear moves a man to faith.