Nehemiah is one of my Bible heroes. Talk about a guy who was completely devoted to God, unshakable in faith, was fearless in obedience and speech, a prayer warrior, kept others accountable to God, and a hard-core straight-shooter. He was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes and God moved Nehemiah to lead the Jews in rebuilding the wall surrounding Jerusalem. If I had to pick a guy I admire most in the O.T., it would likely be Nehemiah. Thankfully I don't have to pick one!
When Nehemiah began the building the walls of Jerusalem, not everyone was pleased about this development. Though he had the approval and financial backing of King Artaxerxes and God moved upon many Jews to put their backs to the work, Sanballat and Tobiah among others despised that any would seek the welfare of the Jews. Throughout the book of Nehemiah we see them scheming and trying every possible way to distract, threaten, or place fear in the hearts of the Jews. When they laughed scornfully at Nehemiah for his efforts, he says this to them in Neh. 2:20: "...The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem."
Nehemiah knew his efforts alone would amount to nothing, but God would cause His servants to prosper and prevail though their enemies threatened them. But the part of the statement which jumped off the page to me is the second half. If a statement is true, then the exact opposite is also true. Nehemiah was inferring in his statement to Sanballat and Tobiah that he had a heritage, a right, and a memorial in Jerusalem. The word "heritage" is translated from "allotment, or inheritance." Jerusalem was the place where God placed His name, and directed King David and Solomon his son in the building of the temple there. For this reason the children of Israel had a right to Jerusalem: a right to build, inhabit, protect, and worship according to God's will and commands. Every sacrifice offered was a "memorial" before the Lord, and the Jews had a rich history of worship in Jerusalem.
I immediately began to think of the spiritual application for those who rest in the New Covenant of Christ's blood and have been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Followers of Christ are now the Temple of the Holy Spirit and we have a heritage, right, and memorial by the grace of God. The worship of God no longer confined by geography or a dot on a map: Christians are blessed to be able to come before God's throne room of grace with Christ as Mediator and Intercessor at any time, from any place. God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
Christians have an eternal inheritance in the heavens which does not wax old or fade away. Jesus spoke to Paul in Acts 26:17-18: "I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, [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." All have a right to Christ because He has said, "Whosoever will." God loved all people so much He sent His only Son so whoever believes in Him will not perish but receive eternal life. Christians receive righteousness imputed through faith. 1 Cor. 1:30-31: "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." The prayers of Christians rise as a memorial before God. Cornelius had a vision during which an angel of God spoke to him: Acts 10:4 says, "...Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God." It is through Christ and the grace of God we have an inheritance, righteousness, and a memorial before God.
Let us refuse to be cheated of our rights as children of God by scorn, intimidation tactics, or attacks of the enemy! We do not claim our rights out of selfish ambition, but we stand upon the firm promises of God. As Christians we must receive what God has given and choose to abide in Christ. May His boldness, courage, and zeal rest upon us to fulfill our calling for His glory.
08 June 2010
06 June 2010
Don't miss the point!
A great difficulty within mankind is we so often miss the point. For instance, I have heard messages preached and seen books written upon the Jewish dietary law outlined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. A common point made is God's wisdom of the law deemimg certain animals unclean, such as shellfish, anything in the sea without fins and scales, or mammals with a split hoof which do not chew the cud. "God protected His people," some would point out, "by eliminating potentially hazardous foods such as pork, crustaceans, buzzards, and bats which are known to carry diseases and parasites." This statement alone may be true: however, I disagree with the premise. I believe that by obedience to God's law His people were blessed and protected, not because of evidence pointing to certain animals being clean and others unclean. God doesn't need science to validate His miraculous protection, but science certainly needs God!
Cows are clean under the law, yet many people to this day have been sickened through disease from beef. Chicken is considered Kosher, but I myself have suffered from leftover chicken! The fact remains that people in countries all over the world have eaten all manner of things living and dead, cooked or uncooked, for thousands of years without ill effect. What was God's point at the end of laying out rules concerning diet? Leviticus 11:44-47 reads, "For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. [45] For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. [46] 'This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, [47] to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten." The main point is God is holy and His people are to be consecrated unto Him. Nothing God does is arbitrary, but in His wisdom He clearly defined rules what His people were to eat and what they were to avoid eating. God desires his people to be consecrated to Him alone. While some people made a god of their belly, God's people were to be consecrated and separate unto Him. The same is true to this day.
It is God who makes a man holy from the inside. A man can never be holy by the things he does, for there is nothing holy within him. Jesus says in Matthew 15:10-11, "...Hear and understand: [11] Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." What the heart conceals the mouth reveals, and no amount of outer submission to rules will change a man's heart. By God's grace only faith in Jesus Christ can do this. Paul continues this line of thinking in 1 Cor. 10:25-26: "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; [26] for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." Anything which is sold in the market is fair game, Paul says. This must have come at a shock to Jews who for their entire lives had carefully monitored the contents of every mouthful. The MAIN point? 1 Cor. 10:31 sums it up: "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
One of the maxims hammered home in my English classes throughout school was, "Keep the main thing the main thing." It seems like Christians are pulled in every direction except the most meaningful, which is a closer walk with Jesus Christ. It is a voluntary path we walk as believers and one that Satan will do everything in his power to distract, disillusion, and dissuade us from following Christ. He lusts for glory but he will allow us a taste if it means Christ is robbed of honor. When we honor and obey God, He will cause us to prosper. This does not mean we will be rich in worldly wealth, be famous or popular, or even succeed in the eyes of others. James 2:5 says, "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" Let us decide to be consecrated unto God, fully trusting and pleasing Him. Just because we think we understand God's plans doesn't mean we do. His ways are past finding out!
Cows are clean under the law, yet many people to this day have been sickened through disease from beef. Chicken is considered Kosher, but I myself have suffered from leftover chicken! The fact remains that people in countries all over the world have eaten all manner of things living and dead, cooked or uncooked, for thousands of years without ill effect. What was God's point at the end of laying out rules concerning diet? Leviticus 11:44-47 reads, "For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. [45] For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. [46] 'This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, [47] to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten." The main point is God is holy and His people are to be consecrated unto Him. Nothing God does is arbitrary, but in His wisdom He clearly defined rules what His people were to eat and what they were to avoid eating. God desires his people to be consecrated to Him alone. While some people made a god of their belly, God's people were to be consecrated and separate unto Him. The same is true to this day.
It is God who makes a man holy from the inside. A man can never be holy by the things he does, for there is nothing holy within him. Jesus says in Matthew 15:10-11, "...Hear and understand: [11] Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." What the heart conceals the mouth reveals, and no amount of outer submission to rules will change a man's heart. By God's grace only faith in Jesus Christ can do this. Paul continues this line of thinking in 1 Cor. 10:25-26: "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; [26] for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." Anything which is sold in the market is fair game, Paul says. This must have come at a shock to Jews who for their entire lives had carefully monitored the contents of every mouthful. The MAIN point? 1 Cor. 10:31 sums it up: "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
One of the maxims hammered home in my English classes throughout school was, "Keep the main thing the main thing." It seems like Christians are pulled in every direction except the most meaningful, which is a closer walk with Jesus Christ. It is a voluntary path we walk as believers and one that Satan will do everything in his power to distract, disillusion, and dissuade us from following Christ. He lusts for glory but he will allow us a taste if it means Christ is robbed of honor. When we honor and obey God, He will cause us to prosper. This does not mean we will be rich in worldly wealth, be famous or popular, or even succeed in the eyes of others. James 2:5 says, "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" Let us decide to be consecrated unto God, fully trusting and pleasing Him. Just because we think we understand God's plans doesn't mean we do. His ways are past finding out!
03 June 2010
Confession is Key
Have you ever had a revelation of truth from God's Word, a revelation seemingly simple but so profound it could not be anything but the finger of God? The raw power of God's truth is greater than the most dynamic force found in nature. The words of scripture are more explosive than a volcano or hurricane. Rather than bringing death upon His listeners, God's holy Word bursts with life. I had an epiphany of sorts this morning when I was reading Leviticus 4, a chapter devoted to the "sin offering of ignorance." If a priest, the whole congregation, a ruler, or a member of the children of Israel sinned in ignorance against God, they were required to bring a prescribed animal before the altar. They would place their hand on the animal's head and kill it as a sin offering before the priests. This would be a public ceremony for all to see.
The LORD prompted my thoughts in rapid succession. The bull, lamb, or goat would be killed before all, just like Jesus the Lamb of God was slain as a sacrifice for sin in public. He was beaten, scourged, humiliated, mocked, stripped nude, and nailed to a cross for all to see. There is no need for animal sacrifice anymore under the Old Covenant of the Law because Christ has fulfilled it and ushered in the New Covenant in His blood. Leviticus 4 deals with sins of ignorance, yet there was public confession and sacrifice. Jesus became sin for us though He had never sinned. Today God revealed to me what is missing in many churches today - public confession. I am not referring to "confession" before a priest as mediator (for there is one Mediator in heaven who is Christ, our High Priest), but the confession of sins before fellow believers. Is this necessary? Let God's Word be true and consider it well.
God led me to consider the implications of James 5:16: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Here are some excerpts I wrote this in my journal this morning: "A lack of public confession results in a lack of prayer, and a lack of prayer causes us to drown in trespasses and ignore repentance. Confession is the first step toward repentance. A lack of repentance brings with it a lack of power and abundance of sin. Our spiritual progress, growth, and fruitfulness will be severely impeded. If we say we are without sin we call God a liar (1 John 1:10) for He says clearly, "...all have sinned." (Rom. 3:23). Today we coddle our pride using embarrassment to cloak it, masking our sin with plastic righteousness. Forgive me, dear LORD, for protecting myself from confession and in so doing barricading myself from your grace and healing touch."
Biblical confession is sorely missed in the church today. We need people like Ezra, who were not ashamed to weep over the sins of the congregation before all. Ezra 10:1 reads, "Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly." We're so worried today about making people feel ashamed about their sin. I can hear someone blurt out, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Usually only the first part of Romans 8:1 is quoted by such folk, by the way!) Shouldn't we feel ashamed when we do wrong? The Bible condemns sin consistently and constantly. As children of God we are no longer condemned because all of our sin past and future has been cleansed with Christ's blood. Even so, sin must be confessed.
Read James 5:16 again: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." If we shirk confession, then prayer will be lacking. Faith in Christ and prayer are the keys to this healing and restoration, as we see in the verse prior to this: James 5:15 reads, "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." How the devil would love for us to think confession is an outdated, almost unsanitary notion and thus remain spiritually sick and weighed down by sins. Why do you think the church is weak and powerless? One obvious reason is the sin which remains unconfessed within it! Prayer from just anyone will not do: effective prayer which avails much is sent from the hearts and lips of the righteous! We are not righteous in ourselves but Christ's righteousness has been imputed to every believer. Yet we must walk in righteousness. We must keep ourselves free from sin. And if we do not confess our faults to one another, and we do not pray for one another, we will not be healed. The prayer of a man who stubbornly hides his sin and continues in it will be ineffective and weak.
God gave me this idea. Allow a portion or yield the entire time of corporate prayer held at church (as the Holy Spirit leads!) to be a time of confession and prayer one for another. No one must confess, but all will be encouraged to confess because all who are born again are in an intense spiritual battle. We all fall, we all make mistakes, and sometimes we repeat those mistakes over and over. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for their disregard for Christ's body during the receiving of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Christ and for this reason many were sick among them. God even allowed some to die because of their sin! Do you see a personal need for healing? If you do not see your need for prayer you are blinded by the deceitfulness of sin, are somehow ignorant of the necessity and power of prayer, or perhaps not even born again! Jesus prayed publicly and was made a public spectacle for my sin and your sin. If we will not be honest and open with each other, how can we say we are open with a God who is a consuming fire?
How secret sin rips at our regenerated souls! Lot's righteous soul was vexed by the sin which surrounded Him in Sodom: how much more should we be vexed by sins in our own hearts! The immorality of the city stopped at his doorstep, but many believers have been bound, gagged, and overcome by sin in the heart. Jesus came to set the captives free, and we are scared that a Christian convicted by sin might feel uncomfortable! I ask you: how uncomfortable was Jesus on the cross? What kind of shame was He subjected to as He hung naked on the cross of Calvary? Consider the truth of God's Word. He wants to shake us out of our complacency, free us from bondage, and heal us of our guilt and shame. The will of Jesus Christ is for our good. Sometimes pain must come before healing. Allow the Christ to lance our wounds with His Word so we might be purged, cleansed, and healed.
Are you willing to confess to one another, pray, and see the healing God brings? When we are obedient to Christ and to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our lives will be a powerful testimony of the grace, healing, and love of our Savior. Never barricade yourself from God's grace because of pride. We serve a God who is gracious, compassionate, full of forgiveness, and slow to anger. He has punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and has given us great deliverance through Jesus Christ. Believe and receive!
The LORD prompted my thoughts in rapid succession. The bull, lamb, or goat would be killed before all, just like Jesus the Lamb of God was slain as a sacrifice for sin in public. He was beaten, scourged, humiliated, mocked, stripped nude, and nailed to a cross for all to see. There is no need for animal sacrifice anymore under the Old Covenant of the Law because Christ has fulfilled it and ushered in the New Covenant in His blood. Leviticus 4 deals with sins of ignorance, yet there was public confession and sacrifice. Jesus became sin for us though He had never sinned. Today God revealed to me what is missing in many churches today - public confession. I am not referring to "confession" before a priest as mediator (for there is one Mediator in heaven who is Christ, our High Priest), but the confession of sins before fellow believers. Is this necessary? Let God's Word be true and consider it well.
God led me to consider the implications of James 5:16: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Here are some excerpts I wrote this in my journal this morning: "A lack of public confession results in a lack of prayer, and a lack of prayer causes us to drown in trespasses and ignore repentance. Confession is the first step toward repentance. A lack of repentance brings with it a lack of power and abundance of sin. Our spiritual progress, growth, and fruitfulness will be severely impeded. If we say we are without sin we call God a liar (1 John 1:10) for He says clearly, "...all have sinned." (Rom. 3:23). Today we coddle our pride using embarrassment to cloak it, masking our sin with plastic righteousness. Forgive me, dear LORD, for protecting myself from confession and in so doing barricading myself from your grace and healing touch."
Biblical confession is sorely missed in the church today. We need people like Ezra, who were not ashamed to weep over the sins of the congregation before all. Ezra 10:1 reads, "Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly." We're so worried today about making people feel ashamed about their sin. I can hear someone blurt out, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Usually only the first part of Romans 8:1 is quoted by such folk, by the way!) Shouldn't we feel ashamed when we do wrong? The Bible condemns sin consistently and constantly. As children of God we are no longer condemned because all of our sin past and future has been cleansed with Christ's blood. Even so, sin must be confessed.
Read James 5:16 again: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." If we shirk confession, then prayer will be lacking. Faith in Christ and prayer are the keys to this healing and restoration, as we see in the verse prior to this: James 5:15 reads, "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." How the devil would love for us to think confession is an outdated, almost unsanitary notion and thus remain spiritually sick and weighed down by sins. Why do you think the church is weak and powerless? One obvious reason is the sin which remains unconfessed within it! Prayer from just anyone will not do: effective prayer which avails much is sent from the hearts and lips of the righteous! We are not righteous in ourselves but Christ's righteousness has been imputed to every believer. Yet we must walk in righteousness. We must keep ourselves free from sin. And if we do not confess our faults to one another, and we do not pray for one another, we will not be healed. The prayer of a man who stubbornly hides his sin and continues in it will be ineffective and weak.
God gave me this idea. Allow a portion or yield the entire time of corporate prayer held at church (as the Holy Spirit leads!) to be a time of confession and prayer one for another. No one must confess, but all will be encouraged to confess because all who are born again are in an intense spiritual battle. We all fall, we all make mistakes, and sometimes we repeat those mistakes over and over. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for their disregard for Christ's body during the receiving of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Christ and for this reason many were sick among them. God even allowed some to die because of their sin! Do you see a personal need for healing? If you do not see your need for prayer you are blinded by the deceitfulness of sin, are somehow ignorant of the necessity and power of prayer, or perhaps not even born again! Jesus prayed publicly and was made a public spectacle for my sin and your sin. If we will not be honest and open with each other, how can we say we are open with a God who is a consuming fire?
How secret sin rips at our regenerated souls! Lot's righteous soul was vexed by the sin which surrounded Him in Sodom: how much more should we be vexed by sins in our own hearts! The immorality of the city stopped at his doorstep, but many believers have been bound, gagged, and overcome by sin in the heart. Jesus came to set the captives free, and we are scared that a Christian convicted by sin might feel uncomfortable! I ask you: how uncomfortable was Jesus on the cross? What kind of shame was He subjected to as He hung naked on the cross of Calvary? Consider the truth of God's Word. He wants to shake us out of our complacency, free us from bondage, and heal us of our guilt and shame. The will of Jesus Christ is for our good. Sometimes pain must come before healing. Allow the Christ to lance our wounds with His Word so we might be purged, cleansed, and healed.
Are you willing to confess to one another, pray, and see the healing God brings? When we are obedient to Christ and to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our lives will be a powerful testimony of the grace, healing, and love of our Savior. Never barricade yourself from God's grace because of pride. We serve a God who is gracious, compassionate, full of forgiveness, and slow to anger. He has punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and has given us great deliverance through Jesus Christ. Believe and receive!
01 June 2010
Australia Update!
People at church come up to me often and say things like, "So when are you going to Australia? I thought you were already there!" No, I'm not currently in Australia - but I will be in God's time. In April Laura and I interviewed for the pastoral vacancy at Calvary Chapel Sydney. I recently heard from the fellowship and it will likely be a couple of months before the process is complete. In the meantime we will keep praying for God to prepare our hearts, for unity and steadfastness in Sydney, and spiritual discernment to know God's perfect will.
I read this passage after dinner tonight and it is really wonderful. Ezra 8:21-23 reads, "Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. [22] For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." [23] So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer." This is fitting for me, my family, and the fellowship in Sydney. How important it is to humble ourselves, pray, and fast that God would reveal the right way for us to go.
Since the very beginning the temptation has always existed to trust in a hand of flesh when we are to trust in God alone. We trust what our eyes can see and our minds can understand rather then seeking God's will. We obsess and plan, worry and fret over our circumstances as if God is suddenly powerless to act. Ezra knew that God's hand is upon those for good who seek Him. The word "entreated" is "to search out, to strive after, ask, beg, request." Are we willing to deny ourselves and become humble beggars so God may help us? If we are sufficient in ourselves our need for God is reduced to convenience. After Ezra and the people sought the LORD, He answered them. He will answer us too if we will do the same!
The times and seasons of my life are in God's hands. I recall to mind what God has said: "You will preach, and you will be sent." The gates of hell shall not prevail against God's church, and nothing is able to separate me from the love of God. Christ is our hope and confidence no matter our circumstance. He will fulfill His Word!
I read this passage after dinner tonight and it is really wonderful. Ezra 8:21-23 reads, "Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. [22] For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." [23] So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer." This is fitting for me, my family, and the fellowship in Sydney. How important it is to humble ourselves, pray, and fast that God would reveal the right way for us to go.
Since the very beginning the temptation has always existed to trust in a hand of flesh when we are to trust in God alone. We trust what our eyes can see and our minds can understand rather then seeking God's will. We obsess and plan, worry and fret over our circumstances as if God is suddenly powerless to act. Ezra knew that God's hand is upon those for good who seek Him. The word "entreated" is "to search out, to strive after, ask, beg, request." Are we willing to deny ourselves and become humble beggars so God may help us? If we are sufficient in ourselves our need for God is reduced to convenience. After Ezra and the people sought the LORD, He answered them. He will answer us too if we will do the same!
The times and seasons of my life are in God's hands. I recall to mind what God has said: "You will preach, and you will be sent." The gates of hell shall not prevail against God's church, and nothing is able to separate me from the love of God. Christ is our hope and confidence no matter our circumstance. He will fulfill His Word!
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