A Cake Unturned

People acquainted with me know that I enjoy cooking, especially baking.  From when I was relatively young, my mom taught me how to make pancakes and waffles from scratch.  Since then my love for baking and sharing with others (not to mention eating!) has continued to grow.  Some days I will simply open my Betty Crocker cookbook for inspiration and make something I've never made before.  The house favorites these days are pancakes, Wacky chocolate cake, pineapple upside-down cake, sour cream coffee cake, and lava cake.  It's shocking with all those cakes I can still fit into my pants!  To tweak a quote my Grandpa says affectionately about "Ol' Uncle August, a Lutheran minister who only lived to be 96, he preached moderation:  one cake at a time."

Last night I was reading to our family from Hosea and was intrigued by Hosea 7:8:  "Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned."  God had commanded his people not to adopt the abominable and idolatrous practices of the nations around them.  They were not to intermarry with people who did not fear the LORD or keep His Word.  Because Israel had been disobedient to this command and had been integrated among the heathen nations, God compared them to a "cake unturned."  What they called cakes we would likely call flatbread.  This might seem like a silly or even ridiculous analogy.  But when I took a moment to meditate upon the passage, how true it is!

Unlike today where most baking is done in electric or gas ovens, in Bible times people commonly cooked over a fire.  Those who bake know temperature control in an oven is very important.  I purchased a special thermometer for inside my oven because scorched baked goods revealed the temperature on the dial did not match the internal temperature!  Too low a temperature leads to rubbery cakes that do not rise properly, and too hot scorches the top which conceals a raw center.  Can you imagine trying to cook a cake over a fire without turning it over?  The bottom would burn black and stick to the pan, while the top would be raw and runny.  If you chipped out this cake and threw it to the dogs they would likely just sniff at it and walk away!  A cake unturned is a useless waste of good ingredients.  All the potential for a wholesome, delicious cake was there.  Neglect in baking properly led to a total culinary disaster.

The tribe of Ephraim were part of God's chosen people, the children of Israel.  Ephraim and Manasseh were a unique couple of "half-tribes," because they were descendants of Joseph, son of Israel.  After Joseph was raised as a ruler in Egypt, he had Ephraim and Manasseh.  Before his death, Israel (originally known as Jacob) adopted Joseph's two sons as his own and gave them an inheritance in place of Joseph among his other eleven sons.  In a similar way, Gentiles (non-Jews) have been grafted into the family of God through the New Covenant in Christ's blood.  If we confess our sins, repent, and trust in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour who was sent by God to seek and save the lost, we are accepted into the beloved (Eph. 1:6).  By grace through faith, we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (born again), and He takes up residence within us.  The power which raised Christ from the dead now lives in every believer, guiding, empowering, and teaching us in all things according to God's will.

By grace, God has given every Christian all that pertains to life and godliness.  Instead of the filth of sin, we have been cleansed and filled with the goodness and glory of God.  Every Christian has the potential to be fruitful and profitable for God's glory.  We are like a cake mixed of the finest ingredients by a Master Chef, and God has appointed us to be responsible for how we are baked.  If we choose to adopt the wisdom of the world, become unequally yoked with unbelievers, love the world, and make fleshly lusts our pursuit, we are like a cake unturned.  Our usefulness becomes stunted.  Instead of a sweet, spongy cake with a delicate scent, a cake unturned begins to smoke and causes God to wrinkle His nose in disgust.  Our lives can be an invitation to know Jesus Christ which is attractive.  But no one wants an unturned cake burned over a fire.

I am not my own because I have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ.  In my flesh dwells no good thing, but all the good "ingredients" of my life I have been freely given by God for God's glory.  Let us be careful that we do not adopt the practices and philosophy of the world.  We must be careful that we do not integrate sinful practices into our households and lives.  We are not just to avoid evil, but to live righteously.  Titus 2:11-14 reminds us:  "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."  Instead of mixing with the world, let us remain pure and set apart for God!

The Light of Life

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt." ²² So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. ²³ They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."

Exodus 10:21-23

God performed signs and wonders in Egypt to reveal Himself in power and glory.  Led by God, Moses demanded that Pharaoh let the Israelites go, who for 430 years lived in Egypt.  Towards the end of their time in Egypt the children of Israel suffered severe oppression and bondage as slaves.  Again and again the might of God was manifested through miraculous plagues.  The same pattern was repeated over and over:  Moses demanded Pharaoh let the people go, God would send another plague upon Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, Pharaoh would plead for respite, and once the plague was withdrawn then refuse to let the people go.  It took 10 grievous plagues and the death of all the firstborn of both man and cattle in Egypt for Pharaoh to let God's people go.

The ninth plague was oppressive darkness which could even be felt.  While the Egyptians experienced frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail mingled with fire, locusts, and tangible darkness, the Israelites in Goshen were kept from these plagues.  David wrote in Psalm 27:1, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  While the Egyptians huddled in the dark for three whole days without sight, "...all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."  I have never heard of a child being afraid of the light, only of the dark.  As the Egyptians experienced this supernatural darkness, I'm sure the children were not the only ones who were terrified!  The feelings of impending doom, hopelessness, hate, and raw fear permeated the nation.  It was a little taste of how the Bible describes Hell, a place of outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Contrasted with this fearful darkness, how wonderful it is to have light!  God said, "Let there be light!" and there was light.  Light allows a man to see, work, read, write, study, prepare food, distinguish friend from foe, and safely walk without falling.  Before the days of mobiles, televisions, computers, battery-powered flashlights, and electric power, man was at the mercy of fire to illuminate.  Candles, lamps, and a cooking fire were the means of providing light for a dwelling.  After the Israelites left Egypt, the presence of God appeared before them by day as a pillar of cloud, and at night was a pillar of fire.  1 John 1:5 reads, "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."  No matter how dark the world becomes, God will still provide light and guidance through the Bible and the Holy Spirit.  Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  He who follows Christ need not stumble.

A life without God is devoid of light and life.  The sun, moon, and stars are heavenly bodies which provide light for the earth.  A man may walk in the light of the sun and switch on lights powered by electricity, but may be in complete darkness spiritually.  He is like the Egyptians who cowered in the embrace of darkness.  Jesus says in John 8:12, "...I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  Jesus also spoke in John 12:46:  "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."  If I have received the light of life through faith in Jesus Christ, then I am called to walk in the light so God might use me to illuminate the way for others to receive of the Light of the World.  The light shines in the darkness like a beacon, leading to safe passage to eternal life.

Do you find yourself in darkness?  Find life and light through faith in Jesus!

The Forgotten Fundamental

Sometimes the most simple, basic fundamentals of a life in Christ are the easiest to forget.  Yet God, according to His unchanging, faithful character, does not forget anything.  He fully knows what He has said, and He remembers perfectly what we have said.  It is not uncommon for me to wake up in the middle of the night with perfect clarity.  Perhaps I have just experienced a vivid dream, or perhaps I remember something that I need to do.  Yet with the dawn of the day clouds drift through my memory and I find myself in a thick fog, unable to remember one detail of my thoughts which seemed at the time so clear and unforgettable.  God does not share my forgetfulness.

Being a Christian is much more than words affirming the reality of our faith.  Following Christ is more than a desire to remain in God's will.  So much of our struggles and troubles come not from temptations or trials, but through our lack of obedience.  We all know we ought to obey.  In the last century we have seen a departure from the emphasis on obedience to God and His Word in churches.  There are many factors which have contributed to this neglect.  Perhaps this is due to emphasis on God's grace, desiring to cast aside the scourge of legalism.  Maybe it is to avoid the appearance of "rules and regulations" of a Puritanical era.  It could be that we believe obedience is frankly unnecessary because Jesus has forgiven our sins and has imputed to us His righteousness.  Or even more sinister:  perhaps we feel that since perfect obedience is impossible, we might as well not strive to that end.  Why confront ourselves with our own pathetic attempts to obey?

I find great comfort in this promise found in 1 John 5:14-15:  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."  What marvelous assurance this is, that if we pray according to God's will He hears us, and we know with certainty we have the petitions we have asked.  But like all scripture, you cannot take these verses by themselves.  There is a critical aspect we must address before we can claim this promise.  Two chapters previous to this wonderful promise, we read in 1 John 3:21-23:  "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment."  So we see that we receive whatever we ask of God when we ask according to His will AND because we keep Christ's commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.  His command is that we believe on Him and love one another as He has loved us.

Though Christians are no longer under the requirements and justice of the Law, through being born again we have agreed to submit under the law of liberty.  We have been freed from sin and death to the end that we might glorify God with our words and deeds.  We are empowered to love God and one another as Christ loves us because of the indwelling Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within us, as we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Whatever He says we must do, otherwise we cannot claim to follow Christ.  Romans 6:12-17 says, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."

Let us not only put off the old man but be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and true holiness.  Jesus always does what pleases the Father, and if we are in Him we must choose to abide in Him.  It is God who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure.  We must present ourselves unto God as living sacrifices because that is our reasonable service.  It is good to pray according to the will of God, but it is just as important to live in obedience to the will of God.  To obey is better than a sacrifice of prayer.

The Burnout Option

More often than we think, God's Word stands in direct opposition to what we naturally think.  Every person understands how it feels to be fatigued and physically exhausted.  The combination of sleeping or eating poorly coupled with hard work simply wipes us out.  The lack of rest can make us drowsy, sluggish, and cranky.  There is a limit to what our bodies can handle, and too much stress can lead to becoming physically ill or having a nervous breakdown.  When Moses embraced the responsibility of leading the children of Israel, his father-in-law Jethro saw the warning signs of overwork.  Exodus 18:18 records his perception, "Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself."  The threat of burnout didn't cause Moses to quit, but to delegate some of his workload to other men anointed by the Spirit for such ministry.

Many people who serve in church ministry have experienced the crash-and-burn effect of overwork.  But the scripture makes it clear being "worn out" occurs when we are out of line with the will of God.  God kept the clothes and shoes of the children of Israel from wearing out as they were led by Him in the wilderness for 40 years!  Sometimes "burnout" is a phrase used to justify laziness; other times men refuse to heed the wisdom of Jethro and throw themselves headlong into the work because of proud ambition, thinking themselves impervious to breakdown.  They neglect a Sabbath rest.  They do not trust the work of God to be done as proficiently by others, and this indicates a lack of faith in God.  There are many people who through their actions reveal they are convinced God's plan depends solely upon them.  They rush to and fro putting out fires, doing what they feel must be done, instead of waiting on the LORD to see what He would have them do and be led step by step by faith.  Walking by sight always ends in disaster.

This morning I was astounded by the simplicity of Galatians 6:9:  "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."  When I read these words written by Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit, they were like fresh dew upon the soul.  Often we think of weariness as overtaking us, that we are simply a victim of circumstances which have overwhelmed us.  But that is not the way Paul perceived it.  Because every Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit and has been granted His infinite spiritual power and resources, we have all we need to do the work God desires to accomplish through us.  Like manna in a spiritual sense, we must day by day receive of God's spiritual vitality through faith.  Do not think that we can save up spiritual strength in a storehouse to draw upon when we see fit:  in that moment God will give us the strength we need to accomplish His will because He has already given us all strength in Himself.  If we faint or grow weary, it is the product of our choices - either passive or active - which have led to the burnout condition.

What does the scripture say?  Isaiah 40:28-31 states, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. ³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹ but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  Let God be true and every man a liar.  Our strength must be renewed through waiting upon the LORD.  You may say, "But I am so tired!"  When a man works hard, his appetite grows.  As we serve God through waiting on Him and serving one another in love, our appetite for time spent with the LORD in communion should also grow.  If you find that you are so busy that you have no time even for prayer and the reading of God's Word, you are well on your way to burnout.  You are choosing the path which will wear you out.  How can I be so sure?  Because you are not renewing your strength daily by waiting on the LORD.  The Bible says if you wait upon Him you will run and not be weary.  I don't have to run far before I grow very weary.  But if we will wait on the LORD, spiritually we can run without weariness!  "But I have been waiting on the LORD, and I am still weary!"  Argue with God's Word if you like, but the Bible stands eternal and sure.  Your close walk with Jesus Christ will be your delight, and your strength will only increase as you serve God faithfully.

God promises not only to be our strength, but to keep us from stumbling.  Jude ends in verse 24-25 with this wonderful benediction:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."  If God is for us, who can be against us?  I can tell you what is against God:  Satan, the world under his sway, and our flesh.  Though our souls long to please God, our flesh hates to sacrifice anything for God's glory.  The threat or feeling of burnout seems to our flesh a reasonable justification to leave off doing God's work and embrace a life of ease.  God affirms in 2 Peter 1:3 that according to "...His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue..."  Whatever God asks us to do, He will also provide the means, way, and knowledge to do it.  He is able to accomplish what concerns us today and always.

Let us not be weary in doing good because we will reap, if we faint not.  Waiting on the LORD keeps us from fainting, and by God's grace He keeps us from stumbling.  Let us apply Philippians 4:19 as a salve to our spiritual soreness:  "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Notice the scripture does not say, "And God shall supply all that we think we need."  It says that God will supply all our need according to His riches by Christ Jesus.  How great is our God!  Let us serve Him both now and forever without intermission!