Streams Of Living Water

As I reflect upon my recent travels to Israel, perhaps this picture I took in En Gedi best illustrates the spiritual effect of the trip in my life.  Though arid and dry, Israel is a land of rich soil and fruitfulness.  Barren, rocky places like En Gedi have natural springs flowing through them even in the summer months.  What a glorious truth, that though this world is dry and thirsty Jesus provides Living Water so our thirst can be quenched forever.  In a world of darkness, the Light of the World shines bright.  There is life, light, and refreshment for all those who will seek the LORD with their whole hearts.

This morning I read 2 Chronicles 29, the passage where Hezekiah took steps to restore the proper worship of God in Jerusalem.  This restoration and cleansing was required many times during the years the temple stood in Jerusalem!  Hezekiah's father, King Ahaz, had forsaken God and followed after idols.  He defiled the holy place and robbed the temple of God to pursue the worship of false gods.  For Hezekiah, seeking the presence of God was his highest priority.  He did not labour to build an army, strengthen defenses, or improve diplomacy:  he led the priests and Levites in turning the heart of the nation back to God in obedience.  2 Chronicles 29:3 says, "In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them."

Opening and repairing the doors of the temple was an important starting point.  But it was not enough.  There was much rubbish in the temple that had to be removed so the inner courts and rooms could be cleansed and used..  King Hezekiah said in 2 Chronicles 29:11:  "My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense."  For a long time the priests and Levites had been negligent.  Hezekiah reminded them that God had chosen them for a specific purpose and gave them specific duties.  They were to stand before God, serve God, minister to God, and burn incense before Him according to the Law.  In Exodus 30, God commanded the high priest to burn incense on the altar of incense daily, morning and night, when he tended to the lamps which were to burn continually.  The cleansing had to take place before proper worship could commence.  This was soon done, and Hezekiah and the people rejoiced "...that God had prepared the people:  for the thing was done suddenly" (2 Chron. 29:10).  It can be the same for you and me!

Christians have been made "kings and priests" unto our God (Rev. 1:6), having been chosen and called according to His purposes.  It is easy to be busy but be negligent about specific areas of our calling.  Like in the days of Elijah, God's people can halt between various loyalties (1 Kings 18).  Because the people were undecided in their worship of God, the altar of God was in disrepair.  Elijah repaired the altar that was broken down, and built again the altar with 12 stones according to God's word.  He laid the wood in order, and placed the required sacrifice on top.  But Elijah didn't pray right away.  In addition to the design of the altar and the preparation of the sacrifice, there was a time outlined in the Law.  Perhaps the people wondered what Elijah was waiting for.  Elijah followed the order laid out in God's Word, and walked in obedience to Him.  1 Kings 18:36-38 says, "And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷ Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." ³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."

Do you want to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire?  It comes back to personal holiness and obedience according to God's Word.  There are times when we can neglect the pursuit of the presence of God, times when our temple is polluted inside, and even times when the altar of God has been broken down.  When we will meet God's conditions and repent, confessing our sins and divided loyalties, laying aside everything at the command of our Saviour, God will hear and answer our prayer.  Hosea 10:12 says well what time it is:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  Let us seek the presence of the LORD like gold, and value His Word as silver.  May Psalm 63:1-2 be the prayer of our hearts:  "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. ² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory."  Are you thirsty?  Come to Christ and drink deeply.  Are you hungry?  Feed upon the Bread of Life.  It is time to seek the LORD.  Forget a fresh coat of paint or oiled hinges - we need renewed hearts and minds!

Our Best Days

As I left a meeting and stepped into the carpark this morning, the lyrics from Bryan Adam's "Summer of '69" went through my head.  It was a bit bizarre, as it has been at least a decade since I heard the song!  Looking back on his life Bryan sings, "Oh, when I look back now, that summer seemed to last forever.  And if I had the choice, yeah, I'd always wanna be there.  Those were the best days of my life."  If we go through life looking on how things were with regret, wishing we could "go back in time" like Uncle Rico in the movie Napoleon Dynamite, we may end up living alone in a van somewhere.  We cannot go back in time, even if we use the internet to buy a machine - complete with crystals.  When we try to live in the past, we'll never embrace the future.

That's one aspect of walking with Jesus Christ I love:  He provides the opportunity for new beginnings.  We don't need to long to return to a past awakening, revival, or move of God when we can embrace revival today because Jesus is alive!  We don't need to cling to old memories of how God worked in and through our lives when God has seen fit to give us today by His grace!  Longing for the past will hinder us from embracing our future God has prepared for us.  After Jesus ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Christ's followers, they did not pine away wishing they could return to the day when Jesus walked among them.  The disciples were then equipped, helped, and empowered to bring the Gospel to the world and continue Christ's work.  They had fellowship with their Messiah Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit.

The religious leaders responsible for the murder of Christ were not impressed by a notable miracle performed and some of the disciples were arrested.  After being strictly warned not to preach in the name of Jesus, the disciples prayed in Acts 4:26-31:  "The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' ²⁷ "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. ²⁹ Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰ by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

The disciples did not wish they could return to their "Summer of '69" when Jesus walked amongst them.  They also were not content with thousands of souls saved and the healing of the lame man at the entrance of the temple.  They wanted to go on with God, asking for boldness to preach God's Word, that through God's power they would heal, and that signs and wonders would be done through Jesus Christ.  They did not look back, but reached forth to whatever God laid before them.  They were filled with the Spirit according to their request, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.  God had anointed them with the purpose to accomplish His will for His glory.

Do you look on your past with longing or satisfaction leading to apathy?  God has great works for us to do today through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Let us draw close to God with full assurance of faith, for it is He Who works in us both to will and do for His good pleasure.  When we walk in obedience to Christ, our best days are always ahead!

The Power of the Tongue

God's Word is amazing how it provides keys to unlock deeper understanding of God and His ways.  The more you read of the Bible, the more you realise it is one book written by a single Author:  God!  There were many men used by God to pen the scriptures, but clearly He inspired all of them.  An example I have been pondering recently is found in the book of Proverbs which relates to what Jesus says in Matthew.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  I don't know about you, but "good" fruit and "bad" fruit has always had a level of subjectivity attached to it for me.  A clear connection made in this passage by Jesus is the inside of a person is what matters.  Someone might appear to be a sheep who in reality has the nature and appetite of a wolf.  Just like we know what kind of tree by what sort of fruit it bears, there will be outward evidence provided.  Yet we know that it is possible to be like the Pharisees, have an clean exterior of good works, but still remain dead in sins.  So what sort of fruit is this passage talking about?  Passages in Proverbs tell us one of the primary ways is through the fruit of our lips:  our words!

On Friday nights, we have been studying through the book of Proverbs and the fruit of the lips has been a recurring theme of late. Proverbs 13:2 says, "A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence."  Proverbs 18:20-21 also states, "A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. ²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  God has given everyone the choice of what we will put into our mouths as food, and He has also given us the ability to choose what we will say and believe.  Jesus says the words we say are an indicator of what we believe, of what is in our hearts.

After Jesus was accused of being demon possessed by religious leaders, He spoke in Matthew 12:33-37:  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Jesus makes a clear connection between the words the religious leaders said and what was is their hearts.  The words of the religious leaders revealed their unbelief.  Their mouths condemned them.  Jesus came to earth in fulfillment of scripture, only doing and saying the will of the Father, and yet they spoke against Him out of envy.  No matter how much "good" these naysayers did, they were condemned by the words of their mouths because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  This connects with Romans 10:9-10 as well when it says, "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

As I read these verses, it was a "light bulb" moment that dovetails perfectly when Jesus speaks of final judgment.  There will be many numbered among the goats who do miracles in Christ's name but do not know Him, and He does not know them.  Matthew 7:22-23 says, "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' ²³ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"  This was always hard for me to reconcile.  How could it be that someone could do something good like casting out a demon, credit Christ for it, and still be rejected by God?  Jesus says, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  No amount of good works can save a man when his heart is unregenerate or apostate.  Death and life truly are in the power of the tongue, for the fruit of our lips reveal what is concealed in our hearts.

"By their fruits you will know them."  It is important we all examine ourselves, for we will all stand before Christ.  Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in my life as He empowers me in faith?  Are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control descriptive of how I respond to trials and difficulties?  What sort of words come of out my mouth?  Are they words that glorify Christ and magnify the Word of God, or am I full of pride, cursing, and bitterness?  Do my actions follow the example of Christ?  Lately the LORD has been impressing upon me the importance of my words and to carefully weigh the words pastors and teachers use.  I also need to examine the words I use.  We should not approach doctrines or teachings subjectively, for God has given us His Word as a guide, a Spirit-level of truth.  Our ears should test words, even as our mouths prove the quality of food.  We can objectively know good fruit from bad fruit through discernment given through the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God.

As I write this, I am so grateful for grace.  Is there any among us who has always said what is right?  Certainly not, for in our flesh no good thing dwells.  Let us not be harsh in judgment of others, yet we must be discerning.  It is not wise to buy food laced with poison, nor is it good to receive a mix of truth and error.  I want to remain steadfast standing on the foundation of Christ, and be faithful to His Word.  Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  Jesus alone has the words of life, and those who love life feed on them!

Asking With Assurance

Jehoshaphat was a king who trusted in God.  He was a man who "questioned" God, but not the doubtful way God's existence is "questioned" today.  Jehoshaphat asked questions of God, knowing God heard his prayers and would honour His promises.  It is not a lack of faith that moved Jehoshaphat to ask questions of God:  it was faith that compelled him to seek God in his time of need.

When the Moabites and Ammonites came against Judah and Jerusalem with a massive army, Jehoshaphat's response was to seek refuge in his God.  In response to the invaders 2 Chronicles 20:3-12 says, "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. ⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, ⁶ and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? ⁷ Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ⁸ And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ⁹ 'If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.' ¹⁰ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-- ¹¹ here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

Jehoshaphat did not tell God anything He did not already know - but his words proved he knew God.  He knew who God was, what He had promised, and He was willing and able to fulfill His Word.  All of Jehoshaphat's questions were answered in the affirmative!  2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."  Jehoshaphat admitted he was overwhelmed and did not know what to do.  He did one thing:  he looked to God for salvation.

It is good when we are brought to such a place.  It was a looming war and potential defeat that moved Jehoshaphat to seek an audience with the Most High.  What does it take to turn your eyes to God for deliverance and help?  God heard and answered Jehoshaphat's prayer, and Judah was delivered from the hands of their enemies.  Men and women of faith ask questions God is pleased to answer with a resounding "Yes!"  We must first lay aside our plans and back-up plans and come to God for help, looking to Him alone.  James 1:5-8 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."  We have assurance through God's Word He will give liberally and without reproach to all who ask in faith, and Jehoshaphat is a great example.  When we don't know what to do, God does - and He will do it!