Levi and Lot's Wife

"After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." ²⁸ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him."

Luke 5:27-28

Jesus called people to follow Him from many walks of life:  fishermen, a zealot, doctor, and a tax collector.  It is most instructive that in many cases Jesus called people to follow Him when they already had careers and even called them during their work day!  Jesus knew His disciples before He called them, and He no doubt knew their daily routine and working hours.  But He did not wait for a convenient time.  This is always the case when it comes to following Jesus.  Following Jesus means leaving other things behind, and Levi illustrates this well.

What I find most interesting in this passage is the order of verse 28.  Before Levi stood to his feet, he already left all.  His heart was no longer yoked to his career, money, or even his responsibilities before the Roman authorities who had employed him.  Jesus simply said, "Follow me."  A decision was made in Levi's mind in union with his heart that he was going to answer that call immediately.  No discussion, no contract, guarantees, or promises of success or prosperity.  Levi did not wait to answer Christ's invitation after providing a two week notice for his employer, after he asked permission from his boss or family, no half days, no weaning period to build financial support, no training up of a new tax man.  Levi walked away from financial security and his pay for work already performed.  Levi was willing to place his whole life in the hands of Jesus.  He left all, rose up, and followed Jesus.

Now some might wrongly use this passage to accommodate and justify impulsive, fleshly decisions when it comes to life or ministry.  Moved by pride or ambition and not the Holy Spirit, there are some who might be cavalier and flippant because they expect God's approval and nurse a sense of entitlement of subsequent blessings due to their efforts, sacrifice, or service.  The problem is, when our steps are not ordered by faith in God confirmed by His Word, we can be presumptuous and exhibit folly.  Levi had no doubt it was Jesus who called him and was certain the open invitation had been leveled specifically to him.  I have heard it said "The need is the call," but frankly "need" does not necessarily constitute calling.  There is no shortage of need in this fallen world, just like there is no shortage of telemarketers who call my residence asking for help or money.  Jesus says His sheep know His voice and follow Him.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures we can discern God's voice and take the appropriate steps of faith for His glory.  God does not need us, but the wise recognise their need to entrust our lives to Him alone.

One final point concerning verse 28:  the heart departs and the mind agrees before the body moves.  Every single Christian at times and in varying degrees during their walk with Christ will choose to accommodate the flesh rather than walk in faith.  We can make the error of thinking the problem with our wandering feet is constant temptation, the ferocity of Satan's assault on our minds, our past, or weakness.  The problem primarily every time is one of the heart.  James tells us in chapter 1 that when temptation and the lusts of our own heart combine in agreement sin is conceived.  Jesus explained the desire for divorce is primarily indicative of hardness of heart, not irreconcilable differences between you and another person.  Our hearts must be reconciled before God first, and then we are able to deal with conflict biblically, flee from temptation, and resist the devil.

Have you decided to follow Jesus, even when you are on the job, at home, watching TV, or reading the Bible?  Are you willing to leave all so you might rise up and follow Him?  Too many try to rise up and follow Jesus before our hearts and minds and left all.  The result?  We never follow Christ in absolute surrender, joy, victory, and power as He intends - if we ever follow Him at all.  It is hard to keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus when our heart's desire is to remain in Sodom.  Jesus said in Luke 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife."  When it came time for her to flee Sodom's destruction, she left her home and treasured things behind - with a little bit of her heart.  She cast longing eyes towards Sodom and became a pillar of salt, a memorial of death for all who love the things of this world.  To whom Jesus has revealed Himself, the same must be willing to leave all, rise up, and follow Him.  We can't take any part of this world with us, but Christ deserves and desires to be our all in all.  If we seek to save our lives we will lose them, but if we lose all for Christ's sake our lives will be preserved.

Levi chose life.  Are you willing to leave all, rise up, and follow Jesus?  He's calling you right now!

Redeeming the Moments

"Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." ¹⁵ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil." 

Ephesians 5:14-16

Sleeping is a necessary aspect of life for human beings.  Though some need more sleep than others, physically we all require a regular amount of sleep to function at our best.  Spiritually speaking, those who have been born again through the Gospel need not sleep.  Our bodies need sleep and rest, but we are called to awake to righteousness and sin not (1 Cor. 15:34).  A biblical definition of a fool is one who does not believe God exists or lives in a way that does not acknowledge Him or His wisdom.  A wise man is the one who has heard God's Word and obediently applies it to his life.  A fool - being spiritually insensible and asleep - does not walk with this knowledge of God or His wisdom.  There is a sense of urgency in Paul's words, that Christians not become complacent, careless, or sleepy.  He goes on to say we should not be unwise, but understand what the will of God is (Eph. 5:17).  The implication is knowing God's will should profoundly affect the way we live.

A characteristic of the wise man is one who walks circumspectly and "redeeming the time."  What does it mean, to be redeeming the time?  It is God's will we would be continually redeeming the time He has granted us for His glory.  Our time on earth is limited, and no man knows precisely the time or manner of his own death.  Therefore we are to live earnestly, purposefully, and intentionally according to the wisdom and will of God.  We only have so many years, months, days, hours, and minutes left on this planet to glorify God.  A wise man recognises the brevity of his existence and seeks to make every minute count for eternal purposes.  God has been showing me lately that it is not only the minutes or seconds we must continue to redeem, but the moments.  There are countless moments throughout the day we can be redeeming to glorify God we can easily miss.

In fact, this can be taken even further:  I suggest the ways we handle our "moments" is indicative of the true condition of our hearts before God.  We may have to spend hours in front of the TV before we experience guilt or acknowledge we have "wasted" time.  Yet it is not necessarily the big blocks of time where the real waste happens.  It can be when we are waiting for the kettle to boil, when we are sitting on the toilet, or waiting at a traffic signal.  In those moments, where do you turn to occupy your mind?  Are you redeeming those moments for God, or are you using them for yourself?  During those moments wouldn't it be more profitable rather to be praying, thanking and praising God, reading the Bible, or memorising scripture?  God is challenging me not only to be redeeming hours or minutes but even the moments.  God help me!  When we commit to redeeming our moments before God, the minutes, hours, and days will be redeemed for God's glory.  It reminds me of a maxim attributed to an uncle of mine:  "Take care of those pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."  If we are careless with our pennies, it will affect the ways our dollars are spent or if we have them at all!

Here is an illustration of the necessity to guard against the little wasters.  Song of Songs 2:15 reads, "Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes."  During the night whilst the farmers slept, foxes would squeeze their way through fences and access grape vines.  Foxes are a relatively small animal and only need a tiny hole to weasel their way in.  Once inside a vineyard, when they fed on the grapes they would also ruin the vines.  When foxes or other animals find a source of good, easily obtained food, one can be certain they will return.  It would be folly for a farmer to shrug his shoulders when he saw evidence of vine damage, ignore the hole in the fence (It's just a small one!), or hope vainly the foxes would not return the next night.  The fact is this:  if we are sleeping during moments we should be redeeming through the day, more and more foxes will be emboldened to come.  It will be only a matter of time before the whole vineyard is spoiled because the little foxes were not trapped and the holes in the fence not repaired.  Life is filled with little foxes - sneaky, subtle, destructive thoughts, motives, activities, and affections - which work to spoil our spiritual vitality and fruitfulness.

So what should we do?  Romans 13:10-14 states, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."  Instead of making provision for the flesh, we are to put on the LORD Jesus Christ.  It is high time for us to awake out of sleep, for we only have a short time left.  Round up the little foxes without compromise and decide to walk wisely, redeeming even the moments.  In this God will be pleased!

The Hedge of Thorns

"The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway."

Proverbs 15:19

During the WORD Bible study on Friday night at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we discussed this verse.  Passages like this can reveal our tendency to filter biblical claims through our experience or current understanding rather than believing the text at face value.  It is very common for us to read an objective statement and accept it because it confirms previously held views.  If we will read honestly, openly, and inspired by the Holy Spirit, God's truth will confront and dash the presumptuous assumptions of the flesh.  A man of understanding seeks knowledge with the intent to apply it to his own life.  Those who are faithful to heed the truth of God's Word will grow, be fruitful, and richly blessed.

This verse paints a compelling contrast between the way of the lazy man and the upright.  Proverbs 20:6 says, "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?"  Laziness is not a particularly desirable quality, nor is it a characteristic to strive for.  A lazy man will not strive for much except his own comfort and ease!  Solomon compares the way of a lazy man like a hedge of thorns.  Picture a man trapped in a thorny hedge.  Remarkably, through a series of decisions and procrastinations (for no decision IS a decision), he found himself wedged in with thorns in front and behind with no clear view to escape.  Should he move forward, thorns jab into his brow.  Scooting backwards seems not to work either, for the thorns press into his legs!  Seemingly painful obstacles encircle the lazy man, so he stays in his uncomfortable situation, paralysed.  "There's no way out for me," he cries aloud.  "Whether I move forward or try to move back, I am surrounded by painful obstructions.  Who wants to pluck thorns from their socks or perhaps suffer injury?  If I am to do anything, I will do nothing."

There are several characteristics of a slothful, indolent man.  He demands a guarantee of success before he will pay a price, risk effort without reward, or make a sacrifice.  Difficulty and unknowns surround every possibility, so in his distorted, short-sighted view it seems advantageous to do nothing - except perhaps to complain about his unique predicament!  Unless there is a certainty of being brought toward his preferred, ideal end immediately, he is unwilling to take the first step towards the goal.  Being lazy, his goals all centre around himself.  There may be one or more ways out of the hedge of thorns, but he will wish and wait for a comfortable option he prefers - even if it kills him.  Notice how the Psalmist contrasted the lazy with the upright man, the man who trusts in God and walks faithfully in obedience.  The upright man does not wait for wishes to be miraculously fulfilled without effort or intentional steps, but has placed his hope in God.  The lazy man is preoccupied with self, yet the upright man has God in His view.  The highway he walks is well-marked, for even a fool could stick to the path (Is. 35:8).  He knows where he is going, and he is willing to continually put one foot in front of another though the path is long, hilly, and potentially hazardous at times.  The upright man cannot tell what might happen to him on the road, but he has determined to stay on the path and persevere to the end.

Motive is key in both the lives of a lazy and upright man.  A spiritually upright man might at times exhibit laziness, but a lazy man is never upright.  It is true there are people who know not God but have a strong, desirable work-ethic.  Their motive may be self-serving, yet they are willing to pay the price to achieve their ends.  The same may be indolent and willfully ignorant concerning spiritual responsibilities.  The existence of the lazy man provides no reasonable justification for Christians to embrace laziness.  Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give Himself as a ransom for many.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He is no hedge of thorns but a highway of holiness that leads us to salvation.  Thorns are a result of sin, and a crown of thorns was pressed into the scalp of Christ the Saviour when He was crucified.  He died on the cross so we might be dead to sin and enter into the good works He has prepared beforehand for us to enter into (Eph. 2:8-10).

If your way resembles a hedge of thorns, take the first step in admitting laziness and repent.  God has a miraculous way of clearing the thorns when we ask Him for help in ordering our lives for His glory.  Taking the first step of faith will lead to more!  Gideon taught the reluctant elders in Succoth a lesson with thorns and briers, and God is willing to use the discomfort of a hedge of thorns to prick our consciences and bring us to our senses as well.  Jesus said in John 9:4-5, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  Jesus is the most upright man this world has ever seen, and we do well to heed Him and follow His example.

The Demon Destroyer

One of my sons was doing a school assignment which involved making "trading cards" with challenging words.  He chose "colloquial" for one of the words.  For whatever reason, I find the word does not roll simply off the tongue!  Easier for me to define than pronounce, a "colloquialism" is an informal, commonly used word or term of phrase.  Colloquialisms can be slang, and they are often understood by local people yet sound completely foreign to others who speak the same language.  Australia is rife with colloquial terms which remain relatively unknown by other Australians.  Being an American, it's always strange when I use a colloquial term I have picked up over the years and a true-blue Aussie looks at me funny, totally unaware of what the septic just said.  There, I had to say it. :)

I find it interesting when a colloquialism has what I will call "crossover."  This is when a person uses a colloquialism which carried no special significance to them, but means something to someone else.  People use the expression "Oh my g.." without any belief in a literal God.  If they did believe in the God to which they refer, they certainly should think twice before uttering blasphemy because they know He is a holy, just God!  Another phrase I have heard much of late is when a struggling person is "battling his demons."  Many people who say this do not actually believe demons are malevolent spirit beings, but for me this is a colloquialism that has crossover.  I believe in the existence of demons as strongly as I do in the existence of human beings or God!  Someone who believes in the existence of demons may agree literally with the statement, whilst the one who says it only is speaking figuratively - "demons" being no more than negative self-talk or a catch-all which suggests inexplicable power apart from personal control.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard of celebrities, musicians, or depressed people "battling their demons" by people who do not believe in the existence of them.  The Bible reveals God created all things both in the spirit and natural world.  He created human beings distinct from all other animals and living things because He breathed into man a living soul - an immaterial, eternal aspect of a each person.  You are not your body, for your body is simply a vessel your soul inhabits for a season.  The spirits who have remained God's loyal servants are often referred to as angels, and those who have rebelled under the authority of Satan (once an angel himself) are called demons.  Since demons are unclean spirits who operate in a spiritual realm yet have the power to cross over into the natural realm we see, they cannot be battled through external means or effort.  How does one battle a demon he cannot see, touch, or perceive?  Unfortunately so many fight a losing battle with actual demons they do not believe in because they are going about the fight the wrong way.

Jesus amazed people through His power demonstrated when He cast unclean spirits out of people with a word.  The people of that day had pagan rituals and techniques of silencing and appeasing evil spirits who took possession of people's minds and bodies.  To this day in places the Word of God has had little exposure, demonic oppression and possession is a real part of life for many people.  In the west we have written off demonic power as "superstitious," and do not even address the potential spiritual aspects of mental illness or physical sickness.  In the east the pendulum is at the other extreme, with nearly every illnesses or accident being blamed on evil spirits.  Jesus did not need to recite incantations, splash holy water, or take a cross and press it into the face of the afflicted to deliver from demonic power:  He merely said the word, and the ones in bondage brought to Him were set free.

Jesus gave His followers power over unclean spirits, and the authority to cast out demons in His name is an attribute possessed by every genuine Christian.  We need not fear, for greater is the Holy Spirit within us than the devil or demons who are in this world.  Jesus said in Matthew 12:43-45:  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. ⁴⁴ Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  Jesus compared the body of a person to a house.  Demons are like squatters who shack up in derelict, abandoned houses with all their filthy buddies.  Jesus cast out many demons, yet it was imperative those who had been swept clean in faith invited Jesus into their lives.  When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the hearts of believers through the Gospel, not even Satan himself can evict Him.  Through God born-again Christians have spiritual power and authority that has spiritual "crossover" through Christ and provides victory in the physical realm as well as spiritual.  There is no demonic horde too strong for God to overpower, bind, and throw out for good.  The power and victory is the LORD's, and He will make more than overcomers all who trust in Him.

We need not fear, though the mountains be removed and thrown into the sea:  God is the One who fights for His people.  Jesus Christ is the only hope we have to be forgiven from sins and saved from the power of wicked spirits.  The lasting image in my mind is one of Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:11-16, the One who will ultimately throw Satan and all demons into the lake of fire for eternity:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."