Light IN the Tunnel

Last night I prayed that God would give "light at the end of the tunnel."  No sooner had the words left my mouth I was instantly convicted by the Holy Spirit.  Certainly God knew what I meant, but being unbiblical I was struck with the realisation it was not a prayer God would honour.  His gentle, gracious correction was appreciated and thus my perspective and prayers changed.

The cliche "light at the end of the tunnel" is often employed to suggest there is a new glimmer of hope in our circumstances.  Our situation and all around us seems dark, but light implies there is hope ahead.  Instead of looking with eyes of faith, it perceives good changes await us in the future.  The end of our trial is in sight, and we can rest assured (based upon what we see) a good outcome lays before us.  Brothers and sisters, let us not forget God has promised never to leave or forsake us.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, and in Him is no darkness at all!  If we find ourselves in a dark place and we are straining our eyes for a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, we have forgotten to look to Jesus and trust His promises.  Perhaps we have forgotten the Holy Spirit dwells within us!

Consider the words of David 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?"  David was no stranger to dark places as he fled from King Saul who sought his life.  He often sought refuge in the darkness of caves in En Gedi, an oasis in the desert one can visit near the Dead Sea in Israel today.  God was David's refuge and was a light for him in dark places.  Now was David afraid sometimes?  Sure!  But in the moment of clarity when he wrote Psalm 27 inspired by the Holy Spirit, he realised all his fears were unfounded because God was with him and was his light and salvation.  David made mistakes navigating dark places, but God brought him through all victorious.  Knowing Jesus is our light and salvation requires us to walk in faith.

In his book The Pursuit of God, hear what A.W. Tozer wrote about faith:  "Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed.  Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus.  Sin has twisted our vision inward and made is self-regarding.  Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, "I will set my throne above the throne of God."  Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line...The Word induces us to lift up our eyes unto the Lord and the blessed work of faith begins." (Tozer, A. W. The Pursuit of God. Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread Publications, 1993. Print. pg. 85) Instead of looking to ourselves for strength or wisdom, we are called to look to God.  If Jesus is our light and salvation and we are experiencing fellowship with Him, we will not be in darkness even if we find ourselves in caves and or lost in a network of tunnels and trials which seem endless.

When God is your light and salvation, don't hope for "light at the end of the tunnel."  When we have fellowship with God, we have Light brighter than the sun.  Who should we fear besides Him?

Love Trumps Social Justice

God's ways are higher and better than man's ways.  All God made is good, but men lose the plot by going their own way.  It seems like these days the push for "social justice" and "equality" has been frenetic.  Many people feel their "rights" are being trampled through government overreach and a lack of representation.  There appears to be an overweening sense of entitlement among people which is being expressed through protests, rallies, and proposed legislation (and pushing back against said legislation).

I saw a sign the other day which read, "Equality is a right."  I cannot agree with this statement wholesale (as catchy and popular as it might be), because the truth of it depends upon the context.  First of all, this view can only be sustained by acknowledging God's existence and rule as the United States "Declaration of Independence" states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  Based on scripture I believe the chief unalienable rights of people God has created are the knowledge of God and eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Life, liberty, and happiness are only realised through being born again and experiencing spiritual regeneration.  Things which used to be "self-evident" have today been overthrown in a sea of subjectivity.  Maybe there was a day when people believed they had a Creator, but most today do not acknowledge or live in light of this biblical truth.

All men are created equal by God, but all would agree not everyone's station in this life are equal.  God has given authority to kings and governments to make and enforce laws their subjects are to submit to, the roles of a husband and wife are distinguished by God who ordained marriage, and children are responsible before God to honour their father and mother.  When God no longer has the right to command and rule, men have nothing besides natural law which ultimately degrades into lawlessness and anarchy where all do what is right in their own eyes.  If "equality" is a right provided at random by the cosmos, there is nothing which distinguishes the nature of a monkey from a man or the authority of a child from the Prime Minister.  The great leveller of mankind is the ultimate judgment of God when all people will stand before Him and give an account for their lives.  Naked we are born, and naked we go to our graves.  People will be separated by God even as a shepherd distinguishes sheep from goats.  Even then there will be varying degrees of responsibility people have based upon their knowledge.  The punishment of the wicked will have levels of severity, even as only some of those deemed righteous through faith will receive a full reward.  No one has the right to eternal life, but God gives freely to those who meet His conditions.

Here is the point of this rambling:  social justice and human rights ought not to be the battle cry or aim of the church, but our lives should proclaim grace and love for all.  Social justice focuses on the marginalised people, those viewed as the minority, and the poor.  The Bible says we ought to help the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger.  Our motivation for doing so is not their intrinsic human rights, but because we have freely received life and love and extend it to others in joyful obedience to God.  It is all of grace, not of perceived worthiness.  Jesus did not come to earth to save us because we lacked social justice - if God gave us justice we would rightly be destroyed forever!  Jesus came as a revelation of God's love for us which does not depend upon our ethnicity, sex, age, or "good" performance.  He died unjustly on a cross so God's justice would be satisfied and we could receive the free gift of salvation when we repent and trust in Him.  The Gospel has been freely offered to all by God's grace, and we too ought to show love, compassion, mercy, grace to all people, regardless of their social status.

When we are born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, and are obedient to God's leading, our good relationship with God will affect others in this world positively.  We can experience life, liberty, and joy through knowledge and obedience to Christ we can share with others.  Free from the shackles of humanism we can meet practical needs without strings attached, sharing God's love from a pure heart.  The world's concepts of love and justice are broken, but we who have been made whole have been set apart by God as His ambassadors so all might taste and see God is good.  

Say It Like It Is

A Melbourne cafe has been international news of late for a chalkboard sign which clearly states the shop's principles.  The part which had people talking was the 18% tax placed upon men to draw awareness of a "gender pay gap" according to statistics.  As a man, the statement of the cafe being a "space by women for women" does nothing to make me feel like a welcomed or valued patron.  I appreciate the candour of the establishment, but I would choose to buy coffee elsewhere.  They are free to to business as they want, and I am free to buy coffee or a meal at the venue of my choice.  Works for me!

Whether you agree with the ideology of the cafe or not, one thing I applaud management for is taking a clear stand even when it is a debatable or potentially unpopular one.  Instead of creating a meaningful conversation, however, this sort of stance seems to promote division and isolation.  Followers of Jesus have to navigate the troubled waters of society in trusting obedience to Christ whilst lovingly reaching out to people who are staunchly opposed to Him.  Jesus said we shouldn't be surprised when people hate us because He was hated first - and He only did what was right!  Christians face conflicts outside and inside the church, not to mention personal conflict within us.  We seem to bounce between vilifying fellow believers by legalism and ignoring or even accepting sinful conduct as good in an attempt to show grace.  It is a challenge to ensure our beliefs are reflected in personal morality according to the truth stated in the Bible.

It is the Holy Spirit and the bold declaration of the Word of God which will help us navigate the troubles and conflicts we face daily.  When Joshua entered the land of Canaan and was granted victory by God at Ai, Joshua built an altar to the LORD and wrote out the Law given to Moses.  Joshua 8:33 then states, "Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel."  In the congregation of Israel there was a mixture of people:  elders, officers, judges, priests, Levites, and even strangers.  The Law was read plainly without apology, for this was the word of the LORD.   All people in the gathering were exposed to the truth.  No one had to remain among the people of Israel who sought to obey God, just like no one has to eat at the cafe in Melbourne.  Nothing was being forced down anyone's throat.  But for those who chose to remain among God's people they were to hear the truth and obey it, submitting to scripture to shape their beliefs and lives.  It is expected for people in the world to go their own way and follow their hearts, but in our congregations the Word of God must be declared boldly to all and we are accountable to it.  We should not skip over difficult or controversial bits.  We should not try to tweak the Bible to align it with current philosophies or because it could divide.  We should not apologise for how offensive it may be to modern minds.  Would to God His Word would provoke conversation, but more than that:  personal transformation of our hearts and minds.  That's something only God's Word can do.

When we boldly declare God's Word in a spirit of meekness, gentleness, and humility as Jesus did, we will do well.  Many problems and divisions in the church exist because we have not been faithful to do so.  We have not called sins what God calls it:  sin.  The Bible ought to be preeminent in our meetings and messages so people are exposed to God's declared truth, even as Joshua wrote the Law on stones or the policies of the cafe in Melbourne were plainly written in chalk for the whole world to see.  Before very long people who are around us should realise we believe the Bible is the literal Word of God, we believe it without apology, and God help us - we will put it into practice.  If this offends them, we understand and will keep loving them.  Our resolve must shine forth that regardless of threats, protests, or even legal action we will never, ever budge from our allegiance to God and make no apologies for His clearly revealed truth.  God alone has the words of life, and we ought to value His Word above our own lives.  If they are not true we truly are without hope.

Our Real Need

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

I have been often reminded of these verses lately, and these words has been refreshing to my soul.  One might think the rudimentary principles of the faith are dry and boring, but the reality is quite the opposite.  How much insight and wisdom for life are plainly stated in these verses!  It is one thing to remember or comprehend the meaning of the scripture, but another thing entirely to see it consistently a reality in my life.

Lately I have been considering things I can do to share the truth of Christ with others.  I have much I am already doing, but my heart desires to do more.  There is no no shortage of need in this world, and countless causes which are genuine and worthy of pursuit.  But God has used the process of being prepared for ministry whilst working in a trade and the saga of immigrating to Australia and becoming a citizen to show me I can expend much effort and thought in trying to accomplish myself what only God can do.  He is the One who clearly opens doors and graciously provides the ability to pass through them in His time.  Caleb and Joshua had walked through the land of promise as spies, but it was 40 years later before God led them in as conquerors and caused them to dwell therein.  God sometimes gives us a glimpse of something which moves our hearts with desire and expectancy, but the fulfilment remains in the future.  Faith affirms that in His time, God will bring it to pass - and may even use us in the process.

Proverbs 3:5-6 remains relevant in all seasons of our lives as we follow Jesus.  We need to trust the LORD with all our hearts, with undivided affections and obedience.  It is very easy for us to lean on our own understanding and walk by sight and not by faith in God's Word.  Joshua leaned on God for the victory at Jericho, but leaned on his own understanding and the opinions of men before the failure at Ai.  When we acknowledge God in all our ways, we will walk wisely.  Those who only acknowledge God in areas of their lives work folly as Achan did and corrupt rather than strengthen.  He was obedient to follow the Ark of the Covenant and the priests as they walked around Jericho, but took for himself of the spoil which had been claimed by God as His own.  As we are led by the Spirit of God, abiding in God's love, He will direct our paths; He will make our path clear and straight.  In keeping the Word of God we will rightly discern the will of God.

These verses have renewed the exhortation that I trust God will all my heart and acknowledge God in all my ways.  Leaning on my own understanding leads to confusion, disillusionment, and conflict, but God will direct my paths when I seek Him first.  Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 6:26-33, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁸ So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Praise God He provides all we need when we seek Him.  He knows what we need, and since our ministry unto Him is His work, He will guide and direct us in the right way without fail.  How glorious it is when we realise our deepest needs and longing are not met by our efforts or sacrifice but are satisfied completely in Him.  Help me to truly learn and remember this Father!