A Presence Regarded

Have you ever received a call you declined to take because it was a "private" number?  In the old days people would "screen" their calls by listening to the caller speak on their answering machine in real time:  if they wanted to take the call, they could.  But if it was a caller they would rather not talk to at the moment (or ever!), the machine ran interference.

This morning I read a passage which showed similar to how we screen calls, God in a sense screens prayers.  Those who do not fear or regard Him do not have the access and immediate response He gladly gives to those who trust and obey Him.  The situation is described in 2 Kings 3 when the king of Moab rebelled against Jehoram king of Israel.  Jehoram enlisted the aid of king Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom.  Of the three only Jehoshaphat feared the LORD.  When Jehoram blamed God for dooming their mission, Jehoshaphat suggested they inquire of the LORD and Elisha the prophet was summoned.

2 Kings 3:13-14 reads, "Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab." ¹⁴ And Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you."  Elisha the prophet was a man who spoke for God, and idolatrous Jehoram nor the king of Edom were deemed worthy of an audience.  The presence of Jehoshaphat, on the other hand, was regarded by God.  Access to the glorious presence of the LORD cannot be earned but is happily granted by God to all who trust in Him.  The cries of the humble will be heard and answered by the Almighty God of Israel.

God was gracious to respond to the inquiry of Jehoshaphat in spite of the kings who he sat beside.  God's grace is even greater magnified by God's answer and action which would benefit them all by giving their cattle water and smiting the Moabites before them.  The requests of unbelievers went straight into the spam folder, but God honoured the presence of Jehoshaphat as a son in whom He was well pleased.  Who would you rather be:  to be one whose presence God regards or to be one He will not look at or see?  Do you want your prayers to be screened and silenced or to be likened to a call God immediately takes at any hour of day or night?  Those who regard God's presence will be gladly regarded by Him.

God, A Consuming Fire

Placing our faith in God ought to change our perspective.  If we believe God created all things seen and unseen, if everything has been made by Him which has been made, then He has authority and control over it all.  Things which appear impossible to us are possible with God, and insurmountable obstacles for us are no hindrance at all to our great God.  Every man and woman of God can be assured of God's protection, help, and power in every situation of life.

I was reminded today of when king Ahaziah sent a captain and his 50 to arrest Elijah and bring him before the king.  The backstory is the injured king had sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub (god of Ekron) if he would recover.  God took exception to this and sent a message by Elijah to condemn the king's act and inform him he would not recover but die.  The king was not pleased with God or Elijah speaking to him in this manner.  2 Kings 1:9-10 says, "Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: "Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down!' " ¹⁰ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty."

The captain addressed Elijah as "Man of God," and given the situation this is most ironic.  If Elijah truly was a man of God, then there was indeed a God in Israel.  And if there is a God in Israel, why didn't the King inquire of Him - the One who was revealed to Amaziah's father Ahab and all Israel through Elijah calling fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice on Mount Carmel?  God's wisdom and insight was displayed in knowing when, where, and why Amaziah sent messengers.  Why didn't Amaziah honour God?  It seems Amaziah had forgotten that at the request of Elijah rain did not fall in Israel for three and a half years, and at his request God caused the rain to fall in torrents.  Since the king nor his men feared God, God gave the king an awesome display of His power by consuming his captain and fifty men in fire.

Undeterred, Amaziah sent a second captain with his 50 to Elijah, demanding he go with them.  Can you guess what happened?  They too were consumed with fire from heaven as the previous group.  Amaziah stubbornly sent a third group to fetch Elijah, but the demeanour of the captain was different than the previous two.  2 Kings 1:13-15 reads, "Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: "Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. ¹⁴ Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight." ¹⁵ And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king."  The third captain went in obedience to his master, but he came humbly before Elijah and his God.  He begged for his life, acknowledging what God had done to the previous captains and their fifties.  God responded graciously by sparing the captain and his 50 and guided Elijah to go with the men without fear.

How fitting it is for us to acknowledge all God has done and humble ourselves before Him!  God already knew why the third captain had come and the orders he had been given by Amaziah.  The God who can withhold rain and cause fire to fall from heaven is worthy of honour and greatly to be feared.  Imagine a man demanding anything of God!  Are we in any position to make demands of God or to think we must inform Him of what is going on as if He didn't know?  What do we know?  As men and women of God we ought not to think it is our place to call fire down from heaven upon others, even upon those who hate or oppose God.  When the disciples James and John suggested they do this upon Samaritans who did not receive Jesus Luke 9:55-56 states, "But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. ⁵⁶ For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village."

It is not for man to avenge himself or even to try to avenge God's honour, as if God needed any assistance from man to do so.  God has said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay."  He is King and will execute justice and judgment in the earth.  God's heart of love is seen in Christ who came to save lives, not destroy them.  He does not kill first but allows opportunity for men to humble themselves and repent.  Our God is love and also a consuming fire.  Those who humble themselves and acknowledge His sovereignty will experience His love and grace, but those who vaunt themselves against Him and proudly make demands will have another experience entirely - and those flames will never be quenched.

A Real Enemy

An enemy can be defined as one who is opposed to and hostile against another.  When King Saul realised the people cheered David, he was envious of the praise and saw him as a threat.  He became David's enemy and sought opportunity to kill him.  Murder lurked in the heart of the king who was lifted up with pride.  This unchecked pride led to other sins, such as consulting a medium for guidance when he had been tasked by God to rid the nation of such abominations.  Samuel's chilling response to Saul's inquiry include those found in 1 Samuel 28:16:  "Why then do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?"

Because Saul opposed the righteous judgments of God and sought to murder the one chosen and anointed by God to replace him, God also became Saul's enemy.  Most who have basic Bible knowledge realise the devil, Satan, is an adversary and enemy with whom Christians must contend.  What we may not understand is the principle when we make ourselves enemies of God, He will oppose us as an enemy.  He will discipline us, even as a father the son whom he loves.  Many times God delivered His beloved people into the hands of their enemies and placed them under oppression because of their unrepentant sin against Him.  The Almighty God who is our refuge can also be as a real enemy against us when we are lifted up with pride and oppose Him.

Still not convinced?  Consider the words of Isaiah 63:7-10 concerning His dealings with His people:  "I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD  and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. ⁸ For He said, "Surely they are My people, children who will not lie." So He became their Savior. ⁹ In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. ¹⁰ But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them."  God is loving to oppose His people when they work for their own ruin, and His opposition may actually be our salvation.

King Ahab reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel and did great evil in the sight of God.  For three and a half years God withheld rain so people would know He was the true God over all.  When King Ahab went to take possession of Naboth's vineyard after his wife Jezebel arranged his murder, the prophet of God Elijah was sent by God to speak with him.  1 Kings 21:20 says, "So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD..."  Ahab viewed Elijah, a man of God, as his enemy when in fact it was Ahab who was an enemy of God!  He fought against God and therefore God opposed Him.  How foolish this proved to be, for who can fight against God and win?

Paul was right to ask the rhetorical question in Romans 8:31:  "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  God is able to deliver us from all evil and trample our enemies under His feet.  Yet it is not by virtue of our new birth or faith in Christ that God is for us:  God is for everyone who believes Him and walks in righteousness.  If we live in sin we are presumptuous to think He will support or deliver us.  When we chose to oppose God and His righteousness, the one who works against us is God Himself.  The devil is not to blame for all that "goes wrong" in our lives, for God is able to graciously work for our redemption through them.  The question is not if God be for us, but are we living against Him?  Only a fool is fine to remain an enemy of God.

Speak the Word

"However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."

Acts 4:4

A farmer who desires a harvest must first sow seed, and if we will see people converted to Jesus Christ we must preach the Word of God.  In the Parable of the Sower Jesus told, the seed represented the scripture sown into the hearts of listeners.  Some hearts were compared to a dusty footpath whilst others were prepared hearts where the Word of God produced much fruit.  After Peter healed a man in the name of Jesus Christ, he preached the Word to the people.  Many of them believed and became part of the Body of Christ, the church.

There is a quote commonly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (though there is no factual evidence I know to support this claim) which is, "Preach the Gospel by all means. If necessary, use words.”  Though this quote is not authentic, it is a quote commonly quoted because many people like it.  I believe many Christians support the idea that our actions are significant and words alone are not sufficient to convey the Gospel.  The concern I have with people latching onto the quote is it can be a cop-out of the responsibility we have as Christians to boldly speak forth the Word of God.  The Gospel cannot be conveyed without words, and God's Word in particular.

How will people hear if God's Word is never spoken?  I have been convicted lately how I have not been as vocal concerning the Gospel as I should be.  I run the risk of being known as a "decent bloke" without anyone knowing it is only through Christ living in me anyone could possibly arrive at this conclusion.  It does very little for the sake of God's kingdom to be loving, kind, generous, or compassionate unless there is a clear correlation between doing good, proclaiming Jesus, and being loyal to Him.  I seriously doubt someone who does not believe in God after observing kindness in another person would muse to themselves, "Maybe I am a sinner.  I need to repent and trust in Jesus to be saved."

Peter's deeds and words worked together to bring many people to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  We too must be filled with the Holy Spirit to be God's witnesses wherever we go, speaking boldly the truth of God's Word when we have a willing audience.  Let us not hide behind quotes (false ones at that) to justify our reluctance to speak forth God's Word.  If we will see people converted to faith in Jesus Christ, they must hear the Word of God.  How can they hear if no one will speak the Word?