Life to the Full

I am reading one of the books I received when attending the Calvary Global Network conference in Costa Mesa, California by John Bonner titled The Myth of Coincidence.  It didn't take long to reach halfway through the book, a compilation of details concerning life, call to ministry, and God's ways which are higher than ours.  His story of being called to move to and minister in a foreign nation in some ways resembles my own.

Pastor Bonner wrote in the preface, "If I were to die tonight, I would go home a completely satisfied man, having lived life to the fullest." (Bonner, John. The Myth of Coincidence. Calvary Chapel Hosanna! Publishing, 2019.)  Though John Bonner has been called to South America and I have been called to Australia, we share the same home because we are citizens of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ.  Because of what Jesus has accomplished by the Gospel after the death of the body we are going to the same heavenly home in the presence of God.  Having lived as foreigners on earth, it is the place Abraham looked for, the place where we finally belong.

I agree with Bonner's statement, especially the first part.  I would not die satisfied because of what I have experienced or accomplished on earth, but because of Who I am going home to.  When I look at the meager fruitfulness of my efforts which have gone largely unrealised by me, there is nothing to crow about.  For everything that has been accomplished there are 100 things yet to do, and 99% of what seems finished needs work before long.  There are worthy battles yet to be fought, minds to be persuaded, hearts to be changed, and souls to be won.  Clearing a small field of big rocks takes a lot of time and patient labour, and this is the work God has asked me to do:  to stick it out, keep going, keep trusting Him, and keep looking to Him.

When God calls me home, my work on earth will be finished.  He knows best and I trust Him.  I do not believe regret will have a place in my heart where I am going because I will be with my heavenly Father, my LORD and Saviour by grace.  I cannot better explain our purpose for carrying on until Jesus comes or calls us home in Ephesians 2:10:  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  We like the idea of Jesus preparing a home for us in the heavens, but before we experience that wonder we are given the privilege of entering into the works He was preparing for us before we were born or born again.  He is preparing me right now for more good works yet to do, and this excites me as much as heaven.  Jesus gives life to the full, now and forever!

Completed by Grace

Zerubbabel was given a difficult task by God:  to re-build the temple in Jerusalem.  When we face hard decisions and fierce opposition it is natural for us to attempt to steel the resolve of our flesh or even give up, but God revealed a truth we do well to remember in  Zechariah 4:6-7:  "So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. ⁷ 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' "

The uniting of the people and building of the temple was a mountain might and power could never scale, but it was by the Holy Spirit it would be done.  The highest peaks in the world which require ideal conditions, training, equipment, and guides were not as great as the mountain which loomed before Zerubbabel, but God promised to help him to bring the work to completion.  The mountain would become a plain, and the capstone (the final stone) would be placed with celebratory shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"  It wasn't Zerubbabel's experience, building ability, or organisational prowess which would bring the project to a successful conclusion but the Holy Spirit by God's grace.

If you have a Bible translated into English you will notice occasional words which are italicised which denotes those precise words were not in the original manuscripts but added by translators to better translate into English.  When I import verses into blog posts I italicise the entire passage to convey it is a direct quote of scripture.  I was struck by the rendering of verse 7 so here it is as written in my Bible without italicising all:  "'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' "  The prophet says (in effect), "Who are you, O great mountain?  Before Zerubbabel a plain!"

I found this significant because of what Jesus said, that if we pray believing mountains can be removed and cast into the sea (Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:23).  We like the idea of insurmountable obstacles being removed so we can easily walk forward on flat ground.  But this did not happen with Zerubbabel:  the mountain remained massive, foreboding, and towered above him.  Yet with the aid of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, scaling the heights would be accomplished like crossing a plain.  The mountain remained stubbornly in front of Zerubbabel, and God by grace would empower him to see the task completed.  And God was faithful to His promise.

What comfort this brings us when we realise we are incapable of performing the impossible task which stands before us!  We want God to move the obstinate obstacle to make our passage easier, but God wants to deal with our obstinance of reliance upon our own might and power to accomplish His work.  We want to see the mountain gone and a flat plain before us before we move:  sometimes God leaves the mountain be to teach us to look to Him as we climb.  What obstacle lies before you which you wish to avoid?  Let us remember God's word to Zerubbabel:  "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit" says the LORD of hosts.  The work He has begun He is faithful to complete by grace.

Taking Grace For Granted

We never know what we take for granted until we lose it.  Over the weekend Sydney was buffeted with strong winds which downed power lines and caused almost 50,000 households to  be powerless.  Right in the middle of sermon preparation on my computer the power to our house went out.  My computer went from a useful machine to being an expensive paperweight or doorstop.  Since all our appliances, computers, and lights require electricity to run, we spent the afternoon sitting in the dark.

During prayer this morning I considered how we need God more than we rely upon Him.  Reliance is an intentional dependence.  Just like computers and refrigerators need electricity to perform their designed function, so we need the Holy Spirit of God to enable us to do God's will.  We need Him constantly but can forget that unless we are a branch connected to the Vine Jesus Christ in faith we can do nothing.  I need countless things which escape my mind at any time, like a heart which effectively pumps blood or oxygen in the air.  God is the One who designed the purpose and functions of individual parts of the body as well as fine-tuning earth's environment to support life.  So much of what God has done--even those who know and love God can take for granted.

I am glad God does not take any of His children for granted as humans can; we can take our parents for granted, but God supplied them by His grace anyway.  Reliance upon God and thankfulness for His gracious provision breaks the cycle of taking things for granted, the assumption that because we have something we are somehow entitled to it perpetually.  When I cracked bones in my wrist and wore a soft cast I was amazed how it impeded normal life:  eating, washing, opening doors, and countless other activities were impacted by one small injury.  God used the loss of electrical power for an afternoon to show me how much I rely upon electricity for daily living and how much more I need what God supplies by grace.  

The Honest Policy

It is good in our relationships to be courteous and thoughtful of the feelings of others, to avoid unnecessary offense.  Where we must be careful as followers of Jesus is we do not become so diplomatic in our interactions with others we cease to honestly present the truth.  Speaking the truth does not mean full disclosure, but it is critical for us to examine our motives in real time and even after a conversation about what we said, why we said it, and when applicable why we held back.

After Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers in Egypt, he sent carts to bring his father and the rest of his family to Egypt to escape a great famine.  Joseph was a wise man who feared God, and he also wanted his family to be viewed positively by Pharaoh.  Having lived in Egypt for some time, Joseph knew Pharaoh and the Egyptians hated shepherds.  Guess what?  Israel and his sons were shepherds!  So Joseph, savvy politician he was, suggested spin:  it was true they kept sheep, but their main occupation was cattle.  He coached his family concerning what to say and why in Genesis 46:33-34:  "So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, 'What is your occupation?' ⁴ that you shall say, 'Your servants' occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,' that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."

Joseph told his father and brothers what to say, and then the great reveal came before Pharaoh.  Everything occurred predictably as Joseph had said, but his family was not as diplomatic as he coached them to be.  He selected five of them who presented well and brought them before Pharaoh.  This was their time to shine.  I crack up thinking about what was going through Joseph's head when I read Genesis 47:3:  "Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "What is your occupation?" And they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers."  Whoops.  The very thing Joseph hoped to sweep under the carpet was the main thing they said:  "We are shepherds, and our fathers were shepherds too."  If Joseph was anything like me, in that split second before Pharaoh he would have felt a twinge of embarrassment and frustration by their candour.

But here's the amazing thing:  though they didn't say the words Joseph told them to say, God gave these men viewed by the Egyptian culture are abominable great favour and the best of the land.  Pharaoh said to Joseph in Genesis 47:6, "The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock."  Not only were they provided a place to stay, but they were given roles as chief herdsmen over Pharaoh's livestock!  Joseph coached his brothers to avoid personal embarrassment, but God brought them into favour with Pharaoh though they were honest and straightforward.

Israel and his sons were shepherds, and they weren't afraid to admit it publicly before the powerful sovereign Pharaoh.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be blunt in our allegiance and love of Jesus our Good Shepherd.  To be called a "sheep" is an abominable insult, but we are the sheep of God's pasture without shame.  We may think it necessary to hide this little detail when we have a job interview, or introduce ourselves to a stranger, or in casual conversation.  We imagine this might be a deal breaker--and in the case of Joseph's family there was the risk they would be sent home and the shelter and provision of Egypt could have been withdrawn.  Yet potential offense did not stop the five sons of Israel to boldly speak the truth about their occupation.

As children of God, let us be occupied with His business.  Being forthright and honest about our relationship with God should be our enduring policy.  Our devotion to Jesus Christ might be abominable to many, but we have found favour with God through relationship with Him.  Offenses will occur, but let it never be our intent.  Better to speak the truth and live accordingly before God than to hide behind a persona contrived to please men.