On Being An Ally

One term I have heard often lately is the importance of being an "ally" to others.  Covenant Eyes, a screen accountability service, also uses the term for people to whom personal internet browsing data is sent to support and encourage healthy internet habits.  Alliances among nations and rulers unites separate groups with the aim to accomplish a goal together.  Both a verb and a noun, the term "ally" is defined as a noun by the Merriam-Webster dictionary in this way:  "a sovereign or state associated with another by treaty or league; one that is associated with another as a helper : a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle."

Being an ally to support others in their struggles is a noble cause, but the term to me is impersonal and falls short of the ideal:  by their very nature alliances are created due to a cause or joint pursuit rather than the love of people.  Alliances are utilitarian and should the aim be achieved a new cause must rise up to maintain unity.  Alliances enable sovereignty a superficial unity whist enabling permanent separation to exist between the various groups.  These are the the thoughts which spring up in my mind when I hear of my responsibility to be an ally of people who suffer racial discrimination.  At best being an ally is a start but not a satisfactory conclusion for my role in the lives of others because it falls woefully short of the love of God.  More than an ally, I desire is to be a faithful friend to a person who has intrinsic value in themselves.

These musings caused me to consider if I live as a friend of God or I see Him as my divine ally to help me accomplish my aims.  It is possible those who believe in God to seek His power in a utilitarian way rather than humbling ourselves before our sovereign God as His servants.  God is much more than an ally who has power to stop bullies, judge abusers, or overthrow corrupt governments.  Jesus called His followers friends, even as Abraham was called a friend of God because of his faith and obedience.  John 15:12-15 says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."  Jesus died for sinners and was proved to be their friend by His sacrifice and revelation of divine truth.

The love of God is foreign to this world of alliances, causes, and shifting sands of culture.  God's love and grace is extended to all people of every tribe, nation, and tongue.  God created us for relationship with Him and one another united by His love, joy, peace, and grace.  Jesus did not help us obtain forgiveness and salvation and then take little notice of us until our next struggle:  it is we who are guilty of doing this with Him.  Being an ally to help others in a worthy cause is great, but being a friend to others like Jesus is to us is far better.  

Praising and Blessing

At the prompting of a brother in Christ yesterday I read Psalm 135:1-3:  "Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! ² You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, ³ Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant."  This passage is full of praise and acknowledges the worthiness of the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth.  That God would dwell in a house in Jerusalem where He placed His name is amazing, but even more stunning is God allowed men to enter and serve Him.  No house can contain the infinite, eternal I AM, the one true God who is good and glorious.

The psalmists bids us praise the LORD because He is LORD!  He chose Israel to be His special people and bids all sinners to come to Him and find eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  We were blind, lame, and deserving of hell yet God has shown compassion and mercy on us by His grace to make our hearts His dwelling place:  the habitation of the Holy Spirit.  Those who desire blessings from the LORD ought to realise in Himself God is greater than all temporal riches, health, and earthly prosperity.  He is most worthy to be praised and receive glory from all His creation.

I find compelling the transition from praising to blessing in Psalm 135.  To praise is to shine, glorify, to make a boast, to boldly proclaim, and the psalmist begins with praising God.  Psalm 135:19-21 concludes, "Bless the LORD, O house of Israel! Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!  ²⁰ Bless the LORD, O house of Levi! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD! ²¹ Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!  It is as if from the sheer weight of God's goodness, holiness, and power, the psalmist went from standing to falling to his knees, overcome by our awesome God.  To bless is defined in the Strong's Concordance "to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), praise, salute."  It is fitting we willingly kneel in adoration before the God who calls and enables us to stand in His presence, to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might.

Praising and blessing God is a reward in itself because He is worthy of all glory and honour.  He is the LORD and we are His willing servants.  We did not choose Him but He chose us out of the riches of His grace.  Whether we stand, walk, or run let us bless the LORD at all times with His praise in our hearts.

All Our Springs in Jesus

Psalm 87:7 has been in my mind of late and says, "Both the singers and the players on instruments say, "All my springs are in you."  The context of the song of the singers and musicians is Zion is a source of blessing because of God's presence there.  God is the sole source of life in heaven and earth, and He is man's only provider of salvation, contentment, and rest for eternity.

The Gihon spring is a natural water source in Jerusalem.  On a couple of occasions I have enjoyed treking through "Hezekiah's Tunnel" located underneath the city of David.  It is important to note the Psalmist said, "All my springs are in you" and not "...from you."  A spring of water flowing from underground can cover a great distance and the water downstream can be polluted or stagnate in pools.  It is true all the blessings we enjoy in life come from God, yet they are only realised when we are in Him through faith.  Even believers at times value what we receive from God more than His presence and who we are in Him.  The picture of water flowing from the rock in the wilderness was a great picture of God's presence, refreshing and satisfying those who partake of Him by grace.

Though God's people affirmed all their springs were in Him, due to their folly they sought to satisfy their thirst elsewhere.  The prophet said in Jeremiah 2:11-13:  "Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit. ¹² Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate," says the LORD. ¹³ "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water."  The irony is thick here:  the heathen in countries around Israel were loyal to their powerless idols yet God's people forsook the Living God!  Imagine choosing broken, leaking cisterns which collected muddy run-off water over the LORD who is the fountain of living waters.  Let us not for a moment think we are spiritually superior than these who changed their Glory for what did not profit, for we have all been guilty of the same.  If we are not guilty than we are righteous in ourselves and have no need for repentance, forgiveness, or salvation.

Once Jesus entered Samaria and asked a woman who came to draw water from the well for a drink.  She initially balked at His request as Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.  Her curiosity was piqued when He could supply her with living water.  John 4:13-14 reads, "Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  The woman was thinking only about H²O but Jesus was speaking of spiritual water supplied by the Holy Spirit.  She preferred living water (fresh, moving water) over stagnant water in a well to temporarily quench her thirst, and the Living Water Jesus promised is infinitely superior, springing up into eternal life.  All our springs are in Jesus:  the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Are you thirsty today?  Jesus bids all who thirst to come unto Him and drink.  John 7:37-39 reads, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  After Jesus died on the cross He rose from the dead glorified.  He ascended into the heavens and has sent the Holy Spirit to supply us with Living Water so we might be the source through whom others taste and see that God is good.  Our hearts once hard as stone can become fountains of living water which supply eternal life to all who trust in Jesus and are born again by faith in Him.

The Power of the Word

"The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"

Jeremiah 23:28-29

These were key verses from the sermon preached today at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  The supremacy of God's word over the imaginations, ideas, and dreams of men is without question.  The irony is we can give great credence to the claims of people who claim to speak for God without comparing their words with the scripture once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).  This chapter reveals many priests and prophets in Israel who claimed to have received revelations from God spoke falsehoods from their own hearts.  Compared to the nutritious grain of God's Word their words were worthless as dry and dusty chaff.

Those who have God's word ought to speak it faithfully, and when received in believing hearts God's word grows and produces spiritual fruit in our lives.  The chaff is nothing to the wheat and even a slight breeze will cause it to blow away and be lost forever.  There are many books in Christian bookshops which are useful to convey spiritual truth, but they can only do so by revelations from God's word.  A lot of books and DVD's available today are nothing more than chaff, glitter that sparkles, dazzling the eyes but cannot meet our real spiritual need.  A person can fill their belly with chaff but ultimately will starve because their dietary needs remain unmet.

Verse 29 is a glorious truth:  God's word is like a fire, like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.  It is not the passion of the preacher in the pulpit or his hammering on a point which affects any change in men:  it is the divine work of God's word which accomplishes dynamic, transformational change.  God's word consumes like chaff the empty dreams, deceit, and lies of men.  The scripture can crack the hardest heart and break the stubborn will of those with ears to hear.  It is not the pounding of a pulpit which impacts listeners but the still, small voice of God which speaks in the pages of the Bible.  God sets our hearts aflame with shame of our sin to purify us and breaks us so we might be healed and restored to fellowship with Him through repentance.