Declaring War

Renters in Australia can be subject to quarterly inspections by the realtor that manages the property.  This was a useful prompting for our household to engage in deeper regular cleaning than we might be inclined.  We made it our aim to begin preparing for an inspection days beforehand to ensure everything went smoothly.  I remember another renting family complain of the strictness of their inspector who even reached up under the range hood over the stove and complained it was slightly sticky.  "Who even does that?" said the incredulous renter.  While I felt sympathetic towards our fellow renter, it also reminded me how God does a much more thorough spiritual inspection of our hearts.  His eyes not only observe our words and deeds on the outside, but He is intimately acquainted with our thoughts, motives and hearts.

This week at Calvary Chapel Sydney we considered the statement from James 4:6:  "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  This word "resist" means to put in battle array against, for pride is truly a declaration of war upon God He rallies to oppose.  Let us never imagine our God who is patient, compassionate and merciful will allow His beloved children to be lifted up with pride without negative consequences, for the soul that does so works toward their own ruin.  The word of God and conviction of the Holy Spirit is like a lily-white glove swept over a heart that exposes the filth of pride we cannot see ourselves and reveals our need to repent.  God sent an unclean spirit to chastened king Saul for his pride, struck king Uzziah with leprosy for presumptuously offering incense in the temple (who became angry when confronted by courageous priests for his transgression), and He also struck king Nebuchadnezzar with madness for 7 years.

God could have wiped Nebuchadnezzar off the earth for his transgression of pride, yet he restored his kingdom, reason and glory to him.  After being humbled by God, the king of Babylon concluded in Daniel 4:37, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down."  Those who humble themselves in the sight of the LORD, confessing their pride when it is exposed, mourn their sin and repent, by God's grace He will lift them up.  Those who continue to be lifted up in pride without repentance can expect in due time to be cast down--even people with genuine faith in God.  The scripture provides ample evidence of this fact, and I also know this by personal experience.  Pride is a root cause of almost every work of the flesh, and the wise are not exempt from this malady.  God's wisdom is displayed by humbling ourselves when we are made aware of pride by confessing and mourning it in repentance.  Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."

Solomon exposed pride as the major cause of all contention in Proverbs 13:10:  "By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom."  To justify pride is to double-down against God and always creates conflict, drama and fights.  The proud are self-assured, justify themselves and their angry reactions like Uzziah, but the wise learn what Nebuchadnezzar did:  when we humble ourselves in the sight of the LORD, He will lift us up.  Pride comes before a fall and leads to strife that can be avoided by the one who walks in the meekness of wisdom.  We do not humble ourselves hoping to be exalted, but because God is exalted and worthy of all honour and praise.  Declaring war on our pride keeps us from declaring war on God by being lifted up by it.

The Obedience of Christ

After protecting the child Joash in the house of God, heir to the throne of Judah in the line of David, the high priest Jehoiada set about crowning him as king.  He gathered the Levites to Jerusalem and made a covenant with them.  At the time the wicked queen Athaliah reigned in Judah, having murdered her own grandsons so she could rule in the place of the deceased king.  The high priest Jehoiada organised the Levites on the appointed Sabbath to guard the door and only allow Levites to enter the temple court.  There was another group directed to stand guard around the king with weapons to protect him from any harm.  2 Chronicles 23:9-10 then says, "And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. ¹⁰ Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king."

It is intriguing spears and shields which belonged to David were stowed in the temple, for David had passed away before his son Solomon built the temple.  At some point it seems Solomon or one of his sons after him took spears and shields of David and placed them there.  It would be ridiculous to suggest God needs protection from men, but the spears and shields were a useful deterrent to anyone coming against young Joash, the rightfully crowned king.  Looking at the scene unfold I believe it is insightful the Levites were not commanded to go find queen Athaliah and kill her so the coronation of the king could occur:  they crowned the king, handed him the testimony (God's Law he was to learn, follow and uphold), anointed him and praised the LORD.  By the simple act of placing the one God anointed on the throne, all the evil Athaliah could do was tear her clothes and ironically bellow, "Treason, treason!"  2 Chronicles 23:14-15 tells us what happened:  "And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, "Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not kill her in the house of the LORD." ¹⁵ So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king's house, and they killed her there."  The people of the land rejoiced to have the king on the throne, and the city was quiet after the rule of Athaliah suddenly ended.

Athaliah was a murderer and liar, and Jesus said Satan has been a liar and murderer from the beginning.  We are given the sword of the Spirit--the word of God--because He is sits enthroned as KING OF KINGS and our great High Priest.  Our call is not to go on search and destroy missions against Satan but to submit ourselves in faith and obedience to Jesus Christ who enables us to stand strong by His grace in the battle we fight.  2 Corinthians 10:4-6 shows us this battle is largely one enjoined inside our own minds and hearts:  "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  Unless we submit our will in obedience by faith to our LORD Jesus, the scriptures show God Himself will oppose us like an enemy.  I wonder if those who rail against the devil as they rebuke him in prayer, imagining him to be omniscient like God or one who shrinks from the empty threats of mere men because he must.  We should consider the Jude 9 mention of Michael the archangel who acted on God's orders did not revile Satan but said, "The LORD rebuke you."  As the high priest Jehoiada gave the command for Athaliah to be seized, thrown out and executed, vengeance and judgment belong to our everlasting King and High Priest Jesus.  Vengeance is God's, and He will surely repay.

There are Christians who are convinced when things go "wrong" they must be under satanic attack, for as children of God they are entitled to better than they are experiencing.  But consider Amos 3:6 dear brethren:  "If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?"  Are not all spirits under God's authority and command?  When king Saul was lifted up in pride and disobeyed God, God sent an evil spirit to chasten him (1 Samuel 18:10).  Job was a righteous man God allowed Satan to attack, destroy his possessions and ruin his health--not because of his sinfulness but because of his righteousness (Job 1:12; 2:6).  When Job prayed for his friends, when Job was restored to health and doubly blessed it furthered God's purposes to reveal His compassion and mercy (James 5:11).  God put a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab's false prophets (2 Chron. 18:22).  Ahab loved lies, so God gave him a gutful of them (along with a revelation of the truth)  so he might fall in battle.  Tell me:  what good would have rebuking the devil or demons done in these cases when they were permitted and authorised to do all they did by the almighty God?  Such resemble the devil in their self-righteousness, fighting against God!  Better than raising our voices in authority against Satan, it is best to humble ourselves before our Saviour Jesus Christ who sits enthroned in our hearts and before whom we fall in adoration.

By faith in Jesus Christ we have been filled with the Holy Spirit who protects and empowers us to take a righteous stand in a world filled with the corruptions of sin.  We wield the sword of the Spirit not to put Jesus on the throne but because He has sat down at the right hand of the Father, having accomplished the victory He promised to provide.  His ways are higher than ours, and His glorious rule is eternal.  So called prayer warriors do better to praise and magnify the name of the living God and rest in His goodness than raising their voices against Satan who will be bound in chains and cast into outer darkness where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.  Our focus is not to be on the enemy of our souls, on mockers or those who cause divisions but on our Saviour as we keep ourselves in the love of God as it is written in Jude 1:19-25:  "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. ²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."  Let us joyfully surrender ourselves in praise and service in the obedience of Christ who sits on the throne now and forever!

Abiding in God

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."

Psalm 91:1-2

These verses are a lovely picture of rest available to those who are joined to God by faith in Jesus Christ.  God is revealed in scripture as unapproachable in everlasting glory.  Moved by love for lost sinners, God has come to us in the person of Jesus to provide a way for all who trust Him to dwell in house of the LORD and rejoice in His presence forever.  The Holy Spirit inhabits those who are born again by the Gospel, and those who follow Jesus will chose to draw near to Him and abide as a branch is connected to the vine.  Jesus is the Vine, and His disciples are the branches He enables to grow and be spiritually fruitful.  Believers have been divinely joined with Christ as members of His Body, and as such we delight to seek Him and experience great delight in His presence.

It is God's will for believers to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing and in every thing give thanks (1 Thess. 5:16-18).  This is a good description of the attitude of a heart that seeks and glorifies God daily in all activities we engage in.  We have continual opportunity to draw near to God individually, whether at a regular hour or at intervals as we lay aside the business of the day and choose to come away into the presence of the LORD.  To keep the three major feasts in Israel men needed to first leave their farms and shops to travel to Jerusalem to present themselves before the almighty God they feared and obeyed.  Three times a day Daniel in a foreign land opened his widow that faced Jerusalem and prayed to God.  These who dwelt in the shadow of the Almighty could say, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."

This morning I recalled with fondness an annual retreat I used to bring a youth group to attend in southern California.  One of my favourite times was when a cabin was opened early in the morning for leaders to have devotions alone with the LORD.  It was a chance to read the Bible, pray, take notes and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee by a fire--away from the persistent smell of Axe body spray.  I am convinced the time of prayer by the fire and fellowship with God was not dependent on a fireplace, coffee or the picturesque sight of snow falling outside a cabin but the presence of the Holy God intentionally sought and found by grace.  There is a distinction between being a regular attendee of church services and one who abides under the shadow of the Almighty; not all those who "read their Bible" rest in the grace and mercy of their awesome God.  Every day is an invitation to seek God in secret, to draw near to Him in faith and abide with Him.

Jesus said in John 12:25-26, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour."  Jesus is our life, and He is the only source of eternal life.  What a promise, that where Jesus is His servant will be also!  This closeness, oneness even, promotes fellowship the closest relationships on earth cannot achieve.  Jesus calls to us to come away with Him, and those who love and trust Him delight to set aside occasions to enter His rest because we are His forever.

Worship Before the Win

A song I have been thinking of since Sunday is "God My Rock" penned by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche.  The lyrics are as follows:

When my heart is overwhelmed

I will look to You alone

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

You will stand when others fall

You are faithful through it all

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

In the blessing, in the pain

through it all You've never failed me

You are the strength of my heart

You are the strength of my heart

I can rely on You, I can rely on You

You are the joy of my life

You are my song in the night

There is no one as true

Jesus I trust in You

When I've struggled to believe

You have not let go of me

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

Carried through the darkest storms

You have held me in Your arms

God my rock God my rock God my rock

It is good when the child of God understands that "in the blessing, in the pain" are not contradictory but complimentary.  We do not often think of pain as a blessing, yet consider the blessing beyond reckoning we have received through the loving sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.  With full knowledge of the physical pain which awaited Him, Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:1-3).  When the pain is overwhelming and chronic, even then God remains good.  A child of God by faith can endure and remain steadfast and strong when resting in the promises of God.  David wrote in Psalm 27:13-14, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"

When we are overwhelmed by pain, trials and feelings of impending doom, we forget the blessing we have in God at all times.  We imagine we are alone and no one can understand or appreciate our suffering.  A good example of what to do when overwhelmed is provided by King Jehoshaphat when mighty nations united against Judah to attack.  Jehoshaphat admitted before God and all the people, "We don't know what to do God, but our eyes are on you."  At that moment the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah who reminded the people the battle is the LORD's and they would not have to fight at all in this battle.  Before the battle had been fought it was already won by the victory of faith because people knew God was with them.  A multitude of enemies prepared to attack them, and the people fell on their faces before God in worship and praised Him.

2 Chronicles 20:20-22 reads, "So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." ²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever." ²² Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated."  The people demonstrated faith in God by obedience to His word to go up against an army they could not defeat, and they praised God and worshiped God as victors before they won.  Isn't this an example we can talk to heart, that we exhibit and demonstrate faith in God by worshiping the God our Rock who we trust, who fights our battles, who carries us through the darkest storms, the One who never lets us go?