Seeks and Saves

I find encouragement in videos of people who seek to rescue and rehabilitate neglected or abandoned animals.  It is amazing the amount of effort people will go through to capture a stray so they can be reunited with their owner or to provide a new, suitable home with food, shelter and love.  I have seen mangy and sick dogs with ribs showing from malnutrition to looking nothing like the dog they once were.  Some animals go from cowering in a corner and preferring solitude to bounding up to their new owner, tail wagging, and enjoying their new life.

While it isn't the best analogy, I see some similarities to how Jesus went to seek and save the lost.  As incredible and pronounced as the change is in animals that are rescued and re-homed, it pales in comparison to the transformation faith in Jesus brings to a person inside and out.  Jesus did not lure people with food or secretly set a trap to capture prospective followers for their own good:  He simply sought them out, spoke the truth with love and compassion, and He was the Servant of all.  Over time people listened to Jesus and responded to His call to follow Him.  Belief was only the beginning of a process of being transformed from within by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus had compassion on the multitude and also to a sick, lonely man who did not have anyone to help him.  Jesus knew what people had suffered at the hands of others, due to their own sin, choices and folly and chose to reveal Himself to them as the Son of God through Whom forgiveness of sins and eternal life was assured.  While some scampered away, others drew near and sat at His feet.  Jesus demonstrated patience continually with everyone around Him, whether they were snarling enemies or fawning disciples.  This patient compassion seen in Christ ought to mark Christians as well, for though a person can be born again in an instant there is a process of maturation and wisdom that cannot be rushed.  God sanctifies us by faith in Christ, and we are also learning to sanctify ourselves by walking by faith and not by sight.

The patience shown with neglected and sick animals can put me to shame because I have not always extended such patient compassion to other people.  It is easier to be compassionate towards a stray than your own dog who should know better from much training.  Better than seeing ourselves as the one out there looking for strays in the analogy, it is humbling and helpful to know we are one of those strays.  We are not a Saviour; we have no power to transform anyone.  But we can lead those in our pack to seek the LORD Jesus Christ Who loves and has compassion on us, provides for us, protects us, our Master we need right now more than ever.  Praise the LORD for Jesus, the One who seeks and saves the lost.

Seeing the LORD

When I was a kid it was fun to take stock of my prized possessions.  This meant pouring out my marbles on the carpet to separate and examine them, removing money from my piggy bank to count it or looking through baseball and football cards.  I was careful to keep my money in the bank so I didn't lose it, and I kept my baseball cards in a shoebox to keep them from being creased or damaged.  There was a sense of accomplishment to see your stuff laid out in full view because most of the time the things I valued were hidden away somewhere to be kept safe.

Isn't it true that there are things we would like to see because we are not currently seeing them--like seeing people change in making wise decisions, seeing goals achieved, seeing Christians grow in maturity, to see new believers coming to Christ or maybe see people in fellowship at church?  There are all kinds of things we would like to see, and know when our desires are fulfilled we would like to see it again or see something new because our eyes are not satisfied by seeing.  It is good to come to a place of rest in our Saviour's sovereignty and grace we are not discouraged by what we see or do not see.  Many times people have left a church because they weren't "seeing" what they wanted to see:  they wanted to see people healed physically, see more community outreach, see more people filled with the Holy Spirit.  Because they didn't see what they wanted to see they broke off fellowship and looked for it elsewhere.

I say all this to point out that even when you see what is beyond your dreams and expectations it may not benefit you at all.  There is a circumstance in scripture that illustrates this well.  During the reign of King Joram in Samaria, the Assyrians laid siege to the city and the famine was severe.  When Joram went to confront the prophet Elisha, he was given a revelation from the living God in 2 Kings 7:1-2:  "Then Elisha said, "Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'" ²  So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?" And he said, "In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it."  The officer was incredulous even God could do what Elisha said based upon what he could see currently, the squalid suffering of God's people with strong enemies outside the gate.  What Elisha said miraculously came to pass when the army fled overnight and left their food and valuables behind:  the man saw food in abundance he never partook of because he was trampled in the gate.  Seeing with his eyes did not profit him at all.

Jesus asked in Mark 8:36, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  It does not profit a man to count money he will not spend, to see food he cannot eat or to gain the world and lose his own soul.  Unless the things we see prompts us to a God-honouring response, it will not profit at all.  We can rejoice to see people growing in grace and knowledge of the LORD, but unless it spurns us on to seek God ourselves it is of little value to us at all.  King Solomon, who amassed great riches, wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:11:  "When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?"  So you see the money pouring in:  of what benefit is that to you when you must pay more in wages and taxes?  The things we want to see can be the things we set our hearts on that are of the flesh and of this world that is passing away and will not profit us.

So church services are full of people or noticeably empty:  what is that to you?  So the sermons don't seem to be engaging many people based upon views:  was that sermon preached for them or for God's sake and in obedience to Him?  When our eyes are fixed upon the LORD, we finally begin to see things more clearly.  When our eyes are searching for what is not, remember that even when we see more than we imagined there is no guarantee we will benefit at all.  Look to the LORD Jesus Christ and serve Him, believer, whether or not you are seeing what you want to see in a church, in people or in yourself.  Hope in the almighty God, servant of the Most High, for He is the One who establishes us and makes us fruitful by His grace.

Signs and Wonders

As a Christian when you hear the term "signs and wonders," what comes to mind?  I think of things like Jesus healing the paralytic, cleansing lepers, casting out demons and raising the dead.  My mind goes to miraculous manifestations of God's power at work in the lives of people.  Let us not imagine, however, signs and wonders are a New Testament phenomenon.  The Bible makes it clear God has been doing signs and wonders through His people since the beginning, and in ways that might surprise you.

The context of Isaiah 8 is God directing the prophet Isaiah to name his son "Mahershalalhashbaz," quite a mouthful.  I am sure many people were quite surprised anyone would name their son a compound word that is basically a sentence meaning, "speedy spoil and hasty plunder."  It was meant to be a divine encouragement that the Assyrian/Israel alliance formed against Judah would soon fail, even before the boy Mahershalalhashbaz would be able to say "my father and my mother."  When people of Judah heard of the enemies gathering against them they were shocked by the confederacy and put in fear.  Through the prophet God told His people that He should be their fear and dread, not the schemes or powers of man.

Instead of seeking news from informants of the political and military intrigue, Isaiah was determined to seek the LORD.  Hear what he said in Isaiah 8:18-20:  "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. ¹⁹ And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."  This puts "signs and wonders" in a new light, doesn't it?  People took note of the odd name Isaiah gave his son in obedience to God and wondered.  There was a push to go to wizards and mediums, to seek counsel from familiar spirits when God had already spoken.  Whilst others were in fear of being plundered by invaders, Isaiah feared God and made God's law and testimony his plumb line of truth.

Isn't it a miracle when people seek the LORD in a world of news reports and conspiracies?  It is a sign to God's people and all the world when a person believes God and walks according to His word.  Perhaps some viewed Isaiah as "old school" and the scriptures as boring and outdated, but God made this man and his family signs and wonders so they might consider and change their minds and ways.  This is the power of signs of wonders:  not so much the restoring of a withered hand, feeding hungry people a meal or raising the dead, but to cause a man to believe God is LORD, that Jesus is the Christ.  Some who saw the sign and wondered changed their mind about Jesus, having heard He was a deceiver by the envious, and were born again by faith in Him.  The ultimate miracle took place when people were born again and as a result entered into fellowship with God and eternal salvation.

Instead of being swept up in conspiracies and news reports that provoke fear, blessed is the one God makes a sign and wonder because of his dogged trust in God with determination to seek and obey Him, who believes God's word having been born again by faith in Jesus.  Unless God commands us we don't need to name our child Mahershalalhashbaz as a sign, for God's word given to us is a greater sign and wonder than we are in ourselves.  We do not need to try to be a sign to anyone, for the one who sincerely trusts in Jesus and follows Him in faith will cause others to wonder if they too can find abundant life in Him.

You might not be called as a prophet, you might not speak with tongues and interpret, and you might not have a spouse or children, but you can be for signs and wonders in your family, church, workplace and city from the LORD of hosts.  Seeking God and heeding His word in this world causes us to shine forth exceedingly bright for His glory.

The Reality of Faith

It is wonderful when investigation into the claims of scripture confirm the truth of God's word.  Because the Bible is the word of God, we can place our faith in the infallible accuracy of the revelation.  I believe a problem can arise when well-intentioned people take it upon themselves to "prove" the Bible is true by the discovery of ancient artifacts or sites.  The Bible is not true because we have found the actual 10 Commandments or Noah's ark:  it is true because it is the word of God, and we therefore expect the evidence over time will stack up.

There will always be naysayers and doubters even if every single ancient artifact mentioned in the Bible was produced, authenticated, cataloged and kept safe in a museum.  The discovery of the Ark of the Covenant would not necessarily stir belief in the historical authenticity any more than an empty tomb near Jerusalem prompts people to believe Jesus is risen from the dead.  The facts are Jesus did rise from the dead, and it is possible the tomb carved out of the rock was used for others after Jesus rose.  The Garden Tomb in Israel is a wonderful spot where a tomb carved out of the rock sits empty as a memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Whether this was the actual tomb or not is not important:  the important point is Jesus is risen, just as He said.

Those who make appeals to science to "prove" the Bible is true can undermine their position when alternative scientific evidence is provided to the contrary.  Because God created the world and upholds the natural laws therein, science can be a asset to better understand and appreciate the greatness of God.  We also know God routinely is able to overrule the natural order with miraculous power like with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  To try to "prove" a human body can rise from the dead after being dead for days would be an impossible undertaking.  This is not difficult to believe, however, if you believe God miraculously created the heavens and the earth from nothing.  God spoke and it was done.

The word of God reveals the living God to those He created in His image, each with their own mind and will.  Those who take God at His word and choose to believe in Him do so according to knowledge.  The maps in the back of our Bibles remind us the setting for the scripture is in the world we live in, the world ruled by the almighty God who spoke light into the darkness, the God who brings life out of death, the One who offers eternal life by His grace.  The skeptic who demands proof Jesus existed would be hard pressed to prove Jesus did not exist.  Our faith does not rest in stones, wood or gilded boxes but in God who has given us His word, sent His Son Jesus Christ and saves all who trust in Him.