The Pursuit of the Heart

A theme often repeated throughout scripture is people who spoke the truth were ignored.  God sent many prophets to warn His people of coming judgment for their sin, yet many who heard the truth did not engage with it.  We might assume all who heard God's Word were scorners or mockers, but a passage in Ezekiel shows this is not always the case.  People flocked to hear the prophet Ezekiel share and complimented his discourse and delivery, but God's words did not actually impact their faith or practices.  They listed to Ezekiel because it pleased and profited them in some way, but not with intent to please God.

Ezekiel 33:31-33 reads, "So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. ³² Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. ³³ And when this comes to pass--surely it will come--then they will know that a prophet has been among them."  God had remarkable insight into the hearts of people and discerned the motives behind their words and deeds.  We look on the outside, but God looks at the heart.  It is always sad for a preacher to see people drowsy during a message, nodding off whilst fighting sleep.  He is glad to see people bright and energetic, taking notes, and later even rehearsing aspects of the message for further discussion.

Ezekiel's hearers were the second kind, attentive like a music lover enjoying his favourite band live.  They were compared to a man whose foot tapped in rhythm and quietly sang along with words he memorised.  He owned every album, recognised the melodies, and even knew the backstory behind the lyrics of particular tunes.  But just like listening to music cannot fundamentally change a person, hearing the word of God made no impact without faith and obedience.  This is really challenging for me to consider:  when I read or hear God's Word do I take action to heed and obey it?  Or am I only pursuing my own gain?  Some people like rap or metal, others folk music or country:  do I enjoy being taught the scripture because it is a personal preference or because I want to honour God and be transformed?

Jesus spoke of the wise and foolish who heard His words.  Both wise and foolish heard His words, but the wise were those who ordered their lives in obedience to them.  Rather than being a pastor who wonders if his hearers obey the Word of God, I need to realise my natural tendency is to be a hearer but not a doer.  Ezekiel had no control over the kind of listeners who assembled, but he was responsible before God to be both a hearer and doer of God's Word, to not just "show much love" with words but to love God and people from the heart.  I am not responsible for the responses of other people, and ensuring my response to God's Word in humility, repentance, and obedience is key.  When an instrument is out of tune it is not pleasing to the discerning ear of the musician or audience, and if we hear God's Word yet do not change accordingly our lives resemble a clanging cymbal out of time.

James 1:19-25 says, "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."  Hearing is important, but hearing without doing brings self-deception.  As we behold Christ, let us take steps to live in the way that pleases Him.  The meek will receive the implanted Word and walk in it, whilst those who only seek a blessing for themselves will find it strangely elusive.  If we will pursue Jesus in faith, may we in meekness trust and obey Him.

Prosperity and Adversity

"Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked? ¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him."

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

Written by the wisest king who ever ruled, Solomon affirmed the sovereignty and goodness of God.  God allows the rain to fall upon the just and the unjust, and He allows situations we view as good and bad.  Though God's ways are higher than ours, He can be known by all as the loving, compassionate, gracious, and awesome God He is.  Knowing He is in everything and can redeem it for our good changes the way we view prosperity and adversity, for He has appointed one as well as the other.

It is erroneous to assume "bad" things which happen are of the devil, and that good things are the product of our deserving them.  God created our bodies to feel physical pain, and pain serves a useful, practical purpose.  In a similar way trials work for our good, to strengthen our faith and turn our eyes towards God in renewed hope.  When his wife urged him to curse God and die in pain and sorrow, the response of Job is recorded in Job 2:10:  "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"  The things men or even Satan meant for evil God can use for good.

During the reign of King Solomon the nation of Israel enjoyed prosperity and peace to a degree previously unknown.  After Solomon's death, however, the nation was suddenly divided when the northern kingdom rebelled against the rule of Rehoboam, his son.  When Rehoboam amassed an army to fight against the northern kingdom which had crowned Jeroboam king to reclaim it, God revealed through the man of God what He had previously said:  "This thing is from me."  Knowing the division was from God prompted Rehoboam to accept what he once previously fought against.  The situation was from God, and God was for him.  The wise find cause for rejoicing in God regardless of circumstances, for God is worthy to be praised and our hope, life, and peace is in Him.

The God who divided Israel into northern and southern kingdoms would purify His people through many trials and difficulties:  the northern kingdom would collapse and fall, Jerusalem's walls would be breached, the Temple broken apart and plundered, and God's people would be brought into captivity in Babylon.  But the God who kills also makes alive, and true to His promise God delivered His people from bondage and caused them to return to the land of their fathers and be restored.  No longer would they be entrenched in idolatry as before but would worship the God of their fathers.  God at times employs temporary adversity to prepare the way for enduring prosperity.  Prosperity and adversity come from the LORD, and all who trust in Him find rest for their souls.

The Heart of Jesus

I have been reading through A.W. Tozer's A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night, a short compilation of selected sermons by James L. Snyder.  Tozer enjoyed poetry and hymns, and last night I read a poem by Oswald J. Smith titled "Deeper and Deeper" on page 107:

Into the heart of Jesus

Deeper and deeper I go,

Seeking to know the reason

Why He should love me so,

Why He should stoop to lift me

Up from the miry clay,

Saving my soul, making me whole,

Though I had wandered away.

The key to appreciating the sentiments of this poem are found in the first line:  it is Jesus we are to seek as we relish His grace and love.  It does us no good to look to ourselves to see why we are worthy of God's compassion, deliverance, and salvation because in our flesh no good thing dwells.  The world looks at Jesus through many lenses of unbelief, seeing no beauty in the One crucified on Calvary.  But those who have received His love and redemption through faith in Jesus look upon Him with wonder:  how good He must be to love the unlovable!  What humility and meekness is revealed in our LORD through His sacrifice; what generosity in His gifts and promises.  That He would pursue us when we wandered and wilfully disobeyed!

In Christ there is an endless layering of His glory with each new revelation.  His goodness is infinite and enduring forever, and of His love there is no end.  The answer to the question of why Jesus loves us so is found in Him alone and all His glorious attributes.  Every day we can be surprised and overwhelmed with the grace of God, for though He is God He picked us fallen sinners from the mire to be His chosen, His beloved.  We weren't just a "project" for Him to work on to feel good about Himself, but because He is good Jesus cares for everyone with all His heart.  He loves us because He is good, not due to our goodness.

Praise the LORD for making Himself known to us, having drawn us to Himself with cords of love!  Jesus has sought us out, called our names, stopped and stooped to lift us up, and saved us by His grace.  When the priest and Levite saw the man left for dead in the parable, they walked to the other side of the road.  The holiness and sanctification of Jesus is infinitely greater than mere man, yet He came to us when we were dead in sins and broken, healing and restoring us at His own expense.  God's love isn't content to be concealed or at a distance but draws near by grace.  Isn't it beautiful who Jesus is and all He has done?

Embracing Humility

In all seasons of life God provides opportunities to walk in humility before Him.  Today I saw a video of a young teen playing baseball who hits home runs with ease.  That was always a dream of mine in Little League:  to hit a home run over the fence.  Though a proficient player and coming close several times, it was a goal I was never able to achieve.  I bounced balls off the fence, but never hit one out.

A high degree of skill or below-average ability in sport both have ways of exposing pride and our need for repentance and humility.  The trouble about being good at something is we begin to have high expectations of ourselves we never had when first starting out.  As my bowling average rose with practice, so did my expectations of better scores.  Games I would have been pleased with years before when I was just "having fun" became a source of frustration.  But it wasn't 10-pin bowling, my team, my poor technique, or the score which was the problem:  the issue was pride in my heart.  Navigating failure in technique or execution of fundamentals is not nearly as challenging as addressing the pride prior success can bring.

In the heat of the moment it is easy to lose my composure, but the conviction of the Holy Spirit and even gentle rebuke by others has helped me regain proper perspective.  I am glad to have the insights afforded by God's grace to King Nebuchadnezzar after his seven years of madness 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."  After proud Nebuchadnezzar was humbled, God restored him to rule once again as king.  The greatest men ultimately will be humbled before our glorious God, but better to humble ourselves before Him voluntarily.  God is able to humble kings, sportsmen, intellectuals, celebrities, and the average Joe without difficulty, and we are blessed to embrace it.

Failure to perform well at sport up to our expectations is a humbling experience, and whenever we are humbled it is good.  The flesh resists and resents this treatment which can take far more than seven years, but it bears eternal fruit that is pleasing and acceptable to God.  We would be pleased with a perfect game in bowling or by hitting a grand slam to win the baseball game, but God is pleased when we humble ourselves before Him win or lose, thankful and grateful for the chance to play a game, enjoy being part of a team, and doing our best.

Training Up Children

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

When I was an apprentice, a big part of my training was following the example set by my foreman concerning how he wanted work done.  Over many years I spread my time between several different foremen and they all had different standards and expectations.  My conduct was a mix between standards of quality established in the classroom as well as in the field on the job among my peers.  I was required to switch gears quickly between tasks and multiple job sites, remembering how particular bosses wanted duct wrapped, chillers covered with rubber, or how exposed metalwork should be completed.  I benefited from working under and receiving training from journeyman who had different specialities.

Solomon exhorted parents to train up children in the right way applying knowledge of God's wisdom and truth.  Being a proverb, however, this is not an absolute guarantee that godly parenting always results in godly children through adulthood.  This is a general principle not a promise.  God is the perfect Father, yet His people went astray in unbelief.  There are many people who were raised by godly parents who went their own way, and children raised in homes without the knowledge of God later became His faithful servants.  Many parents have heaped guilt and condemnation upon themselves because they blamed their poor parenting for their child's rebellious choices.  Others imagine they must have done a great job of parenting because their kids are well-behaved with polite manners.  But the maxim rings true:  children trained to obey and honour obey God in their youth will be most likely to continue walking in God's ways through adulthood.

If we desire to train up children to live the right way, it is important as parents we set a godly example.  Childhood provides many teachable moments, opportunities to practically apply scripture, and hands-on experiences we can utilise to encourage, teach, and correct.  A father who loves his son will discipline him when necessary in an appropriate and loving manner as the situation and the leading of the Holy Spirit dictate.  As parents it is imperative we remain humble and teachable during the process of this training, for God uses children to instruct parents in countless ways.  How many times in teaching my children has God taught me and revealed my need to change!  Ultimately both parents and children will stand before God and give account for their actions:  parents will not be condemned for stubborn or wayward children, and children will not be given a free pass to disobey because their parents were slack.

Since I want my children to go the right way, I must be disciplined and responsible to walk in the right way myself.  It is hypocrisy for me to refuse to do myself what I expect of my kids.  Becoming angry about their disobedience or laziness could very well be self-inflicted, for it may be I have been slack to communicate, instruct, discipline, or adequately model a standard which meets my expectations.  Child rearing is a means God uses to train parents and guardians of children to look to Jesus for strength and wisdom, to step up in obedience to Him, and to press on in personal sanctification.  Should my children follow Jesus through adulthood, it is not because I have "done something right" but because God is gracious and good, worthy of being followed forever.

Stay Hungry and Thirsty

I don't think anyone prefers troubling times, feeling insecure, or realising we are in danger.  These seasons of hardship can provide a blessing and benefits ease and comfort cannot.  Recently I saw an example firsthand of how trials shift our perspective.  I observed a new social media acquaintance share a series of posts on what bothered them, pet peeves concerning politics and church.  But when there was a diagnosis of cancer in the family, the perspective shifted to seeking God in prayer with tears.  The awful, sudden illness shifted focus from self to God for the better.

The Bible has many such examples.  The book of Judges has a repeating cycle of people doing what is right in their own eyes, crying out to God, then God raising up a deliverer.  Yet as soon as the judge through whom God wrought deliverance and rule died, they ceased from following the LORD.  God revealed this predictable outcome concerning His people in Deuteronomy 32:15-18:  "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, and scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. ¹⁶ They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. ¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear. ¹⁸ Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you."

When the house was built, the food abundant, and the enemies defeated, the people of God grew complacent.  With physical needs met and barns full there was little motivation to pray for God to provide.  Thankfulness and gratefulness were swallowed up with greed and covetousness.  Their success caused them to forsake the God who caused them to succeed in every endeavour.  They were not mindful of God because they were not troubled on every side and did not seek His guidance because they were self-confident.  God, in His grace, would allow His own people to fall by the hands of their enemies, to suffer lack and pains, to face famine and languish through drought so they might recognise their lack and turn their eyes to God again.

How silly it is to kick out at God, to provoke Him with pride and idolatry!  This tragic response of God's people has been a cycle common in my life too.  There is a redemptive aspect of failure, tragedy, and trials I do not always appreciate at the time:  God uses seasons of plenty and lack to show us what is in our hearts and to move us to look to Him in thanksgiving and salvation.  It is good for us to come to God hungry and thirsty, desperate for His wisdom and guidance like a little child who runs to his father when he sees a stranger, an unfamiliar cat, or upon hearing a noise at night.  In all our doing, our coming and going, let us not forget the God who fathered us, the God who loves us and has graciously provided for all our needs.  This place of faith, humility, and reliance upon God promotes spiritual fitness and increases energy for His service.

Seeking An Occasion

When God says His thoughts and ways are above ours, He isn't wrong.  How often we look at situations without knowledge necessary to understand what God's purposes are!  Samson's parents faced such a dilemma with their son's choice of a spouse.  He demanded they go to Timnath and arrange a marriage with a Philistine woman who lived there.

Initially Manoah and his wife gently rebuffed the idea, suggesting there must be a woman among their countrymen who would be a more suitable match.  But Samson would not be deterred.  Judges 14:4 reveals this particular choice was of God:  "But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD--that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel."  It seems odd God would "seek an occasion" against the Philistines in such an...unorthodox way...as if there is an orthodox way.  Reading this emphatically demonstrates God is right to use whatever means He wants to accomplish His good purposes.  Behind Samson's request for a Philistine bride was an occasion God would use to deliver His people from their oppressors.

God's ways are higher than ours, and like Him we ought to seek opportunities to do good.  We cannot say how God will use a kind word, a compassionate smile, or prayers for the benefit of others.  Galatians 6:9-10 says, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."  God provides us opportunities to spend and be spent for His glory, to give of our time, resources, and efforts to encourage and edify others, especially amongst fellow believers.  A farmer understands the seed he sows will bring forth a crop after its kind, and as we sow to the Spirit there will be eternal fruit we don't even realise.

It was faith in God--not in the wisdom or foresight of their son Samson--which would have provided peace in a very troubling and unexpected development, that Samson would ask for the hand of a Philistine girl in marriage!  How that must have gnawed at them, and what pains they endured when the marriage lasted only days and their son came home angry and broken.  But God knew what He was doing; God's purposes were being furthered in a way none could have predicted.  The vendetta between Samson and the Philistines escalated until the death of Samson, and in his death he defeated more Philistines than he had during his life.  Only God can bring victory in death.

Isn't it amazing God would come to earth and die for sinners on Calvary in the person of Jesus Christ?  No one could have anticipated such a thing, not even the scheming devil himself.  The death of Jesus and His resurrection was a death blow to the powers of Satan, death, and hell.  God provided for Himself a spotless Lamb to atone for the sins of all under Satan's rule, and He shed His own blood to purchase all who will trust in Him.  The ways of God are truly past finding out!  Who knows what God will do in the lives of people and nations to accomplish His purposes!  What appears or actually is foolish in the hands of our gracious God can be redeemed for good and His glory.

Faultless Faith

It is a natural tendency for us to focus on faults we perceive in ourselves or others.  Sometimes these faults are merely a matter of preference, style, or opinion.  Yet in all of us there are genuine faults, damning sins to be repented of:  selfishness, pride, deceit, greed, and covetousness.  These blemishes cannot be covered up or ignored because everyone does them.  Bad behaviour and sinful characteristics in people provides instruction for the wise coupled with the insight of the Holy Spirit:  every fault we see in someone else and condemn, we are guilty of the same.

Finding fault in others might be the easiest task ever.  Doing this also plays to our own pride, thinking we are somehow superior to others because we have not made the same mistakes.  What we fail to recognise is whilst we may not have made the precise mistake because our circumstances differ, the sinful heart and mind found in us is just as deeply flawed and calls for judgment from God.  The things which bother us the most in others tend to be things we still do or used to do.  It grates upon us because it is so us.  We must be careful even in our explanations of behaviours which irritate us lest we become those whom we reproach.

One thing I am sensitive to is the criticism of other Christians, especially those who appear in the Bible.  God has graciously provided us His uncensored Word, not covering or justifying faults of flawed people who trusted in God.  It is a grief to my soul when believers today (and I have been guilty myself in the past) of mocking, scorning, and criticising actions of people in scripture, condemning them for a fault when God commended their faith.  To scoff at the unbelief of the Hebrews in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt is to scoff at ourselves if we will be honest.  To criticise Elijah for fleeing from Jezebel or Peter who denied Jesus is beside the point:  are we any better?  A list in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11:32-34 is a great example:  "And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: ³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."

Instead of trotting out a disclaimer about the notable faults of each of these people, it was their faith the writer of Hebrews emphasised and affirmed.  We all have faults to be sure, but this does not condemn us before a God who accounts faith in Him as righteousness.  This should in no way embolden us to sin, but the grace, longsuffering, and goodness of God towards sinners should humble us and urge us to righteous living pleasing to God.  As I grow older I begin to understand a bit better why David said in light of the harsh actions of his cousins, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?"  While they bayed for blood, justice, and revenge, David realised he already had enough blood on his hands.  I am grown weary of finding fault, and it seems my faults are ever before me.

Faith in God is always better than the appearance of perfection or the self-righteous criticism of others.  Praise the LORD He will not bring my faults to remembrance when I stand before Him, but by faith in Christ He will enable me to stand.  Jesus is the one who will present me faultless (despite my faults!) before the Father with exceeding joy.  The walls of the courtrooms on earth have heard a great deal of testimony concerning heinous crimes committed, but what sin will there be to recount before the judgment seat of Christ when all sins of the saved have already been expunged by Him?  God knows what He has done, and Christ's followers know it too.  If we will not remind Him of our sins on that Day, why should we mock or scorn others for their faults today?  

Don't Be Troubled!

My memory was jogged the other day during conversation to look up a passage in 2 Thessalonians.  Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians the day of the LORD would come as a thief in the night, suddenly and unexpectedly.  This commonly employed phrase "day of the LORD" throughout the scriptures means a time of judgment from God.  With the persecution and tribulation of the early church, it appears there were some who taught the day of the LORD had already come.  Perhaps they wondered if they had somehow missed the rapture of the church.  Paul refuted this in his second letter, explaining necessary events which much happen first.

Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, "Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come."  Paul wrote intending to provide comfort for followers of Jesus, but it seems they did not understand.  He sought to alleviate their concerns by correcting their understanding.  Paul affirmed the day of Christ had not yet come; they were not experiencing the wrath of God though they suffered much.  He then laid out (in my mind) once of the most clear and concrete explanation of major eschatological milestones in the New Testament.  Since prophecy is not always linear along a timeline, this revelation of the LORD through Paul is very useful and important.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-7 reads, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way."  The "Day" of the LORD would not occur until other prophecies were fulfilled.  Paul spoke of a "falling away," a massive departure from faith in Jesus Christ and the revelation of the "man of sin" who is commonly referred to as the anti-christ.  This son of perdition will exalt himself in the temple (there is currently no temple of God in Jerusalem, much to the dismay of pious Jews) and declare he is God and to be worshipped.

What is restraining this great apostasy?  The presence of the Holy Spirit in the church who fills each believer.  The mystery of lawlessness was already at work in Paul's day and has continued until now, but a day will come when He who restrains will be taken away with the rapture of the church when we are gathered to Jesus.  If we did not have the Holy Spirit within followers of Jesus we could not be presently born again, saved, love one another, or do any viable ministry unto the LORD.  The second coming of Jesus to judge the world in righteousness and the gathering of the church to Himself are two distinct events.  Once the church is removed there will be a great falling away from God like the world has never seen, the anti-christ will be revealed for who he is, and ultimately the Day of the LORD will follow.  Jude 1:14-15 says, "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

When I was a kid, I was sadly much more intrigued about who the anti-christ was rather than lifting my eyes to Jesus Christ and following Him.  I was more determined not to receive the "mark of the beast" rather than loving God and other people.  No one knows when the rapture of the church will occur, but we are told of specific things which must occur before the Day of the LORD comes:  the temple will be built, the restraining Holy Spirit will be removed (and Christians with Him for He will never leave or forsake us), there will be a great apostasy, and the anti-christ will demand worship as God in the temple.  Those who once celebrated the return of temple worship of God will have their eyes opened to behold the reality the one they perhaps imagined to be their hero and messiah to be unveiled as a blasphemer and devil.  Amazingly, many will come to Christ during the great tribulation period, and the return of Jesus with His saints will bring it to a close with the establishment of Christ's physical kingdom in Jerusalem.

Instead of feeling unsettled or troubled, what confidence we can have in our Saviour Jesus Christ!  Let us recall the words of Jesus to His disciples in John 14:1-4:  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know."  All who trust in Christ need not fear, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He is with us today, and we will be together forever.

Faith First!

Genuine faith in God is expressed through obedience to Him.  Righteousness is imputed by God to those who trust in Him as is seen in the life of Abraham and others.  A great example of the impact of faith in the lives of people is seen with Elijah and the widow and her son who dwelt in Zarephath.

There was a severe drought in the land and God directed Elijah the prophet to travel to Zarephath.  He saw a woman gathering sticks and asked her for a drink of water.  1 Kings 17:11-14 reads, "And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." ¹² So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." ¹³ And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.'"

The situation of the widow and her son was dire, for the woman imagined she was cooking her last meal.  Unlike the sometimes elaborate last meals of convicted criminals condemned to die today, her meal consisted of flatbread.  But Elijah told her not to be afraid in light of her lack but to make a cake for him first.  This must have seemed a bizarre request from a travelling stranger when food was scarce.  Was this some sort of cruel trick?  No:  God promised through the prophet Elijah there would be flour enough to also prepare a meal for the woman and her son--not just for the day, but flour and oil would be miraculously sustained for the duration of the drought and subsequent famine.

If you found yourself in the woman's predicament, what would you do?  To obey meant she needed to exercise faith in the word of the LORD God.  Faith obeys God first, believing He will graciously supply our need.  1 Kings 17:15-16 tells us what happened:  "So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah."  Exercising faith in God brought sustenance and salvation to her household.  The same is true concerning our souls when we place our faith in Jesus Christ.  Our faith in Christ is demonstrated by our works for Christ in obedience to Him.  Even when life seems futile and out of our control, there is provision, protection, and safety in God when we trust Him.  God has the power to miraculously sustain His people, and He provides abundant life forever.

In Jesus Life Consists

"And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Luke 12:15

One of the chronic problems of men is not believing God, and the words of Jesus illustrate this well.  Coveting for human beings is as natural as breathing!  To covet is an inordinate desire to gain for yourself what someone else has.  It doesn't seem sinister or wicked at all to desire nice things for yourself, right?  The problem with covetousness at a fundamental level is it springs from a lack of gratitude with what you already have.  It sets stuff as an idol to be worshipped in the place of God.  A man who is dehydrated desires a drink of water, and it is not covetousness to have physical needs met.  It is covetousness and greed which causes a man to desire more than he needs and gives rise to excesses like gluttony, drunkenness, and lustful cravings.

Jesus taught our lives do not consist in the abundance of things we possess.  The world contradicts this:  it says we need newer, better, and more things to improve our lives.  But even if we were to gain the whole world, what would it profit us if we lost our souls?  God graciously has given us life, and He at all times maintains the sovereign right to take it away.  It is not money or things which make life good.  It is God who is good and the source of all life, and Jesus came to provide abundant life for all who trust in Him.  The world advocates acquiring new and better stuff, but the scriptures promotes thanksgiving and gratitude to God for all He supplies.  Do we need more than enough?

Do you have things?  Praise God for them and be generous in giving to others.  Material goods nor money are evil in themselves but are gifts from God.  When riches increase do not set your affections on them.  Remember the warning Jesus issued concerning covetousness which works to rob us of the abundant life God has graciously provided.  All the wealth of the world cannot save you, nor will your money, house, or car mourn your passing.  If we set our heart on things, even when we gain them we discover a greater emptiness.  Acquiring is not living, nor is there life in any worldly pursuit.  True life--eternal life---is only found in Jesus Christ in whom we all consist as it is written in Colossians 1:17:  "And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."  If we deny our Life through idolatry, covetousness, and greed without repentance, what hope is there for us?

Beauty of His Holiness

In Ezekiel 16, through the prophet God shared a personal story of love, betrayal, and grace.  God compared Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Israel to a helpless infant he found by the side of the road who had been abandoned soon after birth.  He showed compassion on the little one and rescued her, cleansed, clothed, and raised her as His own.  God spared no expense to meet her every need, provided the best clothes, wholesome food, and even gave her ornaments to accentuate her beauty.  In time He made a covenant with Israel, even as a man enters into a marriage covenant with his wife.

God said in Ezekiel 16:11-14, "I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. ¹² And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. ¹³ Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. ¹⁴ Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendour which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD."  What impacted me as I read through this passage today was how the beauty of the woman was perfected through God's splendour He bestowed upon her.  Without God, Israel would have perished long ago.  But by His grace God caused them to be established in Jerusalem and wealth flowed out and into the nation.  The beauty and fame of the woman with a royal bearing was God's doing all along.

But the story took a tragic turn:  Israel was unfaithful to God even as a woman to her husband.  God discussed graphically the ways Israel had played the harlot, went after foreign lovers and gods, set up high places, and even slaughtered God's children in sacrificing to idols in the high places she built.  The faith of Israel departed from God and she proudly trusted herself as it is written in Ezekiel 16:15:  "But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it."  Though the passage is written with Israel in mind, but as children of God through faith in Jesus it is applicable to Christians as well.  We too were without hope, cut off from life by our sins, and we were incapable of washing ourselves clean or saving our souls.  God had compassion on us by sending Jesus to be our Saviour, and we were born again by grace through faith.

It is good to remember who were are, undeserving of God's favour, help, and presence.  God has accepted us and adorned us with His beauty, having filled us with the Holy Spirit.  Having been loved by God we can move away from trust of God and rely on our own strength and understanding.  God has bestowed loveliness on us that is not us.  Moses begged God to kill him rather than let him see his own wretchedness, and I quite agree.  God's amazing grace has saved a wretch like me and I remain a wretch despite my justification and sanctification.  Don't believe me?  All it takes is my expectations not being met or dumb mistakes for frustration to mount.  My failures and disappointments expose negative attitudes and anger I thought was a thing of the past, sins I need to repent of before God and forsake again.  Any beauty in me or in any follower of Jesus Christ is by the grace of God, and let us not fall for the trap we are anything better than what we are:  sinners loved and accepted by God He has made saints.

In the end of Ezekiel 16 there is a promise of a covenant which, according to the revelation of scripture, is the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus which is better than that of Law.  It is an everlasting covenant of peace with God through what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection.  Jews and Gentiles have been made one through faith in Christ, and He is the Head of His Body, the church.  Let us not assume we are something when we are not, deceiving ourselves, thinking there is little need for repentance or forgiveness now that we are in Christ.  We need Jesus just as much as ever, and if we will repent and do God's will we need wisdom and strength from God to do it.  Our love for God is revealed in our faithfulness to Him, like spouses remain chaste and sanctified for their partner alone.  Praise the LORD for the beauty of His holiness.

Sifting Out the Wicked

"A wise king sifts out the wicked, and brings the threshing wheel over them."

Proverbs 20:26

As a person raised in a western culture of democracy, the implications of living under a monarch with absolute authority is difficult to fathom.  A wise king cares not only for himself but the well-being of his subjects, and therefore he establishes and upholds justice.  History shows even unwise kings were vigilant to protect their throne and interests, even being unjust in their zeal to weed out potential threats.  A wise king does not destroy the loyal subjects with traitors, but sifts out the wicked carefully with severe consequences administered upon the guilty.

One thing I hear often about the administration of tough sentences or capital punishment is these are not statistically proven deterrents and therefore should be abandoned.  This is a fallacious argument, for the primary purpose of the justice system is not to deter potential criminals but to bring appropriate consequences according to law upon the guilty party.  Obviously there are people who will not be deterred from their folly because there are repeat offenders and first-time offenders who knew they were breaking the law and if caught would face negative consequences.  A wise ruler will not take a pacifist approach to crime or punishment because the wicked must be sifted out to protect the innocent and preserve the nation.

A wise king sifts out the wicked using the appropriate threshing implement:  an appropriate penalty for the crime is required.  The theft of an apple by a starving man should not be treated as premeditated murder.  The job of law enforcement is to determine who is engaging in illegal activities, gather evidence of their guilt, and bring them to justice.  A shepherd watches his flock carefully to ensure wolves do not sneak amongst the lambs.  In a similar way, those who are wise will be watchful over the sin which stealthily creeps into or crops up in our lives which might be unnoticed at first.  All of us need this sifting, this continual sanctification, where we deal with sin severely so we can honour and faithfully serve our King Jesus Christ.

Jesus told a parable about how a land owner sowed good seed in his field.  During the night, however, an enemy came and sowed "tares," a weed which had a similar appearance to grain but has no practical value.  It wasn't until the seeds sprouted the treachery was revealed.  The master decided to allow the wheat and tares to grow up together and at the time of harvest they would be separated.  This is something God will do at the end of the age:  as a shepherd separates sheep from goats or a farmer divided the wheat from the tares, so God will do with men.  The righteous will be brought into God's everlasting kingdom in heaven, and the wicked will be cast into hell.  Our wise King will not allow anything which defiles to enter heaven.  Born-again Christians are forgiven and made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own efforts to measure up.  As God's people who have been justified and sanctified we ought to walk worthy of the righteousness provide us by grace.

Having been washed free of all sin, it is a wise man who sifts out wickedness from His life - not to earn salvation, but to have intimate fellowship with God.  Written to believers, the apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Since God is faithful and just to forgive, we ought to sift out the sin from our lives.  Wise kings refuse bribes from criminals, and they will not turn a blind eye upon illicit activity which undermine righteousness and destroys people and nations.  An effect of sifting or threshing is fruitfulness, and this is true in our lives too.  When the sin is cast away from us, renewed fruitfulness for God's glory and our good is the result.

Arbitrated by God's Peace

Knowing Jesus Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe is a fact we must take to heart.  There is no shortage of well-meaning people and groups who, in an attempt to promote righteous living, create new laws to follow as a measure of righteousness (Romans 10:4).  New regulations to prevent potential sin are imposed upon the impressionable, and sadly the bondage to sin remains.  This error inevitably leads to condemnation and hurting people being ostracised.

One thing Christians can never comprehend fully is the motives of other people.  Every person and circumstance is different, and it is dangerous to assume your judgment of another is correct.  Now the Bible does teach us right from wrong, but as we soon realise situations in life are not always so clear cut.  There are many interpretations of meaning and application of Bible passages people use to promote or confirm their view as being correct.  There are many complex subjects people experience, and divorce is an example of one such complicated and difficult subject - perhaps because it is deeply personal.  The Bible has quite a bit to say on divorce or "putting away":  God hates it; it was not in God's plan from the beginning but He permitted it because the hearts of people were hard; and God even gave the northern kingdom of Israel a "certificate of divorce" when she played the harlot.  Remarriage after divorce is another hotly debated topic.  When I consider these things, my thinking is it would be wonderful if Christians extended love and grace to others God has freely given to us regardless if we are single, married, separated, divorced, remarried, or otherwise.  Jesus spoke to a woman who had been married and divorced 5 times and was living with the 6th guy - and one would have thought she was a virgin with the kindness Jesus extended to her.  If the disciples knew her past, they probably would have treated her like an enemy.

One verse which I have been meditating on a bit is in 1 Corinthians 7:15:  "But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace."  Every situation is different, and there are many cases and circumstances in the lives of people which do not line up perfectly with biblical accounts.  This is only a problem when we view verses like this like the rabbis analysed laws in the Old Testament.  Instead of trotting out all the possibilities, Paul used one such case.  What happens if a believer leaves a believer?  Or if a believer leaves an unbeliever?  Do I have to prove someone is not a believer (who claims to be one) to be free of bondage - bondage to remain in a broken marriage or bondage to remaining single after divorce when the other spouse made the decision to depart?  Unmarried folks aren't to make marriage their aim, and those in a marriage ought not to seek divorce - with their eye on a more suitable match.  Praise the LORD we are called to peace, and this peace is an enduring fruit of the Spirit.  My feelings are not a reliable gauge for what is right or wrong, but as I am led by the Spirit and the Word of God which illuminates my path I can know I am walking righteously.

When Jesus was asked by a man in the crowd to be His arbiter in relation to a family squabble over inheritance, Jesus flatly refused in Luke 12:14:  "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"  If anyone was qualified to be a judge, it was Jesus.  But Jesus would not pander to man's covetousness, and Christians ought to resist the temptation to weigh in with pedantic judgments concerning others when they are not THE Judge.  This is a dangerous practice, and many have been shipwrecked by the assertions of others of what was right or wrong according to their personal convictions or teachings of others.  For me to walk in obedience to God is important, but for me to condemn others of being in continual sin for their marital decisions goes beyond my calling and office as Christian.  What we can do is share the truth of scripture with love as we walk therein ourselves, aligning our will and motives with God's, trusting Him above all.

Colossians 3:12-15 reads, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."  It is the peace of Christ which is to rule in our hearts, His peace which is to be our "arbiter."  Love is the bond of perfection which joins us to Jesus Christ our Saviour, and it is clear from this list God's love is holy, pure, and righteous.  The love of God does not lead to lawlessness but walking in it unites believers in perfect unity.  How good God is to bear with and forgive us!

Wisely Wage War

"Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war."

Proverbs 20:18

There is a time of war, and a time of peace.  Those who make the unfounded claim of "religion" as the sole or main cause of war or human conflict perhaps ignore the fact in every war people are involved.  Nationalism, a desire to seize resources, control a prime location, conquest, political expediency and many other factors have moved people to wage war.  There are wars nations have waged, but there are also individual conflicts we are beset by continually.  There are things worth fighting for, and battles should be enjoined for admirable causes.  As followers of Jesus the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God to pull down strongholds - internal strongholds which can be well-established within us as sinful habits, ways of thinking, and affections of our hearts.

Some view Jesus as a pacifist because of His refusal to lead a rebellion or take up arms against the Romans, but this proves nothing of the sort.  Being God in the flesh He knew the purpose for His coming was to save and not to destroy:  born of a virgin He came as a suffering servant, and later He will return as a conquering King.  To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven, and one of these will be to wage war.  God will take vengeance on all His enemies, and that is a battle we are not called to take upon ourselves.  Jesus is the all-powerful God with all authority in heaven and on earth, and He (like a shepherd knows the sheep from the goats) knows friend from foe.  Ultimately Satan and death will be utterly annihilated, and those who trust Jesus will be glorified with Him.

Whilst He tarries in heaven, there is a great deal of warfare to be accomplished that takes place in both the natural and spiritual realm.  God has provided a plan which grants victory to those who humble themselves to walk according to it in faith as revealed in scripture.  Once we are born again through faith in Jesus we are given spiritual armour through the Holy Spirit to stand strong in righteousness.  Our battle is not against other people, religions, or nations, but largely takes place inside us.  This is a battle we cannot be passive in because sin is always actively working to destroy us and our godly witness.  Sin in our flesh is happy to initially agree to be appeased or suggests a compromise, but it always moves toward us being in increased bondage.

In the animated film "A Bug's Life," it chronicles the difficulties faced by a colony of ants where were oppressed by the grasshopper bully Hopper and his gang.  The ants shook with fear when Hopper threatened them with violence and forced them to harvest food for him.  The ants were persuaded to organise a scheme to scare Hopper off with a fake bird so he would never come back to steal their food.  These are the same childish tactics we can attempt with sin which easily ensnares us.  We cave to its demands, and when we are fed up we either hide from it or hope to drive it off so it will never return - except it is very persistent and always knows where to find us.  The answer for us concerning dealing with sin is what the ants discovered when it came to Hopper:  sin must be put to death.

This putting to death of sin we see crop up in us is part of the good fight we are responsible to wage as we follow Jesus.  Paul wrote in Colossians 3:5-7, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them."  How do we put to death these members?  We must recognise sin for what is it and intentionally, systematically cut it out of our lives.  It made the news in Australia a farmer in the U.S. was slowly being pulled into a combine by his foot.  He needed to work quickly to free himself and could only do this by removing his leg below the knee.  Pretty drastic to remove a limb, but it was necessary if he wanted to live.  If we want to live with the freedom Christ has provided, when sin grips us we are to put it to death with extreme prejudice.  Sin used to be our life, but now that Jesus is our life it has no rightful place in us.

The scripture, fellow believers, and the Holy Spirit provide counsel on how to effectively wage this war, and often it takes losing before we learn how to win.  Being lifted up with pride with our recent success can lead to falls.  We learn to handle overt temptation but realise how stealthy and sneaky the enemy is and how weak in our flesh we really are.  Satan employs a strategy to defeat us, but no weapon which is fashioned against us shall prosper as we walk in the wisdom of God.  Praise the LORD we are not alone in the battle, and it is not primarily our battle to fight but one we overcome through Jesus alone.  By wise counsel wage war on sin in your life, and come alongside others who also fight the good fight to honour and glorify God through obedience.

A Peaceful Future

A Federal Election was held last Saturday throughout Australia, and all of voting age in our family drove down the road to a civic centre to fulfil the responsibility of all adult citizens.  We went around 9am and the queue wasn't long at all - probably because it was a little early for the sausage sizzle as the stall was still undergoing preparations.  Unlike elections in the United States, voting only concerns parties or people - not policies or propositions.  It took plenty of paper (Australians know what I mean) but not much time to cast our vote and be on our way.

The results of the election were a surprise with the more conservative Liberal party winning big over Labor, the other major party in Australia.  I found the results of the election impacted people in a variety of ways:  some paid it no mind, others were ecstatic whilst others were despondent.  The very thing which caused one person to experience happiness was precisely what brought sadness to another.  I observed this split not between Christian and unbeliever, but amongst Christians who love and faithfully serve the LORD.

As one who could be considered politically conservative who spent nearly 20 years of my voting life in California, I am accustomed to regular defeats.  I have been happy to see legislation passed which was later overturned in court because a judge deemed it "unconstitutional."  I have voted for people in primaries who did not receive the nomination of the party, and I have voted for candidates for governor and president who have lost.  I voted for people who I was pleased to see elected, yet their platform positions changed during their term.  I have tasted the bitterness of defeat far more than the sweetness of victory:  my sports teams are the Padres and Chargers!  C'mon, give a guy a break!

There is much to be learned in losing.  My involvement in sport and politics has shown me that winning isn't everything, and losing isn't the end of the world.  To load politicians with our aspirations and dreams of a better future is futile and without merit.  When I have looked to an arm of flesh for my happiness, security, prosperity, and even justice it was hope misplaced.  It is in God who raises up kings and deposes them where my affections, expectations of good and future remains secure.  To look to government for salvation and hope of a better future through schemes and agendas is to look under rocks or darkened caves for what can only be discovered in Jesus Christ who is light and life for all who believe.  A governor or government may serve consecutive terms without a single move in a righteous direction, but God governs all in righteousness.

It is good for God-fearing people to be in politics, but regardless of who is in office our calling is sure.  Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"  God does not hold us responsible to change the world or others, but to walk humbly and obediently before Him.  It does not matter if the government cracks down on "free speech," if churches are required to pay extra tax, if marijuana is legal for medical or recreational use, if immigration policies are tightened or the borders opened wide:  God has shown me how I ought to walk with Him.  Obedience to God may lead to stern consequences like in the case of Daniel:  he prayed to God even when it was deemed illegal to pray to anyone but the king for a month.  God protected Daniel in the lion's den, and He will protect us too - even if He protects us as He did Stephen who was stoned for his faith in Jesus.  The stones were permitted to crush his body to death but not before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, had a revelation of Jesus Christ, expressed forgiveness towards his enemies, and his eternal soul was caught up into the presence of God to live with Him forever.

How great is our God, that in supposed defeat we can be strong and victorious!  Isn't this true concerning Jesus?  Onlookers during His crucifixion mocked Jesus, believing He needed God to save Him.  The reality was in His death God was working to save from eternal death the very people who murdered, mocked, and forsook Him.  In light of Jesus Christ it does not ultimately matter if the results of the election felt like a miraculous victory or a stunning defeat:  since we are complete in Christ and He is our all in all the joy of the LORD is our strength.  It is good for us to care about the direction of a nation, and when one person in the nation turn towards God in faith in obedience, peace will mark that person as it is written in Psalm 37:37, "Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace."

The Humble Gatherer

The book of Ruth touches me deeply, not just because of the loyalty of Ruth or the unlikely love between Ruth and Boaz:  it is the lovely parallel of Boaz as kinsman redeemer and my Saviour Jesus Christ who has redeemed me from sin and death.

After tragedy struck in Moab, bereaved and bitter Naomi returned to Bethlehem with her daughter in law Ruth.  Without husbands to provide for them, Ruth went to glean in the fields.  Under the Law of Moses the poor and foreigner could glean, meaning picking up little bits which fell to the ground during the harvesting process. She "happened" to choose to glean in the field of Boaz who was a relative of Naomi.  Boaz looked favourably upon the young woman who showed great kindness to her mother of law and bid her to not go to glean in any other fields.  He said in Ruth 2:12, "The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

After inviting her to lunch Ruth 2:15-16 says, "And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."  Here is where I identify with Ruth in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I am the foreigner, the one He has been gracious to and invited to draw near to glean sustaining truth from God's Word.  Jesus compared the word of God to good seed which, when planted in prepared hearts, will be fruitful.  When I willingly submit to gleaning from the scripture, it seems God purposely leaves wisdom everywhere for me to find.  Boaz commanded his workers to allow grain to fall from the bundles so Ruth would find them, and it delighted him to watch her find the grain and gather it up.

One important aspect of Ruth's gleaning was it was not for her benefit alone, but to provide food for her aged mother in law Naomi.  Boaz was aware of Ruth and Naomi's perilous situation.  At one stage he loaded Ruth down with 6 measures of barley and said, "Don't return home empty to your mother in law."  The application for me is God provides His good Word not only for my benefit but to the end I would share freely with others.  Gaining knowledge for ourselves should not be our sole aim in gleaning from God's Word but to provide wisdom to share with others for their benefit and God's glory.  This is not to say I am continually instructing or warning others, but in faith to walk according to the Bible.  I am humbled beyond reckoning of God's grace to allow me to read His Word, be granted insights, and help me speak of His goodness.

If we will submit to gleaning from the scripture, God has provided great wisdom purposely for you to find, meditate on, and share with others.  He does not rebuke or reproach people who humble themselves in faith, people who are hungry and thirsty to hear from God so they might know Him and obey.  Men may say we overstep our bounds, but God invites us to draw near into His presence.

Understanding the Covenant

God has provided us brains to reason and think, and it is good to consider carefully the things we read and hear.  Though we all have knowledge, we can come to incorrect conclusions.  Even Christian believers we respect who have taught us much through books, people we knew personally who led exemplary lives of obedience and faithfulness, are not infallible.  It is the scripture, not the teachings of men or even what seems expedient or useful, which keeps us grounded in truth.  Another difficulty is when the reader misunderstands what is meant by the author.  This can happen when the definition or common use of words change over time or are used differently in another culture.

I am reading through a new compilation of A.W. Tozer's sermons and came across a thought which has been on my mind of late.  Having established how obedience to God is a key aspect in our relationship with God, he said this:  "My obedience is based on my commitment to God.  As I understand my commitment to God, I begin to see flowing into my life the attributes of God that protect me from an enemy or an adversary." (Tozer, A. W., and James L. Snyder. A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night: Finding and Following Gods Will for You. Bethany House Publishers, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2019. page 49)

Commitment is a tricky issue I have been thinking about lately.  "Commit" is a word often used in scripture; the word "commitment" never occurs in translations I checked (KJV, NKJV, NIV, NAS).  When a person commits a crime, it means they have done the thing.  When I make a commitment to take out the rubbish, it is a promise or pledge I will do so.  Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established."  We are not told to make a "commitment" but to "commit" our works to the LORD.  In the church I grew up in it was common for backsliders to "re-commit" their lives to the LORD - another term not found in scripture.  You commit your life to the LORD, or you don't.  Making a commitment may only be words.  A backslider is called to repent of sin and start doing what pleases God - not to jump on for another go on the "re-commit-cycle."

If I define Tozer's use of "commitment" to the Oxford dictionary it means, "responsibility, obligation, duty."  But is this why I ought to obey - because I have said I would or because I know God is holding me responsible?  Maybe.  Think about this: a man and woman make a commitment to be married, but their bond is deeper than spoken words because it is a covenant before God He has established.  Understanding God has offered me a covenant for my eternal salvation in His own blood I entered into by grace through faith is far more binding than my commitment.  It was the love of God, God's love demonstrated towards Paul that constrained him to obey God - not primarily a sense of duty or obligation (which I'm sure was part of the equation on some level).

After reading what Tozer said about obedience I believe the opposite rings more true:  "My obedience is based on God's commitment to me."  All kinds of words have come out of my mouth.  I have spoken truth but also during my life there has been boasting, lies, deceit, exaggeration, gossip, and blasphemy.  But when God says something, everything He says is true, righteous, and trustworthy.  When I make a commitment I may or may not follow through, but Jesus already committed Himself into the hands of the Father on Calvary.  He demonstrated His love for me whilst I was a sinner by dying in my place.  God's Word has been proven true again and again so when He speaks, it is the Gospel truth.  When I understand the covenant of grace and love God has given to me, I am learning to obey with thanksgiving. 

Our Need for Faith

Yesterday during the evening quiz on ABC radio the question was posed, "If you could time-travel to any time in history, where would you go?"  It didn't take long for me to have an answer:  to Jerusalem at the time of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is not because I question or doubt the biblical accounts or need visual confirmation, but to witness events which had an eternal impact for all humanity.  To talk to the "man on the street," hear the buzz of the locals and travellers alike concerning Jesus, and to see their reactions of the reports of His resurrection would be intriguing.

A few callers in there was a man (to my surprise) who said he would like to see Jesus.  "I'd like to hear Jesus teach the Sermon on the Mount and see if He really did miracles," he said.  "Seeing a miracle or two would be great."  "Sure," the host declared.  "You could see if Jesus was the real deal."  The caller surprised me again when he exclaimed, "With a time machine you could go forward a bit in time and see Mohammed as well."  This was an odd leap for me:  if Jesus IS the real deal, why would you care to see Mohammed or any other self-proclaimed prophet?  The caller's perspective rang true to what scripture bears out:  seeing miracles does not make believers.  Countless people saw the miraculous signs and wonders Jesus did.  Some followed Him, curious to see what He would do next, others reported to the chief priests who plotted to kill Him, and a handful believed.

Jesus spoke of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus who both died and went to Sheol, to a place called "Abraham's bosom."  It was a place of comfort for Lazarus and a place of torment for the rich man separated by a great impassable gulf.  The rich man begged Abraham to have Lazarus dip his finger in water and to send Lazarus over to cool his tongue and ease his torment.  Abraham (in so many words) replied he was receiving his just due and it was impossible.  Undeterred, the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to the land of the living to warn his 5 brothers what torment awaited them if they continued on their current course.  The end of the conversation is recorded in Luke 16:29-31:  "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' ³⁰ And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  These words are true.

People do not need to see miracles or additional evidence outside of the Law and prophets to be convinced Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and Son of God, the Saviour of the world.  Isn't this an astounding remark?  "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."  Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus before His crucifixion and resurrection, and after being raised from the dead Luke 24:44-47 says, "Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."  The truth had already been spoken, but people refused to hear it and believe.

The underlying issue for many people is not the lack of historical or biblical evidence, the alleged hypocrisy of professing Christians, or bad experiences in church, but plain unbelief.  God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and yet they did not enter into the Promised Land because they did not believe.  After warning against a heart of unbelief which departs from God, the writer of Hebrews used the fallen children of Israel in the wilderness as an example. Hebrews 4:1-2 says, "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."  People can read the Bible and have intimate knowledge of what is written therein, but without faith it cannot profit them.  The natural man is unable to receive the things of God and even divine wisdom appears foolishness to him because it is only spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:12-16).  Witnessing miracles done by Jesus Himself and knowledge alone are powerless to save.  Without faith in Christ our knowledge of the Bible and even Christ's words and deeds are stunted, distorted, and incomplete.

Unbelief is more than lack of faith:  unbelief is a steadfast refusal to believe and trust God, rebellion to submit to His wisdom and the revelation of scripture.  No man can blame God for his own unbelief, for God has given us all the capacity to think, surrender our will, and trust in Him by grace.  Paul wrote in Romans 12:3:  "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."  See that?  God has dealt to every man a measure of faith.  He has given us the capacity to hear Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, the words of Jesus, and the testimony of His followers - and believe in Jesus whom the Father has sent.  Let us never blame God for man's unbelief.  Praise the LORD we can be born again by grace through faith in Jesus.  There is much even the learned do not understand:  we must not allow what we cannot understand become an excuse for unbelief and departure from the truth God has revealed.

The Walk of Love

One thing I remember struggling to reconcile with Jesus Christ being the end of the Law of Moses for all who believe were the commands given by the Holy Spirit and the church leaders in Jerusalem to Gentile believers.  It seems the Jews struggled with it too, as they mistakenly believed to be saved it was necessary for Gentile believers to be circumcised and keep the Law - a Law which they themselves could not keep and could only condemn.  God did not call Gentiles to live as Jews or Jews as Gentiles, but having made the two groups one they were to love one another as Jesus loved them.

The context is key to understanding and applying the Acts 15 passage personally.  The background of the Jews and Gentiles could not have been more different:  Jews were monotheistic, kept the Law of Moses and the feasts in Jerusalem, and it was forbidden to fashion any image.  The Gentiles were pagan and had countless deities they worshipped through drunken feasting and fornication.  Every man did what was right in his own eyes.  Though the Gospel was first preached among the Jews by Jesus and other Jews, it was rejected full-stop by the Pharisees, chief priest, and scribes in Jerusalem.  Fierce persecution scattered thousands of Jewish Christians throughout the world and Gentiles in droves came to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul's custom when he entered a city was to go straight to the Jewish synagogue and reason with the Jews concerning Jesus being the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.  When the Jews refused to listen, Paul took the message of salvation by grace through faith to the Gentiles and many believed.  These Gentiles became Christ's ambassadors in their towns and cities to pious Jews who dwelt among them.  Because the background of the Gentiles was pagan and their practices unclean under Law, they had absolutely no credibility among the Jews and would be shunned.  So how could the gap be spanned?  This was done not by Law but by the love of Jesus Christ in these Spirit-filled Gentiles as they implemented lifestyle changes as God determined necessary.

After much discussion in Jerusalem, the decision of the church concerning the conduct of Gentiles was delivered in Acts 15:28-29:  "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ²⁹ that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."  These directives are found in the Law of Moses and put very simply for these Gentiles to implement.  It was not a condensed or abbreviated new set of laws to govern men, but to aid Gentiles to understand what tripped Jews up in Gentile society.  Greek or Roman Law did not forbid any of these things; it was a foreign concept entirely that meat offered to idols was offensive or eating raw meat, or sleeping with temple prostitutes or having child lovers was an issue.

I believe the response of the believers showed they were filled with the same Spirit, they were edified.  Acts 15:30-31 reads, "So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement."  The prohibitions delivered to the Gentiles are not a new set of laws for us to observe, but the way Gentiles could walk in love towards people whose strict lifestyle they were entirely unfamiliar with.  The principle behind these commands is in full force for all followers of Jesus Christ today, that out of love we would be sensitive to the feelings and background of others.  With a desire to see other people follow Jesus we should not cater to sin, but ensure we do all we can to avoid laying stumbling blocks in the way of others and walk in love.

Shadow and Substance

 "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

Colossians 2:16-17

The truth of these verses has impacted me this week.  Instead of Paul saying, "Don't judge one another in food or drink" he exhorted believers:  "Let no one judge you in food or drink."  This is an important distinction.  Navigating through life requires choices and judgments, and we are called to judge righteously (John 7:24).  These judgments are no longer to be dictated to us by the Law of Moses because Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe.  The Law was a schoolmaster to correct and guide us until Christ came, and having instituted a new covenant in His blood we are guided by our risen Saviour through the Holy Spirit.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not to be swayed by people who urge us to return to Law for our standard of righteousness.  Since we are connected to Jesus the Head of the Body our righteousness is in Him.  The Law was the shadow of which Christ is the substance.  A helpful illustration of how our relation to the Law changes since Jesus Christ has come is like how we are freed from following the list provided by the homeowner for whom we have been house-sitting.  As the present owner of the home he or she trumps the letter of law conveyed in the list.  They break no law to choose to put off watering for a day, or to water the plants extra because the plants are theirs.

Life is more than eating and drinking, and our eating or abstaining does not make us righteous before God.  Whilst we ought to ensure our dietary habits do not cause others to stumble (1 Cor. 8:8-9), the main thrust of the Colossians passage is to not allow the judgments of others to dictate our decisions but to be led by Jesus Christ - who will never lead us wrong.  The fear of man and desire to please people can be a snare, especially when they pressure us to return to the Law in an attempt to find favour with God.  Our standing with God is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not in our abstaining from particular foods or drinks.  We are righteous, not because we observe the Sabbath ordinances in Law - by what or when or how we do things - but why we do them:  because we desire to obey and please God.  We aren't to observe the shadow when we are complete in Jesus.

Taking My Leave

Retiring from regular work is difficult for many people.  At the age of 70 my grandpa gave me his perspective on the matter:  "When you retire, you're just waiting around to die."  Believe it or not, he continued to run his own business laying carpet well into his 80's.  Many times I had colleagues during my mechanical insulation career who excitedly retired because they were finally of retiring age, just to see them return 6 months later because they missed the routine and extra money.  There were only so many projects left on their houses and fishing wasn't the outlet they hoped it would be.

Though I am God-willing decades from retirement (at this point it will be when God retires me!), I find it a great challenge to take my leave of pastoral ministry for weeks at a time.  When I do take leave, church related responsibilities seem to find me.  If I am asked to take weeks of my paid leave, it feels like a demand to leave family and the thing God has called me to do.  It feels like a forced obligation to turn a blind eye to needs and opportunity for service unto the LORD, even passing off my responsibility on others.  Pastoral work is aspect of my life I wouldn't trade, and I would do it paid or not.  As I mused on the subject yesterday, I discovered (strange as it might sound!) I would rather be unpaid for what I do than to be paid to step away from what I do.  My glad obligation to minister is not only before brothers and sisters in Christ whom I love but before the LORD.

A break from regular routine has benefits to be sure.  My family and I took a three-week trip to the States last year and it was filled with family, friends, good food, and happy memories.  I am not convinced, however, that a holiday does anything to "recharge my batteries."  That has a great deal more to do with the state of my relationship with Jesus and my season of life.  Personally I find trips and holidays generally more stressful than regular routine I find enjoyable enough.  There is no place I feel more at home than being in the arms of my wife, hanging out with my kids, and being intimately involved in church ministry.  To worship the LORD and preach the Word is not something I want or need a break from.  It is work to labour in the Word of God, but also amongst the greatest joys of my life.  Work is a necessary and beneficial aspect of life, one Jesus Himself relished (John 9:4).

The key in all of our labours is we do all as unto the LORD.  Colossians 3:22-24 says, "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  I could find unspeakable enjoyment working with itchy fibreglass every day when I fulfilled my responsibilities as unto the LORD.  There were plenty of rough days and difficult situations to navigate, but I learned enduring satisfaction does not come from a change of scenery, being a boss, making more money, or embarking on a new career:  it comes from a relationship with Jesus.  If you believe pastoral ministry will unlock satisfaction and fulfilment not yet realised, should you ever attain your dream job you stand to be seriously disappointed and disillusioned when what you wished for continues to elude you.  Praise the LORD that whatever we do - whether in routine or on a sabbatical - we can glorify God by doing so heartily as unto the LORD.  Even on holiday we never take our leave of Jesus our Saviour.

Christ Our Confidence

Jesus ushered in a new covenant through His shed blood which is far better.  The first covenant depended largely on man's ability to live according to the Law, but grace and truth came through Jesus.  Circumcision was required to submit to the first, but see what Paul (a man circumcised according to the Law) said in 1 Corinthians 7:19:  "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters."

Hold on, some might wonder:  circumcision is a commandment of God.  Is Paul talking out of both sides of his mouth?  Not at all!  God wrote with His finger commands upon tablets of stone, but He promised to one day write His laws upon hearts.  After trusting in Jesus Paul continued to keep the Law of Moses so he would retain credibility amongst the Jews to win them for Christ.  But God did not provide salvation through faith in Jesus for Gentiles to live as Jews.  The lack of Law does not make us lawless, for the commands written on the hearts of those born again by grace through faith are communicated by the indwelling Holy Spirit and supported by the united Body of Christ, the church - and these directives are more demanding than that of Law.  Glory to God for His wisdom, for the Holy Spirit enables us to live in the way which pleases God.

When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said to love the LORD with all the heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself.  Walking in love towards God and man fulfils the requirements of law - and then some.  1 John 3:18-24 says, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. ²⁴ Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

The confidence of a Christian is not in what we have done, but in Jesus Christ, in who He is and all He has accomplished.  The active love God places in our hearts for Him and others is strong evidence we are changed and have a real relationship with Him.  Believing in Jesus and walking in obedience to Him will always keep us on the right path, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Paul stated in his flesh dwelt no good thing, and this was not humble hyperbole but simply the facts.  Instead of priding himself in his circumcised flesh, Paul humbled himself before God to trust Jesus as LORD and Saviour.  Keeping Christ's commands showed Paul had a new nature and discovered a relationship with God not possible under Mosaic Law - a relationship offered freely today to all who believe in Jesus.