When Overwhelmed

With God, all things are possible.  It may be often quoted, but this truth is seldom believed.  There are many people in scripture who certainly believed in God's existence, had a living relationship with Him, and yet had doubts.  Moses, one of the great fathers of faith, had moments of doubt like all of us.  Even those with genuine faith have a great need for their faith to be renewed and strengthened, growing upon the foundation of God's Word and His faithfulness.

After God miraculously delivered the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, the people complained because they didn't have meat to eat.  They suffered from the common malady of a "selective memory."  While they toiled in Egypt under heavy burdens and an oppressive regime, they cried out for deliverance.  But when God delivered them, they only remembered the fresh vegetables and meats that were available to them after a brutal day's work.  Their ungrateful hearts and covetousness angered both God and Moses.  After hearing the complaints of the people, Moses brought his complaint before God.  He said to God in essence, "If this is how it's going to be, kill me now!"  In His grace, God promised to provide His people with meat.  He would not only give them meat for a meal or a day, but meat with such abundance that they would become sick of it - every meal, every day for a month!

Moses was gobsmacked.  In the middle of a desert, where would this bountiful supply of meat come from?  Numbers 11:21-23 reads, "And Moses said, "The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.' ²² Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?" ²³ And the LORD said to Moses, "Has the LORD'S arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."  At that time there were over a million people in total.  Because Moses focused on the great magnitude of the need, doubt crept into his heart.  He could not imagine such a source of food readily available in the desert.  But God corrected the fault of Moses.  Instead of focusing on the greatness of the need or the scarcity of meat, Moses was to look to God as His source.  God said, "Have I suddenly become weak and pathetic?  Wait and see if I can and will do what I say."

God was true to His word.  He caused a wind to blow quail into the camp of the Israelites a meter deep, and the ridiculously plentiful quail stretched for a day's journey in every direction outside the camp.  We too can fall into the trap of being overwhelmed by the needs all around us and wonder if God is not overwhelmed too!  We believe in God and His Word, but we doubt that He is willing or able to do anything about our needs.  When our big problems make God appear small, we have lost proper perspective.  David wrote in Psalm 61:1-2, "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. ² From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  Notice that David did not say, "If my heart is overwhelmed" but "when."  It is not a case of if you are overwhelmed, but it is only a matter of when.  When we are overwhelmed, let us turn to God in faith.  Let us not be ashamed to admit our unbelief to Him.  He is faithful and with our own eyes we will see His provision and salvation.

Treating God like an Idol

This morning at Calvary Chapel Sydney we finished 2 Samuel 5 during the morning service.  One of the points which impacted me was how after God defeated the Philistines who encamped in the valley, those who fled left their idols behind.  Their false gods were exposed as the feeble nothings they truly were.  The Philistines brought their idols to the field of battle, thinking that by their presence they would gain the victory.  In the end, the idols left behind were gathered by David's men and burned.

Two times in the chapter, God fought for His people Israel and defeated the Philistines.  The key to their victory was that David first sought the LORD for guidance and walked in obedience to His commands long before the fight was enjoined.  There were two battles fought against the same enemy in the same valley, yet God directed David with two very different courses of action.  The first time God told David to go up against them directly to fight, and the second time he was to stealthily wait in front of a grove of trees.  When he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the trees, he was to attack immediately, for God went before His people to smite the Philistines.

The theme which weighed heavily upon my heart was the fact that David sought counsel of God before he went into battle.  Sometimes we treat God like the Philistines treated their idols.  We attempt to bring God along into our daily activities and plans, thinking that if we find ourselves in trouble He will deliver us.  That is exactly what Hophni and Phinehas tried to do with the Ark of the Covenant.  Instead of inquiring of the LORD for direction before going into battle, they brought the Ark thinking by virtue of its presence they would have victory.  They perished on the field of battle, and the Ark was taken by the Philistines!  As Christians, we have the living presence of God dwelling within us but can treat God like an idol that cannot think, speak, listen, or answer.  We don't bother to seek or inquire of Him, so He allows us to stumble in the dark.  If we choose this way of dealing with adversity or trouble, we should not expect a better outcome than the beaten Philistines.

When we are attacked or troubled, our first course of action is to take refuge in the stronghold that is Jesus Christ.  David was speaking from personal experience when he penned Psalm 18:2:  "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."  David sought guidance from God before he responded, and he was obedient to do what God commanded.  God's Word contains the answers to questions we have not yet asked!  He speaks, guides, instructs, and keeps us.  God is the One who gives us the victory.  God has provided the Way:  may we walk therein!

Hands of Love

Last night I read in James, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations..."  Falling isn't a joyful experience.  Skinned knees, broken bones, torn clothes, and embarrassment can all be effects of a fall.  Yet this is the very first exhortation James gives in his epistle:  "Count it all joy when you fall."  In context, James is not speaking of a literal fall or being overtaken by sin.  He is talking about times in our lives when we experience difficult trials.  The trial itself may not be joyful, but in Christ we can respond with pure joy knowing that God is working for our good and His glory through it.  James 1:2-4 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  When our faith is tested, patience is produced.  It is God's way of bringing us to completion.

Sometimes we experience pain and discomfort because of our wandering, even like a wayward, stubborn sheep.  In ancient times, if a young sheep was prone to wander the shepherd would carefully break a leg of that sheep.  He would carry the sheep wherever he went and a close bond would form.  Even after the leg healed and the sheep could run away, it would freely choose to remain near the shepherd.  From the perspective of the sheep, a broken leg was a painful trial.  But somehow, through the continuous gentle care of the shepherd, the sheep knew that staying with the shepherd was the place of safety.  When we wander, the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ may discipline us sharply.  The purpose of this is to keep us closer to Him in the future.  That is why David wrote after his sin with Bathsheba in Psalm 51:6-8, "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice."

Did you catch that last verse?  "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice."  Broken bones rejoicing!  A loving father disciplines his children, and God disciplines those He loves.  He allows trials, difficulties, and even chastens us so we might mature in faith.  When we recognise the love behind those hands which can hurt, even the bones which are broken rejoice.  No one curses a surgeon for cutting through skin to reach the malignant tumor that will cause certain death.  The surgeon that successfully operates is counted as a hero, not a villain!  Job understood the goodness of God though he found his life bitter.  He said in Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him."  By the end of the book of Job, he had changed.  He still trusted God no matter what, even at the cost of his own life.  But his suffering taught him the folly of justifying himself before the holy, All-Powerful God.  As long as we walk upon this earth, even the most righteous require refinement.

May we have this heart of trust and faith in the God who loves us and sent Jesus Christ as Saviour.  Whether we find ourselves fallen in a trial or being chastened by a God, never allow you pain to blind you from the loving God who wounds and heals. God proclaims in Deuteronomy 32:39, "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand."  No one can snatch us out of those loving hands, hands pierced with crude Roman nails.  Abide there, believer.  May the joy of the LORD be your strength!

The Cost of Worship

"Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ¹¹ "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

Revelation 4:9-11

In a world preoccupied with acquiring, how thought provoking it is to fix our eyes on this heavenly scene of worship.  When the living creatures praise God who sits on the throne, the elders fall before Him and worship Him.  Their worship is not limited to words, but they cast their crowns before the throne of God.  These were crowns given them by God.  Crowns are valuable.  Even more importantly, they represent authority.  Usually tooled from precious metals and adorned with priceless jewels, it wouldn't be the sort of thing a person would think to throw.  Yet so great is the power, worthiness, and goodness of God that the only thing the elders could do was to cast their crowns at the feet of the One who lives forever and ever.

David said he would not offer the LORD what cost him nothing.  Worship for these men was costly, but no cost was too great when they perceived God's splendour, majesty, and favour.  Their riches and roles were laid before the throne of God, left at His feet as an offering of praise.  Worship is more than words, a song, or a body laid prostrate on the ground:  it is a cry of adoration and sacrifice unto God from the heart.  Worship is giving back to God all He has given us, counting all loss so He might be glorified.  It is the natural response of a regenerated soul of thanks and rejoicing, knowing we are unworthy even to speak the name of the living God, much less serve Him or be adopted into His family as children.

The casting of crowns points us to the One who is worthy of all praise:  Jesus Christ.  We should not praise the men who have sacrificed, but the One who deserves such an offering.  It is not what we bring in our hands before the throne, but the God who sits upon it both now and forever.  At the same time we do well to consider:  have I cast my crown before His throne?  Have I freely given back to God the most precious possessions and treasured aspects of my life?  Has my worship stopped short of such sacrifice because I count the gift more worthy than the Giver?

May our lives be a proclamation of the everlasting truth:  "You are worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."  God has given us new life through Christ.  We of all men ought to be most generous and thankful, especially concerning our Saviour.  Let us seek to offer a sacrifice of praise worthy of His greatness, not so the gift will be recognised by men, but that God will receive glory.

Have You Seen the One You Love?

The Shulamite says in Song of Songs 3:1-4:  "By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. ² "I will rise now," I said, "and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love." I sought him, but I did not find him. ³ The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, "Have you seen the one I love?" ⁴ Scarcely had I passed by them, when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, until I had brought him to the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her who conceived me."

Have you ever felt far from God?  Even people who have trusted in God sometimes feel far from Him.  We know that if God feels far it is not He that has abandoned us, but we have lost sight of Him.  Sometimes it is our doing through wandering, a season of trial may overtake us, or an attack of the enemy of our souls may lay us low.  We know Whom we have loved, but He does not always feel as close to us as He ought.  God's face shines upon us continually with grace and love, yet we can become calloused to His presence.  We are forgetful and easily distracted.  After a dark season we may as the Shulamite come to our senses, and in our waking moments discover we cannot find the presence of the One we love.  How troubling this is!

What happens next is critical and an indicator of our heart.  What should we do?  Do we drown in despair and sorrow?  Do we call frantically upon God to reveal Himself?  Do we become angry or disillusioned?  Or do we care to such a degree that we will relentlessly pursue our Saviour in devotion and worship?  The Shulamite did not confine her love for her beloved to the bedroom or palace, but took to the street in the dead of night to seek the one she loved.  It was not long before she was met by the watchmen.  After consulting with them, it was not long until she met face to face with her love.  In her words, "I held him and would not let him go!"

Though there is great depth of meaning in this passage beyond what can be delved in volumes, allow me to point to the important role of the watchmen.  The watchmen found the frantic woman who ran through the darkened streets looking for the lover she had lost sight of.  The Shulamite asked a question of them:  "Have you seen the one I love?"  The response or words spoken are not recorded.  But it was not long after their interaction that she found her betrothed.  When we read this verse last week in homegroup, it occurred to me that the watchmen act as the Holy Spirit does, prompting our hearts to enter into the LORD's presence.  It is God who has come to us; He has sought us out and found us.  When we lose direction or heart, He is the One who draws us to Himself.

Christians are told many times in scripture to be sober and watchful.  All of us are called to be watchmen, and the pastor doubly so.  Quoting Charles Jefferson, "Men are called to pray and to watch.  Now, if every man is surrounded by perils, if the universe is alive with forces hostile to the soul, then watchfulness becomes one of the most critical of all the pastor's responsibilities.  To him precious lives are committed, lives for which he is to render an account.  Watching, surveying, scanning the horizon, peering in to the darkness of days not yet born, spying out the interior nature of forces which are working like insidious and poisonous leavens, calculating the advent of storms asleep as yet in the caves of coming days - all this is pastoral work." (The Minister as Shepherd, pg. 37)  It is easier at times to watch for dangers coming outside a fellowship than the condition of the people within.  We are all called to make disciples, that is, to encourage and lead people in following Jesus.  Disciples are not made in a day.  The command of Jesus should not be limited to the evangelism of the unsaved, but the continual discipling of those who genuinely love Christ and seek Him.  The watchmen found the woman, but it was important that she found her lover.  Each of us must seek and find God for ourselves, and we need the Holy Spirit to guide us.

After the Shulamite found the one she loved, she did not rest until she had shared him with her closest family members.  She immediately took him to her mother.  We are to share Christ with those we know.  We ought not to neglect the introduction of our Saviour and Lover of our souls from those closest to us.  We should be active in sharing Christ with those who already know Him as well so they might be encouraged and exhorted to glorify Him always.  Let us as believers always seek to hold fast to Christ, seeking Him alone.  Do you notice when His presence is strangely absent?  How many hours or days must pass before we realise it?  Even a moment without our Saviour is one too many.  Let us seek guidance from the Holy Spirit so we might abide in Christ.  May we also keep watch over those who are in the faith that they too might cling to the One they love.

A Lost Cause?

I overheard a song yesterday in a restaurant and commented to my friend, "Do you know what band that is?  Who is the artist?  It sounds like Beck."  Much to my surprise, my friend pulled out his mobile phone and fired up "Shazam," an app which in seconds was able to discern the song amid the chatter and noises of a crowded restaurant!  Will the modern conveniences of technology ever cease?  The song we heard above the background was "Lost Cause" by Beck.  Listening to the song made me feel good, but when I read the lyrics later it made me sad.  It is a tragic message that resonates in a fallen world.

The refrain goes, "Baby you're lost; baby you're lost; baby you're a lost cause.  I'm tired of fighting; I'm tired of fighting - fighting for a lost cause."  From a human perspective, we have all known people who needed help beyond themselves but have refused it.  It can be disheartening and even devastating when people are ensnared in addictions or behaviours that are killing them and it can feel like there is nothing we can do about it.  As Beck sings "Lost Cause," I can feel the despair in his voice from the depths of his soul.  It's like a person who invests everything in a relationship just to experience pain and betrayal and finally walks away, wounded and broken.

It is easy for people to look at other people like a "lost cause" not worth fighting for, but that is not how God views people.  Jesus Christ came and laid down His life to save lost sinners.  Nothing is too hard for Him!  Therefore there is no one on this planet who is a lost cause.  They may be fallen, deceitful, filled with hate and bitterness, and have committed great wickedness.  But Jesus is able to save to the utmost all who repent and trust in Him!  For the God who created the universe and all that exists, nothing is too hard - not even wayward, foolish, lost men.  People only seem lost causes when we have lost sight of God, His power, and love.  Even a little faith in God is enough to move mountains.

There are many causes in the world.  No person is a lost cause because Jesus not only has the power to find, but to save!

The Resurrected Life

What do you suppose is the best evidence of Jesus Christ's resurrection?  The empty tomb?  The historical evidence?  The biblical accounts?  While all of these are credible, there might be evidence that holds more sway than all these:  the new life of a born-again believer.  A transformed life through the power of the Holy Spirit is a divine revelation of God's love, power, and grace as our living Saviour Jesus Christ lives His life through us.  People might discount the authority of scripture in ignorance.  They may wrongly believe that the resurrection account was a fabrication.  But they cannot long deny the transformation of a person by a real relationship with the living God.

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."  Jesus is Immanuel, God with us clothed in human flesh.  After His crucifixion, three days later Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many before His ascension.  He chose to leave His disciples behind, but He did not leave them alone.  He prayed the Father who sent the Holy Spirit to empower Christ's followers to be witnesses to glorify His name throughout the world.  An empty tomb carved out of a rock still speaks, but living witnesses have a more powerful testimony still.  Jesus affirmed in John 14:12:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

How great is the work and calling of every Christian disciple!  We are not worthy through our efforts, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  Great is the scope of the need, hard are the hearts, blind are the eyes, and deaf are the ears.  But our God shall supply all our needs.  His strength is sufficient for us.  He came to open the eyes of the blind, set the captives free, and raise the dead - and desires His work to continue through us!  It is written in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."  While on earth we are not yet perfected, but we are called to be faithful.  We must be faithful to Jesus, His Word, be obedient to His commands, and love one another as He has loved us.  We are called to abide in Christ and boldly hold forth the mystery of the Gospel revealed in these last days.  We are unable, but God is able.

Let us pursue this high calling, that our Christ-led Spirit-empowered lives might provide the best evidence of Christ's life and love for the glory of God.  Let us work with our hands what is good "...for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).  Praise His name for the gift of forgiveness, salvation, and the gifts He has given to men!

God Hears When We Cry

"Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. ²⁴ For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard." 

Psalm 22:23-24

Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ have an everlasting, sure hope.  The world loves to glorify the strong and mighty, those who have great fame and wealth.  Nothing makes the people in the world as disillusioned as when they see their idols tumble down to earth from the pedestals men have created.  People shake their heads in disgust when those rich with worldly things choose death over life to escape their pain.  Give me the wealth of the sports hero, give me the fame of the most popular singer, grant me the power of the most influential political figure, says a dreaming man, and I shall better use it.  What he does not understand is how money, fame, and power will rot him from within, and that he too would remain dissatisfied and empty with everything.  Everything without God is nothing.  It is man's darkest hour when he finally obtains the desire of his heart only to find it impotent to meet his real need.  It was all a lie.  What a man thinks will save him apart from Christ ends up dragging his soul to hell.

Unless a man has faith in the God who created all things, he has nothing.  Can money save a man's soul?  Can fame grant a man righteousness on the Day of Judgment?  Is there any power greater than God's?  One does not need to have live long on the earth before he faces troubles greater than himself.  It is in Jesus Christ we find a God who is greater than any trouble we might face.  Instead of despising our weakness, Jesus became flesh as we are.  It is written of Him in 1 Timothy 3:16:  "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  He was greatly afflicted, and the Father hearkened unto His cries.  Those who are born again by faith in Christ also have this consolation:  when we are afflicted, God does not hide His face from us.  When we cry out in our affliction to God, He hears us and will answer.

Do you know this comfort and peace that passes understanding?  Most people of this world know much of suffering, but little of comfort.  Money, fame, and power will all pass away, but those who trust in the name of the LORD will never be ashamed.  The comfort provided by God is not temporal, but eternal.  It does not numb and cloud the senses like alcohol, but sharpens them.  Our blind eyes are made seeing through Christ's touch, and our hardened, stony hearts are made soft.  We have in Christ a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and the Holy Spirit has been sent by God to indwell and empower all who believe the Gospel.  Let us not be as Aragon in the Lord of the Rings, who gave hope to men but kept none for himself.  Let us walk in this hope by faith in God, as truly as we have received it from Him.  Let us fear the LORD and praise Him, for He has not hidden His face from us.  "Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

Headed to Hell?

Years ago, my wife and I often went to San Diego Padres baseball games.  I remember heading to Taco Bell before the game with our friend Josh Jordan and heading to our seats to watch Ken Caminiti, Tony Gwyn, Greg Vaughn, and Trevor Hoffman play ball.  If the Padres were winning in the ninth inning and the game was close, Trevor Hoffman would make his way slowly to the mound as AC/DC's song "Hell's Bells" blared at full volume, the crowd erupting at the first bell toll.  When the "Q" was full, the stadium was rocking!  As exciting as it was to have Trevor close out a game, I found the lyrics everyone sang with happy faces disconcerting:  "...You're only young but you're gonna die.  I won't take no prisoners won't spare no lives, nobody's putting up a fight.  I got my bell. I'm gonna take you to hell. I'm gonna get ya, satan get ya!  Hells Bells!"  Speaking for myself, I don't want to go to hell, no matter how cool AC/DC makes it sound.  It is no place any person should go, but it is the place of unspeakable horror and torment every human being is heading.

In Mark chapter 9, three times Jesus repeated for emphasis this description of hell:  "...where their worm dies not, and their fire is not quenched."  Hell is described in scripture as a place of torment in outer darkness where there is screaming and gnashing of teeth, a place created for Satan and his angels to be eternally punished for their rebellion.  When Adam sinned, sin and consequently death passed to all men.  The fruit of sin in this world is sorrow, pain, sickness, fear, crying, and death.  Have you ever experienced these things personally?  Then you can know for certain your life has been personally infected by sin:  sin passed down from Adam perpetuated for generations, as well as sins you have committed.  All die because all have sinned.  Those horrible consequences are just a foretaste of what is to come if you die in your sins.  A sin is anything we say, think, or do that is contrary to God's perfect, righteous standard.  The righteous wages earned for a single transgression is death - not just the death of the body, but the eternal torment and destruction of the soul in hell.

God is not only a just God, but a gracious one.  Because He loves mankind created in His image, He made a way for us to be saved from His wrath to come and hell.  Not only that, but He has made a way through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us to go to heaven!  Revelation 21:4-5 reads, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." ⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."  God will one day destroy all hell, Death, and sinners in the Lake of Fire.  He will create a new heavens and a new earth which God will rule in righteousness.  Sin and all the symptoms of it - death, sorrow, and crying - will be wiped clean.  It will be heaven because God will be there, and we will be with Him forever in glorified bodies like that of our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In our natural condition, we are all heading to hell.  It is a place of conscious, eternal torment separated from God.  Revelation 21:8 warns, "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  God does not want anyone to go to hell and perish.  It is not his will for anyone even to die!  Yet so great is His love for us, that He sent His Son to die to be a Saviour for all who will repent and believe.  You may be headed to hell, but you can choose life through Christ!  Satan is a liar, thief, and murderer from the beginning.  Don't believe his lie that hell doesn't exist and if it does it is a party worth dying for.  In the past decade there have been many concerts in crowded clubs that used the wrong pyrotechnics and led to many deaths.  Those were no laughing matter.  No one danced in the flames, singing to the music.  The people screamed as they trampled each other to death in the choking smoke.  There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth, even ripping out of hair in sorrow!  What regret, heartache, and nightmares!  Such is the result of sin:  it allures and tantalises but kills in the end.

Sin brings death.  Choose life.  Jesus freely offers His for yours.

Knowing God's Mind

How important it is to seek God's direction concerning our decisions!  This morning I read a portion in Leviticus that spoke of a man in a fight who was heard blaspheming the name of God with a curse.  Unsure of the appropriate response, the witnesses brought the man to Moses.  Leviticus 24:12 said, "Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them."  As an aside, this may be one the only examples of incarceration in the Old Testament under the Law, and for a reason foreign to us!  The Law was all about restitution, not incarceration.  I love the fact the man was put in a ward not for punishment or in the hope of rehabilitation:  he was placed in custody so Moses and the leaders of Israel might seek the mind of God concerning this circumstance.  Because Moses was not entirely sure of how to proceed in this matter, he sought the mind of God through prayer.  How different would the justice systems look if this was the response of every judge, solicitor, and jury!  After God rendered His righteous judgment, Moses swiftly carried out His command.

In our lives we continually face complex situations and circumstances.  Sometimes it is difficult to know the correct course of action according to God's righteous judgments.  We need the Holy Spirit to guide us so we might walk in righteousness, and God has provided His indwelling presence for every believer.  We could not know sin except by the Law, nor could we know righteousness without the wisdom which springs from God alone.  Have you ever made a decision you later regretted?  Our negligence to seek the mind of Christ before we speak or act is always the most regrettable oversight.  It is natural for us to walk by sight, not by faith.  Instead of reacting to our circumstances, this passage teaches us to take even our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ so we might respond obediently to wisdom revealed from above. 

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 states, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  If we have been born again through repentance and faith in Christ by the Gospel, then Christ has become for us wisdom.  Through the Holy Spirit, we are led to walk in the way which fully pleases God.  When we seek God for direction and walk according to His guidance, we need not fear.  Even when we speak or act presumptuously, God is able to redeem our foolish mistakes for our good and His glory.  This does not make our hearts swell with pride, but causes us to praise and glorify the God who is good and given such wonderful gifts to sinful men.  Who we are and all we have is only by His grace.  God does not stumble over the minutiae that bogs us down, but lifts us above it effortlessly.

Nothing we face is unknown or uncertain to Him, for He has seen it afar off.  1 Corinthians 2:16 says, "For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ." Praise God for His marvelous mind, and that it can be known by us!  Since we have been united with Christ, may we walk in unison with Him!

ANZAC Day

Today is "ANZAC Day" in Australia, one of the most important national observances.  "ANZAC" stands for "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps."  This day is a commemoration of the service of Australian and New Zealand "diggers" who fought in World War 1 in Gallipoli.  It ended up being a stalemate that came at the high cost of 8,000 ANZACs.  Throughout the nation and beyond our borders this sober, proud day has been set aside to remember and honour the memory of the brave fallen and those who have valiantly served their country in times of war.  In Gallipoli the ANZACs did not achieve a victory, but through their courage and toughness in the face of adversity defined themselves with strength and bravery all can appreciate.

One of the amazing facts is that the diggers who fought in Gallipoli did not often have the training, supplies, or equipment that was available to others.  In the face of insurmountable odds, they kept going.  According to skwirk.com, there were five basic traits that defined a "digger:"

1. the ability to remain cheerful with a good sense of humour, even in the most difficult of times
2. the ability to be resourceful when they had no supplies, for example by making hand grenades from empty tin cans
3. the spirit of mateship in which a soldier would risk his own life for his mate's
4. Australian courage, which was shown on the very first landing at Anzac Cove where the soldiers continued to charge up on to the beach straight into the line of Turkish fire
5. the notion that people all deserve the same amount of respect, no matter what their background is

ANZAC Day has been set aside to remember those who sacrificed their lives for others fighting for their nation.  As a Christian, it leads me to remember the great sacrifice Jesus made to atone for the sins of the world, mine included.  Jesus was brought up in humble conditions though He was God-made-flesh.  He fought against the tyranny of the Pharisees not with swords or spears but with wisdom from God.  After being falsely accused of wickedness after only doing good, Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified on a Roman cross.  In doing so He disarmed Satan of his power over men, nailed the Law which condemned men to the cross, and in His death brought life to all who will believe the Gospel.  Jesus proved His power over both sin and death when He rose victorious and ascended to the Father.

The ANZACs showed great love in laying down their lives for their mates, boldly charging into the line of fire on beach in Gallipoli.  Jesus demonstrated His love for all people by dying in our place on Calvary.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  It is good to remember the sacrifices of brave men and women for their countries.  It is better still to remember the sacrifice Jesus has made for all people so "...whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Death in the Pot!

Once our eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit, we cannot read the Bible without marveling at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  The articles and vestments of the Temple, the Law and prophets, the Old Testament appearances of the "Angel of the Lord, and even miracles reveal the power and person of Jesus.  Even as a quality film director uses foreshadowing, God has set the standard with all the foreshadowing of Christ and details of His life in the Old Testament.  God brought one of these instances to mind this morning during a time of prayer.

The Bible speaks of a time when prophet Elisha went to Gilgal to meet with the sons of the prophets.  At that time there was a famine in the land.  Elisha commanded his servant to set a pot to boil stew for the men who gathered together.  They rustled up whatever they could.  One man found a vine with gourds on it that were chopped up and put into the stew to boil.  What they did not know, however, is the gourds were poisonous.  2 Kings 4:40-41 reads, "Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it. ⁴¹ So he said, "Then bring some flour." And he put it into the pot, and said, "Serve it to the people, that they may eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot."  Through the power of God, Elisha did a miracle that day.  Flour has no purifying qualities, nor does it neutralise poison.  Yet flour was used to reverse the poisonous effects of the gourds on the stew.  Flour (KJV calls it "meal") is made from ground up grain, the main ingredient in bread.

In those days there was not only a famine of food, but in hearing the good Word of God.  Paganism and heathen practices had been adopted by God's people.  These sinful acts and deeds brought destruction and death to the people, even as the gourds were poison in the stew.  The people remained outwardly religious, yet they had forsaken the pure worship of the One True God.  We can apply this truth even to the church.  There are some who have embraced heretical doctrines and teachings and have turned from faith in God.  In the early church the misuse of the Lord's Supper led to sickness and death (1 Cor. 11:30).  Jesus once compared Himself to a grain of wheat falling to the earth and that His death would result in a bountiful harvest of much grain.  Jesus also compared Himself to Living Bread.  The children of Israel ate manna in the wilderness provided by God and ended up eventually dying:  those who partake of Jesus Christ in faith will live forever!  The way we should not take this passage is to simply "add" a bit of Jesus to heathen practices and all will be well.  The world is a pot of death.  All of us have death working in our members.  It is only a matter of time until we go the "way of the earth" and perish.  But God has offered all eternal life through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Life is not found in food alone, but in the Word who became flesh.

The picture of Christ is further amplified by the immediate passage that follows.  2 Kings 4:42-44 says, "Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, "Give it to the people, that they may eat." ⁴³ But his servant said, "What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?" He said again, "Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: 'They shall eat and have some left over.' " ⁴⁴ So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD."  A man brought a knapsack of food to Elisha:  20 small loaves of barley bread, and some ripened grain.  Elisha told the man to distribute the food among the men.  The man was incredulous at such an idea.  "What?  It's not nearly enough to feed 100 men!"  Elisha told the man to distribute it anyway "...For thus says the LORD:  'They shall eat and have some left over.'"  As the LORD spoke through Elisha, so it was.  Although the food did not seem enough to feed the men, they were all satisfied and still had some left over!  What a picture of Jesus, who on one occasion fed 5,000 men with five small loaves and 2 fish!  After everyone ate and was full, there were 12 baskets of food left over.

Even as Jesus took the bread, blessed, broke, and distributed it to His disciples to pass around, so the Father has taken the Son Jesus Christ - the Living Bread from heaven - blessed Him, broke Him, and given Him to all who have been born again through faith in Him.  God has committed to us the words of life, for Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Jesus is the Living Bread that has been sent from heaven, and we catch glimpses of Him throughout all the Old Testament.  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!  There was death in the pot, but those who believe have been healed and made whole!

Veneer Maintenance

A veneer is a decorative coating to cover something inferior from sight.  My two front teeth, for instance, are covered with veneer crowns.  Due to a skateboard mishap in my youth, my teeth were badly chipped.  Not only was it a bad look, but the sensitive roots were exposed and very painful!  After my temporary caps became yellowed with age, my folks and I pooled the necessary funds to replace them with veneers.  Another common use of veneer is wood veneer which gives glued particle board the appearance of quality hardwood.  A discerning eye can usually pick out wood veneer in seconds, but it is a cheaper alternative to solid wood.

Our furniture or teeth is not the extent of our use of veneer, of course.  People do not need to be on stage to wear masks or costumes which hide true feelings.  There can be cultures developed in school, the workplace, families, or even in church that make us feel pressure to keep up the appearance of perpetually being happy and doing well.  I think all who have been courageous enough to share struggles and hurts have been criticised or eyed with suspicion by some for having honestly opened their hearts.  As I still decompress from my experience at camp this last week, I am convinced that it is never wrong to be real.  We ought to be mindful of proper decorum and tact, but too often in Christian circles we can pass off a veneer for the real thing.  If we believe Christians are without troubles or struggles, we are naive and foolish.  Just because someone hasn't bared their soul to you, doesn't mean they are without pain or are doing fine.

An example of this is seen in Israel's history.  Samaria was under siege by the Syrians, and the people were dying of starvation.  Things became so bad that parents were eating their babies to survive.  When King Jehoram heard this news firsthand, he was beside himself with grief and anger.  2 Kings 6:30 reads, "Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body."  Jehoram's royal robes hid the truth:  he was secretly in mourning for their desperate situation.  The king put on a front for his people and wore his robes over the sackcloth.  Some agree with this approach.  "He's the king!  He has to be strong for the people!  If he was seen mourning, the people would despair!"  Not so fast.  King Hezekiah was not afraid to cover himself with sackcloth and even went into the house of the LORD (2 Kings 19:1)!  God looked favorably upon the repentant king and people of Nineveh and relented from the disaster he would bring upon them.  Kings, parents, and Christians all face struggles and difficulties.  Do we do ourselves or others a favour by concealing our true feelings behind a veneer we carefully maintain to save face?

When Jesus was facing the cross and in agony of spirit, He shared those moments with a chosen few.  He did not sweat great drops of blood before the masses.  Yet He did not take pains to hide His tears from people.  He wept openly over the grave of Lazarus.  People recognised the genuine love of Christ in that moment:  "See how He loved him!"  Jesus was a conqueror and overcomer, but was not above feeling pain and heartache.  The joy of the LORD was His strength, yet the prospect of being separated by God for the sins of the world placed upon Him brought Him low.  Being a Christian does not mean we don veneer smiles and conceal our grief from others.  Let us speak the truth in love, not to seek sympathy or hide our struggles under a proud facade.  When we lower our defenses in faith and become transparent for the glory of God, hidden hurts will be brought to light and healed.  James 5:16 says, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

A true friend is someone to whom you can say anything and it will not destroy the relationship.  If you must maintain a veneer to keep your friends friendly, these may not be friends at all.  Genuine friendships are made even stronger with conflict.  Jesus has called His followers friends.  We are to be casting our cares upon Him, for He cares for us.  If in this life you have true friends, you are most blessed.  Be such a friend to others, even as Christ is to you!

Back from Kedron

Our family returned from a busy and profitable week at Camp Kedron last night.  It was an amazing week as God did incredible things among the leaders and the campers.  Laura and I were "camp parents" and Laura also tackled the role of being camp nurse - a huge job and responsibility.  She was phenomenal and I am very proud of her servant's heart and flexibility.  There were a few times she had to wake up in the middle of the night to tend to sick campers and she did it with a joyful attitude.  After the camp Laura was migraine free too, so that is a wonderful added blessing!

My role was expanded to teaching and leading workshops with the leadership team, and all of them stepped up in a huge way in their discussion groups.  Many of the kids were completely transformed by the end of camp, having repented and trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and LORD.  I believe we were all challenged, encouraged, and changed by God's grace.  This camp was a tangible testimony of the power of God's love through Jesus and the Body of Christ.  So thanks to all of you who have been praying.  Your prayers were certainly heard and answered, and may the fruit remain for eternity!

The verses God gave me at the beginning of camp were fulfilled in our midst.  For many of us, this was not our first camp and there is always a danger we might look to our experience instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Any expectations we might have had were overcome by His miraculous power, grace, and love.  Isaiah 43:18-21 reads, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ²⁰ The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. ²¹ This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise." Amen!

"Push the Button, Max!"

One movie we enjoy watching as a family is "The Great Race" (with the exception of my wife who finds it "Extremely irritating!") starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, and Peter Falk.  It is a fantastic and ridiculous showdown between "The Great Leslie" and "Professor Fate" as they race from New York to Paris.  Memorable scenes include the epic western brawl in Boracho and the pie fight in Potsdorf.  One of the recurring lines in the film is when Professor Fate cackles evilly and barks out the command:  "Push the button, Max!"  Whenever the hapless henchman pushes the button, only bad things seem to happen!

The line rushed through my mind this morning as we waited to cross the street to catch the bus.  When we arrived at the crossing, a woman already stood on the corner, awkwardly close to the button.  No matter, I though to myself.  She's already pressed the button, and it would be a bit rude to ask her to move aside to push it.  It became clear is she had not pressed the button because the green light never signaled for us to cross.  Engrossed in conversation, the only reason why I noticed was a single man from the group of ten people that had assembled by then struck out by himself to cross the street.  That's the last time I assume someone has pressed the button, I thought to myself.  Even if I have to ask someone politely to step aside, I am going to make sure the button is pressed by me or someone else.

There is very little risk in assuming that someone has neglected to press the crosswalk button.  The consequence is having to wait for the lights to cycle through again and lose a couple of minutes.  Yet there are some assumptions we can make in this life that lead to far greater loss - even loss of life for eternity.  Many people pass through this life assuming they are going to heaven.  They think that if there is an afterlife for those who are good, they certainly will make the grade.  There could be others that assume because they attend a church, own a Bible, and pray over meals, going to heaven for them and their family is a certainty.  Perhaps there are some who think because their parents were "good Christians" or because they were baptised or christened as a child, their heavenly booking is approved.  But going to heaven is not like waiting to cross a street, where one person pushes the button and everyone else can tag along.  Before our bodies die, we must each make a decision to repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation.  He is the Way, the only path that leads to heaven and eternal life in the presence of God.  If we die before the divine transaction of justification through faith takes place, hell is our only destination.

Jesus has paid the price, but the only way for His divine payment to apply to our lives is through genuine faith in Him.  How terrible would it be for a person to assume they are going to heaven when the exact opposite is true!  One of the consequences of the day in which we live - one of medical advancement and widespread treatment options - is we are not accustomed in westernised societies to facing death.  Television and computer screens are filled with renditions of death, and we become detached to the reality of our mortality.  It used to be common to have parents and multiple siblings die young.  I was 12 years old before I experienced a death in the family, that of my Grandma Cecil.  She lived a full life, and was in her 80's before she went the way of the earth.  The finality of death hit me hard.  Now about 25 years older, I have seen many people pass away.  To some degree, death always seems to catch people off guard in the timing, the means, and our emotional response or lack thereof.

Romans 10:8-10 reads, "But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  No one can push the button of belief and faith for you.  Have you confessed publicly that Jesus Christ is your LORD and Saviour?  Have you based your assurance of salvation upon meeting the conditions set forth in the Bible?  When we truly believe something, it will govern the way we live.  If we love Jesus, we will do what He says.  Our faith is to be demonstrated through our works.

Don't take for granted you are going to heaven.  Assume nothing.  No one can push the button for you.  Should we procrastinate when eternal life or death hangs in the balance?  Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

God Created Man Needy

In Shel Silverstein's classic poem The Giving Tree, a little boy grows up with an apple tree who loves him.  Though the love of the tree towards the boy does not change, over time the desires of the boy do.  A a child he climbed the tree, swung from her branches, made crowns from her leaves, picked and ate apples, and leaned against the trunk etched with his name and the tree with love.  As time passed, the boy grew older and did not spend much time with the tree.  The tree offered her apples, branches, and trunk which the boy gladly used for his own profit and left for a long time.

There are many aspects to this beautiful poem, but an especially brilliant facet is how the boy was never satisfied or even grateful.  In fact, he never thanked the tree for giving everything she could for him.  Even as the appetite is never satisfied for long, nothing in this world will give us lasting contentment and satisfaction.  Before sin entered the world and death through sin, Adam and Eve had access to all the fruit of the garden of Eden as food.  Yet they transgressed by eating fruit from the forbidden tree.  Obtaining their desire only added to their sorrows.  How many times have people thought they could find satisfaction in a relationship, in money, a career, business success, in stuff, a marriage, in children, an affair, a divorce, re-marriage, pleasure, eating, drinking, entertainment, and collecting - only to find themselves more empty than when they began!  They find themselves strangers in their own homes:  their dreams fading as their lives slip away, screaming for help behind a smiling face, thirsting for love and acceptance, while the reality sinks in that the very things they spent their entire lives to obtain are hollow, burdensome, and lifeless.  People keep falling for the lie that if we just shell out for the latest and greatest thing, find a younger woman, secure the big salary package, or get married we will find the significance we have been lacking.

God made man needy.  He created us to need water, food, sleep, oxygen, and shelter.  He created us with a deep, insatiable longing for companionship, love, acceptance, and recognition.  He put within us a thirst for information, a wealth of creativity, curiosity, and a delight in the beauty of nature.  In His wisdom God designed man to have a relationship with Him that no earthly romance, career, money, or pastime can replace.  Our desire for intimacy with our divine Creator is quenchable only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  This desire is often masked by other pursuits, and the hubbub of life drowns out and distracts us from this genuine need.  Jesus says in Matthew 11:27-30:  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  This rest that Christ speaks of is a rest found only in Him through faith.  We are all born in sins, and our greatest need is to be forgiven, cleansed from our sins, and reconciled to God.  The Door we must pass through to meet these needs is through repentance and faith in Jesus as Saviour.  In Him we found profound security, contentment, love, peace, and joy not found in this world.  In fact, the more that we invest in things of this world that are passing away, the less contentment and rest we will have.

Just like the tree continued to give to the boy despite his selfishness and lack of thanks, so God gives to all people - whether they believe in Him or not.  He gives from the inexhaustible storehouses of the riches of His grace.  John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  Jesus has offered Himself as a sacrifice for sin, so all who repent and trust in Him will not go to hell but abide with Him for eternity.  Let us be as children who delight to receive all that the Father has graciously provided with thanksgiving.  He offers us rest in His shade, a place in heaven with Him forever, a place setting at His banqueting table, and a throne of eternal glory.  We are not worthy of such gifts, but let us receive them.  May we honour God by giving back to Him our lives and substance as living sacrifices for His glory.  Let us remember to thank God for His goodness and gifts unto men!  In this God is pleased!

The Field of Sharp Swords

"And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." ¹⁵ So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶ And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon." 

2 Samuel 2:13-16

This event illustrates the destruction of division.  During this season in Israel's history, the nation was divided between allegiance to David king of Judah and king Ishbosheth who reigned over the remaining tribes of Israel.  Generals Abner and Joab gathered at Gibeon, situated on opposite sides of a pool of water.  Abner suggested the men have a bit of fun.  Joab agreed.  Twelve men from each side were chosen to compete in a wrestling match of sorts.  It was not long before tempers flared, swords flashed, and twenty four men lay dead in pools of their own blood by the hands of their fellow countrymen.  What a great tragedy!  In this moment of violent passion it appears these men forgot they were brothers.

These men had lost sight of who their enemy was.  Philistines had invaded the land, yet the division between the house of David and Ishbosheth led to brother killing brother.  Divisions in the Body of Christ have led to numerous battles and infamous killing fields.  Like Abner and Joab, we can fall into the trap of setting ourselves in opposition to others divided by practice or interpretation.  Brothers and sisters in Christ, this ought not to be!  If pride begins to take root in our hearts, we are not far from a fall.  God has given us a sword to stand fast in faith and to earnestly contend for the faith, not to mercilessly attack men created in the image of God.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:2-3, "I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"  The massacre at the Field of Sharp Swords was a result of the flesh.  Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.  Our battle is not against people of differing beliefs and practices within or outside the Body of Christ.  Our battle is against Satan, a foe defeated by the shed blood of Jesus Christ we by God's grace have also overcome.

For those with ears to hear, let us consider Galatians 6:1:  "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  Mere men cannot fulfill this task:  we need the power of the Holy Spirit filling and anointing us to walk in such love.  Jesus says to those who cause division, "Put your sword in its sheath!"  The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword intended to reveal the thoughts and intents of our hearts, not for the purpose of devouring one another.  Let us be peacemakers.  Those who live by the sword also die by the sword.  We are one body in Christ.  What God has joined, let not man attempt to separate.  May we mourn all manner of division and seek restoration by God's grace.

This post is not for others to heed:  it is for you alone.  It is not ammunition to condemn others.  It is not a sharp sword to point out faults and further cause division.  It is an exhortation that we might labour to be peacemakers and those who unite instead of sowing discord.  James 3:13-18 reads, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

The Bride Price

At Calvary Chapel Sydney, we've been moving through 1 and 2 Samuel on Sunday mornings.  In the passage this week, Abner, the general of the Israelite army, offered to help unite the kingdom under David's rule.  David was pleased with the arrangement, but made one stipulation:  Abner would not see his face until David's estranged wife Michal was restored to him.  About ten years earlier, David fled from his father-in-law King Saul.  Saul then took David's wife and gave him to a man named Phaltiel.  2 Samuel 3:14 reads, "So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."  David placed a higher priority on his wife being restored to him than uniting the kingdom under his rule.

When David demanded his wife back, he cited the bride price that he had paid to betroth her to himself.  Saul, hoping that the Philistines would kill David, told David he could marry his daughter if he paid the cost of 100 foreskins of the Philistines - a gruesome price at great risk.  So pleased was David to marry Michal and be the king's son-in-law that he provided double the asking price.  1 Samuel 18:27 says, "...Therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife."  Because David had paid the bride price, Michal was rightly betrothed to him.  His payment was the basis of his demand.

I wonder how Michal felt, knowing how her prospective husband literally risked his life in fighting for her hand in marriage.  If his love was ever in doubt in her mind, she could always say:  "I know he loves me.  He fought for me.  He risked his own life just to be with me."  This picture of David demanding his wife being reconciled to him is a beautiful picture of how Jesus Christ will restore the nation of Israel to Himself before He establishes His throne on earth.  God chose the descendents of Israel as His special people and made a covenant with them.  Yet they played the harlot, worshiping idols and the creature rather than the Creator.  Concerning His people it is written in Hosea 2:14:  "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her."  Also in Hosea 2:18-20:  "In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely. ¹⁹ "I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; ²⁰ I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD."

Yet God's love is not limited to the Jews.  Through Jesus Christ the love of God has been displayed openly and offered to all people.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus paid the bride price of His church not through the risk of His life, but through His death and resurrection.  Colossians 1:19-20 states, "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."  It is amazing that Jesus would pay such a price to redeem us.  We are not royalty, nor do we bring any rich dowry to the relationship.  All we bring is an everlasting debt of sin - a debt that Christ rejoiced to pay through His own sacrifice.

When we are born again by grace through faith, we become intimately acquainted with the Creator and Lover of our souls.  Ours is a God who fights for us.  As we lean on Him in faith, we realise it is He who is supporting us.  It is He who keeps our feet from stumbling, and Jesus is the lifter of our heads.  Let us praise Him for paying our bride price - a debt we could never pay - and for restoring us unto Himself.  Our relationship to God is a priority for Him, even a greater priority than establishing His eternal throne on earth!  How humbling, how amazing is such love!  May we ever abide this this love.

No Dramas!

This morning we called for a meeting after church to discuss recent developments concerning our visa for residency in Australia.  To make a very complicated story short, it came to light this week that there had been a mistake on the nomination form lodged over seven months ago.  We were made aware of legislation passed in November that did not help our cause.  We submitted the application portion of the visa process about a month ago, not knowing yet that the nomination could not be approved in the current state.  An immigration agent called me and a fellow board member, suggesting that we withdraw the application because a withdrawal is better than a refusal.  This was done and here we are, exactly one week from our 428 Religious Worker's visa running out, no bridging visa, and with the prospect of applying again at full price - with a price tag of just over three thousand dollars.  And you know what?  I'm not mad, worried, or freaked out.  It is a testimony to the reality of an All-Powerful God.  Because if I didn't know Him, that's exactly how I would feel!

People say, "God is on the throne."  That's not just a cliche to polish up in difficult times.  It is a fact:  our God reigns!  He allows obstacles, difficulties, trials, tribulations, and persecutions.  His perfect love casts out all fear.  As we discussed the situation with those able to stay late at church for the meeting, there was a tangible sense of God's presence.  There was no finger pointing, accusations, blaming others, or veiled threats.  The was a profound sense of love, grace, and understanding.  After the meeting I was struck by how blessed we are to have a fellowship filled with friends who stick closer than a brother.  I am convinced that God will use this situation for good and will undoubtedly bring my family and I to His desired end.  Who but God knows what priceless gems will be mined through this experience?

The current plan of action is to re-apply for the 186 direct-stream visa in the next couple days which will automatically initiate a new bridging visa to allow our family to stay in country until it is resolved.  We are praying that God will give us wisdom and favour with immigration to have all the information supplied by the deadlines which are quickly approaching.  We are confident that money is not a problem for our God and therefore it won't be a problem for us or the church.  In Australia we have a saying which is basically synonymous with "No worries."  When in the States someone would say "Piece of cake!" people in OZ say, "No dramas!"  There's a lot of drama in this world, but nothing is too hard for our God.  We can take God at His Word to provide for all our needs.  As we fight the good fight of faith, let us stay true to our LORD no matter our circumstances.

Thanks for praying for Calvary Chapel Sydney and the Grisez family!  We are blessed beyond measure, greatly enriched by the love of the saints, and rejoice in the faithfulness and provision of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

The Eye Opener

God has provided the scripture so we might know Him, be instructed in righteousness, and convicted of sin so we might repent.  Because of the conscience God has placed within us, both Christians and non-Christians often seem confident in their knowledge of right and wrong.  Premeditated murder, rape, and stealing are obviously wrong.  There might be some who disagree by their actions, but the vast majority of people spanning nations and cultures of the world universally agree.  Laws are created to set limits, protect the innocent, and punish lawbreaking offenders.  The Bible goes way further than providing a list of "do's and don'ts," but ferrets out the sin that breeds in the human heart not governed by man's external laws:  sins like pride, covetousness, envy, and greed.  Unless the Bible had called these natural tendencies sin, I never would have known!

James 2:10 reads, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."  This passage is commonly quoted, but when I read it yesterday I was reminded of the immediate context.  Did you notice that the passage begins with a "for?"  This means the verse is predicated on the prior verse or verses.  James 2:8-9 says, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; ⁹ but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors."  Showing partiality, favoritism, or nepotism is a sin according to God's righteous standard.  I find it intriguing that partiality is the sin mentioned right before James says, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."  This proves that being partial is just as bad a sin as murder and adultery, sins mentioned in the verses following.  Would you have ever dreamed that favoritism in God's eyes carries the weight of guilt of murder?  Again, without scripture I could not have known this!

It is obvious that none of us is perfect according to God's standard.  Even worse, the law has no power to cleanse or save us from sin.  All it can do is point out my mounting faults and condemn me under divine justice.  God, knowing this, sent His Son Jesus Christ to become a sacrifice for sin and establish a covenant in His own blood.  Containing a promise written in Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8:6-10 states, "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."  The Law can only find fault with us, but grace, peace, and salvation come through Jesus Christ.  The Law is good in that it reveals our sin and desperate need for reconciliation with God.

Our hearts in their natural state are blind guides, leading us into every error imaginable.  But the Bible holds forth with crystal clarity the nature of our hearts, the deceitfulness of sin, that being partial on one occasion is enough to break God's Law for eternity, and the forgiveness and salvation available to all through Christ.  He uses His Word to open our eyes as the Holy Spirit instructs, corrects, and comforts us.  Praise God for the New Covenant and for putting His law into our hearts.  Though we have sinned, God will forgive when we repent and trust in Him.  What good news for sinners this is!

Know Your Weakness

Samson is not often seen as a spiritually perceptive man.  Because he was a man the Spirit came upon with power and made him strong, people look at his life as a tragic waste.  He loved Philistine women, visited harlots, and ate honey from a swarm in a lion's carcase!  Yet despite his many flaws and foibles, I still contend he had rare wisdom for one simple reason:  he knew his weakness.  When Delilah asked him the secret of his supernatural strength, he knew that if his hair was cut he would be "weak, and be like any other man."  He tried many times to throw her off the scent, but after she pestered him to the point of death it says in Judges 16:17:  "...he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

People use the common phrase, "You don't know your own strength."  I say the opposite can be true:  we often don't know what makes us weak.  Samson knew the one thing that would make him weak as any man, and therefore he avoided doing it.  He never would have cut his hair, but Delilah was happy to oblige!  Satan is our Delilah, lulling us to sleep on his knees.  The trouble is, we often don't know we are weak until we are beaten, blinded, and bound!  In "Batman Begins," Bruce Wayne as a child falls into an empty well.  The butler Alfred said, "Took quite a fall, didn't we, Master Bruce?"  The father of Bruce replied, "And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."  When we fall, sometimes we can't get up alone.  Bruce couldn't.  Spiritually speaking, when we fall we need the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ to lift us up.  More than learning to pick ourselves up, we ought to learn from how we fell in the first place to prevent falling again.

I have heard many people discuss the liberty we have in Christ.  What is commonly discussed is the importance not to allow our liberty to stumble or offend others.  Drinking alcohol is a pat example.  Many people through their lives struggle with alcoholism.  If my drinking wine with dinner and having a beer with the boys emboldens others to drink, it would be to their detriment and possibly their destruction.  Therefore Christians are called to honour God by valuing the conscience of others above their own freedom.  Consider Romans 14:21:  "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."  The very last word of this verse is not often talked about.  We should not do anything by which our brother could be made to stumble, be offended, or be made weak.  It is wise to consider:  are my actions causing others - my spouse, children, and fellow believers - to become weak?

The first and most important aspect of the application of the passage is to answer this question personally:  what is my weakness?  What makes me weak to resist temptation?  What weakens my faith or resolve?  Is it a thought pattern?  Something I place before my eyes or something I eat or drink?  A lack of prayer or reading God's Word?  As Christians, we have the power of God within us.  But what makes you weak as any other man?  What causes us to stumble and trip over the same obstacles and fall for the same tricks every time?  It is a wise man who not only knows his own weakness, but avoids everything which causes himself or others to be weakened.  We can only find true strength through faith in our God, the One who has become for us Wisdom!

Samson knew what made him weak.  Do you?

The Proud Shove

While walking on the footpath this morning, my sons and I heard a warning "honk" from a cyclist who promptly whizzed by.  There wasn't much time to react.  Instinctively I moved towards the left, creating as much room as possible for the rider to pass on my right.  In doing so, I gently bumped into Abel and almost pushed him into the bushes!  As we walked and talked about how funny it would have been to see Abel dive headlong into the bushes and disappear, I was reminded of a time when that happened to my brother.  And it was totally my fault.

I recounted the story to my sons.  Since my parents were highly involved in church ministry, we always were among the first to arrive at church and the last to leave.  For years, my brother and I would religiously play football by ourselves or with friends before first service, between services, and after second service.  We literally wore out ball after ball playing touch football on the lawn, in a dirt lot, or on pavement.  My brother and I were never on the same team because that created an unfair advantage.  To have both of us paired on offense or defense meant an easy victory for us.  So quite often we were paired up guarding or rushing each other.  In case you don't know us, neither of us likes to lose.  Thinking back, it's amazing how civilised the games usually were considering our competitiveness and youthful pride.

One morning before the service when I was in my early teens, my brother Mat "beat" me on a long bomb over the top.  It was a perfect route, pass, and catch, the ball just sailing over my outstretched hand.  Mat brought down the over the shoulder catch for the touchdown.  I wasn't happy about being beaten.  So what did I do?  Just as his feet touched down on the concrete that marked the end zone, I gave him a small shove to the back.  It was touch football, right?  It wasn't a big shove, but with his forward momentum it was enough to send him sprawling headlong into a large juniper bush.  He completely disappeared.  In retrospect, it's a good thing that bush was there because it kept Mat from falling down a sheer drop five meters to a concrete path.

Oh no, I thought to myself.  I felt bad.  Because he didn't emerge immediately from the bush triumphantly with the ball, I knew something was wrong.  I didn't feel bad about the extra "love" at the end of the play, but I knew Mat was going to be mad - really mad.  He knew what I did, and he knew I did it on purpose.  You see, all I could think about in that moment was how my bad decision was going to affect me.  After calling into the bush a few times, Mat scrambled out of the bush fuming and thankfully unhurt.  My pride had taken a hit being beaten by my little brother (who always could hold his own and was virtually equal or better than me in physical activities growing up) and so I dealt him a blow.  We made up and the game continued.  I am blessed to have a brother who showed me grace that day.  "Shoving Mat into that shrub was the result of my pride and selfishness," I told the boys.  "Pride will always make you do things you later regret.  In that split-second it felt good to give him a shove, but it's something I have always regretted because of my proud and selfish attitude.  I should have congratulated him and been a good sport." 

Pride is an awful sin that has led to much more than a kid being shoved headlong into bushes, but the destruction of relationships, marriages, to fights, injuries, and bitter grudges.  Pride causes us to hurt people we love.  Pride is the primary sin of Satan (1 Tim. 3:6), and it keeps men from seeking God.  Psalm 10:4 reads, "The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts."  Pride is painted in a positive light in many cultures today.  People take pride in all sorts of things.  But when we lift ourselves up with pride, we only set ourselves up for a fall.  Proverbs 29:23 says, "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honour."  It is only through being born again by grace through faith in Christ that we can be free from the shackles of pride.  Under the illusion of freedom we are actually bound by pride (Ps. 73:6).  When we embrace humility, we don't need to fire away that hurtful parting shot, fight for our rights, or shove someone in the back.  Walking in pride is a means of sowing to the flesh, and it will always breed corruption.  Thank God that He has given us the example of Jesus, who not only shows us the way but places within us the power to walk in it through the Holy Spirit.

I'm sorry for shoving you into that bush, Mat.  But I'm not sorry for the lesson God taught me through it! :)

A Rock of Offense

Paul exhorts believers in Ephesians 4:15 to speak the truth in love.  God's love looks very different than what passes for love according to man's selfish standard.  Because we love people, we ought to tell them the truth.  We know the adage rings true:  the truth can hurt.  Sometimes we don't want to tell people the truth because we are afraid of offending them.  When I am faced with this dilemma, I admit that the battle is not so much about others.  My natural tendency is first to consider myself:  what others will think of me, how uncomfortable I am, or countless other self-absorbed rationale.  Those are tendencies I must confess as sin and forsake as I follow Jesus.  It is the love of Christ which should compel Christians to speak the truth in love because we deeply care about others more than ourselves.

The message of the Gospel and the cross is a most offensive message.  1 Peter 2:6-8 says, "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." ⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone," ⁸ and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed."  Jesus is this "rock of offense."  The chief priests and scribes stumbled at Christ's Word because of His claims of deity and how He trumped the Law of Moses.  He openly spoke of their hypocrisy and sin according to God's righteous standard.  The offense of Christ continues to this day.  To say a man is a sinner and needs salvation through repentance and faith to avoid facing the wrath of a furious God for eternity is very politically incorrect.  There are some modern day churches that avoid any talk of hell, sin, judgment, or even the blood of Christ because it is offensive.  But the love of Christ compels believers to speak the truth on even these difficult, unpopular, and polarising topics - even when faced with being ostracised, mocked, arrested, tortured, and killed.  God and the scriptures are immutable, though the world continually sways like a ship at the mercy of the tide.

The day is coming, and even now is, that the divide between Christianity and the world becomes so wide no one can possibly straddle it.  The world's opinion of Christianity and what is commonly called "the church" has changed markedly over the last twenty years.  It used to be that Christians were considered "Jesus freaks" or a mild nuisance at best.  Others looked upon followers of Christ as deluded people entrenched in tradition since their childhood, brainwashed of reason, and in need of a support group or crutch to cope with life's difficulties.  "To each their own," people would say through a wry grin.  Today even in countries with a strong Christian tradition, there is much more vitriol directed towards the church.  People who are tolerant towards everything under the sun are increasingly intolerant and accusatory towards Christians as being bigots, haters, and unloving.  Pity has given way to fierce anger.  Are Christians without faults?  Of course not.  The Bible and our consciences tell us that all have sinned and no one is perfect.  But the reality is we believers are called to speak the truth in love, and love does not mask the truth.  We must be mindful there are ways to deliver an offensive message without having an offensive tone or attitude. 1 Corinthians 10:32-33 says, "Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

Jesus came to earth as a revelation of divine love.  Many of the things that He said were deemed offensive by the people who heard Him.  His words were offensive because they did not believe He was God.  If they believed He was God, the religious Jews would have given Jesus latitude to speak as God.  But because they did not believe His claims, they were deeply offended by Him.  Even though Jesus did many great things which could not be spoken against, they desired to kill Him!  Therefore the followers of Christ will be despised, despite any social programs or good things we may aspire to do.  Jesus said to His followers in John 15:17-19:  "These things I command you, that you love one another. ¹⁸ "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."  Christians are not of this world, yet there remains a temptation to soften the rough edges of the Gospel to be more palatable to the world.  What is created is another gospel which is devoid of the power to convict, justify, transform, redeem, or sanctify.  It is a false gospel that is no Gospel at all.  We are messengers bringing Christ's message of salvation unto all people, and only an evil messenger selectively edits the message.

As Joshua told the people who entered into the land of promise, so the Holy Spirit exhorts us today:  choose this day whom you will serve.  Choose this day whom you will fear.  Choose this day whom you will trust.  We cannot serve two masters:  either we believe the scriptures are the perfect, unchanging, unalterable words of God and we preach and live them without apology, or we cast them aside and trample them under our feet as rubbish.  It is time for us to believe the scriptures so we might know God.  Even if our love is misconstrued, distorted, or interpreted as hatred by those blinded by the ruler of this world, so be it.  May we speak the truth in love, fearing God alone.  May we follow Christ's example as He went about doing good unto all.  If it is ordained we suffer persecution, trials, scorn, slander, loss of credibility in the eyes of the world, loss of physical freedom, or even our lives, AMEN!  Even in these things we can rejoice, when our eyes are fixed upon Jesus.  Is a servant above His Master?

Taking Up Your Cross

Following the Good Friday service yesterday, my wife Laura and I had a thought-provoking talk.  It is my practice to ask Laura what God revealed to her for personal application during the sermon.  "It was good," she said.  "But I think it would have been good to talk more specifically about what 'taking up your cross' means.  That phrase is used so often in Christian circles it has almost lost all meaning."  She was absolutely right.  The term has even been adapted into modern vernacular outside the church.  When people face irritating or frustrating circumstances they hate but must endure they say with a sigh, "I guess this is my cross to bear."  The ironic thing is, that's not how Christ approached His crucifixion.  It was no drudgery.  He approached it with fierce determination and willingness, knowing His hour had come.  For the joy that was set before Him Jesus endured the cross and ultimately rose victorious.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God on the cross was ordained by the Father from before the world began.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and for the purpose that He might demonstrate the love of God for fallen man through sacrifice.  The cross was Christ's calling.  It was purposed by God to satisfy divine justice.  There can be no forgiveness without atonement.  Atonement means to redeem, to buy back.  It carries the meaning of an exchange, to reconcile, restore.  In the Old Testament under the Law, atonement occurred by the shedding of the blood of an animal.  The wages of sin is death, so the death of the sacrifice was exchanged for the life of the sinner.  When Jesus took up His cross and was crucified on Calvary, His shed blood once for all provided atonement for all who repent, trust in Him, and obey the Gospel.  If I were to die on a cross, it would have no redeeming power because I am a sinner.  So what is Jesus talking about when He commands we deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him?

The Father purposed that Jesus would be a sacrifice.  This taking up our cross is our reasonable service to God as disciples.  The cross we are told to take up is the calling God has placed upon our lives as living sacrifices unto God.  Some people would love to follow Jesus without meeting the other conditions Jesus speaks of.  They believe they can follow Jesus without denying themselves or without embracing the calling of self-sacrifice God has ordained for their life.  But Jesus gives us indispensable insight with His command in Luke 9:23-24:  "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."  Jesus could not have remained a sinless sacrifice if He chose to avoid the cross.  He would have ceased from walking in the will of His Father in heaven.  Personal consequences for the results of disobedience or rebellion should never be seen as "a cross to bear."  Jesus had never done anything wrong, yet He was called to carry His cross and be nailed to it.  God had a purpose in Christ going to the cross, and He has a calling and a purpose for your life as well.  Even as God strengthened Jesus to answer His call faithfully to the end, so He will empower and comfort us.

This calling and purpose God intends we take up is to be done daily.  It is not a "one-off" decision.  Since we live in a body of flesh that resists and even resents the righteous demands of our Father, we must continue to deny ourselves.  We must labour through the power of the Holy Spirit to cast down arguments and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience to Christ.  The denial of self enables us to submit to God's commands and divine will.  Focusing on our cross can never give us the strength to carry it.  Our eyes must be fixed upon Christ's example of sacrifice on the cross and His current risen state.  We must place our trust in Him alone.  We do not serve a dying or dead God, but the One True Living God!  Because He is alive, He has the power to strengthen and enable us to do everything He calls us to.  By God's grace we can follow Jesus Christ to death and glory.  The path to glory always passes through the cross.

I close with a quote by J. Oswald Sanders:  "Self-sacifice is part of the price that must be paid daily.  A cross stands in the way of spiritual leadership, a cross upon which the leader must consent to be impaled.  Heaven's demands are absolute, 'He laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren' (1 John 3:16).  The degree to which we allow the cross of Christ to work in us will be the measure in which the resurrection life of Christ can be manifested through us." (Spiritual Leadership, 1st Edition, pg. 142)  Taking up our cross involves a decision to first drop everything which may hinder or weaken our grip.  Once we have emptied our hands, we must decide to take up the cross.  It is God who strengthens us to lift it and Christ will bear it with us.  Instead of being a horrible weight, it is a path to fellowship and closeness with God obtainable through no other means.  Praise God for the cross!