Fishing For Significance (in space without fish)

We live in a day when self sits on the throne.  During my life I have seen the self-esteem movement develop, and digital technology and social media has made way for "selfies."  A major aspect of social online activity has become self-promotion.  The thirst for significance grows unabated, despite the self-serving platforms.  There are countless ways humans search for significance:  their interests, careers, and political, social, or religious inclinations.  There is a desire in every person to be seen, appreciated, recognised, even liked.  We put so much stock in seeking people's positive comments and opinions it becomes like an addictive drug that makes us feel better about ourselves.  On the other hand, negative feedback and bullying has led to suicide attempts and even death.

I read a post the other day which suggested if you were a "real" friend you would read to the bottom of the post, pass it on, write one word that describes that person, etc.  To me it was a cry, clear evidence a thirst for significance still unmet.  Having hundreds of virtual "friends" was not enough, so a post was employed to guilt others into responding.  Social interaction for some has gone far beyond an activity, but has become a quest for personal satisfaction and acceptance.  Frankly, virtual relationships can never supply the deep emotional and spiritual needs of a person any more than it can feed your body when you are hungry.  Seeking significance even in physical relationships is useless.  Looking for lasting happiness through any activity or positive feedback in this world will leave you empty.  It is like a man fishing for significance in the void of space where no fish are.

Thankfully, there is a way to have this thirst quenched.  It can be satisfied only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  God is the one who created us, who knew us before we were knit together in the wombs of our mothers.  Jesus is the one who demonstrated God's love for us, for whilst we were still sinners Christ died for us!  Everything we need is found in Jesus!  1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says of the relationship of a Christian to Christ, "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."

God doesn't just "like" you - He loves you.  Instead of seeking to satisfy self, glorifying God is what truly satisfies and brings rest to our souls.  Apart from Christ those deep longings of the human soul for significance will remain unmet.  As the Preacher in Ecclesiastes said of life on earth without God, "Meaningless!  Vanity!  All is meaningless!"  We don't need to fish for significance or "likes" when believers already have acceptance and approval of God, the One who gave His own Son so we might live with Him forever.  God loves with an everlasting love, and those who repent and trust in Him walk in that light.  Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."  God's love never fails, and He will never leave or forsake you.  Pretty significant, I say!

Bring Them To Jesus

"Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." 

Matthew 17:17

The LORD has provided fresh insight upon this passage for me recently.  Jesus had returned from a mountain with a few of His disciples when a man approached Him with a request.  His son was severely demon possessed, and related how he first brought him to be healed by the disciples of Jesus.  When they were unable to help, he came to Christ for help.  After He heard the man's pleas, Jesus spoke the aforementioned words culminated with, "Bring him here to Me."  Jesus rebuked the demon, and the boy was made whole.  The disciples later asked Jesus why they were unable to cast out the demon, seeing that Jesus had already given them authority and power over unclean spirits.  It was their unbelief, Jesus replied.

In relation to Christian ministry, this passage speaks volumes to those who have ears to hear.  We know that Jesus alone supplies the power through the Holy Spirit for fruitful and effective ministry.  It is not expressly stated why the man did not initially bring his son to Jesus, and frankly it does not matter for my purpose.  The point is, the man sought help from the disciples of Christ because he hoped they could supply his need.  This happens more in ministry and the church of God than you might think.  People tend to look for people, programs, ministries, and things to supply help and hope.  We may think listening to a sermon will do us good, or read our Bibles through twice in a year will help us overcome issues!  But we can neglect simply coming to Christ!  Search as we might for useful or effective aids apart from Christ, they will not supply our true need.  They will be proved useless, even as the disciples were not effective to do what only God could.

The second thing about this passage is the neglect and failure of the disciples to bring the man to Jesus.  They had prayed, even laid hands, or did exactly what had worked every time before.  They were unable to help the boy, and scratched their heads in wonder:  "Why isn't this working?"  Their theology teetered precariously on their shredded faith, not seeing the end they intended.  So they let the man go.  It seems they did not consider bringing the boy to Jesus!  It was the father who desperately sought Christ after his son's problems persisted, but the disciples did not share his desperation.  In their minds they had failed:  why involve Jesus at all with this embarrassing humiliation?  The demon inside this little boy had them beat, and they couldn't understand why or how it was possible.  Ignore the issue, and maybe it would just go away in time.

The man did what the disciples failed to do, but only at the prompting of Jesus.  He brought his son to the disciples, but seeing their failure he came alone to Jesus.  How sad!  Perhaps it is clear now why Jesus said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?"  Then He gave the command which should have been the immediate response of both the man and the disciples concerning the possessed boy:  "Bring him here to Me."  Do we seek help from other people, books, or articles before we bring ourselves in humility before Jesus?  When we are confronted with the problems of other people, do we bring those people before Jesus through intercessory prayer?  Do we bring them to Christ in faith as Saviour?  When we neglect to go to Christ or forget to bring them to Christ, we will be unable to solve even the small problems in this life.  Yet when we go to Christ and bring others to Him, we will experience deliverance and salvation beyond explanation.

How many unsaved people in this world are disillusioned because they have sought help and hope in men but not in Christ!  And there are far too many Christians (one is too many!) who deny themselves victory and power because of unbelief.  If we believe ourselves sufficient, we will be proved powerless.  People do not need ministries and sermons and studies to be free from oppression and sin:  they need Jesus.  You have a problem?  Bring it to Jesus.  Are you aware of hurting people with needs?  Bring them to Jesus.  Do you have questions?  Bring them to Jesus and you will see that He has been the answer all along.

No More Guilt or Shame

Guilt and shame are God-given tools to move people to confession and repentance before Him.  Too many times, however, feelings of condemnation are tolerated and justified in the life of a Christian who has repented of a sin.  To those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation for those who have repented and forsaken their sins.  Old sins need not weigh us down, for the blood of Jesus is sufficient to atone for them.  The justice of God has been satisfied through His sacrifice, and we are free of all guilt and shame by grace through faith.

God has chosen to remember the sins of His people no more, but the devil is only too happy to remind us of our transgressions.  His accusing voice rings in our heads, and because we agree we have done wrong there may be a temptation to allow his venomous attacks without resistance.  When we wander from Christ, He calls us to return to Him.  There is no waiting period for God's forgiveness, some penance that first must be endured before we will be accepted back into fellowship with God when we truly repent.  The scripture says without reservation in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  "That's too easy," some might complain - like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son who returned to his father.  Was the cross too small a payment in your estimation?  That is what it cost God for man to be forgiven of a single sin.  The devil and men alike want men to pay with guilt and shame for their sins when Christ has paid already.

When the book of the Law was read in Nehemiah's day, the people wept when they heard it.  They were remorseful and contrite for their wrongs.  They had sinned greatly against God and without atonement His great wrath would be upon them.  Fresh out of captivity and they had entered into sins that were the cause of their captivity for 70 years!  If man was God, he might be satisfied for people to remain in their guilt and shame a bit longer, to make sure they really knew how great their transgressions were!  God is not like a man.  Those who repent and humble themselves before God in faith and repentance will be accepted by His grace.  Nehemiah 8:9-12 says, "And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ¹¹ So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them."  Amazingly, the people were commanded not to weep.  Instead they were to rejoice because the joy of the LORD was their strength.  Their tears of sorrow were turned to tears of joy.  Their sins were great, but the atonement, forgiveness, grace, and acceptance of God was greater still.

If we practice sin, the absence of guilt and shame should be very concerning indeed.  This shows our hearts have been hardened and deceived, perhaps even unregenerate!  But if you are a Christian who has repented and forsaken sin, you should no longer bear the weighty yoke of guilt and shame for transgressions Christ has cleansed.  We do well to remember our faults so we will not repeat them.  Instead of drowning in sorrows and shame, and sinning further by pitying ourselves, let us choose to rejoice in the assurance of Christ's forgiveness through the promise of the Word.  Do not delay to come to Christ and be reconciled to Him through repentance.  Those who come to Christ He will by no means cast out (John 6:37).  May the joy of the LORD be your strength as you consider all your Saviour has done for you!

Passing the Spiritual

Before immigrating to Australia, our family needed to complete physicals in the United States to qualify for a visa.  It included a basic physical examination, bloodwork, vision, and drug testing.  Had we failed the physical, we would have been denied a visa and entrance to the country.  After we lived in Australia for two years, again the whole family was required to undergo a physical to obtain a permanent resident visa.  Praise the LORD we each passed the physical and this potential hindrance to obtaining the visa was removed.  God gave us favour with our application and now we remain grateful permanent residents of Australia.  Since we have completed the physicals and have continued to live in-country, we should not need to have physicals when we apply for citizenship next year God-willing.

Paul wrote concerning Christians in Philippians 3:20-21:  "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."  Similar to how immigration to a different country requires a physical, to become a citizen of heaven requires a "spiritual."  Only those who are completely righteous and holy meet God's requirements for heavenly citizenship.  Heaven is open to everyone, but the problem is there is not one person aside from Jesus Christ who meets God's strict standards according to His Law.  Not one person today can pass this spiritual physical.  Polluted by sin, we all fail and will be denied entrance.

But God, in His mercy toward us, sent Jesus to suffer and die on our behalf.  He has risen from the dead, proving His saving power.  God's Word teaches us the effect of Christ and the Gospel in John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name..."  Whosoever will repent and trust in Jesus Christ, receiving Him as LORD, the righteousness of Christ will be imputed to us (Romans 4:8-11).  Our sins are atoned for by the blood of Jesus through faith, and we receive a life-providing transfusion of Christ's righteousness.  We are holy, even as He is holy.  Only then can we pass the spiritual requirements to gain access into heaven, for we have already received Him in our hearts by faith.

This is good news!  Christians are made citizens of heaven by the grace of God, and have assurance of eternal security through His Word.  Praise God for the way He has made through His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life!

A More Sure Word

Life is filled with amazing experiences.  The greatest and most memorable experiences occur when a man has an encounter with the Living God who created him.  Whilst experiences do much to build faith in the life of a Christian, they can never be repeated.  We cannot feel how we felt at that time, nor can we re-create the situation upon our whim.  Look back all you want, but you cannot go back.  This is a good thing, or else a lot of Christians might be tempted to remain at Elim (an oasis in the wilderness mentioned in Ex. 15:27) when the inheritance God has given to us remains unclaimed over Jordan.

Peter had such an experience when Jesus was transfigured before him.  Peter was overwhelmed as he saw Jesus in glory, conversing with Moses and Elijah on the mount.  Unsure of what to say, Peter made a suggestion that if Jesus agreed, they should build three tabernacles on the mountain:  one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.  He wanted to establish a memorial of this miraculous scene before his eyes.  He never wanted to forget what he saw.  But then something happened.  Matthew 17:5-6 tells us, "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" ⁶ And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid."  It is clear that Peter's suggestion was not led by the Spirit, for as he was going on about constructing these tabernacles the voice of God the Father boomed, "The is My beloved Son!"  The disciples fell on their faces, rising only after Jesus touched them and invited them to stand.  They headed down the mountain, having had an encounter with God.  God's will was not that they build monuments to their experience, but having been changed by their unforgettable encounter to head down the mountain, serving God and others.

Peter would later write of his experience in his second epistle, and he said something which I find amazing.  2 Peter 1:16-21 reads in the KJV:  "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ¹⁸ And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. ¹⁹ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: ²⁰ Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."  One might think that the experience of the transfiguration would be heralded among the greatest spiritual experiences.  To see Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah on the mount, and to hear the audible voice of God speak forth His approval and pleasure in His Son Jesus, would have been stunning proof of Jesus as Christ and His divinity.  That is not what Peter says.  He did not write this in a hope to recreate the glory of that night - or with the wish that others could have experienced it as well.  He was an eyewitness of God's glory, and he heard with his ears the voice of God.  Yet Peter says, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy...." Allow that to sink in for a moment.  More trustworthy than Peter's ears, more established than the audible voice of God from heaven, is the surety of the scriptures written for us, dictated through men by the Holy Spirit.  Wow.

There are no shortage of people who are convinced they have heard God speak.  There are many people who are hailed as prophets by their loyal followers.  We have sure words of prophecy concerning Christ all throughout the Bible, the Word of God.  Peter says, "Ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place..."  The scriptures are sure and steadfast.  It is God-breathed and through the Bible we can know with full assurance truth from error.  Do not think that I am minimising the importance of experiences.  We are to experience the presence and fullness of God every day!  When we have experiences - even if we see God's glory and hear His voice audibly - we are not to idolise such manifestations.  May we all have them as He wills!  God desires we fall before Him in reverent worship, and to rise at His leading and come down from that mountain top so we might be of use to Him in the foothills and valleys, in all seasons of life.  For the rest of his life Peter was greatly enriched by his experience on the mountain with Jesus.  But he viewed the scriptures as a more sure word of prophesy than his own eye-witness account.

May experiences of the power and glory of God and the sure words of prophecy committed unto us have their rightful place in our lives!   We live in a dark place, and His Word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths.  Through God's Word we see Jesus, the Hope of Glory, in everlasting light and power.  On the road to Emmaus, Jesus did not appeal to the signs and wonders of the reality of the resurrected Messiah, but went to the authority of the scriptures.  Interesting, isn't it?  Jesus could have turned stones into bread, healed an illness, or told the men exactly what was hidden in their hearts or past.  He chose to affirm His resurrection and presence with the Word.  Luke 24:25-27 says, "Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."  No bright light, no booming voice from heaven.  Jesus used the light of God's Word and the still small voice of the Holy Spirit to appeal to the hearts and minds of those grieving men.  Jesus would ultimately reveal Himself to the men in His way of breaking bread.  The way Jesus broke the loaves was one thing, but how much more wonderful was the way He pulled apart the Words of Life and gave to each as they had need through expounding the scripture.  Does not God's Word satisfy?

Need Hard Times?

The rest Jesus promises us as we follow Him is not in place of the storms, but in the midst of them.  His presence will bring a calming influence on winds, waves, and hearts, yet we are promised tribulation.  God is not interested in giving us easy victories.  Walking and jumping is easy in a zero-gravity environment, but it doesn't take long for atrophy to set in and cause muscles to weaken.  Some of the life lessons from Naval Admiral William H. McRaven in his speech to the graduating class at the University of Texas could be easily applied to the Christian walk.  Being a United States Navy SEAL is a tough job indeed, and physical ability and fitness is only part of the deal.  One must be mentally strong and determined to endure the stressful rigours of training alone!  Following Christ faithfully in this world is no easier.  There are few indeed who face with joy the spiritual rigours of denying the flesh, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus.

When God allows hard times in our lives, it is because in a sense we need them.  Why a Navy SEAL need be buried up to his neck in mud for 15 hours as part of training, I can't say for sure.  For six days they are not permitted to sleep, and the whole time drill instructors use every tactic imaginable to dare prospective SEALs to quit.  Once we decide to follow Jesus, the devil uses every tool at his disposal to influence us to walk down any path but that of righteousness.  As in the book of Job, God might even allow Satan himself to take away our goods, children, and health, turning even our friends and spouse against us.  Will we stay resolute?  Or will we quit?

In a message I recently heard by David Guzik, he quoted from Hosea 10:12:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  The point he emphasised is how God's people are told to "break up your fallow ground."  He related how as a missionary he often heard people talk about how "hard" the ground was in the place where they were ministering.  He made the valid point that if the ground where you are ministering is hard, it is because there is something in that hardness you need to break up your own hard heart.  The place where God has us can be the means He provides to plow up our fallow, unfruitful ground.  The people God has around us - like King Saul who threw spears at David - can be the very instrument used by God to transform us.  Like Gene Edwards communicates masterfully through his book A Tale of Three Kings, God uses the outer Saul to kill the inner Saul that lives within each one of us.

God knows what He is doing, and to us it may look like He has missed some important points in relation to our needs, comfort, and growth.  Again, God knows what He is doing and He is in control.  We are called to follow Jesus, sow for ourselves righteousness, reap in mercy, break up our fallow ground, and seek the LORD.  When times grow difficult will we quit or press on in faith?  Praise the LORD that He will never leave or forsake us, whether we are tempest-tossed on the sea or are buried to our necks in mud.  Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  God knows what we need.  Some seeds require the heat of fire to germinate.  Periods of drought and fierce wind can strengthen and broaden the root structure of trees.  Our muscles grow when they are strained, and our faith grows when it is tested.  Will you see the test through to the end and hear God say "Well done, good and faithful servant?"  Or will we decide we didn't really want to follow Jesus after all?

Christ's Love Unites

I rejoice in the wisdom of God, how He has comprised the body of Christ of many members.  Jesus Christ is the Head, and He grants gifts and talents to each of us through the Holy Spirit.  The book by Os Guinness titled "The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life" explores the call of God upon our lives as Christians.  Though it's been years since I read the book, I remember how he made a distinction between the general call and the specific call upon each Christian.  All of us are called to love God and one another, to forgive, to pray for one another, and to share the Gospel with others.  These are all aspects of the general call we must embrace on the path to discovering our individual calls to specific roles and functions in the church - the Body of Christ.

God has seen fit to draw together people of various ages with unique perspectives, different backgrounds and personalities, with distinct talents and weaknesses to make up the church that spans the globe.  He has sovereignly led each believer to gather and join in worship and service with Christ as our common denominator.  He lays upon our hearts varying degrees of desire to accomplish His will and the power to accomplish it.  Even those who share a call to a single role will have unique ways of answering it.  This is a beautiful thing, the freedom God has provided each of us as we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:28-30 says, "And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?"  The answer to Paul's rhetorical questions is obviously no.  God has given unique calls, gifts, and roles in the church.

Directly after these verses, Paul launches into a better, higher way of living:  one where all we say and do - indeed the very substance of our lives - is to be the demonstration of God's perfect love.  Every calling, all service, every distinct ministry in the church is intended by God to be according to His love, the same love Christ demonstrated when He went to the cross for the sins of the world.  What I have witnessed over the years (and nearly in the past slipped into that sticky slough myself) is people becoming more and more critical towards the "church" in general.  They feel it is their calling to be watchmen, to warn like the prophets of old.  Predictive and didactic (corrective) prophesy is a vital part of the Body of Christ today.  In accordance with the Word when a prophet speaks today, his words and tone must be motivated and flavoured with love for God and others - even for atheists, heretics, and hypocrites!

What can happen with our individual callings is think everyone should share our perspective or approach.  When others do not agree with our methods or conclusions, the temptation is to separate ourselves from them.  It is sad how when we give the smallest differences the power to divide us when Christ and His resurrection power should unite us!  God's love is never content with distance.  Division in the Body is a massive problem.  I'm thinking if your leg was chopped off in a car accident, instantly you would know you are in serious trouble and need to see a doctor immediately.  Have you cut yourself off from fellowship with other Christians because of a disagreement?  Take the initiative to humble yourself, leaving your gift at the altar so you might first be reconciled with your brother.  Is it wise to use the internet to air your unresolved differences with the whole world, stirring up bitterness, judgments, and gossip?  Why not just suffer wrong and tell God about it?  We must be careful examine our motives in everything we do - even when we write a blog post! :)  Do we write because we love God and people, or do we just want to make our point?  God knows.

Redeemed Injuries

One thing I find very comforting is the redemptive power of God in every aspect of the life of a believer.  Our flesh may cringe and disagree, but the claim of God's Word and the power of Jesus Christ is undeniable.  Paul wrote with confidence in Romans 8:28-29, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  All the things we experience are not good, yet God is able to reconcile them for His purposes.  A Christian, therefore, will never suffer pain or difficulty needlessly.  God has glorious, divine purposes in all He allows.

Last night, I started thinking back on the number of permanent injuries I sustained from my time serving with the youth at Calvary Chapel El Cajon.  I held my hands in front of the mirror.  Seeing the unnatural bend in my left thumb, I thought back with a smile to that night at the Centre when Matt broke that thumb during a game of dodge ball.  I pulled on my right thumb to adjust it.  As I did so, I remembered how Jason hyper-extended and cracked it during a game of football.  I thought of my right elbow and how something snapped whilst arm wrestling Kevin on my kitchen table.  That was my final arm wrestling contest!  Then I looked at my front teeth, yep, the chip was still visible.  I remembered how Brian landed a shot on top of my head during a jousting competition the night before Easter at Shadow Mountain.  Though I carry with me tangible reminders of those moments, without a shred of frustration or regret I was led to pray for each of those young men and others besides.

I thought of pains I had endured, and also the wounds I mistakenly inflicted on others.  There were times over the years I failed as a leader.  I made mistakes in dealing with conflicts.  Sometimes I tried to do the work of the Holy Spirit.  I prayed for those God brought to mind, drawing solace from the fact that God would redeem even my mistakes for His glory - even as He used old injuries to remind me to pray for dear people He and I love very much.  Have you pain?  Have you injuries inflicted by friends or enemies?  Every scar tells a story, and God will redeem every one with His love.  Praise the LORD for His redeeming power, and how He takes even our injuries and uses them to accomplish His everlasting purposes.

Children Are Known

God's character is revealed in scripture as just, One who does not show partiality.  All excuses or justifications of men are swept away by God's righteous judgments.  Though God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, God is not like a man that He should change.  His Laws are absolute, and His holiness without fail.

This morning I read a most enlightening passage, a verse which stands in stark contrast to the views some have of a gracious God.  2 Chronicles 36:9 says, "Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD."  "Evil" is a word in our society reserved for the worst of the worst.  God summed up the 100 day reign of Jehoiachin in a way no one would dare today - a child merely eight years old - like this:  "And he did evil in the sight of the LORD."  Heavy, isn't it?  God did not soften His judgment of Jehoiachin because of his age, his parents, advisors, the fact he was thrown into the deep end as king at a tender age, or the culture of his day.  Jehoiachin stood alone under the piercing gaze of a righteous God, and did evil in God's sight.  This undoubtedly clashes with the views of some, that a good God could have such a view of a mere child.  But that is the point.  God is good, and in Him is no darkness at all.  Without atonement, Jehoiachin would stand eternally condemned for his wickedness - even at eight years old.

There is none who does good, no not one.  In our natural condition, from the womb all are cut off from fellowship with God because of sin.  Proverbs 20:9-11 says, "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"? ¹⁰ Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the LORD. ¹¹ Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right."  Even a child is known by God by his deeds, whether he works abominations or righteousness.  By the works of the flesh shall no one be justified, but the righteous live by faith in God.  God knows if there is something good in us toward Him, even during our childhood (1 Kings 14:13).  God grants all opportunity through the Gospel to be forgiven and reconciled to Him.  The Judge of all the earth will do right.  There is much we cannot know or grasp now, but we need not grope for God like a man in the dark.  He has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, and His immutable Word.  God has demonstrated His love for us because whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Sin is serious business, and God's law reveals our desperate need for a Saviour.  Children and adults alike are observed by God according to righteousness.  How great is our need for the Gospel!  How precious is God's gift of forgiveness and salvation He has offered to all who repent and trust in Him!  Let us not excuse in children what God condemns as evil.  We are to faithfully discipline our children compelled by love, even as God chastens us.  In a culture adrift and bankrupt of biblical morality, God's standard can be upheld in mercy, grace, love, and steadfastness.  God is no respecter of persons, and His righteousness is without partiality.

Rejoicing Always in the LORD

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

 Philippians 4:4

At Calvary Chapel Sydney, we've been studying through Philippians.  Rejoicing in the LORD is a common theme repeated throughout the book.  It's amazing to consider these words were penned by Paul, a man who had been imprisoned without committing a crime.  In fact, in the book of Acts it states one of the rulers who could have released Paul kept him in chains because he hoped to receive a bribe from him - which Paul did not pay!  Paul had every opportunity to be bitter and angry for "losing his freedom."  Yet Paul had learned the secret of contentment and peace that passed understanding through faith in Christ.  He rejoiced in the LORD always, and exhorted all others to do the same.

God uses the circumstances of life to reveal to us the condition of our hearts.  He allows struggles and difficulties to purify and strengthen our faith and resolve to obey Him.  I experienced one such instance (which remains in the infancy stages!) yesterday.  I play baseball on Saturdays with mates at a club in Rouse Hill.  Before the game I knelt on the field for a quick prayer, committing myself and the game to God.  I started on the mound, and for five innings we battled.  Behind 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs, I hit a ball up the middle and ran.  As my foot came down on first base beating out an infield hit, I saw the ball kick past the first basement.  Without hesitation, instinctively I began to turn to run to second.  Problem was, my right lower-leg didn't get the message as fast as the rest of my body.  I felt my right knee twist out of joint and all my weight pushed down on it - and down I went like a sack of potatoes.

After a couple of minutes I was able to hobble off and ice up.  I could move my leg, but I knew I was done for the day.  We failed in our comeback bid and lost the game.  Personally I had lost a little bit more still:  the ability to easily walk without a pronounced limp or take off socks and shoes!  24 hours later I am not sure if it is a strain, sprain, or a partial tendon rupture (will make an exam appointment tomorrow God-willing).  But having first given the game to the LORD gave me great peace through the knowledge everything is under God's control.  Whether I am back to the diamond in a week or rehab back to health over months, God has me on an adventure of sorts.  He wants me to do some personal pioneering in patience.  He adjusts our limits at times so we might seek to find our satisfaction and comfort not in what we can do but in His presence and what He has done.

I take Paul's exhortation to heart.  In the LORD I can rejoice always, even when my knee is swollen, stiff, and sore.  The peace God gives is independent of my circumstances or how I feel.  Will I choose to experience this rejoicing for the long haul?  Only God knows, but I aim to.  Whether we suffer a strain or complete knee destruction, God remains just as good.  For those who are facing the worst life can offer, Jesus understands because He has gone through it.  He was in all points tempted - He had every opportunity to become bitter at His Father for what He allowed Jesus to face.  Jesus willingly went to the cross for the joy that was set before Him.  You can rejoice in Him, for He is able to deliver and save.  He will never leave or forsake those who put their trust in Him.

Love The LORD Your God

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

The world is filled with things people love.  As God's adopted children, Christians know their love for God ought to overshadow all other loves, making them even as hate in comparison (Luke 14:26).  But we don't always do what we should, do we?  Our affections should be set on things above, not on things of this earth.  This is a battle we often acknowledge with only half our heart, so filled are we with other loves.

"I love God more than anything," we protest.  Those words, at times, may be true.  But we must admit we are very good at justifying ourselves and quantifying love according to our hearts - which are deceitful beyond compare!  Indeed, love is difficult to discern because it is expressed in many ways:  thoughts, words, actions, emotions, and feelings.  So let me make it easy for you in the way God recently has made it easy for me.  One of the prime aspects of God's love towards us is His fervent desire to be with us in fellowship and communion.  Another aspect is how things we love will fill our minds.  In fact, David wrote in Psalm 139:17-18 concerning God's thoughts toward people, "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! ¹⁸ If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You."

Let's take into account just these two criteria:  1) we want to be with what or who we love, and 2) we think about what or who we love.  As you go through your days, what or who do you want to be with?  What or who fills your thoughts?  Whether you have amorous feelings towards the things that occupy your time or your mind, it does not matter.  Simply put, you love them.  As long as we love things that are not God, it will rob us of affection, thoughts, and love we should have towards God.  God's love is unlimited, but we humans have limits.  Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit we bear when we are walking according to God's will.  If our hearts and minds are set on things of this world - even on things, ideas, or relationships that in their right place can be very good - we are not walking in God's will, and therefore cannot love as we should.

God wants you to freely give up these other loves so you might love Him more perfectly.  He is worthy of that sacrifice.  Let's say for example your thoughts have been occupied on a television program.  You would not admit to "loving" that program, but you must admit you like it.  Truth be told, it does take up a fair amount of your thoughts during the day.  You might be careful to watch the program every time it airs, and if you cannot watch it live you record it to watch later.  It is disappointing to miss it.  Perhaps this is a shocking revelation you cannot accept:  you actually love that program.  If you think otherwise, the Holy Spirit can reveal even this to you.  Loving things of this world is as easy as breathing, and we do it without even recognising it.  If our love of which God is worthy has been let loose like streams of waters in the streets, we must return to the spring of Living Water.  All other loves must be culled so our love of God can be again cultivated.

So feeling guilty, you decide you should stop following the program, and are a bit bitter over it.  When we have walked with Jesus for any period of time, we have all done this sort of thing - and admittedly, felt pretty awful at times.  We felt like we are having to give up the one part of our life that made us very happy.  And that is why we might waffle back and forth on the issue for years.  But hear me:  anything we lay aside for the purpose of drawing nearer to God and loving Him more, we will have only gain.  We won't have lost anything!  If God replaces that thing we loved, our love and appreciation of Him will grow exponentially.  Oh, the things He wants to tell you!  What time of sweetness He wants to spend with you!  God is greater than all found in this world!  He is the One that thing or activity has become a cheap substitute for that is working to destroy the love we have left over for Him!  Christianity is not a life of restrictions but one of abundance and freedom.  As long as you hold onto other loves, you cannot know God's love as you should, and therefore cannot express His love to others either.

Let us heed God's command to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.  We are no longer our own, but redeemed children of our Heavenly Father who loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son.  Through the Holy Spirit God has shed abroad His love in our hearts.  Romans 5:1-8 tells us this revelation of Divine Love and His benefits towards those who are born again:  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ⁶ For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Do you have any other love in your life that has done so much for you?  I think not.

The Presence

A sign by the Temple Mount in Jerusalem reads, "The Sages said about it, "The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall."  In the Old City it seems there is a constant flow of Orthodox Jews heading to and from the Western Wall to pray.  Like in the days when the temple Solomon built stood on Mount Moriah as the focal point of God's presence, today many look at the Western Wall as the place to draw near to God.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil separating the holy place from the "Holy of Holies" was rent from top to bottom.  This revealed the Ark of the Covenant which had previously been concealed from the view of everyone but the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.  In the days of the tabernacle when the ark was moved it was always wrapped in skins, hidden from the sight of the people.  Jesus ushered in a New Covenant in His own blood, once for all atoning for the sins of all who will repent and trust in Him.  The need for sacrificing animals and burnt offerings has been once for all completed by the sacrifice of Jesus.  The Ark no longer needed to be sprinkled with blood annually in the Holy of Holies, for the sacrifice of Jesus was complete once and for all.  Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit not made with hands, and the Divine Presence lives within us.  We need not go to a particular geographic location to gain access into God's presence, for we have been invited in God's throne room of grace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

That being said, there is an admirable quality in the Orthodox Jews' efforts to draw near to God.  They rise early and stay up late praying at the Western Wall.  They read the scriptures and their prayer books.  They lay tefillin (some say phylacteries), don prayer shawls, and make personal sacrifices at great expense to seek the presence of God.  God is worthy of such sacrifice, that our lives would be spent in the pursuit of God.  Unlike the Sages, the Bible does not suggest we go to a particular geographic location to be heard by God, but to humble ourselves before Him right where we are as we are.  If we humble ourselves before Him and seek Him with our whole hearts we will find Him according to His sure promise (Deut. 4:29).  This promise was given long before there was a temple or a Western Wall.

I believe we live in a day where Bible knowledge abounds among Christians but few invest time seeking the presence of God.  The church is packed with activities and objects which have become cheap substitutes for God's presence.  We know prayer is important so we have prayer meetings.  "Worship" for some has been reduced to a performance with skilled musicians and flashing lights.  Some church buildings are historical and ornate, pointing to the great traditions of saints long held in high esteem.  Churches burn incense, light candles, kneel, and recite from the scriptures.  Lights are dimmed, sermons are preached, elders lay hands, and gifts of the Spirit are exercised.  We have training, classes, courses, programs, meetings, ministries for young and old concerning diverse interests.  And I could go on.  But the fact still remains:  unless we are seeking and experiencing God's Divine Presence ourselves, it is all meaningless.  All the external service we perform, all the helps we employ are pointless unless the point of them is to draw near to God.  That may very well be the point of them.  But all too often our focus is on externals when what we really need is God Himself.

At times in my life I have been like the cripple at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5), praying for help from others when it was Jesus I needed.  Day after day, year after year the man languished there lamenting his lack.  When Jesus came to him and asked if he wanted to be well, he did not answer the question.  He said, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool."  It is easy for us to lament over the condition of our churches or even the "church in general" - as if we know anything about it!  We can fall into the trap of lamenting over the lack of labourers, the lack of servants, lack of young people, lack of growth, or the lack of a charismatic leader!  We wring our hands over our lack when Jesus stands before us and asks quietly, "Do you want to be made whole?"  If God makes us whole, do we lack any good thing?  Jesus is who we need.  We don't need more people or programs.  We don't need a better graphics department or a state-of-the-art sound system.  We don't need more meetings or training.  Tools and helps are fine, but what we need most of all is for every person in the church to seek the presence of God as gold, to thirst for Him as a deer pants for water in the dry and thirsty land.  We must lay aside other affections and make entrance into God's presence our single aim.  Our meetings and gatherings ought to be an outflow of this continual practice in our lives of cultivating the presence of God individually.  If you think going to a building where other professing Christians go will bring your closer to God, you are no different than someone hustling to the Western Wall - convinced "God hears better from there."  My God has no such limits.

Why do you read the Bible?  Why do you pray?  Why do you sing songs, raise your hands, or serve in your church?  Unless you seek God's Divine Presence in your church services and activities, you will end up empty instead of full, weary instead of refreshed.  Why should we spend our money on what is not bread?  Why should we waste our efforts on maintaining church attendance when it is presence of God we desperately need?  The change in your Church can start with you.  You need not tell a soul.  But if you spend your days drawing near to God in humility, seeking His presence above all other things, you will be transformed and God will breathe new life into your walk.  Then you will be a giver and not just a frustrated user.  Isn't Jesus who we really need anyway?

Streams Of Living Water

As I reflect upon my recent travels to Israel, perhaps this picture I took in En Gedi best illustrates the spiritual effect of the trip in my life.  Though arid and dry, Israel is a land of rich soil and fruitfulness.  Barren, rocky places like En Gedi have natural springs flowing through them even in the summer months.  What a glorious truth, that though this world is dry and thirsty Jesus provides Living Water so our thirst can be quenched forever.  In a world of darkness, the Light of the World shines bright.  There is life, light, and refreshment for all those who will seek the LORD with their whole hearts.

This morning I read 2 Chronicles 29, the passage where Hezekiah took steps to restore the proper worship of God in Jerusalem.  This restoration and cleansing was required many times during the years the temple stood in Jerusalem!  Hezekiah's father, King Ahaz, had forsaken God and followed after idols.  He defiled the holy place and robbed the temple of God to pursue the worship of false gods.  For Hezekiah, seeking the presence of God was his highest priority.  He did not labour to build an army, strengthen defenses, or improve diplomacy:  he led the priests and Levites in turning the heart of the nation back to God in obedience.  2 Chronicles 29:3 says, "In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them."

Opening and repairing the doors of the temple was an important starting point.  But it was not enough.  There was much rubbish in the temple that had to be removed so the inner courts and rooms could be cleansed and used..  King Hezekiah said in 2 Chronicles 29:11:  "My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense."  For a long time the priests and Levites had been negligent.  Hezekiah reminded them that God had chosen them for a specific purpose and gave them specific duties.  They were to stand before God, serve God, minister to God, and burn incense before Him according to the Law.  In Exodus 30, God commanded the high priest to burn incense on the altar of incense daily, morning and night, when he tended to the lamps which were to burn continually.  The cleansing had to take place before proper worship could commence.  This was soon done, and Hezekiah and the people rejoiced "...that God had prepared the people:  for the thing was done suddenly" (2 Chron. 29:10).  It can be the same for you and me!

Christians have been made "kings and priests" unto our God (Rev. 1:6), having been chosen and called according to His purposes.  It is easy to be busy but be negligent about specific areas of our calling.  Like in the days of Elijah, God's people can halt between various loyalties (1 Kings 18).  Because the people were undecided in their worship of God, the altar of God was in disrepair.  Elijah repaired the altar that was broken down, and built again the altar with 12 stones according to God's word.  He laid the wood in order, and placed the required sacrifice on top.  But Elijah didn't pray right away.  In addition to the design of the altar and the preparation of the sacrifice, there was a time outlined in the Law.  Perhaps the people wondered what Elijah was waiting for.  Elijah followed the order laid out in God's Word, and walked in obedience to Him.  1 Kings 18:36-38 says, "And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. ³⁷ Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." ³⁸ Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."

Do you want to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire?  It comes back to personal holiness and obedience according to God's Word.  There are times when we can neglect the pursuit of the presence of God, times when our temple is polluted inside, and even times when the altar of God has been broken down.  When we will meet God's conditions and repent, confessing our sins and divided loyalties, laying aside everything at the command of our Saviour, God will hear and answer our prayer.  Hosea 10:12 says well what time it is:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  Let us seek the presence of the LORD like gold, and value His Word as silver.  May Psalm 63:1-2 be the prayer of our hearts:  "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. ² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory."  Are you thirsty?  Come to Christ and drink deeply.  Are you hungry?  Feed upon the Bread of Life.  It is time to seek the LORD.  Forget a fresh coat of paint or oiled hinges - we need renewed hearts and minds!

Our Best Days

As I left a meeting and stepped into the carpark this morning, the lyrics from Bryan Adam's "Summer of '69" went through my head.  It was a bit bizarre, as it has been at least a decade since I heard the song!  Looking back on his life Bryan sings, "Oh, when I look back now, that summer seemed to last forever.  And if I had the choice, yeah, I'd always wanna be there.  Those were the best days of my life."  If we go through life looking on how things were with regret, wishing we could "go back in time" like Uncle Rico in the movie Napoleon Dynamite, we may end up living alone in a van somewhere.  We cannot go back in time, even if we use the internet to buy a machine - complete with crystals.  When we try to live in the past, we'll never embrace the future.

That's one aspect of walking with Jesus Christ I love:  He provides the opportunity for new beginnings.  We don't need to long to return to a past awakening, revival, or move of God when we can embrace revival today because Jesus is alive!  We don't need to cling to old memories of how God worked in and through our lives when God has seen fit to give us today by His grace!  Longing for the past will hinder us from embracing our future God has prepared for us.  After Jesus ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Christ's followers, they did not pine away wishing they could return to the day when Jesus walked among them.  The disciples were then equipped, helped, and empowered to bring the Gospel to the world and continue Christ's work.  They had fellowship with their Messiah Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit.

The religious leaders responsible for the murder of Christ were not impressed by a notable miracle performed and some of the disciples were arrested.  After being strictly warned not to preach in the name of Jesus, the disciples prayed in Acts 4:26-31:  "The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' ²⁷ "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. ²⁹ Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰ by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

The disciples did not wish they could return to their "Summer of '69" when Jesus walked amongst them.  They also were not content with thousands of souls saved and the healing of the lame man at the entrance of the temple.  They wanted to go on with God, asking for boldness to preach God's Word, that through God's power they would heal, and that signs and wonders would be done through Jesus Christ.  They did not look back, but reached forth to whatever God laid before them.  They were filled with the Spirit according to their request, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.  God had anointed them with the purpose to accomplish His will for His glory.

Do you look on your past with longing or satisfaction leading to apathy?  God has great works for us to do today through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Let us draw close to God with full assurance of faith, for it is He Who works in us both to will and do for His good pleasure.  When we walk in obedience to Christ, our best days are always ahead!

The Power of the Tongue

God's Word is amazing how it provides keys to unlock deeper understanding of God and His ways.  The more you read of the Bible, the more you realise it is one book written by a single Author:  God!  There were many men used by God to pen the scriptures, but clearly He inspired all of them.  An example I have been pondering recently is found in the book of Proverbs which relates to what Jesus says in Matthew.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  I don't know about you, but "good" fruit and "bad" fruit has always had a level of subjectivity attached to it for me.  A clear connection made in this passage by Jesus is the inside of a person is what matters.  Someone might appear to be a sheep who in reality has the nature and appetite of a wolf.  Just like we know what kind of tree by what sort of fruit it bears, there will be outward evidence provided.  Yet we know that it is possible to be like the Pharisees, have an clean exterior of good works, but still remain dead in sins.  So what sort of fruit is this passage talking about?  Passages in Proverbs tell us one of the primary ways is through the fruit of our lips:  our words!

On Friday nights, we have been studying through the book of Proverbs and the fruit of the lips has been a recurring theme of late. Proverbs 13:2 says, "A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence."  Proverbs 18:20-21 also states, "A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. ²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  God has given everyone the choice of what we will put into our mouths as food, and He has also given us the ability to choose what we will say and believe.  Jesus says the words we say are an indicator of what we believe, of what is in our hearts.

After Jesus was accused of being demon possessed by religious leaders, He spoke in Matthew 12:33-37:  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Jesus makes a clear connection between the words the religious leaders said and what was is their hearts.  The words of the religious leaders revealed their unbelief.  Their mouths condemned them.  Jesus came to earth in fulfillment of scripture, only doing and saying the will of the Father, and yet they spoke against Him out of envy.  No matter how much "good" these naysayers did, they were condemned by the words of their mouths because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  This connects with Romans 10:9-10 as well when it says, "...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."

As I read these verses, it was a "light bulb" moment that dovetails perfectly when Jesus speaks of final judgment.  There will be many numbered among the goats who do miracles in Christ's name but do not know Him, and He does not know them.  Matthew 7:22-23 says, "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' ²³ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"  This was always hard for me to reconcile.  How could it be that someone could do something good like casting out a demon, credit Christ for it, and still be rejected by God?  Jesus says, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  No amount of good works can save a man when his heart is unregenerate or apostate.  Death and life truly are in the power of the tongue, for the fruit of our lips reveal what is concealed in our hearts.

"By their fruits you will know them."  It is important we all examine ourselves, for we will all stand before Christ.  Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in my life as He empowers me in faith?  Are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control descriptive of how I respond to trials and difficulties?  What sort of words come of out my mouth?  Are they words that glorify Christ and magnify the Word of God, or am I full of pride, cursing, and bitterness?  Do my actions follow the example of Christ?  Lately the LORD has been impressing upon me the importance of my words and to carefully weigh the words pastors and teachers use.  I also need to examine the words I use.  We should not approach doctrines or teachings subjectively, for God has given us His Word as a guide, a Spirit-level of truth.  Our ears should test words, even as our mouths prove the quality of food.  We can objectively know good fruit from bad fruit through discernment given through the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God.

As I write this, I am so grateful for grace.  Is there any among us who has always said what is right?  Certainly not, for in our flesh no good thing dwells.  Let us not be harsh in judgment of others, yet we must be discerning.  It is not wise to buy food laced with poison, nor is it good to receive a mix of truth and error.  I want to remain steadfast standing on the foundation of Christ, and be faithful to His Word.  Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."  Jesus alone has the words of life, and those who love life feed on them!

Asking With Assurance

Jehoshaphat was a king who trusted in God.  He was a man who "questioned" God, but not the doubtful way God's existence is "questioned" today.  Jehoshaphat asked questions of God, knowing God heard his prayers and would honour His promises.  It is not a lack of faith that moved Jehoshaphat to ask questions of God:  it was faith that compelled him to seek God in his time of need.

When the Moabites and Ammonites came against Judah and Jerusalem with a massive army, Jehoshaphat's response was to seek refuge in his God.  In response to the invaders 2 Chronicles 20:3-12 says, "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. ⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, ⁶ and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? ⁷ Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ⁸ And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, ⁹ 'If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.' ¹⁰ And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them-- ¹¹ here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. ¹² O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

Jehoshaphat did not tell God anything He did not already know - but his words proved he knew God.  He knew who God was, what He had promised, and He was willing and able to fulfill His Word.  All of Jehoshaphat's questions were answered in the affirmative!  2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."  Jehoshaphat admitted he was overwhelmed and did not know what to do.  He did one thing:  he looked to God for salvation.

It is good when we are brought to such a place.  It was a looming war and potential defeat that moved Jehoshaphat to seek an audience with the Most High.  What does it take to turn your eyes to God for deliverance and help?  God heard and answered Jehoshaphat's prayer, and Judah was delivered from the hands of their enemies.  Men and women of faith ask questions God is pleased to answer with a resounding "Yes!"  We must first lay aside our plans and back-up plans and come to God for help, looking to Him alone.  James 1:5-8 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."  We have assurance through God's Word He will give liberally and without reproach to all who ask in faith, and Jehoshaphat is a great example.  When we don't know what to do, God does - and He will do it!

Micaiah the Son of Imlah

One of the men in the Bible I truly admire is found in 2 Chronicles 18:  Micaiah the son of Imlah.  He was a faithful prophet to God when he faced a lot of pressure to fall in line with Ahab's 400 prophets.  The wicked king Ahab couldn't stand the man!  When Jehoshaphat asked if they could inquire of the LORD before going to battle in Ramoth-Gilead, Ahab quickly produced his 400 prophets.  Their consensus?  "Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand."  We are not told how, but Jehoshaphat discerned these 400 prophets were not speaking for God.  So he politely asked Ahab, "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?"

Ahab was blunt.  2 Chronicles 18:7 tells us, "So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!"  Even in those dark days, there was still one man by whom they could inquire of the LORD!  The Bible tells us among all the kings of Israel there was none more stirred up to wickedness than Ahab (1 Kings 21:25).  Jesus says in Luke 6:26, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  It stands to reason a true prophet of God would not have encouragement or messages of peace for wicked Ahab.  God does not lure us into a false sense of security.  In love He warns us when we stray from the path, longsuffering though He be.

Whilst Micaiah was being brought before the king, he was strictly told to fall in line.  Everyone else had positive things to say:  couldn't he just for once agree with all the other prophets?  Micaiah did as he was told, only to be rebuffed by Ahab!  2 Chronicles 18:15 says, "So the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"  Then Micaiah held forth the truth:  Israel would be scattered without a shepherd, and Ahab's 400 prophets had been influenced by a lying spirit for the purpose of persuading Ahab to go to battle so he might be destroyed.  For his words Micaiah was punched in the face by a false prophet, arrested, and sent to prison until Ahab's return - which never happened!

The verses in the passage which resonated with me when I read it this morning are 2 Chronicles 18:25-27:  "Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son; ²⁶ and say, 'Thus says the king: "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace." ²⁷ Then Micaiah said, "If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Take heed, all you people!"  Ahab would perish on the field of battle by the time the sun went down, and not another word is said of Micaiah the son of Imlah.  The scripture does not tell us if he remained in prison until the day of his death or was later released.  He was the only man among the prophets who spoke the truth and was hated for his trouble.  He was sent to prison for doing good.  He was commanded to be fed with the bread and water of affliction.  Yet even in that dungeon Micaiah had something Ahab did not:  comfort and peace with God.

God is looking for people such as Micaiah today, men and women willing to stand up for what is right in the face of opposition.  Jesus told His followers we will certainly face persecution and tribulation because of the spiritual battle we are engaged in.  Take heart believer!  Even if we are thrown in prison we can feed upon the Bread of Life, the One who was afflicted for our sakes.  We need never thirst, for God has provided Living Water which springs from us through the Holy Spirit.  The words of one man stand true from before the foundations of the earth were laid, and His Word will endure forever!  How great is our God, and how blessed are His people no matter what befalls us.  Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah hid himself in an inner chamber after he was exposed as a fraud.  Speaking for myself, I would rather be imprisoned for the truth than go into hiding to escape the consequences of lies and deceit.  I'm thinking Micaiah would agree.

Is God Bigger Than A Book?

The title of this post is loaded and cocked like a high-powered rifle.  Answering "no" runs the risk of limiting God, and affirming it creates the potential of wrongly attributing deeds to God.  God is Almighty and has primarily revealed His character, righteousness, and Gospel through the Word of God.  The times I have heard this statement used, the Bible is the book being referenced.  The Bible is not just "a" book, but His book.  I believe the Bible is exactly what it claims to be:  all scripture is of His divine inspiration, His God-breathed Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  So before we can even fairly tackle the question, we must consider the context of making such a statement.  If we do not first understand the premise, we can arrive at the wrong conclusion.

When someone says "God is bigger than a book," it is the premise of the statement that concerns me more than the statement itself.  Atheists or unbelievers are not the ones saying this, but often it is professing Christians.  What is the motive to say such a thing?  Scripture itself reveals that God is greater than all, so it seems obvious that God must be "bigger" than a book.  But what is the word "bigger" intended to convey when speaking about God?  Has He not placed His word above His name (Ps. 138:2)? What synonym better conveys the true agenda?  By referring to the Bible as "a" book, the statement itself denigrates the sufficiency of the Word and shrinks down the scope and power of the Bible, equating it to just any old book.  This is very problematic, especially today with a growing culture in the church that is moving away from literal trust and adherence to scripture.

John says Jesus did many things which were not written in the Gospel he penned, and what was written was to the end we might believe.  He closed the Gospel of John with these words in John 21:25:  "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen."  If all the deeds Jesus did could not be contained in the world itself, then it seems clear that the scope of what Jesus did is not entirely contained in scripture.  This by itself seems to lend a positive answer to the original question.  But the case isn't closed.  Jesus said there would be many who would come in His name but be deceivers.  They would claim to do the works of God but have no part in Him.  Paul describes the works of Satan in 2 Thess. 2:9 "...with all power and signs and lying wonders."  For this reason we are not to believe every spirit but to test them, for many false prophets have gone into the world (1 John 4:1).

The Holy Spirit gives us discernment through the scriptures to know truth from error.  Because that is one purpose for the scriptures being given it is not "limiting God" to look to the scriptures to find precedent.  Did Jesus do miracles of all kinds?  Yes!  Can Christians do miracles of all kinds today in His name, even healing diseases and afflictions not specifically mentioned in the Bible?  Yes!  The baptism with the Holy Spirit is for today, and I personally have received this baptism from Christ.  Our experiences and feelings will be different from each other because we are all different people.  The Acts of the Apostles reveal the Spirit of God manifested Himself as tongues of fire on the heads of the believers gathered in one accord in the upper room as they prayed:  is it possible the Spirit of God could manifest His presence in the same or different way today?  Sure.  But we must approach such "signs" or events cautiously, our feet firmly founded on the Word of God.  We are not ever told to seek after signs or miracles in scripture, but after Christ.  When the unbelieving Jews asked for a sign Jesus said it was "a wicked and adulterous generation" that sought after a sign when there He stood in their midst (Matt. 16:4).

God does miracles today.  Because of this scripture reveals Satan performs lying wonders as an angel of light with the intent to deceive and destroy.  If miracles or spiritual gifts were not in operation today by the power of the Holy Spirit, every supernatural act by Satan would expose his treachery!  His greatest asset is his subtlety.  His strongest approach is to question the validity of God's Word.  Wolves can pose as sheep and infiltrate the flock of God.  Therefore we must remain vigilant to hold fast to God's Word.  Jesus said His followers would do greater works (in scope) than Him through the Holy Spirit (John 14:12), but God has established boundaries He will not cross.  He cannot lie (Titus 1:2) or contradict Himself, almost like fresh and salty water flowing from the same spring.  The Holy Spirit will always glorify Christ (John 16:14), and Christ always honours the Father (John 8:49).  God's character is the same yesterday, today, and forever because He does not change (Ps. 102:25-27).  In all these aspects God cannot and will not overstep the bounds set clearly by His Word.  In this sense God always operates within the revealed truth of scripture.  There is a consistency in God's Word that can be counted on.  We must be cautious not to fall for Satan's sleight of hand, dazzled and duped.  Men are liars and easily led astray, but God is true and trustworthy.  That being said, God will not be confined by our limited view of Him.  Our unbelief restricts His resurrection power from being displayed.  We should have an expectancy of God to move in power and not to try and dictate how or when He will do wonders.  Truly, the greatest wonder to me is the salvation of a soul and the testimony of a transformed life through the Holy Spirit.  Physical healing is temporary, but the salvation of souls is eternal.

Understanding the premise of this statement is the key to the conclusion.  I am no one to judge another man's servant, because we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  Allow me to conclude with Psalm 19:7-14:  "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; ⁸ the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; ⁹ the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. ¹² Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. ¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. ¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."

Taught to Know War

During family devotions a few nights ago we read a passage which has remained in my mind and on my heart.  Judges 3:1-4 reads, "Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan ² (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), ³ namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses."

The children of Israel were not obedient to drive out the nations in the land of promise.  Therefore God told them He would no longer drive them out, and it was not out of spite or frustration.  God had righteous motives in allowing the enemy nations to remain, and these verses reveal some of God's redemptive purposes.  Verses one and four say God left the nations to "test Israel by them," so it would be evident if His people obeyed His commands or not.  If you read on for a few more verses, you will see they did not.

The part of this passage which has me thinking is verse two.  After the initial war to secure the land, a generation in Israel arose who did not know war.  Another purpose of God for allowing opposing forces in Canaan was "only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war..."  I don't know about you, but I would be glad for my children to never know war as many have known it.  My grandfather, Bernard Francis Grisez, was a Pearl Harbour survivor.  He was a great man.  Despite the struggles of service, I know his experiences had a formative quality in his personality and character for good.  God is wiser than men, and He knows how to make them.

God desired the new generation be taught to know war, to learn to trust God to fight their battles.  He didn't want the children of Israel to be soft, complacent, and be ignorant of enemy threats.  He wanted to develop men into warriors who could teach others to trust God and fight.  He didn't want His people touting their strength at fitness boot camp when they hadn't even been through military basic training!  What good are toned abs if you can't handle a sword, spear, or bow?  There is a big difference between basic training and live combat.  There is something about risking your life that is an impetus to growing faith in God.  Every day God provides tests to prove us to see if we will obey Him or not.

How true this is for us!  The scriptures tell us we are in a spiritual battle for the souls of men and the glory of God.  Remember the words of 2 Timothy 2:1-4:  "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ⁴ No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."  We are called to be strong in the grace of Christ, lead others to Him faithfully, teach them to observe His commands, and endure hardship as a good soldier.  God is our Commander, and we are His subjects.  He allows opposition and battles within and outside so we too might learn how to battle, fight on in faith despite hardship, and learn how to walk victoriously.  We can endure to the end, even as Jesus did.  He endured the cross, knowing the glory and victory of the resurrection was only possible through the cross.  Let us follow His example and fight on for the joy set before us!

Leave Your Waterpot

John 4 tells of a woman in the city of Samaria who went to a well to draw water.  To her amazement, she met a Jewish man at the well who not only acknowledged her presence, but asked for a drink!  This was quite out of the ordinary.  To put her perspective in her own words, "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans."  She realised quickly that Jesus was no ordinary man.  He was not even an ordinary prophet.  He said in John 4:13-14, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  As Jesus told her of Living Water only He could provide through the Holy Spirit and eternal life, her heart leaped with the incredible possibility:  was this the promised Messiah?

She went to the well with a plan to draw water, but in her excitement over meeting and speaking with Jesus her plans changed.  John 4:28-29 says, "The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ²⁹ "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"  The woman went for some water, but received living water through faith in Jesus.  Her plans immediately changed.  This is significant, that she left her waterpot behind!

I have no idea how many times, dear Christian, I have lugged that heavy, sloshing waterpot of my own plans along when God had a greater and higher purpose for me.  I went to the petrol station to purchase fuel for my car and I left with a full tank - but didn't take the time to start a conversation with the intent to introduce someone to Jesus.  It was me who remained empty when I could have been filled with the Spirit.  I stayed up late watching a program on TV to the end, but fell asleep mid-sentence whilst in prayer.  I was occupied, but not satisfied.  We make many plans for ourselves, but do we allow God to interrupt them with something beautiful and awe inspiring through the leading of the Spirit?  We need to learn to leave our waterpots when God has given us something far more satisfying through His service.  Jesus had food to eat His disciples did not know, and Jesus provides life, strength, and purpose the world cannot know!

Answering the Call God's Way

Today is my first day back in OZ after a relaxing holiday in New Zealand.  It was a wonderful blessing and I was thankful for the opportunity to see the sights and spend time with family.  Life had become very busy and so many things were vying for attention, like pesky flies swarming persistently at your face.  In addition to seeing beautiful countryside and enjoying family time it was a good opportunity to step back and evaluate the way I spend time.  With God's help, I shall jump back into the fray circumspectly and seeking His leading in my life.

A fitting passage was one our family read last night.  It is one thing to know you are called by God and even what you are supposed to do.  But it matters little to have knowledge of what you are to do should you neglect to seek God in how to do it.  Judges 1:1-3 is a great illustration of this, something more common than we might think.  The children of Israel did not always inquire of the LORD before doing what was right in their own eyes.  To their credit, in this opening passage of Judges they did seek God.  Though they started well, they veered from God's course.  Judges 1:1-3 reads, "Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?" ² And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand." ³ So Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him."

God called the men of Judah to go up and fight against the Canaanites.  Although God had promised to deliver the Canaanites into the hand of the tribe of Judah, for some reason they decided to ask the tribe of Simeon to help out with a promise of reciprocation:  you help us, and we will help you!  The tribe of Judah heard the call, but decided reinforcements were a good idea.  The lure of convenience and strength in numbers was too strong a temptation for Judah rather than trusting God to fight their battles.  Simeon's country was surrounded by territory given by God to the tribe of Judah.  Thus Simeon was lured into fighting a battle that was not theirs, and Judah did not obtain the deliverance promised by God because they decided to take matters into their own hands and do things their own way.

Understand that God remained faithful to the children of Judah and helped them to defeat their enemies.  Even though Simeon lent assistance they prevailed over their enemies - but not completely.  Some of the land they did secure were later strongholds for Philistines and other enemies of Israel.  Judges 1:17-19 says, "And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah. ¹⁸ Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. ¹⁹ So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron."  God's hand was not shortened that it could not save.  He overthrew the Egyptians and their chariots in the midst of the Red Sea, yet Judah was not able to drive out the inhabitants of the lowland.  Were those iron chariots stronger than God?  No.  But Judah did not wholly trust God, substituting the combined strength of Simeon for deliverance only from God.

What a good reminder this was, to not only answer God's call but to do so with God's guidance every step along the way.  Nothing about the call of Christ is convenient.  It is all faith, obedience, and sacrifice.  We need God to perform miracle after miracle to deliver us and establish us in Him.  The lame man at the pool at Bethesda was looking for the moving of the water, lamenting the lack of a man to help him quickly dip into the water when Jesus - the One who gives Living Water - spoke with Him face to face.  Can we be so blind?  Batting away the flies distracts us and is exhausting, yet God is able to drop them in an instant.  Only in Him will we find rest.  Let us respond to God's call God's way.  It is He who will triumph over all enemies!