When the Wait is Long

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."

 Proverbs 13:12

Waiting is a facet of life few people enjoy.  The western culture of today is under-girded with the idea that quicker is better.  We don't feel like waiting and we don't believe we should have to.  Yet in the Christian life we find that God is not in a hurry.  I would like to take short-cuts concerning my sanctification, but God is pleased with what appears to us to be the long, often very long way.  Waiting provides opportunity to trust.  How many times in scripture do we see God reveal something divinely to His people and then wait years to bring it to fulfillment?

Moses believed while he lived in Pharaoh's house that God would use him to deliver the Israelites from slavery.  It was not until he fled Egypt and tended his father-in-law's flocks for 40 years that God gave him directives from the burning bush.  Even after he obeyed God and went to Egypt it seemed everyone was against him:  Pharaoh would not let the people go, the Israelites were angry that their labours were increased, and it seemed at times like it would never happen!  But God was faithful to His promise.  Moses had to learn to wait.  God told Noah that He would cause rain to fall from heaven and flood the earth.  It was 120 years later when the raindrops turned to a torrent when the heavens opened and the depths were broken up for 40 days and nights.  One of the longest waits fulfilled according to scripture was for the promised Messiah.  Throughout the Old Testament, God said He would send an anointed One to save His people from their sins.  That prophecy was fulfilled thousands of years later when the Father sent Jesus Christ born of a virgin and the Holy Spirit to be the Saviour of the world.

How God rejoices to use the crucible of waiting to refine us!  He puts a desire in our hearts, over time we learn to embrace this desire as His plan for us, only for Him to draw it out seemingly for an eternity.  We become heartsick as our hopes remain unrealised.  We wonder when God's Word will be fulfilled and toy with how He might fulfill it.  Satan delights to shoot arrows of doubt and unbelief at us.  God is good to make us wait.  Sometimes the desire God puts in our hearts can even overshadow our view of Him because of our feeble, shortsighted flesh.  I find that when I am burdened with disappointment or impatience it is because I have allowed my gaze to wander from Christ and onto the unfulfilled promise.  It is only when my eyes, heart, and renewed mind are fixed upon Jesus that I see the promise is still valid and unshakable.  Even after this realisation the waiting goes on and on.  God has many more lessons for those who are patient to heed them.

When I allow my hope in anything other than God to rise up, the fall is inevitable.  This world will let us down.  People will fail us, but God never fails.  Jesus is like the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.  Even as those who ate from it would live forever, those who partake of Christ through repentance and faith will never die.  Our bodies will someday perish, along with fleshly hopes and pursuits, but our relationship with God will last forever.  If we look for life in anything other than Christ, it will become old, dull, and empty.  Only in Christ do we find life refreshed day by day.  Show me a man who is perfect in patience and I will show you one who has learned to wait upon the LORD.  There's nothing wrong with a long wait.  It makes the fulfillment that much sweeter and precious.

A Done Deal?

Have you ever watched the show "Deal or No Deal?"  At the beginning of the show, a contestant picks a case without knowing the contents.  Hidden within the case is an undisclosed amount of money.  To play the game, other cases must one by one be opened.  The "bank" will make offers to buy the case the person has chosen.  If revealed cases contain large amounts of money, the offer will be very small.  Conversely, if the large amounts remain the offers from the bank become more and more lucrative.  The whole game hinges on the fact the contestant does not know the amount contained within his case.  If he knew that little bit of information it would completely dictate his every decision.  There would be no stress or hard decisions to make.  If you knew your case contained $200,000, you would never entertain an offer for less.  It would be relaxing to play the game because you know how it will end!

There is no shortage of people in this world whose lives resemble a game of "Deal or No Deal."  Even as the person playing the game does not know exactly what is in their case, most people live a life of uncertainty.  They are not sure what happens after life on earth.  They are not certain there is a God, heaven, hell, or absolute truth.  They do not even know if they have a soul!  It is sad when people are content to remain agnostic when God has provided absolute truth in the Bible.  People can be deceived to think, "Since I'm not sure about these thing I don't believe anyone could be sure."

Life is not a game because there is much more than money at stake.  What we believe and how we live in this life determines where we will spend eternity.  All men will either spend eternity in the joyous, glorious presence of God in heaven or in everlasting torment in hell.  What if I was to tell you that we can know what case we're holding?  There are even professing believers who are not entirely certain they are ready for death.  The Bible informs us we do not need remain in suspense concerning the certainty of our salvation, nor should we!  1 John 5:11-14 reads, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."  One of the reasons the scriptures were written was so we might know that we have eternal life, and that eternal life is only found through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Heaven cannot be earned but is a gift received by the grace of God.  On the flip side, we know that the wages of sin is death.  The soul that sins shall surely die (Ezekiel 18:20) and be separated from God for eternity.  Praise God that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD!

Are you worried that you might not be headed for heaven if you died tonight?  Why continue to live with uncertainty, fear, and worries when God has provided assurance through the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?  Lay the words of Jesus Christ to heart as He speaks in John 3:16-18:  "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. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Hasn't the LORD Been Good?

Do you ever sit back in awe of the things God has done in your life?  I remember going to a youth camp and pastor Chuck Smith led us all in a song that I learned over the course of the days we spent there:  "Hasn't the LORD been good to us?  Hasn't the LORD been good?  He's done all the things that He said He would.  Hasn't the LORD been good?  So love God, hate sin, reckon the old man dead.  Love God, hate sin, and by His Spirit be led."  I want to testify that God is good and has been so good towards me.  He has been true to His Word and has never left or forsaken me.  As I think back through the long road we have traveled together, I am absolutely amazed and struck with how awesome God is.

God has done things in my life that I never imagined.  Even ten years ago I would never have imagined God would have called me to be a pastor, took me out of my trade, brought me into the ministry, led me and my family to sell our home, and moved us to Australia for the purpose of pastoring a church.  All these steps in my life were unknown to me even as I moved towards them.  But God knew.  Along the way He opened my eyes to the fact that His hand was upon my life, guiding and leading me to undertake things I never thought possible.

I remember working in the back yard of my new house and praying.  God said clear as anything:  "You will preach, and you will be sent."  At the time I had no aspiration to be a pastor or preacher.  I honestly did not want to be a pastor, and I didn't want to go anywhere!  I was happy; I was comfortable.  I was active in a church leading a home fellowship and serving in various ministries.  It began with willingness, and God caused willingness to give birth to desire.  I finally embrace the idea that God had called me to be a pastor and to teach His Word.  But how would this happen?  When?  Then the waiting began.  Had God not divinely revealed His plan concerning the call to pastoral work, I would not have needed to wait on God.  It seems the more He reveals to us, the more we are called to wait in expectant anticipation of His answer.  Instead of fretting or worrying about the details, God equips us to place our situation in His hands, content and at rest.

Last night I read chapters of the Luke account which highlighted events of the life of Jesus Christ.  After Jesus was baptised by John to fulfill all righteousness, Luke 2:23 tells us that Christ was about 30 years old when He began His public ministry in Israel.  I remember well conversations Laura and I had about me quitting my trade of 10 years and entering into full-time ministry at our church.  We knew that if I were to quit my job and be supported by the church, my wages would be diminished to the point we might have to sell our home.  It was one thing to give up foreman status, benefits, and wages:  it was a more difficult choice to part with the house we had renovated.  But God brought us to a point we were able to give our home into His control.  We were willing to step through the door if and when our church invited us into the ministry.  The day finally came!  Though my wages were nearly halved, God enabled us to keep our house by supplying students who rented a room.  God was gracious and good to supply all our needs.

Consider the grace of God!  I put in a written notice and left the trade for the ministry.  I remember my last day at work, carting all my tools out of Nassco and handing in my identification badge.  It was a surreal moment.  But the most surreal moment of all occurred when I walked up to the church building for the start of my second career.  Would you believe that my first day of work at church, a Monday, just happened to be my 30th birthday?  When I read that passage last night about Jesus entering public ministry at the age of 30, it sent a thrill through my heart as I thought back.  God had plans for Jesus long before He entered the public eye, and He has plans for you and me.  We cannot see the big picture with our limited sight and little faith, but we can know God is working to accomplish the plans that concern each one of us.  God has not forgotten you.  He certainly remembers His promises and will be faithful to fulfill His Word.  1 Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Instead of lamenting what God has yet to do, consider the wonderful things God has already done.  It will lift the clouds of doubt as the Son shines through.  Hasn't the LORD been good to us?

Guest Author: Paul Zastoupil

I came across a great post from a friend of mine, Paul Zastoupil.  We've known each other since high school and I have been blessed by his friendship and faithful service unto the LORD.  I thought, why not post this to my blog so other people can read it too?  If you would like to read more of Paul's work, check out his blog!  Enjoy!

Who Is Qualified to Rule?

By Paul Zastoupil

It has been almost 7 years since my first post on politics.  My views have not changed much.  It is still generally the same shape, maybe a slightly different shade.  Time does that.  I have heard my father on more than one occasion lament that he had never voted for anyone, only against someone else.  There is always disappointment in his voice when he says it.

I have not written it in a post here before, but I believe that a requirement for someone to hold high office is that they do not want to do it.  If they want the office, it is an indication they are unqualified to rule.  Two of the United States’ greatest presidents were that way.  Both Washington and Lincoln did not want the office but rather accepted it as something they must do, knowing that it would be better for them personally to seek other activities.

Why is that important?  For any man to rule over another, rights must be surrendered from one to the other.  This is an exchange that should be entered into reluctantly.  A good man will not seek to rule another.  And the other ought not to seek to be under the yoke of a man.  It is a requirement for the functioning of society, but it should be seen as a necessary evil, a civic duty not to be celebrated.  A true leader should humbly and reluctantly accept his duty, just as those who are led should reluctantly follow.

It is not human nature to consider what is best for society, but only what is best for oneself.  There are many exceptions to that rule, but I still hold that it is a rule.  That means from time to time someone will arise that truly is a good leader.  However, there will never be a mob of self disinterested people pushing forward that good leader.  In fact, more and more often, the good leaders are marginalized because of those same factors.  There is not enough selfish interest to amass behind a good leader, there is nothing to please the masses.  Whenever we see people overly excited about a politician, we should be worried.  There are many historical analogies to draw from to illustrate this point, choose your favorite.

I think my father has it just right.  We should never vote for anyone, we should always except to vote for the lesser of evils and vote against the greater.  But where does that leave us?  If I follow this logic to its conclusion, I will always be on the losing side.  Who is going to be excited about someone who does not want the job?  It is the losing side, but it is merely temporary.

Ancient Athens had something close to a direct democracy.  They called it δημοκρατία – demokratia – democracy.  The franchised people, those who could vote, directly voted on issues relating to their government.  The Romans further developed the idea of a republic.  They used the ideas from Greek philosophers like Plato and his πολιτεία – politeia – republic (loosely).  People were elected to represent others in the government.

Neither of those words appear in the bible.  We do find another ancient Greek word when it comes to government, it is βασιλεία - Basileia – Kingdom, or βασιλεύς - Basileus – King.

"From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom (βασιλεία) of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 NKJV

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:  KING (βασιλεύς) OF KINGS (βασιλεύς) AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV.

There will be no question about Christ’s fitness to rule, nor will there be a vote taken.  Heaven is not a democracy, nor will we be forced to submit ourselves to the will of men.  But we must wait for the right time.

"Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king (βασιλεύς), He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." John 6:15 NKJV

It was not the right time then, it is not the right time now.  For now we suffer, something I have written a lot about. (See the Heart Know series, and Romans 8:18-25).

Gleaning Gold

I had the opportunity to go on Abel's class trip to Bathurst, the site of the first gold-rush in New South Wales, Australia.  We visited Hill End, the place where Holtermann's Nugget was found.  That huge slab of gold mixed with slate weighed about 235 kilograms!  It was a busy few days and a great blessing.  We also toured through the Jenolan caves.  It was a great introduction to some of the history and sights I have yet to see during my time in Australia.  To share that experience with my son and his classmates, teachers, and fellow volunteers was a wonderful privilege.

During the trip we had two opportunities to pan for gold, something I once did on a similar trip with Zed.  One of the times we panned each camper received a pan full of sand which had been "salted" with a small amount of gold.  The other opportunity was in a riverbed without any planted gold.  Needless to say, the gold salted in the pans was far easier to find than the miniscule dust showed us by master miners in the riverbed!  The kids found panning for gold very difficult.  Since they were not immediately rewarded by large obvious pieces of gold, many of the kids were immediately disinterested.  They enjoyed swinging the mattock or throwing things at each other while they were trampling over potential treasure.  I found three tiny specks of gold in five pans of sand - not too bad!  Gold was there to be found but it took a lot of labour to find it.

Miners are like fishermen, in that they will never on their lives divulge the best spots.  Why?  Because they reserve the best spots only for themselves!  Reading God's Word is like entering a mine rich with wisdom and knowledge.  Instead of hiding His truth from the humble, diligent seeker, God's response resembles that of Boaz with Ruth.  He looked upon Ruth with favour and love as she faithfully gleaned in his field.  He commanded his reapers to intentionally leave a good amount of grain on the ground so it would be easy for her to leave with plenty.  God does the same with those who treasure Him enough to study His Word.  He gladly leaves some nuggets even laying right on the surface just waiting to be picked up by those who prize and heed them.  Have you been faithful to glean the truth God has left for you to find?  Keep on looking and remember to thank Him for such treasure!  Where else can we find the Word of Life?

Golden Bowls Full

"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." 

Revelation 5:8

God's love is so remarkable!  He extends His love and grace to all people, despite our flaws and weaknesses.  When we were disloyal, untrustworthy, wretched, lost, hateful, and His enemies, God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus to die upon the cross and rise again.  We can see therefore that God's value for mankind is not dependent upon our performance or perceived "goodness."  He values us because He is good, gracious, kind, merciful, and loving.  God prizes men to such an extent that He chose to purchase us with the blood of His only Son.  When we repent and are born again through the Holy Spirit, He adopts us as sons.  Because God values us, He values our prayers as well.  Every child of God through faith is a saint in His view.

We see this fact displayed in this Revelation 5:8 passage.  The prayers of the saints are sweet-smelling incense held in golden bowls.  When I read this last week, I was struck with the idea of these golden bowls.  The only gold I own is a small, bottomless hole to put flesh and blood in - my wedding ring!  To own even one bowl made entirely of gold would speak of great wealth.  If I owned such a bowl, I assure you I would not leave it on the bench or coffee table!  I would not use it as a candy bowl or for something to throw my keys in.  Because the bowl was made of gold it would be very valuable indeed.  I would hire a safety deposit box to keep the bowl protected from theft or damage.  Many people buy insurance to protect their jewelery and a large bowl made of solid gold would be worth insuring.

To God, the bowls of gold described are of little value.  What God values is the contents of the gold bowls:  the prayers of the saints.  If we understood how much God values our prayers, how sweet and precious they are to Him as gifts given by His beloved children, how much more would we appreciate this gift of access God has given to us!  God has given us all we have and by His grace we are who we are.  Prayer is a gift man can freely give back to God.  Do you wonder what you can give the King of Kings?  After giving Him your heart, give Him the gift of your prayers.  That is a fitting gift for the Lover and Saviour of your soul!  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads, "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  God is not like King Ahasuerus of the Medes and Persians who one night had trouble sleeping (Esther 6:1).  To help him drift off to sleep, the king had the book of the chronicles read to him - reading so dry he would certainly be asleep before long!  Our God does not slumber or sleep.  He is not so inundated with prayers that He cannot respond, nor is He so busy He does not care.  Even now God delights to hear prayers raise from your heart to His.

Man values gold, but God values the prayers of His people far more.  May our prayers indeed be a sweet-smelling savour unto Him!  Let us rejoice to fill those golden bowls to the brim!

Calvary Chapel Melbourne Trip

Late last night I returned from a trip to Melbourne.  I was invited by pastor Andrew Russell to preach at Calvary Chapel Melbourne and had the opportunity to share at both morning and evening services.  It was a tremendous blessing to meet faithful followers of Jesus Christ and I enjoyed many profitable conversations.  Oh how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  There is brotherhood through fellowship in Jesus Christ that is sweeter and closer than mere blood relations.  Although we may be separated for seasons, we know we will one day dwell together in the presence of God forever!

As I prepared for the messages, I sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit to include some illustrations I have never used before or even considered.  I am thankful that those particular illustrations were among the most thought-provoking and profitable.  It is encouraging to know that when God leads us to say something it will be used for His purposes, whether we receive positive feedback or not.  Spirit-led preaching requires faith.  There is always the potential for offense.  Many were offended at the words of Christ:  how much more by a flawed man as myself?  Sometimes God leads me to say things which can make me feel uncomfortable.  I find when I must trust God to merely speak those are the portions God uses most mightily.

I suppose it would be wise to ask ourselves:  when is the last time God gave us a message to hold forth which required faith to deliver?  I'm sure we have all been guilty to a degree of ignoring or tweaking parts of a message that seemed distasteful, politically incorrect, or potentially offensive.  As messengers, we have no right or authority to alter the message.  Or perhaps we have delivered the message God has given us but without a heart of love and compassion.  In our preaching and speaking with people it is imperative we hear from God, deliver the message faithfully, and do so with His heart of love and grace.  Truth is critical, but love is the ultimate imperative.  Love is tough and willing to take blows.  A man can be technically "right," but without love a Christian is all wrong.

How grateful I am for the love, grace, and truth of God's Word.  It is awesome to meet people from all over the world who have been transformed by the power of God through the Gospel.  I have returned to Sydney rejoicing in the fellowship and love of brothers and sisters in Melbourne.  A day will come when we will always be in the presence of God together, never again to be apart!  Stay strong!

An Everlasting Feast

After preparing messages for the weekend, I was absolutely overcome by the goodness and grace of God.  The more I study the Word of God, the more I realise how living and powerful it is.  Like the widow's supply of oil and meal in 1 Kings 17, it is an inexhaustible source of life-saving goodness.  God's Word is so vivid and exciting.  Unlike novels which are quickly consumed and forgotten, the words of scripture have a mind-transforming, life-rejuvenating effect.  One would think that after 670 posts to this blog I would have little new to write about, but I feel like there is more fresh material available than ever.  That's a wonderful thing about God:  He makes all things new.  The Word itself is unalterable, but He gives us fresh manna and perspective through it.  Even the most well-traveled passages never lose their rich lustre.

The great irony is that when I consider what to post or how to preach from a text I feel I have nothing to offer.  I cannot tell you how many times I have read a passage and had absolutely no clue what it meant or how it could apply to my life or others.  Yet God is faithful.  I rejoice to have a first-hand view of coming to the scripture with empty hands and an open heart and walking away full and satisfied, almost with a dazed euphoria from the spiritual meal graciously provided by God.  When I approach scripture content with my current understanding I do not learn much.  It is when I confess my lack then God richly supplies my needs and allows me to share with others.

The role of a pastor is not to stand before the people and simply share information he has gathered over years of study, or to share his own opinions concerning the meaning.  Preaching is more far reaching than that:  it is a child of God in faith holding forth what God declares for His people today.  By His grace God uses the foolishness of preaching (and sometimes even the particular vessel He chooses to use!) to reveal His truth with power.  When I printed out my message notes for this weekend, I must attribute all the good to the grace of God.  I simply shake my head when I consider how empty I was and how richly God supplied me with His fullness.  People who only read posts or listen to sermons don't see the whole picture.  God uses even the process to accomplish His ends in and through His people.

Do not lean on your own understanding, nor rush to your notes or commentaries when it is the Holy Spirit who has been sent to teach you and lead you into all wisdom and understanding.  Helps have their place, but they are no substitute for the Helper.  Day by day gather up the fresh Manna as you commune with the Living Bread who has come down from heaven, died, and has been raised victorious and glorified.  Let us not be content with the scraps that fall from the plates of others when God has a seat for you at His table!

God Redeems Evil for Good

"Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. ²¹ Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

Genesis 50:19-21

Joseph is one of many awesome biblical examples of one who chose to place his faith in God.  No one could say he had it easy.  The preferential treatment he received from his father ostracised him from his ten older brothers.  Their envy gave birth to fierce hatred.  When Joseph went to check on his brothers at his father's command, they stripped him of his coat and sold him into a life of slavery.  After catching the eye of his master's wife, Joseph ran from her sexual advances.  He was then thrown into prison for attempted rape and assault!  Life for Joseph was rough.  But God was with him even in prison.  Two years later not only was he released, but promoted by Pharaoh to second in command of all Egypt.

Many books and movies today revel and glory in "sweet revenge."  "The Princess Bride," "Gladiator," "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Law Abiding Citizen" come to mind.  I have myself relished the moments when the good guy slowly plots his revenge on the one who has hurt him so deeply, robbing him of all he loved.  The lives of the protagonists are utterly consumed in trying to pay people back who have done them wrong.  Joseph had a perfect opportunity to do just that.  He had gone from being a favoured son to being slave and a prisoner.  Then the big day came when he was made a powerful prince with the authority of a king in his realm.  When his brothers came before him begging to buy bread, he could have made them to suffer.  Joseph had them completely under his control.  He could have made them squirm and beg for mercy.  The movies would have had Joseph gloating secretly as he plotted an intricate trap to painfully, slowly, kill each person who hurt him.  But that couldn't be further from the truth!

The brothers of Joseph were afraid that he would snap his fingers and make them pay for their great sins with their lives.  Under the guise of speaking for their late father they said, "Please forgive your brothers for the hurtful things they did to you."  Joseph said in so many words, "God forbid!  You did great evil to me but God meant it for good.  You hated me and sought to hurt me, but God used it to save countless people."  Verse 21 says, "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."  Instead of using his position and authority for revenge, Joseph used it to bless, comfort, and provide for his brothers and even their children!  This Christ-like love only comes from God.  It is not of this world.  What faith in God Joseph had, knowing that even in brutal circumstances God had plans to use them for good.

Many people cannot accept this word.  There are also some who refuse to receive God's love and grace.  It is only those who have placed their trust in God who can affirm the words of Romans 8:28 as unshakable truth:  "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."  Our God is a redeeming God.  Notice that there is a condition attached to all things working together for good:  it is for those who are God's.  Christians need not flippantly throw around the phrase "Everything happens for a reason" when we can say "I KNOW God makes all things work together for good" even in the midst of a trial.  We can see this proved true in both the life of Joseph and Jesus Christ among others.  Evil men falsely accused Jesus and sent Him to the death of the cross out of envy.  Being beaten, whipped, mocked, humiliated, and crucified was a very bad thing.  Yet what they meant for evil God meant for God.  Through the death of the perfect Lamb of God and His resurrection after three days God made a way for every sinner to be saved from death and given eternal life.

Jesus is our risen King.  He speaks kind words of comfort to us, even to those who have sinned against Him:  "Do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones."  It is His perfect love that casts out all fear.  What an example these men of faith provide for us!  Our so-called heroes and heroines in movies are often cast in the place of God, dishing out vengeance and judgment.  It should not be so for us.  Vengeance is the LORD's:  He will repay.  Let us thank our Saviour through freely forgiving even as we have been forgiven, offering comfort and kindness even in the face of evil.  What Satan means for evil God means for good.  We can comprehend this only through faith with our eyes focused upon our Redeemer!

Prayers God Answers

I went to a prayer meeting this morning at church and it was most profitable.  The more I pray, the more I realise that prayer might be one of the things I have often misunderstood about the Christian walk.  As I read prayers recorded in scripture, I recognise there can be a great divide between what I read and how I actually pray.  This goads me to break out of the prayer culture which promotes the eloquence of speaking over the simple elegance of listening, heart and mind tuned to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.  It is far easier to pray according to the suggestions of man than the promptings of our heavenly Father.  It should not be pity for others that drives us to pray, but a fervent desire for God to be glorified and praised.

Measure your prayers against Paul's prayer recorded in Colossians 1:9-12:  "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."  Instead of focusing on transient circumstances in the lives of people (which Paul no doubt prayed!), his focus was more on the condition of the heart and mind.  I cannot stress this enough.  I suggest a massive majority of our intercessions to God on behalf of others or ourselves goes no deeper than a plea for God to change or alleviate circumstances He has seen fit to allow.  Our prayers would be better suited, therefore, to pray more upon the lines of Paul:  that in our circumstances we would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom, walking worthy of the LORD, being fruitful in every good work, being strengthened with all might with joy and patience, giving thanks to the Father.

If we can lay hold of this truth and put it into practice in our prayers, we should not be surprised that God will answer!  We are called to be watchful in prayer, not talkative.  Instead of being distracted with the circumstances, let us seek God circumspectly.  Let us commune with God and intercede on behalf of others even as Paul prayed for the church in Colosse:  not that God would necessarily change the circumstances faced by others, but that they would be transformed for His glory in the midst of them.  It is through this we are proved overcomers through Christ!  When we pray according to God's will He hears us and will answer.  God's Word clearly outlines His will for every person, and Colossians 1:9-12 is one prayer among many that lays out God's will for all of us we should pray confidently!

1 John 5:14-15 reads, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."  Praise God that in Christ through the Holy Spirit we have access to the Father to find help in time of need!

Spiritual Salvation for All!

I had an epiphany last night when I read the account of Jesus eating the Lord's Supper with his disciples in Matthew 26:26:  "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  I immediately hearkened back to the similarity when Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish.  Matthew 14:19 reads, "Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes."  In both instances, Jesus took the bread, blessed, broke, and gave it to the disciples.  The main difference was when they were feeding the people the disciples were instructed to distribute it to others.  The leftovers were more than enough to satisfy even the greatest hunger among them:  12 baskets full.  In the upper room, however, Christ's disciples were told to eat the food given them by Christ themselves.

The main reason for this command reaches beyond the satisfaction of physical hunger. It becomes even more clear in the following verse that the bread and wine were representatives of Christ's own body which would be broken and blood that would be shed.  Matthew 26:27-28 says, "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."  After Judas left to betray Jesus, the remaining disciples were loyal to Jesus Christ.  They believed that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God sent to seek and save the lost.  Their faith allowed them to enter into a new covenant with Jesus Christ through His blood which would be shed for all sinners.  This teaches us that we must receive of Christ personally before we can effectively share Him with others.  Later that night Jesus would be arrested, and the following day He would be crucified.  At that point, the Holy Spirit had not yet been given without measure to Christ's followers.

After Jesus was risen from the dead, He appeared to them in John 20:21-22:  "So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."  Jesus is the Living Bread come down from heaven, so all who repent and partake of Him through faith will live forever!  Much more important than the feeding of the body is the saving of the soul.  Jesus then sent His disciples to deliver this message of salvation to all people, even as He commanded them to distribute the five loaves and two fish to the multitudes from His hand.  But Jesus told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were baptised with the Holy Spirit.  Acts 1:7-8 states, "And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  They were to spread the Gospel not only to those seated in groups of fifties, but to all people in all places of the earth where He would send them.

What wisdom of God, that Jesus would give thanks as His body was broken and offered as a sacrifice for all sinners.  More wonderful still is this message of salvation has been committed to those saved by Him, that we might distribute the Gospel and fragrance of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.  No longer should we tarry, for the Holy Spirit has been given without measure.  Who is sufficient for these things?  2 Corinthians 3:5-6 reads, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  Have you received?  Have you tasted and seen that the LORD is good?  He who has redeemed you has also made you sufficient to perform His will, for it is God who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure.  Share your life with others so they might receive and live!

Ready to Die for the Word?

I love it when reading scripture casts new light on old truths.  I was raised in a Calvary Chapel in the '80's, a time when the rapture of the church and the coming of Jesus Christ was often discussed.  As I child I would hears adults say things like, "God knows everyone that will be saved.  When the gospel is shared with the last person and they make a decision for Christ, it will swing into motion the end time events we read about in scripture.  Won't that be amazing?"  It was an interesting thought, but one I didn't ponder much.  This viewpoint may encourage some people to spread the gospel.  Throughout my life, however, this has never been my personal impetus for sharing Christ with those who are lost.

The fact is, Jesus will someday return to set up His kingdom on earth.  I believe we are living in the last days, and the catching up of the church is not far off.  But the other day I read something in Revelation that floored me, a twist on that old suggestion about "the last person being saved" I have heard many times.  Revelation 6:9-11 reads, "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. ¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" ¹¹ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed."  The number that needs to be completed is not those who are born again, but rather those who are martyred for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel!  What a game changer this is!

In all my life, I have never once heard someone say:  “As soon as that last Christian is martyred for their faith and testimony, then the church will be caught up or Jesus will return.”  Wouldn't it be far more profitable, instead of asking questions about the "last one being saved," we asked if we are those willing to die for Christ today?  Isn't it a fitting question?  As Christians, are we willing to die for our Saviour?  Unless we are ready to die for Him, it is likely we will never live for Him as we should.  Many people have died for their faith in Jesus Christ.  Countless Christians have suffered ruthless torments and embraced death, rejoicing they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name sake, even as He suffered for them.  All of these martyrs died in faith, and their full tale has been added before the throne of God.  It appears more are appointed to be "slain for the Word of God and their testimony" before God will send His judgments upon the earth.  It is not the lack of converts which stays Christ's hand, but martyrs.

The question that came to my mind when I read this Revelation passage was, "Am I ready to die?  Am I willing?"  As Christians we are not called to wait around hoping that someone will kill us, God forbid!  Instead we are to die to self, dying daily in obedience to God as faithful disciples of Christ.  If we count our lives as precious to ourselves we will lose them, yet if we lose our lives for Christ's sake we will find them.  What peace, joy, and rest we find in this paradoxical Christian walk!  2 Corinthians 4:8-11 says, "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- ¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."

Jesus spoke in John 11:25-26:  "...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?  Those who are born again should not fear death, because it is through Christ's death we live.  Our bodies will perish and decay, but our souls will never die.  Even as Christ rose from the dead we will rise glorified and live with Him forever.  Rejoice, o believer, for death has lost its sting!

The Walk of Faith

I am convinced that we often assume we are walking in faith when we haven't even taken a genuine step.  It is so easy for us to walk by sight, trusting our eyes or even our gut over relying wholly upon God for direction and preservation.  Putting on a parachute requires no faith:  it is the jump from the deadly height that is the first step of faith in a parachute.  To me faith in God looks and feels at times more like leaping out of a plane without a parachute with only His hands to catch us.  We step out in faith when He is our only recourse, strength, and salvation.

The scriptures reveal times where people came to a place when they had no choice but to trust God.  If we have not been uncomfortable to do what God says, then we must wonder if we have ever walked in faith!  The flesh despises the path of faith, but there is nothing better for the soul.  Jacob was forced to walk by faith.  He was a man who trusted in God and taught his children to follow after God.  Jacob was deceived by his sons to believe Joseph was dead.  Joseph had a younger brother named Benjamin who was precious to Jacob.  For this reason, Jacob was hyper-protective of Benjamin because he likely blamed himself for the supposed death of Joseph and Benjamin was the only remaining son of his beloved and deceased wife Rachel.  Jacob and his household were suffering from a severe famine, and the man selling the corn in Egypt (Joseph in disguise!) said they would not be able to purchase food in Egypt unless Benjamin came with them.

Jacob put it off as long as possible.  He procrastinated sending his sons for food because he was unwilling to part with Benjamin.  But he realised that he needed to let go of Benjamin so the whole family could live.  He said in Genesis 43:13-14, "Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. ¹⁴ And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!"  Jacob finally submitted himself into the hands of God in faith when he gave permission for his sons to take Benjamin to Egypt with them.  He came to the point when he gave all control of the situation to God:  "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!"  Jacob was brought to the place of surrender to God.  It was at this point when he was forced to walk in faith.  He was reluctant to do so, but God would reward him mightily for his obedience with not only the life of Benjamin, but the with life of his long-lost son Joseph, as one from the dead.

Esther is another prime example.  She was a Jewess who was made queen by king Ahasuerus.  The king's top advisor, Haman, had made a decree that all the Jews throughout the land were to be killed on a particular day.  Esther was counseled by her cousin Mordecai, who had brought her up as his own daughter, to go before the king to plead for the life of the Jewish people.  Esther was reluctant to do so, seeing that a person going before the king without an invitation was given the death sentence unless the king held forth the golden sceptre.  Mordecai suggested that the salvation of the Jews could even be God's purpose behind her becoming queen.  Esther 4:15-16 says, "Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"  Esther was brought to the same place as Jacob, the place where she had to walk by faith in God.  The decree was against her, as was the law.  She committed her life into the hands of God by faith, and God wrought a great salvation:  Haman was sent to the gallows, Mordecai was promoted into Haman's role above all princes, and the Jews were granted the right to take up arms for defense and were saved.

Before Jesus went to the cross He said in prayer to His Father in heaven, "Not my will, but yours be done."  It was a place of absolute trust and surrender.  Jesus knew that torture and the humiliation of a Roman cross awaited Him.  He knew the sins of the world would be placed upon Him as a sacrificial Lamb without blemish or spot, and He would face separation from God.  This place of no hope in this world without God is where He desires to bring all of us.  It is an uncomfortable place we would all love to avoid in our flesh, yet it is ironic that only in this place of trust where we discover and experience God's peace that passes understanding.  We realise in these moments of decision when we walk in obedience how worthy God is of our trust.  Those who walk in faith in God will never be put to shame.

Have you experienced this walk of faith?  Have you first trusted in Christ alone to save you from sins?  If you have not, you are certainly not saved!  Have you since been in the position where you have been forced to throw yourself upon the mercy of God?  It is the perfect place to be.  I have been reluctant in my life to walk on the path of faith, as have we all.  God desires that we not only trust Him at the first for our salvation, but that we walk by faith continually.  Praise God that He supplies the faith and strength to do so, for it is He who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure.  Instead of worrying or complaining because of the difficult challenges in life, praise God that He allows us ample opportunities to trust Him and walk in love, following Christ until the end!

Falling Precedes Rising!

The cliche goes, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."  It is not a question of whether people fall:  sooner or later everyone falls.  The more well-known a person is, the bigger the media splash will be.  When Jesus came to earth as Immanuel - God made flesh - He came to a fallen world.  He came to a world cursed by sin and death.  Eight days after His birth to Joseph and the virgin Mary, they brought Him to the temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised and to give a sacrifice according to the law.  A just and devout man named Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to be in the temple at that time.  After taking Jesus in His arms and praising God, Luke 2:34-35 says "Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against ³⁵ (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."  As verse 34 says, a fall must precede the rising.  Man has fallen because of sin, and only God can raise him up by His grace.

Though Jesus was without sin, He too had to fall before He could provide life through the Gospel.  John 12:23-24 says, "But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."  Before Jesus could be glorified, He needed to lay down His life on Calvary as a sacrifice for sin.  He had to die before He could be risen.  Just like a single head of grain from which many seeds fall, each growing into plants that produce more grain, Christ's death has led to exponential increase for the kingdom of God.

There is great consolation for us who comprise the fallen humanity on earth.  Instead of lamenting our fallen condition in despair, it is in our recognition of it in through confession, repentance, and trusting in Christ that salvation comes.  Skilled athletes and the infirm both fall, children both learning to walk and the strongest of men fall every day.  We can fall into sin and bondage spiritually as well.  But it is Christ who raises us from the dead and lifts up our eyes to see Him in unbridled glory.  His resurrection from the dead after three days of being dead is the ultimate sign to all of His victory both over sin and subsequent death.  What hope and life we have in Christ!  It is not a hope to be experienced after the death of the body, but after the death of sin in our bodies.  Once we have received the Spirit of God through the Gospel, we are risen with Christ and seated with Him.

Colossians 3:1-3 exhorts us, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."  Since we have been raised with Him, let us live for Him!

Leading by Serving

When I think of someone in charge on a jobsite, I don't think of the men wearing the tools.  What comes to mind is a man wearing a suit and tie, glossy hardhat on his head without a single scratch or sticker, and carrying a tablet.  The boss of the bosses is not paid to swing a hammer, sweat in the sun, or personally install the product:  his role is to make sure the job is manned, coordinated, and completed.  He has assistants who aid him with everything including making copies, proofreading, orders, mailing, cleaning and even picking up lunch.  His time is always at a premium, and it is a waste of valuable company time for him to do menial duties.

God's picture of leadership is quite different from what we see modeled in the world.  Jesus explained this to His disciples in Mark 9:35:  "And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  The greatest in God's kingdom are the ones who are slaves of all.  Those who humble themselves are the ones God will exalt.  Jesus is the prime example of leading through serving.  He could have delegated His authority to angels and men to keep Himself insulated from the pain, disease, oppression, and struggles of people on the earth.  But He didn't delegate what God commanded Him to do.  Philippians 2:5-8 reads, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."  We are not to only place ourselves in a humble frame of mind, but embrace the lowest and most menial, even undesirable tasks in obedience to God for His glory.  Does being scourged and dying nailed to a cross sound fun?

In the Old Testament, Joseph is a wonderful example of this kind of servant hood.  After being falsely accused of sexual assault, Joseph was thrown into an Egyptian prison.  We read in Genesis 39:21-23, "But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²² And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing."  Joseph was placed in charge of the prison, though he was himself a prisoner.  He was the "shot-caller."  Nothing happened in the prison without him knowing about it and giving his approval.  Though he didn't have fancy clothes, he was the man walking around with a clipboard.  He kept the peace, took care of inventory, and delegated jobs for others to do.  What Joseph said was law in that prison.

Yet even with his authority, Joseph served the men he was given charge of.  It came to pass that two very high profile men - Pharaoh's chief of the butlers and bakers - were sent to prison by Pharaoh himself.  Instead of being placed with the general population, they were incarcerated in a ward in the house of the captain of the guard.  Genesis 40:4 tells us, "And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while."  Joseph did not delegate the task given to him to a man of lesser status or authority, but he served these men himself.  Joseph was a man to whom power was given, but he still humbled himself to serve others.  Joseph put into practice the exhortation we read in Galatians 5:13:  "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."  Joseph did not use his authority as a means to justify sloth but used his freedom to serve even his fellow inmates.

Is there any task which you see as "below" you?  For instance, it is easy for those of us who have children to order them around to do menial tasks we are too lazy to do ourselves.  Following Christ's example, we ought to see ourselves as below God, others, or any task!  If we are blessed by God to have a spouse and children, let us seek to use our liberty to serve one another in love.  If by God's grace we have a job, let us be those who use what authority we have to serve, perhaps taking on the job no one else wants.  When our eyes are focused on Christ, our view of seniority changes dramatically.  Jesus says in Matthew 20:16, "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."  If we want to be first, we must be last of all and servant of all.  Since God has chosen us by His grace, may we choose to obey him by serving one another in love!

Playing Dumb!

A mate and I woke early and headed out for some fishing off a pier at Como, a picturesque spot.  Boats were docked to the left, and a large swimming area with the perimeter secured with a shark net was to the right.  A public pool, park, clean toilets, and a cafe were all close by.  As we spent the morning fishing, many people brought their dogs to the swimming area and let them splash around.  On my way to the toilet I found this sign on the pier most amusing.

It does not take a genius to see that the sign had been tampered with!  Obviously the sign was provided with the intent to prohibit dogs using the swimming area.  Someone who disagreed with the council decision to prohibit dogs spent much time and energy carefully scratching out the red line which once stretched over the dog pictured.  What was intended to keep dogs out of the area could now be used as an encouragement!  The absence of the red line eases the conscience of those who bring their dogs along for a morning dip.  The spirit of the law has been dissolved by the scratching away of a little red line.

This is a prime example of what could be simply called, "playing dumb."  Anyone with a brain knows the purpose of the plaque's existence is to convey that dogs are prohibited.  But the defaced plaque gives everyone an out:  if called upon to answer why they are breaking the rules, they need only point to the sign and say, "Oh!  I didn't know!"  This goes way deeper than breaking the rules for a cheap doggy bath in revealing the depravity of the human condition!  People do this all the time with God's laws.  Perhaps they think they can "play dumb" on the Day of Judgment and credit themselves before God because there are people worse than them, everyone was doing it, or by pleading ignorance.  It will not work!  God's laws were written in stone by the finger of the Living God, and He has also written his laws upon our hearts and conscience.  God gave us His law so we might see our need for forgiveness and salvation.  "Playing dumb" is dumb.  God isn't fooled by our clever ploys to dodge His eternal laws of righteousness.

So are dogs allowed or prohibited at the beach?  What is the spirit of the law?  We don't need to wonder about what God's standards are, for they are written with a diamond point on plates of iron:  Revelation 21:8 says, "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."  This standard cannot be washed away by playing dumb.  Without the forgiveness of sins and righteousness through Christ, certainly all would perish for all have sinned.  Instead of working to scrub out God's laws, may Christ wash our hearts clean through repentance and faith.  The law is good when used lawfully.  How good God is, to wash our sins away!

Humans Made to Hunger

"They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:16-17

It's hard to imagine living without hunger or thirst.  Because our bodies need food and water for survival, we have been created to desire what we need.  After the fall of Adam and sin passed to all men, our desires have been tainted by sin.  Instead of drinking for the health of the body we have descended into drunkenness, and our appetites have led us to gluttony and all manner of excess.  Even though it is not a sin to eat or drink, after we are glorified in heaven we will no longer hunger or thirst.  We will be able to eat and drink but it will be voluntarily, not out of necessity.

When God created man, He created man without sin.  Yet in His wisdom, God saw fit to create man with a hunger and thirst within him.  Adam experienced a physical hunger and thirst.  But it went far deeper than that.  Adam hungered for love, acceptance, and companionship.  Adam and Eve both longed for knowledge and significance - before they chose to sin.  In trying to satisfy their hunger with the fruit from the forbidden tree, they hungered to be as God.  After their willful rebellion against God, man's insatiable hunger has continued to gnaw at him continually.  Man lusts after control, power, possessions, honour, and everything else the world can offer.  These are all deceptive foods.  All of what we hunger and thirst after in this world is actually found in a relationship with the Living God by faith in Jesus Christ.

Humans hunger and thirst by design.  Unlike brute beasts, we are not governed by uncontrollable instinct.  God has given us His Word, a conscience, and a will of our own.  We can choose the foods we put in our mouths and the drinks we put to our lips.  We can decide what we will place before our eyes or what we will listen to with our ears.  Above the din of this confused world Jesus says in Isaiah 55:1-3:  "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ² Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. ³ Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- the sure mercies of David."  Jesus is the giver of Living Water, water that will quench all thirst for eternity.  Jesus is the Bread of Life, bread that if a man eats he will live forever.  All our hunger and our thirst can be swallowed up in the satisfaction and contentment found only in God.

John 6:35 records this truth so we might read, believe, and receive:  "And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."  You were made to hunger and thirst.  Find satisfaction and rest in Christ!

Light Without Heat

We've been experiencing record-breaking heat in Sydney of late.  Last Friday the Sydney CBD went over 45 degrees Celsius!  The hot breeze fueled over 100 fires throughout New South Wales that burned simultaneously.  We are seeing temperatures hotter than ever recorded in Australia.  After one of our hot days, during my nightly reading I came to this passage in Revelation 7:16 which ministered to me on multiple levels:  "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat..."  The Bible tells us that after the final judgment the heavens and earth will pass away.  God will create a new heavens and new earth with no need for the sun.  Revelation 21:23 says of the heavenly New Jerusalem, "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light."  Jesus is and will forever be the light of the world.

On earth, it is understood that the sun is our chief source of light.  It is also the earth's major source of heat.  But in heaven, things will be different.  We will no longer be sunburned or uncomfortable under the heat of the sun.  As far as I know, all the light sources that utilise combustion or electricity grow warm or even untouchably hot during and after use.  When God is our sole source of light both in the physical and spiritual realm, no longer will we be scorched by the sun.  Did you know that God spoke light into existence on earth before the sun?  After speaking the world we know into existence, Genesis 1:3 reads "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light."  We read that in six days God created the heavens and the earth and on the last day He rested:  seven actual 24-hour days.  This is nothing for God to do.  He could have created all things in less than a blink of an eye, but in His creation of the universe He chose to utilise the seven-day week as it remains until today.  We know this because after each day it reads, "Evening and morning were the first day."  It was not until the fourth day that God made the sun, moon, and stars (Gen. 1:14-19).

So the next time you feel the searing heat of the sun upon your skin or experience the uncomfortable pain of a sunburn, know that it will not always be so for those who are born again through repentance and faith in Christ.  For those who die in their sins, however, they know nothing of the heat they will experience forever, separated from God in the outer darkness being consumed in the undying flames of hell.  Jesus expresses this truth over and over in Mark 9:43-48:  "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--⁴⁴ where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' ⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--⁴⁶ where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' ⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire--⁴⁸ where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

Heaven and hell are both real.  It is only through Jesus Christ we can live eternally in heaven, where sun and fire cannot scorch us.  Hell was designed for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:31), yet man chooses to go there if he remains in sin.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.  How great that life Christ offers is far beyond our natural ability to appreciate.  It is a perfect life, life as it was intended by God:  free from sin, death, pain, sickness, and the deceptions of this world.  It is a life governed by love, grace, righteousness, and goodness.  It is a life in the presence of the eternal God, who created us, sent His own Son to die as a sacrifice for us, has washed us clean, and adopted us as sons, making us kings and priests unto Him.  He will provide light without darkness, light without heat.  He indeed makes all things new!

Miserable for the Right Reason

I started reading Spiritual Depression by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones today, a collection of his sermons preached on causes and cures of depression from a biblical perspective.  He has a lot of good insight on a tricky topic.  One thing I read today that I found especially relevant and wise is this:  "You must be made miserable before you can know true Christian joy.  Indeed the real trouble with the miserable Christian is that he has never been truly made miserable because of conviction of sin.  He has by-passed the essential preliminary to joy, he has been assuming something that he has no right to assume." (Spiritual Depression, Lloyd-Jones, pg. 28)  So true.

It is safe to say that everyone in their lives will face degrees of misery over seasons of their lives.  Some might be due to a troubling event or a physical illness.  This misery can range from an itchy sunburn to the death of a loved one, a breakup or even losing a valued possession.  Misery can be fleeting or chronic.  Everyone faces obstacles and difficulties which could potentially bring much misery to our lives.  Yet there is also misery of a spiritual kind:  a conviction of sin and the unbearable weight of condemnation.  For much of my childhood I had a belief in God.  Though I had faith in the Word of God and the power of Jesus Christ to save, even into my early adulthood I found myself powerless over several sins which kept me bound.  It was not until I became miserable in my sin and was broken because of my terrible offense before God that I found deliverance through repentance.  Misery was the path to reconciliation before God and empowerment by the Holy Spirit.

It is a rare thing today, to see people miserable because of their great sin before God.  There is no shortage, however, of miserable people!  Most people are miserable because their prime focus is on themselves.  Their eyes are blinded by unbelief.  They are disappointed and frustrated with the circumstances and the people in their lives.  They lust and covet and cannot obtain.  They are miserable due to sin, but they cannot see it.  In their eyes, they are miserable because their desires remain unfulfilled.  Only God and the conviction brought through His Word can open our eyes to this truth personally.  Those who have been most miserable in their sin are the least likely to return to that vomit.  They also seem to be among those greatly used by God in His service.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones speaks of miserable Christians:  "They are in the realm of the Church, and very interested in Christian things; and yet when you compare them with the New Testament description of the new man in Christ you see at once that there is a great difference.  Indeed they themselves see that, and this is often the main cause of their depression and their unhappiness...They take up Christians biographies and read the lives of various saints who have adorned the life of the Christian Church, and they admit at once that they are not like them...They read books which are meant to give instruction about the Christian way of life, they attend meetings and conferences, always seeking this something which they do not find.  And they are cast down, their souls are cast down and disquieted within them." (Spiritual Depression, pages 24-25) Lloyd-Jones observed that people who feel this way often have never felt themselves to be sinners.  They know they are sinners in an almost theoretical sense, but have not felt it in a personal way.  They have never been buried under the weight of conviction and guilt and felt they would die unless they were somehow relieved.

That is where the Gospel of justification by faith in Christ comes into play.  I believe we can make the mistake of offering the peace and consolation of the scriptures to the selfish and unrepentant.  We make a great error to rush them to the cross for salvation before they had been brought to absolute misery by their sins.  They cannot appreciate the love, grace, and sacrifice Christ has made for them.  Somehow they feel they deserve such love.  Praise the LORD it is not my job to make someone feel guilty!  We are called to speak the Word in love, and the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the blind.  He is the One who convicts and judges in righteousness.  Unless a man is under conviction, he cannot repent.  And when a man is without repentance, salvation through faith will elude him.  That is why God gave us the truth of His Word and the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment along with our conscience.  After we have been freed from the miserable weight of guilt through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, we have fulness of joy.  Miserable circumstances will come and go, yet we are more than overcomers through Christ.

Why is There Sickness?

Days after returning from Cambodia, I am now in my second full day of being the guest speaker at Camp Kedron, a holiday camp for primary students years 3 to 6 with a strong Christian emphasis.  Today the kids and leaders have gone on an excursion to a local beach, and it is the perfect opportunity to catch up with email and prepare future messages.  It has already been a huge blessing and a lot of fun.  The leaders and directors put in so much effort with amazing activities and seek to make every kid feel included.

One of my favourite times has been the discussion groups after main sessions.  During those times each cabin groups meets together and everyone is invited to talk about the session, God, or about life in general.  I sneak in like a "fly-on-the-wall" to take in the discussion and contribute if appropriate.  There have been many excellent, honest questions among the smattering of chaff.  God has placed an incredible, almost insatiable desire in the human heart and mind to discover and learn.  These kids are hungry for answers to questions that even aged people long to look into.

A compelling question was asked yesterday:  "Why does God allow disease or cancer?  Why does God let people die?"  During my trip to Cambodia, I saw many cases of sickness, conditions requiring surgery for correction, or advanced tooth decay.  Two boys in different villages came seeking medical care who had abdominal hernias.  Fixing a hernia through surgery is relatively simple, but these little kids had no access to surgeons.  They lived far away from hospitals and likely did not have the cash to pay for surgery.  It is a real possibility they will live with this condition for many years to come.  It was no doubt hard for the doctors in our clinics to send away desperate children who have conditions beyond our power to fix.  The good thing is that God is not limited in awareness or ability like people are.  It took me going to Cambodia to for me to meet two little boys who had hernias, but God already knew.  He also knows about the millions of children throughout the globe who carry with them pains, cancers, and life-threatening conditions.  Glory to God that He has the power to heal too!

The answer to this difficult question is found in the scripture.  When we see sickness, sorrow, pain, cancers, and death on earth, it is the fruit of the curse of sin.  God created the earth to be perfect and made Adam without sin.  Yet Adam deliberately chose to rebel from God in disobedience.  Romans 5:12 tells us that by one man sin entered the world, and death through sin.  Sin and death therefore have passed to all men.  All sickness, sorrow, and disease - all the things that lead to death and ultimately separation from God - is all a result of sin.  Sin not only kills the body but the soul in hell.  In God's wisdom He has seen fit to allow the side-effects of sin to remain so we might personally recognise our need for salvation.  Even those who have been born again through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ still experience the effects of sin in our flesh.  All sickness, disease, sorrow, and pain is just a foretaste of the dregs of the damnable curse under which we operate in the flesh.  C.S. Lewis is credited with saying, "Pain is God's megaphone," and there are few things which better bring us to our senses.  When we see people sick or face illness ourselves, it affirms the Bible's claim that sin and death have passed to all men.  If we ask, "Why does God allow sickness and death?" we must also ask, "Why does God allow people to live?"  It is all of love and grace, and sometimes in a clever disguise.  Only by faith in God according to knowledge through the scriptures do we find answers which satisfy our souls.

The day is coming when God will make all things right.  We read in Revelation 21:3-5:  "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. [4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:  for the former things are passed away.  [5] And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.  And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."  In Christ we find the only means of life, healing, and salvation.  I don't know about you, but I look forward to this day of which God speaks:  a day when all things will be made new.  No more crying, no more death, no more sorrow, no more hernias, poverty, shame, and pain.  Worship the One who makes all things new! 

S21 - Tuol Sleng

Below are excerpts from a journal entry I wrote the evening after touring the notorious S21 in Phnom Penh, a school the Khmer Rouge turned into a facility of torture and imprisonment.

Cambodia:  a nation which still lies under the shadow of brutal, systematic torture and murder of her own children.  As I saw hundreds of faces photographed during their imprisonment in S21, one cannot help but be haunted by their vacant, expressionless, almost soulless faces.  The only thing is, their souls were still there.  Their eyes had beheld tortures no created being should see or imagine.  They were unfeeling eyes, detached.  Their ears had heard the screams of the tortured and the dying.  The mind had ample time to play, making every waking moment an exercise in psychological torture and oppression.  When it was inevitably your turn - when it was happening to you - it made even less sense.  Tears were punishable by more pain.

What of the killing fields?  What of the macabre keepsakes of torture, the photographs, the artistic renderings?  Is there a place in this world for them?  Should we instead build picturesque pools for reflection, wiping away the hideous memories?  What of the piles of bones, skulls, and stories recounted in S21?  Cambodia has done well to encapsulate and preserve the incredible brutality of the regime.  The horror, raving madness, carnage and loss should be remembered in graphic terms.  No sanitised art, lilting song, or poetry could be this compelling:  raw, graphic, hell.

Sin constructs hell in the human heart, a raging monster revealed in mad violence.  The killing fields cannot be undone, nor should they be memorialised with songs, smiles, and the release of doves.  Weeping is the only appropriate response.  And if you cannot weep it begs the question:  why not?  These deaths count for something good when we say with conviction, never again!  No more will there be hurt, fear, and killing within our walls - only healing, peace, and joy through Jesus Christ.  We will never forget Pol Pot was a wicked man, but he had a lot of help to initiate and pursue his heinous, demonic, and ruthless ideologies.  There seems to be no shortage of men on earth to willingly do the devil's work:  to steal, kill, and destroy.

There will always be a Pol Pot until Christ binds and throws him into hell.  His name is Satan.  Instead of acquiescing, I will stand and fight against him in the powerful name and authority of Jesus Christ.  He has done worse than any man, though he brutally uses all men who wander from God.  In Christ alone our hope is found and rests!

No Looking Back

"And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

Hebrews 11:15-16

Abraham was a man God called out of his own country as he walked by faith, not by sight.  He had no problems with giving Lot first choice of the land.  While Lot lifted and fixed his eyes upon the lush greenery towards Sodom, Abraham only looked to God for security, provision, and life.  Abraham did not continually remind himself of the country God brought him out of.  Should he have done so, the writer of Hebrews tells us he would have had opportunity to return.  But Abraham desired more than land:  he longed for the presence of God in a heavenly country,

As I was growing up, one of the songs I remember often sung at baptisms goes, "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back."  The writer of Hebrews in the next chapter clearly states where our eyes ought to be focused.  Hebrews 12:1-2 reads, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  I am typically mindful of whatever I set before my eyes.  If my eyes are watching a football game, my mind is also involved in thinking about it.  Where the eyes go, the mind follows.  It is for this reason we are to lay aside every hindrance, repent of all sin, and then look to Christ alone as our example and King.

Throughout scripture the correlation between eyes and the mind is clear.  Should Abraham have looked back with longing to his home city, it showed some of his heart remained there.  When Lot and his family escaped from Sodom, they were told not to look back upon the destruction of the city.  Genesis 19:26 tells us, "But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."  Looking back cost Lot's wife her life.  Jesus says in Luke 9:62, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  A man who looks back cannot plow straight.  His eyes are to be focused straight ahead, on his present task.  God may not have called you out of your country, but He has certainly called you out of your old life.  If we find ourselves looking back to the old life with longing or deep regret we will not advance or mature in our walk with Christ.  That is why Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Paul refused to allow past apparent successes or failures distract him from pressing forward in the call God had upon his life.

Instead of wallowing in thoughts of the past or becoming lost in the future, let us fix our eyes, minds, and hearts upon Jesus Christ.  If we will be fit for heaven, we must put our hand to the plow without looking back.  As the old song says, "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."

Back from Cambodia

Yesterday I returned to Sydney after a mission trip to Cambodia.  It was an incredible blessing and an unforgettable experience.  In many ways I am still decompressing as I sort through the trip in my mind as I look through the pictures I took.  God provided bountifully and protected the entire team.  Though I am a foreigner in Australia, I do not always feel like one.  In Cambodia, I almost always felt like a foreigner!  From the moment pastor Hung drove our team from the airport, it was like being in another world.  The variety of sights and smells are more than I could possibly do justice through recounting.  I have returned from Cambodia not only rich in experiences, but also with new friendships with members of our team, translators, and missionaries who live in Cambodia.

People are people wherever you go.  But the biggest difference I noticed from countries I have lived in and Cambodia is how much effort is required for survival.  The American and Australian cultures I am familiar with pursue comfort and convenience:  survival is largely assumed.  In Cambodia, this is not true.  Clean water, sanitation, and good nutrition is often not available.  In some of the remote villages we visited (maybe only 20 minutes off a paved road) the most basic medical attention might as well be 200 miles away.  Many of these people do not leave the village and even if they could, they could never pay with cash because they are farmers who live off the rice they grow.  The magnitude of the physical and spiritual needs is truly beyond comprehension.  Praise be to God that we were able to meet some of those needs! 

Our Aussie team joined with small teams from the States and Mexico providing basic medical exams and medicine, dental care, and reading glasses.  But more important than the care provided by our trained doctors and dentist was the spiritual care provided through the Gospel.  To pull out rotting teeth and supply medicine is good, but it is only a temporary fix.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ removes the rot from a human heart and provides eternal salvation by grace through faith.  It was amazing to see people drinking in the words of life, tasting and seeing that God is real and good. 

I have included some pictures of four villages we visited.  More to come!