Threshing and Declaring

"Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you."

Isaiah 21:10

There is a good application from this verse for all who preach the Word of God.  The role of a teaching pastor is much like that of a chef, in that the preparation of a sermon is similar to preparing a meal.  Quality ingredients are prepared, mixed in the right proportion, and cooked or baked to make nutritious, hopefully delicious dishes.  The audience is considered, even as a chef would adapt his fare to appeal to children or a gourmet critic.  A preacher would be wise not to approach a class of year-three children the same way he would a lecture in seminary.  The truth of the message must not be changed, but the presentation should be altered slightly to communicate the truth of scripture in a way it can be easily understood and received by the listeners.  Appropriate illustrations and applications tailored by the Holy Spirit shed light to illuminate profound spiritual truths in simple ways.

After wheat or other grains are harvested, they must be threshed before they can be eaten or ground into meal.  Threshing is the violent process of separating the inedible husk and stalk from the wholesome grain.  If you are interested for an amazing transcript of a sermon on the subject of threshing by C.H. Spurgeon, follow this link!  A preacher's job is not to read the Bible and thresh the good from the inedible, for all of God's Word is spiritually wholesome, nutritious, and good.  A preacher's own thoughts, motive, and words, however, must be thoroughly threshed.  There are plenty of inedible, coarse, and empty words naturally found in me which must be threshed from my discourses.  We must carefully weigh our interpretations and applications of the text according to the leading of the Spirit to cull our own opinions so we might faithfully hold forth the wholesome Word.  A bushel of chaff is not as valuable as a few kernels of good grain.

May all preachers of the Word be able to say, "That which I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you."  We are to preach the Word, not ourselves.  My opinions and words of my crafting are chaff, but the Word of the LORD will endure forever.  God's Word is good seed which has the potential to transform, cleanse, grow in the hearts of willing hearers, and be fruitful.  Preachers must allow God's Word to thresh us of errors so we might faithfully preach as the scripture exhorts in 2 Timothy 4:1-4:  "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

Let us declare faithfully the truths of God's Word, and also strive to be doers of the Word.  We cannot expect our sermons to have any lasting effect on anyone if we ourselves are not transformed.  God designed men with two ears and two eyes, and there is little value in a preacher who is all mouth.  We must hear from the LORD and submit to God's truth before we have anything of value to say.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.  Praise the LORD for the effectual life in His Word, and those who hear it and obey will be established and fruitful for God's glory!

Know Your Motive

We can never be sure of the motives of others, but God sees the heart.  Motive is the difference between a word of encouragement and flattery, from manslaughter and first-degree murder.  Motive is the difference between a gift and a bribe, the difference between being genuine or manipulative.  When Samuel looked upon Eliab the son of Jesse with approval, God spoke of the importance of the heart in 1 Samuel 16:6-7:  "So it was, when they came, that he [Samuel] looked at Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him." ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  Appearance may convince men, but God is not fooled.

It occurred to me sometimes we can fool ourselves - despite the conscience God has sovereignly placed within us.  How gracious He is to send the Holy Spirit to convict, help, comfort, and guide us into all truth.  As we read God's Word, the Holy Spirit applies it to our hearts.  One verse can be a healing balm, another a sword which pierces us through.  Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Even a seared conscience is revealed as tender inside when the sharp sword from Christ's mouth slices like a razor through the thickened exterior.  He does not cut with His Word to injure, but to promote repentance, healing, and wholeness.

We should think before we speak, and our motive ought to be carefully considered.  Words have the power to build up or throw down, to strengthen or undermine.  Proverbs 20:9-10 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."  The use of diverse weights and diverse measures implies an effort to deceive.  Unethical traders would tamper with their weights to affect business transactions in their favour, receiving too much money for too few goods.  It is important our words are carefully weighted with God's truth.  We are responsible to ensure our lifestyle matches our words, we do not show partiality, or act differently around certain people we hope to impress.  So much in the life of a Christian boils down to motive.  May we be transparent and teachable before God as it is written in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Sin's Wages

I live in Australia, a country which has abolished the death penalty.  Because of looming executions of high-profile Australians in Indonesia, capital punishment has been the subject of discussion frequently of late on television, radio programs, schools, and cafes.  Opinions and views abound.  The implications of what has largely become a politicised issue effects everyone personally, no matter what country a person lives in.  God said through the prophet in Ezekiel 18:20:  "The soul who sins shall die."  The wages of sin is death.

When God created Adam and breathed into him a living soul, He gave Adam freedom to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except the one in the centre.  God warned in Genesis 2:17, "...of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  Death was assured to be the certain consequence should Adam rebel against the command of a holy, righteous God.  Of course it is all history:  Adam sinned in eating the fruit, was cut off from fellowship with God, was cast out of the Garden with Eve his wife, and was prevented from ever entering Eden again.  Adam's body continued to live, but he slowly began to die.  He eventually died, and the sentence of death has been passed down to all since.

Everyone born on this planet is under the curse and sentence of death.  We all experience the effects of Adam's sin before our bodies perish:  sickness, sadness, pain, suffering, disease, and crying.  Men have toiled over the ground which produced thorns, and women have experienced intense pain in childbirth.  These too are results of the fall.  God has allowed these things to be reminders of the reality of sin's existence and the ultimate destruction which await all who have sinned.  From high-rise flats in developed metropolitan areas to remote solitary huts, people find themselves (for the most part) unwittingly on death row.  Ban capital punishment if you want, but it won't keep people from dying.  A doctor may give a person weeks or months to live, but no one knows precisely the day or means of their death.  Experience in this world tells us we will all surely die, just as God said.

It was through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross which God demonstrated His love for all people.  He is not willing any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  Our bodies will die as a result of sin, but our souls can live eternally in a glorified body God has prepared for all who repent and trust in Jesus.  This truth is so monumental!  Here is how the Bible describes what God has provided through Jesus in Romans 5:6-21:  "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. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. ¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. ¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- ¹³ (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. ¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. ¹⁶ And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. ¹⁷ For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) ¹⁸ Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. ¹⁹ For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, ²¹ so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

We can be born again through faith in Christ and experience eternal life through Him.  A day is coming when our bodies will perish and we will all go the way of the earth.  But no man needs to die spiritually, for Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.  Justice is satisfied by the atoning, substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross for all sinners who trust in Him.  Friend, do you know Jesus?  Have you received His forgiveness?  Is your soul at rest, knowing you have received the free gift of salvation provided through Christ's death and resurrection?  Today is the day of salvation, and all fear of death can be swallowed up in the victory of Jesus.  The chains which hold us fearfully awaiting judgment can be shattered, for God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess our sin, repent, and believe the Gospel.  Whether Christians stand before a firing squad or contract a terminal disease, we can know our passing only speeds us along to heavenly glory.  In receiving our wages we cash in on Christ's sacrifice and enter eternal glory to live with Him forever.  We can say joyfully before and after, "Death, where is your sting?  Grave, where is your victory?  Thanks be to God who always gives us the victory!"

Eternity in Our Hearts

Man is unlike all other created beings.  Sometimes humans are touted as the "top of the evolutionary ladder," but it does not take a PhD to see the the distance between the rungs of primates and humans is an impossible jump.  Man is a world apart in complexity, thinking, morality, philosophy, technology, and especially spiritually.  Human beings are more than beasts, even if we choose to act like them or are deceived to think somehow, someway, we share ancestry with them.

The Bible says God made man in His own image and breathed into Adam a living soul.  He was formed out of the dust of the ground, not from some lesser species.  The distance between the rungs of man and beast is an eternal expanse, impossible to navigate through the sheer force of natural selection.  Solomon wrote of God and men in Ecclesiastes 3:11:  "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."  God has put eternity in the hearts of men, an awareness of time and eternity no other created animal has.  We realise our time on earth is limited.  Our eyes have been opened to consider the implications of space and time.  We wonder what will happen after we die.  Animals do not "think" or have such longings for knowledge of the future, nor do animals care to enshrine the past.

My son is spending a week at Macquarie University working in the museum with antiquities.  He has been learning how to handle these valued  treasures carefully to preserve our connection with the ancient world.  Apes, elephants, cats, snakes, or chickens have no appreciation nor concept of history or the distant future.  We view many animals as "smart," and some are very clever - as far as animals go.  But in comparison to human beings there is an infinite difference.  There are no chimpanzee philosophers, musicians, historians, or lab technicians.  Apes cannot study music theory, biology, theology, chemistry, or even participate in physical education with small children.  But to only look what apes can and cannot in relation to mankind would be an extremely narrow approach.  The most critical difference between animals and people is how God created us.  There is a spiritual aspect - a soul - God has put inside every human being.  He has given us a conscience, a sense of right and wrong which agrees with the truth of God's Word.  God has put eternity in our hearts and a complexity of thought, the capacity for artistic expression, and knowledge of time like no other created beings on this earth.

A dog's life is governed by breakfast time and dinner time, but humans realise we only have twenty-four hours in every day, seven days in every week, and fifty-two weeks in every year.  People agree with the statement in the Steve Miller Band song "Fly Like an Eagle" which says, "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the future."  The older people grow, the faster time seems to go.  This reality concerns humans deeply, but animals pay it no mind.  There is no growing sense of urgency in the life of a dog or cat as their years go on to accomplish something more significant than existence.  The Bible which tells us of God creating man reveals all people will stand before God and be judged after our lives on earth.  Animals will not face this judgment, for they do not have in them a soul with the capacity to understand, think, feel, and know as man does.  The scriptures say the wages of sin is death, and the soul that sins will surely die.  Should we die in our sins, humans will face eternity in hell separated from God forever.  Yet because of God's great love for us, He made a way all can be saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  This is called the Gospel, the Good News.  People are able to enter into the joy of the LORD and everlasting life when they believe God's Word and rely upon Jesus for salvation.

To say Jesus was only a man is like saying man is just another primate.  Jesus has been revealed from heaven as the Son of God, Immanuel - God with us.  The one true God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ to reveal the way of salvation to all who would believe and receive Him.  Matthew 16:24-26 reads, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  Jesus laid down His life on Calvary's cross, then rose three days later proving His power over sin and death.  The human soul provides an awareness, a startling knowledge that there is something beyond this life.  Instead of worrying about the future or ignoring those feelings, trying to convince yourself that heaven and hell are not real, look to Jesus Christ as your LORD and Saviour.  Open a Bible and read His words for yourself.  You are more than a monkey, and Jesus is more than a man.  Trust in Him today!

Divine Appointments

The phrase "divine appointment" is commonly used by Christians to acknowledge God's hand in orchestrating meaningful moments.  God does not employ "luck" or "coincidence" to accomplish His will, but leads us with or without our knowledge.  These divine arrangements do not only go one way.  Sometimes God has used me to share words through which others benefited, and God has used many to minister to me.  No matter your calling or role in the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit dwelling within every believer has the wisdom and power to speak everlasting truth through you with power and authority.

When you think of "divine appointments," do you view yourself typically as the one who imparts or the one who receives?  It would be supremely improbable anyone could find themselves smack in the middle.  With the amount of writing, teaching, and conversing I do, I would say I tend towards the "imparting" side.  To be balanced, I need to make an intentional effort to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  Why is this balance important?  Because God wants to use others to share with me what He has taught them, just as He desires I share what He has taught me.  If I only talk about what I know or think, how can I receive from others what God has provided for them to share me?  It's hard to talk with your mouth stuffed with food, and it's practically impossible to listen when your ears are full of the sound of your own voice.

We should be excited to share what God is teaching us with other people.  Let's be just as excited to hear and receive what God is teaching others!  My "two cents" never amounts to much.  How good it is to hear what God says in His Word, and what an encouragement to hear what God has impressed on others through it.  Be ready for your next divine appointment, whether you are speaking or listening!

Love is Not Inconvenienced

I have lived my life in an age of convenience.  Some of the definitions of "convenient" found in the Merriam Webster dictionary are, "suited to personal comfort or to easy performance; suited to a particular situation; affording accommodation or advantage."  The world panders to our natural selfishness.  We want things to be easy, comfortable, and advantageous.  Most people are happy to pay more for greater convenience.  We complain when the seal on the tomato sauce or the peanut butter doesn't have suitable sized tabs for easy removal.  We avoid peak-hour traffic when we can because it is a great inconvenience.  Today was a lesson in convenience I won't soon forget.

My eldest son began his work experience today at Macquarie University.  My wife had planned on accompanying him on the bus and making sure he arrived at his destination.  Riding the bus in Sydney can be tricky because there are no announcements of an upcoming stop or what stop it is!  You need to know where you are going and push the "stop" button and the driver will stop at the next scheduled stop on the route.  I already had the day planned, and hoped to accomplish some important preparation for the week.  It turned out Laura woke up with a terrific migraine.  I would have to drive to the station, take the bus to Macquarie University, and turn right around and come home.  I was not happy.  My plans were shot, and it was most inconvenient.

As the bus rumbled along at a snail's pace, I thought about feeling inconvenienced.  What I saw in my heart was not pretty.  If I could boil it down to the most fundamental aspect, it is inherently selfish.  It is placing your own ease and comfort above everything else.  I thought about how Jesus left the glory of heaven, entered time, inhabited a human body for decades, only to be rejected and die a brutal death on the cross.  Jesus knew this faced Him, but He gladly did it anyway.  "Inconvenient" does not begin to sum up His sacrifice.  There I was, annoyed about a modified schedule which would cost me a few hours, when Jesus joyfully went to the cross for my sins.  I was convicted by my selfishness.  And then a thought came:  "Love is not inconvenienced."  Jesus did not see it as "inconvenient" to leave heaven and become a man.  He did not come to earth for convenience:  Jesus came because He loved lost souls He wanted to save.

Isn't it true when you walk in love, nothing is too hard or difficult?  No sacrifice is too great for your beloved, and even great personal cost is as nothing.  I was once invited to be a groomsman at a close friend's wedding.  It was a day of great rejoicing.  It didn't matter it was quite a long drive to the church.  It didn't matter the tux rental cost me more than a day's wages!  I didn't care how long the wedding lasted.  I loved my friend, his bride, and family, and just being there with him on his wedding day was a treasured joy.  But I honestly have not always felt this way about every wedding.  Some weddings I have been invited to seemed a bit inconvenient because of location, duration, or many other factors.  It was because I was not viewing that person through the lens of Christ's giving, unchanging, unrelenting love.  Love is never inconvenienced because it is wholly focused on others and saturated with grace and mercy.  This morning I repented because my feelings of being inconvenienced proved I was not abiding in Christ's love.  My early morning perspective was all about me when it should have been about loving God and others.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 provides a tidy description of God's love:  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  God's love is infinite, and there is no description adequate to sum it up.  Today God gave me a practical application in my own life by allowing my feelings to alert me to a problem in my heart.  Thankfully God forgives all who repent.  This morning I had my own plans, but God's plans included teaching me a lesson I will benefit from for eternity.  How good and gracious the LORD is to not only give awareness of sin, but the righteous path leading to joy and gladness!

Thirsty for Mercy

Recently I discovered a connection I had never noticed before:  the correlation between receiving mercy from God and courageous strength.  Many times in scripture the exhortation is given by God and devout souls who feared God:  "Be strong!"  The glory of young men is their strength, but it is not by lifting weights and physical exercise that brings this strength.  Spiritual strength is derived only from God through faith and experienced as we obey.

The Bible is filled with examples of people who triumphed over their enemies - not because they were physically stronger, had larger armies, better weapons or training, or held a strategic advantage - but because they trusted God and obeyed Him.  There are also examples of people who faced unbearable suffering and horrendous circumstances.  Strength from God was needed just to endure the day, for their lives hung by a thread.  This is the sad condition faced by God's people in the Lamentations of Jeremiah.  God punished those in Jerusalem for their sins through cruel enemies, and people were dying in the streets during the siege.  The first few chapters of Lamentations paint a picture so bleak, so horrible, it is truly beyond comprehension.  The enemies were closing in, God had shut out the prayers of His people, and death loomed ever closer.

Lamentations 3:18-25 records the words of the prophet:  "And I said, "My strength and my hope have perished from the LORD." ¹⁹ Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. ²⁰ My soul still remembers and sinks within me. ²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. ²² Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴ "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" ²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."  Out of the deepest, darkest depression, Jeremiah's heart shifts away from suffering to the God who loves him.  It was in remembering God's goodness, mercy, and compassion when the light of divine hope shone upon Jeremiah's mind and heart.  He realised it was only by God's grace and mercies which were new every morning which brought strength and salvation.  In the darkest pit, God's goodness still shines bright because God is always faithful, merciful, and good.

In 2 Corinthians 4:1 Paul wrote, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart."  God is merciful and His mercies are new every morning for great is His faithfulness.  These mercies are received by faith in God.  Paul recognised the connection between receiving mercy from God and in doing so finding strength and courage to serve God.  Things were not easy for Paul, and life is no easier for us.  God does not change, and He remains ever merciful.  When you lose heart, remember to turn your eyes back to God again.  Receive the mercy He has graciously provided for you today.  As we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.  We can lose heart, but we don't have to!

A Crucified Life

"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."

Galatians 6:14-15

The triumph of Jesus was culminated by His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection.  Not only was the blood of Jesus shed to atone for the sins of the world, but the Law which condemned all men was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14).  The death of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world provided the killing blow to the power of the enemy to condemn or destroy all who repent and receive the Gospel.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul draws upon the imagery of the cross to reveal another accomplishment of Christ for all who trust in Him.  The world had been crucified to Paul, and Paul had been crucified to the world.  The world under the sway of Satan was rendered powerless by the death of Jesus on the cross.  The world which used to influence our minds and hearts, the things which once held us in bondage, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lure of the lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life had been dealt a death blow.  When a cruel tyrant is killed, the people once oppressed rejoice and shout for joy.  The one who once exerted power over them is now powerless in death.  This is the case for all who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  The power of sin to control, addict, and oppress us has been conquered by Christ's victory, and we can walk in newness of life and freedom.

Christ accomplished much more than ending sin's reign of terror in our lives.  He has transformed us into new creations, and is now enabled to live His life through His redeemed by the Holy Spirit.  This world has been crucified to us, and we have been crucified to this world.  The spiritual reality of Christ's death and resurrection is our flesh has been stricken of power to dominate and control us for evil.  Satan, the world, and our flesh only have the amount of power we allow or give them.  The truth is, we don't need to give a place to the devil or let the demands of the flesh rule our lives any more.  This is the reality for all who are in Christ, not something we say to convince ourselves.  "Positive thinking" has nothing to do with walking in victory.  Knowledge of our identity in Christ and the reality of what He has accomplished must impact our minds and hearts.  Once we are convinced of the reality of Christ's victory at the cross and our new nature free from the power of sin apart from our works, knowledge mixed with faith and obedience paves the way for us to walk in absolute victory.

The early church struggled with legalism, as many do to this day.  Paul's emphasis was not on touting circumcision or justifying uncircumcision, but our need to be "in Christ Jesus."  Through Him the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  If you are in Christ, the world has been crucified to you and you to the world.  Does your life demonstrate this reality?  The rule of Satan, the world, and the flesh has been forever vanquished by grace through faith in Christ.  If we have been freed from bondage, why should we return to bondage?  The efforts of the flesh could not save, perfect, empower, or deliver us.  Only Jesus can do that!  it is not what we have done, but according to His mercy He has saved, is saving, and will save us!

Jesus Satisfies

When the Rolling Stones hit "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" rocketed to number one on the charts in 1965, it struck a nerve which has continued to twang.  Few people have obtained the fame, money, and notoriety of the Rolling Stones, and they still play the same song at nearly every show to this day.  The issues the song speaks of - useless information on the radio, having the whitest shirts, and sexual frustration - can be interchanged with anything this world has to offer, but the grain of truth remains static:  this world cannot deliver on true, lasting, genuine satisfaction.

Reality never seems to scratch the itch of fantasy.  It always beckons alluringly, tantilisingly just out of reach.  The lie it perpetuates is if the conditions were altered slightly according to our desire, we would achieve satisfaction that seemingly eludes our grasp.  It is an exercise in futility because this world cannot possibly deliver all it promises without the negative side effects it doesn't talk about.  The bait always has a hook which makes us wish in retrospect we never went for it in the first place!  The pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment of an the activity, experience, or thing was supposed to provide never measures up and doesn't last.  It is not that our standards are too high, but it is an issue of this world and our hearts.  Think of it this way:  how many times have you obtained your desire only to realise it wasn't what you thought it would be?  Say you designed your house and even chose the colours and hardware, but in retrospect you would have changed something.  Or perhaps you chose a concrete finish and you weren't happy with how parts of it turned out.  Or there was more maintenance than your originally thought.  The list goes on and on!

This world has never delivered on any promise.  We can be "satisfied" with our purchase, in that we believe we have been provided a good product at a fair price.  We can experience something which we romanticise in our minds and at great expense we labour to experience it again.  No matter how hard we try, no matter the cost, it never delivers quite like we hoped it would.  All our problems would be solved with a different job, career, spouse, or if we won the lottery.  Yet even when we obtain our desire, dissatisfaction only seems to increase.  King Solomon was a man of wealth, fame, and power few have ever obtained.  He pointed out the objective reality in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11:  "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. ¹¹ When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?"  This points to the heart problem of every person on earth.  The things we love cannot satisfy us, and do not profit.  We think perhaps if we were able to obtain more of the thing we love it would do the trick.  But it doesn't work, and it never has.  Yet like mythical lemmings or sheep without a shepherd, people keep futilely following after the same things thinking it will satisfy their desire for love, significance, acceptance, and satisfaction.

In our natural state, we all have idols we worship and value.  But no man can offer his life as a sacrifice to an idol out of a pure heart:  we always have an self-serving angle.  Even if we worship self and try to satisfy our every whim, we find ourselves increasing empty and dissatisfied.  All our consuming only consumes us.  We desire riches and wealth because of the things we could buy, the things money would allow us to do, or places we could go.  We pursue relationships with other people to obtain our own desires.  We want a particular career because of the money, status, or influence we would gain.  In many eastern cultures idols are worshiped to promote health, become wealthy, or to drive away evil.  People sacrifice not because they love the deities they worship or are loved by those same deities, but because they hope to somehow benefit themselves.  The world is packed with users:  people using others whilst being used themselves.  It provides a narcissistic recipe for envy, bitterness, cynicism, and disillusionment.  The world cannot deliver anything that truly satisfies.

Contrast the reality of this world's inability and futility to save or satisfy with the life of Jesus Christ freely offered to all who repent and trust in Him.  Proverbs 21:21 says, "He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honour."  1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us Jesus Christ has been made for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and wisdom.  As long as we are following the dictates of our deceitful hearts, we trust a blind guide which cannot lead us to what our souls long for.  Jesus Christ delivers exactly what we are looking for.  It is in following Jesus Christ our righteousness which enables all we who seek with their whole hearts to be satisfied - and more still!  Notice in the Proverbs passage how following righteousness and mercy opens the door to life, righteousness, and honour!  In Christ alone are all our desires perfectly satisfied.  Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  Jesus came to this world with the express purpose to provide abundant life.  It is a life obtained through being born again through faith in Jesus.  There is always more for us as we follow Jesus, a more abundant life by God's grace.

Would you use a delivery service which never actually delivered anything like you hoped it would?  Would you support a politician who has not delivered on a single promise ever?  Then why do we keep going back to this world in a vain attempt to satisfy our souls?  Look to God and trust in Him, for in Christ we find all our desire and more than we could have ever imagined.  I can't get no satisfaction, but Jesus gives satisfaction to all who repent and trust in Him!  You will never be satisfied apart from Jesus.  Will you receive Him today?

Be With Jesus

"And He [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. ¹⁴ Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, ¹⁵ and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons..." 

Mark 3:13-15

I love Jesus.  I love everything about Him:  the way He spoke, the things He said, what He did, and how He interacted with others.  Everything about Jesus Christ is unfathomably significant, and as we walk with Jesus in faith day by day our eyes are increasingly opened to His goodness, love, majesty, and power.

The God who said "Let there be light!" and there was light, the Creator of all the universe, put on human flesh in the person of Jesus.  As a man He called people to follow Him, even though He could have done everything by Himself.  In doing this Jesus not only provided us an example, but revealed how deeply personal He wants our relationship to be with Him.  Unfortunately for some people, a relationship with God is merely a connection to benefits they desire for themselves.  They can be so fixated on their calling, gifting, abilities, and authority through Jesus they miss out on the most fundamental aspect of following Jesus in the first place:  being with Him.

After Jesus went up the mountain, He called His disciples to Him.  He had found them caught up in the busyness of life mending their nets, even sitting behind a desk in the tax office.  Jesus walked up to some and said as He passed by, "Follow me."  As time progressed Jesus called some to be His intimate associates, twelve disciples who committed their life to follow and "be with Him."  This is a small phrase found in verse 14 which is easy to gloss over, overshadowed by the preaching, power to heal, and casting out demons.  Jesus desired for these men to be with Him continually, and everything else was a natural outflow of that relationship.

God spoke through the prophet in Isaiah 7:14:  "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  Immanuel means, "God with us."  Mary conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and brought forth a son named Jesus, and He would save His people from their sins.  All who have repented and trusted in Christ have received Him through the Gospel by faith.  After His death and resurrection, Jesus ascended to the Father and has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within and empower every one of His disciples.  God will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), yet familiarity does not mean we intentionally set time aside to spend with Jesus.  He bids us even now to come away from the pursuits of this life and be with Him.  I recently heard a pastor say it is tragic when our talks with God have been reduced to "necessary conversation."  It is also tragic when we are so focused on our calling or gifting that we forget who has called us and why:  Jesus wants us, and wants us to spend time with Him!

I encourage you to answer the call to spend time with Jesus today - not just for a set amount of time, but purpose to abide continually in His presence and love.  What sort of healthy relationship could you possibly cultivate with strict time limits over your social interaction?  Do you have to juggle your routine to squeeze a little time in with God?  "First thing in the morning I spend an hour in prayer and Bible reading," you might say, perhaps even pleased with your level of devotion.  Is this the extent of a quality, loving relationship - time meted out by the hour?  That sounds more like a prison visit, speaking to someone behind glass at your convenience!  No my friends, this will never do.  Jesus called us to be with Him, and we need to abide in Him throughout the day.  Have conversations with Jesus, tell Him how you feel, thank Him for what He has done, and meditate on His Word.  Drop what you might normally do or feel like doing and spend time with Jesus today.  He loves you and wants you to be with Him!

The Cake Cycle

Motive often determines outcome.  Even in something like exercise, our motives for why we spend time and effort to intentionally exercise shapes our results - for good or bad.  I have been cycling a bit of late to rehabilitate my surgically repaired right knee.  As an added bonus it has improved my cardiovascular fitness, as well as being a fun challenge to tackle new routes.  The other day I offered the mum of one of my son's friends a slice of carrot cake I had baked.  She had just walked in after a long ride.  "Oh no, but thank you," she said.  "You see, I'm riding my bike to be fit and so I really shouldn't eat any cake today."  I quickly retorted, "Well, I cycle so I can eat cake!"

Do you see the difference?  Because Sally (not her real name) rides her bike to be fit, she viewed eating cake as inconsistent with that activity.  Her concern was indulging her taste buds would "undo" all the benefits she laboured to gain.  In the interaction with Sally I discovered my desire is to eat cake, and so my motive for exercise is primarily to work off any bonus calories I put in.  In thinking this over, I see my way of thinking is problematic - problematic that is, if my primary motive for riding my bike is to be fit.  If I want to be fit, why would I hinder my progress by eating too much dessert?  Why would I make riding harder for myself by putting junk in my tank?

It occurred to me the same issue with motive can play out concerning our spiritual walk with Jesus Christ.  Are spiritual disciplines something we do so we can justify doing what we want when we want?  After of long day of Bible study, a counseling session, meetings, teaching, writing, and prayer, I can feel very much like numbing myself with some television, gaming, scrolling, or swiping.  But wouldn't it be better that we limit or cease certain activities because our lives are so caught up in loving and seeking God?  Because we are seeking God, we refuse to give into the demands of the flesh.  Obeying God, denying self, and serving others shouldn't become a justification for "me time."  The result is spiritual stagnation and a cycle of works, labouring to "earn" the right to a reward we have picked out for ourselves - which isn't always good for us.

Now don't misunderstand:  God has given us hobbies, interests, and everything to richly enjoy.  We do have freedom in Christ, yet not everything we can do is helpful or beneficial.  It's a good thing to consider our motive concerning why we read our Bibles, go to church, or pray.  Is it something to "get out of the way" so we can do the thing we are really looking forward to - like working hard on that bike to earn a frosty root beer float after dinner?  When it comes to the deeds of the flesh Sally's perspective is best:  "I'm not going to indulge the flesh because I have sought, am seeking, and will continue to seek God today."  The flesh is happy to make deals to indulge itself, but our new lives given us by faith in Christ ought to be invested to please God.  By God's grace, by the Holy Spirit, according to His Word we can!

Precious Thoughts

While driving last night I had a fun and enlightening conversation with God.  In a relationship with God we have the freedom to have some very unorthodox thoughts.  My thoughts were something like this:  "God, if you were confined within time and I was the only person in the entire world, would you be bored?  Would you go for hours without hearing from me?  Would your life consist of a fair amount of thumb twiddling because I was off doing my own thing?"

Thought immediately flooded into my mind that went something like this.  "You have it all wrong.  Even if you were the only person in the world, my thoughts would be continuously focused on you even if you didn't regard me at all."  Then a scripture came to mind.  The truth of Psalm 139:17-18 hit home:  "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."  God's loving thoughts toward me do not depend on me at all.  He is not waiting around for me to involve Him with my life because He is proactive in exhibiting genuine love for me.  God is God, and therefore He is able to be personally involved with everyone on the planet simultaneously.  We all have all His attention at all times, and this my friends should be a great source of awe and overwhelming joy.

God delights in people, and has a special place for those who trust and include Him as a response to His love.  We are limited by time and our attention span is finite.  Some of us struggle to do two things at once!  But God does not "multitask" like people do.  His thoughts are good toward us, even when we wander, forget about Him, or even rebel.  We see this illustrated with the children of Israel, His chosen people.  Jeremiah 29:10-14 says, "For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive."  When God says "I will," we can know for certain He will.

God loves me and you.  His thoughts of us are more than the grains of sand in all the seas on this planet.  If only we realised how precious we are in God's sight!  Praise Him for His goodness and love He lavishes freely on us!

Humble Yourselves

Have you ever listened to your own prayers to God?  It is important our prayers reflect faith in God's revealed truth in His Word.  Sometimes our prayers do not demonstrate we trust the Bible.  We can beg God to "be with us" when He has promised never to leave or forsake us!  We can also pray for God to do things we are primarily responsible to do.  Through God's Spirit we are enabled respond supernaturally to God's grace and love as His adopted children, even as a flower turns toward the sun.

I was singing along with a familiar worship song which went, "Oh Spirit come make us humble."  It occurred to me it is true that only God can truly humble a man.  This is demonstrated in the scriptures when God humbled His people (Deut. 8:3; 16).  As I sang the words in church, it dawned on me this request for humbling by the Spirit is not a term of phrase found in scripture.  There are many times, however, where men are told to humble themselves.  Man has a responsibility to cooperate with God, to willingly humble himself before God who has freed us from pride and bondage to sin.  The biblical evidence overwhelmingly emphasises the need for man to humble himself before God.  Jesus said in Matthew 23:12, "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  James 4:10 states, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."  1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

We are called to humble ourselves, knowing it is God who enables us to do so by His grace.  If we do not humble ourselves, it is not because God lacks power or ability:  it is that we have refused to submit ourselves to Him in obedience and lowliness of mind.  We begin to walk in humility when we recognise God is awesome, and we are unworthy of God's goodness, love, forgiveness, and grace.  It is not attained through self-loathing or preoccupation with self at all, but a heart set on lifting up the glorious name of God in praise, worship, and obedience.  The LORD said through the prophet in Isaiah 57:15:  "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  When we humble ourselves before God, He will revive us, draw us to Himself, and lift us up.  Praise the LORD it is He who enables us to do this!

Is Justice Fair?

One of the recurring themes throughout the book of Judges and has been observed among people in the world ever since is, "every man did what was right in his own eyes."  The Proverbs say most men will proclaim their own goodness, but there is not a good man among them (Prov. 20:6).  The way of a man seems right to him, but the inevitable end is death (Prov. 14:12).  Only God is good, and His righteous standard proclaimed in scripture is absolute.

A reality of this corrupted world is all things degrade.  Our bodies break down, grow old and decay.  Biblical morality, principles once firmly established in the fabric of society, over time are easily cast aside.  As generations overtake generations, even the meaning of words can be dumbed-down into sloppy generalisations.  Take justice, for instance.  The 1828 Webster's Dictionary defines justice like this:  "1) the virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due; practical conformity to the laws and to principles of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other, honesty, integrity; 2) impartiality, equal distribution of right in expressing opinions, fair representation of facts respecting merit or demerit, it is a duty to do justice to every man, whether friend or foe; 3) equity, agreeableness to right; 4) vindictive retribution, merited punishment; 5) right, application of equity.”  Compare this definition with the first like of the American Heritage Dictionary:  "the quality of being just; fairness."  In the very first line, the modern dictionary uses a word not found in the definition over a hundred and eighty or so years ago:  "fairness."  It may seem trite, but it represents a significant shift in the way many view justice today.

When the word "fair" is used today, it means something which is pleasant or appealing to our eyes.  It can be commonly used as a synonym for justice.  But justice has nothing to do with being fair.  Justice is righteousness.  Justice is an absolute standard established by God's righteousness, for only God is Just.  To say God is "fair" is an adulteration of the language, for God never claims to be fair:  He does not always do what is pleasing to man's eyes.  Justice is the upholding of God's righteousness.  Fairness is largely subjective, based upon what way seems right in the eyes of man.  I am not suggesting that fairness and justice cannot intersect.  What I am saying is because of the modern meaning of the word "justice," we apply that subjective standard to God and feel at liberty to stand in judgment of His ways.  This brings us back to how important the scripture is to shape our understanding of what true justice is in Proverbs 16:25:  "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  Our idea of fair is not always righteous.  Unlike the words we commonly use, God is perfect and does not change!  Turn to the Word of God, and it will be a lamp unto your feet and a light to your path.  It will never lead you wrong!

Righteousness and Relevance

There is a push in many churches today to be more "relevant."  In an attempt to be relevant by allowing culture to dictate belief or emphasis above the Word of God, the church becomes more irrelevant than ever.  A church is only as relevant as it is righteous.  A church pandering to humanism and traditions of men has nothing of eternal value to offer anyone.  The church does not suddenly become relevant because the pastor is a hipster, the media department produces eye-popping videos, services are well-attended, or hosts weekly outreaches in pubs along with Scotch-tasting.  The church is not relevant because of what it does, but because of what it is:  the living Body of Jesus Christ comprised of individuals united in One Spirit.

Some who profess Christ as Saviour seem concerned that if the church does not mirror the culture, it cannot effectively reach people for Christ.  Jesus went into the world, but He did not become like the world.  It is true the church was never meant for isolation, and through Christ we will overcome the world.  But we cannot overcome the world if we deny the teachings of scripture because the world does not agree - and it cannot.  An altered Gospel is stripped of all power to save.  If we lay aside the biblical truths of God's goodness, man's rebellion and sinfulness, the fact all men have sinned and rightly deserve eternal punishment in hell, the love of Jesus demonstrated on Calvary's cross, and only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a sinner by grace through faith, the church becomes a self-glorified social club controlled by the whims of hypocrites and deluded fools.  The church has never been called to acquiesce to culture, but to agree with God according to the truth revealed in the Bible.  Culture changes, but God's righteousness endures forever.  An unrighteous church is an irrelevant church.

The church will always be relevant because it is the living Body of Jesus Christ, regardless of the world's opinions.  Jesus has what the entire world needs - not cures for illnesses, money for those in poverty, support for homeless or widows, influence through politics or social reforms, or life enhancement - but the way of eternal life through His righteousness by faith.  The life and love of Jesus Christ is what should be attractive about the church.  It is a light in the darkness of this confused, divided, lost, hopeless world in which we live.  It is not about providing a healthier alternative:  the everlasting Gospel is the only way anyone can be saved.  People are dead in their sins and going to hell!  They don't need the church to change its stance on scripture to find common ground.  People need a church who will hold fast in faith and lovingly, compassionately preach the Word - without apology.  The pressures of society to conform the church as a product of the culture are seemingly stronger than ever.  But God and His Word are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Instead of dismissing parts of the Bible we don't agree with, how much better and stronger our witness is when we hold unwaveringly to God's truth!  Our faith is one that works.  Good works for God's glory in the world ought to mark Christ's Body.  Do you believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness?  God is a righteous God, and righteousness is what we need to be saved from our sins and to pass from death to life.  There is not a good or righteous person who walks on this earth today according to God's standard.  Should we reduce God's Word to our unrighteous concepts of fairness or relevance, picking and choosing what we will believe or throw out?  Then we have foolishly chosen to adopt a flawed, powerless, irrelevant belief system incapable of saving or changing people at all.  Our righteousness is not our own, but Christ's received by faith.  Should we foolishly adopt the views of this world and culture under Satan's sway to try to impact the world for God?  There is no life in this world!  Trying to be like the world to reach the world is like a surgeon cutting out the heart of one dead cadaver and placing it in another dead corpse:  activity without life, profit, or purpose.

People need righteousness.  They need forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation.  They need Jesus Christ and the power of the resurrection through the Holy Spirit within them.  There is absolutely no hope in this world apart from faith in Christ.  Jesus is always relevant, for He knows our deepest needs and is able to meet them all.  You do not need a building, programs, or ordination certificates on your wall to make an impact in this world for God.  You do not need a new sound system, a bank of TVs, or rock-concert lighting to worship God and bring glory to His name.  Take to heart this exhortation found in Titus 2:11-15:  "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. ¹⁵ Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you."  We live in an ungodly world which seeks to distract, distort the truth, and destroy the foundations of our faith by undermining scripture.  Refuse to fall for the lie that to be relevant the church must adopt worldly views or practices.  Christians are to be different because we have been born again by the Holy Spirit who lives in us.  Our aim must be to follow Jesus and live righteously as we abide in His light and love.  In doing so we will be relevant because we know and love the One the whole world needs:  Jesus Christ.

Dangerous Gifts

Recently there has been a small spike in Australian news concerning former NSW premiere Barry O'Farrell.  He resigned last year when it was discovered he received a $3,000 bottle of wine and did not claim it as a gift from a donor.  A news report claims Mr. O'Farrell has denied fresh allegations he also received an expensive fountain pen whilst in office from a construction company that later won a large contract.  Whether or not Barry is innocent or guilty of wrongdoing in this case, receiving bribes or gifts is nothing new.  Those with money are drawn to people in influential government positions, knowing it doesn't take much luxury to "grease the skids" for their benefit.  A $1,000 pen is nothing compared to a 1 billion dollar contract!

Perhaps there are some people who become a public servant for the perks or retirement package, but I would suspect a vast majority of those who aspire to such a role do so to make a positive difference in government, community, and to individuals.  Maybe they have perceived injustice and want to ensure those who are poor and struggling have adequate representation in government.  They want to go to battle for the battlers, the ones doing it tough.  Their aspiration is to be a man or a woman of their community, faithfully serving their fellow citizens and residents.  In the beautiful and blessed country I now call home, there are thousands of people every day who champion the causes of immigrants, the aged, single, children in foster care, and those with failing health both in a professional and volunteer basis.  But starting well, firmly holding to ideals and principles, does not mean your grip on them tightens.  There are many people who have epitomised the term "public servant" in their role in government.  Yet history reveals many who started well as champions of the people who ended up accepting gifts, bribes, embezzling, living lavishly whilst people suffer poverty, or even becoming the totalitarian leaders of deadly regimes.  Starting well does not ensure a strong finish.

The fall of leaders through accepting gifts or succumbing to greed is not limited to government employees.  Every single person on the planet is susceptible to the lure of wealth or gifts - even in the church.  This morning I read Isaiah 1:23, a rebuke from God directed at His own people.  "Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them."  The princes who were called to uphold justice according to God's Word had been corrupted by bribes and rewards.  There was rebellion in their hearts and they ceased defending the fatherless and shrugged off the complaints of the widows.  Their circle of "friends" increasingly detached them from functioning in their God-ordained role.  Maybe these princes were idealistic in their zeal to make a difference, only to find people presented an ever-growing litany of problems.  The role made the public servant feel entitled to a little rest, leisure, and luxury.  Flattered by associating with the wealthy and influential, the princes began to even drift from obedience to God.

I wonder:  is it possible Christians can allow spiritual gifts or calling to a role in the body of Christ to distract them from their necessity of purity, righteousness, and holiness?  No one is impervious to the snare of pride.  The life of David reveals even a great victory over a giant by faith in God does not translate into a victory over a beautiful woman.  No matter how we have been used by God, no matter how divinely gifted, the hearts of men have a way of drifting from allegiance to Christ and denying self.  It is very dangerous to think because we can operate in a spiritual gift everything is fine between us and God!  Over time we may be deceived to think our strength is our own.  It is a sobering reality that we can be called and gifted by God and cease to be absolutely loyal to Him.  Look at the kings in Judah and Israel.  Consider pastors, teachers, and servants in the church.  No one goes into ministry looking to drag God's name through the mud by embezzlement or fornication, but it happens.  When our hearts are lifted up and we place our confidence in self, a spiritual fall and great injury will be the result - unless we repent.

Let me leave you with a prophecy spoken by Oded in 2 Chronicles 15:1-7:  "Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. ² And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. ³ For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; ⁴ but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. ⁵ And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. ⁶ So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. ⁷ But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!"  When we trust in our own strength, we are powerless.  If God is our strength, we are fit to run with endurance the race set before us as we look to Christ alone!  If we turn to the LORD and seek Him, He will be found by us.  What a blessing and privilege, to know and speak to the LORD of all!

Problems Are Opportunities

In our discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, one of the materials we use is the Self-Confrontation Manual developed by John C. Broger.  One of the major points of emphasis is how Christians must choose between man's way and God's way in our daily lives.  In Lesson 2 page 4, a profound statement is made concerning how walking with Christ should affect our perspective.  The top of page 33 states concerning a Holy Spirit-filled believer:  "You are now enabled to see that God uses trials and problems as opportunities for spiritual growth."  Only God can grant man such spiritual insight.  We see problems as obstacles and hindrances, yet every one provides an opportunity for us to grow.

What the world  may see as a "setback" is actually the means God employs to cause us to progress in faith and maturity.  Our failures and faults can be redeemed for our good and growth.  Only God can use our mistakes and troubles of this life to accomplish ultimate will.   Romans 5:1-5 says, "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."

Peace with God does not depend on our circumstances, but on His unwavering character and unrelenting love.  For those who are born again through repentance and trust in Jesus Christ, He has become our peace.  He is our peace regardless if the world seems to be crashing down all around us.  Through Him we have access "into this grace in which we stand" and can rejoice with assurance He will be glorified.  We can rejoice even in trials and difficulties, knowing God will redeem them to bolster our growth and refine our character.  Not even our mistakes can separate us from the love of God graciously given us though faith in Jesus and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

When I notice a "problem," my instinctive response is to think, "I need to do something!"  Instead of seeing problems as a hindrance, through the lens of faith we can say with confidence God is doing something - something profound, good, and glorious.  The assurance of our hope is solid as Christ's love.  Nobody wants problems, but when we recognise God will redeem them we can rejoice in His faithfulness to redeem.  When we commit our problems to the LORD in obedience, recognising He is LORD of all and in control, we lay hold of an invaluable opportunity to grow and glorify God!

Progress Brings Opposition

The book of Nehemiah has many great spiritual parallels for the Christian.  Jerusalem was the place God had chosen to place His name, and the enemies of God's people were mobilised when they perceived progress was being made in the restoration of the city.  I believe the same rings true of the enemy of our souls when we come to Christ in faith - not only at conversion, but when we take steps to progress in sanctification.  Job's uprightness had not gone unnoticed by Satan who schemed for his destruction.  Jesus revealed Satan desired to "sift Peter as wheat," knowing God had a plan to use him to advance God's kingdom.  Leonard Ravenhill said that Paul was "known in hell" based upon the words of the demon when the sons of Sceva tried to drive him out:  "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"  We are in a spiritual battle, and we are called to be vigilant and courageous, knowing Jesus Christ has granted us the ultimate victory.

It is a great privilege to read the word of God, and a useful practice to read through it regularly.  In this way we receive the whole counsel of God, being reminded of truths we already know, learn new things, and receive fresh personal application as well.  Satan does not need to expend much effort or resources on tripping up the nominal Christian, one who is a Christian in word but not in deed - especially one who is not in the Word or regular fellowship.  But when there is renewed resolve and obedience in following Jesus Christ, it no doubt grabs his attention.  Nehemiah 4:7-9 shows us how the enemies of God's children responded when they saw progress being made in Jerusalem:  "Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, ⁸ and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. ⁹ Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night."  Nehemiah knew people were plotting to attack and confuse them.  Did that cause Nehemiah to reconsider building the walls?  Nope.  He took his concerns to God in prayer, and set a watch against the enemy.  The order is important.  He didn't fix his eyes upon the enemy and lift reactionary prayers to God.  He fixed his eyes primarily upon God, and then set a watch over the affairs of his life.

Should we be afraid, seeing Satan is compared to a roaring lion seeking to devour us as prey?  Yes, but we should never fear Satan:  we must fear God, the King who has overcome!  Solomon says at the end of Ecclesiastes we are to fear God and keep His commandments.  We love God because He first loved us.  God who indwells us is greater than any enemy we could ever face in this world.  1 John 4:14-15 says, "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."  No weapon fashioned against us shall prosper, for God fights for those whose hearts are loyal to Him.  What boldness, confidence, assurance, and strength is found through faith in God!  It is His work, and He will be faithful to bring it to completion despite any opposition.

Sorry, Not Enough

Have you ever done wrong and felt sorry about it?  When it comes to setting things right, feeling sorry is often the first step in repentance.  The pricking of our conscience should lead to a changed mind which admits we have done wrong.  Merely admitting guilt still stops short of repentance, a necessary step to be forgiven by God.  Repentance begins with a changed mind and a renewed heart according to God's Word, resulting in intentional lifestyle changes which agree with God.

There is a practical example seen in the book of Ezra.  Ezra the priest was astonished when he heard a report from the princes that many of the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from captivity in the Babylon had transgressed God's command in marrying foreign wives.  The rulers, ones who were called to lead righteously in obeying the Word, were primarily to blame.  Ezra 10:1 says, "Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly."  The people guilty of disobedience were remorseful, sorry for what they had done.  Ezra 10:2-4 continues:  "And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, "We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. ³ Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. ⁴ Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it."

The people were sorrowful over their sin, but they remained hopeless to be forgiven without repentance.  As long as they remained in their sinful lifestyle, they remained condemned.  No amount of sacrifices could make them acceptable before God if they merely stayed sorry.  Yet Shechaniah had words of hope for the people who had sinned.  In spite of their willful disobedience, they had an opportunity set before them to be forgiven and restored to a righteous standing before God.  The issue of intermarriage was not a racial problem, but a spiritual one.  Marriage to foreign people was permitted under the Law as long as they converted to Judaism.  Those who refused to enter into God's covenant with His people needed to be released from their marriages so the nation could be united before God in obedience and submission.  It would be brutally difficult and horrendous to have to put them away, even as Abraham sent away Hagar and his beloved Ishmael.  The point which stands out from this passage is being sorry, even admitting our guilt before God with many tears, is not enough to warrant restoration before our Father in heaven.  We must repent, choose to reject sinful practices at any cost, and do what is right.

God's people are responsible to obey Him, and when He brings to our attention we are in sin we must take appropriate steps to forsake it.  Allowing sinful practices to remain in our lives perpetuates a cycle of guilt without true repentance.  As followers of Jesus Christ we are no longer under the condemnation of the Law, but this does not mean we should continue in sin.  Sorrow over sin is a good start, but stopping short of repentance only increases damage.  Romans 6:1-4 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  Sin is a merciless killer, and sinful practices in our lives must be dealt with severely without mercy.  Our loyalty must be to God, not to idols or worldly loves.

No matter what we have done, there is hope for us through Jesus Christ if we will confess our sin, repent, and receive forgiveness according to His grace.  It is not by our efforts to clean up our lives which avails anything, but the shed blood of Christ which through faith cleanses us of sin.  Through Christ we can experience newness of life today if we will put off the old man, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new man through faith in Jesus.  We should be sorry when we sin, but we must go further and repent fully by removing the source of sin from our lifestyle.  Praise the LORD for His redemptive, restoring work enabled in each who believe through the Holy Spirit!

Suffer No Hunger

Some view God as an overbearing ruler, seeking at every turn to deprive people of fun and enjoyment.  This view of God is like an ignorant child who turns up his nose at unfamiliar food.  It is ironic a picky eater who refuses good food at the table may poison himself later that day by drinking household chemicals found under the kitchen sink!  Idolatry is more dangerous and deadly than poison.  Even as a child who must trust their parents to obey their encouragement to "try" the food placed before them, so all people are called to trust God.  God does not deprive people of anything.  You can drink the poison supplied by this world if you like.  God has warned us, and if we are intent on self-destruction God will not force us to adopt His ways.  But if we desire what is good, we must choose to trust God and do what pleases Him.  Thankfully the atoning blood of Christ atones for our sins as the only antidote to save our souls.

Throughout God's history with His people, there was a recurring theme they did not listen to God.  They chose to reject God's way and He allowed them to go their own way with disastrous results.  Isn't it ironic God's own people chose to reject God's commands given to them?  Psalm 81:8-14 says, "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! ⁹ There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. ¹⁰ I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. ¹¹ "But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. ¹² So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. ¹³ "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! ¹⁴ I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries."  God longs greatly that people would listen to Him and obey.  He has been faithful to deliver His people from bondage, sin, and death.  How sad it is when we who have experienced His deliverance would so quickly turn from Him and follow after idols which cannot save or satisfy.  He says, "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."  Like a chef supplying gourmet delicacies we have never seen or tasted before, God has good things to fill us with and satisfy our souls.

Looking at food stops far short of tasting it for ourselves.  Eating involves all our major senses.  The flavour is enhanced with delicious aromas.  Quality food doesn't just look tasty, but has the correct texture:  chewy, crunchy, fluffy, or smooth.  Tasting food yourself is a personal experience, and trusting and obeying Christ is also a series of personal choices.  David was a man who had experienced God's deliverance and salvation.  David once made the mistake of seeking aid from his enemy, and when he realised his error he was struck with fear.  He pretended to be crazy before the king, scratching on the walls and allowed saliva to run down his beard.  After he was saved from that sticky and embarrassing situation, David proclaimed the goodness of God.  He wrote following the incident in Psalm 34:1-10:  "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. ² My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. ³ Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. ⁴ I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. ⁸ Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! ⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. "

There is nothing better than being loved by God and loving Him back, trusting and obeying His Word.  Have you tasted and seen for yourself that the LORD is good?  With David I can say truly, "Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  There is no want to those who fear Him."  Shut the door on the equivalent of corrosive chemical cleaners you've been eyeing under the sink - those idols and sinful practices which can only destroy - and feed on God's faithfulness instead.  Open your mouth wide in faith, and God will fill it.  Those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Don't Hold Out!

A personal testimony is a powerful tool which can bring much glory to God.  Whilst it is true making our past lifestyle or sins the focus is an improper emphasis, it would be wrong to ignore them.  After his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite, David wrote in Psalm 51:3, "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."  David's acknowledgement of his sin produced a humility in him before God and men.  Our story ought to always point to God's deliverance, grace, and faithfulness despite our faults.

There is a flavour people can give to their testimony of God saving them which suggests they had a license to sin in their "BC" days - before Christ.  The implication is they were far worse sinners in those days than now.  There's no way they could ever sin like that again!  This is not necessarily true.  To think we will never sin after Christ to the degree we sinned before is inconsistent in the life of David and likely our own.  In the matter of David's sin, he transgressed decades after he committed to trust, obey, and worship God alone.  In Christian circles, people can be very free to share with others how they used to live before Christ.  On the other hand, to admit they have struggled or stumbled into sin since is quietly kept under wraps.  This produces a false front, a facade of spiritual strength to hide faults we know all too well a "good Christian" could or should have overcome.

And the result?  Christians are reluctant to admit they are struggling, and this lack of transparency leads other believers to do the same.  Openness concerning personal matters and frank honesty concerning sin promotes the same.  Why is it that when we choose to follow Christ we assume we ought to be perfect and refuse to admit our hurts and struggles?  Perhaps people are afraid their "salvation" will be doubted as genuine.  No one wants to be judged by others or seen as weak failures.  Pride has a lot to do with concealment of our faults, and God requires us to walk humbly with Him.  When we were purchased with the blood of Christ by grace through faith, He purchased us as His own.  Ours is a story of God's redemption and grace - not only before our conversion, but after as well.  Our lives are a tapestry woven through with threads of God's deliverance, forgiveness, acceptance, and love.  If we are His and He is ours, when we choose to keep our struggles and God's deliverance private after our conversion, we hold out on God.  In doing so we refuse God glory to save face before men.

When we share the testimony of God's salvation and deliverance of our souls, let's not keep referring back to our days before we came to Christ in faith.  It is fitting to talk about how God initially opened your eyes to your sin and need for salvation and forgiveness, but speak freely and frankly about how He has delivered you since.  Like David, we too can testify God is a living God who has delivered us out of all distress, affliction, and sin.  Transparency with others in the Body of Christ leads to true accountability.  Our story is God's story, and we ought not keep the light of His deliverance hidden from those who have also tasted and seen God is good.  Instead of painting ourselves in a soft, fuzzy light to improve our image, how much better to accurately describe the wondrous things God has done in delivering us from sin and ourselves.  To God be the glory, both now and forever!

The Holy War

I read an interesting article written by Thomas Madden reprinted in "Christianity Today" in 2005 concerning the Crusades.  One of his main points is how the Crusades were a response to the stop the spread of Islam in the world about one thousand years ago.  I have not studied the history of the Crusades to know how accurate the article is, or what bias has affected the conclusions.  But the last sentence caught my attention.  Quoting professor Madden, "Whether we admire the Crusaders or not, it is a fact that the world we know today would not exist without their efforts. The ancient faith of Christianity, with its respect for women and antipathy toward slavery, not only survived but flourished. Without the Crusades, it might well have followed Zoroastrianism, another of Islam's rivals, into extinction."

Perhaps I am a sleepy reader, but the last sentence shocked me awake in disbelief.  What?  Is this guy serious?  Could he really say or believe such a thing?  Without the Crusades Christianity might well have been made extinct?  Never!  To say Christianity could possibly ever be extinct is to suggest Jesus is not alive or has never existed.  As a follower of Jesus, I am absolutely convinced Jesus Christ is alive.  The scripture says He is at the right hand of the Father, making intercession on behalf of people loyal to God.  He has gone to prepare a place for those who believe and follow Him.  Someday He will return, establish His kingdom, and rule with a rod of iron.  Christianity is the genuine, true, exclusive way to God.  This claim has made it wildly unpopular, even offensive.  But there it is.  I do not apologise for the words spoken by my Saviour Jesus Christ in John 14:6:  "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  Everyone has placed before them the choice to believe Jesus and entrust Him with your everlasting soul, and I have without regret.

There is a consistent spiritual principle held forth in 1 Corinthians 15:46 which is foundational to what I am going to say.  It reads, "However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual."  The natural comes first and then the spiritual.  Hearkening back in Jewish history, God chose the Jews to be His special people.  He gave them a land flowing with milk and honey, and they with His aid were to drive out the inhabitants of the land.  Though they did not do this fully, God established them in the land of Israel.  They set up a tabernacle according to God's specifications to worship God, and ultimately Solomon built a temple for this purpose.  God gave all the tribes an inheritance of land.  To the tribe of Levi God gave no inheritance of land, for He was their inheritance (Numbers 18:20).

Fast forward to Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah sent by God to seek and save the lost.  Jesus came to the lost sheep of Israel, but having been rejected by them, a Way through faith in Christ was opened for Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) to be born again and be adopted as sons into God's kingdom.  The physical temple has not remained standing to this day, and even if it is rebuilt there will be no need for the blood of animal sacrifices to atone for sins because Jesus has already done so with His own blood.  The physical temple has preceded the spiritual temple.  1 Corinthians 6:19 affirms every Christian is now the temple of the Holy Spirit because He lives within us!  The fight was a physical one when the Hebrews drove out the inhabitants of the land, but now for Christians it is a spiritual one.  The promises God made to the Jews concerning their land remain true.  Yet for believers our battle is not against flesh and blood over physical regions, but is waged against spiritual forces of wickedness in the spiritual realms (Eph. 6:12).  The weapons of our warfare are not carnal - guns, knives, fists, or political influence - but mighty in God for pulling down spiritual strongholds and everything which vaunts itself against Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4), bringing every thought into captivity to obedience to Christ.  The battle is largely an internal one, dealing with my own heart first.

In the New Testament, not once did Jesus encourage His disciples to physically fight against the oppressive Romans, Muslims, or self-righteous Pharisees.  He did not fight like any man before Him fought.  He did not leverage political power, manipulate by threats, or gather an army to crush dissidents.  He demonstrated the love of God through self-sacrifice according to the leading of His heavenly Father.  Religious and militaristic groups may use physical force to accomplish their ends through intimidation and murder, but Christians should never be numbered among them.  Do you know how Jesus gained the victory and spread His Gospel throughout the world for eternity?  By dying at the hands of His enemies without resisting evil according to His command during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:39).  This approach is repulsive to conventional wisdom because it is a revelation of God's true wisdom.  Jesus committed Himself completely into the hands of the Father, knowing He would be raised from the dead.  He committed Himself fully to God, knowing He would be vindicated for His righteousness and death would be overcome.  He prayed.  Oh, how He prayed!  Jesus loved, prayed, and obeyed God, and every single professing Christian in the world ought follow His example.

It was through dying on the cross and rising from the dead which shattered the chains of bondage and sin which held men captive in darkness and death.  To the world it appeared He lost the battle as His lifeless body was removed from the cross, but it was His physical death which ushered in new spiritual life for countless souls.  The example and pattern established by Jesus was followed by the Christians in the early church.  They faced great persecution, incarceration, torture, and execution.  Instead of picking up the sword to smite unbelievers or even to defend their own lives, they fled to the safety of other regions.  Some like Paul went willingly where the Spirit revealed he would be arrested in chains.  The Word of God and the Gospel was taken into marketplaces, prisons, palaces, and remote villages.  Yet somewhere down the line, the church or government decided they would abandon the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God - and use the carnal weapons of men or political policies to accomplish God's purposes.  It reverted to a physical battle over land and people using military might rather than seeking God in prayer to fight our battles.  Perhaps people were deceived to think prayer was not enough to triumph in conflicts concerning God.  Instead of dying to self to save souls, men waged war to kill those who opposed them.  And this approach has continued by some to this day.

May Christians be those who have reclaimed all the territory of their own hearts and minds to the obedience of Jesus Christ, choosing to follow the example of Jesus by always doing what pleases the Father and walking in love.  The spectre of conquesting jihadists or controlling governments should not cause us to deviate from Christ's ways.  Instead of stockpiling weapons, we need to draw the Sword of the Spirit - the Word of God - and heed it ourselves!  Even if obedience to God means my head will be sawed from my shoulders, I pledge to love those who draw my blood.  Whether I live or die I entrust my eternal soul to the hands of my Father who loves me and gave His only Son to physically die for me so I might spiritually live through Him.  One day (should God tarry) I will go the way of the earth, and my family name may be wiped from the planet, but there is no one in the universe or beyond who can destroy my Saviour, for He has overcome!  We will not need to fight, for Jesus is already Victor!  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward all men!