Taken As You Follow

The Bible is rich with practical examples people who trust in God can identify with.  As I read through the book of Amos the other day, I truly identified with the prophet.  My call to ministry echoed his own, and God's clear involvement helped Amos stay the course despite hardship.  Becoming a pastor and teaching the Bible was never my intended plan for my future, and being a prophet was not the idea of Amos.  He said in Amos 7:14-15, "I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. ¹⁵ Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'"  The fact neither Amos nor his father had a background in prophetic ministry was strong evidence of the authenticity of God's call upon his life.  He didn't start prophesying because he had received professional training, but God singled Amos out for His service.

As a pastor, I am comforted by the fact I never once imagined being a pastor as a child or youth.  It was only when I sought an open door to teach apprentices my trade of mechanical insulation I sensed God shutting that door and opening a door to teach His people:  "You will preach, and you will be sent."  I had already been teaching a Bible study, but a pastor?  It seemed incredible and challenging to believe.  Now I find myself a minister in Australia, and I know it is God who took me, called me, and will faithfully enable me to do His will.  I am not a passive pawn in some divine game, but a beloved son and servant of the Most High.  Like a soldier I have enlisted to serve God through faith in Christ, and it is required among stewards they be found faithful.  As Joseph said I say humbly, "It is not in me:  God will give an answer of peace."  God does not need man, yet God freely chooses to use men and women who trust and obey Him.

The call of God is not answered by looking for it or guessing what it could be, but by simply following the flock.  I did not draft a "wish list" of what role I would like in the Body of Christ or what gifts I wish to operate in.  This is the role of the Holy Spirit, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 12:11, "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."  Even as God formed the first man from the dust of the ground, He knits each person together in the womb.  After being born again God places all people who trust in Christ in the Body of Christ according to His flawless design.  You will discover exactly where you fit in the Body as you follow Jesus Christ in the flock of God.  Amos was a devout man of God, and his trades were breeding sheep and farming sycamore fruit.  As he followed the flock, God took him and called him out of his profession.  He put words in the mouth of Amos and placed a burden on his heart to speak, and God used Amos as a prophet - even though he hadn't been trained as a prophet.  Walking with God provides the best training, and being filled with the Holy Spirit trumps training by itself.

Too many people sense a call of God upon their life and make a grave error:  they leave following the flock of God before God takes them and establishes them in their new role.  They know God has called them, and impatiently seek to bring their call to fruition.  They want others to recognise their calling too.  Many of these people - likely anointed and called of God to minister - eventually leave ministering and return to breeding sheep, farming, working in sales, and back to the tools.  There is nothing wrong with being a lay-minister like Paul who supported his ministry through manual labour.  But even in prison Paul didn't stop ministering.  Ministry ramped up!  David was called and anointed as king over a decade before he actually became king.  As the oil dripped down his face and soaked his clothes from the prophet Samuel's horn, he knew what it meant.  What David didn't know at the time was for years God would permit the mad king Saul to pursue him with only a step between him and death.  The LORD took that humble shepherd as he followed the flock, like Amos, and established him as king over all Israel.  It will be the same for you and me as well.

Does this mean we all will be given an opportunity to rule?  No:  today Jesus Christ the KING OF KINGS is the rightful ruler.  We are called to take the lowest place, for Jesus provided His followers the example of being the servant of all.  Those given authority in ministry must remain under God's authority.  Our lives are lived in the confines of time, and one of the great lessons we must learn is God is not in a hurry.  Jesus allowed Lazarus to die and be buried instead of rushing to His immediate aid.  For forty years Moses lived in Egypt, and then forty more years tended his father-in-law's herds before God took him and used him to deliver the Israelites from bondage.  Joseph spent years in an Egyptian prison after being wrongfully accused before he was made second to Pharaoh and save the nation from famine.  God allowed David to sleep in caves for years before he lived in a palace.  Amos was trained for the ministry while he followed the flock.  God called me as a pastor when I had been trained to insulate pipes and worked in the industry for over a decade!  Looking back I can say with complete contentment:  God knew what He was doing all along.  God uses the daily grind to refine our faith.

Leave your role and the timing for your ministry to the LORD.  It is all God's ministry, and He redeems the time.  He will take you as you follow Jesus Christ, faithfully serving in obedience right where you are.  Do you seek great things for yourself?  The LORD forbids this (Jer. 45:5).  Instead of despising the days of small things in your estimation, today seek to better serve and magnify our great and glorious God!  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.

A Divided Heart

During my recent trip to Cambodia, there was no shortage of images and idolatry.  Temples, shrines, and monks were commonplace.  The smell of burning incense was strong in shops, hotel lobbies, and restaurants.  The worship of anything other than the Living God from a biblical perspective is idolatry, and it is endemic to all people.  Idols in Cambodia can be pasted on the walls or be given an offering of food, but idols in western societies can be a woman who can sing, a man who is in our favourite band, or scores touchdowns on Sunday.  Idolatry is rife even in the hearts of those who profess to trust and love God.  A prime example is seen in God's chosen people.

It was unlawful for the Jews under the Law of Moses to represent God with engravings or with a moulded representation of a human body, of mammals, fish, birds, or creeping thing, for it would provide a temptation to worship the works of men's hands (Deut. 4:16-18).  God is a Spirit, and must not be represented by anything created by Him or fashioned by men.  Even with the Law and sacrifice, the days of the judges was marked by a recurring phrase:  "Every man did what was right in his own eyes."  This too is idolatry:  the love of self.  Self-seeking, self-esteem, and self-focus can be blights even in Christians.  That is why we must repent and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, being faithful disciples and making disciples of Jesus Christ. 

What makes idolatry so sinister is it can be most subtle.  It is perfectly natural for us to consider ourselves in making common decisions.  Israel was blessed and fruitful, yet their abundance led to increased idolatry.  They more God gave them, the less they trusted Him.  The LORD spoke through the prophet in Hosea 10:1-2:  "Israel empties his vine; he brings forth fruit for himself. According to the multitude of his fruit He has increased the altars; according to the bounty of his land they have embellished his sacred pillars. ² Their heart is divided; now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars."  Israel did not bring fruit unto the LORD, but for himself.  God was robbed of tithes and offerings.  Sacrifices continued to be offered to God and also to the hosts of heaven.  But this was only evidence of a deeper issue:  one of a divided heart.  Idolatry produces a divided heart!  Part of the heart is loyal towards God, yet the affections and desires of the heart seek after other things.  Those guilty of a divided heart may have the appearance of outward piety, but are guilty of idolatry before God.

Do you have a divided heart?  Make the profession of Psalm 86:6-11 your prayer:  "Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. ⁷ In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me. ⁸ Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. ⁹ All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. ¹⁰ For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. ¹¹ Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name."  May God's people have a united heart to fear and worship Him in truth always.

Salvation By Shipwreck

Faith in God is demonstrated through trust and obedience.  Even when the circumstances of life seem to dictate more sensible courses of action than faith in God, trusting and obeying God no matter what are keys to comfort, rest, and salvation.  God never works in the way we might predict, for the ways of God are infinitely higher than those of men.  We might have an idea of what God is doing or what we might want Him to do, but God's judgments are not based on our shortsighted, often selfish perspectives.  For God's people all situations are worked out for our good.

The Bible is filled with demonstrations of faith by God's people.  God allows us to experience troubles, trials, and temptations so our faith and character might be refined as gold.  The book of Acts describes a situation when trust in the word of God contradicted men's best ideas or efforts for self preservation.  Paul had been arrested and was being transported by ship along with two hundred and seventy-five other men which was comprised of fellow prisoners, guards, and crew.  It was a risky time for sailing, but the helmsmen convinced the centurion they could reach a harbour in Crete.  Shortly after their departure, they were caught in a great tempest.  The crew and men did everything possible to survive.

Acts 27:16-20 reads, "And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. ¹⁷ When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. ¹⁸ And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. ¹⁹ On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. ²⁰ Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up."  The men did everything possible to save themselves.  They secured the skiff, undergirded the ship, struck sail to avoid running aground, lightened the ship, and finally threw all the tackle overboard.  All hope of being saved was finally given up.  Yet when there appeared no physical hope or help, God spoke to Paul who in turn proclaimed it to the men on board.

During his address Paul said in Acts 27:22-27, "And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' ²⁵ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. ²⁶ However, we must run aground on a certain island."  Paul urged the men to take heart because God had spoken to him, and promised there would be no loss of life - but only the ship.  When there was no hope an angel spoke to Paul and said, "Do not be afraid."  Without a shred of physical evidence beyond the word of God Paul took heart, believing that all would be exactly as God said:  the ship would be destroyed, but all would be saved.

Not everyone was keen to take God at His word.  They wanted to avoid running aground so they continued to take soundings to gauge depth.  As the depth gradually reduced and their fear of running aground seemed likely, some of the crew secretly decided to take matters into their own hands.  Their own efforts had been useless to that point, but were unwilling to remain on the ship despite God's promise.  Can't we do the exact same thing?  While pretending to let down the anchors, they lowed the skiff from the side.  Acts 27:31 says, "Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved."  For God's word to be confirmed, all those on board needed to meet God's conditions:  stay on the ship until it runs aground, and then all will be saved.  Should some leave in disobedience, they would jeopardise their own lives and even the centurion who remained on board.

The passage concludes the next day in Acts 27:40-44:  "And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. ⁴¹ But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves. ⁴² And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. ⁴³ But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, ⁴⁴ and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land."  What the passengers feared most God allowed to happen to them, yet trust in God's Word brought salvation:  all escaped safely to land.  God did not withhold violent waves from tearing the ship into pieces, nor did He preserve the ship.  When all hope was lost, God provided hope through shipwreck.

The disciples were shattered and afraid when Jesus Christ died on the cross.  All hope seemed lost.  Yet Satan's apparent victory was no defeat for God, for Jesus Christ rose from the grave immortal and glorified as He said.  It was in His death and resurrection all can have salvation and life.  It is in our dying to self - in losing our lives for the sake of Jesus - that we find everlasting life, love, salvation, and indescribable joy.  Do not fear the shipwrecks or trials by fire God allows in your life, for it is in the tempest or the furnace of affliction God will meet with you, speak comfort to you, and provide hope for you and others.  When all hope is lost, do not lose heart.  Those who trust God and His Word will never be put to shame.

Our Hope for Healing

"For thus says the LORD: 'Your affliction is incurable, your wound is severe. ¹³ There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up; you have no healing medicines.'"

Jeremiah 30:12-13

There is no cure in this world for the ills which plague men.  The "self-help" section of shops and libraries has not diminished because of the success of previous editions.  New books are written to build upon the faulty foundation that man is able through effort to better himself.  The detestable nature of our hearts and afflictions of mind and body cannot be addressed by human means.  We have all sinned, and sin ultimately brings death.  Surgery does not cure, nor does therapy heal.  Our lives are one of physical decline, and all society with us.  Our affliction is incurable, and our wound is severe.

Those who believe lasting positive change in the world can by implemented through government programs, laws, taxes, religion, or tradition chase a mirage.  Only the LORD who accurately diagnoses the condition of men is able to do anything to cure it.  If a doctor treats a man for a common cold who has AIDS, his treatment will be ineffective and pointless without addressing the source.  The problem is not a runny nose or sore throat, but a systemic problem which weakens the body's defenses.  Treating symptoms without dealing with the cause only temporarily masks the problem.

If we were to ask "the man on the street" what is the biggest problem in the world today, he would no doubt supply an answer.  There are a plethora of potential responses.  The follow-up question is the more difficult one:  "What would you do or how could you fix the problem?"  Our affliction is incurable, our wound severe.  There is no one to help plead our cause, no one to bind our wounds we have suffered, and no balm to promote healing.  There is only one hope for this world:  Jesus Christ.  He is the One who raises the dead to life, gives those who trust in Him new hearts, supplies the Holy Spirit who comforts, convicts, helps, and instructs, and makes us new.  Naaman was cured from his leprosy by dipping seven times in the Jordan River at the word of Elisha the prophet, and all are washed clean from sin through the application of Christ's shed blood by faith. A relationship with Jesus Christ transforms our perspective and provides unshakable hope in a hopeless world.

Luke 4:17-21 speaks of when Jesus went into a synogogue in Nazareth:  "And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ¹⁸ "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; ¹⁹ to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." ²⁰ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  For all who hear and trust in Jesus, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.  There is no earthy cure for what ails you, no medicine to heal your broken heart.  But if Jesus is able to cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to live again, He can restore you to wholeness!  With a word He cast out demons from a distance, and by His Word the world was created.  He rose from the dead, proving His power over sin and death.  Because Jesus lives, He can be your life.