Hate and Love

"I have loved you," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" says the LORD. "Yet Jacob I have loved; ³ but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness."

Malachi 1:2-3

Over the weekend a visiting pastor referenced this statement from the book of Malachi.  He said some people fault God for hating Esau, but they would do better to question his love of Jacob - the conniving, supplanting, deceitful heel-catcher!  God is not unrighteous to hate sin and those who commit abomination.  Yet God has shown mercy and grace to all through the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ.  His love for Jacob was all of grace.  Man cannot question God's sovereign choices, nor can man rightly blame God for any evil.  When we are faced with difficult questions or situations which seem impossible to reconcile, we should not abandon faith for what we do not know.  We are to cling to what God has divinely revealed of Himself through His Word, and hold it closer still.  When the divine wrestler touched Jacob's hip and put it out of joint, Jacob did not ask "Why did you do that?"  He hung on, desiring a blessing.  You know what?  He received it!

God's dealings with His people, His lofty thoughts, and His sovereign plans are far above our ability to understand in full.  It is natural to have questions when we face difficult seasons, trials, and persecutions.  It is hard when we have done our best to love others and are met with harsh opposition.  I know too well the sting of not meeting the expectations of others.  But I am so comforted by the unfailing truth of the Word of God:  "By the grace of God, I am what I am."  Anything which is praiseworthy, pure, wise, or good in me is solely by God's grace.  I rest easy in the knowledge that God does whatever He wants, because I know He will always do what is righteous.  Paul lays out the heart of the matter in Romans chapter 9, an echo of the heart expressed by godly Job:  "Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him."

God is angry with the wicked every day, and one day will judge this world in righteousness.  Everyone will have to answer before God for every thought, word, and deed weighed against the unyielding law of God.  Even believers saved by grace through faith in Christ will be brought before His judgment seat.  Acts 17:30-31 reads, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  Through the resurrection we have assurance of Christ's divine power of life and also the assurance of judgment.  This truth goads us to do what God loves, not what He hates.  Praise God that He is a Redeemer, a Restorer of souls!  He has shown love to all people, for while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  It is important we remember our frail frame and humbly submit to God as slaves, serving one another in love.

Hang on, believer!  Lay hold of Him and do not let go!  The blessings of God sometimes come with a permanent limp.

From Death to Life

I have entered the final day of my trip to New Zealand.  It has been an absolute delight visiting with friends, speaking with the students from the Calvary Chapel Bible Institute, and witnessing the power of God to transform minds and lives.  Most of the week has been filled with rain, but this morning is clear and sunny.  My time here has been inspiring and refreshing as I have received and held forth the timeless truths of God's Word.  I cannot be the same, for I have tasted and seen again the goodness of God.

When I travel, one of the aspects I enjoy the most is being an eye-witness of God's work in every place.  There is not a place in the world outside the reach of God's miraculous power to redeem and save.  No one is beyond the love, mercy, and grace of God to transform.  I heard the testimony of someone yesterday who God delivered months ago out of addictions and a destructive lifestyle.  This person was trapped in a generational cycle of sin.  This individual was distant from God, stubbornly resistant to the message of the Gospel, and yet has completely been transformed through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  My eyes welled with tears as I heard the testimony of the saving grace of my God who has extended this salvation and redemption to all who will repent, believe, and receive.

As I read the Bible this morning, I came across this passage in 2 Kings 13:20-21:  "Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet."  In the space of these two verses we read of a radical, unbelievable transformation.  Elisha the prophet of God died and was buried.  After some time had passed, another man had died and a grave was being dug.  As they worked, the diggers become aware of a band of raiders.  They abandoned their excavation and hurriedly placed the man's remains in the tomb of Elisha.  When the corpse of the dead man came into contact with the bones of the prophet Elisha, life returned to him.  He "revived and stood on his feet."  This transformation was not merely improbable:  it was impossible!  What a change, to go from being dead to being alive!

This is the transforming change that occurs to anyone who comes in contact with Jesus Christ through receiving the Gospel.  The bones of Jesus are not in a tomb somewhere, but was resurrected and lives!  He still seeks out those who are lost and dead in sins, desiring they would repent and be saved.  No one is too far off to be brought near to God by grace through faith; no one is "too dead" to be born again.  God does an inner work inside all people who respond to His call, and how glorious it is to see it firsthand.  If we are in Christ we are a new creation.  Every Christian is like that man who was dead and then was miraculously restored to life.  I tell you truly:  he could never be the same.  He lived with an understanding of his own mortality, and had a new life laid before him.  Every day was a precious gift to be treasured.  He was no doubt glad to have been touched by a dead man's bones:  how much more should we glorify the living God because He has chosen to touch us?

Imperfect, but Being Perfected

This morning I read 1 Samuel 27, the passage when David and his men fled to the land of the Philistines to seek refuge from King Saul.  After ingratiating himself with Achish the king, David persuaded him to give him some land.  Achish complied and gave David the town of Ziklag.  For the space of time David remained in Philistine territory, he lived a double life.  He was outwardly loyal to Achish but secretly remained loyal to Israel and God.  He and his men would go on raids of the native inhabitants of the land and when asked by Achish David would lie, "Oh, we went on a raid in the south of Judah."  He would give some of the spoil to Achish, who became absolutely convinced of David's allegiance and sword.

I think some can make the mistake of seeing a God-fearing man like David playing the hypocrite and believe this scriptural account is an endorsement of this behaviour.  I do not believe David was right in living a double life, and I do not believe God in any way endorses hypocrisy.  Just because something is recorded in scripture does not mean what happened was good or right.  God can redeem all evils, but we should never use scripture to justify sin.  The Bible is unique in that God does not sanitise His people.  We employ great effort to hide our warts, but God lays even wicked motives bare for all to see.  He does not withhold the truth to make His disciples appear blameless.  The fact that Barnabas and Saul had a fierce contention does not mean we should justify contentions with brothers and sisters in Christ!  Barnabas and Saul contended with each other because they were sinners, human beings reliant upon the grace of God for salvation.  Even men filled with the Holy Spirit make mistakes.  I will even risk the fallacy of personal experience to unequivocally affirm this point!

I believe the account of David living a double life in Ziklag is a warning to all who will heed.  David was a man after God's own heart, but this did not spare him from making sinful decisions with catastrophic results.  The move to Gath was not because David sought the LORD.  It was a natural response to his fear of death, not faith in God.  I think it is most significant that for the year plus David was in Ziklag, not once do we read of him inquiring of the LORD.  Because David did not seek the LORD and did what was right in his own eyes, he was likely blind to his own hypocrisy.  He justified his choice to co-habitate with the enemy by fighting for Israel in secret.  Perhaps he even saw his successful raids as proof of God's favour!  We do not read of David inquiring of God at all until Ziklag was burned to the ground, his wives kidnapped, all his possessions were stolen, and all his men wanted to kill him!  That is what it took to bring David to his senses.  Sometimes it takes tragedy and loss for us to see our great need for God.

Out of distress, David fled to Gath.  He went about things the wrong way.  It took disaster for David to seek God again.  1 Samuel 30:6 reads, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."  I think, "Ah David, why didn't you strengthen yourself in God before seeking refuge with the enemy and living in hypocrisy?"  I find David does not need to answer, because in his situation I see myself.  Have I always seen my mistake of trusting myself instead of finding strength and guidance from God?  Of course not.  God is willing to bring us low so we might look to Him.  That time in Ziklag was not wasted time but a teaching moment God employed so David might never, ever seek refuge in anyone else but Him.  Never again did God want David to do what was right in his own eyes.  After this incident, David sought God often.  There were bumps along the way, but a valuable lesson was learned:  one learned only through such a catastrophic failure.  God's people will learn our lessons when we respond through the exercise of faith in God.

The Troubled Heart

"Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe."

 1 Samuel 24:5

Observe the tenderness evident in the man after God's own heart!  When King Saul persecuted and pursued David, seeking to kill him, David was presented with an opportunity to kill Saul.  Men loyal to David goaded him on, telling him that moment was a fulfillment of God's word to deliver all his enemies into his hand.  Yet David refused to kill Saul and would not allow any of his men to do so.  Instead, he cut a piece from Saul's clothing as a sign he had opportunity to kill Saul but did not.  It seemed justifiable to David at the time as a sign he harboured no ill will against Saul.

But later, David was troubled by his actions.  He was convicted by the Holy Spirit and regretted what he had done.  He would not lift up a finger against God's anointed, nor even speak poorly of him:  how dare he damage Saul's robe?  Some would have felt justified in killing Saul in cold blood, yet David was deeply convicted over simply cutting a piece of Saul's fabric!  God convicts people of sin that extends far beyond the limited reaches of the Law because it aims at the heart.  Even when David showed great restraint, God wounded his conscience and taught him a deeper lesson still.

May our hearts be smitten even when we think of evil, before our sword is unsheathed and damage done.  Often we do not perceive our actions as evil because we have justified them according to the twisted perspective of the flesh.  It is only afterward our hearts are troubled because we realise we have done wrong in God's sight.  Remorse and regret are wayfaring professors who will do us much future good if we will heed their lessons now.  Acknowledgement of past failures according to God's standard is the first step towards walking in a biblical, God-fearing manner in the future.  When our hearts are troubled because of our sin, let us repent before God and man.  May we humble ourselves and take correction as obedient children before a loving Father who seeks to restore.

God receives the repentant with a smile and open arms.  Rejoice when convicted, O sinner, for in that moment God speaks.  What grace that He communicates such instruction to us!  Let us take to heart His correction and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, though the entire world counsel us otherwise.

When God Overrules

It has been nearly three years since God moved me and my family from southern California and transplanted us in Sydney.  I can say by God's grace we are looking healthy as a unit, like a well-established tree.  The leaf-casting season was short, and I'm not aware our leaves even drooped as we drew up water through well-tilled earth!  Our roots have shot down deep into good soil, and the loving Body of Christ has been a huge part of that on both sides of the Pacific.  We have had exceptional support from family, friends, and from so many at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  When I think of all God has done from establishing the boys at a great school, strengthening my marriage, and granting us permanent residency, I am in awe.

For almost the entire time our family have been in Australia, we have lived in one house.  It was certainly a God-send, granted at the time we needed it most.  There have been issues scattered over that time with an occasional repair required, but for the most part we have been without complaints.  Of course on those super hot days air conditioning would have been nice, but we've also become more acclimated to Sydney weather!  A couple months ago, we received a notice our rent would be increasing.  Laura decided it would be good to test the renting market and see if we could find a comparable house for less money.  Now I am one of those people who really don't like to move.  I would rather go to the dentist every day for a week than pack everything up, change our address with more people and businesses than I care to count, and deal with the hassle of unpacking, arranging, re-arranging, and hanging pictures.  How long will it take me to learn where things are in the kitchen?  I don't even want to think about it.

For the past couple months, Laura has been checking online, going to open houses, and us boys tagged along for a few.  The more houses we saw, the more I was convinced what we have been paying - even with the increase - was excellent value for money.  So many of the houses we saw were beat up rentals with too many problems:  garages converted to shabby rooms, exterior doors that scraped so hard on the tile they won't open, carpets that resembled a spattered crime scene, and no storage whatsoever.  Even Laura had pretty much resolved to stay at our place, something I was resolved to do before she ever started looking.

But then one house came up which caught Laura's attention.  It was a comparable size and relatively close to the boy's school.  There were some sizable concessions (detached garage without an automatic opener, electric cooktop, and a much older house), but there were also pluses:  single storey, air conditioning, less than a one minute walk to a park, and located in a cul-de-sac with a pool - all for $80 less a week than we had been paying for our current home.  Laura filled out the application and we arrived at the open house Saturday and were greeted by a gaggle of well-dressed prospective renters.  As I saw all the people, I assumed most of those folks were in a far more financially viable position and was fairly confident we wouldn't stand a chance.  At that moment I figured the only way we could have a sniff at the property is if God miraculously opened the door.  And to be honest, I didn't want Him to.

Does that sound bad?  I don't know if it is or isn't.  But I know you can be very honest with God.  Your honesty doesn't offend Him.  Honesty can offend people, but not my heavenly Father!  The fact was, I was very comfortable in our home and did not welcome the aggravation and stress that comes with moving house.  I would be happy to stay in a comfortable, predictable environment and trust for God to provide for our needs right where we were, which He has been graciously doing.  So as I drove away with admittedly selfish motives I prayed, "LORD, I pray we won't get that house.  What a pain to have to move."  Now my wife and I have an agreement we have made with God:  if He opens the door, we will walk through it.  In our minds, the only way the door to renting that property would occur if God opened the door.  I continued on through the day, thinking very little about the property.  Consider my surprise when Laura sent me a text message with three words:  "We got it."  Laura later told me she had just put down a deposit, and we had been chosen out of 25 other applicants.  I was more than surprised.  I was more like, "Oh no!" but not in a bad way.  Obviously God had overruled my plan.  He opened the door to that rental property, and I am delighted to walk through that door.  What are my shortsighted plans compared to God's?

This morning I was laughing to myself.  How ironic that I would uproot my family from San Diego and move to Sydney, only to balk at moving to another suburb!  The fact is, God has every right to order my steps and tell me where to live.  This morning I read in 1 Samuel 22:5:  "Now the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth."  Fearing for his life, David had gone to the land of Moab and stayed with the king in his stronghold.  But God sent the prophet Gad to tell David not to remain there, though Saul sought his life, and to go to the land of Judah.  Obediently, David did as God commanded him.  This move certainly required faith for David, seeing as there remained only a step between him and death.  Yet God was gracious to protect and provide for David, as He will for our family as well.  God will never mislead or trick us.  The children of Israel were reliant upon the presence of God leading them in the desert, and the leading of the Holy Spirit is the same for Christians concerning our actions as well as where we live.  Moving for me is an act of faith, and I know God will use it for good.

It is a good thing to consider:  when you are overruled by God, will you choose to obey and rejoice?  For me my joy was not immediate, but I tell you the truth:  what peace, joy, and delight is found when we choose to obey and rest in God's will.  He knows us and the struggles we will face.  He will see us through every one and bring us to His desired end.  It will be difficult at times and it will not always be comfortable.  But what a joy to know that God is leading, directing, and upholding us by His gracious love.  I am praising God for the provision of a place to stay, and I covet your prayers as we prepare to move in the next few weeks.  Glory to God, for He rules over all!

On Spiritual Fitness

Our family recently signed up for private health insurance.  There were many reasons we did so.  The primary reason was that if we did not to opt for private health insurance in Australia within the first 12 months of being permanent residents, there would be a sizable rate increase we would have to pay for the rest of our lives.  Basically, the government strongly advocates private health care as well as public.  The cost of private health care through Bupa is about half of what we were paying for international health care through Aetna, so we're actually saving money!

There are many benefits to private health coverage I was aware of, but there was a promotion I was not aware of.  After signing up for Bupa, we were given the choice of three gifts:  a $200 New Balance shoe vocher, 20 movie tickets, or a Fitbit One wireless activity and sleep tracker.  After mulling over the options, we decided to go with the Fitbit One.  It's an amazing piece of technology, very small and clever.  It keeps track of how many steps you take, calories burned, distance walked and incline climbed.  The tracker syncs with your mobile device and computer, keeping track of how you are doing.  It notifies you when you have reached a goal and new goals can be set.  You are able to input exactly what foods you eat and how much water you drink.  Strap it on your wrist at night and it keeps track of how long you were in bed and how long you were restless or awake.  My, the things I'm learning about myself!

What is great about this device is not only that it keeps track of what you do, but it also pushes you on to do more.  It is a silent encouragement in my pocket to be more active and to consider my health with eating and drinking choices.  I thought to myself:  what if we did the same with our Christian walk?  It might be very useful to know how long I have prayed, how much screen time I have had during the evenings, and how often my mind intentionally considered scripture.  After walking yesterday and looking at how many calories I burned, I was unimpressed:  "I only burned 130 calories after all that?!!" (I did go over 3,000 for the day)  I wonder how many of us actually gauge how effective our spiritual exercises are.  Our means of measuring is far more subjective.  But we don't need to clip devices on our pockets to be able to answer these pertinent questions:  what did God say to me in prayer?  How can I apply that passage to my life today?  Am I intentional in sharing my faith with others?  Do I have new stories about how God has revealed Himself to me?  We need to take careful stock of our spiritual health, even as it is beneficial to carefully observe our activities, food choices, and sleeping habits.

How spiritually healthy are you?  What sort of things are you putting in your mind?  Are you standing strong in the LORD and in the power of His might?  Are you utilising the gifts God has entrusted to you?  If all we did is eat without exercise, we would balloon up.  If all we do is gain knowledge through scripture without putting it into practice, we become the equivalent of a couch-potato Christian - someone who impacts furniture more than people.  Let's get moving!  We all have room to grow in Christ, and He will lead the way.  We cannot only be content with what we have done yesterday, but be spurned on to do more today for God's glory!

Seek Christ and Live

"For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live; ⁵ but do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. ⁶ Seek the LORD and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel."

Amos 5:4-6

A few nights ago I came across this passage.  It illustrates one of the common pitfalls of God-fearing people:  seeking fulfillment through ritual rather than seeking God.  Amos was a working man turned prophet through the call of God.  Amos issued many warnings to Judah and Israel because of their idolatry and sin God would certainly judge.  God gave Amos a series of visions to share with the people to aid their understanding.  Through Amos, God predicted the dispersion of His people and their ultimate restoration.

I don't know what is worse because they are both bad:  unbelievers who refuse to seek the LORD, or believers who also neglect to seek God.  My opinion is when believers actually seek after God with all their hearts, their influence to lead others to God will grow exponentially.  The problem is not so much with the unbelievers in the world because they are doing exactly as one might expect.  The heart of the issue is found in the hearts of professing Christians.  Instead of wringing our hands because of the sins of this world, may God rend our hearts for our feeble witness and propensity to seek anything but God.

In the days of Amos, the Jews who feared God were overtly religious.  They made pilgrimages to Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba.  At the time, Bethel was a place of gross idolatry.  King Jeroboam had set up two calves in Bethel so the people could "worship" without going to Jerusalem.  This of course was strictly forbidden under the Law God gave to Moses, but many people were willing to make worship of God more convenient.  Gilgal was the place were a monument of stones had been raised when the children of Israel first crossed over Jordan into the land of Canaan.  It was intended to memorialise what God had done in divinely parting the Jordan to allow His people entry into the land on dry ground.  Abraham and Isaac both called on the LORD in Beersheeba.  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there, and Isaac built an altar to the one true God.  People thought by visiting these "holy sites" their efforts would be rewarded by God.  Though the people were very religious, despite their efforts and sacrifices, they neglected to do the most important thing:  to seek God!

Over the years, the worship of God had been reduced to a grab-bag of idolatry, tradition, sacrifices, offerings, and ancestor worship.  Through Amos, God rebuked the people for seeking after experiences rather than seeking Him.  At great cost they would travel to Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba, in their eyes a show of genuine piety and devotion.  But God told them otherwise.  "Seek Me and live!  Don't seek Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba!  Seek the LORD and live!"  Worship of God was life for the Jews.  God reminded them worship is empty in itself:  life could only be found in Him.  It is very easy to substitute a church building for Bethel, a Bible study for Gilgal, and an outreach for Beersheba.  May we never substitute anything for seeking God.  It is fine for you to go to church and teach a Bible study.  But are you seeking God when you go?  Do you hear His voice speaking to your heart?  Are you seeking God like you would for valuable treasure?

Life is not found in activities or service, but in God alone.  When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, He testified that the Bible was their Bethel.  They thought through obedience to the Law they would have life.  Interpreting and following the Law was their life, but it could never provide it!  Jesus said in John 5:39-40:  "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."  There is no life apart from Christ.  He is the world's only source of life, forgiveness, salvation, and peace.  The words spoken by Amos ring clear and loud today:  "Seek the LORD and live!"  Are you willing to come to Jesus that you may have life?  Seek the LORD while He may be found.

Pain into Joy

God is able to redeem the pain of our lives.  Sometimes pain continues after the healing is over.  Our bodies are designed in an amazing fashion, able to adapt and compensate for injuries.  I have many injuries suffered years ago that I still feel every day.

During my years working with youth, I racked up all kinds of injuries.  Matt broke my left thumb with a small basketball during a dodge ball game.  My thumb still works, though it looks deformed and has limited movement.  Jason busted something in my right thumb during a football game.  This one is special because I have to adjust it multiple times a day.  I can get three to four cracks at a single time!  Kevin popped something in my right elbow when we were arm wrestling - and yes, it is sore especially after I pitch.  That was the day I retired completely from arm wrestling, a young man's game!  Brian chipped one of my teeth during a inflatable games jousting match, and I totally deserved that one.  When you give someone a "free shot," what can you expect?  Those are just the injuries that made the cut!

The funny thing is, I am not in the slightest mad at those who had a hand in breaking down my body a bit early.  I remember all those kids in the best light, happy for the times we spent together.  When I was feeling pain in my thumb today, it reminded me to pray for Jason.  Forget sticky notes or strings around the finger:  I have nerve endings as my reminders!  I am deeply grateful for the season of working with the youth at Calvary Chapel El Cajon, and I pray they would make a great impact on the world for God's glory.

Pain is a great reminder of our mortality and frailty.  As C.S. Lewis famously said, pain is God's megaphone and through it speaks loud and clear to hearts tuned by the Spirit.  I am grateful the reminders of fun times, wonderful friends, and God's sustaining grace through it all.  Only God can turn pain into joy without regret.

Freezer Expectations

Man can become resentful when his expectations are not met.  Even if his expectations are idealistic, unrealistic, or perfectly ridiculous, resentment and bitterness can influence his attitudes, decisions, and interactions with others.  I am eternally grateful God is not like that.  He does not have "expectations" like a man does because He has perfect knowledge of past, present, and the future.  He does not become resentful and withhold good from people because we have disappointed Him.  He does not withhold good things from us because we will never use what He gives us perfectly in the future!  Again, disappointment comes from my desires remaining unfulfilled in the way or timing I prefer.  God is gracious, and He is always good.

A couple years ago I received a freezer from a family who was moving house.  It served us very well for a season, and we were recently blessed with a freezer which is bigger and more energy efficient.  Putting into practice the principle of "Freely you have received:  freely give!" I decided not to sell the freezer but offer it on the kerb for any who had a use for it.  We had been blessed by the generosity of others, and I wanted to ensure that the same blessing was available to others.  So I defrosted the freezer, wiped it clean, and set it in my yard with a "free" sign.

It was during dinner we began to discuss how long it would take for someone to pick up the freezer.  Like someone seeking to find a good home for a pet, I had this idealistic view of someone on our block who really needed a freezer and would be so delighted and blessed to receive it.  And then a thought hit me and my wife at the same time:  oh no!  I hope we won't see the freezer relocated to a front yard down the street!  I felt my heart sink.  When I accompany my sons to the bus stop, we walk by a front yard that is packed with junk.  From the outside, it appears the hoard once contained in the garage has spilled out onto the driveway, is stored in the back of a truck, and spread under tarps in the front yard.  There are dented bonnets, greasy radiators, tires, pieces of bikes, countless oily cable harnesses, bits and pieces everywhere.  LORD, please help the right person to pick up that freezer, I thought to myself.  Just not THAT guy.

The next day I went out to make sure the door of the freezer was open so it wouldn't grow mould.  The freezer was gone!  I instinctively swung my gaze down the street to see if my prior suspicions were valid.  Sure enough, there was my - now his freezer - sitting in the front yard surrounded by stuff, still resting in the handtruck used to cart it to his house.  I shrugged my shoulders and walked back inside.  Oh well.  I was disappointed.  I had offered the freezer with the intention of someone actually using it, not taking up space in the front yard.  Today I walked by the house again and there was the freezer, moved to another location among the churning piles.  I recognised that I did not give that freezer like the gifts God gives men.  I gave with expectations.  I pray good comes out of that freezer, and whether it is used to store food or dismantled and sold for scrap it will accomplish God's will.  God does not give randomly, but purposefully and perfectly.

This presents another point to consider:  even as I did not give the freezer to sit idle, unplugged, and growing mould within, so God gives gifts not to add to our collection but so we might use them.  Suggested by its very name the "freezer" has been designed for a purpose.  It has been designed to use electricity to keep things frozen and preserved.  God has given us forgiveness and new life in Him, and those who have received the Gospel through faith are called Christians.  We are to love God, love people, and make disciples of Christ.  We are to live for Christ.  God gives gifts so we might use them for His glory, not hoard the spiritual and physical blessings He gives for ourselves.  Instead of building bigger barns, let us give as God has given.  The scriptures say God has given us all which pertains to life and godliness.  The perfect peace which Jesus has given is complete, lacking nothing.  So let us purpose to be generous, godly, peacemakers who forgive others as Christ has forgiven us, without placing expectations on others.  God does not give us blessings to reward our performance, but rather out of the storehouses of His grace.  Take time to thank Him today for all He has given!

The Sunburnt Legs Lesson

Yesterday I rose early and took a two hour drive to Thompsons Creek Dam.  It was a learning experience in more ways than one.  Since the weather has been so hot of late, I was largely unprepared for the blasting, freezing wind that blew continuously all day.  The water was choppy, the fish weren't biting, and I would have paid big money for a beanie!  It felt like my ears were going to fall off and my lips were numb.  As the clouds dissipated overhead, the sun shone bright and clear.  But the wind persisted and we continued to freeze.

After a day of fishing we drove back and parted ways, and I could faintly see the sun and wind had affected the faces of my fellow fisherman.  I had come prepared with polarised sunglasses, large hat, windbreakers, and sunscreen.  Unfortunately, my sunscreen remained in the bag I carried around!  I had been so cold from the wind all day that I never even thought to put on the sunscreen.  After removing my boots, I came to the immediate conclusion that I did not only get a little sun - but had received a lot of sun on my legs and face!  I had been wearing shorts, and from knee to sockline I had been sunburned.  The Australian sun spares no skin, and sunscreen does no good in the bag.  Leaving sunscreen in the bag is like going to a lake with a fishing rod but never casting out a lure.  And as God has been showing me, this principle applies to our spiritual life as well.

While I fished alone for a while, I spent some time in prayer with God.  At the time I didn't have a clear impression of what He was saying so I sang praises to Him.  Before bed last night I read in Hosea 10:12:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  In the middle of the night I woke up because my legs were burning.  When I rose to put some aloe vera gel on them, this verse came back to me in a rush.  That was the lesson of the sunburnt legs!  God spoke in that moment clearly.  The suncream was of no value to me because it remained in my bag, and the same can be said of God's righteousness.  Justification and the imputing of Christ's righteousness is not simply a "trump card" to give a man access to heaven, but the righteousness of God is to be sown intentionally by us.

In the world today, many people still rely upon seasonal rain for the success of their crops.  God will bring the rain, but we have a role to play.  He has provided righteousness through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He has given the Holy Spirit to quicken, convict, instruct, guide, and comfort.  We must act in faith, purpose, and intent, breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts and sowing for ourselves righteousness.  It is time to seek the LORD.  Treasure hunters must expend money to buy costly equipment to locate and retrieve valuable treasure, even as a fisherman buys tackle to snare trophy trout.  Treasure seeking and fishing often require early mornings, traveling long distances, and a sacrifice of time.  We must expend our lives to seek God, living righteously, reaping mercy, and breaking up our fallow ground.  What good is righteousness if we choose our own way?  What good is a plot of land unless it is cleared, plowed, and planted before the rains come?  What good is justification if we will not labour in our sanctification?  People will go to great lengths to find hidden gold or catch a fish:  how far are you willing to go to know God and live righteously as He reveals Himself to you?

If the sunscreen remains unopened in the bag, it will be of no use to protect our skin from the burning rays of the sun.  There are far graver consequences spiritually than temporary skin discomfort if we sow wickedness instead of righteousness.  Trusting in our own way rather than God will lead us to certain destruction.  We know the means of protecting our skin, but we must individually agree to and put forth the effort to cover all exposed skin.  We even need to humble ourselves to ask for help to get those spots we can't reach.  In the same way, we must be willing to apply the scriptures to our lives:  to our minds and the way we think; to our words and actions; even to our motives and the inmost desires of our hearts.  We need the Holy Spirit to aid us, applying God's word effectively to our minds and hearts, in those recesses only He can see and reach.  Let us be intentional in the way we live, choosing to heed this exhortation found in Hosea 10:12.  It is time to seek the LORD, and He is coming quickly.

Jesus People

After hearing Greg Laurie endorse a book by Larry Eskridge titled God's Forever Family:  The Jesus People Movement in America, I was immediately interested.  I "Kindled" the book and I have found it invigorating and thought-provoking.  The book chronicles the "Jesus People Movement" in the United States of which Calvary Chapel was a part.  I first began attending Calvary Chapel in 1980 as a child and a relationship with Jesus has been a massive, transformative part of my life since.  The "counterculture revolution" was a bit before my time, but the Holy Spirit utilised the thirst for enlightenment and truth to direct many hungry, lost souls to the saving knowledge of Christ.

Some of the facets that marked the hippie Christian movement throughout the States was using the book of Acts as a script for daily living.  There were people who actually sold their belongings and moved into communes or shared dwellings to have "all things in common."  Coffee shops featuring Gospel presentations and Christian rock music popped up across the nation.  Runaways, hippies immersed in a hedonistic anti-establishment bent, and all manner of down and out people were evangelised.  What struck me as I read these accounts was those sharing Christ did more than give a message.  They shared the love of Christ in generous, practical ways.  Simple things like the use of a toilet or a shower was extended to homeless hippies.  Humble peanut butter sandwiches and coffee were given away for free.  Music the culture was familiar with was played accompanied with the message of salvation in Christ alone.  The new Christians didn't often have too much, and they were willing to give all they had away for the sake of Jesus.

Now this is where the modern church has diverged greatly.  The hippies of those days have cut their hair and moved out of their communes.  People have bank accounts, careers, and retirement funds.  They have their spouses, 1.9 children, two vehicles, and their holidays planned a year in advance.  The story has been repeated again and again:  those anti-establishment idealists have become the institution - and it is a far cry from the book of Acts.  Some churches even set forth the passage in Acts 2:42-47 as a model for their vision of ministry:  "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. ⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."  Churches these days have idolised the second part of verse 47 but have neglected the preceding verses!  This is not intended to be a formula for church growth, but an example of the outworking of the Holy Spirit to save and enable God's people to live in unity.

So what should we do?  Are we to sell all we have and live in communes?  No.  But for the church to become effective as at the first we must be willing to.  We must be willing to quit our careers, move our families, and give generously according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  My observations are not an indictment over a particular fellowship, but the general impression having been in the church for over 30 years.  When I read this book it came to me:  over time "church" has become more an activity than community.  It can be more a hierarchy than a Body.  People can attend church because of what they can receive rather than what they can give.  Is there a hunger for God at the first or just a desire to further establish our theology?  We are full!  Yet we are content and discontented at the same time.  I can fall into this rut as well.  We would love to see changes in theory, but we are unwilling to change.  We are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to see the fulfillment of Acts 2:42-47 in our churches, families, and communities.  There is no place for signs and wonders because we do not expect them, nor do we need them.  How much of your life actually necessitates a walk of faith in God?  Walking in faith grants us strength from God, but without faith we are weak as any other man.

It would be wrong for us to read of the "Jesus People Movement" and long for those days, just as it is foolish for us to try to create the conditions of the early church so we might duplicate their result.  We live in a different culture; it is a new day.  Instead of trying to return to a point in time, recreating the past through present efforts, we must return to Jesus Christ, our First Love.  The power of Jesus to save remains unabated and the power of the Holy Spirit as fervent and fiery as ever.  God has plans for you and your church fellowship in these last days.  He will do a new thing if we will return to the old path of faith and complete reliance upon God in all things.  Anything short of an all-out commitment will not do.  Are you willing to do whatever Christ commands?  If God told you to quit your job, sell your house, your two cars, your stuff, and bring your spouse and 1.9 kids along for the ride, would you?  What is holding you back?  Don't make the mistake of giving God your wretched past and holding onto your future.  He has plans for you, to give you a future and a hope.  Is that good enough for you? :)  God help me:  may You be my all in all!

How God Handles Authority

This morning I was struck by how God's ways are so unlike the ways of man.  Give a man a little authority and he will fight to maintain it; God has all authority and He chooses to allow men to do as they choose.  He does not force.  He warns, but does not threaten.  He tells us the certain negative consequences of our rebellion and disobedience, and even allows His own children to wander from the right way.

This facet of God's gracious character is displayed when the children of Israel demanded that Samuel establish a king over them.  When the people communicated their desire to be as other nations and have a king to lead them into battle, Samuel was angry.  He knew that God was the King of the nation and over all, and this desire to have a king was a grave affront to the grace He had demonstrated.  For the Hebrews to say they wanted an earthly king instead of God, it was like a son disowning his own father.  Instead of smashing this insurrection with a heavy hand, God chose to give the people their desire.  1 Samuel 8:7-9 reads, "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. ⁸ According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. ⁹ Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."  God was rejected by His own people, the ones He delivered from slavery in Egypt and brought them victorious into the Promised Land, having established them as a nation.  Though He did everything for them, they cast Him carelessly aside.

God did an amazing thing in allowing His people to have a king.  Saul started well, but became proud, bloodthirsty, and quite insane.  God later established David as king, a man after his own heart.  Though the people rejected God by wanting to be like others, God would send a Messiah to redeem all people from their sin through the line of David.  This is phenomenal, that God would redeem even the wanderings of His own people to provide salvation through Christ for all!  Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jews, even as the Father's rule was rejected by the Jews in Samuel's day.  God has even redeemed this as well, for because of the Jew's refusal of Christ as Saviour the Gentiles have been brought into the kingdom of God through the Gospel.  In Christ we see that same gentle spirit, meekness, and all authority.  The Good Shepherd knows when His sheep wander, and He allows them to do so.  In the end His purposes will be obtained, and He receives the glory for it.  When we wander, He pursues us to win us back.

In the position of authority God has granted you, do you tend towards domineering?  Do you fight and angle for control?  When the authority God has given to you is challenged do you become angry and take up the case with God?  Or do you threaten, force, or coerce others to fall in line through your own schemes?  When the authority of Moses was challenged in Korah's rebellion, he fell on his face before God.  God fought for him.  When the authority of David was challenged by his own son, he fled the city and trusted God.  God delivered him from the sword and established him again upon the throne.  When Jesus was betrayed, falsely accused, tortured and murdered - though the Son of God, God-made-flesh with all power and authority from the Father - He allowed the scourge to open His back, the thorns to pierce His brow, and nails to pierce His hands and feet.  He said, "Father, forgive them.  They know not what they do."  Three days after His death Jesus rose to life glorified, having all authority over life, death, and hell.  Those who remain in their sins will face the fierceness of God's wrath, but those who heed His warnings and repent, trusting in Christ as Saviour, will be saved.

All on this earth will someday answer to the Ultimate Authority:  God.  The supernatural way He loves people and compassionately, patiently offers them mercy and grace with forgiveness is the touchstone for how the authority God has granted to us must be exercised.  On our own this is impossible, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

Labour and Submission

This week I heard a great message on the subject addressed in Hebrews 4:11:  "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."  This is an interesting paradox, that we should have to labour to enter into the rest God has provided for us.  There is a rest God offers which transcends the cessation of activity.  This rest God speaks of can be intentionally entered no matter our circumstances, just like the peace God offers that passes understanding.  We will never be perfectly at rest until we are free from the fetters of this body of flesh, yet we are called to labour to enter that rest today.  It is not a fleeting mirage that taunts us, ever slipping from our grasp, but a state of heart and way of living we enjoy as we abide in Christ.

This touches on something I have been thinking about often of late, the contrast between being passive and submissive.  Biblical submission is something often misunderstood.  Some correlate submission and passivity, but they are complete opposites.  These two responses are defined not by outward actions, but the condition of the heart.  When someone is passive, it is defined as the absence of outward activity.  When we submit to God and one another in love, at times it can look like passivity.  Yet submission is the voluntary laying down of our will in obedience to the Father, purposing even in outward inaction to rely wholly upon God.  "Submit" is a verb; it is an action we purpose to take.  Submission to God is always intentional and impossible to accomplish without faith in God.  Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Submission is a labour of faith in which God is well pleased.  Jesus gave His back to the scourge, His cheeks to the smiters, and His hands and feet to crude Roman nails in submission to the Father.  The response of Christ to the buffeting of his tormentors may have appeared outwardly passive, but in reality it was nothing of the sort.  His path to the cross was not as a passive sheep, ambling onwards in ignorance, but was purposeful, intentional submission as the Lamb of God sent to be a sacrifice for sin.  Let us submit to one another in love, casting our cares upon Christ because He cares for us.  All our burdens He has already bourne.  We are also called to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, to love one another as He has loved us.

Through the Keyhole

I am awed by the complexity of life on earth.  When I turned on the TV the other day, there was a program about Emperor Penguins.  How those creatures survive in such brutal conditions is nothing short of miraculous!  The instincts within those created animals (all creatures are created by God) enable them to procreate, pass the egg gently from female to male, and then walk with the egg balanced carefully on the feet.  After handing off the egg, the female heads off to hunt.  I saw the show for less than five minutes, but my mind was blown by the amazing abilities and rare beauty of those majestic creatures.

From the smallest single-celled organism to the sprawling heavens above, all boldly proclaim the awesomeness of God's creative majesty.  The stars displayed in the night sky twinkle from millions of light years away.  It struck me that when we look up into the sky and admire the beauty of countless stars, we are simply peering through a keyhole to catch but a glimpse of God's majesty.  That is how awesome and great God is.  He is so beyond our comprehension, yet through nature His beauty can be seen.  But God was not content simply to create matter, animals, humans, and spirits.  He desired to be known by them and to be with them.  Unwilling to remain apart from man because of man's rebellion, God saw fit to reveal Himself to us as a Man:  Jesus Christ who is called Immanuel, God with us.  He was not simply and orator or a proponent of social justice, but One who demonstrated divine love for all people through His sacrificial death.  Jesus also revealed His power over death through His resurrection and ascension before many witnesses.

How great is our God!  Moses sang in Exodus 15:11 after God delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea and destroyed their enemies, "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"  Answer?  No one!  Nothing!  Let us glorify, praise, and thank Him.  May God open our eyes to behold Him so we might better appreciate His wonders!

Only Christ Redeems

The world cannot provide the redemptive forgiveness and grace found only in God.  There is no hope in mankind for salvation or comfort.  Heap up money and riches, distract yourself with activity, and pursue everything your heart desires and your conclusion will be the same as King Solomon:  "All is vanity and grasping for the wind."  Successful building projects, laughter, abundance of wealth, wine, women, or song did nothing to satisfy the needs of his soul.

In the mornings this week I have been reading through the book of Ruth and continue to marvel over this beautiful story of redemption.  Ruth, a foreign widow, "happened" to glean in the field of Boaz.  He was a near kinsman, a man who was called to redeem her to raise up seed on behalf of Ruth's late husband so he would have an heir.  This he delighted to do, and took his case before the men at the gate.  There was a man who was a closer relative than Boaz, but when redeeming the land meant he must also marry Ruth he refused to do so.  He claimed it would mar his own inheritance.  Boaz rejoiced to make a covenant before those at the gate, and redeemed Ruth as his wife.

It is a wonderful picture of the redemptive work Christ has done for us.  We are aliens and foreigners of the commonwealth of heaven, separated from God because of our sin.  But He has been gracious to us and sealed a covenant with His own blood, claiming all who will repent and trust in Him as His own.  What grace, mercy, and love He has demonstrated!  How thankful I am that my life has been redeemed from sin, Hell, and death.  Christ has paid my ransom and delivered me from everlasting destruction, providing through His sacrifice eternal life as it is written in Ephesians 1:5-8:  "...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence..."

There are things in this world which have redemptive value:  scrap metals, plastics, even paper goods can be redeemed for the purpose of profitable use.  I am a wretched sinner without any eternal value, yet God has seen fit to redeem my life to accomplish His divine purposes through me.  This is a wondrous thing:  God does not redeem me only because He wants to use me, but because He loves me as I am.  He has made a distinction between me and my sin.  He has forgiven me and chosen to remember my sin no more, and now uses me and all others adopted into His family through the Gospel by His grace.  This is the example I am to follow, giving more grace, that His redemptive power will be at work in and through my life.

I was previously without hope or comfort, but God has done the impossible through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ.  God is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving for all He has done, and I am eternally grateful!

Fear is a Choice

The perspective of the Bible reveals love is a choice.  The divine love revealed through Jesus Christ springs of grace from the goodness of God.  In obedience to the Father's will, Jesus rejoiced to demonstrate His love for sinners even through the suffering of the cross.  This love is not seated on the rise and flow of the emotions, nor is it at the mercy of circumstance.  It is a constant, active love that is ever reaching out to man from the sole pure source of love:  God.

One of the commands Jesus gave to His followers is that we would love one another as He has loved us.  We choose to love therefore on the basis of His active love, not on how we feel at any given time.  Our motivation for loving others is not their worthiness, but out of the same grace God has shown us.  Because the Holy Spirit resides within us, we are enabled to love as God loves.  It is a conscious decision we are called to make to demonstrate this love to all regardless of their performance or views of us.  This sacrificial love is a supernatural fruit of the Spirit within us that is bourne when we abide in Christ through faith.

This week God spoke to me so clearly about another choice we as Christians are called and empowered to make:  the choice to fear.  Did you know that fear - just like love - is a choice?  You might think, "I can't help it if I am afraid."  If you are not a Christian, I quite agree with you.  I fear for you!  But if you are a Christian, you have been given the strength and wisdom to walk according to God's perfect will.  Anyone can be given a fright, but the fear I am speaking of can also be called dread, preoccupation, worry, or fearful uncertainty.  As a Christian, we are given the power to refuse to sin and instead walk in righteousness.

To paraphrase Luther concerning sin, he said something to the effect of "You can't keep birds from flying overhead, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair."  The temptation itself is not sin.  It is our acquiescing response to the temptation which causes sin to be conceived and brought forth.  Satan will surely send his fiery darts and temptations to sin our way, but the shield of faith has the power to block them harmlessly to the ground.  When the idea of sin barges into our minds through our senses or a satanic suggestion, Christians have a real choice:  to flee from the temptation and seek God, or choose to entertain the idea of sin.  We sin when our sin nature is awakened by temptation and we choose to entertain it.  Even before we put it into practice when we toy with the ideas conceived, we are in sin.  Jesus said if someone looks at a woman with lust in their heart, he or she has already committed adultery.

When it comes to fear, we have a choice set before us.  As soon as we recognise our preoccuption or worry, our call is to choose to be casting our cares upon Christ, committing our situation and the outcome into His hands.  David wrote in Psalm 56:2-4, "My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. ³ Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. ⁴ In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?"  Every person on the earth has very real fear, even as we have a sin nature by birth.  David used fear as a trigger to cause him to seek God instead.  He said, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You."  When David was struck with paralysing fear, he looked to God as his Saviour and Deliverer.  This enabled him to maintain a godly perspective when fear struck his heart.  Then he was no longer afraid because He trusted God and his Word.

Let us choose to flee from the temptation to fear.  When the wind blows and the waves crash against us, when everything seems uncertain and frightening, let us look to Christ and the scriptures.  His nail-scarred hands reach to lift us up, and His eyes are filled with love.  When we see Him and recognise Him as Creator of All and Saviour of our souls, all fear melts away.  Then we can love as He loves, for it is His love which is revealed through us.

God Lifts Up the Fallen

When someone falls on the ground, what is your response?  Do you laugh?  Stop and stare?  Do you carefully walk around the fallen because someone else has already stooped to help?

Do you run to lift the fallen up?  If you know the one who has fallen are you embarrassed for them - or more embarrassed for yourself? 

The simple act of falling can have devastating consequences.  The person who falls bears not only the brunt of the impact, but also the potential stigma of harsh judgments from others.

As Christians, may we be people who are quick to help those who have fallen, whether physically or spiritually.  I think it is easier to accept that someone has fallen physically than spiritually.  Perhaps for years we have viewed someone as a tower of strength who ultimately proved to be weak as any other man, and their fall into sin has left us gutted, disillusioned, even angry.  Let us be those who give grace and seek in a spirit of meekness to restore such a one to fellowship with the LORD and others.  Those who think they stand are warned to take heed lest they fall.

Falling is part of walking, and sin is part of our life here on earth.  Let us admit our failings and when we have fallen, seek aid from the Great Physician Jesus Christ.  We are not too proud to go to the doctor when the pain becomes unbearable, but sometimes we think in spiritual matters we are above falling or requiring assistance to begin the healing process.  Jeremiah 17:14 reads, "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise."  We don't need insurance to have God's assurance.  God is the lifter of our head!

Ready for Real

Yesterday morning I picked up my parents from the airport to kick off their two-week stay with us.  It is a blessing to our family fly down under to visit with us.  Thank you to those who sent letters and goodies along with them, an unexpected treat!  I have been feverishly working to finish my "work" so we can do things together at a relaxed pace.

When I visited the States in June, ironically I helped out with booking this trip.  It was placed on the calendar months ago.  There were many things we have successfully prepared for:  ordering a bed for the re-arranged guest room, organising things to be brought over, inquiring with friends about things to do and see, and planning for the upcoming conference and projects.  But regardless of all the work we have done, it seems like things slipped through the cracks - things like lunch!  For months we knew my parents were coming, but we never thought to put together a menu or daily calendar.  We're jumping right on it...better late than never, I suppose.

It is very easy to be caught up in the daily activities and lose sight of the thing Jesus often reminds us in scripture:  "Behold, I come quickly!"  Being ready in our minds and ready in reality are two different things.  How many times did we know a birthday or special day was coming up and we neglected to buy the card, make the phone call, book the trip, do all the things we fully intended and desired to do because we were busy about other things?  Let's make sure that our Father's business is our highest priority!  Someday it will be too late.  Why regret when we can rejoice in a job well done?

The Better Offer

There is an intriguing passage in Judges 17-18 which speaks of Micah, his idols, and priest.  One of the best and useful sermons I have ever heard was drawn out of this passage by Paris Reidhead titled, "10 Shekels and a Shirt."  Micah hired a Levite to become the priest over his household.  The Levite was pleased with the terms offered him and agreed to serve Micah - that is, until he received a better offer!  When men from the tribe of Dan came with a hidden purpose to steal Micah's ephod and idols, the Levite who posed as a priest confronted them.  They said, "Why don't you come with us?  At the moment you are only priest over a household:  wouldn't it be better for you to be priest over an entire tribe?"  Judges 18:20 reveals his response:  "So the priest's heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people."  Like many people, the Levite was only loyal until a better offer came along.

I wonder how many people decide to serve Christ because they see Him as a better offer than what the world initially provided.  The trouble is, the devil is like the Godfather who knows how to make offers men can't refuse.  Everyone who makes a deal with him ends up dying in the end!  Loyal Christians remain faithful to Christ not because He has given them a "better offer," but because only in Him is found forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.  Jesus told a parable in Matthew 20 which set forth a scenario involving a vineyard owner seeking labourers.  He promised to give the willing workers "what was right," fair wages for a day's work.  At the end of the day, all the workers lined up who had been hired to receive their wages.  We are like the workers the vineyard owner has recruited to serve in His vineyard for wages.  Jesus says if we will believe in Him we will receive eternal life.  Those who worked through the whole day received exactly what the master had promised.

Now imagine you are one of those workers in the vineyard.  Just after lunch as you are toiling away, a well-dressed man in a suit walks up to you.  "Working hard, I see?" he says with a wry smile.  "You're working your hands to the bone for what, a denarius?  I think you're worth a bit more than that."  The work is hard and tiring, so he has your attention.  He continues:  "Tell you what:  you come over and work for me, and I'll put you in charge as a foreman and triple your wage."  As you think it over, something doesn't seem right.  The backstory is you have never in your life made a denarius a day.  In fact, you've never had a paying job!  In addition, the master of the vineyard actually paid the fee to free you from life imprisonment for grave crimes.  He invited you to work for him, and you were grateful for the opportunity.  As you stand up, stretch your back, and wipe the sweat from your brow, you see the man nod and smile.  "So?  What will it be?  What's your decision?"  Now what do you do?

If you made the choice to leave the vineyard and follow the well-dressed man, it would be the most regrettable decision of your life.  It's true he paid well - for a while - but in the end you ended up being in greater debt than when you began.  You found yourself back on death row before long, alone and full of regret:  why did you walk away from the vineyard that day?  No offer this world can offer us is better than what God offers.  He gives us what is right by His grace.  What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose your own soul?  Only Christ has the words of life, for He is the Way, Truth, and Life.  The devil's offers may seem good initially, but his forked tongue only speaks lies.  Too many people have laid down their souls as collateral to pursue their desires, and it is a decision they will regret for eternity.

Following and serving Christ is not the easy way, but it is the best way.  It is a good way.  Psalm 16:11  says of our God:  "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Money cannot provide life, fullness of joy, or lasting sweetness.  Jesus freely offers all these things if we will repent and trust in Him.  Let us choose this day whom we will serve.  The scriptures teach us following God is the wise choice.  Choose to stay faithful to our God, no matter what other offers may come along.

He Holds the Reins

Some people have the impression that the Christian life is one of restrictive rules.  In fact, quite the opposite is true:  in Christ we have freedoms never before possible, either apart from God or under the Old Covenant of the Law of Moses.  The Bible tells us all people are born sinners, spiritually blinded by darkness, chained and imprisoned awaiting everlasting judgment.  Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind, make the lame to walk, cleanse the lepers, release people from their chains, and raise the dead.  He is the Light of the World that has shined in the darkness, and only He has the words of life.

God does not bring us out of our bondage to Satan, sin, and death, and herd Christians into kennels.  We are no longer shackled in a prison, but are set free.  We have absolute freedom in Christ without fences, walls, chains, a life without guards in turrets armed with high-powered rifles who wait for any excuse to shoot.  God governs us in a completely different way than some might think.  The Holy Spirit leads us from within.  The way the Holy Spirit leads us could be compared to an expert rider holding the reins on a horse.  He does not hem us in with the bars and gates of a corral, but moves us with a gentle tap of the heel, a quiet command understood by our opened ears, and directs us through a tug on the reins.  It is for us to decide if we will heed His guidance or go our own way.  The world sees Christianity as a cramped corral, but in actuality it is a wide-open meadow with plenty of grazing and clean drinking water.  In the presence of our Owner we remain under His protection and care.  He feeds and waters us, scrubs us clean, and tends to our wounds.  We are ever safe with Him, and He has the best plan for our future.

Unless you have experienced a life with God by His grace, this loving relationship cannot be understood or appreciated.  Even those who are born again cannot express fully the thankfulness we have for the God who rescued us in our distress and saved us.  Horses and people are alike in that before we can be useful we must be broken.  God employs many means to break a man, but all healing is found through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  Once we learn to submit to His control, we are led out of the paddock and a whole new world opens to us.  As our relationship grows with God so does our trust, and only God knows where He will lead you!  Praise God for His love and gracious governance!

The Poison of Prosperity

It is a great irony that some parents who grew up with virtually nothing want their kids to have everything.  Yet this fervent sacrifice to provide all their children desire creates in them a lack of appreciation for anything!  I was raised by parents who loved me and my siblings and provided for our needs.  Not only were we fed and provided with clothes and shelter, we received gifts for our birthdays.  On very rare occasions we even took family trips to Disneyland.  But we were not given whatever we wanted.  Therefore it didn't take too much for us to greatly appreciate "treats" like eating out at McDonald's or receiving a gift of beef jerky.  We never expected or felt entitled to have a Big Gulp at 7-11 or an ice cream when the truck came by.  My parents showed their love first through being present with us, supported each of their children to meet our individual needs, established clear boundaries through consistent, rigid discipline, and most of all through their faith in God.  The rod played a role in our raising, but it was outdone by kisses, hugs, and laughs.

Every good parent wants to see the needs of their children met.  More than food, water, clothing, housing or gifts, the greatest need of a child is of a spiritual nature.  My parents instilled in me the knowledge through scripture that I was a sinner in need of a Saviour.  I came to understand that the God who created me desired to be my heavenly Father, and that I would be His child.  One of the books of the Bible I loved to read from an early age was the book of Proverbs.  The wise and the foolish are often contrasted.  Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."  The biblical definition of a fool is one who denies the existence of God, or lives as if God does not exist (Ps. 14:1).  Unless children are instructed concerning their deep spiritual need, the success of their studies and career may more of a curse than a blessing.  Interestingly enough, the one thing that is almost an eternal death sentence for a human being is security and prosperity.  For what does the scripture say?  Proverbs 1:32 reads, "For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." The Hebrew word translated "complacency" in the NKJV is also translated at different times as "prosperity, peaceably, quietness, abundance."  The Strong's Concordance conveys the meaning as a genuine or false security.  If we find our temporal security in relationships, money, insurance, or anything other than God, we remain blind to our need for Him.

When a man or child without the fear of God has an abundance of goods, when they are prosperous and without threats, it works for their destruction.  Jesus said is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.  Yet in Christ there is hope for all.  With men, it would be impossible:  with God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27)!  Satan seeks to destroy men, and one way he does it is through prosperity.  It is good to give good gifts to our children, but may we not neglect their deepest need to fear God.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and He will supply all our needs.

Christ is Without Controversy

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."

1 Timothy 3:16

The world is full of controversy, but these basic tenets of godliness are not numbered among them.  Paul plainly says the mystery of godliness - something once hidden that has now been revealed - is without any controversy, beyond any doubt or factually-founded opposition:  God has been manifested through the person of Jesus Christ, justified in the Holy Spirit through His bodily resurrection, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.  Paul speaks of these as ironclad facts.

Most of the attacks of scripture or Christianity do not come against these aspects, nor could they.  It is easier to point out the flaws or hypocrisy of His followers than to lay such claims against Christ.  Should someone try to debunk Christ's existence, His claims, deeds, resurrection, or ascension from even a secular historical basis, it is a futile exercise.  Ask Josh McDowell about that approach!  It is easier to try to create controversy through "oppositions of science falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20) than to refute the authenticity of Christ's words and deeds.  These truths are made plain and evident through scripture for those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand what the Spirit is saying.  But the reality is, many people have strong reasons not to believe.  When the "reasons" not to believe are stripped bare, the aforementioned proofs are not the issue.  As much as we humans love to tout our logical approach and emotional detachment in making decisions, and our ability to make an objective choice based solely on the facts, we have an inner bias favouring ourselves we cannot shake.  Nearly every single thing we have learned through our senses, and our senses or ill-informed sources have failed us more than we know.

If we want to understand truth from God, we must be born again.  We need the Holy Spirit to make new our minds, hearts, and will.  We must lay down our prejudices and biases, and choose to bring God's Word to bear upon the parts of our lives that naturally oppose His rule.  God became a man to relate to us, personally enduring rejection, physical pain, and hatred.  He did not come to visit for the experience alone, however, because He came with the express purpose to seek and save the lost.  He came to sacrifice Himself for man's redemption.  Jesus came with great wisdom and the words of life, but people sought to trip Him up or trap Him with His own words.  They questioned Christ and disputed with Him, and ultimately Jesus was accused and killed.  But without controversy is the fact the Messiah Jesus Christ has come in fulfillment of scripture.  Jesus rose from the dead, and it has been documented the great pains the Romans and Jewish leaders went through to make sure He was dead, buried, sealed in a tomb, and guarded.  In doing so, they only furthered proved the validity of Christ's resurrection, and His ascension was viewed by eye-witnesses who went to their deaths professing the truth of it all.  The man who wrote this passage inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul, was one of them.

This is the beauty of Christ and His Word.  The world may ridicule and scorn; we will face unfounded personal attacks on our character; but regardless of whatever state we find ourselves or wherever we may be, we can be assured of these truths upon which our lives are founded.  Our bodies will grow old and fail, yet our inner man is renewed day by day.  The world can dissolve, but our faith will wax stronger through the Spirit's revelation.  We know and are assured that our souls have been purchased with the precious blood of Christ, and He has reconciled us to God.  The words of Jude 1:24-25 are our daily benediction and praise:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."  Let us hold the high ground, looking to and rejoicing in our Saviour and Messiah Jesus Christ!

Jesus Still Speaks

The Bible is filled with many teachings of Christ to His disciples.  Some have been recorded in great detail and have been named by scholars, like the Sermon on the Mount or the Olivet Discourse.  But there are many times we aren't told exactly what Jesus said.  When Jesus met with two men headed down on the road to Emmaus, we are told beginning at Moses and the prophets Jesus expounded on all the scriptures concerning Himself.  No words from this enlightening sermon besides the initial words of rebuke are recorded.

Only a handful of verses later, Jesus appeared to the disciples as they gathered in secret.  Luke 24:44-45 reads, "Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures."  Again, we are not told precisely what He said.  But I believe there is a reason that the words were not entirely recorded.  The words Jesus spoke could have easily been penned, but they have been sealed.  Why?  Because Jesus has things He desires to teach us individually and corporately today we can only discover through the study of His Word empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus went to the cross, He said to His disciples in John 16:12-13:  "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."  After Christ's resurrection and ascension, when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, the disciples who met in one accord were baptised with the Holy Spirit.  Through Him, Jesus has revealed things previously unknown.  We are not at a loss because all the sermons of Christ were not recorded for us because the Spirit will reveal to us personally all He desires to teach us.  This is a wondrous truth!  1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, "But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." ¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God."

Jesus has many things yet to teach us, and He has chosen in these last days to open our understanding that we might comprehend the scriptures through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We live in a day of revelation, understanding, and fulfillment.  Are you willing to walk with Christ and open up His Word so He can speak to you through it?  How many things He will teach us if we will only walk with Him and listen!

God Doesn't Change

People change, but God doesn't.  This is one of the many aspects of God which is completely contrary to our experience on earth.  He says in Malachi 3:6, "For I am the LORD, I change not..."  The world changes with the advance of technology; philosophy, society, and economics change; the climate is constantly in a state of flux; even our bodies are always changing.  Our thoughts change from one moment to the next, but God does not change.  His righteous Laws do not "change with the times," for He has created time and it is subservient to His everlasting rule.  He created this world, and someday He will end it.

During my lifetime, I have witnessed many changes.  I have seen portable music devices go from oversized boom-boxes lugged on the shoulder to Walkman cassette players with headphones to portable CD players and MP3 players with ear buds to a phone that is a computer, camera, work and game station which oh yeah - also plays digital music downloaded from the internet without wires or cables and is stored in your pocket!  With the advance of capitalism has come a massive increase in technology, increase of schools and universities, and convenience stores.  Walk through a shop today and the range of products is staggering, and everywhere we are faced with choices.  And with our freedoms and affluence, our foray into personal entitlement demands we "have it our way."  As our independence grows so does our pride.  It was not long ago that certain things were certainly right and wrong, but the poison of subjective truth has seeped into the very souls that comprise society - if a man has a soul at all.  God has become unnecessary, and even to speak of Him is an ill omen.  God, the Bible, the account of creation, and the person of Jesus Christ have been reduced to a grab-bag where people justify themselves to pick and choose what we want to believe - if we believe at all.

God has always given people the right to choose if we will believe Him or not.  Remember, He doesn't change.  He created man from the dust of the ground and breathed into Him a living soul.  He created a mate for Him by removing a rib and fashioning a woman, for she was taken out of man.  God established distinct sexes designed to provide companionship, procreate within marriage, a picture of the relationship He desires to have with man, one spurned on by His active, unfailing love.  Because of sin, it was not long before the institution God made was under attack, with men divorcing their wives because of the hardness of their hearts.  A ploy of Satan was to make Eve question the validity of God's Word, and he uses the same tactic masterfully to this day.  When I was growing up, the Bible that gave unheard of protection and provision for women was blamed for their oppression.  The God-ordained roles in the marriage relationship were questioned.  The existence of sexual sin or illicit relationships was also questioned.  Now it has come to a point where a genetically born man is free to choose if he is really a man or a woman.  It has become all about us, and the phrase from the satanic bible "Do what thou wilt" has traction like never before.  With the erosion of the fear of God has come great confusion.  1 Corinthians 14:33 says, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." The word "confusion" in the Greek is defined as "instability, disorder, confusion."  God is a God of order and He does not change.  Sin has entered this world and death through sin.  Satan opposes God and fights against Him, seeking to subvert his truth.  Because we live in a day where men do not measure truth against God's unchanging Word and character, applauding whatever his heart believes is right, we add confusion to our guilt before God.

Today I was driving and caught something out of the corner of my eye.  Near my house, several pairs of ducks can often be seen together:  a male and his female.  The heavens declare the glory of God, and nature itself speaks of order.  I smiled to myself as I thought about the wisdom of God.  There are very intelligent people who believe humans are descendants of sludge and there is no God.  But there by the road, in a very quiet and lovely manner, those two ducks waddled along together.  It spoke volumes to me:  no matter what changes occur in society, no matter how far we stray from the truth of the scriptures, at least the ducks will keep being ducks.  God created them to reproduce after their own kind.  They will keep being male and female, and ducks will remain monogamous life-long partners long after the biblical definition of marriage is cast aside by humans, a testimony of God's plan and design.  Ducks did not learn this "behaviour" from their parents or from their religious beliefs, but because God placed in them instincts to obey His rule.  Is not the wisdom of God past finding out?  God gave man the freedom to choose, and sadly most men choose to go their own way - and to their ultimate destruction.  I guess you either believe this, or you don't.

Consider the objective wisdom offered in James 3:13-18:  "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  I am called by God to be righteous, and I am a great sinner.  God has provided a way for me to become righteous through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  The Bible says when we do this, our sins are washed away and we are clothed in Christ's righteousness.  He is for us Wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30) and we are called to judge with righteous judgment.  This does not mean to be judgmental of others, but to choose to agree to God's perfect judgments demonstrated by living accordingly.  God's wisdom is the wisdom from above.  Through Christ we can have peace with God, though we live in a fallen and confused world under the sway of Satan.

Let us show by good conduct - according to God's standards - that we walk in the meekness of wisdom.  Does God need us to become defensive and furious against all who deny Him?  No.  Christ is our Peace, and let us sow the good seed of His Word in faith knowing it will not return to Him void.  When we see attacks upon God's definition of marriage or Christians standing up for their beliefs, let us recall 2 Timothy 3:12-17 to mind:  "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ¹³ But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Let Jesus In

Picture a husband and wife recently married.  The husband has been away on business and returns to his wife in the middle of the night.  The night is cold and damp.  Embers glow faintly on the hearth, like eyes peering into the room.  In a semi-conscious state, the woman hears her husband knock and call.  The drama unfolds at this moment:  "I sleep, but my heart is awake; it is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is covered with dew, my locks with the drops of the night." ³ I have taken off my robe; how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; how can I defile them?" (Song of Songs 5:2-3)

This is a tiny excerpt from King Solomon's "Song of Songs."  The bride heard the voice of her beloved as he knocked on the door.  He entreated her gently and affectionately, proclaiming his love for her.  In his view, she was flawless and without compare.  He explained the dew had soaked his hair, and he would very much like to come in.  His wife's response is interesting.  Despite his love and affection toward her, she remained unmoved.  She was very comfortable in her warm bed.  She was not wearing her robe and her feet had been freshly washed.  She didn't want to have to wash them again!  Considering the time, opening the door was most inconvenient.  But if she would be honest, these were mere excuses - and selfish at that!  As the story continued, the bride finally made it to the door.  She dolled herself up a bit, even anointing her hands and fingers with liquid myrrh.  Song of Songs 5:6 explains the cost of her delay:  "I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer."

The Beloved is a picture of Jesus Christ, who stands at the door and knocks, calling out our names.  Revelation 3:19-20 says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  Jesus has come to each one of us, even as the husband stood knocking at the door.  What He has been doing is inconsequential, for He is always about His Father's business.  Jesus does not desire only to purchase us as slaves He orders around, but to commune with us intimately in relationship.  But how do we respond when He prompts us to read the Word?  To rise early and pray?  To go on a walk with Him on a dewy morning when we would much rather stay in bed?  If we delay, we can miss important time spent with Him.

When Jesus knocks on the door of our heart, let us open to Him.  Let us shake off our slumber and rise immediately in response to Him.  Should He rebuke, it is a sure sign of His genuine love.  Let us put aside all excuses, and cease trying to make ourselves look good.  Open the door just as you are, even if we have laid aside the robe of righteousness He has provided.  If our feet are dirty, He will wash them.  He has given us this example for us to follow!  He will do even more than this, for if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us from all sin and cleans us from all unrighteousness.  Humbling ourselves in repentance will bring Him skipping across the mountains to meet with us with great joy.  Restoration begins when He knocks and we open the door!