If God is For Us...

Christian catchphrases can be scriptural in basis, but understanding the biblical context is important to avoid error.  Over the years I have grown increasingly thoughtful concerning "pat" answers people commonly give.  Even the worship songs we enjoy and sing are not guaranteed to be free of dubious doctrine.  Now granted, a song is not the means to fully explain theological truth.  But we must be cautious not to place an artist's rendition on level with God's revealed truth in scripture.  Unless the song IS scripture verbatim, it is not scripture - is it?

Even as songs written to praise God should not stand in isolation from scripture, neither should scripture.  God has provided the entire Bible - both the Old and New Testaments - so we might have the full counsel and wisdom of God understood by the power of the Holy Spirit.  One of the phrases I have read and sang many times for good reason is found in Romans 8:31:  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  This is a true statement written to Christian believers in Rome.  The purpose of Paul writing this was not to promote a self-empowering theme, but to exhort Christians to actively rely upon Jesus Christ for everything.  They didn't have to live in fear of being judged, persecuted, or even death, for God was on their side.

And so it is with Christians today.  One could say God is in a sense "for" sinners because He sent Jesus to die on our behalf when we were enemies of God dead in sins.  He loves all people and is not willing any should perish.  But don't miss the "if" at the beginning of the sentence in Romans 8:31.  This is a conditional statement not focused on the unchanging character of God but upon our obedience.  God is not "for" us on the basis of our theology or beliefs, but when we live "for" Him.  God is for us as long as we are for Him.  Many times in scripture God told His own chosen people He was against them because they rebelled and lived contrary to Him.  This may be a surprise to you if your understanding of God only comes from songs sung in church.

From the Bible we learn disobedience kindled God's wrath against His people (Deut. 7:4).  The prophet Samuel bluntly told the people in 1 Samuel 12:14-15, "If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God. ¹⁵ However, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers."  God said the same thing of nations in Jeremiah 18:7-11:  "The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, ⁸ if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. ⁹ And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. ¹¹ Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good."  And again in Ezekiel 13:8, "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you," says the Lord GOD."

I figure there will be some who say, "That's all fine and good to use Old Testament examples, but we are under the new covenant of God's grace."  Romans 15:4 affirms it is perfectly legitimate to use Old Testament examples God included especially for our learning:  "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."  Also, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He does not change (Malachi 3:6)!  When Jesus instituted the new covenant, He established a higher standard than that of the Law - which no one can keep!  Jesus prefaced many statements in the Sermon on the Mount with, "You have heard it said, but I say unto you..."  God highly values faith, repentance, and obedience in both the Old and New Testament.  It is by grace we have been saved, yet we are called to abide in Christ's love through obeying Him!  Jesus said in John 15:10, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."  We can only meet God's conditions for salvation by being born again by grace through faith in Christ, and we are called to obediently follow Christ and His example of obedience to the Father.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"  Truer words were never spoken.  If God is for us, no one can be against us, and nothing can separate us from His love through Christ.  We are each called to examine our hearts and lives to ensure we are living for God.  Don't assume God is "for" you when you are living a life in opposition to Him.  Those whom He loves He chastens, and we are commanded not to despise this expression of His gracious love.  Take comfort in God's Word, for none who come to Christ will He cast out (John 6:37)!

The Comforts of Clean

This guest post has been contributed by my sister-in-law and sister-in-Christ, Jena Grisez.  The message of our need to be transparent and connected through relationship with fellow Christians resonates in me strongly.  In our western culture deeply steeped in individualism and self-sufficiency, there is a risk Christians can be influenced to worship the idol of privacy instead of exercising faith in God by allowing others to share our private lives.  Enjoy!

I hate cleaning. I guess it would be more appropriate to say, “I hate scrubbing.” I like vacuuming, laundry, dishes, etc., but I can’t stand showers and wood floors. My cycle goes like this:  showers need scrubbing and I begin to notice, then the mold starts growing and I start to consider cleaning them. At some point it’s so disgusting and I’ve put it off for so long, that I begin to fear for our health and I clean them. Because I’ve let it go so long, it’s an hour long deal and I vow to wait as long as possible before I ever do it again. Windows shut me down entirely. Ours have what I call "a natural tint" to them. Others call it dirt. Here’s the thing:  I like picking up and I’m a minimalist, so on a daily basis “stuff” isn’t everywhere. Counters are clear and wiped down, beds are made every morning, and the floors are clear of debris. Generally, I’d say we live in an up-kept house...that is until company comes over.

As soon as someone comes over, all I see is filth. I open the microwave and realize they are looking at the same splattered mess I am. I never noticed that! I guard entry to my master bathroom like it’s storing Ebola. I surreptitiously stand in the way of eye shot when I open the stove. I’ve lived here twelve years and have never once cleaned it! All of a sudden, my safe haven stands in condemnation of me. How do I live so comfortably in such grossness? I’ll tell you how:  I don’t invite guests in.

I think we live our entire lives this way. The obvious is well put together for those around us, but do not pry deeper. We are totally comfortable living in sin as long as no one sees it. I heard a pastor tell a story of a man struggling with sexual sin. He went to the pastor and asked for a counseling session. He expressed how powerless and overwhelmed he felt. The pastor told him to write down every thought he had over the next two weeks pertaining to the subject and the two of them would get together and go over it. Two weeks later the man came to the pastor’s office grinning ear to ear. He sat down and said, “I have nothing to tell you! Not one thought.” “Really?” said the pastor. “What happened?” “Well, I didn’t want to have to tell you anything!”

The point:  we need each other. We need to let a few trustworthy people get right up in our business. If we can't let them see our “dirty bathrooms,” I think we would clean them. Our church family is a powerful tool. Satan knows that, which is why he loves secrets and dark corners. We can do more together than we could ever do alone. Why do you think Jesus so strongly emphasized to love one another and to keep unity? Why do you think Satan works so hard to break us apart? We can be a safe place for one another, bearing one another's burdens in a spirit of love and truth. How beautiful is that? Let’s bring our sin and weakness to the light. We will all be better for it.  (Jena Grisez)

Freedom to Rejoice

I recently read Power in Praise by Merlin R. Carothers, and the LORD used it to speak to me.  The focus of the book is how in obedience to God's Word we must learn to thank and praise God for everything which happens in our lives, whether we perceive it as good or bad.  It occurred to me I am more apt to thank God when I am able to perceive or imagine some possible good from what God has done.  When I cannot see the good in something God has sovereignly allowed in my life, I can be so focused on trying to figure out what could be redeemed in the circumstance I neglect to praise and thank God.

Romans 8:28 provides rock-solid, objective truth for the life of a Christian:  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  IF I truly believe this to be true, then I am free to praise and thank God for everything which happens to me, knowing God will work it together for good.  It may not be a good thing, but I should praise God anyway.  David wrote in Psalm 34:1, "I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Praising God is not a legalistic requirement, but a liberty granted us in every situation by the power of the Holy Spirit.  "Where the Spirit of the LORD is there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17)," and often we view our freedom as from something:  freedom from slavery, sin, condemnation, and guilt.  But the freedom afforded us by God's grace is not just freedom from something, but freedom to do what pleases God:  praising, thanking, serving, and obeying Him.

Philippians 4:4-7 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  It is much easier for us to rejoice in the LORD than to thank God for the troubling circumstances we face.  Paul exhorted believers to rejoice in the LORD and to be thankful for everything God allows, knowing it will work for good in our lives.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 affirms, "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  We have liberty in Christ to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.  These are your God-ordained rights by His grace, believer, and see that you put them into practice.  If we were half as enthusiastic concerning exercising these rights as some are concerning their "freedom of speech" or "right to bear arms," I daresay Christians would be a more joyous, prayerful, and thankful lot!

Stir up the Gift!

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:6-7

Through the Holy Spirit, God gives spiritual gifts to His children to be exercised for the edification of the church and the glory of God.  Timothy was a faithful believer and pastor, but even he needed the exhortation from a brother to "stir up the gift of God" divinely placed within him.  His gift smoldered instead of burning with fervent and intensity.  Just like the wood in a dying fire needs to be stirred with a poker to burn hotter and brighter, Timothy needed to stir up his gift.  This phrase is ambiguous for a profitable purpose.  If a specific gift was mentioned here, it would limit Timothy's and our responsibility to remember and take intentional steps to stir up only a particular gift.  We do not know the gift, but it was a gift which came from God Timothy was exhorted to stir up.  All gifts God gives, therefore, ought to be remembered and stirred up.

I have learned I can easily settle for activity instead of actively seeking God and become passive, waiting for God to "stir me" when by virtue of receiving a gift from God I ought to stir it up.  We have all received gifts from friends and family which have become dusty, neglected, or forgotten in a box somewhere, and the same can be true with gifts we receive from God.  God does not give gifts to elevate our status in the church, so we can impress others, or any other selfish reason:  God gives gifts so we would use them for the benefit of all.  Unless we know what gift God has imparted to us, how can we stir it up to use it?  If we believe the gift God has given is only for me, why would I think to use it for the benefit of others?  We can sing "Stir in me!" until our voices fail, but it does not release us from our responsibility to stir up the spiritual gift God has given us.

The next verse provides a reason perhaps why Timothy needed a reminder and exhortation from Paul:  he was afraid to exercise his gift because of what others might think.  God had given him a gift, yet he was loath to use it lest he be judged, castigated, rejected, or any other excuse whispered into his ears by a spirit of fear.  A spirit of fear had quenched his gift, like sand thrown on a fire.  The devil loves it when Christians are afraid, for should we give place to fear we cannot walk in the love of Christ.  1 John 4:17-18 reads, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."  If God's love has grown to maturity in our hearts, we will not fear eternal judgment by God - nor the judgments of men.  God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and a sound mind.  The fearful person is weak because they look to their own strength and abilities.  The fearful person is unable to walk in God's love and leans on their own understanding.  A spirit of fear brings confusion, doubts, and uncertainty able to cloud the decisions of even a steadfast, gifted believer like Timothy.

Allow me to remind you, dear brother and sister in Christ whom God has provided a spiritual gift:  stir up the gift of God which is within you.  When God sovereignly gives spiritual gifts, He provides the ability and wisdom through the indwelling Holy Spirit and His Word to regularly exercise the gift in love.  Instead of being influenced by a spirit of fear, remember God has provided the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.  God asked Moses, "What is in your hand?"  Moses carried a rod, and God employed that rod to do many miracles.  In Christ God has provided everything you need to do His work and perform His will.  Whatever God has given you, stir up the gift and remember to use it faithfully and regularly for Him!

Solidarity in Jesus Christ

In the wake of the tragic events in Paris which unfolded over the weekend, I have heard a word repeated over and over again:  solidarity.  The word is defined in the American Heritage dictionary as, "A union of interest, purposes, or sympathies among members of a group; fellowship of responsibilities and interest."  In a sense, those who stand in solidarity with Parisians share their shock, pain, and desire comfort all affected by the cowardly attack.  On the street one might say, "I'm feeling you.  I've got your back."  On the same street there is no shortage of opinions of what the problems in the world are or the best ways to stop them.  It is good to be united against evil, but often the common responses are anything but righteous.

The world's methods of fighting are incapable of stemming the tide which threatens to wash the globe in blood.  People are divided over how to deal with the complex issues and potential threats nations and individuals face.  "Kill first or be killed," some say.  Others point to ideology, religion, or indoctrination as the problem.  Still others make a case for tighter immigration policies, establishing early detection methods to prevent acts of terrorism, and arming/disarming citizens.  All of these suggestions fall well short of what is required to bring transformation in the hearts of people.  And it is primarily a heart problem.  The Bible says man is not basically good, but according to God's standards the heart of every man is wicked and deceitful beyond comprehension.

The reality is, the world is deluded to think we possess within ourselves the capacity to change people for good.  The actions of the world says we can enact positive change by eliminating real threats by dialogue, military action, air strikes, and covert military operations.  On a federal level we can protect ourselves by closing borders, putting more police on the streets, and raising the level of security.  Some say crimes could be reduced by tight restrictions concerning firearm or weapon ownership or eliminating them altogether.  Through improved legislation we could prevent people from immigrating to a country or prosecute those who plot in secret to harm others.  Now I am not saying these are poor suggestions in the proper context, but I am saying none of these ideas have the capacity to change the hearts of men.  Governments and laws have been established because men are evil, and many choose to willfully transgress even in the face of conviction, imprisonment, and death.

In writing to Christians, James said in James 4:1-3:  "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? ² You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."  Without being transformed by the love of Jesus Christ, there will always be conflict - even among the people who identify as Christians.  How much more conflict will people create who are deceived and blinded to their own wickedness?  Hardness of heart has led to countless marriages ending in divorce, and lust for power and control has led to war, violence, and immeasurable suffering.  The unregenerate heart cannot be refined with the external shackles of law or government control:  the only way people can be permanently transformed within is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Scoff all you want, but the world's best attempts end with war after war with no end in sight.  Isn't that the history of mankind in a nutshell?

The Bible speaks of a glorious day when the risen Jesus Christ will establish His government over the entire earth.  Even at the end of His thousand year reign, Satan will deceive the world and in solidarity they will come against Jesus Christ in a desire to overthrow His rule (Revelation 20:6-10).  Satan and all who follow him will be completely vanquished by Christ.  Solidarity is good and fine, but it begs the question:  what is the best union of interest for the glory of God?  The church must mobilise in practical help and prayer (nothing is more practical!), united in walking in His love and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Fear of man ought not to govern our motives, but instead fear God.  Christ commands us to compassionately pray even for our enemies.  There is good cause to protect our people or families, but remember vengeance is God's sovereign territory.  He has said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." (Deut. 32:35, Nahum 1:2, Romans 12:19).  Not all can receive this saying, but he who has ears to hear, let him hear.  Do you you fear God more than man?

What this world needs is solidarity in the person of Jesus Christ.  It is high time for the church to awake out of sleep and faithfully follow the example of our Saviour.  Jesus is the only one capable of changing the hearts and minds of men, and our call as His followers is to let His light shine through us in the dark world.  Christians are to have a common interest to live holy and share the Good News of salvation to all.  We must not shirk our responsibilities to live out the exhortation of Titus 2:11-14:  "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."  Only when we invite God to transform us and walk by faith in Christ can we make a difference in this world for God's glory.

Motive to Go

It was president JFK who famously said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."  This self-sacrificial outlook did not originate with Mr. Kennedy, for it was Jesus who said it is more blessed to give than to receive.  In our study of Romans at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I was struck by Paul's desire to visit the Romans and his motivation for doing so.  His reasons were very different than reasons people today might have for choosing to visit or attend one church over another.

In the west we have coddled an outlook fostered by capitalism and consumerism.  For instance, recently I took the boys for ice cream cones on the way home from church:  one week we went to McDonald's, and the following week we tried Hungry Jacks.  The prices for the cones were the same, but the ones at Hungry Jacks were almost twice the size!  "Now that's what I'm talking about," I said as the cones from Hungry Jacks were handed to me by the smiling associate.  "We know where to go for ice cream now, right boys?"  Hungry Jacks clearly provided more "value for money," so if I had my choice that is where we would go based upon experience.  Why not go where I receive double for the same investment of time or money?  Some people approach going to church by similar rationale.

So what is your motive for going to a particular church?  Or not going at all?  You likely have many reasons, even if the main reason is you can't be bothered to look anywhere else!  Paul's reason for wanting to visit the Romans may surprise you:  it wasn't what he could receive but what God would impart through him for their establishment and encouragement.  He openly declared his motive to visit in Romans 1:11-12:  "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- ¹² that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me."  Paul was not motivated to visit the Roman believers because he believed he brought valuable experience or unique abilities to the table:  he believed God would benefit the Romans spiritually through him!  I love that Paul did not assume God would impart a particular gift, or that God was limited in His ability to use Paul by how He had gifted him in the past.  Paul was convinced through his visit God would impart "some" spiritual gift.  Though Paul admitted he certainly would receive mutual encouragement from his time with the Roman believers, it was more about what God chose to supply through him than what he hoped to receive.

True fellowship in the Body of Christ (the church) primarily concerns contribution, not what we desire to gain for ourselves.  Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and to provide His life as a ransom for many.  Praise the LORD for His example and that God has ordained good works for us to walk in.  We have nothing to offer but ourselves in humility, and my God shall supply all our needs abundantly and faithfully.

Lift Up Your Eyes

It is in our moments of despair and heartbreak God is gracious to draw near to us and speak.  After finding the tomb empty at daybreak, despite receiving a message from an angel, Mary wept.  At that moment the risen Jesus Christ drew near to her and softly spoke her name.  Instantly she recognised Him.  Even in the Old Testament, God drew near to people who were gripped with sorrow.  One instance is when Hagar and her son Ishmael were sent out from Abraham with bread and a skin of water.  They wandered helplessly in the wilderness of Beersheba until the water was spent.  The boy was faint from thirst, and after placing him under a shrub Hagar believed he was going to die.  Her resources were spent, she was without guidance or direction, and all seemed hopeless and lost.  But with God there is always hope.

Genesis 21:16-19 reads, "Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. ¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation." ¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink."  When the lad cried out to God, God heard him from heaven.  The angel of God exhorted the sorrowing woman to fear not, to stand up, lift up the lad, and hold him.  God had plans for that boy she never could have dreamed at that desperate moment.

At that moment God opened the eyes of Hagar to see a well of water.  Notice that He did not cause the well to materialise or appear out of thin air:  the well of water was there the entire time!  What a picture!  The poor mother lamented her dying son and thought all was lost.  She had distanced herself from him in an attempt to avoid seeing him suffer and die.  Her weeping drowned out his voice to her ears, but God heard.  She wept bitter tears when a well of clean, good water was within sight from where she sat in despair!  God's provision was there, but she was unable to see it.  God in His grace opened her eyes to see the well of water, guided her to draw from the well, and gave her son a drink which saved his life.

I don't know what your need is, and even if I did I likely do not have the means in myself to meet it.  But I know God is a miraculous provider, the One who opens the eyes which cannot see, and is a Saviour to all who cry out to Him.  Dear friend, do not weep because you lack what God has already provided for you!  He has provided Himself, a Saviour called Jesus Christ who enables us to have new life through faith in Him.  Instead of shutting your eyes to your problems, lift up your eyes to God in faith and He will supply your needs.  Psalm 121:1-8 says, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- from whence comes my help? ² My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. ³ He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵ The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. ⁸ The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."

Grief and Anger

Grief and anger sometimes go together.  This connection is seen in the life of Jesus.  One of the only recorded times Jesus was angry it stemmed from grief in Mark 3:5:  "And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other."  Jesus was grieved, but continued to love, heal, and do good.  Though Jesus was angry because of grief over the hardness of heart in His critical observers, He remained without sin.  Feelings of anger are not sinful in themselves, but as human beings in a body of flesh nearly every time our anger remains unchecked it leads to sin.

Ephesians 4:26-27 says, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil."  If we are angry for selfish reasons or if we justify our continued anger, we give opportunity for additional temptations to sin.  Grief can also tempt us to be angry with God, which I examined in greater detail in another post.  We live in a day where anger is expressed continually over all manner of things:  sports teams, red cups, perceived injustice, government legislation, or political candidates.  Anger can be an impetus to action, but without humility and submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit anger always causes infinitely greater harm than good.  During my life I have allowed grief over sin in others to fester into anger, and all it did was embitter and lead me into sin myself.  Had I examined and judged myself as severely as I judged others, my perspective would have been very different.  What used to make me mad and bluntly speak my mind now makes me sad and leads me to seek the LORD.  Knowing God remains in control in this crazy world enables grief over sin (mine and those flaunted by others) to not descend into anger fueled with pride - yes, pride.  Christians need to keep a careful watch for pride which lurks within all of us, for it has the ability to look so holy and justifiable in the heat of the battle - yet is everything but.

I am convinced there is currently no country which identifies as or is genuinely "Christian."  Even among Christians there are goats among the sheep and tares among the wheat!  The form of government in Australia is plainly "secular," though it does provide and protect the freedoms for people and groups of various beliefs.  One thing the left and an increasingly amount of those on the right cannot grasp is though I can accept the fact the world is secular, I must not accept what God calls sin into my life or agree with it as good or right.  I accept the rights of every person to exercise their God-given right to spit in His face and mock Him, but I will not cast my lot among them.  Christians ought not to be shocked or dismayed when we are hated, attacked, castigated, slandered, and marginalised.  Jesus was crucified for only doing what pleased the Father, and therefore we should not expect a world under Satan's sway to applaud our desire for God's glory.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood - governments, corporations, businesses, legislation, or people - but against the spiritual rulers of darkness which blind men to the truth.  Instead of becoming angry or using the world's methods to fight for our rights, how profitable it is to be casting our cares upon God.  No government advocacy group, no public relations team, no media outlet loves you or can help you like God can and will.  Vent on Facebook if you want or start a youtube channel, but those rants stir up wrath whilst the throne room of grace remains empty of those seeking an audience with the King of kings!  The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20).  Can you see it?  While we are busy weighing in with our opinion, the Judge of All the earth is not sought for guidance.  We Christians are up in arms and sharing the latest viral videos, and could it be virtually no one is busy seeking the King of Glory?  Garnering support by men for our opinions is a dodgy foundation to be sure, but those who trust in the LORD Jesus Christ with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding find sure footing and clear direction for their steps.

Don't allow your grief to develop into bitterness and wrath towards others.  Vengeance is the LORD's, and He will repay.  In desiring to stand up for God, ensure you do not resist or oppose Him.  God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  1 Peter 5:6-10 reads, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

The LORD Knows and Does

"Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? ⁹ He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? ¹⁰ He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? ¹¹ The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile."

Psalm 94:8-11

When I read this scripture last night, it struck me how all things man can do are tiny glimpses of the infinite capacity and ability of God.  Man devises machines to do work he cannot do alone with pulleys, cables, engines, hydraulics, compressors, pipes, wires, and computers.  God does everything, and therefore has no need for any help.  When God created man in His own image, He created human beings which temporarily possess mere shadows of His own unique abilities.  My sense of hearing is average compared to other people, but God is able to hear all prayers with understanding at the same time.  It only takes a tiny bug, an illness, or some earwax to greatly reduce our ability to hear, but God has no such limitation.  God sees all things, yet He sovereignly placed eyes in the front of the skull with a limited range of vision.  Glasses, binoculars, and microscopes only marginally improve our vision in comparison to God who formed the eye, as He sees the distant future as well as the hidden thoughts and motives of men.  Our eyes grow increasingly dim, but God's sight continues undimmed for eternity.

People have various degrees of ability to learn and teach others.  We have been specially created with a thirst for knowledge and understanding unmatched in the animal or plant kingdoms.  We have within us a conscience, the knowledge of right and wrong which is in agreement with God's Laws.  When Jesus walked the earth, He used many examples in nature in parables to instruct and teach men God's ways.  He is the God of all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and has become wisdom for all who trust in Him (1 Cor. 1:30-31).  God has given men the ability to think and reason, yet God's capacity for thoughts are eternal and infinite.  Men must search and research, but God knows all.  David instructed his son in 1 Chronicles 28:9, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever."

The old song goes "Anything you can do I can do better," but the reality of God's character and power eclipses this song completely.  No man knows what God knows except God reveal it to Him, and without God man can do nothing - nor could he have even existed!  After being exposed to God's glorious wisdom and works, Job said in Job 42:2, "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."  How futile it is for man to speak against the glorious God, to charge Him with wrong, or to shake his puny fists toward Him.  God conceived in His mind and did what no man would have imagined had he been God:  God humbled himself, revealed Himself in the man Jesus Christ, and freely gave His life to save others.  Though His voice could boom like thunder and roar like waterfalls and burst our eardrums, He speaks in a still small voice to our hearts.  Everything you think you can do God does completely and infinitely, and this knowledge is a comfort to every believing, trusting soul.

Suffering and Riches

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward."

Hebrews 11:24-27

Isn't the eternal perspective Moses maintained amazing?  He willingly chose suffering with the people of God rather than enjoying the passing pleasures of sin.  He saw reproach for God's sake - for Christ's sake - greater riches than the treasures of Egypt!  Moses had not received his heavenly reward in full when he obeyed God at great personal cost, yet faith in God enabled him to see beyond his own pains and to the goodness of God who called and empowered him.

I must be honest:  my flesh never holds reproach for any reason in high esteem!  Who rejoices when others disagree and express their strong disapproval of them or their beliefs?  If we have faith in God like Moses, Christians should.  This understanding will revolutionalise the life of a Christian and how we deal with suffering, trials, and persecution.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-12, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  The disciples filled with the Holy Spirit understood this.  When they had been beaten for doing good, they rejoiced to have been counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's sake (Acts 5:41).  With their suffering God provided more abundant consolation.

Everyone in this world suffers, but only those whose suffering is mixed with faith in God benefit spiritually and are richly blessed.  Whilst in New Zealand, God brought to mind a person navigating a field of tall weeds.  Walking through weeds causes all manner of painful, prickly thorns and stickers to poke through socks and shoes.  When a person comes through the other side and feels the discomfort of the sharp plant matter clinging to socks and even piercing flesh, the person takes the time to pull out each one.  These stickers are a painful nuisance, and we would never think to place them carefully in a container as mementos of our journey.  No!  We throw them to the ground as rubbish, and the pain caused by them teaches us to avoid the tall grass in the future.  The painful irritation was only a waste of time, and no practical benefit or what could be conceived as blessing was received.

When our suffering for Christ is mixed with faith in Him, God redeems and makes precious even our pains we experience as we follow Him.  Those painful circumstances God can redeem as priceless spiritual gems which cling to us as we walk in obedience to Jesus.  Consider the great implications of this!  Instead of fearfully avoiding persecution or potential trials we can wade right in, knowing God has great treasures of grace for us to receive and enjoy.  Do you esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the gold and treasures of the nations?  Since God has set aside great rewards for you believer, are you willing and committed to endure trials of faith so you might receive your full reward to the glory of God?  Blessed and rich beyond measure are such who make God their refuge!  Upheld by God through faith we should not grit our teeth, but we can rejoice according to Christ's command.

Mixed with Faith

Faith is such an important part of our Christian life.  The scriptures tell us whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23), and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  In the midst of trials our faith in God is tested, and it is this God-ordained tested process which brings us to spiritual maturity.  In the midst of suffering our lack of faith is often revealed to us, and we like the disciples can plead according to the will of God, "Increase our faith."  All people will suffer in this life, but only those who choose to trust God despite pain will discover the joy of the LORD is their strength.

Faith is also critical for us to receive the wisdom and benefits God provides through His Word.  Consider the passage in Hebrews 4:1-2:  "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."  The children of Israel heard the word of God from Moses in the desert after He delivered them from bondage in Egypt.  Though the Word of God never lacks power or sharpness, the unbelief in the hearts of the Hebrews rendered it unprofitable.  Unless the Word of God is mixed with faith, it provides no practical benefit.

Reading the Bible is never an end in itself.  If we refuse to believe or obey what God says to us, we will remain without hope in this world - despite our knowledge or grasp of doctrine.  If we believe what we read, our lives will be lived in obedience to the scripture.  For instance, if you believed your glass was filled with deadly poison, you would not drink it unless you wanted to die!  Reading God's Word without putting it into practice - without it being mixed with faith (and faith without works is dead) - it dulls us to the truth of God's message.  We can be steeped in truth without it ever permeating our souls, and this should be most concerning.

You've probably heard before what Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-28:  "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."  We all want to be the wise man, right?  The reality is, we aren't always who we want to be.  God made us to walk, but with walking comes the real potential of falling.  And fall we do.  And stay down and not know how to get back up again.

Thank the LORD that when we place our faith in Christ He is a Deliverer and Restorer.  A professional baseball player who is out of form does not need a new revelation or superhuman abilities:  he needs to go back to the basics and practice the fundamentals.  In our Christian walk it is much the same.  In our struggles, we don't need to search the world for new revelations.  God reveals Himself when we seek Him!  We should ask ourselves, am I trusting God?  Is faith being mixed with the truth of Bible I am reading?  Is this fact evident through me putting God's Word into practice?  Praise God for His Word, and for sending the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness.

The Clean Heart

I've been thinking lately about the importance our examining our motives according to God's Word as we draw near to Him.  As critical as it is to come to God at the beginning in humility and submission to His will by grace through faith, so we must continue in this posture in seeking the fullness of His Spirit.  We can at any point of our Christian pilgrimage begin to unknowingly entertain selfish motives.  Our desires can degrade to what God can provide for us or do our will rather than humbling ourselves to seek His.  Instead of selfless desire for the glory of God, we can be focused on our problems, pain, or how God should end them for us.

God will not become a means to our end.  God knows what we need, but will acquiesce to our greed and selfishness to chasten us back to Him.  This sobering reality is demonstrated in Psalm 106:13-15:  "They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, ¹⁴ but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. ¹⁵ And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul."  If we willingly forget God's works and do not seek Him, pray God does not grant your request.  The excitement of the prayer answered will soon be swallowed up in despair and spiritual drowsiness and weakness.

The sacrifices of the LORD are a broken heart and contrite spirit, not insatiable demands of the proud or self-righteous. Joel 2:12-13 says, "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." ¹³ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm."  Praise the LORD He hears our cries, and He is able to make our hearts pure before Him when we repent.  His hand which breaks us can also heal and restore.  James 5:11 reads, "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."

The Voice of the LORD

"The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"

Psalm 29:9

In my recent study of Psalm 29, this verse stood out among others in this chapter which speaks often of the powerful and far-reaching impact of the voice of God.  It struck me the sound of God's voice impacts people differently, even as it causes the deer to give birth or stripping a forest bare.  One is left exposed and broken by the God's voice, and the other is startled into bringing forth new life.  Recognising God remains in control regardless of any circumstances we face is an abiding comfort in the life of a follower of Jesus.

The heart strengthened by faith in God as revealed in His Word is convinced He makes all work for good in the life of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).  Despite storms, pain, and trials, God's people are able to rejoice in Him regardless.  It is one thing to read about the faithful people of God who were blessed to endure, but it is God's will for all people to personally experience the upholding power of God's Spirit.  At the voice of God, all those who worship God in the beauty of His holiness say, "Glory!"  Paul was able to rejoice despite persecution, unjust imprisonment, and slander.  He said in the face of death, "Rejoice in the LORD always!  Again I will say, rejoice!"  He had the ability to see the power and sufficiency of Christ in the midst of the trial without focusing on how he had been mistreated, his pain, or what potential misfortunes awaited him.  He was no believer in luck or "fortune" but in the sovereign power, goodness, and wisdom of His glorious Saviour.

God is speaking today.  Are you listening?  Whether His voice strips you bare of deceit and reveals sinful motives or awakens in you new desire to worship and draw near to Him, listen and obey.  The God who made man's mouth also made His ears.  The God who confounded the languages at Babel has the authority and power to be clearly understood by all.  It is when we quiet our hearts before Him we can hear His still small voice which strikes through our souls like a bolt of lightning.  Speak O LORD, for you servant hears (by your grace)!

Humble Privilege

Yesterday I travelled to Rotorua, New Zealand to meet with friends at the Calvary Chapel Bible Institute.  It just so happened Australia played New Zealand in the World Cup Rugby Union final for the first time in history.  As with most teams who face the legendary “All Blacks,” a respectable effort from the Aussies ended up as second best.  For the first time ever, a team has won the World Cup back-to-back, and with it “bragging rights” for the next four years.

The term “bragging rights” is an interesting one.  The concept in the sporting world is when your team wins and you “have scoreboard,” you have the right to remind others of your victory and their defeat when it pleases you.  It occurred to me that bragging is never good when it springs from a root of pride, and the scoreboard says it all.  Better than being proud over our personal accomplishments or those of the teams we support, the biblical approach is to consider the humble privilege of competing in lieu of boasting.

Since my hiatus from organised sport as I rehabilitated my surgically repaired knee, I have seen even the opportunity to compete as a gift of God.  Even when my team struggles or I do not achieve what I consider a respectable standard, I should be grateful to God for the opportunity to compete and be thankful for the opposition (regardless of their attitude), umpires (regardless of their questionable calls), gear, and grounds (regardless of the condition) which makes the game possible.

As a child of God, I have the privilege and responsibility to walk in humility before God and men – even on the sporting fields.  Instead of taunting, criticising others, or indulging in my “bragging rights,” I ought to honour God by attitudes which reflect His grace.  I can live out the joyful humble privilege, thanking God for every opportunity He supplies whether as a competitor in the arena or a spectator.  God is not interested in making competitive people catatonic and careless, but to bring the flesh under the power of His Spirit that we might honour and glorify Him with more fervency still.

Here One Day, Gone the Next

Everything which seems so solid, secure, and predictable in this earth can suddenly change forever.  Powerful nations which ruled others have been subdued and forgotten.  Well-built houses, and established trees suddenly plunged into a sinkhole or were wiped from the earth in a devastating tornado.  People who are healthy and strong can perish in an instant.  Jesus taught in the Temple, but He also used the massive stones of the Temple to illustrate how the things which seem immovable can be quickly cast down and ruined forever.  Some say the future is uncertain, and in a sense it is.  No one knows precisely how the future will play out.  From a biblical perspective, however, the future of the world is absolutely certain:  it is all going to perish.

Matthew 24:1-2 tells the story:  "Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. ² And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Some of the stones used in building the Temple weighed hundreds of tons.  When I visited the Western Wall Tunnels just weeks ago, I placed my hands on the Western Stone which is estimated to weigh 570 tons!  The words of Jesus came true years later in 70AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and pulled apart the Temple.  Based upon the size of stones used in the Temple, the disciples likely thought it would last for generations!  But as Jesus said, the buildings of the Temple were all thrown down and left as a heap of rubble.

The claims of Jesus piqued the curiosity of His disciples.  Matthew 24:3-8 reads, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" ⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows."  The disciples asked three specific questions which Jesus answered in the remainder of Matthew 24 and chapter 25.  What Jesus addressed in this passage was 1) when these things would be (the destruction of the Temple) and 2) the signs of His coming.  Since the Temple was destroyed in 70AD and Jesus has not yet returned, we are currently living in the days of which He spoke.

When I hear of wars and rumors of wars, I am not surprised.  When I hear of earthquakes in various places, I am not afraid.  This is exactly what Jesus said would happen.  I am saddened to hear of the horrors of war, the loss of life, and the terrible conflicts which consume fighters, families, and little ones.  "All these things must come to pass," Jesus said, "but the end is not yet."  If we have seen the beginning of sorrows with genocides, the Jewish holocaust, tsunamis, earthquakes, forest fires, terrorist attacks, diseases, and hate, what will the end of these things be?  As Jesus said on His way to being crucified, "If they do these thing in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" (Luke 23:31) Thank the LORD for the comfort and eternal security He offers through faith in Jesus Christ!  Because I am in Him, I am not worried about the end of all things, fearful with uncertainty.  But I ought to be mindful that my end can come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  At any second my life can be over and I will be judged before the Living God.

This world has not seen the end of war and tragedy.  With burgeoning conflicts between the nations, it is like the powers of the world are dusting off their swords to go to battle.  The escalation will continue, and the rhetoric will someday end with real fighting.  Politics and policies will be powerless to stop the tide, and nations will fall.  Yet Christians need not be troubled or afraid at the dangerous spectre of these things.  Did not Jesus tell us beforehand?  Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 16:33:  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

The Snooze Button

Every morning I hear the same thing:  beeping, rustling of covers, the click of the snooze button, and precisely eight minutes later repeat.  It's not just one person who has fallen for the infernal snooze button, but both of my sons.  After this charade in stereo persisted for over half an hour, I walked to the hallway which connected both rooms.  I welcomed those young men into the day with a question:  "What is the purpose of your alarm clock?"  "To wake us up," one of the youths mumbled.  "If it wakes you up, why don't you get up?  Why not set the alarm for half an hour later and enjoy more unbroken sleep?  Do me and yourselves a favour.  Good morning!"  The complimentary and happy dad-dispensary of wisdom was open for business.

Now if you are one of those who love your snooze button almost as much as life itself, please do not take offense.  I have lived with people who had the bizarre obsession to press that button for over an hour every morning, and hearing the blaring tone every eight minutes became an offense to me!  But the LORD showed me a wondrous truth about this "rise and shine procrastinator," this snooze button which is the cause for me to place my alarm out of reach so I must rise out of bed to turn it off because I have a knack of pressing it without waking up fully.  Yes, it once had its hooks in me too.

It occurred to me the Holy Spirit convicts us to cause us to rise from spiritual slumber and bring us to our senses.  Conviction of sin has been the reason many people came to God at the beginning.  When first exposed to Jesus Christ I was one who was convinced of my sin, I was heading for hell, and needed the forgiveness and salvation afforded me by grace through faith in Him.  But after we have trusted in Christ, we are not instantly perfect.  We can be easily deluded and seduced by selfishness, our eyes can cease to focus resolutely on Jesus, and we fall for temptations.  And our languishing lands us in a spiritual drowsiness, a stupor from which we are only woken by the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  Alarm bells can start blaring in our minds even before we knowingly plunge into sin, but we have a way of pressing the snooze button.  Comfortable in our bed of sin, conviction is more of an irritant to be silenced rather than a practical, gracious call to upright living as God intends.

How do you treat the conviction which comes from the Holy Spirit as we read the word, hear a sermon, or as we are left alone with our thoughts?  Is conviction a "bad" feeling we try to cover with activity, self-justification, or numb with alcohol?  Or does conviction rouse us to the point we leap out of bed and go to God for cleansing and restoration so we might again walk in obedience?  A shower cleans the body and makes the groggy mind more alert, but only Jesus is able to wash us and bring us back into sweet fellowship with Him.  When the alarm sounds in your heart and mind, don't press the snooze button and go back to sleep.  Seek the LORD about the reason for the wake-up call and walk in obedience according to His Word.  God doesn't just want to wake you up, but He wants you to rise and shine for His glory.

Commit the Fight to Christ

Reading Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards during our discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney has yielded some amazing discussions.  What impresses me greatly about David is how he responded when word came his son Absalom proclaimed himself king in Hebron.  The conspiracy was strong, and King David - the anointed of God - chose to voluntarily flee his fortified position in Jerusalem to prevent bloodshed.  He knew Absalom's ruthless nature, and he would not hesitate to kill even those of the king's house to accomplish his end.

Consider how David did not act like any other king before or since.  What king has ever fled the citadel barefoot and weeping when he had every right to stay, strengthen his defenses, and command his loyal subjects to fight for him?  When the high priest brought the Ark of the Covenant out of the Tabernacle after David, he commanded it be returned to the most holy place.  King Saul was glad to carry the Ark with him so on a whim he could inquire of the LORD, but David would entertain no such convenience.  2 Samuel 15:25-26 reads, "Then the king said to Zadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. ²⁶ But if He says thus: 'I have no delight in you,' here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him."  So humble and contrite was David that he laid no claim or right to the throne.  David allowed God the possibility to remove him from the throne.  God had freely given, and David maintained God had the right (and his blessing!) to take away.

The following days revealed God was not finished with David, but would end the rebellion started by Absalom by granting David's loyal men a great victory.  Yet even when the victory was secured through the death of usurping Absalom, David did not immediately return to the throne.  He waited until the people requested his return, confirming his ordination by God to rule over all Israel.  It is shocking to see such a heart of humility in a king, and is a foreshadowing of the meekness and humility of the King of kings, Jesus Christ.  He was the King of the Jews, yet He laid down His life without resistance.  He offered His cheeks to the smiters, and gave His back to the scourge.  He bore the weight of the mockery and spitting, and Jesus did not recoil when the crown of thorns was pressed rudely into His scalp.  He bore His own cross to Calvary in His humiliation, and He presented His hands and feet to the cruel nails.  He could have insulated Himself from all pain and suffering, calling legions of angels to His aid.  But He did nothing, except commit Himself fully to His heavenly Father who loved Him and called Him to suffer.

As one anointed by the Holy Spirit, do you still fight for your rights?  Or have you learned from the example of men like David and Jesus who committed themselves to He who judges righteously?  Jesus was not passive as He went to the cross, for it was an act of a will submitted to the Father's will.  He actively sought God's favour for those ignorant souls who hated and murdered Him without cause.  Even as David was restored to his former glory, Jesus was exalted above all others as the firstfruits from the dead, raised in eternal glory.  He is both King and High Priest, having ascended to the Father and will someday return to judge the unbelieving world and rule with a rod of iron.  There are many Absaloms around, usurping the authority of the true King, but they will all be overthrown and slaughtered by the sword which comes from the mouth of the Ancient of Days.

God will fight for us, and it is not weakness to meekly commit ourselves into His hand for He delights in us.  He will do to us what seems good to Him, whose ways are grace, mercy, and truth.

A New Nature

God is able to reveal spiritual truth to us even when we aren't looking for it.  Yesterday provided a perfect example.  After being away in Israel, in my front and back yards there was a fair amount of yard work to do.  So instead of changing out of my baseball uniform after my game on Saturday, I cut grass, trimmed shrubs, and cleaned the guttering.  I also tasked my sons to do some mowing, trimming, and raking.  One of the rose bushes provided me an illustration I didn't know I needed!

Before we moved into the house, a previous tenant planted four rose bushes.  One of these bushes yields pink flowers, but a couple of big suckers had sprouted from below the graft, yielding red flowers I did not recognise.  They did not have the beauty or fragrance of roses.  I am not an avid gardener by any means, but I have been told roses are often grafted into a hearty rootstock.  This enables the plant to better survive harsh conditions.  The suckers from the rootstock yielded many flowers, but the portion over the graft only yielded two.  Cutting away the growth from below the graft will no doubt promote the health and flowering of the desired roses.

Jesus said to His followers, "I am the Vine, and you are the branches."  Spiritually speaking, all who repent and trust in Christ are grafted in to Him, and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us.  Christians are given a new nature which is like Christ's, and for the first time the good fruit of the Holy Spirit is yielded from our lives - like those fragrant pink rose blooms.  But though we have been transformed inside, we still live in a body of flesh.  As long as our bodies remain in our fallen state, we are like a grafted rose bush which has that hearty rootstock always warring against our new nature.  If the rootstock is permitted it will rob all the nutrients from the good plant above.

Paul recognised the tension between the flesh and new nature given by Jesus Christ.  Romans 7:18-25 reads, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ²¹ I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."

When we recognise the fruit of the old man in our lives - the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life springing up from below the graft, repentance cuts off those suckers which war against the soul.  Jesus has delivered us from this body of death, and even whilst we are alive and remain we can produce fragrant blooms above the graft God finds beautiful.  This fragrance is lovely not only to God, but to those who will receive the Gospel and be saved.  As it is written in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. ¹⁵ For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?"  Our call is to examine our hearts and lives and cut from us all which grows under the graft through repentance and allow Christ to expertly prune us so we might be more fruitful still.

The Christian life has assurances and absolutes, yet there are aspects of continual, ongoing maintenance as we embrace the process of being sanctified into the image of Christ.  The object is not to be more focused on self and our faults, but to fix our eyes upon Jesus as we seek and obey Him.  In this manner we can easily discern the red from the pink blooms above the graft, and praise God we can bear fruit which is according to His holy nature.

Forget Useless Religion

"If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."

James 1:26

 During my recent visit to Israel, I was surrounded by countless outwardly religious people.  Muslims streamed in droves after praying on the Temple Mount, worshipers sang hymns at holy sites, and orthodox Jews read from their prayer books as they hurried along the street on foot.  "Religious" people are not difficult to spot because of their outward dress or deeds.  One point James 1:26 emphasises is unless religion provides inner transformation, it is a complete waste of time and effort.  "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks," Jesus said in Matthew 12:34.  If your religion is incapable of making you a more godly person, your religion is powerless and ridiculous.

This is what makes Christianity different from all other "religions."  Christianity is a unique belief system based upon God's Word (the Bible) because Jesus promises to make those who trust in Him new creations from within.  It is all about an inner transformation by God's grace, for He puts a new heart and Spirit within us.  Our hearts, which were once hardened by sin's deceitfulness, are made soft and exude the fruit of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.  It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who enables and empowers us to bridle our tongues and to love one another as Jesus loves us.  We begin to deeply care about others, even when they say or do things which are hurtful.  We even love people we have never met.

The following verse bears this out.  James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."  The Law established provisions for orphans and widows, but it was incapable of making anyone lovingly care about them.  Only the transformation power of the Gospel can place this active love in hearts once marked with selfishness and pride.  Many people do pious or deeds which appear good, but Christ puts within us purity of motive with good deeds.  The world has a way of polluting people but pure, undefiled religion before God keeps a man holy and righteous by God's grace.  To enter the kingdom of heaven, we must be born again through repentance and faith in Christ.  As Paul wrote in Galatians 6:15-16:  "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

Has your religion changed you inside?  Spiritual regeneration and transformation - real change - is only possible through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  Stop believing in useless religion, and stop trying to change yourself.  Be changed through the Gospel, receive the Holy Spirit, and you will be changed.  Then take practical steps to live according to your new born again nature, according to the character we see in Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:17 reads, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  If your religion is a proven waste, what have you to lose?

Israel, Rosemary, and Faith

Having just returned from Israel, my mind is a blur.  Some of it is fatigue, other due to travel and changing time zones, and jumbled reflections on my experience in the Holy Land.  Before I departed the plane on Australian soil this morning, I remembered a sprig of rosemary needed to be removed that I had placed in my Bible.  How I received that rosemary is a story all its own.

I have been down to the Western Wall on a couple occasions, but I had never ventured into the underground area heading north where men pray.  This area can be seen clearly from above by anyone who takes the Rabbinical Tunnel tour.  I didn't know if I was permitted in that area, but after I was assured it was alright I went in.  As soon as I entered, an Orthodox Jew (based upon his attire) greeted me and shook my hand - something I did not expect.  I do not know how strict the rules are concerning a Jew touching a Gentile these days, but his warm welcome was appreciated.

He asked me where I was from in a very friendly manner.  Then he began to show me around, pointing out various books in the bookshelves and spoke about the first and second temples which were destroyed.  He spoke of how he was looking expectantly for a third Temple to be built.   "That temple will endure forever," he said.  Then he told me I could write a prayer and place it in the cracks of the Western Wall, as many Jews believe it is a "red phone" or a direct line to an audience by God.

When he produced a pad and a pen, at that moment I began to be a bit suspicious this was going to end with being asked for money - but I went along anyway.  After my prayer was written and the pad and pen returned to their place within his coat, he opened a book which contained shekel bills of various denominations.  There is not supposed to be any "begging" in the controlled Western Wall area, but this man had worked out a way!  I'm not even sure what I donated towards, but it was done unto the LORD.  He suddenly whipped out a handful of rosemary, placed it upon my forehead, prayed a short prayer of blessing for my family, and then placed it in my hand.  His good deed done, he walked off and I never saw him again.

I asked our Israeli guide of the significance of rosemary, but he had never heard of it used in like manner before.  In Israel there is no shortage of sites and traditions which hold sway over people which are without power in themselves.  Rosemary has not miraculous healing properties, nor are prayers more likely answered when they are stuffed between stones.  I am amazed to the great lengths men will go to keep the Law according to the tradition of the sages, yet miss the spirit of the law entirely.  Jesus said men thought through study of the scriptures they would have eternal life, but all the scriptures pointed to Jesus whom they rejected.  The Jews are looking for rebuilding of the temple, but they are not looking for the Messiah who will reign as King and High Priest in the temple He builds.

On the train today I had a pleasant conversation with a woman who echoed sentiment I commonly hear along these lines:  "As long as faith in something helps you, it is a good thing to have.  A lot of people don't have faith in anything anymore."  I would answer:  everyone has faith in someone or something.  It is the focus of your faith that makes all the difference.  Many people today who had already made future plans died unexpectedly.  Jesus said of people of "faith" in John 16:2, "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service."  Paul was a Pharisee who did this.  He persecuted Christians, believing God was pleased with his efforts and sacrifice.  But he was wrong.  People can place their faith in the wrong things because they are deceived.  Some people choose to be suicide bombers, believing it is a sure path to paradise, but wake up in a fiery hell.  It is only the Word of God applied by the Holy Spirit which enables us to discern lies and sort the humanistic chaff of this world from the meat of divine truth.

You can trust in rosemary to heal your body, bless your family, and forgive your sins, but those are mere fantasies without any factual basis.  This misguided faith is a waste.  Everyone trusts something, but only faith placed on Jesus Christ and the Word of God is proven, steadfast, and sure.  Man's interpretations and beliefs may change, yet the Word of God will endure forever.  Many "trustworthy" things like parachutes, airplanes, and trains have failed to carry their passengers safely to their destination, but God's love nor His Word ever fails.  God has not failed before, and He is absolutely trustworthy for the future.  Don't allow man's failures to keep you from trusting Jesus or deceive you to think all faith is as good as the next.  Faith according to correct knowledge is key!   

The Move of the Divine Presence

A sign quoting sages near the Western Wall says, "The Divine Presence never moves from the Western Wall."  For this reason many devout Jews and people come from all over the world to pray in the hope of the third temple to be built on the mount.  In the minds of many to draw near to this holy place is to draw near to God Himself.

God is at the Western Wall, yet He is not limited in any way by geography.  Paul claimed God does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor does His glorious power rest in one earthly location.  However when the third temple IS built - which will one day happen according to scripture - it would not surprise me at all if hopes of God sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices remain unfulfilled.  The anti-christ will later come with his false fire, and the eyes of many devout worshipers will be opened to the scriptures and the sure promise of salvation through Jesus for all who repent and trust in Him as Messiah.  There will also be a fourth temple built by none other than Jesus Christ, for it is written of Him as both King and Priest in in Zechariah 6:13, "Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; so He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Paul wrote to erring Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20:  "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."  Peter said believers are "lively stones" which are laid in order by God upon the foundation of Jesus Christ to comprise the church.  The Holy Spirit - God Himself - dwells within the hearts of all those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus said He would never leave or forsake His people, and His Word is true.

I am amazed and awed by the great efforts made by men to draw near to a Holy God and to find favour in His sight.  It is God who has come to us, revealed in the Jewish man Jesus who was born in Bethlehem of a virgin, was raised in Nazareth, and went about doing good.  Wise men still seek Him, and Jesus has become for all who receive Him wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  Praise the LORD for coming to us and revealing Himself as the Messiah through His life, teachings, willing death, and resurrection in glory.  I am reminded of a song which will remain true for Christians for eternity:  "He is here, He is here.  He is moving among us."  Move us and move among us for your glory LORD God!

Send Jesus Away?

We finished today's tour of the Galilee region by going to the shore of the sea of Galilee opposite Tiberias, to a possible place where Jesus delivered the demon possessed men of Gadara.  He had just miraculously calmed a storm which raged upon Galilee, and He would demonstrate His mastery of demons which raged within the bodies of men.  These men were exceedingly fierce and were so terrifying no one dared pass that way.  These men lived among the tombs and one Gospel account said chains could not restrain the ferocity and violence of the man possessed by many demons.

Matthew 8:29-30 reads, "And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" ³⁰ Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding."  These men lived like beasts, but the spirits who controlled them recognised afar off Jesus Christ and acknowledged His authority.  They turned out to be more initially perceptive than the Jews who lived in the region.  Gadara was so called because it was inhabited by the tribe of Gad and were therefore Jewish people.  Pigs were deemed unclean under the Law of Moses, so this stands out as odd.  What was with the pigs?  Perhaps they were for trading with people who would eat them.

The story continues in Matthew 8:31-34:  "So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine." ³² And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. ³³ Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region."  The demons requested a hasty exit into unclean animals, and Jesus permitted them.  The crazed animals tore off running and plunged over a cliff into the sea.  Those responsible to tend the pigs ran into the town to tell others what had happened.  The men once demon possessed were in their right mind, but the people of the town did the unthinkable:  they begged Jesus to leave, even as the demons begged to leave.  They cast out Jesus for doing good.

Why would the people of Gadara beg Jesus to leave?  There are many likely answers.  Jesus was a man too powerful for them to control.  He was seen as responsible for the total destruction of a once thriving business.  They did not understand Him.  They did not trust Him.  And I am convinced that at this point they did not know Him or recognise Him as the Messiah, the promised Deliverer the Father would send.  These are similar reasons to why people reject Jesus as Messiah today.  Almost 2,000 years have passed, and men have not changed.  Thankfully, God hasn't changed either!  He is still a loving, powerful, gracious God who seeks and saves the lost, delivering people from bondage, releasing people from the oppression of Satan and sin, and sets the captives free.

Don't treat Jesus like a devil.  He comes to us as LORD and Saviour and those are blessed who humbly receive Him.  John 1:11-13 reads, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

The Holy Word

Visiting Israel is something the more I do the more I want to do.  I am not particularly fond of the travel time from Australia, but there is nothing in the world like the Holy Land.  Each time has been a unique experience, and thanks to the vast improvement in internet connections I am able to post pictures to Facebook and even blog when time permits.

This morning our group went across the Sea of Galilee on a boat, saw the "Jesus Boat" museum, visited the Mount of Beatitudes, and Capernaum - all before an amazing lunch.  Granted, we did eat a bit late today, but it was a remarkable experience as we reflected on the truths of God's Word.  The life of a Christian is not one living in the past, preoccupied with ancient history, or based on yesterday's choices, but one of every day looking to our risen LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Jesus has spoken, and for the wise men who still seek Him He has much to say.

One thing which struck me today was something I did not expect:  the signs in the windows of the chapel built over the house of Peter in Capernaum.  On the sign was a photo of a hooded child with an extended finger laid across the lips.  The caption, which looked like it had been written at different times, read "Holy place!  Keep silence please!  No explaining inside. Only for the Holy Mass or prayer."  I can understand it is not conducive to worship when people on a tour are talking loudly over each other.  But it is interesting that a holy place should be a silent place.  There are people who have made vows of silence over the years as a discipline, and self-denial is often viewed as pious or spiritual.

I am grateful God is a holy God and He has chosen to speak.  He did not remain silent but revealed Himself to the world through the scripture, the Law and the prophets, the testimony of nature, Jesus Christ coming to earth to die and rise again, and through the Holy Spirit.  When His disciples asked Jesus questions, Jesus was glad to answer.  His aim was to reveal God's wisdom and love to men, not conceal it.  Jesus said in John 16:12-14, "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. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."

Israel's history is an amazing tapestry of God revealing Himself powerfully and miraculously to people through the ages to this day.  Praise the LORD for the revelation of divine love and that He cares for all people by His grace!  Jesus is the Word who became flesh and we have beheld His glory, the only begotten of the Father.  God speaks to be known, heard, feared, understood, obeyed, praised, and glorified!

Rest for Troubled Souls

I recently received word that my cousin Mike Anderson passed recently after a long battle with illness.  I am resigned to the fact God has me in Australia, though most of my family lives in the United States.  In times of tragedy I do wish I could support my cousin Mike and those grieving by fondly remembering his memory, going to the memorial service, and spending time with his friends and family.  It is in these trying times our perspective narrows to the things that matter most and draws us near to those we love.  Death has a way of centering us again, showing us how much we take for granted.

The last deathbed of a family member I had the privilege to attend was Mike's mother, Aunt Lynn.  I couldn't be there for Mike in his last days and hours, but I remember leaving work early to spend time with her and the family.  She knew her life was drawing to an end, and she requested that she be sent home to heaven with a happy gathering, singing songs to Jesus as the family had for her mum.  It was an experience I will never forget.

Aunt Lynn was lying on a hospital bed in the living room.  Many family members came to spend time with her, and I kissed her and held her hand.  We had a sweet talk.  I remember someone had thoughtfully put an Elvis DVD on TV, one of her favourites.  A priest came to administer her last rites when she was beginning to drift off into unconsciousness.  As her life slowly ebbed away with laboured breaths, it occurred to me:  there was no life in Elvis, no power in last rites.  The only hope and power Lynn had for eternal life was found through faith in Jesus Christ, the One who could take that tired, failing body and glorify it forever in His presence.

In his final months Mike wrote to me in an email the only reason why he was still around was because of Jesus, and Jesus is the only One who has the power to keep him from tasting death even after his body passed into eternity.  Jesus spoke of a man dead four days in John 11:23-26:  "Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." ²⁴ Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." ²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"  Our bodies die because we are sinners, but those who believe in Jesus shall never die.  Bury our bodies six feet deep, but our souls will be clothed with immortality and be given a new body without sickness, pain, or sorrow.  This is the hope Jesus provides for everyone, purchased at the cost of His precious blood.

There's a lot of people today who say they hate themselves.  They live like gods, doing everything they feel like doing but still hate their life.  Well, God doesn't hate you.  He demonstrated His love for you by dying on a cross and proved His power to save you by Jesus rising from the dead.  Some people may think Mike was given a short straw by a harsh God because he faced debilitating pain and suffering for a great deal of his life which was over too soon.  I don't see it that way at all.  If that horrendous pain was the means necessary to open Mike's eyes to see his eternal need and soften his heart to receive the Gospel for eternal salvation, it was a healing balm for his soul and a path to everlasting peace.  Revelation 21:3-5 describes the scene for all who receive Christ as LORD and Saviour:  "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." ⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

We only can "Rest in Peace" in this life and for eternity if during our earthly pilgrimage we decidedly take refuge in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.  Only in Jesus can a man find eternal rest for His soul (Matthew 11:19).