Come When Called

Growing up we had several different dogs as pets.  All of them were trained to some degree, but none of them could be reliably trusted to run free off the leash.  We didn’t know better in those days, and we never managed to train them to come when called – despite dog obedience training.  When people came over to visit we had a “dog run” to contain them, to keep them from jumping on visitors.  If the gate to the back yard ever swung open, we had to act fast because ours were the sort of dogs who imagined it was a fun game to remain just out of reach and lead us on a slow chase down the block.  It was unimaginable we could take them to Dog Beach or to a park and let them off the lead.  It simply wasn’t worth the grief.

I was reminded of my childhood pets when a friend told me about how Australian Blue Heelers are sometimes trained.  A common method is to take an older, well-trained dog and connect their collar to a younger, untrained dog.  The trained dog will respond instantly to the commands of his master and literally drag the other dog along.  After a while the younger dog will begin to connect the commands of the master with the action performed by the trained dog.  Simply by obedience to his master the older dog effectively trains the other.

The life of the trained sheep or cattle dog running around a green pasture and the dog cooped up in the dusty dog run are quite different.  Perhaps my dogs imagined they had a bit of freedom when their escaped our yard, only to be caught and corralled moments later.  It is the dog who can be trusted to immediately come when called by his master that can be trusted to go everywhere with him: to the beach, the park, to be sent out into a large field to gather up the flock or herd.  Under the watchful eye of his master, what freedom the reliable and trained dog has!  Before God, I want to resemble the obedient dog which can be trusted to do his master’s work.  I want to be faithful to be about my Father’s business, quick to respond to discipline with humility and repentance, like the dog a master would choose to link with an untrained dog because he is trustworthy.

Which sort of dog do you resemble:  the one which needs to be kept on a short lead or in the dog run or one the master can direct to do his will in a pasture without fences?  Be grateful when God sees fit to train you, even when it feels like you are being dragged all over the place, losing your footing, and when you are weary from running.  Even as a good shepherd knows how to train his sheep dog, God knows how to train and develop His faithful servants.  Learn how to run side-by-side with faithful ministers of Jesus Christ, and I don’t mean pastors only.  There are countless faithful servants of the Most High who are not called to pastoral or teaching ministry.  Someday the lead will come off and you will need to choose if you will obey God’s commands or strike off on your own, doing your own thing.  It is in obedience to God we experience our greatest freedom and joy.

Jesus chose His disciples, going to their place of work whether they were mending their nets or sitting at their desk.  It didn't matter if they were alone in their boats or if the hired servants were there.  Without explanation or apology Jesus simply said to them, “Follow Me.”  Jesus Christ comes to you right now wherever you are and says the same thing.  Will you come when called?  There will always be a high cost of following Christ, for it is the voluntary surrender of your entire life to God’s control and guidance.  To refuse Christ’s call, however, is far more costly.  There are a lot of Christians who resembled bored, lazy dogs in dusty kennels when they could be running free doing what they were bred to do.  I can tell you our greatest aspirations and dreams are little more than a dusty dog run compared to the green, sun-swept pastures where God will establish you.  There will be rainy days, cold mornings, and windy nights which at times never seem to end, but we can always have the comfort of sleeping by our Master’s side and the excitement about the next thing He calls you to do with Him.

Confirm Your Love

Have you ever been hurt or offended when you became aware of sins of other people?  Though all sin is primarily and ultimately against God alone, we can be swept up in a flood of emotions:  anger, grief, confusion, disappointment, and even betrayal.  God taught me an invaluable lesson when I found out a person I trusted intentionally deceived me.  I was so angry when I discovered the lies!  My initial response was to withdraw and give the "silent treatment."  But as I knelt in prayer beside my bed, my anger and indignation was immediately quenched by the LORD's stern voice:  "Was this sin against you?  Is it right for you to be angry?"  God showed me my anger was due to my own pride and I was immediately convicted.  Once I repented for my sin, I was able to extend God's grace in love to the person who was sorry for what they had done.  Fellowship was then restored.  The person had sinned against God, and God used my sinful response to reveal pride within me He wanted to cut off.  Despite our faults, it ended up being a win-win.

Offense is common to all men, yet it is particularly destructive in the church.  The way people respond to secret sin discovered or sin freely confessed by each individual matters.  Sin divides and cuts people off from fellowship with God and other Christians, but when we are unloving and proud the way we deal with repentant sinners can isolate too.  The church in Corinth made the mistake of allowing a man who was in an incestuous relationship continue in fellowship without rebuke or discipline.  It seems after Paul exhorted them to correct this matter in 1 Corinthians, they were severe in their handling of this individual.  They cut him off even after he repented.  This is often the case:  to make up for our neglect or leniency the pendulum swings back too far with harshness.  But Paul was not content for the man to be made an example of as a warning to frighten potential future offenders.  He encouraged Christians to exhibit the love and grace of God to the sorrowing sinner.  He wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:6-8, "This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, ⁷ so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him."  A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and in faith and obedience to Jesus - not our faith in people's improved performance - we ought to forgive, comfort, and confirm our love to broken sinners.

So what does this mean, to reaffirm or confirm your love to someone who has repented for their sin?  Jesus Himself provides a lovely example after Peter denied Him.  Jesus predicted all His disciples would abandon Him and Peter would deny Him, but Peter was adamant he of all the disciples would be faithful unto death.  The very night Jesus was betrayed and brought before Caiaphas the High Priest, Peter indeed denied Jesus three times.  When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered what Jesus had said and he wept bitterly with remorse.  After Jesus rose from the dead, on several occasions He appeared to His disciples.  But even before Jesus did so an angelic messenger mentioned Peter specifically by name at the empty tomb in Mark 16:7, "But go, tell His disciples--and Peter--that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  Jesus confirmed His love for Peter by sending Him a personal message.  He had not forgotten him and He wasn't even angry with him despite his fear and failure.  Through this simple message Jesus said clearly, "I love you and have not forgotten about you.  You are still part of my future plans."

Peter denied Jesus three times, and the Gospel of John provides an account when Jesus appeared to His disciples - and Peter - for the third time.  The disciples were fishing and Jesus called out to them from the shore to cast their nets on the right side and they would catch some fish.  As their nets were filled with large fish, Peter recognised Jesus as His LORD and jumped out of the boat to greet Him.  John 21:15-17 reads, "So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." ¹⁶ He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep."  Jesus initiated contact and confirmed His love for Peter by giving him an important job to do.  Jesus committed the feeding of His sheep and the tending of His lambs to a man who had recently denied Him.  Jesus knew Peter was grieved and repented for his sin, for He knows the hearts and minds of all men.  He lovingly restored Peter to fellowship by intentionally reaching out to him and entrusted His ministry to him.

What a good and challenging example this is to me!  When I have been wronged and offended, my flesh demands people prove themselves worthy before they can be considered as a viable part of ministry.  But Jesus didn't make Peter earn anything.  There was no waiting period between Peter's repentance and Jesus forgiving, comforting, seeking, calling, and commissioning him to do His work.  Jesus confirmed His love for Peter graciously, and this is what we are called to do as well by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will convict and lead them even as He has led us.  We are called to trust God and walk in obedience to His leading and His Word, regardless of the legalistic standards of this world.  God is able to maintain the purity of His church without us adopting proud tactics of the flesh.  Hebrews 12:28-29 reminds us, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ²⁹ For our God is a consuming fire."  We are to put away from ourselves those professing believers who refuse church discipline and remain in sin without repentance, yet for those who repent we ought to practically confirm our love to them, reach out to them, speak comfort, and freely give them opportunity to serve.  Isn't it wonderful to be loved by God who freely grants us new beginnings?

Listen to Your Father

"Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and note it on a scroll, that it may be for time to come, forever and ever: ⁹ that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD; ¹⁰ who say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. ¹¹ Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us."

Isaiah 30:8-11

The nature of man since Adam has not changed.  Rebellion and wickedness comes standard in all the hearts of men.  God has given human beings a conscience, the ability to reason, and the freedom of choice.  Despite his great capacity for knowledge, when it comes to the truth man often does not have the stomach for it.  The almighty, living God has issued an invitation for all to enjoy a glorious life of fellowship with Him, but most would rather make a god after their own image they can conveniently manage than relinquish control of their lives to God alone.

In the book Transformational Discipleship I am reading for our discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, the authors make a good point our relationship with God is intended to be a full-surrender, not a treaty.  Should God exist, most men would be content to make a treaty with Him if they also could maintain their individual sovereignty.  But this arrangement is not a possible option.  We either live for God or ourselves.  The children of Israel provide a good example of the tension which exists in the lives of all born-again Christians.  As God's adopted children through the Gospel, our hearts can still be lured away from the simplicity of faith and obedience to God.  Like the people of Israel and Judah of old, we can shun true messages of scripture because they reveal our faults.

In the passage above, God wrote an eternal memo about the children of Israel.  He discerned their rebellion, lies, and refusal to heed His law.  They were not interested in hearing the truth which came from God because it was the promise of judgment for their refusal to repent.  They wanted to hear "smooth things," deceit their flesh deemed easy to swallow and digest.  The Holy One of Israel spoke the truth, but it was too narrow a view for God's wayward children.  This passage reveals words of prophecy from God will seem a bit rough for our taste - especially when we are in sin.  God's message may be things very difficult to say and make a person very unpopular, as Isaiah and Jeremiah learned firsthand.  God's faithful witnesses must value the approval of God over the approval ratings of the recipients of the message.  Woe to the man who prophecies deceit, who leaves the way, turns aside from the path of righteousness, and chooses to mute the Holy God of Israel.

As Joshua chose which God he and his house would serve, all Christians must choose if we will boldly speak God's truth with hearts compelled by love.  We who have tasted and seen the LORD is God and have received the truth of the Bible should not smooth out the words God intended to be rough on sinners.  A messenger should not edit his king's message in an attempt to make it palatable.  It is a satanic deception to think changing the message will aid its effectiveness.  Diluting the medicine renders it useless to promote healing, and God has freely provided the cure for all our ailments by His grace.  Since we are the children of the true God and follow Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, let us speak the truth and refuse to trade it for anything.  Proverbs 23:22-24 exhorts us, "Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old. ²³ Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding. ²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him."

We Have Overcome!

My family and I have been keeping tabs on the Olympic competition in Rio.  It is a rare opportunity to see the best athletes in the world competing for Olympic gold and global acclaim.  One thing spectators can count on is surprise victories and stunning defeats.  There are always compelling stories about athletes who will never grace the platform but have sacrificed much in pursuit of mastery and excellence.  Behind every athlete is a long story of training, overcoming injuries and long odds to earn the chance to compete.  Some fail to make the semi-finals, and others win multiple medals.  While the medal counts for certain countries stack up, there still remains countries that have never won a single medal.

Until the Olympics in Rio, one of those countries without an Olympic medal was the island nation of Fiji.  They had been widely tipped to have a superb team heading into the Games, and they lived up to the hype in claiming a gold medal with a decisive victory in the final.  The moment I savoured most was when after the game the team circled up and sung a hymn.  At first I couldn't understand the words.  But as they harmonised the words suddenly came in English:  "We have overcome!  We have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of the LORD!  We have overcome!"  It was an emotionally moving moment for me, and I've been singing the song to myself through the day.

I didn't win a gold medal, but I felt like I could rightly sing that song of praise to God with them.  No one can take a gold medal or any accolades from earth when their life ends, but that is a song those men who trust in Christ as Saviour and I will be singing to God for eternity.  Jesus is the One who has overcome the power of sin, death, Satan, and hell through His death and resurrection.  All who repent and trust in Him enter into His victorious life granted for eternity.  In Jesus Christ we have a prize greater than medals, crowns, kingdoms, or all the fame and wealth on this planet combined.  The twenty-four elders are described as singing to Jesus Christ in Revelation 5:9-10, "And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."  People from island nations and every corner of the world will one day lift their voices in praise to God, harmonising together as one for the glory of our Messiah and King, the One who has overcome.

The rugby pitch can be a violent place, but for a few moments yesterday it was a genuine slice of heaven.  I don't know anyone on the Fiji rugby team, but I imagine there were Christians among them.  If that is the case, then Jesus was out on that pitch.  Jesus explained in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  As their words rose up to heaven, I celebrated with them our shared victory we have through Jesus.  How sweet He is!

When the "Need" isn't the Need

During my time working at a church in Southern California, “walk ins” were common.  People from the community or who were passing through came into the church with various requests.  There were so many it came to a point where it seemed pointless to try to discern the truth of the story or the sincerity of those who made the request.  In every case I simply sought guidance from the LORD in prayer, trusting He would show me the appropriate course of action.  Some people became familiar faces and others I only saw once.  I always found it mildly humorous yet sad when people returned every couple of years with the same story, forgetting they had spun the same tale before.  From my experiences I soon learned the “need” presented by the people was not always their greatest need.

I remember meeting with one man who requested the church pay to repair his van's broken transmission.  Listening to the man plead his case, it seemed his whole life would be suddenly and miraculously on track if he was to have his transmission fixed.  But after speaking with him for a while, it became evident that it was hardly the case.  The man was living in his vehicle, unable and/or unwilling to commit to work, and had burned bridges to his family.  His life was in shambles, but he was unwilling to change his habits or lifestyle.  Years of self-destructive decisions led to a broken transmission.  From his view all he wanted was his transmission repaired, and when this was accomplished all would be well.  Every other aspect of his life was off-limits for discussion.

Without God, people are unable to perceive their deepest needs.  So many people approach this life on earth as if it is all there is or will ever be.  They expend much effort to prepare for retirement and make an estate plan, yet do not consider investing in their eternal future.  The man I spoke with at length could not see his need beyond a repaired transmission, and was like most people who do not perceive their spiritual needs at all.  Even his temporal view was shortsighted.  Say his transmission was repaired:  what would he do when his head gasket blew?  It is a wise man who looks beyond the temporal and considers his spiritual condition and eternal destiny.

How do we determine what we need anyway?  Generally our needs are determined by what we deem necessary for life.  We rightly say we “need” food, water, shelter, and sleep because without these things we would physically die.  In a spiritual sense we are born dead in sins, devoid of life and unable to save ourselves.  The Gospel reveals we need God because He is the only One who gives life, and eternal life at that.  It is in God all our needs are supplied by His grace.  The God who feeds the sparrows will provide our necessary food, clothes, and entrance into the Kingdom of God.  More necessary than money or repaired transmissions is our need to repent and trust in Jesus Christ, for He alone can forgive our sins, make us righteous, and give us eternal life.  Meeting only perceived physical needs or promoting social justice while neglecting spiritual needs of people is eternally disastrous.  God often employs physical needs to open the eyes of people to perceive their deepest need:  a loving relationship with the Living God.

God has revealed through the Bible man’s most basic need is a spiritual one only satisfied through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  We may say we need to be happy, but from God’s perspective we need to be made righteous.  Joy and contentment flood into the soul who fears the LORD.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:30-34, “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  Physical needs point to our greatest need of new life through Christ.  Often the perceived “need” isn’t the need at all, and may we seek God’s wisdom to discern how to meet the true needs of people physically and spiritually

Why Revival?

I have been reading through J. Edwin Orr's All Your Need:  10,000 Miles of Miracle Through Australia and New Zealand, a chronicle of Orr's travels as he was used by God to spark revival.  Everywhere he went he challenged Christians with what is hindering revival in their own lives.  Typically his words were met with silence, but finally someone would openly confess their sin and others would follow like a torrent.  People were broken for their sins as they prayed for one another, secret sins were confessed and forsaken, and broken friendships were restored.  There is a price to be paid for revival, and it is one only paid through humility and personal obedience to Jesus Christ.

The modern-day conception of "revival" is a commonly misunderstood topic, possibly because there is not a great amount of biblical doctrine on the matter.  When Christians see the sinfulness of the world and pine for revival, they are longing for the wrong thing.  Lost sinners need salvation through the Gospel, and Christians need revival.  It is true the effect of revivals are not restrained to Christians alone, but revival is something which can only happen among Christians because sinners are dead in trespasses and have never been spiritually alive.  Revival is needed among the sleepy, stagnant, apathetic, careless, and hypocritical Christians.  Notice I did not say "professing Christians."  Let us be honest and admit there have been seasons, and you or I might even be in such a season right now, where sin in our lives has put distance between us and God.  It has been a long while since we have been on speaking terms with God.  We might speak with Him, but we cannot say honestly He has been speaking with us.  And if He has been speaking, we either haven't been hearing Him or we have not be interested to do what He has said.  He has justly been silent, and we have kept going about our lives as if all is well.

I have never met a Christian who was not interested to some degree to see a revival in their days.  In fact, there are people who often say passionately, "What we need is revival!"  Christians want revival like fans of sports teams want their side to win the grand final.  It is a strange truth that the needs we perceive in others exactly reflect our own.  Desire to see a revival doesn't mean we are desperate to be revived ourselves.  I have never, ever heard someone say, "What I need is revival!"  It is easy to see others are stagnant in their walk or filled with worldly ambitions or desires, but I often cannot perceive my own need for the same.  If you are one of those who preaches the need for revival, it's important to examine your own heart and motives:  do you need revival?  Why revival?  What sort of benefits do you hope to receive from it?  Do you want revival because you desire to see others change, to see signs and wonders, to reduce the crime in your city, to improve attendance in your church, or for anything else than a closer walk with Jesus?  Everyone loves a good show, and those who have their hearts fixed on revival run the risk of longing for something less than God's glory.  And if you are not interested in revival, remember that it is the desperate need of those who fear God.  Like repentance, revival is not a one-time occurrence.  It is written in by lovers of God in Psalm 85:6, "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?"

If you want revival in your life today for God's sake, by God's grace you can have it.  God's promises in His Word are true.  If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  James 5:16-17 says, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months."  Since God heard and answered Elijah's prayer concerning the weather, won't He hear and answer the prayer of His precious children though our faith be small?  The truth is, as much as we like the sound of living our lives for God, there is often a part of us that holds back.  We want revival, but at the same time we really don't.  We Christians can hesitate to pray for revival just like an unbeliever hesitates to follow Jesus.  We know it will cost us something - no, everything - and we aren't willing to pay the price.  Like the animals in the fable of the "Little Red Hen" who were unwilling to help plant the grain, harvest the grain, grind the grain into flour, or bake the bread but were very glad to eat the bread, so we can be with revival.  We want the benefits of having it all done for us by God instead of denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus.

Consider this quote by Richard Baxter concerning the cost of reformation, which is the outflow of true spiritual revival:  "Reformation is to many of us, as the Messiah was the Jews.  Before he came, they looked and longed for him, and boasted of him, and rejoiced in hope of him; but when he came they could not abide him, but hated him, and would not believe that he was indeed the person, and therefore persecuted and put him to death, to the curse and confusion of the main body of their nation."  Even as Jesus must be your LORD to be your Messiah, revival must be fervently desired in you first.  It is hypocrisy to put upon other people something you will not have yourself.  Are there hindrances to revival in your own life?  Are you so cold you do not care?  How good it is to have our cold hearts warmed again by the love of Jesus Christ and for us to lay hold of the certain hope of newness of life through faith in Him!  Put aside all the fantasies of what good will come from revival in a city or nation and lay hold of the reality of fellowship with God for yourself today.  Our walk with Jesus does not depend on anyone else but ourselves, for as David wrote in Psalm 138:7:  "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me."

The Testimony of Obedience

It's a crazy reality that people who believe in God can assume they know better than God.  This is not anything a sane person would claim from an objective basis, but let's face it:  we don't always live our beliefs.  We may say we trust God, but the fact we worry or give place to fear in our lives says otherwise.  We can protest all we want in this matter, but our strongest refutations resemble Peter spewing oaths around the fire he didn't know Jesus.  All we have to do is take an honest look at ourselves and make eye contact with the loving yet piercing eyes of Jesus to know we have fallen short of flawless faith.  We have presumed much and trusted little.  We have chosen to do what was right in our own eyes rather than simply obeying Him.

There is an interesting interaction Jesus had at the end of Mark 1 which always baffled me as a young Christian.  In context Jesus had called His disciples, healed people of diseases, and cast out demons.  Because the demons "knew Him" He did not permit them to speak as they were expelled.  He had a plan to reveal Himself in due time without the testimony of unclean spirits.  The people were amazed at His doctrine and authority He had over evil spirits, for they obeyed the commands of Jesus without fail.  When Jesus said, "Be silent and come out of him" the demons did (Mark 1:25-27).  This was unheard of, and the fame of Jesus began to spread throughout the region.

The chapter ends when Jesus was approached by a leper, someone who was deemed unclean and ostracised in society.  The fact he risked approaching Jesus demonstrates his belief Jesus had the power to heal him.  Mark 1:40-45 reads, "Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." ⁴¹ Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." ⁴² As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. ⁴³ And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." ⁴⁵ However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction."

The thing which always confused me was, "Why didn't Jesus want the man to spread the word about what Jesus had done?  It seems like a good thing to tell others about Jesus."  The irony in reading this passage in context is the demons obeyed Jesus and were silent, but the man who came to Jesus for healing was disobedient to His strict commands.  Jesus gave several direct commands to the healed man:  say nothing to anyone, present yourself before the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things Moses commanded in the Law.  Reading from this text alone it seems the man did not obey a thing Jesus said.  Verse 45 begins with "however" suggesting his actions were a contrast from what Jesus commanded.  The healed man proclaimed freely the miracle Jesus performed and took intentional steps to spread the news.  There is no mention if he ever went to the priest or provided the sacrifice as a testimony to them commanded in Leviticus 13 & 14.  It seems he was more interested in telling his story and his notoriety than obeying the commands of Jesus.  The man could have claimed to have faith in Jesus and certainly had a miraculous experience with Him, but his choices showed he did not love Jesus.  The man desired to testify with his mouth what he thought best, but the testimony of obedience commanded by Christ was lacking.

The demons recognised the authority of Jesus and obeyed Him because they had to, but this man blessed with healing by the compassionate touch of Christ chose to disregard His commands.  Jesus healed the man even though He knew the man's heart.  Jesus commanded the man to offer a sacrifice, but it seems the man shrugged it off.  The prophet Samuel said, "To obey is better than sacrifice," and sometimes Jesus commanded His followers to make sacrifices - shockingly even in obedience to the Law.  Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  When we walk in obedience to Jesus we abide in His love, even as Jesus always kept His Father's commandments.  Jesus has given us a new covenant, that we love one another.  Against such there is no law.  Love speaks and will also remain silent according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Love does not promote self or imagine I know better than Jesus.  We are under no such command of silence as the ex-leper was, but we are called to love God and others as Jesus loves us.  Let's trust God's Word, and whatever Jesus says to us let us do it without excuses.  Obedience to Jesus will always come at a cost, but the cost of disobedience is far higher - even when we think our way makes more sense.

The Stealth Test

When trials or struggles happen in the life of a Christian, we recall to mind how God uses our circumstances to test us.  We see this in the Old Testament when the children of Israel did not completely drive out their enemies from the land.  Because they were not faithful to obey God in this matter, God chose to allow enemies to remain.  He said in Judges 2:21-22, "I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²² so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not."  God uses opposition, pain, and enemies to put us to the test, to see if we will trust and obey God or not.

Tests are not limited to hard times, however.  Other portions of the Bible make it clear tests from God can occur when all seems to be going smoothly.  One such example is seen in the life of King Hezekiah of Judah.  God had wrought His wonders in the land by destroying the Assyrian arm, healed him from a deadly disease, and extended his life 15 years.  Emissaries came with letters from the king of Babylon and a present for King Hezekiah.  They came to inquire about the wonder done in the land, for no one had withstood the Assyrian onslaught.  Hezekiah was quick to spread threatening letters before the LORD in fervent prayer, but when he received a friendly letter from the King of Babylon no divine guidance was sought.  King Hezekiah was pleased with the audience of ambassadors and proceeded to show them all the treasures of his kingdom without concern.

The men sent to congratulate King Hezekiah with a gift were a test from God, even as bloodthirsty enemies who sought to destroy Israel in Joshua's day.  Hezekiah passed the humility test when he was helpless, but when faced with the stealth test of fame and recognition he failed.  2 Chronicles 32:31 contrasted Hezekiah's dealings with the ambassadors of Babylon with all notable good accomplished during his reign:  "However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart."  Both in times of hardship and plenty God tests the hearts of men, and pride renders us senseless to recognise these tests.  It is only through a posture of humility and reliance upon God in faith where we find grace to walk in the way which pleases God.

What test are you more apt to pass:  a test comprised of hardship or flattery, one of warfare or ease?  Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we endure and stand strong in the LORD and the power of His might.  

When You’re Not “The Man”

There’s something inside every person which wants to be noticed, even recognised by others as exceptional.  I remember laughing to myself during a scene in Tom Cruise’s “Minority Report” where a man paid to have a virtual experience with people shouting the affirmation, “You’re the man!” despite his denials of false humility.  Dropping coin for compliments is not manly to be sure, yet he was willing to pay a price to be called “the man” even for a few fleeting moments.  Deep inside I’m sure the man knew he wasn’t “the man,” nor would he ever be.  His conscience could never agree fully with assessment, as much as he coveted the title.

No matter what a man’s accomplishments or successes, he will always be simply a man.  All men are born and die, leaving only a fading memory which is forgotten and lost over time.  It is common for people to assume we can find lasting satisfaction and significance through our efforts or career advancement.  But no matter how high we climb or soar, we are never able to measure up to the desperate longing of our souls for fulfillment.  Pride comes before a fall, and any aspirations in thinking we are something leads to the grave with everyone else.

There is only one person who can be aptly termed “the Man”:  the God-man Jesus Christ.  After He was born of a virgin, lived a life free from sin, did many signs and miracles, and preached the Kingdom of God, He was betrayed by a follower and crucified as He predicted.  Before He was led to the cross He was scourged by the Romans and presented by Pilate before the mad crowd.  John 19:5 says, “Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"  There He was, not the man any person aspires to be.  He was a mess of blood and the object of scorn and ridicule, despised and rejected by His own.  Jesus did not protest or say a word, because what Pilate said was true.  He was the Man sent to seek and to save the lost, the true Messiah, the One who would three days later rise from the dead, ascend to heaven, and will someday return to rule in righteousness.  Jesus is indeed “the Man” and wise men will view Him as such.  He humbled Himself more than any other man and so God has exalted Him above all.

No man ought to think more highly of himself than he ought, and in recognising Jesus Christ as “the Man” we can be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the men and women God created us to be.  It is only by faith in Jesus Christ we discover the purpose and significance we thirst for.  Seeking fulfillment in this life through earthly pursuits is the equivalent of a dog vainly spinning in circles trying to bite his own tail, a donkey carrying a heavy burden that never is able to sink his teeth into the carrot being dangled before him.  Praise God Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  There is no lasting satisfaction apart from Him.  Everything else is vanity and grasping for the wind.

All For God

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

1 Corinthians 10:31

What does it mean to do something for the glory of God?  Jesus said if any man desire to come after Him, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him.  Self-denial compelled by love for God's sake, even in a decision so trivial as what we choose to eat and drink, brings honour to our worthy Saviour.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians can be intentional in doing anything in obedience to the LORD in denial of our own desires or for the benefit of others.  We know when to do or not do something is our natural inclination, and when we choose God's way in any matter He is free to work in and through us.

Isn't it amazing we can bring glory to our God in the simplest of choices?  Whatever we do can be an offering of praise and love unto the LORD.  Even the satisfaction of temporal necessities can be divinely converted into eternal gain and glory for God.  No longer are we to be governed by the opinions of men, a desire to please others or measure up to an arbitrary standard, or pressured by guilt to conform:  we who have been transformed by the indwelling Spirit are quickened to will and do God's good pleasure.  The children of Israel fasted for months at a time, but God revealed it was for them and not for God because when they chose to eat and drink it was not unto Him (Zech. 7:5-6).

Paul continued in 1 Corinthians 10:32-33, "Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."  Paul lived for the glory of God, and his labours for God were governed by God's love and grace.  He did not seek His own profit but the profit of many.  In the smallest decisions of our lives, even in the matter of what we choose to eat or drink, do we seek to give God glory?  How amazing is that?  What opportunities God has provided us in this life to honour and glorify Him!  If we eat and drink unto ourselves, which is a very small thing in the scope of eternity, how can we say we live for God's glory in the "big" things?  Those who are faithful over a little will also be faithful over much (Luke 19:17).

Fruit Unto God

The scenery of life changes, but the core issues remain the same:  will I live for myself or for God?  Who am I going to rely upon?  Whose approval do I value and seek?  What is my motivation for serving God and others?  The answer we give with our mouths is not always reflected in our hearts and minds.  I thank God for the Bible which illuminates our hearts and the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin and guides into all truth.

As we serve God, there is a very real possibility we might do so for selfish reasons.  Our motive may not be selfish at the beginning, but we can fall into a works-based trap that we ought to see a measurable return on our investment.  We consider our sacrifices and efforts as great and feel we have not been adequately recognised by God or men.  When our focus drifts to what is not we discover selfish expectations tucked away in the recesses of our hearts.  I remember vividly as a young teen when a man helping with the youth group at church angrily stormed out of a Sunday night meeting because he wasn't "seeing any fruit" from his efforts.  I never saw him again and would not know his face if I saw him today.  But his anger and frustration has always stuck with me.

I believe there is no shortage of servants of the Most High God who tangle with anger and frustration, people who struggle to cope with their dashed expectations.  They are embarrassed by the lack of "fruit" from their efforts.  People come and go from church.  Youth leave the ministry people have poured their heart and soul into for another group with more kids their age, better facilities, or more fun activities.  And maybe, just maybe, they leave because they are sick of the preaching!  Like Jacob we can say, "All these things are against me!" or finally realise we ought to serve God for God's sake, not so we can bask in the fruit of our labour as if we have done anything.  When we understand the church is the Body of Christ and He is faithful to build His church we are freed from the burden of our failed expectations.  Our wildest dreams are pathetic and feeble compared to the plans God has for every one of His beloved children.

It is good for us to recognise disappointment and frustration in our hearts immediately and realign our eyes and purpose with Jesus Christ.  Remember the joy of God calling you to serve Him in the church?  For those who serve in a foreign field, remember how you wondered how God would bring such desires to fruition?  You wondered how God would establish you in a foreign land and now in the field new questions crop up:  how can we reach the community?  What am I supposed to be doing?  Why does it feel I am spinning my wheels and being bogged down in the mire of administration?  Where are other faithful labourers?  All these questions and concerns are answered by the presence of the Almighty God.  We labour because He labours; we serve because He serves; we sacrifice because He gave all.  Anger or frustration concerning the lack of fruit in the lives of people we are serving likely reveals we ourselves have ceased to abide in the Vine Jesus Christ and have begun to look to our own works for validation instead of God's love and grace.

People are constant in our labours as Christians, but it is Christ who must remain central.  When ministry becomes about people or ourselves we begin to serve a master other than Jesus, and this master cannot deliver on a single promise or meet one of our needs.  Let us heed the words of Paul when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit."  We quench the Spirit of God when we cease to rejoice, pray, or thank God in everything.  This will cut us off from fellowship with God and hamstring our ability to run the race with endurance God has set before each one of us.  When we labour and run our race for God's sake He will see we reach the end and finish strong by His grace.  It is through abiding in Christ's love we will bring fruit unto God.  We ought to rejoice that God causes fruit to spring from our barren hearts and repent when we are frustrated or bitter there isn't more.  The fruit is for God, after all!

The Heart Reveals the Man

"As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man."

Proverbs 27:19

In our social media age, people go to great lengths to craft and polish an online persona.  Mobile phones have cameras ideal for selfies complete with settings to remove blemishes.  Instead of mirrors people use their phones to arrange their hair, apply makeup, and practice their perfect "duck face."  Touching up photos is a common practice in magazines to the point where models claim the image presented in print looks nothing like them in reality.  It's a funny thing that mirrors made of polished metal were dim and cloudy, yet with modern mirrors people don't always like what they see.  We aren't comfortable with reality so we feel an intense need to cover up, augment, or smooth out our blemishes with software.

That is the sense of this verse in Proverbs:  the clear reflection of a face in water does not lie.  A mirror image is a true representation of reality.  Sometimes when the conditions are clear and still over a large glassy body of water, the mirror image is breathtaking.  The point being made by Solomon is even as a person's reflection in water is a true indication of reality, so the heart of a man reveals the man in truth.  Spiritually the heart of man is the real person; the habits, body, and mind of the person is the reflection.  There can be a great disparity between what resides in the heart of a man and the carefully crafted image or physique on the outside.  A man who appears in the prime of health can be unknowingly dying of heart disease or cancer.  People can dye their hair, surgically augment their bodies, and refuse to be seen in public without makeup or fashionable clothes.  But it is the inside - not the outside of a person - which provides a picture of a person in truth.

It is cliche to say "it's what a person is on the inside that counts" yet in a spiritual sense the heart is the only genuine indicator of what sort of man or woman a person is.  And according to the Bible, in our natural state the hearts of men aren't a pretty sight.  It reminds me of a poster I used to have in my bedroom of an anti-smoking campaign which pictured a smoking woman supposedly covered in tar with the statement, "If what happened on your inside happened on your outside, would you still smoke?"   I would think very few would answer in the affirmative.  Forget duck face:  old tar-face is not a look any sane person would desire.  We would try to clean up our hearts if we could.  The Bible says Jeremiah 17:9-10, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? ¹⁰ I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."  We might be able to conceal the wickedness of our hearts from men, but nothing is hidden before the searching gaze of God who will judge all in righteousness.

A fair question is posed in Proverbs 20:9, "Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?  The rhetorical nature of the verse implies no man can make this claim.  Praise God He has sent Jesus to wash people of sin and to impute His righteousness to all who repent and believe.  Even after we are born again and made new creations, we must continue to guard our hearts and minds.  We can't let a clean complexion in the mirror deceive us to thinking all is well within our hearts.  It is the Word of God and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit which make us aware of our true condition and profound need for cleansing.  Only the power of God can align our new nature birthed by spiritual regeneration with our lifestyles.  It is good for us to labour to this end.  It is easy for us to think clean living ensures the heart is clean, but Christ's criticism of the hypocritical Pharisees is proof of this folly.  It is the condition of the heart which is paramount.

It is not a man's appearance, words, or deeds that make a man:  it is his heart which reveals him in truth.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  When you examine your heart, what do you see?  If we are embarrassed about a sliver of lettuce in our teeth or to be seen without makeup, consider this:  if what was inside your heart was exposed on the outside, would you do something about it?  Paul said of Jesus Christ came in Acts 26:18 "...to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."  Those whose sins are red as scarlet He can wash white as snow.  Good news indeed!

When It Rains It Pours

Today's message at Calvary Chapel Sydney was titled, "When it Rains it Pours."  What has become a modern cliche was first coined and copyrighted as a company slogan by the Morton Salt company in 1911.  It carried quite a different connotation than it does today.  Morton Salt was marketed as superior because of an additive which kept the salt pouring freely even in damp weather.  Today people say "when it rains it pours" to convey how bad or trying circumstances seem to come in bunches.  There are plenty of problems in this world and our lives to be sure, but as children of a loving heavenly Father we can turn our focus in all situations Him with joy.

A common response of all people in the midst of a trial or unfathomable pain is "Why?"  Often God does not give explanations but responds to the humble seeker with a fresh revelation of Himself.  It is good for us to recall to mind how God has already blessed us with life, love, grace, and mercy.  He has continued to rain down blessing on us.  The probing question we are faced with is, are such blessings pouring from our lives?  Pride and selfishness could be compared to the damp which caused salt to clump and hinder it from pouring freely.  We are the salt of the earth, and the Holy Spirit enables us to shed abroad the love of God He has placed in our hearts.  An additive will do us no good:  we need transformation obtained only possible through spiritual regeneration through faith in Christ.

Can you say concerning your life, "When it rains it pours?"  Does the joy, light, and life of Christ have a free release in your thoughts, words, and deeds?  May it be so LORD Jesus!  

The Crown of Glory

"The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendour of old men is their gray head."

Proverbs 20:29

It was in 1994 when I started shaving my head, and this regular practice has continued until this day.  I never really knew what to do with my hair and for years combed it to the side, but a simple buzz cut answered many of those questions.  It looked decent as well.  I find it amusing people pay money to regrow their own hair and I invest in quality clippers to keep it shaved short!  When my hair grows back after a couple of weeks, I often receive comments from friends about how gray it is.  I don't know if having gray hair makes me feel magnificent, but it is a welcomed mark of maturity for someone who historically has maintained a youthful look.

The days of any glory in my strength are near their end, and for me the distinguished splendour of age increases daily with silver bristles.  It is a common practice among many people to dye their hair, so perhaps turning gray is seen more as a curse than a blessing.  But the reality is, not everyone lives long enough to grow gray hair or have it fall out.  I have heard it said the gray head is a sign of wisdom, but this is not a guarantee.  It is true wisdom may grow with age, but all true wisdom comes from God - not from time served on this planet.  Anyone can grow old and gray and be just as foolish, polluted, and dark as ever.  It does not require skill for people to advance in years, but how good it is for your latter years to be deemed your best and brightest.

Long life is a blessing from God, and those who walk in His ways are a blessing to all.  Proverbs 16:31 says, "The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness."  There is great beauty and much wisdom to be gleaned from those venerable saints who have faithfully followed Jesus.  It is a glorious sight to behold a person who loves God and walks uprightly as the shadows lengthen.  They have no physical strength to be desired, but they possess the rare quality that when you converse with them you approach holy ground.  A person's temporary hair colour is insignificant in the gleam of eternity, for it is the adornment of the soul in righteousness that is precious before God.  It is renewing of the inner man day by day by the Holy Spirit which is of great value, not the cutting, arranging, or dyeing of hair.

If the colour, length, or condition of hair on our heads matters to us, how much more important ought it to be for us to live righteously before God and man!  Hair is here one day and gone the next, but God and those who fear Him will endure forever.  It is written of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:28-30, "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ²⁹ "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all." ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."  A gray head is glorious when it found in the way of righteousness, through faith in Jesus Christ.  May we receive God's grace to walk righteously!

The Arbitrary Risk

I am always wary of arbitrary attempts to catagorise people.  When I worked primarily as a youth pastor I grew weary of hearing the phrase "at-risk youth" which was often used to heighten awareness of need.  This arbitrary term was employed most often to describe unchurched youth raised in a single-parent home.  Statistics were shared to prove how this combination led to many social problems, incarceration, drug and alcohol addictions, teen pregnancy, and violence.  How can you argue with statistics, right?

Since we all have our lenses through which we view the world, I am aware of another group of people which are equally "at risk" because I have experienced and seen it firsthand myself:  those who have been raised in relative comfort with two parents, who grew up attending church, and grew dull and spiritually proud through knowledge.  Seemingly inoculated to the power of the Gospel by much exposure without true repentance, these "churched" kids often grow up to lead lives which rival that of any heathen.  What does it mean, to be a youth "at risk?"  Aren't all young people exposed and susceptible to dangers of all kinds, whether it is pride, lying, hypocrisy, self-righteousness, youthful lusts, fornication, deceit of this world, and greed for riches?  There is a risk which comes from ignorance, and another risk from self-confidence and pride.  There are great needs all around us.

I suppose the reason why this terminology and focus bothers me is the implication particular groups of kids should be more of a priority in ministry than others.  The way it sounds to me is we don't need to worry about the kids already going to church, but those outside the church we need to labour to reach at any cost.  Now I believe we ought to do what we can to sow the good seed of God's Word and be faithful to water wherever God has us, but not to the neglect of one group over another.  I think we miss out when we begin to categorise groups of people instead of seeing individuals with needs and seeking to minister to them as God leads.  Jesus went to the lost sheep of Israel, but He was deeply concerned with individuals.  He addressed crowds but also conversed with people one-to-one.  His did not adopt strategies which translated people into numbers but souls which were hungry, thirsty, and lost.

We cannot solve a single problem of this world  or in the life of another person ourselves, but as Christians we know a Saviour who is able to do everything.  Life brings with it inherent risk for all people, for we live in corrupted flesh in a world under the sway of Satan.  We run the risk in Christian circles of measuring our efforts by worldly and superficial means.  Should I congratulate myself for addressing a million people with the Gospel when I am a dad who is largely absent from the life of my kids?  Is it a divine badge of approval should God use me to lead thousands to profess Christ as Saviour when I place my marriage at risk through sin?  Is it right to exclusively target men, women, youth, or children as a arbitrary ministry strategy based upon statistics and overlook the single person God brings across my path?  How we need to be attentive and led by the Holy Spirit in our ministry.  In spreading the Gospel Jesus did not promote a niche ministry but ministered to all whether they were disciples, family, foreigners, children, groups, and individuals according to the leading of the Spirit at the time.  May His Body today do the same!

Glory in the LORD

"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence."

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Isn't it amazing the God who created and sustains the universe and all living things would use the weak things of the world to put to shame the mighty?  In the scope of eternity a single man is a little thing indeed, yet the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ.  He was not born into wealth or high social standing, nor was he privileged with private tutors or schooling.  The life afforded Christ from His beginning on this planet was common to all men - without the advantages or luxuries of the learned and respected.  From His humble birth in Bethlehem to His crucifixion on Calvary, Jesus epitomised how God has chosen to use obscure, common people to glorify His name throughout the world.

Consider for a moment who Jesus claimed to be when He claimed to be the Son of God.  The Jewish religious leaders were infuriated, for this was a clear claim to deity and oneness with the Almighty God! (John 5:18)  Though Jesus Christ was, is, and forever will be God, think about the word pictures through which He portrayed Himself:  the door, the bread of life, the good shepherd, the light of the world, the true vine, the resurrection and the life, and the way, the truth, and the life.  Now I can't imagine a ruler or leader today claiming to be "the door" or "the bread" or "the true vine."  It is true Jesus spoke to people from an agrarian society, but He chose the most common, unimpressive things with which to align Himself.  A door is not a complex thing, nor is bread novel.  But they are practical, useful, and serve a necessary function.  Joseph told his father shepherds were despised by the Egyptians, but this did not hinder Jesus from comparing Himself to a good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.  As the Good Shepherd Jesus brought to nothing all those who claimed to be somebody in their pride.

What was God's divine purpose in choosing and using the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to put to shame the mighty?  So "no flesh should glory in His presence."  When a woman was caught in the act of adultery, men rushed her to Jesus and posed her case as a legal conundrum.  The text in John 8 says it was not because they had a genuine question, but they hoped His answer would provide an opportunity to accuse Him.  Jesus could have debated those men silly, but He refused to take the bait.  Instead of citing precedent or laying out legal arguments, Jesus silently stooped and wrote in the dirt.  Think of it:  the One who had all wisdom and who would become wisdom for all who believe said nothing.  As they continued to harass Him, He replied:  "He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7)  He continued to write on the ground.  These powerful men of great influence were convicted each by their own conscience and left the woman and Jesus alone.  The men who hoped to seize upon Christ's glory were put to shame.

The chapter in 1 Corinthians directed to the saints finishes with verses 30-31:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  Through Jesus and the simple Gospel God has provided riches of wisdom and love beyond measure.  God uses the foolish to confound the wise so He will be glorified.  God has chosen the weak, foolish, and despised to do His work in this world so both friend and foe have no choice in truth but to say, "Glory to God!"  The One who has called us is worthy of all glory, honour, and praise.  

Despising and Judging

"Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ² For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him."

Romans 14:1-3

The Bible contains wisdom and insight concerning God and men.  After Adam's rebellion against God, sin and death passed to all men.  Adam passed to his progeny his genetic code and also spiritually a constant, consuming, malicious sinfulness.  The Bible aids us in fleshing out what sin looks like, and these verses provide a perfect example.  We can dispute over even the most doubtful things.

Do you find it interesting how bothered and offended we can be over things other people do, say, or believe?  It is most remarkable how the beliefs of a person can enrage someone else.  This is a natural tendency of all people.  If a person does or believes something and we disagree, it can create a wedge which can destroy friendships, families, and marriages.  There is nothing easier than finding fault in others, and we can become preoccupied and obsessed with how wrong other people are.  And we can't seem to let it go.  This is a product of our natural self which is corrupted with sin.  As these verse tell us, hatred and condemnation are common reactions in all men.  The fact this passage was written reveals this tendency is the natural bent of the flesh of even those who are born again.

Say a man named Bill eats meat, but Ted does not because he is a vegan.  Ted cites reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle, and Bill also has his reasons for eating all varieties of meat.  Despite diet being a small factor in the scope of our lives, verse 3 suggests Bill's tendency would be to despise (hate, think less of) Ted for his choice not to eat meat, and Ted's tendency would be to judge (condemn, call into question) Bill for eating meat.  They might be quite civil with one another when interacting, but each of their hearts can be set against the other over what they do or don't do.  In the scope of this universe and eternity the food a person eats is a small thing indeed.  If you do not agree, that is alright too!  The point is, the hearts of human beings can seize on the smallest of things and hate and judge others for what they do, don't do, say, or believe.

Once we are born again followers of Jesus Christ, no longer are we a slave to our sinful heart's natural inclinations to hate, despise, judge, and condemn others.  We are free from this burden, this necessity to critically size people up and look down on them for what they do or don't do.  We have been freely received by Christ despite our sins:  shouldn't we choose to love and accept others God has received?  You can accept people without agreeing with their choices.  God will receive all sinners who come to Him in faith and humble repentance.  If God has received a person in spite of their flaws or convictions, is it right for me to condemn them?  Those who exercise a liberty are commanded not to hate those who abstain, and those who abstain aren't to judge those who do that things they have strong convictions about.  Then we will walk in unity and experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers.

Hatred and being judgmental towards others does not protect us or the church from evil but actually injects the sin of self-righteousness into our souls which will eventually poison many.  Even if what a person is doing is wrong, we should not hate or judge them.  God is the righteous Judge and His Word has already spoken on the matter.  Our call is to meekly come alongside of believers overtaken with faults and to aid them in being restored to righteous living (Galatians 6:1).  We are commanded by Christ to love our enemies:  should we love less those God has received in the Body of Christ as His own beloved possession?

Loving the Law at Midnight

Have you ever suffered from insomnia?  It's lousy to feel exhausted and at the same time being unable to fall asleep in bed.  I had one of those nights recently.  I fell asleep almost immediately after prayer, but then I woke up in the middle of the night and trying to go back to sleep seemed a complete waste of effort and time.  I have a comfortable bed but there seemed no way to find comfort.  Ultimately I did drift off but not before hours were spent shifting from side to side without sleep.

During last night's evening reading of Psalm 119 I came across a passage which grabbed my attention in verse 62:  "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments."  The Psalmist was not afflicted by insomnia but intentionally rose at midnight to thank and praise God for His righteous judgments.  Now when was the last time any of us did this?  Few if any think there would be value in setting an alarm to rise at midnight to thank God for anything!  A casual reading of this chapter reveals the writer of this Psalm deeply loved God and things which are quite out of fashion for most today:  God's law, precepts, judgments, statutes, and testimonies.  Psalm 119, the longest single chapter in the Bible, is completely given over to praising God for His judgments and professing delight in His law.  I wonder if we love God's Law like this, to thank God with such profusion day and night?  I suppose my tossing and turning without rising to thank God suggests I don't love as I should.

Here is just a small sampling from this amazing chapter:

• "I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law." (Psalm 119:113)
• "Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!" (Psalm 119:127)
• "I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments." (Psalm 119:131)
• "I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure." (Psalm 119:162)
• "My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly." (Psalm 119:167)

Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.  That means He completed it, finished it.  No longer are born again Christians under the yoke of the letter of the Law Jesus has lifted.  As yoke-fellows of Jesus we are to love one another as He loves us and thus we too can fulfill God's Law.  This is something God calls us to do.  I read just this morning in Romans 13:8-10, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."  We have received Christ's righteousness by faith and our entire lives are in debt of God's grace, mercy, and love.  We owe love to others, for in loving others we will obey Christ's commands when He said, "It has been written...but I say unto you."  There are many "one another" commands in the New Testament, and not one of them can be performed in isolation.  The greatest of Christ's commands is found in John 13:34:  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments.  You who claim to love Christ, do you obey Him?  Do you love His commandments as an extension of Himself, having sprung from His righteous character, goodness, and grace?  If the Psalmist saw fit to rise at midnight with the express purpose to thank God for His Law, so should we.  Here is a biblical approach for insomnia:  embrace being alive and rejoice to offer God a sacrifice of praise.  Forget sleeping!  Do you rejoice at God's Word and pant for Christ's commandments at midnight?  Love is the law of Christ's kingdom.  It is written of Jesus in John 1:16-17, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  Jesus did for us internally what the Law of Moses could not do externally.  Faith in Jesus makes us new creations through whom His love flows to this world and brings light into the darkness.  Let us rise day and night to thank God for His goodness and grace unto men!

Clean Candy

The world which denies God also infinitely reduces the value God has placed upon human life.  This is revealed in the way we speak.  Saying someone is a "product of their environment" is not true of a person created in the image of God.  It minimises the power of God to transform people by the Holy Spirit.  Many today see humans as primarily sexual beings, but God created men and women to be defined by something far more profound than passing carnal appetites.  The Bible reveals human beings to be primarily spiritual beings who live in a human body for a short period of time on earth.  Since man has been created in the image of God we possess eternal souls which are of great importance to God and men as well.

Genesis 1:27-28 reads, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."  Because God maintains dominion over all things He has the authority and power to delegate authority over the earth and creatures He has created to men.  God has blessed mankind abundantly, providing us a habitable planet which suits our every need.  For the most part men have not praised God according to the blessing He has graciously provided.  We have abused our privilege, neglected to acknowledge or thank God, and have praised the works of our hands.  We have valued the gifts over the Giver.  We have defined ourselves according to our will and desires rather than according to God's righteous designs.

A friend of mine told me a story about the kids at the school where he teaches scripture.  He had brought back bags of candy from the United States to bless the kids in his class.  Upon arriving at the school after a break, he was surprised to find wrappers and candy still in plastic around the campus.  He went to the classroom and discovered all the candy he had brought to bless others was missing.  Someone had stolen the treasured candy and wasted it.  It cost them nothing.  Stolen bread is sweet, and sweeter still are Jolly Ranchers.  Candy meant for students in the classroom had been stolen, wasted, and was gone for good, eaten and thrown around by people who did not value it as they should have.  Sweet candy had become dirty and thus good for nothing.

This story made me sad.  But it also made me think about how God has blessed humans with many pleasures we can enjoy:  eating, drinking, sport, and sex are just a few of them.  Sex in this world has become like those sweet candies.  The Jolly Ranchers were meant for the classroom and sexual activity was intended by God to be enjoyed within the context of marriage God ordained between one man and one woman.  Yet man has chosen to feed greedily upon this gift without God's approval and it has become an idol for many.  Clean candy was wasted on the ground because of theft, and people rob themselves of God's blessing through fornication in the vain pursuit of satisfying their lusts.  My friend had no idea who stole or ate the candy he supplied, but God knows the hearts and actions of all.  God is the Judge who will see justice carried out for sins even carried out in secret.  If you think no one is hurt through infidelity or fornication, think again.  The one who does this works to destroy himself (1 Corinthians 6:18).  God created sex to be clean and pure in the correct context.

Whether you are married or single, hear the wisdom of God concerning sexual purity written in Proverbs 5:15-23:  "Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. ¹⁶ Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? ¹⁷ Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you. ¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. ²⁰ For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress? ²¹ For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths. ²² His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. ²³ He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray."  Only Jesus can break the bonds of sin.  He is the One who gives us new beginnings and a fresh clean start.  Hebrews 13:4 tells us, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."    Praise the LORD for His good gifts and for supplying all our needs.  We don't need candy to survive, and we don't need sex for a fulfilling or complete life either.  But praise God for the good clean gifts He gives!

Scrolling? Be Praying!

I've started reading Britt Merrick's book Godspeed and am enjoying it.  He speaks to the heart of God, one of a mission to reach people with His love and salvation.  God desires to work in and through the lives of His followers to engage people with the gospel wherever they are.  The first few chapters in particular are a needful reminder for Christians to serve God faithfully and embrace God's mission right now where they are.  Merrick writes:

In order to live at Godspeed, the disciples abandoned everything hindering them from living on mission with Christ.  What is Christ calling you to forsake?  What is hindering His mission from going forward through your life?  It's a mistake to think you calling is going to look just like Peter's, because the call of every person is distinct.  For most of us, Jesus isn't calling us to leave.  Instead He's calling us to stay and be faithful.  Even still, faithfulness often requires us to leave something behind.  Whether it's relinquishing a sin, a relationship, a consuming passion, or a selfish comfort, Jesus' call will radically affect our lives.  We the church are a sent people.  You and I are called by God to be on mission with Jesus within our current contexts.  Going on mission doesn't mean buying a plane ticket.  It means going where Christ has already sent us and being faithful to Him there.  Stop reading for a moment, and look around.  Your mission assignment is to this time, to this place, and to the people you interact with along the way. (Merrick, Britt, and Allison Trowbridge. Godspeed: Making Christ's Mission Your Own. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2012. 53. Print.)

As Christians, being faithful to pray is a massive part in us accomplishing God's mission to this world.  The capacity to pray according to God's will through the Holy Spirit to the God who loves, hears, and will answer us is a great gift provided us by God's grace.  I was convicted recently that I can scroll through the news - much of it awful - and continue scrolling without praying to God about what grieves my soul.  What if social media, instead of being a platform for personal expression, became a personal invitation to intercede for others?  How about if news reports became our new list of prayer requests - not praying for what we think needs to happen, but asking God how we might pray and what we might do to make a difference for God's glory and the good of others?

The mission of Jesus to seek and save the lost ought to be ours, as well as encouraging and edifying the body of Christ.  The ministry of Jesus was packed with prayer and He engaged daily with all sorts of people.  Being led by the Holy Spirit Jesus was never enslaved to programs or the expectations of any man or group.  He always did what pleased the Father, and through faith and obedience to God's Word we can do the same.  Instead of quickly scrolling to the next news story to satisfy our curiosity, let's take the time to seek the LORD in prayer.  When we wait on the LORD and prayerfully follow His lead, we will be a viable, fruitful member of the Body of Christ.

The Mighty King of All

"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Romans 10:12-13

The might of an earthy king often is measured by the strength of his people.  Without loyal subjects a king is not much of a king.  King Saul understood this and sought valiant and mighty men to attend him (1 Samuel 14:52).  King Nebuchadnezzar was not interested to invest in the poorest and weakest in Israel, but took the best and brightest to be trained as his advisers.  Men are not willing to accept just anyone.  But God is not weak like a king of this earth.  God's strength is absolute, not dependent upon men or anything lesser than Himself.  He has opened His arms in love and the everlasting kingdom of heaven to anyone who will come.

Think of that truth:  whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved!  Concerning salvation there is no difference between Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or free.  Even in our age of grace men and women retain their unique roles, but God shows no partiality between those people might deem weak or strong:  He will be LORD over all and rich to all who call upon Him.  God is LORD over all whether men will have Him or not, but those who repent and trust in Him will receive the riches of God's kingdom and the glorious presence of God forever.

God loves all and is willing to receive sinners, outcasts, those considered by the world to be "damaged goods" as His own inheritance.  Eternal citizenship in heaven is available to people who by the world's standards completely without merit.  Governments are not interested to take in immigrants without limit who will be a "drain" to the system.  The richest governments have limited wealth and resources, but not God.  He is able to abundantly supply all the needs of the blind, lame, paralysed, and dead - and has healing and transformation in store for us as well.  Those who have a history of asthma or cannot pass a fitness test can be disqualified from serving in the armed forces today but it is people who are the equivalent of being bedridden in hospice care without hope of recovery God invites to join His righteous side.

Consider God's promises to people often marginalised in Isaiah 56:4-8:  "For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, ⁵ even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. ⁶ "Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants-- everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant-- ⁷ even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." ⁸ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him."

God does not only care for or make eternal promises to those of Israel but also to eunuchs, sons of foreigners, and the outcasts.  In these people the LORD is glorified and His grace is magnified.  Praise our awesome King for His goodness to all!