Effective Work of the Word

"For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

1 Thessalonians 2:13

The believers at Thessalonica welcomed the scriptures as the true word of God, and for this Paul was thankful to God.  God's word ingrafted into their souls not only provided good fruit unto eternal life, but like the hands of a potter working clay it shaped their lives on earth.  Man's words should be taken "with a grain of salt," as believing listeners weigh words carefully, separating the chaff from the wheat using righteous judgment.  God's word, however, is pure, perfect, unchanging, and enduring.  As good seed germinates and sends tender shoots through the soil, so God's word "effectively works in you who believe."

Because of the strong stance of Christians of a literal interpretation of the Bible, some have wrongly accused such of making the Bible the third person of the Trinity and thus devaluing the position and role of the Holy Spirit.  A study of scripture reveals there is an important relationship between the word of God and the Holy Spirit.  The word of God is compared to seed sown in the hearts of men, and the Holy Spirit is the Living Water which regenerates and indwells Christians, empowering them to live lives according to scripture.  Rain without good seed cannot bear good fruit, and good seed without any water cannot grow either.  The word of God works and the Holy Spirit does too.  Jesus Christ is spoken of in John 1:14:  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  The Bible is not the third part of the Trinity, but it is an indispensable revelation of God used by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

People say there is a devaluing of God's word today, but this is certainly nothing new.  The fact Paul rejoiced and praised God at the reception of God's word and the effective working of it in the believers as Thessalonica suggests this was not the case everywhere.  The point then becomes, in what way do you receive the Bible?  Do you read it thinking it has been corrupted by men and it is therefore subject to your arbitrary judgment?  Are you reliant upon commentaries, books, or sermons to form your interpretations and personal application?  Do you allow the naked scripture to challenge previously held positions and change your mind?  Like the Thessalonians do you welcome the scripture into your heart and mind as the word of God in truth?  If it is true, then we have an responsibility and duty to heed it ourselves.  The process of becoming more like Jesus isn't immediate, but requires obedience and faith in the word of God only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.  If the word works effectively in you, God will work through you too.  Thanks and all glory to God for this truth!

The Proud Soul

No matter of change in the world, people remain the same.  There is pride in every human heart nothing but the power of God can free us from.  Pride is seen by some as liberating, but the scripture reveals it to be a cruel master, a sin which only brings bondage and death.  One example of pride which binds and blinds is seen in the book of Jeremiah, when people who gathered in Jerusalem asked him to seek God's counsel.  They did so promising to do whatever God said so they could be saved.  Jeremiah 42:5-6 reads, "So they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you. ⁶ Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."

After 10 days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah and he held nothing back of all God had said.  Despite their previous promise to obey God, their words and actions later proved they had no intention to follow through.  They thought Egypt would provide safety from warfare and captivity, but God expressly said not to return to Egypt.  Since the word of the LORD did not line up with their plans, many openly opposed it as it is written in Jeremiah 43:1-3, "Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words, ² that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.' ³ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon."  It was the proud men who claimed God's word was a lie.  It was the proud men who thought they knew better than God.  It was easier to claim the words of Jeremiah was a conspiracy then to humble themselves before God in simple obedience.

Over 500 years later, Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler who thought enough of Jesus Christ to ask Him, "What good thing shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life?"  The young man knew he still lacked something.  Jesus said in Matthew 19:21-22, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." ²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."  This man desired life, and He came to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  The man with the infinite need came to the God-Man who freely offered eternal life, but somehow went away sorrowful.  He had great possessions but walked away empty and sad.  He, like the men of Israel in Jeremiah's day, imagined they could find a way better than the divinely revealed way.  Such is pride, a sin which fills a man which leaves him empty and without hope!  The proud soul full of self is most impoverished.

It is well with all who obey the voice of the LORD.  What does it profit a proud man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?  Jesus asked in Mark 8:37, "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  Almost 2,000 years after Christ's conversation with the rich ruler, a man's soul is still his most valuable treasure, the only eternal possession retained from this fleeting life.  A man who humbles himself before God in faith and obedience will save his soul, but the proud man who seeks to save his own soul will lose it.  We have nothing to bargain with before God, no possible way for us to make atonement for our sin.  Yet God in His grace has made a way for all who repent to be reconciled unto God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  It is a narrow way, and Jesus says there are few who find it.  If God asked you to do a hard thing to save your own soul, wouldn't you do it?  Will you give up your pride to save your soul?  Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse you from sin.  How about repenting of the sin of pride and instead obeying the Word of the LORD, committing your soul to Him in faith?

Bought At God's Expense

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney the passage mentioned King Cyrus who reigned over the Persian empire.  He was a man God spoke of by name about two hundred years before his birth, a man whom God anointed to do His will.  Cyrus was faithful to perform the word of the LORD and released the Jews from their captivity in Babylon.  He commanded the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt so sacrifices could be offered to God.  Ezra 6:3-4 Cyrus did this early in his reign:  "In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: "Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, ⁴ with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury."  The King commanded the temple be built at his own expense.

This reminded me how Christians have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, an expense infinitely beyond any price.  How amazing it is that the King of Kings, God-made-flesh, would lay down His life for the sake of sinners!  Paul reminded Christians that as blood-bought children of God, we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.  Jesus issued a new covenant in His blood which superseded the old covenant of Law.  Under the Law when the tabernacle and temple stood, the biblical account reveals the condition of the holy place and those who served there was not always good.  "Time for Temple Inspection!" is a prior blog post which works through this in greater detail.  Because God has purchased us at His own expense, we ought to see the temple kept in condition worthy of a holy God.

The significance of the temple went far beyond sacrifices and ordinances, for it was the place where the presence of God dwelt.  When God's presence filled the tabernacle and later the temple, even those called and sanctified by God to serve there could not remain.  Exodus 40:34-35 reads, "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."  After King Solomon dedicated the temple to God 1 Kings 8:10-11 reads, "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, ¹¹ so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."  God is more glorious than we can stand in our fallen frame.  Nothing sinful can abide in His presence.  Isn't it ironic that the presence of the holy God comes upon Christians and fills us to overflowing and only then can we minister unto Him?

Since we are God's precious purchased possession, we ought to live soberly, righteously, and godly.  We are enabled to do this when we allow Jesus Christ to freely live His life through ours.  Though the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, we are called to lay aside all weights and sin which easily besets us.  There are intentional steps we are called to take in regards to practical sanctification.  Like Cyrus was called as God's anointed for a good work, so followers of Jesus Christ are called to keep Christ's commandments and abide in His love.  It is our reasonable service to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him.  We have been bought at God's expense, so how God must value us!  What a wonder, that we are temples of the Holy Spirit who lives within us!

God Will Send the Rain

As part of the discipleship course I am leading at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we recently listened to a message by pastor David Guzik titled, "Break Up Your Fallow Ground."  Among the many excellent points held forth by this gifted teacher of the Word of God, the part which stood out to me this time was how we can be resistant to breaking up our own fallow ground.  Ground which has laid "fallow" means it was once cleared and plowed but nothing fruitful or profitable has been sown into the field.  After awhile it hardens and yields only weeds and what grows of itself.  At one point in the message Guzik said our tendency is respond, "God, you break up the fallow ground, and I will prepare the synthetic irrigation system."  The point being made was only God can send the rain of the Holy Spirit, and our call is to examine and deal with our hard hearts according to scripture.

The overarching takeaway from the message is we all have areas of our lives and hearts we must prepare through repentance so God's Word will be increasingly fruitful.  Unless the hard parts of our hearts are humbled before God in brokenness, we will remain unfruitful.  An area of prior usefulness can become dry and devoid of fruit.  Fallow ground only produces weeds because the good seed of God's Word isn't able to penetrate.  Pride, unbelief, sinful choices, and the cares of this world can make the Bible without profit to us.  So often we want God to do for us what only we can do with His help, and we want to sit on the throne of our lives in place of God.  God told His people in Hosea 10:12, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

Having received the righteousness of Christ through faith, we ought to live righteously.  It is hard work to break up the fallow ground in the earth, but and even more painful and difficult to break up the fallow ground in our hearts.  We once had hearts softened by God's grace, but over time we can stiffen with pride.  We can pray "God, make me humble!" all we want; we can say "Break up my fallow ground" with sincerity, but the scriptures say to us "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God" (1 Peter 5:6) and "Break up your fallow ground."  God will send the rain early and also the latter rain, and He will cause the seed to grow and be fruitful.  Synthetic irrigation will never do.  It is time to seek the LORD, for God has sought us.  He will send the rain in due time.  We all need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit to perform His Word.  God is calling me and you to repentance and brokenness so His Word might be fruitful in and through our lives.

Jesus Found Me

Last evening I began reading Magnificent Obsession:  Why Jesus is Great by David Robertson.  It is a series of letters he wrote in stating why belief in Jesus Christ is a viable, rational faith based upon factual evidence.  In a logical manner, the well-read Robertson expresses thoughts on this critically important and complex subject in a way easily understood.  I am glad God has gifted people who are perfectly suited for intellectual debate and Robertson provides a good mix of theology, practical examples, and thoughtful quotes with a little humour sprinkled in.  So many times Christians make claims or answer questions no one is asking, and this book is a good reminder to actively engage people with different beliefs with a receptive and willing mind.  We can be so focused on trying to hammer scriptural truth into someone else we don't listen.  Robertson listens carefully and then is able to answer succinctly with grace and wisdom.

I once went on an evangelistic outreach to Seattle, Washington with a group of people gathered from all over the States.  It was an opportunity to be challenged and stretched in sharing the Gospel to groups or one-to-one.  There was a real push to spread the Gospel to as many people as possible:  the theory seemed to be the more seed scattered, the more potential fruit.  This impersonal approach didn't work for me.  Speaking for myself, I am more capable and willing to listen to people I don't know when a rapport has developed.  This doesn't need to take a long time, but if I sense a person is giving me a pitch, preoccupied with selling me their product, or is only talking to me because of a "business opportunity," I switch off.  When people are genuine with me and are willing to take time with actual dialogue - a logical exchange of ideas without a subversive agenda - an intellectual conversation is a fun, enjoyable experience for all.

One of the indelible memories I have of the outreach experience was a street preacher who traveled from Minnesota.  I walked past him near a fountain in an open area and there he was, bellowing at the top of his lungs - to no one.  There was not anyone visibly engaged with his words, and a sleepy dog laying nearby gave him more attention than any person.  People walked quickly past him as he said his rehearsed piece.  I will never forget the image:  the passionate man shouting at no one from a small stepladder, totally disengaged from the people he desperately wanted to reach who themselves were desperate to move as far away from him as possible.  I bet the gentleman was a lovely guy.  I would have liked to have talked with him over a meal.  I do not judge the man for doing what he felt was right, but I decided I would not adopt such an impersonal approach.  Jesus spoke to people one-to-one, and He also taught crowds of people who flocked to hear Him.  He spoke to listeners.  It was not volume or intelligence but Christ's love, authority, and the confirmation of the miraculous which attracted people who were interested to hear what He had to say.

In the introduction of the book, Robertson used a neat analogy of how a person seeks God but in reality it is He who finds us.  I could relate to the example because I had experienced it myself.  When I flew into Cambodia, I had no idea what the pastor looked like who was picking up our team at the airport.  I had attached a photo of me in an email, so hopefully the pastor would recognise me!  We walked through a line of people holding signs but I didn't see anything familiar.  Finally we decided to sit down outside the terminal and the pastor found us!  We were looking for him, but he found us.  Robertson writes of meeting strangers at the airport, "You have been looking for them, but they are also looking to reveal themselves to you.  That is what Jesus does.  He is the One we are looking for, and He is the One who is looking for us.  He brings enlightenment - He is after all, the light of the world." (Robertson, David. Magnificent Obsession: Why Jesus Is Great. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 21. Print.)  We are called as Christians to introduce people to Jesus, explain who He is and what He has done, and teach people to follow Him.  Introductions are personal and friendly, and that is how we should introduce people to Jesus.  Jesus found me, and He truly is magnificent!

If you have questions about Jesus Christ or are interested to know more about Him, I would love to correspond with you.  Comment on this post and include an email address (I will not publish!) and I will respond when possible.

Open Your Mouth Wide

During songs of worship after the sermon in church this morning, I reflected upon how drinking and being filled with the Holy Spirit are voluntary.  Suddenly I had the picture in my mind of a gridiron player standing on the sideline and an attendant raising a water bottle.  If the player is thirsty, all he need do is open his mouth and will be given a drink.  It would be rather silly for a thirsty player to keep his mouth shut but open it later to complain of thirst.  I was reminded of God's promise:  "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."  All who are thirsty are invited to come to Christ and drink.  It is not complicated and no ritual is required, but it will take humility which does not come naturally.  Those who admit their dryness, crying out in prayer and opening their mouths in praise of God will receive God's refreshment.  Those who desire the baptism with the Spirit only need open their mouth in faith, and God will make such an overflowing fountain of Living Water.

I decided to look up the passage God prompted me to consider found in Psalm 81:7-10:  "You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah ⁸ Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! ⁹ There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. ¹⁰ I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."  God brought the children of Israel out of bondage and gave them safe passage through dry wilderness.  God caused water to flow from the rock in Horeb which Moses later called Meribah.  God tested the faith of His thirsty people and proved His power to them miraculously.  He also tests us today with the filling of the Holy Spirit who is the Living Water Jesus spoke of.  God says, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill you."

I love when God sends me on these unexpected biblical excursions!  Thinking of drink bottles led to "Open your mouth wide..." to a connection in Meribah.  So I went to Exodus 17:3-7 to read the account of Moses and the children of Israel:  "And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" ⁴ So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" ⁵ And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. ⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"  Moses struck the rock upon which he stood in Horeb at the word of the LORD, and God caused water to flow from it.  Because there was no water where God led them, people doubted if God was with them or not.  The water from the rock proved again God's presence and abundant provision.

Moses struck the rock and water flowed out, and Jesus promised Living Water would flow from those who are born again.  The Holy Spirit has been given without measure to all those who are born again, and the fullness of the Spirit is available to all who open their mouths wide in faith.  It is ironic the waters of Meribah seemed to ease tensions, but the baptism and subsequent fillings with the Holy Spirit can be a point of contention among Christians.  I have no desire to be contentious, and I do not believe Paul was when upon first meeting believers in Ephesus he asked them, "Have you received the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (Acts 19:2)  Here is the point:  the presence of the Holy Spirit within a person can be known.  If a home is being lived in, there will be evidence.  Lights will be on in the rooms at night.  A car may be parked in the driveway or people will be seen moving around through windows.  If a heart is truly Christ's home, there will be evidence of His presence in that life.  The fruit of the Spirit will be evident in our lives.  Spiritual gifts are also granted by God according to His will.

Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?  You can!  Consider the word of God:  "You called in trouble, and I delivered you...I am the LORD your God...open you mouth wide, and I will fill it."  Those who drank from the rock in Horeb were thirsty again, yet Jesus promised in John 4:14:  "...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  Jesus bids us to come to Him and drink.  John 7:37-39 says, "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  Jesus has been glorified, and the Holy Spirit has been given.  This promise is for you, your children, to all who are afar off, as many as our LORD will call.

Casual or On-Call?

Towards the end of school term, Laura seems to pick up casual work at the boy's school.  In Australia "casual" work means you are not under a contract and do not have regularly set hours.  After volunteering for years in the library or uniform shop, sometimes she will receive a call to come in and work for pay.  It seems Laura has become a useful person to call when school staff is sick or on leave.  She is able to slot into many roles on short notice, recently helping out in Food Tech.  Lately it has been about eight hours spread across the week and looks to increase slightly next term.  And should the school call her in to help out, I expect she will by God's grace rise to the challenge!

Being a casual worker in Australia affects pay rate, superannuation, and benefits.  If Laura was a full-time employee at the college, there would be additional security and benefits granted her.  Though Laura is often called into work, she is a casual employee.  I would not compare her situation to a doctor who is "on-call."  Some doctors, for instance, often have a strenuous schedule with regular hours which extend far beyond a typical 35 to 40 hour week.  Many also are "on-call," meaning if there is an emergency they have the responsibility to answer the call and go into work.  People who do casual work and are "on-call" both are called into work:  the casual employee only works when the call comes, and for those on-call workers have regularly scheduled hours which extend beyond full time employment.  The call means extra work on top of full-time!

I wonder:  do we Christians approach life like a casual employee of Jesus or a full-time worker who is on-call?  I have heard people say that pastors are always on-call, but I am convinced all disciples of Christ are full-time ministers and also are on-call - whether or not they are paid by a church for their labours.  I imagine there are some full-time pastors who approach their service to God like a casual employee, and there are certainly parishioners who are full-time disciples and also on-call, joyful to serve God in every capacity who never keep track of their hours.  Isn't this how we ought to be?  If we measure our service only by time, what does that prove?  Inmates in prison count hours and days too.  Those followers of Jesus who serve Him faithfully, joyfully, and continually regardless of their circumstances or recognition bring glory to God.  Every minute on earth we live by God's grace, and how good it is to respond to His grace and goodness by giving ourselves back to Him.  It is service done with the pure motive of  God's love for us, not the logging of hours (or the accumulation of blog posts!) which pleases God.

The widow put in two small mites into the Temple treasury and was deemed by Christ to have given more than the most wealthy contribution because she gave all. That is what we can give:  our all.  Let's be full-time Christians, always glad to respond to the call of Jesus Christ.  Where God calls us He will supply the strength and resources to accomplish His will.  We should be on-call with Jesus not because He needs us but because we need Him - and He's already given all of Himself!  We are going to be with God for eternity, have fellowship with God even now, and the Holy Spirit indwells us today.  Amazing, right?

Hallowing God's Name

I have been reading through Radical Prayer by Manny Mill recently, and it has been a good reminder of the importance to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer to God.  One of the points which was spot on was an explanation of what is commonly called "The Lord's Prayer," a prayer commonly recited.  This is ironic, as Jesus had just warned His disciples about vain repetition in prayer during the Sermon on the Mount!  Then Jesus said, "In this manner therefore pray, 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.'"  Because Jesus told His disciples to follow His manner of prayer, some have interpreted this to be a "model" prayer.  I have heard different explanations of how this model should be used.  In his book, Manny Mill goes a refreshingly different direction.  He points out the words of Jesus are more than an affirmation of God's holiness, and actually are a request for God's name to be hallowed and glorified in everything.  All the requests from this point were with this in mind.

Mill quoted Dr. John Piper concerning this point in a message he delivered:  "In this petition, we hear explicitly (it may be implicit in the others, but only here is it explicit) - we hear the one specific response of the human heart that God requires of all human beings - the hallowing, reverencing, honouring, esteeming, admiring, valuing, treasuring of God's name above all things.  None of the other five requests tells us explicitly to pray for a specific human response of the heart." (Mill, Manny, Harold Smith, and Barbara Mill. Radical Prayer: The Power of Being Bold and Persistent. 77. Print.)  This explains the heart behind the prayers of Christ, that in all things God would be praised, worshiped, and reverenced.   This is the why of prayer, for God to be consecrated and above all in power and glory.  To pray for the glory of God and to hallow His name will change the way we pray and honour God through prayer like never before.  Manny shared how this realisation transformed his prayer life.  He wrote,

"When I began to fully grasp that our aim, at all times, is to hallow God's holy name, my prayer life was transformed.  Take the petition for daily bread, for example.  Previously, I would ask God to supply my family's needs, which Jesus tells us is something we should pray for.  However, I now realised that I needed to make this request more out of my concern for God's glory that for my family's actual needs.  In other words, I now ask God the Father to provide my daily bread so that I will have energy to hallow His name through prayer.  I ask for my family's provisions so that they too will be able to hallow God's name and live lives that show others the faithfulness of God.

I saw that praying for God to keep me from temptation and to deliver me from the evil one was not so much about my avoiding the painful consequences of sin as it was that God's name would be glorified through the testimony of my transferred life.  How can I come into His presence to hallow his name in prayer if I am involved in sin?  How can I testify to others of His transforming power if I give in to the sinful temptations around me?  I can't.  Therefore, I pray that God will deliver me from temptations and keep me from sinning in order that I may glorify Him in all that I do." (ibid. 79-80.)

Might this insight transform your prayer life too, that our requests would be made to hallow God's name and make Him look awesome rather than just asking for ourselves?  He is already awesome beyond compare, and as He heard and answered the prayers of Jesus Christ so He will respond to all who desire and seek to hallow God's name.  Our motive for praying is as important - perhaps even more important - than the words we use or our specific requests because God knows us and what we need even before we ask Him!  God is looking and listening for those praying in the Holy Spirit whose motives are aligned with His will.  God will see His name hallowed without our help, but what a gracious blessing we are invited to join with Him to that end.

God Lifts Us Up

Yesterday marked the opening day for the National Football League regular season.  After my sons arrived home from school in the afternoon, we watched the San Diego Chargers lose a game in overtime to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs.  It was more than just a tough loss to a division foe on the road, but far worse than that was our best receiver went down in the first half with a torn ACL.  Having endured that injury myself, I know it will be a long and painful road back for Keenan Allen.

Health is a precarious thing, especially for gridiron players.  There have been at least five or six season-ending injuries for Charger's starting players on offense by the end of the first game!  Players work offseason and training camp to be fit to play in the NFL, and to see it all over in an instant was hard to watch.  Number 13 was firing on all cylinders in the game and was unstoppable.  Move after move, catch after catch, he rose from the turf triumphant, celebrating each first down.  After a spectacular grab he placed his hand to his ear, having silenced the crowd.  He was letting the Kansas City players hear all about it too, charged up over a fast 21-3 advantage.  But suddenly, shockingly, there he was curled up on the ground.  No one had tackled him.  He simply was running and untouched fell to the ground as if a sniper took out his right knee.  For Keenan Allen, one of the best in the business, his game and 2016 season came to a end with six receptions.

My heart went out to the man as I watched him sob uncontrollably as he was carted off the field.  He couldn't hide his disappointment, and he was man enough not to attempt to hide his broken heart behind a stoic facade and a "thumbs up" as the game resumed.  I couldn't help notice the difference between the confident strut after catching a pass and the broken man hauled off the field, his jersey soaked with tears.  It was a contrast as stark as night and day.  I have seen the same thing in MMA fighters who all talk a big game before the fight.  Listening to all the trash talking makes it sound like neither combatant could possibly lose.  But within a matter of seconds, minutes, or a round or two, one of them is bloodied, tapping out, or unconscious on the canvas.  Champions fall.  Dreams are dashed.  Plans change abruptly without warning.  A knee ligament which has been strong for decades suddenly fails.  What then?  How will we respond when it happens to us?

All strength and success of men comes to an end, yet God's divine strength and resources are without limit.  We will fail others, and our health may fail us, but in all things we are more than conquerors through faith in Jesus Christ.  Life if more than games, health, and winning.  Those who humbly place their faith in Christ have new life and love nothing can ever separate us from.  God reminded His people in Isaiah 40:28-31:  "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. ³⁰  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹  but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  Keeping your chin up is sometimes impossible, but the LORD is the lifter of our heads.  In looking to God we find ourselves miraculously sustained and can rejoice even when these bodies fail.  When our bodies let us down, God lifts us up.

Perspective!

Christianity is far more than a belief system or a tradition which governs behaviour:  it is a complete transformation of the person from within by the indwelling power of God.  A person born again through faith in Jesus is empowered to live life from a new perspective.  Instead of self being our central point of focus, a love for God and others governs our thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds.  Things we naturally used to do without thinking brings conviction from the Holy Spirit.  We have an new desire to feed on the truth of the Bible and our spiritual appetites change.  The transformation God works within us is both immediate and continual.  We are born again as new creations in Christ yet there is a path to maturity we must intentionally embrace through obedience to God.

Hagar the Egyptian is a wonderful example of God's grace.  Though she was a Gentile, God revealed Himself to her and spoke kindly to her.  After she ran away from Sarai the LORD told her to return to her mistress.  He told her the baby she carried should be named Ishmael which means, "God will hear."  She was so impacted by the divine interaction she called the spring of water where she met with the Angel of the LORD "You are the God who sees" (Genesis 16:13).  All God said came to pass.  The fact her son was named according to the word of the Angel of the LORD suggests she believed His promise to multiply her seed beyond count.  When Ishmael was a teen, they experienced a great trial.  One morning Abraham gave her some bread and water and sent them away for good.  Though God had commanded Abraham to do so, it must have been a frightful proposition for Hagar and Ishmael to be sent away.  Where could they go?  They ended up wandering in the wilderness until their water ran out.

About 17 years earlier, Hagar had been personally met by the God who hears and sees.  Yet in her desperate circumstance it seems she forgot about Him.  She was so consumed in grief for her dying son she did not even think to pray.  She placed her son under a shrub as he cried because of thirst, and she moved a distance away from Ishmael because she couldn't bear the though of watching him die.  She sobbed loudly.  Now this is a terrible situation to think about, much less experience.  Though Hagar forgot about God, He graciously heard and saw her plight.  Genesis 21:17-19 reads, "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."  Blinded by fear, Hagar forgot the God who would never forget her.  God graciously opened her eyes and she saw a well of water nearby, and both she and her son were saved.

Think about God's initial question.  How might you have responded in Hagar's situation if someone asked, "What ails you?"  In bitterness and anger I might have answered with shock:  "What ails me?  Are you serious?  I've just been sent away from my home for good, I don't know where I am in this wilderness, I don't know where I am going, we are out of water, my son is dying, and all hope is lost!  You have no idea what I'm going through.  Shows what you know asking me, 'What ails you?'"  That sort of answer reveals a need for a change of perspective.  It was not just anyone asking the question, but the God who hears and sees.  In light of God's grace, goodness, and power, Hagar's perceived problems were not a problem.  Wasn't God the One who created life, caused Hagar to conceive Ishmael, and knew their needs?  Hadn't He given her the promise that He would make of Ishmael a great nation?  If Hagar would have remembered the God who sees and hears, recalled to mind the promises He had made concerning her son, and trusted God rather than despair, nothing could have ailed Hagar - even lost in a wilderness without water.

For those who trust in God, remembering who God is and all He has done brings refreshment to our souls like water to a those parched in a dry land.  As blood-bought children of the Most High God, we do not need to be afraid.  We have assurance of great promises through God's Word.  We have access through the Holy Spirit to the Living God who loves us and does everything.  Psalm 46:1-5 provides this God-centred perspective:  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ²  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; ³  Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah ⁴  There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. ⁵  God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn."  It may seem God delays to help us, but in His wisdom He refines our faith.  Your world might be torn apart, but God will hold you together.  Tears may flow during the night, but joy comes in the morning.  Just at the break of dawn God will send help according to His promise for He has said, "I will never leave or forsake you."

The Fallen Tree

It's been a bit windy in Sydney of late, and the picture above of the fallen tree at the baseball field in rouse Hill is evidence!  The fall of this sizable tree revealed the reason why:  very few large roots.  For the many years I have walked past it on the way to train or play baseball games, the tree appeared healthy and strong.  But all it took was a bit of wind to topple the tree and prove the roots were not sufficient to support the weight.  Without adequate roots the tree had no chance.

Jesus told a parable about a sower who sowed seed.  This tree reminded me of the seed (the word of God) which was scattered on thin or rocky soil.  Mark 4:5-6 reads, "Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away."  Jesus explained the meaning of this part of the parable in Mark 4:16-17:  "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble."  Similar to this tree which wind revealed shallowness of root depth, so trials and persecution reveal hearts which the Word of God has no depth.  People who rejoiced to receive the Good News of Jesus can fall away over time and it shows there was no genuine conversion.

This tree illustrates that what is under the surface matters most.  Large growth does not mean fruitfulness or strength in trials.  Many people have been laid low with sin because their roots were shallow and God's Word was not well established in their hearts.  I am not an arborist or dendrologist, but the tree appears to be a total loss.  But praise be to God, He is gracious to fallen sinners!  He does not write us off as firewood, but those who repent He establishes again.  What is impossible with men is possible with God.  The big takeaway I had from seeing the fallen tree was to consider the condition of my heart:  is the Word of God bearing fruit in my life?  Has my heart become dry and hard?  This tree could be me.  In fact, it could be anyone.  God is the One who gives us strength to stand by His grace.  It is faith in God which enables us to hold fast!

Importance of Confession

When it comes to confession, there is no shortage of opinions.  Because of individual experiences, backgrounds, and church practices, there is a wide range about the importance and practice of confession.  Some think it is only necessary between the sinner and God, and others have times in their meetings set aside for "open confession."  In Edwin Orr's book "All Your Need," the evangelist spoke of the importance of public confession to make way for revival.  He was careful to point out that he moderated the gathering with specific instructions:  he strongly objected to detailed confessions and warned he would silence any offender; he always exhorted born-again Christians - not the unsaved - to confess the hindrance to revival; and after explaining the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins, he spoke of "confession as a means to forgiveness and blessing." (Orr, J. Edwin, "All Your Need 10,000 Miles of Miracle through Austraila and New Zealand." Marshall, Morgan & Scott, London, page 119)

In the Bible we read of private confession before God and public confession before men.  Jesus commanded those who had sinned against someone to go to them alone in humility for reconciliation.  Orr contends in many cases sins which are not openly confessed leads to inevitable defeat.  I agree with this assessment based upon the examples and commands of scripture.  How this should be implemented requires the leading of the Holy Spirit, a thorough examination of motives, and an attitude of prayer.  1 John 1:9 says concerning private confession before God, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Confession before God is adequate for us to be forgiven before a holy God.  But experience has shown all of us it does not mean we will forsake the very same sin or experience the victory God has given through Jesus.

Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."  Because a man cannot hide or cover his sin from the eyes of God, I believe this passage is speaking about hiding our sins from others.  Since this is the context, humbly confessing our sins to one another is a key step to actually forsaking them and receiving the mercy of God.  That sin you may be battling, the shameful struggle you have not dared to admit to another person, may require you to confess biblically to be free of it.  It is written in James 5:16, "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."  In obedience to the word of God we can have absolute confidence our confession of sin and fervent prayer with others will avail much.

There are examples of this in the New Testament.  After the woman with the flow of blood touched the hem of Christ's garment He stopped and asked, "Who touched me?"  He proceeded to turn around a look at her who had done this.  Before Him and all the people she fell at His feet and confessed all.  After hearing her words Jesus said, "Your faith has made you whole."  Confession was part of the process to wholeness (Mark 5:33-34).  Another great example of the benefit of public confession which resulted in freedom from bondage to sin is in Acts 19:18-20:  "And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed."  Christians who had been in sin confessed their deeds, and many who had practiced magic in the past brought their books to be burned.  And what was the result?  The word of the LORD grew mightily and prevailed.  The implication is these people had the word of God before, but it was not until they took the step to burn their other books the scriptures could prevail in their personal lives and their city.  What might we be keeping in our closet or library which ought to go because it is restraining the effectiveness of God's Word?

There is a deception of the enemy all we need to do is confess our sin to God and we have done what is necessary for wholeness.  In one sense it is true God has done everything for us and is enough, but He has also sovereignly placed us with others to comprise the Body of Christ, His church.  Why does He tell us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another if "talking only to God about it" would suffice?  Having "accountability" is talked about these days, but how can we be accountable to anyone if we do not first confess?  Perhaps the reluctance to public confession comes as a reaction against Roman Catholic confession or because of damage by grossly detailed confessions which have torn families and churches apart.  Regardless of the reasons we would rather not "go there," I am convinced confession according to scripture is needful.  May the LORD guide and direct each one of us in how to be obedient and honour God in this area.  When confession is done correctly as led by the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ will be strengthened and edified.

Church Dysmorphia

I went through a season during a time of spiritual growth where I was concerned with the lame condition of "the church."  Looking back I can say I was preoccupied with negative views of the church at large, and I am truly glad to say it was relatively brief.  The truth is, I was the lame one and because of the log in my own eye I was keenly aware of imagined weakness and failure in others.  Whilst Christians are not perfect, Jesus is perfectly capable to maintain the health and growth of His Body.  He doesn't have the body dysmorphia humans are prone to.  No matter how much we slim down we can see ourselves in a negative light.  Because of God's grace and righteousness the Body of Christ is clean and sanctified.

Even as I have experienced the pitfall of being judgmental of others, I have experienced the smug self-righteousness of a Pharisee.  This is a common condition when spiritual knowledge is combined with a measure of pride.  From this lofty vantage point it is easy to preach against the evils of the world, mock people for their folly, and even shake our heads sympathetically at errors made by people and nations in the Bible.  This is a great waste of biblical truth, to apply it to condemn others without carefully judging ourselves by the same standard.  You are part of the church, believer, and the only one you will answer for before God is yourself.

The truth of scripture has been provided for our learning so we might have hope.  It is not to be applied theoretically to others, but to your own heart and life by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus did not blast the Roman government in the synagogues, but spoke against the self-righteous Jewish religious leaders.  Jesus did not speak to His disciples to mock those enslaved to lusts and sins among the Gentiles, but He warned of a betrayer among His chosen disciples.  He corrected and instructed His followers.  Jesus did not pronounce woe on the idolatrous priests or temple prostitutes, but He spoke many woes on religious hypocrites among His people.

Here is a point I find interesting:  a vast majority of the prophets sent by God were sent to God's people who were in sin.  He did not send prophets to the Philistines or the Amalekites.  The prophets came to God's people to warn them of coming judgment for their sin, to urge them to repent.  Did the people listen?  No!  God's prophets were mocked, beaten, even killed for their trouble.  But God did send reluctant Jonah to the Gentile Ninevites.  Guess what?  They repented in dust and ashes!  Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of Israel and they largely rejected Him.  Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 11:21-22, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you."  We don't find Old Testament prophets being sent to Tyre and Sidon, but they would have repented had Jesus done His mighty works there.  If we in the church apply the exhortation, rebuke, and instruction of God's Word to those in the world without applying it personally, we miss everything.  God wants to speak to His people:  are you one who hears and obeys?

I am humbled by the fact for many years I scorned the "sinning" world with biblical passages God intended I be confronted with myself.  How angry I was over the evils of the world, yet I was comfortable in sin as a believer!  Brothers and sisters, this ought not to be!  Won't God judge hypocrites?  We ought to be moved with compassion as Jesus was for the lost people in the world and apply the severest threatenings of scriptures to ourselves.  We hold the truth of God in our hands, affirm it to be so, and yet do not care to practice it!  Judgment begins at the house of God and all will ultimately be judged by God.  Those who have been given the sober duty of teaching God's Word must be careful not use your platform to condemn "the church" or the world in pride without repentance for our own sin.  We aren't to be smug and clubby as if the judgment of Christ does not apply to us.  God knows His people even as a shepherd knows the sheep from the goats.

If you are a sheep of God's pasture, than before God live in a way worthy of such a calling.  If we would be as vigilant to walk uprightly before God as we try to look good before men it would be a good start.  However, even this motive is of the flesh and sinful.  When we are indignant over the sins of others we do well to examine our own hearts empowered by the Holy Spirit.  It is written in Romans 2:1, "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."  God is the Judge, and those who judge themselves will not be judged (Matt. 7:1-5).  God has given me the scriptures for me to apply personally to my life, not theoretically to others.  Once I am walking uprightly with a heart purified from pride, then I will be able to help others be restored to a good standing before God (Gal. 6:1).  Reversing the order is like trying to reap before planting, a fruitless prospect indeed.

Heart Maintenance

Spring is in the air in Sydney and that means pulling out the lawn mower, line trimmer, and edger.  Shrubs and grass shot up with our recent rain, and birds have been feasting on the seed pods on the liquid amber which grows out front.  Since my baseball game was washed out Saturday due to rain, I decided to seize the opportunity to begin yard maintenance sooner than later.

Now I hadn't paid much attention to the state of the lawn recently because the LORD supplies adequate rain, the grass stays mostly green year round, and the turf grows extremely slow during winter months.  Before mowing I decided to pull a couple of weeds I could see.  As I leaned over for a better grip, I noticed some clover growing in plain sight.  Before long I was crawling around on the lawn pulling out weeds I hadn't noticed before!  And it's not like the front yard is particularly big.  I had walked along the path to the front door only metres away multiple times a day and never noticed the weeds.  They were growing - well, like weeds - right under my nose without my knowledge.

As I crawled around, amazed at the amount of weeds which blended well into the grass, the idea came to my mind:  there are insights concerning our own hearts we can only discover from a similar posture before God on our knees.  New seasons bring growth, and in growing seasons of our lives there can be weeds growing up with fruitful crops in our hearts.  The Bible is compared to good seed which is fruitful when it is sowed into a prepared heart.  We must be intentional in searching our hearts, asking God to show us if there is any wicked way in us.  It seems pulling weeds is a job never finished, and neither is repentance for sins before God.  We can be content to deal with sin on levels of feelings or actions, but God is interested in the heart.  When we are ready to humbly cooperate with God in repentance for sin, God provides strength and the grip to pluck those weeds up by the roots.

It is on our knees before a holy God our sinfulness becomes exceedingly sinful.  At the same time His grace towards us is magnified.  I grow weary of pulling weeds, but God does not grow weary with His children who repent.  Galatians 6:7-10 says, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."  It is good for us to repent, and let us not grow weary in doing good.  Take the opportunity to do some heart maintenance today!

Chaff and Wheat

"The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD."

Jeremiah 23:28

Chaff is the thin papery material without nutritional value which covers grain.  Farmers would harvest grain and thresh grain, separating the grain from the wheathead.  The threshed grain was then "winnowed," by tossing it into the air with a slight breeze.  In this manner the chaff was blown away easily and only the edible grain remained.  The worthless chaff in no way made the wholesome grain less nutritious or rendered useless for planting.  Chaff and wheat come from the same stalk, but even a child can tell the difference between them.  A child of God, through the Holy Spirit, is given spiritual discernment to tell error from truth.

God encouraged prophets to share their dreams, and those who had His word to speak it faithfully.   He concluded the verse with, "What is the chaff to the wheat?"  God's Word, the Bible, is compared to fruitful seed.  Practically and spiritually it  has infinite nutritional value.  Loads of chaff does not threaten the quality of grain or make it without value.  450 prophets of Ba'al prophesying was nothing compared to one prophet of God who spoke God's Word.  Through God Elijah had more spiritual power than all the false prophets in the history of the world combined!  As Christians we can have complete confidence in the truth and power of God's Word to transform lives and save souls.  All the dreams, visions, and fanciful winds of doctrine should not cause us to abandon God's truth.

The LORD continued in Jeremiah 23:29-32:  "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? ³⁰ "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor. ³¹ Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.' ³² Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD."  God's Word sown into prepared hearts will be profitable, but those who speak chaff will not profit anyone at all.  There are plenty of people who claim to speak for God or emphatically swear they have the truth, but only God's Word is like a fire, like a hammer that breaks rock in pieces.  God and His words have real power, and not one of them will pass away.

In the Bible we have the very Word of God:  unchanging, unfailing truth.  It is truth which has burnt up arguments and lies.  It has laid bare deceptions of dreams, exposing them as fraudulent.  God sometimes speaks to people through dreams, and these legitimate dreams will survive the harshest tests of God's Word.  The chaff will be driven away by the wind!  The scriptures have hammered away and broken hearts harder than granite and supplied new life through the Gospel.  What a treasure we hold in our hands when we pick up the Bible!  Better than words on a page, the very words of God can be sown into hearts and applied in everyday life.  That is when our lives become fruitful and blessed.

The SpongeBob Lesson

During scripture class recently I asked a year six boy, "If you could ask for anything in the world, what would it be?"  His eyes looked up at the ceiling as he grinned, thinking it over.  "I know what I would ask for," he said almost bashfully.  "Well, what would it be?"  He replied, "It's about someone who is yellow and square."  "Oh?  Would that be SpongeBob SquarePants!"  "Yes!" he gleefully shouted.  "The SpongeBob SquarePants movie!"  Later I thought to myself the boy had set the bar ridiculously low.  He was given the freedom to ask for anything in the world but chose a DVD.  Imagine being able to supply someone's ultimate dream for $20!

Do you know God once asked Solomon a similar question in 1 Kings 3:5?  In a dream God said to Solomon, "Ask!  What shall I give you?"  God did not include the caveat "up to half of my kingdom" typical of royalty.  Our answer to the question depends on who is asking and what is reasonable.  If my grandmother Gammy had asked me this, I knew she had many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  She didn't have an endless supply of resources so a DVD might have been appropriate.  But God's wealth is not spread thin!  There's nothing He cannot give!  Because God is the Creator of everything and all is subject to Him, He could have given Solomon anything he asked for.  Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God's people, and God gave him that and much more besides.

As I thought about the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie answer, I was convicted when the LORD spoke to my heart.  It occurred to me God has everything and yet many of my prayers and requests aim very low.  Before a God who desires to do the impossible and be extravagantly powerful, generous, and gracious to His people, my requests are the equivalent of asking for a DVD.  I sometimes ask for things God has already promised to be doing or for things He has already given!  As children of God through faith in Christ we have complete access to our Father in heaven whose great pleasure is to give us the kingdom, yet we fix our desire on insignificant things.  I imagine for that lad SpongeBob won't seem so wonderful years from now.  How about asking God for things only He can give and do?  Why not ask for the impossible?  We can be silly and shortsighted with lame requests when God offers us His presence, power, and wisdom.  Can you imagine God offering us Himself, forgiveness, and grace and we sigh because it wasn't the DVD equivalent we had our heart set on?  God's wants our hearts set on Him and He is worthy!

How cool is that?  God is so amazing He can use even a SpongeBob DVD to teach valuable life lessons of eternal value!

Sorry School House Rock!

When I was a kid, there was a popular educational program called "School House Rock" which used the slogan, "Knowledge is Power!"  School House Rock helped me to memorise the Preamble in my year 8 History class taught by Mr. Kennedy.  I even had a retro School House Rock t-shirt when I was in high school!  But as educational and useful as the program was, after assessing the slogan biblically I must confess the slogan "Knowledge is Power!" is untrue.  Whilst knowledge is beneficial when used wisely, it has no power in itself to accomplish anything.  Education alone does not have the power to cure any ills.  Being able to recite the Preamble in no way supplies power to live in the way the forefathers of the United States intended.

Knowledge is a useful means, but not an end.  God lamented His people perished for a lack of knowledge.  He had the power to save and deliver them, but they continued to ignore His Law and live as was right in their own eyes.  Yet God's people also exposed the pitfalls of knowledge which led to pride and self-righteousness.  The Jews made the knowledge of God's Law and putting it into practice according to tradition the end instead of realising the Law was given so people might have fellowship with God.  Paul wrote in the second part of 1 Corinthians 8:1, "We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."  We have all been given the knowledge of good and evil, but knowledge of good does not supply us the power to always do good.  Knowledge could never make a man be good.

This fact is plainly demonstrated in many aspects of life.  I may be able to read and understand a recipe which tells me the ingredients in measure, the heat of the oven, and the proper order to  mix the batter.  But this knowledge does not mean I will choose to follow it, nor does it mean my best efforts will result in a good outcome!  I may know the rules of baseball, but that does not mean I am physically able to play it.  I might know what shot to play in cricket when a bouncer comes at my head, but that doesn't mean I can execute the shot.  I may know how to read and write and do advanced maths, but it does not mean I will be admitted into my preferred university or obtain the job I desire.  Sorry School House Rock, but knowledge is not power.  Knowledge is incapable to supply the power necessary to accomplish anything or see it properly applied to my life.

The power of knowledge in itself is a mirage, but there is true power in Jesus Christ demonstrated by His resurrection from the dead.  The knowledge that a man has three weeks to live will not prolong his life or change the doctor's diagnosis.  But there is power in the Gospel to save souls and transform hearts and minds.  Knowledge of the Gospel is the path to the power of God received by faith in Jesus.  As it is written in 2 Timothy 1:6-10, "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. ⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ¹⁰ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,"  Paul reminded Timothy of what he had received through the Gospel:  a spiritual gift and vitality, a spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind.  Jesus has abolished death for all who repent and trust in Him, and has brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel - critical knowledge indeed!

It is God who saves, not knowledge.  Knowledge is very important and involved in salvation, don't get me wrong:  but knowledge in itself has no power to do, save, or redeem.  It is Christ who justifies, not our knowledge of Christ or understanding of the doctrine of justification.  Knowledge of God according to the Bible leads to unending and infinite power through Jesus Christ.

Accept All Things

One of the audio messages which has been a blessing to me lately was one spoken by the late pastor Steve Mays called "Being Content."  He broke down the last chapter of Philippians 4 into three major points:  I accept all things, I can do all things, and I have all things.  Paul had learned in whatever state he was to be content in Christ, and it seems through many trials Steve Mays could say the same.  Often God uses trying circumstances to teach us these invaluable lessons.

The point "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" was the one most often stressed by my teachers during my young life with Christ.  Yet with added clarity looking back, because I could not say "I accept all things" or "I have all things" meant I actually could not do all things!  It is a seldom discussed concept that there are things God allows in our lives we must learn to accept.  In some things we overcome not by their removal from our lives but by our continued perseverance despite them.  Paul was brought to that point of acceptance when God saw fit to allow a messenger from Satan into his life.  God didn't remind Paul that he could "do all things" and therefore labour to remove this perceived hindrance from his life.  What Paul called a thorn God used as a goad to humility and increased usefulness.

Whether concerning personal life or ministry, we are often not content because our identity is not founded solely on Christ.  We think we cannot do all things because we do not have all things.  You see, if we had all things, we could do all things, and then our situation would be acceptable!  What Paul had learned was in Christ he already had all things, therefore he could do all things, and was content in every situation - even when it concerned a messenger of Satan which buffeted him.  There is much speculation and debate about what the thorn was, but Paul already made it plain:  a messenger of Satan.  The details don't really matter, for the lesson is applicable to all seasons and trials of this life.  Acceptance of what God has allowed is not a passive "letting go" or "giving up" but is a intentional act of reliance upon God as we expectantly wait on Him.

It is a glorious day when we joyfully praise God for the trial, not thanking God in spite of it.  A person who accepts all things from the loving hand of God realises through faith the supernatural ability and abundance we have through Jesus Christ.  In Christ we have all things and we are without limitation.  Paul's prayers had been answered, and this poses a question for us:  will we accept all things and be content?

God and Oysters

I am amazed and grateful how God is able to redeem flawed people for His glory.  In the fable of Rumpelstiltskin, that conniving imp was able to spin straw into gold but God does infinitely greater still.  Even the most fantastic fantasies cannot measure up to the wisdom and power of God in saving lost sinners and making them children of God.  God's grace and power is revealed in our weakness, even our failings He redeems for practical good and eternal glory.

After preaching yesterday, God spoke to me as I sung songs of worship to Him.  I had concluded the message, but God had more to say to me.  In a lovely way He laid out some additional points I hadn't even considered during study - really good ones.  When Jesus fed the 5,000 to the full there were still leftovers, and it was true concerning the message preached yesterday.  I trust even as God was able to speak to my heart, He spoke to others as well despite my shortcomings.  Over lunch we discussed the sermon as a family and when called out on a point needed to admit I made an error in interpretation.  It was over a minor point, but even making small mistakes hits hard when you aim to do your best.  Praise the LORD, for even with word-fumbling, mis-reading, or poor interpretation, God is able to speak unhindered.  I love that!

It reminds me of an "Our Daily Bread" devotion I read years ago called "The Oyster Man" by Cindy Hess Kasper.  Here is a large portion of the 9 April 2008 entry by Kasper:

In the days of John Wesley, lay preachers with limited education would sometimes conduct the church services. One man used Luke 19:21 as his text: “Lord, I feared Thee, because Thou art an austere man” (KJV). Not knowing the word austere, he thought the text spoke of “an oyster man.”  He explained how a diver must grope in dark, freezing water to retrieve oysters. In his attempt, he cuts his hands on the sharp edges of the shells. After he obtains an oyster, he rises to the surface, clutching it “in his torn and bleeding hands.” The preacher added, “Christ descended from the glory of heaven into . . . sinful human society, in order to retrieve humans and bring them back up with Him to the glory of heaven. His torn and bleeding hands are a sign of the value He has placed on the object of His quest.” Afterward, 12 men received Christ. Later that night someone came to Wesley to complain about unschooled preachers who were too ignorant even to know the meaning of the texts they were preaching on. The Oxford-educated Wesley simply said, “Never mind. The Lord got a dozen oysters tonight.”

Praise the LORD how He can use anyone to be a useful part of His Body, the church.  The best efforts of our flesh fall short, but God is a Redeemer.  Jesus can take a meagre lunch for a boy and in His hands turn it into a feast for thousands!  There is more where that came from!

Choose God's Adventure

In my primary school years I enjoyed the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books.  With plenty of pictures set in exotic locations, reading those books was almost like a game because the reader's decisions affected the outcome of the story.  At the bottom of the pages you could choose an action which directed you to a numbered page to continue to story.  One choice would bring you closer to treasure and the other ended in death as frogmen cut your oxygen supply.  The one thing I didn't like about the books is sometimes no matter what choices you made, the outcome was always a disaster.  I can't count how many times I retraced my steps and changed my decisions along the way, but it seemed there were no happy or victorious endings possible.  If this was the case, it was onto the next book to seek the ever-elusive satisfactory ending.  Besides, the school library had heaps of them.

The life of faith in following Jesus is always and adventure, and has the best ending:  eternal life in God's presence in heaven.  Yet at the same time every day God gives everyone the freedom to make choices which affect our life on earth now and all eternity.  Because God is "in control" we might assume people are no more than pawns or robots which do His divine bidding.  The Bible reveals this is not the case.  God has made His will known through scripture, but He allows people to make choices which are completely opposed to His will.  He permits things to happen we would certainly prevent if we were in charge!  There is a meekness, grace, and patience demonstrated in God's character which is entirely foreign to human beings.  Though He is God over all, He created men with the capacity to freely choose - to live as a god of sorts - not as animals governed by instinct.  When we willingly choose to lay down our will to submit to His own in faith, it demonstrates we actually love and trust God.  Because God allowed man to have a will of his own and freedom to choose, it is very significant in God's eyes when we choose to obey Him.

If God is not threatened by giving men the freedom for real choice, we should respect the freedoms of others to choose as well.  Totalitarian governments and regimes rule by force and fear, but God rules with infinitely greater power through love, grace, acceptance, and righteousness.  To choose to follow Jesus and walk in love allows men to embark on the greatest adventure in the universe, for it is the first step in truly knowing and understanding the almighty God who created and first loved us.  True adventure and satisfaction isn't found by traveling to exotic locations or having all the world has to offer, but in knowing God.  It is written in Jeremiah 9:23-24:  "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."

Like there were plenty of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books at my primary school, the world holds forth numerous offerings to attract us.  Consider your own experience for a second:  no matter the promise or how high our expectations, regardless how profound an experience, we are always left hungry and wanting more, bigger, better.  Even before the ride at the amusement park was over we were wanting to ride it again.  During an amazing holiday we thought about how the next one could be better.  Genuine satisfaction and contentment is found through faith in Jesus Christ.  Life as a child of God is amazing.  When He leads you on an adventure, it will be the thrill of your life that never ends.  To know God and to know He loves me!  It doesn't get any better than that.

Finish Your Race

I ran cross country for three years during high school, and there was only one race I began I didn't finish.  It was my first competitive race in year 9, an invitational (basically a tune-up race) which looped around Lindo Lake in Lakeside, California.  About a mile in I rolled my ankle pretty good, and I wasn't interested to hobble the rest of the course.  What was the point?  Admittedly at that time I was quite out of contention for what I imagined to be a respectable finish, so I sheepishly limped back to my team's area.  It never set well with me that I quit.  In reality I could have pushed on, but the shame of quitting on that day seemed less than finishing last.  Because it was me, I can say plainly it was selfish pride - not a bum ankle - which truly kept me from finishing that day.

Whenever I see the courageous finishes of many of the Olympic athletes in Rio, I admire the drive and tenacity to finish no matter what.  Finishing - not placement - is of fundamental importance.  If a runner or swimmer does not finish, it would be impossible to place.  Seeing athletes limp in pain on torn ligaments, determined to complete the race no matter the cost, reminds me of my own failure and makes me resolved to never again repeat it.  Our bodies have physical limits, and it is brave and courageous to endure difficulty to reach the end regardless if we are proud of our time or not.  Pride can keep a man going or be the very reason why he quits.

Just this week I heard a message by Joe Focht from Calvary Chapel Philly and he referenced a marathoner named John Stephen Akhwari of Tansania.  He ran the marathon in the 1968 Olympics hosted by Mexico and he was the last to finish - though there were 17 who were physically unable because of the heat.  During the race Akhwari fell and badly injured his knee but he kept on going.  Asked why he bothered to finish the race when he was so far behind the leaders, in so many words he said his country hadn't sent him across the world to start a race, but to finish it.  This was not mere sentiment for the man, but demonstrated by someone who walked and jogged miles terribly damaged to fulfill them.  Even when the medical staff encouraged him to bow out, he was out to finish.  And he did.

For people of Christian faith, we realise God has stretched before each of us the remainder of our lives on earth like a marathon course before a runner.  We are all called by God to run our own race and persevere in faith and love in tough times, even when taking a single step is excruciating.  Unlike a competitive runner who is disqualified when assisted by a spectator, we are helped and ministered to by the Holy Spirit and Jesus who lifts us up and strengthens us to diligently persevere.  Hebrews 12:1-3 says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."  Perhaps you have noticed that in this race of life many bystanders are not urging us to continue or cheering us on.  They scorn and mock those who follow Jesus, hurling insults.  The enemy of our soul whispers to us, "Go ahead and quit.  You're not making progress anyway.  What's the point of finishing when you're not as good as others?"  There are times our own bodies beg us to quit, seemingly desperate to give up because it is all too hard.

Who will you listen to, believer?  Are you determined to finish the race with joy God has set before you?  You can!  Though very few of us could be termed "world-class" competitors, we can all know the feeling of crossing the finish line a winner by the grace of the God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We don't need to cast furtive glances over our shoulder to see if anyone will catch us, but with our eyes on Jesus we can push hard to the finish line with a strong kick.  Don't ever quit loving God and others, Christian.  Keep running your race for God's glory and see it through to the end.  Let's run in God's winning way.  It will be hard, and it will hurt.  But God will help and heal us.  He has promised to provide strength so we can run without being weary and walk without fainting.  Would to God all His people could say along with Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  Praise God we can experience the same victory too by His grace.

Bringing the Hidden to Light

This afternoon I read the words of Jesus Christ in Mark 4:21-23:  "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? ²² For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Jesus had just explained to His disciples the meaning of the Parable of the Sower, how the seed is the good Word of God sown into the hearts of men of various conditions.  Though a farmer couldn't explain exactly how a seed germinates and grows into a living, fruitful plant, time would clearly reveal of what sort a seed was.

Lamps are lit for the purpose of shining light, and the farmer sows seed ultimately for the purpose of bearing fruit.  The farmer cannot see what is happening under the soil, and it would be disastrous for him to dig it up.  Time would reveal the type of soil the seed was sown in by the growth and fruitfulness of the plant.  When the Bible is sown into the hearts of people, the life of a person reveals their true character.  Sometimes in this life the truth isn't clear to everyone.  But a day unknown to us is coming when our bodies will die and our entire lives will be exposed before the holy God in heaven who will render to every man according to his works.  What has been kept secret - good or bad - will be brought into the light.

These words hit me afresh as I consider the passing of my friend Tim Martinsen.  We spent a year in school as apprentices together, and he worked as my apprentice for years following.  I can honestly say we were friends.  We quickly hit it off and enjoyed plenty of laughs, deep conversations, and experienced both fun and trying times together.  He was a funny guy and I have many fond memories of him.  It was a treasure to speak to Tim about things of God and celebrated his baptism in Mission Bay.  After I switched companies and began working in the shipyard in 2005, Tim and I saw far less of one another.  Leaving the trade altogether and then moving to Australia meant I saw him even less.  I was able to see Tim during a 2011 visit to the United States and I thank God for that opportunity.  It was a fantastic opportunity to catch up and rekindle our friendship at his home and meet his fiancee.  It proved to be the last time I would see him in this life.

When people we love pass away it goads us to consider the lasting implications of eternity.  King Solomon wrote of God in Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."  There is an uncanny sense in the human heart there is more to life than our time on earth.  We wonder about what happens after we die, and the Bible reveals it is appointed for men once to die and then will face judgment by God (Hebrews 9:27).  All secrets will be revealed in that day.  My dear friend has entered eternity with two outcomes:  he will face the justice of God as an unbeliever to be judged according to God's Law or be judged as a child of God to determine if he will gain reward or suffer loss.  I am convinced Tim believed this to be true and his desire would be, in light of his passing, for all his friends and loved ones who remain to consider the implications of this as they live out their days on earth.  Our souls will spend eternity in heaven or hell.  It does man no good to gain the whole world and lose his own soul.  Only Jesus Christ can provide eternal life for souls.

How important it is to be born again through repentance and faith in Jesus!  The reality of this decision will be evident in the life of a person, and God is a righteous judge.  I know God loves Tim more than anyone on earth and has freely offered to forgive him of every sin and spend eternity with him in heavenly glory.  How awesome is that?  It is a terrible prospect to die alone, but God will never leave or forsake followers of Jesus.  He will hold our hand all through this life and into eternity.  Jude 1:24-25 says of our glorious Saviour, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. amen."  To think our corruptible bodies will put on incorruption and our mortal bodies will one day be clothed in immortality!  Instead of pain and sickness our bodies will be perfected and we will ever be in the presence of the LORD with exceeding joy.  This has been my desire for Tim and for you too!

Rest in peace brother.  I thank God for you, for the smiles, laughs, and friendship.  You are missed.

Receiving a Kingdom

"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

It is a fair question of every child of God to consider:  is it my aim to be well pleasing unto God?  Am I intentional in my choices to make choices which please God?  If we want to be accepted of God, we ought to live acceptably before Him.  And by "acceptable" I do not mean a minimal scraping by, but living in the way God completely approves.

The apostle John wrote in 2 John 1:8-9, "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. ⁹ Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son."  Salvation and admission into heaven does not depend on mental assent to doctrine, but by being born again through faith in Jesus.  Genuine belief in God and His Word results in godly, biblical behaviour.  John was concerned people who claimed loyalty to Christ were self-deceived.  Jesus was not accepted of the Father because of His knowledge or doctrinal mastery, but because He always did what pleased the Father.  His righteous deeds were evidence of His righteous character.  As Christians ours is a faith that works, and if we do not labour in obedience to God we are not in the faith.  After each failure we are called to repent, cease sinning, and do what is right in God's eyes.

It is deeply concerning to me there are Christians who are content with merely going to heaven and seem to have no concept their lives will be evaluated by the living God.  We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and those who are born again ought to have a fervent desire compelled by God's love to please God with their choices and efforts.  To be judged by God - even as a believer rightly understood - is a terrifying prospect.  It carries with it eternal consequences.  That is why Paul followed up with 2 Corinthians 5:11, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences."  The Judgment Seat of Christ does not determine if a person goes to heaven or hell, but I tell you the truth:  many people who imagine they will be brought before the Bema Seat of Christ will be facing the Great White Throne of judgment - where all who are brought before it are judged according to the Law and will be justly sentenced to hell for eternity.  If you are cavalier about being judged by God, there is a real possibility you don't know God.  This should be a very confronting prospect.

Since believers at the judgment seat of Christ will receive from God according to what each has done whether good or bad, which side would you prefer to be on?  From our perspective on earth our admittance into heaven is all gain, but the Bible tells us it is possible to suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to arrive at heaven and suffer loss.  Under the Law of Moses any spoil which could endure fire would be purified by fire (Numbers 31:23), and all our works at the judgment seat of Christ will be tried by fire.  Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 3:15, "If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."  Our lives have the awesome potential to provide great spoil for the kingdom of God and Christ's glory, and to suffer loss before God on an eternal stage is a shameful prospect.

For this reason, brothers and sisters, let us make it our aim to be well pleasing to God.  Jesus was not exalted above all names in heaven and on earth because of His knowledge, but because He humbled Himself.  He went to the cross in obedience to the Father.  Unless we are willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can't expect to have great reward in heaven.  The reality is, unless we are following Christ in obedience we may never make it there.  May our consciences be pure before a holy God as we choose to use our talents faithfully for His glory.  Jesus is coming suddenly and His reward is with Him.  Let us do our best to do our part to receive a full reward by God's grace.  As the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:28-29, "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."