Saturday, May 31, 2008

AS CLOSE AS YOU WANT TO BE

I am re-reading Enjoying Intimacy With God by J. Oswald Sanders and one of the author’s statements, “You are as close to God as you choose to be,” really caught my attention. In fact, at first the statement rather irritated me. This puts pressure on me; it means that if my relationship with God doesn’t develop and deepen, the fault is mine—and that annoys me. Why should I be to blame here? Could it be because I am guilty of this?

The fact is, the Father has established His credibility in this area by opening the door for fellowship and intimacy with His people. God has opened the path to us and it is ours to pursue or not.

In the Old Testament, God was rather remote, detached from His people. The high priest and sometimes the leaders of the land seemed to be the ones who communicated with God. The prophets were another group that would hear from God and then convey His message to the people. In the Temple, the Holy of Holies (where God’s presence abided) was separated from everything else by a four-inch-thick curtain called the veil. Only the high priest could go inside the veil and then only once a year. There is very little indication that God spoke to or mingled with the common people.

All of that changed at Calvary. When Jesus died, Scripture says the veil (which symbolized separation from God) was torn into two pieces (Matt. 27:51). The tearing of the veil started at the top, which means that it began because God chose to do it; He wanted the separation gone, done away with. It was His choice to remove the separation and to make Himself accessible. God was making a strong, strong statement here and many of us have missed the importance of it. God was saying, “I am opening the door to fellowship, to intimacy, to personal relationship. I’ve done my part by removing the barrier that has been there for thousands of years. The next part is up to you!”

Oswald Sanders in his classic book deals with this important subject by looking at the four groups of disciples who chose to be close to Jesus. Each group shows a level of intimacy that is more personal than the previous.

The Seventy - Jesus chose the seventy from among his followers and sent them out to preach (Luke 10:1, 17). There is not a lot of reference to the seventy in the Gospels; they were a type of an outer circle of relationship.

The Twelve - Later on, Jesus chose the twelve who would be with Him for about three years. The twelve would travel with Him and be trained by Him (Matt. 10:1-4). Most of these men would become the pillars of the New Testament church.

The Three - From among the twelve there emerged three who became especially close to Jesus; they were Peter, James and John. They were strong and very human men who wanted to be close to Jesus. The intimacy of the three was a result of their response to His love and training. They were with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37), on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3) and on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1).

The One - And then there was John; in his own writing says he was “the disciple that Jesus loved” (John 21:7 and 21). John seemingly had a very close relationship with Jesus, closer than the others. Jesus loved all the disciples and He did not show favoritism but there was a special bond and love between Jesus and John. If Jesus loved John more, it was because John loved Jesus more. Mutual love and confidence are the keys to intimacy.

At each level they were as close to Jesus as they chose to be. Only those who count such intimacy a prize worth striving for are likely to attain it. If other attractions and other interests are more desirable, intimacy with the Lord is out of reach.

How close do I want to be?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

GIVE, GIVE, GIVE!

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38 NIV).

This is a verse that gets a lot of use in prepping an audience for an offering. To use it only in that way, however, is to lift it out of context and actually rob it of some of its most potent meaning.
To be true to the Word, this verse has to be tied to the preceding verse which reads:

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Taken together, as they should be, these two verses have a powerful message about the embracing of a spirit of generosity and the shunning of criticism and judgmentalism.

One very wise old-timer once told me “What you don’t understand, you will tend to criticize,” and he was right. There is a lot going on in the church world today that I find confusing, and my tendency is to criticize because I don’t understand what I see happening, and it bothers me. I am taking a personal stand in my own life about being critical and judgmental…I’m not going to let it happen anymore!

My personal commitment is to embrace a spirit of generosity. If I don’t understand what is going on, as I observe it, I will extend to the situation my silence. It is better to say nothing than it is to be critical.

The giving that is spoken of in verse 38 can take several forms and I will touch on only a few. First, extend forgiveness. Second, embrace a generous spirit that gives the benefit of the doubt to situations we have little or incomplete information on. Third, embrace giving, one of the hallmark characteristics of the Father Himself: “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16). God is a giver!

There are other forms that giving takes when we embrace the spirit of generosity and, yes, one of them is the openhanded, liberal giving of our finances but that is not the primary focus of Jesus’ teaching here.

Embedded in these two verses is a powerful promise and a strong word of caution. The promise is, “Give and it will be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” When you embrace a generous spirit and it begins to work in your life and you give out forgiveness, give out love, give of your finances and your time, you will be blessed back with an abundance of the same. It’s the Word and it’s a promise!

The word of caution is: “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Those who embrace generosity of spirit will be blessed in the same measure that they are generous. Those who do not and are critical and judgmental close the door on the blessing; they close the door on the move of God in their lives. Criticism is like the spring hinge on a door; if you activate it, the door closes…on you!

The word “measure” is clear here. You are making the choice “with the measure you use” as to how much of God’s blessing, how much of God’s Spirit, you want in your life. And that takes me back to the title of this devotional thought: “Give, Give, Give!”

Saturday, May 17, 2008

PROTECTING THE BLACKSMITHS

There were no blacksmiths to be found throughout all the land of Israel” (1 Samuel 13:19).

My grandfather was a blacksmith in the coal mines near New Castle, England. Early in the last century, Granddad packed up his wife and three boys and moved to Canada. Eventually, after trying his hand at wheat farming in eastern Alberta, he returned to blacksmithing in a tiny town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Blacksmiths were artisans in the truest sense of the word. When a piece of machinery broke, the blacksmith would be called on to do one of two things: either put it back together by welding or make a new part from a rough piece of metal. That’s exactly what Granddad was extremely good at. He worked with all kinds of metals: iron, steel, aluminum, silver, nickel, bronze and brass. Unfortunately, it was not known at that time that the fumes of heated aluminum were hazardous, and Granddad died of lung cancer from breathing the poisonous fumes.

What is the significance of the statement in 1 Samuel 13:19? The Philistines had essentially taken over the rule of Israel. To keep the Jews from rising up in warfare against them and to make them dependent, the Philistines dealt them a crippling blow; they either killed or imprisoned all the blacksmiths. There was no one to make weapons, no one to sharpen the swords, spears and tools of the land. Metallurgy was not nearly as advanced at that time as it would be at the time of Christ and so swords, spears and tools required a lot more attention to keep them useful. The blacksmiths even provided new tools or weapons when the old ones were broken beyond repair. By taking away all the blacksmiths, the Philistines could keep the Jews somewhat under control, all the while continuing to tax and plunder the nation.

The blacksmiths of today are the men and women who have been called of God into pastoral/teaching ministries. They are the artisans who labor at the forges of the local church throughout our land. They are busy laboring, taking rough pieces of iron and patiently crafting them into weapons and tools that are suitable for use. They repair the broken weapons and tools. Theirs is not glamorous work; it is often hot and dirty, the hours are long, and the pay is usually modest. However, these are men and women who are called of God and have been prepared by Him for their work. They have been endued with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and so they faithfully toil.

Without their tools, the Jews couldn’t plant their crops, work in their shops, make repairs or feed their families. When the blacksmiths were removed, the Jews were forced to pay the Philistines to put a sharp edge on their axe or their plow and repair their tools.

Frankly, who cares if there were no blacksmiths in Israel and why is this statement important?
In fact, this is a very chilling statement! It is important to us because we need the gifts of God in those men and women to help us find our full stature in Him. Under the anointing of the Spirit, the blacksmiths teach us how to walk and war in the spirit. Without the blacksmiths of God, there will be no weapons—without the weapons there will be no war—and without the war there is no possibility of victory.

There has never been a moment in church history when more pastors are under attack, becoming discouraged and considering leaving the ministry. The enemy, the Philistine, knows that if he can defeat pastors and cause a wholesale defection, he can finish off the church in the U.S. and Canada. Pastors today are being attacked on multiple fronts; many are so discouraged that they have begun to go to the Philistines for help. In their frustration and discouragement, they try things like bringing in secular consultants and using secular business models in hopes of giving them success according to secular standards. This is nothing more or less than going to the Philistines to get their tools sharpened.

I am extremely burdened for the church. I have deep concerns about many of the things going on in the “successful” church of today. While I have concerns, I have no intention of leaving the church, although that’s tempting; however, in my view that’s the cowards way out. I want to be a part of the solution not a compounding of the problem. It’s just so easy and so democratic to “cut and run.”

So, how do we help? First and foremost, we need to pray for our pastors—I mean really pray for them and for their families and for the staff that works with them. They are the blacksmiths and, as such, are prime targets of the enemy. Second, we need to let our pastors know that we love and support them and want to help them any way we can. If we are willing to put legs to our prayers, we will see the church continue to move ahead; otherwise, we will continue to pay the Philistine to tell us what to do!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

REVIVAL AND OLD WINESKINS

Over the last couple of weeks, my wife and I have received at least half a dozen inquiries about the “outpouring” occurring in Central Florida. A few nights ago my older daughter asked me, “Dad, what do you know about what’s going on in Lakeland, Florida?’ She went on, “A friend and his wife are taking next week off from work and flying there to be in the meetings.” I responded carefully, “Tell them to go with an open heart and not to believe everything they hear.”

Why would I say something like that? Because of what the Bible says about new wine and old wineskins.

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins” (Luke 5:37-38).

New wine is still fermenting and as it does, it produces a large amount of carbon dioxide. In simple terms, we call this gas. It is not until the wine is more mature that the fermenting process stops and the gaseous overflow is halted. Does this not describe revival and the excess of “gas” in the form of hype and hyperbole? If there has been one consistent criticism of revival, of outpourings of the Spirit, it has been about the hype that tends to surround it in the early days.
Does this mean the revival is bad and should be ignored and avoided? Absolutely not! The zeal of the immature should be recognized and when it gets totally out of hand, it needs to be brought back into bounds by those who care. (I understand that this has already been done in Lakeland in the matter of Paul Cain’s involvement.)

I’m considered an “old wineskin” since I’ve been a follower of Jesus for more than fifty years. Does Luke 5:37-38 mean that I am disqualified from any new moves of the Spirit? If so, I’m devastated!

To all the old wineskins reading this blog, here’s what the Lord breathed into my heart: “Keep your heart open to Me and there will always be room for more. You will not miss anything I am going to do!”

In the natural world, leather dries and cannot be brought back to enough flexibility to be a “container” again, but that’s not the case in the “kingdom of God.” When we keep our hearts open, He keeps us ready for more and more.

Revival will always be messy as desperate people try to respond to what God is doing. Anyone who suggests that revival should be neat and in order has no idea of what really happened on the Day of Pentecost, or at Azusa Street, or in any of the great awakenings throughout history. Don’t try to figure it all out. Open your heart and ask the Lord what He is saying to you about your life and walk with Him.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

ARE WE AT THE END OF TIME?

I wish I could tell you for sure, one way or the other, but I can’t. When asked the very same question, Jesus responded, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Christ’s emphasis to His disciples was to be ready at all times, to live their lives so that at a moment’s notice they could pass from this life into eternity without hindrance. “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

As long as I have been alive, there has been talk about the closeness of the coming of Christ. Occasionally a sect or a fringe group announces that the end of the world is coming and they rush into seclusion to wait for a specific date that passes without the end occurring. Just a few months ago, a small cult in Russia announced that the end of the world was coming and they secluded themselves in a cave in Siberia. Personally, I was thinking that a beach on a remote island in the South Pacific would have been a better choice.

Mankind is fascinated with the possibility of the end and human nature is continually speculating about it. One Christian writer in the middle 1980’s even had the audacity to announce that Christ would be returning in 1988 and wrote a book entitled, “Eighty-eight Reasons Why the Rapture Will Occur in ’88.” The tragedy is somewhat laughable now but also sad and perplexing because not only was the writer misguided, but nearly five million people bought his book, and by doing so endorsed his unbiblical teaching and showed their naivete. This book was marketed to church-going people, people who should have known better.

In the New Testament, the two who talk most about the events preceding the Second Coming are Jesus and Paul. It is interesting to note that when Jesus responds to his disciples’ questions about the end times, His answers tend to picture what will be going on globally just prior to the final event. Jesus speaks more of the big picture—of wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, etc. The Apostle, on the other hand, tends to narrow the focus considerably by presenting what will go on in the hearts and lives of individuals during the closing moments of time. Paul says people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, etc. (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5).

One of the prevailing characteristics that Paul says will be abundant in the last days is the spirit of ungratefulness. By definition, this means to be unappreciative, not inclined to give thanks.

A few months ago, the Governor of Georgia held a prayer meeting just outside the Georgia State Capitol Building. All of the Southeastern part of the U.S. had been in the grips of a terrible drought. The governor asked for people to come together to pray for rain. Of course, the news media immediately pounced on this and some groups attacked the idea on the grounds of separation of church and state. The prevailing mindset in the news media seemed to be, “What a novel and rather childish idea…prayer?”

The prayer gathering took place and less than 36 hours later, it began to gently rain in the Atlanta area. No, it was not a heavy downpour but it began to rain for the first time in months. The governor immediately made the statement, “We’re thankful for the rain and hopefully it’s the beginning of more…frankly, it’s a great affirmation of what we asked for.” That’s being thankful.

The response of news media, on the other hand, was less than thankful and is indicative of the attitude of the world. One news story started with the headline, “Georgia Gets Rain, But it May Not Help.” One of the Atlanta area weathercasters said, “It puts a little bit of extra water in some tributaries and reservoirs, but it doesn’t provide any significant long-term benefit.” Both of these are examples of being unthankful, ungrateful. There was no acknowledgement that a change in weather was beginning, that it had finally begun to rain after a prolonged drought and no acknowledgement that God answers prayer. There was no thankfulness at all. This is one of the signs that Paul says will be commonplace in the final days.

How close are we to the end? I don’t know and if anyone tells you they do, they don’t!

If we don’t know when the end is, how then should we live? Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist of the 1800’s, was once asked by a newspaper reporter, “Mr. Moody, if you knew that Jesus Christ was going to return tomorrow, what would you do today?” And Moody replied, “I would plant a tree.” A friend of mine put it this way, “I live my life as if Christ is coming today and I make plans as if He is not coming for another twenty years.”

That’s how to live!