AS WE LOOK TOWARD 2010

Does it seem to you that things around us are unraveling more quickly than ever? I’m not talking just about the economy and international affairs, I’m talking about how quickly people’s lives unravel. How could we have predicted the speed with which Tiger Woods’ personal life has fallen apart? A few short weeks ago he seemed the consummate good guy, a family man, and the best-known sports figure in the world…and now…what a mess!

I always get a little bit reflective as we come toward the end of one year and look toward the beginning of the new. As I have been thinking about personally preparing for 2010 and mentally wrestling to understand what is going on in our world, I have found myself frequently going to the book of Daniel: “Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine…” (1:8). Daniel and his friends had been kidnapped and taken from their homes in Israel to live in Babylon and were being prepared for life in the court of Nebuchadnezzar.

There are two words in verse 8 that I want you to be familiar with. The first is “resolved” which is translated “purposed” in older versions of Scripture. The use of the word here means that Daniel had an opinion or a philosophy that was firm, well established, immovable. The second word is “defile” and it means to be polluted or stained. Pollution is often invisible but that doesn’t make it any less deadly.

Daniel’s resolve was not about food and wine. I repeat—this is not about food and drink but about the lifestyle that they were symbolic of. Daniel was not down on Nebuchadnezzar, a certifiable mad man, nor was he advocating a specific dietary structure. Daniel was just making sure that he did not get entangled in a philosophy of life that would destroy his relationship with God.

I believe that Daniel’s resolve was birthed out of the concern, “How do I maintain my life with God while living in this pagan community?” The conclusion Daniel arrived at is valuable for us today.

While our society is unraveling and becoming more violent and volatile, it continues to become increasingly secular, and the invisible pollution of secularism intensifies. This is the air we breathe every day! How do we continue breathing this and not be polluted?

Daniel saw what was going on around him and came to a simple point of resolve. He and his friends chose to put the Lord first in everything, but that choice would not be without its challenges. Daniel ended up being thrown into a den of lions because he would not compromise his desire to honor God, and his friends were thrown into the fireplace because they refused to worship at the feet of the prevailing idols of their day. However, all these young men experienced the protection of God that was released unto them because they chose to honor Him and put Him first in their lives.

Daniel and his friends continually saw the favor and blessing of the Lord upon their lives while they lived in Babylon. Their testimonies were not destroyed because they dwelt in a hostile environment; in fact, the opposite was true. These Jewish immigrants lived their lives honorably and made an impact in the Babylonian culture. Nebuchadnezzar made this statement when the three Hebrews walked out of the fiery furnace unscathed: “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated [set aside] the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28 NKJV).

I believe the key to Daniel’s success is found in Daniel 1:8. Had Daniel not made this commitment of spirit unto the Lord, there would have been no success in the fire pit. Instead, there would have been three kosher charcoal briquettes, Daniel would have been lunch for hungry lions, and the prophecies of Daniel would never have been written.

Daniel purposed/resolved to honor God as first in his life and when he did, it unleashed the plan of God for his life. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). When this Scripture speaks of “His kingdom,” it is referring to His kingly rule in our lives; “righteousness” means that we seek to do that which pleases Him. In response to this “resolve,” He pledges with covenant faithfulness to respond to the seeker.

Getting ready to go into 2010, I am not going to make any New Year’s resolutions. What I am going to do, however, is refresh my commitment to make Him first in my life. The greatest security we can have in an unraveling and polluting world is the protection of God’s plan being fully played out in our lives. The toxic savagery of a world system falling apart cannot destroy the purpose for which God created you, and honoring Him and living fully in His plan for you brings His hand of grace and protection.

THE OLD HAS GONE THE NEW HAS COME

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

This prophecy, written 700 years before the birth of Jesus, is very likely the most well-known and most repeated Bible verse about the birth of Christ. Somehow the powerful truth of this verse has gotten all tangled up with nativity scenes and the commercialism of the “Holiday Season.” Unfortunately, the message of Isaiah’s prophecy has often been covered up by the secularized selling of Christmas.

Isaiah’s prophecy was looking forward to a climactic moment in history when our world would be changed forever. When a baby is born into a family, the structure and makeup of the family is forever changed to include the new arrival.

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” Everything changed when deity took on a human form and came as a baby. “The old has gone and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus came to institute a new kingdom that would be called “the Kingdom of God.” One of the first statements Jesus made (that we are aware of) is found in Mark 1:15: “The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” This beginning of ministry statement underscores its importance to Him, to His mission, and to us.

“And the government will be upon his shoulder.” The kingdom that would be birthed with the Messiah would be like none other ever seen on this earth. The rule and dominion of the Kingdom of God would rest on His shoulder, and not an earthly monarch. The old was passing away and the new was coming.

Isaiah then presents five attributes of the Son of God who would rule His everlasting kingdom, five attributes of the Christ of Christmas.

Wonderful—this word is speaking of the miraculous nature of Christ’s life and ministry. Everything about His life, His ministry, would have a manifestation of the miraculous in it. I believe in miracles and I believe that miracles have a place in our life in Him. He is a “wonderful” Savior and I believe that we are to expect and anticipate His miracle-working power in our lives, too.

Counselor—in some translations the words wonderful and counselor are put together as in “wonderful counselor.” The word counselor is expressive of great wisdom and the qualifications to guide and direct all men’s lives.

Mighty God—the term here refers to a king, a conqueror, a hero. We know that Jesus was all of those and more. He is a king, a conqueror, and to all of us who love Him, He is a hero.

Everlasting Father—the term “everlasting Father” has been somewhat controversial. Some have said, “No one is to be called Father except God and therefore it is wrong for Isaiah to have applied this title to the coming Messiah.” Those who said that are right except for one thing: Isaiah was not presenting this as a title for the Messiah, he was describing the fatherly nature that the Messiah would manifest throughout His life and throughout His eternal reign.

Prince of Peace—this is possibly the most recognizable term for the Christ of Christmas. Someday all the wars, all the pain, and all the tears of humanity will cease and there truly will be peace on earth. That won’t happen until Christ’s eternal kingdom is manifest on this earth, the devil is bound, sin is judged, and the earth is swept clean of all demons, and the redeemed of God are the only inhabitants of this world. In the meantime, however, the Prince of Peace comes and establishes His reign in our hearts and lives. We can know His peace because it dwells in us.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).

The world around us may be in turmoil but to the redeemed He is The Prince of Peace.

STAY ON THE LINE!

Have you seen the TV commercial for an investment company that features a progressing green line? I’ve seen the commercial several times during the evening national news. The premise is very simple; if you follow their advice, which is illustrated as a progressive green line, you will be financially successful. As you move forward in life, the green line shows you which direction to take.

One of the variations on the ad shows a man following the green line right to a new car dealership. The traveler stops to look at the cars, gets that faraway look in his eyes (you can tell he is picturing himself in that gorgeous car), and then steps off the line to go into the dealership. As he steps off the line, one of the investment advisers appears a few feet behind him, smiles, and says, “Stay on the line.” The man does as he is told and the commercial shows him following the green line into the future and the implied success that the following of the line will bring.

This is an interesting commercial because it taps into our desire to live a basically productive, successful life. It also is a great illustration of a biblical truth about God’s guidance and His desire to direct and make His people successful.

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”

John 10:3-4
“….the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”

All these verses are essentially saying the same thing: “Direction is available, He will lead us.” Not only does the Lord provide us the line to follow, but when we are tempted to take a side trip, our adviser, the Holy Spirit, will remind us, “Stay on the line.”

No one ever went astray by listening to His voice. Our troubles begin when we start listening to other voices and elevating them above His. As much as I appreciate Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and all the other General Presbyters of the Assemblies of God, their wisdom and insights are interesting but they do not guide my life.

In the late spring of 2008, God began speaking to Carol and me about selling our home. We were in agreement that this was what the Lord wanted us to do, but there was one little hitch. Carol was ready to make the move right away but I was having a struggle over the timing. By early summer last year, the economy was falling apart and nowhere was it worse than in the housing market. “Lord” I argued, “couldn’t we wait for a better time, when market conditions are more favorable?” My whining and logic didn’t move Him at all. So with certain reticence on my part, we put our house on the market in mid-September. I fully expected it to take at least four to six months to sell and figured we would take a bath on the price of selling. In the back of my mind I was wondering, “How could this be God?”

It is impossible for me to tell you how surprised I was when less than 48 hours after we listed the home for sale, it was sold—and for a fair price in any market. I believe this was a miracle, given the prevailing market and economic conditions, and we give all the glory to Him. My struggle was not so much of staying on the line He had established for us but in my wanting to dictate the timing. Will I never learn?

Following the line set out for us may take us through territory we don’t fully understand and it may involve timing we don’t understand. It’s at moments like this that we need to remind ourselves, “He is God and I am not!” He does not owe me an explanation of everything He does.

The “follow the green line” commercial implies that if we do so, we will achieve success. As Christ followers, we have a better promise! Our promise is that if we follow the path God established for us, we will:

1. Achieve success in life according to His plan and this means we are recipients of His blessing.

2. We will not only have a rear guard that advises us but He will lead us.

3. We have an instruction manual that works like a flashlight and shows us where to walk.

All things being equal, I think the guarantee that is extended to Christ followers is far superior to one that implies success. Frankly, I don’t trust much that comes from the Wall Street/banker types of this world. Can I hear an amen?

Stay on the line!

HE NEEDED TO "TESTIFY"

I wonder how I might feel if I had been on the run for seven years. The man on the run that I’m writing about was not a career criminal and had not committed a crime in a moment of weakness. His only crime was being a good soldier and supporter of his country and his leader. His skill and faithfulness made him popular and that’s when the trouble began. His leader was a jealous type and he grew increasingly envious of the young warrior’s popularity. One day in a fit of rage, King Saul tried to kill David and David had to flee to preserve his life.

David ran for his life for about seven years. Not only were Saul and his special forces on David’s trail but so were the Philistines. Israel was in a protracted war with the Philistines and David had risen to fame by killing one of the all-time Philistine bad guys. At times, during the years of flight, David was able to forge temporary truces with the Philistines but they never seemed to last because the Philistines never trusted David, nor did David trust them.

Imagine seven years of pressure, of living on the edge, of expecting that at any moment Saul’s killers might strike. Seven years of constant moving and looking over your shoulder, wondering if someone might betray you. Years of running, hiding, waiting and watching…seemingly not much of a life.

I believe it was during these years that David’s character and integrity were forged. At one point David and his men were hiding in a cave at En-Gedi (1 Samuel 24) and Saul and some of his men came to rest in the same cave. David and his men were hidden deep in the back of the cave and Saul did not know they were there until after he left. David had a perfect opportunity to get the pressure off by killing Saul—and who would have faulted him? The depth of David’s character showed in this encounter as David restrained himself and his men from harming Saul in any way.

David showed respect when Saul demonstrated jealousy. David was truly a king and Saul was a disobedient failure. It was during these turbulent years that David’s walk with God was deepened and expanded. David was waiting for deliverance to come and he didn’t waste the waiting! (See Psalms 119:67.)

When Saul died by his own hand, David was able to come out of hiding—finally the pressure of being hunted was off. God had protected David and his men, and with the threat of death from Saul finally gone, David wanted to praise God for His faithfulness. He needed to “testify”—and so he did. Were you ever in a service when spontaneous testimonies were asked for? Some were fun but it was sometimes embarrassing when nobody had anything to say. Here is a sampling of David testifying.

“For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3

The whole of Psalm 18 (and 2 Samuel 22) is David’s testimony of God’s faithfulness, provision, protection and guidance. The rest of the Psalm is just as rich and is there for you to explore.

One of the descriptive words that David uses twice in these verses and four times in the chapter is “rock,” as in “The Lord is my rock,” meaning that God is our secure refuge. “The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (v. 2).

“Strength” is speaking of prevailing, of being made strong. The Apostle Paul understood this well and said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Strength comes from the Lord.

“Fortress” is a strong castle and is speaking of security. God is our fortress and our defense!

“Deliverer” is a word rich in meaning. One of the meanings is to be slippery or smooth, referring to God providing a way of escape, a way of deliverance. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.)

“Refuge” speaks of a place of shelter and also speaks of trust. We are to trust God and His refuge. If we don’t trust Him, there is no refuge.

“Shield.” The Lord is the protector of His people.

“Horn” is a symbol of strength, power and victory.

“Stronghold” is often translated high tower, as in Psalm 9:9 and both mean a place of refuge.

Remember that David is giving thanks that the season of his life of running and hiding is over. There is almost a euphoric element to his testimony and, frankly, it sounds good from here.

Thank you, Lord, for preserving David and thank you, David, for sharing your testimony. It encourages me!

END-TIME INSURGENTS!

I don’t have strong feelings about the exact timing of end-time events. I really don’t have an opinion (well, I do, but I’m not going to share it) on which one of the rapture theories I think is correct. I am very sure of one thing, however. No matter what we go through, He has promised to walk with us and that’s important—and the rest, to me, is inconsequential.

Scripture tells us that the days prior to Christ’s return will be chaotic and evil. Antichrist will arise and come to prominence, attempting to destroy or desecrate everything that is of God’s Kingdom, including the church and all who are a part of it.

Daniel 11 is both a prophetic picture of a time period before Christ first came to earth and a prophetic preview of Antichrist’s last-day activities, before Christ’s second coming. In approximately 175 B.C. a Syrian king, a certifiable madman, Antiochius Epiphanes, as he called himself, conquered Israel and held it in his control for about twelve years. Antiochius set out to destroy everything he could of the God of Israel. This madman’s activities are a preview of the evil destruction that Antichrist will unleash on the world and specifically against the Kingdom of God.

This time period in Israel’s history was perilous for all the Jews. The corruption of Antichrist and his legions, likewise, will be extremely difficult for all believers. It’s very likely that Antichrist is alive now and may be living in your neighborhood (just kidding—or am I?).

In verse 31 of Daniel 11, it speaks of the armed forces of Antichrist rising up to desecrate the worship of God. Tucked away in verses 32 and 33 is a fascinating insight into what happens with many of God’s people during this time of intense persecution: “….but the people who do know their God, shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many…” (Daniel 11:32b -33a).

There is a sense about this passage and the way it is presented that has the feel of an insurgency where God's people are fighting from a minority position against impossible odds, but God gives them the victory.

Again, we need to go back and look at the inter-testamental period where Antiochus was attempting to destroy everything that had to do with the worship of Jehovah. It was a small group of rebels led by the Maccabee family that fled to the mountains and although vastly outnumbered, soundly defeated the Antichrist-like Syrian army. It will be this type of insurgency that manifests itself during the reign of terror of Antichrist.

The secret to the victory of the end-time insurgents is found in this passage and specifically in 11:32: “…but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.”

The word “know” is the Hebrew word yada. One of the tried and true methods of understanding the meaning of a specific word is to see how it is used elsewhere in Scripture. One of the first uses of the word yada is in Genesis 4:1: “Now Adam knew (yada) Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain….”

In knowing God, as described in these verses, we are talking about a very intimate relationship between a man/woman and God, no barriers, nothing hidden. Everything is honest and transparent and out in the open; the relationship can be called “intimate” and only then do people really know each other.

It is out of the intimacy of a growing relationship with God that the seeds of victory and strength are planted in the Christ follower. It will not happen overnight but it will happen over time as you expand and deepen your relationship with Him.

You are not going to learn to be victorious and strong by going to another convention, watching another T.V. program, or reading the latest Christian bestseller. The seeds of your strength and victory will be planted and grow out of those intimate times when it is just you and God alone, and the relationship, your “knowing,” goes from casual to intimate.

The word “exploits” used here is not in the original manuscripts. It was added by interpreters but it is implied in the sentence construction and it is helpful that it is there. The actual Hebrew would read more like “the people who know their God will be strong and do.” It’s like it’s saying that because of the strength that God gives, we will be able to do whatever is required.

Verse 33 indicates that this group of end-time insurgents will be a magnet for ministry to those that are hungry. “…And those of the people who understand shall instruct many.” God’s insurgents will draw others to them and teach them how to walk with God and how to live in victory.

As you wait and anticipate the coming of the Lord…..don’t waste your waiting!

WAITING - A SECOND LOOK

I want to take a second look at the subject of waiting. If I bored you with the last one, then I apologize in advance for this article.

Just as I was finishing the last article, Carol, our daughter Barb, and I flew to Phoenix for a wedding where one of my nieces was getting married at Phoenix First Assembly of God. Over the years I have been to Phoenix First for meetings at least a dozen times, so I didn’t bother to ask for directions from the hotel to the church, I just operated on memory. The greater Phoenix/Scottsdale area has changed and grown since I was last there about ten years ago and so I got us lost. I was mildly irritated and embarrassed, to say the least. We got to the church about fifteen minutes late and then I was really embarrassed to find out that the wedding had been held up because of us. None of us were in the wedding party but the family wanted us to be there and share in the celebration. We had kept the wedding waiting! As my daughter Leslie would say, “We took the walk of shame” to our seats.

I don’t like being late for anything just as I don’t like it when people are late and inconvenience others. I think it’s rude to keep people waiting. Call me old-fashioned if you wish, but I think it’s very poor taste to keep others waiting unnecessarily. I would rather be twenty minutes early for a meeting than five minutes late.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Again I ask the question, “Why does God say that they that wait are going to reap benefits?”

When I messed up in Phoenix, I was forced to face the fact that I was the reason we were late. It was my arrogance/pride that caused us to get lost. I had to face my own humanity and admit that I was to blame. Could it be possible that one of the reasons God puts us through the waiting process is to assist us in admitting that often we are in the way of His doing His work through us and blessing us in the process? Could it be that He is waiting for us to deal with our pride and humanity before He allows the blessing to flow?

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

The word “resists” used here has a strong meaning; it means that God sets Himself, as in battle, against pride. God resists the proud and blesses/exalts the humble. Humility is getting ourselves, our ego, under control and putting God first in every situation. Humility is not inherited, it is an acquired trait which we are to put on like we do a piece of clothing. We will work at humility our entire life.

A piece of advice here: Don’t pray for humility! If you do, He will answer your prayer and you won’t like what happens!

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

To wait for the fullness that God has promised is not only to get our pride in check, to repent of sin, but also to make ourselves fully available to God and His purposes for our life journey. It is our obedient submission to His purpose and timetable.

God won’t be hurried by you or me or anybody else. His timetable is controlled only by Him. He and He alone knows when we are ready to proceed and the timing is right, and then and only then will He release us into the fullness of what He has prepared for us.

Isaiah 40:31 is about waiting, but it’s also about renewal, about regaining spiritual life that has been dissipated or lost. “They that wait shall renew their strength.”

God’s idea of waiting on Him is not to settle into a big chair with a good book and do nothing. That’s not waiting—that’s taking a vacation. In Scripture waiting is defined as eagerly anticipating what God has in store and fully intertwining yourself with God’s work in your life.

Waiting upon the Lord defines the attitude of a hungry heart toward the Lord. It speaks of:
1. A listening ear
2. A heart that is responsive to God’s word
3. A focus of the heart and mind that puts God first in all things
4. The patience of faith

“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him” (Lamentations 3:25).

Don’t waste your waiting!

DON'T WASTE YOUR WAITING

“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.”
(Isaiah 40:31)

Has God given you a promise that you haven’t seen fulfilled? Has He quickened a dream to you that you’ve been waiting and waiting to see come to pass?

Waiting is very much a part of our natural life. A recent survey said that we spend about sixty minutes every day waiting—at red lights, in line at the store, on the phone because you’ve been put on hold—you know what I mean. Sixty minutes a day means I spend slightly over two weeks a year waiting!

I don’t know why I get so irked at waiting but I do. I don’t like waiting in lines and I don’t like waiting for a phone call or a letter. I especially don’t like to be late for an appointment or to have someone arrive late to an appointment they set up with me.

Patience is an issue with me, or rather, impatience is a problem and I really struggle in this area. I always try to look calm and cool on the outside but if I am forced to wait on something or someone, it really irritates me. It seems to me that if I’m made to wait, then I’m wasting my time. Working as an associate for many years, I’ve “wasted” a lot of time waiting for others.

Isaiah puts a whole different twist on this word. My mind says that waiting is a waste and yet Isaiah says that waiting is very much a key to receiving definite benefits.

The Hebrew word for wait that is used in Isaiah 40:31 does not mean to sit quietly in the corner and do nothing. In fact, waiting on the Lord is actually quite a busy time for the person waiting.

So what are the benefits of waiting? I see at least four things in this verse:

1. Renewal of strength. If muscles are not used consistently, they will lose strength, and the same is true in the spiritual realm. If we are not using what God has given us, the quality of what we have will dissipate. Renewal means to regain something that has been lost, to build it back up, to refresh it. Our renewal happens because we are exercising our gifts.

2. Growing in faith. Waiting is an act of faith. The Hebrew word for waiting is also translated hope and it means to eagerly anticipate or expect. It is the renewal of strength that allows the eagle to rise up and soar. Eagles are noted for their ability to catch the winds and soar to incredible heights. The strength of the wing muscles allows the eagle to do that. God wants His people to soar to new heights of personal faith and that can only happen as we are renewed and grow in Him.

3. Gaining experience (maturing). Waiting is not meant to be down time. While the primary meaning of the word wait is “to eagerly look for” or to “anticipate,” it also means to “be bound together,” to be connected to. Our time of waiting is not to be a time of hopelessness but, instead, a time of hopefulness. It is as we involve ourselves in the things of God and as we are renewed in strength that we will learn to run and not be weary. That comes with maturity/experience.

4. Building stamina. Stamina and experience are not exactly the same but they live in the same neighborhood. Experience comes from going through a variety of situations and challenges and learning from them. We learn both what to do and what not to do. Stamina is having the capacity to see something through to the end.

When I started jogging in the middle ‘70s, I could hardly jog two city blocks before gasping for air and having to stop. When I quit jogging because of arthritis twenty-five years later, I would run almost every day for 45 minutes to an hour and on some days for 90 minutes to two hours. I would be tired but not winded…that’s stamina.

Don’t waste your waiting! His timing is always perfect. He knows exactly where you are—and He has not forgotten you!

I’m writing this as I wait for my wife and daughters…they have initiated a lot of growth in me!

ROMANTIC NARCISSIM

How’s that for a title? I wish it had originated with me but it didn’t. The late Robert Webber, author, Professor of Ministry at Northern Seminary, and Director of the Institute for Worship Studies, used this phrase in one of his articles on worship.

In recent years I have struggled to understand what is happening to worship in so many contemporary churches. It seems to me that much of the music being referred to as worship is really not worship at all. The music is often very loud, which is fine, and it’s often celebrative, which is also fine, but seems like it’s mostly about…me! I have left service after service with the feeling, “Well, that was nice but we really didn’t enter into worship—we really didn’t praise and worship the Lord!”

It has bothered me but I didn’t know how to classify it until I read the following statement from one of Robert Webber’s articles on “The Focus of Worship.”

“Too many people who lead worship do so with the ‘audience’ in mind. Even using the word ‘audience’ implies a wrong focus on worship. So, how has the notion of a ‘worship audience’ led to what I've named a ‘romantic narcissist’ worship? First, narcissism means to be ‘self-focused.’

“A narcissistic worshipper is one whose primary question is, ‘What's in it for me?’ The ‘romantic’ angle has to do with the current emphasis on worship as a realized emotional and even romantic relationship with God.”

In Revelation 3:14-20, the apostle John recounts the words of Jesus regarding the church in Laodicea. This is the last of the seven churches and I think most of us would agree that according to prophecy, we are the Laodicean church. Listen to the words Jesus uses to describe this church: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (3:17).

Narcissism is sometimes defined as “excessive self-admiration and self-centeredness.” American Christianity is filled with the spirit of narcissism. We are in love with ourselves and evaluate churches and ministries based upon how they make us feel about ourselves. If that person, church or ministry makes me feel good and wanted, then they are a good ministry—or so we think.

One of the gentle ways to move away from this spirit of deception is to refocus our worship. We need to stop singing worship songs that are essentially about me and my need for affirmation. Our worship needs to be about Him and His saving work on this earth. We need to worship the Creator and not the creation. Worshipping the creation is an exchange of truth and leads to serious problems (see Romans 1:18-25).

Let me finish this rambling treatise with this thought. While at times I am dismayed over much of the current “worship,” I am extremely hopeful about what I believe is being birthed in the church. Over the last 500 years, virtually every time there has been a significant “renewal” or “awakening,” it has been accompanied by a breakthrough or change in worship.

When Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the cathedral door in Wittenburg, Germany, at the same time he was writing some of the great hymns of the church, including “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” This was revolutionary music in a church that for centuries had been chanting or singing psalms set to music. Not everyone greeted this new music with enthusiasm.

In the 1870’s, D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey conducted great evangelistic crusades in the U.S. and England.They were initiating a time of evangelism and what has become known as "The Open Door Revival." For over 300 years the church had been singing the great songs of the faith written by men like Luther and Isaac Watts. Moody and Sankey introduced what would become known as “gospel hymns” where the story of salvation was sung to a recognizable tune. It was revolutionary and not at all well received. When Moody went to England and began to conduct crusades, and Sankey started to sing one of the new songs, in some services up to half the crowd walked out of the building in protest.

These two examples could be repeated over and over during the last couple of centuries. In the 1950’s, churches began singing worship choruses instead of all five verses of a hymn. That was no small change, and again it was not greeted with universal enthusiasm, but slowly the change was embraced. Virtually at the same time, the Charismatic movement that has changed the face of the church worldwide was being birthed.

What am I saying? I believe that we are on the edge of an explosion of forward progress in the church. I don’t particularly like much of the music of the contemporary church but what my spirit tells me is that worship has not yet found its new voice—but it’s trying to and it will!

We will find the way if we are committed to Him and willing to deal with our stubborn flesh and pride.

PUT A HOOK IN IT!

Our home sat on the south side of a little lake—and I do mean little. The lake was just a few acres in size and was owned and maintained by our neighborhood association. My home office looked out over the lake and as I worked, I could gaze out the window and occasionally daydream.

In the nine years we lived there, I watched countless times as dads brought their children to the lake’s edge and began the process of teaching them how to fish by casting a line into the water. Casting is a skill that does require a little bit of learning. At first, very few are able to throw the baited hook very far out into the water. More often, after a mighty heave, the hook lands right in front of them and sometimes even behind them. Some of the children get frustrated and after a few tries with little or no success, they put the rod down and run do something else. Others keep trying until slowly the skill begins to take shape, and they begin dropping their hooks out into the water where the fish live.

The Bible teaches us that we need to learn a “casting” skill as we grow up in our relationship with Christ.

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

I have to confess that I struggle with this. I find it difficult to release an anxiety, to put it over on Jesus; I’m better about it than I used to be but I still struggle with it. Does “casting our care on Him” mean that we just erase it from our mind? How can that be? Are we supposed to forget about the sick loved one, or the financial need that is pressing us for a solution? Is the Bible suggesting that we embrace an attitude of irresponsibility? I don’t think that’s what it means at all.

I believe the Bible is telling us to stop carrying the burden alone; put it down; don’t forget about it but stop obsessing about it and feeling that no one else is aware of what you are facing.

In his classic book, God’s Cure for Worry, Guy Mark Pearce tells the following story.
He was out driving on a hot summer day when he came across a woman walking beside the road, carrying a heavy basket. Pearce stopped and offered the woman a ride, which she gratefully accepted. After the lady was seated, Pearce noticed that she continued to hold the heavy basket in her arms.

“Your basket will ride just as well in the bottom of the carriage and you will be much more comfortable,” Pearce told her.

The lady replied, “Thank you, I never thought of that.” The lady then put the basket on the floor of the car and let the car carry both her and the basket.

Pearce continued to talk to the lady and encourage her by telling her that he too had carried loads unnecessarily when he could have put them down. And then he finished with the statement, “If the Lord is willing to carry me, He is willing to carry my worries.”

Casting is putting the whole of your life, not just the troubling issues, but everything in your life, into His care. He is carrying you so why don’t you let Him carry the burden? Go ahead and put it down by putting it over on Him as He has asked us to do.

One final thought: As in fishing, if you are going to do anything meaningful when you cast your line out into the water, you have to bait the hook. My suggestion is that before you try and “cast” that concern, treat it as “bait” and put a hook into it. Remind that troublesome concern what God’s Word has to say about it. Then set the hook by going back and audibly reminding the concern, the “care,” two or three more times, “This is what the Bible says!”…and then quote the promise to it!

When you cast, the hook is what carries the concern away from you!

GETTING IN GOD'S FACE

“Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:15-16).

Have you ever had someone “get in your face”?

I used this title, a play on words, to get your attention and if you’ve read this far, it worked. Let me explain.

In Exodus 33, God commands Moses to leave the desert of Sinai and head toward the Promised Land. There was a lot going on with the Jews at this point. Not long before, Moses had led the Jewish nation through the Red Sea and out of Egypt. And Moses had just been up on the mountain for an encounter with God that resulted in the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, down in the camp, the people threw a wild party which ended up with their creating an idol, a golden calf. The Jews were partying by mimicking the lifestyle and behavior of the pagan tribes around them, not realizing that copying the unrestrained behavior and idolatry of the pagans brought them into open ridicule in the eyes of their enemies.

Moses came down off the mountain and heard and observed the wild behavior of the twelve tribes. What happened next is what some of my southern friends describe as a “come to Jesus meeting”—Moses was so ticked off by the foolish behavior that he smashed the tablets the Ten Commandments were written on.

Moses quickly brought order back to the encampment and then went before the Lord to make atonement for the sins of the people. This was not a happy revival meeting where singing, dancing and worship prevailed. At least 3000 died by the sword of judgment because of the foolishness of the people.

Moses interceded on behalf the nation and God accepted his appeal. God then told Moses to lead the children of Israel to the land where, according to His promise, His Presence would go with them (v. 14) and Moses countered with the appeal of Exodus 33:15-16. Simply put, Moses was saying, “If Your Presence does not go with us, then don’t let us move. We are the people of Your Presence. It is Your Presence that separates us from everyone else on earth.”

How do we understand this appeal of Moses? If God is everywhere, what was Moses asking for and why was he worried?

We know that God is omnipresent, that He is everywhere, and that is not what Moses was talking about. Moses was asking for God’s presence to be evident, tangible. He was asking that the blessing and favor of God rest upon Israel and be seen by those who opposed them.

It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word used in Exodus 33:15 for presence (paniym) is the same word used in Psalm 44:3 for face or countenance.

“It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face (paniym), for you loved them.”

Moses knew that without the blessing of the Lord upon the tribes of Israel, they could never possess the Promised Land. The Jews were not the best warriors, nor were they the most numerous, and left to their own devices they could never have taken and subdued Canaan. Moses knew that it was only when the favor and blessing of God rested on Israel that they were distinct, different from all the other peoples on earth, and only then could they be successful and walk in victory.

Today’s American church is a timid church, not ready to go to war! We have lost our boldness in God and have largely lost His favor. The church has been built on the business models of the world, the overdone concept that we need to be more culturally relevant; and, for some, on the misguided idea that God has destined the truly righteous to be successful according to earthly standards. The western church is not living in victory—we talk about it, we try to define it but we are not living in it—except in our dreams!

Am I just another “mad prophet” who is angry at the church, angry at anything that looks like success in the kingdom of God? No, I don’t think so! When I see the church and ministries consumed with strategy, money, success and numbers, and then observe that PRAYER is the least talked-about and least-done thing in the church, I get afraid. I get afraid because I know what is in store for the prayerless, partying, powerless and Presence-less church…disaster lies ahead! The prayerless church is open to plundering by the enemy; the prayerless church will make tragic mistakes; the prayerless church is open to false teaching; the prayerless church is impotent; the prayerless church is not a victorious church! The unrestrained and Presence-less church of today is being openly ridiculed by the secular community.

We need to be in God’s face; that is, we need to have His tangible blessing in our midst. What makes us different is God’s presence, His face shining on us. Only then will we see real victory.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face (paniym) shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1-2, NIV)

It’s time to get in God’s face. Your future depends on it!

THE BEGINNING OF GUIDANCE

The couple was very unhappy. They had joined the staff of a megachurch but soon found the egocentricity of the pastor and his wife very discouraging. The politics, bickering and lack of loyalty among the staff only added to their discomfort. They were asked, “What are you going to do?” and their response was, “We’re not telling anyone on staff, but as soon as we can find another position equal to this or better, we’ll take it and move on.”

A mutual friend invited me to comment on the situation and I stumbled over my words for a minute before I spoke to the issue. “What they are planning to do is not the way of guidance in the Kingdom of God,” I said. I am not saying it doesn’t ever happen that a door will open up and then you make the move, but it is not the pattern of Scripture. The way of the world is to find a new opportunity without telling your boss and then go in and quit. I believe this is what Jesus referred to this as “the way of the Gentiles” and He told His disciples not to proceed in that pathway” (see Matthew 10:5).

I went on, “Especially for people in ministry, it is vital they get their direction from the Lord. If they clearly had a word from the Lord to take this position, then He will be the one to tell them when to leave. Has He spoken to them about this?” My question was greeted with silence.

There is nothing wrong with a good plan but let it be secondary to the direction the Lord gives.

There has to be a place where guidance begins, where it begins to flow in our lives. Far too often we want to know the end result first. We want to see fully where we are going and if the end goal is “good for me.” It is not uncommon for someone to pick up a novel and read the last few pages before starting on page one. That’s human nature.

It is important for us to realize that divine guidance is most often a progressive revelation and, like every process, every procedure, there is a beginning point. Every explosion has a point of detonation that sets the explosive power loose. Where do we find that in guidance?

Genesis 12:1 (see also Hebrews 11:8)
"Now the LORD had said to Abram, “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.”

Abraham’s journey began with his act of obedience to the word the Lord had given him and it is the act of obedience that starts the miracle of divine guidance in your life.

This is the first part of God’s promise to Abraham (vv.1-3). The remainder was about what his offspring would become and how God would bless him and protect him. God did not tell Abraham exactly where he was going but He did promise him a progressive revelation, a step-by-step “I will show you.”

I can testify to the validity of this principle. More than once God has spoken to me about making a step that to me seemed, well….difficult to understand! More than once I have argued with the Lord that “just in case You’ve forgotten, I have a family, I have responsibilities. I am a man who works with a well laid-out plan, so tell me what’s in the future if I do this.” God’s response to my brilliant logic was, “Do you trust me?” And He has proven His trustworthiness, over and over. As it was with Abraham, so it will be with us.

In Genesis 24 Abraham is now an old man. He calls his chief servant to him and gives him an assignment. The servant is to go to the country where Abraham was born and find a wife for Isaac. Not a difficult assignment, but where in the world do you start? The chapter recounts the successful trip that ended in the servant bringing back Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife. The testimony of the servant is very revealing about God’s faithfulness to lead His children, and it’s a testimony to the progressive nature of God’s “I will show you.”

“And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren” (Genesis 24:27 KJV).

One of the lessons I first learned when starting to drive is so simple that it’s kind of ridiculous to repeat it. It is easier to correct the direction of a car when it is moving than when it is parked. Simple, right? Just get the car moving, even very slowly, and you can refine the direction it is headed. The very same truth is applicable in how God guides our lives. Do we believe it? Not so much! Instead we rationalize and say, “God, show me where I’m going and I’ll make the move.” How’s that working out for you?

“I, being in the way, the Lord continues to lead me!” (David 10/09, The New Living Amplified Version)

BRINGING HOME THE ARK

One of the more shocking incidents (at least to me) in the Old Testament is found in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13-15. King David was bringing the ark of God back to Jerusalem…and Indiana Jones was not involved (that’s not the shocking part).

The Philistines had captured the ark but they quickly found out that Jehovah was not going to allow it to be added to their motley collection of tribal gods taken in battle. The predicament the Philistines found themselves in was actually quite hilarious. In an attempt to debase Jehovah, the Philistines took the ark into the temple of their chief idol, Dagon, and placed it at the feet of Dagon to indicate its submission and inferiority. The next morning the Philistines found Dagon had fallen prostrate in front of the ark.

The Philistines tried the same thing a second time and when they came back to the temple, they found that not only had Dagon fallen prostrate again but this time its head and hands had broken off. But that wasn’t the only thing that happened to the Philistines because they kidnapped the ark. A plague broke out among them—but not just any plague, it was a plague of hemorrhoids. Now that will get your attention—and this happened long before the discovery of Preparation H.

The embarrassment of Dagon (1 Samuel 5) and the plague was enough. The Philistines decided they had better return the ark before a more severe calamity befell them and in their hurry to get rid of it, they dumped it in one of the outlying villages of Israel.

David was anxious to have the ark back in Jerusalem and at the center of Israel’s worship, and 2 Samuel 6 relates how he and his army went to retrieve it. The ark was considered to be one of the most important items in the tabernacle and it sat in the Holy of Holies, deep inside the portable temple. On the top of the ark was the mercy seat and once a year, the high priest would go in and sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice there. The ark was a symbol of God’s presence, a visible sign that God was dwelling in Israel’s midst.

David and his men prepared a “new cart” for the ark to ride on and the journey back home became one of celebration with singing and music. How fitting! It was shaping up to be a new day in Israel—the ark was coming home and riding in style on a new cart. However, the travelling worship service was interrupted when the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and Uzzah, one of the cart drivers, reached out to steady it and without warning was struck dead. A simple helpful gesture—and he was struck dead!

David reacted in anger, frustration and fear. “How can I ever bring the ark home?” he cried, and then had the ark sidetracked to a nearby property.

What does this mean to us? What can we learn from this story?

David was passionate about bringing the visible symbol of God’s presence back to the mainstream of Israel. Not only was the ark a symbol but God’s presence seemed to linger on the ark, as the Philistines and Uzzah had discovered. David’s intention was righteous, but somehow something had gone wrong.

David had cried, “How can I ever bring the ark home?” His frustration and anger was boiling over because it seemed impossible for the nation to ever again experience the presence of God. His dream was dying right before his eyes.

Why had this happened? Why had Uzzah been struck dead? Who was to blame?

The answer is that David and the leadership of Israel were to blame. They did not take the time to find out how the ark was to be transported so they came up with their own idea and built a “new cart” for the ark to ride on. This smacks of pride and arrogance and sounds rather like some today who blithely declare, “We have a better way; we know how to be more relevant and understand what it will take to reach this generation.” And so they build what they declare is a new and better cart.

David’s mistake was that he tried to implement a new methodology when God had already clearly laid out how the ark was to be moved. 1 Chronicles 15:3-15 says that the ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests, and that was the only way it was to be moved…ever. Here’s how that translates to us: We are the priests of the New Covenant (1 Peter 2:9). Our shoulders represent our worship, our praise, our sacrifice of thanksgiving and are to carry and usher in the presence of the Lord. It is our worship that brings the presence of the Lord, not “the new cart,” not our surroundings nor our programs. It is the praise and worship of God’s people that He responds to. “But You are holy, O You Who dwell in (inhabit) the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3, Amplified Bible).

The mistake of David and the leadership of Israel continues to be repeated today. Instead of inquiring of the Lord to see how we should proceed, we get busy building a new cart. After all, we reason, it’s a new day and we should have a new cart! And so with big wheels and boards, we build ourselves a new cart only to find, at the end of the day, that God had a plan all along and we didn’t take time to find it. The mistakes of the past live on.

“Bringing home the ark” means understanding what God wants and making the appropriate changes.

We can “bring home the ark!”

TRUE WORSHIP

“…true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24 NIV).

Many contemporary churches of our day have unwittingly damaged their congregants by not teaching them to worship. When people are not taught the value of worship and how to enter into worship, or when the worship leader doesn’t lead but instead performs, the congregation is left high and dry. (The worship team gets high on their music and the congregation is left spiritually dry.) True worship prepares the heart to receive the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word. Those that are not taught how to enter into worship are left with an empty sense of, “I’m not sure what that was all about,” and they leave church with an appreciation of good music but with much less of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives than they should have.

If you attend a contemporary church, the next time music is being played and a worship team is leading the congregation, look around and see how many people are actually singing and participating in the worship time. Carol and I have visited several contemporary churches in our region and it is my observation that about 75-80 percent of the crowd does not participate during worship. They watch, they listen…and they do nothing else. So little instruction comes from the leaders that most people literally have no idea of how to enter into worship, so they don’t worship and they fail to gain the help and blessing that worship was intended to bring.

True worship is not about style—it’s not about performance—it’s not about how tight the worship band is or how energetic the musicians are. True worship is not Pentecostal or Baptist; it’s not liturgical; it’s not Black gospel. No, true worship is not just one of the above or it may be all of the above. True worship is an act of humility and adoration as we acknowledge who He is, His greatness, and His place in our life.

In ancient times when a subject came into the presence of a monarch, he came humbly and bowed low. The monarch indicated his acceptance and pleasure by stretching forth his hand or scepter. So it is when we come into God’s presence; we come humbly and yet with the confidence of knowing that He has invited us.

We approach God with humility, as we understand we don’t deserve to be there. It is highly inappropriate for us to charge into God’s presence and act as though we are His equals and He should be glad we showed up. We should come boldly, but there is a big difference between being bold and being arrogant. Arrogance finds its genesis in pride—and pride finds its genesis in hell. Boldness is the quiet confidence that says, “I am a child of God and He has invited me to be here.”

True worship is both the gateway to the road of success and the foundation upon which the Word and the Holy Spirit can build in your life. True worship prepares the soil of our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.

The story in John 4 of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is remarkable on several counts. First, the fact that a Jewish man was talking to a Samaritan woman was remarkable, as this just did not happen in ancient days. The Jews and the Samaritans disliked each other intensely and Jewish men did not talk to Samaritan women—ever! Second, the accuracy with which Jesus displayed what we would call “the word of knowledge” about the woman’s promiscuous life was noteworthy. Jesus talked openly about her multiple marriages and the fact that the man she was with was not her husband.

In verse 19 the stunned woman says, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem” (John 4:19-20 NIV). She posed a legitimate question from a hungry heart: “Where is the correct place to worship?” Jesus never clearly answered her because that question is a dead-end road—there is no correct place to worship! Instead, Jesus went to the heart of the issue and established the kind of worship that the Father responds to: “…true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Wherever God’s people are and wherever worship is done in spirit and in truth is the right place for worship!

God is pure Spirit and the worship that He delights in is spiritual worship, the sacrifice of a humble, contrite, grateful and adoring child. This sincere heart-devotion, whenever and wherever it is found, is the worship that God delights in and accepts. This is true worship!

The word spirit as used here stands in opposition to rites and ceremonies, to external worship. Spiritual worship is the offering of the heart and soul. Truth is speaking of the access which we have been granted through Jesus Christ, who is TRUTH.

It’s time to worship!

LIFE IN THE VINE

I’m out on a limb…and I’m not Shirley MacLaine.

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing” (John 15:5 Amplified Bible).

When John wrote the fourth Gospel he was not writing for the saints at the headquarters church in Jerusalem, he was writing to help new believers get grounded in their faith. John lived in Ephesus in what then was considered Asia Minor (Turkey) and was helping to pastor the growing church there. The focus of his writing was to assist these newly saved grow in faith while living in a community that was overtly hostile to Christianity.

I am convinced that it is extremely important for a believer to prioritize his devotional life. Everything else in the believer’s spiritual life is secondary; it may be important but not as much as being tightly connected to the Author and Finisher of our faith. The devotional life makes or breaks the successful walk with God.

John begins this verse with a clear declaration of identity: “I am the Vine; you are the branches.” The question and struggle over identity goes right back to the Garden (Genesis 3:5) and the age-old struggle of man wanting to be like God. John highlights Jesus’ statement because he understands that until the identity issue is settled, there can be no forward progress. There can only be one Vine but lots of branches. So this has to be settled: “He is the Vine and I am the branch! He is God and I am not!”

One reason I stress so strongly in my writing and teaching the importance of the devotional life is clearly spelled out in this verse. Fruitfulness comes from the relationship of the individual with Jesus. The branch draws life from the Vine and from that life comes fruit. Before a branch can be fruitful, it must be in continual contact with the Vine. We draw life from Him and then we give out to others and it cannot be otherwise. The vine feeds and nourishes the branch. “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (NIV).

I am concerned for the sloppy Charismatics who think that going to a meeting once a week, singing, dancing, praying out loud in tongues and occasionally falling on the floor is all that is needed to fill up their spiritual batteries. There is nothing wrong with a lively prayer and worship service but that does not, I repeat, does not, replace the importance of your regular personal time with Him. And then there are the laid-back, ultra-cool evangelicals who come to church most Sundays in jeans and T-shirts, carrying a big cup of coffee and smiling as they listen to the rock-and-roll worship band and the 25-minute teaching. For many of them, that is the totality of their spiritual life. To them, Jesus is worth sixty minutes on Sunday morning as long as the pastor is cool, the worship band really rocks, and they can have a cup of coffee at the same time. Pretty sad commentary on the state of spiritual vitality flowing into these lives.

Try this experiment! Get a knife or a pair of scissors and go into your yard. Pick out a small hedge or a plant and cut off one of the smaller branches. Put that little cutting on a piece of paper in a safe place and see what happens over the next couple of days. Some of you are shaking your heads, saying, “This is silly. I know exactly what will happen. Once the branch is disconnected from the plant, it will begin to die,” and you are exactly right. The point is very clear—Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches and disconnected from Him we are helpless. We cannot survive, we will wither and die, because “apart from me you can do nothing” (NIV).

The little cutting that we set aside to view is now dead. Within hours dryness began to set in and within a few days the cutting dried up and withered. The possibility of it ever being fruitful is over and gone. So it is with the man (or woman) who habitually neglects his personal communication with the Savior. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” The Greek for nothing is nothing. Apart from the Vine there is no fruitfulness that counts. Dryness in us does not begin as quickly as it does in that little plant, but don’t fool yourself, it will start and continue unless we get back to being connected to Him.

“No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (15:4b)

IT'S TIME TO WORSHIP

He knows you are in pain.

He knows you feel overwhelmed.

He knows you are lonely.

He knows when your strength fails and you just can’t take another step.

He knows when you are betrayed by people you counted on.

He knows when fear is knocking on your door.

He knows and has not left you alone…still He waits!

Jonah tried to run from the presence of God and his world fell apart around him. He was at the end of his nightmarish flight and death was the next stop on his journey. In despair and surrounded by darkness, the fleeing prophet was at the lowest point of his life. There was no light at the end of his tunnel and no road to victory to be found in the darkness.

At the point when Jonah was about to be consumed by his circumstances, he desperately cried out to the Lord:

“I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9).

It was contrary to the nature of the circumstances, it went against the grain of all the human teaching on survival, and it cost him dearly, but in the darkness and pain, Jonah chose to pray and worship. With the few breaths he had left, he gave voice to his thanksgiving. It was a sacrifice for him to do this, as he was in the final moments of his life, and death and eternity were just ahead, but Jonah chose to worship and raise his voice in thanksgiving to the Lord. With almost no strength left and a weakening voice, Jonah cried out in worship, “Salvation is of the Lord!”

The dictionary says that worship is the surrender of something for the sake of something else. Jonah was running from the presence of the Lord (1:3). His running from the Lord took him into terrible circumstances, but then, it always does. When his circumstances overwhelmed him and the tragic end was close at hand, Jonah chose to make a sacrifice. It is the sacrifice that validates the offering. Jehovah knows it costs you when you choose to worship instead of groveling in self pity, complaining and fear. He’s aware of the sacrifice and the cost…and He responds.

“So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land” (2:10).

Paul and Silas were in trouble. Savagely beaten and thrown into jail, the men were chained and their feet locked into wooden restraints. Unpleasant, filthy, painful circumstances, to say the least. There was no Christian Legal Society to get them out of the trouble they were in nor some megachurch to rally support and finances. It would have been so easy to slip into despair, just to give up.

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:25-26).

Paul and Silas chose to pray and give voice to their thanksgiving and God responded in power to their sacrifice of worship.

The sacrifice of thanksgiving is a choice. When circumstances are overwhelming, when you are tired from the fight, when there seems to be no clear road to victory, then it’s time for God’s people to worship Him.

When we choose to worship, we are choosing to acknowledge Him as greater than our circumstances, greater than our pain and doubt. Our sacrifice of worship, our choice, brings Him into our circumstances.

A black cloud of evil is settling on our nation. Our leaders are being foolish. They are confused, they are arrogant, and they do not acknowledge God’s place in the founding of this nation. All the money in the world will not bring back the blessing of the Lord that has been lost.

Our nation is in a storm of trouble for which there is no human answer. It is time for God’s people to lift their voices in the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

It is time for God’s people to worship!

STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS

I have to confess that I struggle with the word “pilgrim” when I see it used in Hebrews 11:13.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

As a boy I was a great fan of John Wayne movies (and still am). In his inimitable voice, the Duke would often call a bad guy or a hapless city slicker a “pilgrim.” The connotation lingers in my mind that a pilgrim was a guy with bad intentions or someone with no idea of what real life on the frontier was all about, a hopeless rube that attracted trouble like manure drew flies. I guess it’s fair to say that my mental image of a pilgrim was basically that of a loser with no hope of making his way successfully through life. Needless to say, this was not a healthy image to have.

When the writer of Hebrews uses this phrase, he is picking up on a stream of truth that began in the Old Testament. Jesus reemphasized it and then it flows throughout the entire New Testament. An old gospel song puts it this way:

This world is not my home, I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus

O, Lord, you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then, Lord, what will I do?
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Paul followed this thinking and in Colossians encouraged us not to get overly engaged by the “things of earth” but to set our heart on “things above.”
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2)

Peter uses the same phrase that is used in Hebrews: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

It seems to me that the truth being put forward is that heaven is really our home and believers are a nomadic type of people travelling through this life. All of this seems to start in Genesis 12:1 when God spoke to Abraham, “Get out of your country…to a land I will show you”—and the great trek began. God’s people have been nomadic, noncitizens ever since. I think it is important to acknowledge that while we currently live on earth and have work to do here, our real home is with Him in eternity. Pilgrims have made a choice because they understand they must, and their choice is to not overly fixate on this life but to keep “the long view” ever in front of them.

I don’t hear much preaching or teaching today about keeping eternal values forefront in our hearts and minds. In our overly materialistic world and church, the idea of focusing on eternity and what I call “the long view” is not in vogue. In today’s dumbing down of spiritual values in the church, it is not really considered cool to talk about heaven or hell and the transitory nature of our life here.

Signs abound that the church has lost “the long view.” Overemphasis on material things, success, money, and retirement are sure signs that for many, the view of the transitory nature of this life has all but gone dark. We are living in the age of the 60-minute rock and roll church service where the sermons primarily tend to deal with “how to be successful now.” Almost no thought or teaching is given to where we are going next.

In case you’ve forgotten, there are two eternal destinies and we get to choose one. For the procrastinators and the, “I just can’t make up my mind” crowd, the default choice is definitely one with an unusual and unpleasantly warm welcome—and it will not be a cool place to spend eternity.

Well, strangers and pilgrims, here we are! Living in the middle of this mess we call 2009. The more I think about it, the more I’m glad we’re just passing through because I wouldn’t want to think this is where I was going to have to spend my eternity. I think a new definition of hell could be the current Congress of the United States.

My apologies to John Wayne…I’m beginning to like being called a pilgrim. I think I’ll let the rest of you be called “strangers”…because some of my friends and a few of the relatives just are!

THE HYPOCRISY I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT!

“He began to say to His disciples first of all, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’” (Luke 12 1).

The Pharisees were the one group that consistently opposed Jesus. As you study the life of Christ, you see the ascending spiral of opposition to Him and His ministry flowing from the Pharisees. In Luke 11, Jesus had some very strong words to say about the Pharisees and their duplicitous behavior. The chapter finishes with the Pharisees looking to find ways to attack and destroy Him.

Chapter twelve begins with a scene that is somewhat incongruous. On the one hand we see the Pharisees plotting against Jesus, and on the other is a crowd that has come to see Him. Luke describes that crowd as so big that it could not be counted, perhaps in the tens of thousands. In this milieu of excitement and intrigue, Jesus calls His disciples together and makes this warning statement: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (see above).

Jesus is not attacking the Pharisees as a group, He is warning against a spirit that was embedded in their religious and social philosophy. He is warning against hypocrisy!

He is instructing His followers to be on guard, but on guard against what? Are we to guard against acting like Pharisees? Talking like Pharisees? I don’t think so! I believe He is warning against the pharisaical spirit, which is like a virus—it’s infectious and if you embrace just a little bit, it will spread through your whole system.

Jesus compares hypocrisy to leaven. Leaven was a type of yeast used in the baking of bread and it also aided in the fermentation of wine. It took only a little yeast to do the necessary work. Paul also warned about leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6 and Galatians 5:9: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Leaven is a spoiler; a little bit in the wrong place infects everything.

Hypocrisy, a Greek word borrowed from the Greek theatre, literally means “mask.” Actors in the Greek theatre would wear an oversized mask to portray the character they were playing, which was known as their “persona.” Sound familiar? With the use of masks, an actor could play several different roles and since all actors were men, they could assume a female part, as well, which would make some of you reading this happy!

Hypocrisy as it is referred to here is the “wearing of a mask” regarding spiritual matters. Jesus soundly condemns this behavior of “mask wearing” in any part of our life. He is saying, “You can’t make this work. What you are in private will eventually be seen in light of day.” This is a strong condemnation of pretending that you are living for God when you are at church or with Christian friends, while it really is all a mask and not the real you.

One of the favorite accusations leveled by the secular world at the church is “hypocrisy” because they have seen people who call themselves Christ followers behaving like thugs from the streets of Chicago—and in some cases the accusations are correct. However, hypocrisy is not limited just to the church but infects all areas of society and all kinds of people. For instance, Bernie Madoff is a classic picture of a hypocrite wearing the mask of respectability while robbing people blind.

Jesus says we are to be on guard and not allow any of that leaven, that viral infection of hypocrisy or duplicity, to get into our lives. Our lives are to be lived in openness and transparency before Him, and our brothers and sisters in Him. We need to deal with hypocrisy the moment we are aware of its attempt to invade our life.

Here are a few things to chew on about hypocrisy and questions to ponder:
• Is it hypocritical to say, “I love you in the Lord,” and then spread rumors about that person?
• Is it hypocritical to say we are not under the law but under grace, and then tell an acquaintance that if they don’t pay their tithes, they are cursed?
• Is it hypocritical to complain about the sad state of our nation but then never pray for our leaders?
• Is it hypocritical to sing, “Oh, how I love Jesus,” in church and then not talk to Him or about Him the rest of the week?

In Galatians 2 Paul illustrates how hypocrisy can “inch” its way into Christian conduct and how it can devastatingly spread.

“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy” (Galatians 2:11-13, NKJV).

Oh, yes! In case you’re wondering, the hypocrisy I don’t want to talk about is mine!

THE MANY FACES OF GIVING - PART 2

In pre-blog days, I wrote a brief devotional for my family entitled “The many faces of giving”. The focus of the article was to explore creative ways to have a generous spirit and outlook on life. I believe that the true heart of the Christ life is found in giving and forgiving. (Matthew 6:38) We are recipients of God’s goodness and salvation because God is a giver (John 3:16) and we are to follow His lead.

Like all great subjects, giving is one that we must continually explore in order to just begin to fathom its meaning. A few days ago I was writing for one of the ministries that I occasionally do work for and I came across some interesting insights on the story in Acts 3 of Peter and John on their way to the temple for prayer when they were accosted by a beggar
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There are several things that caught my attention about this story. Peter and John had seen this man many times before so why should today be different? The beggar was at this same gate everyday but what was different about today? Peter looked at the man and said, “I don’t have any money”. I’m going to take a little liberty with this story and suggest that on other days they did have money and previously had given to the crippled beggar. Today was different because their pockets were empty, so the response was, “I don’t have any but what I have I give you.” And by faith, Peter helped the cripple stand up and the miracle was on.

In Mark 6:30-44 the story of the feeding of the five thousand is told. At the end of a long day the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Its late, we need to send this crowd away so that they can go and get something to eat.” Jesus responded, “You give them something to eat” (v37) and the disciples went into a panic trying to figure out the cost of feeding this many people. The disciples response was purely natural and human “Jesus wants us to feed them. How are we going to accomplish that? How much money do we have among us? Do we have enough to buy enough food?” Jesus stopped the disciples and said to them “How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and see.” (v38) and again the miracle was on.

In both stories the principle was essentially the same “What do you have?” What is in your hand?”

As a giver, I give from where I am and from what I have. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have heard people refer to the great sums of money they are believing God for and when He gives it boy oh boy are they going to be generous. I thank God for the faith that is being expressed but to that person I believe the Lord asks a question “what are you doing now with what you have in your hand?”
Generosity begins with what you have, not what you are believing God for!

If you have heard good teaching on generosity but have never embraced it because you are waiting for a big pay raise, a bonus, an inheritance or perhaps to win the lottery there is a very strong likely hood that you will never be a generous giver. The same excuses that you are making now you will be making when your income is two or ten times the size that it currently is.

One final story, this one from Mark 12:41-44. Jesus was sitting watching people put their gifts into the treasury at the Temple. After a while Jesus called his disciples together and talked to them about what he had watched. The Lord told them that He watched a poor widow and some very rich people put their gifts into the treasury. Jesus commented that although the widow only gave a very tiny amount, probably by today’s standards just a few cents, she actually out gave the rich. The widow gave everything she had while the rich gave a portion of their surplus.

Generosity is not measured by the size of the gift but by our commitment and the sacrifice that it represents. In this story the rich gave a portion of the surplus they had, there was nothing sacrificial about what they did. The poor lady gave sacrificially, she gave it all . The rich simply gave God a tip, the way we would tip a food server or a taxi driver. The poor lady was truly generous; the rich, while they gave a larger gift were actually stingy, greedy and somewhat insulting.

What do you have in your hand and what are you doing with it?

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED

Paul wrote the book of Romans around 56 AD while he was in Corinth. Paul’s conversion happened in 35 AD and in the twenty-one years following, he had become a truly magnificent man of God. Two thousand years later Paul’s writings, anointed by the Holy Spirit and inspired by God, still nourish and direct millions of believers every day.

In my opinion, Romans 1:16-17 is Paul’s mission statement. It defines, in large part, his approach to his life and ministry.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

But why would Paul feel the need to declare that he was not ashamed of the gospel? Had something happened that made him falter in his faith? I don’t think so. I believe that Paul had been attacked or questioned about his desire to go and preach in Rome. It’s very conceivable that he had come under attack even by some of his friends in Corinth who tried to dissuade him from embarking on what they thought would be a hopeless venture. Their argument could have gone something like this, “You know, Paul, that the gospel works well here in Corinth among the lowlifes, but now Rome…well, that’s a different matter. Rome is full of very sophisticated people, philosophies and religions. This gospel you preach is just too simple for them. You are going to be embarrassed in Rome so don’t go! Stay here—we love you!”

Paul knew he had a date with destiny in Rome and he was on his way. Rome was a proud city, full of great philosophies and religion. The gospel Paul was preaching came from Jerusalem, the capital of one of the smallest and most inconsequential nations that Rome had conquered. Jerusalem was not a world-class city; Paul was a tentmaker; and Jesus was a carpenter who died a horrible death on a Roman cross. Still, Paul was not ashamed because he was confident in the message of Christ. And he was not ashamed because he personally knew the power of the gospel and what it could do!

Below is a statement that I heard given in a large men’s gathering when I worked with Dr. Ed Cole. I loved the declaration the first time I heard it and I love it now. I tried to track down the identity of the author, without success. Lots of people have tried to lay claim to it but research shows it was written by the infamous person with the Greek-sounding name of “Anonymous.”

Whoever the author was, I would love to tell him two things: You got it right—and thank you!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed is a declaration we need to read from time to time and to remind ourselves that this is what Paul was talking about when he said, “I am not ashamed….”

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED

I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God’s hands. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity.

I don’t have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith. I lean on Christ’s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the power of God’s grace.

My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know, and work until He stops me.

And when He returns for His own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

THERE IS A RIVER

Driving back from Houston a few weeks ago, I was tired and bored from listening to the constant whining of talk/news radio and the emptiness of country and rock music. I found in the console of our SUV a worship CD that a local church here in Dallas had done. I slipped it into the player and in a rather distracted and tired way began to listen. The first couple of songs were nice, nothing special, but the music was somewhat of a welcome distraction.

It had been a long day for me, but a very good day. I had left the house a little before 5 o’clock that morning in order to be in Houston before 10 o’clock to have breakfast with my friend Mike Myers. Then we spent the rest of the day at the offices of Somebody Cares Houston working with them on a very special fund-raising program. We finished up around 3:30 and I got onto the freeway to get started on my 250-mile drive back home, tired but rather pleased at the progress of the day.

The fourth track on the CD was a song from the late ’60s written by Max and David Sapp entitled “There is a River.” I immediately recognized the song and began to quietly worship along with the singers. When the song finished, I hit the replay button and listened to it again and then again and then one more time. My bored drive up Interstate 45 had become a refreshing time of praise and worship.

The words to the chorus begin with, “There is a river that flows from deep within.” The chorus finishes with, “There is a river that never shall run dry.”

Jesus makes a very powerful statement about the water of life flowing in those who follow Him.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive” (John 7:38-39).

As I sat in the car and enjoyed the time of worship and the refreshing of the Holy Spirit, I was gently reminded again of the presence of God’s Spirit in me. While He indwells me, I need to actively participate with Him and again and again be filled with His power and presence (see Ephesians 5:18). Part of the Holy Spirit’s work in me is to refresh, rebuild and repair. The word edify used in 1 Corinthians 14:4 means exactly that and is a reference to what happens when we participate with the Holy Spirit.

I need the Holy Spirit’s work in me regularly and more so right now as our world tumbles headlong into the chaos of the coming days. Praying in the Spirit…it’s vital that we do that! As we pray in the Spirit, worship and praise Him, we are allowing the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, and the Spirit’s ministry of healing, rebuilding, refreshing and restoring takes place. If you have a prayer language (tongues), then it needs to be exercised regularly. If you don’t pray in tongues, then may I suggest that you begin to verbally worship and praise Him or sing a worship chorus during your prayer time. Don’t rush this—take your time in praise and worship and invite Him to fill you with His power and presence.

I confess that I need that time with Him and I need it more now than ever before. The rough and tumble of all that is going on in our world, the economic uncertainty, the increasing violence, the foolishness of politics, the depressing news day after day takes a toll on you whether you understand it or not. It is vital that we who have been given the Holy Spirit allow Him to do His work in us.

The Holy Spirit should not be relegated to the basement of our lives. We need to invite Him to fill us, to literally fill this house we call our body. Can the river really flow if I relegate it to just a corner of my life? I am not a Spirit-filled person in name, I am a Spirit-filled person in practice.

A few days after driving home from Houston and while I was still basking in the afterglow of that marvelous time with the Lord in the car, I made another wonderful discovery. I found on YouTube a video of the Gaither Vocal Band singing, “There is a River.” David Phelps’ tenor voice is one of the best I have ever heard. Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5n8w3OI70Y

You may be able to just click on the link and it will take you to the video. If not, then copy and paste the link to your Web browser and get ready to be refreshed.

Turn on your speakers, sit back and enjoy…and let the Holy Spirit refresh you as you worship Him. The river of living water is flowing! Come on in, the water is fine!

HOW BIG IS GOD?

This is an interesting question and one that gives me a headache if I think too much about it. Trying to “guesstimate” God’s approximate size is like trying to pinpoint the birth date of eternity. If I want to frustrate myself, I try to figure out where and when God came into being.

How big is God? Wasn’t that a popular Southern gospel song years ago? Yes, it was! I believe one of the very first times I heard that song was at a Blackwood Brothers Quartet Concert that Carol and I attended in Denver back in the days when almost all TV sets were black and white. In other words, before a bunch of you were born. Big John Hall was the bass singer for the Blackwoods and he stole the show when he began to sing, with his booming bass voice, “How big is God?”

There is a fascination with trying to comprehend God in human terms. It’s understandable and yet at the same time limiting to us. When we say “big” in our normal frame of reference, we tend to think in terms of the size of people or buildings or a mountain. When we say, “That’s a big problem,” we are making reference to its seriousness, not necessarily its size.

Isaiah 40:12 gives us a different perspective on the bigness and greatness of God.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?

I love the illustration that Bruce Ware uses in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts as he tells of trying to teach his young daughters about the greatness of God. While on vacation in Oregon, Bruce took his two girls to the beach. At water’s edge, looking out over the Pacific Ocean, Ware asked them to stand close to the shoreline. He walked several steps out into the water and asked the girls to watch carefully as he scooped up a handful of water. The girls’ attention was riveted on their dad as he dipped his hand into the ocean and lifted it for them to see.

He then asked his daughters this question, “Did the level of the ocean go down when I took out a handful of water?”

“No, Daddy,” both girls replied, “nothing happened!”

Ware repeated the experiment with the girls and the result and their response was the same.

A few minutes later Ware talked to his girls about this verse (Isaiah 40:12) and explained that our God is big beyond our understanding and is capable of holding all the water on the earth in the palm of His hand, leaving the oceans, the lakes and the rivers completely dry. Now that is big!

Isaiah 40:12 carries on with the description of God’s bigness as it says that God can measure the size of the universe by using the span of his hand. A span refers to the distance from the end of the thumb to the tip of the little finger of a spread hand. If I really spread my fingers wide, the span of my hand is about nine inches. One of God’s hands is sufficient to measure the extent of the universe. Now that is big!

Not only does the verse pictorially assist us in understanding God’s bigness but it also ties in a reference to His strength. The word picture of “weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance” is the picture of a God whose bigness and strength is so immense that He could weigh all the mountains of the world holding the scales in His hands. That is strength beyond understanding.

How big is God? He is big beyond comprehension and yet He has made Himself available to His people!

He has expressed His love by giving His Son so that you and I can enjoy the grandness of eternity with Him. Now that’s a BIG God with a BIG heart!

We have a big God who has a big love for His people. When we are struggling to overcome a temptation, a problem, a worry, it is worthy to remind ourselves that we serve a BIG God who extends a BIG grace to us. Paul could say, “His grace is sufficient,” because it’s a big grace coming from a big God!

A COOL SPIRIT

The young staff member and I sat in my office talking through a difficult situation in which he found himself embroiled. In the course of a conversation with a pastor on behalf of the ministry we both worked for, a misunderstanding had occurred. Heated words had been exchanged on both sides and the phone call was finished in anger.

The staff member came to me right away and explained, from his point of view, what had happened. He finished by saying, “I know he’s going to call you and I wanted you to hear my side first!” At least he was as honest as he could be at that point.

The young man then looked at me and said, “You never seem to lose your cool, even when people are saying pretty nasty things about you. How do you do that?” That may not have been completely true but I was glad my life gave that impression. What I shared with him that afternoon is what I’m sharing now. The passages of Scripture and the principles they contain are a part of the scriptural principles that guide my life.

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28 - NKJV).

A person who has no control over his own spirit is a person who can be taken advantage of. If you don’t control your thought life, your anger, or your passion, all kinds of influences and thoughts will find residence and will fight for control of your life.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

The man who gets angry quickly is weak and will lose his way more easily than the man who has rule over his spirit. Note that the verse doesn’t say that anger has no place in the life of a believer, but that anger can be controlled. Over and over when praying for and counseling people in trouble, I have been asked to pray that their anger be removed—but I have never prayed for that and never will. It is not wrong to get angry about a problem or a troubling situation, but you must control/rule the anger and not let it control you. God put that intensity in you, but not for bad. It’s a part of who you are and God intends for you to have the rule over it.

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23).

This verse is cautioning people to be careful in what they say. The man or woman who knows when to say something and, perhaps more importantly, when not to say something, is a person who has taken a giant step away from trouble. The phrase “mouth and tongue” is figurative language for speech. The word “soul” is better rendered “himself” and the word “troubles” in Hebrew is plural and suggests legal and social difficulties resulting from unwise talk.


“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).

The word “sin” is also rendered “transgression” which refers to offensive behavior. Offensive behavior refers to a failure to practice good sense in dealing with others. People who talk too much, who can’t seem to control their tongue, have a tendency to get themselves into trouble that did not have to happen. In fact, people who talk too much are actually displaying their insecurity. It’s better to be a person of few words than to run off at the mouth.

“He that spareth his words hath knowledge; and he that is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (Proverbs 10:19 - New American Standard Version).

When a person has a thorough knowledge of something, he does not normally have to use an abundance of words to make his point.

And then there’s this…I’ve always wanted to be known as a cool guy, and surprise! Here I am in the Bible.