Thursday, June 30, 2011

YOU NEED TO STOP TALKING SO MUCH

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV).

A few weeks ago while thinking about how I could implement the first part of that verse into my life, I came to the place in my prayerful meditation about the statement, “Be still.” I prayed something like this, “Lord, how am I supposed to apply this in my life?” and very quickly the answer came. “You need to stop talking so much when you pray; you need to learn to listen.”

I immediately began to respond by saying, “But, Lord, it’s me!” and then I cut off the statement before I got it finished. I realized He already knew who was praying and that’s why He said what He did. I was being corrected by a loving Father.

Psalm 46:10 commands us to “Be still.” What does that mean to us? This instruction is not given to restrict our activity but, rather, to represent a spiritual disposition that should be evident in God’s people. The word that is translated “be still” is the Hebrew word raphah which means to “sink down, to relax, to let drop, to be quiet, to relax your hands.”

In Scripture, hands are often a metaphorical symbol of power. The Scripture here is teaching us to stop trying to make things happen through our own initiative. Again, let me say, this Scripture does not restrict our mobility but does instruct us not to jump into action until God goes to work. I have learned that by watching people’s hands I can often tell if they are under pressure or gripped by tension. If they are tense, they often will show it by the way they hold their hands or clench their fists. The phrase often used to describe this is “wringing of the hands.”

Understanding the command to be still forces us to come to grips with the reality that “He is God and we are not.” If we can accept that powerful statement, then we can relax our hands and chill out because His is in charge. When we finally discover how to “be still” we learn to walk in trust without trying to operate in our own power. I am not fully there yet but I’m gaining ground every day.

In Mark 4:35-41 Jesus taught this principle of “be still” to the disciples. Here’s the story. Jesus had been teaching groups of people all day long by the Sea of Galilee. At the end of the day Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side” (4:35). Then Jesus and His group got into a small boat that would take them across the Sea of Galilee. It had been a busy day and the Lord lay down in the boat and went to sleep. While he was sleeping, a big storm blew in. The disciples began to panic, so they awoke Jesus, crying, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

What happens next is as much directed to the disciples as it is to the storm, because the disciples initiated Jesus’ response. Jesus arose from where He had been lying and spoke sternly, “Peace, be still!” (4:40). Let me say again that this was as much for the disciples as it was for the storm because He then turned and spoke directly to them, “Why are you are so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

It was a slow process for the disciples (and the same for us) to learn to “be still.” They had worked themselves into anxiety and a fear that they were about to die. These were the men who had walked and lived with Jesus for years; they had seen the miracles, they had heard Him teach but it had not fully dawned on them, yet, that He was God’s Son. They had not learned to walk in trust and faith. It would come—but it wasn’t there yet.

God’s people who have learned to “be still” have learned to walk in trust, in faith. Those who are “still” are actively following the Lord’s commands and are busy doing His work, but not by their own effort.

Some of the most creative ideas the Lord has ever given to me have come when I was in the stillness of being in His presence. One of those creative thoughts came to me during my prayer time one morning about ten years ago. I was surprised at this notion but I shared it with the person I was supposed to. Now ten years later that quiet moment idea from heaven is being used to minister daily to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Is your prayer time full of only your conversation, so full that He can’t get a word in edgewise? If so, then you need to heed the command to “be still.” Let’s work on it together.

Friday, June 24, 2011

PROTECTING THE BLACKSMITHS


“There was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel”
(1 Samuel 13:19, NKJV).

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

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

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

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV).

The blacksmiths of today are the men and women who have been called of God into the Ephesians 4 ministries. They are the artisans who labor at the forges of the local church and ministries throughout our land. They are busy toiling, taking rough pieces of iron and patiently crafting them into weapons and tools that are suitable for use. They repair the broken weapons and tools. Theirs is not glamorous work; in fact, often it is hot and dirty, the hours are long, and the pay is usually modest. However, these are men and women who are called of God and have been prepared by Him for their work. They have been infused with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and so they faithfully labor.

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

So who cares if there were no blacksmiths in Israel and why is 1 Samuel 13:19 important? Well, in fact, it is very chilling! It is important to us because we need the gifts of God in those men and women to help us find our full stature in Him. Under the anointing of the Spirit, the blacksmiths teach us how to walk and war in the Spirit. Without the blacksmiths of God, there will be no weapons—without the weapons there will be no war—and without the war there is no possibility of victory.

There has never been a moment in church history when more pastors are under attack, becoming discouraged and considering leaving the ministry. The enemy, the Philistine, knows that if he can defeat pastors and cause a wholesale defection, he can finish off the church in the U.S. and Canada. Pastors today are being attacked on multiple fronts; many are so discouraged that they have begun to go to the world system for help. This is nothing more or less than going to the Philistines to get their tools sharpened.

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

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

Friday, June 17, 2011

THE LORD RIDES ON A SWIFT CLOUD

“Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt” (Isaiah 19:1, NKJV).

There is something incredibly majestic in this imagery and at the same time it is somewhat foreboding. It is captivating, to me, to think of the Lord riding a cloud for transportation. Yes, I know it is symbolic but it is powerful imagery. First we are given the artistic beauty of Jehovah riding a swift cloud and then immediately comes the ominous, categorical phrase, “and will come into Egypt.”

I believe the picture of the Jehovah riding a swift cloud is symbolic of His sovereignty. He is the Lord of all the heavens and all the earth (Joshua 2:11). The word “swift” represents the decisiveness with which God works when the “fullness of time” has come.

Many scholars consider Isaiah 19 the most important prophesy in all of Scripture regarding God’s dealing with Egypt; if it is not at the top of the list, it is certainly very close. God dealt harshly with Egypt, as they had held the Jewish nation in bondage and oppression for 400 years. In the Old Testament, Egypt represents oppression and bondage. In the New Testament era, Egypt is often used to represent our life before we came to know Christ; i.e., we were being held captive by sin.

So then, how do we view a verse like this? Is it just a beautiful literary statement, simply a prophetic statement that scholars tell us has been historically fulfilled, or does it have practical implications for us today? I think all three are accurate but what presses me the most is to understand what it means to me, how it impacts my life today.

This verse gives us another distinctive picture of the heart and character of God. If you read my material at all, you know that frequently I come back to the theme of “getting to know God.” This is a lifelong pursuit and cannot be captured in a paragraph, a book or, for that matter, the whole of the New York Public Library (50,828,473 volumes at last count). It is a subject as big and as diverse as God Himself and certainly will not be exhausted in our lifetime.

In this brief article we will consider just two aspects of this verse and how they apply to us; first, we will look at timing and second, what the phrase “will come to Egypt” has to do with us.

The verse says that God rides on a swift cloud and we have begun to understand that this shows us that when God acts, He does so with quickness. In the natural, it becomes an easy jump for us to think that when we pray within the will of God, for things that we know God has promised us (because Scripture says so), God has to act immediately. When we pray with that expectation and God does not act immediately, our human tendency is to react with anxiety, fear or frustration—or we think somehow we have blown it. Hold steady, because this is not necessarily the case. God will answer and He will act but He is not bound by our sense of timing, not now, not ever! Timing is always a struggle for us and never a struggle for Him. The Bible speaks of the “fullness of time.” In essence, what this is speaking of is this: When the timing is right according to God’s agenda and calendar, He will act, He will answer, and do so quickly! To try and pull God into acting on our time schedule is to attempt to reduce God to being, thinking, and acting like us and that is simply wrong! When we pray according to His will and there is no immediate answer, the issue for us is trust. Do we trust that in the fullness of time the answer will arrive? Do we trust Him…period?

“For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36 Amplified Bible)

What possible relevance could the phrase “will come to Egypt” have to do with us? It is, I believe, God’s statement that He wants to get all the residue of Egypt out of our lives. It is hilarious to watch a video clip of the old Steve Martin routine, “Walk Like an Egyptian.” It is a great comedy routine but it is not funny when we are in bondage and under oppression to the old way of life, to the Egypt of our past. “Will come to Egypt” sounds ominous but really, it is not. God will send the Holy Spirit to convict us of living that is “Egyptian” and below where a child of God should be. He will use His Word to illuminate areas of “Egyptian” life that are wrong for one of His children to be involved in. These are the actions of a shepherd who cares for his sheep and only wants the best for them, the actions of a father who loves his children even when they act like prodigals.

Friday, June 10, 2011

MISDIRECTION

We have just lived through one of the more embarrassing and degrading moments in recent church history. The travesty of the recent pronouncement that the end of the world would happen on May 21 has taken a precious truth and expectation of the church and trampled it into the mud. For days before and after “the date,” the mainstream media played up the millions of dollars spent by “the prophet” and his followers on the whole tawdry prophecy.

Why bring this up at this point? Why not let the whole affair simply fade away and be forgotten? I believe there are several very strong reasons we must take a good look at this whole situation and the damage that it has done to the church.

Jesus’ disciples were just as curious about the end times as we are today. In fact, they pressed the Lord to know the timing of end-time events. “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).

“And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matthew 24:4).

Quickly we rush on and make the application that Jesus was talking only about “false Christs who will deceive” and while that certainly is an emphasis, it is wrong to stop there. A key element of deception is “to lead astray” or we could say, to misdirect interest away to something else.

This recent “misdirection prophecy” came from within evangelical Christianity and those who put it forward became deceivers when they assumed a private interpretation of Scripture. A truth that should remain precious to every believer is now being quietly pushed aside and that truth is the “imminent return of Jesus Christ.” Why would I say this? Let me explain.

Many of you reading this post are too young to remember the difficult days of the mid-80’s for the evangelical church. At least two of our leading “stars” were exposed as being adulterers. Both Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart had large TV ministries and the scandal that followed the exposure of both men was huge and embarrassing to the entire church.

In the fall of 1989 I was driving home late one night from an evangelistic meeting in Ontario, California. We lived about an hour to the west. As was often my custom late at night, I was listening to one of the Los Angeles “all news and weather” radio stations. The commentator suddenly started in on the Bakker/Swaggart story and began to rant and rave about the “hypocrisy of Christians.” I reached over to turn off the radio and the Spirit of the Lord rebuked me. “That’s exactly what the enemy is trying to accomplish among believers through this affair!” I understood the Spirit to be saying that a precious truth about righteous living and holiness was being pushed to the side because right at that time it was inconvenient and uncomfortable to talk publicly about such things.

And that is exactly what has happened in the church in the last twenty years. There has been less preaching and teaching on holiness and righteous living in the last two decades than in recent history. Not all of the decline in attention to righteousness can be attributed to the scandals but they heavily contributed to the changing of the moral climate of the church. There has been a corresponding rise in immorality, divorce, adultery and homosexuality within the church. A precious and fundamental truth of the church was misdirected; then deception moved in and the enemy made headway.

We are facing the same scenario right now. Prophecy has always been difficult for the church to handle. The difference of opinion on the end times has always been a “hot button” issue. A lot of believers right now are refusing to talk about any aspect of “the Second Coming” or “Judgment Day”….who wants to go looking for criticism? When we turn off the communication on this important aspect of our Christian life, we open ourselves to falling prey to deception/misdirection.

The Lord’s final instruction on this subject to His disciples in Matthew 24:44 is important for all of us right now. “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Jesus was saying, “Live your life in the ready mode because when I do come back, it’s going to be a surprise.”

I don’t know about anybody else but I am ready for Him to come! I may be surprised—but I will be ready!

Friday, June 3, 2011

THE WAY OF AN EAGLE

“The way of an eagle in the air…” (Proverbs 30:19).

We do not know the identity of the writer of Proverbs 30 except that his name is Agur. The writer uses an ancient literary technique to get the reader’s attention by saying in verse 18, “There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand.” The writer then lists three things and adds a fourth in an attempt to catch our attention. The first thing listed in Proverbs 30:19 is “The way of an eagle in the air.”

Over the years I have written several articles comparing the eagle to the life of the believer (reference at Archives on the blog page and look at June 20, 2008, and January 31, 2009). The Bible uses the eagle as a symbol of how God cares for His children and it also uses the attributes of the eagle to suggest that followers of Jesus can soar in faith and in the Spirit.

So what is fascinating about the way of the eagle and is this something that is meaningful for us? I think so.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (NKJV). A powerful promise for those who are willing to press in and tarry in the presence of the Lord.

Eagles have phenomenal eyesight that allows them to see clearly for miles. High in the sky they can spot a tiny rodent on the ground and swoop down to catch it. Their wonderful ability to see clearly allows them to see great distances and detect coming storms; in fact, this ability is one of the attributes that sets the eagle apart from other birds.

I try to be very cautious about how I speak of things that I see coming in light of Scripture. I believe that the sharpest understanding for the future comes to those who are students of God’s Word. The Bible has a lot to say about the future but those insights don’t come to the casual Christian, they come to those who fully trust Him and are diligent to seek His face and study His Word.

Another unusual attribute of the eagle is its tremendous wingspan and the strength of the muscles that make the wings work. The great wingspan allows the eagle to catch the thermal winds and ride them high into the sky with what appears to us to be very little effort. In an instant the high-flying eagle can adjust its wings and dive down on an unsuspecting prey at speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour. The strength of these powerful wings then allows the eagle to suddenly slow down, catch its prey and quickly fly away.

Even though an eagle can see coming storms, it doesn’t seem to be fazed at all. It’s as though it doesn’t view a storm as a threat but rather as an opportunity. As the storm clouds begin to roll in, the eagle begins to fly and it catches one of the updrafts just outside the storm, that allows it to fly up and over the storm.

God has promised that if we are willing to press in and tarry in His presence, to wait expectantly, then we, too, will mount up with wings as an eagle, run and not be weary, walk and not be fatigued (Isaiah 40:31).

Before the eagle can catch an updraft and fly above and beyond the storm, he must learn to fly. Eagles are not born with the fully-developed ability of flight. No, they must be taught to fly; they must learn to use their wings, develop the strength, and get the experience that allows them to catch the fury of the wind and the storm and use it to their advantage.

An eagle that never learns to fly is nothing more than a chicken or a turkey. They all have wings and yet never learn to use them to fly—and so they never do! Chickens and turkeys spend their lives earthbound, pecking around for seeds on the ground.

Eagles are solitary birds that mate for life and don’t hang out in packs. It’s the same with eagle Christians who don’t hang out in big packs—they don’t often go to conventions. Indeed, they are unafraid to be alone because they know they never really are. The promise of His presence is very real to them.

I think it’s time for more eagle Christians to start flying. These will not be the big-talking, flashy types who proudly talk about all they are doing and how much faith they have. Eagle Christians will be among the unlikely champions who are too busy stepping out in faith and doing exploits for God to waste energy with their talk.

We’ve had enough talk about faith! It’s time for those with the wings of eagles to mount up and fly.