Friday, November 25, 2016

ADORNING THE DOCTRINE OF GOD



We don’t know very much about Paul’s mission to the island of Crete; in fact, no records exist of when he was actually there, but we know he was (see Titus 1:5). The letter that Paul sent to Titus was meant to assist this faithful young man as he put things in order and set the new believers into churches in Crete. Paul shares very practical advice on what specific groups to address and what to talk to them about.
In Titus 2:9-10, Paul focuses on what today would be the large, middle-income working class. Bondservants of Paul’s day were the blue-collar workers, the office workers, the laborers who made the country run. Many of these had come to faith in Christ during Paul’s visit to Crete.
“[Slaves] are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior ” (Titus 2:9-10, ESV).
Here is a brief synopsis of Paul’s teaching for them:
1.   Be obedient to their bosses. They were to submit to the leadership of the place of business where they worked.
2.   They were to be “well pleasing in all things.” This meant they were to do their work with excellence, with an eye for detail and with a good attitude.
3.   They were to handle conflict with grace, and use wisdom and courtesy by not answering back.
4.   They were not to pilfer. That means no stealing. If that pen in your pocket belongs to the company, why is it on its way to your desk at home? Pilfering shows a lack of integrity.
5.   Good workers are loyal and dependable. Paul emphasizes this when he says, “Show all good fidelity.”
This is practical advice for believers living in a corrupt and immoral society, which is exactly what Crete was known to be (and how about the world we live in today?).
Not only is this good advice for daily living but Paul brings it into sharp focus when he says, “So that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10).
How can we adorn or make attractive the teaching which is about our Savior?
First, let’s talk about the word “adorn.” Paul may have been engaging in a little wordplay here. Crete was known as a center for the manufacture of jewelry; we could say it was “the bling capital of the first century.” So Paul, who was no slouch with words, may have been using this to capture the attention of Titus and the Cretans.
The word  adorn means to present something in a way that makes what it is attached to more attractive, like an ornament on a tree, or jewelry on a pretty lady. The second way this word is commonly used in the New Testament is to trim, as in “trimming the lamp.” Why were lamps “trimmed”? Because after hours of use, the wick would burn down, ash would accumulate on the wick, and the light from the lamp would dim considerably. A trimmed lamp had the ash removed and the wick slightly elevated so that the amount of light that went forth was noticeably increased.
To “adorn the doctrine of God” does not mean to add to the gospel . . . not at all. The heart of what Paul is saying here is that when we truly embrace and live the truth of the gospel, we attractively show the message to unbelievers. There is nothing more persuasive to the unbeliever than the life of someone living in the grace and mercy of the Lord — it is compelling to them! Don’t worry about what they say or how they may insult or ridicule; the life of a believer fully committed to Him brings the presence of the Holy Spirit with it and that brings conviction and a drawing to Christ.
Paul is saying to the Cretans, “When you live like a believer, you show forth the qualities of obedience, excellence, grace, integrity and loyalty! The amount and quality of the light you show to the world is greatly enhanced and they will see God’s life in you much more clearly!”
What does it mean if, instead of showing forth these qualities as believers, we show forth the opposite? What does that do to the beauty of the message? Ouch!
The message, then, is, “We can adorn the doctrine of God by the life we live.”
One hundred years ago in Japan, businessmen would seek out and hire Christians, at that time just a tiny, tiny minority of the population, to work in the financial areas of their businesses. Why would they look for Christians? Because Christians in Japan were known to be people of exceptional integrity. Is that a great testimony or what?
As St. Francis of Assisi was reported to have said, “Preach the gospel always and, when necessary, use words.”



Friday, November 18, 2016

HUNGRY AND THIRSTY



A blazing hot sun, no shade for miles, empty canteen, dry mouth — and no water anywhere! You think this is trouble? Hang on, there’s more! On top of everything, you are lost and hungry. Somehow you got off the trail you were supposed to be on and now you can’t find your way back. And you’re hungry because you didn’t take time for a full meal before getting started on your hike.

It is one thing to be hungry or thirsty but to be both at the same time is painfully uncomfortable and has potentially dangerous consequences. And, yet, that’s the level of intensity Jesus was describing as He sat with His disciples and shared what became known as The Beatitudes.

As Jesus laid out the characteristics of who would be blessed in the kingdom of God, He said that those who were painfully, intensely hungry and thirsty for more of Him would be filled to overflowing. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (filled)” (Matthew 5:6, ESV).

This verse is truly one of the great keys to personal growth in Him. The key that unlocks the door to spiritual growth is hunger: hunger for more of Him and more of His Word; hunger that causes us to shut the door on the noise and demands of life and get up close and personal with Him. The concept is not complicated but often is overlooked, perhaps because we think it is just too simple or too old-fashioned.

Let’s look at the verse for a moment:

Blessed means “to experience the fullness of all that God is, to be happy and spiritually prosperous.” Happiness is a by-product of righteousness. This is not a smiley-face type of happiness; it is the joy, the peace, the contentment that comes from a life that has been made right with God.

Food and water are physical necessities and when we find them difficult to obtain, we can become rather intense in our desire to satisfy our needs. Righteousness (to be in right standing with God) is shown here to be a spiritual necessity. Just as it is not wrong to desire food and water in the natural, so it is fully natural to desire righteousness in our spiritual life.

In Luke 15 we are given an illustration of a believer who goes astray in his pursuit of righteousness. The Prodigal thought that pleasure, possessions and popularity would bring him the satisfaction he craved and so he wandered away from a correct relationship with his father. As he came to the end of his empty pursuit, he made this telling statement: “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” (Luke 15:17). The Prodigal was intensely hungry but there was no answer for him in the direction his path was taking him.

The story of the Prodigal is a parable about the condition of many in the church today. Much of their discontent exists because the church’s focus has shifted from the pursuit of righteousness to other, less important, things. Over twenty million believers have left the church in the U.S. in the last few years, largely because they are spiritually hungry and have not been taught how to eat. 

“They shall be satisfied.” This is a promise of spiritual fulfillment, a promise to the spiritually famished: “Your hunger and thirst will be satisfied!” The word satisfied speaks of being fed to the point that you are “filled and happy” in Him. This satisfied or filling that Jesus speaks of has a double fulfillment. There is an initial filling that takes place when the hungry heart reaches out to God, and a continual refilling that takes place as the relationship proceeds. Notice that I said, “as the relationship proceeds.” We are to grow in our relationship with Him just as a husband and wife grow together in a successful marriage.

When the Prodigal came to his senses and acknowledged his hunger, he did something about it: He went home to where plenty of food was available. If you are satisfied with little or nothing spiritually, then welcome to a life full of the pangs of hunger and the resulting lack of spiritual health. If, on the other hand, you are hungry and ready to do something about it, then God has made you an irrevocable promise: “You will be satisfied!”

There is no spiritual disappointment for the hungry heart that reaches to Him! You will be filled with a peace and contentment that is beyond the understanding of human reasoning.

O, God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints (has intense desire) for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Proverbs 8:17).




Saturday, November 12, 2016

BLESS AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO HATE YOU



In the last two blogs we briefly looked at 1 Peter 3:8. A large portion of Peter’s message encouraged young churches to remain faithful during a time of severe persecution. The apostle reminded the churches of five qualities that he knew they needed to embrace if they were going to survive the difficult time they were in.

I believe Peter’s message is just as important for us as it was for them. The church today is being persecuted and it will intensify in the days ahead. I just saw a report that the state of Kentucky is not allowing pastors who serve as counselors in their youth facilities to say that homosexuality is a sin. In both Canada and England, pastors can be arrested for saying that the practice of homosexuality is a sin.

In 1 Peter 3:9, the apostle instructed the church in how to respond to persecution. “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you might obtain a blessing”.

 Peter was there when Jesus delivered what has become known as The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “I say to you ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’” (Matthew 5:44). Peter was teaching the same truth to a new generation of Christ followers. Paul also taught the same when he said, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14).

I find it extremely challenging to “love my enemies.” How about you? Have you thought this through? Does Jesus mean that we should love the terrorists who are killing Christians? And are we supposed to bless them?

Before I give you the answer that I have arrived at for this command, let me try to unpack 1 Peter 3:9 a bit.

The Pharisees had taught the Jewish people about giving “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But Jesus said, “No, love your enemies and pray for them,” and that’s what Peter and Paul were teaching the young church.

The word evil in this verse is speaking of morally objectionable behavior and the word reviling speaks of abusive words that are meant to damage a person’s reputation.

What does it mean “to bless” those that persecute you? The word blessing means to “invoke divine favor, often implying a positive disposition or kind action toward the recipient.” Now that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? By the Lord, we have been given the authority to bless people.

The challenge in this for me is to bless people who hate me, who dislike me, who lie about me. I have found it to be releasing to my spirit to pray for and bless that itinerant preacher who has told lies about me to a number of pastors that we know in common. And through this trial I have found that I can pray for those who are my enemies, and I can bless them — and as I do, I get blessed.

So Jesus, Peter and Paul are all speaking to us today as we look around at a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic and antagonistic toward Christ followers. They are saying, “Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult but, instead, bless them and pray for them because to this you were called.”

Let me finish with the story of Stephen, who was one of the men chosen to be a deacon in the first church.

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8).

Stephen was being greatly used of God, which brought him to the attention of some of those who hated the new church. They were going to great lengths to stop the spreading of the gospel. Eventually they lied about Stephen and he was arrested and taken before the High Priest to be judged.

Acts 7:2-53 is Stephen’s sermon to the High Priest and his accusers. The sermon caused an uproar among Stephen’s accusers and they cast him out of the city and began to stone him.

Stephen’s response to being stoned was, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). This was a form of a blessing. It would have been easy for Stephen to curse them and say, “Lord, judge them for what they are doing and send them all to hell” — but he didn’t. Instead, he blessed them and asked the Lord to have mercy on them.

One of the Pharisees who witnessed and encouraged Stephen’s death was the man who later became the Apostle Paul (see Acts 7:58 and 8:1).

Isn’t it interesting that the next time we hear of Saul he is on his way to Damascus to attack the church there? But on the road to Syria he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus and was converted.

I believe that the manner in which Stephen died and Stephen’s blessing had a great impact on Saul. That blessing subsequently assisted in opening the door for the worst terrorist of the day to become a Christ follower!

“Bless, love and pray for those who curse you and despitefully use you” (my paraphrase).
         

                                                                               

Friday, November 4, 2016

TRANSFORMED INTO A MAN OF GOD - 2

The apostle Peter teaches and encourages the church to stand fast in the face of persecution. In last week’s post we discussed the first two of five qualities that he listed in 1 Peter 3:8. They were unity and sympathy. If you missed reading last week’s post, you can go to Archives on the left side of the page and choose October and then the article Transformed Into A Man Of God.

As we continue looking at 1 Peter 3:8, we next come to the words “brotherly love.”

BROTHERLY LOVE

There are several words in the Greek for love but here Peter chose to use the word philadelphio, which is translated “brotherly love.” It is easy to see how the name of the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, came from this.

It is one thing for a group to be united but it’s something else for them to display love between themselves. We are to “love as brothers” because we are family.

I must admit that at times I don’t feel very comfortable saying that I love everybody but I know that I must. I doubt that there is one person reading this post who hasn’t been hurt by a fellow Christian. They may have offended you in some way by something that was said or done, and it left a bad taste in your mouth. But no matter what they have done, you are to love them as a brother.

Jesus said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34, ESV).

We are family!

Next we come to “tenderhearted.”

TENDERHEARTED    
 
In the King James Version, the word that Peter used here was translated “be pitiful.” Somehow I don’t think the translators had in mind what today’s interpretation of that phrase is. Peter was saying to the church that we are to have kind thoughts towards each other; we are to be compassionate or tenderhearted toward each other.

Sometimes during times of stress I find myself becoming rather rigid/hard-hearted toward people I know. I guess it’s a type of defensive reaction. Peter is addressing the church during a time that it was going through severe persecution and was teaching them that they must not allow a hardness of heart to overtake them.

The great secret of maintaining a tender heart lies in our fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was so strong and at the same time so tenderhearted — not because He knew so little but because He knew so much. He saw all that men had to bear and battle through. He never lost His tenderheartedness even in the darkness of going to the cross. Our staying in fellowship with Him will powerfully assist us in staying tenderhearted toward our brothers and sisters in the church.

Finally we come to “a humble mind.”

A HUMBLE MIND

Humility is the posture of every strong Christian. The seat of humility is in the heart/mind. It is not a gift we are given but a conscious choice of the follower of Christ.

First Peter 5:5: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The word Peter chose here for opposes is a military term that means to resist or counter. In plain words, this tells us that God will have nothing to do with pride. This is not an isolated passage.

For thus says the high and lofty One
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite”
(Isaiah 57:15, RSV).

I have had the privilege of meeting some really great and well known men and women of God over the last fifty years and I can attest to the fact that all of the really great ones were humble. I don’t like some of what I see on Christian TV. I especially don’t like seeing some who brag about all they’ve done, all they have, and how great they are. The really humble ones don’t do that; they just do the work of God and give Him the glory.

We have personal control over these qualities Peter listed that we need in order to stand fast in times of great pressure and persecution. We choose to be in unity; we choose to flow in sympathy; we choose to be people of brotherly love; we choose to be tenderhearted; and we choose to be humble.

But will we?

A strong church happens only when individuals are strong, and they link arms with their brothers and sisters in Christ.

“United we stand, divided we fall.”


Friday, October 28, 2016

TRANSFORMED INTO A MAN OF GOD


One of the most fascinating transformations in the New Testament is that of Peter. A fisherman by trade, impetuous Peter was also a man hungry for a real relationship with God. His brother, Andrew, after encountering Jesus, went to him and said, “We have found the Messiah . . . and he brought him (Peter) to Jesus” (John 1:41-42).
.
The transformation in Peter was not instantaneous. He made a lot of mistakes and even denied that he was one of Jesus’s followers after boasting to Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33).

We get to see the transformation more clearly when, after the infilling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter preaches the first post-Pentecost sermon and three thousand were added to the infant church (see Acts 2:41).

Peter became one of the leading apostles of the early church. While he was not as widely used as the Apostle Paul, the change in him is most clearly seen in the depth of his writings to the church in what we know as First and Second Peter.
  
In his first epistle, Peter encourages and teaches a church under severe attack. This is not the lightweight teaching of someone who had a one-time experience with the Lord but then never matured as a man of God. What we read, in both epistles, is the writing of a man greatly matured in his spiritual life; he had learned from his mistakes and had become a man of God. Jesus had challenged Peter to become a shepherd to the church and in his letters we can see that Peter had, indeed, become that man, a shepherd of God’s people (see John 21:15-17).

In First Peter 3:8 we read:
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”

In the posts of this week and next, we will look briefly at the five different words that Peter is exhorting the church to understand and embrace as the people go through a very difficult time. These are just as important to us as we go through the encroaching darkness of the days ahead.
1.   Unity
2.   Sympathy
3.   Brotherly love
4.   A tender heart
5.   Humility

We will look at the first two of these words today and the rest in next week’s post. Please be reminded that Peter is writing to encourage and equip the church that was under siege by the attacks of the world around it. Peter was helping the church to see and to do what it needed to in order to survive the troubled times it was in.

1.   “Have unity of mind”

Why would Peter begin this list with the need for “unity”? He was with Jesus when He taught the disciples the need for unity. In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (see also Mark 3:24-25 and Luke 11:17).

Unity of mind doesn’t mean that we have to agree on every minor point of doctrine and church conduct. We agree on the major issues and agree to not let minor issues cause division. Some of my legalistic friends have occasionally rebuked me because over my years in the ministry, I have moved freely among all segments of the Evangelical and Protestant community. But I have chosen never to make an issue out of the minors.

Peter is imploring the church is be united in mind because “united we stand and divided we fall.”

2.   Sympathy

In today’s world, sympathy carries the meaning of “shared feelings.” It allows us to casually say, “I sympathize with you on that.” That’s not the meaning of the word Peter chose to use that is translated for us as “sympathy.” Rather, the word he chose is an intense word that speaks of actually sharing in the suffering of a fellow believer.

Sympathy, as it is used here, demands action on our part — sharing in the needs of the other person. In other words, it means giving, or going, or doing something. It is not real biblical sympathy if it does not result an in action. Just as James said, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), so sympathy without action is also dead.

Perhaps the reason so many contemporary churches are not really alive in the life and spirit of the Lord is because they are not following through and putting into action their sympathy. The church cannot just talk about prayer, or missions, or evangelism, it must follow through and engage with its talk. Perhaps understanding biblical sympathy will assist us in understanding why Christianity is in decline in America.

Next week we’ll carry on regarding 1 Peter 3:8.



Friday, October 21, 2016

HOW TO AVOID FALLING


Several years ago when I occasionally had a problem keeping my balance, I periodically used a cane. About a year ago I began using the cane all the time, as the balance problem had become worse. I was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, which causes pain, numbness in the feet, and loss of balance. The doctor prescribed medicine to help alleviate the pain and sent me to see a neurologist.

I was told that most people with this type of neuropathy are diabetic but I am not. The neurologist explained that some forms of neuropathy have no known cause and also have no cure. Please don’t think the reason I am sharing is to get attention or sympathy, because I am not looking for either.
   
A lesson that I have relearned in the last several months has been how to avoid falling. I’ve learned this the hard way by taking several spills and ending up with some rather large bruises as well as numerous bloody scrapes and gashes.

I’ve found that in order to avoid falling, I must have a firm hold on something that is stable and strong. When I do what I know I should, I don’t fall; when I don’t do what I should then I get into trouble. By the way, several months ago I retired my cane and began using a walker to get around, as it provides me with much more stability.

The Bible has a lot to say about our being stable. Let me share with you just a little of what I have learned from my physical struggles and how it relates to our walk with God.

I am not using the word “falling” to suggest that one becomes unsaved. I am saying that when we don’t have a firm hold on what we should, we can lose our balance and end up in unnecessary difficulties as a result of our own laxity.

Just as Paul is getting ready to finish his first letter to the church at Corinth he says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the last days your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). 

Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church should have special meaning for us. Corinth was a pagan city with many of the same problems that are plaguing our society today. The new converts were coming out of this highly heathen community and Paul, who started the church, was helping the new believers learn how to live in victory. That’s what he is talking about in the verse we just read.

What does the word steadfast mean? Steadfast as it is used here means to be marked by firm determination, to be unshakable, to be firm.

How do we become steadfast? Let me just give you one verse of Scripture to chew on.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

After I began using the walker, I read the Proverbs 3 where says, “Do not lean on your own understanding.” I began laughing at myself as I thought about my arrogance in thinking that I did not need any help — and especially thinking that I would never need a walker. Carrying a cane is not too bad, as it can look rather aristocratic. But a walker? Babies use walkers! And, well, as you now know, so do I. And there goes my pride on that one.

The word acknowledge in verse 6 is really important for all of us to grasp. Our contemporary use of the word is to draw attention to something or to affirm the existence of something. But to think that is the meaning of the word here is totally wrong. The core of the meaning in Hebrew is from the word yada, which means to know, to know face to face, to know intimately (e.g., a married couple).

And here is the promise for those who acknowledge Him: “He will make your paths straight.” The word straight means to make level/smooth, to be upright (in contrast to fallen).

I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of our personal relationship with Him. It’s deadly to fall out of a daily time of communion with Him in prayer and in His Word. It’s in the simplicity of our personal contact with Him that we find ourselves in touch with the one thing in our universe that is fully stable — and it’s not a government; it’s not a leader; it’s not gold or silver. There is only one fully stable Person to hold on to and that is God.

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you” (Isaiah 42:6).



Friday, October 14, 2016

BOTH CANDIDATES ARE DISGUSTING


I came across the following quote a few days ago:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury, with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:
  • From bondage to spiritual faith
  • From spiritual faith to great courage
  • From courage to liberty
  • From liberty to abundance
  • From abundance to selfishness
  • From selfishness to complacency
  • From complacency to apathy
  • From apathy to dependency
  • From dependency back into bondage  (Alexander Fraser Tytler)
I am deeply burdened for our nation. I believe we are in the last part of the sequence that Professor Tytler laid out. In addition, Christianity is under attack and on the decline in America. Terrorism is on the rise. Islam is about to make its presence very strongly felt in our land. In the midst of all of the above, we are in the most contentious presidential election this country has ever seen. Many evangelical Christians are shaking their heads about who to vote for. Both candidates are, to my view, disgusting! But we must carefully consider the issues at stake . . . and vote!

I have taken my concerns before the Lord and will continue to do so, not only because of the election, and I’m pleading with you to join with me in prayer for our nation. While in prayer the Lord reminded me of what he did through Daniel’s prayer for the Jews in captivity in Babylon.

Daniel was a man of God who knew how to keep his faith alive in extremely difficult circumstances. The Jews had been in captivity in Babylon for nearly seventy years and faced a troubling and uncertain future. Daniels prayer for the deliverance of his people in Daniel 9:3-19 is one of the best models of prayer for us, as our nation sinks into the madness of the end times.

The brevity of this blog allows me to touch only the highlights of this powerful, intercessory prayer. I would encourage all who are burdened for our churches, our nation, and our world to take time to read, meditate on and pray over this passage.

Daniel’s prayer is a model of how to pray for the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to be fulfilled.

Verse 3 — “I set my face toward the Lord God” (NKJV). Daniel was determined to touch God with his prayer. To “set his face” means he was intent on achieving a specific result. He was going to pray through!

Verse 5 — “We have sinned and committed iniquity.” Daniel did not point fingers at others. He took ownership of the sin and iniquity of the people. I call this a “we” prayer and the use of “we” establishes that Daniel identified with his people; he did not point at them and say, “They are to blame, they have done wrong.”

Verse 6 — “We have not listened to the messengers [the prophets] you sent to bring your word” (my paraphrase). We heard the words but we did not do what Your word instructed us to do.

Verse 7 — “Righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face.” There is nothing arrogant or proud in Daniel’s prayer. This is the expression of the humility that God says He will respond to, the humility spoken of in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people . . . will humble themselves.”

Verse 10 — “We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord.” No excuses are being offered. “We are disobedient; we have taken the word of the Lord lightly and have not been obedient!”

Verse 12 — “He has confirmed His words.” Even in judgment God is faithful to His word — He promised that curses/judgment would come because of disobedience (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28).

Verse 13 — “All this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God.” All that had happened to the Jews had not brought them to a place of prayer nor had they turned from their sinful and unfaithful ways. Are we any different?

Daniel then appeals for God’s intervention. Verses 16-19 are, I believe, the heart of Daniel’s prayer as he asks God for four things:

  1. First, he asked that the Lord turn away His anger and wrath from Jerusalem (verse 16).
  2. Second, Daniel asked that a new day of blessing would come for His temple: “Cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary” (verse 17).
  3. Third, Daniel appealed to the Lord to open both His ear and His eye to the desolation (spiritual dryness) of the people. Daniel appeals to God for mercy and acknowledges the lack of righteousness among the people (verse 18).
  4. Fourth, Daniel calls on the Lord to forgive His people and to take action to return them to their land, to the city of Jerusalem and to the temple (verse 19).
The church of today is looking for the fulfillment of 2 Chronicles 7:14 without having to meet the conditions of the promise. We want the healing of the land without humility, without repentance, without prayer.
  
It is time for us to humble ourselves and ask God to forgive us for our failures and to extend His great mercy to our land. And if we will, He will!




Friday, October 7, 2016

THE LAST ACT OF A DYING MAN

Hebrews 11 is the “faith hall of fame.” The chapter begins with the classic definition of faith and then walks us down the hallway of fame with vignettes about some of the great heroes of faith displayed like portraits on the wall. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah and others are beautifully pictured and briefly sketched in a sentence or two that capture their acts of obedience and walk of faith. These brief reminders are there to encourage us and build our walk of faith.

Verse 21 has arrested me: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (NKJ).

At first reading, this hardly seems like the kind of act to be included with Noah “building an ark,” Abraham “going out not knowing where he was going,” or Moses “leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea.” But there it is — in the midst of the “hall of fame” with all the others!

By the time Jacob’s life was at an end, his natural eyesight was gone, but his “faith sight” was crystal clear. When Joseph brought his sons in for the blessing of his father Jacob, Joseph carefully arranged his sons so that Jacob’s right hand (signifying the greater anointing and blessing) would be upon his firstborn and his left hand would be on the son born second. However, by the “eye of faith” Jacob knew that the second-born son was to be used by God in a greater way than his brother and so, even though blind, he crossed his hands and laid his right hand on the second born and the left on his older brother. Both grandsons were blessed but not in the order that tradition dictated.

The Scripture says that after blessing his grandsons, Jacob leaned on his staff and worshiped. This phrase is difficult to translate from the original. It probably does not mean that Jacob literally stood up, leaned on his walking stick, and worshiped. Most likely it means that he lay back on his bed and worshiped. Frankly, exactly how it happened is immaterial. What is really important to understand is that Jacob valued his relationship with God so strongly that he went out of this life, and into eternity, worshiping. The last act of a dying man was to worship his God!

What does this say to us about the value of worship? Authentic worship is not about us, it is all about Him. Authentic worship is an act of faith, not a declaration of war, not an assertion of rights, not a condemnation of the devil . . . it is an act of faith as we express praise and adoration to God. Trite little songs and poems about dancing and jumping, about exercising our dominion and our rights, are hardly worship; at best they are expressions of pleasure and joy in serving Jesus. Authentic worship is not a performance; instead, it is a humble and unrestrained act of adoration of the Creator. Real worship is totally focused on Him and has nothing at all to do with me or you or anybody else!

What does it say to us that the final act of a dying man is worship? I believe this act of faith shows us how deeply Jacob valued his relationship with God. Jacob had gone through some very serious challenges in his life and he had seen God provide for him and his family in miraculous ways. He knew the pain of being lied to by his sons after they had conspired to kill their brother Joseph. He knew the terrifying pain of believing that he had lost one son only to find out that another had been taken hostage by the Egyptians.

Jacob thought Joseph was dead, but he later saw God’s magnificently sovereign plan being unfolded by Joseph’s advance entrance into Egypt. Jacob had seen the extremes of life, the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. He easily could have chosen to finish life as a cynical and beaten man, but instead he chose to finish his life in an act of faith, an act of worship. Maybe Jacob, in this act of faith, one more time slowly pushed himself up from his bed, and one last time took up his walking stick. Slowly, so slowly, he pushed himself upright in defiance of his age and infirmity and, using his staff for balance, begin to magnify the Lord with the verbal sacrifice of praise and worship. I can almost hear the tired voice of Jacob as he begins to worship and give praise to the Almighty!

I like that imagery — it is a picture that belongs in the “faith hall of fame.” May we all learn to walk by faith as worshipers of El Shaddai/The Almighty!

Friday, September 30, 2016

THE ROCK


We are living in a highly volatile and chaotic world. The apostle Paul wrote that the last days would be “perilous” (2 Timothy 3:1). The word Paul used for perilous in the Greek means difficult, fierce, hard to live with. The only other time this Greek word is used in the New Testament is in Matthew 8:28 where it describes a demon-possessed man as being “fierce.” 

A few days ago, as Carol and I were watching the evening national news, a report came on about another random shooting spree with eight or nine people injured. I remarked to Carol that all this senseless violence seems to be demonically inspired.

Early this morning as I was praying and thinking about our chaotic world, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a passage of Scripture that I believe contains truth for us to lay hold of in these troubling times.

David’s journey to becoming the king of Israel takes him from the solitude of being a shepherd to the battlefield with Goliath; to becoming a celebrity; to the palace of the king; to running for his life from Saul, who wanted him dead. Once he became king, David’s life was far from quiet and subdued. He was very human and made serious mistakes but he always repented and reached out to God and expressed his love for the Father.

One of the most beautiful expressions of David’s love for the Lord is found in Psalm 18:1-3 and in the parallel passage, 2 Samuel 22:1-4. David penned these words in gratitude as he thanked the Lord for protecting and delivering him from his enemies, including King Saul, who had attempted to have David killed.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3, ESV).

When I see repetition, as on the word rock in verse two, my curiosity kicks in and I have to try to understand what the writer was saying. In this case, the best way for me to grasp the meaning was to go to the original language (Hebrew) and see the meaning for these words.

The two uses of the word rock in verse 2 are different in the Hebrew and each is rich with understanding for us. Each word expresses an aspect of God’s protection and character that is just as meaningful for us today as it was for David.

The first use of the word rock (cela) suggests the idea of security, shelter, concealment.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.”

David was forced to run from the assassins of Saul for seven years. After a number of attempts to hide, David and the men with him finally ended up secure in a cave called the Cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). In fact, David was so well hidden there that when Saul and his army passed by the cave opening, they had no idea that David and his men were inside.

This is a picture of the safety of grace that becomes ours when we put our life fully into the love and care of God through Jesus Christ.

In the second part of Psalm 18:2, David exclaims, “My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.”

This second use of the word rock is taken from the Hebrew word suri and suggests the idea of being strong and immovable, a large mass of rock. The use of the word here is borrowed from Deuteronomy 32:4:

“The Rock (suri), his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

And Isaiah 26:4:

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock (suri).”

This second use of the word rock in Psalm 18:2 speaks of more than a hiding place; it speaks of a bedrock foundation, a mass of rock on which a building can be safely built.

Jesus gives us a word picture of being anchored to bedrock in Luke 6:47-48 when He says:

“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”


He is my Rock—and I love Him—and I trust Him—and my life is built on Him! He is our Rock for the days in which we live. He is our shelter and we are anchored by our sure foundation!

Friday, September 23, 2016

HARVEST RAIN


 Is there going to be a last-days revival, a last-days outpouring of His Spirit that will touch the whole world?

Ever since I was a boy I’ve heard evangelists and pastors say that the last-days revival was right around the corner and we would see it soon — very soon.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Charismatic Renewal was often referred to as a significant part of the “last-days” outpouring that was promised in Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:17-21. A few years later the Jesus Movement began and again came the declaration, “This is it! This is really it.”

And now, here we are nearly fifty years later. True, there have been some wonderful moves of God’s Spirit in the land but there is currently no national revival in America. The Charismatic Renewal is over and the Jesus Movement was absorbed into the mainstream evangelical church. In truth, Christianity in America is now declining, while it is growing rapidly in other parts of the world. The percentage of the population of the U.S. that attends church grows smaller every year, and every year America becomes more secular and atheistic.

So what are we supposed to believe? Are we in the last days? Is there now going to be an outpouring?

We need to stop basing our thinking on what we hear said on a TV program, or on radio, or through any other form of media. We need to base our understanding and belief totally on what God says in His Word.

A theme that is repeatedly referred to in the Old Testament, and again in the New Testament, is that two rains were vital for a successful harvest — the former (first) rain and the latter rain.

The growing season for grain crops in Israel is different from what it is here in North America. In Israel, wheat was planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. The first rain was needed after the seeds were planted to cause them to germinate. The latter rain was needed just before the spring harvest to cause the grain to ripen and to insure a bountiful harvest.

“Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,
for He gives us rain each spring (the latter rain) and fall (the first rain),
assuring us of a harvest when the time is right”
(Jeremiah 5:24, NLT).

Most theologians (which I most assuredly am not) believe the “former/first rain” was the outpouring of God’s Spirit at Pentecost. The first rain watered the Word in the early church and brought about the initial spread of the church throughout the world.

The latter rain, in the natural, was needed to ripen the grain and insure a good harvest — and so it will be in the last days.

Are we going to see the “latter rain” here in America? 
I believe we are!

“Ask the Lord for rain in the spring,
 for He makes the storm clouds.
And He will send showers of rain
so every field becomes a lush pasture”
(Zechariah 10:1, NLT).

The spring rain was the latter rain, which brought about the final ripening of the grain and insured a bountiful harvest.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah had just triumphed over the prophets of Baal. It had been dry in Israel for 42 months — not a drop of rain. First Elijah said to the evil King Ahab, “I hear the sound of a heavy (abundant) rain” (see 1 Kings 18:41).

Elijah then went to prayer and asked God for rain. Six times he sent his servant to look and see if there were any rain clouds in the heavens. And six times the servant returned to say, “Not a cloud in the sky.”

Finally, after looking the seventh time, the servant said to Elijah, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”
Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him to go back home. Tell him if he doesn’t hurry, the rain will stop him!” (see 1 Kings 18:44).
Let me finish this brief article by saying, in the patience of faith and in my understanding of the Word of God, “I hear the sound of the harvest (latter) rain!”


Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains” (James 5:7, ESV).