WHY IS THAT ON FIRE?

The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of information about the forty years Moses spent in the desert after he fled from Egypt (Exodus 2:11-25). We do know that the man who appeared at the end of this desert sojourn was vastly different from the man who had run for his life years earlier. The desert years were formative, the change was drastic. The hot-headed, successful, highly-educated future leader of Egypt had become a humble shepherd caring for the flocks of his father-in-law.

When we are reintroduced to Moses, he is eighty years old and living in the backside of nowhere (Exodus 3:1). In Egypt, Moses had a future as big and bright as the horizon, but now—nothing but emptiness and a few sheep! The haughty adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter was now a shell of a man, simply existing, and I am sure that from time to time he reminisced about what might have been.

Out in the desert caring for sheep, Moses was a nomad wandering through the remainder of his life. On the dry and dusty plains, one of the few things he had to contend with was simply dodging the scrub trees that dotted the landscape. There was nothing he could do but walk around them; they were everywhere, so many that he just ignored them and continued on his wandering path.

I think the bushes that Moses was dodging are a type of the dozens of little incidents that make up our lives and dot our days, little situations that we quickly navigate and forget. “I meant to make that call or send that e-mail. Oops! I dropped my phone—I don’t want to talk to him right now. I intended to read my Bible today. I don’t have enough time to work on that project right away.” On and on it goes! These mini-incidents litter the landscape of our days and we traverse them with little or no thought and move on.

This day, as Moses wandered in the wilderness, one of those bushes erupted into bright flames, but it didn’t burn up. The fire caught Moses’ attention and he stopped to see what it was all about. Suddenly God began to talk to him out of the bush. God unexpectedly took something that was a part of Moses’ everyday experience, lit it up, and spoke through it to change his life.

This was the incident that began the process of taking Moses back to Egypt on a divine rescue mission. The burning bush was really not that important in itself; God simply used it to get Moses’ attention. The really important thing about this encounter was that God spoke to Moses.

One of the ways God speaks to us is through everyday experiences. You won’t expect it but suddenly you will know that something unusual is happening and you need to take a moment and find out what it is. That’s when God will start speaking to you! Your burning bush may be in your daily devotional reading; it may be in a conversation with a friend; or, amazingly, it may be in church while the pastor is preaching and your mind is wandering. It’s happened to me there more than once (the wandering mind part).

Moses spent every day dodging the scrub trees but when the burning bush caught his attention, Exodus 3:3 says, “Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” Verse four says, “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush.” When Moses stopped and focused on what was happening, God began to speak.

In 1958 a young pastor in western Pennsylvania wandered into his study late one evening and in a distracted way picked up a copy of Life Magazine. Little did David Wilkerson know that a two-page drawing of teenage gang members on trial for murder would become his burning bush. God spoke to him that night and he followed the Lord’s instructions to go to New York City. That burning bush experience led to the Teen Challenge ministry and fifty-eight years later, it is still going worldwide. Every year thousands of desperate people are ministered to and rescued from the clutches of sin and addiction through Teen Challenge. It all began when that pastor innocently picked up a magazine and those pages became a burning bush.

Don’t go looking for a burning bush; far too many waste their lives doing that. They rush from one meeting to the next, from one church to another, watching one TV program after another, looking for a burning bush. Instead, set your heart on following Him, loving Him, consuming His Word, and rejoicing in the wonderful life He has given you.

The burning bush will find you and when you pause to see what that fire is all about, God will start speaking!

EPHESIANS 6:10 - PART 2

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

As soon as I posted last week’s blog, I realized I might be leaving the impression that there are only two ways that we can grow strong in Him. If I left you with that idea, please let me apologize and clarify, because there are other ways that contribute meaningfully to our growing stronger in the Lord.

In the last blog we discussed how getting to know God brings strength to us. Two of the key ways we get to know Him and draw on His strength are reading His Word and having communion with Him through prayer. While these are probably considered the “big two” in building strength in the Lord, there are others that are also very important for us to be aware of.

Before I proceed further, it’s important that we understand that all these areas have been under systematic attack by the enemy from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the American church seems to have forgotten how much the devil hates the Church and in the last four or five decades the Church has lost significant ground in each one. Take scriptural knowledge for example: the current evangelical church in North America is the most Biblically illiterate in American history. The Church today has more access to Scripture than ever but less desire to know . . . how tragic! It is virtually the same for prayer and for the other areas that we will consider today.

The next area we will look at is the power of worship to build strength. There is a very broad definition of worship that says that everything a born-again believer does for the Lord is an act of worship and I don’t really have any argument with that. The caution that must be exercised here, however, is that this does not and never will preclude our personal, verbal praise and worship of Almighty God. “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

Psalm 22:3 makes it very plain that God is enthroned in the life of the believer who is overt in verbal praise and worship. Simply put, God draws close to those who actively worship Him . . . He draws close and He is a God of strength and power. “O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?” (Psalm 89:8, ESV). We are personally strengthened and encouraged when we take time to worship, which is an act of faith and opens the door to victory.  People who don’t actively worship are going to continually struggle to live a victorious life.

Another area that often is overlooked is that of fellowshipping with other believers. In Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV), the writer of Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”

 

To be a Christ follower means that we find the fullest expression of our faith in community with other believers; we are encouraged and strengthened when we are together with fellow believers.

Let me put in a little testimony here. Years ago when I was traveling heavily in evangelism, sometimes I was in church services every night for a week or ten days. I’d come home from a trip exhausted, and instead of going with Carol and the children to our home church, I’d stay home and read and pray (yes, I did both. I wasn’t playing golf or watching TV. I was doing what I said I would.) After several months, I came to a realization that my spiritual life was slipping and my behavior was the reason. I needed to be in fellowship with others; the submission to my home church brought encouragement to me, it built me up. I got back into regular attendance and I’ve never allowed that deceptive mind-set of “I don’t need the church” ever again into my life.

A third area of strengthening comes from the ministry we receive from pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). In Ephesians 4:12 we are told that these ministries are for the equipping (perfecting) of the saints. The word equip in classical Greek is a medical word that was most commonly used in referring to setting a broken or displaced bone back in its proper place. You can never be “at strength” as long as that dislocation is left unfixed. The ministries of Ephesians 4:11 are to help you find the place where you fit in the body of Christ so you can be at full strength. A dislocated believer is not living at “full strength.”

Is it any wonder that the enemy is consistently attacking these areas that bring strength and victory into the life of the believer? The enemy knows that these are important in keeping believers strong and he is actively attacking or diverting attention from the true purpose of each one.

The areas that I have written briefly about in the last two weeks are not meant to comprise an inclusive list. I would love to hear from you with other things that you have found meaningful in building strength for the Lord.

 

Let’s be as strong in the Lord as we can!

BE STRONG IN THE LORD

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).

I think Paul’s word for the Ephesian church in the above verse is a very needed word for us in this day.

In Ephesians 6, Paul is concluding his revelatory teaching on the church and the basics of the Christian life when he shares this powerful gem in verse 10.

“Finally” – Paul is saying, “Pay attention, this is really important!”

“Brethren” – This teaching is for everyone, not just a few in leadership.

“Be strong in the Lord” – the word strong in the original language is “dunamis” from which we get the word dynamite or power. It is the same word that is used in Romans 1:16 when Paul refers to the gospel as the “power” of God. The word strong as it is used here means that we “are to be empowered” by the Lord.

Two questions pop into my mind right away as I contemplate this phrase. First, what does Paul mean when he says, “Be strong in the Lord”? My second question is, “How do we become strong and empowered by the Lord?”

I think that when Paul said, “Be strong in the Lord,” he was acknowledging his lack of strength to do what God had called him to do and to be the kind of person he knew he was destined to be.

So how, then, do we become “strong in the Lord”? Do we attend another convention? Or perhaps there is a new book or DVD that will release all the secrets of “strength and how to get it.” None of those are bad, of course, they just don’t answer the question.

About 600 years before Paul wrote Ephesians, a young boy was taken from his home in Jerusalem to Babylon to serve in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel rose to prominence in Babylon and not only became one of the officials of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom but at the same time he began to flow in the ministry of a prophet of God. Daniel, the prophet, answers for Paul and for us the question of how to be “strong in the Lord.” “But the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32). The Hebrew the word for know is “yada” and it means “to be intimately acquainted with.”

One of the ways we understand what a word used in Scripture means is to look and see how it is used elsewhere, and especially the first use of the word. The first time yada is used is in Genesis 4:1: “Now Adam knew (yada) Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.” Daniel is saying that being “strong in the Lord” comes from having an intimate relationship with God. It’s important that we grasp this truth because this is the very heart of what Paul was teaching about strength and how we become “strong in the Lord.” It can happen in only a very few ways.

1.    The Word

It is through the Word that we begin to see and understand just how great and powerful God really is. Every really strong Christian is a person “of the Word.”

When God spoke to Joshua after Moses died and informed him that he would lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land, a key part of His instruction was the importance of the Word in Joshua’s successful leadership. “Being careful to do all the Law . . . do not turn from it . . . that you may have good success . . . This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night . . . then you will have good success” (see Joshua 1:7-8).

2.    Prayer

God talks to us through His Word and we get an invitation to commune with Him in prayer (see Philippians 4:6 and Hebrews 4:16).

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus states, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat (dine) with him.” He is ready to come in and fellowship with us. This is prayer! This is the picture of a meaningful relationship with Him. Prayer is communion, having fellowship, having a conversation with God, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit. It is out of this growing personal relationship that His strength becomes our strength.

One of the reasons both public and private prayer has fallen into such disfavor in the Church is because real prayer demands that we become intimate with the Lord. The Church has lost sight of the fact that it is out of this intimacy that we become stronger in Him.

“In the power of His might” - The word power used here means strength and the word might also means strength. I think we could say this verse this way: “We can be strong in Him only when we learn to draw strength from Him and His boundless supply of strength.”

It’s when we are in intimate relationship with Him that we are able to draw on His strength.

“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might” (Amplified Bible).

SAY "THANK YOU!"

On a cool day on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, four little boys were ready for an adventure! Chemainus, a small, harbor town on the east coast of “the Island,” is where I was born. Grandfather Patterson had emigrated from England and for a couple of years the family lived in Alberta before eventually settling in Chemainus, a company town built for the workers at the local lumber mill. Both my brother and I were born there but we moved to Vancouver when I was just two, and I lived there until I left to attend college in California.

As a boy, our family would return to “the Island” once or twice every year to visit. Uncles, aunts, cousins, two grandmothers and family friends still lived in the area, so the visits were always packed full of fun activities.

When I was about seven or eight years old, my brother, two friends and I set sail for a ride in the harbor. I was the youngest of the four and was taken along out of pity, I think; my mom probably said, “You can go only if you take David.” Anyway, we rented a small wooden boat with a little inboard engine that was mostly used by sport fishermen in the town harbor.

Because of the weather, we dressed in warm clothing: I remember wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, sneakers and a wool sweater. We spent about an hour puttering aimlessly around the waterfront—no speeding, no wakes shooting up behind—just four carefree boys having fun in a tiny, old, slow boat. 

Our rental time was just about up and we were headed back to the dock when suddenly a fire started in the area right around the base of the inboard engine. Apparently the fuel line had begun to leak, dripping gas right onto the hot muffler, and after a couple of minutes it just exploded.

When the fire flared up, we were about fifty or sixty yards from shore. I don’t remember there being any life jackets or flotation devices on board and after a few seconds, all four of us went over the side into the cold water and began to swim for shore. That’s when the trouble began for me!

I had taken classes at a public pool near our home and knew how to swim. But learning to swim in a nice warm pool and diving into cold seawater fully clothed was another matter. I had no sooner begun to swim toward the shore than I felt as though I was encased in lead and I was in real trouble. My wool sweater sucked in water like a sponge and within a few minutes I was being dragged downward. 

My brother tried to help but there was little he could do because he was dressed much the same as I was. I vividly remember the darkness of being under the surface, the terror of trying to get my breath and getting a mouthful of seawater instead, and struggling to get to the surface. When I did manage to get my head above the surface, I had to spit out seawater before I could breathe and it was a losing proposition.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a big strong arm grabbed me and began to swim to shore, holding me up so I could breathe. When the fire broke out on our little boat just across the inlet, two mill workers on a boat positioning logs to go into the sawmill saw the flames and immediately headed toward us. Seeing me in difficulty, one of the workers dived overboard, grabbed me, and helped me swim to shore.

In a few minutes it was all over. The police arrived and took us to our parents, soaked, shivering, cold—but alive.

I have one deep regret about what happened that day but it didn’t occur to me until sometime later. I never did get to say thank you to the man who saved my life. I was so shaken and scared when I got to shore that I don’t think I said much to anybody. I know that Mom and Dad later talked to the two mill workers and thanked them but we went back to Vancouver in a few days and I didn’t see the men again. I am so sorry that I never had a chance to say to him, “Thank you; you saved my life!”

There’s Someone else we often forget to thank. He dived into the waters of life that were about to pull us down and His strong arm lifted us above the drowning; He carried us to shore and put us on solid ground! Jesus rescued us when no one else could.

Perhaps it’s my personal memory of being rescued from drowning and my sense of regret, but I make it a habit every day to express to Him my gratitude for lifting me out of the drowning waters of life. I am so grateful!

One of the reasons the apostle Paul is so insistent in his writings that God’s people express their thanks to Him is because Paul never allowed himself to forget that Jesus had rescued him from a wicked, vile life. Paul was a Christian-killing terrorist filled with rage and confusion and he had a lot to be thankful for. And so do we—all of us!

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV).

Don’t forget to say THANK YOU!