Faith For Increase

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from the Gospel of Luke 9:1-6, 10-13 NIV:

[1] When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, [2] and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. [3] He told them: “Take nothing for the journey---no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. [4] Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. [5] If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” [6] So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

[10] When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, [11] but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

[12] Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

[13] He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish---unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”

I love these verses where we are told that Jesus gives them power and authority and then tells them to go use that power and authority.  I believe this is the invitation and expectation for all Christians, for we are all His followers.

I had two reflections while reading these verses this morning.  First, my thought was that Jesus' statement to the Apostles in verse 13 was actually an invitation for them to grow in their faith and experience of God's provision and character.  The Apostles had just come back from an miracle tour, where they had seen the power of God flow through them to heal all those that needed healing.  They had experienced God's provision of health through healing, and now Jesus was inviting them to go to the next logical step, provision of health through food.

It is interesting, I have always read this verse like Jesus was giving them a challenge, but never intended them to actually feed the crowd.  This morning though, the thought struck me that this was likely exactly what He was inviting them to do, to step out in belief now that they had seen God do miracles through them, and apply the same principles in a new way.  God was the one who provided healing, why wouldn't He also provide food?

Specifically, I think there are those that believe that we are limited only to those things we see Jesus demonstrating in scripture, and then probably never as effectively as Jesus ministered.  My problem with this thinking is two-fold - first God is not about diminishing returns, but rather is always about increase.  If we only limit ourselves to what is revealed and expect to be less effective than Jesus, that would be diminished returns.  Secondly, Jesus Himself told His followers - "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12NIV)  That does not sound like diminishing return, but rather increase.

So, my thought this morning was that Jesus was giving them the invitation to step into greater Godly provision, but because they couldn't wrap their minds around the opportunity they didn't.  Please note, that Jesus didn't slam them for their lack of faith, but rather stepped in and demonstrated what was possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.  I am encouraged today to try to believe for new ways and new provision, believing that God wants me to grow in my expectation of His provision.

My second reflection was about how Jesus gave them power and authority (verse 1).  I was trying to imagine how this would have occurred, wondering what Jesus said or did that convinced them that they had received power and authority?  It is clear that they were all convinced, for they went out and effectively ministered, so we know they understood and demonstrated that power and authority.  I think we see later in some of the teaching of the early church, the laying on of hands (Acts 8:18, 1 Tim 5:22, 2 Tim 1:6, Heb 6:2) as a likely candidate for what Jesus did here.  Also, in John 20:22, He breathed on the disciples and said "Receive the Holy Spirit", again I think they had experienced this previously, when He sent them out.  I think they probably felt something, some transfer of power when Jesus laid His hands on them and breathed on them.  By this point they would have seen Jesus ministering in power, saw the effects of power flowing out of Jesus, and been instructed by Him in ministry.  They were able to recognize the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit, and because of that were able to recognize when Jesus gave them power and authority.

My point in this reflection is that we need to learn to recognize this in our lives as well.  The Lord, if His words in John 14:12 are true, intends for us to minister in power and authority, doing even greater things.  We are only capable through the Power of the Holy Spirit working through us.  Jesus didn't give them some diploma saying they had completed the 6 week course in ministering healing and deliverance, He gave them real power and authority.  In the same way as He did then, He gives us power and authority to minister effectively, except now the laying on of hands is done through others, His representatives, just as was demonstrated in the early church (see the references above).  We must learn to recognize His impartation, and believe that this power and authority was given with a purpose that includes ministries of healing and deliverance.  The purpose of His impartation is the increase of the Kingdom of God!  Let us be encouraged today that if He has poured out His power and authority into our lives, then He intends for us to step out and minister His provision to others, whether it be healing, deliverance or sustenance.

Amen Lord! Give us faith to see increase in  our own effectiveness and in our experience of Your provision and glory!

Born of the Spirit

This morning I am meditating on some classic verses from John's Gospel, where Jesus is conversing with Nicodemus.  Here are the verses - John 3:5-17 NIV:

[5] Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. [6] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. [7] You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' [8] The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

[9] “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

[10] “You are Israel's teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? [11] Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. [12] I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? [13] No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven---the Son of Man. [14] Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, [15] that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

I like reading passages like these within the context of the greater conversation.  So often we just hear the verses pulled out of their context, and they can take on a different meaning when this happens.  In this case, I am looking at Jesus' comments about being born-again of the Spirit.  Nicodemus does not understand what Jesus says, so Jesus responds to him.  He says in verse 12 that He has "spoken of earthly things (including being born again of the Spirit) and you do not believe".

I find that statement very interesting for Jesus appears to place being born-again of the Spirit into the bucket of earthly things, not heavenly things.  It is not that this doesn't make sense, it is just the phrasing of His statement.  As a teacher of Israel, Nicodemus must have understood that there was a spiritual component to all our lives, for the Old Testament is full of verses talking about the Spirit of God coming upon people.  I am quickly reminded of the story of Saul chasing David, coming upon a group of prophets and suddenly coming under the power of the Spirit of God and beginning to prophecy himself (see 1 Sam 19:23-24).  So, it is apparent that it is not a matter of knowledge, but rather of belief.  Belief engages our spirits, not our minds, and our spirits within us must be engaged for us to experience salvation and eternal life.

As people who are raised with a western mindset, we tend to discount the things of the spirit as being non-existent.  We tend to focus on logic and learning, not valuing spiritual experience.  This was not true of the Jews at that time, and is not true of many of the nations of the earth today.  There is a growing emphasis on the spiritual realm and experiences in our nation, but it seems driven primarily by new-age and other "spiritual" movements.  Those Christian churches that are open to Spiritual experiences are often viewed with caution and sometimes outward disdain by other churches and denominations. Yet if we look at Jesus' statement, it is the Spirit that gives birth to spirit, and the Spirit that allows us to enter into the Kingdom of God. It is the Spirit working within us that leads us to belief, leads us to salvation and eternal life!  It is clear to me that we need to learn to understand the Spirit of God, interacting with our spirits, for that is the way of salvation.  These are earthly things, according to Jesus, and thus, should be things we can understand and believe in.

Just last evening my good friend David and I were talking about our inability to be aware of that which is occurring in the spiritual realm.  We were talking about how we were unaware of much that actually concerns us.  I am encouraged by Jesus' words this morning that this does not need to be so, but that this is part of our earthly experience and something we should be able to learn, understand and believe in.  In so doing we would become more effective representatives of the Holy Spirit who is about birthing salvation and eternal life in those He calls.

Last night we were talking about how the Holy Spirit directed Phillip to meet with the Ethiopian eunuch on the desert road leading to Gaza (See Acts 8:26-40).  His encounter with the eunuch was perfectly timed, and salvation was birthed in the Ethiopian because Phillip understood the movings of the Holy Spirit in his life. Oh that we would learn to walk in the ways of the Holy Spirit with the same effectiveness!

I am encouraged that this whole realm of learning and experience is available to me and part of my earthly experience, according to Jesus.  Thus, I must be able to learn to operate and believe in this realm.  I am encouraged because I know on my own I am incapable, but  with the Spirit of God working in me, all things are possible.  Lord, I pray that You would open my eyes to the working of the Spirit, in and around me.  Help me to have spiritual eyes, and awareness.  Teach me to join myself to the movements of Your Holy Spirit, for I desire to see things birthed of the Spirit!

A Kingdom of Priests Excercising the King's Authority

This morning I have been looking at some verses from the Book of Revelation 5:8-10 NIV:

[8] "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. [9] And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

I was specifically reflecting on the last line of this heavenly song.  In this song, the 24 elders and 4 living creatures are singing about the Church, those who belong to the Body of Christ.  The original Greek is quite clear, we are made into a Kingdom of God and we use that Kingdom authority on earth.

The original Greek word here translated Kingdom is Basileia and it is defined as:
1)  royal power, kingship, dominion, rule
    A) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom
    B) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah
    C) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom
2) a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king
3) used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah

As directly related the original Greek word here translated as reign is Basileuo and it is defined as:
1)  to be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign
    A) of the governor of a province
    B) of the rule of the Messiah
    C) of the reign of Christians in the millennium
2) metaph. to exercise the highest influence, to control

It is interesting that some commentators want to relate this verse to the Millennial reign, which does not actually get referenced until later in the book of Revelations (Rev. 20).  When I read these verses I am immediately reminded of the charge Jesus gave to the 12 Apostles and later to the 72 that He sent out.  Here I have quoted the sending as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 10:1, 7-8 NIV:

[1] Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

[7] "As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

In these verses we see Jesus making the Apostles his messengers of His Kingdom, and giving them authority to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom.  In other words He tells them to proclaim God's kingdom and then sends them to exercise His Kingly authority as His representatives in the cities, towns and villages to which they were sent.  In my eyes, this is exactly what John records.  God had called us through His Son Jesus to be members of His Kingdom and then to exercise His Kingly Authority upon the earth.

We are all called with the same charge, according to these verses.  People from every tribe, language, people and nation are all called to be part of God's Kingdom and to exercise His Kingly Authority as His representatives.  This authority is not relegated to a select few ministers, for we are all called priests, and it is each of our responsibility to minister unto Him, to serve Him.  We are not called to church membership with a few ministers, we are called to the Kingdom of God, where we are all priests and we all reign (exercise the King's authority).

I am encouraged that the 24 elders and 4 living creatures, who John sees prophetically, are describing the heavenly perspective which is outside of time.  In other words they are seeing the completed work of the Body of Christ, and from that vantage point, people from every tribe, language, people and nation are ministering to God, and exercising Kingdom authority upon the earth.  This is not some small number of chosen ministers, but every single member of the Kingdom!  I am encouraged because even though we don't see this reality yet, we will see this reality in the fullness of time.   I am encouraged because this is my destiny too, to learn to exercise the King's authority here on earth.

Amen and Amen!

Fire on the Earth

This morning I am thinking about some challenging verses from the Gospel of Luke 12:49-53 NIV:

[49] “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! [50] But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! [51] Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. [52] From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. [53] They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

These are some of the verses that we would prefer were not in the Bible, for they challenge our desire for comfort and peace.  I certainly don't like thinking about division in my family over matters of faith, and certainly don't like thinking about  being disliked for my beliefs, yet we appear to be entering a time where this is already reality.

When Jesus spoke these words, He knew the impact His life and words would have on the Jewish people, and exactly what He said occurred.  The early church underwent many persecutions, and families were divided by this new "Way" and people were forced to choose to deny Christ or be sentenced to death.  There are many stories of early church martyrs who refused to recant their faith, in spite of the pleading of their family members.  While we don't presently see this type of persecution in America, it is alive and well in many countries around the world. Yet, even though we don't see life-threatening persecution, we certainly see the culture of our country becoming more anti-Christian.  We are being labeled as bigots, racists, judgmental and ignorant for holding beliefs that are contrary to popular opinion.

The question that I find myself confronted with is how should I, as a follower of Christ, respond to the the de-Christianization of our culture. One popular approach is to water-down the message of the Gospel to take away everything that offends those who look for offense.  The problem with this approach is that those who look for offense will not stop being offended, for the very basic truths of the Gospel offend them.  Another approach is to become more judgmental in my response to those who lack any understanding of the truth.  I can take the approach that everyone who doesn't believe like I believe is going to hell.

Neither of these approaches seem to be congruent with the Gospel that Jesus preached and lived.  His example was consistent and involved both His words and His deeds.  His command was to love one another, not judge one another.  His example was sacrificial love.  His sacrifice was His flesh and blood.  He brought fire to the earth, but it was the fire of the Holy Spirit, enkindled in the lives of His followers.  He released upon the world His Kingdom, demonstrated through signs, wonders and miracles.  The fire was one of passion for Him and for the church, His Body.  The fire of the Holy Spirit brought about conviction to the unbeliever and they were cut to the heart, and brought to a place of repentance (see Acts 2:37-41).

Jesus came to bring this fire to the earth, and we must not let it go out by dousing it with the water of political correctness and unbelief.  We must continue to hold to the truth that He revealed, and follow His example of sacrificial love.  We must welcome sinners and unbelievers for we were all once such people, and it is only the grace of the Gospel that we have accepted that sets us apart.  We are not better than others because of our belief, we are made righteous only by Jesus' sacrifice.  We must continue to share the Gospel of the Kingdom. We must love one another and be empowered by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to work through us to bring conviction and repentance, not through our judgmental words, but though lives lived in love.

When the martyrs were put to death for their beliefs, it was not their proclamation of impending judgment on their tormentors that impressed people and won converts, but rather it was their peaceful welcoming of the reward of eternal life.  It was their love for one another, their witness of God's love and forgiveness that caused others to see the truth.  In Acts 7:60 Stephen, the first martyr, asked that God would forgive those who stoned him, even as He was about to die.  His cry wasn't for judgment but for forgiveness and mercy.

This morning I am encouraged to not be afraid of persecution or division, as it relates to following Jesus.  I am encouraged to live my life following the example of Jesus, loving sacrificially, extending mercy and forgiveness.  I am encouraged because Jesus kindled a fire upon the earth, and it is still burning today in my heart.  I am encouraged because Jesus in no longer constrained by His earthly body, but is now seated in Heaven (Col 3:1) interceding for me (Heb 7:25), and living within me (John 14:23).  I am encouraged because the Holy Spirit will guide me in what I should say (Mark 13:11), and will teach me all things (John 14:26).

Lord, I pray that the Fire of Your Love will burn brightly within me, and that Your Fire will continue to burn in Your Church and upon the earth!

The Provision of God - A Better Plan

Recently I have been thinking about the provision of the Lord.  This morning I am thinking about the following verses from the Gospel of Luke 9:12-17 NIV:

[12] "Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

[13] He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish---unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” [14] (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

[15] The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. [16] Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. [17] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over."

I was thinking about the miraculous provision of the Lord.  He is capable of providing for His people.  He did so in the desert with manna and uail, and He did here in the story, and the other times he fed the crowds by multiplying the food.  I was wondering why we don't experience this more often?  Why do we see churches struggle financially when God can provide and demonstrated that ability over and over in scripture.

I find it interesting that in the desert He provided manna and quail (See Exodus 16), but ultimately He provided them the promised land full of milk and honey, a land that was very fruitful.  It was the job of the people to occupy the land, drive out those that were there, and then plant and harvest, once thy entered the promised land.  The manna and quail were not God's long term solution, but His better plan was blessing them through their stewardship of the land, and following God's law.  He promised them the following in Deuteronomy 28:8-11 NIV:

[8] "The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you."

[9] "The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. [10] Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. [11] The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity---in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground---in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you."

In a similar way, although Jesus multiplied the food a few times, He did not do it every time, as only 2-3 times are recorded in scripture.  It is not that God can't provide food or provide provision, it is that He has a better plan.  In one section in John, Jesus confronts this subject directly.  Jesus saw that many were following Him because he had provided them bread - John 6:26 NIV: "Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."

Jesus continues on from that statement and shifts from natural hunger to God's better plan which includes spiritual realities - John 6:27-35 NIV:

[27] "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

[28] Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

[29] Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

[30] So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? [31] Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' ”

[32] Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

[34] “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

[35] Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Thus, the sign of multiplication of food, the provision of manna and  quail in the Old Testament, are actually pointing us to the spiritual reality of God's better plan - the provision of Jesus!  He is our provision, He is all we need.  God is our provider, and all good things come from Him, but the best He has given us is Jesus! Just yesterday I saw a quote saying "Jesus + nothing = Everything you need!" (Patricia King)

We who are so worldly, so self-focused, would gladly settle for provision of purely material things.  Yet He has given us Himself in relationship, giving us eternal life!  He has a better plan than just providing material needs, He plans to make us residents of the Kingdom of God, both here now on earth and in Heaven!  Our work is to believe and live accordingly.  In the Old Testament, the people who entered the promised land had to believe in God's promise, work the land and obey the law to be blessed. In the new covenant we are to believe, obey Jesus' commands and enter into relationship with Him to be blessed with Eternal Life.

John 14:23 NIV: "Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."

-and-

John 6:47 NIV: "Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life."

Amen!   Paul said in his letter to the Romans 8:32 NIV: "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"  God has given us His greatest and best in Christ Jesus.  Because Jesus came and made a way, He has invited us into relationship with Him, as His sons and daughters, to experience eternal life!

God of the Impossible

This morning I am reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles the story of Peter's miraculous escape from Prison.  Here is the story - Acts 12:5-17 NIV:

[5] "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

[6] The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. [7] Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

[8] Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. [9] Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. [10] They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

[11] Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

[12] When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. [13] Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. [14] When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

[15] “You're out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

[16] But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. [17] Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place."

I find this story interesting for several reasons.  First, it is an amazing story of God's ability to do miraculous workings in our lives. This is like a scene out of the Xmen movie, an angel appears in a locked room,  time seems to stand still and people are frozen in time, metal chains open up and fall off, doors open of their own accord!  It is easy to imagine, but our logical minds tend to disbelieve events like this because we have been taught these things don't really happen in real life.

Second, I like the fact that the members of the church, who were praying for Peter to be saved, don't actually believe its him knocking at the door.  Sometimes we can put on these super-faith airs, and act like we believe beyond a shadow of doubt that God can and will do something.  Intellectually it is easy to say and think things, but when confronted with something even more spectacular than they were praying, the people praying respond with unbelief.  This just seems so real and normal to me, it certainly gives an impression of being honest and unaffected by legend.  We like to think we will believe, but when God does something astounding we usually greet the announcement with doubt, or as the people said when responding to Rhoda, "you're out of your mind".

Finally God is not worried about lack of faith on the people's part, He is  about doing what He needs to do and has the power to do it.

So this morning I am encouraged for people who find themselves in impossible situations.  God is completely aware of the situation.  He has the power to do it.  He hears the prayers of those praying.  He is faithful!

Lord, thank You for moving in spite of our fears, doubts, unbelief and stupidness.  We pray that You will increase our faith!  We pray that You will intervene in the lives of people in desperate and impossible situations!  We pray that You will glorify Your Name through miraculous events and actions.  You truly are the God of the impossible!

Amen!

Church - Obligation or Encounter?

This morning I am thinking about a set of verses from Mark's Gospel.  Lord, open my ears and my heart to understand Your heart in this.

Mark 11:15-17 NIV:

[15] "On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, [16] and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. [17] And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' ”

My first inclination in reading these verses is to think that Jesus was against all of the business that was being done in the temple courts.  On second thought though, I realized that the money changers and sellers of doves were enabling the fulfillment of the requirements of the law, for doves were used as sacrifices for sin offerings, and such (Lev 5-15 assorted verses).  The Jews were coming from many different countries, and money changers were required to convert foreign currency to that which was used in Jerusalem, so they could purchase sacrificial animals as prescribed in the law.  So the question is what was Jesus really upset about?

So if we look at the verse Jesus referenced for His robbers comment, we get a better sense of His point of focus.  This is found in Jer 7:11, and I will include the surrounding verses - Jeremiah 7:2-11 NIV:

[2] “Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message:

 “ 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. [3] This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. [4] Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” [5] If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, [6] if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, [7] then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever.

[8] But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. [9] “ 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, [10] and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”---safe to do all these detestable things? [11] Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord."

As I read these verses, it seems clear to me that the Lord is addressing the hearts and minds of the people.  They are not really repentant, their hearts are not changed, they are not encountering God's presence when they come to the Temple. Instead they are using the visit to the temple to erase their guilt, but with no plans to change their behavior saying "we are safe, safe to do all these detestable things".  The focus of their visit is not to meet God, not to worship Him, but rather to whitewash their sins.

The Lord is after a heart-changed people who are in relationship with Him and who are changed to become like Him.  The people Jeremiah was addressing were not interested in God's law and its affects on their lives, but were rather interested in checking off a box so they could continue to do whatever they wanted.  One wonders how many of us go to church on Sunday's for similar reasons?  Do we go to church to encounter God, or do we go to church to do our church-going duty?   Do we go to church on Sunday and then live the rest of the week exactly how we want to, not worried about anything?

So back to the original story, Jesus first quotes from Isaiah 56:7 about the temple being a house of prayer for all nations.  The purpose of the temple courts was for the common people (Non-priest) to be able to come close to God, to worship Him and encounter Him.  It was supposed to be a place dedicated to prayer and worship, and here it was a thriving hub of commerce for  sacrificial requirements.  I get the sense that the people in the temple were largely following the same pattern of behavior that was being addressed in Jeremiah.  The Lord is after our hearts, not our attendance, not our following the rules, not our Sunday  hour obligation!  He desires us to focus on Him, to meet Him, to worship Him, and to be changed.   He is after repentance (changed lives) and relationship.

So this morning I am encouraged to look at my heart and see what my true motivation, my true expectation is concerning church.  Am I going to meet an obligation, or am I going to encounter God?

Being Good Soil

This morning I was reflecting on how much the Lord has poured into my life during my times in prayer.  I had the opportunity to read some of my third book, which is taken from my blog in 2014.  As I was reading my entries, at times it was as if I was reading the writings of another author.  I was thinking about how much the Lord has poured into me, and how little I have retained.  I was feeling a bit depressed about that fact this morning, asking the Lord to help me remember more of what He has said to me and shown me.  When I opened my Bible this is the very first verse I read:

John 14:26 NIV:
"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

I was so encouraged that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to teach me and remind me of what the Lord has said!  It was as if a load of responsibility was lifted from shoulders. :-)

As I am thinking back through several scriptures having to do with famers, seed and soil, it seems that my main responsibility towards fruitfulness is to be good soil, wherein the seed (God's word) can flourish and bear fruit.  In Matt 13:1-9 God is clearly the sower of the seed (word) and we are the soil.  Paul sees his role as planting seed too as he describes in the  following verses - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 NIV:

[6] "I planted the seed (God's word in the Corinthians), Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. [7] So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

Thus, it is God who plants (often times through others like Paul) His word in our lives, and He makes it grow.  He reminds us and teaches us, directs us and guides us, and our primary responsibility is to be good soil.

So the next obvious question is how do I become good soil?  If I go back to the parable of the sower and seed I believe the Lord gives us a good description, especially if we look at the characteristics of the other soil and know that good soil is not like that. Here is what Jesus said about the good soil - Matthew 13:23 NIV: "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The primary qualities that distinguish good soil is hearing and understanding.  This requires the ability to pay attention, it is not just hearing but hearing and understanding. To hear we must attune our ears to God's voice.  We must learn to listen to Him, to take time to hear His voice.  Sometimes my sweetheart and I have what I call roving conversations.  We are walking about the house trying to talk to each other but we are constantly moving in and out of rooms,  doing things that cause us to not be able to hear one another, and thus we struggle to communicate.  We are much more successful at communicating if are in the same room paying attention to one another.  I think in our many of our daily lives, our ability to communicate with the Lord, to hear Him is much the same - we try to have roving conversations with God.  We are constantly moving from one thing to another, and we have a hard time hearing Him in the midst of all the activity and business that we are about. That is why I take quiet time every morning that I can, as this allows me to stop and listen and actually hear what the Lord is saying.

The understanding part of being good soil, actually requires a good teacher and a willing student.  If the teacher is not proficient the student will have difficulty understanding what is being taught.  If the student doesn't care and doesn't listen, it does not matter how proficient the teacher is, the student will not understand.  So in this case, my job is to be engaged in what I am being taught, listening actively, interested and paying attention, basically being willing.  It is the Holy Spirit who is my teacher, and He is extremely proficient and knows me intimately, so He understands exactly how I best learn and He knows what my level of willingness is at present.

So this morning I am encouraged.  The Holy Spirit is my teacher and He will remind me of everything the Lord has spoken to me and He will guide me towards understanding.  My job is to be willing, to hear and to apply myself to understanding.  If I can do that I am being good soil, and God will cause His seed planted in me to grow and be fruitful!  Amen!

He Loves Us and Is Well Pleased

This morning I felt like I should read from Matthew's Gospel, chapter 17.  This chapter has several interesting stories, but this morning my eyes and heart landed on the Transfiguration of Jesus.  Here are the verses - Matthew 17:1-5 NIV:

[1] "After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

[4] Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters---one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

[5] While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

I really like the beginning of verse 5, where the Father interrupts Peter.  Sometimes I don't  know when to shut up, and apparently Peter suffered the same affliction. :-)

The other thought I had was how much the Father wanted them to know about His love for Jesus.  He shows up in a bright cloud and just barges right into the conversation!  I imagine it like a dinner party where Jesus is standing there talking to Elijah and Moses, Peter is trying desperately to get included in their conversation by saying stupid things and in barges the Father in a dazzling cloud, and just starts shouting about how much He loves His son.  It wasn't for show, it was just because He was overcome with emotion and love!  He was bursting with pride and love, wanting everyone to know how much He loves Jesus, how proud He is (well pleased) of Him!

The best part of this meditation is that God feels the exact same way about you and me!  He loves us!  He is pleased with us!  He chose us to represent Him! God has the exact same emotion and love for us.  Jesus was constantly telling us how much the Father loves us.  His most famous statement is found in John's Gospel - John 3:16-17 NIV "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Additionally Jesus tells us later in John 14:21, 23 NIV:

[21] "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

[23] Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."

The Father is unchanging in His love, and when He loves us, He loves us like He loves everyone else.  He has loved us since before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4) and has never changed in His love for us.  He loves us, is proud of us, and wants us, and everyone else, to know that.

Lord, I pray that You will help me to recognize this is true!  Help me to rest in Your love!

Amen!

Proclaiming Justice, A Different Twist

I was just reading from Matthew's Gospel and as struck by something that I need to think more about - namely how healing and miracles are part of the God's justice.  Here are the verses - Matthew 12:15-21 NIV:

[15] "Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. [16] He warned them not to tell others about him. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

[18] “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
[19] He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.
[20] A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
[21] In his name the nations will put their hope.”

It is interesting that Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, then demonstrating the Kingdom realities through healing and miracles, and Isaiah prophetically spoke about this calling it "proclaiming justice".  I need to dig into the original Greek and Hebrew words that are translated as justice here, but just looking at our English definition for the word provides some insight.  Justice is defined by Webster's Dictionary as the following:

1 a : the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments
b : judge
c : the administration of law; especially : the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity
2 a : the quality of being just, impartial, or fair

So if we think about the healing of all illnesses, for that is the context in which these verses from Isaiah are quoted, then the proclamation of justice must be related to the healing of illnesses. If we go back to the beginning to the story of Adam and Eve, it is through their sin, their disobedience that stewardship of the the creation on earth was lost.  As a part of this, nature was corrupted, and sin entered the world, affecting all creation.  Sickness and disease are a part of that corruption, for prior to their sin all was "very good" in the Garden.

Part of justice is establishing the rules of law, and Jesus was proclaiming the laws of the Kingdom, the dominion of the King, which includes the establishment of His laws.  Apparently all illness and sickness is outlawed in the Kingdom of God, and Jesus is proclaiming that and demonstrating the authority to cast out illness and sickness in the Kingdom.  Jesus is practicing justice by establishing the right rule of the Kingdom.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray that way in Matthew 6:9-10 NIV:

[9] “This, then, is how you should pray: “ 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

He taught them to pray for God's Kingdom, the dominion of the King, to be established on earth as it is already established in Heaven.  In other words, if it works that way in Heaven, then let it work that way here on earth.  God's Kingdom is true and that truth is established and demonstrated in Heaven, and thus it should be on earth as well.

Furthermore, Jesus specifically tied the Kingdom proclamation and demonstration of healing together in His charge to the  Apostles found in Matthew 10:5-8 NIV:

[5] "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. [6] Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. [7] As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

Proclaim then demonstrate!  Proclaim justice (the Kingdom of God being re-established) and demonstrate justice by restoring health and wholeness, casting out sickness and disease, demons and death all of which are not allowed in God's Kingdom.  Think about that - all of that is not allowed in the Kingdom, yet we allow it freely in the church.  Why?  Because we have apparently lost our sense of what the Kingdom of God is like, we have given into the spirit of unbelief, and we have allowed injustice to remain.  Oh Lord, forgive us for settling for less than what You came to establish, what You have purchased for us with Your precious blood!  Lord, teach us and help us to walk in Your dominion, and proclaim it with our lives, and through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, in obedience to Your Commands - the law of the King.

The NFL Draft and Our Selection

Yesterday morning we were talking about the NFL Draft and I realized that there is a bit of an analogy there to be applied to our lives, concerning our selection by the Lord.  I heard some guys on the radio describe the NFL draft as a giant roll of the dice for the teams making selections.  They evaluate the prospective players on their abilities, character, past performance, and potential.  They then look at their existing team, where they have needs, and figure out what player is the best match for their need.  The issue is that all of the things that they consider (ability, character, etc,) are not always a good indication of future performance.  There have been many cases where highly touted individuals have never really benefitted the team that chose them.

Secondly in the draft, there is much discussion about the order in which they are drafted.  It reminds me a bit of choosing teams on the playground, two team captains would choose from a pile of kids gathered around, and the kids who were chosen last were seen as less desirable.  In the NFL draft there are always participants who are not selected, and that must be really difficult, even as it was on the children chosen  last on the playground.

So what does this have to do with our faith, and relationship with the Lord?  Paul clearly describes how God has chosen us in His letter to the Ephesians 1:3-6 NIV:

[1] "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [4] For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--- [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

We were chosen by God before the creation of the world.  That is possible because the Lord exists outside of time, and He sees the beginning and the end and everything in between.  So when God looks at us He sees our whole life.  David said it well in Psalm 139:16: ..."all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." There is no mystery to God about what we will do, about every thought, word or action we will ever have, say or do.  He sees our complete life, and still He has chosen us!  In other words when He looked at all of mankind, all who ever lived, looked at His own family, He saw you and me and decided that He wanted us to be a part of His family.  He has no doubts, because He has already seen  our complete life and thought we were exactly the right person to choose!  His choosing us can never be described as a roll of the dice, because He already has seen everything we do, who we become and our total character expressed throughout our life, so His selection of us, His choosing us is 100% accurate and sure.  Let that sink in for a bit - the most intelligent, all powerful, all knowing, eternally aware individual looked at the complete record of your life and said, 'Yes, I pick you to be my daughter!', 'Yes, I pick you to be my son!'

Secondly, we are not His last pick.  Although we have been born later in the history of the world, His choice of us occurred before the creation of the world.  We are all the same exact level of relationship to Him, we are all His sons and daughters.  We are all co-heirs with Christ Jesus, we all have the same relationship.  God does have organizational and ministry order for the Body of Christ, but that is not to be considered related to our relative importance to Him.  He loves each of us with the same passion, the same desire.  We don't all have the same role, but that does not reduce our importance.  In fact Paul wrote in his 1st letter to the church in Corinth 12:22-24, "On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,.."  In other words, if we think we are weak or not important we actually are indispensable and highly honored!

So today, I am reminded that the Lord chose me, and had no doubt in doing so, for He knew that I would be exactly the individual He thought I would be!  He chose me, He predestined me for adoption as His son!  The same is true for each of you.  His words, spoken over Jesus are as true about me and you as they are about anyone in history - “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” or "This is my daughter, whom I have chosen, listen to her." Luke 9:35NIV.

Amen!

Living What We Believe

This morning I was reminded of a couple of quotes from A.W. Tozer's book - "The Knowledge of the Holy":

"To believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul a veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way."

"This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him."

- and -

"With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack? Surely we are the most favored of all creatures."

These thoughts from A.W. Tozer are such solid truth.  I find that the gap between what I think I believe and how I actually believe, as evidenced by my thoughts and actions, are often quite different.  I worry about so many things, wonder about whether I am following His direction, etc.   I am often concerned that somehow I might mess up God's plan for my life by acts of stupidness, or just plain not paying attention.

These thoughts show that I have not really believed all that I know to be true.  The good news is that God is not worried about my unbelief, my inattention, my stupidness, or any other thing or character ascribed to my human nature.  He completely understands me, knows my every thought and every action and still loves me a much as He always has.  He has everlasting mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

When God says He loves me, He says that from His vantage point in eternity, outside of time.  He says that when He already knows everything I will ever think, do and not do.  His love for me is eternal and infinite.  If I think  by doing something stupid I can cause Him to love me less, then I have not grasped these essential truths about Him.  Again, He doesn't judge me for my lack of understanding, He has seen that too, and that is included in His love.

There are some that take this perspective and decide they can do whatever they want, like this perspective of God's eternal grace becomes a free ticket to do anything. I, on the other hand, take the approach of gratefulness.  I am so thankful that God loves me in spite of my faults, failings and occasional idiocy.  He knows me, understands me, has a plan for me, and He invites me to be a part of His family, intending to bring me into His eternal happiness and glory.  He is all powerful, all knowing, infinitely good and loving.  I can rest in Him, rest in His care and realize that He is after my heart and my affection, and freely give those to Him.  How can I not love someone who knows me so completely and still chooses to love me, care for me, direct me and guide me.

Lord, help me to fully embrace my belief in You and live my live that way.  Help me to surrender myself to Your mercy, grace, compassion and forgiveness.  Help me to put all my faith in You.  Help me to really live what I say I believe!

Religious Judgement vs. Mercy and Love

This morning I am thinking about the story of the man born blind, found in John's Gospel, chapter 9.  What interested me today was the charge that Jesus did not keep the Sabbath, and could not be from God (John 9:16).  Here is the story of the healing - John 9:1-11 NIV:

[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

[8] His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

[9] Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

[10] “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

[11] He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

The issue the Pharisees had with the healing is that Jesus made mud.  The commandment concerning keeping the Sabbath is found in Exodus 20:8-11 NIV:

[8] “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. [11] For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

The parallel between "any work" and God's creative work, after which He rested on the seventh day,  was the basis for the Sabbath guidelines that had been created and expanded in the Talmud.  The Jewish teachers had expanded this commandment into 39 categories of what exactly was work and not allowed on the Sabbath.  Basically any creative effort, where one was affecting one's environment was considered work.  Thus, spitting on the ground to create mud from dirt, was considered work.

To the normal person this seems ludicrous, but to the strict observing Jew, this was huge.  The commandment was  appended later in Exodus 31:15, stating that anyone who broke the Sabbath should be put to death.  I don't believe they enforced the punishment anymore during Jesus' time, but the "breaking" of one of the commandments surely disqualified Jesus as a serious Jew, and clearly as Messiah.

I am so grateful that Jesus didn't come as a super-Pharisee, one who was hyper-focused on righteousness by the law.  He didn't come and add to the laws, but rather fulfilled the law's requirements and set us free from them.  He was constantly calling to people's minds the differences between religion and relationship.  He wanted people to understand that the Father was not some rule-enforcing authoritarian, but rather a God of love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness.  In His interaction with the blind man, He clearly states that what He was about to do was for the Glory of His Father, and that God's works might be displayed in him (the blind man).  If God's works included creation, then that is what Jesus did, effectively creating new eyes for the man out of the dirt mixed with His spit.  Jesus was demonstrating that love of God and honoring Him (operating in relationship with Him) was more important than following the letter of the law.

This is such an important perspective for us to gain, for it is supposed to be the way we view our life and guide our interaction with "sinners".  Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to further emphasize this concept (Luke 10:30-37).  Each of the people who did not help the man laying helpless on the road had legitimate "lawful" excuses for not helping.  They did not want to become unclean, and thus not able to perform their duties.  They put the law before loving another and Jesus clearly told us to do the neighborly thing, loving and caring for the man.  He encourages us to love God and to love one another (Matt 22:37-40).

So the question this morning is whether or not we use religious observance to judge ourselves and others.  Jesus used a much simpler guideline, that of love and honor.  If we are using the rules to judge others, rather than loving them, we might be missing the whole example of Jesus.  He extended love and mercy, relationship and redemption to those sinners he encountered.  Let us endeavor to do the same.

A Time of Promise Fulfillment

This morning I opened my Bible to the book of Daniel and started reading from Daniel 9:1-3 NIV:

[1] "In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--- [2] in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. [3] So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes."

I have always loved this story, for Daniel recognized the promise of the Lord and went after the fulfillment of that promise, knowing that God's promises were true.  The verses he was reading in Jeremiah were as follows - Jeremiah 29:10-13 NIV:

[10] "This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. [11] For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [12] Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

It seemed to me that as I read these verses, that I felt they were meant to encourage me today, that God's word and His promises are true.  I felt encouraged to go back to those words and promises that He has spoken into my life and into my heart, and to lay hold of them and press into Him, to remind Him of those things.  It is not that He needs reminding, but rather that there are times when He wants us to join Him in bringing about change.  In joining myself to the effort, I become more aware of Him, what He is doing and speaking, and able to recognize things I might otherwise have missed.

 I also thought like in Daniel's case, that this season of promise fulfillment was for us all.  I just wanted to encourage anyone who has been waiting on the promise of the Lord, to press in, to pray, to remind Him and to listen. He is such a good God, He wants us to understand the times and seasons we are in, that we might be able to hear Him and apply ourselves correctly.

One of my favorite author's Graham Cooke writes about the importance of understanding seasons in the Lord.  Here is a link to an excerpt of one of His books - really good stuff: http://www.lutheranrenewal.org/newsletters/0309.pdf

Lord, I pray that You would help me to press into You to know what You are saying and doing in my life.  I look forward to the fulfillment of Your promises!

I AM the Pearl

This morning as I was thinking about what to read, the title from a message one of my good friends Doug Day preached popped into my mind, "I am the pearl".  When I first saw that title I immediately started thinking about the story of the rich merchant searching for pearls.   I also thought that I need to spend some time digging into that theme.  Here are the verses found in Matthew 13:45-46 NIV:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. [46] When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

In these verses, and those preceding and following them, Jesus is describing what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.  He is describing a kingdom unlike any earthly kingdom and the focus is always on the members of the kingdom.  He uses seed, grain, treasure, pearls, mustards seeds, yeast and fish to describe the Kingdom of Heaven.  Clearly the Kingdom of Heaven is different from earthly kingdom and bears some reflection.

In the parables of the seed and the sower (Matt 13: 3-9), the parable of the weeds (Matt 13: 24-30) and the parable of the net (Matt 13:47-51) it is clear that we, the followers of God, are those things (seed, grain and fish) and as such highly valued.  The grain, seed and fish are the things that provide value back to farmer and fisherman.  The imagery of our value to God is pretty clear in these verses.

The parables of the mustard seed (Matt 13:31-32) and yeast (Matt 13:33) are more clearly about the effect and future of the Kingdom.  While almost unseen, the mustard seed becomes huge, the yeast infiltrates all of the dough.  In both cases a small beginning becomes huge and affects all around.  This is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like on the earth, small beginning and yet hugely effective, not a massive take over, but rather a natural growing effectiveness.  Again this is unlike any other earthly kingdom and Jesus is making sure that His listeners understand this fact.

Finally in the parable of the great treasure (Matt 13:44) and the pearl (Matt 13:45) we have a slightly different focus.  In both, the one looking is someone of great wealth who finds something of great value.  Most of the time when I have thought about this, my assumption has been that this parable is about the value of the Kingdom of Heaven to us, and that we should be willing to "sell everything" to acquire it.  However, when I look at it today in light of these other verses and where we fit into those parables, I do believe there is reason to believe that WE are the great treasure or the pearl of great price!

Jesus came and clearly "sold everything" to purchase us with His very blood (Rev. 5:9).  He humbled Himself and emptied Himself willingly of His divinity and took on the body of a man, from birth to death at our hands, and paid the greatest price ever paid.  His precious blood was shed for us, that we might be set free from sin and death, and be united with Him.

In the story of the pearl, it is important to note that this is not some average pearl, something that is barely valuable, thrown in with hundreds of other pearls.  This is a single pearl of great value.  I believe that the Lord wants us each to understand that is exactly how He sees us, and how valuable we are to Him.  He teaches in another place about how valuable the one lost sheep is that He would leave the ninety-nine other sheep to find the one, and when found celebrate (Luke 15:4-6)! We are each of us of significant value to Him.  We have been in His heart since before the founding of the world (Eph 1:4-5), and He has chosen us (Eph 1:11) and predestined us to join Him.  We are not some sort of accidental salvation, someone who got into the Kingdom by chance, but rather are the result of His will and purpose, His selection and choice, highly esteemed and valued in His eyes.

Here are two verses that popped into my mind:

Isaiah 43:4 NIV:  "Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,..."

Romans 8:31-32 NIV:

[31] "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

If God puts our value so high, who are we to argue?  He has deemed us valuable to Him, so valuable that He sent Jesus to pay for us with His blood and life. He has chosen us and assigned our value as beyond comprehension! It says in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, and I believe that He was looking at all the treasure, the perfect pearls  that are you and me, and His heart overflowed with joy for that which He was purchasing.

Thank You Lord, that I am of great value to You!  Lord, I don't really know how to comprehend this truth, but I pray that You will help me to see and understand valuation in Your Kingdom.  You assign great value and significance to each and every one of Your sons and daughters.  You have given Your very life, given everything that You might make a way for me.  Wow!  I AM the pearl!

Experiencing God's Affection

So this morning, as most mornings, when I sat down to pray my animals all had to stop by for their dose of my affection.  As Dakota (our dog) came back for her fourth or fifth dose of petting I was reminded of Bill Johnson talking about how his sense of the presence of the Lord comes quickly when he endeavors to be the object of God's affection.  That it is in the place of intimate relationship that God quickly reveals His love and affection and blesses Bill with a sense of His presence (My words not his).

When my dog sits at my feet and leans back into my leg, my natural reaction is to pet her, to give her that affection she desires.  The same with my cats, if they come near, I will pet them and love on them.  I was thinking that God is much better than me at all of this, and that I can be assured of His love and affection for me, and that if I just rest I will experience His affection (rather than running all around trying to find affection and acceptance in whatever is around me.)  He loves me and desires that I know that deep in my heart and experientially.

I was reminded of a couple of verses.

Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7 NIV:
[1] “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. [2] Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. [3] Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David."

[6] "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. [7] Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."

-and-

Hebrews 10:19-25 NIV:
[19] "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, [25] not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching."    

Lord, I thank You for Your affection and love!  I thank You that You are quick to respond to my desire for You.

His Prayer for Me

This morning I am reading from John's Gospel.  These verses are from Jesus' prayer for us, as His followers.  Although these are all in a paragraph, I am going to present them each singly - for they are significant and are worthy of our stopping and thinking.

John 17:13-19 NIV:

[13] “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

[14] I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

[15] My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

[16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

[17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

[18] As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

[19] For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.


I don't know how you are, but when I read them in a paragraph, I just keep on reading, rather than stopping and allowing myself to comprehend the fullness of what is being said.  I guess that is the result of all the reading I have done, but it does not serve me well when trying to digest such critical truths as found in these verses.  I find that reading them in this format actually helps me stop and think after each sentence.

Paraphrasing what I hear from the Lord:

1) He wants us to have His joy, and part of that is only possible if we understand His words, and His heart.  Our reading of scriptures and meditating on them is the best way to hear what He is saying and to understand His heart.

2) I am no longer of this world. As His follower, I have been changed and given an eternal destiny that trumps this present life and existence.  I need to understand and act as if this were true, not in a strange disconnected way, but rather with an awareness that this reality is not the final reality.  He wants me to understand and live in this new reality.

3) I need the Father's protection from the evil one, and He does protect me.

4) His word sanctifies me, it sets me apart.  His word, and my believing and living by His word will separate me from the world.

5) His word is truth, and I can rely on His truth, regardless of how things seem here, for His word is based on and out of the greater reality of eternity.

6) I have been sent into the world, and if I have been sent, then it is with a purpose.  I am like His word that has been sent out and will achieve its purpose (Is 55:11).

7) In following Jesus, I am being sanctified, separated from the world.  I must expect that others will notice and I will not always be welcomed as His follower.  As He said a bit earlier, the world will hate me, even as it hated Him (verse 14).  I must choose whether I will follow Him or give into fear of the world's hatred.

8) The Lord established a path for me with His life.  He did this that I might have an example of a life lived properly for the Father, in union with the Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that I might know it is possible.

Thank You Lord, for praying for me, for laying out a path of life that i might follow.  I thank You that You have sent me with a purpose, and provide truth and protection to me.  I am certainly only worthy of this calling because You have made me worthy by Your grace and mercy.

Our Default Mindset

This morning I was reading Paul's letter to the Roman's and was thinking about my default response to things that occur in my life.  Paul writes an interesting bit about being in the flesh or the spirit in his epic letter to the church in Rome.  Here are a few of the verses - Romans 8:5-11 NIV:

[5] "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. [6] The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. [7] The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. [8] Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

[9] "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. [10] But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. [11] And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."

Paul describes here a default mindset, as in what governs us, how we respond to new situations, new challenges.  Looking at verse 6, the mind governed by the Holy Spirit is "life and peace".  In other words, if our base mindset is in line with the Holy Spirit our response produces life and peace inside of us, which allows this to flow out of us to those around us.  This is like the default settings in software programs, or our smart phones.  I set my default screen background so that when I open my phone, I am reminded of a trip I took to Scotland with my family.  This is what pops up first whenever I open my phone's screen.  In the same way, God wants our default mindset to be in line with the Holy Spirit so that our initial response to changes or difficulties exudes peace and life.

Paul is saying that we can have a default mindset, a mind governed by the Holy Spirit. Paul goes on to explain that if we have experienced salvation, if we belong to Christ, if we are hidden in Christ Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and this should be our default mindset.  If we have experienced salvation, then we DO belong to Christ,  we ARE hidden in Christ, and His Spirit DOES live within us, for those are all the result of God's work in us and are not dependent on our own actions.  That is really good news!

Now, I don't always live like  these things are true and that is my encouragement today, to allow my default mindset to be changed to be aligned with the Holy Spirit. I know that this must be possible to have my mindset adjusted, to have my default response to be inline with the Holy Spirit, for Paul describes it here.  So the question is how?

I was reminded of a verse from Isaiah 1:18 NIV:

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

I believe that this describes the staining effect of sin (choosing something other than God's will) in our lives.  God says that He will make us white as snow, and we know that He did this for us through His death and Resurrection.  But more than paying for our sins, He describes here an actual stainless condition, where it is no longer evident there was a stain at all.  That is amazingly good news... our sin does not permanently affect us.  We can become white as snow, unstained and unmarred.

I think part of my problem is that I don't fully believe at my deepest core, that I am loved, saved and truly God's son (all because of what He has done).  I think that is too good, that I don't deserve that kind of treatment.  I am choosing to view myself as stained, but the truth is that when God looks at me, He sees me  as unstained, much loved, His son on whom He enjoys having favor.  He thinks I am brilliant.  I need to reject the mindset that says I am anything less that what God says.  God calls this repentance, literally changing the way I think.

Lord, I recognize that I don't think correctly, that my default mindset is often not inline with You.  I ask You to help me to change my mind, to set my mind on Your Holy Spirit, that I might experience life and peace.

The Rewards of Following Jesus

This morning I am pondering an interesting exchange between Jesus and His apostles.  This exchange is captured, with slight variations in all three of the synoptic Gospels, Mark 10:17-30, Luke 18:18-30, and Matt 19:16-29.  The actual verses I am pondering are when Jesus replies to Peter (as described in Matthew) about what they will receive, those who have given up everything.  Here is Matthew's version of Jesus' reply - Matthew 19:27-30 NIV:

[27] "Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

[28] "Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

Mark and Luke add a qualifying statement to verse 29, that this will happen "in this present age" and in the age to come.

Anyway, I believe that this verse has been used many times throughout the history of the Church to justify all sorts of things, but especially financial abuses.  It is interesting that Jesus adds these comments immediately after He tells a rich man that he needs to sell everything and give to the poor, then follow Him.  These verses are a great example of how we can take things out of context and focus solely on them, forgetting quickly that which Jesus just said.

I guess it isn't that surprising as many of us, myself included, have a hard time remembering what the Lord said to us yesterday.

Anyway, my reflection on today's verses does not provide answers, but more a comment on context.  Jesus is speaking to his Apostles directly, and to us generally.  He had just finished speaking to the young rich man, telling him that His riches and possessions were what stood between him and real relationship with the Lord, and eternal life.  The young man's response illustrates Jesus' point exactly, for when given the choice between riches and possessions or following Jesus, he walked away from Jesus.  The Lord was addressing the nature of our hearts, the strength of the pull of possessions, and the ability of this focus to pull us away from that which is infinitely better - relationship with Him and eternal life.

In this context, Peter proclaims that they have left everything - essentially demonstrating that they didn't have the same problem (remember Matthew AKA Levi was a tax-collector and likely wealthy).  Jesus looks right at them all and responds as copied above, they will receive authority in the new age,  relationships and blessings in this present age and the age to come, and eternal life.  I imagine they all were looking around at each other and high-fiving after Jesus answered in such a way.  It is important to note that they are all still thinking the Kingdom of God was going to be an earthly kingdom, and thus Jesus' answer seemed to confirm their beliefs!

What I was thinking about this morning, was what they actually DID receive in that present Age.  In Mark's version he adds one more thing they will receive "persecutions" (Mark 10:30).  History tells us that most of them would be martyred for their faith, and certainly they all endured the persecutions of the early church that occurred after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54 - 8:3).  James was killed by Herod quite early (Acts 12: 1-2) and the rest were scattered all over.  What we don't see much of is the rest of their actual lives, and what material wealth they inherited or enjoyed.  I believe the reason this is the case is that they all came to understand that the Lord's prophecy to them wasn't about individual possessions and wealth, or a specifically earthy kingdom like David experienced.  In fact it was after day of Pentecost that the church grew rapidly and people were selling possessions and giving to the church so that they could care for all in need (Acts 2:45) and they were feeding and providing for hundreds or more, providing daily bread distribution (Acts 6:1-4).

Thinking about that early church life, there must have been a sense of community and oneness, sort of like a giant family gathering were everyone was related and loving each other, looking out for each other and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit present in their gatherings. I am sure, thinking specifically about the Apostles, that they were now welcomed in most any home, in any family, in any gathering of believers, and they were experiencing the riches in "this present age".  It wasn't about them, it was about the Body of Christ, and they came to understand that after the day of Pentecost.  Later on they were given peoples and churches to care for and teach.  Again, the scriptures do not tell us much about their personal lives, but we know from Church history that all of them were active and given to serving the church in many places, with thousands of people responding to the Gospel.  The Apostles were held in special honor for they were Jesus' selected one's, and were considered to be the eldest brothers in the family of the church, the Body of Christ.  In summary, they had left everything, but received hundreds of times as much in return, just as Jesus had promised, it just wasn't in the form of individual riches and possessions.  They were wealthy in ways that were clearly far beyond their imagining, for their inheritance included the gentiles (Acts 10 & 11 and beyond).

So, bringing this back into context of our lives, our choosing to follow Jesus should not be about individual wealth acquisition, or financial blessing, or reward.  Our following of Jesus should be about doing that which He commanded, loving each other as He loved us, being a part of the Body of Christ.  The Kingdom and its expansion individually is our charge and commission, and in the midst of that we will be blessed beyond comprehension, both in this present age and in the age to come!

Amen!

Hope for the Desperate

This morning I was meditating on the 5th chapter of Mark.  This chapter has three pretty incredible stories of God's intervention in people's lives.  The chapter starts with the Gerasenes demoniac (Mark 5:1-20), a man so possessed by demons that he was uncontrollable, even by chains.  When questioned as to their name, the demon said his name was Legion, for we are many.  To put that in perspective, the Roman legion of the time had 5000+ soldiers, so we are talking about an individual under extreme demonic influence.

The second and third stories (Mark 5: 21-43) find Jesus responding to Jairus's request to come an heal his 12 year old daughter who was very sick and in danger of dying.  Jesus starts to walk with Jairus to his house, but gets interrupted on the way by the woman who had been suffering a bleeding condition for 12 years. These two intertwined stories were what I was thinking about, for I find them very compelling, and revealing of the Lord's heart towards us.

Specifically, I was thinking about Jairus, and what must have been more than a few heart-rending moments, when Jesus stops and questions the crowd as to who touched his robe.  Here is a man, whose only hope in saving his daughter is Jesus, and instead of running to his house, Jesus stops and starts asking who touched his cloak.  I would imagine that Jairus was about to blow a gasket, wanting to encourage the Lord to keep moving, for he was desperate.

What I found very comforting, was the fact that Jesus was unwilling to let this woman who needed healing go without confirming her faith and her healing.  I guess you could say that the Lord, does not ignore anyone who is desperate, even in the midst of other desperate situations.  Jesus' willingness to stop and refusal to go on until the woman responded to His question, to me is an indication of her significance to the Father.   She needed healing, was responding to faith that had risen up in her heart, and the Father, through Jesus, wanted to make sure she knew He had heard her prayer and healed her.  This was no small occurrence in her life, and the Lord wanted her to understand His love for her.  That is awesome!

Back to Jairus, who I am sure was pacing like a mad-man, while Jesus was still dealing with the woman who had bleeding, Jairus's worst fears are confirmed,  when someone from his house comes running up and tells him his daughter has died.  I can imagine well the shock of those words, the sense of loss, and an almost immediate shift to blaming either Jesus or the woman or both for his daughter's death.  Jesus immediately jumps in and tells him to hold onto that small bit of faith, "Don't be afraid, just believe."

If there was ever a moment to walk away from faith, that was it, for his daughter had died and the Lord hadn't made it to his house in time, stopping instead to deal with an old woman.  Jairus, to his credit, held onto the small bit of faith he had and went with Jesus.  This was before Lazurus' raising from the dead, and in Mark's Gospel is the first time Jesus raises anyone who has died, so the Jairus can only hope that this Jesus who healed people of leprosy and other diseases could do something for him.  Anyway, Jesus finally gets to Jairus' house, and faces down the crowd, and puts them all out of his house.  He takes Jairus and his wife in with him and immediately calls the girl back to life.  Wow, imagine the joy in that house, the relief of Jairus, the overwhelming sense of God's love for them!  Jesus, in true humility has them get the girl something to eat, and then tells them to keep the story quiet.

Jesus wasn't after publicity, or massive crowds, He was concerned about their life.  He specifically limited the number of people who followed Him, who knew what He did, and who witnessed the miracle.  He indicates something really important here, that He is more worried about our lives than His own reputation.  Man's thinking is that the more people that know, the greater His glory, but that is not how God thinks apparently.  He doesn't seem worried about His own reputation at all, in fact He does the opposite of what  most of us would do.  Just think about that fact - our lives are more significant to Him than His reputation.

Finally, back to the desperate nature of each of these situations, the demoniac affected by thousands of demons, the woman who has bled for 12 years, who spent all her money and was still sick, the man whose daughter is dying, and then died.  All are seriously desperate, and yet in each situation the Lord steps in and brings freedom and relief, restoration and healing, deliverance and hope!  He is up for the most desperate situation, and able to meet us in our need, regardless of how hopeless it seems.  He is greater than any  desperate situation.  Finally, He does this all because He wants us to know how significant we are to Him.  He is willing to stop for each of us, to understand our situation and then to set us free!  Amen!  What a great word of hope for today!

Being Prayer Operatives

This morning I was reading from Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and it is a very familiar set of verses, but again the Lord highlighted something to me that, while I knew the words, I hadn't recently reflected on the impact what we were being called to do.

Here are the verses - Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV:

[10] "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. [11] Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. [12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [13] Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. [14] Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, [15] and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. [16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

[18] "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. [19] Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

What caught my attention today was verse 18 - after putting on the armor of God, the next action we are encouraged to do is PRAY. Paul describes a bit of action in the Armor of God verses, standing one's ground, extinguishing the flaming arrows of the evil one, but the primary direction to action is found in verse 18 - "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions..."  Now, this is not a one-way conversation, where all we do is tell God about all the issues we see, this should be like all prayer, a two-way conversation.  Our desire is to walk in God's will, and we cannot know His will if we are not listening to what He is saying.

A good analogy would be how members of a strike team in the military are all in radio communication with each other and with operational head-quarters, except silence is not required, but rather constant communication.  Those operatives who are in the field are describing what they are encountering, where the resistance is coming from, and the Ops HQ is guiding them, directing air-support and coordinating their activity.  Imagine if the Body of Christ really learned to pray like this!

I also like Paul's humility in asking for prayers, specifically asking for prayers to be able to proclaim the Gospel fearlessly.  In other words, Paul needed encouragement and God's help to overcome his fear.  I don't feel so bad now.

Finally, there is an encouragement to pray for all of the Lord's people.  In other words, those of our congregation and those of other congregations, and those around the world.  We are one body and we war against (not flesh and blood) but rulers , authorities and powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil.  In other words, we can't see our enemies with our natural eyes.  We need spiritual vision, one reason to be praying in the Spirit on all occasions, and we need God's perspective for He rules with all authority in Heaven and on earth.  We all need to learn how to operate under His orders all the time.  This is the purpose of prayer, for it is in prayer that we hear from Him.

Just yesterday I was thinking about what it would be like if one day I only did what the Lord told me to do?  I was thinking about how I need to learn to actively listen in all circumstances, and learn to obey fearlessly.  I was thinking about the need to practice, and become better and better at hearing and following, and that is essentially exactly what Paul is describing  here.  We don't need to be strong in our own power, God is the provider of strength, power and armor.  We don't need to figure it out on our own, God will provide the words to speak (verse 19) and what to do. We just need to learn to walk in what God provides fearlessly.

Amen Lord, please help me to engage in my representation of the Gospel and the Kingdom with an operational attitude through constant prayer and obedience!  Lord help me to gear up and get after it!