Category: Scripture Devotion

God Articulated

April 13th, 2021

I had my mind go back today to John 1. I have preached from this passage 1:1-14 so many times. It is in my sermon book available at Written In Flesh: A Series of Expositional Sermons in John’s Gospel: Volume 1 – Chapters 1-3 (To Believe and Have Life) – Kindle edition by Goforth Jr, James L. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

This isn’t intended to be a commercial post, but just wanted you to know where youc an get the rest of this idea. I was thinking about it today and reading again and I wanted to just include a little bit of it, sort of an outline of it. I wanted to just give you an encouragement today

John 1:1-4 in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. in him was life and that life was the light of men (CSB)

John wrote his gospel toward the end of the first century, long after all the other 11 who walked with Jesus had died. He wrote it from Ephesus where he had been pastor of what had become a large metropolitan church. John wrote 20:31 that you may believe … and have life.

Heraclitus had been a Greek Philosopher, also from Ephesus about 600 years before John 500BC. and he described the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. He called that divine reason – the logos = word. Heraclitus believed, 500 years before Jesus walked the earth, that there was something behind everything.

And John writes perhaps the most beautiful words in literature these words we just read. John was saying, “Heraclitus is right, and I know WHO he is, I walked with him, talked with him, saw him die, saw him alive, I KNOW HIM!” and he writes these words.

Go back and read them again – go ahead, I’ll wait.

John says the WORD isn’t a concept, he is a person. And he uses that same word LOGOS to show us Jesus.

He says

1.He is an Ancient Word

When the beginning had a beginning, Jesus was already there. Whatever you are facing, whatever the challenges, Jesus was before it. Your generational problem, your current circumstance, success, failure, Jesus was there BEFORE

And he WAS the Word. He has an infinite past. Matthew, Mark, Luke, all put Jesus rightfully in his place in History. But John starts by placing him outside history

in the beginning was the word

Whatever you face, take it back to the beginning when there was nothing but God, and know that before everything, before you even knew him, Jesus loved you.

And Jesus is

2.An Associated Word

was WITH God

They say you can be defined by whom you associate with. John Associated Jesus with GOD. That word means in the company of

John says anyone who has seen me has seen God – John 14:9

Hebrews 1 says he is the radiance of God’s glory … the exact representation of his being

And so that means he is also associated with the Holy Spirit. In the beginning was God … let US make man in OUR own image

Jesus was fully equal to and associated with the Trinity, the fullness of God.

But then the amazing becomes true John 1:14 the word became flesh and dwelt among us

Jesus became fully associated with US, with People.

When Solomon built his Temple he thought in 1 Kings 8:27 will God really dwell on earth? The heavens … cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built.

And yet that word, ancient and associated with God, became associated with us!

Why? so that our FIRST word doesn’t have to be the LAST Word.

Words seem to define us – winner, loser, big, small, accepted, rejected, sinner, saint, but because Jesus is the First Word and He is the FINAL Word, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End; it doesn’t matter what your current word is, it doesn’t have to define you if you surrender to Jesus.

He is an

3.An Almighty Word

So Fear Him. Psalm 34:8-9 taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints for those who fear him lack nothing.

Almighty Creator – Fear Him

Favor Him. that means to show him love, and to show him preference.

Who do you love and give preference to? Jesus is the one that deserves to be over all of that.

Follow Him – it’s not enough to think Jesus is nice, or a good teacher, he is either LORD, or Lunatic, or he was a Liar. That’s what C.S.Lewis famously said. If he is NOT Lord, then don’t follow him, but if he IS – he deserves ALL our lives fully given and devoted to him. Lewis said you can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him for a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.

Oh my how the WORD can change our Word

From Abuse to Adore, Bankrupt to Bless, Cancer to Cured, Divorce to Anniversary Date, Empty to Exuberant, Famine to Feast, Grief to Given Comfort, Hate to Heart of Love, Irreconcilable to intercession. He can change us from Justice to Justification, Kicked out to Kicking up your heals, Lay-off to Labor in a New beginning. Oh can you hear me? From Materialist to Minister of God’s Gifts, Naysayers to Number one Fan, Ostracized to Open door. Oh I like the Word of God, Jesus changes us from Picked last to Picked FIRST by the Lord of Creation. He changes our word from Unqualified to Qualified, Ridicule to Resounding praise, Suffering to Strength, Termination to Threshold of opportunity. Oh when Word is our Word we can go from Uneducated to Understanding, Victim to Victor. When X-rays are fearful, we can have EXpectation of God’s move. If Yielding to God is fearful, the word of Jesus is A Yield of Great harvest, and Zero hope becomes a Zephyr of God’s Blessing blowing …

Oh Somebody … are you with me today

Whatever the words are playing in your heart and life today, Jesus is the Word BEFORE and will be the WORD after, and He IS the Word here with us today, willing to change our world.

Will you turn to him today. Say “Jesus, you are my word, you are my hope, you are my life, my trust is in you all day long.”
I Seek the Profit

July 1st, 2019

Just a short word –

Paul says in Philippians 4:16-17(CSB) “…you sent gifts for my need several times. 17 Not that I seek the gift But I seek the profit that is increasing to your account”

Seems like I remember someone saying that we should not lay up treasures on earth, but lay up treasures in our heavenly account?

Are we just saving up for a rainy day? Is this “Christian Karma” living? No it doesn’t work that way.

When we are in need, God doesn’t go into our Heavenly Account and take care of us, no, he takes care of us from the wealth of interest in his OWN Account. V19 says “my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. That’s because of his wealth not out of his wealth.

So I’m NOT trying to store up for a rainy day, spiritually or physically, I’m investing in Heaven, trying to increase the Kingdom, add to the population of the eternal.

And the result of our investment is We are Saints, and Others Become Saints. And the other result of the investment is that when all is said and done, what remains is GRACE.

Isaiah 55:10-11 “for just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

The grace of God, the Gospel of God, always produces the intended result.

A life, given on purpose, is an eternal investment to the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Under Oliver Cromwell’s government, they ran out of silver for coins. They looked all over for silver. The report came back that the only silver they could find was in the statues of saints in the churches. Cromwell is reported as saying “melt down the saints and put them into circulation!”

Melt down the saints and put them into circulation

Who’s in?

Everything of value save Christ, Melt it down

Everything that would keep us from laying down our lives, Melt it down

Pride, Self-Exaltation, Melt it Down

May we be lives given that Coins of Grace be minted in the hearts of those around us

In the furnace of persecution, melt us down and put us into circulation.

May our only currency be blood, sweat, and tears given to the glory of God

Pleasing, acceptable, sacrifices, Sweet Smelling to the Lord

— an excerpt from the sermon -“Life Together … On Purpose” from the sermon book “Yes … I Will Rejoice!” by James L Goforth Jr available at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0792KMPHM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Other titles available http://www.amazon.com/author/pastorgoforth
Dead In The Garden

March 28th, 2018
This is a little more lengthy, a sermon, but a good read on the battlefield that is Prayer

Dead In The Garden

Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-49

The Garden of Gethsemane. What a beautiful and poetic place in our minds, literature, songs, and all these last 2000 years.

The name “Gethsemane” comes from the root Aramaic word for “oil press”. It is filled with Olive Trees. Having been to Israel, and spent time in multiple Spanish locals, Lisa and I learned to love Olive Trees. They are such interesting trees. They go down into the ground and come back up, from the roots, over and over, year after year, which creates very gnarly interesting looking trunks. They produce beautiful wood, and of course the olive, and the oil.

The Garden of Gethsemane contains trees that have connections of 2000 years old or more. The oldest trees can only be dated to about 1000 years. However, recent tests say that they are all familial and appear to be cuttings from much older trees. They could be the very trees, or offshoots from the roots of the trees under which Jesus would have prayed.

It is under these trees, that Jesus was anguished out like Oil in a press. We know it as the place where he prayed, and the place where he was arrested.

Look at this painting by the artist, Caravaggio.

The Garden of Gethsemane was not just the place that Jesus was betrayed, or the place where he was finally caught. The Garden of Gethsemane gives us the picture, and example, of HOW to deal with the battles of Life. How do we prepare for the battles? Where do we FIGHT the Battle?

Notice something that jumps out at me from this painting …

Judas, center, has just kissed Jesus on the cheek, the signal to arrest our Savior. John is on the left, running from the scene, but being held back by a guard.

Caravaggio, the artist, has placed himself on the far right, holding a lantern, relating to our culpability in the death of Christ. It was OUR sin, that captured him, and sent him to the cross.

There, center left is Jesus.

What I want you to see about Jesus is his posture.

Facing arrest in innocence. Facing a death sentence. Before the lies, before the accusations, before the injustice, the beating, the plucking of the beard. Before the nails, the spear …

He is passive.

He is not fighting, he is not fleeing.

Then notice, the light is falling on his hands.

His hands are clasped, fingers intertwined, I see a resoluteness in his hands.

He is committed to the task.

He is dead to himself

He is dead to death

He is already dead!

How do we fight the battles of obedience to complete the tasks of God?

How do we seek God’s face and come out victorious?

How do Face even the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and find the strength and courage to go into it resolutely?

The Battle is In the GARDEN …

The Battle is ON Our Knees.

The Garden of Gethsemane was, in my opinion, the final battle that Christ faced on this earth. The fake trial, the beatings, the mocking, the taunting, the cross, were NOT a battle for Christ. Of course, they were Physically demanding and painful, but there was NO doubt that he would continue and finish what he set out to do.

Look at his hands …

The key to that Resolve, was the Victory, that was won in The Garden.

Christ had shared the Passover meal with his disciples. Then he made the late evening walk with his disciples, giving them his final teachings on The Vine and the Branches, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He prayed in their presence for Unity of his people. Then he cross the Kidron Valley on the East Side of Jerusalem, and goes to The Garden.

READ Matthew 26:36-46 and Luke 22:39-

What is the Battle that you face Today?

The Garden is the Place to fight the battle.

Our time with the Lord gives us the power for the battles of life.

The battles are NOT won on the playing field, on the contrary, they are won as we wrestle with ourselves, and with God, and gain the victory and resolution to go on in obedience to his will.

When we’ve surrendered to his will, we will not give in to defeat, discouragement, or the devil.

Jesus and his disciples were BOTH in the Garden. They were BOTH to be praying …

But the disciples SLEPT …

What was the difference?
- Understanding God’s Plan – Jesus didn’t go into the garden wondering what to do. He knew because he had been in the garden before. He knew the plan. So, in the garden, now, he was praying for strength and certainty, NOT deliverance. Oh, the flesh wanted deliverance, “Father If …” but the other difference, Jesus had …
- A Strong Spirit and a Strong Flesh – We want to cop out and say, “oh, I’m just not strong enough … but the strength of the flesh comes from strengthening and committing the spirit to the God-revealed plans. The disciples were weak because they had NOT spent the time in the Garden BEFORE. They were driven by selfish desires and felt needs. They were driven by what THEY wanted, an earthly kingdom, notoriety, etc. They didn’t know the plans and purposes of God.
What is the Garden?

The Garden is a Place of Passion

“fell face down” / “sweat drops of blood”

The Garden is a Common Place

Luke 22:39 – “He went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives … ⁴⁰ When he reached the place …”

This was NOT a just because he knew that he was going to die tomorrow.

This was common action, common place, common practice for Christ.

It was common when he faced critical decisions, it was common when he had a battle to face, it was common for him to relate to the Father, through passionate prayer and surrender.

With God, in prayer, is not the last resort, it is the first and common place for us.

The Posture of the Garden is one of Surrender

– for Jesus, we know that he knelt, we also know that he ended up on his face.

Those are postures of humility and surrender to a Sovereign.

They are postures of great anguish, and deep desire for gracious favor of our Sovereign.

– For the disciples, he told them to pray, but in the lateness of the night, and their exhaustion, they fell asleep and so he told them to “get up and pray“.

– if the posture you are in is causing you to struggle in prayer, find another position, it’s not as much about the posture, but it is about surrender.

– if kneeling or being on your face causes you to surrender to sleep, then stand, walk, pray out loud, but take a position where you can surrender to God.

Hebrews 5:7 says Jesus – “offered prayers … with loud cries and tears … and he was heard because of his reverence (submission)”.

He wasn’t heard because of position, but because of passionate surrender

The Garden is a Place –

– where we Recognize His Power – “… all things are possible”

– Where we Recognize His Position – “Abba, Father” –

Not My Will But Yours,

You Are Boss, You Are Leading, I Am Following.

Abba – (Aramaic) was the personal intimate way to relate to Father, i.e. “daddy”

Father – (Greek – pater) The formal address to the parent, ancestor, source of being, prototype, priest

We could amplify this phrase more Fully here,

“My Dearest Daddy, Father from whom I have my physical life, my spiritual being, whom I recognize as the source of everything I know, and the final authority on all matters, …”

When you Come to the Garden, bring Your Desires, but Be Prepared to Surrender to HIS

“Ok, this is nice inspirational stuff, pastor, but …”

So, What Do WE do in the Garden? How is the battle one in the Garden?

IN THE GARDEN …

1. The Armor of God is Put On

Ephesians 6:10–18 (CSB) ¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. ¹³ For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ¹⁴ Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, ¹⁵ and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In every situation 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 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

You have the Armor of God at your disposal, but you MUST put it ON. When the battle starts you will be vulnerable if you don’t already have your armor on. It’s tough getting dressed into armor while you are being attacked.

What’s the Armor?

– Breastplate of Righteousness

– Belt of Truth

– Shoes Preparation of the Gospel

– Shield of Faith

– Helmet of Salvation

– Sword of the Spirit

How do you put it on?

Prayer

Ephesians 6:18 says, Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request … i.e. “about everything”

“Pray On” each Piece of the Armor, and its Characteristics of Protection and Offense. Something like this …

Lord, I take up the Breastplate of Righteousness, may the righteousness of Christ protect my heart, and vital organs.

I put on the belt of Truth. May the truth of God be the buckling point that keeps my armor in place and guards my deep-set places and passions in check and protected.

I stand on a grounding in the word of God and a commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hold up faith as my shield.

I will hide behind the victorious Cross of Christ that has won every victory for me, and allow him to lead me in a triumphal procession of Victory.

I take up the Word of God as my only weapon of offense. I will not use it recklessly or selfishly. I will not make it say what I want, but will allow it to speak for itself and defend me.

Over all, I put on the helmet of Salvation, the mind of Christ. May his attitude of selfless service, humility, and commitment, be my attitude and mind. Lord, today I am prepared for the battles that will come and I walk with you, for you, and live toward your glory, Amen

Also, IN THE GARDEN …

2. Discouragement Is Banished and Strength is Imparted

A. Discouragement is banished

Why do we get discouraged?

We feel like we are not appreciated

We feel like we are not accomplishing or living up to our potential.

We feel no one notices or cares.

We feel like God doesn’t see us or realize what we are going through.

In the Garden, we come into the presence of God, and feel his embrace, his praise, his pleasure.

The greatest thing that God wants from us is for us to commune with him.

So, you can be sure that when we come into his presence in the Garden, he is pleased, we have his attention, we experience his approval.

In his presence, we better understand his purpose, we can get a better perspective on what we might call failure or success.

Discouragement is banished in the garden

And …

B. Strength is Imparted in the Garden

Luke 22:43,44 – Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him … he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling …

The Olive Press

“Oh, I don’t know if I will have the strength to pray as I should …”

Strength is imparted AS you pray, not just before you pray.

IN THE GARDEN …

3. Obedience is Determined

Obedience hasn’t been physically carried out, but the die is already cast.

– Those of you who are dating, you do NOT DECIDE to be PURE while you are ON the Date. That Battle is won in your heart and mind, before you ever get on the date.

– you might win a few minor skirmishes by fighting that way, but the difficult all-out battles are won as you determine, in the garden, before God, to be obedient.

– if you have a habit that you are trying to “kick” because you feel a conviction from the Lord to stop. That decision has to be made before him daily on your knees, NOT when the urge or craving hits. If you have already died to it, and decided what you will do, then when the thought or urge hits, you will get the Victory, because you are already dead.

IN THE GARDEN …

4. God is the Focus

A. Focus

Now, the “model prayer” Jesus taught his disciples, is NOT what he prayed here in the garden, but the WAY to pray in the Garden is revealed in that model prayer.

It is the focus Christ gave us in prayer … How was it we are to pray? To whom are we to pray? For whose glory?

Our Father – Who? –

He is God, He is Father, we are NOT. Oh, we need a fresh reminder do we not?

In Heaven – Where? –

He is in heaven, he is not limited to our limitations, he made it all. He is with us, but he is above us, he is over us.

Hallowed be Your Name – Why?

– All is for his glorification. It is not our glory we seek. As we pray for his name, anything that is for our glory will fade away.

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done – What? –

We seek to accomplish his purposes.

Adam and Eve failed in the First Garden, because they took their focus off God and put it on themselves. They should have been getting ready for their daily walk through the Garden with God, they instead surrendered to the prompting of Satan.

Yet in this Garden, Jesus took the focus OFF of Himself … “not my will” and put the focus on God “… but your will be done, Father”

In the Garden our Appetite is set on God …

B. Hunger

What you hunger for is evident in the garden.

Is your Passion/Hunger for God or for other things; your plans, or the will of God

Psalm 63:1; 3-5 (CSB)¹ God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water … ³ My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life. ⁴ So I will bless you as long as I live; at your name, I will lift up my hands. ⁵ You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.

C.S. Lewis says this about Hunger: “[If] we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.?” (CS LEWIS)

ILLUSTRATION “what if you … were invited to a friend’s house for dinner. You knew that your friend was a gourmet cook of nouvelle cuisine. You thought, her food is great but it’s usually not enough for you.

You are so hungry after missing lunch that day. You are on your way to their new house and there was something missing in the directions and you have a hard time finding her house. As you drive around, hungry and lost, you start driving by a string of fast food restaurants. You keep driving by a hot-dog place. You stop at the light and the aroma from the drive-thru is crying out and calling your name. You don’t want a hot dog, you need a hot dog.

There won’t be enough food anyway. I’ll just have a snack you decide while I find her house. You stopped to order a snack. But what to order? You settle on a regular hot dog, a Chicago dog, and a chili dog. The hot dogs really aren’t very big. And what’s a hot dog without French fries? So you ordered a large fries to cover the demands of the three hot dogs. Fries are salty and hot dogs are spicy, so you added a large soft drink to wash it down. You feel better now.

When you finally found her house, she had prepared a the most amazing and wonderful meal you’ve ever seen. However, you can’t enjoy it, you are miserable as you try to be polite and force a little food down. You don’t enjoy because you are FULL. You was so full, you even leave food on the plate.

This is a parable of prayerlessness.

Why don’t we pray? We don’t pray for the same reason you couldn’t enjoy that gourmet meal;

We’re stuffed in our spirits, full, over-loaded, packed, soul-crammed, not with the Bread of Life, but with spiritual junk food.

One writer said lack of prayer is a lack of hunger for God.

How do we regain our hunger for God?

– praise

– worship

– recount his deeds

– read the prayers of others

– memorize scripture

– pray the scriptures

– Fast – fasting requires you to fill your hunger with God. As you do this, you will begin to hunger for Him more than the things this world has to offer

We focus on God and regain our hunger for him in the Garden

IN THE GARDEN …

5. Self is Sacrificed

If you die in the garden, you will Live in Victory on the Battlefield.

If you don’t die in the garden, then Defeat crouches at the door”

Unless a seed goes into the ground and dies, it cannot produce the fruit it was intended to produce.

Jesus Christ “Died” in the Garden.

He left behind HIS will and Embraced the Will of the Father.

When he left the Garden, he was a “dead man walking”.

Remember those hands. He was set.

He was born to die, he lived to die, and that night in the garden he prayed and died.

That’s why he didn’t defend himself, that’s why he didn’t fight back, that’s why he went willingly to the cross.

That’s how he was the seed which sprouted into the beautiful planting of God that is you and me, the church of Jesus Christ which will be preserved and presented blameless before the Father in Eternity.

Beautiful Things grow in a garden, but …

Before Spring must come Winter,

Before planting must come plowing,

Before reaping must come planting,

Before fruitful life, must come the death of the seed, planted in the barren garden.

Jesus calls you to Tarry with him in the Garden.

Jesus calls you to follow him into the lonely place that is the Garden,

To Die to Self, allow the Spirit of God to plow deep the Hardness of Your Heart, and Break up the Dry, Fallow Ground.

Let him plow deep, and pull up the fertile soil below that he might plant his desires, his will in your life.

Dead in the Garden, means Life in the Garden.

Death in the Garden, means fruitfulness in your Life.

You will Get Up and Leave the Garden determined to do God’s will

Will You Tarry in the Garden?

Will you Surrender to him?

Let me just say, that there are some of you here today who LONG for the Garden, but you’ve never surrendered your life to Christ and you feel that when you pray there is a disconnect, that is simply because you need to give your heart to him.

Psalm 66:18 – if I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened

You cannot have intimacy if you are separated from him by sin.

Accept Christ, receive him into your heart and you will know the Joy, Intimacy, and Victory of the Garden.

Dear child of God … go to the Garden

Church of Jesus Christ … seeking God’s direction, intervention, protection … Go to the Garden.
How Long? When God is Pleased

January 25th, 2018
Galatians 1:15 – But when God … was pleased

… who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace …

The Call of God …

The Plan of God …

The Timing of God …

The Provision of God …

… are all OF GOD

When we are facing uncertainty, adversity, persecution, dire circumstance, we often ask, ” How long, Lord?”

The insinuation is that we know what is best. It is a feeling that we are being wronged and we are calling God to account for the “injustice” of allowing this injustice in our lives to go unchecked. Well, here is a different angle on the question, “how long?”. Do we really want to open the floor for the “how long?” question? If you do a casual search of scripture for the phrase, “how long” you will find that God often asks his people the same question.
- “how long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?”
- “how long will you refuse to keep my commands and instructions?”
- “how long will these people despise me?”
- “how long will they not trust me?”
- “how long will you delay going out to take possession of the land that the Lord … gave you?”
- “how long … will my honor be insulted?”
- “how long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie?”
Do we really want to get into a “how long?” contest with God? The difference between us and God is perspective, knowledge, and wisdom. God sees it all complete. We see it myopically through darkened and damaged lenses. God has full knowledge of every aspect. We have limited knowledge. God has the wisdom to know exactly what to do with the knowledge he has. We aren’t as wise as we think we are, as is evident when we keep doing what we have been doing, and wonder why we keep getting what we have been getting.

Listen, there is nothing wrong with asking God, “how long?”, or “is it time?”. But, we need to ask in trust and perspective, and with our hearts set on God, our lives given sacrificially to God, regardless of if God’s timetable matches ours.

I am mindful of a comparison of perspectives. The disciples, on multiple occasions, asked, “Lord, will you establish your kingdom now?”. What were they asking? “How long, Lord, do we have to put up with our circumstances, persecution, adversity, and uncertainty.” The problem was that they were asking selfishly, “will you do what we want?”, “will you give us seats of honor?”. What’s the comparison? In Revelation 6, in Heaven, the 5th seal was opened and we see souls under the altar crying out, “Lord … how long until you judge … and avenge our blood?” THIS is the ONLY way to ask this question. They don’t ask IF, but just, WHEN. So often our question is calling into account the goodness of God, or the justice of God, but not here.

First, notice the LOCATION, they are under the altar, IN Heaven. Then notice the POSTURE of the question, they have been slaughtered because of the word of God, and their testimony given. These petitions came from people who have sold all, and sacrificed all, for the Lord they serve. They are not asking for deliverance but for vengeance and justice. They have willingly given their all and been poured out on the altar of God. And then notice the UNDERSTANDING of their request, “Lord, the one who is Holy and True, how long …” The understanding is that before I ask … “I KNOW you are Right, Just, Faithful, and Good. So, if your timetable doesn’t match mine, I am OK with that, but just wondering, how long.” Then notice the EXPECTATION that God will judge, and avenge. It is not if, but when.

When? What difference does it make? What are we to do in the meantime? Back to Acts 1:6, post-resurrection, they still ask Jesus, “How long?” They ask, “Is it now that you are restoring the Kingdom of Israel.” Wait, what? The “Kingdom of ISRAEL”? That was their concern? No. Our concern should be for the Kingdom of God and of his Christ. That is what matters, not MY kingdom, my circumstances, my discomfort. And Jesus says, in Acts 1:7-8, “It is NOT for YOU to know times or periods that the Father has SET by his own AUTHORITY. But YOU will receive POWER … you will be my WITNESSES …” God hasn’t put us on the timing committee. God hasn’t guaranteed us earthly honor. But Christ, has promised and given us the Power of the Holy Spirit, the One who empowered the Resurrection, it is FOR US who believe. And Christ has given us the command to pour out ourselves as witnesses to the ends of the earth.

For Us … Power and Witness

For God … Authority to set the times and seasons. Why? Because he is Holy and True, Faithful and Just, Good and GREAT!

We need to take care of our stuff and let God do the God stuff.

So, When?

When God is “Pleased” (Gal 1:15) – eudokeo = take delight, well pleased, approve, consent to, choose.

My “when”, will be IF and When it pleases, delights God to choose to order the universe to bring about his will. So, in the meantime, I have to work to do what could result in my life poured out under the altar.

Final perspective … Galatians 1:10 am i trying to persuade people, or God? Am i striving to please people? (me included) If I am trying to please people I would not be a servant of Christ.”

But I AM of Christ and HIS pleasure is what I seek.
Cavalry or Calvary?

October 3rd, 2017

So, years ago, in a small Central Texas town, there was a church, a simple little L-shaped brick church. The Calvary Baptist Church. Great name for a church. They built a sign out front and painted the name of the church, “The CALVERY Baptist Church”. It was a misprint that wasn’t noticed for a LONG time. But there is a bigger misprint going on with many people.

Today I was watching a TV show, and the actor said “The CALVARY is here”, when help arrived. That set my mind to spinning about the confusion with many Christians. Do we need the cavalry or Calvary?

The cavalry in the past were soldiers on horses. From old movies, we can hear the bugler playing, and the hooves pounding the ground, and feel relieved that help is coming. Today, the cavalry is the brave heroic soldiers in armored vehicles protecting from us evil.

But, Calvary is the English derivative of the Latin word for the hill called Gol’gotha, a place of execution, shaped like a skull, outside old Jerusalem. It is the place where countless, nameless, many were executed. But there is one name we know, it is where Jesus was crucified in the 1st Century, between two convicted thieves, though he himself was innocent of any sin or act against God or Man.

Why?

Calvary, in God’s court, is about atonement. The Old Testament is full of the concept of an innocent life becoming a substitutionary sacrifice of atonement, a propitiation, for the sin of man, seeking right standing with God.

Leviticus 16:34 (NIV84) – ³⁴ “… Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

But, as you can see, the Old Testament atonement was a temporary activity, over and over, pointing us to the coming of the final sacrifice, the last lamb.

So, why am I writing? We are often looking for Christ to be our “cavalry”, to come riding in, on a white horse, and save the day. The problem is that we don’t need the cavalry, we need Calvary. Often our cry for the cavalry is over things that are insignificant things, at least eternally. We get fearful and worried about things that don’t matter. As Jesus said, in the Sermon on the Mount, we run after food, clothes, and treasures. We lay up things, as treasures, that will ultimately rust and decay, or we fight to control our tomorrows. We run after, fight to protect, cry out to God, for the Cavalry, all for unimportant things. But Jesus says, in Matthew 6:33, “seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added …”

So, how do we attain position in the Kingdom of God? How can we achieve the righteousness of an All-together Righteous God?

All our righteousness is like filthy rags – Isaiah 64:6

There is no one who is righteous, not even one – Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:10-13

How can we, who are so far away from God, be brought near?

Ephesians 2:13 (NIV84) – ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

At Calvary

Years I spent in vanity and pride

Caring not my Lord was crucified

Knowing not it was for me he died

On Calvary

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned

Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned

Till my guilty soul imploring turned

To Calvary

Mercy there was great, and grace was free

Pardon there was multiplied to me

There my burdened soul found liberty

At Calvary – William R. Newell

We are sinners, our only hope is found at Calvary.

Romans 3:25 (NIV84) –²⁵ God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

Hebrews 2:17 (NIV84) – ¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

1 John 2:2 (NIV84) – ² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10 (NIV84) – ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

And there, on Calvary, love was personified as the Lamb of God gave himself, once and for all. Remember in the Old Testament the sacrifice was offered once a year for all sin. But at Calvary a sacrifice was offered once, for all sin, for all time.

Hebrews 7:27 (NIV84) – ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Hebrews 9:12 (NIV84) – ¹² He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

1 Peter 3:18 (NIV84) – ¹⁸ For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

So, at Calvary, we are offered what we need for eternity.

Oh, there is nothing wrong, even everything right, with seeking the intervention of God in our every day, even temporal things, but set your heart on Calvary, not the cavalry. Set your affections on Calvary. There’s no better place where I can see God’s love poured out for me, than Calvary. Oh, by the way, longing for the cavalry is ok, matter of fact, that longing is right and will be fulfilled. THE Cavalry IS coming. We will have our White Horse Day, but all things in proper order, and for eternal things.

In Revelation 19:11+, Heaven will open and a White Horse Rider will emerge. He is called “Faithful and True“. With justice he judges and makes war. He will come, eyes blazing, with many crowns on his head. His robe has been dipped in blood, at Calvary, and his name is The Word of God. He is John’s “Word” from John 1:1. He is one with God, from the beginning, and himself God, Creator of all things. But when THE Cavalry of Heaven comes, it will not be for temporal things, but eternal. He is coming for his people, his land, his creation, his dominion, to fulfill his promises.

Revelation 19:14 says that the Armies of Heaven will be with him, also riding white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and clean. I believe this army includes the Raptured Church, dressed in the Righteousness of Christ, secured on Calvary’s cross, received by faith, by those who believe.

And the leader of The Cavalry, “Faithful and True“, the “Word of God“, will have a name written on his robe and on his thigh, “King of kings, and Lord of lords”. Could it be that this name will be written in blood, the blood of Calvary? I believe so. But why the thigh? The thigh contained the strongest bone, and the strongest tendon. Covenants were made by placing a hand on the thigh.

Jesus, because of Calvary, has made us a promise, and he will keep this promise. The Cavalry is coming, because of Calvary. A promise written in blood.

Where will you turn today? The Cavalry or Calvary?
Service Principles

September 22nd, 2017

John 13:13-15

You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘Lord’, rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should was one another’s feet. 15 I have set you and example that you should do as I have done.

The night before his crucifixion, in the upper room, Jesus taught his disciples much. He shared a Passover meal with them, and tied it to his coming sacrifice. He left the observance of bread and cup as a perpetual reminder of his sacrifice, and he washed his disciples feet.

what was Jesus teaching? He was teaching us how to be a servant, more than what to do. Sure, sometimes we have foot washing ceremonies, but that is not what Jesus was trying to accomplish. He was teaching the principle of service; see the need, meet the need. Jesus says (v15) “do AS I have done” … not do WHAT I have done.

So, quickly, what are the service principles I see here?

1. Recognize

you call me teacher and Lord

There is a difference in calling him “teacher and Lord”, and actually allowing him to be those things to you.

phoeo = to name, to call, to cry out. We have called him teacher and Lord, but are we actually learning from him and obeying him? We cry out to him for our needs, but are we listening when He calls to us to serve Him by serving others. We need to recognize him as teacher and Lord

Lord – kyrios = lord, master, owner, ruler. To be his servant we have to recognize he owns us, he leads us, he rules us, is the boss, Sovereign in all things including my life. If we recognize him as Lord, we will never say, “But Lord,”… we will just say “Yes sir.”

Teacher – didaskalos = master teacher. Sure we don’t always know how or what … but we have a teacher. He will teach us didactically, thoroughly, if we allow him. More on that in a moment. But

we also need to recognize the need. In this case, dirty feet. There were no servants in this house, so the custom was for the first guest to wash the other guest’s feet. But no one had recognized the need by action. Why? Pride. The disciples often fought over who was greatest. So, they weren’t going to serve. But Need is greater than pride or position. Recognize the need

Need > Pride/Position

2nd principle

2. Ask

To the disciples credit, they did often ask, when they didn’t know. Of course they spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus, who was doing stuff that they weren’t used to seeing. So, they often asked:

Lord teach us to pray

Lord Increase our faith

Lord help my unbelief

v6 Peter said “Lord are you going to wash my feet?” i.e. What are you doing? Why are you doing this?

We have to ask. Remember James 4:3, “you have not because you ask not.”

Jesus said “God is always at work around us.” If we want to know what the need is ask. If we want to know what to do, how to do it, ask. And our teacher and Lord will tell us, teach us, how, what, when, or who

principle #3

3. Watch / Listen / Learn

Can you imagine the stunned silence while Jesus didn’t scold them for their lack of service. They failed to do the most obvious thing in the room. This wasn’t something they didn’t know, they knew. This was custom, this was expected, they just didn’t do it. But often, refusal to serve is contagious. First guy showed up and no one was there to wash feet, so he should have taken up the towel and served, but he didn’t. So, the next arrives, and he doesn’t serve, “well he didn’t do it, he should have, well I’m not.” And then each one that arrived made the same decision. Pride reigned. But Jesus is Lord, they called him Lord, and when Jesus reigns, the need reigns. See the need, meet the need. So, Jesus took off his privileges, and put on service. This is Philippians 2:1-11 in action. When we watch our Lord and Teacher, we can’t help but serve.

now that I have … I have set an example that you should …

We have to pay attention. We have to practice, to try. Don’t fear failure IN action, but failure TO act. The only failure is if we don’t try. Trial and error is learning. Failure to try is disobedience and failure to learn.

The final principle is

4. DO

Trying, practicing, learning, leads to DOING as a lifestyle. Service then becomes ingrained in life.

This is not box we check with a one time action, and then we are done. We don’t get our “service badge”. No, we serve, humbling ourselves, recognizing the needs, following the example of our Lord and Master Teacher, laying down our lives for others. That is the love of Christ within us. That is a spring of living water bubbling up out of us.

Please know that I am not writing this as Mr. Service, like I have all this together, but as a learner trying to learn.

But as we learn. As we stop trying to please ourselves, serving others, we find our pleasure we find our happiness.

v17 “now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

– markarios = blessed, happy, fortunate. Oh we have it backwards. “If they would just do for me, I would be happy, fortunate.” NO … the blessing, the fortune, the real happiness, is in serving. Happiness follows service, because service follows Jesus, and following Jesus causes the Father to say, “well done.”
Rivers of Waters

September 6th, 2017

Rivers of waters … we have seen it this week, whether in person or on the media outlets

John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him (NIV84)

How do we survive the waters? How do we survive the toxic floods, the rivers and storms of life? It is not from being prepared, physically or even emotionally. It is not by building a wall around yourself. The way we survive is about what is within. In this life, how do we survive? Oh, we talk a lot about eating right, exercise, to elongate life and improve the quality of life. But ultimately, even the perfect specimens of health too will one day die. It has been appointed man once to die, and then the judgment. And that judgment will not rate the quality of our physical body. Their will be no after death assessment of body fat mass index or whatever. So, if we all are going to die, can I survive death? How do I survive death, because we ARE going to live on in eternity. So, how do we survive in life and in death?

Standing at the graveside of his friend, Lazarus, Jesus said, (John 11:25) “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies 26 whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believes this?”

Did you see the lynch pin? Did you see the key to unlock the door of life? If we are all appointed to die, and then the judgment, upon what is the judgment based? Jesus said, “He (she) who believes in me will live” Believes = pisteuo – to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust. Notice that it isn’t simply “be a person of faith”. No, my faith must be IN something that can do what I desire. I can believe that I can fly … but that won’t go very well. Or I can get IN a plane and actually fly. Jesus says “he who believes IN me will LIVE” = zao – to come back to life, to live again, to be resurrected. Praise the Lord … though we are dead, we can be resurrected. WHEN we die, we WILL be still living, if have have faith IN the only one who can guarantee us life … Jesus the Christ.

“But Pastor” Oh, I hear you out there, “But Pastor, sometimes I don’t get the pleasure, the relief of death to give me a passageway to real life. So, what do I do in the nasty now and now, while waiting for the sweet bye and bye?” Isaiah 43 (ESV) “But now, this is what the Lord says, he who created you … who formed you … FEAR NOT, for I have redeemed you …” (qal – to buy back) “… I have called you by name, you are mine…” Wow oh wow, have you ever felt like a forgotten dog at the pound? He HAS chosen US … called our name … and said “you are mine”. So, v2 “when (not if) you pass through the waters, I will be with you …” Oh, the waters will come in this life, but because we are chosen and have believed, we are NOT ALONE. “… and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you …” Sometimes we go through the rivers and sometimes they go through us, but we need not be overwhelmed = shataph – drown, overflow, gush out, flow out abundantly, to inundate. “… when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flames shall not consume you.” v3 “FOR, I am the Lord your God … your Savior” = mosia – to be spacious, ample, broad, to set free, to give victory. Oh Dear Fellow Traveler … when the flood waters rise, and the rivers crest and change direction, and ends up in our front yard, when it seems that it is all closing in, how, where, can we find freedom, a spacious place, an ample space to be free? The freedom comes from within.

So, John 7:38, and Isaiah 43:2 teach us something. IF the waters come around us, rise over us, they don’t have to gush out from us. As a matter of fact they CANNOT, if we place our faith IN Christ. Why? It is because something else occupies that space. The ESV says “whoever believes IN me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

The toxic waters flooding around can’t overflow or gush out because I have a river of life flowing out of me. And by the way, the river flowing from within isn’t just a metaphor, no the river is Somebody. V39 says he was referring to The Holy Spirit, given to all who believe. Hallelujah, when I believe, Jesus, gives me access (Isaiah 12:3) to drink from the well of salvation, and places his Spirit within me and streams of living water flow within me.

Spring Up Oh Well!
What an Opportunity

August 14th, 2017

So, in the growing face of division on the ethnic front, my frustration is often that the church is either silent, or so loud that you can’t hear, and generally loud about the wrong things.

However, in the reality that the church, especially the church of a lighter hue of skin, is often silent on these issues, there is an opportunity.

Do you ever have a friend who never says anything, and then they finally speak, and everyone just stops and listens? Well, silent church, it’s time to speak. It’s time for the church to be the church. It is time for the church to model Our Lord, humble ourselves and get into the equation, in order to draw men to God.

The idea of one group or another thinking that they have supremacy over another is ludicrous. The idea of differing “races” is first designed to divide us. The truth genetically is that there really is only one race, the human race. There is so little difference between differing ethnicities that you cannot divide us into “races” genetically. A difference in hue of skin is not enough to call for supremacy. We are different ethnicities, we are different nationalities, we are differing cultures, but even those are not limited to hue of skin or language spoken. Some of the greatest atrocities in history have been carried out in the name of supremacy. Even if supremacy were a reality, what should be the attitude of the one who thinks themselves supreme?

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on the cross! (Philippians 1:5-8)

The most Supreme Being in the universe, who has lived in and out of time for eternity, who created all things, who is himself completely pure and holy, did not consider his Supremacy something to be flaunted, but emptied himself, made himself nothing, took up the clothing of a servant, and served!

What should the church, the people of God be doing in the world? No less. We may be ourselves “innocent” of any wrongdoing, though that is probably not true, but still even if we are, there is action to be taken. We are given the ministry of reconciliation by God in 2 Corinthians 5. That, I believe, includes reconciliation between God and man, and people to people. Why, because Paul also says in Ephesians that the great mystery of the work of God is that people who were separate are brought together by God. People who were God’s Special people, and people who were not, are brought together by the work of Christ at the cross. How can WE do any less?

The expectation of God has always been that his people would be loving toward outsiders in an effort to bring them inside. Oh I am not talking about our right and expectation to defend ourselves against those bent on destruction and desolation. But the issue is that God always has a place for the outsider who desires to be in.

Homeless/Displaced, Fatherless, Faithless, Spouseless, Voiceless –

God has always reached out and always calls his people to do the same. Why? Because we have ALL been on the outside. We all needed to be brought in, and Christ has made that possible for all of us.

I don’t want to take time for an exhaustive exposition of the scriptures on this topic, but let me bring up a few

Exodus 22:22–24 (NIV84)

²² “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. ²³ If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. ²⁴ My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

Expectation? Responsibility? Accountability? Yes, yes, yes.

Deuteronomy 10:18–21 (NIV84)

¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹ And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. ²⁰ Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. ²¹ He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

Did you see verse 19 “and you …” there is an expectation and a reason … “for you yourselves were … (so) fear the Lord … serve … hold fast … he is your God”

In Deuteronomy 16:11 – every category or division of persons are called to Praise and Worship God together

Deuteronomy 24:17–22 (NIV84)

¹⁷ Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. ¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. ¹⁹ When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. ²⁰ When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. ²¹ When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. ²² Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

What does God think about our failure to join him in these things? Notice here what God says, AND that the response of God’s people is “Amen” (so be it)

Deuteronomy 27:19 (NIV84)

¹⁹ “Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

Psalm 10:14, 18 (NIV84)

¹⁴ But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

How do we understand love?

In 1 John 3:16-18, we see love, and see the expected response from those who know the love of God.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”

Love requires action and is directed toward those who need it, not just toward those to whom we want to give it, or to those who give it to us. But if the scripture stopped there, Jesus did that, we would be left to decide if we should just say “thank you” or if something else was expected of us in response. But then the Holy Spirit inspired John to continue in v17 …

and WE ought to LAY down OUR lives for our BROTHERS …
Then speaking materially John says if we see our brother in need (having ability to meet the need) and do not meet the need, how can the love of God be in us?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this takes the Spiritual response of Christ that entered the Physical Realm of laying down his life, then ties it to material needs … But the principle is there. If there is a need, and we CAN meet the need, but will not, how is that a reflection of one who is indwelt by the Spirit of God? So then John tells the Church what to do in v18 …

let us not love with words or tongue, but with action and in truth …

What should the church be doing and saying?

It is time for the church which is often silent, to speak up. Here is our opportunity. It is time for the church, which is often seen in the posture of kneeling in prayer, or standing in worship, to get busy walking in truth and acting in love. I tweeted out today, “if the church Lives Love, we earn the right to speak. When we do NOT love, we cannot speak, we lose our right to lead when we do not Live Love.”

So then, let me come back to two scriptures and close,

Psalm 146:5–10 (NIV84)

⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, ⁶ the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the Lord, who remains faithful forever. ⁷ He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, ⁸ the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. ⁹ The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. ¹⁰ The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

This is what God does. He is our hope, he is the hope of the one who is hopeless and will but turn to him. Remember Isaiah quotes God as saying “Turn to Me and Be Saved all the ends of the earth.” Oh that the Church of the Lord would live like he lives IN us. That we would be a place that upholds the cause of the oppressed, hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the broken, the displaced, the fatherless, the spouseless. If God stands with them and for them, we better get on God’s side.

Then … here is a vision for the church in the world today …

Psalm 68:1–6 (NIV84)

¹ May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. ² As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. ³ But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. ⁴ Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds— his name is the Lord— and rejoice before him. ⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. ⁶ God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Oh could we tread on thin ice here and put ourselves, as imitators of God, in this equation? Let me say it this way …

Let The Church Arise, may the enemies be scattered; may their foes flee before them. As smoke blown away by the wind, as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. May the righteous be glad and rejoice, be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, and rejoice before him. But may we be more than worshipers in a church building. May the church, modeling God, be a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, believing we must, because God is on his throne in the Holy Place. May the church be God’s instrument for settling the lonely in our families, leading forth prisoners with singing instead of stealing their song. May their ever be room, for all, in our walls, who are needy and seeking. May there be NO ROOM, for those who will abuse and divide.

Let us, dear children, love, not just with words or with tongue, in silence and separation, but let us love with action and in truth, out of the church and into the streets.
Do Not Be Afraid of Them

June 27th, 2017
“Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord – Jeremiah 1:8

Do not be afraid of them … There is always a “them” or an “it”. What are you afraid of? Hear the words of the Lord, “do not BE afraid“. The good news is that it doesn’t say “do not fear.” Things will make us feel fear. Fright happens. Something or someone jumps out at us and we feel fear. A circumstance arises and we feel fear. But the encouragement is “do not BE Afraid.” There is a difference between a feeling of fear, and a state of being that is afraid. Fear that is a fleeting is natural. Fear that stays is a controlling force that will shape us, hold us back, and transform us into people who are only a shadow of what we are or can be.

The instruction, admonition, to Jeremiah comes in the midst of an argument between God and the soon to be prophet.

The First Word of the Lord – v5 “I appointed you as a prophet before you were born”

The First Word of Jeremiah – v6 “I do not know how to speak”

The Second Word of Jeremiah – “I am only a child”

So, God has a revelation and an invitation and Jeremiah’s response is “yeah, no. My age and my education are lacking.”

Then comes the …

Second Word of the Lord. “I didn’t ask you that”. v7 – “Do Not Say, ‘I am only a child’, you must GO … I Send … Say whatever I command.” God is saying, “I hear your arguments and you are right, you ARE young (inexperienced), and do NOT know what to say (uneducated), but I just said “Go, no experience necessary, and say, tell them whatever I tell you to say.” Jeremiah didn’t need to know anything, he just needed to repeat what God said, where God said “go”.

What is the instruction? “Go and Say.” And there lies the FEAR POINT … Go …

God was sending. That means leaving where I am and go. That means taking God’s word, in this case, to people that do not want to hear it, and so the unspoken word of Jeremiah is …

“I Am Afraid.”

I believe fear, in most forms, is based on one or a combination of lies we believe, “I can’t”, “I don’t know how”, “No one cares”, “no one knows.” Or “I am unable”, “I am uninformed”, “I am unloved”, or “I am alone.” Those are the lies that make us afraid. So it is with Jeremiah, “I am too young, I don’t know how,” Jeremiah is afraid and so comes the …

Third Word of the Lord – v8 “Do not be afraid of them”

This is no basis for fear. The way we counter the lies that breed fear is countering with truth. Scared of the dark? Turn on the light. Afraid of being alone? Find out who is with you. Do not be afraid, because …

“I” – Who is speaking? God Almighty. “I am with you. You are not alone. Speak what I say. You will know. I will rescue. I am Able.”

Do not be afraid of them, do not focus on them.

I am … well … “I Am”
- the Creator
- the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
- the God of Moses and the Children of Israel
- the God of Joshua and the Promised Land
- the God of David, not Goliath
- I Am with you, instructing, sending, rescuing
I am Declaring this, not suggesting this. I, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, am Declaring. This is the word neum – a decision, a marker of authority. I, the Lord, have put a line in the sand, this is MY Declaration … and so comes

The Fourth Word of the Lord – v9 “Now”

“Since we have settled your weak concerns, your obvious unfounded fear, now …” “I am taking your words out of your mouth”. Fear, “I can’t”, “I am too young”, “I want to go”, all those words have to go … “Now, I have put MY words in your mouth.” So, God’s words, “go on mission, saying what i say”, fear replaced with confidence, lies exchanged for truth.

“I Appoint”. The same God who lays a marker says, “I have inventoried my army, and you are in my number. I have determined that you are mine and you have a value, purpose, and this is it.”

“I appoint you … for my ends.”

So the Lord asks, v11 – “What do you see?”

The first time God spoke all Jeremiah sees is himself in the mirror of his understanding. Now Jeremiah can look out … “I see the branch of an almond tree.”

And the Lord says “you have seen correctly”

Only when we banish fear and embrace the Word of the Lord can we see what he sees and say what he says.

And then it is as if we can hear the Lord saying, “Alright, now we can go somewhere … and v13 says, “The word of the Lord came … again.”
Making the Right Decision

May 25th, 2017

Genesis 13:9 “Is not the whole land before you?”

Decisions and Opportunity

You most likely know the story. Abram had been told to leave his family and family home and go to a new place, a place of promise. Abram made a mistake in choosing to take his nephew, Lot, with him instead of leaving his whole family behind.

But now, in the land of promise, Lot’s people and produce were at odds with Abram’s people and produce. The land could not support them both, so they needed to part ways.

So, Abram says v8, “let’s not have any quarreling between you and me … for we are brothers. v9 … Let’s part company. If you go to the left, i will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

So … it is often true for us … a decision is before us, but what we do will have far reaching consequences for us, as well as those close to us. What did Lot do?

v10 “Lot looked up and saw … the plain of the Jordan was well watered …(like Eden)”

v11 Lot chose for himself … and set out …”

v12 “Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom”

Have you ever been there?

Lot looked … but he didn’t examine, because v13 says “the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.”

You know the old saying “you can’t judge a book …” Well, when we simply go by what we see, we often get in trouble. Sometimes we miss the good, but sometimes we miss the bad and make poor choices.

Lot saw the land, but didn’t pay attention to the environment. He didn’t take into account the spiritual climate. He had a young family, and the choice affected them all.

When Abram left his family to go to a pagan land, he did so FOLLOWING God. He went LISTENING to God’s voice. God said “Go … to a place I will show you.” We don’t always know where God is going when he says “Go”, but if he is leading, then go, eyes on God. But that is not what Lot did … no …

v11 Lot chose for himself … and set out toward the east

again v9 Abram said “is not the whole land before you?”

Oh, we have the world in front of us. We have a world of opportunity, a world of decisions. But, Lot didn’t ask God! Lot CHOSE for himself. He made the decisions that HE wanted. He made the decision that he thought would best serve himself. Oh, but if he had just asked God.

Why did Abram and Lot have to part ways? v6 the land couldn’t support them … for their possessions were so great …” THEIR possessions were so great. Why? It is because God was blessing Abram for his obedience, and Lot was getting the overflow. God blesses obedience.

God doesn’t do as man does. he has wisdom that is beyond ours.

What if Lot had asked God? Do you think God would have told him about the spiritual environment in Sodom? Do you think maybe Lot would have been living in a different place instead of having to flee a place that was going to be wiped off the face of the earth, and erased from the sands of time?

Sodom was wicked, and worse yet, Sodom was on God’s timetable for judgment. I believe that was already set, but Lot, with the whole land before him, didn’t ask, didn’t investigate, didn’t listen, didn’t follow. Instead he looked, saw, and chose for himself.

The only choice for ourselves should be, “God, YOU are my God and earnestly I seek you.”

What might God have done for Lot if he would just ask and obey?

What did God do for Abram? v14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot departed, “… Lift up your eyes from where you are and look, north, south, east, and west … all the land you see I will give you …”

v17 “Go, walk … for I am giving it to you …”

Would God have given all to Lot as he did to Abram? Probably Not. But the best place to be is where God says “Go”. Look up from where you are, and be committed to being where God is. Trust him. Abram didn’t decide to pick first. He was trusting in God, and not in what he could see or decide.

One square meter in the desert, in God’s plan, is better than a vast lush plain outside his plan.

Where you go, I will go
Where you stay, I will stay

For YOU are God.