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Who Told You to Say That?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, church, faith, investment, Jesus, love, peace, prayer, religion, sanctification, tagged Bible, Calvary Chapel, Christian, Epistle to the Romans, false gods, false teachers, God, Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, Jesus Christ, rob bell, Romans, tolerance, twitter on April 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. Psalm 118:9

Had a little chat this morning with a lady about our religious differences—it was polite and respectful, but it still had that ‘Christians-aren’t-tolerant-and-everyone-else-in-the-world-is’ cloud hanging over it. That attitude of course comes with the territory and I’m at peace about it. After all, I consider myself an alien—why should I take up a dispute regarding the planet’s collective mindset. It is what it is and there are more important things to be concerned about…like salvation.

We danced around the tolerance issue a little more, but then I asked a question that ended our conversation.

“By whose authority do you speak?”

She asked what I meant.

I told her that in our zeal for our respective religious positions, we were both guilty of lovingly throwing around language that was absolute. I used one of her phrases, “pluralism in religious faith is necessary,” as an example. I pointed out that the use of the word ‘necessary’ was exclusionary as it implied that her remark was absolutely correct and my remark was not. For the record I wasn’t objecting to her remark or even her right to say it.

To clarify I told her that God was my authority. Oh not that God had specifically ordained me to say the things that I was saying, but rather that the words were His, that they’re found in the Holy Bible, and I was merely repeating them (or paraphrasing them as it were). In other words, what I was sharing was not a personal philosophy, tradition, or contemplation.

After my explanation, the conversation ceased and I have not heard from her since. Why? I suspect she realized that her authority was her own and that she had been sharing from her heart what she believed and what was relevant to her–She had in fact created for herself a religion that best suited her needs. The Book of Romans describes her behavior:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Romans 1:18-23

Look around. God is obvious and to deny Him is to declare that you are wiser than Him. Currently there are over four billion people roaming this planet that do just that—they proclaim supreme authority over themselves. Professing to be wise, four billion people are playing god while simultaneously playing the fool. I spoke to one of them today.

I don’t say that mockingly or even condemningly—I pray that this lady will come to understand that there is only One Authority, not billions and that she would wisely submit herself to Him. Honestly, how can we make sense of this world or our lives when there are billions of us who believe that we know better than God? Our God is not a God of confusion and probably the main reason why there is only one of Him.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18

These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at my home church, Calvary Chapel Coastlands

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How’s Your GRR?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, church, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, prayer, religion, sanctification, worship, tagged aslan, Bible, easter, forgiveness, God, GRR, irreverence, Jesus, reverence, revering, victuals, whole duty of man on April 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

My pastor calls it night watch; those times you can’t sleep because the Lord has some stuff He’d like you to do. Sometimes its prayer time; i.e., allowing the Father to bring to mind certain folks and situations, and other times its just classroom victuals. Last night it was a little of both. I was up so long last night I concluded I’d surely be exhausted come morning, but amazingly, I was up earlier than usual feeling completely rested. Was it all a dream? I assure you it was not.

Help Me to Remember

I must have said that fifty times as He spoke to my heart. Several times I wanted to get up and jot things down, but I determined I could not interrupt what the Father was doing. The difficulty for me this morning was twofold: trying to recall it all (so it might make sense to the reader) and omitting personalities so as to not adulate or vilify anyone.

The gist of His impartation centered upon the doctrine of reverence. What God pointed out to me is that I rarely revere Him. Oh, I say that I do, but my actions don’t always acquiesce with my claims. It’s not that my deeds are evil necessarily, but that they do not consistently reflect a reverent attitude towards God. In other words, if I truly feared God, would I be saying the things I say and doing the things I do? God is watching and He is listening and my tendency (frequently) is to behave as if He was my high school, stoner buddy rather then the Creator of the Universe.

How it Started

This exchange with God began as I recounted five individuals that I thought I needed to pray for and forgive. I thought I needed to forgive them because I thought that they had somehow wronged me. As I poured over each case before the Lord, He led me to recognize that my legal positions were flawed. It wasn’t that these folks were innocent of the charges I levied against them, but rather the evidence to support the allegations was circumstantial at best. Are they guilty? God didn’t say. He didn’t say because their guilt or innocence was not the issue; of issue was the ‘whole duty’ of a Christian man in the light of whatever his circumstances.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Romans 13:1

“Under the legal system I have placed you,” God was saying to me, “is not every man considered innocent until his guilt is proven?”

“Yes.”

God was telling me that because I felt I had to forgive them I had already determined they were guilty of something. The reality is that in each situation the evidence did not support my accusation. “That,” He added, “is not a ‘God Revering Response.’”

It was beginning to come together. It’s not about how I’ve been responding to others, it’s about how I have been responding before You! So simple, yet it so profound—my response in any given situation is but an opportunity to revere God. It’s never been a matter of overlooking someone else’s behavior, but a matter of demonstrating godly reverent behavior at every chance I am given. If I fear Him, in the best biblical sense, my attitude, my actions, my responses will reflect that reverence. It’s my whole duty to God! I knew this already, didn’t I?

Understand how freeing this is. Judicial bondage must give way to mercy because mercy is the spiritual byproduct of reverence to God. We don’t revere God to obtain mercy, but nevertheless mercy is the result. And God is pleased.

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. Psalm 147:11

Charles Haddon Spurgeon summarized the verse this way:

“While the bodily powers give no content to God, spiritual qualities are his delight. He cares most for those emotions which centre in Himself: the fear which he approves is fear of Him, and the hope which He accepts is hope in His mercy. It is a striking thought that God should not only be at peace with some kinds of men, but even find a solace and a joy in their company. Oh! The matchless condescension of the Lord, that His greatness should take pleasure in the insignificant creatures of his hand. Who are these favoured men in whom Jehovah takes pleasure? Some of them are the least in His family, who have never risen beyond hoping and fearing. Others of them are more fully developed, but still they exhibit a blended character composed of fear and hope: they fear God with holy awe and filial (befitting of a son or daughter) reverence, and they also hope for forgiveness and blessedness because of the divine mercy. As a father takes pleasure in his own children, so doth the Lord solace himself in his own beloved ones, whose marks of new birth are fear and hope.”

This is going to sound incredibly obvious, but I’m going to say it anyway: any action that does not express reverence to God is irreverent and irreverence is always a sin. If I sense a need (for example) to forgive someone based solely on what I think to be true rather than the actual facts of the case, regardless if they are guilty or not, I am in sin. Keep in mind, forgiveness is merely the vehicle by which God brought me to this place. The issue is and always will be the whole duty of man as it pertains to revering God in everything we say or do. Do we fear God? Is our behavior an expression of that fear?

What’s your God revering response (GRR); what are some of the ways we routinely express irreverence?

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What Do I Do Now?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, church, exercise and fitness, faith, investment, Jesus, prayer, religion, social justice, travel, wildlife, world news, tagged Bible, delight yourself in the Lord, Jesus Christ, King David, trust in the Lord, turtle on a post, what do I do now on February 15, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalm 37:3-7

A Common Question

The matter is raised by both new and mature believers alike; “I’m walking with the Lord, but I don’t know what He wants me to do with my life…what should I do?”

God knew we would ask that question, so through His servant David, He provided an answer:

“Become dependant upon Me,” God the Father says to us, “and do good; live where I have placed you and feed on My reliability.”

St Augustine put it this way, “Love God and do as you please.”

Sounds Dangerous

It does sound a little risky, because in the Book of Jeremiah we are warned that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it.” However the good news comes in the accompanying verse:

I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:10

God agrees: our hearts are evil. But if we (like the Psalmist tells us), delight ourselves in Him, commit our lives to Him, trust in Him, wait on Him, and rest in Him, a wonderful thing occurs—He will transform us. As we give our unconditional love to Him and trust Him, He searches our hearts and minds and essentially repairs the damage! Again, God said it this way:

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts… Jeremiah 31:33a

We Need Not Worry

St Augustine might have over stated it a wee bit, but Christians who are sold-out for the Lord can do whatever they want, because they have the confidence that God has put His will upon their hearts—God’s will drives our desires.

What if I Make a Mistake

Chances are we will err from time to time. Again, the good news is that God will use those situations to refine us further! God is not going to rebuke His child (when with a right heart) he makes a mistake. Does a parent scold a child when she falls down while learning how to walk? Of course not. Nor does our Father scold His children when they endeavor to do good.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23-24

So what should you do? If you’re delighting yourself in Him today, do whatever you feel led to do and let me know how you make out.

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Quell the Enemy

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, exercise and fitness, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, peace, religion, sanctification, social justice, worship, tagged Bible, Enemy, faasting 4 food, faith as a mustard seed, Jesus Christ, King David, moving mountains, Psalm on January 21, 2011| 6 Comments »

Do not take me away with the wicked And with the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, And according to the wickedness of their endeavors; Give them according to the work of their hands; Render to them what they deserve. Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up. Psalm 28:3-5

Non-believers often bemoan that the Old Testament is replete with cruelty and perhaps cite a verse such as, “O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed ; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones (Psalm 137:8-9).” Ouch—that is a little brutal, but they haven’t taken into account (either because they’re unconcerned or unaware), is that these tangible, Old Testament, adversarial pictures are symbolic of our shadowy, New Testament (and new covenant), spiritual enemies. Read the Psalm passage again, turn it inward; make it a prayer against the enemy within. The Apostle Paul would say…

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

Our Father in His wisdom has allowed us to see in the Old Testament typology our enemy and how He faithfully deals with them. God has not changed, but He desires that we would curb our brutal ways. The Old Testament illustrations depict in great detail the manner by which our old man meted justice. God reminds us that we are to love these enemies because they aren’t the real problem; they’re but pawns being used by satan and his demonic forces.

The truth of the matter is that when we allow the Lord to search us, we discover that many of these adversarial traits reside within our own hearts. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that prayer changes us. That’s true, because when we pray; when we prayerfully participate in this spiritual battle field, our Father searches out the enemy in us as well as around us. With just a morsel of faith and by God’s power, we can deliver the enemy no matter where he hides. Consider anew this account from Jesus.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:18-22

We see a similar (but different) account in Matthew 17 where Jesus included the phrase, “If you have faith as a mustard seed.” What we so often fail to see is the context in which Jesus was using this example. In Matthew 17 the enemy was a demon and in chapter 21 the enemy was fruitless-ness. Jesus had taken physical, external scenarios and, for the sake of changing His disciples, turned it inward and spiritual. In essence our Savior is saying that with the amount of faith we have been given, regardless of its size, we have the power to expel the enemy from within, despite the fact it might seem like a mountain-size problem to you. Is there evil in your heart? Is there fruitless-ness in your walk? Say to the mountain, ‘Be removed!’ and it will be done.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

God will never give you anything you can’t handle

That’s rubbish. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 again and tell me Who makes the way of escape. That’s right, Jesus does. A proper interpretation of this verse would better read, “God will never give you anything He can’t handle…and He can handle everything.” By faith and His power we can move those evil and detestable things in our lives that seem like mountains and negate our enemies.

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What Your Friend Longs to Hear

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, Christmas, church, faith, health, Jesus, love, peace, religion, social justice, tagged Bible, Bible bashing, Bildad, born again, Eliphaz, God, Jesus Christ, Job, zophar on December 2, 2010| 1 Comment »

“If you would prepare your heart, And stretch out your hands toward Him; If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents; Then surely you could lift up your face without spot; Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear; Because you would forget your misery, And remember it as waters that have passed away, And your life would be brighter than noonday. Job 11:13-17

As soon as I saw the pile on the floor I knew what I had neglected to do. It was obvious. Point of fact it was the odor wafting up the staircase that first alerted me. As I hunched over to remove the mound, it dawned on me that I had just been convicted by three of my senses. Little did I know I would soon be clapperclawed by a fourth.

“You forgot to let the dog out last night,” she said as I grappled with it .

My first thought was ironic, humorous and profane, and wisely I kept it shuttered behind my crooked teeth. Good thing, because it was also inaccurate, for there it was.

Nevertheless, my dear wife had proffered to me data the likes of which I was already intimately acquainted. Her remark was frivolous, unnecessary, unkind, superfluous, and just plain ol’ nasty. In that regard, my wife and Zophar have a lot in common (don’t tell her I said that, I’m just trying to make a point here).

There sits Job; scrapping at his leaching sores with a pot shard, bearing insufferable physical pain and mental anguish, as his good friend Zophar vilifies him, reminding him that he’s a sinner.

Thank you Captain Obvious

Job needed one thing and got something else entirely. Zophar blew it. He was there to affect sympathy, not enumerate the Law. Especially since it was not Job’s transgressions that brought about his condition—satan was to blame and God was allowing it for His divine purposes. Remember what God said about Job?

“Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” Job 1:8

Job was already a repented man and he didn’t need Zophar bashing him over the head with Bible facts. Job’s friends were guilty of taking the obvious truths of God’s word and verbally assaulting another believer with them (sadly, it is an abuse we’re often guilty of as well). The reality is that neither Job nor Zophar (or Eliphaz or Bildad for that matter) knew what was going on.

So Where’s God?

At this point we too may be asking the very same question Job asked, “Why God? Where are you in all this mess?” We even know how the story ends and we might still ask that question.

God Won’t Give You Anything You Can’t Handle

Baloney! Have you ever said that? Well stop saying it because it is not Biblical. Here’s the truth:

Here are the keys words we need to cling to from this verse: Faithful-God-will-make-the-way-of-escape. Who makes the way? God does. Who is able? God is able. That’s foundational if we are to understand why God seemingly stands by and let’s His children suffer unnecessarily. God is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13) and asserting that God stands by as the Body suffers is an outrageous notion. By proxy we are the ones who have stood by while He suffered.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

Satan is the Destroyer, Not God

Job’s story reveals two very important things about satan. First, he incredibly has access to Heaven. I don’t understand it and I don’t like it, but that’s the way it is. Second, satan can do nothing unless God allows it. That naturally begs the questions, “Why does God allow it?”

Here’s the Answer

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

We are being perfected! God has a plan so magnificent that we will not be able to grasp its gloriousness until we’re with Him in Heaven. As for now we are as the yielding stone, hewn and finished at the quarry in anticipation of becoming a part of a superior dwelling.

…You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

This is a Test

For those who are in Christ we have the assurance that this is all a preparatory test—from re-birth to last breath, everything we endure is purposed to refine us. The very good news is that every Born Again believer ultimately passes.

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Mercy You

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, church, health, history, investment, Jesus, peace, prayer, religion, social justice, tagged Bible, Bildad, Eliphaz, God, Jesus Christ, Job, mercy, mercy seat, sacrifice on November 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be.” Job 7:20-21

Here’s the scene: a painfully tormented Job is sitting in the dust scraping at his crusty, worm-infested, oozing flesh with a piece of broken glass, while simultaneously mourning the loss of ten children, his wealth, and his business. Months have gone by and in come his three good friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to cheer him up.

Eliphaz speaks first and mercilessly charges him with unspecified offenses against God that brought about all his suffering. Somehow Job musters up a response, but then wisely (and still in the company of his three friends) turns to God in prayer. No sooner does the Amen cross his crackled lips, friend number two chimes in.

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: “How long will you speak these things, And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? Job 8:1-3

Job’s loving friend just called him a windbag. If that weren’t enough, Bildad would go on to tell Job that his sons and daughters were dead because they were sinners, that he (Bildad) always knew his empire was on the verge of collapse, and that when he (Job) was gone ‘nobody’ was going to miss him.

How does that expression go, “With friends like these who needs enemies?”

Defending God

To make matters worse, Bildad implied by way of his comments that God was on his side. The fact is the only thing Bildad got right is that God is just; everything else he got wrong. The reality is neither Bildad nor Job had a clue what was going on. In their darkness Job’s friends turned on him, but to his credit Job turned to God. Bildad, having heard Job’s prayer, erred in two ways in his response: supposing his need to defend God’s sovereignty, and disposing of an opportunity to exhibit mercy.

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Matthew 9:13

There are only three times in the Bible that Jesus tells His disciples to go and learn something. In addition to the lesson of Matthew 9:13, He tells us to take His yoke and learn from Him in order that we may find our rest (Matthew 11:29) and to learn the parable of the fig tree (Matthew 24:32), an admonishment to be cognizant of the times.

In that regard, Bildad struck out on three pitches—he was oblivious to what was going on around him, he had no serenity, and worst of all, he was merciless. Why–because he placed his entire weight upon justice; that is to say that he set mercy aside so he might insure the justice of God was intact (as if He needed us to do that).

Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 1 Samuel 6:19

Nowhere in the Bible is that better illustrated then in the account above. The Philistines had just returned the Ark of the Covenant to Israel and the first thing they do is pop off the cover to see if the Ten Commandments are still inside. Did you catch that? The removed the ‘Mercy Seat’ to see if the Law was still intact.

Where does God choose to meet His people–at the seat of mercy, that’s where! Enter Jesus. Here’s the truth: those who bypass mercy and rely upon the law for their salvation, die–God used the death of fifty seven thousand Israeli men to emphasize that point very clearly.

Don’t misinterpret what’s being said, the Law has its place; it is the road sign that brings us to His mercy and grace. Know the Law, embrace the Law, use the Law to bring lost souls to a place of redemption, then swiftly allow it to be covered-over by the gracious blood of Christ Jesus at the Mercy Seat. Bildad forsook that opportunity and God forever made him an example of what not to do. Let us endeavor to bring every conversation back around to the loving embrace of our Lord and Savior.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

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The Corrosive Christian

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, church, health, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, peace, religion, tagged abusive Christians, Bible, Christian, corrisive, Eliphaz, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Job, rebuke, sin on November 29, 2010| Leave a Comment »

For now you are nothing, You see terror and are afraid. Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’? Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’? Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’? Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’? “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred. How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove? Job 6-21-25

The longer I walk with Jesus Christ, the more I recognize that some of our vilest foes can often be other Christians. For instance, I recently had an alleged Christian tell me that I was a lukewarm believer. Why? Because I openly confessed that my burning passion for Christ was not a bonfire one hundred percent of the time. Citing Revelation 3:16 he decreed that I was in danger of being spewed-out of my Saviors mouth.

Really?

This person (we’ll call him Tim because that was his name), had never spoken to me before and the comment I made was the first he had ever heard me say, but yet this Christian felt he knew God and me well enough to make such a pronouncement. I ended the discussion politely.

That incident caused me to ask of myself, “Why do other Christians say [and do] such mean, horrible things.” Well before I even prayed for an answer, the Holy Spirit convicted me, “Dave, you’ve done the same thing a million times before.”

Ouch

God was right, I am guilty of doing the same thing. So I rephrased my question, “Why do WE do these things to other Christians.”

The Lord provided a partial answer in today’s text. Job, in responding to Eliphaz’s dreadful chiding says to him, “For now you are nothing, You see terror and are afraid,” and thus gives Eliphaz a clue for the reason why he was so cruel—FEAR.

Job is essentially saying, that if what he said in his defense was true, ‘that his sin had not brought about these awful things,’ and that there was no reasonable explanation for them, then Eliphaz was fearful because his rationalization (that Job sinned and brought about God’s curse) was without merit, and therefore he was susceptible to them as well. In other words, Eliphaz was standing on his un-contextual doctrine because in it he felt safe and secure.

It’s the same thing as telling someone, “God didn’t cure you of cancer because you don’t have enough faith.” By definition, that is a fear-driven statement.

How do we change our behavior?

There are two ways to change and God is in both of them. The first way is the easiest way: read God’s word and learn from the mistakes others have made—this is one of the reasons all these blunders are included in the Bible! Like I said that’s the easy way, but sadly, most, including myself, rarely take the easy way.

The other method is to hold our doctrinal ground and allow the Lord to knock us off our high horses. What might that look like? Suddenly that so-called, faith-filled person gets cancer. On these occasions we (hopefully) realize that our ideologies are not applicable in every situation, especially when we don’t know anything about the other person(s) we supposedly ministering to.

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

So how do we know when to speak?

Certainly there are times the Holy Spirit moves us to be the voice of Christian reason. The question is how do we know when it’s God’s time for us to speak? The simple answer is God will tell us. How well we hear God is directly proportionate to how consistently we are in His Word and in prayer. Even then we should compare what we’re about to say (and how we intend to say it) against James 3:12-18. If our reproof does not line-up perfectly with this passage, then we need to retreat, revise, and maybe reject what we were going to say.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:12-18

These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at Calvary Chapel Coastlands.

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Silencing satan

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, faith, health, investment, Jesus, religion, tagged Bible, book of job, heaven, Jesus Christ, Job on November 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” …In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:6 + 10

We’re all familiar with the story of Job; how God partially removed His hand of protection in order that satan could wreak havoc on his life. As a result Job loses almost everything: his wealth, his health, his livelihood, and his entire family, except of course for his wife (satan can be so cruel sometimes).

Behind all of Job’s misery we will get a foretaste of God’s purpose; beyond the misery we catch a glimpse of God’s blessing. The awesome reality is that every bit of the suffering, whether it is in Job’s life or our own, will make perfect sense when we get to Heaven.

And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” Revelation 16:7

Apparently Job understood the doctrine. All the garbage that comes our way serves a much greater and divine purpose. Understandably that purpose might not make any sense at all now, but when we see Jesus face-to-face, we will all proclaim, “Righteous and true are Your ways!” Therein lies our hope!

In the Meantime

In the meantime how should we handle adversity? How should we respond to the news we have lost our job, we have cancer, or a loved one has died tragically? Consider what Job did:

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. Job 1:20

Job was sorrowful, but in his sorrow he worshipped the Lord. In so doing Job blessed the Lord and was given the opportunity (by example) to be a great witness for the Lord. However, as the text picks up in chapter two, we see that satan is at it again—Job is afflicted with boils all over his body. What Job did next silenced satan for the remaining forty chapters of the book.

In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10

Not only didn’t Job curse God (or anyone else for that matter) he didn’t complain about his situation—he kept his mouth shut. That gives me great pause. Is that my testimony? When someone wrongs me or if things are not going my way, do I lash out at whoever I believe is responsible or do I remain silent? More importantly, which reaction is pleasing to God? Which one has the potential to silence satan?

Do all things without complaining and disputing… Philippians 2:14

I’m tempted to say that everyone complains; it is our nature, but that’s only half the truth—complaining isn’t our nature, it’s our sin-nature; when we complain we are in sin. I admit that complaining has a certain degree of satisfaction associated with it, but knowing that satan is silenced when I keep my silence is much more satisfying. Wouldn’t you agree?

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These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at Calvary Chapel Coastlands.

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Do You Have a Picture of the Holy Spirit?

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Holy Spirit, Jesus, prayer, religion, tagged Artaxerxes, Bible, Ezra, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, moses, Old Testament on November 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. Ezra 7:9-10

There is a peculiar gap between the end of Ezra chapter six and the beginning of Ezra chapter seven, a space of approximately sixty years. In this season of silence the Temple was functioning properly and the people were worshiping, but nothing of biblical note is recorded. That sad fact is an indicator that revival was probably in order. Enter Ezra.

Ezra was a brilliant man of God and the writer of this book, first and second Chronicles, and Psalm 119. He was a scribe and a priest; a direct descendant of Aaron. I am told that the Talmud records that he had the Torah memorized and that he and 119 other men determined, as led by the Holy Spirit, the canon of the Old Testament. Ezra is also a picture (or type) of the Holy Spirit in this story—his name in fact means helper.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. John 16:7

Who Cares?

Why would we care if Ezra’s a type of God’s Spirit; why is that important to us? A couple reasons: first it demonstrates once again that the Old Testament is more than just a Bible history book and that its primary function is to deliver its readers by pointing them to Jesus Christ. The second reason is that if we can claim Ezra is a type of the Holy Spirit, there’s likely Holy Spirit characteristics present in the text; things of which we can glean. And wouldn’t you know it, there are!

You can read the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra (Ezra 7:12-27) if you like, but here’s a synopsis–Ezra is called by the king to be a guide, a giver of gifts, a leader of worship, a teacher, an enforcer of righteousness, a beautifier of the Lord’s house, and a gather of men. Aren’t those the very attributes we associate with God’s Spirit?

Reread Ezra 7:9-10 from the start of the blog. It’s a wonderful illustration of what the Holy Spirit does in our lives, isn’t it. Now compare it to this bundle of verses:

For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God…You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear…He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 1 Corinthians 2:10b, Psalms 10:17b, John 14:26b, Philippians 2:13

Not only do these combined passages demonstrate how the Old Testament jives with the New, but they reveal how God’s Spirit functions in our lives. We see that He’s led by the Word, He readies our hearts, He educates, and then incredibly He does the work through the submitted believer.

A Final Thought

…Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. Ezra 7:6

Did you know that being filled with the Holy Spirit and being filled with God’s Word are synonymous? Ezra’s type bears witness to it, for he was both filled with the Spirit and consumed by the Word—both had taken up residence in his heart. Compare Ephesians 5:18b-19 and Colossians 3:16

…Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…

~and~

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord

They’re in agreement for the most part, the only difference being that one says be filled with the Holy Spirit and the other says be filled with the Holy Word. Observe that the characteristics are identical; a Spirit-filled person and a Bible-filled person operate similarly. In other words, a noticeable quality of the Spirit-filled believer is that he or she is absorbed in God’s word.

Is that your testimony? Can you say ‘God’s Spirit resides in me’ because these other qualities are also present? If you can’t then one of two things are likely true: the Holy Spirit does not live in you ~or~ you are quenching the works of the Holy Spirit. The solution to either of those can be found in prayer and in the Word.

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These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at Calvary Chapel Coastlands.

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Always Triumphant

Posted in Abject Poverty, Bible, Bible Prophecy, exercise and fitness, faith, health, Holy Spirit, investment, Jesus, religion, sanctification, tagged Apostle Paul, Bible, Jesus Christ, Noah Webster, Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary, Old Testament, triumph on October 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

When you read the above verse, what single word or phrase leaps off the page? Is it ‘Thanks be to God,’ or, ‘leads in triumph,’ or simply, ‘Christ,’ or ‘fragrance?’ For me, the word that makes this verse commanding, energizing the rest of the passage is the word ‘always.’

I like Noah Webster’s definition from his 1828 dictionary. In it he defines the word as: ‘Perpetually; throughout all time; as, God is always the same.’ Isn’t that just perfect? If we haven’t already realized it, we should be thankful to God always because He always leads us in triumph of Christ. That should give the enthusiastic and committed born-again believer a great deal of peace, especially in light of the next two verses from the same chapter.

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

See the big picture lest you become discouraged. While it is true that we are the fragrance of Christ to some, to others we are the aroma of death. ‘Aroma of death?’ Where is the triumph in that; the previous verse proclaims that God always leads us in triumph.

This is the place where we must shift our focus; we must take our eyes off others and turn them back to Jesus. The triumph is not the transformed sinner; the triumph in this scenario is the Christian who is submitted to do His will. My friends, we are God’s enduring triumph! God’s triumphant when we are obedient; what happens beyond that is not reckoned into this equation. This is tremendously freeing!

So when we share a testimony or bear witness to Christ Jesus, the burden (we lay on ourselves) has been lifted. The victory was claimed by God when we simply obeyed. We can now freely share our faith having the weight-of-consequence removed from our shoulders. While it is true that to some we will always stink, to God we will always smell magnificent. Praise be to God!

Quoting the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul declares in Romans 10:15, ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’ For good reason the passage does not read, ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that win converts.’ We’re called to make disciples for certain, but no where in the Bible does God lay a guilt trip on us regarding success in that endeavor. Whatever the result we are always led in triumph! Don’t for get that.

Follow me on Twitter HERE

These ramblings are typically (but not always) a byproduct inspired by God through my personal Bible study at SearchLight with Pastor Jon Courson and with my pastor at Calvary Chapel Coastlands.

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