Not By Might Nor By Power But By My Spirit

There are so many things I want to do, so many things I want to accomplish. Vision has seldom been my problem but getting it done often is. Most of us have goals, dreams, plans that we want to accomplish but many people don't even come close to completing any of them. Life is filled with obstacles, challenges, detours, traps, pitfalls, failures, and delays. Most people change their dreams and goals, finding an easier path when the one they have chosen proves more difficult than they thought. Some people chalk it up to lack of determination. I think there is something wrong with the whole premise.

Most of us live like the Sadducees of Jesus' three year ministry days. They believed that Yahweh had no involvement in our daily living, that we had to do the best we could on our own. They also believed the soul died with the body so there were no consequences to face after death, allowing us to do what we want to do. Most of us make our own plans and do what we want to do, still loving Jesus but not involving him in any part of our life; unless we get in trouble. If we act this way it is how Father is going to deal with us. He will be hands off until we get ourselves in so much trouble that we call out to him for help. But there is a better way.

Our life is no longer our own. That is our reality when we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, asking for forgiveness and claiming him as Lord. We are re-birthed as a new creation, a citizen of the Kingdom and a child of Father. We are now governed by the principles of the Kingdom and not by the patterns of this world. Jesus purchased us at great cost and we now belong exclusively to him. This means that we no longer determine our days but seek Father's will for our days and situations. We don't have goals and dreams of our own; we have the goals and desires of Father. But even understanding this we can make mistakes.

Sometimes we understand clearly the will of Father and what we are to work towards but we forget that it is his work. Quite often the goal is Father's but we think the work is ours. Even the work belongs to Father. He has planned for it, provides for it and has purpose for it. It will be achieved accordingly. Not by what we think or our schedule and certainly not by our resources. We find an example of this in Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was sent out of captivity to Jerusalem to head up the Temple re-building project. The task sounds easier than it was. He was hand picked by Yahweh to complete this task but he had a huge list of obstacles in his way. It was a discouraging work and one that required a great deal of determination. But determination alone wasn't enough. His strength and encouragement had to be found in his relationship with Yahweh and the constant reminder that this was Yahweh's work. At one point the prophet Zechariah provided him words of encouragement from the Lord and he reminded him:

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord of Hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

Yes, not just a New Testament thing. Not by might, force, strength, weapons or intelligence. Not by power, influence, friends, wealth, political clout, position. In other words, this project, which was the will of Yahweh, would not be forced into place by the will of man. This would be accomplished by his Spirit, will , desire, power, presence, strength, force. It did not matter what obstacles Zerubbabel faced, Yahweh told him he would turn the mountains into mole hills. Nothing frustrates the will of Jehovah. Therein lies the difference between our goals and Father's will.

If you are involved in a God-thing, do not be discouraged. It will be completed by his Spirit, his will, his time schedule, by the path he has determined. He will use you to do it but he determines how, when and with what. You just concentrate on the relationship part of things, stay focused on Jesus, attentive to his Word and remain open to the Spirit and he will provide everything you need. And be patient. However, if you are not involved in a God-thing and working on a You-thing you should stop what you are doing, drop to your knees and desire a greater relationship with Jesus. Forget everything else and just focus on him and soon everything will come into proper focus for you. We need to meditate on this Psalm:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

Too many of us are building our own houses because it is all we know. It is what we have learned from our fathers before us. It is the sample we see all around us. No one has told us any different. But the Word is in our hand and the Spirit is in us. The Word shows us the ways of the Lord, teaches us the paths, leads us in the truth. The Spirit instructs us if we will get out of our own way. The key is the relationship. Concentrate on the relationship and we will soon discover that it is not by might, nor by power but by his Spirit. Allow Father to complete his will for you according to his Spirit. Walk with him, not ahead of him.

They Key Is Intimacy

Recently I was reading a book published in 1976 that briefly touched on the growing danger facing the Church. The author spoke of the world turning from the Church and how the Church herself was becoming weaker from the lack of her members turning to the Lord. This was 1976! Now we know that the Church can never be defeated but she is certainly facing the danger of people forgetting who they are in Jesus. We are seeing many flames being put out as the passion is disappearing. We need to hear the voice from the wilderness again calling out, warning us to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Israel faced the same problems the Church is facing today. People got distracted. Some put all their faith in a king. Others turned to the idols of other nations. Most were only concerned with their own well being. Almost all set aside their devotion to Yahweh. In Zephaniah we find this simple verse in a prophecy spoken against Jerusalem:

She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God. (3:2)

There is something here we should pay attention to; something we should use to examine our own heart. Today the message is constantly "stay positive". We pastors are told to help people feel good about themselves, about their situation. We are to look for the positive in every situation and emphasize it so their eyes will be distracted from the darker parts. I think we are wrong in such an approach to ministry. There is no healing in this, only avoidance. If pastors want to be good shepherds then we need to help people examine everything to discover Yahweh in it, so we can grow into maturity, not disappear into make believe.

"She has not obeyed His voice." It is hard to obey when we don't know the Word. That is the very first spiritual discipline that should be in place: A healthy relationship with the Word of God. Without the Word hidden in our heart how will we recognize the voice of the Lord? Without the Word how can we know his ways, his path, his truth? Without the Word we cannot know the importance of obedience. Without the Word we cannot know the consequences of disobedience. We need to hear, read, study, meditate on and apply the Word every single day of our life. Meditating on it day and night will bring prosperity and success, according to the Word, but not as some understand it today. If you have such an attitude toward the Word you will make it to the end.

"She has not received correction." Correction is not punishment. Yahweh does not punish, yet. That day is coming but for today he applies correction to his children. Correction teaches us where we went wrong. It teaches us how not to do the same thing again.Correction is a tough lesson applied by a loving Father. The purpose of correction is to increase us not to destroy us. Correction goes against our will and requires submission. If you have a healthy attitude toward correction from the Lord you will grow quickly and steadily.

"She has not trusted in the Lord." The instruction of the Lord is good and it is clear. The correction of the Lord is good and it is clear. But for many of us our trust is insincere. We say that we trust Jesus with our lips but our actions prove otherwise. Almost all of us do what we think is best without any consideration of what the Spirit is instructing. We prove that we trust ourselves over the Lord which is pretty foolish considering the actions of our past. Trust is about relationship and if we are not obeying his voice and not accepting his correction, we don't have much of a relationship.

"She has not drawn near to her God." Exactly! This is the key. Without intimacy there is no obedience, correction or trust. Without obedience, correction and trust there is no intimacy. It is intimacy that Yahweh has always yearned for. Discover the "oneness" that Jesus spoke about in John and you will understand. "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart ..." He is standing and waiting for us, having drawn near to us. Now we have to turn to him and draw near to him. Seek my face, he says, and you will find me.

We are the only one responsible for the condition of our relationship with Jesus. We can't blame anyone or anything else for it's lack of intimacy and passion. Take action to find intimacy with him. Meditate on this one simple verse and ask yourself where you stand with Jesus today.

Why Aren't The Faithful Better Off?

Have you ever had some questions from people about Yahweh that have been hard to answer? One of the classics is, "If God is so great and loving, why are there such bad things in the world?" Habakkuk was a prophet who asked Yahweh some tough questions. One of them can be summed up by "Why do good people seem to suffer and the bad seem to prosper?" That's a great question and it may surprise you that Yahweh answered. But his answer involved a vision about the end times:

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:3)

And then he says something that acts like a springboard into the famous passage of woes. He tells Habakkuk the prophet:

Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith. (v.4)

Habakkuk's question was about the proud people of the world, the ones who achieved things by their own strength. Perhaps they were arrogant in attitude or maybe they were just arrogant at heart, but these people figured they did not need Yahweh because they achieved a good life on their own. But it isn't about a good, comfortable, well off life filled with luxury or even fame.

Life here is about faith. It is about learning to trust Yahweh. It is about learning to seek his strength and help in all situations and circumstances in life. It is about allowing him to use those things to change us, to change our character to his liking. It is about maturing in our faith. On this side of the cross, it is about maturing into the full measure of Jesus. This life is a journey of growth and change as we carry out the work of our Lord Jesus. It is a life of faithfulness to our God, our Lord, our Father.

Yahweh then tells Habakkuk what will happen to the proud people, the independent people, the ones who thought they could get along without Yahweh, not understanding it has always been all about Yahweh. He tells him that in the end each person will get their reward. He tells him of the judgement that is to come. Jesus said that such people have received all they are going to get here but the righteous have a greater reward waiting for us.

We can't forget that Yahweh is just and people will receive from him what he has promised. If he promised good it will be good but if he has promised punishment then they will be punished. This is why we praise him that he has rescued us from this judgement and has covered us by his grace. We deserved the judgement, we are no better than the proud, but we have accepted his rescue plan and now stand covered by the blood of the sacrificial Lamb. Yahweh sees everything and everything will be judged against those who turn their back on his hand of love and grace. We should not feel envious of these people but instead our hearts should be filled with pity; we know what's coming.

When Habakkuk received this vision as a response to his question, he burst out into praise and he ended with a declaration of faith. I am wondering if our relationship with Jesus is mature enough to declare and apply Habakkuk's prayer. It is a prayer that brings a counter effect against any envy you may feel towards those who seem to be having an easier time  with life:

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills. (3:17-19)

Amen!

Why Do You Call Him Lord?

There is absolutely no doubt that salvation is by the grace of Yahweh. There is nothing we could do to save ourselves and there was no good in us to provoke Jesus to save us. Salvation came out of Yahweh's love, his compassion and mercy for his creation. This grace also enables the Spirit to empower us to live and serve in his presence, with power to overcome everything from our old nature, the fallen world and the enemy of our soul. But none of this takes away from the importance of us living the righteousness of Jesus.

Jesus taught us, as well as showed us, that there is a difference between right and wrong, good and bad. The world fudges those lines and says there are no absolutes but the righteousness of Jesus Christ proves otherwise. In fact, all the way through the Scriptures the importance of righteousness was lifted up. Even though the prophet Isaiah, as he spoke of our approaching salvation, Yahweh stated:

Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil. (Isaiah 56:1-2)

We no longer walk in righteousness, doing good instead of evil, to try to earn our salvation. The grace Jesus gave us on the cross took care of that, but now we walk in righteousness to bring pleasure to Father. For us it is an act of love, as we live in obedience to Jesus. The expectation is, if we call him Lord we will submit to his commands, teachings and instructions; we will obey. He told us:

But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)

Too often we dismiss much of what Jesus taught, abusing the Scripture that tells us that we are no longer under law but under grace. What that is telling us is that we are no longer under the condemnation of the law but under the forgiveness that comes from grace. But this does not minimize our need for obedience if we are to be followers of Jesus Christ, his disciples and fellow heirs:

If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

Salvation is by grace but a loving relationship with Jesus provokes in us a desire for righteousness. In fact, Paul the apostle says that we become slaves to this righteousness instead of a slave to sin. Let me be clear, this is not righteousness by law but righteousness by faith. We have been declared to be righteous under grace, but Jesus expects us to walk in that righteousness. It is a state of being, declared by Yahweh, which provokes us to action.

Simply put, if you really love Jesus then obeying him becomes a top priority to you. Jesus showed us that there is a difference between right and wrong, good and evil. He didn't just tell us, he showed us. It is interesting because to me righteousness looks a lot like love. You can't say you love Jesus and then expect him to believe you when you do the opposite of what he taught. It also confuses the people who are looking in, the ones who want to see if there is anything authentic about this thing we call faith.

Why do you call him Lord? Righteousness may call on you to die to what you want today. For the sake of love, can you answer that call and obey? Love keeps us from twisting the truth of the Word to meet our selfish agenda and beckons us to the righteousness of Jesus. As always, it is a matter of choice. We are under grace but we walk in righteousness.

Would You Consider Yourself A Skilled Christian?

Do you consider yourself a skilled Christian? Yes, that question struck me as odd as well when I first read it in the book of Hebrews but as I pondered it I began to appreciate it. We do a lot of listening, learning, studying but not a lot of practice. Certainly we all try to be kind but there is a lot more to Christianity than being kind. In some ways, our spiritual development is somewhat like school in that you do not get to advance until you demonstrate that you are able to apply what you have learned. In other words, there are many of us Christians who are still stuck in kindergarten.

While we are serving Jesus in this place we should understand that his goal for us is spiritual maturity. Everything we do, that we face, that we learn is suppose to move us forward in this maturity. To put it in the terms of my opening question, we should be improving our skills, advancing to the "master" category. The writer of Hebrews observed this:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (Hebrews 5:12)

This provokes a humorous picture in my head of a bunch of 25 year olds playing with nursery toys, stuck in kindergarten. They should be teachers but they have not yet gained the skills to leave kindergarten. We learn about, even study, concerning prayer, but we don't pray. We learn and study about evangelism but we have never been brave enough to try. We hear about the importance of hospitality but never invite anyone over. And these are the simple things:

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (v.13)

Righteousness is important but few of us understand it. We are unskilled to apply it. Righteousness crudely is the understanding of good and evil, right and wrong. There is a right path and there is a wrong path. There are right choices and wrong choices. The more that we allow the Spirit to guide is in the right choices the more familiar those things become, the easier it is for us to recognize. But if we don't understand this then how could we ever apply the Word of God to our every day practical living? Then we hear Jesus' question, why do we call him Lord if we don't do what he has instructed? (Luke 6)

When athletes train they are conditioning their bodies to perform in a certain manner. Each sport requires different skills. A hockey player would not make a great snow boarder. He may be good at it but he will never be great because his body is conditioned for hockey. With practice he has gained skill in his chosen sport. Christians also train their heart, mind, soul and strength under the guidance of the Spirit to gain great spiritual skill to be able to apply the Word, to walk in righteousness.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (v. 14)

I am not talking about gaining our salvation by our own works. I am speaking to those of you who have already received Jesus and are under that promise of salvation. I am speaking to those who are on their walk with Jesus but can't seem to get any traction to advance. Our great desire should be to mature in Jesus, to walk in his righteousness. At first it will be difficult, just like learning to physically walk, but with practice we gain skill and we will eventually be running. We will be mature, growing into the fullness of Jesus.

It means when we are faced with decisions, we learn to die to our desires and choose what honours Jesus. It means, every day our thoughts are of Jesus and we use him as our measuring rod in our conduct and choices. We learn to hear and obey the Spirit as he constantly guides us and teaches according to the righteousness of Jesus. It means we learn to die to ourselves a little bit every day as we become skilled in the word of righteousness, moving from milk to glorious solid food. It is where the Word of God moves from a document of theory to the Living Word inside of us, embodied in our words and actions. It is gaining skill to do what Jesus has instructed us to do as we apply it in everything in our lives. So let's make every day a practice day.

Thriving Not Surviving Life

Life is life. Good things happen in life as do bad things. Some days will be fantastic, ones you want to live over again. Other days will be horrible, ones you wish you had never gotten out of bed. You will go through seasons of great blessings, when everything you touch seems to blossom. You will also go through seasons of great dryness, when you seem to be surrounded by nothing but desert. These are the tides of life, the seasons, the changes. The question is always about perspective and approach

For Christians the perspective should be an easy thing; Yahweh is sovereign. We have purpose in this life, left here, not to serve ourselves and our self interest, but to serve our King. We serve him in whatever season of life we are experiencing because it is not about us or the season; it is always about obedience and service to our King. He strengthens and equips us in every season so that we can serve those who are being destroyed in their experience of life. That is what we must settle in our hearts, that Jesus is present to lend us the strength to go the distance in our service to him. I really appreciate this passage from Isaiah that reminds us who we serve:

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28)

Constantly reminding ourselves of the greatness of our Lord also helps us in our approach to life. If our perspective is that we are here to serve the King and he will keep us in all situations then our approach to this life should be one of great boldness and bravery in the Spirit. We should be those who fearlessly throw ourselves into any situation, never being afraid for our own well being but filled with love and concern for those perishing in the storms. We can do this because we have confidence in him who sent us and abides in us:

He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength. (v. 29)

That`s us at times, having exhausted our strength on the battlefield, in the storms, under weighty circumstance, doing good, we just want to lie down. But the Spirit renews us, increases us, fills us with great strength, so we can press on in our service. We all grow tired from time to time because we forget to operate in Jesus`strength not our own; we all look at the storms on occasion and lose heart, we all get overwhelmed at the thought of things, but that is the beauty of our Lord; he never leaves us there:

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. (vv. 30-31)

Too often we read this from a selfish perspective, as if the Lord is renewing our strength so we can enjoy the pleasures of this world. He renews us so we can run and walk in our continued service to the King. He renews his love in us so that we can set ourselves aside and love without obstacles, without prejudice, so we can pour out our lives for others like a drink offering. His strength is like a river flowing through us, not to be dammed up and kept selfishly but to flow through us into the lives of others.

This is true for all the blessings, such as love, that they would flow through us into others. We need to see ourselves as conduits. We are not the stars, Jesus is. We are not the source of hope, Jesus is. We are not the source of healing, strength, wisdom, salvation, Jesus is. But he has chosen us to participate in the process of rescuing others. He does not want us bogged down in life, distracted or lost. He renews us every day throughout the day so we will be constantly refreshed and strengthened in all the seasons of life. So abide in him and you will discover your wings. Trust him and love with great abandon.

How To Know Good Advice From Bad

It is tough being in the midst of trials. Sometimes it is really hard to know where to turn, who to trust, who really has your best interest at heart. Sometimes we simply turn to whoever appears to be the most available, the person who readily offers their opinion. Often that is the very last person to whom we should listen. Often this person is filled with nothing but the counsel of the world and has no understanding of the spiritual realm to which we belong. Their advice works perfectly well for someone of this world but misses the mark for the citizens of the Kingdom. That is something we should always keep in mind.

People whose roots are in this world cannot see what we see; they do not know what we know; they cannot understand what we understand. A great example of this is when king Sennacherib, the great king of Assyria, tried to frighten king Hezekiah and Jerusalem into surrender. Why fight a battle when you can frighten your enemy into submission? Is that not the tactic of the enemy of our soul? He says to Hezekiah:

“What confidence is this in which you trust? I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him." (Isaiah 36:4-6)

This king could not figure out why Hezekiah was resisting him so he looked around for the obvious. He guessed wrong that Hezekiah was hoping Egypt would come to his rescue but Hezekiah's only plan was to trust Yahweh. This king saw Hezekiah's confidence and assumed it was according to the plans of the world. But he didn't leave Hezekiah's faith alone either:

“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?” (Isaiah 36:7)

He had heard of Hezekiah's reforms but misinterpreted them. Hezekiah had inherited a messed up kingdom that worshiped every god of every neighbour and then some. He brought in revival with his reign because he loved the Lord our God with his entire being. He did a cleansing of the land and threw out every idol, teaching the people the Law and having them return to the proper worship at the Temple. This was a good thing that provoked the love and protection of Yahweh.

Yet the world look on this and did not understand. They misinterpreted his actions of love and devotion. They figured Hezekiah had blown it and was now at the mercy of the gods he had offended. Hezekiah stuck to his trust in Yahweh and Yahweh himself delivered them from the king of Assyria.

People without Jesus can only evaluate your situation from their experience, from what they know, and what they know is the wisdom of man. It will sound reasonable because it is, for those who are without Jesus. They are only following the rules and habits that they know. However, we belong to another set of principles established by Father. We belong to another place, the Kingdom of Jesus. We have a different ruler than the false prince of this world and he is the true King of creation. We are no longer governed by the patterns of this world and so cannot receive counsel based on it. We need wise counsel and direction from those planted firmly in Jesus.

Be very careful because since we live in this place temporarily we can become accustomed to its rules. We can be tricked by the sound arguments of this place. Everything we hear makes sense by what we see, but we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith in Jesus, in the Word, by the Spirit, according to the principles of the Kingdom. More than any other book ever produced by man we should be in love and know the one book produced by the Holy Spirit. Above all else, allow it to be your guide as taught to you by the Spirit. He will never fail you, even in the face of the kings of this world.

The Problem Isn't The Message; The Problem Is Our Heart

We live in an age when words rule. We all like to talk, whether verbally or written. The Church is filled with words; people talking, debating, arguing, disagreeing, and there are a lot of books being written. There is a huge war of words as the philosophers of the Church argue with each other in front of the whole world. We are hearing "false prophet", "false teacher" being thrown around far too easily. It is like we have forgotten the Word that tells us:

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:19-21)

But it is difficult to understand this when we have allowed the Church to be lead by the academia and we know how teachers love words. Where is the gospel that comes with power?

If we follow this thought it leads us to the realization of how many of those words are empty. The Word of God is never empty, filled with power to convict and change the hearts of the receivers. The empty words come from those who would rather debate the word instead of submit to it. Those words lack any good. So what we should be looking for is the fruit that is produced. That is how we know the true content of the heart, by the fruit it produces.

There are many passages of Scripture that teach on this but I appreciate a certain passage in Isaiah 32:

For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. (Isaiah 32:6)

Case study number 1: The Fool. Look at what such a heart produces; ungodliness, uttering error, keeping the hungry hungry, spoiling the drink of the thirsty. The heart of the fool produces emptiness. Those who are seeking Jesus will not discover him in the words of a fool.

Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;
He devises wicked plans
To destroy the poor with lying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice. (v. 7)

Case study number 2: The Schemer. Look at what this heart produces; wicked plans, destruction through lying words, denying justice. Pity the seeker who is looking for Jesus in the words of a schemer.

But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand. (v. 8)

Case study number 3: The Generous. It is obvious what such a heart produces; generous things. This is the heart of love as defined by Jesus in Luke 6, giving recklessly, without thought of personal cost, to the benefit of friend or foe. In these words we will discover the power of the Kingdom.

So many of the words spoken and debated today are spoken from selfish, puffed up hearts that think nothing of the consequences of their speaking. The fruit that is produced is confusion and division. No one is growing into spiritual maturity from these things. They are destructive to the Body of Christ. We should pay attention to the wisdom of Proverbs:

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

That should give us something to ponder as we ask the Spirit to examine our hearts, but let us not stop at this familiar verse but let us put it in context of what follows:

Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil. (vv. 24-27)

The only way we are going to see the power of the Kingdom return is when we stop the foolishness, examine our hearts and walk the walk we have been given. Fix your eyes on Jesus and stop trying to make a name for yourself by tearing down other servants. If they are in error the Spirit is not impotent; he will correct. But you, you keep your eyes on the prize, understanding your tasks and allowing the power of the resurrection to flow through you. The world needs to see Jesus in us, the Church, the Body of Christ. Let your heart be true and may they discover Christ through the fruit that is produced by his reckless love in you.

Why We Fail With Jesus

Independence is the great sin of mankind and by mankind I mean you and me. It is what led Adam to his act of disobedience. He operated independently from Yahweh, making a decision that was contrary to Yahweh's expressed will. Ever since then we have been living in direct opposition to Yahweh, acting independently, wanting to live without a relationship with our Creator. We don't even want to see a Creator/creation relationship and so try to dismiss the existence of the Creator, instead promoting the idea that we are all here by chance.

This idea of independence is so deeply ingrained in us that even though some of us have returned to our Creator, through the Creator's work and invitation, we still find it difficult to be dependent on him. Even though he takes great delight in guiding us, providing for us, fighting for us, blessing us, walking us through hard lessons, strengthening us, and at times rescuing us, we still act as if we want to do it on our own. We fail to understand our relationship with Yahweh.

Dependence, absolute dependence is what he is looking for in us and so desires to see the letting go of our desire and actions of independence. To be independent is to shut Jesus out and opens us again to disobedience because we cannot live for and serve Jesus while separate from him. Jesus described us as a branch of a vine. We gentiles are a grafted in branch. We get all our sustenance from the vine so that fruit can be produced through us. That is a healthy, dependent relationship. Jesus also said that those branches that are not connected to the vine dry up, are gathered together and then discarded in the fire; not a healthy relationship.

The nation of Israel had problems with dependence. They had moments of great brilliance under kings like Hezekiah but they also had moments of great ugliness as they turned away from Yahweh and sought help from others. That was king Asa's great sin. At one time trusting the Lord in the face of an army three times the size of his own and then seeking help from an enemy neighbour against a much smaller army. The Lord warned Israel against the folly of trusting anyone but him:

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
And rely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
Nor seek the Lord! (Isaiah 31:1)

Our God is the great "do not fear" as he reminds us time and again that he is with us; always with us. It was one of Jesus' last promises, that he would be with us until the end of the age. Why? Because we are dependent on him for everything, including completing the mission we have been assigned. We are a brilliant people who on our own can accomplish a lot, but we can't do our Lord's work. We can do something that looks like it but it is lacking the element of eternity because only he can give it that element.

If we are not trusting the Lord with the mission then we certainly are not trusting him with our daily living. We fill ourselves with worry, fear, anxiety. We lose sleep trying to come up with a plan. We turn to everyone else for help and advice. We almost destroy ourselves with the wrong decisions and choices we make. We may even ask Jesus for help but we don't wait on him. We ask and then we lose patience and act on our own. Woe to us when we turn to "Egypt" for help, when we trust someone else's strength instead of the Lord's.

Our God doesn't need us but he wants us. We have nothing to contribute to him but he can work through us to accomplish a lot for his own glory. He is not trying to mature us into independence. He is growing us into maturity which is complete dependence on him. Anything else is only a pretend relationship. He loves us and wants to see that love completed in us but that isn't going to happen when we are trying to live outside of him. It is time to set aside all notion, action and desire for independence and decide to trust Jesus with every aspect of our lives. No more complaints, resistance, worry, fear, anxiety or stress; just the free flowing river of trust.

When Prophecy Seems To Fail

"He is a false prophet." I have heard those words leveled at men of God, accusing them of speaking false words when certain things they have said do not happen. This is dangerous ground on which to tread and come from a root of lack of understanding concerning words of prophecy and knowledge. It is a dangerous place to be, to accuse brethren of something you do not understand.

First of all, if you don't believe that Jesus speaks to us in this manner just leave it alone. Don't show your ignorance by speaking up on a matter you have yet to come to understand or believe. I suggest you study the Scriptures more and spend time in conversation with our Lord, asking him to teach you.

Second, understand that these men and women are not speaking on their own. The Spirit is using them to speaking encouragement and direction into people's lives. These instruments of Jesus have no invested interest in the people they pray over. They are not trying to manipulate. In the anointing they are given words or images to convey Jesus' heart to the people. Those who are mature in the Word understand immediately and the prayer is more a confirmation of what the Lord has already put on their heart. For the less mature, it simply seems like a mystery, a bit spooky, especially when it comes blanketed in a word of knowledge. But the servant does not own the words that come from the Spirit. He is only a vessel.

Third, understand the nature of such things. Whatever is spoken into your life is conditional. Everything with Yahweh is conditional, including the blessings. His love is not conditional, but the fruit of that love in your life is very much so. When a word is spoken into your life it is conveying Yahweh's perfect will but the fulfillment of these things is conditional to your love and obedience. Consider the word spoken over Israel through the prophet Isaiah. First the expressed desire of Yahweh:

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

Forgiveness is announced. That is always our Father's will, to forgive, allowing reconciliation and restoration of our relationship with him. He desires this over justice. Then the word spoken over the nation was his intention to bless them:

If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land. (v. 19)

But notice the conditions: willing and obedient. Are we to consider Isaiah a false prophet because of what ended up happening to the nation? Did Yahweh not also speak of the results of failing the conditions?

But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword. (v. 20)

Isn't it strange that Israel always made the wrong choice.

Another glaring example of prophecy being changed after spoken is the prophet Jonah. There are lots of examples but this one really stands out. Jonah had to go to Nineveh, an enemy city, to convey judgment. Later he said that the reason he resisted to go is because he knew Yahweh was capable of changing his mind. Many a person keeps their mouth shut for this same reason. They are worried about their reputation if what they have been given to speak does not unfold. Jonah spoke, delivering the message that the city would be destroyed due to their wickedness. The people took it to heart and the king called for repentance. They moved the heart of Yahweh who called off the judgment. Do we call Jonah a false prophet?

Such matters must be understood to be conditional, whether we are talking about words of blessings or words of correction. Disobedience or repentance can change everything. We must remember that above all things our Father desires a great relationship with us. Obedience keeps us in that place but he will change his intentions is we disobey so that he can bring in correction to get us back to where we need to be. You cannot blame the messenger if you force Father's hand in correction.

Remember, before you go accusing the servants of the Lord, that everything in your relationship with Jesus is conditional to your love and obedience. It may be Father's intention to bless you or use you but you can cause him to change to another course of action. Your desire, even above any blessing, position or reputation, must be to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength. A sweet obedience flows from such reckless love as does the fulfillment of Father's will in your life.  

An Important Perspective For A Successful Life

The greatest goal of any teacher is to instill in his/her students the desire to learn. The greatest skill a teacher can give his/her students is how to learn. We are students for life. Many of us thought the learning was over with graduation at any level but we soon discovered that every day is a classroom and if we understand, accept and apply ourselves, we will enjoy the adventure. But if we decide that we no longer need to learn, life will become a very complicated thing filled with many struggles.

As Christians we should grasp this understanding wholeheartedly. We are students of the Holy Spirit. Every day is a classroom where we get to put into practice what we have received in theory. Our Teacher is with us all day long to apply practical lessons, so we can learn and grow. The purpose is for us to grow and mature which involves, theory, practical, correction and encouragement. It starts in one place though:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

It begins in a proper relationship with Yahweh. It begins with the understanding that he is the Teacher and we are the students. That is a healthy place, a respectful place, a place of understanding authority. If we have a healthy fear of Father it means we will respect his instructions. Many of us consider them suggestions but his instructions are commandments. Some people get offended at the thought of being commanded to do anything but that is because they are spiritually immature, do not understand the love of Father, and have yet to discover they are not a boss but a pupil.

Note though that the fear of the Lord is the beginning. It is a starting place. Just like the cross is the starting place for our relationship with Jesus. Past the cross is the resurrection and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. It is a progression. But from this humble position our knowledge and understanding grow. We spend far too much time doubting, criticizing, complaining and rebelling against the Teacher. These are not attitudes that permit an atmosphere of healthy learning. These are marks of distrust and if we do not trust our Teacher we will not be able to learn from our Teacher.

The lessons we receive from Yahweh are far more important and often more difficult than any we will learn in our formal schooling. These are life lessons meant to shape us for eternity. They include humility and service to others. We have an excellent Teacher who examines our weaknesses and puts us in places and situations to deal with those weaknesses, so they are exposed and overcome. Not always a pleasant experience but always to our benefit.

People get in trouble when they think that choosing Jesus is going to make everything easier and that he will resolve all our problems. Our walk with him is not easy but it makes everything better as he teaches us by using our problems to grow us spiritually. It is a challenging classroom but our Teacher is always present to lend us exactly what we need in the moment. Don't give up and do keep your heart humble and your perspective that of a pupil. Every day he is moving us closer to the goal; eternity is almost at hand. Keep running the race to grab hold of that prize. Submit to the Teacher and the lessons for today and you will be surprised by the joy you have in doing it.

How To Change The Attitude Of Your Day

All praise is due him! But do we live that way? All praise is due him? But is it seen in our attitude? All praise is due him! But do we acknowledge it in the rush of our day? We know a lot of stuff in theory but it does not mean we live it out in our days. Indeed, all praise is due him, but sometimes, in our quest for survival, we don't let it play out in our lives. We reserve a time of remembrance and praise but the other moments of our lives is more an "every man for himself" attitude.

Often we slip into an ungrateful attitude without realizing it, with it becoming the "norm" for us, how we feel every day. We read a little less, pray a little less, praise a little less. The colour slowly drains away and we are left with that "overcast" feeling in our life. And it becomes normal for us. But it is not normal. It is not Jesus' normal.

Throughout the Scriptures we are told time and again that thanksgiving is the key to a healthy relationship with the Lord. We are also told that it is the key to keeping the blessings fresh and flowing. Thanksgiving pleases Father because it indicates that we are very grateful for all his loving kindness. Psalm 107 is a great psalm where the psalmist took the time to describe various situations people find themselves in and how the Lord intercedes on their behalf. Most of the situations are caused when people don't turn to the Lord but when they do they are delivered from their situation:

They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.

And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. (Psalm 107:4-7)

The psalmist concludes every situation with the same statement:

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (vv. 8-9)

All praise is due him! When we let go of our pride and seek his face, he floods our soul with great love and kindness. He satisfies the longing of our soul, he sets us free from our imprisonment, his works are to our advantage; he loves us deeply. If we would stop our struggling, trying to find our own solutions and cry out to our Lord, we would remember why all praise is due him.

Praise, adoration, worship, thanksgiving are not something that is for a reserved moment in our week. No, these things are part of an attitude within which we exist. A heart of praise produces a heart of cheer. Perhaps you recognize that your attitude is not right these days. You can easily change it by changing your words from complaining to praising as you reflect on the goodness of our Lord. The psalmist concluded:

Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. (v. 43)

Indeed, a little reflection on the "daily and eternal loving kindness" of our Lord Jesus will work a wonderful work of grace on your heart and will be seen by all in your attitude throughout your day. As you realize "his wonderful works to the children of men" (count your blessings one by one) I pray your heart will explode with gratitude and you will pour out on him all the praise that is due him.

Do You Stand Or Bow In Worship?

I can be a very stubborn man and something I have learned over the years is that being stubborn is a stupid thing. Stubborn is not the same thing as determined. When you are determined you have the drive and energy to go to the end of what you are doing. Determination still leaves you open to instruction and correction that will help you achieve your goal. A stubborn nature closes you off from everything, even those things that would make it better or even easier for you to reach your goal. Being stubborn can ruin a person. In case I didn't make my point: Being stubborn is not good.

Being stubborn means that you harden your heart, even to Yahweh. Think of king Asa for a moment. He was a good king, honoured by Yahweh, but when he made a mistake and was corrected for it, Asa hardened his heart and would no longer seek Yahweh's help for anything. Scriptures say that he got a foot disease and even then would not seek Yahweh's healing but instead turned to physicians. Five years later he died. That's compared to king Hezekiah who, when Yahweh announced it was time for his death, humbled himself before Yahweh. Yahweh looked at this, was blessed by it and extended his life by 15 years.

The biggest example of stubbornness or hardened hearts are the generation of Israelites who were rescued from Egypt. These people could not take instruction to save their life. With every turn they were questioning Moses and doubting Yahweh. They were like a mule that refused to be dragged to the watering hole. When presented with the Promised Land they refused to trust Yahweh to enter to possess it. Then, when they were told the resulting correction, they refused to submit to the correction and tried to enter the Land, resulting in death. Of them Yahweh said:

“Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Psalm 95:8-11)

We have no ground to stand on to judge these people. We have been no less rebellious and stubborn at times when we have been instructed to do something we don't understand or we don't want to do. Forgiveness is often a hard thing for us to obey, or to love those who persecute us. I would say those are harder things for us to obey than if Jesus asked us to move to China to start a church. It is usually the daily things that we struggle to submit ourselves to than the big stuff. But consider the call to worship found in this same psalm:

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. (vv. 6-7)

It is here that the psalmist writes, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Notice the posture in worship: bow down, kneel. These are positions of submission, humbleness, recognizing the authority of Yahweh over us. How can we worship if our stubbornness keeps us on our feet, refusing to bow and submit to Father's instructions? So many scriptures reveal to us that Yahweh is not interested in lip worship; he desires the whole heart, mind, and soul.

The attitudes of stubbornness, pride, know-it-all, destroy the relationship our Father desires with us. The last thing he wants to say to us is "They shall not enter my rest". But he will. The last thing he wants to see happen is us die with "foot disease". But he will. There is no way we can be in the presence of our God without an attitude of humbleness, and stubbornness is not the route to humbleness. As you move throughout your day today and you are desiring to hear the voice of Jesus for direction and instruction, ask yourself if you are trying to stand in his presence or if you are bowing before him.

In The Face Of Failure I Need To Be Reminded Of My True Strength

I was proud of the fact that I had developed a very strong immune system. It hadn't always been that way. For a long time I would catch every bug that was around. It seemed that I just had to walk past a sick person and I would catch it. I knew exactly which times of the year I would catch a cold, and I would have at least two per year. But I worked hard to improve my immune system.

I ate the sort of foods that would strengthen my system and I exercised. I had realized that by not looking after myself I was being selfish, robbing my Lord and my family from a healthy version of me. As a result, in the last five years I haven't been sick once. There have been times when I could feel the cold virus coming on but my immune system fought it off. Imagine then how shocked I was yesterday to find myself immobilized by a flu virus.

Besides feeling like I was hit by a dozen trucks, I felt defeated. I was violently sick. I could barely breathe let alone move or think. I am not a person who vomits easily but I had lots of practice yesterday. I felt like a failure. I missed important meetings and I was no support to my wife and children at all.

Today, the illness is gone and I am simply trying to regain my strength. So what scripture should I read as I open my Bible this morning?

No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. ((Psalm 33:16-17)

A mighty man is not delivered by his great immune system. Of course it is not just about my immune system but is a foundational reminder that my strength is found in the Lord, not in myself. All strength in this world is going to fail at some point. We can do everything right and we will still fail. Our intellect will fail us, as will our health, so to our wealth. Relationships will fail as will our jobs and anything else we consider something to build our life foundation on. There is only one strength that will never fail us and that is Jesus.

A recurring lesson from Scripture is that Yahweh is searching the earth for those who are loyal to him so that he can glorify himself through them:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,On those who hope in His mercy, 
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine. (vv. 18-19)

We need to guard our attitude towards Jesus, that he remains the only one we lean on. He told us that if we build our life on him, our house will stand because all other foundations are as weak as sand. It doesn't matter how strong those relationships, finances, jobs, or immune systems look right now, they will fail you, but Jesus never will. That is our strength, our confidence, our joy.

I had no right to feel defeated yesterday. An imperfect thing failed yesterday even though I had done all the right things. However, Jesus didn't fail me. He didn't walk away in disgust. He sustained me yesterday so that he was my first thought upon waking this morning. And he was right here with me now to teach me something of which I needed reminding. It is in Jesus I trust, nothing else. He is my strength, hope, and song:

Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name. (vv. 20-21)

All else will fail, but Jesus never will. I trust in his holy name.

What To Do When You Are Discouraged

It doesn't matter who you are, we all face discouraging times. Be as holy as you want to be, put on whatever face you want to put on, create a facade if you want but the truth is discouragement is real for all of us. So then the true question is not how to pretend you are not discouraged but what do you do when you are. Let's consider a man who faced a boat load of discouragement in his live; king David.

David was a man of faith and trust but the psalms he wrote give us the privilege of seeing into the reality of his heart. That reality shows that David faced all kinds of emotions but he did one thing with them all; he made the decision to trust. Now when I say he made the decision, I mean he forced his spirit to worship by making declarations that he bent his will to believe:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

I am sure that as David declared this he brought back to his remembrance all the good things, all the victories, all the incredible interventions Yahweh had done for him in the past. It times of discouragement, doubts and fears we need to force ourselves to remember the personal goodness of the Lord. What has he done for us in the past? We need to remind ourselves who he is, what he does, what he has promised and that, because of who he is, we have nothing to be discouraged about. What is more important, the values of this world or those of the Kingdom?

Misplaced priorities may be the cause of some of our discouragement. Maybe we got knocked off the path of holiness because our flesh had a desire that replaced the spirit. Renew your first love and you will remember what is important to you, as David did:

One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple. (v. 4)

The Temple represented the presence of the Lord. We are that temple now as the Holy Spirit dwells in us. The presence of the Lord is what we value and we want to be aware, sensitive, to his presence. In David's great psalm of repentance his greatest concern expressed was that the Lord would cast him out of his presence. Our great desire should be to "dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life". When that is our desire and we live to permit that to be our reality, discouragement soon flees from us because it cannot take root.

Of course we can't fool ourselves into a mindset if we don't believe what we are trying to convince ourselves. If we do not believe the promises; if we forget what has been done in the past; if we don't believe that Jesus cares for us in our circumstances then we will not be able to de-root the discouragement that has laid siege upon our heart and mind:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. (v.13)

Read that first line over a few times until the reality of it sinks in. David's reality was shaped by the fact that he did believe. Sometimes this world tried to overcome his belief, his trust, his knowledge and experience of the Lord but David forced himself to remember. He forced his spirit to rise up over his flesh and praise Yahweh. He forced it by making these declarations. I only gave you a small taste of those declarations here; go back and read the whole psalm. And consider how he ended it:

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord! (V. 14)

You can decide who David is speaking to, us or himself, but consider those words. You can try to dispel discouragement with lies you tell yourself about this world. You can try to avoid the discouragement by hiding behind alcohol and drugs. You can try to distract yourself by entertainment but you are still going to be left alone with your thoughts in the middle of the night or when you wake in the morning. There is only one way to vanquish discouragement and that is by encouraging yourself in the Lord.

Wait on the Lord, says David, and be of good courage. Praise him. Declare his goodness. Declare your trust. Speak it out loud and feel the strength return to you because when you declare trust in the Lord he shall strengthen your heart. Go ahead, says David, wait on the Lord!

Are You Willing And Desiring To Be Taught?

One of the greatest hindrances to our relationship with Jesus is not sin; it is independence from Jesus which allows us to sin. We like being our own boss, doing things the way we want to do them and we don't want to be told anything. Perhaps it is not exactly how we think but it is certainly how we act. Maybe we want to be dependent, to be directed and instructed but that somehow does not get translated into our actual thinking and acting. Remember, our first nature before coming to Jesus was rebellion and sometimes it is an easy thing in which to continue.

Sometimes we also get this notion that the Spirit is somehow just going to force our heart into obedience. We hear time and again that we fall short of the glory of God and that it is impossible for us to live the Law. We also hear that the Spirit empowers us to live in the righteousness of Jesus. This is all true but we keep forgetting about the heart matter. We have to desire to want to walk in the righteousness of Jesus. We have to desire to obey. We have to desire to pursue living like Jesus. He has told us he will give us the desire of our heart but that desire has to be correct; it has to be for him.

If we really want to grow in Jesus we need to have teachability. We have to be willing to admit we don't know as we ought to know, we don't do as we ought to do, and we don't think as we ought to think. We have so much to learn and the best place to start when we first come to Jesus is to set aside everything we thought we knew. We need humility in the Church so those of maturity can come alongside and help us to learn to be taught in prayer, in the Word, and by the Spirit. We can't grow if we refuse to learn.

King David was one who was always learning. He made many mistakes but he remained humble before the Lord so he could receive correction where needed. His attitude is summed up in Psalm 25:

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day. (vv. 4-5)

Show me, teach me, lead me, should all be commonly repeated phrases in our prayers and in our hearts. But it is no good to say them unless they become part of the motivation of our heart and part of our determination to live. It should not surprise us when the Lord corrects us. It is a normal part of the "growing up" process of our relationship. We should desire correction and welcome it when it happens. We should expect to learn every time we open the Word or kneel in prayer. When we submit ourselves to the Lord we are doing so to grow.

The Lord has also called out trainers in the Body; teachers who are to train us in "good works", which is the beginning process of growing into the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus. We are told about it in Ephesians 4 where we find the process we are going through and how it requires a teachable spirit to participate. But many in the Church refuse instruction and isolate themselves from the Body which is a sin because it is contrary to the will of the Father. Our walk with Christ was never intended to be done in isolation but in community. However, such people demonstrate a lack of teachability and will never mature as the Lord intends.

I am almost 50 years old and have been a pastor for over twenty years and I am still being taught every day. I still go through times of breaking and reforming. I have daily moments of insight and inspiration that nullify incorrect thinking and brings me back in line with the Word. Every time I enter my prayer closest I expect to grow and indeed the Spirit teaches me. I still require the trainers to come alongside and provide guidance. It is not that I am spiritually immature, only that my journey is not yet complete. There is always more to learn. Learning is a good thing, a wonderful thing, a desirable thing. Let us remain humble and obedient so we may reach the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, together.

What Does It Take To See Jesus?

Sometimes I believe we Christians are in a downward spiral when it comes to maturity in Jesus. We should be so much further along because of the giants on whose shoulders we stand. But it seems that instead of picking up where they have left off and going forward, we lose what they have learned and have gone backwards. We seem more attracted to understanding Jesus intellectually than spiritually and in so doing we present a tame god instead of our wildly unpredictable living God. It was not a tame and polite love that took Jesus to be sacrificed on the cross but a reckless, love with abandon, that held nothing back. Just consider some of the crazy things he did.

Last night I took a random book off the bookshelf to read to my 19 month old daughter as I prepared her for bed. It happened to be the account of Jesus walking on the water and Peter's attempt to go to him in faith. It struck me just how odd this scene was.

After feeding a large multitude of people, Jesus narrowly avoided being forced into becoming the focus point of rebellion against Rome. After sending his disciples by boat to the other side of the sea, Jesus dismissed the crowd and then disappeared up into the mountains for prayer. However, the disciples did not make it to the other side. They were stopped by a wild storm that threatened to destroy them. That's when it happened.

As the disciples struggled to maintain control of the boat, Jesus came to them walking on the water. Now I know we have grown up with this scripture in Sunday School class and many, many preachers have spoken on it, but just use your imagination to consider the scene. Come on  now, Jesus is walking on the water. Jesus is walking on the water in a storm. Not exactly something his disciples have seen everyday. Yes, they have seen a lot; the lame were healed to walk away, the blind had been given sight, thousands were fed from a small lunch, they had even seen water turned to wine. Regardless of all that, in the midst of this adrenaline pumped moment, being smashed by this storm, Jesus showed up on the water, without a boat.

We should not be surprised that they were surprised. They were surprised to the point of being frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost. I think most of us can relate to this. There are times when we are facing storms that threaten to destroy us, that even though we are crying out to Jesus, we are too busy trying to survive to actually expect him to show up. We are lost in that storm, no help in sight, no light, only darkness and fear. Then suddenly, Jesus is there, the problem is resolved but we are so surprised that we try to explain it away. We may not claim it was a ghost but we come up with a hundred other logical reasons why the storm was resolved. We use our intellect to rationalize what happened instead of accepting that the love of Jesus is a love with abandon that holds nothing back. It requires us to have this the same kind of reckless love to see it is Jesus who saves us.

Isn't it amazing that only one disciple was willing to risk it all to prove it was Jesus standing on the water. Only Peter called out to him. Only Peter thought it would be safer out of the boat and on the water with Jesus than in the boat with the others. Only Peter climbed over the side and stood on the water. Only Peter walked in the midst of the storm to stand with Jesus. He may have failed. He may have allowed his fear to overcome his faith, but most of us don't even get out of the boat. Peter matched the reckless love of Jesus and got out of the boat, convinced it was Jesus.

The only way that we will recognize the love of Jesus in our lives is if we love him with that same intensity of love; a love that allows us to get out of the insecure safety of the boat and stand in the storms of life with Jesus. We have to abandon every false premise of safety, abandon everything that makes sense to our intellect, and throw ourselves into the arms of our Saviour. If we try it any other way we will miss what Jesus is doing. If we try it any other way, we will rationalize him away. If we try it any other way, we will abandon faith for reason and be lost in the storms. Don't do it. Be as courageous as Peter and believe against all reason; believe Jesus loves you that much and decide to love him back in the same manner. Get out of the boat.