Lest We Forget

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much you have, your need is always just a little bit more. I often say, if I had a million dollars my bills would come to a million and one. I think there is a very specific reason for this. It is called, dependence.

We are a very capable people. We are intelligent, crafty, and sometimes even wise. We can think our way out of almost any situation. If we can't do it with our hands we come up with an appropriate tool. We walked on the moon, sent probes to Mars and have flung research ships out beyond the edge of our solar system. We have built high and dug low. We have learned how to manipulate our environment to meet our comfort level. We have learned to cure diseases, grow babies in a test tube and to kill others in their mothers' wombs without killing the mom. Is there any limit to our highs and lows, our good and evil? But we are also very forgetful.

Jesus met ten blind men and healed them all, but only one returned to thank him. Yahweh gave Israel their own land and blessed them in it, but within a generation they forgot. We have a very short term memory when it comes to the goodness of Father. Today we could be facing something terrible, ask for help, receive it and the very next day doubt his goodness when we face the next problem. Relationship is about building a mutual history of proven love and trust but it seems that our history with Jesus restarts every day, as if he has done nothing for us in the past.

It is for this reason that Moses warned Israel:

“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,  lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;  and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;  when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’" (Deuteronomy 8:11-17)

Moses was telling them to keep the commandments now, making it an essential part of their living so that when times are good they would not forget why they are good. We may consider the same thing with spiritual disciplines. Our Bible, prayer, worship, stewardship and such are not just for the bad times. These are tools that keep us intimate with our Saviour. Without them we forget Jesus in the good times. Could you imagine a friend who showed up at your door only when he was in need?

Too often we neglect to remember the overwhelming part Jesus plays in our victories and success. We are not self-made people. We are sheep. We have a shepherd. We are dependent on him. We do not wander off and do our own thing. We follow his direction and do what he tells us to do. In good times he leads us to great pasture; in bad times he protects us with his staff. He is not a wish granting genie but our constant companion who does more for us in a day than we could possibly realize.Our dependence is always on him and all praise is due him. So take time each and every day to pray, study your Bible, meditate on the Word, worship, be good stewards and serve, lest you forget.

Seeing Past The Trees

It is easy to lose perspective. In fact, many of us live in a situation where we can't see the forest because of the trees. We are limited by the place where we are standing and often need to be lifted higher so we can put it all in perspective. It is not minimizing what you are facing. It is not allowing someone to say "my pain is greater than your pain". It is simply allowing yourself to see your situation in the context of the whole. We start doubting Jesus when we can't see past the "trees".

We need to always keep our life in context to who we love and serve. We are followers of the miracle maker; the one who walked on water; who spoke to the storms to quiet them; who fed thousands with a simple lunch; who brought sight to the blind, who raised the dead; who cured leprosy; who spoke life where there was only death. This is the context of our life: "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me".

We are not the first to face overwhelming circumstances, and we probably won't be the last. Moses was a man who faced a lot of problems. I don't think we can truly appreciate the "trees" of Moses' life. He was the leader of millions of people in the desert. How do you feed millions of people in the desert? Where do you find enough water? Just the shear size of the logistics of these things would be enough to cripple the minds of most leaders today. Can we blame him for questioning Yahweh's promise to provide meat for this complaining nation?

Yet, Moses was failing to keep his problems in the context of the whole. He wasn't dealing with a food wholesaler here. He was talking to Yahweh, the one who conquered Egypt to rescue his people. This is the one who parted the waters so they could escape Egypt's army. This is the one who had led, protected and provided for them up to this point. Yahweh's simple respond was meant to help Moses keep it in perspective:

“Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.” (Numbers 11:23)

Yahweh is saying, "Did I change Moses?" "Did I lose my strength?" "Has something happened to prevent me from providing like I have provided all the other times?"

I don't know what you are facing or what you have faced but I know the one who is available to get you past it. I know the one who provides, protects and leads. I know the one who strengthens, encourages and lifts up. I know the one who walks through all our misery with us to get us past it. I know his power, his love, his compassion and grace. I know he loves you and has plans for you. I know he is with you now.

Stop trying to rescue yourself. Stop trying to make sense of it all. Run to Jesus. Cry out to him. He will help you put it all in perspective. He will lift you up over the trees so you can see the forest. He will remind you that he has already accomplished everything for you so you have nothing to fear. Trust him. Let him lead, even if there are a few valleys with shadows. He is taking you to better places. Trust.

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.

Blessed For Eternity Are The Poor

A morsel to chew on as you progress through your day:

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (v. 20)

The Spirit tells me this is exactly as Jesus said it. Blessed are the poor, happy are the poor, smiled upon are the poor. You are lacking nothing. We are lacking nothing because we are right where Father can interact with us the most.

The poor have no resources. They have no support. There is no one to back us up. When we are sick Jesus is the only one who can bring healing because we can't afford anything else. This is a good thing because we are forced to do exactly what Father wants us to do, to lean on him, to turn to him, to trust, to hope, to cry out.

When we have no food, when we can't pay the bills, when we can't do what we need to do, we are right where he wants all his children to be: completely dependent on him. It is not a position of shame but one of strength. The poor have much greater spiritual muscles than the rich because we have to exercise them far more. We are more often upon our knees. We have no pride left. We are desperate enough to believe, to trust and to live in faith; praising him for everything we have, with thankful hearts.

Being poor is not a position of weakness but a place of strength. Scripture again and again tells us that Father looks to glorify himself through our weakness and when we don't have the things of this world to lean on we are in a better position to see him glorified through us. But we really are not poor. Far from it. We are rich beyond understanding. We lack nothing because he is our provider. Only to this world do we look poor but in the Kingdom we are rich because we have Jesus.

"Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." (v. 24)

What a sad life to live, to have only what is seen and miss out on the greater things that cannot be seen. What a sad existence if this is all there is. It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom. There is so much stuff filling up a rich man's existence. So much harder to let it go. So many more options. So many different thoughts and perspectives. So much garbage filling their heads.

To follow Jesus we have to be willing to lose it all, to give it away, to become nothing so he can become everything. How much easier it is to do this when you already have nothing than if your life is filled with possessions and perverse thinking. Those who rely on such things had better enjoy them while they can because that is all they are getting.

Rich or poor, the only way is Jesus Christ. Rich or poor, it will still require your death. Rich or poor, it still costs your all. It is the realization that the only thing that satisfies is Jesus. The only blessing is Jesus. The only peace and joy is Jesus.

It isn't impossible for the rich to possess the kingdom, it's just easier for the poor.

A Cause Of Our Spiritual Weakness

There is a spiritual truth that is almost impossible for us to live in our current age where the almighty dollar reigns supreme. For years we have allowed the seed in our heart grow, the seed that says "money makes the world go round". Everyone wants a comfortable life with enough money to do what they want and what most people want is to be entertained. So we work to spend, and what we don't have, we borrow. We lean heavily on credit cards and enslave ourselves to the financial system of this world; and we think it is good.

How can we discover the greatness of our God when we are enslaved to another? How can we discover the wonderful provision of our God when we are enslaved to another? How can we discover that he is mighty to save, whether by many or few, when we trust another god for our salvation?

You may think I am being a little over dramatic but that's because we have become blind to our own condition. We have become spiritually weak for several reasons but this is one of the big ones. It is not unlike the kings of old who trusted their own resources instead of Yahweh. Over the last couple of days I have been using king Asa as an illustration and today is no exception.

You will recall that Asa was a great king, bringing spiritual renewal to Judah as he encouraged everyone to turn back to Yahweh. He was a king who leaned on his God, who trusted him and as a result the land was blessed. During an invasion of the Ethiopians, when he was outnumbered 3 to 1, Asa cried out to Yahweh and trusted him in the battle. He easily defeated the army and gained great riches. Because Asa and Judah sought the Lord, they found him, and he gave them peace for 35 years, during which time they prospered. It was a golden age, until Asa made the same mistake we make today.

The King of Israel attacked and was building a city to cut off a major trade route. Israel's army was nothing compared to the Ethiopian army Asa had defeated in trusting Yahweh but during the 35 years of peace Asa seemed to have forgotten. He panicked and made a bad decision:

Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” (2 Chronicles 16:2-3)

The fact that Asa trusted his riches and paid a foreign king, who was actually an enemy, to get him out of trouble was distasteful to Yahweh. He sent his prophet to tell Asa what he had done was wrong:

Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. ( vv. 7-8)

Now pay attention to the next part and understand how wrong we have been and why we struggle in spiritual weakness:

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (v. 9)

Our Lord looks for opportunities to show his strength through the weaknesses of his children. It brings to mind the Lord`s response to Paul`s prayer for deliverance, when he said that his grace was sufficient for Paul because he reveals his strength through our weakness. But we refuse to be weak in this age. We turn to other sources for salvation. We rely on the wisdom of man. We lean on credit. We run after means to feed and clothe ourselves. We wear ourselves out, ignoring Jesus entirely, as if he were some decorative ornament that adorns our lives; totally useless but pretty to look at.

Now that you are aware of this you have an opportunity to repent of it. Father wants us turning to him in our weakness. He wants us to lean on him so he can glorify himself through us. But please do not react like Asa. He had an opportunity to repent here. He had made a mistake but our Lord is the source of all grace. He only looks to us to repent and be restored. But instead of repenting, Asa allowed his heart to be filled with anger, bitterness and resentment. He threw the prophet into jail. He became a tyrant, oppressing the people because his heart had changed. And even when the Lord used disease to bring correction and to soften his heart, Asa refused to turn to him for help, instead choosing to die in suffering with the disease. We can be stupidly stubborn in our disobedience.

Face it, we are a distracted people who lean on other gods for salvation. We are wrong, we are weak, and we are in much need of repentance. Just for this moment, be honest with yourself. In your weakness, who or what gets glorified? If the answer is not Jesus then fall on your face before him. And don't lie to yourself. This could be a major turning point in your spiritual maturity. Allow Jesus to be glorified in your weakness.

Why It Sometimes Goes Wrong

Life is fluid. Everything is constantly moving, changing, evolving because life involves a lot of people. Perhaps if you stood in isolation, dependent on no one else and having no interaction with anyone else, life might be predictable. However, your life involves a lot of different people who are independent in their decision making. Even you, with your many decisions in a day, cause life to be fluid. This is the reason we should never assume.

We are dependent on Yahweh, or at least, we are suppose to be. We are suppose to be in constant communication, checking his will and direction. He adjusts our actions according to the decisions of other people so that his will is always fulfilled. That means it is not one set of instructions and off we go. He goes with us for a reason, so adjustments can be made. This is why he desires obedience from his children, so we will listen constantly and obey in love and trust. We have an example of this with Joshua and the Israelite's.

They just had an awesome victory at Jericho. It was a bit odd but the purpose was to show them that Yahweh was giving them victory and it was not dependent on their army. He had given them exact, step by step directions. So now their sights were set on their next objective, the city of Ai. Joshua sent the spies and they came back with this report:

Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few. (Joshua 7:3)

Confident on the heels of their victory, they did not consult with Yahweh. They assumed. But life is fluid. None of them could possibly have known that the situation had changed. One of their own had disobeyed Yahweh's instructions in the first battle and because of his sin, Yahweh had removed himself from Israel. When they went up to attack Ai, a much softer target than Jericho, they were thoroughly defeated and people died. People died, not just because of Achan's sin but because the leadership had failed to consult Yahweh. If they had verified things with him they would have discovered the change in their situation.

We can't make assumptions with Yahweh. We must remain in the Spirit, being sensitive to his voice so when adjustments need to be made we will be in the know. If we do not understand and practice the presence of our Lord then we will have the mentality of a commander receiving instructions from the general, then going out without the general to carry it out. Then again, a general always has contact with his troops in the field for the purpose of adjustments as the situation changes.

Practicing the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ is more than for our strength. We often get selfish in this relationship, thinking it is always about us. It is true that being aware of his presence is a great source of strength and confidence, but his presence is also for direction. You have never been left alone to do this on your own because on your own you are not capable. You are not capable of understanding all the changes in our fluid lives, but the Spirit is and he is here to direct us in our Father's will. So learn to listen and obey.

I Want To Be Rich!

Some of us are not meant for riches and fame and others are. Some of us can handle it and others are destroyed by it. Just look to the young "stars" of the world. When they are young and forced to be under the guidance of people with some wisdom they do well, but as soon as they are old enough to make their own decisions and throw away the voice of wisdom, the wheels come off the cart and we get to watch another train wreck. It is no different for us "regular" folk.

Jesus told us that it was hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom. In Fact, he likened it to a camel fitting through the eye of a needle. Why so hard? Because if we are dependent on our own means and never realize how utterly dependent we are on Yahweh we will not understand our need for salvation. This is not something new. The problem existed before Jesus' ministry. Moses even addressed it.

As long as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt they needed Yahweh. As long as Israel was wandering around in the desert they needed Yahweh. As long as Israel was at war with the nations they were to destroy in Yahweh's name, they needed Yahweh. But what about after? What about when they had been established, they had a king and their borders were safe? What about when the crops come in and they had a healthy trade? What about when their houses were big and they had everything they need? Would they still understand their dependence on Yahweh?

In Deuteronomy 8 Mosses addressed this well in advance of the problem and warned the nation not to forget Yahweh, all his commands and all that he had done for them or they would be tempted to say:

 ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ (Deuteronomy 8:17)

Moses declared:

And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (v. 18)

And then Moses gave this warning:

Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. (v.19)

Wealth and contentment itself is not evil but what we allow it to do with our dependence on Jesus is evil, wrong and carries with it consequences.

Jesus warned us not to make the priorities of non-believers our priorities because, as Kingdom dwellers, we have a different system of values. Even Jesus gave us this warning:

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:34-37)

Riches and fame are not a problem when we realize their secondary and lesser place in our lives. Not having riches and fame can also destroy us when obtaining them become our greatest priority. The secret to the whole thing is finding contentment in our relationship with Jesus regardless of where we are in the values of this world. It is Jesus' passion for us and ours for him that matters most in all of eternity. We need him for all things. If we have plenty it is by his hand and not ours because he gave us the means. If we don't, maybe it is because he is saving us from ourselves. Don't get distracted.

Forget Not His Benefits

Who is your protector?

Who do you turn too when everything goes wrong? Who do you lean on for strength? Who listens to your complaints? From whom do you seek advice? Who or what is your rock? Your confidante? Your adviser?

Is it mom or dad? Maybe a teacher? An old friend? Perhaps a stranger? Maybe it is your own thoughts?

Perhaps it is your credit card that rescues you. Maybe a bank loans officer. A friend with deep pockets. A loving parent.

We would like to say it is Jesus. We would like to say it is our Father. We would like to say with David:

You, Lord God,
    are my protector.
    Rescue me and keep me safe
    from all who chase me.
2 Or else they will rip me apart
like lions
    attacking a victim,
    and no one will save me. (Psalm 7:1-2)

We should have this same realization, that without our Father we are lost. We should have this same realization, that he is the only one who can help us. We should know the promises he has made and his faithfulness to keep them. We should. But when we are facing those things that "chase" us, it is often easier to grasp something a little more tangible. But that doesn't stop our Father from rescuing us or providing for us.

The other day I was talking things over with Jesus in the shower. It is one of our common talking places. I was doing most of the talking. Well, more imploring. I was pointing out certain financial situations and the fact that I was powerless in the situation and needed his help. In the middle of my long discourse he interrupted me.

The interruption came more in the form of a clear realization than in a sentence. He pointed out how our Father was looking after those situations. Money from an unexpected source paid certain bills and a gift of $100 covered the babies birthday cake and present. How had I missed that? I had excepted the provision without thought and without pause in my complaints. The realization was quite the reproach and I quickly repented of my ungrateful heart.

That's when I realized I was losing my Kingdom eyes. God was overly active in my life and I was missing it. I was not able to see his hand whereas I had seen his hand on my life for years. Something had distracted me. Something had taken my eyes from the things above and fixed them on the things around me. The wonder of God was fading and I was losing my dependence.

Without God I am a lost soul on route to my destruction. With him, but without dependence on him, I am saved but making things so much harder on myself. I have to face every foe on my own, climb mountains that should leap at my command, find strength from where ever I can find it, provide my own provision, heal my diseases myself. Am I crazy? Why would I do that when my Father has promised to look after me? Why or how could I forget the benefits of being a child of my Father:

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:1-5)

This is why Jesus told us time and again to trust our Father with everything we need, to ask our Father for anything we need. But instead we run to our credit cards or seek out friends. Crazy!

We say we love God because he loves us but then we do not take advantage of his love, generosity, kindness and compassion. Do we not understand that it pleases him to respond to his children? It pleases him when we ask. It pleases him to pour out his blessings on us and often he does it whether we are paying attention or not. But then we become  ungrateful kids, and we all know what we think of ungrateful kids.

I am repenting of my stupidity right here and right now. I refuse to forget about all his benefits. He intended us to have a relationship of trust, to have a carefree attitude, to be possessed by love, joy and peace. The only way I don't have these things is when I am looking for another provider, another protector. But I am not doing that any more. I am satisfied with my God because he is my God. I will trust him, lean on him, run to him, hide beneath his wing, embrace him in the dark and delight in all the good things he has for me. He is faithful. He is my God.

When Being Needy Is A Good Thing

Would you consider yourself a needy person? I doubt very few people want to consider themselves that way. Most of us want to see ourselves as strong, independent people who survive by whit and talent. We don't need help from anyone, parents, friends, teachers, because we are determined to succeed by our own merit. No one else is going to lay claim to our success.

Okay, so that may be a bit excessive but it's not too far from where most people are because we have no idea that we were created to be needy. The last thing Jesus wants us to be is independent and strong. Perhaps that is a shock to some people as it flies in the face of today's philosophies of life. I like the honesty of the psalmist:

Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)

We were created to be dependent on God because he wants to lavish his love on us. We can do incredible things on our own, in our own independence but they are nothing compared to what God wants to do through us. We can become famous and rich but it is still nothing compared to what God wants to do in us. We were created in such a way that God is the only one who can make us feel complete and at peace. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are dependent on Jesus, and that's a good thing.

We are at the last day of the year, when many people make resolutions and promises, all of which have to do with improving our condition. Many follow the philosophy that we can do whatever we put our mind to. It is a very self-centered and rebellious philosophy where we say "No one can tell me what to do". Such a philosophy leads to a lot of disappointment, broken hearts and disillusionment with life. The fact is we can't do whatever we put our mind to because we have limitations, either in ourselves or in our environment.

However, when you change your desire from self-improvement to relationship improvement many things will change. When you realize your dependence on Jesus and make the decision that you want to improve the relationship, get to know him better, become more reliant on him, to stop making all the decisions on your own and to consult God on your plans, then you will see real improvement taking root. When you realize that you can't do all things in yourself but that you can do all things through Jesus, then you are in for an incredible year.

The fact is that we are not so independent, we have been created to be needy and the one we need is Jesus. Don't go it alone this year. Trust Jesus.