A Peaceful, Prosperous Future With A Happy Ending

There are a lot of things in our life that want to provoke us into a reaction of fear. Change is a big one. There is so much fear that surrounds anything that is different from what has become our normal. And we do not have to look far to see that change.

The pandemic has changed almost everything for us but that is simply another layer to the shifting society of our lifetime. Many of these shifts are positive and have been overdue, such as the issue of gender and race equality. Some of the old mindsets must be reset and come into agreement with our Father's heart. Then there are other social changes that are in direct opposition to Father's heart. However, there is one fear provoking change that we all have in common and has been with us since the fall of humanity.

We are getting older. 

Our mind and body is in a constant state of change. First it is the change of growth but then we reach a stage where age means decline. The decline is often worse than it needs to be simply because we do not make the effort to look after ourselves. We wait far too late and only start taking it seriously when there has been some kind of health crisis in our body.

It is no different for our brains. After 50 years of age the processing power of our brain is not as fast but then again it doesn't need to be. By that stage we have accumulated so much experience that we respond from experience faster than we would have by processing. But this then explains why we struggle with any changes to what has always been normal for us. Changes need to be processed and because of this we need to exercise our brain to slow down the decline.

For citizens of the Kingdom of God, this time of aging should not be filled with fear. In fact, no change should ever provoke us to fear. We understand that the world will always be in a state of change because it is searching for something that can only be found in Father but the world lives in a state of rebellion. The answer is there but they would rather chase after shadows of truth than actual truth. However, citizens of the Kingdom have a foundation that is built on the Rock that never changes.

I use this wording only because it is part of our Christian vocabulary but in essence it means that we live by the unchanging principles of the Eternal One whose attributes never change because he is incapable of change. This means that as people governed by the principalities of this world begin to wonder if there is anything after death we have the assurance that the best is yet to come. 

What should these days look like for us then? Consider Psalm 37:

"But you can tell who are the blameless and spiritually mature. What a different story with them! The godly ones will have a peaceful, prosperous future with a happy ending."

Our ending should be the best bits of our life in this world, regardless of our circumstances. It is at this stage that we should understand that Jesus completed all the work and has brought us into his rest. We have learned what it is to trust the Lord in the best of times and the worse of times. We have learned to live a life of surrender and one that is not filled with condemnation. We know what it is to walk every day in the gifts of peace and joy. We have learned that relationship trumps situations. We have learned the freedom of forgiveness and the joy of celebrating other people's victories. We have learned that life is better as the supporting actor than the center stage star. We have learned what it is to walk humbly before our God and that our responsibility here has always been "To love and value our neighbour as we love and value ourself".

Ours is a happy ending because we know the truth of the reality that seems hidden from this world:

"But the Lord will be the Saviour of all who love him. Even in their time of trouble God will live in them as strength. Because of their faith in him, their daily portion will be a Father's help and deliverance from evil. This is true for all who turn to hide themselves in him!"

The ending is not a time of fear so don't let the enemy use fear to disturb your peace. Rejoice in the faith you have been given in the Holy One, your Father who will carry you to your last breath and then will bring you in to the better times to come. Now is the time to stand in your witness of his faithfulness, of his strength, of his joy and his peace. Now is the time to plant those seeds of encouragement and hope for those who will stay behind. Now is the time of worship, of praise, of sharing your testimony to a world that is desperate for hope.

Rejoice child of God. Take deep breaths in his atmosphere of peace. Relax. Rest. Rejoice. Change is not a thing you fear because the greatest thing in all of eternity will never change, Father's love for you. Nothing else matters. Rejoice!

Overcoming Prejudice - The Hated

I am continuing in my series concerning prejudice and the Kingdom of God. We are examining Father's heart in relationship to lifting up one group of people over another. I have been doing this by looking at Jesus' actions. My attitude in this is as Moses had requested of Yahweh, show me your ways that I may know you. By his actions Jesus demonstrated the Father's heart and the priorities of the Kingdom.

If you have confessed Jesus as Saviour and Lord then you have confessed him as King. You have, by invitation, become citizens of the Kingdom. This Kingdom and her people are reflections of our glorious King, although not all of us have been taught or are living by these greater standards. It is important for us to look to our King for the example he has set so we know how to live by this new nature. 

Jesus spent all his time overcoming the prejudices of his day. He demonstrated how important it is for Kingdom people to bring the "unseen" of this world into the "seen". The strong are to carry the weak. The privileged to lift up the disadvantaged. The acceptable to include the outcasts. And this not in a "looking down" attitude but a equalizing heart.

We have already looked at the touch of the leper, the choosing of Jesus' looked-down on friends and the "seeing" of women but one of the strangest encounters is that of Zacchaeus.

Jesus already demonstrated his view of the outcasts in this society when he chose Matthew, the tax collector, traitor to Israel, as his close companion and future leader. Jesus, God, has always been attracted to these unloved, rejected, hated, people of this society. This culture showed no value in these people which should warn us to be careful with the attitudes of our own culture.

We tend to place value on people similar to ourselves, who have something to offer, contributors, producers of something. We place value on a friendly and kind neighbour, on a caring and sacrificial nurse, on an understanding politician, on a powerful and rich person, on the successful people in our community. We de-value those who are different from us, who live contrary to acceptability, the welfare recipient, the single mom, the mentally ill, the complaining neighbour. As far as our society goes these are the non-contributors who are a drain on our society, so they have no value and are ill treated.

Here we have Zacchaeus, the chief of tax collectors, traitor to Israel, outcast, rejected, hated, whose heart is drawn to this man Jesus. He is curious. And short. The crowd is huge and no one is going to show kindness to the traitor. No one will make way so that he can see. So Zacchaeus climbs a tree so he can look and evaluate this man, Jesus.

I find it amazing, in that entire crowd Jesus singles out one man to honour, one man to bring into the light, one man to "see". He calls out to this man and invites himself to his house. That man had one desire, to be "seen". Jesus placed value on him and Zacchaeus' heart exploded in gratitude, generosity and repentance. What a friend we have in Jesus.

Of course the "seen" people of society did not agree. I am sure they had thoughts about this situation as Simon had about Mary : "If he knew what kind of man this is Jesus would have nothing to do with him." But Jesus did know. He knew and still he lift him up and showed him his value. The Kingdom's value system is far superior to this world's.

Prejudice exists well beyond skin colour, even though skin colour is the issue being addressed today. The real problem is with value. How do we measure a person? How do we determine value? The Kingdom values people simply because they are created by Father and are the objects of his love. Even if they reject him it does not change his love or his focus.

The Kingdom is about people, relationships, love and all its manifestations. It is about reconciliation and the relationship of creation and Creator. Those who accept the invitation of salvation are invited into the Kingdom and into the mission of our King. It is our purpose to live out the Royal Law, "Love and value your neighbourhood as you love and value yourself." Even if your neighbour is different from you, belongs to a different culture, hates you, considers you an enemy, is a non-contributer. Those things do not add or take away value. Value is determined by Father's love. There is no room for prejudice in love.

Know Jesus; Know Yourself

We lie to ourselves all the time. We try to convince ourselves of an alternate reality because we are not willing to be honest when we are faced with our own failings and faults. We lie to ourselves when we say it is well with our soul, knowing that we are far from where we are suppose to be with Jesus. We even rationalize our sin, saying Jesus understands, as we throw ourselves under the power of that sin.

We may be kidding ourselves but we are not kidding our God.

Do we forget how we are connected with him; Jesus in me and me in Jesus? He is not some deity or power who stands at a distance; he is one with us, knowing all out thoughts, emotions, plans, ideas, dreams, desires, longings, sins. He knows us and wants us to know him even more. So when we ignore him, lie to ourselves and place ourselves under the power of sin again, we break his heart.

The Word of God has been given to us to reveal God to us, to teach us, to rebuke, correct and encourage. When we study it, looking deep into it's depth, some amazing things happen. The Spirit speaks to us, warning us when we are going astray and encouraging us in the right direction.

A couple of the warning signs that things are not well with this relationship is when we are plagued by fear and anxiety. When we are strong in the Lord we know he holds our future and we do not fear the unknown. When we are lying to ourselves about this relationship, we find it hard to think of the unknown, to face major obstacles, to even consider our future. We are overcome by anxiety, fear, helplessness, a sense of not having the resources to overcome. It isn't anything new.

We should be able to identify with the Israelites as they faced the command to move into the Promised Land, the first time. This was the generation who were possessed by the slave mentality and could never seem to go beyond it. These were the whiners, complainers, rebels against Yahweh. Not having a solid and growing relationship with the Lord is shown in their reaction to the command to possess the land:

"All the Israelites criticized Moses and Aaron. The entire community said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt or it only we had died in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will be taken by force. Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?'" (Numbers 14:2-3)

See where fear of the unknown takes us? We imagine the worse case scenario. It was Yahweh who had promised this land to Abraham's children. It was Yahweh who rescued them in power from the slavery of Egypt. It was Yahweh who was defending them and feeding them in the desert. It was Yahweh who went ahead of them, leading. If they had only examined this relationship they would have marched boldly into the land, as their children would do 40 years later. Instead they allowed themselves to be led by fear.

If we are weak, filled with fear and anxiety, it is because we do not know who Jesus is, what are his promises and who we are in him. Paul reminded his student Timothy:

"Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

In another place the Spirit reminds us  "we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed". Fear and anxiety do not belong to those who are growing in Christ but to those who are lying to themselves.

Know the Word. Know the promises. Know the Lord. Know yourself and be honest. We are all going to get there in the end if we do not let go.

What To Do About Fear

Fear. It is a terrible emotion. It paralyses our rational thinking. It sometimes has a root, has substance, comes from a real situation but most of our fears are mere shadows; things that might or could be. Fear is often related to tomorrow, found in the unknown, coming from a position of uncertainty. Fear often prevents action, causes us to lay down our arms, makes us run away. Fear is a bully.

Fear is often a shadow that is dispelled by Light. Where it wants to bind our hearts, faith wants to free us. Where it wants to prevent us from moving forward, trust will propel us onward. Fear is a natural response to things beyond our control or knowledge. We all have it from time to time because none of us know what tomorrow holds; none of us can guarantee tomorrow; none of us have anything beyond this moment. But the Light dispels all such shadows that provoke fear because the Light tells us:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

But perhaps that is the real root of our fears, that we do not know Jesus as we aught. Knowing Jesus is not going to prevent the fear from trying to come on you but leaning on Jesus will certainly send the shadows scurrying away. Our confidence is never found in our ability or anyone else's because we will always fail ourselves as will other people, but the Lord never fails. The above verse is a very famous verse but people do not always note the one before it:

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (v. 8)

This is about relationship, intimacy with Father. It is about walking with Jesus all the time and drawing on his strength. Fear should be a sure sign to us that the relationship is not as intimate as it should be. It means we are weak and we need to be reminded of our true source of strength. The Word tells us again and again that our confidence cannot be found in our own strength or intelligence because we have no real strength, however Yahweh is our backer, our encourager, our provider and our source of confidence because he is our strength.

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." We can only do that in a covenant relationship, when we trust that he is focused on us as we are focused on him. Fear may come upon a Christian but it can't stick to a lover of Jesus. We may not be able to see what is going to happen tomorrow but we do know who holds tomorrow and us in it. Dispel fear with faith, trust and obedience. "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Jesus Deserves More Than being Fit Into The Cracks Of Your Day

How's your day shaping up? Lots of stuff to do? Another busy one? Maybe not. Maybe it is just the opposite for you. Maybe you have nothing to do. Or maybe you do have something to do but you are avoiding it by reading this? Most likely the third one, right? Life is busy. We have lots of things to organize, plan and do. On top of that, as a Christian, you need to fit in all the God-stuff. Hmmmm, have you ever stopped to think we have it backwards?

What were we created for? What did Jesus die on the cross for? Was it not for fellowship, friendship with Yahweh? So you would think that we would want to fill our day, not the cracks, with him. If that is our purpose, fellowship with Yahweh, should we not be trying to fit everything else in around him? There's a thought for you to chew for a bit.

Jesus has a way of turning everything on its head for us. He takes things from the surface and goes to the depth of understanding with it. So it shouldn't surprise us to know that this is what Jesus taught about life:

Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. (Luke 21:34-35)

It feels like that sometimes, doesn't it, like you are caught in a trap? It is an activity trap, time crunch, schedule controlled life. It is horrible because we have not been designed or wired this way. We have been created and saved to be filled with Yahweh. We are surrounded by him. Scripture says that Christ is in us, and we are in him. He is in and all around us all the time so that we can have the pleasure of rich fellowship with him.

Jesus also taught us not to be worried over the basics of life but instead to put Kingdom things first. He said when we do this Father will provide all the other stuff. Put Yahweh first and everything else will come into place. He told us this for a reason; we get distracted very easily. It is like the whole human race has ADD. We get distracted from Jesus with the least little thing. Jesus warned us that it is a serious matter. He said if we get distracted by these lesser things, the final day will be on us without us noticing. He told us to pay attention:

Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you. (v. 36)

Watch and pray, not be distracted and play. Life has become a thing of working so we can afford to play. It has become entertainment. It has become self pleasure. It is anything the enemy can use to distract us from our purpose and mission. If he can't use pleasure he will use worry or fear. There will always be something to distract us. But if we can turn it upside down and see the day belonging to the Lord for the purpose of fellowship then we will ask him for the wisdom to get everything else done.

It is a matter of choice. Relationship must always come before works. Jesus wants and deserves our time and attention. He says it is also for our good, so we can be sensitive to the spiritual realm and see what's coming. Considering how many times he warned us about this, I take it to mean it is a bad thing for us not to be paying attention. Sort of like someone living in Louisiana not listening to the radio, not watching the news, not talking to a neighbour, not having a clue of an approaching hurricane. Everyone else is putting away the things from their yard, boarding up windows, taking shelter while but that one person is blissfully living out their life unaware and unprepared.

The storm is approaching. Are you paying attention?

I Am Afraid And Anxious. How Can I Have Peace?

It is crazy how we walk through our day as if we are clueless about the incredible spiritual realm all around us when we have a direct view of it through God's Word. We are not normal so why do we act normal? Why do we act as if the natural laws of this world apply to us? Do we not realize that Father wants to glorify himself through us so the world will see him and know him? This means that we need to learn to live by the laws of the Kingdom. Let's pick a simple example.

It is a disservice to Jesus for us to be worried and filled with anxiety about anything. In fact, it reveals either our ignorance of the Word or our unwillingness to apply it. Yes, it is not good enough to know the Word, you actually have to do the Word, live it, put it into action. Let's pick our example here from Philippians 4:6-7:

"Do not be anxious about anything..."

There you go, a direct command that we are not to have anything to do with anxiousness. You tell me that is impossible because anxiousness is a natural reaction to our environment. And I remind you again that we are not governed by the natural laws of this world but by the laws of the Kingdom, as we are in relationship with the King. So how is it possible for us not to be anxious because of our environment?

"Do not be anxious about anything...
"but in everything..." 
"by prayer and petition..." 
"with thanksgiving..." 
"present your requests to God."

I broke it down there so that you can see we are given specific instructions on how to walk with Jesus as invincible super heroes in this world. "In everything"; doesn't matter what the circumstances are, does not matter your situation, doesn't matter how big or small it is, it doesn't matter if it looks impossible to you, you are to present your requests to God.

How do you present the requests? Sack clothe and ashes? Cutting yourself? Laying in bed for days? Laying on your face on the floor for days? No. It is by prayer and petition. You don't have to do anything to earn Yahweh's favour, you already have it. You accepted the sacrifice of the Son and are part of the family. He enjoys responding to your needs. It is not a burden to him.

Take note though that it is with an attitude of thanksgiving. No long faces. No great tears. No expressions of "IF". We are to come before him remembering everything that he has already done for us. We come to him with praises of thanksgiving because we are thankful for his love, presence and his desire to help us. We come with an attitude of joy that happens in a relationship of trust. We don't come expressing doubt of his favour but with thankful joy for his assurances.

Then something incredible happens, something that cannot be understood by hearts governed by the laws of this world. If you are trying to live by those rules you will not understand it or perceive it but those of us who walk in the Lord, trusting and obeying, can testify to the truth of the matter.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Notice this doesn't take place when we simply sit back and play the part of the victim. We are not a victim when we are citizens of the Kingdom. Father uses everything for our good, to benefit us, to mature us and bring us closer to him. When we bring everything to Jesus in prayer, he gives us a peace that does not make sense in the natural but that's because it is supernatural peace. It is this peace that guards us, preserves our hearts and minds as we live in Jesus.

It's all as simple as that, if we choose for it to be that simple. Or we can make it as complicated and horrible as we want. All of this and so much more is ours if we would simply trust Jesus, learn the Word and apply it to our living. Why would anyone choose not too? The answers are all there, just apply them.

Being Cheap With Jesus

Imagine you were a student and you had a History oral report due. You have been told that you are permitted to use any visual and audio props you wish to include. The teacher says "Knock my socks off with what you can do". You brag to all your friends how fantastic your report is going to be. You build up great expectations for your teacher. To great fanfare it comes to your turn. You stand in front of the class and read from your miserably boring PowerPoint slides. You receive a lousy grade.

Imagine your boss has given you a major project. You get paid a six figure salary to produce excellent work. You receive a great budget for the project because the boss does not want there to be any excuses. With each progress update you build a sense of anticipation for the boss. The buzz is happening throughout the company as everyone looks forward to the results of the project. Finally the due date has arrived. The boss and all employees gathering in the warehouse for the unveiling. After all that time, money and anticipation you present some tooth pick models and children stick figure drawings. You are fired.

Of course these are not things we would offer to people in authority over us. We would do our best to honour their authority. Offering less than our best reveals the condition of our heart and shows great disrespect for the authority. If we can understand this concerning temporary things, why can't we also understand it for the more important permanent spiritual things?

Malachi the prophet records some of Yahweh's complaints against his nation Israel. It was not so much their action as it was what their action revealed about the condition of their hearts. It seems that the attitude Yahweh saw was exactly as described above. The people would make a big show of honouring him with their sacrifices but what they offered was second best. They offered the animals that they could not sell. Whatever was left over is what they put on the altar. Yahweh reminded them, in a very simple but direct manner, who he is:

"For I am a great King", says the Lord of hosts, "And my name is to be feared among the nations." (Malachi 1:14)

The Message puts it in a way we might more readily appreciate:

"I'm a great King, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, honoured far and wide, and I'll not put up with it!"

The people of Israel had moved away from Yahweh and had lost their respectful reverence of who he is. Have you read Revelation recently? Do you know who Jesus is? Do you draw close to him to allow the Spirit to keep alive your reverence of the Name above all names? Do you realize who the Father is and what we owe him? For most people the answer is no. We have tried to make him so user friendly that we have reduced him to best friend and chum. Although there is an element of that familiarity to our relationship, he is so much more than that.

Many of us are just like the Israelites, keeping ourselves at a distance, offering our second best, our left-overs. Instead of offering our first fruits we offer what we think we can afford after everyone else has had a go at our harvest. We usually give to him whatever is left offer of our time, when we are already tired and just wanting to sleep, if we offer any time at all. As for service, it's whatever we can fit in when and if we can fit it in.

Look around at other people's devotion to their gods which are no gods at all. Look at the effort of the Muslims to a god who offers no hope or love. Look at people's dedication to their health or education. Look at the effort people put into their causes. You would think that the Christian who understood who Jesus is and what he has done for us and what he expects from us, would give all that they have to him.

Be hot or cold, said Jesus, just don't be lukewarm. If you are I will spit you out. And that is exactly what most of us have become, lukewarm. Very few are filled with the knowledge, wisdom, power and passion of someone who knows Jesus. We are more the religious type who read their Bible before going to sleep, dutifully say their cold prayers, stoically attend church, pay their tithes and are satisfied with their "sacrifice". It looks good but Father knows our hearts. There is a lot of spitting going on.

We need to re-capture the vision of who Jesus Christ is, after the resurrection. We need to hear those words, "For I am a great King, and my name is to be feared among the nations", and understand who it is we serve. We need to lay it all out on the altar, our very best. Don't harbour the altitude that you can offer something less than you would offer a person of authority on this earth. Our best belongs to Yahweh. Our lives belong to Yahweh. Our time, talents, possessions, relationships all belong to Yahweh. Our lives should reflect our reverence for our Lord. Nothing less will do.

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!

Why Should I Fear Yahweh?

Having grown up near the Atlantic ocean I learned to respect water. There are certain rules you learn to obey, not because they are forced on you but simply for survival. There are things you can do to enjoy the water but there are definitely other things you shouldn't do if you want to live. One thing you learn is that you always keep your wits about you when you are around water. You learn to respect the character of the Atlantic ocean.

In our age of hyper-grace I think we are forgetting the respect that is due our Creator. It is kind of like the line we get from Mr. Beaver in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. When Lucy asks if the lion, Aslan, is safe Mr. Beaver replies, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good." A wonderful description of Yahweh, one to which we should pay attention. If we understood his character we would understand why David writes of respecting him in the same way I learned to respect the powerful Atlantic ocean:

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling. (Psalm 2:10-11)

Even king Solomon understood respecting the character of Yahweh, or at least he did before his hundreds of foreign wives interfered with his relationship:

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

The character of Yahweh is nothing to be trifled with; he is not tame. The Atlantic ocean is not tame and never will be tamed. It is beyond the capability of man. Yahweh is beyond the concept of man and we can never reduce his character so that we can make him dance to our tune. To try to do so is to play in the water without respect. It will end in our demise.

We cannot play with Yahweh's words to make it say what we want. We cannot change the words or actions of Jesus to suit our thinking. We cannot dismiss the Spirit into non-existence. We cannot create our own god and then attach Yahweh's name, claiming that we are Christian. Our God cannot be mocked and those who try will discover the true nature of his character.

Our God, his testimony concerning himself, his instructions, his Spirit are to be respected and obeyed. This Hebrew word has been translated to "fear" and most people miss the point because we no longer live in an age where respect has much value. I hear ignorant people stating, "I will never obey God if he requires me to fear him". The ocean doesn't demand me to fear it, but it is a wise thing for me to develop a healthy fear of it if I wish to live. Fear is not as we use it today but it does imply a great respect of something so powerful it is out of your control to tame and get it to behave as we want.

Yahweh is love, but his character demands respect. We can't do whatever we want because his character has defined right from wrong, good from bad. We are a fallen creation because of our disobedience and he has done everything he can, paying the highest price, so that we might escape the consequences of our behaviour. Even this should never be trivialized but should provoke in us a response of love, so that we would desire to walk in his righteousness and respect him. I pray that Yahweh's people can re-discover this before it is too late.

You Are Not Insignificant To Our Enemy

Do you sometimes feel insignificant, as if whatever you do will go unnoticed by everyone? If you are a child of Yahweh don't you believe it. There are more eyes on you than you can possibly understand. You see, the enemy knows what kind of influence you have and he looks for every opportunity to diminish that influence. Meanwhile, the world is looking for someone who actually believes and lives by the words of Jesus. The world wants to see if there is any sincerity left. You have more eyes on you than you can possibly know.

The enemy hates sincere believers; those that trust and live by the words of Jesus. He hates those who desire above all else to know Jesus and to walk in his footsteps. He hates and wants to destroy a powerful testimony. So he will push and prod and lay down traps to try to destroy you. His biggest tool is fear. He may not cause situations but he will try to use the good things Jesus is doing in your life, twisting them to produce fear. A glaring example of this is found in Nehemiah.

Nehemiah had come back from captivity to give oversight and encouragement to the rebuilding of Jerusalem but there were many enemies who wanted to stop him. However, Nehemiah was there under the authority of the king of Babylon. He had full authority to do what he was doing so the enemy had to be crafty in their discouragement. Sound familiar? We have full authority under our King to do what we do but the enemy does all he can to bring in discouragement.

In this case, the enemy tried to use an informer, a traitor in their midst, to produce fear in Nehemiah. He told him that his enemies were going to do a sneak attack and kill him. He advised him to go into the temple and lock the door to stay safe. He wanted to produce fear in Nehemiah so Nehemiah would take a cowardly act to preserve himself. This would have brought a halt to the work, discouraged the people and showed a lack of faith. But the enemy forgets that we are well equipped in our relationship with Yahweh to see through such traps:

And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me. (Nehemiah 6:11-13)

Jesus has given you a testimony so he may be glorified through you. Your life is no longer about you but about everyone Jesus can influence through you. Often the difficulties we go through are not about us but about Jesus using us to show sincere faith to the world. He is shining through our weaknesses, our circumstances, as we hold to our faith and trust, not complaining but praising. When people see us in our trials giving praise to Jesus it confuses them. But when they see Jesus answer our needs they begin to see the quality of his love for us. This is the thing the enemy wants to destroy.

There is a reason we are told to put on the full armour of God; we need it. The reason we need it is because on our own we cannot stand up against the fierceness, boldness and trickery of the enemy. The armour and the position we are told to take is all about defense. We are told that after we have done everything we can to stand, we are to stand. We have been given a testimony; stand in it. We have been given territory to defend; defend it. We have been given instructions from Jesus; follow them. Don't turn to the right or to the left. Don't listen to the little whispers. Pay no attention to the rumours that produce fear. You are a fierce warrior in the Lord's army so act like it as you place all your trust in the King.

No matter how insignificant you feel at times, you aren't. So many eyes are watching you, trying to decide whether you are the real thing, a real believer, a real child of Yahweh. Do not allow the enemy to steal that from you. Don't give your testimony away. Even if you have to lay down your life to preserve it, understand, Jesus is able to keep what you have committed to him. I leave you with our brother Paul's words:

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Fight on!

I Will Fear No Evil

Have you ever been afraid? Fear is a normal human emotion when faced by things we don't understand or by things that appear to threaten us. But fear can also be provoked by our imagination. We can fear sounds and shadows when there is nothing of substance. We can fear the "maybe's" and possibilities of life. We can fear our tomorrows causing us to be paralyzed in our today. This is what I sense David talking about in Psalm 23:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. (v. 4)

It is a shadow, a thing of no substance, a threat with no teeth. Actually, all fear is like that for a Christian. Fear has no teeth for us and is only the shadow of things that would like to harm us if it could but it can't because Jesus is with us. That is why David continued:

I will fear no evil;
For You are with me. (v. 4)

What can separate us from the love of Jesus? Absolutely nothing. When we turn to him in all situations we find comfort, especially as we turn to his Word. Shadows disappear in the light of his presence and Word:

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (v. 4)

If fear is paralyzing and overwhelming us it is because we are not relying on Jesus for strength and comfort. Fear may be a natural human reaction but we are no longer controlled by our emotions; we are a new creation, filled by the Holy Spirit, walking in the presence of our God.

We can find an example of someone who understood this long before Jesus gave us the Spirit. King Jehoshaphat was an awesome king and had developed a strong relationship with the Lord. News had suddenly come to him about a combined army that was coming to destroy Jerusalem. This army was massive and did not appear to be a "shadow" threat but something of real substance. Maybe under any other king Jerusalem would have been destroyed but Jehoshaphat knew Yahweh and he knew the promises. In other words, he knew the Word. He reminded Yahweh of a few things (2 Chronicles 20):

First, that Yahweh was the ruler over all kingdoms and that no one could come against him.

Second, that Yahweh had given them this land.

Third, that Yahweh had made a promise that if at any time they faced trouble they could pray in the temple and he would rescue them.

Then Jehoshaphat prayed this prayer that has always remained with me from the first I read it:

O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (v. 12)

We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you. Of course the Lord is going to respond to such a man of the Word, to a man of this kind of faith, a man who leans on the Lord for his hope and strength. Yahweh responded and told them they would not have to fight, that he would fight for them. He told them to get dressed for war, in their armour, swords and bows, and then watch him deliver them from their enemies.

One of the most incredible parts of all of this was the next day, as they marched out to face this overwhelming enemy, they went out singing. They faced their enemy with praise and worship. Praise and worship was not their salvation but was their heart response to the promise of salvation by the grace of Yahweh.

My friends we have nothing to fear but if we do feel fear then we need to run into the presence of our God. We are always in his presence but if you are feeling fear it is because you have forgotten that Jesus is the ruler over every nation, over every circumstance and nothing can come against him. You have forgotten that what you have received has come from his hand, and you have been told to stand your ground. You have forgotten his promise that whatever you need you can ask for in his name and Father will give it to you. Pray that prayer, "Jesus, I don't know what to do but my eyes are on you" and fear will flee from you as he answers you swiftly. Your fear will be replaced with praise and worship.

You cannot save yourself. Whether by many or by few, salvation belongs to the Lord. You belong to him and he has given you a ton of promises to encourage you. Learn the Word, walk in his presence and you will discover that there is no substance to the things that provoke fear in the children of Yahweh. Allow his "rod and staff" to comfort you.

Will Jesus Find Faith On Earth When He Returns?

There is a trust deficit in our societies these days and who can blame us? Everyone we are suppose to be able to trust has broken that trust time after time. Politicians continue to do things against our trust. The banks have failed us more times than not. How many times do we have to see police beatings on the news; teachers abusing students; daycare workers abusing babies; doctors abusing patients? Corruption is at every turn. Of course there is going to be a trust deficit. So it may be an uphill climb when people hear Jesus say:

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1)

Belief, faith, trust are all rolled up in one so in essence Jesus is saying, "Don't be worried, trust Yahweh and trust me". And why shouldn't we? Unlike almost every human being who has failed us and backed out on their promises, Jesus has never failed us. He has kept every promise. If you know him as I know him then you know just how much he loves you and the unbreakable covenant he has made with you. He made the decision to love you and nothing can stop him from doing that.

The important thing to understand is that trust is paramount in Jesus being everything he has promised to be. He warned us that any doubt in him, who he is and what he has promised, nullifies the beauty of the relationship. We must trust and such faith often has to be given when we cannot see. It is like what the apostle Paul wrote:

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:24-25)

Hope and faith go hand in hand, working in similar manner. Consider Hebrews 11:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (v. 1)

"About what we do not see." Faith burns brightest when it is encased in the mysterious darkness of the unknown. Allow me to take us back to the second book of Kings, to a point where Elisha was being hunted down by an opposing king who was upset that his plans were being told by Elisha. The king tracked him down and surrounded the town in which he was staying. Elisha was on the roof with his servant and the servant was having an heart attack from the fright. The servant asked a very legitimate question for their situation, "Master, what are we going to do?"

We are like that servant, only willing to believe what we see. We may have a fool's hope to be saved from our situations but it is not a true hope. Elisha was the man of God, he trusted Yahweh because of his relationship, what he has experienced, what he has seen. Many of us should be like Elisha because of our relationship and our testimony. How many times does Jesus have to manifest himself in our situations before we start to trust for every situation?

Elisha told his servant:

“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16) 

Does that sound familiar at all?

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Now when Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened to Yahweh's reality, the servant saw a great heavenly army surrounding them so his fear dissipated. But we do not need to see any great army because we are possessed by the Holy Spirit. Ours is a relationship of trust that needs no proof or guarantees. The proof is in the relationship, the guarantee in his love. We believe it because Jesus said it.

If you need something beyond the promise of Jesus you are in a wrong place in your spiritual growth. If you are filled with anxiety and fear then you are not where you are suppose to be with Jesus. If you are constantly obsessed with your future then you need to get back to basics with Jesus. We are not like Elisha's servant, we are even greater than Elisha; we are inhabited by the King of Glory.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Grace As A Loophole

In this age of hyper-grace we are losing our fear of Yahweh. We are no longer afraid to sin, to offend our God because the overwhelming message of the day is that his grace will cover us. How quick we forget apostle Paul's warning not to use grace as an excuse to sin. The grace of our God is the great message of the age, as it has been for every age since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a fantastic reality that we need to bring to the world but we can never lose sight of the truth that we serve a God of justice. Yahweh will judge and he will punish according to our heart.

We should not be looking for loopholes in order to excuse our sin. If any sin has a hold on us it means that we are enslaved to it and not to the righteousness of our LORD. It means we do not walk in the freedom Jesus won for us and it means we are wrong. Pleading grace is not like pleading the 5th in the United States. Grace is applied to the repentant heart not to the one that is looking for the "get out of jail free" card. Let's look at two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.

Israel had just destroyed Jericho at Yahweh's command. He had warned them not to take anything but to destroy everything. However, there was one who did not obey. Achan could not resist certain of the treasures, so he took some and buried them in his tent. An innocent sin that did not impact anyone else, right? Wrong. God's blessings were removed from the nation and when they fought the next battle many lost their lives because Yahweh was not with them. Achan's sin was found out and Yahweh called for justice to be carried out. Rebellion cannot be tolerated among the children of Yahweh:

Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. (Joshua 7:24-25)

Harsh but so was the sin, the rebellion that Yahweh could not permit to spread in his holy nation. Now let's flip forward to the beginning of the Church. There was a married couple who had a plot of land. At that time many of the followers of Jesus were selling their possessions to give to the leaders to provide for those who did not have much. This couple wanted to look good in everyone's eyes but without the cost. So they said they were donating the price of the plot of land they sold but in fact they held some back for themselves. They said they were giving their all but they kept some in reserve:

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (Acts 5:3-5)

They could have given whatever they wanted, there were no expectations, but they choose to lie. Fear came upon the followers of Jesus as it should to this day. I speak for myself as well when I say that we have lost that fear. We are no longer afraid to offend our God, we no longer fear to sin. We enter into it with the thought, "My God knows I love him; he will forgive me according to his grace". But the Spirit knows the motivation of our heart. If we truly loved Jesus then we would seek his righteousness not loopholes to get what we want and to do what we wish.

There is a difference between those who have chosen righteousness, who pursue it and who are covered by grace, and those who say they seek it but lie, expecting that the grace of our Father will cover them. Our God is still a God of justice and we should fear that justice. How quickly we forget the warning in Hebrews:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)

Fearful indeed. I am not saying that we should live our life constantly in fear of stepping on an ant and offending Yahweh; we do not live a sin conscience life. But we can live a life where we are aware of the motivation of our heart and if our motivation is to sin against the righteousness of our LORD, to reject it immediately. We are a holy nation, a royal priesthood, separated for the purpose of our Father. We walk in his righteousness and maintain a healthy and respectful fear of the Living God. No loopholes, only obedience.

Doubts, Fears, Insecurities

It is sometimes hard to admit but the honest truth is that we all have doubts, fears and insecurities. They are not always with us but under certain circumstances they will try to bubble up and overwhelm us. They counter everything we know and have experienced. They are whispers in the night, They are a dampening blanket to our passion. They are a drawn curtain that blocks our view. The question is, what will you do about them?

Can you imagine having spent over forty years as Moses' assistant? What an incredible challenge and blessing that would have been. Imagine after such a long time with such a man you were suddenly informed that Yahweh had scheduled his death. Imagine at the same time being informed that Yahweh had named you his successor? Keep in mind all that Moses had done and faced. Keep in mind all the fighting he had done with and for the people.

Israel was not an easy people to govern and lead. It was never going to be easy for Israel but they made it one hundred times harder on themselves. Because of their own stupidity they ended up living 40 years in the desert. Their constant complaining drove Moses crazy and now, on the brink of years of war with many nations, Moses was being removed and an untested leader was being put in his place. I wonder if Joshua had any insecurities, second thoughts, doubts and about his assignment?

There is nothing in Scripture that indicates Joshua had any doubts or fears. There is not a word of complaint from his lips. There is no great calling out to Yahweh but there is one message that came out loud and clear from Yahweh, Moses and the people:

Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed. (Joshua 1:9)

Moses told him privately:

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Moses told him publicly:

Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. (Deuteronomy 31:7)

Israel said to him:

Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage. (Joshua 1:18)

To know that Moses and the people having trust in him would have been affirming for Joshua but not near as much as to hear directly from the LORD:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Was Joshua's confidence to be found in his own ability or the strength of the army? Not at all. It did not matter what his personal insecurities were about his ability because his confidence came from the fact that Yahweh was sending him. "Have I not commanded you?" But he wasn't just being sent. Yahweh promised to go with him, to never leave him. Does that ring any bells at all?

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Often our insecurities rise up because of doubts in our own ability but being strong and courageous is not a hard thing to do when you understand the presence of the LORD. Jesus did not just send us out to claim the lost for him, to take on great battles and face incredible danger according to our ability. Jesus promised to come with us, to be with us because it is his fight; it is according to his strength and power, not ours. It is the reason the Apostle Paul was able to say with great confidence that he was able to all thing through Jesus who gave him strength.

Yes, insecurities, fears, doubts will rise up because they always do because we doubt ourselves, but a person of faith never allows them to stop him. He never allows them to become a barrier to the Father's will. In spite of them he presses on with great strength and courage because of two reasons. First, we have been sent. Second, because Jesus is with us. It is not about our ability. Do not be downcast oh my soul but be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or dismayed because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Amen!

From Discouragement To Joy

As a father I understand the importance of hands-on lessons. Verbal instructions are important but they are not as effective as practical learning. It is for this reason that I allow my children to face situations that seem impossible for them. Of course it seems impossible because they have yet to learn what they are capable of doing. They are capable but they have yet to learn it. I would never allow them to be in any danger or allow anything to harm them but I have been known to let them fail at a task.

Am I a mean father? Some may think so but I hope that my children can see my love in all that I do. It is always my plan to encourage them in their failure, to try again, and I stand with them to lend them the strength and encouragement they need. Sounds ideal, if my humanity didn't get in the way. Often times frustration comes in when a child fails from lack of effort or simply because they didn't want to. This is the reason why our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father, because our failures do not frustrate him, no matter the cause.

However, we do discover many examples in the Word where God teaches practical lessons through our living, and sometimes he uses our failures as the greatest lessons. In the beginning this can be hard for us to understand and accept but the longer we know him the better we understand to trust him. If we have lived and served him long enough to have grey hair and yet still panic in places where we should trust, there is a problem with our spiritual maturity level.

The longer we spend with God the clearer certain lessons should be for us. For instance, we should easily understand that God is for us, not against us. We should also know that we can do everything through Jesus because he gives us the strength to do all things. And one question that should be answered early on in our infancy with God is this one thing:

Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14, NKJV)

In fact, the passage where this is taken from is a great example. Sarah and Abraham were old but God had promised them a child. Sarah's reaction to God's promise was a mocking laughter. It was an internal laughter, something we all do, but God knows our heart and he heard the mocking. It is funny how the God of the impossible can turn our doubt, fear, anxiety into joy. A few chapters later, as Sarah has given birth, she testifies:

And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6, NKJV)

A much different laughter. From mockery to joy. From sorrow to joy. From anxiety to joy. From fear to joy. Is anything too hard for the Lord? That is the question you have to answer for yourself. As a father, I just want to assure you that God has purpose in everything that you face. The enemy is not in charge and has no say over you. It is our God who is sovereign and who knows all your days before you have lived them. It is our Father who has plans to build us up and not tear us down. And it is Jesus who said to us:

 “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me." (John 14:1, CEB)

 Let 2014 be a year of trust and spiritual growth as our Father turns all things to joy in you.

A Change Of Season

Last night we could feel the change of season all around us. Suddenly, with a change in the wind, the air felt cooler, fresher as the hot, humid air of summer was replaced by the approaching Fall. A new season is approaching.

There is also a changing of the air as a new season comes upon our family business. My oldest son has found a new job in preparation for his eventual move out of this province. It is a sad moment for me but a good one for my other children, forcing great opportunities upon them as they rise up to take on his responsibilities. New seasons bring adjustments which we may not want to make but we eventually do because we must.

It is also a change of season for me spiritually. Our walk with Jesus is always a progression and hopefully it is a progression forward. We learn new lessons, gain maturity and move on to the next. We face new challenges, gain new skills and move on to the next. We face small crisis, overcome and move on to the next. But with each victory comes new assurances, new strength and a new level of peace.

I have faced some things in the last few weeks which I was honest enough to face and they almost crushed me. But "almost" does not mean I was crushed. Almost means that the Lord strengthened me in my weakness so I could grow in the experience and become more of what he has called me to be. It is what he promised in his Word. It comes from not quitting, not running away, not hiding in a cave.

I have had a lot of cave experiences in my life, where I have run away out of fear just like Elijah. Just like him, it was fear from the empty threats of the enemy, threats to destroy and kill that drove me to hide. Just like him, God has met me in those caves and asked, "What are you doing here?" It is something I identify with, God asking me why I am in a place that he did not desire me to be in. "What are you doing here and not where your responsibilities would have you be?" The last time this happened I said it would never happen again.

This time I stood my ground. This time I was honest about my weakness. This time I listened to the Lord's examination. I am so thankful for his grace which allowed me to learn from my failures and to mature in my trust. Elijah was encouraged by God in that cave in which he hid, but even seeing the glory of God did not bring him out of his fears. He chose to stay in that same condition even though God met him in that dark place in his life. I praise the Lord he has taught me how to respond to him in times such as these; with absolute trust, adoration and determination.

It is amazing the level of peace that comes when we decide to stand in faith, declaring our trust in Jesus. His peace is always there, never removed, never absent but when we make that decision to abide by faith, there is a deeper revelation and experience of it. The day after the seasons changed there remain hundreds of unanswered questions but there is a peace that says "I know who holds the answers".

As I wrote yesterday, it is a day at a time attitude. He gives me enough grace, strength, wisdom and resources for today. I don't need to be concerned about tomorrow because whatever it holds for me, I know he will provide for it. I am a strong believer that before I was born God knew every day of my life. He knew the decisions I would make. He knew the things I would face. He knew the decision others would make that would impact me. Nothing surprises him. And the beauty of it is that he has laid down his plans for me according to his knowledge. What an awesome God who calls us his children. May the name of Jesus be forever lifted up. No more caves for me.

The Discouragement The Morning After

Do we not understand that everything in this world is bent on our destruction? Not that we need to be concerned about it because Jesus is our protector, but we need to at least be aware that we live and breathe in a hostile environment. When we walk in the light, any brush with darkness has the potential to discourage us. This is the reason why the day after great spiritual breakthroughs it can seem to be filled with so much discouragement.That's when it is good to remember Jesus' promise:

I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world. (John 16:33)

The darkness may be bent on our destruction but that's because it has already been defeated by Jesus. It is too bad that we can so easily be distracted from the truth of who we are in Jesus and what Jesus has made possible through him. Yes, each day is a great challenge but the challenge is to keep our focus on the source of all things; the source of joy, hope, peace, and power. Paul asked:

If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? (Romans 8:31-32)

We are deep in the Spirit, surrounded by Jesus Christ and every promise he has given. Don't philosophy about it. The promises were given to us to act on every single day of our life. Because our Father has given us the Son, he also freely gives us everything else, including joy in the midst of the darkness. Paul continues to ask:

If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? (vv. 33-35)

When we come away from an incredible spiritual experience with Jesus Christ, we are not coming away from Jesus. We are simply walking through the darkness where it is easier to be distracted by its limited attractions. We still walk in the Spirit, are still surrounded by the promises, are still under Jesus' protection, are still blessed and partake in all the benefits of a relationship with Jesus. Despite the challenges you may face because of the darkness today, remember:

In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. (v. 37)

I know the dark can provoke fear and anxiety but when you turn the light on you see there is nothing to fear. Let Jesus be that light today, so the emptiness offered by the darkness will be revealed and all those fears and anxieties will flee:

I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! (vv. 38-39)

And that's all we need today as we walk in the Spirit in a world that is hostile toward us. Yes, be aware that everything is bent on your destruction but don't fear it. Just be aware of it so you will never desire to leave the protection of the Spirit; be aware of it so you know why you should always have a thankful heart. This is an excellent day because we get to spend it with Jesus. It is excellent because we get to see his promises in action. It is excellent because we have an opportunity to serve him so the darkness can see that the Light is alive and well.

On Being A Boss

A lot of people aspire to be a boss, a leader, someone in charge. When I was younger I always thought it would be the ultimate freedom with no one to tell me what to do. It isn't that I wanted power over other people but instead I wanted to be free from people having power over me. It wasn't until I became a boss that I realized a couple of things. First, being a boss is more about responsibility than privilege. Second, we always have someone to whom we have to answer.

Those to whom God calls and anoints for leadership, any leadership, in the Body of Jesus, he also holds to a greater accountability. We know that apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors and teachers will all be judged more severely and will have to give account for everything God gave to them to invest for the Kingdom. But so too will each elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, worship leader, band member and anyone else with any responsibility over anyone else. It is also true for any Christian given responsibility in the world:

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. (Ephesians 6:9)

When Paul says "in the same way" he is referring to what he just finished saying to the salves. There has to be an attitude that we are serving the Lord. There must be an attitude of respect, fear, and sincerity. We should be afraid to do any harm to anyone because, even if they are not saved, they are the objects of God's love. If an employee must show respect and serve sincerely, as if they are serving the Lord, how much more someone with responsibility over someone else?

We need to always keep in mind that we have to have Jesus' attitude and he said that he did not come to be served but to serve. Even when we are the boss we need to have a servant's heart, caring for those for whom we are responsible. If we saw them as Jesus would we act toward them any differently? This is even more so when you have responsibility over a fellow Christian.

Being the boss of a Christian is probably the hardest thing to do. We have such high expectations for each other and when we fail to meet those expectation it can affect they way we treat each other. It is hard not to judge. This is the verse I try to keep in mind:

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

The Lord will get us all there in the end, no matter our level of maturity or revelation. Meanwhile we are to respect, fear, be sincere and love each other.

Bosses have to remember that we all serve the same Lord and he is Master of us all. It is good to remember that he has no favourites  From the greatest evangelists to the worse sinner, God loves us all. It is because of that love that we must show respect to all human life. How can we mistreat the objects of God's affection? How can we have poor attitudes toward those for whom Jesus went to the cross?  How can we allow something like being a boss interfere with our greater responsibility of being vessels of God's love?

It is a beautiful thing when it all flows together, slave respecting master and master respecting slave, but it doesn't always go that way. It doesn't matter. How a boss is treated cannot affect the responsibility of the boss to treat the employees well, showing them respect and love, serving them as if he is serving Jesus. We are all accountable to the same Master. Serve him well.

Radical Teachings Of The Bible

We often use our circumstances as an excuse for our attitude or reaction to things. We feel justified in what we say or do when there is just cause behind it. It makes us feel better but it also prevents us from being accountable for our actions. The thing is, it doesn't work that way for Christians. Regardless of our circumstances we are to follow the direction of the Spirit and the Spirit always directs us in words and actions of love. No excuses.

What is the worse possible human condition you think you can be found in? How about when all freedom and rights are stripped away from you? Maybe, when you are treated like a possession, no better than a piece of furniture? We call it slavery and it is still going strong in this world. How would you react if you were found in that circumstance? Stolen off the streets, smuggled out of the country and sold to the highest bidder. What would you do? Well, here is how radical Christianity is:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. (Ephesians 6:5)

Yes, the attitude of submission goes even that far, regardless of your circumstances. Remember, when Jesus told us to love our enemy it was not just words he was speaking. Did you think he was just talking about kind thoughts you were to have? Love equals action. If as a slave we are to obey with respect and fear, emptying ourselves of self so we can obey with sincerity of heart, and have the same attitude as if we were obeying Jesus, how much more in every other circumstance of our life?

What about that teacher that always seems so hard on you? Everything in you wants to tell that teacher off. What about your parents who treat you so unfairly? How about that boss that keeps changing things and expecting so much out of you? What about that police office that always seems to pick on you? The flesh tells you to rise up in rebellion but the Spirit in you yells obedience with respect, fear and sincerity.

I have to be honest, these words are convicting me this morning. My church is small so to help take some of the financial burden off of it I work as a customer service professional from home. I am not always respectful in my attitude toward the company I work for. I often find their expectations to be unfair. There is a rebellion in my heart toward them and I am not sure I have always given my best effort. I have been robbing Jesus of his glory. I can't say that I have been in step with the Spirit with this:

Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. (Ephesians 6:6)

What is the will of God? Submission. That I would submit to the demands and expectations of the company I work for and do it with sincerity. This truth is hard when I examine my attitude toward different circumstances in my life. What is my attitude like to all authority in my life, from bus driver to Prime Minister? If this is what slaves were being told, how much more should we check our attitude. It's not about us; it is about the glory Jesus receives in our Christ-like attitude:

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. (Ephesians 6:7-8)

As if you were serving the Lord, not men. Yes, this applies to that teacher, boss, police officer who treats you unfairly. Is there anything more unfair in life than being a slave? If this is the expectation for a Christian slaves, how much more a person with freedom? The most radical thought out of all of this is that the riches of this world hold no value to us compared to doing the will of God, because our reward is coming. Our reward is not found here. We are not to seek things for our own benefit but always for the benefit of others. We are servants. Our reward is coming. Trust Jesus, live a life of submission and serve with sincerity of love.