3. The Gifts - A Word Of Knowledge

 Today we move on to the second gift, “a word of knowledge” that can be related to the first gift of “a word of wisdom”. Some people want to define this gift in an either or or situation. Some will say that it is related to receiving revelation on specific portions of scripture. Others will argue that it is a revelation of spiritual situations. I have experienced it as both.

I have sat under ministries that, as the word is being preached, suddenly the preacher is being fed fresh revelation as they are preaching. They are as surprised by it as anyone else. There have been many occasions where it has happened to me. It’s not that what I was preaching was wrong, it was just while I was sharing that word I felt a fresh “download” from the Spirit that took it to unexpected places. As always happens, in the week that followed, situations were given to test out this new revelation where it was proven to be solidly from the Spirit.

Equally I have experienced the revelation of spiritual situations. On a number of occasions I have stood before a minister who told me of private conversations I had had before giving me instructions from the Lord. The purpose for it was to get my attention so I knew it was the Lord speaking to me. In turn, I have stood before people seeking answers from the Lord when I have suddenly known of things that I had no knowledge of. Sometimes it was to help in providing an answer and other times it was to get their attention. More often than not, I was given things to say that meant nothing to me and everything to them.

This is the thing again, many believers may be given something for someone without actually possessing the gift. People with this gift operate in it all the time, like those in the office of the Prophet. But on occasion it will be given to a person for a moment, perhaps because no one with that gift was at hand.

Like everything in the Kingdom, this gift requires some training. Requiring training does not mean it is manufactured by humanity. It means that trainers, believers of maturity and experience are able to help those learning to walk in this gift, to understand and to avoid some of the common mistakes of the past. These trainers are filled by the Spirit and teach from that place of relationship. Thankfully we are getting better at understanding the need for the trainers in the Body.

A reminder, these are the spiritual gifts we need to encourage and build each other up to greater maturity in Christ. We need these gifts, that’s why they were given. It changes us from a “garden club” to the spiritual Body of Christ, where we are dependent on each other in our spiritual growth. Don’t be afraid of the gifts, pursue their understanding and walk in them.

What If We Have A Martha Spirit And A Mary Desire?

There is this wonderful tension in the Body of Christ between work and rest. It shouldn't be a tension and the reason it exists is because most of us have a wrong understanding of work and rest. There is no time like the present to get a better grasp on these Kingdom positions.

Most of us have heard the story of Mary and Martha many times. We have sat through many sermons, maybe looked at it in a Bible study and may have even read a book about it. Let's sum it up for those who don't remember.

Jesus was visiting the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. While he was teaching, the two ladies took up two very different positions. Martha was the oldest woman in the house so she took up the traditional position of hostess and was occupied in the kitchen with meal preparation for their guests. Mary should have been assisting her big sister but she took up an unfamiliar position.

As a woman at this time it was demanded of Mary that she be in the kitchen with her sister. According to the Pharisees it was illegal to teach a woman the Torah. But here we find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening, learning and being taught. This is when tradition reared its ugly head and attacked the unfamiliar position and it tried to involve Jesus. Much to Martha's shock Jesus lifted up Mary's position and told tradition that Mary had made the better choice.

Now what do we do with this? Most of us have some of the Martha attitude. We like to be busy doing things. We like work. We were actually made for work and feel much better when we are doing it. So what if we have a Martha spirit and a Mary desire? How do we deal with this tension considering how much value churches put on doers?

When Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better choice he was not condemning work. Instead he was demonstrating the order of position. We are told through Scripture that our actions matter. We are told to be doers of the Word. We are told love is not love without action. So work is not the problem but the root can be. Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy:

"Consider carefully all that I've taught you, and may our Lord inspire you with wisdom and revelation in everything you say and do. But make Jesus, the Anointed One, your focus in life and ministry." 2 Timothy 2:7-8 TPT

Work is not the problem, our position is. We are meant to always be in a position of relationship, a position of receiving, a position of student, of growth, of maturing. It is a position where we keep Jesus as our focus, our center, our raison d'etre, our First Love. Now we can say that he is all that and more to us but our actual position will reveal if he is.

Most of us have the desire of Mary but we act on the habits and traditions of Martha. We do everything in his name but not necessarily from a First Love relationship. You know what I mean. We get in the habit of doing, responding and working according to the needs of others but he has called us, not to strive, but to rest. It is in this position of rest that he is able to work through us. It is in this position of rest that we hear his voice and know his heart. It is in this rest that we are able to follow his instructions and from the overflow of this relationship the Kingdom advances.

There is a big difference in work that is done from a position of rest and work that is done from a position of work. What we do for the Lord will always fall short of what the Lord wants to do through us. His work through us will never exhaust us and will produce fruit beyond our imagining.  It takes a mindset of surrender to remain in this position of rest.

When we can go days or weeks without talking to Jesus or hearing from him then we have slipped from position. When our day's schedule is filled with his work  and not his relationship then we have slipped from position. When being industrious becomes our measuring rod instead of being like the King, we have slipped from position. Being a Martha is not the problem. The problem is being a Martha without Mary's position.

If we are finding ourselves in a place of striving, in a place of "stressed out" from doing, a position of exhaustion then we are walking in Martha's footsteps, serving from our own strength instead of the King's. That does not honour him. We are suppose to steward our calling and ministry better than that. Make Jesus your focus in life and ministry. In this way you will honour your King, honour yourself and honour your neighbour. Martha, may the Lord open open your heart to receive this.

 

The Simplicity Of Intimacy

We are great at complicating simple things. Simplicity is not that hard but it does mean removing a lot of junk. It means cutting out the unnecessary. It means reducing life to the basics. But we like our frosting. We like the frills. We enjoy the clutter. We take solace in the noise. The problem is, simplicity is avoiding the complicated by avoiding the clutter we love.

We say that we want intimacy with Jesus. We say that we want to be strong and sensitive to the Spirit. We say that we want to live for God and God alone, but then we complicate our lives by filling it with clutter. Jesus told us this:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how terrible that darkness will be!" (Matthew 6:22-23)

Sounds all philosophical but it is straight forward. If you want God, seek God. If you want the world, seek the world. If you want God, stop entertaining yourself in this world. If you want the world, don't mess yourself up with God. If you want intimacy with Jesus, stop making love with the world. If you want to be pleasured by the world, stop playing around with God.

It is a really bad place to be, in a relationship with one person when your lusting over another. This best describes most of us in a relationship with Jesus. We want Jesus but not enough to make ourselves unavailable to other lovers. It makes for a bad marriage and it makes for a weak relationship with Jesus. It waters down our worship and makes us liars to ourselves. We convince ourselves that we are okay, that this is normal because we are "only human".

But we aren't only human.

If we had the exclusive relationship we are suppose to have with Jesus we would know that we have been changed by this marriage, that we are no longer what we once were, that we are now a new creation. The old is gone. The new has come. Jesus stated to us:

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other." (v. 24)

You can't have two lovers. You can't give your heart to two people. You can't be married and prostitute yourself and expect to maintain intimacy with your husband. In the end, simplicity is only complicated if we are double minded.

If it is intimacy with Jesus that we desire understand, it is only possible when we forsake all other lovers and devote ourselves fully to our Lord. Not complicated unless we make it complicated.

The High Standards Of Grace

It seems my ongoing theme this year is "Salvation is free but relationship costs. It costs to be a follower of Jesus". We have it stuck in our thought process that everything is free with our God but he has always demanded the highest from those who decide to belong to him. A wrong understanding of grace has gotten us to the point where people think they can do whatever they want and still claim to be Christian; still claim to love Jesus. Do you want to know the truth?

Let's start back in the Old Testament:

"You must be holy and keep yourselves holy because I am the Lord your God. You will keep my rules and do them; I am the Lord, who makes you holy." (Leviticus 20:7-8)

Now before we get defensive here, we need to keep in mind that Yahweh gave Israel the choice to be his people or to reject him. He told them - these are my laws; if you choose to be my nation you must keep them. They choose to be his nation and became accountable to the Law. Of themselves, they were incapable of being a holy people, but Yahweh pronounced they were holy and he made them holy through his Law. It was a very high standard.

Of course, we are not Israel, but we are the Body of Christ. We are not under this holy and perfect law, instead we are under God's grace. But that does not mean it does not come with very high standards. To be under grace we had to make a decision to accept the Salvation Jesus offered and to become a disciple of Jesus; to belong to him. We follow him so we are obedient to him. This not out of obligation to a law other than the law of love. We love him because he first loved us. We obey him because we love him.

This relationship demands a lot:

"All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

I am not sure many of us can grasp the standard to which we are held. It is a standard of love that demands the full attention of our heart, mind, soul, body and strength. It is a standard that expects us to overcome the attraction of sin by the power that love has placed in us. It is a standard that demands us to set aside all interest in ourselves for the sake of Jesus and for all those whom he loves; saved and unsaved. It is a love that says "It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me". Wow, read that again. If we grasped even a small understanding of this it would transform our daily living.

We have been called to a higher standard than we are currently living and it is grace that empowers us to get there. Maybe that would be a great place to start, the understanding of the empowerment of God's grace. Then perhaps a grasp of our death and life in Christ. Then we could move on to our obligation to love. Do be satisfied with gaining knowledge; go deeper in relationship.

Are You Still Worshiping Goat Demons?

We all want more from our relationship with Jesus. We want more clarity, peace, joy, love, contentment, direction, vision, hope. The list can go on but the essence is we want to be closer to Jesus. We understand that this is exactly what Jesus wants. In fact, in the gospel of John Jesus prayed about our oneness with him. But we expect it to be handed to us on a silver platter.

Our attitude stinks when it comes to our expectations in this relationship. We expect to put in minimum effort for maximum gain. We look at salvation, which is free for those who believe, because of God's grace, and we think this also translates into a no-effort relationship. But that is not what the Word of God reveals. Relationships take work; "Seek my face", says our God and seeking is a thing of effort.

This relationship requires total honesty. The Spirit wants us to examine and understand our motivations so we can confess and repent of the selfish ones and seek our God in purity of heart and mind. Most of us will not do that. We won't even consider how important it is. We get good feelings now and then. The Spirit is manifested from time to time. We experience God's provision and we don't consider how much all of this is by his wonderful grace but not the fullness that he desires to give in proper relationship.

The Israelites also had the manifestation of Yahweh in a major way. He was always visible to them in the desert. How could they forget what happened in a very tangible way in Egypt. They heard his voice and were afraid. Yet, they never entered into the purity of relationship that Yahweh desired. Here is a little snippet:

"The Israelites must no longer sacrifice their communal sacrifices to the goat demons that they follow so faithlessly. This will be a permanent rule for them throughout their future generations." (Leviticus 17:7)

Goat demons? Really? The strange thing is that we are a crazy creature that would rather hold on to an ugly familiar thing instead of a new and wonderful thing. We will do stuff simply because it is what our parents did. We would rather hold on to demon worship than step into the most incredibly beneficial relationship with the Son of God, just because the former is familiar and the latter is not.

I guarantee that there are attitudes, thoughts and actions that are part of us that dishonour our God, just like worshiping the goat demons. Such things prevent us from growing up into the full measure of Jesus Christ. They are things that are so much part of us that we don't even realize what they are or the source of them. This is especially true of the way we think. If only we could grasp how positive our Father is toward us. If only we could see is desire and longing for us. If only our mental barriers would be taken down, the demons evicted, so that the joy and the peace that comes from the Lord's presence would be a permanent feature of our being.

These things could be discovered by every worshiper of Jesus Christ, if only we would pursue a growing relationship with him. If only we would lose our attraction to the things of this world, to goat demons, and rely fully on the Holy Spirit. If only we would learn to love the LORD our God with all our heart, mind, body and passion. If only we would be willing to lose our pride, dignity and allow those barriers to come down, even if it looks shameful in the eyes of the world. Jesus makes all things new, beautiful and full of himself, and if that is all that matters to us, we will have more of him

Too Polluted To Care

There is a huge difference between serving the Lord in our strength and desire, and serving him according to his direction. Too many of us fail to understand the difference and fall short of our potential in the Lord but think we are doing great. Part of our problem is not being able to hear the Lord through all the noise pollution that we surround ourselves with. So to get where we need to in our relationship with him we need to start tuning things out and tuning in to him. We have a great example of this in Daniel.

Daniel chose not to be distracted by the extravagance of the king. He and his friends kept it simple. The results were spectacular:

And God gave knowledge, mastery of all literature, and wisdom to these four men. Daniel himself gained understanding of every type of vision and dream. (Daniel 1:17)

Unlike others, I don't think it was the result of the type of diet but the simple act of concentrating on the Lord, of fasting the distractions to hear clearly. During this time the Lord equipped them for how he would use them in the coming years in this land of captivity. They would be his voice, his representatives to a people he had used to bring correction to his people:

When the time came to review the young men as the king had ordered, the chief official brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. When the king spoke with them, he found no one as good as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they took their place in the king’s service. (1:18-19)

Jesus also made it clear that to be useful servants in this foreign land we would have to avoid distraction. He told us that our love for him must be superior to any other. He told us that once our hand is to the plow not to be looking back. He told us to trust Father for provision as we concentrate on the things of the Kingdom. He told us that the only way we could follow his example is to deny ourselves and take up our cross. He said we cannot serve two masters.

So are we living up to our potential in the Lord or have we allowed the "king's" rich food to distract us? It is a rather easy question to answer but the real question is what to do about it. I gain awareness of my distractions, allow correction to come in, respond and then slowly get distracted again. Those who keep their focus are the ones who understand of the relationship, fast the distractions, live the importance of their mission and responsibility, and maintain their love for the Lord. Is Jesus, our mission and responsibility important enough for us to deny the distractions, to deny ourselves and follow him? Consider what is polluting you.

Is The Problem Simply That We Are Religiously Minded?

There is little doubt that there are challenges to get Christians beyond religious thinking into a vibrant relationship with Jesus. In some way I think it starts with a changing of the perspective of life. Is Jesus an aide to us so we can have a comfortable life here, or is Jesus the reason we live? Answering this will help us understand why people struggle in their Christianity.

Many mistakenly act as if Jesus is their "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. He is the ticket to a blissful eternal life but we get to do what we want here. Such a perspective tells us that people only know Jesus by theory and not personal relationship. Such people will struggle with trust, will be overcome by the struggles of this life and will often fail in their faith. These are those who will abandon Jesus in the storms of life. They say the right words but fail in the practical living.

Those who have entered into a relationship with Jesus have a simple understanding that they no longer live for themselves, no longer make their decisions on their own, no longer own anything and are ready to face anything trusting that Father has it all in his hands. We identify with Paul:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me."

I realize that I am stuck on this verse because I think most Christians miss it. I think most of us don't spend enough time meditating on this one single verse:

"The life I live in this body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

I no longer live. I have given up all my rights. I live to please Father. The life I now live I do so by trusting Jesus and all his promises. I live by faith.

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

Not possible unless I have realized the truth of my giving myself to Jesus and accepting his sacrifice for my sins and the life he offers through the resurrection: I no longer live but Christ lives in me. We live by faith and people of faith are not overly concerned by the things of this earth. We know we are beautiful to Father and we are accepted by him.

Look at your life. Are you overly caught up in this culture? Are you overly concerned with your appearance? Are you affected by the opinions of others? Are there things you possess that you could not live without? Are you worried about your future? Are you occupied by more than just today? Are you hurt by the words of others? Or can you instead say that you no longer live but Christ lives in you; that you live what he wants; that his priorities are yours; that you are content with yourself and this life because it is all in the hands of Father?

Are you religiously minded or are you in an incredible loving relationship with Jesus? Is Jesus an aide to us so we can have a comfortable life here, or is Jesus the reason we live?

Looking For Air In A Season Of Adjustments

Since taking over The Snack Shack as a church ministry life has been all about adjustment. Adjustment to keep my spiritual disciplines. Adjustment to guard some precious wife and family time. Adjustment to finding ways to be available for people. Social media commitments. Blogging. Home schooling commitments. Financial adjustment. Health adjustment. Energy adjustment. I have not yet found the key for all these adjustments.

On top of this, Melodie-Joy is struggling with her job. Not that it has anything to do with her but it seems she just can't catch a break. She feels the financial and time constraint pressures (managing a job, two babies, two full time students and two part time). She is a wonder woman but the adjustments are not easy.

All this to say it is a time of crying out to the Lord for strength, assurance, energy, direction and hope. In the flesh things may look a bit dark but we are not directed by our flesh. We are so thankful that we can wake every day knowing that our hope is real and ongoing each and every day. Our future is not crafted by our hands but by the Lords. I am not the captain of my own destiny and I make a conscience effort every day to keep it that way.

Jesus did not promise me comfort or ease and I have not sought for it, although there have been times I have longed for it. Life can never be about taking short cuts to make it easier for me. Jesus did not take short cuts and there was purpose in everything the Father directed him to do, and I am a follower of Jesus. Having failed in the past, I press on with a desire never to fail him again. And that is all we can do. Press on with a passionate desire to serve him truly and always.

One of the most powerful and encouraging verses concerning this subject was penned by Paul the apostle in one of his last letters as he sat in a Roman prison. After all he had been through, Paul simply stated:

"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)

At the end of that, that is what it is all about. If we every lose that relationship, nothing else has any worth. May we experience and operate in the assurance of our relationship with Jesus today. God bless.

The Trap Of The Religious Tomb

The problem occurs when we move from a daily relationship to family traditions. It is frustrating when people think that Christianity is just something you are born into, a family tradition. We are not Christian because it is something a distant ancestor claimed. We are not Christian because our parents told us we are. We aren't even Christian because we go to church on Christmas and Easter. We are Christian when we are convicted about our rebellion against Yahweh, make the decision to confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, accept it, and then give up our life to follow Jesus. It is a personal decision.

Much of the Christian "world" is trapped in religious thinking, not understanding what it is they believe. They know more the traditions of their church than they do the Word of God. Many more of us are there than we think. Any time we put the the traditions and good works of our church ahead of the Word we are already falling into the trap of religion. While dealing with some religious leaders Jesus said:

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain the worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of me.'" (Mark 7:6-7)

It is frustrating to see what we are making of it when Jesus paid the price for us to have the most incredible relationship of all eternity. He has ushered us into an age of grace and freedom, breaking all bondage that kept us from enjoying this relationship with him. So many have been freed from their bonds of sin but instead of receiving that freedom they added to it with the shackles of religion. But on the other hand, we have those who have taken that freedom and grace and have used it as a license to sin:

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedienceleading to righteousness? (Romans 6:14-16)

It really isn`t as complicated as it seems. The first of the great commandments: Love Yahweh with your entire being. The thing to note about this love: Jesus defined it as obedience. So, Father demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us. We in turn demonstrate our love to him by obedience. It is a daily relationship not a religious tomb. Relationship takes effort and time so spend time with the lover of your soul today and every day, and get to know him by knowing the Word of God.

The Problem Is Simple, So Is The Solution

What are we doing? Honestly Christian, do we have two clues what we are doing here? We seem to be of two minds, trying to have one foot in heaven while carving out a niche for ourselves in this world. No wonder we look so spastic as we stretch ourselves over questionable teaching, making the gospel dangerously thin and substituting truth with something that resembles truth but that allows us to live a little more comfortably. Well, if you have ever read the Word you will know that Jesus didn't call us to be comfortable.

What is our purpose? I prefer to take life instructions directly from Jesus:

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)

I like the CEV wording:

“Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.”

There are lots of Scriptures that confirms, clarifies and verifies Jesus' direction to us to go, be witnesses for him, to testify about him, to make disciples. This is our purpose and everything we do comes from and returns to this root. Isn't it funny how 90% of Christians have never led anyone to the Lord and evangelism seems to strike fear in the heart of every follower of Jesus.

The reason people shy away from our primary mission is because they do not realize the power that has been given to us or the power of the Scripture. The reason for this tragedy is that people have not cultivated a strong, personal, powerful relationship with Jesus. We worship (for some it is vain worship) but we leave off the first part of Jesus' instruction, "Follow me". We are busy with the doing of relationship (bible reading, prayer, worship) without entering into the purpose of it, which is relationship building.

We need to have a personal revelation of Jesus, to encounter him so that we are able to have the depth of relationship that Paul wrote about:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20a)

This speaks of relationship; deep communion throughout our days, where we have died to ourselves and we allow Jesus to live through us. It takes spiritual maturity to come to this revelation which shifts everything in our life. We have a notion of it when we come to Jesus but it is a revelation we have to grow into in order to walk in it. Can you say you are walking in it? How about the rest of it?

"The life I live in this body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (20b)

We can't grow in Jesus and we can't walk in our purpose without this truth pumping through us. This is the working out of Christ's power in you through relationship in him.

The reason we are lousy witnesses and we are terrified to testify about Jesus is because our relationship is weak and we are not standing on the truth of Jesus. We have a notion about him but we don't know him. We follow some loose fitting rules, a moral code of sorts but it is more from our churches than it is conviction in relationship. We can't say we know Jesus when we don't read his Word or fellowship through the Spirit in prayer. How can we obey him when we don't know his instructions and yet obedience is how he measures our love for him. "If you love me you will do what I have commanded."

It is possible to do good without knowing Jesus. It is possible to spread love without knowing Jesus. It is possible to have a happy life without knowing Jesus. But it is not possible to obey him without knowing him. It is not possible to be empowered for his great work without knowing him. It is not possible to do eternity work without knowing him. It is not possible to enter into his glory for ever and ever without knowing him.

As always, it is a simple matter. All we have to do is walk in the truth of it.

They Key Is Intimacy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passion Week: A Cautionary Tale

It should be no surprise that Jesus spent much of his last few remaining days teaching the most important lessons about the Kingdom as well as warning those who refused to see the truth. These leaders, who were plotting his death, were steeped in their traditions. The society of the Pharisees had taken on the responsibility of promoting and defending the Law and traditions of Israel. They were trying to preserve the Jewish identity in a sea of Greek and Roman culture. Their focus was so great that they had willingly become the enemies of Yahweh as they rejected the Messiah, the Son of God. They could only see him as a threat to their way of life; to their traditions..

Let this be a cautionary tale then to those of us who have been raised in the Church since infancy, that sometimes we do not recognize the hand of Yahweh because of the traditions and thinking of man. As we look at a few of these teachings over the next couple of days I pray that we will allow the Holy Spirit to give us fresh eyes to see what many of us have been missing.

So far, since Jesus has entered Jerusalem he has chased the merchants out of the temple and has been healing people right in the face of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So they did what would come natural to any of us, they asked Jesus for proof of his authority. Instead of answering right away Jesus challenged them:

“I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” (Mark 11:29-30)

They weren't expecting this. This one simple question put them in a bind because of two opposing problems. John was a prophet of the people, the first prophet in the land of Israel for a very long time. Everyone considered him a prophet, respected him and held him up. If the Pharisees turned on John, denying him as a prophet they would lose the support of the people. However, if they agreed John was a prophet sent by Yahweh they would be admitting that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God because that is what John the prophet had declared. So they chose the route of silence, but Jesus didn't.

Although Jesus did not answer their questions directly he did tell them three parables all aimed at the leadership of Israel, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Chief Priest.

In the first parable Jesus told of two sons who were asked by their father to do something. The first said no, but later he changed his mind and obeyed. The second said yes but never actually did it. Jesus asked them which was the obedient son. The Pharisees, not seeing the point, answered quickly that it was the first. Jesus then hit them with this:

“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." (Matthew 21:31-32)

I think many of us will be surprised to see who gets in and who is turned away on the Day of the LORD. So many people in the Church are relying on traditions and good works and rejecting the true invitation from Jesus, but Father judges the heart. If we don't love Jesus more than everything else, even more than our traditions, then we are lost. We need to check ourselves daily and guard the truth that the only way to the Father is through the Son.

Jesus then continued with a parable about some tenants who had leased some land from a landowner. The owner had done all the work and the farmers only needed to tend the crops. When the landowner sent a servant to collect his portion the tenants turned him away, The landowner sent others and they were beaten. Finally he sent his son and the tenants foolishly thought this was an opportunity to steal the land for themselves so killed the son. Jesus asked the Pharisees what they thought the landowner would do next. Again they did not see the point of the parable and answered quickly that he would kill the tenants and rent it out to people who would honour him. Jesus then responded:

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Matthew 21:43)

They finally realized Jesus was talking about them and wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the people, however, Jesus wasn't done with them yet. Finally he told them a parable to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. A king was throwing a wedding banquet and had already sent invitations. It was a tradition to send two invitations. The first asked if you would be able to attend on a certain date and time. The second informed you that everything was ready and it was time to come. So the invitation being sent out now was to those who had already agreed to come. But the people refused to attend.

So the king rejected his preferred guests and invited anyone else who wanted to come so the banquet hall would be filled. At these weddings you never wore what you wanted to wear, there were specific wedding clothes. In this case it was a last minute invitation so the king would have provided, as a gift, the necessary clothing. However, when the king entered he found a guest still in his own clothes, having refused the kings gift, so the king had him removed from the wedding banquet. In conclusion Jesus gave the warning:

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

For us these parables are all very clear. In this last one the original guests are the leaders of Israel and the nation herself. Those who were invited in their place are those who were not of these self-righteous leaders, who responded to the invitation. However, the only way we can accept the invitation and be in attendance is by shedding our old selves and accepting the new clothing of Jesus Christ.

The reason these teachings are important to us and that we should pay attention is that they clearly warn us against relying on traditions. There is only one way to the Father and it is through Jesus Christ. There is no religious system that will get us there, nothing we can do by our actions, no short cuts. There is only Jesus Christ and obedience to him which is provoked by love. We cannot rely on the traditions of our church or the faith of our parents or pastors, we must have our own relationship with Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords, Son of God, Saviour of the world. Our good upbringing doesn't matter. Our good deeds don't matter. Our church attendance doesn't matter. Only a vibrant, active relationship with Jesus does. All these other things spring up as the fruit produced from this relationship.

We need to be careful because Jesus warned that if we are not bearing the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit, in other words the fruit that is produced by a vibrant relationship with Jesus, we will be removed. Jesus warned that if the Father was willing to cut off the original branches from the vine we should realize that he will also cut off those branches he grafted in. These parables told in the last few days of his life should be a stark warning to us, a cautionary tale to take this relationship seriously. Where are you with Jesus today?

What Does It Take To Have A Vibrant Relationship With Jesus?

People ask me how to maintain a vibrant relationship with Jesus. What they are asking is how they can feel strong all the time. I am not sure that we can feel anything all the time. We can't feel joy all the time, but we can be joyful. We can't feel content all the time, but we can be content. We can't feel strong all the time, but we can be strong. We have a source to find what we need when we need it and it is found in our relationship with Jesus. There really is only one secret to maintaining a vibrant relationship with Jesus but it's not even a secret. Everyone knows about it but it is simply something we don't make allowance to do. We need to pray.

People give all kinds of excuses why they don't pray, forget to pray or mean to pray but just don't get around to it. I have lots of excuses as well. But the truth is we find time to do whatever is important to us. If we want to watch our favorite TV show, we make time to do so. If we want to hang out with a friend, we shift things around to make it happen. If we want to spend hours on FaceBook or Tumblr, we manage to find the time, often at the cost of other important activities like sleep. So prayer isn't all that important to us, even though we like to think it is.

Some people don't pray because they don't know how. They don't understand it is a conversation. A one sided conversation you might say. Hardly. Anyone who has developed any measure of habitual prayer will tell you that it is a true communion with Jesus and answers are given, direction is made clear and rich fellowship is enjoyed. Prayer is done in an attitude of worship, with singing and maybe even some dancing. It is filled with expressions of adoration. There are times of talking, others of listening,and periods of incredible silence. It involves the Word and a list of petitions. It is filled with insight and revelation. It is always enjoyable. For each person it takes on a different method or form but the foundation is always the same: spending time with Jesus.

Some people don't pray because they feel they have not yet earned enough favour. They think their life does not merit any response from Father and so they look around for a righteous person to pray on their behalf. They fail to understand that Father has declared us all to be righteous according to how he sees us. We are to walk in righteousness, desiring to be obedient but we need to understand why we go to him with our requests and petitions. Daniel, the prophet, knew why, maybe better than some and the longer you spend time with Jesus the more you will understand too:

O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.  (Daniel 9:18)

And that is the truth of the matter. We don't have a leg to stand on. We have no right in ourselves to be able to approach the Throne. There is no reason in us why Father should even entertain our requests. But he changed all that. We don't approach him in our natural selves because he changed all that. We approach him in the blood of the Lamb, in relationship with Jesus Christ, adopted as the children of the Father. Mercy is when we do not receive what we have earned, which is death, but in his mercy and goodness Father gives us good things. We pray with confidence because of who he is. It is not about us and all about him.

Nothing is going to happen in your life, nothing is going to change, there is no way you will become what he desires of you unless you develop the habit of prayer. Let me put it this way: You are not going to get to know Jesus and become like him unless you spend time with him. Do you want a life of conviction and power? Then spend time with the King. Make it your number one priority every day. Carve it into your schedule. Treat it like eating or hanging with your best friend. It must become essential to your day. Not a hurried two second prayer but a coming aside and sitting in his presence for an hour or two if need be. Work at it. Develop it. Allow it to grow. It is awkward at first, even difficult, but the longer you do it the more natural it will become and the more sensitive to the Spirit you will be. Whatever it takes, however long it takes to remain connected to our Vine of life. Just do it.

Why Is God Hidden?

I heard it said recently that one of the great atheists of our current age said, if there is a god he is one who likes to hide himself. No truer words have been spoken. Yahweh has hidden himself. This needs to be understood, even in the light of what it says in Romans:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Most will agree to this even though they would rather attribute it to a mythical "mother nature". There are even some scientists who acknowledge that creation was by design, they are just not convinced who designed it. However, their is a difference between seeing the invisible attributes and knowing the Creator.

Yahweh could have made it simple to find him but there is a point in him hiding his face. In Jeremiah 29 we find this verse:

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (v. 13)

It was his promise that he gave to his nation, his chosen people, those who were suppose to glorify him to the whole world. He was sending them into captivity because of their rebellion but he was not sending them without hope. He was telling them that when they were ready to come back into relationship with him he would then bring them out of their captivity. Relationship was far more important than a comfortable life. This is a promise he had made long before they rebelled because Yahweh knew the heart of his people. Back in 2 Chronicles, during Solomon's time as king, he gave the same promise:

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

All of Yahweh's acts of correction of his children's behaviour was to have them turn back to him. The "seek my face" indicated the personal, intimate relationship he desired with his people. Do a word search of this phrase and see how often it was used. It is a point I fear we often miss; relationship with Jesus is of far greater value than any comfort or pleasure received in this world.

Have you ever wondered why there is so little evidence of anything throughout history? Why do we have to search so hard for little scraps of evidence of Biblical events and of the existence of Jesus? Because Yahweh has hidden himself so that we would have to search for him. He is quick to reveal himself to all those who earnestly seek him; those who search for him with all their heart. He isn't interested in massive crowds of lukewarm people paying him lip service. He is looking to have relationship with those who are wanting to love him with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, all their strength. In the seeking we force ourselves to see things we do not want to deal with, to expose the secrets of our hearts, to admit that we can't save ourselves and need the intervention of our Creator.

Those of us who do know Jesus because we have searched for him, desiring to find him, know that our faith can never we shaken. It would be like denying the existence of my earthly father. I have known him, grew up under him, talk to him often, appreciate all that he has done for me. I am not about to agree with someone who says he doesn't exist just because they have never met him. Craziness.

Now to those of you who do know Jesus, let me encourage you in this thing. Remember, it is a relationship. It is not a one off. It is not a prayer that you prayed and now you are good for a lifetime. Relationships grow cold when neglected. Cold relationships lead to doubt and doubt drives in wedges. A relationship with Jesus requires a daily seeking. It requires time. It requires getting to know each other, which we do through the Word of God. It requires worship, appreciation, thanksgiving. You know Jesus so keep on knowing him every day, and let him fill you with wisdom and direction for your daily living. Remember, no longer what you want, but what he desires. That is a healthy relationship with Yahweh, who desires to be sought and found by everyone who.



 

Happiness Is Not That Difficult

We all want to do well. We all want a successful life. We all want to be content with who we are and with what we are doing. We want to be happy. It is a reasonable desire and one which we make a lot more complicated than it is. It is unfortunate that in our Western society we equate success with "things". We fill our lives with "stuff" that we think will bring us happiness and pleasure. This "stuff" can be possessions, toys, gadgets; or it could be finances, healthy bank accounts, money to do stuff with; or it could be relationships, people we lean on. This "stuff" might also be academic achievement, education degrees, or perhaps our profession, the thing we dedicate our life to doing. But happiness is not that difficult.

All this "stuff" that I listed above are temporary. They look solid but really they are here today and gone tomorrow. We don't have any control over them at all. We may work hard to gain them but in a blink of an eye they can be taken from us. Our expectations can be shattered in an instant. One wrong word, one thoughtless decision, one indiscretion; gone. One accident, one disaster, someone else's mistake; gone. Life happens and in a flash we can go from victor to victim. What of happiness then? But happiness is not that difficult.

What of your expectations? What happens to you if you fall short of your goals? What if you don't obtain the stuff that you think will provoke your happiness? What if your grades are not good enough to get into that specific university which would allow you to apply for that certain career? What if in not getting that career you had to be satisfied with a lesser salary which would not allow you to buy all that "stuff" that you believe brings happiness? What if your investments don't work out and you end up closer to poor than rich? What if you can't support that great life-style? What if your perfect relationship turns out to be a nightmare of abuse? What happens when your expectations are not met? Is your life an unhappy ending? But happiness is not that difficult.

Things that are not possessed of eternity will never bring us happiness because they do not touch the deeper place of our life. There is a hunger in us, a desire to be in relationship with the One who created us. We try to satisfy this longing with "stuff" but "stuff" cannot reach the deeper place. "Stuff" cannot satisfy the longing of our soul. Only Jesus can respond to the longing of our soul and only that relationship brings us eternal satisfaction. Once possessed, nothing can touch that relationship because Jesus will never fall away no matter what we go through. Happiness, or what we know as joy, is simple and it is found in a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.

There is a Scripture that best describes the attitude of those who walk with Jesus, who find their satisfaction in him, who exude joy in all circumstances of life. This is their code:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

To those who are pursuing happiness in all the wrong places this sounds like a fine sentiment that they may put on a plaque on their wall. But to those whose entire purpose is found in Jesus, this is the reality they live every day and it comes from they joy that they live. It doesn't produce the joy because the joy comes from the relationship but it is found in the river of joy that flows from the relationship. People who make Jesus their everything trust nothing else but him. They do not trust their own thinking on matters but desire to live the truth of his Word. They do not segregate their relationship with Jesus from what they do in the world. Jesus becomes their reason for what they do; all action and decisions are provoked by this relationship. In living in this relationship Jesus directs their affairs, their decisions, their paths, their direction and everything is for his purpose.

Happiness is not that difficult. It is found in a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship causes the colours of this world to fade in comparison so that the false joy of the "stuff" is replaced by the genuine joy of eternity. We are an eternal creature living in a temporary circumstances longing for relationship with our eternal Creator; and when we have it we know the experience of real joy.







 

Longing To Sense The Presence Of Jesus

"I want to sense the presence of Jesus." It is a desire I hear expressed often. It is a desire I have expressed often. Jesus promised us that he will always be with us. He sent the Holy Spirit to fulfill that promise. There is no doubt that he is with us and we operate in this truth, in faith, but it would be nice to actually experience that presence. Yet, we are not willing to take the sacrificial steps necessary to make this a daily reality in our lives.

Imagine listening to loud music non-stop ten hours a day for a couple of years. You are going to cause some damage. Our hearing is pretty sensitive. Normally we detect the smallest whispers but after such an abuse of our hearing we are going to damage the sensitivity. The whispers will still be there but we won't be able to hear them.

Our sense of taste is a fantastic instrument. We can detect even the slightest subtleties in flavour. But when we load our diet with sugars and hot spices we are abusing our taste buds and overloading our sense of taste. Soon most foods taste bland without adding things like salt, butter and various spices. Gone is our ability to enjoy the fantastic flavour of a garden fresh tomato. Spirituality works in the same manner.

The Western society is a thrill seeking society. Pleasure is the single greatest driving force in our life. Bigger is better in everything. Bigger TV's, bigger stories, bigger noise, bigger food, bigger thrills. At one point murder was an implied thing on television. Now we want to see every gory detail. It used to be that sexual immorality was never displayed but only implied. Now we are not satisfied unless we see all the details of what those people are doing in bed. Evil was only ever implied; now we want to see if personified. All of our sensitivities are being overwhelmed and dulled. This is not even saying anything of what pornography is doing to relationships.

Our spirit yearns for fellowship with our Lord but we have lost all sensitivity and have lost the way to an intimate relationship. We go through the motions. We do what is expected. We attend church, participate in worship, try to read our Bible, try to be kind to others, but it just doesn't seem to work for us. The reason it doesn't work is because we are too dull in our spirit to detect his quiet whisper or sense his delicate touch or see his gentle leading. Our ears are too full of noise, our eyes to full of images, our mind too full of deceit, and our heart too full of sin. the psalmist wrote:

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness. (Psalm 101:3-4)

The intimate relationship we want with Jesus requires some decisions on our part. As long as we are overwhelming our spiritual senses with wickedness we will fail in our relationship. We don't have to participate physically with these things but allowing the images, the ideas, the emotions of it to fill us all the time makes it impossible for us to enjoy the rich fellowship of Jesus. We have to make the decision to set nothing wicked before our eyes. We have to allow the Spirit to develop in us an allergic reaction, where we will abhor the things that abhor our God. This is what Jesus taught on the matter:

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)

Jesus desires intimacy with you today and every day. He wants to direct your paths and lend you strength all the time. He wants to see you succeed. The question is: What do you want? And how bad do you want it? Bad enough to make the decision and to take the action to set nothing wicked before your eyes? What is the greatest desire in you because that is what your heart, and then your actions, will follow? You can't have two masters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Increasing The Power Of The Spirit In You

We all have this great desire to know Jesus. Our longing is to be close with him, to sense his presence all the time, to be filled by his power and to represent him to those around us. We want to express our love to him over and over again. We want to make him our everything. These are great desires but if they only stay as desires they will have no eternal purpose. Our desires need to take on flesh.

Every person in our Holy Scriptures who was blessed and used by Yahweh were those who had a great relationship with him. This relationship came from time spent in prayer and the Scriptures. There are no short cuts. I have just finished spending time with Daniel and I am once again impressed by this man of faith and loyalty. The angels told him that he was "treasured by Yahweh". He had a great relationship that came by huge amounts of time in prayer and fasting. Out of these times came great visions and understanding. He had what we want yet he did not have the Holy Spirit in him and we do.

David also understood this great fellowship and it caused his heart to yearn for Yahweh. He was a man full of faults but the motivation and desire of his heart pleased Yahweh. He was blessed, favoured, protected, corrected, broken, built up, encouraged as he constantly fellowshipped with Yahweh. David gave us this treasure of understanding in Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (Psalm 1:1)

That's what he doesn't do, which is also important. He doesn't allow himself to be tempted by the shortcuts of life, listening to Satan's invitation to bow down to him for perceived success. This is not our measure of success. But now consider what the blessed man does do:

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night. (v. 2)

He gives priority to Yahweh. He is consumed by him. Daniel was consumed by prayer. Three specific times of the day were set aside exclusively for prayer. He fasted, which is suppose to be an intense period of prayer. Daniel stood loyal to Yahweh no matter the cost. He petitioned for his people, in prayer. Look at the result David speaks of when we become consumed by our relationship with Yahweh:

He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. (v. 3)

This is seen in Daniel, the most favoured man in the captivity of Israel. Every king of his day turned to Daniel for help and everyone of them heaped great blessings and favours on him. This favour did not come because of Daniel's intelligence but because of his relationship with Yahweh.

Those who have rich fellowship with Jesus Christ, who are consumed by prayer, worship and the Word, have a river of life flowing through them. Everyone who accepts Jesus' invitation, is spiritually born a second time, and is baptized by the Holy Spirit, has this river of life flowing through them, but those who make themselves sensitive to Jesus are made aware of it. Because of this fellowship, the desire of their heart, their submission to Father's will, their obedience and loyalty; because they talk with Yahweh all the time, fruit will be produced through them, they will always contain life and whatever they put their hand to will succeed. We are possessed by the power of the Spirit.

Too many of us are in love with the idea of this kind of relationship but most of us are not willing to put in the time. We have lots of excuses but if Jesus was honestly our "everything" we would find a way to spend time with him. I am not talking about the fifteen minutes we set aside for our quick list of requests. I am not taking about a conversation throughout the day - although this is important too. I mean the same attitude that Daniel and so many others of the greats had. The same attitude as Jesus. Time set aside for complete concentration on Jesus will bring us to the place where we want to be in our relationship. There are no short cuts.

Examine your life and make a list of the things that contribute to your walk with Jesus and the things that do not. Then start reducing the "do not" list and you will be amazed how quickly you find time for Worship, prayer and the Word every day. When you do this you will find your relationship with Jesus and the desire of your heart rapidly changing. May you discover the warrior he has called you to be. Pray!

Draw Near To Jesus So He Can Know You

There is a difference between knowing of someone and actually knowing them. Maybe you have a relative that your parents have often talked about. Through them you know about this relative but you don't actually know them. Then one day you get the opportunity to meet with them, talk with them, live with them for a bit. Now you know them.

Those of you from large churches may know of your pastor. You hear him preach, you read his books, you may even follow him on twitter, but you don't actually know him. You haven't visited his home or sat down to share in a meal. You don't know his personal struggles, victories, fears and hopes. You know of him but you don't know him.

For many people who attend our churches this describes their relationship with Jesus. They know of him but they have yet to meet him. For some, they are comfortable with that. They are content right where they are because it means the lack of relationship doesn't put too much demand on them. They aren't prepared for the commitment of "marriage", the sacrifices they have heard it will require. So they are content just to hear stories and worship from a distance. This is not the relationship Jesus is looking for.

Our relationship with Jesus is an "all or nothing". For those who try to approach him from a distance Jesus brings them face to face. There was a woman who wanted healing for her daughter and stood at a distance shouting. Jesus ignored her until she came and knelt at his feet. Even then he resisted saying he had only come for the children of Israel which provoked her to demonstrate her faith in Jesus. Then Jesus moved in her situation.

Consider Job. He had suffered much and his religious talk was tremendous. He was sticking with Yahweh no matter what, but Job worshiped a God he knew from a distance. As much as he did everything to honour Yahweh he did not know Yahweh. But after being chastised by him and after having lived through this experience, Job responded:

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6)

Job was confronted by the holiness of Yahweh and his self-righteousness melted like wax before him. He realized his condition and his immediate reaction was repentance.

Those who stand at a distance do so because they do not want to be intimate with our God. But in order to love with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength we must draw close. Those at a distance say they are happy with themselves and they want to worship without changing. They want to hold on to their opinions and their actions. Those who come close are confronted by their own wretchedness in the light of Yahweh`s holiness. We fall to our face in repentance but through Jesus Christ he lifts us up as a changed person, a new creation.

We cannot stand at a distance and claim to have a relationship when we only have a "knowing". It is when we draw near to Jesus that he draws near to us and he knows us in the biblical sense of knowing. Jesus knows us but it is intimacy that he demands. It is the reason that he said there will be those who try to enter into his glory and he will turn them back saying, "I do not know you". It is the biblical sense of knowing, the intimacy as we draw close to him and he to us so that he lives in us and we in him. The Christian relationship with Jesus is not a religious methodology but an extremely intimate knowing of each other.

I can share a lot of scripture on this subject but I leave you with the holy words recorded by James, inspired by the Holy Spirit:

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. and he will lift you up." (James 4:8-10)

It is frightening to stand in the holiness of Yahweh and to have the ugliness of our heart revealed to us. There is lamentation, mourning and weeping that is provoked. But the greatest moment is when Jesus reaches down and lifts us up. There is no greater moment in all of eternity then to have all that ugliness washed away and stand before our Lord as a new creation, brought about because the Father willed it and Jesus did it.

Why Do We Pray?

We all nod in agreement whenever someone states that we need time with Jesus every day. But that is a misleading statement because we are always with Jesus; he is in us and we are in him. What we are mindlessly agreeing to is the notion we need time alone in our prayer closet; time to worship, time to pray, time to receive instruction in the Word. We need quality time with the Lover of our soul.

Yes, we nod in agreement but most of us fail in it because we fail to understand the importance of its purpose. I was reminded of that importance today. I was reminded while washing dishes. Yes, strange, but I am a strange person and the Lord often speaks to me in strange ways and in strange places.

As I was finishing up the dishes for the second time today, listening to some new worship songs and allowing my heart's desire to be expressed to my Lord, I stopped to survey the kitchen. I concluded everything was done, in its place and it was looking good. The floor was swept, counters cleaned, dishes washed and put away. Not bad. And the the thought, "At least until the next meal". We all know and agree that there is no end to keeping our homes clean and in good running order.

"Exactly", was the thought that penetrated my contentment.

Exactly what, I thought. "Exactly how relationships work. Exactly how you grow in me."

In a flash, like the Holy Spirit does it, I understood the Lord's point. Prayer was putting everything into it's proper place. Prayer is submitting ourselves to the Spirit so he can put all our priorities right, to correct perspectives, to encourage us in the truth, to work out all the rough spots, to bathe us in love, mercy and grace. Prayer is necessary for the well being and growth of our relationship with Jesus. It is the maintaining his power in our lives to walk in obedience, truth and power. Without prayer our lives would end up in a complete mess with nothing being taken care of, with no correction and us putting things wherever we think is best.

Most of us know what our kitchen looks like after one meal and it bugs us too much to leave it even for an hour. Yet, we think nothing of setting aside prayer. We think nothing of letting the mess pile up in our lives. We think nothing of it because we don't understand our relationship and the importance of rich fellowship with Jesus in prayer and worship. Listening to worship is not enough. We must worship with all our heart and enter into prayer with that same attitude.

If only we would pray. We would see a lot of things change. We would discover the miracle of a refreshed heart each and every time. We don't wash the dishes when we feel like it; we wash them because they need to be washed. Don't pray when you feel like it; pray because you know you need it.