Are You A Victim Of Fraud?

I was out for my morning walk this morning. It was a beautiful, frosty morning, probably the coldest morning this Fall season. I was dressed in layers with a beautiful new tuque and some great gloves. So, of course my phone rang, somewhere under all those layers.

Normally I don’t answer my phone when I am out for my walk because this time doubles as my conversational time with Father. But this morning I felt compelled to respond because I am waiting for several important phone calls, and besides, it could have been my wife. Unfortunately it was none of these.

After digging down through the layers to find my phone, you can imagine my disappointment when I heard an automated message telling me that VISA had identified two fraudulent charges on my account and I only had to press one to cancel them and speak to their agent. Having had this same message before I promptly hung up. Then I heard the Spirit.

The Spirit loves to use all kinds of occasions to make a point with me. As I put my phone away he asked me, “What if it’s true?”

I chuckled, “I know it’s not true.”

“How do you know it’s not true?”

“Because I know this is not how VISA works.”

“How do you know this is not how VISA works?”

“Because I have read their policies and I have had past experience.”

“So why do you listen to the enemy’s fraud?”

Wait! What?

He left it there for me to consider because I knew what he was talking about right away. The enemy is always committing fraud against God’s children. The Garden is just an example of what he has been doing throughout the history of humanity. He promises to us what we already possess and he tries to trick us into thinking we are opposite of who Father says we are. You know those lies. His great desire is to separate us from Father.

Those lies are those disturbing thoughts that wake you up in the middle of the night. They tell you that there are charges against you on Father’s account. There aren’t. They have all been removed by the blood of Jesus. Yet, those seeds are enough to start a stream of doubt that we allow to become a river that undermines our incredible relationship with Father through Jesus. They convince us Father won’t provide, or forgive, or heal or any of the many things he has promised us.

How do we protect ourselves?

I knew the phone call I received was fraudulent because I knew the company’s policies, how they operate in this matter and also have personal experience. I have received phone calls from VISA to check on charges when I have been traveling in places that were not usual for me. Most of us have. So I know they do not use automated messages that tell me to press a number to get an agent. It is no different with Father.

I shouldn’t be able to fall victim to the enemy’s lies. I know my Father. I know his promises. I know how he operates. When he needs to bring correction he does not do it with disturbing thoughts in the middle of the night. He never calls me out. He always calls me up. When I have taken a misstep he reminds me who I am in Jesus. “Hey encourager, let’s consider this here.” “Hey man of prayer, let’s take a bit of time together this morning.” He always speaks to me by how he sees me, even in correction.

I also know that he never threatens me. He is not against me. When he does need to bring correction it is not to punish but to build up. His desire is to see me grow, to increase, to mature. If there is shame and condemnation it is fraudulent, from the enemy of my soul. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. I should be able to tell the difference and choose to listen to the one I worship and trust.

If you are one who gets disturbed by the frauds of our enemy, do yourself a favour, give it over to Father. Yes, report the fraud to Father and leave it with him. Don’t let it rob you of a single minute of your sleep or of your day. Know Dad. Know his promises. Trust what you have already experienced with him. 

The Truth Must Be Told

It is getting really confusing out there. It seems every day what we knew to be true is being challenged in one way or another. Some people isolate themselves from such going ons in the world but then don't know what to do when they are cornered by it. Others of us who have to wade through this sewage every day often have to take deep showers in the Spirit to keep our equilibrium. In all of this mess one thing is evident, people no longer believe in an absolute truth.

It is even hard to hold a discussion with people any more because they are arguing from their own abstract idea of truth, which seems to be constantly evolving. What is amazing is that we can pretty well convince ourselves that anything is true if we decide that is what we want to believe. This being the case, no one is interested in anything that would challenge their version of reality. Things haven't changed all that much over the millenniums.

Apostle Paul and his team had a great ministry in Asia Minor, headquartered in Ephesus. Then one day, just before he was planning to move on, there was a riot. The cause of the riot was the fact that the truth had been revealed to the people. Here is the accusation against the Christians, specifically Paul:

And you can see and hear that this Paul has convinced and misled a lot of people, not only in Ephesus but also throughout most of the province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands aren’t really gods. (Acts 19:26)

There are many similar things in our age that could be considered like these idols. It is obvious to us that anything that we can make with our hands cannot be all that mighty and powerful, yet we continue to fashion gods after ourselves. The danger comes when we hold up the truth against these false idols in our lives.

No one is interested in the truth because truth accepted changes things, makes us uncomfortable, forces us into a reality we don't want. We would rather live lies that leave us comfortable and unchallenged. This is why the prophets of old were often killed, because people did not want to accept a truth that forced change. That is why the prophets of today are attacked and "killed" in the forum of public opinion. Their message is examined against the perception of the day, cutting out the elements that make it the truth based on a reality beyond the sight of this world. But that does not give us an excuse to remain silent.

Although we have a greater message than the prophets of old, we must develop the same fortitude in presenting the truth. To Ezekiel the Lord said:

Whether they listen or whether they refuse, since they are a household of rebels, they will know that a prophet has been among them. (Ezekiel 2:5)

It is not up to us to make them respond, we are only messengers and must be faithful in sharing the message. People hate the truth and will hate us for telling the truth but the truth must be told.

Is It Possible There Is More Than One Way To God?

As followers of Jesus we believe that every member of the human race is broken. This brokenness has left us in a state of rebellion, self-centeredness, and the thought we are in control of our destiny. It has also left us constantly, longing, searching, needing something more than ourselves.

No one wants to believe that our destiny has already been decided on and it doesn't look good. We know that Jesus was sent as a solution to all this and that it is through him that restoration of relationship with our Creator is possible for everyone. This is what we believe from what Jesus told us and now through our own experience.

The enemy of your soul is not content that this news is known, but unable to keep it from spreading, he has tried to muddy the waters. This is why we hear so many teachers talking about there being more than one way or that all religions lead back to the same god. Followers of Jesus cannot abide by this because Jesus told us differently, as did the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said:

Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Luke 14:6)

I am not telling you anything you don't already know but in the face of the onslaught of false teaching, we must remind each other of Jesus' words. We don't live according to opinion but according to truth, which is Jesus. The Spirit also reminded us of this fact through the anointed words of Peter:

Salvation can be found in no one else. Throughout the whole world, no other name has been given among humans through which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

These were not the words of Peter but of the Spirit who was speaking through him:

Then Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answered ... (4:8)

Peter was responding to the question of who's authority were they healing people. This was the truth that the Spirit wanted this authority to understand.

I state the obvious because we need the reminder in our daily lives that we are involved in real power. But in order to operate in that power we must be absolutely convinced of the truth that there is only one way and his name is Jesus. We make no apologies for this and we do not set the truth aside in the hopes of reconciling with man. If we did then we would be nullifying the mission of Jesus, the purpose of his death, and the answer to the ills of creation. Humanity cannot afford for us to hide the truth from them.

There is only one way, and Jesus is it.

The Lies Have Not Changed Since The Beginning Of Time

The tricks of the enemy haven't changed since the beginning of time. Why should he change when they work so well? Since the beginning he has muddied the water concerning Yahweh's instructions. He has planted doubt in what Yahweh has said and has even told lies in opposition to the truth. This is clear starting in the garden.

He came to Eve and planted a simple doubt:

“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)

What's great is that Eve did the right thing; she simply repeated what Yahweh had told them:

“We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (v. 2-3)

This is the same thing Jesus did when Satan came at him in the desert. In that situation the enemy tried to use Yahweh's words in a twisted way but Jesus straightened it out by responding with the Word. So it should be clear to us that our greatest weapon against the enemy's tricks is the Word of God properly applied. But in the case with Eve, he didn't just twist the words of Yahweh; in response to Eve's correct answer of truth, the enemy told a boldfaced lie mixed with truth:

“You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (v. 4-5)

That lie "you will not surely die", was enough to get Eve considering the fruit of the forbidden tree; the only thing Yahweh had withheld from them. Eve did not insist in the truth, even though she knew the instruction had came from the one who created and took care of her. It became a matter of trust. Who was telling her the truth. this serpent she did not know or the Creator who she knew intimately? If she had insisted in the truth her trust would have remained intact and she would have walked away from the temptation. This is why Jesus succeeded where Eve failed.

The enemy's tricks have not changed but neither have the tools to deal with him. Many today are failing and falling in their faith and trust in Yahweh because they have set aside the Word of God. When we set aside his instructions all we are left with is our self-centered instincts. We do what we feel is right instead of what Yahweh has defined as right. Like Eve, we look at sin and see it is "good" to participant in, it is "pleasant" to the eye, and it makes us "wise" in the eyes of this world. This is what happens to us when we set aside the truth of Yahweh's instructions.

It always comes down to the clear statement that Joshua gave to Israel when he told them that all possibilities lay before them but they had to decide who it was they were going to serve. If you love Jesus it will manifest in your desire to obey him with all your heart, to hold to the truth, to trust the one who gave the instructions. To not obey him is to choose another master. It really is as simple as making a choice.

The Spirit Trumps Flesh Every Time

Let's be frank about the current condition in the Church: Unless there is a radical change in our perspective we are going to see continued major splits over biblical teaching. Far too many of us are interpreting God's Holy Word according to our flesh. We look at it to justify our established pattern of thinking. We are not coming to it to be changed, to be transformed into the character of Christ. We want to use it to back up our version of love, so the parts that don't agree with us we dismiss.

The Christian life is not about us getting what we want while trying to be good. It is just the opposite to such a self-centered philosophy of life. The Christian life is about dying to our flesh and living in obedience to the Father's will. But people really don't want to hear that. They just want to shout at Yahweh that they are willing to serve him on their terms. In truth, they aren't shouting at Yahweh because they don't know him to shout at him. They know of him through traditions but their acting out they are shouting at the Church : I will serve Jesus as long as I get to do it as I want to do it". Listen to Jesus:

The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Yet some of you don’t believe. (John 6:63-64)

The flesh doesn't help at all. I don't need to list all the issues splintering the Church right now, I think you are well aware of those to list them yourself. But as you list them, mark beside each one whether it is a flesh issue or not. We can all think for ourselves and I pray you are possessed by the Spirit that you are able to think in spiritual terms. You should be able to discern these matters for yourself. Is it a bunch of people who want what their flesh desires and all that Jesus offers, or is it those who have been crucified with Christ and who no longer live according to the desires of their flesh but it is Christ who lives in them?

You see, we live this life in these weak bodies only by faith in the Son of God. We deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. We live here in this place according to the Spirit and truth not according to the desires of our unredeemed and deceptive flesh. We have to live in these bodies by faith in Jesus, what he taught, what he did, how he directs us now, by the power of the Spirit, because if we try to trust our own desires we will be lost again to that from which Jesus set us free. Jesus has given us life by the Spirit which is not life by the flesh.

The real question is, will we believe Jesus over the flesh that gives no life at all? Will we receive the life the Spirit gives.

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity,promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:16-21)

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you.But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Romans 8:5-9)

God's Power For Salvation

I cannot fathom how anyone can say they are a Christian and then dismiss the Bible. We have such incredible deceptive teaching permeating the Body and we scratch our heads wondering how people can believe the lies. They can believe it because they have thrown away the Bible or shot holes all through it so there is no longer a solid place to stand. And it is catching on like wild fire because it allows us to create our own beliefs and our own god who will allow us to do whatever we think is best. We have learned nothing from the history of Israel.

I for one stand on the Word of God and I desire nothing else. Call me a fool. Call me an idiot. Call me whatever you like but I will not depart from it nor will I be ashamed of it. I stand with Paul who stated:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

The gospel is power. My opinions and cute stories are not going to save you but the power of the truth of the gospel will. We can try all we want to persuade people but we cannot save them. I cannot save anyone in my name even if I had The Paul Van Buren International Ministries. The only thing that will save is the Gospel of Jesus Christ To Save The World Empowered By The Spirit ministries.

Don't belittle the Word. Don't be afraid to share verses. Don't think that there is no power to change hearts and minds. It is even more powerful when you live the Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to do it through you. That's what it is going to take now to reach people in this age. The whole world and part of the Church is dismissing the Word, discounting it, creating their own separate beliefs. They no longer believe in the worth of the gospel and yet Paul wrote:

For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. (v.17)

But I guess that is the real heart of the matter, isn't it: People do not want to know the righteousness of God. They don't want to know there is a right and a wrong because they would have to do something about it. It is better to remain in ignorance or just dismiss the truth and be able to do what you want. The only problem with this thinking is that opinions do not change the truth of Yahweh; it doesn't change the Words of Jesus; it's not going to save you from the fires of hell.

We cannot bring people to Jesus according to our opinions because if we do we are having them build their house of faith on sinking sand. Salvation comes through the truth of the gospel. Do we know that truth? Is our life built on that truth? Are we capable of sharing that truth with others without our opinions getting in the way? Are we capable of sharing the gospel without commentary so that the full power of it touches the hearts of those who need it? It is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes.

Hold On To Jesus' Truth

Hold on! That is the message I receive in my spirit this morning. Hold on to the faith. Hold on to the Word. Hold on to the Spirit. Hold on to Jesus Christ. There is a lot of forgery, mockery, and deception that is taking place and it is discouraging, but hold on. There is a lot of pressure to compromise, to give in, to conform to our society, but hold on. There is a lot of questioning, doubting, fear mongering in our own heart, but hold on.

Okay, but how do we hold on?

It is sad to encounter so many Christians who are redesigning their faith and beliefs according to the dictates of our society. Here I thought the Church was suppose to impact and influence society but in the truth of the world today it is the other way round. Youth and adults are claiming to be Christian while promoting teachings that fly in the face of the holiness and righteousness of Jesus. I am left scratching my head in sheer bewilderment how anyone can know the Word and make such assertions.

There are really two reasons why this is happening. The first is that we are not in the Word. The Bible is the source of everything we know about Father, Jesus and the Spirit. It is the reason it is under such incredible attack today, not that most Christians are even aware of this attack. But most Christians don't even open it let alone read, study or meditate on it. How can they apply the foundations of the Kingdom if they don't even know them?

So if Christians aren't in the Word, what is the source of knowledge for most of us? This blog and others like it, or short statuses, or society. The last is the scariest because Christians look to society for guidance but we are the ones who are suppose to be guiding society. The only source a Christian should be turning to is the Word of God and if they don't understand it they can seek the help of a mature Christian.

The second reason why we are encountering so many confused Christians is because they mistake their desires to be truth. Again this past week I have heard of at least three pastors who have decided to leave out sections of the Word because it conflicts with their new view on things; their new desires. God's Word did not change but their love for the Lord did, allowing their opinion to become greater than God's Word. Don't be shocked, we do it all the time.

We compromise on the Word when it comes into conflict with our desires. Yet the Word says that we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live but it is Jesus who lives in us. Amen! Sounds great until you realize it means the death of your opinion, your desires, and sets Jesus above all things. All things. We are too in love with this world to even begin to imagine how this impacts our lives. We want all the benefits without any of the cost.

It is not a simple thing. It gets messy when you hold on to faith and the roots it comes from. Jesus said he didn't come to bring peace but division. He said because of him families would be divided. Truth! But we are seeing compromise as parents' love for their children take greater priority over their love of Jesus. Because their children have made certain decisions parents are willing to throw out portions of the Bible. I know it is hard, these are your children, but they need salvation and that isn't going to happen as you try to make it easy on them by compromising. They need to see the truth and they need to see it in you, even if they don't like it.

It's going to get rough. It is going to get a lot harder. There are going to be some very discouraging days ahead. Hold on! Don't give up now, especially as the Day is approaching. It is like sitting down in a race with the finish line in sight. Yes, it is hard and will take all the effort you can muster but eternity is well worth it. Jesus' love is well worth it.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

My friend, dwell in the Word and in the Spirit every day. Don't miss one day. Worship every day. Make Jesus your greatest priority. Let him be the source from which everything else flows. With what is approaching, you will need to make sure that you are as close and as dependent on him as you can get. No compromise. Hold on!

Passion Week: The Trap

Not too many of us have been in a position where we have been surrounded by people who hate us. I don't mean people who are annoyed by us or who don't like us but people who hate us enough to kill us. This was the situation for Jesus just days before his crucifixion.

He was in Jerusalem and enjoying his Father's house, the Temple. He had come to teach, to caste out demons and to heal out of his compassion. Instead, his authority had been questioned by leaders who were playing power and politics, who saw him as a threat to their position and way of life. They probably even saw him as a threat to the Jewish identity. Yesterday we looked at how Jesus put them in their place and warned them that it would end badly for them. This moved them beyond being afraid of him to hating him and wanting him dead. But first they had to find something to justify their murderous intent, besides revenge for the embarrassment he had caused them.

They figured the best way to catch him was to do it with his own words so the Pharisees and Sadducees united in a tag-team effort. It is amazing how hatred of a common thing can unite enemies with opposing ideologies. First came the Pharisees. They came at Jesus with the Herodians (supporters and defenders of the Herod family, a family that supported Roman rule) with a question about taxes. It was a good trap as they asked Jesus whether it was right to pay the Roman tax. If Jesus answered yes then he would lose the support of the people who were looking for him to overthrow the Roman authority in Israel. If he said no then they could report his treasonous teaching to the Roman authority. It seemed like a win win situation but they still did not understand who they were dealing with:

Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”

     “Caesar’s,” they replied.

   Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”(Matthew 22:19-21)

Then on come the Sadducees with a question based on a ridiculous scenario. A woman married a man who had many brothers. He died so she went to the next brother who also died so she went to the next and so on until they were all dead. They asked the question, whose wife would she be at the resurrection? The crazy thing is that they didn't even believe in the resurrection. They believed that once the body died so did the soul. They believed there was no punishment or reward after death because there was nothing after death. They believed this life is all there was. Jesus did not take it easy on them as he told them plainly that they were wrong because they did not know the Scriptures:

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."(Matthew 22:29)

Then he explained to them and brought correction in:

"At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matthew 22:30-32)

In both of these cases Jesus took it beyond what the Pharisees and Sadducees had brought. Jesus took it to the root of the matter with the Pharisees because they were very much part of the Roman system, enjoying many of the benefits that Roman rule had brought to Israel while denying Rome. They made it appear as if they were devoted to Yahweh but in truth they were holding back a lot from him because they gave equal weight to the traditions of man. With the Sadducees Jesus made it clear that they were in error because they held on to doctrinal errors. They lived according to their own opinions and taught others these same opinions, which were lies. Can we see ourselves in either or perhaps in both of these groups?

The Church has changed a lot in two thousand years and we live in an age when the wolves are among us. False teachers are drawing away the weak and trapping them in opinions and lies. There is more teaching on the Word available to people than ever before but fewer people actually read, study and meditate on the Word. We have a watered down Christianity, a more acceptable and user friendly version to try to keep it relevant to society today. My question is, who said it wasn't relevant in the first place?

The Pharisees decided to give another stab at it by sending an expert of the law. As far as they were concerned Jesus was just a lay-prophet, with no proper training, coming from a region of poorly educated people. An expert would surely be able to trap him with the one question that had been debated for centuries: What is the greatest commandment, the number one commandment out of the entire law? Jesus not only gave them the greatest commandment but he added on the next one, that came in as a close second. They were not only the greatest, they also summed all of the Law and prophets:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(Matthew 22:37-40)

Mark records that the expert in the law was so overwhelmed at the truth of Jesus statement, having given the answer they had been looking for in all their debates, that he could not help himself from responding:

“You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:32-33)

He had no idea that in a few days Jesus was going to demonstrate the ultimate action of these two commandments as he was nailed to the cross in obedience to his Father and out of love for his "neighbour".

So from these three things this morning we should form a mirror to examine ourselves and ask if we are in a right relationship with Jesus. Perhaps we have all the appearance of godliness and none of its power because we are too caught up in selfish motivations. We want to look good but we don't want to pay the real cost of discipleship.

Perhaps we are sincere in our beliefs but our beliefs are all wrong. Is what we are living the truth or is it the opinions and traditions of man? Do we know the Word of God for ourselves? Do we measure the teaching we receive against this testimony of who God is, that God himself has given to us? Are we being led astray while believing that we are solid with Jesus?

The solution for both of these is found in the Greatest Commandment and the second to it. Would we consider our life one of obedience? Is Jesus the absolute most important person in our life and is our obedience to him our greatest aim? Are we totally dedicated to him, basing everything in our life on his teaching? And what is our relationship like with the people in our lives? Are we dedicated to serving them in love, seeing them grow and become better? Do we consider their needs and put those ahead of our own?

As we consider this week what Jesus went through and the price he paid for us we should also reflect on how this has changed us. If it has not changed us there is a problem. You cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ and remain unchanged. It is not a religious thing that teaches moral living. It is a holy relationship with the Creator of heaven and earth. It is a life-changing experience to meet Jesus, Son of God, Lord of all. In fact, it is a thing of transformation as he moves us from what we were and makes a new creation. Make sure that Jesus is the center of all things for you, that he is your Lord and Saviour.

Why Can't They See The Truth?

Sometimes it can be frustrating seeing people reject the good news of Jesus. It leaves me baffled sometimes why it is not plain to them but as long as they are only willing to look with their eyes they will never see the truth. So many want proof, as in documented, as in on paper, so that we could argue the case of Jesus. Well, it is on paper, there are documents but still they dismiss it as a product of someone's imagination. The real problem is that Jesus is meant to be experienced not proven by intellectual argument.

The fact is, it is an encounter with Jesus that changes us. We can consider all the disciples or even the apostle Paul. After experiencing him they were never the same again. But we can look back even further. Consider the change that happened to Moses, or even consider Saul. Saul is a good example, a young man just going about his business when Yahweh made him his choice for king. This is what the prophet Samuel said to him:

And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. (1 Samuel 10:5-6)

And then we read:

So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. (v. 9)

Saul became another man, one with a new heart. The New Testament Scriptures tell us that our encounter with Jesus transforms us into a new creation, a transformation that is still taking place as we grow into spiritual maturity.

We can argue the case of Jesus all we want, and we need to, but unless the conviction of the Spirit is upon the person, they do not have eyes to see or ears to hear or a heart of understanding. What I have observed in my many years of service is that as long as the person is self contained, needing nothing from anyone, they are closed to needing Jesus. However, when a person has been humbled and is in a desperate situation, they will be open to seeing Jesus. But this is not the most effective time.

The best moment is when a person has been convicted by the Spirit, is suddenly humbled by his great sin, and is desperate for relief from it. This is the crisis moment in their life and there is usually a servant of the LORD at hand to bring the Living Water to their thirsty soul. But that is where people like us cannot get weary from doing good. We cannot become discouraged in our labour. We must always be ready, in and out of season, to share the Good News, to be Jesus' servants in the moment. If we give up hope and forget that salvation belongs to the LORD, then there is no hope for the lost.

We have no idea who we will encounter today, what they have been experiencing and how desperate they are. All that we know is that we must look for every opportunity and take it, even if it is the 100th time we have offered Jesus to someone. Be sensitive to the Spirit, make yourself available, represent Jesus in word, actions and motivation. Never be concerned about yourself, your past or your reputation; just be faithful to Jesus and your duty to him. You may be someone's Samuel; you may be the encounter of Jesus that will change someone's heart today. Be alert. Don't become weary. Don't be discouraged. Today is someone's day of salvation.

The Highest Standard Is Love

It's crazy that we have police and politicians who are responsible for making and enforcing laws but who believe they are above the law. Here in Canada, we just had one of our party leaders admit that he has smoked marijuana after being elected. In Canada it is illegal to smoke marijuana except if you have a doctor's permission due to an illness. The law remains and is enforced for the ordinary citizen but Mr.Trudeau believes he is above this law.

It doesn't matter which law was broken, the fact remains that our politicians are suppose to hold themselves to a higher standard. Even if they disagree with a law, they still have the responsibility to abide by it. This goes for speed limits, paying taxes, or any other law we want to consider. If they disagree with the law then they should work to change it but in the meantime, abide by the law like every other citizen must.

Now why would I bring politics into my blog which is all about all things connected to Jesus Christ? Simple: The same principle is in play for us who belong to the Kingdom of God.

We seem to be a confused people concerning the law and grace. We use grace as an excuse for ignoring the fact that our Father is holy and has called us to his righteousness. Grace simply covers us when we get it wrong but what matters is the attitude of our heart. If we purposely set out to deceive God by doing what is contrary to his righteousness then we are only deceiving ourselves. We don't get to do what we feel is right. In fact. Jesus brought us to the deepest part of the law which is governed by love.

Jesus taught that the law says not to murder but love says do not hate, which is the root of murder. Jesus taught that the law says do not commit adultery but love says do not lust, which is the root of adultery. Jesus moved us from the law, which deals with the surface, to the root of the law which is governed by love.

If you love me, you will do as I command. (John 14:15)

These, the words of Jesus, do not give us the right to sin but instead hold us to a higher standard. Certainly we will fail because our bodies have not yet been redeemed. It is the weakest link. But our flesh should not be dictating to us when we have been empowered by the Spirit. We must command our bodies to obey our spirit which longs for intimacy with God's Spirit. This should be our desire, our longing, our hope so that any thought of disobedience would seem repugnant to us. There must be a desire in us to want to obey Jesus Christ.

I will be personal with you. There have been times when I have allowed fear to knock me off course. In my position it means other people, a lot of people, have been effected by my fear. I have feared my future and my finances. Some would feel that it is only normal because of my situation but it is not normal for me. I am a man of faith. I take God at face value. I trust his promises and to allow fear to manipulate me is to say that I do not trust. This is a sin because faith means to trust. I have learned that I must confess my weakness so Jesus can show his strength through it. I have learned to refuse fear and purposely do exactly what I fear. And every time God has revealed himself in glory.

We cannot hold on to our sins, flaunt them before the world and use the excuse that we aren't perfect, only forgiven. It should be with some shame that we come before God, admitting our failures and allowing him to restore his Spirit in us. We need to desire to obey his will without hesitation. We should take delight in his law, delight in his holiness and delight in his righteousness. We need to press in more every day, getting closer, surrendering more, desiring more. We don't want less righteousness, we want more. We don't want less of Jesus, we want more. We don't want less of the law, we want to go deeper.

Politicians, who are our lawmakers, who refuse to follow the law because they disagree with it, are wrong. Many won't see it that way but it eats away at the foundation of our society and opens the doors to all kinds of abuses and wrongs. It is the reason they are held to a higher standard. But far worse are Christians who refuse to obey the Spirit, allowing disobedience to eat away at their foundation, opening the door to all kinds of abuses and wrongs. They fail to understand that we are held to the highest standard, Jesus Christ and it will have eternal consequences for them and all those they influence.

Homophobic? I Think Not

According to my daughter and a lot of other people I am homophobic and I take issue with this. You should too, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ who understands our mission. I even have issues with the term "homophobic". What it is suppose to mean has nothing to do with a phobia but rather a hatred, but it doesn't even mean hatred any more. It has been used to label anyone who does not agree with homosexuality. It means I do not have a right to disagree, to have a different perspective from the homosexual community.

The reason this is a concern for Christians is because those who understand God's Word and stand by it are labelled as "haters" with the term homophobic. This flies in the face of what Jesus taught, what he has done for me and the transformation I have gone through. I have no desire to hate anyone and I have nothing but respect for human life, even if I disagree with what that human life is doing. I have a long list of things I disagree with:

I disagree with:
    - abortion
    - prostitution
    - domestic violence
    - child abuse
    - smoking
    - drunkenness
    - drugs
    - speeding
    - over-eating

The list goes on. Some of these things are very common and others no so much. Do I hate the people who do these things? No, I don't. I would show them compassion and grace because that is what I have received from my God. I have not walked in their shoes, I cannot judge them but neither do I support or encourage their behaviour. If they walked into my store or my church I would treat them with the same love and respect as I would anyone else; the same as I would treat a homosexual, even if I disagree with their choices.

I am not meaning this as a political statement but a spiritual one. I am not about to allow the false prince of this world to label me with something that doesn't fit. I am not a hater and by God's power never will be a hater. But I am pursuing God's righteousness, the One who has defined right and wrong for us. I cannot agree with homosexuality based on that righteousness. Because of his love for me and mine for him, I have no choice but to be obedient to his love, to what God has defined as right and wrong, and no human being can persuade we otherwise.

God's Word states, from the mouth of Jesus, "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die." God loved us in our rebellious state so much that he sacrificed himself so we would not have to be punished. However, it does mean we have to walk away from our rebellion by the power he has given us in Jesus. But who am I not to love people in a fallen state when God sacrificed so much for these same people? But just as God does not accept the behaviour of our fallen state, either can the followers of Jesus Christ. This is at the foundation of our belief and the enemy will not rob me of this love by labeling me a "hater".

In this same Word that coneys God's love and the grace he is showing a rebellious world, we are warned that there is a limit; that there will be one day of judgement. We forget that just because we live in this age of grace and free will, does not mean there is no accountability. Remember the Words of Jesus:

Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, “We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.” But I will tell them, “I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

And this is what we spend our days trying to convey to people. It is because we love them that we need to share the truth, to warn. They have the freedom to choose but we want to make sure that they understand there is a choice. If I refused to love them I would refuse to tell them the truth. It's like when someone is lost on drugs, they need to be confronted and told the truth. We don't abandon them, hate them, spit on them, call them names, but we don't withhold the truth either.

So I refuse the label of "homophobic" and any other label that our changing society wants to place on me. I am a child of God, a follower of Jesus, a bearer of the Light, a teller of the truth, a prophet of God's Word, a lover of sinners, detesting sin and longing for God's righteousness. Don't let the world bully you into anything less than what our Father has called you to be.

The Barrier Of A Religious Heart

We will come across a lot of barriers in our life but the greatest barrier we will encounter is that of a religious heart. This barrier is even greater than the barrier of unbelief because it is a barrier made as hard as granite. Jesus came to tear down such barriers but as fast as they come down we start rebuilding them. Jesus has something to say to us today.

In examining Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well we have seen Jesus bring down the social, exclusive, and sin barriers. Now he is faced with the barrier of the religious heart:

The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. My ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say Jerusalem is the only place to worship.” (John 4:19-20)

Obviously our God is very patient with us when faced with such a mindset. Fixed in our traditions, our denominational teaching, our opinions, we have built the trappings of religion, even to this day. But God will have none of that. His desire is for us to learn to live by his Spirit, letting go of everything in which we find security and seeking his face. There is no need for special buildings we call churches, or special liturgies, specific prayers, man made ceremonies, traditions and anything that has not been provoked by the Spirit. We really should pay attention to the response of our King and Saviour to this woman presenting her traditions:

Jesus said to her:

Believe me, the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans don’t really know the one you worship. But we Jews do know the God we worship, and by using us, God will save the world. (vv. 21-22)

Jesus first addresses the problem that the Samaritans have no real relationship with God. They don't know the Father, they only know of him. This describes many people today who have a form of godliness but no power. They attend church but have no relationship. They follow the traditions but are not possessed by the Spirit. How can they see or understand the Kingdom without the Spirit? How can they leave according to its principles? Instead they live a mix of worldly wisdom and Christian traditions. Jesus continued:

But a time is coming, and it is already here! Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth. (vv. 23-24)

The truth of the gospels, by the power of the Spirit, tears down the barriers of the religious heart. It is not with pandering that we can help the religious heart see the Light again but it is the truth directed by the Spirit that pierces the darkness.

Yet, so many churches are leaving the Spirit to one side. So many churches do not teach of the need of the baptism of the Spirit. So many do not experience the power of God. So many have no understanding of the gifts of the Spirit. So many are lost in a religious heart; saying the words, singing the songs, going through the motions, knowing of the Father without knowing the Father. It's crazy. No wonder we are so quick to follow the decisions of the world, to twist the Word, to desire to attract the masses with entertainment instead of the truth.

"God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth." These are the words of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Lord, our King. And what is our response?

I don't know about you but my desire is to be less so Jesus can be more. I want to lose control to the Spirit. I want to give up my opinion, to be possessed by God's truth. I want to be led by the Spirit to live for the glory of our Father according to the truth. Not what I want but what he wants. Not by my wisdom but by God's. Not according to my will but by my Father's will. A complete letting go of this world and its ways to walk by the Spirit in the Kingdom of God, which is here in our hearts now. There is a day that the Kingdom will be physically manifested in this world but until that time I am still governed by it because it possesses my heart. Strike down any religious ways that remain in me.

Have your way Jesus. I worship you.

You are my God.

Calling Good Evil And Evil Good

God is love! That is the clear message of the Church today, and it should be because there is no love that compares to the love of our Father. This love has brought in an era of grace through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But unfortunately some have interpreted this love to mean that "anything goes". As we see evil called good and good evil we should be shocked that this message is arising from the Church.

Yes, God is love but he is also holy. Yes, grace is incredible and without limits but we have been warned not to abuse it. There is a lopsided message starting to emerge from the Church and it is wrong. It is made up of lies covered by a thin veil of truth and people are falling for it.

Yes, Jesus hung out with the prostitutes, the drunkards, the liars and thieves, but that did not stop him from teaching the righteousness of God. Yes, he forgave sins but he also told people to stop sinning. The woman caught in adultery was saved from stoning but Jesus told her to "sin no more". When people met Jesus they were never the same again. When he invited people to follow him, Jesus set an example for them and they left everything they had been to become something more. They did not continue as they were, doing what they wanted, free to sin to their heart's content.

Today, in our desire to be inclusive, we forget the transformation that takes place with the new birth. If there is no transformation then it is conformity and conformists will not make it into the Kingdom. It is a heart change, a repenting, a turning away from what we were and grasping what God has called us to be; a complete transformation under the power of the Holy Spirit.

The audacity to come before our Creator in the depravity of our thinking and say, "Accept me as I am with my thoughts and limited wisdom, with my sin. Don't change me. If you try to convince me I am wrong I will serve someone else." We are not doing God any favours. It is he who has rescued us at great cost and he has said to us, "If you love me you will obey what I have commanded". Famous servant's of God are now saying, "You had better accept sin or I will decide to spend eternity in hell". With such an attitude I think the choice has already been made, but it is the damage and confusion they are sowing that concerns me.

Yes, God is love and that love also makes forgiveness available. We need forgiveness and transformation because our ways are so entrenched in sin and the depravity that comes from it that we are desperate for his forgiveness. How can we be forgiven of things that we no longer consider wrong?

Yes, God is love and that love comes from his holiness. As a holy God he hates sin. Just a tiny, and I mean tiny, example from his Word:

"There are six things The Lord hates, seven that are detestable:

     - haughty eyes

     - a lying tongue

     - hands that shed innocent blood

     - a heart that devises wicked schemes

     - feet that are quick to rush into evil

     - a false witness who pours out lies

     - and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Jesus did something incredible with the law; he took us to a deeper place in it. "Do not murder but I tell you do not hate. Do not commit adultery but I tell you do not lust." The law went from a document impossible to live, to something written on our heart by the Holy Spirit and alive in us by that same Spirit. Grace does not give us an excuse to sin but should give us a desire to be more like our God.

Of course the problem now is the definition of sin. What do we consider sin? As we redefine it, calling good evil and evil good, the debate is really over what God defines as sin. We have certainly come into the last days as people run after the teachings of demons, which are convincing people to abandon the Word of God and go with what feels right. We set aside the wisdom of our God for the wisdom of man forgetting that our God has told us that his ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours.

Redefine sin any way you want but it still comes down to what God has said. Re-write his Word to make it say what you want but you will still be held accountable to the truth. God is love and that is why we have had two thousand years of grace but the day of judgment is coming and then we shall see if there is a hell or not. His love has made it possible for us to escape judgement but those who have rejected his truth for their own will be condemned by our righteous God according to the decisions they have made.

The Truth About Marriage

There are a lot of things we say and do that we justify when there is no justification for it. We can reason away anything so we can do what we want to do. We can get away with whatever we want to get away with as long as we forget that God knows every motivation of our heart. We can even make the Bible say what we want it to say. We need to stop it.

Yesterday I said that every act against God can be traced back to a selfish heart. Every act against our neighbour can be traced back to a selfish heart. How much easier then is it for us to justify acts of hatred in a family? Just look at what husbands and wives do to each other with the emotional games they play on each other, justifying it within their self-centered world and even believing that God is on their side. These are two people who have made a covenant with each other, with God as their witness, to love each other until death separates them. Love does not play games. Love is not selfish. We should understand that it is in a relationship of love, trust, mutual understanding that these two people become an incredible spiritual force.

God hates divorce.

Those are Jesus' words. He said that there were some circumstances that God would tolerate divorce but tolerate is a long cry from support or encourage. It is amazing the acrobats we go through to try to fit within the criteria in order to justify our selfishness. I should know, I write this as a divorced man.

In most cases there are no innocent parties in divorce. We all make choices and have to live with those choices. In the case of divorce, selfishness took over at some point. Hearts got set against each other because someone wanted something that put them above the needs of the other person. Maturity, good spiritual maturity, would cause both people to set aside their own needs for the needs of the other person. Not easy but it is the thing that would please and honour the God who they say they love more than any other.

The problem is, once selfishness gets in and we start justifying our emotions, it is difficult to turn back. It is true for any relationship. Once selfishness takes root we are in a lot of trouble. Our love for God should be enough to de-root anything before it takes hold, but in order to justify ourselves we have to distance ourselves from that love because no amount of self-justification could stand in the brilliance of that love.

It is a hard thing when we begin to allow emotions to take the lead because love goes beyond emotion; it is a decision,a commitment, a covenant. Solomon said this of marriage to his son:

You should be faithful
    to your wife,
    just as you take water
    from your own well.
16 And don’t be like a stream
    from which just any woman
    may take a drink.
17 Save yourself for your wife
    and don’t have sex
    with other women.
18 Be happy with the wife
you married
    when you were young.
19 She is beautiful and graceful,
    just like a deer;
    you should be attracted to her
    and stay deeply in love. (Proverbs 5:15-19)

It is the last part that stands out for me: "You should be attracted to her and stay deeply in love." That is a decision that has to be made every day. That is a commitment, to give your whole self to your wife. There is nothing here to say it is dependent on how she acts or if she loves you too. It is a one way charge. He is telling his son that he has the responsibility to stay attracted to his wife and to stay deeply in love with her over everything else. The only thing a husband should love more than his wife is God.

I will tell you right now, every day at least ten reasons will present themselves not to love your wife. There will be ten reasons that you will need to look at in the face and say, I love my wife in the way the Lord has loved me. It is my choice, the decision I make right now. Some days will be easy and other days will be hard but every day should end with the same result, being deeply in love with your wife. It does not depend on her; it depends on you. It doesn't matter how she acts, what she does or what she says, it is your responsibility to love her:

A husband must love his wife and not abuse her. (Colossians 3:19, CEV)

There is no justification to supersede this command. It is not a command of the law but of the heart of God. If we have accepted his sacrifice on our behalf, his faithfulness in the face of our unfaithfulness, his mercy and grace, his overwhelming love, then his expectation is that we will do the same for others; how much more our wives?

Sometimes we learn these lessons on the wrong end of things. In those cases, we allow his grace to carry us along as he picks us up, dusts us off, and we begin again. His grace is incredible but he will not put up with it being abused. He knows our hearts. He knows our schemes. He knows our motivations. It comes down to what Jesus said: If we love him we will do what he has commanded. Do we love him enough to see our selfishness put aside, to do the right thing and to allow love to be the command of the day?

Calm Under Pressure

They say that the ability to remain calm under pressure is a sign of a good leader. It usually means the person is someone of experience who is able to put the situation at hand in proper perspective. Unfortunately too many of us allow the present moment to become the only moment, blocking out everything else we know as a fact. This is the reason a person can go from professing faith in Jesus one moment to panic and despair in the next. We allow the moment at hand to eclipse what we know and have experienced with Jesus.

Calm under pressure is not only a quality of a good leader but it is also the measure of a mature follower of Jesus Christ. Maturity means we have gained a good grasp of the big picture so that daily moments are kept in their proper perspective. Maturity means that we trust that what God has done in the past he will also do today and tomorrow. Maturity means that we understand the true source of all good things and we have come to trust his promises. Maturity means that we never allow our response to the pressures of life to rob Jesus of his glory.

Apostle Paul was all too familiar with the pressures of life. You probably know of all the things he went through, the many times we was put in jail, the stoning, the shipwrecks  and the fact he never gave up, he never packed, he never ran away. But were you aware that in his last months in captivity much of the church in Asia Minor turned away from him? Other teachers came in and started to distort the truth of the gospel. This is what Paul was writing to Timothy when he told him to be aware that people would turn away from sound doctrine. He told Timothy that during these days he must keep his head:

They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories. But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well. (2 Timothy 4:4-5)

Interesting: stay calm and be willing to suffer. He isn't saying he must be willing to suffer disease or any such thing but willing to suffer for teaching the truth. Timothy must be willing to stand in the face of popular opposition and not turn back for the sake of popularity. It is easy to fill a church; just preach what people want to hear. But when you bring the truth of Jesus Christ there will be suffering as popularity turns its ugly head on you. Stay calm. Don't complain about the cost of preaching the truth. Just consider those who went before you, like Paul, Peter, Stephen or even Jesus who was crucified for what he taught.

Work hard and do your job well. Have you ever consider presenting Jesus to people as your job? Jesus considers it that way. Just look at the parables he told. How many were about the master and the servant and the expectations on the servant? We are that servant and we have a job to do. Jesus told us to be found faithfully doing it on his return, no matter the cost.

Stay Calm. Be willing to suffer. Work hard. Do your job. Do we measure up?

Absolute Truth Exists, It Is Not A Fairy Tale

Whatever you want to do and whatever you want to think, you can find an app for that. You can find anything you want on the Internet, to back up anything you want to believe. So many of us think that the Internet is a great source for trusted knowledge on all sorts of things, but it isn't. It is a great source of opinions, thoughts and ideas, but it doesn't mean that any of it is true.

As Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the rhetorical question, "What is truth?" Pilate had experienced many different cultures and knew well the inner workings of his own government. He was a man who had become cynical of all things so it was difficult for him to see Truth even though he stood right in front of him. It is the same way for many of us who have become overwhelmed by the choices of opinion that are available to us every day. The thing is, there are not many choices but an actual absolute truth that exists.

Absolute truth flies in the face of what our society has decided to embrace. There is no right or wrong any more. We adjust to accommodate every form of belief and practice and we are getting to the point of outlawing the ability to speak against certain beliefs. It is no longer a matter of tolerance; we now have to actually agree. Careful Christians, the last days are upon us.

In instructing Timothy to stay faithful to the correct teaching from the Word, Paul warned him:

The time is coming when people won’t listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Welcome to the end. These days are upon us. They have been for a long time but now we live in an age when technology is speeding up the process. People can easily access what their itchy ears want to hear. People can believe what they want, they have that freedom, but it doesn't change the truth. Let me remind you, we are speaking of the Church here and not the world. It is beginning in the Church that to present the truth is going to cost the presenter. Paul charged Timothy:

But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well. (v. 5)

To present the truth in our world today is going to cost more than at any other time. Truths of God's Word are on the verge of being outlawed. You can speak anything else you want but don't present the truth. When you do, watch the barrage of attacks you get because it is no longer enough to tolerate, you must actually agree with sin (not that we were ever permitted to tolerate it). But Paul said we must be willing to suffer to bring the truth. It is hard work and not an easy thing but we have the responsibility to teach it and live it.

Are you willing to lose it all, even your life, to bring the good news to those who are condemned by choice?