Be Encouraged

I am tired today and finding it hard to get motivated to start on my day, even after two cups of coffee. It has caused me to reflect on Jesus as my source of motivation and strength. As I have done this, a memory verse from Sunday School days has come to mind:

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it."

I remember studying in my pastoral studies that this was being stated because it was a day of victory for Israel. But as I have I turned to this Psalm this morning, I realized it was so much more than that. Consider what we find in Psalm 118:

I won’t die—no, I will live
    and declare what the Lord has done.
18 Yes, the Lord definitely disciplined me,
    but he didn’t hand me over to death.

Consider what was being faced on this day of victory:

- All the nations surrounded me,

- Yes, they surrounded me on every single side,

- They surrounded me like bees, 

- I was pushed so hard I nearly died,

I find it amazing that this encouraging song was birthed in the worse circumstances, in the darkest moment, in the appearance of defeat. But this psalmist was a warrior who knew Yahweh, who trusted Yahweh, and had great expectations of Yahweh. Look at how he encouraged himself:

- Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
    because his faithful love lasts forever.

- The Lord is for me—I won’t be afraid.
    What can anyone do to me?

- The Lord is for me—as my helper.
    I look in victory on those who hate me.

- It’s far better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust any human.

He repeats this and clarifies it:

- It’s far better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust any human leader.

And he declares to himself the result that will come from this trust:

- I won’t die—no, I will live
    and declare what the Lord has done.

No people, we are not weak or defeated because of the One who is in us. He loves us and he wants us to succeed. He gives us victory over our enemies, the dark principalities in this world. We are able to declare with the psalmist:

- I thank you because you answered me,
    because you were my saving help.

I pray that you and I will conclude our day with the same shouts of triumph, victory and thanksgiving as we look to our God to be faithful in all that he has promised, because he is our strength.

You are my God—I will give thanks to you!
    You are my God—I will lift you up high!
29 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
    because his faithful love lasts forever.

Forgetting The Power Of Our God

It is amazing the short term memory with which most of us suffer. We certainly live in the moment, forgetting the experience that has gotten us to this place. Yesterday we were praising the Lord for his great provision, the amazing way he took care of our need. But today we are back to wringing our hands because we have no idea how we are going to overcome today's challenge.

We all do it.

Maybe we don't do it all the time but we are still guilty of setting aside our trust in the Lord during certain key periods of our lives. Even Moses had his moments. I say even Moses, not because he had something greater than us but because he had seen so much. He didn't have Jesus or the testimony we have, but he had hands-on experience with the provision and deliverance of Yahweh. Yet, we find this in Numbers:

"The people I'm with are six hundred thousand on foot and you're saying, 'I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.' Can flocks and herds be found and slaughtered for them? Or can all the fish in the sea be found and caught for them?" (Numbers 11:21-22)

The people had been complaining against Yahweh because they had grown tired of manna and they wanted meat. They were in a desert where they could not plant crops and where there was very little to hunt or trap. Yahweh was sustaining them with food from heaven but they wanted meat. Being in a desert we can understand Moses question about Yahweh's promise of meat for so many people for such a long period of time but we should not forget to whom he was talking.

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Is the Lord's power too weak? Now you will see whether my word will come true for you or not.'" (v. 23)

Is the Lord's power too weak? How many times have we heard that same voice ask us this in the darkest moments of our lives? Jesus told us that what is impossible for humans is possible for God. We need to remind ourselves of this fact every day, whether we need that reminder or not. When we live in that reality, the reality of the Kingdom, every day, then when those occasions happen upon us, we will walk through them without fear, anxiety and doubt.

It can help to keep a little note book and record all the things that Jesus sees us through and to review these things once a week. It is a good reminder of his power, ability and goodness. If we think about it for just a moment, we have made it through every crisis we have ever faced. He always sees us through but instead of crossing the finish line bruised and battered he wants us to cross in great triumph, with praise on our lips.

It may be difficult for us to understand but Jesus wants us to succeed. It is true that he loves us but his great desire is to bring Father glory. Our success brings Father glory. Our triumph over tragedy, our victory over fear, praising in the dark times, walking amidst our enemy with heads held high and a heart full of love are just a few of the things that brings Father glory through us. Jesus has a vested interest in our triumph over all things. Moses understood this in the desert, that the failure of Israel would rob Yahweh of his glory, but there were small moments when he forgot that everything is possible for God.

If you forgot today, it is okay, you can still smile because Jesus loves to remind us just how good and great is our Father. We are loved. He is for us. His desire is to see us succeed in all things and to live a life of great victory. It doesn't mean there are not dark valleys and things to overcome. After all, it requires a battle to have victory.

What To Do When Sin Keeps Knocking

There is a lot of garbage going on which is shooting holes in the faith of many people. When you start wiping out sections of the Word it leaves you wide open to the influence of the enemy. Without the Word you have no solid ground to stand on. That is going to leave you wide open to all kinds of twistings to the morality taught by the Word of God.

As if things weren't already bad enough.

People have always struggled over sin because they try to take it on themselves. They don't understand that sin was defeated by Jesus on the cross and not by our conviction that it is wrong. Conviction has us turn to the only one who can give us freedom; Jesus. Jesus defeated sin and we have been set free so we walk in that freedom.

But what do we do when we keep being defeated by temptation?

We need to understand the nature of temptation. It is attractive. That is how it is designed, to be attractive. It wants to grab our attention and cause us to look at it. It wants to capture our attention so that our heart and mind are distracted from their intended focus. Just look how it played out for Eve:

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Eve had successfully fended off the initial lie of the enemy. When he suggested that Eve had misunderstood what Yahweh had said, she told him exactly what he said. That would be great for some leaders to remember these days. But then he managed to convince Eve to consider the fruit. Eve saw the tree. She thought about it, set her mind on it and considered that it was good for food.

Rationalization.

It is dangerous when we start to rationalize sin.

As she continued to look on that forbidden thing her rationalization made it become attractive. It became pleasant to her eyes. That rationalization progressed to the point where the attraction became a desire and she convinced herself that it would actually prove beneficial even though it was disobedient to Yahweh. 

All because she gave her mind and her heart to that thing when they actually belonged to someone else.

How do you resist temptation? Cut it off at the roots. Get your mind and heart off of that thing and get them where they belong:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Don't make the excuse that the temptation is too strong for you. It has no power over you because sin was stripped of it's power. Now it comes down to your love. Who do you love more, Jesus Christ who died for you, or yourself with all your selfish desires?

Sin has been defeated. Satan has been defeated. You only have one King. Get your eyes off of the "tree" and on the King. Get you mind and heart out of the garbage and get them set on the Kingdom things. Decide who you love and act accordingly. He has empowered you to live a godly life. It's your choice.

Look in the mirror and speak the truth into your life, "I am set free!"

And So It Begins

And so it begins.

What a mixed day of emotions this was for Jesus. Everything had been pointing to this moment in history. From before the beginning of time, everything Jesus, Father and the Spirit did was moving toward this moment. Now here he was, facing Jerusalem, surrounded by those whom he loved and who loved him, yet knowing the heart of man.

We often talk about the triumphal entry into Jerusalem but I wonder if we ever stop to take note of some of the details. Each of the gospels adds a little bit to the event. It is like witnessing any event; each witness sees a little something that the others didn’t see. It is the reason we have four accounts of Jesus.

Three of the four note that Jesus sent two disciples to procure a donkey for him and two of them note how this was to fulfill prophecy:

“Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Zechariah 9:9)

The king arriving on a donkey signifies peace whereas the king arriving on a horse speaks of war and conquest. When Jesus returns again it will be on a horse, the conquering King. But what about all this singing and proclamation of Jesus? Here we need to look at the sequence of events.

Remember this was Passover time and thousands of pilgrims were coming to Jerusalem to celebrate. Most of these pilgrims were coming from areas where Jesus’ fame was well known. There was a great feeling already as these pilgrims made their way to their destination. Many would we celebrating, singing songs of praise, chatting with other pilgrims. Then they see Jesus with his disciples and the disciples were laying their cloaks before Jesus who was riding a donkey. And other disciples were singing:

Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:

“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:37-38)

The multitude of pilgrims could not resist the excitement of the disciples. Already in a festive mood they gladly joined in:

And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:8-9)

Then those pilgrims who were already in the city heard what was going on outside the city and ran to be part of it:

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13)

John gives us a little insight why so many were proclaiming Jesus as king; why so many were so excited:

Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. (John 12:17-18)

But this did not mean everyone was with him. It did not mean anyone understood what he was facing. Not even his disciples understood, even though Jesus had been plainly telling them of late. Even in the midst of this jubilation there was a reminder to Jesus what lay before him:

And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”

But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:39-40)

And just because this great multitude of pilgrims knew who Jesus was and what he had done does not mean the citizens of Jerusalem knew or were for him:

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:10)

Can you understand then who would comprise the crowd who, in a week’s time, would call out “Crucify him!”? It was a complicated day as Jesus came into Jerusalem, a day that marked the last week for Jesus.

My question to you is, where do you fit in to all of this? Are you just part of the crowd going with the flow of all the excitement? Are you part of the crowd who asks, “Who is this”? Are you one who plots against Jesus? Or are you one of his disciples, who may not understand everything at this stage but one who trusts him? However you see yourself, I pray this week, as you seek to know Jesus better, you will come to know him as he who died for your forgiveness and who was raised from the grave for your eternal life. I pray you will come face to face with the King of kings and will give yourself fully to him so that you may praise him in all earnestness.

Hosanna! indeed.

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.

It's Getting Uglier Out There

Man's wisdom says that an unborn child is a fetus and not human, is part of a woman's body like an arm, that the woman has a right over her body and the fetus has no right to life.

Yahweh calls it murder and it is a sin.

Man's wisdom says that a child with a poor quality of life really has no life at all and has no value to our society so it is okay to kill the child.

Yahweh calls it murder and it is a sin.

Man's wisdom says that all things are equal and so marriage must include men with men, women with women.

Yahweh calls it an abomination and it is sin.

Man's wisdom says that all things are equal so he is starting to lean toward one man many wives and one woman many husbands.

Yahweh says marriage is between one man and one woman and anything different is a sin.

Man's wisdom says that it is healthy for thirteen year olds to experiment with sex.

Yahweh calls it fornication and it is sin.

Man's wisdom says it is healthy to have a sexual affair, that it improves your marriage.

Yahweh calls it adultery and it is sin.

I could go on with a much longer list of how our society and governments are turning its back on the statutes of Yahweh and setting up the wisdom of man. This is perfectly understandable in a world that is fallen, controlled by sin and is not seeking the face of Yahweh, but how many things on this simple list are accepted and practiced in different parts of the Church?

We are in a huge battle right now, not so much against the world, but for holding up the truth of Yahweh in the Body. Many are beginning to deny the authority of the Holy Scriptures. Many are developing their own theology. They still hold to the name Christian but Christ has no part in it. Once again we are making our own household gods and worshiping at the temples of our making. It is going to get very rough from here on in.

There are going to be days when you feel discouraged and alone. As you watch family and friends fall under the pressure of acceptability and conformity to the thinking of our environment, you yourself will face doubts. But the ones who will fall are the ones who have not developed a personal relationship with Jesus; the ones who knew about Jesus but did not know him. When you meet with him, speak with him, are encouraged and strengthened by him and dine on his Word every day, it is impossible to deny him or his truth. But others will fall and it is then that you will have to trust like you have never trusted before. As the world sneers at us, calls us names and works to isolate us, it will take courage and trust to stand on the Lord's side. Before there was little cost to following Jesus; now it will cost us everything.

I have already written about the necessity of trust on the battlefield but I want to keep emphasizing it and giving Scriptural examples so you will have something to lean on as the battle intensifies. We have to remember that Jesus warned us that the end times would become very difficult for believers. The Word says it will look and become so bad that some would be given over to despair. But, in the end, we will have the victory. Here's my example from Scripture.

It looked bad for Judah.  They were at war with Israel and were out numbered 2 to 1. One king served himself and the other king served Yahweh. But Israel ambushed Judah so that they were surrounded. But the army of Judah did an amazing thing. There on the battlefield they trusted Yahweh, even when it looked to be the end for them. They did not despair. Instead, they cried out to Yahweh and fought on:

They cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. (2 Chronicles 13:14-16)

Trust is the key to our survival and personal victory. The Church will triumph. Jesus will have the victory. The question is will that victory include you and me. Jesus told his disciples to trust him, to put their confidence in him, and those words stand for us today. This battle requires us to ensure that we have the full armour of God in place and that we stand our ground. It is going to get messy but we are in it together and most important, we are in it with Jesus. Together we stand and trust because Jesus is King.

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. (John 14:1 AMP)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

A Measuring Rod For The Quality Of Relationship With Jesus

We throw around a lot of words in the Church, things that everyone takes for granted. In fact words make up most of what the Church does these days, yet the Scriptures tell us that we should keep our words to a minimum and allow our actions to speak for us. Too often our actions cancel out our words. We say a lot about faith, how much we love Jesus, how we desire to walk in his foot steps, but we allow our emotions, not faith, to control our actions. We say we have faith but then fall to pieces in the face of adversity.

The number one thing we lack with Jesus is trust. This must mean that our love is not sincere because trust is developed in love. Sure, we can sing beautiful worship songs and sincerely give our lives to him in the emotion of it all, but what are we like on the battlefield? What are we like when all eyes are on us in the moment of crisis? Do we do what is demonstrated to us time and again in the Scriptures? Do we call out to Jesus and trust for his intervention?

Even in the tiniest passages of Scripture we see how Yahweh rewards those who trust him. In 1 Chronicles 5  we are being told of Gad's actions to expand their territory. This one simple statement is found:

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. (1 Chronicles 5:20)

So often we just read about the small victory, skipping over the "for" or "because" parts. Did they have victory because they were bigger, smarter, better, equipped, more talented? No. They had victory over their enemy because in the battle they cried out to Yahweh, they trusted his promise. It even says specifically here that Yahweh answered their prayer because they put their trust in him.

Notice as well here that the trust was not expressed in some worship service or even in their prayer closet. They demonstrated their trust on the battlefield, where it really mattered for them and their testimony, where Yahweh received the glory. They did not call out for others to join them. They did not retreat and wait for a better time. They reached out to Yahweh in the midst of the battle, put their trust in him to overcome the enemy, and kept fighting. Too often we treat prayer as a last resort, after we have tried everything else and nothing worked. On the battlefield you don't always get second chances so make your first option your best choice.

Without trust we have no real relationship with Jesus. We can't write on our blogs one day how much we love him and trust him and the next how panicked we are over a situation. That is failing on the battlefield. That is showing that we do not yet understand what faith and love mean. That is showing that we don't really believe the promises of Jesus. We are double-minded so that even when we do cry out we don't trust enough to believe. James told us that if we are like that we should not expect to receive anything. Remember, Yahweh responds to our trust and trust is developed in relationship. No trust is a good indication there is a problem with the relationship.

If every Christian was willing to demonstrate on the battlefield what they proclaim in worship, our world and the Church would look much different than it does today. We can't do much about anyone else, but you and I can be resolved today, while on the battlefield, to cry out to Jesus and trust him for the victory over every situation. May he receive all the glory as we live a testimony of trust, so that the whole world will see Jesus in us.

Love, Trust, Obedience

Easter is a glorious day, a wonderful day, the Resurrection Day. Because of the events of this day everything changed for all of time and beyond. With the cross we have salvation. Our sins were paid for and forgiveness is available for anyone who seeks it. But the cross is the stepping stone to something unbelievably fantastic. On this day death was beaten. On this day a new creation was revealed. This is the day of a new beginning and it started when the Father brought his son from the dead. He is Risen!

The thing that has really fascinated me this year, as I have reflected on the events of the cross and the empty grave, is the Father's will. Jesus told us all the way along that he did not come in his own authority but the Father's and he demonstrated this relationship of love in word and deed:

I tell you for certain that the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do. (John 5:19, CEV)

It astonishes me that despite what Jesus declared about his death, some still believe that he died at the hands of the Jews. It was his Father's will that he die in our place:

The Father loves me, because I give up my life, so that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do. (John 10:17-18, CEV)

You see, the cross was more than just Jesus loving us and dying for us. It goes deeper than that and speaks of the relationship we are suppose to have with God. Jesus went to the cross because he loved his Father and would never do anything in rebellion against his him. His love meant that he trusted, even through the torture and death of the cross. Each step he took was taken in obedience and was an act of love.

Easter should be a lesson to us of love, trust and obedience for we are born of rebellion. There isn't a parent reading this who does not understand about love, trust and obedience. When our children are young they have nothing but love and adoration for us. Obedience is not always easy to children because of their rebellious nature but love is a great restraint. Although never perfect, our children loved to do what we said. If we asked them to get our slippers they would. If we asked them to help us with the dishes they would, eagerly. But as children get older, things change.

Children become more self-absorbed. The world starts revolving around them. They want to be their own bosses. They choose to no longer recognize the authority of their parents. Love has diminished so trust of the rules and their parents' wisdom also diminishes. Parents' hearts are crushed and there is natural consequences to rebellious acts. Sound familiar? It should. It is what happened in the garden.

Before the cross and the resurrection  rebellion is all we knew, all that we could do. We could not obey God no matter how noble our intention. Look to David as an example. A man who loved God and who God loved. But that love could not save David from rebellion because only Jesus can save. Jesus' resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit ushered in a new era, the era of the new creation. The authority of the old nature was cut and we were given the freedom to choose.

Obedience is a choice; a daily choice; a moment by moment choice. But we have problems with choices because we are also an undisciplined people. We know what is good for us. We know that smoking kills but we choose to smoke. We know we need fruit and vegetables for our bodies to function properly but we choose pop and chips. We know that we need proper exercise to feel great and have plenty of energy, but we love our television and video games. We are bad at making good choices.

Jesus has done everything that needs to be done for us. He has opened the doors wide and said walk through. He became the first born of a new creation so that we may have all that has been promised. He did not stay so he could send to us the Holy Spirit. We are equipped to be obedient. But obedience is only possible when love is the motivation:

If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. But anyone who doesn’t love me, won’t obey me. What they have heard me say doesn’t really come from me, but from the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24, CEV)

In death and in life Jesus has set for us the example of love. He loved the Father, represented the Father, taught what he was told to teach, did what he was told to do. He faced the cruelty of the cross, the ugliness of the grave and in obedience, rose from the dead to take his place at the right hand of the Father.

Easter is about victory won through love, trust and obedience. Our life should be about the same. Yes, let's celebrate the victory won on this day but let us also ask the question, "Do I love Jesus? Do I trust him? Do I walk in obedience to him?"

God Has A Plan And You Are In It

Way back in the beginning, in the garden where God had placed Adam, he gave him one rule: don't eat from the tree of knowledge. The fruit of this tree would bring man into the awareness of good and evil, would destroy this wonderful place of innocence. He had also warned Adam that to eat from this tree would bring death. God had created man with this wonderful ability to think for himself, to make choices, to have his own will. Unfortunately Adam and Eve exercised this gift in choosing to disobey this one rule.

That choice did bring death on two levels. One was the physical death that we all now have to face. Only Enoch and Elijah escaped this experience but everyone else from Adam on down has had to face the consequence of this choice. The other death was the death of that innocence and the wonderful relationship there was between God and man. A barrier now existed where God had to separate himself from this creation that was now tainted by sin. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Adam and Eve to go from that wonderful place of innocence and intimacy with God to the harsh, cold reality of being removed from God's presence.

Unfortunately this was lost on the generations to follow. God was unknown to them. They knew there was someone but they did not know who. They were not even aware of what they were compared to what God had desired them to be. So God raised up a people who would belong to him, so that through them he could reveal himself to all the nations. He gave these people a law, a most holy law, so that they could understand what they were in comparison to where he wanted them to be. He knew they could not live by this law because it was perfect and they weren't, so he gave them a temporary system of sacrifice that would allow God to forgive them. This was important so that he could dwell with them. Without this forgiveness they could not experience the blessing of his presence. All of this was so that his glory would be seen by all the nations. But it was a temporary solution while he worked on the final fix.

The final fix was for God to remove what caused the barrier in the first place, the sin of the disobedience. This was impossible for man to do for himself so God would have to do it for him. It was a complicated thing because a sacrifice had to be made so the barrier could be removed but it had to be a sacrifice that was not tainted with sin and, unfortunately, everything in creation was tainted. Only God himself was without sin, so the Father sent the Son on this very important mission, to rescue man from his own destruction.

Yet, this plan could not be forced on man; God would not take away man's free will. He had to be given a choice. So Jesus came and lived an example of how to live a life by the Spirit of God while still clothed in mortality. Then he became the sacrifice so that man could receive forgiveness and have the barrier removed, if he so chose. But that was not the end of the plan because there was still the matter of the consequence of sin which was death. Jesus was then raised from the dead, breaking the barrier of death, making a path for those who would follow him, so that man could be clothed in immortality again. This put an end to the two deaths that resulted from Adam's sin. It has made it possible for us now to say:

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54)

And,

“Where, O death, is your victory?    Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

We can say this because Jesus dealt with this with one mighty blow. He brought us out from underneath the perfect law that condemned and placed us under grace which promises life. We did not earn or deserve this rescue and we have paid nothing for it. It was a direct gift from God, by his grace which sprung from his love. The Scriptures say:

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:56)

Because Jesus brought us from under the law and has covered us by grace, sin no longer has any power over us. We have been set free. Now because sin is powerless it means that the sting has been removed from death. There is no longer any defeat in death because Jesus has taken victory over it, so we no longer die in sin but instead sleep in Christ until he comes to call us to him in the great resurrection. Can you imagine the celebration on Resurrection Day? God is good. How can we not spend our days praising the name of the one who has brought us such great victory? Praise the name of Jesus from now to evermore for only he is worthy to be praised! Today, this very day, we enjoy the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and experience the presence of the LORD God Almighty. Thank you Jesus!

God Has A Plan

It is easy to forget in this world that God has a plan and we are part of it. Sometimes we may wonder what God is doing as we see so much ugliness, hatred and injustice in the world. At times it seems so out of control and we may even be tempted to say, "Where are you God?" It's at these times we need to take a step back and remember some of the big picture.

Do you remember the parable Jesus told about the farmer who planted good seed and the enemy who came in and planted weeds? When the farm workers realized what had happened they asked the farmer if they should pull up the weeds. Makes sense, right? But the farmer told them to leave the weeds and the good seed to grow together because pulling up the weeds might damage the seed. He told them at the harvest they will separate the good from the bad. That's the big picture we need to remember.

This is the reason Jesus told us not to be afraid of the world because he had overcome it. He told us that there would be bad things because we are left to grow among the weeds, but he would strengthen us to go all the way. This was the same encouragement Paul was telling us when he told us to run the race to win, to go to the end of it. Our responsibility is to not allow the weeds to overwhelm us but instead to remember we are the good seed and we must go to the end of it to see God's justice. Don't let the evil, the hatred, the ugliness take away God's glory from you, he has a plan.

The good seed says together:

For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; 
   I sing for joy at the works of your hands. 
How great are your works, O LORD,    how profound your thoughts! (Psalm 92:4-5)

We do not fret over evil but instead we fix our eyes on the maker of heaven and earth and trust his plan. We are not overcome by evil but instead we overcome evil with good. We allow his light to shine through us with love and are determined never to take glory away from that light by allowing sin to overwhelm us. We do not belong to the weeds, we are of a different nature. We know the full story. We know how it ends:

The senseless man does not know, 
   fools do not understand, 
that though the wicked spring up like grass 
   and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed. (Psalm 92:6-7)

It doesn't matter if the weeds seem to be winning or taking over. It doesn't matter if we seem to be outnumbered a thousand to one or even a million to one. It doesn't matter if our whole society slips into the anarchy of godlessness, Jesus Christ is still going to win, has already won, has snatched victory away from the enemy. If you have read the book then you know you have a choice to remain a weed or be transformed into the seed and if you have read the book then you know which will be victorious in the end.

No matter what we have to grow up with, the good seed can rejoice because God has a plan and together we proclaim:

But you, O LORD, are exalted forever. (Psalm 92:8)

This is what we know to be the truth, the promise we have been given because it is the plan of our Lord and nothing can come against him. This is his plan for us and because of it we gather to rejoice today:

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, 
   they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 
planted in the house of the LORD, 
   they will flourish in the courts of our God. 
They will still bear fruit in old age, 
   they will stay fresh and green, 
proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15)

The Disease Of Pessimism

Good morning my friends,

Pessimism is contagious. It is like a disease that is introduced to a healthy group, spreading from cell to cell until the body is left diseased and sickly. Pessimism robs a group of its strength and desire and it spreads quickly once it is introduced to a group. This is what Moses found himself facing as the 12 spies gave their report to the assembly.

Although these men recognized it was a good land ten of them allowed their personal fears to interfere with the instruction of God:

“But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." (Numbers 13:28-29)

God’s voice is never silenced even when facing pessimism. Caleb stood before the people and tried to rally them to the Lord’s side He told them they should attack now. But pessimism can be a strong foe, especially when there are people actively promoting it:

But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. (Numbers 13:31-32)

Why would they persist in this? Were they not there when God showed his might against Egypt? Did they completely forget the parting of the sea and the provision of the quail? A clue is found in the last verse of this chapter:

We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. (33b)

How we see ourselves is often how we assume others see us. If we think little of ourselves that is exactly the attitude we expect from others toward us. If we think we are deficient in something we expect everyone sees it the same way. Often our perspective of our self is distorted and messed up by the many filters we put in place. This is the reason we are not suppose to live our lives according to our own perspective. Often the trees are too thick for us to get a proper view of the forest. We cannot see how close we are to the lake, to shelter, to a food source. We require a much larger perspective.

The ten spies saw giants in the land. They did not take into consideration the might of God. They compared the strength of those giants to their own, leaving God out of their math. They saw themselves as weak and the enemy as mighty. Yet God’s perspective was so much greater. He looked at the land and saw a wicked people who had to be removed from creation. The wicked had built mighty kingdoms that perpetuated evil behaviour so God had planned to smash their might. His tool for this was Israel. His plan was greater than just giving Israel a land. He had promised punishment for the wicked and he was about to deliver. But he needed a people who would trust him:

The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? (Numbers 14:11)

God wanted to wipe them all out and start over with Moses but Moses did his job and interceded for Israel. Instead God decided he would raise up a new generation in a relationship of trust. He would keep them in the desert, providing for his people so they would learn trust. They would either trust him or die on their own. It worked, because the generation that entered the land with Joshua was the most faithful generation of all the generations of God’s people. Remember the instructions the Lord gave to Joshua?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Do not miss the significance of this; “Have I not commanded you?” We do not have to be concerned about how we see ourselves or of how others see us. All that we need to know is the will of the Lord. That should be our biggest concern and we should be fully occupied with knowing only that and being obedient to that will. No one questioned the weirdness of the battle of Jericho. Perhaps the tactic was a test of the obedience of this new generation. They were obedient and they had a great victory.

Let us examine or lives. Is the will of the Father the most important thing in our life? Are we set on a course of obedience to that will? Have we allowed ourselves or someone else to infect us with the disease of pessimism? Remember Paul’s plea to the Galatians:

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. (Galatians 5:7-10)

Stop looking at yourself as a grasshopper. In this past week God has shown how he lays down his plans long before the battles are upon us. Most of you know how hard we have been working to learn the new technology and to teach it to our students. Four years ago the Lord laid it on my heart to take our school in this direction. This past week I was asked to present my knowledge to the executive of our school’s association. It turns out that what we know and what we can teach others to do will go a long way in satisfying the concerns the government has about our Secondary schools. Again we will be able to continue with the curriculum we are using and Jesus Christ will remain the center of every course of study. We will be able to continue to train up our students to serve the Lord in our communities in any area of discipline he sends them into.

Our God is an amazing God. Stay the course. Do not become discouraged. His view of things is better than ours so let us trust him with all things.