Summer Blessings!

 Have a great summer!  We will resume our monthly blog in September.  

The God of All Comfort

[2Co 1:3-4 ESV] 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

It is a wonderful realization that God, our Heavenly Father, does not leave us alone to fend for ourselves.  He comforts us in "all our afflictions."  The Greek word here for affliction is very broad and takes in every possible torment the enemy could throw in our path.  Verse 4 here makes it clear that it is God who actually comes alongside us in our tribulation, torment or persecution and comforts us.  It is a good thing to comfort people who are suffering, yet, no one can comfort the soul of the follower of Jesus like Jesus Himself!  When someone comforts you, their act of kindness says, "I recognize your burden, I care about you and I want to help you though this difficult time." The Lord is the "God of all comfort!"  He alone has the remedy of all our discomfort!  No matter the wound, He has the balm of Gilead!  He can comfort us in all our afflictions.  The Word doesn't say that His comfort always removes us from the trial or the trial from us.  He comforts us in our trial.  Here marks the difference between the novice and the veteran soldier of the cross.  The novice is immobilized by the pain of the attack.  He says that when this pain is over, I will serve the Lord again.  The veteran of the Lord's army presses through hardship faithfully seeing in the future, by faith, the victory that is assured for the one who overcomes.  As Jesus as our example, "He endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before Him!  How can we who are suffering such anguish continue to serve the Lord and His Church?  Because the one who comforts does so with ALL COMFORT!  There is a learning curve to receiving comfort from the Lord.  The is an important lesson to learn.  King David learned to receive from the Lord as he was able to "encourage himself in the Lord."(1 Sam. 30:6). He learned to go to the One who had all comfort.  

Now, we come to a critical step in walking in the Lordship of Jesus.  We must get to a place in Christ where we move from a "me" perspective to "others."  Most people are happy to stop at being comforted.  That is really very normal.  Just stop the pain and I'm fine!  But this verse tells us that God's heart is that we receive comfort for two reasons. First, we are comforted because God loves us and wants to comfort us.  Then, the mature realizes that receiving comfort equips and empowers us to share that comfort with others who are suffering.  Like an injured soldier in a field hospital in a time of war, they want to get back in the battle.  The immature soldier wants to use the wound to go home.  The veteran warrior wants to get back to his fellow soldiers in arms. Today, receive the comfort of Jesus as He gives it freely.  Then, be aware that your gift of comfort is bigger than your need.  It is the gift of ALL comfort.  There is enough to share!  The Lord always gives us more than we need. He opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings that we can't contain.  It is exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think!  He always gives enough for us and enough to share with others.

Hearing and Obeying

[Act 16:6-10 ESV] 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

 

It is an amazing thing to see how God works to get his servants into position to do His will.  We all who walk with Jesus want to hear and obey His voice.  It isn’t always so easy.  There is a lot more of a process than we think.  This is the great Apostle Paul going through a process of hearing and obeying.  Too many people would simply go to a place and begin preaching and ministering in the name of Jesus assuming that the Lord would bless their efforts.  God isn’t obligated to bless all that we do in His name.  However, He will bless all that we do in obedience to His direction.  I have heard missionaries and church planters make plans for where they will go and work next.  Often it is by a map or by what makes sense to them.  But with the plans of the Lord, it is not about convenience.  So many variables are involved. One of the big things in God’s plan is the readiness of the harvest.  Is the harvest ripe and ready for this season or will it be at a later time?  As a young church planter, early in the ministry, I heard the Lord say, “false starts hinder future efforts.”  That means that if we are insensitive to the Holy Spirit and plant a church in an area too early, when the real time comes it will be less effective because of starting too soon. 

 

Paul here keeps listening as he walks with the Lord.  Notice the Word says, “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word.”  That is incredible!  Are we sensitive enough to hear a specific word that might be an adjustment to a general word?  The general word was, “go into all the world and preach the Gospel.”  The specific word was not now and not here.  What a sensitive heart to the voice of the Holy Spirit!  May we draw even closer to Him and His voice in order to hear directions from Him that may not make sense to us.  

Cooperating With God In Life Directions

 Prayer offered in faith builds the pathway on which we can walk confidently.  Jesus said that whatever we ask in prayer, if we believe, we receive it.  That is one of those verses where many of us look back on our prayer life and ask, "Really?"  By faith, we know that God's Word is always true.  We also know that God does not fail, so if we don't see prayers answered, we must examine our own lives and hearts and ask, "Have I missed something?  Am I violating a Biblical principle or omitting an important part of what brings about answered prayer?" Of course, there are times when we don't seem to have prayer answered because the thing we are asking for is out of the will or timing of the Lord.  There are some questions that just go unanswered and that is a part of our faith life too.  There will always be mysteries when the the human walks with the Divine.  Can we walk by faith even with questions? Of course we can!  Answered prayer, like a lot of things, is not automatic just because we are Christians.  Let's look at some things that could hinder prayer that God wants to answer.   

First, how are you praying?  Are you praying in faith expecting to receive?  Maybe you think you are and really you are praying in fear or confusion.   Maybe you are praying in desperation or anxiety.  That kind of prayer can seem sincere but begging God is often not praying in faith.  We must approach our loving and benevolent Lord confident that He wants to answer our prayers.  We can joyfully expect His favor! It is a good thing to check the way we are praying from time to time.  We can drift into a faithless religious prayer and out of a faith prayer. 

Next, it is also very important that we are praying in faith with a clear conscience.  If we are trying to pray a prayer of faith with a guilty conscience then we are "like the waves of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" as James 1 tells us.  That verse goes on to say that such people will not receive from the Lord.  They are unstable in their faith posture.  1 John 1:9 tells us, - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   What a powerful verse.  When we confess our sins, he not only forgives but cleanses.  We need a clean conscience to truly pray in faith.  When our conscience seems unclean or guilty, we cannot pray a prayer of faith.  Accept the forgiveness of Jesus and embrace his cleansing of your inner man.  Now you are bold. The Bible says the wicked flee when no one pursues but the righteous are as bold as a lion!  That is the posture of faith prayer.  Now you are truly "standing" in faith.

One other aspect of answered prayer is agreement.  Matthew tells us that if two or more agree in prayer it will be done by God.  Agreement or unity in prayer is a powerful force.  Two standing in agreement in faith is much more powerful than the two praying independently.  I have seen prayers hindered in this principle especially in the home. One marriage partner can leave the other partner out of the prayer or faith process.  This is a big mistake and can be a hindrance to answered prayer.  I Peter 3:7 says, "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."  I hope you saw that.  Husbands and wives are "heirs together" of the grace of God.  Understanding this is so important.  As a matter of fact, it says that if we don't get it, our prayers could be hindered. I saw a businessman once neglect this principle and his prayers for his business weren't going through.  Once he saw this and he and his wife entered agreement in prayer, he saw the breakthrough!

Next, we can now act in faith.  Faith and prayer gets us in position to walk out God's will for our life.  Too many people pray for God's will for years, and I'm convinced that many wait far too long to act in faith.  The bus comes and goes while they are still waiting at the bus stop.  Once you pray and have confidence in your heart, start walking in the direction of your heart motivation.  God confirms His will and direction in the motivation of our heart.  A clear conscience is motivated by the will of God and is courageous enough to move out in that direction.  Trust the leading of the Lord in your heart.  Faith always has an element of uncertainty that must be pressed through, but walking out your prayers of faith brings success.    

Don't Quit!

How do we continue to advance and not quit in difficult times?

Phil. 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

1.    Know God and learn His ways. This requires moving from a religious acquaintance to really knowing Him! (Israel           knew the acts of God but Moses knew the ways of God.) Psa. 103:7  

This involves intimacy. The cost of every relationship is the time invested in the relationship. 

   2. Gain and maintain a heavenly perspective.  Our earthly lives fit into His heavenly mission!” Don't get bogged down in the cares of this life and miss the real mission of God.

   3. Trust Him- Faith and Trust are partners .  We must come to believe He is “redemptively involved” in our    circumstances.  “He has my back!” He has your back!

   4. Understand spiritual warfare. Eph. 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

 

A big part of this is to know who the enemy is and who he is not. 

John 10:10- The thief comes to destroy!

   5. Surround yourself with a faith filled support group. An accountability group is important for everyone.  We don't mature to the point we don't need others.  It requires ongoing humility to participate and not isolate.  By the way, the Church is that place of accountability.    

   6. Learn how to Encourage yourself in the Lord.  1 Sam. 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."  This is a learned art of worship.  Practice true worship in the Spirit in the good times and it will strengthen you even in hard times.  It is learning to open the door to God's Presence.  

    7. Finish the mission!  *It has been said that the greatest way to answer your enemy is to finish the mission the Lord has given you!”

 Phil. 13-14 “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHRISTIAN LOSE WHO DIDN’T QUIT!”

The Enemy At The Gate

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" - Jos 5:13-14 ESV

As Joshua approached the man with his sword drawn, he was apprehensive as to whether this powerful looking man with sword drawn was friend or foe. When Joshua put the question to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?", the answer came back, "NO!"  He wasn't on either side of human battles but he was clearly on the side of God and the Army of the Lord.  Of course we always feel, as Christians, that God is on our side based upon our perspective of things, our opinions, or the words of those we esteem.  In actuality, even on our best day, we are out of balance.  I have thought many times when preaching or after delivering a message, "that message standing on its own is out of balance."  That means when we are "right" we aren't totally right from all angles.  Though we stand for right in one area, we are possibly offending in another.  During the American Civil War, both sides prayed and believed that the Lord was fighting for their side of things.  As a Southerner, I look back at the central cause of the Civil War, slavery, not States Rights as I was taught in school, and wonder, how could the South have thought the Lord was on their side when their side represented taking people from their homeland and forcing them into hard labor as slaves.  Often breaking up families and selling them to the highest bidder. But the South believed just that.  They even preached in their churches sermons that justified their error.  Their belief and their fidelity to that lost cause cost 655,000 lives.  The back of the South was broken and they paid a very big price for their deception. They were sincere but learned in the end that they were sincerely wrong. 

When we find ourselves in a world torn and divided even among followers of Jesus, we need to be very careful not to repeat the same mistakes of other believers that have gone before us.  It is an easy thing to get caught up in a cause or movement because so many around us are adhering to the same cause.  Groups or numbers doesn't make us right.  Movements doesn't mean God is behind those movements.  Is God on our side? The resounding words come back, "NO!" God is on God's side.  God is on the side of Truth.  God is on the side of his MISSION!  His mission is not a national mission but a Kingdom mission.  It is easy to come to believe that our strong feelings about our cause means we are in God's cause.  God's cause is much grander, much more important than our cause regardless of how noble our cause may be.  God's cause is the cause of the Cross, the price Jesus paid on that cruel cross for all mankind from every kindred, tribe and Nation. We must make sure that our causes don't blind us to lose focus of THE CAUSE. The cause of being in the world as the salt of the earth with the purpose of winning the lost world and not fighting it. The world is lost and it will always act as lost.  It will remain lost until we influence it with love and Truth.  Truth is our only means of winning the world through love and mercy just as we received that same love and mercy.  We can't represent the Kingdom of God with anger and militancy.  Anger and militancy only produces more anger and militancy from the opposite direction.  

What can we do?  It is such a frustrating place to find ourselves. I was trained by my family to be a fighter.  When you find yourself in a fight, strike first and hard.  It is in my nature, but it is not in my born again Spirit man.  My Spirit man is filled with power, Truth and love.  God has given us power, love and a sound mind the Scripture tells us. We could win in the natural and lose in the power of the Spirit.  We must bring ourselves back to fighting the real fight in the Spirit.  Many may need deliverance and cleansing of spirit in order to get back in a position of fighting correctly with a pure heart and a sound mind.  Romans 14:17 tells us that the Kingdom of God is a matter of "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." That Kingdom is within all of us who are walking in the Lordship of Jesus.  Let's rediscover that place of righteousness, peace and joy in our hearts and serve Him from that platform.  We are living in perilous times and deception is our enemy at the gates.  We must guard our hearts!

A New Mind For A New Year

"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not." - Jeremiah 5:21 ESV

 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Rom 12:2 ESV

 

I have been teaching a good bit of late on the topic of the “Renewed Mind.”  Romans 12 here tells us that we can discern or know the will of God through the process called the “renewing of the mind.”  We won’t just wander around without a clue as to God’s purpose. Every mind must remain in this process of renewal for the entirety of life on earth.  It is not a one-time event only.  I say “only” because there is a miraculous conversion of the mind, body and spirit as an event at the moment of our conversion.  That conversion of the mind however, is only the birth of the new mind.  Just as with any birth there must be nurturing of that new birth.  This is true in spirit, mind and body as well.  There is a lifelong endeavor of bringing our converted self under the Lordship of Christ.  While we are ready for heaven the moment of our conversion, Lordship and the disciplines of Lordship, makes us more and more equipped for living the overcoming life here as followers of Jesus. 

 

This is particularly true of the mind.  Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”  There is a direct connection between “right thinking”, a renewed mind and hearing the voice of God.  Studying the Word of God, meditating on it, is a large part of renewing the mind along with the Holy Spirit which accompanies the Word. As the mind is continually being renewed our eyes and ears are opened and we can see and discern God’s Will.  If believers don’t remain in God’s word through reading and meditating on it there is a weakening of the process of the renewing of the mind and there is a dimming of seeing the will of God. Too many Christians today are giving themselves to too many things that are robbing them from uninterrupted time in the life source of God’s Word.  While they are going to heaven, they are often wandering aimlessly around in this life without hearing and seeing God’s plan and purpose for their lives.   

 

May we enter a new year with a new commitment  to simplify and focus our time less on trivial things, and more on the eternal life source of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christmas Break and Blessing

 I am taking December off from writing my monthly blog.  However, I am excited about new articles and teaching in the coming year.  I hope you will join me in 2022 and invite others to subscribe to get the monthly edition. 

Teresa and I send our love and Christmas Greeting to you and your family!  May the Lord Bless you and all you are doing as you seek to walk in His will.  May this Christmas season of family gatherings be a time of healing and restoration.  May 2022 be a wonderful year of God's blessings on you and yours as you seek to know the Lord more and seek to model the life of a disciple to those around you.  

May our hearts and minds have an ability to see beyond the temporal and focus on the eternal!

With much love and appreciation!

L. A. and Teresa

The Motivation of Faith

 Spurgeon said, "When I am perfect in faith, I shall be perfect in everything else..."  Romans 14:23 says, "For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." Living with a clear conscience before God and within ourselves is a truly happy place.  It is a place of faith.  If a believer is struggling with an issue being approved by God then they aren't ready to participate in that thing.  That is why it is such a delicate thing not to push someone beyond their comfort zone in participating in a certain action.  If they aren't confident in doing something we need to be very careful to honor that hesitancy and not pressure them. It is a matter of personal faith.  Again, as Spurgeon said, "when I am perfect in faith, I shall be perfect in everything else."  We need to get to a place of peace before God in a decision or else we are not in faith. Everything we do needs to be motivated by faith.  I have been talking a good bit of late with people about not violating that inner peace that comes from right relationship with God.  If peace isn't present then you aren't ready.  Peace is a byproduct of a right relationship with God. Sin brings about trouble and fear.  Fear is a result of an uncertainty of the blessing and approval of God.  Man never knew fear until he sinned in the garden. When the Lord approached for his normal fellowship with man, man ran and hid.  Fear was now introduced into mankind.  Fear is the absence of faith.  Faith is peace that comes from certainty and the approval of God.  We adopted a Cocker Spaniel once that came from a home of daily beatings by a teenage boy.  That poor animal ran every time my son approached him because he looked a lot like the boy that beat him daily.  He never really got over the fear and trembling.  He never truly had confidence in our love and acceptance.  In essence the never gained inner confidence.  His fear was too great.  Too many people living the Christian life still haven't entered that place of peace and rest in God's presence.  They still live their relationship with God from a posture of fear trying to gain the Father's Love.    

Not everyone who professes that they have great faith is motivated by faith. Their motivation to know God, to live a Christian life, to pray and even to preach can be motivated not by faith at all, but by fear.  Fear should never be our motivation in serving God.  Faith motivated by love is the motivation God wants for us.  

May we bring our heart out in the open before God and allow Him to bring healing and restoration.  We must begin by being honest with ourselves that our faith may not be pure but may be mixed with fear.  Allow the Lord to heal you and bring you to a truly joy filled place of faith.  

Eyes To See And Ears To Hear

 It is a natural thing to believe in what we see.  An old saying is, "I'll believe it when I see it!" From a natural standpoint, this is a safe way to live. It keeps us from becoming easily deceived.  Yet, in a spiritual world this isn't the best habit to have.  The natural view is not conducive to spiritual vision.  Yes, there is spiritual vision that is found in a different realm than what we can see in the natural.  Spiritual vision can come to us as a voice or just simply a knowing.  The natural vision protects us from many dangers but spiritual vision protects us from things the natural eye cannot see.  

Around 1969, Teresa and I were traveling north on I-5 in California.  We had decided to drive overnight from San Diego, where I was stationed in the Navy, to visit San Francisco.  I was driving in the left lane so I could drive fast!  I was driving around 80 mph and was enjoying very little traffic on the highway.  I suddenly heard this inner voice, this knowing that said, "get in the right lane."  I moved to the right lane feeling a little silly for hearing voices! Just as I made it into the right lane and approaching a hill that I couldn't see over, a car came screaming past us in the same lane I had just left.  Someone in the middle of the night had evidently gotten into the wrong lane, going in the wrong direction on the interstate,  and was traveling South in the Northbound lane!  It was shocking to realize if I hadn't had that "knowing", we would be dead!

As you read this, you may be thinking, "I wish I had that ability."  It wasn't actually an innate ability or a spiritual gift as far as I know. It was an intervention of almighty God simply by His Grace. I wonder how many times we have had the direct intervention of God's hand in our lives and we didn't even know it?  Of course, I had to hear and sense the "knowing" from the Lord, but here is the really mind boggling part of this story.   I wasn't walking with the Lord then.  I would live in the darkest hours of my life during that and the next 4 years.  This removes the argument that sin keeps us from hearing the voice of God. Certainly sin does interfere from hearing and obeying God on a daily basis, but God can always get through to us when He is ready. Living in a sinful place, I knew that the voice of God had just saved our lives.  Yet, I didn't change!  I kept living the same sinful and self centered life I had lived before the incident. But that, along with some other Divine reminders, kept drawing me back to Him.  

Regardless of your spiritual condition as you read this, you are not too far away to hear God's voice and respond.  Or for the believer and follower of the Lord, you can get back on track by hearing His voice and seeing what He sees. Mistakes are a part of the human condition.  God knows that, and He is always speaking and revealing His will and direction to those with a heart to see and hear.  

Are We living In The End Times?

Sept. 7, 2021

I wrote the following article over a decade ago.  Yet it sounds very much in the moment.  If you remove the threat of that hour which was swine flu and replace it with Covid, you see the relevancy of these words.

August 5, 2009

The question as to whether we are living in the end times has been asked for 2,000 years.  The time elapsed has caused many to believe there will not be a return of Christ and an end of the age.  However, to the Bible student and the one who has a daily living faith in Jesus, there is an excitement about the signs around us that point to a nearness of the end of this age and the Second Coming of Christ.  What are some of those signs?

 

Matthew 24 stands out to me because they are the very words of Jesus himself.  He points out conditions that will lead to the end of time.  He tells us that there will be many false Christ’s, wars and rumors of wars and nation will rise against nation.  He predicts an increase in atmospheric phenomenon that will lead to famines, pestilence and earthquakes.  We have seen storms that have ravaged our own nation, earthquakes that have broken historic records.  Scientists are still trying to interpret all the data that would pertain to “global warming”. The word “pestilence” that Jesus uses here is defined by Webster as, “plaque; an infectious or contagious disease”.  Even as I write this the world watches nervously as the “swine flu” and other diseases race toward humanity with deadly potential.  Jesus tells us that these are only the “beginning of sorrows”. 

 

Lastly, another sign of the end of the age will be the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  These signs of the last days will be seen by the following conditions and characteristics in the church:

1.    False prophets 

2.    Betrayal of brother against brother

3.    Lawlessness leading to apostasy  

4.     World Evangelization

 

There seems to be contradiction in these end time conditions in the church.  However, we see them manifesting even now.  We see false prophets moving through the church seeking to bring confusion and motivated by self exaltation, ego and personal gain.  We see the breaking of covenant among Christians with brothers taking brothers to court which is forbidden in Scripture.  We see such lawlessness in the land that many are moving into a state of apostasy.  Apostasy is the forsaking of what one has believed or practiced earlier.  This is happening in individuals and denominations or groups as a whole.

 

Now the good news for the church!  Jesus said one of the signs of the end of time would be that the Gospel would be preached in all the world as a witness and then this finished work of the church would usher in the coming of Jesus.  Although there is a falling away by many, there is also a new generation who are taking the great commission of Jesus very seriously and giving their lives to see that this assignment is completed.  Local pastors and congregations are remaining faithful to live as a witness to Christ and serve their communities around the world.  Missionaries of the church are taking the good news of the Gospel to every people and culture on the face of the earth.  Rather than simply talking about it, there is a movement in the earth today that is planning real strategy.  Working across denominational lines efforts are underway to see this mission of world evangelism completed in this generation.

 

The signs are in place and the symptoms are occurring.  The people of God are advancing the Kingdom of Jesus across the earth.  Yes, we are approaching a world-wide change of order.  It would appear to me that the Second Coming of Jesus is near.  Yet, we must continue to remain faithful to our assigned task given to us by the Lord Himself.

 

Onward Christian Soldier!

Revelation 2:6 "Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

Jesus addresses this to the Church of Ephesus.  He had just finished reproving them and complimenting them.  Then He gives this positive affirmation.  What is their good deed?  They hated the works of the Nicolaitans.  This is a really big deal.  The God of love says that He hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans.  While Jesus is always extending His love toward the sinner, He hates their sin.  We human followers of Jesus have a hard time perfecting this.  It is hard for us to love the sinner while hating his sin, but Jesus has no problem with loving the sinner. In this case the sinners are the Nicolaitans.  So who are the Nicolaitans and why does Jesus hate their practices?

One ancient historian said the Nicolaitans were followers of Nicholas who was one of the original deacons from Acts 6.  Nicholas had at some point become a teacher of false doctrine leading the church astray from the Truth. The historian Irenaus said in the second century of the Nicolaitans that "they lead lives of unrestrained indulgence, they practice adultery and eat things offered to idols." Others point to the Greek meaning of the name Nicolaitans as Nikao-laos means literally "to conquer the people." There were claims of falsely claiming apostolic authority and separating the clergy from the laity, the church members, and setting up a system of hierarchy to rule over the people.  "The Nicolaitans, like all deceivers that come from the body of Christ, claimed “not that they were destroying Christianity, but that they were presenting an improved and modernized version of it.” (Barclay) If we are not advancing forward in greater truth and obedience then we are falling backward.  When we fall backward, as with the Nicolaitans, we can think we are moving forward into a new more enlightened form of Christianity.  We can begin to believe that an all inclusive Church sounds more like a loving church.  Yet, Jesus hates sin and sin has no place in His Church, The Bride.

Then the Word of God says, "to him who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." There is a message here for ministers and all followers of Christ.  Know your Bible and the Holy Spirit and follow only truth on the page and in the illuminated Word in your heart.

Daily Grace

Webster gives one definition of grace as "disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency."  You may hear someone describe a beautiful dancer as having grace in their movements. Or someone who acts in a kind way toward others is referred to as being gracious.  As Christians, we know grace as a gift of God upon our lives that brought us all to salvation through the sacrificial act of Jesus giving His life for our sins.  Like all of God's involvements in our lives, grace is past, present and future.  Grace has always been working in our lives, is working in our lives at this very moment, and will be working on our behalf tomorrow.  Grace is beyond the calendar.  Grace just is!  Grace is when we aren't even aware. Thank God for His Grace.  I like to define grace as "God's divine enabling".  Grace is the thing that gets us going, keeps us going and is the reason for our going.  

Grace is a supernatural moving upon our lives by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  It was grace that moved upon our hearts to become interested in God even before we were aware of our need for Him.  Grace enabled us to see our sin as it was, and grace empowered us to have faith to receive salvation.  "For by grace are you saved through faith, it is the gift of God." The moment we were conceived, Grace was working in and upon our lives; and Grace will be the last divine enabling upon us as we pass from this life to the next. Grace is the love language of God.  Grace then works to keep us in the sphere of fellowship with Him. Grace is always influencing our thoughts and motivations.  I love that picture of God continuing to influence us in daily life.  It is not a picture of an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other as we see in cartoons. We are human beings living our lives as  followers of Christ being divinely influenced in the direction of God and His will.  We are not alone in this life.  No matter the difficulty you may find yourself at this very moment, Grace is with you, Grace is enabling you and Grace will lead you in your future.

The Call- Part 2

 I was watching a really old tv show last night about a crime solving Monk.  Cadfael is the name of the series.  I'm not recommending the show in its entirety as he's not always a saint but there is usually at least one godly lesson in each episode.  In this particular program there was a woman who was weary with the world and decided to join a cloister of nuns to live in peace.  Cadfael and a nun told the lady she should reconsider her plan because they had gone into a life of ministry because they were "running to something and not from something." They also told her that the life of service was a difficult one.  Of course it made me reflect upon my own call and the price of the call we dealt with in part 1.  As I was choosing to pursue the Lord and His Call upon my life I had to meet with a man that had helped me get a job with a promising future.  As I told the man of my decision he became very angry.  This man was a very wealthy family member.  Previously he told me that "if anything happens to me you will be taken care of." As I finished my conversation and headed for the door he spoke and said in anger, "if the going gets tough, don't call on me!"  I knew the legal will was about to be changed.  It was!  Yet, as I walked from the room I was filled with great peace and excitement as I was walking toward something.  I was shedding the mindset of the material world and its goals and embracing to a Kingdom mindset and my only measurement of success would have to be pleasing God through obedience.  I would be tested on this heart motivation many times in the decades to come as the Lord continued and continues still His molding of my life and character.  

The walk of a servant of the Lord is primarily one of a relationship between the servant and his Master.  It is a never ending walk of ministry in the servant and the resultant ministry through the servant.  Our Lord never stops leading us to a higher place of holiness and obedience to Him and His purposes.  It can be a lonely and even painful journey at times but always result in the joy of following Him to fruitfulness.  This journey of personal construction and development needs to be permitted by others looking on.  We need to be careful not to interfere with the process and try to alleviate the pain of the struggle.  Nepotism is one of the ways we can do this.  Like helping a chick from the egg we can hinder and possibly destroy the divine purpose of the struggle.  Placing a family member into ministry into a higher rank than you would others is just such interference.  While they may be truly called, they need to go through the process of maturity so that character can be developed to balance the gifting.  Too many times I have heard people say, "but they are so gifted or they are such a good speaker."  Those things are not found in the Bible as reasons for promotion in life and especially in Christian ministry. The Call is the first step of preparation for faithful service but allowing and submitting to the process is a work of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is more important to the life of the Called than this.  

The Call

Romans 1:1 "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God"

The Call of God is an interesting and mysterious thing. Certainly there is a call to everyone that has responded to the inner working of the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus as Lord and follow him in growing discipleship and service.   But then, as Paul says in this verse, there is another Call for those whom the Lord sets aside for a lifetime of service to Him and His Gospel.  Paul says that he first and foremost is a servant of Christ Jesus. The Call of God begins and ends here.  It is the alpha and omega of the Call of God.  You start here and you should never go outside the parameters of being a servant of Jesus.  Then Paul gives some specifics of his call to being an apostle, a sent out one.  Then he tells us that he was set apart for the gospel of God.  Truly called people can never get away from a genuine call of God.  Some have chosen ministry as a profession and didn't finish the race.  You can't call yourself nor can others call you.  It is something that comes from a covenant call from the Lord to the individual.  We have often said that the thing that happens at a public ordination service is very distinct from the Call.  An ordination service is simply the authorities of the church recognizing and legitimizing the Call of God before man.  I'm certain some have been ordained by man that were never called by God.  Those individuals then try to walk in a grace that they do not have.  Time reveals the true Call of God from the call of man.  Simple desire or determination cannot endure the call of God without the grace of God.  The weight of the call is too great.  As I said earlier there is something about the Call of God.  It is difficult to explain but when you receive it, you know it and it ruins you for the same life pursuits of others.  

There is a great cost that comes with the Call. One of the greatest costs of the Call is the misunderstanding of those without it.  No one truly understands the cost of the Call except others who are under the burden of the Call.  I had worked with many who thought they understood but they can only fathom a portion of understanding the Call.  I knew a businessman once who had an employee that had the Call.  He told me that the employee didn't have what it takes to be successful.  I said, he may not have what it takes to be successful in your business but his Call and grace is outside of your business.  You may need to release him to find his true place.  The businessman didn't understand because he could only understand within his grace and gift of business although he was a deeply spiritual man.  The natural eye doesn't value the Call of God.  The natural eye values heroes in sports, business, wealth and fame.  You don't find many Called men and women of God on the Biography Channel. Even when we see servants of God in tv and movies they are usually portrayed in a bad light. That is all a part of walking in the Call and taking up your cross and following Jesus and His role model of the Servant. 

But there is some good news here. With the Call there is not only the cost, but there is also a Crown.  There are distinct rewards the Called enjoy.  There are outward rewards but more importantly there are inward rewards.  No servant of Jesus has ever enjoyed anything more than the sweet, quiet inward words of the Master saying, "well done good and faithful servant."  The Great Chinese Church leader Watchman Knee, who spent 20 years in prison for his faith, started as a brilliant honor student at Seminary.  He showed great promise of a brilliant future. He chose to go to the countryside and serve people and build small home churches in the rural areas. Years later he visited his old seminary and went to lunch with an old professor.  Knee was tired and his clothes were worn from his hard life. The professor looked at him and said, “I thought you would amount to more than this.”  Watchman Knee said he felt the favor and glory of God like he had never felt it before at that moment. The rewards of the Called are many.  The next time your pastor or another Called servant leader seems overly burdened pray for them.  But then, pray for them often even if they seem fine.  The burden of their Call is great.  Don't try to see it our understand it, just pray.  

Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Eating With The Buzzards

 Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I love the picture of the Believer being renewed by the Lord as he waits upon the Lord.  Then, those renewed and refreshed saints will mount up, they are elevated above the mundane things of this world to live in heavenly places.  As a part of that heavenly living here on earth, we are exhorted in Scripture to "set our affections (or our minds) on things above and not the things of the earth."  We are taught that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.  We read in the Bible that we war not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in the spirit world.  We are called to soar like the eagles!

Many years ago, I heard a powerful sermon by the great preacher and orator Ern Baxter.  He talked about living in the exalted place in Christ above the dirty things of this earth.  He described the life of the eagle.  He told how the eagles don't live on telephone lines with crows who are noisy and loud.  They don't lower themselves to being loud with gossip and carnal arguments.  The don't eat dead animals on the side of the road because they live in a different realm. They only eat living things and not dead things.  Then recently I was stunned by something I saw that felt like a prophetic moment.  I passed by a dead animal on the side of the road and several buzzards were fighting and tearing at the dead filthy carcass.  I drove a few blocks away and had to come back by the scene again on the way home.  I was sickened by what I saw!  A beautiful and majestic Bald Eagle was in the middle of the flock fighting to get a bite as he ate with the Buzzards!  The Bald Eagle is a symbol of our Republic.  I pondered over this for about 24 hours.  At first I was shocked to see a Bald Eagle in our area of northeast Florida.  Then I thought about the significance of the picture and our Nation.  My mind raced back to January 6, 2021 and the riot at our Nation's capitol.  I remember watching and weeping as rioters broke down the doors of democracy.  I was hurt and embarrassed as I saw Jesus banners among the crowd. I wondered if the Church would ever again gain their evangelistic influence among the unconverted.   Then I wondered what the average Christian at home felt. I hope it wasn't glee or success.  Whatever motivated the rioters it was not the voice of Jesus.  It did not come from the internal motivation of the Holy Spirit.  It was a cry from the lower nature of man.  

The commotion we heard and saw on our televisions that day was not the sound of liberty nor was it the sound of some Christian movement.  It was the picture and sounds of members of a republic, our republic,  leaving the realm of the heavenly to lower itself to eat with the buzzards.  Our Nation fell that day from the lofty place as the guardian of the world to an earthy, dirty place of the mundane.  May God forgive us. May we "wait upon Him." May we humble ourselves before him with repentance and broken hearts.  Father, we ask humbly that you forgive and cleanse us for our love,  enjoyment and participation in sinful and divisive activity that has lowered us far below your plan for our lives as a people. And please Heavenly Father, please elevate us once again to live in your presence and to be lifted up on wings of eagles.  

Grace and Peace

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:7(b)

I was having a good conversation with a fellow believer in her 80's the other day.  It was one of those chats where the Holy Spirit is present and you are enjoying the moment.  It is true Christian fellowship in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or Koinonia.  Koinonia, a Greek word,  is a result of friendship among Christians, the body of Christ, where the Holy Spirit is the connecting tissue.  

As we talked, my friend said something like, "I'm satisfied in my present state without any great ambition to go out and do anything for the Lord."  Of course, the present pandemic limits all of us, but I sensed something greater, something beyond this current situation.  I felt that what she was feeling was "grace and peace." Certainly, we must always be willing to obey the Lord in anything He might ask.  Yet, she had arrived at a place that we all should seek, a state of grace and peace.  She said, "she felt no great ambition".  In my early years of ministry, much of my "great ambition", my motivation to serve the Lord was a desire to please Him, build something and to be successful.  I was driven by it.  I had grace but didn't enjoy much peace in my daily life.  My stress level wasn't much different from business people in the world.  It is interesting that in this verse and other verses that "grace" precedes "peace".   Grace comes before peace.  You can't live in peace without grace.  Grace when it is experienced with faith in what Jesus did on the cross releases us from a performance based relationship with God and brings us into a Holy Spirit led life.  The result will be less effort of the flesh and more fruit in life and service.  There is a deliverance that comes with true grace that brings a release from the burden and motivation of what men think and require of us.  There will always be a certain amount of it in life but not to the point of living a performance driven life.  How do we get there, even if you are young and just starting your journey with the  Lord?  Spend more time with the Lord and learn to experience His fellowship.  There is a work to this because your natural man craves results and man's approval.  It is actually much easier on the flesh to work from ambition than to work to live in true fellowship with Jesus.  His fellowship with us must be more rich and important to us than accomplishments or  fellowship with anyone on this earth.  We certainly need wholesome fellowship on earth, but our sustenance doesn't come primarily from there, it comes from genuine fellowship with Him in His Word, worship and prayer. Time with God enhances and enriches His Grace which leaves us with a greater deposit of peace.  The result will be that we will accomplish more because it will be a work of the Holy Spirit and will result in true fruit that remains.  

The Great Deception

Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."

This verse has always caused me unease as I'm sure it has you. Jesus tells us that there will be a day near the end of time that a spiritual darkness, a fog of the spiritual atmosphere will be powerfully manifested upon the earth. There will be a confusion about what is Truth and what is not.  Little christs and those who profess to be prophets will "arise".  They will arise, they will be exalted in some way as to demand attention. Maybe the political powers that be will promote them or probably when they teach, preach and prophesy they also work miracles that is difficult to deny. It will probably be that they "arise" through political and spiritual approval.  In the midst of this time of confusion, even the church will have division over what is truth and what isn't.  Why?  Because many of them will be confused too!  So much so that Jesus says the Church will be near being "led astray."  It doesn't say the Church will be led astray because that would mean all hope is lost.  Jesus makes the point that the delusion and the confusion is so strong that there is a tremendous pull upon the church to believe and cooperate with a lie.  Satan is the father of lies.  His stock in trade is a lie, the anti-truth.  

What is our preemptive antidote? We must remove from our sight,  minds and spirits everything that looks in a different direction than the Truth of the Scriptures.  We must be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Anything that takes our minds and spirits away from a pure love of Jesus, a love and obedience to His Word, and the inner peace of the Holy Spirit, is not of God. As certainly as the command to Lot's wife to not look back, we must not gaze upon the temptations to even mentally let our spiritual gaze look to other prophets or prophecies or christs demanding the worship of our hearts and minds.  We must not spend more time gazing upon the works of false christs or false prophets than we do fixed upon God's Word.  We must be filled with the Holy Spirit, praying in the Spirit "building up our most Holy Faith."  

This is a call to look away from all distractions of ungodly activities and look steadfastly upon Jesus Christ.  If it doesn't look like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and manifest the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus, it is not Jesus.  Cry out to God and save yourself from deception as we move forward. Live daily in the Word of God and ask God to Baptize you in the Holy Spirit.  If you are filled with the Holy Spirit then ask for a daily renewal of that precious and powerful anointing.  Christ is in us and we cannot be overcome because the Overcomer is in us.  Yet, the warning remains!  Remember that Jesus said "hold fast till I come."

Make or Break

 As a pastor I'm convinced I've learned more from spending time with others than they have  learned from spending time with me.  When a person would come to me for spiritual direction they only experienced meeting or hearing from one person.  As a counselor I had the advantage of meeting with many through the years that would share much the same experiences.  So I would hear the same basic story or circumstances many times.  That also meant I experienced watching as different people responded and sometimes reacted  to similar situations or circumstances in very different ways.  It was amazing to see the outcomes of giving the same Biblical advice to people who acted on it differently.  

How we respond to situations or problems determines our future quality of life.  I often say to congregations while I am teaching, "every person in this room is where you are today based on decisions you have made in the past, both good and bad."  It is astounding how people will take a long time to research and process before making a purchase.  Yet, that same person might rush into life altering decisions like a marriage mate.  I've known people who have met people online and married them much too quickly.  Unfortunately, these decisions often end in pain and chaos. The truth is very clear that we all come to moments that are "Make or Break" decision times.  We have all had good experiences based on good decisions and we have all had some that we wish we could have a  "do over."  Unfortunately, we can't have do overs in life.  Decisions are almost always one time events.  So, what happens with those decisions that yielded bad situations? Honestly, even good decisions don't guarantee that we will always like the outcomes. Life is messy!

Now we come to my main thought today.  Why do some come through a difficult or even life altering situation and move forward in joy and are the better for it?  Others seem to stumble and eventually right the ship,  some  are changed for the worse and never seem to get past it.  Some people outgrow some things, some don't survive some things and some mature through things.What makes the difference?When we consider the options here we should all set our sights on the maturing option.  That is definitely what God wants for us.  The Scripture is filled with examples of folks walking right through hardship to become better and not bitter.  Again, here is a choice.  Will we seek vengeance and retribution or will we seek God and his healing for our inner man.  As long as we have our hands on a situation through self effort motivated by a desire for self justification, the Lord can't get his hands on it.  He waits on our releasing a thing and truly turning it over to Him.  You aren't facing anything today that many others haven't already faced. The question is, what direction will you take? I encourage you to pause right now, pray and turn your situation over to the Lord.  Release it and let it go down the stream of forgiveness and healing.

2020 Christmas

• “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (NIV) Matthew 1:23

  
  
  2020 has been a wild ride! It has been a very stressful year with great challenges to walk free from anxiety and depression. A survey revealed 40% of those questioned admitted to an increase in depression due to Covid 19 and things pertaining to it.  11% said they had considered suicide because of it. One of the biggest causes of mental health problems is this outside force of unknown, potentially deadly virus attacking people around the world.  There is this helplessness, this loneliness and people struggle to cope.  As a follower of Jesus Christ we face the same disease and the ramifications of it.  It is easy to say, "well, Christians shouldn't be distressed or depressed by Covid." That is a very simplistic view and not valid.  Many Christians have been very ill including Pastors and some have died.  We are not exempt from the reality of the disease.  Denying the sickness or trying to survive through positive thinking isn't the answer.  The real cause of depression and other issues is that this pandemic can shake the equilibrium of your faith life.  When you lose your equilibrium or balance in life, you lose your footing.  When you lose your footing you can be manipulated away from faith and your dependence on God.  There was a time in history when the world was shaken, countries were dominated by the Roman Empire and faith was questioned.  Were the prophecies of old really true or were the people on their own to try to survive?  Was there any hope for the future? Then a star of hope appeared and a baby was born in a manger in Bethlehem. That Baby was the fulfillment of one of those ancient prophecies that had been questioned. The prophecy of Jesus said his prophetic name was Emmanuel.  That name means today what it meant back then. "GOD WITH US!"  That first Christmas meant that from that time forward things would be filled with hope.  This month we celebrate that same event.  Just as there was a lot of hopelessness then there has been in this year of 2020 as well.  The message of hope for us as we move into 2021 is that without any doubt, God is with us!  He hasn't forgotten us.  He is involved in our lives. He is involved in your life. We must lift our heads above the earth, above the statistics and look unto our heavenly hope and our daily deliverer.  His name is Jesus and he is waiting on us to strengthen our faith toward Him and his active involvement in our lives.  God is with us!  Our Lord is with us!
  
  
                                                   Merry Christmas!