The Choice is Ours!

 Choice is such a powerful thing that can lead to wonderful and positive change or can bring about a negative and destructive decline.  It happens in the individual life and it has happened in entire nations.

In the classic confrontation between the Prophet Elijah, the "450 prophets of Baal and other prophets that ate at Jezebel's table", Elijah introduced a powerful and confrontational choice.  Elijah shouted to all who could hear, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.  He gave them a choice.  It was a choice between the Prophet of God and the forces of Jezebel.  It was a choice between the righteousness of God and sinful passions of Jezebel.  It was a choice between those who chose to follow the Word of God or the changing culture of their day.  Of course, we know that the resulting challenge of Elijah to allow the one True God and the false gods of Jezebel to prove who is the true God worthy of worship and praise brought a remedy to the wickedness of the nation.  The power of Almighty God is always victorious over all forms of backsliding.  The people of God who always choose righteousness over wickedness will always prevail although they may suffer persecution for their choice.

I am not a Methodist but have preached in a number of Methodist Churches through the years.  I was always impressed by the doctrine and legacy of the Wesley brothers.  I remember preaching in one large Methodist Church where we had to have three consecutive altar calls to accommodate all the people wanting to kneel at the altar and experience a touch from God.  At another series of meetings in a smaller Methodist Church in a rural area, the people were so hungry for God to touch them that they were kneeling at the beautiful old wood altar, praying, weeping and some were falling backward as God touched them.  As I was ministering and watching what God was doing I thought, "this is real Methodism!"  This was the way it was in the beginning when John Wesley would ride his horse and preach with such power that thousands came to "watch him burn." Wesley offered a relationship with the living, life changing God and they hungered to experience Him.  They chose God over the world and a declining church of their day.

Today the United Methodist Church is ruptured.  There is the old name, United Methodist, and a new name Global Methodist Church.  The newer group,  Global Methodist Church, the real traditionalists are having to pay a price to continue to practice and preach the original Methodist doctrine and values.  Certainly, the ownership of properties, finances and retirement accounts are all involved, but the real choice that is having to be made is the same one called for by Elijah. "How long will you tarry between two opinions." There are a number of Methodist Seminaries that provide a channel to Methodist pulpits.  I have always been able to identify some Methodist preachers by the depth and spirituality of their preaching.  It was rich and deep and challenging as in the Methodist tradition.  As I found myself around more and more Methodists, I came to realize those I felt moved me were graduates of Asbury Seminary. Well, recently the rupture of the United Methodist Church has brought about a statement that implies that Asbury graduates will no longer be accepted in the United Methodist Church.  Incidentally, Asbury has produce more Methodist preaches than any other seminary.  Now, apparently, they won't be welcome any longer specifically because of their stance on sin and sexual sins in particularly, causing them to be outcasts.

Well, will the poor Asbury group be left out in the cold?  Will they be thrown on the heap as old fashioned and out of step with modern culture? I don't know about all that,  but I do know they made a choice. To follow God, His Word and his ways.  Is it just a remarkable coincidence that in the middle of all this, Revival happens at Asbury!  People are flooding there by the thousands to simply worship, pray, repent and sit in the Presence of God among them.  John Wesley, who was cast aside from the Church of England and assigned to the rural fields of England to preach, saw converts come to Christ by the thousands.

We have a choice today.  Join me in choosing Jesus and His never ending, life changing, supernatural power.     

The Positioning of the Lord

In a tennis lesson many years ago, the teaching pro called me to the net for some instruction.  One of the things he taught me was the importance of being in position to hit the next shot.  I was trying to get into position after he hit his shot, and, obviously, rather than hitting a good return shot, I was hitting reactionary shots.  Reactionary shots are hit with poor foot foundation, producing weak hits and mishits resulting in losing.  Bad positioning brings failure!  One of the big things you miss in tennis when you are out of position is bad focus and visual perspective.  That may sound complicated but it basically means, "you can't hit what you aren't seeing!"  The same is true in golf, which I have played much more than tennis, because I gave up on tennis!  Concentration is critical to playing your best.  But again, being in the right position has much to do with concentration, what you see,  and success.  

Nothing is more important in our walk with God than being in position.  Being in the right place at the right time is something we hear about people in all arenas of life and especially in their careers.  Someone will excel in an area or their careers will seem to explode into great success overnight.  Very few people get anywhere quickly or easily.  We tend to only see what appears to be instant success.  Yet, even though lifelong preparation and hard work lead to success, there is much to be said about being in the right place at the right time.  Hard work alone doesn't guarantee success.  You must be in position when the right moment arrives.  Now my point today.  Walking with God is much about allowing God to place us in position for His plan for our success. Notice I said, "His plan for our success."  None of us are smart enough or wise enough to see far enough down the road to be able to be in correct position for our next promotion.  Walking successfully with God is much more difficult than getting in position to hit the next tennis or golf shot.  We also don't see instantly if our positioning was successful or not, as in sports. 

When the Lord places us in His position, it is often designed to have us ready for an assignment down the road and not immediate.  As a matter of fact, one position may not be the real and final assignment for God's plan for our lives.  That temporary position can even seem difficult, and we often question these uncomfortable and unfulfilling assignments. Even as you are reading this, it is hard not to think of Joseph in the Bible.  He was sold into slavery by family in order that he might be in position to redeem them at a later date.  Some scholars call his story, "From Prisoner to Prince."  Can you imagine seeing everything you ever believed and hoped for fail and get worse?  Yet, Joseph remained focused not on his promotion or demotion but on knowing and hearing and obeying God. From that place of a surrendered life and love toward God, he was in position to accept his ultimate position of purpose when it came.  I wonder how many have given up before the promise and the purpose came?  Again, we must look hard at positioning in this lesson.  Positioning is dependent upon our ability to hear and obey much more than our need to understand.  Our insistence upon understanding can be a hindrance to correct positioning.  

Now a practical thought.  When Teresa and I moved to St. Augustine Beach, a part of the thought process was "hurricanes hit beaches."  While living at the beach is a wonderful experience there are negatives as well.  So, when storms come and you have to sandbag and run, there is a temptation to question where we live.  Yet, God had made it clear to both of us that this was His positioning.  Or, when you find yourself in spiritual situations where you wonder about your fruitfulness, you have to look back at your positioning. Today's position is determined by yesterday's positioning.  When the moment of God's unfolding plan  arrives, you must already be in position.  If you positioned yourself based upon what you wanted or what you thought rather than what God said, it's usually too late to get into position.  

As we enter a new year, it's always a good time to hold a personal inventory.  Begin this new year with a fresh commitment to seek and follow God's positioning.  Some may need to make some life adjustments to get there, but most will simply need to commit to a more sensitive hearing and being.  Then, when in position, be steadfast in that last word that you heard from Him and wait and serve in faith.  

Listening to Lies

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. - Jonah 2:8 KJV

These are the words of the prophet Jonah-the painful words of a man that has heard the voice and direction of God and run the other way.  Many times in my life and your life we have cried out to God for direction.  We have said, "I want to be a part of your increasing Kingdom.  I want to live in your anointing of the Holy Spirit and see the power and glory of God!"  Then, when the Lord spoke that directional word, did we obey Him with instant obedience? Did we recognize those marching orders as God's will for our lives or did we see it as too difficult?  Did we rejoice in the gift of a fresh commission or did it frighten us and appear  too hard to accomplish. It seems that most of the time when the Lord gives us our new orders, they are bigger than our faith.  We look out ahead toward the vision God has given us and we can only see our faith coming up short of finishing the task.  That is God allowing us to live in desperation and dependence upon his provision day by day.  

When we hear a fresh word from God, it almost always is frightening.  Thus, the temptation to run from it or more often we "dumb it down" to something we feel is more in our realm of faith.  Truthfully, God doesn't ask us to do what we can do.  He calls on us to do the impossible, that which is beyond our ability.  After a task is completed we should always look at the results and say, "only God could do that!"  That moment of hearing fresh direction from the Holy Spirit is a critical place.  What will we do when we see the potential of our failure looming in our future?  This was the dilemma of Jonah.  What did he do when his ears were still ringing with the words of God?  He ran!

I wonder how many earth shaking directional words from God have been abandoned by His servants?  What could be so powerful as to cause a believer to run from God? Lies!  Satan is the "father of lies."  The enemy of our souls and of Kingdom expansion on the earth tells lies to those who have the capacity to shake the world!  Jonah was a world shaker!  God saw that and gave him a call, a commission.  I can only imagine the lies that he heard.  "Who are you to preach to that great city Nineveh?  They will eat you alive!  God won't keep you from failing there!  God won't provide for you there!  You will be seen as a total failure if you obey.  People will honor you to your face but will despise you to your back!"  Yes, I can only imagine, but more than that, I have heard those words time and again and have had to do warfare against them.  When we hear those words we only have two choices, obey or run!  If we run because of a lie, we will learn to live on increasing lies.  Jonah, in the belly of a great fish, had run on lies until in God's faithfulness, he had nowhere else to run. Lies lead to deception!  Thank God Jonah came to himself as the prodigal son came to himself. He arose! From a dark place, he said in the early moments of his epiphany, "those who listen to lying vanities forsake their own mercies."  Those who believe the lies of the devil rather than the words of God abandon mercy.  There is no hope in a life of lies. He made a decision to leave sin and deception and embrace Truth.  As in all repentance, he made a life directional change and turned back to God and His plan for his life.  The result was success!  It was revival!  

I'm not sure where this word finds you today.  I have no idea what fears caused you to run from obedience to God and His plan for you.  But I do know that a simple heart and mind change regarding God always gets a redemptive response from your Heavenly Father!  Resist the lies and renounce them as being the lies that they are and believe God's wonderful Word. Embrace His plans for your life and mission.

False Teachers

"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.  1Ti 6:3-4 ESVThe Apostle Paul here addresses his concern for Church.  Then Jude, Jesus' half brother, writes "For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. - Jde 1:4 ESV

 False teachers and prophets are promised by the Scripture to be very active in the Church in the last days. It occurs to me as I write this that false teachers can only be effective among a weak church.  A Church that lives in and by the Word of God would not be so easily led away from the freedom of the Gospel.  However, when the pulpit bows to the shallowness of the congregation and leaves the meat of the word for pablum, it has a crippling effect on the Church. The Church is supposed to be a powerful force on the earth operating in the authority and power of God and His Kingdom. They are supposed to be made up of a "Kingdom of Priests." The Shepherd of a congregation is designed to teach and preach and to care for the flock of God.  He is to be like a traffic director managing the church, this Royal Priesthood, as it goes out in all directions having a saving influence upon a lost world. It is supposed to be so different from the world that it stands out like one standing in a spotlight.  This kind of Church would easily discern false prophets and teachers within a short period of time.  False teaching cannot gain control in a church filled with the Word of God and the light of the Holy Spirit.

Too many pulpits today bring forth too much, "Five suggestions for a happy life", rather than "take up your cross and follow me."  The latter is the revelation of the Lordship of Christ. Many teachers today preach a message of the "Lordship of Me".  "Give them what they want" is a prevailing unspoken motivation today.  Keep them happy and don't let them have a bad experience at Church. We must abandon giving them what they want and turn back to the life altering, often uncomfortable, message of the Lordship of Christ. "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, - 2Ti 4:3 ESV

False teaching promotes a false grace that ends up in carnality.  That word means "unbridled lust."  I have had the sad experience too many times of dealing with fallen leaders.  They almost always remain in the pulpit teaching long after they choose sin over righteousness. As soon as they become compromised, their message changes.  Now they instruct the Church, the Bride of Christ, from their own condition of heart.  They get more and more away from Truth and often the church follows them.  As the doorkeeper, whatever they allow in comes in.  It has been my experience in dealing with fallen leaders that the result is often fallen followers.  It is the "blind leading the blind."

In conclusion, how do we strengthen the church against wandering from the Truth into a false gospel of "anything goes."  Each member must live in and by the Word of God daily.  Reading and studying the Word builds a Holy Spirit impacted conscience and strong discernment that recognizes sin and shuns it.  It knows Truth and chooses it.  We will have false teachers more and more in these last days. The Bible promises us that.  However, the true Church, those that are living by faith and are looking for the return of Christ, will not only stand strong in the midst of false teaching but will also challenge false teachers. 

! Thessalonians 5:

12We ask you, brothers, 1 Cor. 16:18; Phil. 2:29 to respect those who labor among you and 1 Cor. 16:16; Heb. 13:17are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. See Mark 9:50Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish 2 Thess. 3:6, 7, 11 the idle,5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined  Isa. 35:4; [Heb. 12:12] encourage the fainthearted, Acts 20:35; See Rom. 15:1 help the weak, See 1 Cor. 13:4be patient with them all. 15See that 1 Pet. 3:9; See Rom. 12:17 no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always [Rom. 12:9]; See Gal. 6:10seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16Phil. 4:4Rejoice always, 17See Luke 18:1pray without ceasing, 18See Eph. 5:20give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19[1 Cor. 14:30; Eph. 4:30; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6]Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise See 1 Cor. 11:4prophecies, 21but 1 John 4:1; [Job 34:4]; See Eph. 5:10test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

23Now may See Rom. 15:33 the God of peace himself Ex. 31:13; John 17:17 sanctify you completely, and may your 2 Pet. 3:14; Jude 1 whole Luke 1:46, 47; Heb. 4:12; [1 Cor. 14:14] spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at See ch. 2:19the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24See 1 Cor. 1:9 He who calls you is faithful; [Phil. 1:6]he will surely do it.

Many of us have read and heard these verses so many times that we can quote them.  Actually, the 10 verses before, Paul is exhorting the Church (us)to be alert and to live alert lives every day.  He tells us that while Jesus will come as prophesied, as "a thief in the night", He won't catch us off guard as the world.  He actually writes that the church has "no need to have anything written to you" about the coming of the Lord!  The implication here is that the church to which he was writing was prepared and living an alert life ready for Jesus to return.  That is the assumption regarding the prepared Bride of Christ, the Church.  But is she prepared today?  Of course, even in the day Paul was writing, he follows those words with the verses which began this article.  He seems to have some concern.  As a spiritual father, he was saying, "I know you are living your lives in a way that reflects you are ready to meet Jesus but just as a reminder, let me exhort you a little more."  Now allow me to lift out some standout instructions from our text today.  

                                            OUR ACTIONS- What we must do.

1.    Respect your spiritual leaders. V.12-13 While we know that no one is perfect in their walk with the Lord, we are told to respect and honor those who are our leaders in the Church.  When we lose our respect for our leaders, any group will decay and become ineffective.  There must be a chain of command.

2.   Be at peace among ourselves.V.13  Unity is the atmosphere of power released from heaven.  It was the prerequisite of Pentecost.  Unity releases spiritual authority to accomplish Kingdom work and division withholds it.  

3.    Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak and be patient with them all.   In every group, we will have all these kinds of folks.  We aren't told to run them off but to take positive steps to bring them along.  It is hard when everyone is pulling together and working to fulfill our vision, and we see those not helping but hindering.  But we are a spiritual family.  We don't get to choose those who join us.  Actually the Bible says that it is "God who gives the increase."  What can we do?

"BE PATIENT WITH THEM ALL!"  That is really hard, but it is our marching orders.

4.    "Seek to do good to everyone."  We are told to avoid the worldly, natural temptation to withhold doing good to some or to have favorites.  It is so natural to live this way but our call is not the call of the wild but the call of heaven.  

5.    Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.  I didn't finish the verse.  It is completed with "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  This verse is the key to being able to do steps 1-4.  

6.    Do not quench the Spirit. Do not hinder, deny or work against the working of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the big things that frightens me most about voting in churches.  It is possible and has been done many times I'm sure, to vote down the will of Almighty God.  We have to be living in the daily presence of the Holy Spirit to discern and submit to the will of God. Of course, even in churches with a presbytery system of government, this same danger is present if the leaders are not walking in spiritual unity with the Lord and each other.  The life of the Church is dependent upon the Holy Spirit being in charge and free from our natural thinking limitations.  

7.    Do not despise prophecies.  This could be preaching and teaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but it can also be spiritually led words of instruction to leaders given directly from the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is filled with such examples.  Then comes the balance right on the heels of this instruction...

8.    Test Everything.  Every prophecy must be tested by the Scripture and the discernment of the leadership.  This is a big responsibility of church leadership. No one bringing a Word, whether in the pulpit or in a congregation, should ever be closed to correction. If you bring forth a "word" you feel is from God, you are finished now.  Your assignment is over. Now the system of the Holy Spirit working through leaders now must take Biblical action.  

9.    Abstain from every form of evil.  We must make moment by moment decisions to walk in the Lordship of Christ.  We must choose to refrain from every form of evil. It is usually a split second decision to choose God and reject sin.  Big sins always begin with small mental temptations.  We must choose Jesus.  

All these 9 things are choices we must make and follow.  As we do these things, God responds to our decisions as His disciples by:

                                            GOD'S ACTIONS

1.    God of peace sanctify you completely in spirit, soul and body.V.25. As we obey and choose the Lord, He releases grace to accomplish in us all we need to live Godly overcoming lives and complete the work he gives us to do. 

2.    We are kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul then declares triumphantly, "He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."

Our being prepared for the coming of the Lord is only possible because of our salvation through the Blood of Jesus, but our daily life and obedience to Him keeps us ready to meet Him!

God's Response To Our Obedience

! Thessalonians 5:

12We ask you, brothers, 1 Cor. 16:18; Phil. 2:29 to respect those who labor among you and 1 Cor. 16:16; Heb. 13:17are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. See Mark 9:50Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish 2 Thess. 3:6, 7, 11 the idle,5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined  Isa. 35:4; [Heb. 12:12] encourage the fainthearted, Acts 20:35; See Rom. 15:1 help the weak, See 1 Cor. 13:4be patient with them all. 15See that 1 Pet. 3:9; See Rom. 12:17 no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always [Rom. 12:9]; See Gal. 6:10seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16Phil. 4:4Rejoice always, 17See Luke 18:1pray without ceasing, 18See Eph. 5:20give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19[1 Cor. 14:30; Eph. 4:30; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6]Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise See 1 Cor. 11:4prophecies, 21but 1 John 4:1; [Job 34:4]; See Eph. 5:10test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

23Now may See Rom. 15:33 the God of peace himself Ex. 31:13; John 17:17 sanctify you completely, and may your 2 Pet. 3:14; Jude 1 whole Luke 1:46, 47; Heb. 4:12; [1 Cor. 14:14] spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at See ch. 2:19the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24See 1 Cor. 1:9 He who calls you is faithful; [Phil. 1:6]he will surely do it.

Many of us have read and heard these verses so many times that we can quote them.  Actually, the 10 verses before, Paul is exhorting the Church (us)to be alert and to live alert lives every day.  He tells us that while Jesus will come as prophesied, as "a thief in the night", He won't catch us off guard as the world.  He actually writes that the church has "no need to have anything written to you" about the coming of the Lord!  The implication here is that the church to which he was writing was prepared and living an alert life ready for Jesus to return.  That is the assumption regarding the prepared Bride of Christ, the Church.  But is she prepared today?  Of course, even in the day Paul was writing, he follows those words with the verses which began this article.  He seems to have some concern.  As a spiritual father, he was saying, "I know you are living your lives in a way that reflects you are ready to meet Jesus but just as a reminder, let me exhort you a little more."  Now allow me to lift out some standout instructions from our text today.  

                                            OUR ACTIONS- What we must do.

1.    Respect your spiritual leaders. V.12-13 While we know that no one is perfect in their walk with the Lord, we are told to respect and honor those who are our leaders in the Church.  When we lose our respect for our leaders, any group will decay and become ineffective.  There must be a chain of command.

2.   Be at peace among ourselves.V.13  Unity is the atmosphere of power released from heaven.  It was the prerequisite of Pentecost.  Unity releases spiritual authority to accomplish Kingdom work and division withholds it.  

3.    Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak and be patient with them all.   In every group, we will have all these kinds of folks.  We aren't told to run them off but to take positive steps to bring them along.  It is hard when everyone is pulling together and working to fulfill our vision, and we see those not helping but hindering.  But we are a spiritual family.  We don't get to choose those who join us.  Actually the Bible says that it is "God who gives the increase."  What can we do?

"BE PATIENT WITH THEM ALL!"  That is really hard, but it is our marching orders.

4.    "Seek to do good to everyone."  We are told to avoid the worldly, natural temptation to withhold doing good to some or to have favorites.  It is so natural to live this way but our call is not the call of the wild but the call of heaven.  

5.    Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.  I didn't finish the verse.  It is completed with "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  This verse is the key to being able to do steps 1-4.  

6.    Do not quench the Spirit. Do not hinder, deny or work against the working of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the big things that frightens me most about voting in churches.  It is possible and has been done many times I'm sure, to vote down the will of Almighty God.  We have to be living in the daily presence of the Holy Spirit to discern and submit to the will of God. Of course, even in churches with a presbytery system of government, this same danger is present if the leaders are not walking in spiritual unity with the Lord and each other.  The life of the Church is dependent upon the Holy Spirit being in charge and free from our natural thinking limitations.  

7.    Do not despise prophecies.  This could be preaching and teaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but it can also be spiritually led words of instruction to leaders given directly from the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is filled with such examples.  Then comes the balance right on the heels of this instruction...

8.    Test Everything.  Every prophecy must be tested by the Scripture and the discernment of the leadership.  This is a big responsibility of church leadership. No one bringing a Word, whether in the pulpit or in a congregation, should ever be closed to correction. If you bring forth a "word" you feel is from God, you are finished now.  Your assignment is over. Now the system of the Holy Spirit working through leaders now must take Biblical action.  

9.    Abstain from every form of evil.  We must make moment by moment decisions to walk in the Lordship of Christ.  We must choose to refrain from every form of evil. It is usually a split second decision to choose God and reject sin.  Big sins always begin with small mental temptations.  We must choose Jesus.  

All these 9 things are choices we must make and follow.  As we do these things, God responds to our decisions as His disciples by:

                                            GOD'S ACTIONS

1.    God of peace sanctify you completely in spirit, soul and body.V.25. As we obey and choose the Lord, He releases grace to accomplish in us all we need to live Godly overcoming lives and complete the work he gives us to do. 

2.    We are kept blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul then declares triumphantly, "He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."

Our being prepared for the coming of the Lord is only possible because of our salvation through the Blood of Jesus, but our daily life and obedience to Him keeps us ready to meet Him!

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.