The Stumbling of Unbelief, Hope For Believers, and Prayer for Our Time

 Romans 9:33 CSB

As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.

At the end of Chapter 9 we see Paul quote two passages from Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16.

In Isaiah 8 we see that the people of Judah have rejected God and are about to go into captivity (Isaiah 8:6-8). At this point the northern part (Israel) is divided from Judah. It is interesting to note some of the parallels between this time and Romans 9. Israel has rejected Christ just as Israel and Judah had rejected God at the during of the period of kings. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 BC and the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD.

This is a Prophetic word that contrasts believing Jews from unbelieving Jews. The unbelieving Jews are caught up in fear and conspiracy theories (Isaiah 8:12). Believing Jews are not to fear what unbelieving Jews fear. Rather they are to hold God in awe (Isaiah 8:13). For the believing Jews God is a sanctuary, but for the unbelieving Jews (Israel and Judah) God is a “stumbling stone,” “snare,” and “trap” (Isaiah 8:14-15).

This is important on two levels. First it helps us to understand exactly what Paul is talking about in Romans 9. The “stumbling stone” quote is clearly referencing unbelieving Jews. If we take that in the context of what Paul has already said then it seems pretty clear that Paul was addressing the issue of unbelieving Jews of his day (Romans 9:2-5).

The second important truth is related to our current cultural moment. We live in a time of great anxiety. We see many parallels with the end of the time of the kings of Israel and Judah. Everyone is doing their own thing; unrighteousness seems to be the norm. The leaders vacillate between following God and following their own sinful and selfish ends. Nearly all the time leaders follow unrighteousness. People are given to conspiracy and fear. People try to make plans for how things ought to be and will be which do not turn out.

What is God’s admonition to the believing Jews of Isaiah’s time and to believers of our time? Recognize God’s judgment is coming and is unavoidable (Isaiah 8:6-9) (Though it might be delayed if we repent 1 Kings 21:27-29). Don’t become caught up in conspiracy (Isaiah 8:12). Fear God and not the world (Isaiah 8:13). Enter the sanctuary of God (Isaiah 8:14). Tie yourself to the Word of God and teach the word of God to fellow believers (Isaiah 8:16). Wait upon the Lord while it would appear that He is hiding himself (Isaiah 8:17). Wait upon the Lord!

We must be the light of hope to a world that is tearing itself apart. We cannot pollute ourselves with the ungodly fear, conspiracy, and terror that characterizes our current times. We need to turn from sin and selfish desires. We must fear God not the world. We need to become so familiar with the Bible that it is tied to our thoughts and conscience daily. We must love those that hate us.  We must build up and not tear down our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must wait and rest upon the security we find in Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father. We have sinned against You and Your Holy Word. We have trusted in men when we ought to have trusted in You. We have been given to fear and faithlessness. We have polluted our minds with all manner of filth and vile things. We have neglected your word. We have hated those we ought to have loved. We have created division where we ought to have been peacemakers. We bite and devour each other to pursue self-righteous ends. Oh God You are Justified to Judge us with the full weight of Your wrath. We are dust. Forgive us Oh Lord. We cannot endure the full weight of your fury. We will be swept up and destroyed by the brightness of Your Glory. We appeal Lord to Your Grace. We call upon Your Mercy. We confess to You that we have polluted our garments. Help us Lord by the power of Your Holy Spirit to turn back to right living. Help us Lord in our fear and lack of faith to be restored in the confidence of our Lord. Bring unity and not division to your people. Help us to live out the building of each other up in Love. Oh God hide us in the Sanctuary of Your presence. In this moment Lord, the moment that you have called us to, empower us to live as your people even as the world seems to tear itself down around us. Be our hope, be our joy, be our love.

In Jesus Name

AMEN

 

Christ’s Love Christ’s Friend

 

This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:12–14

Our love for one another is modeled by Christ.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for us in that he died so that we could have salvation and sanctification of our souls.  This sacrifice is an act of love that establishes each person who puts faith in Christ as Christ’s friend.  Jesus is making this connection that his love leads him to lay his life down.  He then makes the connection that we are to love one another if we are his friend.  Taken to the next step then to love one another in the greatest way possible Jesus, by implication, is saying we ought to lay our lives down for each other. 

When make a sacrifice to others then this is the highest form of love. Sacrifice is hard.  Often our flesh does not want to give up self-centered pursuits.  When we love our selves or when we love the worldly pleasures then we do not have this self-sacrificing love that Jesus is calling us to.  We have a higher calling and ought to be following the example of Christ in this way. 

Let put the challenge to you this way.  Get some time alone to pray to God.  Ask Him, “Lord show me what sacrifices I need to make and how I need to lay my life down in order to love those around me in such a way that it glorifies You and advances Your cause and purpose in my life and in the lives of others.”  Be prepared then to sacrifice self will and selfish pleasures in order to fulfill Christ’s purpose of friendship and love in your life. 

God Bless You

~BJ Olson

Intercession of the Bread of God

Once again the people of Israel were complaining. This time it was 45 days since leaving Egypt. They had received water, but were now running out of food. The greater need was a lack of faith. God was about to give them an object lesson that was going to last for then next 40 years that would be repeated every day as a reminder of God's faithfulness, that they might grow in their faith.

Moses returned to God. A person involved in the ministry of intercession is unceasingly connected to God through prayer and meditation on God's Word. It is the very breath of his/her spiritual life. When things go well she prays with thankfulness and praising. When things go poorly he humbly brings the need before the Lord. God tells Moses that He plans to feed the people supernaturally.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days."
Exodus 16:4-5 (HCSB)

Notice that the gathering of bread had very specific instructions. At times there is a specific thing that God calls us to. Often that thing goes against what our natural mind will understand. Yet if we have faith then we will obey. It is not works that makes our faith great. It is works that show our great faith. That is why James says faith without works is dead by itself (James 2:17). So in this case God very clear gathering instructions. What is even more interesting is the consequence if the instructions were not followed.

But they didn't listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them.
Exodus 16:20 (HCSB)
For six days you may gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none." Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep My commands and instructions?
Exodus 16:26-28 (HCSB)

In the ministry of intercession it will require you to pass along the specific instructions that God is requiring of others. Most of these instructions are found in the Bible. It is the Word of God that is useful for teaching and instruction. A minister of intercession must have a good working knowledge of the Word of God. Without this knowledge you cannot be sharing what God is saying. God is not a mute in matters of life. His word must be written upon your heart.  What is more a servant of God must point others to the Word of God.  That they also may have His Word written upon their hearts.

It is clear that you are Christ's letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.
2 Corinthians 3:3 (HCSB)
I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.
Psalms 119:11 (HCSB)

Seeking the direction from the Lord requires communication with the Lord. There are two primary ways that God communicates with His people: His Word, and Prayer! In seeking the Lord Moses learned a couple of things. First he learned about what God was doing and how the Israelites were to respond. He also learned something about the ministry of intercession.

...for He has heard the complaints that you are raising against Him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord."
Exodus 16:8 (HCSB)

Moses learned that the complaining was against God and not against himself or Aaron. When you are in the ministry of intercession you become a target of others complaints. There is a subtle shift of blame. I think people feel guilty to complain about God, so they more readily blame His spokesperson. Yet God made it clear to Moses that the people were in fact complaining against God. This in a negative way demonstrates that the minister of intercession is nothing by himself. It is God who intercedes and it is God's timing that the intercession occurs. When we take things personally when representing God we need to examine whether we are grieved because God is grieved or are we subtle buying into the idea that "I did this for God." There can be pride there which then will lead to ungodly action. More on this in a future post.

We see the pattern that I mentioned in a previous post: Recognize the need (Exodus 16:2-3), bring the need before the Lord (Exodus 16:4), listen for what God was doing (Exodus 16:4-5), obey what God asked (Exodus 16:6-11), wait upon the Lord (Exodus 16:13-15), and praise the Lord for His provision (Exodus 16:33-34).

Obedience for Moses was to call the people to obedience. Notice just because Moses called the people to obedience did not mean that they were obedient (most did, some did not). Those that did not obey experienced the consequences of their disobedience. Moses could not intercede for them. Notice also how disobedience grieves the Heart of God and the heart of His servant Moses.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep My commands and instructions?"
Exodus 16:28 (HCSB)
Therefore Moses was angry with them.
Exodus 16:20 (HCSB)

To the people the bread was Manna which literally means "whatness" (Exodus 16:31).

"What is for breakfast?"
"What!"
"I said what is for breakfast?"
"and I said what!"
"I want to know what it is?"
"Yes that is right!"
"What is right?"
"Exactly!"

So to the people it was a mysterious substance that came down in the morning dew. However Moses had a different take. To Moses it was "... the bread the Lord has given you to eat (Exodus 16:15)." As you mature in the ministry of intercession what was once a mystery will become the very bread of God spiritual food for the soul.

Jesus said to them, "I assure you: Moses didn't give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then they said, "Sir, give us this bread always!" "I am the bread of life," Jesus told them. "No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again."
John 6:32-35 (HCSB)

Notice Jesus' words. He points out that God is the one that interceded. He also draws the connection to his own ministry. Jesus is our bread of life. To others He is a mystery. To believers He has been revealed as the Bread of Life. As believers we have a duty to first feast on the Bread of Life daily, recognize the greatest need of others is to have this bread, go to God in prayer over this need, listen for what God is doing in their lives, obey God by speaking (or doing) what He is revealing, waiting on the Lord for the results, and Praising Him when others come to know Him as the Bread of Life! This is the ministry of intercession.

If you have the Bread of Life then I pray that you would continue to grow in your spiritual walk so as to become the servant of God and minister in Jesus' name.  If you do not have the Bread of Life, would you consider the offer of life that is before you right now.  God desires for you to have it.  Yours is to receive it with thankfulness. 

God Bless You

~BJ

Related articles

• We are His Servants God is Our Intercessor (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• From Bitterness to Sweetness (Prayer and Intercession) (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Aligning with God (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• I Did Not Expect That (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Missing the Mark with Intercession (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Ministry of Intercession? (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Petitions and Intercessions (How to pray) (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)

From Bitterness to Sweetness (Prayer and Intercession)

The work of intercession is rarely inactive. In fact on the heals of a great movement of God there can still be great challenges. Moses was not immune to this.

Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water. They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter-that is why it was named Marah. The people grumbled to Moses, "What are we going to drink?" So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable. He made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah and He tested them there.
Exodus 15:22-25 (HCSB)

After crossing the Red Sea and journeying for three days the camp was running out of water. So they had been on foot for 10 days in the wilderness. Water for that many people was a very serious issue. Then when they find water it is bitter so they cannot drink, it is understandably discouraging to the natural man. One might suggest that three days after a great miracle of God would hardly be the time to start complaining. But in reality in the United States we live in one of the most affluent cultures in human history, yet we complain right along with the best of them. I believe it is in our nature to complain. Also being in the wilderness without water is a very serious issue. You can go a while without food, but you will not live long without water. So their need was very real. However, complaining was not going to solve their bitterness.  If anything it would only increase it!

To the spiritual man, a man of faith there is only one option.  Go to God!  Notice Moses' response to the people's grumbling. He prayed, listened, obeyed, waited on the Lord, praised and glorified God. Moses cried out to the Lord. God gave him instructions. Moses followed the instructions. Moses watched as God healed the waters. It is not specifically recorded that they worshiped and glorified God, but the name Jehovah Ropha (The Lord that Heals) can be a very worshipful name. I would also like to point out that the name makes it clear who gets the credit here. God healed the the water, not some magic at the hands of Moses, not some clever understanding of the properties of the branch. No, to be clear, God interceded, Moses' role was to bring the petition to God and follow obediently what God was showing him. Such is the way of the minister of intercession. We bring the need before the Lord, obey what God says to us, and glorify God for the outcome.

Notice that last phrase, "He (God) tested them there." It was a test of obedience (Exodus 15:26). What is more it was obedience leading to greater faith and greater blessing. They obeyed by faith what God called on them to do, God healed the water, they grew in faith, and God led them to a oasis in the midst of the desert (Exodus 15:27). God could have led them straight to the oasis, but they would have not noticed nor would it have strengthened their faith.

See in our own lives we have to accept the bitter moments along with the sweet moments. If we only long for the sweet moments and are discouraged by the bitter moments we will not grow in our faith. We become spoiled and take God for granted. But if we can learn to trust and obey God in the bitter moments then He will heal the bitterness and lead us into greater blessing. One thing to keep in mind in light of eternity our bitterness is only temporary. The blessing of God is eternal.

It has come to my awareness that some of the mightiest prayer warriors are some of the most humble people I have met. The are regularly glorifying God for what he has done in their lives and in the lives of others. To my shame I have doubted their praises when a natural explanation has been obvious to me. See at that time I was looking with natural eyes.

"Lord pull back the veil that I might see Your mighty works and appreciate Your healing hand. In Jesus Name AMEN"

~BJ

Related articles

• We are His Servants God is Our Intercessor (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• I Did Not Expect That (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Aligning with God (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Missing the Mark with Intercession (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)

Petitions and Intercessions (How to pray)

I need to make sure that I clarify something. It is possible to take away from my last several posts that petitions before God are of not of use. Nothing can be further from the truth. God acts based on our asking. We ought to go to God in prayer, but when we go we also ought to know what we are praying for (or else praying in the Spirit) and we ought to expect that we (the one offering the petition) will be changed in our hearts or our action. If these expectations are not a part of prayer then we are passive in our prayer and it is more likely that our relationship with God is about as intimate as with a waiter that takes our order at a restaurant. I want more! "Jesus give me more. Pour out Your Holy Spirit!"

Sometimes ministry of intercession requires you to not just take prayer requests at face value. How often I have heard a request, "Please pray for (fill in the name here) they are really struggling." Now I respect if someone asks for privacy in the matter so I am not against that. However, I have no idea what I am to pray for. "God please help them." That seems a silly prayer. If they are a believer He already is doing this. "God please relieve his struggling." Perhaps struggling is part of God's plan. In this case I am praying against God's will. I know that will not be productive. I can only pray in the Spirit at this point because I do not have enough information to offer a petition to God.

Let me give you an example that happened in a prayer meeting just the other day. I am going to leave the names out to respect privacy, but I think it really illustrates what I am trying to get at.

"Please pray for Jane Doe. Her family is very mean to her."
"What is going on?"
"They write mean letters to her, it hurts her, and she does not no what to do?"
"She should stop reading the letters."
"She keeps the letters as evidence for no contact orders."
"Why is she reading the letters?"
"She does not know what to do and she has no support from her family."
Praying in the Spirit, "What does this woman need?"
Spirit to my spirit very clear "What about Spiritual Family?"
"Does she fellowship with other believers?"
"No, She is a Christian."
"Does she go to church?"
"No, but she is a Christian and attends some Bible Studies."

Now the conversation ended shortly after this point and we moved on to other requests, but now I know exactly what to pray for (Conviction to find a fellowship and discernment to choose the right one) and hopefully the friend of Jane Doe has something to recommend to her the next time she talks with her friend. Notice how different the focus would be than if I just took the request at face value. The ministry of intercession is much more active than traditionally conceived. We have to be engaged spiritually.

"Lord help me move from a prayer list mentality to a prayer life mentality. In Jesus Name AMEN"

~BJ

---

Related articles

• We are His Servants God is Our Intercessor (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Ministry of Intercession? (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Missing the Mark with Intercession (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)
• Aligning with God (bjs-spot.blogspot.com)

Ministry of Intercession?

Intercessory Prayer as it has been traditionally conceived is somewhat silly. It is as if we can get the right person, or enough people to pray to God that some how He will be moved to show mercy and grace. "Why does that seem silly?" you ask. Well God knows all things. He knows before you ask what you are going to ask. What is more He already knows how it is going to turn out.

So as I reflect on the ministry of being an intercessor I believe that there is something much greater than simply giving God your wish list for yourself or others. There must be some other purpose that is fulfilled by this action that changes ourselves and/or others. As I reflect on this I begin to see that Intercessory Prayer is much greater than simply saying some words on behalf of another person before God. In fact it begins to seem quite arrogant on my part to think that my praying to God will be instrumental to God having a favorable disposition toward a family member or friend.

We need to take a serious look at what exactly we are praying for. Does it fit with God's will? How do we discern what God's will is? What is getting in the way for this person that is keeping God from answering his/her own heart prayer? It is not just that we might get some favor from God, but what is it that God is trying to do in this person's life that will lead to greater Glory for God and/or lead this person into greater intimacy with the creator of the universe. In some ways the things we pray for usually become somewhat trivial when compared to the greater experience of our relationship with God.

For Example: What if God was working through a painful life experience to bring about a greater good in your friend�s life? By praying for that painful experience to be removed we are praying outside of God's will. It would be presumptuous for me to think that God's working through this experience was some how less important than my desire to see it removed. Some people are shocked when they hear people say things like "Maybe God has a plan for good through this." We tend to think of God being instrumental in the lovely and beautiful things in life, but we tend to think of evil and ugly things in life as being accidental or random. Why? I think it is to settle our dissonance that God allows evil things to happen. When evil is random I can hold onto the image of a loving and compassionate god with my faculties of reason. When evil has purpose, then it is a bit harder to consider questions like, "Why did God allow this?" Holding on to a loving and compassionate God defies reason and becomes an act of faith. Not that God is unreasonable, but that in our limited finite ability to understand it seems unreasonable. We don't see the end of things, but in time this will be revealed to us. Ours is to trust and have faith in the mean time.

So then at the extreme limits of intercessory prayer we have to consider that God may have a purpose for pain and suffering that is redemptive and not just some random event as a result of living in a fallen world. If we can identify ourselves with the purpose of God, that is to align ourselves with his will and purpose then we are in a position to enter the ministry of intercessor. Up until that point we are merely offering up a wish list to a Divine Grandfather, but not the true image of God. Those are hard words. Many will shriek away from this statement, but then it is possible that not all people are called to be intercessors in this way.

So what can we say then? Intercessory is not wishing people out of their painful circumstances. It is not a heavenly to do list for God. It is not the arrogant belief that my will can somehow prevail over God's will. So what can we say that it is? I will be doing more posts on this but I have a few points I would like to make before the close of this post. First to be an intercessor you have to align you will with God's not the other way around. Second, you have to realize that in fact there is only one intercessor who is Jesus Christ. Thirdly, it may seem contradictory to say "to be an intercessor" and then say "there is only one intercessor." What I am trying to convey is that there is a ministry under the divine authority of the one true intercessor Jesus Christ. Apart from this it our intercession will be fruitless and frankly pointless.

Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.
Romans 8:34 (HCSB)

I would urge all of you to read all of Romans 8! I chose to highlight a few verses in that chapter because it speaks to our role in intercession. First I want to point out that Jesus at the right hand of God intercedes for us. He intercedes for the believer and has audience with God the Father. I cannot think of any position that can replace or compare to this office. If I have a intercessor that is at the right hand of God (and is God) then I do not need anyone else to be my intercessor. I would just go to Him. I should just go to Him.

But then what is the ministry of intercession then?

In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit's mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27 (HCSB)

I want to draw your attention to a couple of things in this verse.

First that the Spirit of God intercedes according to the will of God. That may seem a minor point, but it is not. The Holy Spirit acts in accord with God the Father, and the Son Jesus Christ. This unity (both in person, but also in purpose) is the essence of the ministry of intercession that the Holy Spirit holds. He acts according to the will of God.

Secondly, we are weak and in that weakness we need the help of the Holy Spirit, because we don't know what to pray for. I would say that the greatest reason is that we do not know the will of God.

The relationship looks like this then: God the Father is the King of the universe, Christ is our advocate interceding between God and ourselves, and the Holy Spirit carries out the ministry of intercession by divine decree.

We join in the ministry of intercession as we align our will with God's will. When we do not know what God is doing then we allow the Holy Spirit to be our voice and intercede according to the will of God. In this process then one can expect that we can align with God's will. Our job then is not to be the intercessor, but rather to carry out the ministry of the one true intercessor. It is a "What would Jesus do?" except on a far deeper spiritual level. That is not just in action, but obedience at a heart and spiritual level. That obedience has to first affect the one would carry out this ministry long before that person can possibly hope to be a positive influence on others.

This is a very wordy post. I hope that I have not confused you more. I will spend some time in my next posts fully developing my understanding of this ministry as well as providing some examples of what it looks like. Maybe through this I can be able to share with you what God is putting on my heart.

God Bless You

~BJ

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Sermon: The Time is Now (7/11/10)

Here is my sermon from last Sunday.  I am working on some posts about anger.  But it is taking longer to develop than other posts.  I expect I will have some of them out by the weekends.  God bless you all.

Audio: The Time is Now

Text:

A recent letter to Reverend Billy Grahm reads

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Does anybody really believe in the devil anymore? You wrote something in your column recently that made me think you did, but I thought that kind of thinking went out with the Middle Ages. — R.C.L.

DEAR R.C.L.: It has been said that one of Satan's most successful strategies is to convince people that he doesn't even exist. Another surely must be to make people believe that he is simply a harmless, comic character (with, for example, a pitchfork and a red suit)...

...Yes, Satan is real, and we see evidence of his evil workings every day. How else can you explain the irrational acts of violence and terrorism that ravage our world? How else can you explain the way we fall for his temptations, although we know they'll only bring us disaster?

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/09/2073663/billy-graham-satan-is-real-and.html#ixzz0tNoq6t49

Evil Exists

We should not be surprised when we hear of evil things and evil people. We are often shocked and terrorized by evil. However evil permeates our very existence. Laws are not made for people who keep the law, but for those that break the law. The reality of evil is so strong that we do not even need to get beyond ourselves to come face to face with the reality of evil.

So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me.
Romans 7:21 (HCSB)

However Paul gives a cure for this:

All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons.
Romans 8:14 (HCSB)

Being led by the Spirit of God is our cure for evil. However, there are many who reject the offer of salvation through Christ that do not have the Spirit of the living God. For them evil is a very present reality that holds the the distinct possibility that their actions will be at least influenced by, and often controlled by evil. Over time we are lulled to sleep by those in power making us unaware of this very present evil that touches us everyday. The evil exists. It exists in many forms! We can not be unaware of this fact.

We also cannot be fearful of this fact. That evil exists there can be no question, but fearing evil can be equally damaging to our calling and mission. If you fear evil you will be sidelined and ineffective for God. God has a plan and purpose for your life. If you fear evil you will never accomplish that purpose in my opinion. Ours is fearless pursuit or at least it should be.

Don't get me wrong there is fear, but not of evil. We ought to fear God. God is awesome in power. He strengthens the feeble. He appoints the rising and falling of nations. His power sustains our very existence. We are held in the palm of His hands. We are here out of the goodness of His grace. The blast of His breath would completely annihilate all of existence. His power, His Majesty, His righteousness, His piercing knowledge is what we ought to fear. These minor evils that so hold our attention are nothing absolutely nothing compared to the awesome power of almighty God.

Jesus said:

Don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28 (HCSB)

Yes we ought to fear God and not evil.

So how can we deal with evil? First we must realize that there is not only evil, but there are evil men as well. That is not to say all that do evil are hopelessly evil there is time to repent and turn to God. There are a class of men that have given themselves to evil. That is to say they have embraced evil with the full knowledge of evil. They are not deceived as much as they are simply rebellious. These men and women come from all walks of life. Some are poor, some are rich, some are pleasant and nice, some are mean and gruff, some will flatter you with pleasant sayings, some will curse you with vulgar words, Some will look like the very image of perfect love, some will pour out venomous hate. These men and women are destined for destruction. They have an appetite for violence. This violence is not always physical, at times it is emotional, psychological, but it is always spiritual. Spiritual violence is there creed. They twist the goodness of God in order that God would be seen as evil and man as good. At times they are very stealthy and proclaim God, but upon closer examination the God they claim is not really God, but simply and extension of the evil that is in their souls.

Sometimes this special class of evil humans penetrate the very walls of our churches.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them. They will exploit you in their greed with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
2 Peter 2:1-3 (HCSB)

These false prophets and false teachers will lead many astray. It is not those lead astray that bear the greater guilt of evil committed, but those that are especially evil and false that will face greater destruction in God's judgment. It is hard though, because at times the false teachers and false prophets seem like the nicest people in the world. How could they do so much good and yet be false. Their intent is not on leading others to the Lord, but rather on a personal lust for money, power, or praise of men. It looks good on the surface, but in their hearts is a great wickedness. We cannot be for one moment be held in the captivating speeches of these evil men and women. We must be with great clarity of thought, strength of wisdom, recognize the very lies that pour from their mouths. The sewage that is their teachings cannot be tolerated no matter how sweet they make it sound. Sewage is sewage no matter how sweet.

We must at first be willing to break with all that is false in ourselves. But there is a great lie, great deception that seeks to destroy the very core of God's Church, to destroy the foundation of this living body, to soil the wedding garment of the Bride of Christ. My dear friends if you did not know it already we are are war with this evil. Its desire is to destroy us. Evil knows that if good is out of the way then it will reign. The deception is quite simple. It is a dagger pulled from the very scriptures themselves. It his put on by these hateful, deceiving lying murderous evil men and women. Yet is sounds a pure as the whitest of whites. Do you want to know what it is?

God teaches us to not judge others.

If you have sympathy for this statement, then let me tell you as plainly as I can, "Repent or be destroyed by this utterly false belief." If you do not feel a sense of revulsion at the belief that "God teaches us to not judge others" then I say it is time to wake up, open your eyes, and get angry! The devil has had a great sway over the church in this one belief. It has become the center piece of Christianity in the United States. Yet the premise to not judge is completely illogical. I would go so far as to say the only way to not judge is to be dead. Our brains are completely incapable of not judging. You might find a few Buddhists that will claim that they have achieved this state, and yet if you spend any time with them at all you will find they too judge. Judging is a very core of conscious awareness. So why would Jesus make such an outrageous statement to not judge? The plain truth is that he did not. In fact the passage that is most often quoted as the central teaching of "do not judge" is not really about judging, it is about hypocrisy.

This is what the false teacher will say to you:

Do not judge, so that you won't be judged (Matthew 7:1).

Seems pretty straight forward. It is Christ saying plainly to not judge. What the problem is that the verse has been taken out of context. What these false teachers will conveniently leave out is in verse five.

Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Matthew 7:5 (HCSB)

Jesus was not condemning judging. It was hypocrisy that was his focus. Jesus is plainly saying that to judge others you must have first examined your own life and got that right. Once you have examined and removed sin from your own life, then you will be able to help others with sin in their own lives. You see Jesus turns judgement into a loving act in which you take care of your sin in order that you can help others. Strange that we do the exact opposite. In our effort to avoid being judgmental we avoid helping others. You see that is the trick. If you do not judge, you do not see, if you do not see, you cannot help, If you do not help you cannot love. Love is the way. Jesus loves you too much too leave you in sin. We ought to do likewise.

Shocking isn't it. If you are brave enough can you raise your hands if at any point in your life you believed that the Bible taught us to not judge others. I know I have. Yet this is just one teaching among many that these evil false prophets and teachers are pouring out into mainstream Christianity in the United States and around the world.

I want to draw your attention to one more thing before moving on. In this same passage that is often quoted as saying God teaches us to not judge Jesus says:

Don't give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.
Matthew 7:6 (HCSB)

Two things:

One, if God teaches us to not judge then how in the world can we determine if someone is a dog or a pig. The teaching contradicts itself and is therefore complete nonsense.

Two, Jesus seems to be saying that our judgment ought to be reserved for those that are like us seeking to get sin out of our lives. Those that are dogs and pigs ought to be avoided all together.

Evil can also manifest itself in government. You see government is the power over people. And evil power hungry people will use government to carry out their evil plans. We need to recognize that it is not the government itself that is evil, but rather becomes evil when disreputable men usurp it's authority. When these men and women hold positions of power we are not to fear. We are called to witness.

You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. But when they hand you over, don't worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.
Matthew 10:18-20 (HCSB)

When evil men use government to destroy us their intent is overcome. Why? By bringing us to the public square we have been given a greater audience than if we simply remained quiet in our homes. Government is the servant of God, so when evil men use it to advance their agenda it will always fail. Our job as believers is to stick to the message and not be turned. We do this by trusting in God. I think of the Prophet Daniel at this point. There were evil men that intended to use the government to destroy him by setting him up. How did Daniel respond? He kept on doing what he had always done and trusted God. As a result he was given a platform to speak the words of God that was much wider than he had before these evil hateful murderers started. He even may have had the opportunity to witness to the king in the process.

The wonderful truth in all of this is that the Holy Spirit of God is there with us giving us the words to speak when that time comes. We are simply a vessel that carries God's message to the nations. He never leaves or forsakes us. If they mock us then we will draw the attention of others, if they fine us we will see a flood of financial support, if they take us to court Christ will be our attorney and they will stand condemned. If they imprison us our followers will grow in number. If they murder us our voice will scream from the grave robbing our enemies of sleep and encouraging the faithful to greater works that we could imagine doing on our own.

Do you get it dear friends? There is nothing that evil can do to triumph over us when God is on our side. There is no thing that can silence the Holy Spirit of God from taking the message to the world. We have nothing to fear. However:

If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited.
Proverbs 24:10 (HCSB)

Doing nothing is limiting according to God's Word. He has a plan for us we are to:

Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter.
Proverbs 24:11 (HCSB)

We are on a mission to rescue lost, dying, deceived souls. We have a responsibility to love hurting and suffering people. Their very lives depend on our faithfulness to the cause. We have a high responsibility to accomplish the task. Ignorance is no excuse:

If you say, "But we didn't know about this," won't He (God) who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work?
Proverbs 24:12 (HCSB)

Brother's Sisters it is time to get out of our complacency, our comfort, our easy living. Wake up there is a war going on here and our time to act is now. No excuses.

"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:62 (HCSB)

What is to be our response to evil? Jesus said:

Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.
Matthew 10:16 (HCSB)

The serpent always symbolizes Satan from the beginning of the Bible to the end. It seems a strange thing for Jesus to say that we need to be like Satan in some way. However, if you have any military background at all you will understand that Jesus is saying that we must think like our enemy. It is not a pleasant exercise, but we must begin to think if I was evil, what would be the best way in infiltrate and destroy my life, the life of my family, the life of my church, the power structure of education, government, religion. You many not want to bear the thought, but the fact is that the Satan and the forces of evil in this world are planning your, our destruction. He is actively looking for a way to either destroy you, sideline you, or render your walk with God ineffective. When Jesus says to be as shrewd as serpents" He is plainly telling us to think like the enemy. We need to understand his ways. Why? If we do not then we will be caught unaware in evil's trap.

Yet harmless as doves. The Dove in the New Testament is a very obvious symbol of the Holy Spirit. In our understanding the enemy and nature of evil there is a risk of becoming like them. Our protection is the connection to the Holy Spirit of God. We cannot fall into using evil to overcome evil. That also is a trick of the Devil. If evil can sway you to act evil then it will gladly sacrifice itself for the greater victory of having you destroyed, sidelined, or ineffective. We must allow the love of God to flow through us by His Spirit. Our understanding needs to be as wise as our evil enemy, yet holding on the righteousness of God. Our knowledge of good and evil needs to be an awareness of evil yet unmoved to join it, but rather be in the place of guidance by the goodness of God. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. The word harmless in the Greek is a-ke-rai-os. The "a" prefix means "not." The keraios means mingled or filled. So in understanding this statement Jesus appears to be saying to understand evil as Satan understands evil, not mingling or filled with it even as the Holy Spirit understands evil yet is not mingling with or filled with it.

My dear friends. We cannot miss this point. That we are to understand evil yet be separate from it is of highest important. We can lose the battle at two points. If we do not understand evil then we will be ambushed by it. When we understand evil then we can see it coming and plan a Holy Spirit directed counter attack. We can also loose this battle at another point. We cannot We must not we have to determine in our hearts that we will not mingle with or be filled with evil. We need to turn from, remove, kill, destroy the evil that is in our lives.

Are you ready? Are you willing?

If this sermon seems militant to you it is because it is militant. I will not apologize for the forcefulness. If this word is too hard for you then please try to stay out of the way. We have precious little time to be spreading the gospel of God accepts you just the way you are and God teaches us to not judge other. Don't you get it? There is no power in that gospel. Those that preach it do so to there own destruction. The true power of the Gospel is in trusting in Jesus Christ turning from your wickedness and getting active in advancing the kingdom of God. Jesus' loving sacrifice was for you. He died that we might live. We do not fight a battle of flesh and blood, but we do fight a battle that seeks to destroy the spiritual forces of darkness. This sermon is a call to arms to any that would listen to it. Even if no one in this room will stand with me I will stand for the Lord our God. I am tired of seeing the enemy and evil men taking territory in our lives. We have to have the love of God that overcomes the dark evil days that we live in. Will you shine that love before men? Will you stand with me?

Doubters Beware

In my last post I suggested that we demonstrate grace toward those that have doubts.  However, if we are to rescue them (or be rescued if that is the case) we also need to be ready to give a warning.  Sometimes I need the warning.  If I stand in two places I need a reminder of the danger of standing in that place.  Any believer that stands in two places needs to hear the warning about doubt.  The Bible has the warnings and we must take heed:

But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:6-8 (HCSB)

And as they were saying these things, He Himself stood among them. He said to them, "Peace to you!" But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. "Why are you troubled?" He asked them. "And why do doubts arise in your hearts?"
Luke 24:36-38 (HCSB)

There are three warnings here.  First when we doubt we become susceptible to what ever blows our way.  I know in my own life that I can get carried away with various things.  If I have doubts then I can be caught up in the wind of the times and leads me down all sorts of paths.  Other times I have been asking in guilt and not faith only to find that I can only find a path of least guilt (no fun to be sure).  Doubt can make you more open to ungodly influences in your life.  You become driven by these influences and not the Holy Spirit.  The second warning is that doubt impedes our prayer life.  The warning is quite clear that doubt leads to unfulfilled expectations.  What is interesting to me is that doubt breeds more doubt.  Instability is the outcome of being driven by the winds of the moment and ineffective prayer.  The third warning is that doubt robs us of the peace that Jesus desires for us.  Notice Jesus leads with "Peace to you!"  The offering of peace was there, but the peace was not received.  Why?  because they were troubled and doubts arose in their hearts.  The same to happens to us when Jesus says:

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.
John 14:27 (HCSB)

When we doubt that peace cannot be received.  If you don't feel like you are in that place of firm faith that is OK as long as you make the first step.  The point is that doubt robs us, but a weak faith can be strengthened!

"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed," the Lord said, "you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
Luke 17:6 (HCSB)
Then Jesus said to him, "'If You can?' Everything is possible to the one who believes." Immediately the father of the boy cried out, "I do believe! Help my unbelief."
Mark 9:23-24 (HCSB)

Do You Doubt?  Don't worry you are in good company:

Momentary Doubts^*

Abraham as to the inheritance of Canaan
Genesis 15:8
Gideon as to victory over Midian
Judges 6:17
John The Baptist as to whether Jesus was the Messiah
Matthew 11:3
Some Of The Disciples
Matthew 28:17
Martha as to the resurrection of Lazarus
John 11:39
Thomas as to the resurrection of Christ
John 20:25
Early Christians as to the deliverance of Peter
Acts 12:14-15

I was particularly interested in the verse in Matthew 28:17.  It seems that even at the appearance of Christ there were still people who doubted.  What is important is that if you or someone you know is caught in doubt that we receive the warning and get on solid footing again.  Lest we fall into a hole, get tossed about like a wave in the wind, become unstable, lose effectiveness in our prayer life, and be robbed of the peace that Jesus offers. 

Doubt is like a desert waste land.  There is not a drop of water to drink.  Jesus is the living water that can quench our thirsty souls.  Drink up Jesus is offering it to you right now.

---

*  Frank Charles Thompson, “Faith - Unbelief,” in Thompson Chain Reference Bible, (Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Faith - Unbelief".

Prayer: More Than Words?

I do not know if you recall the 1991 hit "More than words."  As I was preparing a lesson on prayer a while back the song came to mind.  The song is written to someone that the lyricist loves.  But imagine if God were singing this to us.

Now I have a point to this.  Jesus said this:

But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don't babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they'll be heard for their many words. Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:6-8 (HCSB)

What if prayer is not about the words we speak, but rather the action it produces? 

What if prayer was about perseverance, alertness, and intercession, more than words?

Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18 (HCSB)

What if prayer was guarding against temptation more than words?

When He reached the place, He told them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
Luke 22:40 (HCSB)

What if prayer was about the earth shaking, being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking the word of God with great boldness, more than words?

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness.
Acts 4:31 (HCSB)

What if God took your words away.  What if you could not make things new just by saying forgive me, help me, or I worship You?

In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.
Romans 8:26 (HCSB)

What if prayer is for thankfulness, wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment to God's calling, God's riches, and God's power, more than words?

I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.
Ephesians 1:16-19 (HCSB)

Then someone might respond, "I am sorry this type of questioning simply will not do.  It is to grandiose a thing to consider that prayer could possibly be these things.  I will just stick to my simple prayers and if God wills then He will answer me.  If not then I trust that He knows what He is doing.  After all it is just words.  Thankfully I know that God hears me." 

And then we wonder why He does not answer our prayer. 

Try it out pray with more than words.  More to come :-)

Prayer: From the Mouths of Babes

Image by Lel4nd via Flickr

Nothing is wrong when you say it in a song

My son made this statement this morning.  Something struck me as profound about it (He is five almost six).  There is something that is quite powerful about human experience when it is put to song.  Some of the most tragic moments of our lives can become beautiful expressions when the event is set to music and lyric.  It got me thinking about other profound truths I have heard come from the mouth of my five year old son.  Immediately I recalled the moment that I realized the profound prayer that he repeats nearly every time he prays in the morning on the way to school.

Dear Jesus,  thank you for this day.  Help us to not get sticks or tallies.  Help no one to get hurt on the playground.  In Jesus Name, AMEN

In this simple prayer we have most of the things that we adults will pray for if we are spiritually aware of what is going on around us. 

It is with profound thankfulness that we can enter each day.  We often get so caught up with the things to resent or be disappointed about that we often miss the blessed opportunity to be thankful.  If you believe that you have nothing to be thankful for then it is a sure sign that you are on the path of resentment, disappointment, and disillusionment.  Yet a simple faith which says, "thank you for this day" melts that all away in the warmth of God's goodness.

Often we do not prayerfully ask God to guard our way nor measure our steps.  It is in these times that we are most likely to fall into our own selfishness and sin.  We can get sticks (a warning that we are on the wrong path) and tallies (a consequence of continuing in wrong behavior) by not paying attention.  It seems to me that starting your day with a request for God's help in this way keeps our attention on avoiding these pitfalls that are quite easy for us to fall into. 

Life seems to be filled with misfortune, pain, and suffering.  To a kid the playground is life.  Lord please help no one to get hurt on the playground of life, whether at work, home, church, vacation, or any other place that life finds us.  If we do get hurt Lord I pray that you bring along some kind soul to pick us up brush off our knees and say lets go back and play ball.  We all need that sometimes Lord. 

Everyday God gives you a chance to learn some new spiritual truths.  Sometimes it comes from a source that you did not expect.  Today for me it was my five year old son.  I wanted to share it with you today. 

God Bless You

~BJ

Who is Your Greatest Friend?

Image via Wikipedia

I have been looking at the circles of friends that are found in Jesus' life.  There is one friendship that I have not discussed yet.  It was a relationship of absolute trust and confidence.  It is a relationship that is full of love, acceptance, and pleasure.  It is the foundation of all other relationships that Christ extended and extends to others.  It is Jesus' relationship with His Father.  The relationship that Jesus had/has with Father God is the basis of all redemptive, restorative, caring, loving, trusting relationships.  In fact I will go so far as to say apart from this relationship there is no ability on our part to ever experience true intimacy.  To Know and be known is quite a thing.

As I have said in a previous post it seems that God has created us with a longing to know and be known.  It is built into our very soul.  It is an integral part of our biology, and it streams from our spirit.   The problem is that we tend to replace the order of things in a way that leads us to unsatisfactory fulfillment of this longing.  In God's creation this longing of being known follows this order: God (Matthew 22:37-38), Spouse (Matthew 19:6), Family (more spiritual than biological see Mark 3:33-34), and Friends (John 15:12-15).  Interestingly we can have differing levels of intimacy with all of these, but without intimacy with God then the rest are susceptible to disappointment and disillusionment.  Broken fellowship with God leads us into broken fellowship and intimacy with others.  Love seems to be a central theme of all these relationships.  However, this love starts with our relationship with God.

So then how to we cultivate a relationship with God?  How does love play into this relationship?  How does this relationship allow other relationships to fall into Place?

As in any relationship a relationship with God takes investment of time and energy to grow.  One can hardly expect that a relationship to grow when the time spent relating to that person is limited.  Often people do not spend much time with God and the wonder, "Why is it that I do not experience closeness with God?"  The core of a relationship with god involves continuous prayer, meditation, and study of God's Word.  It is often the  case that we are satisfied with occasional prayer, devotional thinking, and study of books about God.   The latter list is one of the reasons frankly that so many do not have the intimacy with God that they long for. 

Luke 18:1-8, Luke 21:36, Romans 12:12, Acts 1:14, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, and 1 Peter 4:7 all deal with the persistence of prayer in Christian life.  Payer is our devoted communication to God.  It is our opportunity to thank Him for what He has given, honor Him for who He is, intercede for others that need Him, and lift our own needs to Him.  Brother Lawrence "Practicing the Presence of God" lived a life of focused devotion to God at all moments of the day.  He shared:

Brother Lawrence felt it was a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times. We are as strictly obliged to adhere to God by action in the time of action, as by prayer in its time. His own prayer was simply a sense of the presence of God, his soul being at that time aware of nothing other than Divine Love. When the appointed times of prayer were past, he found no difference, because he still continued with God, praising and thanking Him with all his might. Thus his life was a continual joy.  (Forth Conversation)

And

Hold yourself in prayer before God, like a dumb or paralytic beggar at a rich man's gate. Let it be your business to keep your mind in the presence of the Lord. If your mind sometimes wanders and withdraws itself from Him, do not become upset. Trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind than to re-collect it. The will must bring it back in tranquility. If you persevere in this manner, God will have pity on you.  (Eighth Letter)

The image of a dumb or paralytic beggar is certainly an image that I can identify with when it comes to prayer.  I am thankful that God is compassionate and kind to earnest followers.

May your prayer life enliven your soul and light your path.  Blessings to you.

In the Midst of Dark Times

Image by Kurt W. via Flickr

There are times in life that one comes to the edge of what they can know, feel, believe, and understand.  It is a bit like standing on the edge of an abyss.  There is not much peace in that place.  Doubts creep in.  You begin to question everything.  At times you question why you are here.  That is relatively mild compared to the more difficult questioning of your beliefs, your sanity, whether you have been deluded to believe that God exists.  If you have not been in this place then consider yourself lucky.  It is a lonely place.  A painful place.  It is a dark place. 

I presume that Paul was there on at least one occasion.  I base that on his remark:

If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
1 Corinthians 15:19 (HCSB)

Most people who have not traveled to the Abyss will quote Pascal's Wager or some version of it.  The gist of Pascal's Wager is that God cannot be found based on reason only by faith .  Therefore it makes sense to believe as if he existed for one has nothing to lose (if God does not exist) and everything to gain (if God does exist).  Pascal's wager stand's in direct contrast with Paul on this point.  The fact is if we trust in Christ for this life only then we should be more pitied than anyone.  Those that would espouse such an argument trade faith for wishful thinking which leads unbelievers to mock Christianity. 

Coming to the edge of the Abyss forces us to the point of questioning and eventual rejecting of things we are unable to reason (knowledge of good and evil becomes our God) or we reach out and find a loving Shepherd longing to love us and guide us (by faith affirming Christ as our Lord).  In one sense the Abyss separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32, Matthew 13:49).  A goat (one looking like, but lacking authentic Christian faith) will travel to Abyss and upon seeing his dilemma throw his religion into the abyss and walk away believing (faith in reason not in God) he has done something enlightening.  A sheep (on having authentic Christian faith) will come to the Abyss experience the pain, fear, doubt in all its fullness.  Then quietly wait in that place for his Shepherd to come find him and lead him out of that place. 

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Psalms 23:1-6 (HCSB)

These words are foolish to the world.  They are useless to goats.  But to sheep these words are balm to the soul.  These words are comfort in times of pain.  These words are light in the midst of darkness.  These words are assurance in the feeling of loneliness. 

"The Lord is my shepherd."  We choose him when we come to him in faith.  He does reveal Himself to us, but we have a choice to accept or reject Him as our shepherd. 

"There is nothing I lack."  This seems a strange statement when one is standing next to the abyss.  In fact this whole series of pictures is strange next to the Abyss.  There are images of  "green pastures," "quiet waters," "renewed life," "right paths" and standing next to the Abyss you might say, "Perhaps The Good Shepherd has forgotten me.  I seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere and do not see green pastures, quiet waters, renewed life, nor right paths.  In fact I lack very much.  God where are in the midst of this dark time?"  I believe that David (The one writing the Psalm) is reflecting back on in the past what God has done in his life in Psalm 23:1-3.  Looking back beyond the darkness of his present situation he recalls God's faithful provision of green pastures, quiet waters, renewed life, and right paths.  And now at this moment that reflection is something that can reaffirm your faith. 

"Even when I go through the darkest valley..."  Some translation say, "Valley of death."  When one travels to the deep abyss one can scarcely imagine walking through it.  It is terrifying enough to stand at the edge and look into it.  Yet even when we are near this abyss or traveling through it we can be assured of this:  the Shepherd is with us and desires to comfort us.  With the shepherd nearby we have nothing to fear.  David is describing his current situation in Psalm 23:4.  Looking at the darkness we see only pain and suffering.  Looking at our Savior we have nothing to fear even in the midst of grave danger.  With our eyes fixed on the Shepherd we have nothing to fear of doubts and suffering.  We have nothing to fear at the end of our reasonableness.  We have nothing to fear of our sanity.  We had nothing to fear for our Shepherd is in this place.  He guides us.  If we get to far to the right or the left with a gentle tap from His rod He will get us back on track as we travel this dark time in our lives.  What a comfort His rod and staff are when we have reached the end of ourselves and what we can do on our own.  Traveling to and through the Abyss can be a gut wrenching experience of this there is no doubt.  However, we will have the guidance and presence of God even when all we see is the darkness. 

"You prepare..."  In Psalm 23:5 David again shifts his focus from the present moment (in the dark valley) to the future.  Even our enemies cannot overcome what the Lord has prepared for us.  There is leanness right now in this valley, but then will be a banquet table, anointing oil, and plenty to quench our thirst.  There is abundance in our future when we walk through this with our Lord.  He has prepared it for you.  The image of anointing with oil is a symbol of God's selection of you.  God has chosen you.  He has anointed you for His purpose.  You are especially His!  Some day His anointing, blessing, provision will overflow to you.  His provision waits on the other side for you!

God's "goodness and faithful love" will "pursue" you the days of your life.  Walking to the abyss, walking through the abyss, God's unfailing goodness and love pursue you.  That is quite a statement.  That is boldness that is beyond being reasonable.   The world and the goats will say, "Show me the proof and then perhaps I will walk through that valley with you, but you are foolish to think that such a place reveals God's goodness or love.  Quite the contrary if God was loving and good the valley would not exist."  That is what they will say.  They will not understand.  They cannot understand walking through the valley because they do not have the Shepherd. 

"I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live."  Notice the trip to the abyss did not destroy the faith, but made it stronger (Psalm 23:6).  Note the resolve that this trip produced.  I will dwell...as long as I live.  These are powerful words from a person who has been to and through the Abyss.  There is no room to pretend that God exists and if he does then He will reward you and if he does not then you have lived a good life.  This is utter foolishness. Either you do or you do not choose to dwell in the House of the Lord.  There is not phantom faith.  It either is true faith or it is not faith at all.  The wondrous thing is that once we have made the resolution to trust the Shepherd our weakness will be His strength and He will take care of us no matter how dark it might be. 

Blessings to you!

Setting Your Mind on the Spirit

For those of you who have been following this I must apologize for the delay in getting this post out.  I have had many things to attend to that seem to be now resolved to a certain extent.  So I am now able to return to writing. 

Romans 8 is one of the most powerful chapters in proclaiming our spiritual victory found in Christ.  In Chapter 7 Paul discusses the futility of willing yourself into victory.  Willpower does not save.  If willpower was all that was needed then the message of the Cross is pointless.  When the will is set on the Spirit (Spirit mindedness) then the Spirit's power is set forth to do it's work in the life of a believer. 

After repentance (Dying to self and turning to Christ) then one must accept the truth that there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.  So often we tend to get our spiritual cleaning and then go back to the works of the law.  Or continue to beat ourselves for past sin.  The removal of guilt is complete.  That is not to say that you will not experience consequences of sin (sometimes life long).  But it does mean that you are free spiritually.  Your freedom is an accomplished work that Christ did for you on the Cross. 

At this moment of spiritual freedom you have some choices on what you are going to focus on.  Walking in the Spirit, living in accord with the Spirit, mindset on the Spirit, Crying out in the Spirit, groaning in the Spirit, Hoping in the Spirit, Waiting in the Spirit, and praying in the Spirit are all disciplines that lead to greater and greater Spirit mindedness.  There is considerable overlap between these disciplines. 

What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin's domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit.
Romans 8:3-5 (HCSB)

"Walking according the the Spirit" and "living according the the Spirit" is an intentional change from doing what feels good (in the moment) to falling under the direction of God's Holy Spirit.  This is not the same as willing to be obedient to God's Law, but rather it is choosing to follow His Spirit to be in accord with God's plan for your life.   There is a slang expression "I am down with that."  In some sense we as Christians are to be "down with the Holy Spirit."  We (with our will) are in agreement with His direction for us.  That is walking according the the Spirit.  Our walking and our lives are with the Holy Spirit!

For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so.
Romans 8:6-7 (HCSB)

Part of the act of the will in being in accord with the Sprit has to do with where your mind is set.  There is a contrast between a person that has their mind set on the flesh and their mind set on the Spirit.  This is a very important distinction.  I am convinced that as long as a person continues to think about sin either in terms of avoiding it or indulging it the mind continues to be set on the flesh.  Did you catch that?  You can be desiring a good thing (avoiding some particular sin) and still have a mind set on the flesh (remember Romans 7).  There is a need to set our minds on the Spirit of God.  Our ultimate life and peace come from this act.  Think over the times of spiritual victory in your life and you will find that they did not come from working harder to avoid sin, but rather when you were able to set your mind on the things of God.  The opposite is also true.  Think about the times of spiritual defeat.  You were no matter how hard you tired not to unable to beat the sin because it was on your mind.  Having the right mind-set is vital to a Spirit filled life.  Where is your mind set?

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!"
Romans 8:15 (HCSB)

When we come to Christ as our savior then we receive the Holy Spirit as evidence that we have been "adopted" into God's family.  It is by this Spirit that we are able to call God our daddy and father.  There are times in life that we just need a daddy to get us through the moment.  To pick us up dust of our pants and let us know He is right there with us holding us up with His strong arms.  It is through Spirit mindedness that we can experience this spiritual hug from God.  Go ahead cry out to Him.  He loves to hug His children!

And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits -we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:23 (HCSB)

In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.
Romans 8:26 (HCSB)

There are times when all that we can let out is a groan.  For the Christian there is a groan of desperation and hopelessness (Groaning in the flesh?) and there is a groaning in and by the Spirit.  The groaning in the Spirit come from the realization that this is not our final resting place.  We long to be with God in total.  We desire the day when we will be able to shed this sinful flesh and be fully redeemed and with God.  There also is a groaning that is done by the Spirit Himself.  He groans a prayer over our groaning of weakness.  This type of groaning is actually a prayer.  Praying in the Spirit is a prayer of speechlessness for ourselves, but the words of the Spirit are powerful.  If you have never prayed according the the Spirit in this way I encourage you to get quiet before the Lord acknowledge your weakness and let the Spirit do the rest.  The key is that it is the Spirit's work because of our weakness and not something that you do in yourself!  The prayer in the Spirit is powerful.  Prayer without the Spirit is just a list of things that you want God to do.  God always answers the first prayer, but the latter He may or may not.  These verses explain was praying in the Spirit is answered.

And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit's mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:27 (HCSB)

When we pray in the Spirit and the Spirit groans on our behalf then we get a perfect prayer that is according to the will of God.  This takes discipline and it certainly takes sensitivity to the Spirit's leading, but it can transform your life of prayer. 

There are many more disciplines that lead to Spirit Mindedness, but I believe that this is a good start.  One thing before a end this post.  My worst fear is that you would take my words to be something.  In reality they are nothing.  They are less than nothing compared to the surpassing value of God's word.  I ask you with the greatest of urgency and sincerity to examine His word.  In this case specifically Romans 8.  Before during and after your reading of Romans 8 ask that God would give you Spiritual understanding and wisdom.  It does not come from me nor can I replace His Spirit.  May the God of all creation and savior of our souls grant you the wisdom of the ages!

God Bless You!

It Is Well With My Soul

Deep happiness is in the spirit, not the body or even the feelings. It is like an anchor that holds fast and calm on the bottom even while storms rage on the surface. God allows physical and emotional storms to strengthen the anchor; fires to test and harden our mettle. Our souls must become bright, hard, sharp swords. That is our destiny and His design. We are not toys; we are swords. And that requires tempering in the fire. The sword of the self is to sing in the sun eternally, like the seraphim. If we could catch even a glimpse of this heavenly destiny, if we understood why we are destined to judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3), we would not see a problem in the sufferings of Job. Teresa of Avila said that the most miserable earthly life, seen from the perspective of heaven, looks like one night in an inconvenient hotel. -Handbook of Christian Apologetics

When I started Posting on the subject of Christian Mindfulness I thought it would be a couple of posts to explain and a few posts giving practical examples.  Well that was 16 posts ago and after some reassessing I figure I am about halfway done.  As I have been going through this I have been thinking that this subject might make a good book.  Anyway today I am moving to another subject related to Christian mindfulness, The Peace of God.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:7 (NKJV)

This verse seems to be a favorite for those that are going through hard times.  I think back over my life and I recall times when the Peace of God came over me during a particularly difficult time.  When we can let go of suffering and come to the "peace of God" then we have entered into Christian Mindfulness.  The passage in Philippians 4:4-9 offers some practical help in how to get to that place of peacefulness beyond what the natural mind can understand.  When we come under the watchful care of our loving Savior Christ Jesus

Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoicing in the Lord in the good times is quite easy and natural.  Rejoicing in the Lord through the hard times is difficult to the extreme and only seems to happen supernaturally.  This is very much related to my post on Completed Joy.  Turn your heart toward God and put your full weight into His loving arms.  Trust in the fullness of God to meet your every need.  God may use others to bring His fullness to you, but do not trust in the fullness of others to get you through the valley.  Only God will do if we are to enter the Peace of God. 

Stop Fighting (be lenient)

Fighting reality is the surest way to increase suffering.  Apparently the word epieikes is a hard word to translate from Greek to English.  The words used in various translations are graciousness, forbearance,  moderation,  gentle spirit, gentle behavior, reasonableness, gentleness, considerate, forbearing spirit, and lenience.   Here is an excellent word study I found. 

When we hold on to what is fair and just in our own mind we are not exhibiting epieikes.  Fighting reality is only amplified when reality is a person who has hurt you, maligned you, spoke evil against you, disregarded you, abandoned you, neglected you, gossiped about you (feeling angry yet).  The interesting thing is that when you hold onto your right of retribution you lose the Peace of God.  What do you trade it for?  Sleepless nights, fear of quarrel, further hurt, escalating anger, guilt, and extended suffering.  Philippians 4:5 makes it clear that the path to peace is through releasing your rights and choosing to be at peace with that person. 

In this one word we find the missing element in broken relationships, split families, unsatisfying marriages, sibling rivalry, dysfunctional workplaces, and unresolved pain caused by others.  The truth is if I could bottle up the elixir this word contains and give it to those that come to me for counsel I could resolve nearly all of their life's suffering.

So I box-but not as if I were just shadow boxing. 1 Cor 9:26 (GW)

I have a friend that I often quip "stop shadow boxing."  It is my cue to him when he is fighting against reality rather than allowing God to move through his situation.  Not to long ago I was talking to him on the phone and he said, "BJ there was a person that told me a while back to stop shadow boxing."  It was the exact word that I needed to lift me out of suffering.  I am thankful for friends that can be honest even when it does not feel good.  Living a life without epieikes is shadow boxing with reality. 

The Lord is Near

I think that sums it up.

Don't Worry

If epieikes kills the peace with others then worry kills the peace within.  Matthew 6:25-34 is the most important passage in the Bible on the topic of worry (in my opinion).  We worry about so many things, but Christian mindfulness teaches us that one thing is needed, to seek God and His kingdom.  Even in Philippians 4:6 says "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."  Everything we do should be brought before the Lord in prayer, petition, and thanksgiving.  This seeking after God is the cure for anxiety.  Even when our prayers are not answered in the manner that we expect we can trust in His goodness to provide exactly what we need even to guide us through dark times. 

Focus on the Good things in Life

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise-dwell on these things. Phil 4:8 (HCSB)

I could write a post just on this verse alone.  But the short of it is that by putting your mind on the good things in life you leave no room to be mindful of suffering.  By being mindful of suffering you can literally think yourself into misery and depression.  You want to be mindful of the honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and praiseworthy things in life. 

Obey

Paul says, "Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. (Phil 4:9)"  Has God shown you something that you have yet to do?  Have you received a message through the Bible, sermon, Bible study, a fellow believer in Christ that you have yet to put into action?  Paul says do it.  When we put our faith into action it is evidence that we trust God.  When we fail to put our faith into action it is evidence that either we are unwilling to obey or that we do not trust Him.  Either way it takes us away from the peace of God. 

In summary then rejoicing in the Lord, being lenient with others, stopping our worry, seeking God, focusing on the good things in life, and obeying the Lord is the pathway to Mindful peace of God.  Now that I have given you the path it is up to you to practice it.  If it seems difficult it is, but with God all things are possible.  God Bless You All!