I have been thinking about this questions for a little while now as it came up in discussion with some friends last week in talking about the current state of our Christian culture. I think a lot of people believe in Jesus, but I think a lot more people believe as in they know who He is. In our culture we can easily call our selves Christians simply because we don’t associate with any other religion or attend church occasionally. But if we really believed in Jesus and who He is, it should change our lives in dramatic fashion and how we live out each day. We can look at Scripture and see an example of a man who did get it and wanted to get it better.

And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:17-24

Its easy to believe who Jesus was, especially with as commercialized as Christmas is these days. But if we really got it, I believe we would be celebrating Easter in bigger ways, because its Jesus’s death, burial and reresection that brings salvation to us.

For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:5-10

Believe here means to entrust, so we are putting our hope and lives in the hands of Jesus. Only then can we become followers of Jesus. Being a follwer of Jesus is not easy, even some of those who believed, fell away.

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. John 6:60-66

There are certainly times when I think this is too difficult, that I can’t keep with with being obedient to Jesus. There are certainly times when I feel I can’t love my wife as Jesus calls me to or model for my kids what a Godly father looks like, but as verse 68 says, where would I go, to whom would I run. God is certainly chasing after us. He loves us so much He wants us to be in right relationship with Him. Jesus gave up everything for us, He gave up the comforts of Glory, stepped down into our world so that we could be with Him in eternity. Yes its easier to live like like you want and do the easy things of life just going about your business, but being a believer in Jesus, entrusting your life in Him and following Him, doing what He does, is another ball game.

I just finished watching an old Billy Graham video of him preaching and kind of took me by surprise, during the invitation the number of people coming up wanting to receive Jesus and some them were running to the front, I mean all out sprint. We all have a race to run, we should run it well and towards Jesus.

I was reading yesterday Matthew Henry’s commentary on Judges 1:21-36, about how some of the Israelites didn’t drive out all of the people in the lands they conquered, going against what God had instructed them to. This may seem a bit cruel, but God didn’t want any people left in the Promised Land that would influence Israel against what God had intended for them. Matthew Henry writes,

The people of Israel were very careless of their duty and interest. Owing to slothfulness and cowardice, they would not be at the pains to complete their conquests. It was also owing to their covetousness: they were willing to let the Canaanites live among them, that they might make advantage of them. They had not the dread and detestation of idolatry they ought to have had. The same unbelief that kept their fathers forty years out of Canaan, kept them now out of the full possession of it. Distrust of the power and promise of God deprived them of advantages, and brought them into troubles… We can have no fellowship with the enemies of God within us or around us, but to our hurt; therefore our only wisdom is to maintain unceasing war against them.

How different are we today, have we not removed and slowly let creep in the things, sins and hinderances that keep us in full fellowship with God. Have we been too tolerant of ideals that go against God’s best for us? Since we can’t physically see Him have we become complacent in our walk with Jesus. But can we really not see Him? Romans 1:20-23 says,

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

But we have no excuse, if we really want to see God we can see Him, look at His creation. Look at the miracles of life that happen each day. Jeremiah 29:13 says, You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. God will show up if we really want Him to. We can see God if we really want him too. So the questions are, do you really want to see Him? Do you really want find Him? I think most don’t want to because it requires giving up of other gods, that we can see and feel, that we have built up in our life and depend on. God wants to be #1. God wants us to be 100% reliable upon Him.

Our country and world has become so dependent upon the things of the world and country, our government, jobs, schools, societies, you name it, and this year they have all fallen down, but God is still on the thrown, waiting for us to humble ourselves, to pray to Him and to call out to Him, only then will He heal our land.

Newsboys, Live With Abandon

I wanna live with abandon
Give You all that I am
Every part of my heart Jesus
I place in Your hands
I wanna live with abandon

Submission, this is typically not a term we like to hear or address or deal with, but I believe God has been speaking to me lately about it, in terms of submitting to Him. We were studying this past Sunday 1 Samuel 10, where lots were cast to, confirm Saul as King over Israel. In the end some of the people despised Saul and didn’t bring him gifts. It made me think a little, at what point will these guys submit to God’s plans. First, the people wanted an earthly king, like the other nations, and then they reject the king God puts forward to lead them? At what point to you get onboard with God’s plan.

But are we any different? How much do we trust in only the things we see and not the Holy Spirit directing us? Abraham picked up his family and moved them when he didn’t know exactly where they were going? Before Joshua and the Israelites traveled into the promised land they have to step in the river before God split the river for them.

It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” Joshua 13:4

Most, if not all, of God’s promises come with a command that must be obeyed first.

If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

For God to heal our land, we must first humble ourselves, pray and seek Him.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrew 12:1

For us to run our race which God has set before us, we must first lay aside things that will hinder us and turn from sin.

How much do we hold onto out finances and not putting them beofre God with an open hand.

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Malachi 3:8-10.

God says bring the whole tithe before me, test me and see if I don’t bless you overflowlingly.

Marriage is about submission. As Jesus submitted to the needs of the church (us, His people) by being the Savior we needed, the husband must submit to the needs of the wife (and family). Likewise, as Jesus submitted to the Father in His authority and leadership, the wife must submit to the husband’s leadership and authority. This doesn’t mean the husband gets to tell the wife what to do, but he should be leading the wife with her best interest at heart.

I also read the below by Charles Spurgeon in My Utmost For His Highest,

A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God…. “I chose you…” (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose— that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us….Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you “turn aside…to the right or the left…” (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.

The entire write-up is in the link below.

Submitting to God’s Purpose

But we have to let God have His way. We have to let God use us as His instruments of carrying out His purposes for our good and His glory.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego submitted to God’s purpose and protection while in the fiery furnace. Life is not always comfortable as a follower of Jesus, at times it can be quite difficult in the face of adversity, but He promises to walk with us and be with us through it all. Diamonds are made under extreme temperatures and pressures. Steel is forged and made strong in high temperatures and the forging process.

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

In listening to the song the Goodness of God by Bethel Music, the lyrics are powerful.

‘Cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now
I give You everything

We must surrender all to God, for His Goodness is great and we can have peace and rest in it. God will be faithful, His promises will be fulfilled for your good and His glory. Let Him be your Father, friend and Daddy. Allow Him to take over every part of your life, in the end it will be awesome.

We have been studying 1 Samuel in our Sunday morning bible study about the life of Samuel and how he came into ministry and became a priest. This morning I was reading Matthew Henry’s commentary on Psalm 13. Matthew Henry writes

We should never allow ourselves to make any complaints but what drive us to our knees. … We pass from depth of despondency to the height of religious confidence and joy. All is gloomy dejection but here the mind of the despondent worshipper rises above all its distressing fears, and throws itself, without reserve, on the mercy and care of its Divine Redeemer. See the power of faith, and how good it is to draw near to God. If we bring our cares and griefs to the throne of grace, and leave them there, we may go away like Hannah, and our countenances will be no more said.

I went back and read about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 and in verse 15 she tells Eli “but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.”

I was also listening to Louie Giglio this morning and he asked the question, do we really pray for our homes, churches and neighborhoods to be changed?

When we pray, we have to remember we have direct access to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We don’t have to have an intermediate person between us, the curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn top to bottom.

How much would our world and lives be changed if we approached the throne of grace with humility and intensity and poured our hearts and our souls out to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us

and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

If we are God’s people, we have to humble ourselves, pray and seek Him first, if we do this He will hear us. We must be face down before our Lord in humility, praying and seeking Him in all things we do. As I have heard before we must get low for God to be raised up and work in our lives.

Our World is at a point where we must realize that we can only walk through life with humility seeking God’s will for us, praying with ferver and asking Him to draw us near to Him with full dependancy on Him and Him alone, not on government, schools, careers, our finances or whatever else you want to add there. We must, as Hannah did, pour ourselves out before the Lord. There’s no room in our heart for us and the Lord, He must fill the entire space of our hearts and lives with His presence and His Spirit.

But what if we could be a people on our knees As one before the King ‘Cause we believe – Tauren Wells

This past Sunday we studied Eli’s sons in 1 Samuel 2. Some translations say they had no regard for the Lord, others say they did not know the Lord. It also says they were worthless or wicked men.

Wow, how do we become worthless people? It appears, slowly over time the people had drifted away from following God’s laws and commands and having reverence for the Lord or knowing the Lord had slowly eroded away. Eli’s sons had learned to “work the system” of sacrifice so that it benefited them and if people didn’t comply, the took what they wanted by force. Eli tried to rebuke them but they didn’t listen. Maybe another example of failed fatherly leadership?

Contrast this account to the account of King Josiah, who took the throne at age 8 and at age 26 the high priest finds the book of the Law in the temple, the priest read to him, he realized they had strayed from God’s ordinances and ways and he repented.

When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant saying, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 2 Kings 22:11-13

Josiah quickly realized that God’s wrath was against them so he took action to try and get right with God. It says later in the text that Josiah had a tender heart and humbled himself before the Lord so he was spared.

If we believe part of the Bible, we have to believe the whole Bible. If we believe God did the good things and allowed the bad things to happen that we read about in the Bible, we have to believe He will do good things today and allow the bad things to happen today as well. God is never changing, He is the same today as he was thousands of years ago. The difference now is we have a constant supply of the Holy Spirit with the death of Jesus on the cross.

We have to have regard for the Lord and know God to be able to walk in peace and in His presence. Unlike the church of Ephesus, we have to remember our first love and repent.

‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent’. Revelation 2:4-5

We can’t be like the church of Thyatira, we can’t tolerate “Jezebel” and lead people astray through acts of immorality or worship idols of our times of today, whether it be financial or social status, how we spend our time or money or what we put before worshiping God. We have to be careful on how comfortable we get in our lifestyles and ways of living. We have to examine ourselves and allow God to reveal to us sinful ways in us. There are certain things God won’t tolerate and we shouldn’t either.

But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Revelation 2:20.

I was reading Oswald chambers the other night, he was writing about 1 Peter 1:16, which says,

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1:14-16

Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life. – Oswald Chambers

There’s no room for anything impure in our lives. “Never” and “absolute” are pretty strong words, but God is pretty black and white in what He expects from us. He can’t look at or be in the presence of sin, hence why Jesus cried out “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” Matthew 27:46.

When we pray, we have to prepare our hearts and minds and understand we are speaking with and in the presence of the Mighty Creator, the King of Kings, Lord Jesus. When we worship, we are giving God the Glory, not coming to make ourselves feel good. When we encounter the temptation to sin, Paul tells us on a couple of occasions, we have to flee fro. it, God will give us a way out. If we resist the Devil, who we do need to take seriously, James says he will flee from us.

This can be such a daunting task and overwhelming at times, but if we sped time daily in God’s word and in prayer, the Holy Spirit will guide us and protect us. We can’t let our walk with Jesus deviate even in the slightest to the right or to the left.

Influencer, it has become quite the trendy name for someone who is supposedly and expert in some subject matter, using their influence to gain followers or point others to certain brands or markets.

In most cases we are all influencers to some degree within our own social circles whether we engage in social media or not.

So what kind of influencer are you? I have been thinking about this for some time, but the idea was brought to my attention again while reading Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest”. He is speaking about Matthew 5:3, Blessed are the poor in spirit. He writes from August 21st,

The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.

The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian.  If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.

Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.

Essentially, to be an influencer for Jesus means we are trying to glorify God and enhance His reputation, not ours. As followers of Jesus, we should not be focused on our accomplishments or how many people we get to “follow” us but only to be a follower of Jesus and serve Him out of obedience.

Matthew Henry writes, “The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them.”

Being poor ins spirit does not mean we live life like we’re defeated, but we celebrate the victory we have in Jesus because He did something for us that we don’t have the power to do. We are poor in spirit, we don’t have the spiritual strength to overcome sin that would keep us from God’s presence. Jesus defeated sin and death to allow us fellowship with our creator.

Isaiah 66:1-2

Thus says the LORD,
            “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
            Where then is a house you could build for Me?
            And where is a place that I may rest?

“For My hand made all these things,
            Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.
            “But to this one I will look,
            To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good;
            And what does the LORD require of you
            But to do justice, to love kindness,
            And to walk humbly with your God?

When you break it all down, we always have an audience, but only one that matters, God. Seek to bring Him glory and honor and praise in all you do.

When you pray or worship or read His Word, do you truly seek to be in His presence? Do you seek to be changed by His righteousness?

I have been challenging myself with this same question recently. In OT times, when the priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year and God would show up. When Moses went up on the mountain to meet with God, God was there.

With Jesus’s death on the cross, the curtain was torn, giving us free and clear access to God. We don’t need anyone to intercede for us, we have the Holy Spirit to do that for us.

As we enter worship, we should expect God to show up and we should expect to be in His presence. When we pray, we should expect to be in God’s presence, that’s part of why we have the Holy Spirit, the one who intercedes for us.

We should also be changed after entering in God’s presence. When Moses came down from the mountain he glowed with God’s Glory.

It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. Exodus 34:29-30

While Jesus was on the mountain with Peter, James and John, He shined with God’s glory.

Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen. Luke 9:28-36

Do we shine with God’s glory after spending time in God’s presence. Can other tell that we have spent time with God?

Peter and John, after being arrested for proclaiming the Gospel, were so confident in what they were proclaiming that the high priests knew they had been with Jesus.

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

Are we so confident in the Truth of God that we walk in Faith in Jesus and others can see that we have been with God? Do we walk through adversity and challenges with confidence and knowing that God is walking with us?

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were put in the furnace, Jesus was there with them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” Daniel 3:24-25

I believe that if we truly seek to spend time in God’s presence, whether through worship or prayer, we too should be changed, others should see God’s glory in our speech and actions. Jesus will walk with us through the circumstances God allows to take place in our lives.

Don’t just sit to read the pages of your Bible or speak to God while laying your troubles and cares at His feet in prayer, don’t just look to sing great songs or listen to a sermon in church, seek God’s face and seek to be in His presence during those times. Seek to be changed because you have spent time in God’s presence.

God promises that if we seek Him we will find Him if we search for Him with ALL of our heart.

Do you believe in the all loving and forgiving God of the Bible? The God who made promises to Abraham, who was with Joseph in all his trials? Do you believe in the compassionate and tender Jesus we read about in the New Testament? The one who knelt with children? The Jesus who raised the dead, who healed the sick and gave sight to the blind?

Then, you have to believe in the God who judges and hates sin as well.

We tend to see, or only want to look at, just the good accounts of Jesus and God, the ones that make us feel good, but if we truly believe in the whole Bible we have to see all aspects of God’s character and all accounts of Jesus. If God’s Word is Truth and we believe in all of His promises, we have to take the commands that go with the promises.

If we look at an encounter between God and Solomon in 2 Chronicles, God promises to heal their land, but there is a decision required by the people first, humility, seeking God first and prayer.

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:12-14

God is a jealous God and wants no idols or things or status or whatever to come before Him. He wants to be #1 in our lives, even before our family.

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:37

If we look at the times of our world today, the chaos, political strife and violence and look at Israel of the Bible, are we that much different? I was listening to a podcast the other day and the topic of Sodom and Gomorrah was discussed.

Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD. Genesis 13:10-13

In reading this, it appears the Valley was quite fruitful, well watered the text says, but then we read Sodom was exceedingly wicked. And later, in CH 19 we read about the incredibly wicked things the men of the city wanted to do to the two angels who visited Lot, instead he offered up his two daughters to the men, fortunately the angels intervened.

We also read about the promises of good God has for us in Jeremiah 29:11,

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

But we have to remember, God spoke of this just before Israel went into bondage. He tells them before this to have children, be fruitful, but also tells them don’t let the prophets and diviners deceive you and they will prophesy falsely. Not sure instances of this aren’t hard to find these days.

If we believe God of the Old Testament, I think we would be naive if we thought our freedoms we have today could’t be taken away. Living here in the USA we have lots of freedoms, but there are many parts of the world today where freedoms aren’t as readily available and those who believe in Jesus are truly persecuted. I’m not sure we’re very far from that.

I was speaking with a friend the other day and he reminded my of Jesus cleansing the temple.

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”

Imagine seeing the kind and gentle Jesus, who knelt and said let the children come to me, fashion a scourge of cords and drive people out of the temple with it? My friend said this scene would be like a crazy man at a flea market.

In these times, I believe we need to do some hard and serious self-examination, we need to look at our own hearts and take up the whole Bible, not just the parts that “work” for us. I believe God can do an amazing work within our countries and our world, that’s where my hope is, but we have to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. God tells s what He requires of us in Micah 6:6-8.

With what shall I come to the LORD
            And bow myself before the God on high?
            Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
            With yearling calves?

Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
            In ten thousand rivers of oil?
            Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
            The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has told you, O man, what is good;
            And what does the LORD require of you
            But to do justice, to love kindness,
            And to walk humbly with your God?

He doesn’t want our offerings, we do this out of obedience to Him and to return to Him what is already His, He wants us to act justly, love our neighbors, those around us, and walk humbly with Him.

God has many great promises and He will answer and fulfill them all, but we have to do our part first. We have to turn our hearts towards Him, Him alone, and walk in His Spirit and seek His face.

The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

I feel like when God is speaking to me, He tends to send me multiple messages about the same topic or speak through multiple channels.  During this crazy time right now there seems to be a lot of “what are you doing with all your extra time?” since we can’t do some of the normal things of life right now.  How are you spending your time?  How is God working during these times?

I was speaking to a friend the other day and we were talking about how the baseball league we are involved in had the spring season cancelled and I mentioned how I wish it wouldn’t have been cancelled because out team had made great strides and really progressed since last years season.  He mentioned to me he has been pondering and meditating on Romans 8:28.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

So how was God causing the cancelled baseball season to work for our good?

I was listening to a podcast about Joseph (OT) and his time in Egypt and his response to his brothers.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50:20.

On top of that, I heard a reference to Israel’t 40 years in the wilderness in another podcast by Louie Giglio.

The point of this is are you ready or maybe the better question are you letting God get you ready?  Are you allowing God to cause all things to work for you good?  Do you love Him and are you answering His call for His purpose?

Walking and growing in our faith is a refining process, trial by fire at times.  If Joseph wouldn’t have been sold into slavery, he may not have ended up in Egypt preparing during the good times to save his people in the famine.  On the podcast by Louie Giglio, his point was that Israel had to stay in the wilderness while God made them ready to enter the promised land.

Athletes must train and breakdown muscle for strength and endurance so they can be ready to compete in their sports and activities.  Swords must be forged and made hard and strong in order to withstand the blows of battles.  Paul encourages us to train for an eternal prize, train with a focus on victory.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Cor. 9:24-27.

Oswald Chambers writes,

When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. “…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 6:19), that is, your body is the Bethlehem of God’s Son. Is the Son of God being given His opportunity to work in me? Is the direct simplicity of His life being worked out in me exactly as it was worked out in His life while here on earth? When I come into contact with the everyday occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God’s eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? … Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? … Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God. We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment. Are we living at such a level of human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being exhibited moment by moment in us?

A favorite movie of mine, Facing the Giants, has a scene where a football coach, who has been praying for his school tells another man, who has been praying for him, that he just doesn’t see God at work in the school and is feeling a bit discouraged, the man tells him a story of two farmers who prayed for rain, but only one of them spread seed to be harvested.

Are you praying for rain?

Facing The Giants Prepare Your Fields

In 2 Chronicles 7, God promises Solomon to heal the land, but the people must act first.

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We have to be seeking God and humbling ourselves before God will heal our land.  Jermiah tells us we can find God, but we have to seek Him with our whole heart.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The promise follows the command.

Life is like a chess match, the thing is He has told us what the next move is for us to declare checkmate, believe and trust in Jesus with all your heart.  Put Jesus first in your life.  The twelves disciples had to follow Jesus before they could be fishers of men, they had to walk with Jesus the three years of His ministry so they could be prepared to carry the Gospel to others.

So are you ready, or better yet, are you allowing God to prepare you for the next thing he has for you?  He may not tell you right away what that next thing is and He may not let you see it until after the fact but you can be promised that it is a good and awesome thing if you trust Him.

You get a letter in the mail and open it, its an invitation to make a personal visit to the white house.  You start planning, how you will get there, what you will wear, what you will talk about.  If course you probably don’t want to wear shorts and a tee shirt, you want to wear something nice, probably your best.  You want to ask important questions and not just chit chat as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, an opportunity that could change your life.

Putting politics aside, especially in today’s political environment, a visit to the white house could be a great opportunity.  Or imagine a visit with someone you think is awesome and great instead.

Through discussions with friends this week and listening to some podcasts, which I believe through which God was speaking to me, I have been challenged to ask myself, how important is God really to me?  Has Jesus truly changed my life and am I living like it?  Is Jesus truly the King of Kings and Lord of Lords of my life and am I living like it?

In this time of COVID, some of us have had to stay home for church and / or had to make a choice whether to attend church online or in person.  Its easy to sit on your couch and watch church online, is it the same as corporate worship with other believers?  We have had to distance ourselves from others for safety reasons, which we do need to be safe and keep our families safe, I am not denying that.  As I was listening to Francis Chan this week, he asked the questions, Does God like our worship? Does God enjoy our church?

Francis Chan – Rethinking Church

I have been asking myself the question, are we playing right into Satan’s hands by staying at home for church and distancing ourselves from other believers?  Yes, God is omnipresent, He is everywhere, but corporate worship and fellowship is important for believers, we can read about it in the early church in Acts.  If we don’t gather with other believers, its easy for us to stray from the flock, we can get comfortable in not having to rush around getting ready for church on Sunday mornings.  But Jesus certainly gave up comforts and conveniences to be with us.

As I was reading this morning in John about the Samaritan woman, Jesus says

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:23-24.  God seeks for us, true worshipers, those who worship in spirit and truth, to be His worshipers.  Truth here eludes to truth in love, both in worship and conduct, with sincerity and veracity.  God wants us to have veracity in our worship of Him, love Him so much you love to worship Him.

In Revelation we read about the church of Laodicea, ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” Rev. 3:15-16.  If we are lukewarm, Jesus will spit us out.

Jesus gave up glory, his seat in heaven to save us so we could have a relationship with Him.  He gave up everything temporarily, lived life as a man and died a horrible death for you and me.

In Hillsong’s song “King of Kings” it says,

In the darkness, we were waiting
Without hope, without light
‘Til from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes

Before Jesus came, there was no word from God for four hundred and some years, the people were in darkness, no hope.  Then Jesus came, as the song says running toward us, stepped down from Heaven and Glory.  When He came a heavenly host of angels appeared before shepherds in the dark announcing with greatness His birth, and the shepherds lefts with urgency to see the Savior, they dropped everything int he middle of the night, in the middle of them doing their job, to see the King of Kings.  Jesus call us out of our darkness to step into His light and His presence with boldness and accepting our total dependence on Him.

We read about the return of the prodigal son and how his father was so happy when he returned in Luke.

So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

The father RAN out to see him.

Do we live with that same urgency to see Jesus on a day to day basis, that same excitement about Jesus and the freedom and opportunity to spend time in His presence?  In the morning when waking up, do we think about what we are going to accomplish each day or do we think about what we are going to accomplish for God or what God is going to accomplish today?  Do we actually expect to see God and His Greatness or expect to see him actually move each day?  God is still working, through these times, how he is working, I’m sure sure we quite understand it, but we can be assured He is still working and for our good.

This has certainly challenged me and will for sure push me out of my comfort zone, but I very much want to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  the love Jesus has for me, far outweighs the discomforts I will face in living with expectancy and boldness for Jesus.

Passion 2020 – Brooke Ligertwood – King of Kings