The Statement

And speaking of soapboxes, do you realize how many situations of sinfulness we focus on, when it's really the sin that's the problem?  As I studied for teaching the coming of Jesus, I became enamored with the simplicity of the shepherds part in that coming.  Shepherds were the low of the low and these had the night shift.  "And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them."  Ok!!  Do you get the picture here?  AN ANGEL!!  Not the warm and fuzzy blonde headed sparkle puffs our world calls angels.  This is an angel of the Lord and he is more like a super hero.  And if that was not enough, "the glory of the Lord shone around them".   We are speaking here about light that blinds.  However, this is not the "simplicity" part to which I'm referring!

After the shepherds do what the angel tells them (and you must keep the rest of the picture in mind...that "suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host praising God")  And the shepherds were very obedient: "let us go straight to Bethlehem"; "they come in a hurry".  But here's the part I like:   "they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child."  What statement?  Go back to the angel appearing (verse 10 & 11, chapter 2 of Luke), "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  The statement?  "There has been born for YOU a Savior...!!!"  Savior!!  What do we need to be saved from?  SIN!  Sin is the problem.  We have been provided the solution.  God, in the person of Jesus Christ, came to save His people from their sins.

We must not focus on the different categories of sin that SIN causes!  We must pray that people recognize their need for a Savior.  And like the shepherds in all of their beautiful, crude simplicity: "When they had seen this, they made known the statement!!!!"  Make known "the statement"!!  Everyone who claims the name of Jesus as their Savior, make known the statement.  Time is short!!  We have no time to waste!!!

Too Many Soapboxes

Do you ever want to turn off your mind?  I was having one of those conversations in my head with nobody about something that irritates me, you know, soapbox time.   The dictionary gives the following definition of a soapbox: a box or crate used as a makeshift stand by a public speaker; figurative  a thing that provides an opportunity for someone to air their views publicly.  So, as I went on and on (and I'll have to say I was suppose to be relaxing at the time) it occurred to me that I have way too many soapboxes.  And then it hit me: no wonder I feel so much pressure, those things are heavy.  I think it's time for a bonfire!!

Home Sweet Home

“Home is where the heart is.”  It is a place you long for after a long day at work.  It is a place of familiarity, warmth, acceptance and rest.  It is the place that you can sit in your comfy spot and say, “Ah!!  It’s good to be home.”  Of course, not everybody feels that way about home.  The people on “Cheers” obviously sought their rest a different way.  I know for a fact that there are people everywhere that seek that rest in other places because home has ceased to be that place. 

But truth be known, even those who have that comfy spot do not have perfect rest.  That rest can only come from One Source.  In a discussion with a young person recently, that on-going angst in life was addressed.  They were talking about all the pressures they felt from life.  I had to tell them that those pressures are a lifelong battle.  It’s always going to be something jabbing at you…the scene just changes.  I went on to say.  “That’s not to depress you but to help you realize now that it’s a daily calling on God to give you His peace and patience with this life.  This earth really is not our home.  That’s why it’s so hard to rest.”

 “I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.”  Psalm 119:19    We have a rest, a genuine rest to look forward to as Christians.  “Therefore, let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall…”  Hebrews 4:11  Seek God daily for the strength it takes to make it through as a faithful representative of Jesus Christ.  We, as believers, have a rest, a genuine rest with which to look forward.   Let’s spread the word as we absorb the word, which will serve as our constant reminder and hope of that future rest.

Imagine

Time and time again, I hear words like, "Our country is under God's judgment", "it's going down the tube", "we're on a slippery slope", etc.  And yes, I do see and hear evidences of darkness, but I would say that since the fall, those things have been occurring.  Really, all you have to do is read the Word and realize the atrocities men have committed throughout this little dot on the line called "Time".  But thanks be to God for His Word, for Godly men called to be preachers of His Word and for a people called out by Him to be set apart and the joy of fellowship with those people!!

However, God does "declare" a time when the world will be devoid of even those encouragements.  "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for the hearing the words of the LORD.  People will stagger from sea to sea and from north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." Amos 8:11-12   Now this prophecy takes my breath away.  I cannot fathom such a time.  I don't want to be here for such a time.  And it makes me thankful, even in the midst of large patches of darkness across our great country, that we still see and hear the Light that gives us comfort and encouragement.

I could develop this post, going from one idea to another to show how a time like that would look.  But it would be far too long.  So, if you would, "imagine" and as you go through thought after thought, praise God for His blessings that such a time is not yet realized.  And ask Him for the power to be such an influence on your world, that darkness will not be allowed to overtake it!  "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  John 1:5

Lean Into the Wind

As I continued in Amos today, I became very uneasy as I read the following: “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your assemblies…take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.” (Amos 5:21-23)  Yes, I’ve read this before and may have even posted it before but on the heels of Mr. Tozer’s book, Deeper Life, it continues to convict me.  Consider the following excerpts from his book.

“I believe that the imperative need of the day is not simply revival but a radical reformation that will go to the root of our moral and spiritual maladies and deal with causes rather than consequences, with the disease rather than with symptoms.”

“Natural talents enable a man to work within the field of nature; but through the body of Christ, God is doing an eternal work above and beyond the realm of fallen nature.  This requires supernatural working.  Religious work can be done by natural men without the gifts of the Spirit, and it can be done well and skillfully.  But work designed for eternity can only be done by the eternal Spirit.  No work has eternity in it unless it is done by the Spirit through gifts.” 

How do those two quotes relate to Amos?  Sometimes I fear the church goes through a lot of motion with no inward holy motivation.  They do well in much of that “motion” but if it’s not Spirit led, it’s vain and worthless.  We need revival.  And I really think that need is ongoing.  We constantly need to pray and ask God for guidance in regard to our motives for everything done in His name.  Because His name IS our reason or we “chase after the wind”.

One more quote from Tozer and I’ll end with it.  Let us be encouraged and challenged by these thoughts.  We must wake up and live like Jesus.  “So strongly is the breeze blowing for revival that scarcely anyone appears to have the discernment or the courage to turn around and lean into the wind.”

The Lion Roars

Michael Card has a song called “Will You Not Listen?”.  Following is a portion of the lyrics:  “Is not He who formed the ear worth the time it takes to hear?  Should He who formed our lips for speaking, be not heeded when He speaks?  Will you not listen?  Why won’t you listen?  God has spoken love to us, why will you not listen?  Listen to the sacred silence.  Listen to the Holy Word.  Listen as He speaks through living parables that must be heard.”

I thought of this song recently as I was reading the book of Amos.   Verse eight of chapter three says, “A lion has roared! Who will not fear?”  Now I cannot relate the reality of a lion roaring in the woods as I hike.  Because we do not live in an area where that is going to happen, I don’t think about it.  But years ago, I spent the night on occasion with a relative who lived down the alley from the cage of a lion who was the local college mascot.  There were times at night when he did a pulsating, low roar.  I’m telling you, I think the house vibrated!  It was pretty impressive and greatly unsettling.  The effect of a solid, unrestrained roar, I’ve never heard apart from T.V.  But reflecting on the possibility makes me shudder.  Ok, get the picture? 
“A lion has roared!  WHO will not fear?”

Now, the next part of the verse is the part we have to get serious about!!  “The Lord GOD has spoken!  Who can but prophesy?”  We must speak.  Whether they listen now or not is not our job.  God has spoken.  We have His “Holy Word”.  Listen to it.  Live it.  Proclaim it.  Pray for listeners.  They will listen one day because WAY louder and more unsettling than a lion, the sound will be unmistakeable!

Tozer Treasure

Just read a book called Keys to the Deeper Life by A. W. Tozer.  It is a book compiled from material from a series of articles written by him and published in Christian Life magazine.   The following excerpts are only a token treasure from this book.

Revival:  “Wherever, a careless, fleshly Christian suddenly pulls his life together, turns on himself and seeks the face of God in penitence and tears, you have the beginning of a personal revival.”

Evangelicalism:  “…the believer’s true ambition should not be success but saintliness.  They must see that they are not called to imitate the world, but to renounce it…”

 “Never forget, God is on the side of the thirsty saint.  You do not need to persuade Him to meet you.  He is already persuaded.  Just dare to trust Him.” 

“Worldliness has become epidemic in evangelical circles.”  “Hollywood now has more influence than Jerusalem every had.  Youth take for their examples not the saints of old but the stars of today.”  (Written in August 1954!!)

Deeper Life:  “…the result of a crisis…”   “…spiritual life with an intensity of purity and fruitfulness far in advance of that of the average Christian life.  It involves complete separation from the world, not only in practice but in spirit, and a full devotion to God without reservation.”

More to come!  Stay tuned!

"Let Go and Let God"

I grew up hearing that little saying.  After I was saved, however, I realized just how untrue that saying really is.  In the church I attended as a new believer, our pastor would say, “Brothers and sisters, you don’t let God do anything!  He’s God!! He does whatever He pleases.”  I would add, “and you can’t even let go without His power”.

Today that saying and my former pastor came to mind as I read chapter 15 of  2 Chronicles.  Verse 2:  “the LORD is with you when you are with Him.  And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him.”  Verse 4: “…they sought Him, and He let them find Him.”  Verse 15:  “…for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him.”

Apply this as you will.  And recognize the power and sovereignty of the God with Whom we must give account.

Realignment

A friend of mine told me yesterday that their wheel on their car hit a curb very hard and after that it became a very shaky ride.  She said they would probably need a "realignment".  As I was going through some papers in my file today, I found something I had written some months back, but never posted.  Now I have this visual to go along with it.  And I'll take it further by saying sometimes in life we get hit very hard and begin having a very shaky walk.  Sometimes it may not be a hit but a miss.  We are missing out on our time with God.  For both situations, we need realignment.

When you align yourself with something, according to the dictionary you  put yourself into correct or appropriate relative positions or give support or come together in agreement or alliance.  In last Sunday’s message, our pastor spoke of being aligned with Christ.  And he said, when we’re not aligned, we realign.  We put ourselves into the correct (according to scripture) position.  We give support to the scripture by living it out.  We come to agreement or alliance with our Savior about our sin and our need for His salvation and we live up to that agreement with the power of the Holy Spirit.  It’s that simple.

So, when we, as believers, see that we’re not aligned, we realign.  As I pondered this statement by our pastor, I began to think of ways I was not aligned.  One thing that came to mind was my lack of adoration when I hear the name of God.  That thought came to me again as I read in Exodus about Moses and the burning bush.  God told Moses to take off his shoes for he was standing on holy ground.  I have lost my awe of God.  I have failed to “be still and know that He is God”.   I read the scripture daily and pray.  But I do not meditate, as I should.  And by neglecting that, I fail to engage in the personal relationship God desires of me.  Why it’s like clinging to letters of your loved one while they sit in the same room with you.

Yes, I need realignment!  I would say it’s part of the sanctification process.  I’m not finished.  And I am excited to know that no matter what age we are or how long we’ve been Christians, God teaches us new truths with which to align ourselves.  And our “alliance” through Jesus Christ is the absolute, most important work we have here on earth. 

If you’re not aligned, realign!  If you have no desire to realign, I doubt seriously you’ve ever truly been aligned in the first place.  But don’t fret!  Bow down to Him who has the power to save you 

"What's In a Name?"

Shakespeare's Romeo asked the question, "What's in a name?"  Juliet apparently was a bit confused by her attraction to Romeo and his pursuit of her.   His name meant "enemy" to her, therefore, they dialog the famous passage we all know.

So, what is in a name?  I have grown up in circles where naming children was merely superficial, ie. you like the sound, you name them.  I'll have to say, that's pretty much the way I named my children.  While I can't speak for everyone, I think there may be many people like that.  But not so, in scripture.  Perhaps most of you have never heard this name that I'll share,  from the past, present and probably never will in the future, but I love the thought process it's benefited me with this week.

I've been reading the book of Joel.  As you know, he is one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament and definitely a pretty common name.  His name means "The Lord is God", but it's Joel's dad that interested me!  "The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel."  PETHUEL...not really a bad name for sound and the meaning, well, I would pray that all believers should live up to this name!  "Openheartedness toward God"  Apparently, Pethuel lived up to his name and God blessed him with the fruit of a son used in a major way, though we call him "minor".  The book of Joel, son of Pethuel became a part of the inspired word of our Creator to His creation. 

What's in a name, indeed!!  Much in every way.  Let us live up to the name of Christian and never grow tired of that life.  May you be blessed with growing passion and desire to demonstrate to a watching world an "openheartedness to God" in everything you do!!  Oh, Father, may I always be such to You!  It brings to mind the old hymn, "I Surrender All".  This needs to be the Christian's daily cry to God!

Best Advice for Life

Hosea is another great book that gives us a look into the personality of our God.  His passion and love for His people is relentless.  He wants us to know how much He desires relationship and how much better our lives will be when we get that!

I just want to share a bit from chapter fourteen in hopes that it excites your thoughts as it did mine.   He first says for Israel to "return" to Him because they had stumbled because of sin.  And He goes on to say that the power of other countries (Assyria) will not save them nor will horses or the works of their hands.

Then He displays His desire for them with these words:  I will heal.  I will love them freely.  My anger will turn away.  I will be like dew; and Israel will blossom like the lily and take root like cedars.  He goes on to talk about growth, beauty and fragrance.  Then He encourages them with, "It is I who answers and looks after you.  I am like a luxuriant cypress and from Me comes your fruit."  WOW!  And if that is not enough, He gives us the best advice for life:  "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them.   For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous will walk in them, BUT transgressors will stumble in them."  It doesn't get any simpler than that yet the majority find it too difficult to heed.

I'm trying to keep my posts shorter, so I'll stop, but I hope you won't.  Dig deep and reap richly from this profoundly simple passage.  It goes a long way to reveal the "much mores" of God and the benefits of bowing down in humble adoration and vigilant service.

Effective Prayer

On the heels of "Fuzzy Memory", I may be displaying that as I post today.  In other words, I may have posted this thought before but if so, well, it's worth repeating.  In regard to prayer, "let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace"  and "the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much", are both verses that should encourage us greatly in the practice!  God uses prayer to display His power in lives!
And what's very important for us as believers to remember is that we should NEVER be hindered in our boldness because of our failings.  The "righteous" man is not about us but is about our Savior.  He and He alone provides the righteous covering for our audience with the Father.

Do not ever be hindered from coming to God in prayer about anything.  Always come faithfully and boldly! Because you, dear brother and sister, are always covered with Jesus righteousness and therefore your prayer will be effective to the honor and glory of God.  It's all about Him!

Fuzzy Memory

As I walked today and tried to pray, many thoughts kept bombarding my brain.  It’s truly warfare to try to pray, but it’s a worthy battle to fight.  Therefore, my walk was full of both conversation with my Father and unruly, scattered thoughts about spiritual life.  (Yes, the Enemy doesn’t care what you think about as long as you are not praying.)

One of those bombarded thoughts had to do with our works.  Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference between what God is doing in us and what we contrive on our own.  I constantly fight moving forward with ideas to implement God’s word.  I call it “fight” because many times this is my movement and not His.  I must wait for Him to show me when and how to move.  One of those distinct times in my life was when I began teaching four and fives.  The process that was involved in getting me to that place took about five years and I didn’t even realize it was going on until after it happened.  It’s a long story and I won’t go into it here, for that is not the reason for this post, but what I will say is that God does not need any help to get us where He wants us to be.  We just need to be faithful and committed where we are right now until He does the moving.

I’ve been teaching this age children now for many years and I will say that I am just as excited and passionate about this job as I was in the beginning.  And this coming from a person who had said, “I will never teach any child under first grade.”  Our lives must always be bowed down and open to the whatevers God has to bestow on us.  And we should know that it will be “immeasurably more than we ask or think.”  Take it from me, that has been proven in my walk with Jesus, time and time again!!

Well, back to the subject of today’s post:  Recently, I had someone say something that cast an inferior slur on this privilege with which I’ve been blessed.  It wasn’t malicious but it was like “just” teaching fours and fives was Christian Easy Street.   I’ve had many roadblocks in my walk as a believer and many through the years of teaching these precious little ones.  This is just one more roadblock, I know, but since it’s recent, it still rather nags on me. 

It was nagging today and I thought, “do I need to pray to be used of God another way?”  Do I need to teach older people?  As I thought on this, I realized that this is the Enemy working my most horrid sin to my disadvantage: PRIDE.  For what reason do I need to even think I need to move when God has not even hinted at this?  Is it for recognition?  I fear that’s it exactly.  And I know for a fact, that is NOT God! 

The children love me for a very short time.  In fact, a teacher of older children told me once that by the time she gets my group, I am merely a fuzzy memory!!  HA!!  She said that years ago and she was absolutely right!  For many of them, it’s not even “fuzzy”.  It’s completely gone!  But what does that matter.  What is my motive?  I want to be used to help equip these precious ones with a foundation that will be built on for many years and aid them in their seeking God.

So what does it matter if they ever remember me.  Not one whit!  God is my reason for everything I do.  He has told us that it is He “that works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)   And 1 Peter 1:4 says that we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade”.  And I’ll add “or be fuzzy”. 

“Only one life; ‘twill soon will be past.  Only what’s done for Christ will last.”                                            C. T. Studd

Incapable of Innocence

The word "innocence" strikes a cord in me that is refreshing, lovely, and hopeful.  The dictionary gives this definition: lack of guile or corruption; purity: the healthy bloom in her cheeks gave her an aura of innocence.  Even that sentence gives me a brief retreat from the reality that is in the world.  I guess that's why I love stories and movies from, what many say, "times of innocence".   Or there's the excitement I feel when I see and hold a newborn baby in all it's dependence and complete innocence.

Well, I could go on with my thoughts on all those things.  But the reason for the post today is from reading Hosea.  As I read over chapter eight, God is describing the senseless deeds of Israel.  They are important to Israel but God knows these deeds mean nothing and are going no where!  Israel has transgressed against God, His covenant and His law.  God tells them they are like a wild donkey and though He has given them ten thousand precepts, those precepts are regarded as strange!!  (That sounds familiar!!)  He also tells them, "they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind"!  There's the "nothing and no where" I was talking about.

And the subject of this post:  "How long will they be incapable of innocence?"  That phrase "incapable of innocence" struck me in the very opposite way I started this post.  It is not refreshing but oppressing; not lovely but ugly; not hopeful but unsettling.  And the part that really bothers me is He is talking about His people.

My works are important to me but what does God think about the things I do?  Am I pleasing Him from the heart?  Are my motives for His glory?  Am I moved by my great love for Christ??  Do my cheeks have a healthy bloom that gives me an aura of innocence?  That needs to be our prayer!  For that "aura" should be the light of our Savior shining through everything we do.

"How long" indeed?!!  May I be growing in the grace of my Lord each day and with each day have a greater capacity for innocence.  Amen and Amen!!!

Closed Doors

We have many “closed doors” in life.  I mean those places in life when something is over and you find yourself in new space.  Death, of course, is the biggie.  And it’s so final.  But for my post today, death is not on the list.  I’m talking about those last times you do something; an event, known or unknown that changes your way of life.

One example for a woman is the last time you nurse your baby.  Nursing your child is a big deal.  It’s what keeps the child alive and growing. Can you imagine that we would not remember the last time it happened.  And it’s an event that’s definitely going to take place; be it breast feeding or bottles, there will be a final time.  I’m glad I didn’t know.  It would have been too sad.  I only have two children and for someone who remembers a lot, I do not remember that last time.  But it did happen. 

So you get the point, and for my post today, I will not elaborate further on “lasts” but I want to discuss a “closed door” that occurred for me yesterday.

While I do not want to belabor the details, I do want to say that as soon as I heard  some “words expressed”, I knew the door was closed.  And the door will remain closed until that person opens it.  I won’t open that door again.  And for my post, the words are important because it hit me how often (mostly without words) we live out those words to God.

The words were, “I don’t trust you with my…”!  I don’t trust you!  For me, the words really hurt.  I didn’t lash out irrationally about it, although I wanted to.  I did say a few things but all in all, it was like having the air knocked out.  Why in the world would this person not trust me of all people??!!

Oh, my!!  How that came back on me today.  God is so teaching me this lesson lately on a weekly basis.  “You don’t trust Me? Why in the world would you not trust Me?”  It dawned on me, that dryness or darkness or the tunnel walk in the spiritual life may sometimes be of our own making.  We may have let God know that we don’t trust Him, so, for a time, He closes the door.  And He may not open the door again until we come “knocking, asking, and seeking”!

Demonic Vacuum Cleaner

I love my vacuum cleaner.  It’s been a faithful cleaning tool now for over twenty years.  While I should be thankful for such service in a world full of cheaply made machines, there are times I think it is possessed.

It has little wheels that allow it to glide easily over my hardwood floors.  Then for no apparent reason, as I am cleaning vigorously, it gets stuck on a half-inch round cord.  Now the cord is an easy jump for the little wheels, a little shake should solve the problem; but no, it usually takes stopping and lifting it off the cord.

Sometimes it will lie down on its side.  It will be going great, and I have no idea how or why, but it will roll off it’s wheels!   Of course, there’s no way to get it up with just a pull this time.  I definitely have to stop, pick it up and put it back on its wheels.   I’ve gotten so irritated at it that I’ll just pick it up and carry it because that’s the only way I can get it to do what I want without interrupting my plan.

Today was such a day.  As I carried it around, I thought of many things in the spiritual realm in regard to my feelings about my vacuum.  First, there is no original sin in this machine, so of course there is no demonic influence.  The only sinfulness going on here is me getting irritated at a machine.

Second, I thought that this little vacuum is a very good picture of God and me.  How often have I become tripped up on something minor and He pulls and I don’t budge?!   How often will I be going along and out of the blue lie down on the job? He lovingly picks me up and carries me through the rough place, reminding me of His faithfulness and truthfulness.  My feelings cannot come into play.  I must trust Him.  Of course, I did not talk to my vacuum this way, but I do thank God for instructing me even in the base things of life!!

Do What You Want?

Recently I took matters into my own hands.  How often (and for me, sadly, most often) we tend to look at problems, plan a strategy and run ahead to solve them ourselves.  We, and I’m talking here to Christians, can quote verses from scripture, great sayings of Godly men and take copious notes from great sermons.  But the living it out, well, that’s for everyone else.  We piously gripe about situation ethics and yet we lean toward that philosophy ourselves when the going gets rough.  It’s hard to live out holiness, Godly love, and Biblical principles.  It’s HARD!! 

I confess my recent squeeze from the world revealed more about my character than I can bear.  The pressure from the problem is gone…yes, I took the matter into my own hands and did not submit to authority.  When guiltily I confessed, the answer back was, “Well, you did what you wanted.”  OUCH!!  And believe me, that’s not a flippant ouch but an agonizing, gut-wrenching ouch.  And immediately, this verse came to mind: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25  We have a KING.  He has given us the plan and it’s the best plan.  When will I ever learn?

Nouns & Verbs

Consider the use of the word trust in the following verse, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD..."  Jeremiah 17:7.  The action of trusting is showered with words like reliability, ability, strength, confidence, commitment, hope, and faith.   With the identity of trust, you find words like acceptance, responsible, expectation, benefit, and management.  There's such power and security surrounding this word, whether used with the action of a verb or the identity of a noun.  And then, as though all that was not enough, the man is blessed, too.  What a sweet verse of peace and rest on which to meditate as I go to bed.

Sin's Desire

Cain knew what God required but did what he thought was best.  Then he became angry with God.  God asked him "why" and offered him this most merciful and loving advice: "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."  (Genesis 4:7)

WOW!  Is that not the need of each of our days??  Is that not why we must start our day at God's throne asking for power, strength and right thinking?  Cain did not listen to God.  Sin won out and had its desire fulfilled as Cain gave in to jealousy and anger with the murder of his brother.  And he proceeded with lies, selfishness and lack of love for his Creator.  He answered God with sarcasm about the slaying of Abel and then whined about the consequence.  We shake our heads in disbelief as we read this loathsome account.  But I see myself here more than I like to admit.

Again, I contend that prayer is the only recourse for our life's path.  For the steps ahead, we may try to plan but we really do not know what lies ahead.  And we need to learn from this portion of God's word the sneakiness of sin.  It is "crouching" and it desires to render us useless in the service of our King!  Let us master it with the power we have been given in Christ our Lord!  AMEN!!

Kicking and Screaming

Michael Card is one of my favorite musicians.  He is truly a musical theologian!  His songs have ministered to me now for about 26 years when a good friend gave us the CD gift of "Present Reality".  A couple of days ago, I listened to yet another new song by Card (new to me; it's been out a while).  As I listened, I thought of many people I know who persist in unbelief.  However, as I listened to it again after several times, I realized that I, too, am at fault for behaving in the same way.  And I'm talking about in my Christian walk!  You know what I mean?  Those times we go through worrying, unfaithful, angry at God for unanswered prayer.  Well, the list goes on but you make the application however you want.  Here are the lyrics: (Oh, and if you want to listen, go to youtube: "I Will Not Walk Away From You")

I made the Man of Sorrows sorry by all my foolish lies.  I drove the nails, I raised the cross; I was the reason that He died.  Utterly unfaithful then, I added anger to my sin.  In a world already dark to me, I closed my eyes and would not see.  So I may kick and I may scream, say many things I do not mean.  Hold blindly to what is not true but I will not walk away from You.

 Just why I choose to disobey, I simply cannot tell.  Why I blame You when I rebel and weep for wounds I give myself.  Then screaming at an empty sky, I search for You and wonder why.  Though I cause you so much agony, You refuse to walk away from me.

 Don’t read me pointless poems, friend, don’t diagnose, don’t condescend.  Though you may be right to disagree, I need someone to weep with me.   

I made the Man of Sorrows sorry by all my foolish lies.  I drove the nails, I raised the cross; I was the reason that He died.  So, I may kick and I may scream, say many things I do not mean.  Hold blindly to what is not true but I will not walk away from You.

The Cross

Sunday, our pastor shared the following written by his wife.  He said he wanted her to give testimony to the “power and preciousness of the cross”.  This is what she wrote:

“The power of the cross…to speak of it in detail would be an endeavor into eternity, I couldn’t do it.  If I were to talk about the preciousness of the cross, well I’m incapable of putting words together to do the slightest bit of justice worthy of the One Who declared me just before God, because of His work on my behalf.  The power of the cross enables our escape from hell and the preciousness of it escorts us into the presence of God.  The power of the cross gives us life and the preciousness of the cross allows us to live life abundantly.  The power of the cross is what the cross does: it destroys the destroyer; it cancels our unpayable debt; it robs the grave and gives life to the dead.  Through the power of the cross, what should be incinerated is instead redeemed.  The power of the cross is undeniable, it is unstoppable and it is irreversible.  The preciousness of the cross is the humiliation of the One for the exaltation of the many.  The preciousness of the cross is in its single, sinless sacrifice for the guilt-ridden masses.  The preciousness of the cross is in its success.  The preciousness of the cross is its effective result for all the defective alternatives.  The power of the cross is that it is God’s answer to our biggest problem.  The power and the preciousness of the cross enables me to share in, both with Him and for His cross the ability to take it up and die daily to myself so that I can live for Him and for them.”

Worry

This is pretty simple:  "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Great passage!  Why is it so hard for us to do it?  I'd say maybe we have too low a view of how awesome and powerful is our God!!

A special friend sent this to me today.  She had studied the passage and needed a visual so she doodled herself one!   Channel 1 - Reruns (past); Channel 2 - Up to the minute (present); Channel 3 - fuzzy (future)  We go from channel 1 to channel 2 to channel 3 and it divides the mind with anxiety, worry, and fear.  We weren't made to tune our minds to channel 1 or channel 3.  God deals with the day.  Our work is to pray!

Love

The Love Chapter!  Most Christians know this well!  But I will say for me...it's not a chapter I go to often.  I'm ashamed to say that every single time I go, I get sick at my stomach!!!  Do you ever go at something willingly that is going to make you sick??  But since my husband is teaching 1 Corinthians in a Bible Study on Fridays and that's where we are right now, read I must.  I want to be prepared.  So I am prepared and down-trodded!

I know I haven't arrived!  I am well aware of that fact.  But that passage gets to me every time!  I fall so incredibly short of "true love" and in every point!  But praise God, He is not without power to deal with this in me and I press on toward the mark!   And I "rejoice with the truth".  And I in "ALL THINGS, bear, believe, hope and endure"!!!

Eternal Life

John Riddle, a Bible teacher of a class I was in recently, said, "Eternity and death are the kings of terror."  Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God put eternity in our hearts.  Jesus Christ said in John 17:3, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."  John 1:12 says, "but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."  And Matthew 7:24 says, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them..."

There's hope for those who are hopeless in regard to the terror of eternity and death.  That's eternity and life.  Jesus said it as simply as it gets:  "know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ".  Throw off your very foolish pride and bow down to the sovereignty of a holy God.  Man bases his conclusions on reason, however, the conclusion of eternity and death is in the hands of that God with Whom one day, you will have to give account!!  Bow down NOW to His mercy and grace while the breath of life still flows.

This calls for the "action" of Matthew 7:24.  Jesus in talking to God about His disciples in John 17, comments on the actions they manifested in verses 6-8: "kept, come to know, received, understood, and believed".  Yes, all by grace but doesn't it make sense that something as vital as "eternal life" should be sought with every ounce of your being?!!

Joy Full Work

I’ve been WAY busy lately.  Sometimes, I get frustrated and confused as to how I got to this point.  Every moment is full.  There’s barely any down time, even on Sunday.  But, it’s also energizing.  The goals are short and reactions encouraging so I plug away.  And I’m finally learning a very important lesson.  Pray!  Give it to God.  Watch what He does with you once you’ve turned into a bundle of over-anxious nerves.  (Actually, if we’d start with Him, we would not get to that point.)

As I contemplated all the busyness this week (and after I had to survive yet another question of  “what do you do all day?”), I began to dissect each activity and why I was doing them.  As it turned out, if I wasn’t a Christian, I wouldn’t be doing any of the things I was doing.  Now, this is not a brag!!  I’ll have to say, I was in utter amazement at that realization.  It excited me that God in His grace has taught me “great and mighty things I did not know” and has brought me to the place where, these things are second nature.  I need you to know that I do not mean that I’ve arrived.  To the contrary, I believe I have just begun.  He continues to show me sin in my life, people who need Him, and work that needs doing.  And isn’t that what it’s all about for believers?

In studying Jesus prayer in John 17, one of the first things He says is, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”  What my prayer needs to be is, “God give me the discernment to know which work to do and give me the power to do it.”  And then in John 16:24 and 17:13, He says, “…ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”  “…these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”   That’s definitely energizing!  To have Jesus’ joy made full in us!  Joy full work!  “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”  Colossians 1:29  AMEN!!

Morning by Morning

There are a few books of compiled devotions by Charles Spurgeon that I love and have quoted here on occasion.   One is called "Morning by Morning" and the other "Morning and Evening".  He uses Isaiah 1:4 and Psalm 63:5 & 6 as his references for the books.  However, as I read Ezekiel recently, I came upon this: "And you shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it.  Also you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, a sixth of an ephah and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour, a grain offering to the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance.  Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering."  Ezekiel 46:13-15

Spurgeon's premise for his devotions is our need to seek, listen, meditate and be satisfied with God daily.  God is worthy to be worshipped!  Daily, moment by moment, morning by morning we must be about the business of seeking Him and adoring Him!  It is our "offering" and must be a "perpetual ordinance".  And the Lamb has been provided.  He provided Himself.  Let us offer Him the praise He deserves thus making out of us the man to be used for the work ahead:  changing the world.

Filthy Rags

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”   This came to me this morning as I contemplated a verse in Ezekiel.  In chapter forty-five, God continues to walk Ezekiel through all that is to come in the millennial kingdom.  In verse eighteen, it states: “Thus says the Lord GOD” and continues with the details of a sacrifice and specifies what to do with the blood.  And in verse twenty, it says, “Thus you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who goes astray or is naïve”.    I looked up the adjective, naïve: showing lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment; innocent.

Our going astray, whatever that means for each of us, should be confessed each day and brought up each morning that God will give us the power to avoid.  But naïve…well, that’s more abstract.  I remember as a kid when men in the church prayed aloud, “Lord forgive our sins of omission and commission.” Naïve would be the “omission”, something that has been left out or failure to do.   They are also those sins we do that we don’t realize are sins.  And I’ll not try to go any further giving examples…not enough room here!   Naïve sins are still sins whether we think about it or not. 

Let us not be judgmental and appalled at the sins of the world!  You know what I mean: “What’s this world coming to?”  Let us be aware of our own “naïve sins”.  They are there and we may not know the specific but we can still be repentant.  God is serious about all sin.  And we may think our works are righteous, but only God gives the righteousness and empowers it!  Let us throw ourselves at the Feet of His wonderful mercy!!

Slapping Yourself

A relative of mine went on a trip with a friend recently.  They didn't get very much sleep on their fun-filled weekend and then had to drive home.  My acquaintance, who was not the driver, told me he looked up to see the car veering off the road and then the driver began slapping himself in order to "wake-up".  (We all know the feeling.)  Thankfully, they made it home safe and it's now a funny mental picture.

As I contemplated the story today, I thought it a great picture of what we must do to keep from sinning.  Then the verse, "I beat my body and make it my slave..." came to mind.  (1 Corinthians 9:27, NIV)  The driver of the car wanted to stay alive.  We, too, must be that serious about avoiding sin.

Late Rains

The endless bounty of God's word is so incredibly amazing to me!  Yes, I know that I am extremely redundant!  But I just can't speak enough about it.   I'll be reading a passage for one reason when POW! out of the blue, I'll be prompted by the Holy Spirit about a word, a phrase, a sentence or a whole chapter, that is about something else entirely.

This happened to me last week as I went to the book of James, chapter five, verses seven and eight.  I went there to read a quick verse about patience when God gave me some encouragement.  We all have people in our lives who press on our hearts moment by moment in regard to their spiritual understanding.  One such person in my life whom I was not thinking about at the time immediately came to my mind as I read verse seven:  "Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains."

My person, whom I love and desire for them to see their need for Christ, received early rain.   But just because they have not come to the place where they see their need MUST NOT cause me despair.  The verse tells me: be patient, the coming of the Lord is not here right now, it's still coming.  Again that one verse gives another admonition toward patience with an example of "the farmer" who "waits"for both the early and late rains!   Late rains!!  I will, by the strength of the Spirit wait for that "precious produce" after the late rains come!  Praise God for the richness of His word.

Behold

Behold has been a recurring word in Ezekiel.  I know what it means but decided to look it up and think through the definitions: see, observe;  look, watch, survey, witness, gaze upon, regard, contemplate, inspect.  The bottom line is to do all this, our eyes have to be opened, which is a definite spiritual prerequisite.

And speaking of "eyes opened", which in the spiritual realm is what God must do for everyone who believes, I was struck by the beginning of chapter 40 of Ezekiel.  In verse one, "the hand of the LORD was upon me; He brought me".  Verse two, "He brought me and set me...".  Verse three, "He brought me there and Behold..."  God did the doing!  We seek, wait, pray, wait and wait.  He will do His will!

And what did Ezekiel "behold"?  Verse four says an angel of the Lord was in place to give Ezekiel further instructions and the instructions are pretty clear:  "See with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you.  Declare to the house of Israel all that you see."

Our declaration of all that we see, hear, and give attention to is done in many ways.  Our life choices, responses and activities reveal much to a watching world.  May I declare faithfully all that God has brought me to behold about a revealed Christ.

Details Revisited

A few weeks ago I posted "Divinely Determined Details".  Well, I have a bit more to say about Divine Details from a slightly different angle.  The first post talks about God's orchestrating details and the magnitude of that divine ability.   This one, however, focuses more on the importance of details to God.

As I head toward the finish of Ezekiel, I thought I hit a wall.  Chapter forty deals with the details of the future temple and its construction.  An architect or a builder may be very interested in all the measurements and layouts noted but I thought, "what can I get out of this?"  As has been my practice on this major prophet road, I'll read, be glazed over, pray and then be blown away at what a second or third reading reveals.  The Holy Spirit has guided and grown me much in this time of study, and I am passionately grateful for His patience with my whinings and mental blocks! ("Blockhead" is more like it!) But today, I really thought He'd be challenged with me.  NOT!  So here's my first of a few postings from chapter forty:  I've read the chapter at least five times over the course of about four days.  Today it hit me, rather He opened my eyes to the intricate, precise and meticulous process that goes into the construction of the temple.  I've studied the temple many times and had many wonderful realizations of the comparison to Christ.  But what I got today was that we as believers MUST be about the glory of God.  And the details of our lives are very important to God!  First Corinthians 3:16 tells us that we are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives in us (which is why I got anything out of this passage!)  Our details matter to Him and they better matter to us.  Let us grow to new heights with this understanding that every association, act, appearance, etc. reveal a life sold out to excellence for the glory of the Triune God!

Blessings

I use the word bless and its derivatives over and over in prayer!  Most of the time, it is to be blessed or for God to bless someone else.  This morning, out of the blue, an old hymn came to mind.  It's not really a hymn I especially liked that much but the words came to me vividly.  This is my prayer today.  And I share it with you!

"Out in the highways and byways of life, many are weary and sad; Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, making the sorrowing glad.  Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love, tell of His power to forgive; others will trust Him if only you prove true, every moment you live.  Give as 'twas given to you in your need.  Love as the Master loved you; be to the helpless a helper indeed, unto your mission be true.  [chorus] Make me a blessing, out of my life may Jesus shine; make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray, make me a blessing to someone today."

Ask Him!!

I just want to repeat something I think is pretty profound!  God wants to interact with us more than we do with Him.  [When I make a comment like this, I am preaching it to myself.]  Listen to this verse one more time:  "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them." (Ezekiel 36:37)   He could have just done it.  But how much more intertwined it is if they ask and then receive.  It's communication and relationship with the Ultimate Supplier.  I love that!  I need reminding...daily!

"Flocks of Men"

"...so the waste cities be filled with flocks of men." (Ezekiel 36:37-38)   This news would definitely be wonderful to a people who have been ravaged with enemies, famine, death and destruction. The whole chapter is beautiful, passionate and reveals the amazing, personal character of our God and His unconditional love for His people.  He has revealed to Ezekiel what His intention is for His people, a people who have been anything but faithful and are reaping bad consequences of that unfaithfulness.

"Filled with flocks of men":  I love the imagery of the strength, comfort and protection this represents.  First, God provides them.  That's enough right there.  But then He says, "filled with flocks of men".  Why? Again, His answer that has become the central theme of this book: "Then they will know that I am the LORD."  He will reenergize this devastated people with divine, supernatural power.  Men represent authority, strength, resolve.  And especially men provided by God!

And here's a very interesting part to this verse: "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them..."  He provides the information but waits for them to ask!!  Interesting!  John MacArthur says, "This prophecy was to stir up the people's prayers."  Let us be stirred up by this passage.  God is ready and able.  Are we being faithful to ask Him to do for us?  We all have "waste cities" in our lives.  We must trust His ability and His timing.  And we cannot give up.   Trust and timing!   Chapter 37 reveals more wonders for the people of Israel written over 2000 years ago; many promises of that chapter have yet to be realized.  Still waiting!  Still trusting!  Perseverance is hard but it's part of the beauty of a believer!  And it's a supernatural gift of the Almighty God Who will be glorified by it!!

"Flocks of men" for the "waste cities" provided by the God of creation who knows our needs and waits for us to acknowledge His power in provision.  "Then you will know that He is the LORD."

Then

In the book of Ezekiel, time and again, God says, as He tells Ezekiel what to say, “then they shall know that I am the LORD.”  (In the post, “Jots and Tittles”,  I gave an estimate of 34 times.)  The word “then” is a time word.  And many times the way it is used in Ezekiel is as warning.  God tells Ezekiel to say “such and such” and when “such and such” happens, “then they shall know…”.  So, it’s a warning about an event in the future that is past and how they are going to feel.  (I hope I said that correctly.)  In other words, you better heed the Word of the Lord through Ezekiel (and get on your faces and repent) or this bad thing going to happen and “then you’ll know”.

Ok, all that said, as you read chapter 33:30-33, you get a clear picture of what Ezekiel was up against with these fellow Israelites.  They talked about Ezekiel, knew he was getting messages from the Lord, wanted to go and hear the message, went and sat before him as people of God, heard the message and did not do what it said.  And listen to what God tells Ezekiel, “you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument.”  WOW!  That’s a mouthful!  I wonder how many godly pastors who preach the truth with passion feel the pressure of that reaction from a congregation.  And I wonder how many of us as a congregation are doing just that: listening, leaving, and lethargic!  It would truly be a heavy burden for a pastor to bear.  

And here’s what God says at the end of that chapter: “So when it comes to pass—as it will—then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.” Now, we have “when” which denotes certainty and “then” used this time to encourage the prophet Ezekiel. Your work in the Lord, Ezekiel, is not in vain.  ( Cor. 15:58)

"Rise and Pray"

The disciples, one after another, blundered through the whole process of the arrest, conviction, death and burial of Jesus.  Maybe we look at them and shake our heads, but some of us are not really that different.  And I believe it's because we "do not have because we do not ask God." (James 4:2)  We blunder through many trials in life without asking God for the strength and power to honor Him in those trials.

John MacArthur says in the footnote from Luke 22:46 that "rise and pray" was a "tender appeal to the disciples, who in their weakness were disobeying Him at a critical moment.  He may have been summoning them to a standing posture, to help overcome their drowsiness."  We must do whatever it takes to pray.  That must be our first priority.  Because it's is not by our own strength that we can ever accomplish anything for the glory of God.  And that is what the Christian life is all about.

"Why are you sleeping?  Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."  Luke 22:46 ESV

"God and God Alone"

“Oh! What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”  These  famous words from Marmion by Walter Scott, came to my mind today as I mentally reviewed my sins of the week before I came to God in prayer.  While I do desire to honor God with my life, I find too often tucked away in the inner recesses of my mind, wretched thoughts that afflict me.  It grieves my heart to know there is still sin on the loose with which I still must search and destroy.  But even greater grief should I suffer if I think too highly of my  own spirituality. 

Yes, we must deal daily with these internal sins or we will grow accustomed to their presence and become comfortable with them.  I find, on reflection, that there is an intricate network of sin still lingering: manipulative thoughts (you know, how we get people to do things without coming right out and asking), two-facedness (we say one thing in response to comments made by a friend while thinking something entirely different), gossip (the kind where we sit and listen to things said about acquaintances without taking up for them or rebuking the negative talk), unbridled talk (that which we say to get a laugh or to promote our own wisdom when it casts slur on another).

This is deception of the worst kind.  And it calls for us to lay prostrate at the throne of the Most High God to rehearse the truth about our day, present to Him in grief and repentance and thank Him for His mercy and forgiveness to us.  And with His granted mercy and forgiveness, to have mercy on others for whom we pray.   We should never become so high-minded as to think we have any goodness that came from the inside.  No indeed!!  What we have in the way of goodness came to us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  And it is Him and Him alone who will keep us where we should be.

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  (Philippians 2:13)  Remember that!!  It’s as simple as it gets!  God and God Alone has the power to use us or we are useless!!  We are nothing apart from His power.  And our works are worthless unless they are worked in by Him.   In the verse 12 of the same passage, it says: “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”   Only God can work it in.  It’s there if you are a believer; you can only work out what He has worked in!!

God will free us from the deception of sin.  We must be on guard to its presence or we will become tangled and of no use.  Forgive us Father for our deceit and free us, that we will serve you with purity and power!  Amen and Amen!!   (And FYI listen to the song, “God and God Alone”, written by Steve Green)

Divinely Determined Details

At a Bible Study recently the teacher talked about people making much of the miracles of the Bible.  Nothing wrong with that but he went on to say that people don’t talk about what he believed to be a far greater miracle (if you were going to categorize them).  That would be the miracle of “all things working together” (Romans 8:28). 

Meditate on that a bit!  All the details of everyone, past, present and future “work together”.  “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD”  (Jeremiah 29:11).

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”  Ephesians 1:11

He is divinely in charge of all the details of life and is faithfully determined to fulfill every one of them to the praise of His glory!  Let this soak in that it may free us from the bondage of anxiety.  May it direct us to the joy of His rest.  He is in control.  We are not.  And that’s a good thing! 

Perfect Love

The following is adapted from The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer.  A very special young lady has brought it to my attention this week and I include it to encourage and remind other Christians what love from God looks like.  And to challenge and warn unbelievers what it is not.

“Thou hast declared Thine unchanging love for us in Christ Jesus.  If nothing in us can win Thy love, nothing in the universe can prevent Thee from loving us.  Help us to believe the intensity, the eternity of the love that has found us.  Then love will cast out fear; and our troubled hearts will be at peace, trusting not in what we are but in what Thou hast declared Thyself to be.”

"Equating love with God (or saying that love defines God) is a major mistake which has produced much unsound religious philosophy and has brought forth a spate of vaporous poetry completely out of accord with the Holy Scriptures and altogether of another climate from that of historic Christianity.  Love is something true about God but it is not God.

God’s love has no beginning.  He is eternal; His love can have no end.  He is infinite; it has no limit.  He is holy so His love is the quintessence (look it up) of all spotless purity.  He is immense; His love is an incomprehensible vast, bottomless, shoreless sea before which we kneel in joyful silence and from which the loftiest eloquence retreats confused and abashed."

There is much more in this very short chapter but to just ruminate on that last paragraph alone just blows me away and helps me to remember why “perfect love casts out fear”.  And on the other side of the coin, the “spotless purity” of His love can NEVER wink at sin.  The blood of the perfect Lamb of God makes us pure, ushers us into the presence of this amazing, perfect love and keeps us eternally, without spot, in His presence.  Meditate and rest in “joyful silence” on a Love that secure!  And be warned, unbeliever, at the state of your soul before a Love that pure!  "Retreat!!  Be confused and abashed!"  But know there is hope in Christ!  Indeed!  He is our ONLY HOPE!!

Easy Assignment

Sixty-four percent of adults and eighty-three percent of teenagers believe in relativism.  In other words, there are no absolutes.  (Barna and Gallup Research Statistics)  By God's grace and grace alone, I believe in absolutes.  The Bible is the inerrant Word of the Creator God.  It is as Francis Schaeffer calls it, "true truth"!  And by the power of the Holy Spirit, there stirs in me a hunger for that truth.  And by the look of just this one statistic, our work as believers is definitely cut out for us.  For, as Craig Branch, director of Apologetics Research Center, made clear to us, evangelism is the weakest link for the Christian.  And the negative statistics will only rise if we don't wake up.

So, Dr. Branch gave us this assignment:  When you wake up each day, follow the directions of Colossians 4:2-6.  I'll not write out the passage here, read it for yourself, but it starts like this, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it..."

Gathering the Chicks

“Raising children is like being pecked to death by chickens.”  A friend of mine shared this with a group of moms one day and we all doubled over with laughter.  Of course, most of us have grown children now.  (I’m sure young moms may still be in the groaning stage.)  But of all the moms I know, both young and old, each one would knowingly go through it all again.  We love our children and not a joy in life compares to raising them.

All this came to mind as I studied Ezekiel 28:25-26.  God has just destroyed the nation of Tyre and its king because it had scorned the nation of Israel.  As the judgment of Tyre and Sidon comes to a close, God directs His sights on Israel, “Thus says the Lord GOD, “When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob.  They will live in it securely; they will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them.  Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”  Now, Israel was not really the innocent party here!  They had turned from God, but look at how much He loves them: He gathers them, manifests His holiness and secures them in their homes once again.

After reading that, I immediately thought of Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and your were unwilling.” (Matthew 23:37)  That passage causes me pain, always has.  I see, in my limited ability, a love that cuts through ugliness and meanness and still wants to gather and protect.   Jesus longed to love and protect them, just as He always had. 

Both passages remind me of how amazing is the love of God!  It transcends all love, mother love included.  And while we as moms, feel as though we are being pecked to death, Jesus really was put to death.  His great love went to the cross and scorning the shame and enduring the pain.  WHY?   “I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)  And as Ezekiel says, “I will manifest My holiness in them…they will live…securely.”  Praise God for His abundant love through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Internal Violence

Our pastor has been preaching on self-centeredness and pride for a few weeks.  Humility is the trait that Christians have to learn in order to combat those sins.  The sermon series has been very convicting for this Christian!  And my study in Ezekiel has given me more concrete consequences of those destructive tendencies. 

Ezekiel 26 through 28 gives us the demise of Tyre.  John MacArthur, in his notes on this section, says that the fact the destruction covers three chapters shows its importance to God.  Tyre had great influence.  It was the commercial center of the Mediterannean.  It was perfect in beauty, borders were strategically located, buildings above par, well-bred slaves, armies made of the nation’s finest.   Well, let me just say, it was a choice place to be.  Verse 25 of chapter 27 says, “you were filled and were very glorious in the heart of the seas.”  There is much more in these chapters than I can include here.  Just read and learn for yourself about Tyre’s beauty, popularity, occupations, and importance from these three chapters alone.  But for this post, I want to focus on the sin of pride and what God thinks of it, from these passages.

From chapter 28, we learn that the king of Tyre’s heart had lifted up to the point that he said “I am a god”; I sit as god in the heart of the seas.”  He thought it was his wisdom and power that brought him to this high position.  He was proud, cocky and cold-hearted.  And all his and his nation’s pride, the unrighteousness in trade, profaned worship and all the wretched sinfulness that stems from internal worship of self, consumed and ultimately destroyed and turned them to nothing.  There was nothing to show of Tyre but a non-descript village.  John Mac study notes say, “All the predictions in [these chapters] have been fulfilled with amazing accuracy.”

God says in chapter 26: 21, of Tyre, “I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again.”  And of the king of Tyre, well, here’s the part that I describe as true terror unleashed and uncomforted: “you will cease to be forever.” (28:19)  The king thought he was something he could never be and therefore he became nothing. 

 In chapter 28:16 it says, “By the abundance of your trade, you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned”.  I think “internally filled with violence” is a good description of pride.  And God goes on to say in that verse, “Therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God.”  I would say He is pretty serious about this sin.  I would even go so far to say, that it may be the sin of sins.

Believer, let us be rid of this sin on a daily basis.  Fight it, whip it, defeat it!  As I quoted John Owen in Erring Hearts, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.”  “Internally filled with violence”, “cast you as profane”, “cease to be forever” are phrases to be pondered.  They may not be happy phrases but I would say they are some serious caution signs that could prevent great tragedy and promote a passionate pursuit of the power of God toward overcoming the wretched sin of pride.