October 1st, 2009 - When the Going Gets Tough

All of us have difficult times; however, when we face these times, it is good to remember a couple lessons from our kitchen: 1) You only get juice from an orange when you squeeze it.  2) A cake may be in the fire, but it can certainly smell good while it is baking.
Pressure shows us what we are on the inside.  Unfortunately, some storms reveal that there is a storm inside.  If this is the case--that the real conflict is internal rather than external--we may use all our resources in the conflict and have no energy left to enjoy the victory.  If we are at peace internally, we will be able to make it through the incident with stamina enough to celebrate afterward.  In fact we may find that the victory was so great that we would have wished that the storm had been bigger so we could celebrate an even bigger victory.  So the really pivotal issue isn’t what challenges we face in life, but what we have inside when we face those challenges. 

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul spoke of an internal fortification we could have through the peace of God which would protect our hearts and minds.  (verse 4:7)  He went on to speak a couple of verses later of the promise that we would have not only the peace of God but   the God of peace Himself with us. (verse 3:9)  The key to having this unconquerable combination of the peace of God coupled with the very God of peace is found in the intervening verse--consciously monitoring what we allow ourselves to think on: things which are true, honest,  just, pure, lovely, of good report; virtuous, and praiseworthy.  If only these good things are inside, only good can come out when we are squeezed.

October 2nd, 2009 - Mountains

         
Having only flat land around me was one of the real difficulties of the quarter century I spent in Indiana.  But it seems that I’m not the only one who loves mountains; the Bible is full of references to God’s affinity to them.  He had His own mountain called the Mountain of God. (Exodus 3:1, Isaiah 2:2, Joel 2:1)  There was also a Mountain of Inheritance referenced in Exodus 15:17; Deuteronomy 1:20, 32:49; Joshua 14:12; and Isaiah 57:13.  Numbers 13:17; Deuteronomy 1:24, 34:1; Ezekiel 40:2; and Revelation 21:10 speak of what could be called the Mountain of Surveillance while Matthew 4:8 and Luke 4:5 tell us about the Mountain of Temptation.  A Goodly Mountain is mentioned in Deuteronomy 3:25, and a Mountain of Victory can be found in Isaiah 13:2.  Mountains of Perversion can be found in Jeremiah 3:6 and John 4:21 John 4:20, and a Glorious Mountain in Daniel 11:45.  The Mountain of Instruction is revealed in Matthew 5:1, 8:1, 15:29; and John 6:3 while Prophetic Mountains appear in Daniel 2:35, 2:45; Zechariah 14:4; Revelation 6:14, and 8:8.  Jesus’ Mountain of Prayer can be found in Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12, 9:28; and John 6:15, and His Mountain of Transfiguration can be seen in Matthew 17:1, 17:9; Mark 9:2, and 9:9.  He promised His disciples Mountain-moving Faith in Matthew 17:20, 21:21; and Mark 11:23 and took them to the Mountain of Commission to give them their marching orders (Matthew 28:16, Mark 3:130)  It was on the Mountain of Deliverance that He set a demoniac free (Luke 8:32) but on a hill called Golgotha that He won deliverance for all of us (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22,  Luke 23:33, John 19:17).

October 3rd, 2009 -Speaking in Tongues

         
A recent study done by the University of Pennsylvania found that frontal lobe activity which is associated with language and willful control of the body decreases during speaking in tongues.  In other words, there really is a force other than the speaker who is motivating the speaking.  Another interesting discovery in this study was the difference between the experience of glossolalia (speaking in tongues) and Buddhist and Catholic meditation; these other activities actually  increased the frontal lobe brain activity, indicating the participants’ active involvement.  

It has been estimated that over one forth of world’s two billion Christians speak in tongues and that twenty-three percent of Christians in America have experienced this gift from God.    Among Catholics, it is estimated that about half million practice speaking in tongues and that almost ten million have had this experience since the charismatic movement began within the Catholic Church in the 1970s.

In order to understand what the Bible says about this supernatural phenomenon, let’s start in a book which doesn’t mention speaking tongues--Hebrews: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” (Hebrews 5:12)  The Greek wording used in this verse literally means to learn ones ABCs.  The next three days we will learn our ABCs concerning speaking in tongues by seeing that the gift is Available for us, that it has many Benefits, and that here are Conditions for its use.

October 4th, 2009 -The Gift of Tongues is Available

         
In Luke 11:11-13, we find the very words of Jesus Himself, telling us that the gift of the Holy Spirit (including speaking with tongues) is a present that the Heavenly Father will willing give to His children.  In Mark 16:17, Jesus added that this gift was readily available to all who would believe.  Notice that the promise wasn’t to pastors, elders, saints, or people in any specific time period; it was all who would believe.  In fact, Peter clarified the promise in Acts 2:39 by saying that it was for the people present, their children, and to all that are afar off--even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  As we go through the book of Acts, we find a number of times when people received the Holy Spirit’s infilling and can see a close association with speaking in tongues as initial evidence.  In Acts 2:4, the apostles on the Day of Pentecost all spoke in tongues.  In Acts 4:31, the believers were filled and the house was shaken.  They did begin to speak with boldness, even if tongues were not specifically mentioned.  In Acts 8:18, Simon the magician saw something miraculous when the people of Samaria were filled with the Spirit.  Most Bible scholars believe that it was speaking in tongues.  In Acts 9:17, Paul was filled with the Spirit.  Although it is not mentioned here that he spoke in tongues, we know from I Corinthians 14:18 that he did.  In Acts 10:46, all the members of Cornelius, household received this gift as did the believers at Ephesus in Acts 19:6.  So why shouldn’t all the believers in Acts chapter twenty-nine (those of us who continue the story after the close of the New Testament) also receive this blessing?

October 5th, 2009 -There are Benefits to Speaking in Tongues

According to James 3:8, the tongue is the most uncontrollable member of our entire personality; however, when the Holy Spirit begins to give us an utterance, the tongue is then under control--God’s  supernatural control.  Speaking in tongues is for our personal edification (I Corinthians 14:4), a benefit not only for the individual believer but also for those around him.  How can I expect to help anyone else when I’m in the dumps myself?  Isaiah 28:11-12 prophesied that tongues would be a refreshing for the believer, and Romans 8:26-28 teaches us that praying in tongues will empower our prayer life to the point that we will know that everything in our lives will work together for good.  Jude says that use of this gift is a way to build ourselves up on our most holy faith. (verse 20)
Speaking in tongues is also a benefit for unbelievers because it can be a sign to lead them to salvation. (I Corinthians 14:22)  The gift of tongues is a reversal of the confusion of the languages that occurred at Babel.  In Genesis 11:9, God made it impossible for men to understand one another; but in Acts 2:4 He gave the apostles a supernatural ability to speak in at least sixteen languages which they had never learned.  The result was three thousand conversions in one day.  When I was a student at North Carolina State University, I was able to lead a young man of Italian decent to Christ after he heard a fellow student speak in Italian under the Holy Spirit’s anointing.

Another benefit is that God can speak a message to church through one person followed by an interpretation from another. (I Corinthians 14:5)

October 6th, 2009 - There are Conditions to Speaking in Tongues

         
As wonderful as the gift of speaking in tongues may be, there are certain conditions set forth for proper use of this gift.  One rule we should remember is that we must not simply put our prayer life on “autopilot” just because we are able to speak in tongues.  Paul said in I Corinthians 14:15 that we should pray in the understanding as well as in the Spirit.
In terms of the public use of tongues in a service, we must remember that we don’t have to give a message in every service.  In I Corinthians 14:19, Paul stressed the importance of speaking understandable messages in a known tongue rather than supernatural messages in tongues in a church service.   I Corinthians 14:26 asks a question, “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation?”  and then gives the answer, “Let all things be done unto edifying.”  Many people feel that they must speak out any time they sense the presence of the Holy Spirit; however, I Corinthians 14:32 clearly teaches that the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.  In other words, we can decide if we are going to speak out or remain silent.   The scripture also teaches that there should not be any message given unless there is an interpreter present. (I Corinthians 14:28)  The interpreter also functions under a supernatural gift just as does the one who speaks in tongues.  I have personally experienced this when a lady spoke in Hindi without knowing the language and the interpreter who also was unable to understand the language gave an exact translation of her message.

October 7th, 2009 -  Waters of Separation

In Numbers chapter nineteen, God gave the Israelites commandments concerning the preparation of the waters of separation which were to contain the ashes from the red heifer.  When a person was defiled by touching a dead body, he was to wash with this specially formulated solution for purification.  There were specific instructions concerning the times when this purification was to take place: on the third day and on the seventh day.  It seems that these two washings were probably symbolic of New Testament realities with the first representing the death of Jesus and His resurrection three days later, the key reality of the Christian faith which is also represented in the waters of baptism.  The washing on the seventh day seems to represents the believer’s necessity of resting in the completed work of God, another key principle in our faith which is also symbolized by the Sabbath day rest.

One other interesting thought concerning the waters of separation is that the earth is physically separated by water.  Oceans separate the continents, rivers make the boundaries on many nations, and even tiny creeks divide property lines between neighbors.  So it is in the spiritual world.  When converts from other religions make the decision to be baptized, they are often ostracized from their families and societies.  To believe in Jesus may be acceptable, but becoming a baptized believer marks the point of no return.  In the concluding verses of the Bible, we read of a time when there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1)  There will be no more need for waters to separate men because the new earth will be totally populated with regenerated men.

 

      October 8th, 2009 - Words of Wisdom from Tunde Bakare

Go the extra mile; there’s no traffic jam on the second mile.
The story of the prodigal son began with “Give me,” but ended with “Forgive me.”
With God’s favor, you can become the exception to the rule; Daniel was given extra time when it was denied to other soothsayers.
Your income can only grow to the extent that you do.
No thought lives in your head rent free.
Save for a rainy day, and a rainy day will come; save for the day of opportunity so it will come.
If you put both of your hands on plow, you won’t keep one in partner’s pocket.
A blessed ministry is one that gives rather than takes.  At the miraculous catch of fish, the disciples called their partners to come take fish; but ministries today are always calling on their partners to give to them.
Do we train our people or drain them?
Ministry is my life, not my livelihood.
Deal with poison outside before it gets inside.
Whatever you do, do it with excellence.  Jesus was not called “a carpenter”; He was “the carpenter” (Mark 6;3), signifying that He was an expert at the trade.
Many churches are no different from a circus; people gather every week to watch the minister perform and he collects gate fee for the show.
The world owes no man a living, only the opportunity to earn one.
When God shows up, He doesn’t take sides; He takes over.

October 9th, 2009 - King Solomon’s Wisdom

         
In I Kings 3:5-14, we find the story of Solomon’s visit from the Lord before his inauguration as king of Israel.  In this visitation, the Lord gave him the “magic wish list”--ask what you will, and Solomon replied, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”  The passage goes on to say that the Lord was pleased with his request so much that He responded that he would have the wisdom he desired plus wealth and long life.  In other words, he was to be healthy, wealthy, and wise--even if he didn’t adhere to the “early to bed and early to rise” rule!  The scriptures describe his phenomenal wisdom as “exceeding much” with “largeness of heart even as the sand that is on the sea shore” and wisdom that “excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country and all the wisdom of Egypt.” (I Kings 4:29-34)  When Solomon asked for wisdom and got wealth as well it was because you can’t have wisdom without gaining wealth.  The strongest currency on earth is human knowledge and experience.  There is no such thing as a lack of capital--only a lack of ideas because ideas produce finances.  Unfortunately, the richest wasteland in world is probably the church who is intended to be the custodian of wisdom but has failed to develop and use the God-given wisdom available to us.  Deuteronomy 8:18 promises us the power (wisdom) to get wealth, not necessarily wealth itself; however, if we do not activate it and act upon it, we will remain foolish and broke.  “Why is the price of wisdom in the hand of a fool since he has no heart for it?” (Proverbs 17:16)

October 10th, 2009 - Vision

         
Most of the time we hear Proverbs 29:18 which says that where there is no vision the people perish interpreted to mean that we have to set goal or we will never succeed.  Although, I certainly believe in the power of envisioning our goal as a major factor in any achievement, I believe even more in properly interpreting the scripture.  A quick comparison of the alternate translations will give us an immediate sense that the verse must mean something else.  Most versions translate the verse to say that the people cast off restraint,  The Bible in Basic English says that the people are uncontrolled and Young’s Literal Translation says that they are naked.  There must be a different message here than just a good motivational speech.  Among there are many powerful visions in the Bible, there are four that show an unmistakable progression.  In Ezekiel 8:1-18, there is a remarkable vision of sin in which the prophet is given a glimpse into the inner sanctum of the temple to see the abominations that the priests hid behind their closed doors.  The next powerful vision I’d like to mention was Isaiah’s theophany in Isaiah 6:1-8 which gave him a glimpse into his own polluted inner sanctum, but it also provided an immediate remedy.  In Ephesians 1:15-23, we find a third vision, the heart cry of the Apostle Paul that the church would have a revelation of the redemption and restoration provided through the cross.  The final vision is the one given to John on the Isle of Patmos in which he saw the consummation of all things when those who had dealt with their wickedness were redeemed and given eternal rewards while those who had failed or refused to do so were damned to eternal judgment. 

October 11th, 2009 -Why and How

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett once said that in the business world the rear view mirror is always much clearer than the front windshield.  Unless God happens to give you prophetic insight into a situation, the same is true in all of life.  That’s why the Lord requires that we live by faith rather than by sight.  However, when we walk by faith, there are always two questions which always seem to be just beyond our grasp: “Why?” and “How?”  The Bible is full of people who just couldn’t figure out how things would work out.  Zechariah wanted to know how he would know that Elizabeth would conceive, Mary wanted to know how a virgin could have a child,  Jesus told a parable about a sower who did not know how the harvest would come,  God asked Job if he knew how that life came, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that God was able to deliver them but not how He would do it.  We need to learn to leave the how to God--just like they did.  If we let God take care of the how, we’ll soon discover that He is also taking care of the why behind all the events we go through.  Just as with the three Hebrew children, we will find that God will choose the option that will give Him the greatest glory. Three times in the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul speaks of our lives and the events in them as being to the praise of the glory of God.  Even if we can’t see how some events are going to be to God’s glory as we are going through them, we will certainly understand when we come out of them.  I’m sure that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could see a lot better in the rear view mirror coming out of the fiery furnace than they did through the front windshield going into it.

October 12th, 2009 - The Value of the Uncomfortable

         
In the covenant He made with Noah after the Flood, God specifically promised the blessing of summer and winter along with cold weather and hot weather, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)  As I endured twenty-five Februarys of shoveling my drive in the subzero weather of Indiana, I often questioned how this could be part of a covenant blessing or how the Psalmist could consider the creation of the summer-winter cycle to be one of God’s praiseworthy accomplishments, “Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.” (verse 74:17)

An anthropologist once presented a thesis that most of the progressive nations of history have arisen out of the temperate zones of the planet where the people had adapt to changing seasons and learn to face the difficulties and challenges of winter weather.  Though I’ve never made a real study of the idea, it does seem to be a fairly true observation.  If it is true, then there is a definite benefit to enduring discomfort as it prepares us for greater victories.  Psalm 30:5 addresses the daily cycle of change and compares it to the temporary discomforts of life and the eventual blessing that come out of them, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  In reality, the seasons and the phases of the day mentioned in the covenant are all directly related to the relationship of the earth to the sun.  Spiritually, all the significant changes and the way they change us are also related to our relationship to the Son.  If our lives revolve around Him, we will eventually come to a season of blessing. 

October 13th, 2009 -Worship

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:9-12)  This passage describes the ultimate goal of the human race--a chorus of redeemed individuals from every ethnic group and background worshipping and praising God.  This scene depicts the consummate fulfillment of the Great Commission in which Jesus sent His disciples to all nations and to every creature to share the Good News.  In essence, missions exists for the purpose of recruiting this regenerated praise team.  It will cease to be necessary once this choir is full.
True worship has always been the essence of God’s plan.  Notice for instance God chose the psalm-composing shepherd boy David to become a great warrior and king.  This harp-playing minstrel was a sincere worshipper long before he won any military decorations or regal crowns.  Likewise, we will never be more authoritative in warfare than we are intimate in worship. 

Worship is the essence of our relationship with Him.  Even while still possessed by demons, Legion instinctively responded with worship when Jesus came near. (Mark 5:6)

 

October 14th, 2009 -Good People and Bad People

         

Some college buddies of mine were from a very wealthy family; however, they lived and dressed just like all the other students on campus.  One day, they were in  local fast food restaurant after having been out doing some sort of outdoor activity.  Because their clothes were muddy and ragged, some of the customers were visibly keeping a distance from them.  I’ve always wondered what went through those people’s minds when my friends walked out side and drove off in their grandfather’s Rolls Royce! 

 

In John chapter four, we learn the story of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at well.  One of the significant points in this encounter was the reaction of the disciples upon their return. (verse 27)  They couldn’t believe their eyes when they say their beloved teacher sharing with this woman.  He was violating a long list of taboos.  Jews didn’t interact with Samaritans, Jewish men didn’t make social contact with women outside their own families, and above all else, this particular woman was an outcast from society who was not even welcomed by her own people. 

 

It’s amazing how we can so easily categorize people and differentiate between individuals, establishing their worth in our own eyes.  Remember Jack the Ripper?  He didn’t consider his heinous crimes to be evil since he only murdered prostitutes!  Surprisingly, Jesus said that the prostitutes would actually enter the kingdom of heaven before many religious people. (Matthew 21:31)  We must learn that if we close your eyes while “bad” people pass by, they will still be closed when “good” people come along.  They may actually be the same people!

 

October 15th, 2009 -My Witness

I once heard that there are two reasons why people don’t come to Christ: 1) they don’t know a Christian, and 2) they do know a Christian.  The church has actively been sending missionaries into all the world in an attempt to remedy the first issue.  Most churches have also encouraged their members to become active in their local communities rather than becoming isolated in the “Christian community.”  After all, what good is salt as long as it is in the shaker?  However, the second issue may need a bit more of our attention.  Many times the lives we present to the world prove to be rather “salty” instead of being salt.  In fact, someone once concluded that most Christians could actually help the cause of evangelism more by telling people that they are atheists--and helping reverse.  I remember hearing of one Jewish sales lady who said that she did not want to be a Christian because of the hassle and aggravation she encountered in her store every Christmas.  On the other hand, I was recently told by a lady at cashier counter in our local pharmacy, “Boy, it really makes me feel better just to have you come in!”  I hadn’t done a thing except let the life of Jesus flow through me when I checked out.  Maybe we should begin to ask ourselves some serious questions about what people see when they meet us: Is my life a justification of the price that was paid for it?  To what degree is my life a reflection of my full potential?  Am I a God magnet?  Am I a challenge to or an advertisement for the Kingdom?  Does my face look like the devil took out ad space on it?  If I were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?

 

 

      October 16th, 2009 - True Riches

I was recently captivated by an article about how gold is extracted in some areas of Africa.  Rock and soil bearing gold deposits are crushed and mixed into a mud which can be passed through a sluice to separate the heavier strata which contains the gold flakes.  Once this residue is separated, the gold has to be pulled out of the remaining mud.  This step in the process involves adding pure mercury which attracts the gold and separates easily from the rest of the mix.  Once the beads of gold-coated mercury are pulled from the soil, it is a simple process to heat the two metals and separate them.  Since they have two different weights, they form two distinct layers which can easily be divided.  The thing that caught my attention about this process was the fact that this whole process is done by hand using child labor.  The little children actually handle the raw mercury in their bare hands, exposing them to very high levels of the toxic substance with absolutely no protection from its harmful effects.  In another article, I learned that gold and other precious metals are reclaimed for used computers, televisions, and cell phones by a process of melting down the electronic component--a process which releases inestimable poisonous fumes from the molten plastics and toxicity from the heavy metals.  The horror of this process is that it done by poverty-stricken villagers in India in little kettles over open fires in front of their huts--with no protection from the dangerous effects of the process.  Innocent children and villagers suffer and die for others to enjoy the glitter of their golden status symbols.  What are the true riches of this earth--a bit of gold on your finger or a bit of God in these lives?

October 17th, 2009 - In God We Trust

         
I was recently helping my dad look through some of his important papers when I ran across the life insurance policy my grandfather had taken out on him when he was born.  It has a face value of one hundred twenty-five dollars--no, I didn’t leave out the word “thousand.”  That’s the total value of his policy: $125.  Of course, in 1920 one hundred twenty-five dollars was enough money to do more than buy a basket of groceries.  My, how the economy has changed--and it keeps on changing.  All the talk about the economy lately has been nothing but bad news: bear market in stocks, mortgage foreclosures, real estate devalued, recession, weak dollar on international exchange, oil prices up, national deficit up, personal debt up, unemployment up, personal savings at almost zero,  corporate downsizing, outsourcing of jobs, and factory closings.  My wife and I just went through a re-evaluation of our investments and found that recent economic downturns had actually “eaten up” all the increases we had made on our investments over the past several years of diligent good stewardship--and that was before we took into consideration that the value of the dollar had actually dropped by fifteen percent in the past year and close to forty percent in the last five years.  In 1955, “In God we trust” was added to all US paper currency as a Cold War statement against the communists who didn’t believe in God.  Today, there is a movement to remove those words because they offend our atheistic fellow citizens.  I suggest that we need them even more now than ever, not as reminder to those who do not be believe in Him, but those of us who claim to believe but really trust mammon.

October 18th, 2009 - Paving Materials

         
A story is told of a very wealthy man who appeared at the Pearly Gates carrying a suitcase.  When Saint Peter questioned him a to what it was that he felt was so important that he would haul it with him to heaven, the man opened the case to reveal ingots of solid gold.  Peter’s reply was, “Why would you go to all that much trouble to bring paving material?”  We often speak with great anticipation of the time when God will subdue all our enemies and put them “under our feet.”  However, have we ever thought that when we walk on streets of gold in heaven, we will literally have money under our feet?  The logically conclusion we can draw from this truth is that we should actually see money in the category of those enemies which are destined to be trodden down.  Of course, we all know I Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil”; however, I would question how many of us have really conquered our affinity for wealth to the point that we can see our possessions as paving materials that build roads to where we want to go rather than being the end of our journey.  When having money becomes the objective in life rather than a means to accomplishing a set goal, then we have confused gold for goals, mistaken the road for the destination, mixed up prosperity and posterity, and  misunderstood net worth and self worth.

Perhaps this was the point in Jesus’ commissioning of His disciples.  The first time He sent them out without purses (Luke 10:4); later, He told them to carry their money belts (Luke 22:3).  Apparently, the first trip had proven that they understood the value of the destination rather than the pavement on the road that got them there.

October 19th, 2009 -Why Jesus Came

To many, the concept of Jesus’ abandoning His divine position and becoming a human is quite a mystery.  They are puzzled by the question, “Why did Jesus come?”  The scriptures directly address this issue at least four times.  In John 18:37, Jesus explained to Pilate, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”  In the first epistle of John we read, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (verse 3:8)  In His first public sermon, Jesus explained, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor,…to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”  (Luke 4:18-19)  He later explained, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  But the question still remains as to why He had to become flesh; wasn’t it possible for Him to do all these things as a deity just visiting our planet without becoming a citizen of the human family?

 

The modern parable of a man who was concerned for a flock of birds outside his window which were destined to freeze to death in the winter snows can help explain.  When all his attempts to draw the birds into the warmth of his home had failed, he exclaimed in exasperation, if only I could become a bird so I could communicate with them.  Jesus took on the form of sinful human flesh in order to speak directly into our lives so that we could understand His love for us.

 

October 20th, 2009 -Insight

          
Yogi Beara is credited with having said, “You observe a lot by looking.”  Even though this pithy little sayings seems to be a redundancy at best and total nonsense at worst, it actually points up a truth about the difference between seeing and observing.  A similarly, catchy phrase goes, “I don’t understand nearly as much as I know.”  We have to recognize that God often uses secular people to put His plans in motion because they can see what’s happening even when they don’t understand the spiritual nature of it.  Caiaphas prophesied the crucifixion even though he had zero comprehension of his own words. (John 11:51)   Pharaoh had the dream that mapped out the conditions of the next fourteen years (Genesis 41:15), and Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that plotted the course of human history for centuries (Daniel 2:26).  However, it was Joseph and Daniel who gave meaning to these dreams. Even though God sometimes gives visions to people because of their office, not their spirituality; He gives the interpretations to His people.  In other words, a politian, a statistician, or an economist may be able to forecast what is going to happen in the political or economic future; however, without the Spirit of God they will not be able to have insight into the true meaning and significance of the events or how to best prepare for them.  Often we Christians foolishly err in the ditches on both sides of the road when it comes to taking secular counsel.  Some of us ignore secular counsel all together while others of us take it “hook, line, and sinker.”  Our true position should be to hear what they have to say, but rely on the Holy Spirit insight inside us to reveal the real truth and meaning.

October 21st, 2009 -The Wealth of the Wicked

         
According to Proverbs 13:22b, the unrighteous have wealth that will be transferred to the just.  From James 5:3, we learn that this wealth is stored up for the end time.  In Matthew 13: 24, 36, and 49, we find that the end time harvest of the planting of the Lord when the wicked and the just will be harvested and separated is illustrated in the parable of the wheat and tares.  Putting all these thoughts together, it seems that the resources which the wicked control are to be transferred to the just at the time when the wicked are actually plucked out of earth.  In other words, those who are constantly speaking of a transfer of the wealth of the wicked into the hands of Christians are probably a bit premature in their thinking.  It seems that this transfer of wealth is to come at the end time, not during our present period of history.  If this parable is speaking of the final harvest and the ultimate destruction of the wicked, what will be the use of the transfer of wealth to the righteous?  Apparently it will not be for the purpose of evangelizing the world as is often thought.  However, this transfer of wealth could simply be a way of establishing the millennia kingdom.  Matthew 13:43 goes on to say, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” a statement that seems to refer to the manifestation of the metamorphosis that we believers will experience when we are gloried in the presence of the Lord. (I John 3:2)  What does this mean for us today?  Simply that we should stop counting on winning a lottery or other get-rich-quick theology and focus on the time-proven biblical principles of prosperity to finance our personal needs and our plans for world evangelization.

 

 

October 22nd, 2009 -The Wealth of the Righteous

 

Having dealt with the wealth of the wicked, it is only proper that we also consider the wealth of the righteous.  It has been said of Christianity that: in Jerusalem, it was a movement; in Greece, it was a philosophy; in Rome, it was an institution; in Europe, it was a culture; but in America, it became was an enterprise.  How sad a comment concerning our present culture!  It is true, we have developed a very business-minded approach to doing ministry.  I remember reading one very popular book by a very successful church planter.  One of the statements he made in the text was that his staff had developed a stereotype profile of their target audience.  They had drawn up a model of the man, showing his age, the type of clothing he would typically wear, the kind of car he would show up in when he attired at church, his income range, etc., etc.  This profile sheet was distributed to all the staff and leaders of the church.  It was posted in offices and conference rooms where the church leadership could constantly be reminded of their target audience.  Surveys were made of representatives from this target audience to see what type of music would be appealing to them, how long (or short) the service would need to be to hold their attention, and what type of atmosphere they would find most conducive.  The whole approach of the church was readjusted to fit the model constructed from the results of this survey.  Even if every church is not this blatant in their enterprising of the gospel, it is true that that the church has turned to secular business for a prototype.  Our success and wealth are a result of business skills, not our ability to trust God and follow His leading.

 

 

 

     October 23rd, 2009 - Many Americans Put Trust in Miracles over Medicine

In a recent study among one thousand adults on end-of-life medical care and seven hundred seventy-four doctors and other medical workers who care for them, it was discovered that more than half of American adults believe in divine intervention at the hospital.  Fifty-seven percent of the patients said that they felt that divine intervention could save them even when medical treatment appears hopeless, and almost twenty percent of doctors and medical workers surveyed agreed.  

 

So, we have a country full--well, at least half full--of people who when they are terminally ill, with their backs against the wall, believe that God can heal them.  If this is the case, why don’t we see more miracles in the ICU?  Perhaps we could find an answer in the story of King Asa.  According to I Kings 15:11, Asa was a good man who did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, just like his ancestor David had done.  However, three verses later, we learn that his heart was not perfect toward the LORD.  This heart attitude is the pivotal issue in his life--and death.  In II Chronicles 16:9, the prophet Hanani pronounced one of the most encouraging words in all the Bible, “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”  Unfortunately, the rest of his message was a warning that Asa did not qualify for this kind of divine intervention.  Three verses later, we read that Asa had a foot disease and that he went to his physicians rather than the Lord--and died.  Imagine, it wasn’t a brain tumor that killed the king, but it really was a heart problem, one that wasn’t perfect toward God.

 

October 24th, 2009 -Living for God in a Hostile Environment I

         

When it seems that everything is going against you, there are a number of biblical steps to take in getting things turned around:

 

1) Admit it if the problem is your own fault.  Jonah had to confess that he was running from God to calm the storm at sea. (Jonah 1:12)  II Chronicles 7:14 tells us that the first step in getting God to heal our land is for His people to humble themselves.
2) Don’t fight back with carnality.  David did not kill King Saul when he had two chances to do so even as the king sought to take his life. (I Samuel 24:4, 26:8)  Ephesians 6:10 tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, and II Corinthians 10:4 reminds us that our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God.
3) Expect God to deliver you.  God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34); if He delivered Daniel from the lions’ den (Daniel 6:22) and the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:17), He’ll do it for you.
But the most important thing to remember is: 4) Use common sense.  Joseph asked butler to help him get out of prison (Genesis 40:13-14), Paul had his nephew get him out danger when men plotted to kill him (Acts 23:16-17), and Elijah retreated to the Brook Cherith (I Kings 17:3).  If these men of faith had to take physical action, we also need to use whatever human resources we have available to us.
5) Recognize that you might be part of God’s answer and use your resources--physical and spiritual.  Mordecai reminded Esther that she had been set in place in the kingdom for action at the precise time. (Esther 4:14)

 

October 25th, 2009 -Living for God in a Hostile Environment II

         

More biblical clues to getting things turned around when it seems that everything is going against you include:

 

1) Even if you have to ask for others’ help, determine to bless them.  Elijah asked the widow for a cake but gave her a miracle. (I Kings 17:13-14)
2) Look beyond the physical.  When Elisha was surrounded by the enemy, the prophet had to pray that the Lord would open his servant’s eyes so that he could see the angelic forces at work on their behalf. (II Kings 6:16)  When Peter was in prison, the Lord sent an angel into his cell to release him. (Acts 12:7)  Psalms 121:1-2 reminds us
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where shall my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, who made Heaven and earth.” (MKJV)
3) Get into unity with other believers.  Esther asked all the Jews to join her in a three-day fast before she approached the king on their behalf. (Esther 4:16)  Jehoshaphat called all the people together to pray and fast when they were under attack by an unchallengeable coalition of enemy forces.  (II Chronicles 20:4)
4) Fast and pray.  When Esther and the Jews fasted for three days, God brought a great deliverance from the genocide planned against them. (Esther 4:16)
10) Take your  problem to the Lord.  When the enemy king sent an ultimatum to King Hezekiah, he spread the threatening letter out before the Lord and received his deliverance. (II Kings 19:14)
11) Seek advice from godly counselors.  When Hezekiah sought a message from Huldah the prophetess, he received a divine answer.  (II Kings 22:13-14)

 

October 26th, 2009 -Living for God in a Hostile Environment III

         

More biblical clues to getting things turned around when it seems that everything is going against you include:

 

1) Trust God that He knows what He’s doing.  If anyone had a reason to question what was going on in his life, it would be Joseph who wound up in slavery and prison when he was promised a position where his brothers would bow down to him.  One of his keys to victory in these adverse situations was that he kept believing that even though men meant these things for evil against him, God meant them for good. (Genesis 50:20)
2) Listen for divine direction.  When David’s family had been kidnapped and all his possessions plundered, he  inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue and overtake?”  God not only answered him, He also made him victorious in spite of his physical and emotional exhaustion. (II Samuel 30:8)  God spoke to Joseph in a dream that he and Mary should flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath. (Matthew 2:13)
3) Rely upon God’s Word.  King Jehoshaphat recited the covenant of God when he was under assault by an alliance of three enemy armies. (II Chronicles 20:6-12)
4) Praise.  Jehoshaphat sent out the musicians to praise God for the victory in a battle which they hadn’t even fought yet. (II Chronicles 20:22)  Paul and Silas praised in prison, and the Lord sent an earthquake to tear down the prison so they could go free. (Acts 16:25)
5) Activate the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.  Elijah stopped the rain (I Kings 17:1), and Moses called ten different plagues upon the Egyptians (Exodus 9:14).  In both cases, their oppressor eventually capitulated. 

 

October 27th, 2009 -Living for God in a Hostile Environment IV

         

More biblical clues to getting things turned around when it seems that everything is going against you include:

 

1) Stand your ground.  Even though they repeated tried to wear him down and make him feel as if he were at fault, Job didn’t give in to the accusations of his so-called friends. (Job 32:1)
2) Be bold.  Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a show-down. (Kings 18:19)  I John 4:4 reminds us that we also have the upper-hand advantage because greater is He who is inside us than he who is in the world.
3) Let the peace of God keep your heart and mind.  (Philippians 4:7)  Remember that Jesus slept in the boat during a life-threatening storm (Matthew 8:24), and Peter slept in the prison while facing capital charges. (Acts 12:6)
4) Go fishing.  When Peter went fishing after crucifixion, Jesus met him at the sea shore. (John 21:3)
5) Surrender.  Even though Paul had received prophetic warnings and was spiritually aware of the danger awaiting him in Jerusalem, he responded that he was ready not to be bound only but also to die.  Finally, his friends agreed, “May the will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:10-14)
6) Remember a heavenly reward awaits you even if you don’t get your physical deliverance.  Paul said that the present light affliction (shipwrecks, beatings, being stoned and left for dead, etc.) he endured was not worthy to be compared to the promises he would attain. (II Corinthians 4:17)  James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10 promise us that a crown of life is laid up for us, and Hebrews 11:35 guarantees that martyrs will receive a better resurrection.

 

October 28th, 2009 -Living for God in a Hostile Environment V

         

One last key to living above the hostilities of this life is don’t be surprised when God delivers and promotes you.  Joseph went directly from prison to palace, yet we never hear him say anything about the sudden advancement or about not being ready to make the instantaneous transition. (Genesis 41:41)  Jacob, on the other hand, couldn’t believe that his son was alive. (Genesis 45:26)  Even though he had hoped and prayed for so many years that his son would be restored to him, he was totally caught off guard and taken back when his answer was manifest.  The disciples couldn’t believe that Jesus had been resurrected (Luke 24:11), and Rhoda had a hard time convincing the believers that God had actually answered their prayers when Peter was supernaturally released from prison. (Acts 12:15)  Of course, Peter himself had asked if the celestial visit were a dream. (Acts 12:9)  According to Psalm 126:1, when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion and released them for the Babylonian captivity, they were like them who were dreaming.  The story is told of a special prayer meeting which was called to intercede for an end a prolonged draught; only one participant showed up with an umbrella!  

 

We must remember that God is a perfect marksman.  Once we make ourselves targets for His blessings, He will hit the bulls-eye.  The truth is that God is more desirous to bless, protect, and deliver us than we are desirous of His intervention.  So we shouldn’t expect anything less than what we ask for--and actually be ready for more!  Ephesians 3:20 promises that He will do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

 

October 29th, 2009 -People Have Value

         

It was almost impossible to believe my own ears as I sat in the living room with my hostess in Rwanda as she recounted her experiences during the genocide in which almost a million people died in a period of just less than three months.  The Hutus had declared all-out war against the “tall trees”--the Tutsis.  Jane’s personal story was that even though her husband was a Hutu, he had not done as many Hutus who had Tutsi wives had decided to do--slaughter them in cold blood.  Instead, he had taken some of the children who looked more like Hutus and left Jane and the more Tutsi-looking children to fend for themselves as the blood-thirsty mobs neared their section of town.  Yes, this story of African tribal genocide is a barbaric extreme; however, all we need to do is look across town, down the street, or even into our own lives to find blatant instances of living prejudice and tragic disregard for other humans.  We see it in varying degrees every day--manifested as racism, sexism, and socio-economic prejudices.  The most pitiful of all places to find it is in the church, but it is still rampant there.  No, we may not be abandoning people to the machetes of crazed tribal warfare just because they have the wrong facial features, but we do toss them to the sharks--or at least the roaring lion (I Peter 5:8)--to devour just because they don’t fit our social or theological mould.  Of course, this is no new problem.  It is said that William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, would not fellowship with the great pastor, theologian, and evangelist Charles Spurgeon because he smoked--even though they ministered in the same town.    We must remember that man’s rejects are God’s selects! 

 

October 30th, 2009 -Value

 

After enduring the blustery winters of Indiana, I was really taken back when the German missionary in Sri Lanka said something about the “beautiful winter” we had back home.  I, on the other hand, was thinking about the heavenly experience of endless summer on their tropic island paradise.  When the missionary explained that the ice and cold was God’s way to get rid of the pests which continued to multiply year round in the tropics, I understood what she meant about the “beautiful winter.”

 

In all of life, there are things for which we often just don’t know how to assign the proper value.  To me, there was no value in the fridge winter; to her, it would have held great value.  A simple olive wreath can be bought for ten cents, but to a Roman athlete it was worth running a marathon or fighting gladiators to earn.

 

When we talk about an individual’s possessions of property, stocks, bonds, and other financial holdings, we often use the term “worth,” in such expressions as “He was worth a million dollars,” or “He had a net worth of a million dollars.”  However, the real measure of a person’s wealth is how much he'd be worth if he lost all his money.  You see, our real value or worth isn’t in what we have, but in what we contribute.  Winter temperatures contribute to the insect control, olive wreaths contribute to the recognition of excellence, and a man’s character contributes to the good of the community in which he lives.  Our true worth is not in our pockets but in our hearts.  If we are able to give fiscally, the true value of the gift is not in the zeros on the check but the One that is in our hearts.    

 

 

October 31st, 2009 -Believe It or Not

         

In 1890 Emma Crawford was laid to her eternal rest atop Red Mountain just outside Manitou Springs, Colorado--or so everyone thought.  Some thirty-nine years later, her coffin slid downhill into the city, causing quite a stir.  In fact, such a stir that the event is commemorated every year on the Saturday before Halloween by the Annual Manitou Springs Coffin Race, an event in which hand-built coffins complete with a young female occupant are raced through the city streets.  Manitou Springs, already listed in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not for the Manitou Fruitcake Toss, will be listed in the 2009 edition or Ripley’s annual of oddities for these coffin races.  

 

Halloween, now the second most popular holiday in America, is based on the belief that the spirits of the dead may visit the habitat of the living.  Believe it or not, the Bible actually records three accounts of such posthumous visits.  First Samuel chapter twenty-eight tells the story of King Saul’s visit to the witch of Endor who conjured up the spirit of the prophet Samuel.  Her surprise at the fact that he actually appeared confirms that her general practice in these séances was one of trickery.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, two Old Testament figures appeared and conversed with the Lord centuries after their demise. (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:1-13)  Matthew 27:52-53 records the story of Old Testament saints who came out of their graves at the time of Jesus’ resurrection and appeared in Jerusalem.  The truth is that all the dead will eventually come back out of their graves--some for eternal salvation, others for eternal damnation.  You’d better believe it!