The Tide is Turning

Philippians 1:19 - For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ

    Paul is the supreme example of a confident believer. Upon becoming a Christian, his new life immediately became a white water ride of conflict and trouble, hence we have Paul writing this letter from a prison cell. Yet, in spite of the trouble, he is confident that God is with him and that nothing has taken God by surprise; he is right in the center of His will. ‘I know’, Paul says, ‘that this will turn’. He doesn’t use unclear language such as I hope this will turn, or it could possibly turn. No! He says, ‘I know’. ‘I am not upset. I know that God is working behind the scenes, he is influencing and coordinating circumstances and my life is in his hands. My life is not in the hands of my enemies or that of my guards; my life is in the Father’s hand and no man can pluck me out. It might look like I am a prisoner of Rome but in reality I am a prisoner of Jesus Christ, captivated by him. I am in the hands of God, being protected and directed accordingly’.

    Every circumstance that we find ourselves in, no matter how long it has persisted, is still temporary. It will change. Something will shift. It will turn around. Nothing this side of Heaven will last forever. The tides turn. The seasons turn. The weather turns. Even the Earth itself turns. Paul adds the power of his faith in God to that knowledge and confidently rests, knowing that this story is not over yet. ‘This shall turn’. What shall turn? This; this situation; this circumstance; this happening; this occurrence; this challenge; this tragedy; this; this shall turn.

    Salvation and deliverance is always the will of God. Jesus came to save us and that is not a one-time deal, no, he saves us daily. He saves us from sin. He saves us from harm. He saves us from our enemies. He saves us from deception. He saves us from ourselves. He doesn’t necessarily save us from trouble but he saves us out of trouble. The Psalmist tells us that, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all’. Everything that we need is answered by the all-encompassing salvation of God. Paul knew the Lord so well that he did not question why he was in prison. He knew that God has ways of working out his will in our lives and he knew that he was there for a reason. The Gospel was actually being proclaimed even more because of Paul’s imprisonment. Some of the brothers had taken courage by Paul’s stand and were becoming bold and speaking the Word without fear. The whole Roman prison was being influenced for good by Paul’s presence there. God is in the salvation business because he is in the people business.

    There was another reason that Paul was so confident; he knew that others were praying for him. Oh,  how that knowledge can bolster our faith and keep us brimming with hope during the difficult times. This will turn around through your prayer. Paul recognized that he wasn’t in this alone but that there was a body of believers praying on his behalf. The word that is used for prayer in this verse is the word that means petition. It is legal terminology. We can petition the court of Heaven and argue, like a lawyer, on behalf of others. The church at Philippi was petitioning God for Paul. Someone has once said that argumentative prayer is the best kind of prayer. We argue our case before God; we present the facts and the logic and the reason for our petition. The story has been told about the lady whose child was about to be sold into slavery and she prayed in this argumentative way; ‘Lord, if you were in trouble like I am in trouble and I could help you like you could help me, I would do it’. The story as it is told, tells us that after that prayer, someone stepped forward and purchased the child and returned her to the praying mother. This kind of bold praying seems to be a lost art to the modern church, however, a closer look at scripture will reveal its abundant basis. Abraham prayed this way as he negotiated God down to at least ten righteous people in Sodom. Moses prayed this way as he stood in the gap, reasoning with God on behalf of the children of Israel. The Canaanite woman prayed this way when she found some logic to answer the words of Jesus, and used his very words to win her case for her daughter. The Centurion prayed this way when he equated his military authority and chain of command to the authority of God’s kingdom, thus, logic, reasoning and argument won the answer. All of us likewise must learn to pray this way, presenting our case before God, reminding him of his promises.

  Be encouraged, friends, the situation that you are in will turn around for your good. It is the will of God for you to experience his salvation in all of its fullness. God is for you, who can be against you? He is actively working on your behalf and others are fervently praying on your behalf. Get ready, do not despair. This will turn!

Your Chains are Being Broken

Proverbs 5:22 - His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be held with the cords of his sins.

    The world we live in does not like to even acknowledge that sin exists. Many laugh and mock at the idea of sin but, if all of us were honest; we would admit there is an unseen and undetected power that drives men to commit horrendous acts against one another. We can say that we don’t believe in poison but we will die if we ingest it, regardless of our beliefs. In the final analysis men will suffer the consequences of continuing in their sin. Responsibility rests with the individual to choose the wisdom of God in avoiding certain evils. In this very pointed chapter of Proverbs we have frank and straight forward instruction and warning to shun sexual sin of every form. The strange woman has boldly come into our homes through the television and the computer screen, and we are the ones who have opened the door. We are the consumer, we are the reason that pornography and all sexually explicit material sells. We are the purchasers of sin.

     Iniquity is the power that holds men and keeps men shackled within a prison of addiction and weakness. Why does man do the things that he does? How can man treat his fellow man with such lack of respect and value? Iniquity is the power within our fallen natures that clearly exhibits that something has gone terribly wrong. It is the propensity and the tendency to crave what we do not have. It shows itself in the fact that we are attracted to things that will eventually destroy us. Someone has written that habits are first threads then cables; easily broken at first and almost impossible to break later. We form the habit and then the habit forms us. Sin is a powerful and compelling force that always will entice men of all ages and all cultures. Sin reaches to the highest levels and echelons of our society and it dives down into the lowest and darkest sectors of our culture; it is no respecter of persons; sin hates all men equally. Satan is the archenemy of God and the nemesis of mankind. He despises man; he deviously delights in the destruction of everything that is good and fair and kind. 

    Eventually if a sin is persisted in, the cords of that sin will hold the man captive. It will control the man and keep him in a cursed state, continually wrapped up, entangled and confined to a very tiny space, when all the while it is the will of God for that man to be blessed and free and ever-expanding in prosperity and influence. Sin, especially sexual sin, keeps men from becoming all that God intended for us. It restrains mature character and the full expression of the image of God. It diminishes true manhood. It promises much but delivers little. It is deceptive by nature and destructive in result. We need a Saviour; one who will free us from all iniquity and, thank God, Jesus has done it! The power of sin has been neutralized. The shackles of sin have been broken. The prison doors are open. Captive humanity is now free to go. Why do we continue to stay inside?

God's Power Train

Act 1:8 - But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

   These are some of the last words that Jesus spoke to his disciples before his ascension into heaven. This portion of scripture is part of what we call ‘The Great Commission’. After his resurrection Jesus had periodically appeared to the disciples and spoke to them. He even ate with them to prove that he was indeed physically resurrected. They were still not fully aware of what the plan of God was or what he was requiring of them and so they asked if this was the time that he would restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus responded by saying that there were things that they did not need to know. Isn’t it interesting that those men are just like us? We are curious and we want to know all kinds of things but God wants us to focus on his specific instructions for us. We are to focus on his plan and destiny for our lives. There are many things that must be left with the Father; they are not for us to know, particularly, right now. Trust the Father, he knows best.

   Instead of looking for more knowledge or mere information, we are to receive power from God. This commission to go into the entire world and preach the gospel would be utterly impossible if it were not for the fact that the Holy Spirit has come to rest upon us and give us power. What is this power for? I believe it is, primarily, power to accomplish the Great Commission. It is a compelling and motivating power. It is power to be a witness. It is power to stand boldly and proclaim the resurrection, like the apostles did, to the very ones who crucified Jesus. It is power to overcome while facing violent opposition and intense persecution. It is power to speak the wisdom of God to the people of this world. It is power to pray, to sing, to rejoice and to love. It is power to lead others and to establish and build local churches, which should eventually become reproductive centers of power themselves. Thank God for this power! We have not just been commissioned and given the burden of responsibility but we have also been empowered to do the will of God. We are not alone. He is with us by the personal presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

   Have you and I received this power? If it has been received, are we utilizing it, have we applied it? Have we forgotten that we have this power? Have we been attempting to live this life by our own power? To receive means to deliberately take and grab hold of something. There is a giving of the power and there must also be a reception of the power. If you offer me something, I must reach out and take it from you for there to be an actual transaction. God is offering us power and there definitely is no power shortage with him. If there is no transfer or flow of power, then there must be something short-circuiting or hindering it on our part. Once I have received this power from God then I must also believe that I now have it; I am not powerless. I have something very real and even tangible from God that can be employed and applied to produce a result.

   Underneath that English word power is the Greek word from which we get our word dynamic. So, we have received dynamic power which is power that carries capability to produce change. It is dynamic power versus static power; it is not power for accumulation but, power for distribution; it is not power for storing but, power for pouring. God desires to pour out his power through us as we continue to proclaim the Gospel. Paul says elsewhere that the Gospel is the power of God which results in salvation. Power is meant to produce. We have power in our homes to heat the house, to cook meals and to light up the dark rooms. Power is not for status, it is for purpose. We have in our vehicles what is called the power train which generates power, via the engine, and delivers it to the surface of the road, via the transmission, drive shaft and wheels. In other words if we did not have a way for the power of the engine to be transferred to the wheels, we would not create any forward motion or progress; we would simply make a lot of noise burning fuel; that may explain a few of our church services. The mechanism that God uses to distribute his power to people is other people like you and me. We become conduits of power when we preach and pray and love and serve each other. God has given us his power which is to be delivered to the needs of this world, thus making an actual, practical and effective change and result; and that is where the rubber meets the road!

Ingredients Needed in the Quest for Wisdom

Proverbs 2:1-5 - My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou cry after knowledge, and lift up thy voice for understanding; If thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

    Proverbs is the Book of Wisdom; it contains practical and down-to-earth counsel for life’s issues and challenges. So many people of our day feel like the world owes them something, they somehow have acquired a sense of entitlement. This portion of scripture knocks the basis for that thinking right out from under them. While it is true that babies are born into this world and should be given certain rights and privileges, such as food and clothing and loving care, it is also true that those very same babies must grow up to become contributors and innovative helpers, not just recipients of the benefits of being born in a free country.

    Receive my words - My son, are you listening to your father? Your father is one who has lived ahead of you and who has faced many things that you will indeed one day face yourself. Are you wise enough to understand that there is an opportunity for you to benefit from your father’s experience and wisdom? The heart of any true father is to impart to his son what he needs, to give him skills that will help him navigate through life with his own family someday. I am a father but are you a son? Can you receive my words? Are you open to learn from me? If you will receive and welcome my words, those very words will open up to you new and innovative ways of thinking about old and persistent problems.

    Hide my commands - My son, you must position yourself to receive my words and also to hide my commandments within you. Do not be afraid of commands. Commands come from a higher authority and are not to be debated; they are to be obeyed. The commands of a father are given with the children in mind. They are not given in order to benefit the father but, they are the guardians of the children. Our only protection is obedience. Hide my commands, do not boast of your obedience but simply obey quietly and hide this between you and your father.

    Incline your ear - What are your inclinations? Which way do you lean in your views of life? If we are inclined towards wisdom, half the battle is already won. If something leans a certain way, then a little push in the same direction and momentum and gravity take over. We must incline our ears toward wisdom, that is, we must have an attitude that is ready to hear regardless of what it may require of us. Is my ear ready to hear what it needs to hear in order for true and lasting change to come? That is a big problem. We say that we want to change but then we resist the words and the counsel that we are given because it requires too much, so we think. If we hear things that we think are too hard then we are not inclining our ears to wisdom. Just do your part first; incline your ear and lean towards wisdom and let God embrace you and take care of the results.

   Apply your heart - We live in a world of information without application. We seem to think that if we have read the book or taken the course then we know what we are talking about, however, that is definitely not the case. Who really knows their subject; the man who takes the course for several years or the man who has been applying his energy and time to work in the same field of expertise? One has head knowledge and the other has life knowledge. One has an untested concept and the other has proven experience. I am in no way undermining the value of education and going to school to learn, I am simply saying that the time comes when we must apply in the boardroom what we have learned in the classroom. The goal is not to be a professional student but to be a productive servant. When I was a young man in high school, many times the comment would be on the report card, ‘He has the intellect, but he just does not apply himself’. When we apply for a job, we put ourselves out there for consideration. We don’t just sit back and wait for the phone call, we go out and apply; we tell others that we are interested and available.

    Cry after knowledge - What kind of cry resides within us? Do we have an intense longing for true knowledge? This cry within is a necessary element in wisdom, because if you are given wisdom but do not have a heart cry and desire to use it correctly, you will not value what you have been given. Hunger is an intense motivator. We will do all kinds of radical and extreme things in order to eat and survive. We are to have a similar type of  hunger that will drive us in a quest for spiritual sustenance. Is there a heart-cry for knowledge? Knowledge is necessary for a blessed life. We sometimes say, ‘What you don’t know won’t hurt you’, but the reality is that what we do not know may indeed be hurting us terribly. God said, ‘My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. If I have no knowledge that the bridge is out on the road ahead, I may be destroyed because of that lack of knowledge; knowledge would have saved my life.

    Lift up your voice - The ability to speak is a God-given blessing. We celebrate the day that the baby speaks its first words. If that child never learns to speak then we know that something is terribly wrong. Our voice is the expression of our unique identity. There is no other voice identical to yours or mine. Lift up your voice, God says. You have a voice. You have a vote, if you will. You have a say in what happens to you. You have a valid perspective; voice it. There is something very powerful about the way God has made us; we are created in his image and he is a speaking spirit, a communicating voice, an articulate person. You are in charge of your voice, lift it up, put some power beneath it and release your voice. Speak to God honestly and unreservedly, speak to each other openly and with humility and watch how you will grow in identity and security.

   Seek her - We are created to seek. Seek and you shall find is how Jesus said it to us. God wants us to seek and to pursue him. We are to seek for wisdom and understanding like we would seek for silver or today’s currency; money. Many of us poke fun at those who chase the ‘almighty dollar’ but if we were honest we might have to agree that we have done the same. Much of our life is taken up with our jobs and ‘making a living’. Money occupies a great deal of our thoughts and energies. What if we turned that around so that we sought God and his wisdom like we seek financial gain and security? We don’t really need money, we need wisdom. If we have wisdom and apply wisdom, our money problems disappear. It very often takes time but wisdom definitely answers the money problem. Seek her diligently and desire her intensely.

    Search for her - Man is an explorer by nature; he must continue to discover new worlds. This innate quest to pioneer, survey and map out unoccupied territories motivates men to not settle for the status quo. If only we could focus those exploratory skills on acquiring the wisdom of God. We are told to search for her as for hidden treasure. If we knew that there was treasure of great worth buried in our back yards, we would dig up every inch until we uncovered it. That is the type of desire and effort that is needed to obtain God’s wisdom. Search for her and do not stop until you unearth that buried treasure of wisdom and knowledge. God does indeed hide his wisdom but, it is not hidden from you, it is hidden for you.

    This chapter in Proverbs starts out with a condition; if you will do these things, and it ends with a result; then you will understand and find what you are seeking. Every parent knows these words; if…then…if you finish your meal then you can have dessert, if you clean your room then you can watch a show, if you do your homework then you will pass the test, if…then. To listen to some psychologists today you would think it was abuse to ask anyone to do something before being rewarded. In the home, in the classroom and at the workplace we have fallen prey to the bankrupt philosophies of  the world. This world has taught young people to feel entitled; that they deserve the best that our country offers without any effort on their part. Just listen to the irrational rants of some people; my parents owe me, my boss owes me, my government owes me, my church owes me and on and on it goes ad infinitum, ad nauseam. These philosophies and ideologies are producing a culture of infantile people who never will accept responsibility for anything, thus locking themselves in a never-ending spiral of diminishment and defeat.

   Thank God, we can break free from all that nonsense! God, through his Word, gives us actual and practical wisdom; skill and expertise to plan, build, develop and mature. Exciting opportunities await those who recognize their worth and realize their place in the plan of God. In the words of a wise man named Arthur S. Ward, “…If you are wise, you will forget yourself into greatness. Forget your rights, but remember your responsibilities. Forget your inconveniences, but remember your blessings. Forget your own accomplishments, but remember your debts to others. Forget your privileges, but remember your obligations. Follow the examples of Florence Nightingale, of Albert Schweitzer, of Abraham Lincoln, of Tom Dooley, and forget yourself into greatness…”

There Will Always be Another King

Acts 7:18 - Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.

    There will always be another king. One of the tendencies of humanity is that we cannot seem to see very far in front of us and we are also inclined to forget what has happened behind us on the road of history. The stark reality is that we are on this earth for a short season and inevitably succession will come. Nothing in this life lasts forever. Every championship team knows that it is one thing to obtain the status of champions and a whole other thing to maintain it. Just because you won last season does not mean it will happen automatically again this season. The hunger of the challenging team will drive them on in a relentless pursuit of the title. There will always be another king. Successful companies understand that they may be at the top of their industry one year but that is no guarantee that they will repeat their performance again and they may even find themselves struggling the following year. Competition is fierce in the modern business world and new and improved products are being launched every minute. There will always be another king.

    The verse we are looking at is describing the experience of the children of Israel in Egypt. God gave Joseph favour and wisdom with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he was promoted into high levels of influence and responsibility. Both the Egyptians and the Israelites enjoyed a season of prosperity and blessing under this king because of his honourable relationship with Joseph. But another king arose who did not know Joseph. That king apparently, did not value the history that Egypt had with Joseph and the Israelites. He did not acknowledge the fact that there were others who had helped him get to this place of power. He did not know Joseph. There is a popular phrase that says ‘It’s not what you know but who you know that counts’, and we sometimes laugh at that idea, but the truth is, entrance into heaven isn’t based on what you know but on who you know. Who you know is all important and has eternal ramifications. Who you know, who you honour, who you acknowledge and who you associate with, will determine your destiny. Sadly, this new king did not know Joseph.

    Another king arose. This other king had a different spirit than the previous one had. He didn’t have a reverence for God and for his people. He did not have a compassionate heart but obviously had a self-serving motive. He was a king of another type than his predecessor. Arrogant pride is persistent; it lurks in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to destroy each one of us. Prideful conceit is the ever-constant enemy of mankind and it is cunningly deceptive by nature. We are deceived when we forget or don’t even acknowledge that many people have sacrificed their lives, their time, their money, their energy; all for someone else’s benefit; all for my benefit. I live in a city which has roads and power and a water system; all of which I enjoy the use of but actually did not contribute to any of it. It was all built before I was born and I must look back to appreciate what others have done for me. I may be sitting in a beautiful church auditorium with my family, enjoying and benefiting from the numerous ministries of the church, and never whispering even one prayer of gratitude for all those who sacrificed to build it. We don’t want to be like this other king, who chose to ignore the hard work done by his forbearers long before he rose to power.

    Someone has once commented that there are, in the scripture, more commands to remember than any other command. Scripture exhorts us, again and again, to not forget but, to remember. Remember those who have spoken to you the word of God, remember those who are in prison, remember that it is the Lord God who gives you the power to get wealth, remember Lot’s wife, remember that you were once a slave, remember your history, remember God’s faithfulness. Another king will always arise but, will he remember? More importantly, will we remember?

The Christian Life...to be Continued.

Acts 14:22 - Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

    Paul and Barnabas had both tremendous success and remarkable opposition on their first missionary journey. They had to flee at times, being literally chased out of cities; Paul himself was unjustly and brutally stoned to the point of death. These men were definitely not self-focused or self-centered men. They were men motivated by both the Spirit of God and the charge that they were given, as they were sent by God to this region. Even after pouring themselves out during an intense time of hostility to their ministry, instead of being the ones looking for attention and seeking sympathy, they were the ones who were supporting and reinforcing others. After being driven out of several cities, they went directly back in to those very same cities to bring encouragement and strength to the disciples.

    Our text tells us that Paul and Barnabas confirmed the souls of the disciples. Whatever they said to them, it strengthened their soul; it fortified their inner life, it encouraged their mental state and emotional perspective. The battle that we face daily is primarily spiritual. It is not a physical battle of wit or weapons, neither is it a conflict of brain or brawn. We are not going to win in a fight of mere intellect, nor will we succeed in a contest of sheer muscle. No! Even though we have much outward opposition, our real struggle is nonphysical, invisible and keenly personal. It is a battle of the soul.

    Probably the first thing that we will encounter as a believer is the temptation to quit, acquiescing and surrendering our faith. This tactic of temptation is aimed at your soul, that is, your mind, your will and your emotions. You may begin to rationalize your situation and attempt to reason your way out of continuing this way of faith. If we are continuing in the faith, then, that means that we are staying in the place of faith. The fight is intended to get us to move out of the place of faith that we already occupy. Paul says elsewhere to ‘fight the good fight of faith’; it is a fight to remain steady under intense pressure to quit.

    As believers, we must realize that the enemy we face is a clever strategist and an experienced psychologist. He has been studying methods of warfare and the habits of mankind for over 6000 years. Remember, we are not going to win in a fight of mere intellect; we are not going to outsmart the devil, however, we can outlast him. As one old prophet-preacher used to say, ‘Perseverance will always outlast persecution’.

    Paul and Barnabas came back to those new believers and exhorted them to continue holding their ground. The word exhort is very descriptive; it pictures the leader of an army coming to the front-line where his battle-weary troops are assembled. He stands before them and exhorts them; he summons them to look deep within their hearts and to remember why they are fighting. ‘Think of your country, think of your family, think of your freedom and ride forth with me into victory. We can do this and together we shall conquer!’ The enemy is like the criminal invaders of an army; he is trying to take what the people of the land already have. You and I are citizens of Heaven’s land, we are not trying to attain the ground; we are simply defending what the Lord has already given to us. As fellow believers we need to constantly exhort one another. ‘You can do this! Christ in you is sufficient! The Greater One indwells you and he is causing you to stand your ground! We will prevail if we do not surrender and forfeit our authority’.

    I want to encourage you today. You may be going through the battle of your life, but remember, that the battle of today is not just about today; it is about your future and eternal destiny. Also, this fight is not just about you; it is about those around you; family, friends, and others who are looking to you and secretly hoping that your Jesus is indeed real and that he has the answers for them as well. God is with you and he has committed himself and all of heaven’s resources to see you succeed. The key to victory is wrapped up in one word: continue.