His Plan, Our Purpose

2Timothy 1:9 - Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

    God has saved us, that is, He has rescued us, delivered us, and brought us into a place of safety. Thank you, Lord, for this salvation. God is the original ‘Search and Rescue’ team; He is ever seeking and ever desiring to rescue people from danger and destruction and to bring them to a place of protection and wellbeing. It is impossible to rescue those who don’t believe that they need rescuing; so our first prayer for all those who do not know the Lord would be one that would open their eyes to the vital need that they have. We do not save or rescue ourselves, in fact, if you were in a tight situation and you got yourself out of it, you would never refer to that as being rescued; you may instead boast of how you got out of that hazardous place by your own strength and ingenuity. Being rescued implies a Rescuer, a Saviour; someone other than yourself and someone stronger than yourself who has come alongside of you to help.

    Not only has God saved us but He has also called us; He has spoken and voiced His desire for us to respond to the call and come to Him. Years ago, as children, playing in the orchards behind our house, we would hear the call to dinner. Once the call was given it was then incumbent upon us to respond and to come and seat ourselves at the table. If we went hungry because we did not respond to the invitation that could never be our parents fault. A call is something that another must initiate; we can never call ourselves. If you were informed at the office that you have a call holding on the line, at the very least it would be rude not to answer the call. It may also be very foolish because the one who is calling could be a person of great wealth and ready to purchase your wares. These examples of earthly calls pale in comparison to the Heavenly call; God, Himself, has called us, and that call is a call to fellowship and partnership with Him. It is also a call to holiness, which is a life set apart for use by Him. It is a sacred calling. It is a special calling. Indeed it is a noble calling.

    I once heard someone describe the tour that they took through a museum where they were shown Abraham Lincoln’s desk and office paraphernalia. The curator of the museum informed the visitors that the artefacts were extremely valuable and even the pen of Abraham Lincoln was worth a vast amount of money. Granted, the pen was simply an ordinary pen, it was not made of gold or special and rare jewels. It was not valuable because of the pen itself, it was valuable and even priceless because of the one who used it. The call of God is a call to be used by Him, to become an instrument of blessing in His hands. In the light of who is using the instrument, His call adds a great deal of value to our lives.

    The idea of a call or a calling needs to be scripturally re-examined. We have often heard it used in reference to those who are ordained ministers or to those who have a full time job in ministry type work; indeed they do have a calling. However the Scripture is very clear that all people are called. If we believe that He has saved us, all of us, then we must likewise believe that He has called us, all of us. All people have a unique and essential calling. Just as the members of our bodies do not all have the same function, yet all are absolutely designed with a purpose that another cannot fulfil.

    God initiated a relationship with us; He made the first move; He pursued us. The reason that He pursued us was not because we had an amazing track record of impeccable living, or that we had so much to offer; No! His call was not according to our works. None of our good works would qualify us and equally so, none of our sinful works could disqualify us. It was not because of our actions or our efforts, it was initiated because He had a purpose for us and He wanted to instil His destiny in our lives. He called us, He chose us, He had a plan. God had a purpose for each one of us, He intended for us to enjoy great fulfilment and a life of accomplishment and satisfaction by aligning ourselves with His purpose. However, He also foreknew that we would not naturally or, automatically walk in that purpose so He ensured that we also have His grace which empowers and enables us to follow His purpose and plan. God’s grace is too vast to define but one aspect of it is His willingness to use His resources on our behalf regardless of our personal merit.

    All of this; His salvation, His calling, His purpose and His grace was all given to us before the world began. God in His perfect foreknowledge saw that mankind would fall and would need redemption. Even before there was a problem God provided the answer, in fact, there is no problem that His answer won’t meet. It was all decided upon ages ago; before the creation of man; before the rebellion of man; it was given freely to all of us in the person of His Son; it was given to us in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Father God, for the origin of the plan. Thank you, Jesus, for the execution of the plan and thank you, Holy Spirit, for the unveiling of the plan. Oh! What purpose we have and what grace we’ve been given!

God is Close to the Broken-Hearted

Matt.27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying ‘Eli, Eli lama sabachthani?’ that is to say, ‘My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?’

    This is one of the seven things that Jesus said while he was hanging on the cross in excruciating pain. These few, sacred statements from Jesus have proven to be a rich heritage of blessing, strength and comfort to us. Many sermons and books have been written about them and what a powerful and enlightening study it is.

    This cry of Jesus has been called the cry of anguish or the cry of despair and it was indeed a haunting cry. A cry is something deeper than words; it is an expression of the heart which surpasses language. Every person on the earth knows what a heart cry is. It is a cry of instinct more than one of intellect. It is a cry of longing more than one of logic. This heart cry transcends all language barriers; it transcends all belief systems; we can immediately identify with anyone who suffers no matter their culture, speech or nationality. The book of Romans tells us that the entire creation is groaning; suffering under the burden of sin and suffocating from the weight of wickedness. That groan is this very cry which we are considering. Jesus, being the most spiritually sensitive man ever, was acutely aware of this period of abandonment, and he cried and groaned in total identification with forsaken mankind.

    I have heard it pointed out that if you read through the Gospels carefully, you will never see Jesus address the Father as God. He always tenderly addressed him as Father, but in this dark hour of his life He cried out to the God of the universe. Mankind is fallen and has lost his filial relationship with the Father. He cannot truly be called Father by anyone other than His children. He may be God to the entire world but He is Father only to the family. Something mysterious was transpiring within Jesus that was so terrible, so sacred, so beyond description that we must be very careful how we tread here. A thick darkness had covered the land for three hours restricting the onlooker's sight; it may be that God mercifully hid the eyes of humanity from catching sight of things which are beyond our ability to fully understand.

    To ask the question 'why' is to ask the basic question of the fallen race. Why me? Why is this happening to me? Why is life so difficult? Why do I keep repeating destructive patterns? Why are all these terrible things happening in the world? Why? To pose the question 'why' is to inquire about causes; reasons that things are the way they are. We want to make sense out of our lives and circumstances. We want to find meaning and purpose in the midst of suffering. Someone has said that a man can put up with almost any ‘what’ as long as he has a ‘why’. Jesus knew why he had to suffer; he had told his disciples ahead of time that he was going to be killed and rise again, but darkness had encircled the land; darkness had come heavily upon him; darkness had enclosed his heart and now darkness was coming out of him. Why, God, why?

    The question of why that comes from the inside of any man always comes with his own limited perspective; he doesn’t see the big picture and therefore he doesn’t understand. Perspective is what one sees from their point of view; from their standpoint. I read years ago that discussing Bible truths is like climbing a mountain; if you climb up one side you see one view, but if you climb up from another side you see a different view. There are always a variety of views to look at from man’s partial perspective. However, there is God’s unlimited viewpoint and His infinite perspective. There was a specific reason that Jesus was forsaken on that day; the purpose of God was being fulfilled. God was carrying out His great plan of redemption in this sacred and horrific moment. There was a definite and meaningful why.

    Fallen man is forsaken man; he is forlorn man; he is forgotten man. Why have you done this to me? Jesus is representing the entire race of lost humanity who blame God for all their loss and agony. Why did you not protect me? Why are you allowing this to happen? The sense of forsakenness and abandonment is what stands between God and mankind. We sometimes have heard the phrase, ‘a God-forsaken world’, but maybe it is actually the Father God who is forsaken by the world. Maybe He is a ‘world-forsaken God’. The Father God is truly the ultimate sufferer; he loves much, therefore he suffers much. This moment of forsakenness was equally difficult for both the Father and the Son. The Son’s heart cried out in deep distress as He represented every terrible and tragic thing that man has ever experienced as a victim and committed as a culprit. The Father’s heart suffered in silent pain as He watched His Son carry the burden and the crushing weight; the culmination of every wrong choice; the sin and the hurt of the entire world.

    Tragedy, atrocity, calamity, brutality and heartbreak are the sad realities of life on earth. One doesn't have to look very far to see that there is sorrow on every continent, pain in every country and grief in every home. Our deepest consolation comes to us as we understand that Jesus suffered these same things, he experienced the complete range of human emotions and he continues to suffer with us. He understands you, he understands me. Jesus was forsaken, deserted, abandoned and rejected so that we could be fully accepted and lovingly embraced; included in the family and affirmed by the Father. No matter what you may be facing today, however dark and heavy your heart may be, however many questions may be in your mind, I pray that you would cry out to the Father and receive His peace, His strength and His assurance that He is right there, walking with you through it all. He is there, as close as a whisper and He is ready to answer. Amen!

    

Whom Do You Say That He Is?

Mark 8:29 – But whom say ye that I am?

    The life Jesus lived on Earth, though quite short, has had and continues to have an innumerable and unsurpassed influence on this world. He made a lasting impact on all those that came in contact with Him. His name, His words, His demeanor, His miracles stirred up an immense amount of interest and piqued the curiosity of a nation. There were diverse and assorted opinions of Him. Jesus had just asked His disciples what some of those opinions were. Who did people say He was? Some, apparently, said that He was the forerunner, John the Baptist, raised from the dead. Others said He was Elijah the confrontational prophet who challenged the false religion of his day. Then there were those who thought he resembled Jeremiah the one who felt the pain of Israel’s condition and wept over the people of God. A large number of things were said about Him. Some people loved Him and some despised Him. Some gave their all to Him in worship and others tried to accuse Him and destroy Him. Many were impressed with His wisdom and teachings and there were also those who thought He had lost His mind and was insane. Without fail, the mention of Jesus never left anyone the same. He became a controversial figure, a person about whom many rumours and false truths were circulated. There were a multitude of opinions about Him then and there are equally as many about Him now. It really does not matter though, what the world says about who Jesus is. It does not matter what the current view of Him is, it only matters what you and I believe personally.

    Who do you say that I am? Jesus’ question is not simply for those to whom it was first posed but it is for each of us today. It is a personal question. It is a penetrating question. It is a probing question. It is a paramount question that has eternal ramifications. It is a question that demands an answer. Who do I say that He is? Who is He? The question is not what Jesus has done for me, although He has done so much, the question is who do I say He is? Eternity rests not on what but on whom; not on a thing but on a person. Who is He? We have no doubt heard the phrase that it is not what you know but who you know that counts. This idea suggests that to get the right opportunities and to get ahead in life depends not upon your education or your skills but upon who you are in relationship with. It is not what but who. When we apply this thought to Christianity it actually rings true. I may have all kinds of knowledge, even a thorough Biblical knowledge and yet not truly know Jesus. There are those who even have positions of leadership in churches and other organizations but may not necessarily know Him. A relationship is not based on what you know about someone. I may know many things about a movie star or a famous athlete. I might be able to quote their list of films and maybe even know their career stats but never actually met them. Who a person is, not what a person does, is the essence of relational intimacy. I can learn much about a person indirectly but I can never learn who a person is second hand. It must be a first hand and face to face encounter.

    The question searches even deeper than simply recognizing who He is; it asks us to say something. What do I say of Him? What do I say to Him? What do I say to myself? What do I say to others? It is not enough to merely think about who He is; there must be a statement. If someone witnesses a crime and then reports it to the police, the police will require a statement. If two people are deeply in love and decide to get married the love alone will not suffice; the minister will require a statement. We are committed to what we confess. Christianity has been called The Great Confession and rightly so because it is based on a verbal statement of our faith in Jesus. Words are the formulation and expression of what is in our hearts. When our children are struggling or hurting we want them to have the freedom to say what it is that is bothering them. When a counselor is trying to get to the root of inner trouble they need to hear what is in the heart. Many times the simple act of saying something out loud takes it out of the vague and gives it tangible meaning. This applies to both the negative and the positive. Stating things verbally not only brings solutions to problems but it also enhances and strengthens our faith and our love. I tell my wife that I love her not only because she needs to hear it but because I need to hear it; it reinforces my love and adds power to my commitment. Jesus knew this about human nature. He knew those first disciples would need to have a strong commitment in order to pioneer and forge a path for succeeding generations and He knew that we would, likewise, need much help in our journey through life and in our walk with Him.

    Who is He? Who do you say He is? Who do I say He is? I say that He is the Christ. He is the Son of God. He is the Saviour of the world. He is the Lord of all and He is my Lord and Saviour. He is my Redeemer and Rescuer. He is the Beautiful and Worthy One. That’s who He is and that’s my statement! I encourage you also to go ahead and make a statement. Who do you say that He is?

Three Life-Changing Words: God With Us!

Matt.1:23 - Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

    Christmas means many different things to many different people; some say that it bears no real significance, that it is a great family time, just simply a cultural tradition, or maybe a time to show goodwill and kindness towards people. Others would just rather skip the whole thing and have nothing to do with it. Whatever one’s stance is toward the celebration and meaning of Christmas, the fact that the whole world takes notice of this season is a testimony to the historic reality of Jesus, the actuality of His birth and the impact and influence of those few years that He lived among us on Earth.

    The meaning and significance of Christmas is wrapped up in those three very potent and compelling words: God with us. Just think of it; the All-Powerful God chose to be with us. He came to be with us. He made the initial move toward connection with us. He reached out and touched us. God with us. He identified with us in every aspect by becoming a man. As we ponder the fact that Jesus was born into this world as a little babe, a picturesque word comes to mind: embedded.

    A journalist might be sent to a war-torn nation to cover the story closely, and in order to cover it closely and effectively, that journalist might actually live with the soldiers; eating, sleeping and walking with them into battle. He then would be present when the active fighting occurs; bullets whizzing by, explosions too close for comfort and wounded soldiers at every side. He is with the unit; he is accompanying their every move and experiencing what they are going through. We call that an embedded journalist. In a much more powerful way God literally embedded Himself into the womb of humanity. He could get no closer; the Seed of God was implanted and organically united to mankind. God with us.

    God submitted Himself to the process of gestation and birth without giving up His Heavenly identity. He became a man. God with us; Divine with human; Perfection with imperfection; Uncommon with common; Light with darkness; Strength with weakness; Hope with despair; God with us. And not only was He born as a babe but He grew as a child and developed into a man. He lived with us; He walked with us; He cried with us and He laughed with us. Jesus experienced the complete gamut of human emotions and circumstances. He knows what it is to be full of energy and He knows what it is to be exhausted. He knows what it is to be hungry and He knows what it is to enjoy a meal with friends. He was loved by many and hated by many. He was trusted and He was tested. He was believed and He was accused. He knew joy and He knew sorrow. He had friends that loved Him and then He had those same friends betray Him. He absolutely surrendered His right to defend Himself. God with us.

    Many of us will spend the next few days with family and with friends, enjoying the blessing of close relationships; food, drink, laughter, hugs. However, many will also be alone, and some who are not necessarily alone may still be lonely. Sometimes this season brings to mind what we may not have or maybe what we once had but have since lost. No matter what difficulties we may be experiencing this year, whether it is a sickness, a loss of employment, a broken marriage, or a betrayal of trust, I hope that we can be reminded of this amazing truth; Jesus is the same as He always has been. He will never change. He came to be with us and He has never left. He is with you and He is with me. He remains eternally the God who understands; the One who never leaves us nor forsakes us; He is the Embedded One: God with us!

You are His Choice

Mark 14:50 – And they all forsook him and fled.

    As we read of what transpired in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of Jesus’ betrayal, we find ourselves in a scene depicting in graphic detail the contrast between our Lord in perfectly calm poise and the disciples in frenzied panic and disarray. Many times when we think of that night, we also specifically think of Judas and we wonder how he could have betrayed the Lord. How could he have stooped that low? We might even get a little indignant and maybe somewhat self-righteous, saying proudly to ourselves, “I could never do that”. However, friends, it is important to realize that the potential to walk in the steps  of Judas lies within each of us. In fact, this verse levels the playing field and puts us all on the same ground, so to speak.

    Judas was not the only traitor that night. Regardless of their insistence that they would stay with the Lord no matter what, when the pressure was on, all of the disciples forsook Him and fled. Each one made a choice to preserve his own life. Every one of them deserted Jesus at His point of deepest need. Jesus had specifically hand-picked the disciples and I believe they represent a cross-section and composite of humanity which means that we are included in the ‘all’ that forsook Him and fled. When we forsake someone we abandon that person; we disregard what happens to them. When we flee we put ourselves and the protection of our own life ahead of another’s. We might even trample over others to ensure that we reach a place of safety.

    Even though it was a terrible thing that Jesus was forsaken that night, it had to be so. In order for the plan of God to be fulfilled, Jesus had to face complete and utter abandonment. He was abandoned so that we might be included. He was deserted so that we would never have to be. He was rejected so that we could be accepted and given complete security. He endured the suffering of the cross and the spiritual torture to save us from an horrific fate that could never be fully described. He bravely faced the harsh treatment and the ruthless punishment for you and for me. Like a shield that receives the blows protecting the one behind it, He took those blows and absorbed them courageously. He was brutally afflicted, we were mercifully exempted.

    In light of what we have read in this short article today, what should be our response? What is it that we are to learn? One lesson is that our inclusion and acceptance in the Father’s family was not our idea. It was not based on our actions or performance, which may have been good or bad; it was God’s idea. It was and still is, His will for all mankind to be blessed, happy and protected, living in His peace and security. Everything that we have from God is given as a gift and therefore it cannot be earned. It is true that we have failed and we will, no doubt, fail again but none of that determines God’s heart toward us. Recently I watched a movie in which a man described the fact that his adult children did not love him but he determined that it was not their job to love him; it was his job, as a father, to love his children. God is the ultimate and perfect Father and He will never stop loving His children. So even though we may forsake Him He will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you Father, we accept your steadfast love. May it transform us and help others to live and bask in the light of your amazing mercy and grace!

What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love - Part 1

1 Corinthians 13:4 - Love suffers long and is kind…

Love suffers – Isn’t it fascinating that the very first thing Paul says about love is that it will suffer; it will undergo and experience some form of pain, hurt or hardship. It almost seems as if love must suffer and it must undergo testing, in order for it to be proven to be real love. Love cares and feels deeply; hence it has the potential to suffer. If I do not love someone or care for them, then their hurtful actions towards me, or their negligence of me, could not cause me to suffer. Genuine love is completely exposed and vulnerable. It removes any defences and drops its guard, thus exposing itself to the possibilities of being hurt and suffering pain and damage.

    C. S. Lewis, in his book, The Four Loves, writes something very pertinent regarding this; “…There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable…”.  There is something about love that allows itself to suffer; it never defends itself, but takes each blow as it faithfully absorbs the pain. Paul says earlier to the Corinthians, ‘Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?’  I believe it is important, because many people live in abusive and boundary-less relationships, that we are clear about what it means to walk in love. While we know that love is so strong that it can stand any kind of treatment, that doesn’t mean that one is supposed to stay in an abusive relationship. Every person needs to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them; there is different guidance from God for different situations.   

Love suffers long – Love suffers, but not just a momentary, fleeting suffering, but it suffers for a long time. It is never tired of waiting, it is never in a hurry, and it will continue to undergo suffering however long is necessary. The reason that love suffers long is that, by nature, it is committed and therefore the thought of quitting on that relationship cannot be considered. Time is irrelevant to love. It is a spiritual strength that causes one to rise above the daily grind of time. The two words suffer and long, are actually one compound word in the original text; macrothumia is the word in the Greek and it is translated longsuffering. We use the word ‘macro’ to describe the big picture. It is a word of perspective. We sometimes say, ‘He can’t see the forest for the trees’, in other words, he is too close to the situation to see it in perspective. He has a micro view and needs to step back and look at it from a distance. That is the word ‘macro’, it means ‘from a distance’. Love has a macro view, it sees the big picture, and it suffers long. When your teenager is struggling with various temptations normal to those years, you, as a parent, have a bigger picture and so, therefore, you can calmly deal with it. The word ‘thumia’ is the word for temper or anger. The opposite of long-tempered is short-tempered and we know how quickly that gets us in trouble. Love is not short-tempered; it doesn’t easily blow a fuse, we might say. Being short-tempered demonstrates that we do not have a big picture and proper perspective of what we are facing. If we respond to our circumstance too quickly we can make matters worse. Proverbs tells us, He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalts folly. Expressing love comes easier to those who have developed the skill of understanding another person. Stephen Covey has left us a powerful legacy in his book on the ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’. One of those habits is to ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood’. The macro view enables us to have perspective which, in turn gives us an understanding of the person or situation we are having conflict with. Many years ago I heard the phrase, ‘Understanding is the key to forgiveness’. If we can truly understand how that person could do what they did, then compassion can flow unhindered. I understand how that could happen. Given all the same circumstances and pressures, over time, any one of us could have done that very same thing or worse. Perspective and understanding are linked. Perspective shows how things are connected and how they stand in relation to another. Once you get that bigger picture, understanding occurs.  Understanding engenders sympathy and sympathy releases compassion.

Love suffers long and is kind – Love never draws attention to the fact that it is suffering, it suffers long and it suffers quietly and it is kind through the whole process. To suffer long, in this context, is more than simply to put up with something or someone; the most noble of us can do that. But to suffer for a long time and to be genuinely kind while one is enduring the suffering, this is a supernatural trait. Kindness is a very rare quality in this world of cynical bitterness. Our world is not a kind place; it can actually be quite the opposite. It is one thing to be kind to people who are kind to you, but God’s love is kind even when it is being mistreated and is suffering from the abuse of another. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father is always kind, even to unthankful and evil people. The stark reality is that there is no one who has suffered like God has. He continues to suffer as he endures with silence and with kindness the misunderstanding, the mocking, the insults and the slander of people. Kindness looks past the mistreatment. It looks past the insults and the injury. According to J. B. Phillips, kindness looks for a way of being constructive. Anyone can be destructive. Have you noticed how easy it is to destroy something that may have taken years to build? When we are in the midst of hardships and disputes can we respond calmly and not react quickly? Can we be constructive? Can we be someone who, even while being slandered, misunderstood or misjudged, does not become defensive, or vengeful, but instead looks for an opportunity to solve the relationship trouble and the confusion?  God’s love, as it grows within us and is released through us, causes us to be precisely that type of person, and that type of person is the one whom God and this world will notice; they do shine as lights in the darkness.

Three Necessary Elements of Faith

Mark 11:22-25  And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

    I remember years ago, as I read these words early in the morning, in a flash I saw that there were three necessary and connected elements of faith and they corresponded to verse 23, 24 and 25.

Faith to Remove

    There are some things that need to be removed from our life and, it will take this aspect of faith for progress to be made. The mountain represents anything that stands in the way of the plan of God and is not His will for our lives. A mountain is a large and looming obstacle that blocks sight of anything lying beyond it. We are hemmed in by the mountain and quite often we get used to seeing it and then surrender to the lie that it will always be there and that there is nothing we can do about it. However, in contrast to this way of thinking, Jesus said that we must confront the mountain, face it and speak to it directly. Many times the mountain on the inside may be bigger and more of a challenge than the mountain on the outside. The mountain on the outside represents a gigantic problem. It may be a financial debt or huge need, it may be a sickness or physical limitation, or it could be opposition to a dream that God has put in your heart to accomplish. One thing that we know for sure, the mountain must be removed and in order for that to happen, our attitude has got to change; first we must deal with the mountain of doubt and uncertainty that is on the inside of us. We certainly cannot be mountain-movers if we see ourselves as helpless victims of the circumstances of life. We definitely cannot be mountain-movers if we also constantly blame others for their existence.

    In Jesus’ day if you were considered a ‘mountain-mover’ that meant that you were known as ‘a solver of great difficulties’. It has been pointed out that we are known either for the problems we create or the problems we solve. Solving problems eliminates mountains, creating problems builds them. In the Book of Psalms we are told that the mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord; talk about solving or dissolving them; once they melt there is no proof that they even existed.

Faith to Receive

    Not only will we need to face mountains, remove hindrances and solve problems but there are going to be many things that we will need to receive from God and then implement in our lives. These are things that we desire from God and even more so; we require from God. That word translated desire is a Greek word that actually is much stronger than a simple desire; it is a requirement; it is a necessity; we must have it. Like the oxygen in our lungs, it is not an option. Most of our praying is based on a fleeting wish or a vague hope that life could be better; but this kind of prayer that Jesus speaks of springs from an intense desire to fulfil the will of God. We have a destiny and a calling from God; He has designed for us to cooperate with Him in the bringing about of His will and purpose for our lives. He will not overpower us and force His will on us; He wants us to want His will. Jesus teaches us that in order for us to receive what God has promised and about which we have asked, we must believe.

    What is it that we are to believe? We are to believe that we have received the things desired and asked for. We are to believe that the answer has been given and that we now have it on the inside. Again, this strongly infers that, previous to our prayer, we have been walking with the Father and we have been reading the Word of God so that we are intimately acquainted with His will. This kind of faith proceeds from a revelation of security; I know my Father’s heart towards me. We do not doubt what He wants for us. We know the will of our Father because we know the Word of our Father. A minister from a previous century once wrote that faith begins where the will of God is known. If we do not know the will of God, we have not yet begun to ask in faith. First, we must step back and discover the will of God. Settle the question before we ask. So, the other thing that we are to believe is implied; we are to believe that it is the will of God for us to have the thing that we desire. At the beginning of verse twenty-four Jesus says, therefore; because of what I have previously said. It is possible that He is teaching us that because we have been moving mountains and solving problems, we are now able to see more clearly what God desires for us.

    Receiving from God is not passive or automatic; we must be taught how to receive; we must be informed of the laws of reception. In football there is a player who fulfils the position of a Receiver and it is not a passive role. The Receiver must be knowledgeable of the play-book; he must be well-versed in the strategies of the team and then he must actively get in a position to receive. There are many similarities to our walk with God; answers are not automatic; we must situate ourselves so that we are in a place to receive. The old Pentecostals used to say, ‘You gotta get under the spout where the glory comes out’. The Greek word for receive is also translated take; taking is an action on our part. We are to grasp the answer and take it by faith from the hand of God. God’s will to give is subject to His law of reception; it is a transaction between two parties; no giver without a receiver and vice versa.

Faith to Release

    Right on the heels of some of the most amazing statements and promises in the Word of God, Jesus strategically connects the command to forgive. The reality is that we live in a less-than-perfect world and forgiveness will always be necessary for the maintenance of any relationship. Our relationship to God, our marriage to our spouse, our friendships, and any association with others will require the exercise of forgiveness in order for that connection to remain healthy. Life is full of disappointment, hurt, difficulty and offenses and forgiveness is the only effective antidote to their poison.

   To forgive is to let go of whatever we are holding on to or holding against someone. It might be something big or it might be something small; it matters not; Jesus said ‘anything against anybody’. We are not downplaying or making light of the hurt that people have experienced; we have indeed suffered in many ways, however, we are commanded to forgive. If I am holding on to something in my hand and I want to get rid of it, I simply let go. That is basically what forgiveness does; it lets go; it removes its grip and releases control. We have all heard the phrase ‘Let go and let God’ and it certainly applies here. The fact is that forgiveness is not a feeling or emotion per se; it is a choice; it takes a security in God; it takes faith. The day Jesus was crucified he forgave his enemies while painfully hanging from the cross; He released his enemies from their sin, and He released Himself from binding their sin to Himself. A refusal to forgive keeps all parties involved bound to the incident in question. The fact that these words on forgiveness are located where they are it would imply that the biggest hindrance to a robust faith life is an unforgiving spirit.

   Father, teach us and empower us to walk by faith and not by sight! Amen!

If Experience is the Best Teacher, Wouldn't we be a lot Smarter?

Ephesians 4:20 - But you have not so learned Christ

    

    Much is said in Paul’s writings about revelation and how he experienced a dramatic and personal unveiling of Jesus. The Lord revealed himself to Paul. Later Paul was caught up into the third Heaven and was given abundant revelation; insight and understanding that was imparted to him instantaneously. Revelation is instantaneous but learning is a process. Paul had both revelation and a process of learning in his life. 

    The Ephesians also apparently, learned Christ. They were taught and they acquired knowledge over a period of time. Learning is all important to life. Children must not just be taught, they must learn. We do not want to pass a child into the next grade because they were simply in the same classroom as everyone else and heard all the same teaching. No! Did the child learn? Sadly, our culture has given us the wrong impression. We have been taught to pass tests instead of learn. We emphasize the passing of the test, so we cram for the exam and because it is fresh on our minds we can remember the necessary answers and obtain a passing grade. The answers were in our mind but not in our life. If we actually learn what we need to learn, the passing of the test will be a consequence not a goal. Learning and developing in character and skill should be the goal; passing the test and getting the good grade will be the result.  

    Let’s apply that to our walk with God. We are not to simply pass tests or even acquire information. We might be able to quote multiple verses of Scripture but that is no guarantee that we have learned. Learning is the discipleship word. We are not just a pupil but an apprentice. If we think like that we will get a better picture of what God wants for us. He wants us to not simply have book knowledge or head knowledge but he wants us to be trained as apprentices so we can acquire the necessary skills to succeed. We must learn Christ. We must learn him, which means that we learn a person. When you associate closely with a person you eventually take on the characteristics, attitude and habits of that person. Jesus had said to his disciples earlier, ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn of me’.

    Just as it is necessary to learn Christ it is also important how you learn. Paul said that they ‘had not so learned’ Christ. They had not learned Christ in the manner in which some others had learned. We must be true to the way that the Lord has led us and the way that he has taught us. In what manner have you learned Christ? Obviously, we are open to more learning and to different ways of learning but it is important that we honour our roots. Honour those who have shown you the way of the Lord. Honour the history of your walk with God by continuing to learn from it. God knows us. He knows exactly how to speak to us and how to deal with us so that we may learn and thereby be changed and experience greater levels of freedom. Every parent and school teacher knows that each child is different and has a unique way of learning, and our walk with Christ is a lifelong process of learning. As we grow and mature, he teaches us a little more and shows us another aspect of his character and grace.

    There are tests in life and there are things that we face that are very difficult, for sure. However, let’s be sure to not simply go through the experience but let’s be sure to learn. We sometimes have heard it said that experience is the best teacher but if that were true wouldn’t we all be a lot smarter? Experience is important but learning something from your experience is more important. So the next time that you are in a pressure situation let’s be sure to learn Christ in the middle of it all, take on his attitude and characteristics and be changed in to his image by his power and by his grace.

The Power of Remembering

What is Your Name?

Luke 8:30 – And Jesus asked him saying, What is your name?

                 In this account we have the story of the man we refer to as ‘The Madman of Gadara’. Most of the teaching that we have heard highlights that Jesus addressed the devil by asking, ‘What is your name?’ However, G. Campbell Morgan, in his commentary on the Gospels, pointed out that perhaps Jesus was actually asking the man his name. I find this thought to be inspirational and very instructive. 

          Think of the condition of this poor, tormented man; demon-possessed, self-destructive, running naked in the cemetery, no life to speak of, anguished, no rest, no peace, no friendships. I am sure that whatever family he once had would have been driven away long ago. He is frantic and distressed, but Jesus attempts to rescue him by getting him to remember his name. ‘Don’t you remember who you are? You were born into a family and your parents lovingly named you. You had purpose, dreams, aspirations and friends. Don’t you remember? You laughed and played together with the friends of your youth, you fell in love with a beautiful girl. You learned a trade and worked hard providing for your new family. What is your name? That’s who you are. You are not this raving and tormented lunatic. You are not this violent madman. No! You are a person. You are a man, created in the image of God, created to walk with dignity and purpose. You were destined to engage in society and contribute to others' success. 

         What is your name? It is still your name, it still exists, it may have slipped out of your memory but your name has survived. It’s your name, not someone else’s. It is yours, it belongs to you. You matter. You are missed. You are important. You have a place in this life. You are a person with a name, and you are connected relationally to significant people’. 

          What about us? Have we forgotten who we are? Have we forgotten our name? Have our choices now determined a new name? Are we living with the stigma associated with our condition in life? Has life’s challenges blurred the memory of our identity and our value? We are living in the days of identity theft and it is time to take back our true name. Powerful and life-giving freedom comes into our life when we remember who we were created to be and who named us. The world has tried to define us and re-name us but our Heavenly Father has permanently named us. We are named by God as his children and we must never forget who we are. What is your name?