"The waters are troubled."
Pastor Sam made this statement as he began his pastoral prayer last Sunday (after Pastor Martha's sermon). It is a metaphor that is sometimes misunderstood. But this past Sunday, I believe we all knew what our pastor meant. We are in a season where our Lord is visiting Bronx Bethany with a specific, intensified opportunity for healing and deliverance.
What timing. I am especially conscious of my need for physical healing, as I continue recovery from a fall I had ten days ago. And I am also particularly conscious of the need for friends and loved ones to be delivered, some of whom are "running, a hundred miles an hour, in the wrong direction" (a line from Casting Crown's "Does Anybody Hear Her?"). In both cases, physically and spiritually, I see the needs. But I am in no position to chase anyone down, literally nor figuratively. I can only appeal to our Lord and King, Jesus.
While the more obvious passage to discuss here would be the healing of the man at the Bethesda pool (see John 5:1-15), I have instead been drawn to Joshua chapter 3. In that chapter, we have the account of the people of Israel crossing the Jordan River at flood stage. To be more specific, we have the account of the priests carrying the ark and placing their feet into the water. It is so significant that the Jordan did not part until the priests' feet touched the water's edge (see Joshua 3:15-16). The priests were not in a position to roll back the water by their own strength. They had to trust God that when their feet went in, they would not be dragged off by the current.
So, figuratively speaking, our pastors have put their feet into the current and God has opened a passageway. We are called to cross over! Cross over into healing. Cross over into peace. Cross over into deliverance. Cross over into rest. And, cross over while there is time. Kairos moments are fleeting moments. Seasons don't last forever. When the waters are troubled, when a Divine passageway has opened, don't wait. Abandon all decorum and rush in.
How do we rush in? With repentance, obedience, prayer, fasting, giving, devotion, humility, intense love for our Lord... or, to boil this down to one phrase, authentic worship. We as a kingdom of priests carry the ark of God on our shoulders, cautiously bearing the weight of His glory as we watch Him do what we thought was impossible.
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground... He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God. (Joshua 3:17 and 4:24)
Amen. May we all complete the crossing.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
The Test... And The Answer Key.
"Jesus is Jesus, and He did not test the enemy. Why should we?" -Pastor Martha
During Sunday's sermon on the Jabez prayer (First Chronicles 4:10), Pastor Martha took time to reflect on the last section of Jabez's petition: "...and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
She said, and I paraphrase here, "When we ask God to deliver us, He will send someone to battle on our behalf." Like Jabez, we can have an assurance that God will grant our request.
Jesus, in teaching His disciples to pray, shares a similar petition: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13) It is our awesome God who has the power to deliver. We pray; He acts.
For those of us who have had challenges with addictions, we recognize that one of the enemy's deceptions is to convince us that we are capable of saving ourselves. If we believe this, we will continue the cycle of embracing temptation rather than running away from it. The infamous byword of the addict, "I can stop any time I want to," is a lie from the devil.
We need God to help us when our enemy attacks. This is especially important in cases like Jabez's. He was a man described as "more honorable than his brothers" (First Chronicles 4:9), but he did not have an experience of honor. Jabez had lived his entire life under the curse of his name, due to his mother associating him with pain.
Are you living in relationships or situations where your true character has been bound up and covered by an accursed statement from the evil one? God has all power and He can set you free.
Some time ago, Pastor Sam mentioned various Scripture passages that demonstrate what our approach should be to the enemy of our souls. It is good for us to be reminded of them:
"But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude, verse 9)
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:1-4)
"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?'" (Zechariah 3:1-2)
We are delivered by the word of the Lord. There is no value in engaging the enemy with our own words; we cannot save ourselves.
Who is equipped to set men free? It is the Lord God, The I Am, The Always Was and Is and Will Be, whose power is unmatched.
Do you want to be free? Call out to YHWH, the Almighty Lord. He will rebuke the evil one and speak His life into your being.
During Sunday's sermon on the Jabez prayer (First Chronicles 4:10), Pastor Martha took time to reflect on the last section of Jabez's petition: "...and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
She said, and I paraphrase here, "When we ask God to deliver us, He will send someone to battle on our behalf." Like Jabez, we can have an assurance that God will grant our request.
Jesus, in teaching His disciples to pray, shares a similar petition: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13) It is our awesome God who has the power to deliver. We pray; He acts.
For those of us who have had challenges with addictions, we recognize that one of the enemy's deceptions is to convince us that we are capable of saving ourselves. If we believe this, we will continue the cycle of embracing temptation rather than running away from it. The infamous byword of the addict, "I can stop any time I want to," is a lie from the devil.
We need God to help us when our enemy attacks. This is especially important in cases like Jabez's. He was a man described as "more honorable than his brothers" (First Chronicles 4:9), but he did not have an experience of honor. Jabez had lived his entire life under the curse of his name, due to his mother associating him with pain.
Are you living in relationships or situations where your true character has been bound up and covered by an accursed statement from the evil one? God has all power and He can set you free.
Some time ago, Pastor Sam mentioned various Scripture passages that demonstrate what our approach should be to the enemy of our souls. It is good for us to be reminded of them:
"But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude, verse 9)
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:1-4)
"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?'" (Zechariah 3:1-2)
We are delivered by the word of the Lord. There is no value in engaging the enemy with our own words; we cannot save ourselves.
Who is equipped to set men free? It is the Lord God, The I Am, The Always Was and Is and Will Be, whose power is unmatched.
Do you want to be free? Call out to YHWH, the Almighty Lord. He will rebuke the evil one and speak His life into your being.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Hours For Moments.
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside to pray.
When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and He was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night He went out to them... Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed. (Mark 6:45-48a; 6:51)
During Sunday's sermon on the Jabez prayer (First Chronicles 4:10), Pastor Martha shared a profound insight based on the prayer life of Jesus. She said, and I paraphrase here, that there is a correlation between prayer and action. Specifically, the greater the amount of time spent in communion with God, the faster the activity of God occurs in ministry.
The Mark passage above is one example of this. Jesus, having released His disciples in the afternoon (after feeding the five thousand), went to pray to our Father in solitude. (It seems He was praying with His eyes open at some point in the evening, because He saw that the disciples were challenged with the weather conditions on the lake. However, He remained on the mountainside in prayer.)
Now, let's take the conservative route, using today's sunset as our benchmark (6:32 p.m. in New York). The Scripture tells us that Jesus saw the disciples struggling with rowing in the evening, but He did not go out to them until the fourth watch of the night. "Evening" was a specific designation, corresponding to the period from sunset to 9 p.m., and was termed the first watch of the night. We read that Jesus began praying before evening. To be extremely conservative, let's say He started just before the first watch officially began- say, about 6:30.
The third watch ran from midnight to 3 a.m., and the fourth watch of the night ran from 3 a.m. to sunrise (which, here in New York, would be 6:57 a.m. tomorrow). We read that Jesus went out to His disciples at about the fourth watch of the night. Again, to be very conservative, let's say that He ended His prayer by the close of the third watch and had finished walking out to His disciples shortly after the start of the fourth watch.
How long is it from 6:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.? That is the minimum estimate of how long He remained in prayer. Not sleeping, nor daydreaming, but praying.
It is important, in all of this, to remember that Scripture says Jesus set aside His glory when He came to earth (see Philippians 2:5-7). In His humanity, He embraced this discipline of prayer. He, like Jabez, craved the blessing of God, the hand of God, the protection of God, the presence of God, and the guidance of God.
There is much that can be said about the ministry of Jesus. But I believe Pastor Martha went straight to the core of the matter: the immediacy of effect in Jesus's teaching and healing ministry was borne out of His extended hours of prayer, intercession, and communion with God. Jesus engaged this activity in His humanity. So can we.
We are full of excuses as to why we can't (or don't) pray. But, for these final 88 days of 2012, may I challenge you (and myself) to let go of the excuses? Let's embrace and engage a deeper intimacy with God.
Do you want to be like Jesus? Invest hours of prayer and experience the immediacy of miracles.
That's a fair trade.
When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and He was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night He went out to them... Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed. (Mark 6:45-48a; 6:51)
During Sunday's sermon on the Jabez prayer (First Chronicles 4:10), Pastor Martha shared a profound insight based on the prayer life of Jesus. She said, and I paraphrase here, that there is a correlation between prayer and action. Specifically, the greater the amount of time spent in communion with God, the faster the activity of God occurs in ministry.
The Mark passage above is one example of this. Jesus, having released His disciples in the afternoon (after feeding the five thousand), went to pray to our Father in solitude. (It seems He was praying with His eyes open at some point in the evening, because He saw that the disciples were challenged with the weather conditions on the lake. However, He remained on the mountainside in prayer.)
Now, let's take the conservative route, using today's sunset as our benchmark (6:32 p.m. in New York). The Scripture tells us that Jesus saw the disciples struggling with rowing in the evening, but He did not go out to them until the fourth watch of the night. "Evening" was a specific designation, corresponding to the period from sunset to 9 p.m., and was termed the first watch of the night. We read that Jesus began praying before evening. To be extremely conservative, let's say He started just before the first watch officially began- say, about 6:30.
The third watch ran from midnight to 3 a.m., and the fourth watch of the night ran from 3 a.m. to sunrise (which, here in New York, would be 6:57 a.m. tomorrow). We read that Jesus went out to His disciples at about the fourth watch of the night. Again, to be very conservative, let's say that He ended His prayer by the close of the third watch and had finished walking out to His disciples shortly after the start of the fourth watch.
How long is it from 6:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.? That is the minimum estimate of how long He remained in prayer. Not sleeping, nor daydreaming, but praying.
It is important, in all of this, to remember that Scripture says Jesus set aside His glory when He came to earth (see Philippians 2:5-7). In His humanity, He embraced this discipline of prayer. He, like Jabez, craved the blessing of God, the hand of God, the protection of God, the presence of God, and the guidance of God.
There is much that can be said about the ministry of Jesus. But I believe Pastor Martha went straight to the core of the matter: the immediacy of effect in Jesus's teaching and healing ministry was borne out of His extended hours of prayer, intercession, and communion with God. Jesus engaged this activity in His humanity. So can we.
We are full of excuses as to why we can't (or don't) pray. But, for these final 88 days of 2012, may I challenge you (and myself) to let go of the excuses? Let's embrace and engage a deeper intimacy with God.
Do you want to be like Jesus? Invest hours of prayer and experience the immediacy of miracles.
That's a fair trade.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Touch Deprivation.
"Let Your hand be with me..." (First Chronicles 4:10)
In First Chronicles 4:10, we see Jabez petitioning God. At the center of his petition is this plea: Let Your hand be with me. We can interpret this petition in a few ways:
Lord, cover me.
Lord, draw me in to Yourself.
Lord, touch me and heal me.
Lord, guide my decisions.
Lord, impart Your life and character into me.
Jabez recognized that the hand of God is powerful; one touch from Him can change a life forever.
There is a curious medical condition termed "touch deprivation." A touch deprived infant, even if fed regularly, can become ill or even die because of limited or no physical contact with other people. We were created not for isolation, but for community.
May I submit that touch deprivation is also a spiritual condition? Persons can give verbal assent to the sovreignty of God and the deity of Jesus Christ, but their lives do not give evidence of having been touched by His Spirit. Such persons are destined for spiritual death. Galatians 5:19-21 says:
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis mine)
Why would the apostle Paul have to give a second warning about this? Perhaps the Galatian believers felt that they could continue the rituals and routines of the faith without releasing themselves to be touched by God. But, without His touch, we will not live according to His nature. The rituals ultimately become empty, dead acts because God is not present in the works.
What is the evidence of His hand upon us? Paul says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24, emphasis mine).
Jabez knew that the touch of God on his life was a key to his well-being and success. To paraphrase what Pastor Martha shared on Sunday, the supernatural intervention of God brings His peace and His power. And as He continues to reveal Himself to us, we continue to grow and develop into spiritual maturity. Jabez needed the supernatural intervention of the Lord in his life. So do we.
Lord, let Your hand be with me.
In First Chronicles 4:10, we see Jabez petitioning God. At the center of his petition is this plea: Let Your hand be with me. We can interpret this petition in a few ways:
Lord, cover me.
Lord, draw me in to Yourself.
Lord, touch me and heal me.
Lord, guide my decisions.
Lord, impart Your life and character into me.
Jabez recognized that the hand of God is powerful; one touch from Him can change a life forever.
There is a curious medical condition termed "touch deprivation." A touch deprived infant, even if fed regularly, can become ill or even die because of limited or no physical contact with other people. We were created not for isolation, but for community.
May I submit that touch deprivation is also a spiritual condition? Persons can give verbal assent to the sovreignty of God and the deity of Jesus Christ, but their lives do not give evidence of having been touched by His Spirit. Such persons are destined for spiritual death. Galatians 5:19-21 says:
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (emphasis mine)
Why would the apostle Paul have to give a second warning about this? Perhaps the Galatian believers felt that they could continue the rituals and routines of the faith without releasing themselves to be touched by God. But, without His touch, we will not live according to His nature. The rituals ultimately become empty, dead acts because God is not present in the works.
What is the evidence of His hand upon us? Paul says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24, emphasis mine).
Jabez knew that the touch of God on his life was a key to his well-being and success. To paraphrase what Pastor Martha shared on Sunday, the supernatural intervention of God brings His peace and His power. And as He continues to reveal Himself to us, we continue to grow and develop into spiritual maturity. Jabez needed the supernatural intervention of the Lord in his life. So do we.
Lord, let Your hand be with me.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Husbands With Wings.
During Sunday's sermon on the Jabez prayer, Pastor Martha made a statement about “husbands with wings”, an illustration of prayer as a reactive measure. Some of us laughed, but it really wasn't a joke. There are some people who will not pray to God unless they are in extreme crisis. For example, if a husband leaves a wife, the wife will then spare no effort to petition God. She will not be too tired to pray if she truly desires God to restore their relationship. The problem, though, is that the prayer has become a contractual obligation: “God, I am spending time with You in prayer, so I am demanding that You bring my husband back to me.” And so, when the crisis prayer is answered to her satisfaction, the fervent praying stops. The wife's drawing near to God was not motivated by love, but by fear and anxiety.
After the second service's pastoral prayer, Pastor Sam spoke of our corporate experience of drawing near to God. He used the example of his own marriage as an allegory: though he and his wife have been together for many years, there are moments when he “draws her nearer”. His marriage vows are more than a mere contractual obligation; there is a depth of love which inspires him to to enfold her, bringing her closer. As the years progress, intimacy grows.
Let's consider our relationship with Jesus. What is it that Jesus said to His beloved Jerusalem? “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” (Matthew 23:37) We, as a manifestation of spiritual Israel, have the privilege of being enveloped by the Spirit of Christ. It is an experience where prayers are no longer obligatory exercises, but are instead love-fests marked by a deep intimacy with God.
Here is a paraphrase of Pastor Martha's comment on prayer: “Prayer is not a ritual nor obligation. It is communication, intimacy, and communion that touches the heart of God.” What a gift! We have the opportunity to share in the passion of Christ, whose depth of suffering was eclipsed by His depth of love for our Father. Jesus would minister during the day, then frequently would spend the whole night in prayer to God. Our marriage model is an echo of the original love-fest in heaven, an ultimate intimacy where Jesus could rightfully say “I and the Father are one.” If this was the pattern of the Sinless One, how much more should it be ours?
We are the bride of Christ, and our Husband has wings: not to fly away from us, but to draw us near and enfold us. Yes, Jesus, I long for Your embrace. Draw me closer to Your side.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Nomenclator.
This past Sunday, our English- and Spanish-speaking congregations held combined services at 7:45 and 11:15, which is our custom on the fifth Sunday of 5-Sunday months.
Pastor Martha continued her series on prayer. She reminded us that prayer is serious, it is mysterious, and it is ministry. Yesterday's sermon focused on Jabez, a man mentioned in the genealogy found in First Chronicles.
Who is this man?
Jabez stands alone. Although Chronicles is generally very clear in listing lineage, we see that Jabez's parents are not named. We don't have the names of Jabez's descendants, though Scripture tells us he was “more honorable than his brothers”. All we know is that he was from the tribe of Judah, and he had an unusual name.
Pastor Martha shared with us that, in general, childbirth is a painful experience. So if pain is the norm, why would Jabez's mother name him as she did? “His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain.'” (First Chronicles 4:9) Why was that pain more salient than the usual birth pains? What was the painful experience, or the painful season, that caused this unnamed woman to name her son “Pain”?
Scripture does not tell us the specific circumstances behind this woman's decision to name her son Jabez. But it does show us that Jabez longed to break free from the stigma inherent in his name. “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel” (First Chronicles 4:10). His name, “Pain”, went beyond the description of his mother's experience: it caused him personal pain as well.
Perhaps we each have our own crisis experience of pain that can only be resolved when we cry out to God. When we cry out to God, we acknowledge that we are incapable of bringing resolution to our crisis. We need Divine help. We need Jesus to intervene. Thank God that He hears and answers the prayers of the righteous (see James 5:16).
And again, perhaps we each have been given the name “Pain” by someone else: someone we have hurt deeply, or someone who associates us with a painful experience, or someone who is deriving a short-term benefit from describing us in negative terms. What is our option when we, sometimes in our infancy and our innocence, have been labeled as a manifestation of someone else's pain? Our only option is to appeal to our Maker and King.
It is interesting that Jabez, in his prayer, does not ask God to change his mother's opinion of him. Instead, he asks God to change his life: Lord, bless me! Lord, enlarge my territory! Lord, let Your hand be with me so that I will be free from pain! His prayer has no condemnation of anyone, no appeal for retribution. It is simply a plea to our great God, who heard his cry and released him from the effects of his mother's negative words.
Our great God can do the same for us! Let us meet Him in prayer, asking in faith, and patiently anticipating His intervention.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Harbor. Seal.
“Sunday’s sermon.” It’s a phrase I use a lot in my blog posts. But this week I’ve found that, as I re-read my sermon notes, God pulls out points that I really was not conscious of back on Sunday. It’s like hearing a new sermon!
For example, Pastor Sam spent some time talking about the concept of sin in the camp and its dangerous consequences for communities. It’s especially dangerous in leadership. We see in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles how nations’ destinies were tied in to the worship lives of their leaders.
I’d like to share a little phrase that the Lord put on my heart this Wednesday (the day I wrote this post) concerning sin in the camp. Whatever we harbor will seal our fate.
The Jeremiah 1:10 charge shows us that not everything can be harbored. If our first prophetic task is to uproot, tear down, destroy, and overthrow, then we are tasked to remove any thing that would impede our second prophetic task of building and planting. To go back to a farming analogy, and we’ve reflected on this in prior posts over the summer, there needs to be a breaking up of the ground before seeds are planted. Some weeds need to be uprooted. Some rocks need to be cast out of the field.
Our pastor shared a few points about what God has asked us to consider as we begin our enacted parable of Jeremiah 1:10:
*If it is God’s work assignment and God’s ability equipping us, then we have to do the work in the way God wants. As His faithful stewards, we carry out His policies and procedures.
*Even if we don’t understand God’s way, we are called to obey Him. His ways are sometimes “beyond understanding”, and that’s okay. We can still do what He says.
*We cannot wait until it is “convenient”. Ask any preacher and he or she will tell you that convenience is not part of the ministry’s benefits package.
*If we are harboring known sin, the prophetic will not occur. Joshua chapters 5 through 7 give a great example of this truth.
*We cannot work in God’s ability if we are nurturing sin. This echoes Jesus’s sermon point in Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters.”
What does it mean if we decide we don’t want to carry out the assignment?
Our community center is a wonderful allegory here. Before any building could begin, there first had to be demolition of two existing buildings on Bronx Bethany’s campus. One of those buildings had a small room that, for me, held high sentimental value. But the sentimentality did not line up with the assignment, so my task was to let go of the sentimentality. Whether I let go or not, the building was still coming down!
God was very direct with Jeremiah. He says, “But you, Jeremiah, get yourself ready! Go and tell these people everything I instruct you to say. Do not be terrified of them, or I will make you terrified in front of them.” (Jeremiah 1:17) It is the echo of Psalm 27. Don’t be afraid! The LORD, Sovereign God, is on our side.
Does God find us pining for what was, rather than rejoicing for what will be? Is our personal satiation of more value to us than others’ salvation?
Lord, help us to harbor a strong faith in you. Give us grace to be sealed by Your Spirit. Accomplish Your work in and through us. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Compromised Christians And The Way Of Escape.
[Today’s post is lengthy. I hope you will make the sacrifice of time and continue reading.]
God’s controversy with His people reaches its apex at the place of worship. In a context where God demands obedience, exclusivity, and intimacy, there is sometimes the evidence of disobedience, divided hearts, and distance. As Bronx Bethany earnestly enters into the call to build, we must be careful to submit ourselves to the Lord and no other. From God’s perspective, the inclusion and placation of His rivals is an act that ultimately shuts the door to redemption. We see this in the life of Judas Iscariot, whose last-minute pitch for redemption was rejected. He left this world with no money, no Jesus, and no hope.
Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)
We also see this on a larger scale in the book of Ezekiel, where God shows the prophet how the priests, though in His house, have distanced themselves from His love. Their worship is divided between God and idols. Ultimately, God sent harsh judgement to the men and women who compromised their relationship with Him.
He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here.” So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure of creeping thing and beast – detestable images – and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. Seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel (with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them) were standing in front of them, each with a censer in his hand, and fragrant vapors from a cloud of incense were swirling upward. He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’”
Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house. I noticed women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these!” He said to me, “Do you see, son of man? Is it a trivial thing that the house of Judah commits these abominations they are practicing here? For they have filled the land with violence and provoked me to anger still further. Look, they are putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will act with fury! My eye will not pity them nor will I spare them. When they have shouted in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub where it had rested to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing kit at his side. The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.” While I listened, he said to the others, “Go through the city after him and strike people down; do not let your eye pity nor spare anyone! Old men, young men, young women, little children, and women – wipe them out! But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary!” So they began with the elders who were at the front of the temple. (Ezekiel 8:9-12, 8:14-15, 8:17-18, and 9:3-6)
By stepping into our enacted parable of Jeremiah 1, we have stepped into a new level of worship and service. We have shifted from preparation to prophetic action. The spiritual stakes are higher. The evil one, who does not want redemption to come to the young people of the Bronx, will offer us the option of compromise. Our task is to resist and refuse the offer.
As we learned five years ago in our study of Revelation, the enemy will respond to our resistance and refusal with overt threats. Particular to Revelation 13 is the threat aimed at us from other people of God, those we love who have compromised and therefore have crossed into the enemy’s service. They are still in church attendance, still in church attire, still speaking church lingo, but like Ezekiel’s contemporaries there is another service being conducted in secret. It’s a dangerous way to live. Fortunately, these passages from Matthew and Ezekiel assure us that God sees, and God has determined an end to the practices that turn men’s hearts away from exclusive worship. (Those of you who attend Bronx Bethany services will notice there is a literary echo occurring here, as our senior pastor shared several sermons this past summer on this topic.)
Rather than debating where the line of demarcation is, let’s simply acknowledge that there is a line which, once crossed, closes any further opportunity for redemption. Our task as believers is to lovingly urge one another to remain faithful to Christ Jesus and His cause, “faithful” implying that there are no rivals stealing our attention from Him.
During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam commented on the use of the word “overthrow” in God’s call to Jeremiah. Our pastor said, and I paraphrase, “If it’s useful and helpful but takes you away from God’s purpose, then it has to go. We must root out the things that are stopping us from reaching our destiny.” We are to remove the influences in our life that stand in opposition to God’s agenda.
What are some clues that show us whether an influence is in opposition to God’s agenda? Here are a few that we see in the Matthew and Ezekiel passages:
*It is negotiated in secret.
*It causes a turning away from the commandments of God.
*It requires isolation and/or separation from the community of faith.
*It involves betrayal of those closest to us.
*It appears to offer some type of benefit or reward.
God is calling us, individually and collectively, to search our hearts. Let us be sure that our walk with God, publicly and privately, is not compromised. God is calling for pure hearts and lives. Let us be a people who reject duplicity and embrace Christ. May His Name be glorified in us.
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11)
God’s controversy with His people reaches its apex at the place of worship. In a context where God demands obedience, exclusivity, and intimacy, there is sometimes the evidence of disobedience, divided hearts, and distance. As Bronx Bethany earnestly enters into the call to build, we must be careful to submit ourselves to the Lord and no other. From God’s perspective, the inclusion and placation of His rivals is an act that ultimately shuts the door to redemption. We see this in the life of Judas Iscariot, whose last-minute pitch for redemption was rejected. He left this world with no money, no Jesus, and no hope.
Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)
We also see this on a larger scale in the book of Ezekiel, where God shows the prophet how the priests, though in His house, have distanced themselves from His love. Their worship is divided between God and idols. Ultimately, God sent harsh judgement to the men and women who compromised their relationship with Him.
He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here.” So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure of creeping thing and beast – detestable images – and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. Seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel (with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them) were standing in front of them, each with a censer in his hand, and fragrant vapors from a cloud of incense were swirling upward. He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’”
Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house. I noticed women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these!” He said to me, “Do you see, son of man? Is it a trivial thing that the house of Judah commits these abominations they are practicing here? For they have filled the land with violence and provoked me to anger still further. Look, they are putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will act with fury! My eye will not pity them nor will I spare them. When they have shouted in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub where it had rested to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing kit at his side. The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.” While I listened, he said to the others, “Go through the city after him and strike people down; do not let your eye pity nor spare anyone! Old men, young men, young women, little children, and women – wipe them out! But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary!” So they began with the elders who were at the front of the temple. (Ezekiel 8:9-12, 8:14-15, 8:17-18, and 9:3-6)
By stepping into our enacted parable of Jeremiah 1, we have stepped into a new level of worship and service. We have shifted from preparation to prophetic action. The spiritual stakes are higher. The evil one, who does not want redemption to come to the young people of the Bronx, will offer us the option of compromise. Our task is to resist and refuse the offer.
As we learned five years ago in our study of Revelation, the enemy will respond to our resistance and refusal with overt threats. Particular to Revelation 13 is the threat aimed at us from other people of God, those we love who have compromised and therefore have crossed into the enemy’s service. They are still in church attendance, still in church attire, still speaking church lingo, but like Ezekiel’s contemporaries there is another service being conducted in secret. It’s a dangerous way to live. Fortunately, these passages from Matthew and Ezekiel assure us that God sees, and God has determined an end to the practices that turn men’s hearts away from exclusive worship. (Those of you who attend Bronx Bethany services will notice there is a literary echo occurring here, as our senior pastor shared several sermons this past summer on this topic.)
Rather than debating where the line of demarcation is, let’s simply acknowledge that there is a line which, once crossed, closes any further opportunity for redemption. Our task as believers is to lovingly urge one another to remain faithful to Christ Jesus and His cause, “faithful” implying that there are no rivals stealing our attention from Him.
During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam commented on the use of the word “overthrow” in God’s call to Jeremiah. Our pastor said, and I paraphrase, “If it’s useful and helpful but takes you away from God’s purpose, then it has to go. We must root out the things that are stopping us from reaching our destiny.” We are to remove the influences in our life that stand in opposition to God’s agenda.
What are some clues that show us whether an influence is in opposition to God’s agenda? Here are a few that we see in the Matthew and Ezekiel passages:
*It is negotiated in secret.
*It causes a turning away from the commandments of God.
*It requires isolation and/or separation from the community of faith.
*It involves betrayal of those closest to us.
*It appears to offer some type of benefit or reward.
God is calling us, individually and collectively, to search our hearts. Let us be sure that our walk with God, publicly and privately, is not compromised. God is calling for pure hearts and lives. Let us be a people who reject duplicity and embrace Christ. May His Name be glorified in us.
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
You Can't Fire Me. Ever.
In a recent sermon, our pastor mentioned that someone contacted our denomination’s headquarters and made critical remarks concerning what and how he preached. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of such. And sadly, it probably won’t be the last. Not sad for our pastor, but sad for the person who thinks their criticism will have an effect on the “what and how” of preaching. It's sad because the person obviously does not understand the concept of prophetic mode.
Jeremiah chapter 20 is perhaps the ultimate chapter concerning prophetic mode and the obligation of a prophet to his Lord. In chapter 20 we see Jeremiah speaking in the prophetic mode: His words were not his own, but were the words of the LORD. His prophecy earned him a beating and a day in the stocks. We see Jeremiah shifting from powerful prophetic utterances to moments of stark fatigue and despair. And in the middle of that chapter, we see the heart of the prophet:
Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more.” But then his message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it. (Jeremiah 20:9)
And, because God’s agenda cannot be suffocated, His word must pour from the soul of the prophet into the atmosphere. God’s word is not stopped by threats, nor beatings, nor caustic letters to denominational headquarters. It appears that the only way to silence a prophet is to kill him.
But guess what? The killing thing won’t work either. God has built into the prophet a life that effects prophetic action post-death! We see it in Scripture:
But the Lord said to Cain, “What have you done? The voice of your brother Abel’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. (Genesis 4:10-11)
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me – not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.” Samuel said, “Why are you asking me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy? The Lord will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines! Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also hand the army of Israel over to the Philistines!” (First Samuel 28:15, 16, and 19)
One day some men were burying a man when they spotted a raiding party. So they threw the dead man into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man came to life and stood on his feet. (Second Kings 13:21)
Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. (Matthew 17:1-3)
As Saul was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! But stand up and enter the city and you will be told what you must do.” Now the men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, because they heard the voice but saw no one. (Acts 9:3-7)
So, this is it. We as a prophetic community are obligated to obey our Lord. We are speaking and acting according to His command. And our enacted parable, that we have begun with our physical plant, will indeed continue to unfold long after we have died.
Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted. (Jeremiah 1:10)
At last, the flywheel has caught.
Jeremiah chapter 20 is perhaps the ultimate chapter concerning prophetic mode and the obligation of a prophet to his Lord. In chapter 20 we see Jeremiah speaking in the prophetic mode: His words were not his own, but were the words of the LORD. His prophecy earned him a beating and a day in the stocks. We see Jeremiah shifting from powerful prophetic utterances to moments of stark fatigue and despair. And in the middle of that chapter, we see the heart of the prophet:
Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more.” But then his message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it. (Jeremiah 20:9)
And, because God’s agenda cannot be suffocated, His word must pour from the soul of the prophet into the atmosphere. God’s word is not stopped by threats, nor beatings, nor caustic letters to denominational headquarters. It appears that the only way to silence a prophet is to kill him.
But guess what? The killing thing won’t work either. God has built into the prophet a life that effects prophetic action post-death! We see it in Scripture:
But the Lord said to Cain, “What have you done? The voice of your brother Abel’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. (Genesis 4:10-11)
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me – not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.” Samuel said, “Why are you asking me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy? The Lord will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines! Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also hand the army of Israel over to the Philistines!” (First Samuel 28:15, 16, and 19)
One day some men were burying a man when they spotted a raiding party. So they threw the dead man into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man came to life and stood on his feet. (Second Kings 13:21)
Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. (Matthew 17:1-3)
As Saul was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! But stand up and enter the city and you will be told what you must do.” Now the men who were traveling with him stood there speechless, because they heard the voice but saw no one. (Acts 9:3-7)
So, this is it. We as a prophetic community are obligated to obey our Lord. We are speaking and acting according to His command. And our enacted parable, that we have begun with our physical plant, will indeed continue to unfold long after we have died.
Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted. (Jeremiah 1:10)
At last, the flywheel has caught.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
What Does It Mean To Be Prophetic?
During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam shared with us (and I paraphrase here) “If we see what God sees, then we will do what God wants done. God can count on His people to act according to what He says.”
Of course, the implication is that if you see what God sees but do not act according to what He says, then you are not one of His people. Rather, you are a servant of the evil one. There is no middle ground.
Our pastor compressed the concept of seeing as God sees into three sub-points. For those of us who are people of God, we share God’s perspective of reality. This perspective:
Sees beyond;
Sees before; and
Sees behind.
Seeing beyond. This is best explained using farming as an allegory. A farmer knows that the corn seeds he plants and cultivates will eventually become full-grown, each ear of corn capable of producing thousands more. There is an exponential consequence of seed-planting. In like manner, God shows us that “small” indiscretions, lies, and compromises are starter seeds which will one day produce a harvest of deception, destruction, and death. Conversely, a man who figuratively sows seeds of goodness will produce a future harvest of righteousness and truth. What a man falsely thinks is an issue affecting “only him” will eventually touch the lives of many more persons. Our God speaks to us from the beyond, revealing to us the end result of our current actions and urging us to obey Him.
Seeing before. There is no accuracy of analysis if we merely assess life based on what we know in immediacy. As we read in Jeremiah 1:5, God knew us before He formed us. Life’s circumstances have a before segment which is known to God. If we seek after Him, He will show us what went on beforehand, and how it has influenced the now. When we have this information, we can pray and act from a position of wisdom.
Seeing behind. Our God is an accurate God who can show us specific histories and origins of powers, principalities, and systems. When we know the origins, we can pray from a position of strength. Particularly in the process of deliverance ministry, the naming of powers serves to expose them and enhance our prayers. We have the power to speak the history, name the origins, and “connect the dots” between what was and what is. We have this power because God has shown us what is behind the scenes.
Why does God show us these things? Because He has invited us to participate in His salvation plan. The call to Jeremiah is the call to Bronx Bethany. Seeing life from God’s perspective will give us the great strength needed to root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build, and plant. This is our privilege and our responsibility.
Let’s declare it: God can count on me to act according to what He says.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Specter Of Pathetic Community.
The whole earth had a common language and a common vocabulary. When the people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. Then they said to one another, "Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly." (They had brick instead of stone and tar instead of mortar.) Then they said, "Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth."
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building. And the Lord said, "If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. Come, let’s go down and confuse their language so they won’t be able to understand each other." So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why its name was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth. (Genesis 11:1-9)
This is a special week for me. In my married life, I celebrate my husband's birthday. In my church life, we began our "enacted parable" of Jeremiah 1 (at the groundbreaking ceremony for Bronx Bethany's community center). And it is the advent of Yom Kippur, a good time to reflect on God's provision of a holy Substitute to cover His people's sins. We all have the privilege of experiencing prophetic community in dyads, groups, and nations. And while this past Sunday's sermon focused on insights into the self-understanding of a prophetic community, I believe today is a good day to consider the antithesis to prophetic community. It is found in Babel.
There were words voiced in the plain of Shinar, and there was successful work being performed, but it was neither God's voice nor God's work. The settlers of Shinar created a community, by their word, "so that we may make a name for ourselves." God was never invited to the planning table. So God, uninvited God, forgotten God, called a staff meeting with His Triune Self: "Let's go down and confuse their language." He came to the plain of Shinar, confused their self-made community, and scattered them. God reached into their success and turned it into pitiful failure.
Yes. The LORD is just when He judges. He sees when we build structures that are not founded in Him. And that is why our pastors and leaders were very careful to saturate the groundbreaking ceremony with the word of God. His word was spoken out loud, printed on paper, prayed from our hearts, and it will be laid in the foundation of the building. We were (and are) a self-understanding community, consciously gathered around God's word, to glorify His name.
The devil, who is always quick to counterfeit, will no doubt do his best to "scatter" us in an attempt to hinder progress. He will magnify strongholds and engage principalities and powers. He will seek to discourage the faithful and promote the wicked. He will accost the unaware, turning their God-given strengths into arrows of evil. The devil is a master at causing people to first be blinded to danger, then second to be tricked, tempted, or trapped into perpetuating his evil schemes.
But God is good. He gave us assignments before He gave us birth days. He spoke to Bronx Bethany through Jeremiah 1. And physical and spiritual Israel will meet at Yom Kippur, contemplating our passion, our place, and our purpose. We have heard the call of God, and we anticipate the enemy's opposition. So we fast and pray.
Jesus, on this Day of Atonement, we recognize You. Your Presence presides over this ritual of the scattered diaspora coming back to Your temple for forgiveness and blessing.
Our bodies are Your temple. So we come to you as a community of faith. "Though we are many, we are one body in Christ." You have brought us together! So we relinquish our agenda and embrace Yours.
We do as You have decreed in Jeremiah 1: we uproot, tear down, destroy, and completely overthrow every thing, person, and system that stands in opposition to our complete obedience to You.
Our deep passion is for You.
Our desired place is with You.
Our destined purpose is in You.
We reject the self-sufficiency of Shinar, and we give ourselves to You. Jesus, use us to build Your kingdom. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building. And the Lord said, "If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. Come, let’s go down and confuse their language so they won’t be able to understand each other." So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why its name was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth. (Genesis 11:1-9)
This is a special week for me. In my married life, I celebrate my husband's birthday. In my church life, we began our "enacted parable" of Jeremiah 1 (at the groundbreaking ceremony for Bronx Bethany's community center). And it is the advent of Yom Kippur, a good time to reflect on God's provision of a holy Substitute to cover His people's sins. We all have the privilege of experiencing prophetic community in dyads, groups, and nations. And while this past Sunday's sermon focused on insights into the self-understanding of a prophetic community, I believe today is a good day to consider the antithesis to prophetic community. It is found in Babel.
There were words voiced in the plain of Shinar, and there was successful work being performed, but it was neither God's voice nor God's work. The settlers of Shinar created a community, by their word, "so that we may make a name for ourselves." God was never invited to the planning table. So God, uninvited God, forgotten God, called a staff meeting with His Triune Self: "Let's go down and confuse their language." He came to the plain of Shinar, confused their self-made community, and scattered them. God reached into their success and turned it into pitiful failure.
Yes. The LORD is just when He judges. He sees when we build structures that are not founded in Him. And that is why our pastors and leaders were very careful to saturate the groundbreaking ceremony with the word of God. His word was spoken out loud, printed on paper, prayed from our hearts, and it will be laid in the foundation of the building. We were (and are) a self-understanding community, consciously gathered around God's word, to glorify His name.
The devil, who is always quick to counterfeit, will no doubt do his best to "scatter" us in an attempt to hinder progress. He will magnify strongholds and engage principalities and powers. He will seek to discourage the faithful and promote the wicked. He will accost the unaware, turning their God-given strengths into arrows of evil. The devil is a master at causing people to first be blinded to danger, then second to be tricked, tempted, or trapped into perpetuating his evil schemes.
But God is good. He gave us assignments before He gave us birth days. He spoke to Bronx Bethany through Jeremiah 1. And physical and spiritual Israel will meet at Yom Kippur, contemplating our passion, our place, and our purpose. We have heard the call of God, and we anticipate the enemy's opposition. So we fast and pray.
Jesus, on this Day of Atonement, we recognize You. Your Presence presides over this ritual of the scattered diaspora coming back to Your temple for forgiveness and blessing.
Our bodies are Your temple. So we come to you as a community of faith. "Though we are many, we are one body in Christ." You have brought us together! So we relinquish our agenda and embrace Yours.
We do as You have decreed in Jeremiah 1: we uproot, tear down, destroy, and completely overthrow every thing, person, and system that stands in opposition to our complete obedience to You.
Our deep passion is for You.
Our desired place is with You.
Our destined purpose is in You.
We reject the self-sufficiency of Shinar, and we give ourselves to You. Jesus, use us to build Your kingdom. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
Monday, September 24, 2012
I Know Who I Am.
In yesterday's sermon, we were reminded of our position as a prophetic community. As prophetic people, we step into line with God's assessment of who we are and what we must do. Pastor Sam referenced Jeremiah chapter 1, which details the process and content of Jeremiah's call to prophetic ministry.
Let's begin our week's reflections with a discussion of the following question in light of Jeremiah 1:5.
Who are we?
- We are persons formed by God.
- We are persons known by God.
- We are persons sanctified by God.
- We are persons appointed by God.
This process occurs prior to our conception! God said to Jeremiah and says to us, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” It is an awesome thing to know that God has given each of His people a particular task to perform, and a particular destiny to fulfill.
This word to Jeremiah relates to another Scripture, found in Isaiah 45:9:
“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—
An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?”
For anyone who has not taken a pottery class, the potter analogy may be a challenge to fully understand. But we all understand that clay does not talk, and therefore clay on a potter's wheel does not argue to the potter about the rationale behind his formation process.
God is creative, God is intentional, God is a planner. God has us living for a specific purpose. He had that purpose in mind before He formed us in our mothers' wombs. There is no such thing as a life without purpose. God, as Potter, designed our purpose even before He designed us.
Some people learn at a very early age that they were made for a particular task. That was the experience of Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 1:7) Other people, like Moses, do not come to that realization until they are well into adulthood (see Exodus 3:10-12). And sadly, there are some people who never realize their destiny and purpose.
To Jeremiah's and Moses's credit, they do not fall into the error of saying to the Potter, “What are You doing?” But though they did not quarrel, they did offer a few lame excuses to God. I am familiar with some of those excuses, because I've said them myself. Maybe you have said them too. Lord, it's too late for me. Lord, I have nothing to offer. Lord, I'm too young. I'm sure God has heard many excuses.
Fortunately, Pastor Sam brought out an amazing point concerning Jeremiah's reluctance to serve. God never addressed Jeremiah's personal sense of inadequacy. God confirmed the call, stated the assignment, touched Jeremiah's mouth, and immediately moved Jeremiah into the prophetic role. What an encouragement! Our God who calls us is also God who equips and empowers us to be prophetic voices in our community and our world.
So, who are you?
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Flood Insurance...
Pastor Sam shared the sermon "Freedom from Fear" just a few days before Reverend Gabbidon shared the final session of the School of Prayer class. During the prayer class, we spent time in discussion concerning reasons why people experience hindrances to holiness living. The hindrances-- anger, peer pressure, compromise, immaturity, busyness, and several others mentioned-- are means by which the enemy of our souls seeks to block us from reaching our full potential in Christ. (One example given during class was that of a person who had been a Christian for thirty years but never grew into maturity, so the person's behavior taught new Christians that spiritual immaturity was acceptable.) For those of us who were able to attend both Sunday and Wednesday, we experienced a wonderful juxtaposition of insights. In one hand we held Psalm 27, and in the other James 4.
Our constitution. From Psalm 27 we learned that, because the LORD is the strength of our life, we have no need to fear. Therefore, our prayers must be prayed from a position of strength. Further, prayer is not a chore-- it is a joy! Our desire is to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in His temple, for in the day of trouble He will hide us (Psalm 27:4). As Pastor Sam shared, "principalities don't have to rule us; no darkness is too dark- we can sing in the dark because Jesus is with us." Fearful prayers are ineffective prayers. Fearless prayers are not swayed by external circumstances.
Our character. James 4 underlined the characteristics of those Christians who are capable of praying from a position of strength and singing praises in the dark. James says, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3) He then follows with a list of the characteristics that will identify the believer as an authentic child of God: submitting to God, resisting the devil, washing our hands and purifying our hearts (holiness as a lifestyle), and humbling ourselves before God (James 4:7-10). In other words, the Christian who has not "gone on to maturity" (see Hebrews 5:11-6:6) really doesn't stand a chance.
When we are free from fear, we are free to intercede for others. We are empowered to break down the gates of hell, set people free, and do damage to the kingdom of darkness. And fearlessness is a necessary trait, because there is always backlash when a true Christian steps in and claims territory for the kingdom of God. In Psalm 27, we see that King David endured slander and defamation. In Acts 16, we read of Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into prison. Prayer is warfare, and it is not a joke. Sometimes it costs us everything. But hey, welcome to the war zone. Fearless Christians rejoice not because their life circumstances are comfortable, but because they have an assurance from Christ of His presence and covering. His covering trumps everything else.
At the close of Wednesday's class, Pastor Sam asked us all to pray about our potential to be intercessors. For some of us, that means we will need to deal with the fear issue. For others, it may mean we have to deal with the forgiveness issue. God has an interest in His children being well, whole, and capable of successful engagement in warfare prayer. What grace, that He allows us to participate in this ministry of prayer! Will you join the team?
When darkness seems to veil His face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale, my anchors holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the 'whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand! All other ground is sinking sand. (Edward Mote)
Our constitution. From Psalm 27 we learned that, because the LORD is the strength of our life, we have no need to fear. Therefore, our prayers must be prayed from a position of strength. Further, prayer is not a chore-- it is a joy! Our desire is to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in His temple, for in the day of trouble He will hide us (Psalm 27:4). As Pastor Sam shared, "principalities don't have to rule us; no darkness is too dark- we can sing in the dark because Jesus is with us." Fearful prayers are ineffective prayers. Fearless prayers are not swayed by external circumstances.
Our character. James 4 underlined the characteristics of those Christians who are capable of praying from a position of strength and singing praises in the dark. James says, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:3) He then follows with a list of the characteristics that will identify the believer as an authentic child of God: submitting to God, resisting the devil, washing our hands and purifying our hearts (holiness as a lifestyle), and humbling ourselves before God (James 4:7-10). In other words, the Christian who has not "gone on to maturity" (see Hebrews 5:11-6:6) really doesn't stand a chance.
When we are free from fear, we are free to intercede for others. We are empowered to break down the gates of hell, set people free, and do damage to the kingdom of darkness. And fearlessness is a necessary trait, because there is always backlash when a true Christian steps in and claims territory for the kingdom of God. In Psalm 27, we see that King David endured slander and defamation. In Acts 16, we read of Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into prison. Prayer is warfare, and it is not a joke. Sometimes it costs us everything. But hey, welcome to the war zone. Fearless Christians rejoice not because their life circumstances are comfortable, but because they have an assurance from Christ of His presence and covering. His covering trumps everything else.
At the close of Wednesday's class, Pastor Sam asked us all to pray about our potential to be intercessors. For some of us, that means we will need to deal with the fear issue. For others, it may mean we have to deal with the forgiveness issue. God has an interest in His children being well, whole, and capable of successful engagement in warfare prayer. What grace, that He allows us to participate in this ministry of prayer! Will you join the team?
When darkness seems to veil His face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale, my anchors holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the 'whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand! All other ground is sinking sand. (Edward Mote)
Friday, September 21, 2012
Break Free From Fear.
For those readers who were not part of Sunday's altar call, the pastoral prayer is reprinted below. If God has made you aware that you need deliverance from fear, pray this prayer. Our God is faithful and He will deliver you.
Dear Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to You for refuge. “Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on You.” I come to You for salvation. I am sorry for anything that I have done that has grieved You. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me from every thing that grieves You Lord. I want to be Your child. I want to come under Your control. Save me Lord. Make me a new person. Fill me with Your Spirit. Cause me to be free from fear as I trust in You. In Jesus's name. Amen.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geuel.
Today we'll consider a third aspect of fear that we learned of during Sunday's sermon.
The LORD God is powerful to deliver us from the fear of deficiency.
Sometimes we are bombarded with a sense of our own inadequacy. There is a heightened pressure to do well when one is surrounded by high-performing colleagues and peers. To further complicate the matter, principalities and powers seek to make us downgrade our own skills and abilities. And, if I may add another component, we know ourselves well enough to know our own weaknesses and shortcomings. There are some things we just aren't able to do well.
But our weakness gives God space to be the strength of our life! If our strength is in the LORD, then our deficiency doesn't matter- it is God's adequacy that matters. And if our deficiency is overcome by God's adequacy, then there is no need for us to fear.
This concept is brought to light in the experience of the twelve tribal leaders of ancient Israel. Ten leaders are rarely spoken of: the other two are poster children for fearlessness. Joshua and Caleb had an assurance of God's power, and they were eager to possess the land of Canaan. The other ten responded in fear, focused on their own inadequacy.
The ten leaders engaged in fear-based actions which ultimately resulted in their not being permitted to enter into the promised land:
Their mantra was “We can't”. However, God did not ask them to make an assessment of their own ability; He asked them to explore the land that He was giving to the Israelites (Numbers 13:2).
Their mouths were engaged in slander. After giving Moses a positive account about the produce of the land (Numbers 13:27), the ten leaders then spread a bad report of the land among the Israelites (Numbers 13:32).
Their measurement of self-worth was based on their own assessment instead of God's. Rather than remembering God's great works among them, the ten leaders chose to compare themselves to other people (Numbers 13:33). In comparing their stature to that of the descendants of Anak, the Israelites gave in to the fear of their perceived inadequacy.
Joshua and Caleb, though in the minority, fearlessly testified of God's power. Their testimony is one that we can be encouraged by today.
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Number 14:6-9).
The LORD is with you. His adequacy covers your deficiency. Do not be afraid!
The LORD God is powerful to deliver us from the fear of deficiency.
Sometimes we are bombarded with a sense of our own inadequacy. There is a heightened pressure to do well when one is surrounded by high-performing colleagues and peers. To further complicate the matter, principalities and powers seek to make us downgrade our own skills and abilities. And, if I may add another component, we know ourselves well enough to know our own weaknesses and shortcomings. There are some things we just aren't able to do well.
But our weakness gives God space to be the strength of our life! If our strength is in the LORD, then our deficiency doesn't matter- it is God's adequacy that matters. And if our deficiency is overcome by God's adequacy, then there is no need for us to fear.
This concept is brought to light in the experience of the twelve tribal leaders of ancient Israel. Ten leaders are rarely spoken of: the other two are poster children for fearlessness. Joshua and Caleb had an assurance of God's power, and they were eager to possess the land of Canaan. The other ten responded in fear, focused on their own inadequacy.
The ten leaders engaged in fear-based actions which ultimately resulted in their not being permitted to enter into the promised land:
Their mantra was “We can't”. However, God did not ask them to make an assessment of their own ability; He asked them to explore the land that He was giving to the Israelites (Numbers 13:2).
Their mouths were engaged in slander. After giving Moses a positive account about the produce of the land (Numbers 13:27), the ten leaders then spread a bad report of the land among the Israelites (Numbers 13:32).
Their measurement of self-worth was based on their own assessment instead of God's. Rather than remembering God's great works among them, the ten leaders chose to compare themselves to other people (Numbers 13:33). In comparing their stature to that of the descendants of Anak, the Israelites gave in to the fear of their perceived inadequacy.
Joshua and Caleb, though in the minority, fearlessly testified of God's power. Their testimony is one that we can be encouraged by today.
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Number 14:6-9).
The LORD is with you. His adequacy covers your deficiency. Do not be afraid!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Free Delivery!
As we continue our reflections on this past Sunday's sermon, let's consider another aspect of fear.
Our God is powerful to deliver us from the fear of danger.
Principalities and powers threaten us with the specter of being hurt or being destroyed. These threats can result in a form of fear that keeps the Christian from reaching his or her full potential. The Scripture shows us examples of the types of threats that are made to attempt to keep believers from walking in obedience to God.
The threat of public humiliation. The first century church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was able to stand against the spirit of fear. The threats of the religious leaders, and the beatings and imprisonments those leaders imposed, did not deter the disciples of Jesus from boldly proclaiming the gospel of salvation.
The threat of death. The book of Daniel recounts the experiences of Daniel and his friends. They refused to give in to the fear of death, and instead chose to suffer the consequences of disobeying direct orders from the pagan kings who ruled over Babylon. Neither a den of lions nor a fiery furnace could turn these young men from honoring God with undeterred, undivided worship.
Pastor Sam reminded us of the central verse of Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” The LORD, who is our salvation, is present with us! He empowers us to continue standing for His agenda, even in the face of threats from principalities and powers.
One of the beautiful aspects of God's power is that deliverance from fear can be accomplished even if our external situation does not change. This was the testimony of unnamed Christians commended in the book of Hebrews: “Others were tortured and refused to be released...” (Hebrews 11:35). To paraphrase our pastor, “What can anyone do to you if you're not afraid to die?”
The LORD is my light; darkness cannot move me.
The LORD is my salvation; threats will not stop me.
I'm not afraid anymore!
Our God is powerful to deliver us from the fear of danger.
Principalities and powers threaten us with the specter of being hurt or being destroyed. These threats can result in a form of fear that keeps the Christian from reaching his or her full potential. The Scripture shows us examples of the types of threats that are made to attempt to keep believers from walking in obedience to God.
The threat of public humiliation. The first century church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was able to stand against the spirit of fear. The threats of the religious leaders, and the beatings and imprisonments those leaders imposed, did not deter the disciples of Jesus from boldly proclaiming the gospel of salvation.
The threat of death. The book of Daniel recounts the experiences of Daniel and his friends. They refused to give in to the fear of death, and instead chose to suffer the consequences of disobeying direct orders from the pagan kings who ruled over Babylon. Neither a den of lions nor a fiery furnace could turn these young men from honoring God with undeterred, undivided worship.
Pastor Sam reminded us of the central verse of Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” The LORD, who is our salvation, is present with us! He empowers us to continue standing for His agenda, even in the face of threats from principalities and powers.
One of the beautiful aspects of God's power is that deliverance from fear can be accomplished even if our external situation does not change. This was the testimony of unnamed Christians commended in the book of Hebrews: “Others were tortured and refused to be released...” (Hebrews 11:35). To paraphrase our pastor, “What can anyone do to you if you're not afraid to die?”
The LORD is my light; darkness cannot move me.
The LORD is my salvation; threats will not stop me.
I'm not afraid anymore!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Navigating Sunset.
“Who is holding your hand when the darkness closes in?” -Pastor Sam
In this past Sunday's sermon, our pastor spoke of various ways in which the enemy of our souls seeks to instill fear. Over the next few days we'll consider some of these points.
The LORD overcomes the fear of darkness.
We sometimes go through life not knowing where to go nor what to do. The darkness is a metaphor for the lack of insight or understanding. We experience darkness in a number of ways, but three specific ones were mentioned in the sermon.
Economic darkness. This darkness is experienced in unemployment, underemployment, debt, or financial lack. The devil seeks to move us into a place of hopelessness because we do not know how we will make our living or meet our needs from day to day. Alternately, agents of the devil seek to promote systems in which families are caught in a spiral of compromise for the sake of maintaining income. This compromise manifests itself when people intentionally engage in actions that they know are against the will of God, for the sake of economic relief.
Relational darkness. This darkness has two faces. One side is experienced when agents of the devil threaten us by instilling of the fear of losing loved ones to sickness or death; the other side is experienced when the devil and his agents actively engage in actions designed to destroy marriages through adultery and deception. Relational darkness is a prime target for the enemy, as it undermines God's design for the sanctity of marriage. This fear, if not addressed, leads to a spiral of control and self-preservation that marks the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5).
Educational darkness. We see this in the lack of access to learning opportunities and materials, systems designed to withhold information about educational resources, and even the popular media's lauding of ignorance and apathy as “cool” ways of being. The enemy of our souls seeks to ruin a lifetime by causing young people to succumb to poor educational choices at an early age.
But we can be encouraged. If the LORD is our light, there is no darkness-- light and darkness are alike to Him. His Presence is near to those who call on Him in truth, and He has all power to rescue, save, and deliver His people.
Will we trust the LORD when we can't see? Do we have to see everything? Faith, the evidence of things not seen, is not bound by darkness. Appropriate the faith of God today.
In this past Sunday's sermon, our pastor spoke of various ways in which the enemy of our souls seeks to instill fear. Over the next few days we'll consider some of these points.
The LORD overcomes the fear of darkness.
We sometimes go through life not knowing where to go nor what to do. The darkness is a metaphor for the lack of insight or understanding. We experience darkness in a number of ways, but three specific ones were mentioned in the sermon.
Economic darkness. This darkness is experienced in unemployment, underemployment, debt, or financial lack. The devil seeks to move us into a place of hopelessness because we do not know how we will make our living or meet our needs from day to day. Alternately, agents of the devil seek to promote systems in which families are caught in a spiral of compromise for the sake of maintaining income. This compromise manifests itself when people intentionally engage in actions that they know are against the will of God, for the sake of economic relief.
Relational darkness. This darkness has two faces. One side is experienced when agents of the devil threaten us by instilling of the fear of losing loved ones to sickness or death; the other side is experienced when the devil and his agents actively engage in actions designed to destroy marriages through adultery and deception. Relational darkness is a prime target for the enemy, as it undermines God's design for the sanctity of marriage. This fear, if not addressed, leads to a spiral of control and self-preservation that marks the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5).
Educational darkness. We see this in the lack of access to learning opportunities and materials, systems designed to withhold information about educational resources, and even the popular media's lauding of ignorance and apathy as “cool” ways of being. The enemy of our souls seeks to ruin a lifetime by causing young people to succumb to poor educational choices at an early age.
But we can be encouraged. If the LORD is our light, there is no darkness-- light and darkness are alike to Him. His Presence is near to those who call on Him in truth, and He has all power to rescue, save, and deliver His people.
Will we trust the LORD when we can't see? Do we have to see everything? Faith, the evidence of things not seen, is not bound by darkness. Appropriate the faith of God today.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Where Would I Be If Not For...
During yesterday's sermon Pastor Sam reminded us that, “whether we want to fight or not, we are in a war!”. And the key to winning the war is to recognize that God is on the side of the authentic Christian. Our God fights on behalf of those who rest in Him, feed on His word, and obey His commands.
Over this week we will reflect on various points from the sermon. Today, though, we consider two questions:
1) What Has God said to Bronx Bethany?
Say no to the fear.The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Say yes to the fight.Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
Let us be bold to not merely memorize the word of God, but also to meditate upon it! And, another m-word, let our fears melt in it. Our LORD is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), and His word is a word that purifies us and burns out the dross of our lives. As we submit to His commands, we become purer reflections of His character.
2) What has God said to you?
Over this week we will reflect on various points from the sermon. Today, though, we consider two questions:
1) What Has God said to Bronx Bethany?
Say no to the fear.The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Say yes to the fight.Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)
Let us be bold to not merely memorize the word of God, but also to meditate upon it! And, another m-word, let our fears melt in it. Our LORD is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), and His word is a word that purifies us and burns out the dross of our lives. As we submit to His commands, we become purer reflections of His character.
2) What has God said to you?
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Lord, Hear Our Prayer...
Son of God, eternal Savior, source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate hallows all our human race;
Thou, our Head, who, throned in glory, for Thine own dost ever plead,
Fill us with Thy love and pity, heal our wrongs, and help our need.
As Thou, Lord, hast lived for others, so may we for others live;
Freely have Thy gifts been granted, freely may Thy servants give.
Thine the gold and Thine the silver, Thine the wealth of land and sea,
We but stewards of Thy bounty, held in solemn trust for Thee.
Come, O Christ, and reign among us, King of love, and Prince of peace;
Hush the storm of strife and passion, bid its cruel discords cease.
Ah, the past is dark behind us, strewn with wrecks and stained with blood;
But before us gleams the vision of the coming brotherhood.
See the Christlike host advancing, high and lowly, great and small,
Linked in bonds of common service for the common Lord of all.
Thou who prayedst, Thou who willest that Thy people should be one,
Grant, O grant our hope's fruition: here on earth Thy will be done.
Rev. Somerset Corry Lowry (1855-1932)
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate hallows all our human race;
Thou, our Head, who, throned in glory, for Thine own dost ever plead,
Fill us with Thy love and pity, heal our wrongs, and help our need.
As Thou, Lord, hast lived for others, so may we for others live;
Freely have Thy gifts been granted, freely may Thy servants give.
Thine the gold and Thine the silver, Thine the wealth of land and sea,
We but stewards of Thy bounty, held in solemn trust for Thee.
Come, O Christ, and reign among us, King of love, and Prince of peace;
Hush the storm of strife and passion, bid its cruel discords cease.
Ah, the past is dark behind us, strewn with wrecks and stained with blood;
But before us gleams the vision of the coming brotherhood.
See the Christlike host advancing, high and lowly, great and small,
Linked in bonds of common service for the common Lord of all.
Thou who prayedst, Thou who willest that Thy people should be one,
Grant, O grant our hope's fruition: here on earth Thy will be done.
Rev. Somerset Corry Lowry (1855-1932)
Friday, September 14, 2012
"Scatter" Plot.
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:19-25)
As we close this week’s reflections on Dr. Hawthorne’s quote (“We have the pastor, the fellowship, and God as our Captain”), let’s consider the above passage from the epistle of James. James, in speaking to the Jews who lived among the Gentiles, gave counsel to the fellowship of believers which were scattered throughout the diaspora. For those who would heed James’s counsel, there would result three things: God’s righteousness (1:19-20), their souls’ salvation (1:21), and the Lord’s blessing (1:25).
What was James’s counsel?
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. The community of faith is to be characterized by patience, gentleness, and self-control—that is, the faith community is to reflect the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).
Put away all filth and evil excess. The community of faith is not to condone or harbor actions that run counter to God’s attributes. If we cling to evil, then we are not representatives of our Lord Jesus. Further, our misrepresentation hurts not only ourselves, but also our entire faith community.
Humbly welcome the message implanted within you. Our pastors are tasked by God to speak His agenda. Because we trust our pastors to speak as the oracles of God, we are tasked to receive what they speak. Some messages are encouraging; others are convicting. Either way, our mandate is to humbly welcome the message. God is using our leaders to help us grow up in Him.
Live out the message. Hell will be full of people who have attended churches and heard messages, yet never got around to obeying God’s word. We are to be hearers and doers (see James 1:22).
Peer into the law of the Lord. Gaze intensely! Faithful meditation on the word of God helps us to remain aware of what God has said. As we daily keep our attention on His word, we are reinforcing the messages we have heard from our pastors. This reinforcement empowers us to live in obedience to God.
A three-stranded cord is not quickly broken (see Ecclesiastes 4:12). As was shared by Reverend Gabbidon during our Wednesday night class, Christians were never meant to “go it alone.” We have a three-stranded cord: our pastors, our fellow believers, and Elohim, the triune God.
Let us humbly, and joyfully, embrace this God-given support system.
As we close this week’s reflections on Dr. Hawthorne’s quote (“We have the pastor, the fellowship, and God as our Captain”), let’s consider the above passage from the epistle of James. James, in speaking to the Jews who lived among the Gentiles, gave counsel to the fellowship of believers which were scattered throughout the diaspora. For those who would heed James’s counsel, there would result three things: God’s righteousness (1:19-20), their souls’ salvation (1:21), and the Lord’s blessing (1:25).
What was James’s counsel?
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. The community of faith is to be characterized by patience, gentleness, and self-control—that is, the faith community is to reflect the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23).
Put away all filth and evil excess. The community of faith is not to condone or harbor actions that run counter to God’s attributes. If we cling to evil, then we are not representatives of our Lord Jesus. Further, our misrepresentation hurts not only ourselves, but also our entire faith community.
Humbly welcome the message implanted within you. Our pastors are tasked by God to speak His agenda. Because we trust our pastors to speak as the oracles of God, we are tasked to receive what they speak. Some messages are encouraging; others are convicting. Either way, our mandate is to humbly welcome the message. God is using our leaders to help us grow up in Him.
Live out the message. Hell will be full of people who have attended churches and heard messages, yet never got around to obeying God’s word. We are to be hearers and doers (see James 1:22).
Peer into the law of the Lord. Gaze intensely! Faithful meditation on the word of God helps us to remain aware of what God has said. As we daily keep our attention on His word, we are reinforcing the messages we have heard from our pastors. This reinforcement empowers us to live in obedience to God.
A three-stranded cord is not quickly broken (see Ecclesiastes 4:12). As was shared by Reverend Gabbidon during our Wednesday night class, Christians were never meant to “go it alone.” We have a three-stranded cord: our pastors, our fellow believers, and Elohim, the triune God.
Let us humbly, and joyfully, embrace this God-given support system.