From all Unrighteousness

Dec 18, 2022

Speaking with a friend the other day, he brought up how thankful he was that God would forgive all the bad ‘stuff’ he’d done in his life. Like many of us though, he reminds himself of that from time to time. Of course, there’s a spiritual dynamic at play here in that on the one hand, remembering those former stains on his soul keeps him humble but on the other hand, it can also keep him in a sort of bondage of uncertainty. Possibly because he’s not grasping the big picture so to speak.

Now, honest comprehension of the wickedness of our sin is fundamental to the honest reception of God’s gracious forgiveness and the honest appreciation of what Jesus did for us on the cross and His following resurrection. However, knowing this, the enemy of our souls tries to ‘short-circuit’ this process in at least a couple of ways.

In speaking to our heart, he tries to transform that honest comprehension into deceptive condemnation. Thus, we can shy away from embracing God’s forgiveness even though we may give lip-service to it. There are many, many who are sitting in pews who are in this position.

In addition, he tries to convince us that, just as we cannot truly forget our misdeeds, neither does God. Because of this, many, many sincere Christians are expecting to get the ‘wood-shed’ talk from Him in heaven and thus are apprehensive as opposed to appreciative and adoring.

You see, it all comes down to faith. Can you truly believe that Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection demonstrated the depth of God’s love for you? And can you believe that contrary to the lies of Satan, God’s nature and intent is completely forgiving, welcoming toward you in spite of knowing all about you.   

Now many, many preachers like to talk about the beautiful process of sanctification, but they frequently confuse it with a self-imposed morality somehow tied to ‘Biblical law’. That’s too bad, because the purpose of real sanctification is to grow us up so to speak into the ‘full stature of godly men and women’. It is totally a work of the Holy Spirit in us growing our faith in the faithfulness of our Lord. The ‘do’s and don’ts’ don’t sanctify us, the faith that draws us closer to Him does. The ‘natural’ obedience to His will is the fruit or the consequence of that sanctification process.

So where does this kind of faith come from? I’ll answer that in a moment.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn 1:9

There’s a type of spiritual legal proceeding pictured here in this verse that takes place concerning each of us. With Father God presiding, Jesus is our defensive attorney, and the devil is a sort of prosecutor. Now don’t take this too literally, but understand something very important to your spiritual well being -

Fundamental to the operation of the entire cosmos, seen and unseen, is that God is just. You see, He could not tell us that sin will kill us and then simply say later that He changed His mind (Mal 3:6,7). That would be unjust. Neither can He say that He lied about sin because He cannot lie (Num 23:19). So then, our continual rebellion against His ways – we lie, we cheat, we kill, we steal, we’re selfish, we deceive… - establishes an enormous debt that must be paid if we are to be free. We don’t get to just walk away from it and we ourselves don’t have the resources to pay for it apart from our own lives.

In full view of all creation, God must show Himself to be just but at the same time He must remain true to His character of mercy, kindness and love. Enter Jesus Christ, the perfect man who never sinned, resisted the devil’s temptations and lived a life of selfless good. He offered Himself up as the payment before God and before the cosmos. His life sacrificed for us cancelled all debt of sin beginning with Adam and extending to all his descendants – everyone, every sin, for all time – past, present, future.

But God won’t force anyone to accept this amazing provision. Sure, it’s a glorious manifestation of the greatest gift of love ever. Sure, any sane person would gladly receive it. Sure, life beats death all day every day.

But God knows that if it is forced on us, then our gratitude is also forced and not real. Therefore, we all have a choice – to believe and receive this gift of complete forgiveness and life eternal or to doubt and die. So, to believe and receive, all we need to do is demonstrate that we know we are ‘on trial’ so to speak justly – we deserve it, we’ve sinned and there’s no escaping that fact. That is, we need to confess our failures to God.

So that takes us back to 1 John 1:9. There are at least three more main points to consider and appreciate in this beautiful truth.

                First, the word “forgive” means to “send away”. Satan wants to use our sins as a club to continually beat us with and keep us under his thumb. But God sends them away. Where? As far from us as “east is from west” (Psa 103:12). That is infinitely far away, never to return.

               Second, “cleanse” means to clean the slate. There is no residue, no leftovers, nada. So, there is nothing for Him to remember – like they, your sins, never happened. No, they’re not on a shelf somewhere that He’s going to pull out later. This word “cleanse” means they simply don’t exist anymore; not in His mind or with time, in yours.

               Third, “unrighteousness” means “unlawful acts”. You see, His promise is to clean the slate from “all unlawful acts”. These are the consequences of living sinfully. You see, your sin invariably has ugly impacts upon yourself and others. Sometimes you don’t even know about it or see it, but God sees it all and He has committed to make it all right.

Now, faith to believe all this is simply a gift from God. So, ask him for it if you’re coming up short. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Eph 2:8)

So, God’s promise is to utterly forgive and to fix or make right everything you’ve messed up when you confess your need and failures, and with His generous gift of faith, to believe. What an outrageously good God!!

Ambassadors

Dec 8, 2022

And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. (Gen 13:10) Abram gave Lot a choice and he chose the lush valley of the plain, so Abram took the mountains. For Lot, it was a huge mistake that destroyed his family.

Alas, sinful nation,
A people laden with iniquity,
A brood of evildoers,
Children who are corrupters!
They have forsaken the LORD,
They have provoked to anger
The Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away backward. (Isa 1)

Sodom really had it coming. Since the flood, no place had devolved into such evil as to warrant utter destruction from heaven. But Lot, Abram’s nephew had gotten used to it, accepted it and had even become somewhat of a honcho in it.

When God’s angels came to see just how bad it was, Lot was sitting in the gate of the city which typically indicated a person with authority. Then in his conversation with them, he clearly seems to be preventing them from seeing the debauched condition of the society. Then, he doesn’t want to leave even when he knows destruction is coming. All this and more pointed to a man who was compromised even though his “righteous soul” was tormented.

Peter, speaking of God’s judgement and mercy noted that,

“…turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)”

This is what happens when you choose riches and comfort over love of God, and this is what has happened to much of our society. You see, we too are living in a growing culture of Sodom, and few are making any stand, especially among our leaders. That’s because they (and we) are taking on a ‘Lot mentality’.

“Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” (Eze 16:49)

“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:6, 7)

So much violence of thought, imagination and action. Pride and self-absorption dominate our characters because that’s the ‘air’ of Sodom and as we are forced to breathe it in, it transforms even those who know better than to compromise. So like Lot, we sit in the gate with tormented souls.

The society around us is dead or near death and there is no healing it by any human means.

And so, we must remember that we who believe in Christ are not at home here, we are ambassadors of heaven, soon to be recalled to our real home. So where is the hope?

It’s in the changing of a single individual by way of salvation.

It is in the promise of Christ’s return.

It is in the eyes of someone you have encouraged or helped.

It is in honest worship and prayer.

Ambassadors, this is your role, your calling, your purpose, so press on and trust in your Savior.

Is It Time?

Dec 2, 2022

When my kids were young, we sometimes would drive in the car to a park and the three older ones would ‘nudge’ our youngest boy into the back where he would bounce around and play driving us all nuts until all the older ones would finally say, “Dad, please do something. Gabe is going crazy!”

So, I’d say, “Gabe! Settle down.” And he would for about 10 seconds, but then he’d start with the “Are we there yet?” Many of you have experienced the same kind of thing, right?

And many of us would ask the Lord, “Is it time yet?”

• Deception is so a fundamental part of our societies, we can’t be sure what to believe and we pray, “Lord, is it time yet?”
• Sexual and gender perversion is touted everywhere as normal and promoted by even children’s theme parks and we pray, “Lord, is it time yet?”
• Our political leaders compromise all their values and use their time in office to garner riches and foundations while they lie to and manipulate the rest of us. And we pray, “Lord, is it time yet?!”
• Our churches are transforming simply into religious clubs, and we pray, “Lord, is it time yet?”
• Amoral thugs grab control of all aspects of our lives to drive us toward serving their interests while the complicit media protects them and we pray, “Lord, isn’t it time yet?”
• As we look around, we consider the world. “And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird and a prison of every unclean and hateful beast.” Rev 18:2 And we pray, “Lord, is it time yet?”

But the time is coming. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'” Mat 25:6 Dear friends, don’t give in and become part of the problem. Don’t lose hope; keep your eyes on the promise. Our Lord told us these things would happen. He is coming and will set all things straight.

Fear-free

Nov 26, 2022

It is painfully easy to manipulate people with fear. Fear of death, fear of sickness, fear of great loss, fear of certain people, fear of being an outsider, and so forth; the list is long indeed. Satan is very experienced in using this weapon, but his aim is to get us to fear any or all of these things rather than, or more than, we fear God.

And, as you would expect, this is entirely contrary to what Jesus told us in Mat 10:28 – 31:

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; (Psa 11:10)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, (Pro 1:7)

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; (Pro 8:13)

The fear of the LORD prolongs days, (Pro 10:27)

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, (Pro 14:27)

The fear of the LORD leads to life, (Pro 19:23)

Fear - it was the first emotion of Adam and Eve after sinning.

It is the ‘natural’ reaction of sinful mankind to a holy God. Consider:

                The Hebrews before mount Sinai

                Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration

                But not so with Abraham and the three angels after God told him, “Fear not, Abram.” (Gen 15:1)

Special note: It is at the top of the list characterizing those who will go into the lake of fire (Rev 21:8)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1John 4:18)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7)

All that is to preface this – there are three mains points to understand about fear:

1. If you are saved, you need not fear anyone or anything but God.

2. Regarding the fear of God – there’s a holy fear and an unholy fear; the difference being that when you are living in a sinful state, i.e. rebellious against God, your fear of Him when you face Him will be a torment, a terror. When you are living in the grace of God, covered by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, your fear will be a holy reverence fueled by love and adoration.

3. Whenever you see people being manipulated, terrorized, imprisoned with/by fear, the devil is behind it. That’s because he demands it himself and pollutes peoples’ minds with it so they will run from or abhor God. It’s the unholy fear that is fueled by sin. When you find people who truly reverence God in love, living in awe of Him, that’s the holy fear fueled by godly love.

Understanding the nature of fear, both kinds, is very important. Fear is mentioned in the Bible more than any other emotion, even love. In Eden, deception from Satan led to sin and then sin produced unholy fear which has imprisoned mankind ever since until Christ’s life provided the truth about God and set us free.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself (Christ) likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Heb 2:14,15)

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth (about God), and the truth shall make you free (from sin and unholy fear and death).” (John 8:31,32)

Fortunes

Nov 21, 2022

And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat 5:2-12)

You know that word, “Blessed” that Jesus used in this passage means “fortunate” or “prosperous”. Note also that the state of the “Blessed” is in the present BUT all the blessings point forward to an eternal future state as well. That is, they are guaranteed and perpetual. So let’s consider those who are so blessed.

First, what does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? This is not material poverty. To be poor is spirit is to see yourself in the most honest humble terms.

1. Gideon excellent example. So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Jud 6:15)

2. Moses. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Ex 3:11)

3. David. Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?   (2 Sam 7:18)

4. Paul. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, (2 Cor 3:5)

 5. Peter. But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:5-8)

6. Job. Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.”

"I have heard of thee, but now I have seen thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1,2,5,6)

You see, this blessed state comes from the realization that the Lord Himself is our standard. In His presence, we discover our own poverty in spirit.

Next, the tragedy of death comes to everyone, but the tragedy of grief comes to so many more because for nearly all who die, there are more people who care and mourn, many very deeply.

God first mourned when Adam and Eve died. For us, grief is a train wreck, a truly gut-wrenching emotion that triggers loud cries of anguish. And the pain doesn’t pass but tortures the mind and heart of those closest to the deceased.

Now, the bible tells us that Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” and that word poorly translated as acquainted is ‘knows from experience’. But as we look with hope to the future, He promises,

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow (grief, mourning),  nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Rev 21:4)

Next, His promise to the “lowly” – that is the meek and humble.   Their future is to inherit the whole earth. Oh,not likely the present messed up planet but the new earth that God promises to make - For behold, I am creating a new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come upon the heart. (Isa 65:17)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Rev 21:1)

Next, His promise to those who strongly desire for all things to be made right –

The Psalmist, speaking of what the Father has done for His Son - You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, (Psa 8:6)

Peter, speaking to the crowd after Christ ascended to heaven, said - Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)

Yes, the time will come when all things will be made new and right, all things, ALL things, ALL THINGS.

Next, His promise to the merciful. Of course, mercy is closely related to being forgiving. And as you all know, this is not a natural human response. Almost universally, our first reaction to an injury or injustice is getting mad, getting back, getting even. But this is not God’s way. Mercy, simply defined, is not getting what you deserve.

King David understood that he deserved a lot of this ‘evening of accounts’ both from God and from other people so he truly praised God when he rejoiced that,

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psa 23:6)

When God passed before Moses on Mt Sinai and proclaimed His character, this attribute was first on the list. … the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,” (Ex 34:6)

And Jesus portrayed this for us, when upon being brutally beaten and then nailed to a cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

The promise is that the merciful will be shown mercy not just once but forever for as Psalms 136 says twenty-six times, For His mercy endures forever. So, wonderfully, this is an everlasting promise.

Next, the pure in heart. In both Old and New Testaments, this purity means clean and in both Testaments there was/is one and only one way to be clean – blood. In the OT, it was the blood of the lamb or goat of sacrifice. Ever since the cross of Calvary, it is the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

So why blood? In the OT, it was considered a covering over of sin, an atonement. In the beginning, mankind’s sin brought with it death into this world so the spilling of blood (which is the life of the body) was a reminder of the consequence of sin. To individually recognize and appreciate that in the OT was prerequisite for God’s forgiveness, His cleaning of your slate so to speak.

Since Calvary, God requires us to place our faith in the sin-covering power of Christ’s shed blood but instead of an animal’s blood which was only symbolic, we believe in the universal debt cancelling power of the life of the unique perfect man, Jesus – the permanent, perfect satisfaction in God’s view.

So to be pure in heart, to be truly clean, the only way, is to be saved, to sincerely believe in the Son of God’s death and resurrection which He did for you.

When you have that purity of heart, His promise is that you will see God. You will see God in those who, like you, have placed their trust in Jesus. You will see God in all His marvelous handiwork. You will see God in His Word and of course, you will see God one day face to face and rejoice forever.

Next, it’s the peacemakers. This was a real shocker for the Jews. They were expecting their Messiah to make war on all their enemies. But real peace can never be found in a compromise with evil. You can never have peaceful co-existence with sin. Jesus was at war, not with the Romans but with Satan and sin.

And the peace Christ brings is simply peace with God. He told His disciples,  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

So as we have received, thus we give - “When I am doing the work of God by reconciling men to God and showing them the way to inward peace, and seeking to guide them in the path of the Spirit, I am called a child of God, for I have become like my Father.” – Chuck Smith

Finally, it’s the persecuted. Notice that this is specifically the trouble that comes from living for Christ, for speaking of Him and actively serving Him. It is not from your own selfishness or unrighteous anger or other generally sinful behavior. The prophets were persecuted in their days, Christ was supremely persecuted, the Apostles and early church were persecuted also, many to the death. Sincere and active believers have always been persecuted in all sorts of ways. In the days ahead, believers will be beheaded for the faith in Christ.

And His promise is that, when such is the case, your reward in heaven is great. And since it is in heaven, it will also be forever.

Thus it is with all the Blessings or ‘fortunes’ of the sincere believers – they are both present and perpetual, now and forever, here and most importantly in heaven.

The Path

Nov 15, 2022

You know, when I first came to the Lord, He led me in pretty miraculous ways – I guess it was because I was young and, well, stupid. But as I grew older, those miraculous signs got fewer and wondered if I had ‘lost’ my connection with Him or grown hard-hearted.

Then it occurred to me that He was still speaking to me all the time – through His Word and His still small voice. This has been so important to me because following God, hearing from Him, getting His guidance, knowing His will, is like a spiritual ‘heartbeat’. Not hearing, ambling without out His direction, not sensing His presence, is like bumping around in the dark.

Now, at the risk of exposing my lack of spirituality, I often do exactly the latter and I’ve got the bruises and scars to prove it. So how do we hear and know God’s guidance?

There are many ways; but first and foremost, you must be connected to Him through His Son, Jesus. Christ told us, “No man comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn 14:6) Once you’ve established that relationship through genuine faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, you can begin calling out and listening.

‘OK’, you may think, ‘I’ve placed my faith in Jesus. But what about this listening?’

I’ll give you the five main ways this works and some other factors to consider.

First and foremost - The Word of God, the Bible. Don’t listen to the enemies of the One in whom you just placed your faith. Read, ‘devour’ the Word every day. In fact, let’s briefly look at some of what it has to say about the path, the direction, you will take as a sincere believer –

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; Psa 1:1

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psa 16:11

You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip. Psa 18:36

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it. Psa 119:35

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. Psa 119:105

But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. Pro 4:18

Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. Eze 3:10

 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Jn 10:27

 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. Pro 3:5, 6

 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jer 29:13

(emphasis mine)

Lots of good things have been written about the Word or about God or Jesus or His Holy Spirit, but there’s no substitute for reading and obeying the unaltered Word of God. ‘Live in the pages’ so it becomes an integral part of your character.

Second, there’s the Voice of the Word which is another way of saying the gentle voice of God’s Spirit which you’ll begin to hear in your heart more and more as you study the Word and sincerely seek God’s will. Sometimes the Voice will just touch your heart in the course of your day – a verse or a part of the scripture will come to mind or a divine inspiration, and you’ll sense it is a prompting from Him.

Take, for example, the story of Philip – “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, ‘Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot.’” (Acts 8:26-29)

That leads us to the next, or third way of getting God’s guidance - Direct Revelation.

I’ve had God speak almost audibly to me, He’s literally shaken the earth, provided miraculous signs, heart-grabbing dreams, and such. These are all forms of direct revelation.   Consider Moses and the burning bush in the wilderness, or Mary with the angel Gabriel, or Joseph her betrothed and his divine dreams, or Peter and his vision of the animals in the sheet while on the housetop of Simon. The Bible is filled with examples. Any time this has happened to me, it has moved me to take some step of faith in obedience.

Fourthly, there is Godly counsel. The apostles always or nearly always sought each other’s council. Moses was advised by his father-in-law Jethro; we all need this help. Now, admittedly, some council even when given by well meaning advisors is not from God – consider Job’s ‘friends’ and even his wife who said that in his misery, he should just curse God and die. Wow! But you can indeed sense God’s wisdom in much godly counsel given to you by those well connected to Him.

And fifthly, there’s Divine Circumstances – including open and closed doors. Often times, the Lord sets up circumstances that seem ‘out of nowhere’ and you can sense His work. However, you have to seek confirmation because unusual situations are not necessarily set up by God. If you make that assumption, you can end up going in a wrong direction.

Now in all of these ways of getting His guidance, you must, of course, have a willingness to hear, a surrendering your heart and mind, believing that He wants you to hear. And even when you know you’ve heard, you’ll be challenged by our spiritual enemy to doubt. So, once you’ve heard, bear in mind that it’s your faith that makes it sure, unshakeable.

Finally, you need to be obedient to His call even if it takes some sacrifice or enduring of difficulty. And it probably goes without saying, but you can never afford to be high-minded or self-righteous – humility is the only way you please God.

Sincerely seeking to follow God, day by day, rather than going with the flow so to speak is challenging but nothing is more fulfilling. So, may He bless you and lift you and lead you in His unfailing love.

The Bond of Unity

Nov 4, 2022

You know everything, I mean Everything started in unity. God speaking to Job said,

 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell Me, if you know understanding,

When the morning stars sang together

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”    (Job 38:4,7)

And everything, I mean Everything will end in unity as well.

 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” (Eph 1:7-10)

So, what do we know about what happened in between to bring such chaos of disunity? In the book of Ezekiel, God speaks to the ‘covering cherub’ who He destroyed – Lucifer:

“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

“You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.

“By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones. (Eze 28:12b-16)

Being perfect in beauty wasn’t enough for this evil angel. He became filled within with violence and so God cast him out of heaven. It is likely that Jesus spoke of this when he told His disciples,  “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Lu 10:18) Isaiah also prophesied about this:

“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!

For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit. (Isa 14:12-15)

Apparently, the perfect beauty God had given to him went to his head and he sought to challenge the Almighty by exalting his own throne above the other stars (angelic host).   Yeah, pretty stupid but he was infected with iniquity which he seems to have infected other angels, perhaps as much as a third of them:

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” (Rev 12:3-5)

From this, it would appear that the dragon (Satan) took a third of the stars (angels) with him to the earth. Now, many of you know that this section of the Revelation pertains to the tribulation time but for our discussion herein the lesson is that Satan, at some point after He was cast out, took many of the heavenly host with him. That is, he brought catastrophic disunity to the heavenly realm because of his prideful iniquity. Thus, God relocated him, so to speak, to planet earth where the consequences were also catastrophic.

And there he was found in Eden, the garden of God, seeking to destroy the unity of fellowship between God and mankind. He’s a ‘super-spreader’ of iniquity you see; his own sickness began with his vile pride and spread to others in the heavenlies. Then his insane hatred for all things Godly, motivated him to infect mankind.

The amazing thing is that God, being omniscient, allowed this, having already predestined the salvation of mankind in Christ.

“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…” (Eph 1:4,5)

Why? Well, I suspect it was to provide many valuable lessons to all His creation. For Paul wrote that he wanted,

“…to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…” (Eph 3:9-11)

And so, after Eden, because of our listening to Satan, all of our history has been filled with disastrous disunity and distance from God Almighty. The ‘soup’ of our societies is wretchedly fouled by unbridled pride, hatred, and self-obsession. Even those who promise to be ‘unifiers’ are simply incapable of delivering. Mankind, infected with iniquity, is lost and self-destructing. But God provided the solution; the debt was paid on Calvary and those who receive that gift by faith look forward with great joy to the time of complete reconciliation -

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Psa 133:1)

But understandably, we have no idea of the goodness and pleasantness of this unity. We’ve never seen or experienced it to a significant degree. Honestly, we can’t even imagine it. But we CAN follow Christ Jesus and in so doing, 

“… as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you. Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (Col 3:12-14)

Help us, Lord Jesus, to truly follow you walking in love, your love. And Lord, please come soon!

What's Done is Done

Oct 31, 2022

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Eph 1:3-6)

The past tense used herein is absolutely intentional and a fundamental part of the Gospel revelation received by Paul. And what it tells us is that Father God has far, far more going on in His plan for universal reconciliation than we, with our limited understanding suppose. Before He even founded the world, He chose, He blessed, He predestined, and He accepted us in Christ.

It’s been done for a very long time even though we are just experiencing some of it now.

It's a mystery that God gave us just as He gave Adam and Eve, freedom to choose and yet He did all those wonderful ‘past tense’ things for us. It’s a conundrum for us – destined for salvation in Jesus yet free to choose. It’s the kind of thing that would have thrown Nicodemus into a serious case of vertigo.

You remember in John’s Gospel how Nic was thoroughly confused by the concept Jesus shared about being born again. And Christ told him, “If you can’t believe this being born again lesson, how will you understand spiritual lessons like - No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

Just to believe it, you have to be spiritually minded. To understand it, you’ll need to be in heaven – new body, new mind, whole new perspective unlimited by the material world. Something wonderful to look forward to and yet it’s DONE.

Yes, He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing, in heaven, in Jesus. Now when a blessing is of God, it literally means to cause to prosper or to make happy. In addition, He has already chosen us in Jesus that we would be holy and blameless and loved. To boot, He predestined us to be His children and by His own kindness (grace) He made us accepted in His Beloved Son.

Yes, it’s done but doesn’t mean it over. On the contrary, it’s eternal, it continues forever because it’s in the person of the eternal Son of God. What an indescribably wonderful circumstance awaits us who are saved. And none of us merited it, none of us deserve such eternal kindness.

Being Known

Oct 18, 2022

Have you noticed? So much nonsense, so much manipulation fed to us that has nothing to do with scripture – it ‘sounds’ right, maybe even moral, but in the end, it is just made up out of human centric ideas. It fills the world’s societies and sadly, even the churches as well. The seriousness of this situation is summarized in the words of Jesus when He said,

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Mat 7:21-23)

Let’s break this down to try to really understand what He’s saying. First, what exactly is the “will of My Father” so we can do it? Well, there is only one other verse in the Bible that uses these exact words – Jesus said, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Mat 12:50)

From this, it is clear that doing the Father’s will is directly tied to relationship with Christ which is amplified in the first passage when Jesus said, “I never knew you;” because this knowing is not academic, it’s not head-knowledge; it’s experiential, or intimate relational knowledge.

Those in this passage who He turned away claimed to have prophesied, cast out demons and to have done miracles in His name and He did not deny it – He simply paid no heed. That’s because ‘getting in’ is never about performance in the sense of what they were claiming.

The “will of My Father” is about a real honest relationship with the Lord born out of faith.

And note that He did not say, “You never knew Me.” Of course, the relationship He’s talking about is indeed two-way, but it always, always starts with God. He is the originator. He is the One Who gives us the desire to be in relationship with Him, the faith to believe and to trust.

When we respond to Him, then He is the One Who gives us the good works to do – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10)

And so He knows us because we love Him, we desire His presence, we trust Him and so we walk together, we labor together. You see, the performances of those who He turned away originated from themselves, not God. Jesus said that He never knew them, so they were never in a relationship that God originated. They thought that their religious deeds would be appreciated by God, but Jesus said that they practiced (or literally worked, labored) lawlessness.

“Jesus did not seem to doubt their claims of doing the miraculous. He didn’t say, “You didn’t really prophesy or cast out demons or do miracles.” This leads us to understand that sometimes miracles are granted through pretended believers, reminding us that in the final analysis, miracles prove nothing. Connected to Jesus we are secure; without connection to Him all the miracles and great works prove nothing.” – D Guzik

What will He say to you? If you have sincerely come to Jesus, it’s because God drew you to Him and the good news is that He has said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (Jn 6:37) So, of course, He knows you and as His child you want to know Him more and more. That’s ‘the will of my Father’ and yours.

Perfect Peace

Oct 13, 2022

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. Isa 26:3

To most of us, this concept of perfect peace is absolutely foreign. Our minds and hearts are so conditioned to the ‘noise’ of angst, competition, anger, frustration, pride, and a host of other clamoring that we have no idea what it is like to enjoy this peace, so we tend to equate it simply with quietness or stillness.

Of course, at times, quietness and stillness are great but they fall so far short of God’s perfect peace that they just don’t come close. This peace lifts the mind above the pettiness of this world, above the heavens and into the presence of God because its foundation is a permanent trust in Him. It’s the trust that can say, like Jesus, “Nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.”

This kind of peace is unshakable because it is not based upon your present circumstances or past performances. It comes to a mind that is stayed, riveted, unrelenting in its focus upon God. Not just the idea of God or the people of God but the Person of God and as a consequence, an eternal trust in Him, a trust in His character, His word, His love, His never-ending goodness and so much more.

This kind of peace is infectious because all of us ache for it and are strongly influenced by it when we see it lived out. Read the Gospels – people were always surrounding Jesus because He manifested this peace and told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;” (Jn 14:27)

This kind of peace runs to battle because of the complete confidence of the heart. The shepherd boy, David, manifested this as he charged at the giant Goliath with nothing but a sling and some stones. Joseph manifested it as he stood unafraid before the most powerful man on earth. Paul manifested this as he stood up, having just been stoned, and returned to the city to continue preaching the truth of the gospel.

This kind of peace is untethered. All the bondages of sin and guilt are broken as salvation sinks in and perfect peace emerges as the triumphant response to God’s promises and truth. This peace frees the soul.

This kind of peace grows like a mighty oak, never wanes or wilts. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;” (2 Pet 1:2) “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature…” (2Pet 1:4a) As your mind is stayed on Him, His grace and peace are multiplied in you and you become a partaker of God’s amazing nature.

And with Jesus, this peace will never end:

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,…” (Isa 9:6,7a)

This kind of peace hears and sees clearly.

“I will hear what God the LORD will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;” (Psa 85:8)

As you walk every moment with God on your mind, increasingly you will hear His voice, recognize His handiwork, know His peace, know His hope, know His trust, indeed know God Himself.

So how do you recognize this peace? “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension(lit. mind), will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phi 4:7)

It is beyond “all mind”; that is, beyond our power of thinking. It isn’t that it is senseless and therefore impossible to understand, but that it is beyond our ability to understand and to explain — therefore it must be experienced. This peace doesn’t just surpass the understanding of the worldly man; it surpasses all understanding. Even the godly man cannot comprehend this peace. (Guzik)

“What is God’s peace? The unruffled serenity of the infinitely-happy God, the eternal composure of the absolutely well-contented God.” (Spurgeon)

Therefore, you can’t figure it out or recognize it mentally, logically; it is spiritually discerned through experiencing it. The Hebrew term used for peace is pronounced shalom and means…completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.

Finally, where do you find it? It’s not a where issue, it’s a Who – this peace is a gift from Christ. You can’t buy it, capture it, discover it. You must receive it in His face:

“Yahweh lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace.” (Num 6:26)

On the Cusp

Oct 4, 2022

When the press is on and all around it seems like what is good is under attack while what is bad is being praised, that’s when we need a reminder – God wants us to make a difference BUT the ‘heavy lifting’ is His role -- our role is to believe and obey Him. I’ll explain…

What lay before him was burnt, wasted ruins and a bunch of freaked out angry men. Ziklag had been their hide-out, the place where David and his men kept their families and spoils. Everyone knew that King Saul was hunting him and wanted him dead. He was an outcast from his own people, perceived as an archenemy by his king, untrusted by his supposed allies and now even his own men were talking of stoning him for all their families and possessions were gone, stolen by raiders while they had followed David on a fool’s errand.

This was the bottom. Where could he turn? How would he ever make a difference again?

What lay before Moses was a desolate wilderness, hungry sheep and goats and a burning bush. He had barely escaped an angry king in Egypt, hid in this wasteland for 40 years tending his father-in-law’s flocks and now God was sending him back to the same hellish pit from which he had run away. He couldn’t even speak well, and now God wanted him to orate to millions of his people in order to lead them out of their bondage.

Frankly, he felt completely incapable. How would he ever accomplish what God wanted?

What lay around him were large threatening waves crashing against the boat as well as his own body. In eager almost jubilant faith, he had asked the Lord of creation Who was standing on the water to let him walk on the sea and had actually taken a few steps on top of the it. But then the frightening reality of his situation pummeled him, and he began to sink. Screaming out, “Lord, save me!” he knew he would go down like a rock. His glee had quickly turned to terror, and he expected to end up on the bottom of the sea.

He felt ashamed. What started as a spiritual triumph now looked like a catastrophe. How could he ever be used again?

Scripture is replete with examples of desperate people, tragic situations, dire and perplexing troubles for people of faith. Today, we can all relate for as we look around, we see the vile and perverted being lauded, our children being turned on their parents, everyone who stands up to the evil is attacked, cancelled, lied about. Many who we would have looked to for courage have sold out. The society is sinking lower and lower, ever more debauched.

But as with our three examples, hitting or fearing the ‘bottom’ is not the end if you know the Lord. You see, David rose up from the ashes of Ziklag and led his men to recover all that had been stolen and in only a week was crowned King in Hebron over the tribe of Judah and later over all Israel.

Moses overcame his self-concerns and obeyed God’s commands triumphing over the doubtful hearts of his own people. God used him to bring ten plagues on Egypt, splitting the Red Sea, leading an entire nation across a barren wilderness, bringing forth the ten commandments and the law of God.

Peter felt the grip of God as Jesus raised him up out of the waves and his humiliation became for all of us a powerful lesson in God’s grace, patience and character. Peter went on to lead the early church and bring thousands of people to Christ.

Indeed, as we become increasingly aware of the rise of evil in our society, we must continue to look to our Savior knowing He will ultimately turn the tide and, in the process, do the heavy lifting. It may look more and more like we are on the cusp of catastrophe but for sincere believers in Jesus Christ, we are rather on the cusp of His coming. With that in mind, be strong and hold fast to your faith.

Forever Freedom

Sep 30, 2022

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him… Psa 103:17

Christ forgave Peter for his three denials and the disciple went on to serve the Lord for the rest of his life. He received Christ’s forgiveness and lived in it. Because he received it, he lived in the freedom that being forgiven produced. More on that in a moment.

Now the vast majority, in fact nearly all, lessons on forgiveness deal with the much-needed command to each of us to forgive others versus the blessing, the eternal blessing, of truly receiving God’s forgiveness for ourselves. Of course, that emphasis is appropriate. However, I’d like to focus our attention on the blessing because it truly impacts our ‘walk’ and ultimately, our ability to obey the command.

You see, when we do not really receive the Lord’s gracious gift of forgiveness, we don’t have the inclination to respond by passing along our own. We continue to walk in darkness and bondage in our hearts. Christ gave us a parable lesson on this:

“Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’

“And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

“So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

“Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

“And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” Mat 18:27-35

This servant had begged the master for forgiveness and yet when it was granted, he did not pass it along. Now his Master called him wicked because of his behavior.

As believers, I’ll submit that we can forgive others because of fear of what will happen to us if we don’t or we can forgive others because we truly know we have been forgiven and we cherish that – just like salvation, we want to share it. “Truly know” is the same as truly receive or truly believe. Quite simply, if you don’t truly believe in Christ’s gift of eternal salvation, you cannot genuinely share it, at least not from a heart that is free from sin and condemnation. This really has to sink in – to rejoice in God’s forgiveness is the same as rejoicing in your salvation.

The man in the parable clearly did not value his forgiveness but simply used the opportunity to imprison his fellows. That is, he remained unchanged and wicked.

We can also learn about this from observing the Apostle Peter. The dear Apostle carried the guilt of having denied Christ three times and even though he saw the resurrected Lord and had the scriptures opened to him, he did not obey Christ’s command to stay in Jerusalem until the Spirit was given (Lu 24:49). Instead, he decided to go fishing and several of the other disciples, likewise feeling ashamed joined him.

You remember the story, they fished all night and caught nada, zippo, nothing so when the morning came and this ‘stranger’ on the shore called out to them out on the lake, “Children, have you any food?”  To which they the one-word reply, “No.” Unperturbed, Jesus simply said, “Cast your nets on the right side of the boat.” And they must have figured, ‘All right. One more try.’

Then they were inundated with fish, so many that they couldn’t pull the net into the boat. At that point, the proverbial light bulb went on for John and he told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So, Peter then did something very telling; he grabbed his outer garment, put it on and dove into the water to swim to shore.

Now how many of you know that if you want to swim safely and quickly, you don’t put an overcoat on. In fact, the one time this kind of happened before, Jesus was walking on the water, you remember, and Peter wanted to do the same. Bravely, he stepped out of the boat and for a short while he walked on the water to Jesus but then his faith failed, and he sank like a rock. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” and of course, Jesus did.

This time, he didn’t need to walk on the water, swimming to shore would do (about 100 yards or so) but he did need his outer garment. Why?

Guilt, disobedience and shame. It’s the same reaction to the Lord that Adam and Eve had. They had to cover themselves as well. But just like Peter’s cloak, their coverings were ineffective. That’s why God gave them coverings of animal skin. In Peter’s case, Jesus gave him the covering of forgiveness and grace. See John 21. And later, he received the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit and led some 3000 people to faith in Christ with one ‘sermon’.

He had seen the resurrected Lord, but now he knew and received His wonderous gift of forgiveness. He was freed from the weight of guilt and condemnation and went on to serve the Lord for the rest of his life.

Friend, if you have truly received the faith to believe in Christ’s atoning death, resurrection and eternal reign over all, trust me – you are forgiven. Let that sink in. You are free from sin and its consequences, really and truly free. Let that fact take root and grow in your heart. When you do, that plant will produce good fruit. There’s amazing freedom in realizing your forgiveness.

The Lesson - To Eternity and Beyond

Sep 17, 2022

Boom!! That’s the ‘sound’ in your heart when this message sinks in.

The first interaction God had with man after creation was to have him name the animals by which he, almost by definition, had to determine something about them. In other words, it was a lesson for him and apparently, he got the point because right after that God put him under and then created his mate to which he reacted saying,

“This one finally is bone of my bones,

And flesh of my flesh;

This one shall be called Woman,

Because this one was taken out of Man.” (Gen 2:23)

So we can say that right from the beginning, as soon as God made man “in his image”, His intent was to teach us. And He set the stage for the next lesson when just prior to this He planted a garden in Eden, a true paradise, and placed man in it to tend it. He also planted two trees in the center of the garden, one being a source of life and the other, a source of the knowledge of evil.

Now you may say, “Wait a minute. That other tree was the source of the knowledge of good and evil.” But, bear in mind, man was at this point good. God said so, and since he knew fellowship with God, he definitely knew good; so what remained was the knowledge of evil. Thus, it makes sense that to remain at peace in paradise you would want to obey God’s command to abstain from eating its fruit.

But we all know the story, Eve disobeyed Adam and Adam disobeyed God and they both ate of it. And just as God promised, they died – first spiritually and ultimately physically.

So, the immediate lesson was the consequences of disobeying God are, hmmm, well let’s just say not good.

But the much bigger lesson is God’s ‘end game’ – to teach us and I submit, the whole of the cosmos, seen and unseen, God’s nature. Just as Adam understood something of the animals’ natures in order to name them, so he needed even more to understand some of God’s nature for he and Eve had believed the serpent’s lies about God, His nature and His motives.

You see, Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may surely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Gen 2:16,17) However, the serpent told Eve, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:4,5)

The serpent was planting the thought in her that God was holding back, that He did not want her to be like Him. In this way, he was intentionally denigrating the Lord’s character and motives. Of course, in the process, he was lying. Jesus said about Satan, “… he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44)

But the truth is just the opposite, God does indeed want us to know Him, to intimately know His nature, to know Who He is. And this lesson is deeply integrated into our entire existence.

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. Gen 3:22,23 (emphasis mine)

So clearly, we can see that part of God’s nature and motive is to protect us for if we lived forever with evil in our ‘knowledge’ or being, we would become like Satan and his demons. Even in exile and becoming ‘mortal,’ man increased so much in evil that by the time of Noah the world became a hell hole -

Now the earth was (or became) corrupt before God, and the earth was (or became) filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was (or became) corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; (Gen 6:11-13) (emphasis mine).

Nevertheless, those who want to still believe the serpent’s lies say, “You see, God is cruel. He doesn’t love man. He exiled us so we would not live forever.” They miss the whole point. But God is patient and His purposes are never thwarted. He corrected the desperately downward spiral of man with the flood and started over with Noah. Meanwhile, He shortened man’s lifespan to rein in the growth of evil and continued to fulfill the plan of salvation through the coming of Jesus Christ.

You see, it was always God intention to give us eternal life. In fact, before any of the creation, He promised, seemingly first to Himself and then later to us, to do just that for the scripture records,

… in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, (Tit 1:2)

And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. (1 Jn 2:25)

Yes, the two-fold lesson was and is, evil will kill you, but God is life, eternal life: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

Yes, Jesus showed us the true nature of God the Father – the love, the mercy, the kindness, the forgiveness, the grace, on and on it goes. He showed us the way, the truth and the life. And He told us plainly -

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (Jn 17:3)

Contrary to the serpent’s lies, God wants us to be like Him, to live forever with Him and to spend eternity knowing Him better and better. It’s an eternal existence with a quality of life beyond description for –

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

And the only way this is accomplished is when you accept by faith the grace found in Jesus Christ.

Boom!

For further contemplation, Jesus said:

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51)

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” (Mat 19:29)

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (Jn 10:28)

That's a Wrap

Sep 8, 2022

“But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’”  

“Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea.” John 21:4-7

Fascinating! How many of you know that if you want to swim well, you don’t drape yourself in a coat or cloak. What was Peter thinking?    

Was he trying to prove something to the Lord? Why was his outer garment necessary?

Obviously, he was so thrilled that he didn’t want to wait for the boat to get to shore and the fish were the last thing on his mind. But he wanted that covering. He didn’t want to approach his Lord ‘in the buff’ so to speak. He was zealous to come to Jesus but careful to be covered. I suggest that it was another indication of the self-consciousness born from the awareness of his failures and sin.

Adam and Eve did the same thing back in the garden of Eden. (See Gen 3:7)  

“So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Gen 3:6-8

Adam and Eve are a very interesting counterpoint to Peter in this. Peter rushed to come into the presence of the Lord while Adam and Eve hid. Both felt the urgent need to cover themselves. I submit that the difference may have been that Peter better understood the character of his Lord. You see, he had just spent three years listening to and observing Jesus. Adam and Eve had just been listening to the serpent.

In any event, the awareness of sin tends to make us feel the need to cover ourselves before God. Part of that is because we think God doesn’t really know who we are or that we can somehow disguise our true nature from Him. Another reason is that due to the awareness of sin, we are ashamed and/or embarrassed before Him. In both cases, when that happens, it’s because we’re listening to the lies of our true enemy.

Understand, and let it sink in - God knows you, inside and out. He cannot be surprised by our sin or failure. He knew the entirety of your life story from beginning to end before He chose to love you fervently and relentlessly and forever.

And, He wants us to know that although He understands our feeling like we have to cover our sin, the only effective cover is the blood, the life our Savior Jesus for it is a permanent and perfect cover – it covers and eradicates our sin. Our own coverings inevitably just weigh us down like Peter’s or are flimsy and irritating like Adam and Eve’s.

God’s desire is to restore and to heal your fellowship with Him. Yes, you’ve failed; yes, you’ve sinned. And it probably won’t be the last time. But come to Him, don’t hide; and, surrender your weight, your load of guilt. Lay it down at the foot of the cross and realize His abiding love for you.

Self

Aug 30, 2022

There are some passages of scripture that make me soberly shudder. Take for example Judas betraying Christ with a kiss or God shutting the door of Noah’s ark or Armageddon. But the passage we’re going to go over also moves me to the point of tears. That’s because it speaks of our days and of the corrupted body of ‘believers’.

You see, the very group of people who we would expect to exemplify the character of Christ – loving of others, kind, humble, respectful of parents, thankful, honoring of good and so forth are projected as becoming just the opposite. The sickness is sin, the allure of evil, and especially the extreme love of self. In fact, self-indulgence and self-absorption which we call narcissism is now so commonplace in society and in the church that psychologists have removed it from their ‘list’ of aberrations.

Our society is being pounded by all kinds of messaging, in the media, in schools, everywhere and yes, in church as well to value self-interests above all else.

Here are the verses:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2 Tim 3:1-5

You see, men in general have always been behaving like this but what makes the last days so perilous is that those who are supposedly lovers of God and appearing to be godly are behaving the same way. So those who want to hang on to their faith in Christ will have to be especially discerning for Paul followed these verses with: But evil men (the unsaved) and impostors (the supposedly saved) will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Tim 3:13

That means, dear friends, you can’t take for granted that anything you hear or read or see is to be believed. You must personally know your Savior, Jesus, and follow His Word. The worldwide deception is just going to get worse and worse. Sincere believers will be marginalized, the vilified, then hunted.

So, what will you do? Look out for number one? Buy into the persuasive lies and self absorption? Or will you stand for what is right and true even when the cost is high.

God's Thoughts

Aug 17, 2022

I’d like to say that my thoughts are spiritual and pure but a lot of the time they are simply not. Now, the Lord says to, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col 3:2 And, of course, I try to do that but life in general is filled with ‘stuff’ that draws my attention away from the heavenly.

That does not mitigate the Lord’s command but rather highlights why it is so important. You see, our lives are simply a protracted war for control of our thoughts, our minds and it all started back in the garden of Eden. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Gen 2:7

There you have it – God made us in three parts, the dust of the ground (the flesh), the breath of life (the spirit), and the resultant living being (the soul). And before man sinned, the soul (how you think) was influenced by both the ‘flesh’ and the ‘spirit’ in a way that balanced perfectly making Adam a soul that God fellowshipped with regularly. However, when man sinned and rebelled against God, the spiritual side of this equation diminished and that left the flesh to influence or dominate his soul. After that, very few people really heard from the Lord, so few that they were highlighted throughout history as special.

Fast forward to Jesus Christ. He came as the ‘second Adam’ and lived in perfect harmony with God the Father and God the Spirit. He had no sin and was always in submission to the Father.

When He rose from the dead and became the giver of eternal life, He gave to those who believed, the presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts. Thus, the struggle for influence over the soul continues between the spirit and the flesh. Paul wrote, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Rom 8:5

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Gal 5:16, 17

And so, we who are redeemed indeed have the power to obey Christ’s commands, but that obedience is frequently a struggle as well because we have a sin ‘nature’. And so here I am, two thousand years later, wishing it was easier; but it’s not and God has allowed that for several reasons:

-          It humbles me

-          It reminds me of Gods mercy and grace

-          It teaches me that God is right, always right

-          It strengthens me and my love for Him and His ways

-          I can relate to the believers who have gone before me

Now, I better understand what He means when He says,

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isa 55:8, 9

You see, God has no conflict in His thoughts. They are eternally pure, untouched by sin and are perfectly good. He says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11

So as long as we are still here, let’s walk in the Spirit and when we stumble or stray, let’s reassure one another that God’s not surprised and then keep going. Remember, as a believer in Jesus Christ, God’s thoughts toward you are always good.

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered. Psa 40:5

When the Truth Hurts

Aug 11, 2022

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Mat 16:23

Alas, Peter. Though he was always meaning well, he came to the Lord in the wrong spirit. Here’s what happened:

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” Mat 16:21,22

Peter spoke pridefully to Jesus; he actually rebuked the Son of God. Hearing Satan’s influence coming from the mouth of His disciple, the Lord did not mince words and it must have shocked Peter. However, Peter did not stop blowing it. Subsequent to his bravado in front of the other disciples, he later denied the Lord three times in front of His captors.

Called out by the Lord Himself as a mouthpiece of Satan and as denier, yet Peter did not stop following Jesus.

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. … ‘Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight?’”

Like Peter, David was filled with indignation and prideful anger when he heard the story Nathan the prophet had just told him.  “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity. 2 Sam 12:7, 1-6

Called out by the Lord Himself as a murdered and adulterer, yet David did not stop following.

God spoke of Job as a model of righteous living before Satan and as a consequence Job suffered amazing hardships and loss. His wife told him to curse God and die and his ‘friends’ offered terrible counsel. His patient faith and forbearance became legendary. However, at the end, Job revealed the sin in his heart.

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”

“Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?” Job 40:1,2

Called out by the Lord Himself as prideful and self-righteous, yet Job did not stop following his Lord.

On another occasion, Satan influenced one of the disciples of Christ, Judas Iscariot, to act against the Lord. He betrayed his master to the temple guards with a kiss and sold Him out for 30 pieces of silver. Unlike Peter, David and Job, he did stop following and hung himself.

The Bible tells us:

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Prov 27:6

Yes, Peter, David and Job were wounded by the Lord’s rebuke, but they pressed on, more humbly and more in tune with Him. Self-righteous pride was the main reason for their stumbling and humility was the power behind their recovery. It seems that Judas was rebuked by Jesus for dissing the woman who poured her very expensive perfume on Jesus. Shortly afterward, he went secretly to the Pharisees and agreed to betray Him. His pride led to anger and betrayal and ultimately to self-destruction.

I just cannot overstate how critical a humble walk with the Lord is to the believer. Self-righteousness is common among us all but when we take that poisonous attitude to the Lord, we should be ready to repent in true humility realizing just how unrighteous we really are, because He is going to call us out one way or another. That’s because He loves us and is committed to our spiritual growth.

Christ illustrated, that is lived out, this humility before the Father. Humility is a part of His divine character. I hope it is increasingly a part of mine and yours. God bless you all.

Band of Brothers

Jul 29, 2022

There’s a world of meaning in this little word, trust. No, a universe of meaning. In the scriptures, we are both commanded and exhorted to place our trust in the Lord.

Daniel stood in a deep pit among starving lions and kept his cool. David charged at an armored giant twice his size with nothing more than a stone and sling. Samson pulled a massive pagan temple down on himself. Noah watched the Lord close the door of his huge ark. Paul arose after being stoned and went back into the same town to preach. The list is long and impressive – the people who have placed trust in the Lord in the past. What about today?

Day by day, in the midst of a godless society, we are challenged to place our trust in God while most people not knowing any better are trusting anyone but God. But people fail, institutions let us down, moral values are turned upside down and increasingly people will say, “I only trust myself.”

Now trust is similar to faith but is more tuned in to protection and overcoming danger or death. Let’s look at what the Bible has to say on it:

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 2 Sam 22:31

This says God is perfect and His word has been tested and proven true. So, what does He say that’s proven? He is a protector to ALL who trust in Him.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. Psa 2:12

You want to know the blessings of God? Trust Him – not just lip-service but in truth.

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;                            
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You. Psa 5:11

When you’re threatened, you can be tense and reactive but when you are trusting that the Lord will defend you, you can be joyful.    

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psa 9:10

This word, “know” can mean to know by experience and “name” means nature. In other words, those who have known by experience the nature of God, trust Him. For it is in His very nature not to “forsake”, that is to leave, abandon or neglect those who seek Him.

Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men! Pa 31:19

Now, God’s goodness is one of His infinite and eternal attributes. So, the greatness of His goodness is truly beyond description. And reverence and trust are the keys to obtaining it.

Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass. Psa 37:5

What a powerful promise! “It” is His promise. Commit your way to Him and trust Him – He’ll make “it” happen.

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. Psa 52:8b

The ‘older’ you are in the Lord, the more you realize how much you need His mercy and it’s not a small club – we all desperately need it. The good news is that mercy is a part of Who He is and thus it’s forever. You can trust in His mercy; all His children can.

Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You. Psa 56:3

One of Satan’s primary weapons against us is his fear. He wants us to fear man, to fear failure, to fear God’s punishment even when God has forgiven us, to fear death. But trusting God is our shield and it’s the perfect defense.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You. Psa 143:8

You want to hear from God? Do you need guidance? With all your heart, put your trust in Him.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding; Pro 3:5

Don’t just be guided by what you see or hear or think you know, and definitely not how you feel. Fill your heart, your thoughts with trust in Almighty God.

The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him. Nah 1:7

Yes, God is good; even when trouble surrounds you and He knows when you’re trusting in Him.

So do not trust yourself. Do not put your trust in your institutions. Put your trust in God and only in God; He’s the only one Who is worthy and by all means, keep an eternal perspective! This chaotic, sin-filled world is not our home. Many, many others have gone before us and put their trust in the Lord and for all eternity they will never regret it. May God bless you with this trust.

Courageous

Jun 28, 2022

“Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Dan 3:17.18

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 1 Sam 17:45,49

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:55,56,59,60

The courage of Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the courage of David, and the courage of Stephen – fearless in the face of death; I know we’ll see them in heaven.

All of us are inspired by stories of courageous people. And this is even more so when we know they had to deal with fear or had reason to fear. Many, many times in scripture, the Lord tells individuals or the nation of Israel or the Church corporately not to fear. Examples are:

Nation of Israel   Isa 41:10,13,14

Daniel   Dan 10:19

Isaac   Gen 26:24

Jacob   Gen 46:3

Gideon   Jud 6:23

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7

So we may boldly say:
“The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?” Heb 13:6/Psa 118:6

 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 Jn 4:18

So, what does this mean for us today – those of us who sincerely believe in Jesus Christ?

One thing we have to realize or be reminded of is that we are in a war, a war against spiritual evil. It assails us individually and within our societies continually, manifesting itself in sin, hatred, deception, violence and the denigration of good. Our enemies are not people – we have to recognize the spiritual source of evil and courageously fight against it with spiritual weapons which are manifested in loving, doing good, prayer, faith and simple obedience to the Lord.

Each of us will at some point or points by challenged to face our fear(s) and be courageous and all of us who do will also need to face our Father in Heaven because He is the one Who gives us the strength and courage to stand our ground and fight His fight. That doesn’t mean anger or retaliation but rather humble forgiving love, truth nested in His love, kindness that is genuine.

Do you want to hear, “Well done!” from our Lord? Be courageous. Fight the “good fight”. Fight it His way and with His weapons. May God bless and be with you as you do.

There's a Difference, a Big One

Jun 10, 2022

The nature of miracles in the Bible reveals a lot about the miracle-maker(s). Some miracles impacted many people – for instance, Elijah stopped the rain in Israel for three years and Moses split the Red Sea for millions of Israelis to pass through. Jesus fed many thousands bread and fish with only a few loaves and fillets.

Then there are the ‘smaller’ more personalized ones. Elishah healed Naaman the Syrian leader, the three Hebrew captives in Babylon walked unharmed inside a flaming furnace, Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead.

From these and many others, we can see that the ‘size’ of the miracle is not where we glean the most insight into the miracle-maker. No, the real point of interest is the purpose and/or outcome of the wonder. Now, fundamentally, miracles break the boundaries of the so called normal. Because of that, they grab our attention and change the way we think and consequently, what we believe.

Jesus, after he was baptized by John the Baptist, three days later began His ministry with a miracle. Interestingly enough, it signified or pictured the very essence of what He would accomplish on earth but only a couple servants who were involved knew what he had done and evidently told Christ’s disciples about it. You probably know the story – He turned ritual wash water into the “best” wine at a marriage feast. However, the real purpose or outcome was not the wine - “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” John 2:11

This and every miracle He did fostered belief, belief in the truth of who He is. He glorified His Father in heaven and the Father glorified His Son. This is the purpose and outcome of God’s miracles.

But the time is upon us in which miracles will be done be others for other reasons. Jesus foretold their arrival in the days leading up to and during the very last days. It is a time commonly known as the tribulation or time of Jacob’s trouble. In Matt 24, He spoke of these people and the intended purpose and/or outcomes:

“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” Mat 24:11

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Mat 24:24

Jesus started small – they will go BIG. His signs glorified God and nurtured faith in Himself as Christ. And the same is true today. But contrary to this, the false prophets and false christs intend to deceive everyone, even the elect. They will not glorify God, our true God. They will magnify themselves and their own false god or gods.

Already, we are immersed in a worldwide flood of lies and deceptions on all fronts – our faith, our conduct, our sexuality, our schools and judicial systems, everything is steeped in deception. So I am convinced that the devil’s influence is being allowed to run freer. We all need to be vigilant to follow the Lord and look for His appearing. We cannot allow ourselves to be suckered and duped by deceptions. Trust in Jesus. He is coming to make all things right. Be faithful and trust in Him no matter what.

It's a Leap!

Jun 5, 2022

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Mat 25:21

Here is a fundamental quality to eternal life that we don’t often talk about. We usually ponder life, light, truth, eternity, grace, forgiveness, worship and other things but let’s spend a little time considering joy. Now before we simply turn to a dictionary or lexicon for a definition, let’s examine in the scripture the relationships of this term, joy, to other things in order to glean insight.

Maybe one of the most powerful verses that so many of us read and treasured is in the book of Hebrews - Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Heb 12:1,2

Now, Jesus knew heaven. He was from heaven. Nevertheless, it wasn’t heaven’s brilliance or beauty that empowered Him to endure, it was heaven’s joy. So clearly, it is extremely powerful and compelling to the pure of heart.

OK, so what fuels this joy in heaven? Probably many things but in His parables of the lost coin and lost sheep, Jesus told us, “…there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” And, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” So clearly, those in heaven are joyful over each and every one of us who truly repents from sin and follows Christ.

And Jesus tied His joy to loving others. He said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jn 15:10-12

In heaven, in God’s presence, we will know boundless joy – “You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.” Acts 2:28/Psa 16:8-11

Thus, we see that joy is:

-          The quality of heaven that compelled Jesus to and through Calvary

-          Something that is displayed in heaven when even a single person repents from sin

-          Connected tightly with simply loving others as Jesus loves us

-          Is complete in God’s presence.

People can leap, shout, sing, weep, be in shock and many other things, because of joy but that’s earthly joy. None of us yet knows heavenly joy, not in its fullness. We can catch glimpses – when your child is born, when your spouse says, “I do”, when your loved one returns safely from danger. But heaven’s joy is not fleeting, it’s permanent and ever increasing, that is it’s something we can’t really even imagine.

And the best news is that it’s only one of the many, many blessings our Father will give to us who have known and loved Him now.

What a Mess!

May 27, 2022

It’s at the root. It was at the beginning. It permeates all of our history and existence. It’s the thing Christ warned us about concerning the last days. It fills our language, our minds, our businesses, our schools, our homes, our media, our government, our very hearts. Those who are trained in it wield it as a weapon. When you ‘handle’ it though, it’s sticky and pretty soon you’re stuck.

It’s not violence but that’s a good guess. It’s not lust, not even hatred. Nevertheless, it fills our societies worldwide. We hate it but embrace it when we need to. Sadly, many religions depend on it while campaigning against it. When you start to look for it, you’re shocked at how prevalent it is everywhere, in everything, all the time. It’s like the air we breathe.

Deception.

From the subtle and comparatively ‘innocent’ to the overt and overwhelming. Your parents, your siblings, your children, your spouse, yes, even your ‘sweetie’ is infected with this ugly character. Who’s responsible? Where does this emerge from? Where did it originate? Who made this mess?

Satan.

Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

What do we do about this? What can we do? What are we called to do?

-          Be discerning. If you lack that ability, just ask God for it – Proverbs 2:1-5.

-          Speak the truth in love Eph 4:15. Deception has no place in the heart of a honest believer and when you see it, call it out.

-          Tear down evil spiritual strongholds through prayer.

-          Disengage as much as possible from the media. Frankly, most of the entertainment media is just poison.

-          Seek the truth in the scriptures and live it out. Encourage one another, strengthen each other.

In a very real sense, we are in a war. If you’re a sincere believer, you know that Christianity is not the cozy feeling of a campfire with roasted marsh mellows. That’s a parody. Yet, sadly, ages of on-going deception all day, every day has marginalized our faith and alienated many who observe the shallowness and insincerity of some ‘christian’ lives. We won’t fix this tragic situation by physical violence, simply protesting or politicking, but we do need more targeted spiritual warfare. We need to exercise more sincere fervent prayer, more aggressive living out the truth, standing strong for what we know is true.

Start or continue fighting this good fight NOW. Destroy deception with loving truth and don’t back down ever. May God guide you in this and strengthen you, His coming is sure.

Vulnerable

May 16, 2022

“Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

Isaiah 53 is perhaps the most poignant declaration of the character and faithfulness of God the Son in all of the Old Testament. And as with nearly all prophetic passages, it is spoken to the Hebrew nation. Nevertheless, because of the continued influence of substitutionalism, a false doctrine actually started by the influencers of the early church, Christians still often see it as spoken to themselves, the congregation of believers.

Substitutionalism claimed that since the Jewish people did not receive their Messiah, the promises given to them, and their forefathers were nullified and were redirected to the church. But God was not surprised by their rejection of His Son; He is never surprised. His Word speaks many times of how His salvation would be received by the gentiles and that the Jews, though first favored by God would be the last to accept His grace and enter His kingdom.

So, bearing that in mind, “Who believed Christ?” John the apostle wrote, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” (Jn 1:11) His own people, especially the religious ones, did not. And they did not recognize the strength of His forgiveness, mercy, and restraint even as they crucified Him and, in the process mutilated and berated Him.

“…the arm of the Lord” always speak of strength, but Christ’s strength was in His humble obedience to the Father’s will and His love for a rebellious humanity. However, the evil and dark-hearted couldn’t see it - “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (Jn 1:5)

“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.”

Now, “tender plant” and “root out of dry ground” are both expressions of something fragile, certainly not hearty or strong in the eyes of men. Simply by becoming a man, God made is Son vulnerable. Think of that.  The wording also indicates that Jesus was always ‘facing’ the Father as He grew. His entire life was dedicated to God Almighty. And when we read, “no form or comeliness” and “ no beauty”, the Holy Spirit wants us to understand that although His character was amazingly beautiful, His outward appearance was ordinary; that is, the crowds did not surround Him because He was handsome.

God’s intent was not to attract people to His Son because of His bodily appearance; rather, He wanted us to be attracted to “the way, the truth and the life”, He wanted/wants us to value only the spiritual character, the eternal quality for of course, this is always God’s way – the flesh profits nothing (Jn 6:63).

“He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

“Sorrows” should be understood to be ‘sorrows of pain and grief’ while “acquainted” should have been translated ‘knowing (by experience) grief’. Have you thought that God and/or Jesus was stoic about death and the consequences of sin in this world? Think again. The reason Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, the reason He more than any man has carried painful grief is because He deeply loves everyone. Each person who dies without knowing Him is yet another weight of grief that He carries. Yes, He knows grief and painful sorrow more than we can imagine.

“Surely, He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.”

Another, and perhaps better translation would say ‘He lifted up our sicknesses’ and ‘carried our pains and sorrows of grief’. In other words, it seems that for every person He healed, He transferred the weight if you would of the malady along with its pain and sorrow to Himself. In fact, it could be that over time, this somehow weighed on Him because the above verses say that ‘we perceived Him’ as stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God. Now, I’m not suggesting that He became sick, no, nothing of the sort. Scripture says He lifted and carried these afflictions.

OK, this is a pretty radical perspective, but we do know from more than one Gospel account that Jesus could tell when ‘virtue’ or healing power went out from him. I can’t be dogmatic on the particulars because this could be referring to what He did on the cross, but it also could apply more broadly.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.”

Now, this part speaks clearly and specifically of the cross of Calvary for ‘wounded, bruised, and stripes’ are clear descriptions of the beating He took. In addition, ‘peace and healed’ refer His glorious accomplishment, to our resulting eternal relationship with Almighty God. So why would He do this?? In His life and death, He was utterly selfless… because…

“All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, everyone, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Not some of us, or even most of us – ALL of us have strayed from God and are guilty of influencing others to do the same, to do ‘our own thing’, to walk according to the desires of the pernicious sin nature embedded in our DNA.

In conclusion, these first six verses of Isaiah 53, along with the rest of the chapter show us that contrary to the lies of Satan, God does love us and was/is willing to lift up and carry the weight, the debt of all our misdeeds.

The Impossible Dream

May 6, 2022

From the moment we are born and onward through this life we are taught to think and respond to a performance-based ethic. As a child, when we are ‘bad’, we are scolded or punished. When we are ‘good’, we are praised or rewarded. In school, when we are ‘bad’, we fail or are disciplined. When we are ‘good’, we are praised or rewarded. On the job, when we are ‘bad’, we are disciplined or terminated. When we are ‘good’, we are congratulated or elevated.  

Even in our religions, when we are ‘bad’, we are shunned or condemned. When we are ‘good’, we are extolled or praised or honored.

But nowhere and at no time are we ever expected to be perfect. That’s because we all know than no one of us is truly a ‘10’. You may be the most accomplished athlete or outstanding beauty but in reality, you know, and we know you’re not a true ‘10’, you’re just not perfect.

You’re human and so by what we recognize as a definition, you’re NOT perfect.

But along comes this radical teacher from a backwater town in Israel who tells us to love our enemies, to give to everyone who asks, to not resist an evil person but to actually do good to them, to never swear an oath, that to even look at a woman with an impure thought is like adultery, that to be angry at someone without due cause is akin to murder, that you must forgive in order to be forgiven by God the Father. Obviously, an incredibly high standard of performance – an impossible one.

You see, He was talking about a level of performance or righteousness that would allow entrance into heaven, to make us acceptable in God’s eyes because it’s His own standard, His own performance. And He lived it out before us.

Now, you can imagine, those who heard this were dismayed. He had told them that their performance, their righteousness had to exceed that of the most religiously disciplined. They probably shook their heads in bitter disappointment. I mean, what could they do? This was/is a performance they/we can’t perform. It’s a dream, an ‘impossible dream’.

So, what was Jesus’ aim? What was He conveying?

First and foremost, He was simply teaching that unlike the common thinking of that day and today as well, you CAN NOT be good enough; you CAN NOT jump high enough. Your good works will never be enough; your self-discipline will never be enough.

Second, He was telling us how we should perform. He said to follow Him, to follow His example. But then He finished His teaching with the real bombshell.

“Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Mat 5:48

He did not say, “You need to be perfect…” nor even “You should be perfect…” The tense of the verb “to be” is specifically in the future and the translation is accurate – “You shall be perfect…” It is used that way in 170 other instances in the scripture.

So, third, He was telling us of what we can look forward to – in heaven. Of course, this is based upon accepting Him as your Savior, believing in His sacrifice for you on the cross and His resurrection. You see, that’s why He banished Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden before they could eat of the tree of Life and live forever filled with darkness and sin. The plan was always to redeem us, to make us perfect in character – like Him, so we could truly enjoy living eternally.

What He was conveying was that the ’impossible dream’ is not impossible for God; He can and will one day make you perfect, a true ‘10’ in a truly ‘10’ setting, His presence.

Living in a Dying World

Apr 26, 2022

When an organization founded to entertain children and families turns to endorsing and promoting deviant sexual behaviors, you know we’re in a dying world. When the man with authority over the 'nuclear football' is often delusional and the people around him are continually covering for him, you know we’re in a dying world. When hucksters promoting racial equality use their positions to bilk millions from their devotees and spend it on themselves, you know we’re in a dying world. When many if not most young adults who claim to be Christians don’t know if they actually believe that Christ is the Son of God, you KNOW we’re in a dying world. Such examples abound.

And it’s not just the US; every major nation in the world is ‘in the toilet’ or rapidly disintegrating morally, socially, and even intellectually.

So, what does the Lord want us to do living in such a state of death, chaos, and deception? Can we fix it all? Do we ‘hunker down’? Do we simply deny it or embrace it? To answer that, we need to consider the two individuals that Christ referred to, as well as their situations, when asked about the last days before His coming.

First: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Luke 17:26

From other scriptures, we learn that Noah was a preacher of righteousness and that he was faithful to do all that the Lord told him. And this was in a time wherein the whole world of men and creatures around him was filled with violence and deviant behavior.

What we see is that he did not just ‘cave in’ and go with the crowd. He kept his heart and mind in tune with the Lord. He probably had brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, can’t say for sure but if so, they did not make the trip; only his immediate family got on the ark. His pains-taking work likely took at least decades of hard labor, perhaps as much as 100 years or more. And he had to believe in something no one had ever seen before – rain, torrential rain. So, he lived in a dying world as a man of real faith and faithfulness in spite of overwhelming circumstances.

Second: “Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; “but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:28,29

Lot also lived in a vile, dying degenerate society. But unlike Noah, it seems like he was personally a mess. He was oppressed and tormented but his soul was still righteous in the eyes of the Lord. Peter writes that God, “… did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—2 Pet 2:5-8

Now, we know from other scriptures that unlike Noah, it seems like Lot had caved in at least to some extent. He chose to live among the vilest society of his day and was reluctant to leave even when God told him He was going to destroy it. His angels had to literally drag Lot and some of his family out of it. You see, Lot was a righteous man but lived as a compromised man.

He lived in a dying world as a part of it rather than as a godly example like Noah.

So how are we to live today in our own dying world. Noah was warned by God; he worked in obedience and saved the human race as well as the animals. Lot was warned by God and lingered in disobedience. Jesus alluded to both of them and their days in warning his disciples of what to expect. He also said, “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

And He added, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. (Obedient, like Noah) Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,(caves in like Lot) the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 24:37-51

So clearly, watching for the Lord, being ready for His coming, continued obedience to His commands and steadfastness are what the Lord is looking for in our hearts. The good news is that God delivered both men out of their dying worlds – He is faithful even when we fall short. If you truly trust in Jesus, He’ll deliver you as well.

The Divine Jesus

Apr 22, 2022

At Easter time, messages and pictures associated with the wonderful resurrection of Jesus Christ abound. Some are great, but unfortunately, many are so steeped in religious tradition and frivolous concepts that they denigrate the deity of the Son of God. You know which ones I mean. They are cute or trendy or simply cheap. People who produce such things project that they don’t really know who they are promoting.

But John did know. He knew the One Who loved him, and as he opens his gospel his first focus, his first thought, is of the incomparable deity of His Savior. In the first fourteen verses of chapter one, he is conveying the immortal, eternal, truly indescribable awesomeness of the God-Word, God-Man, God-With-Us, Jesus.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is how John starts and immediately we’re reminded of how Moses started, “In the beginning God…” back in Genesis chapter one. Of course, the two are linked and speak not of the beginning of mankind or the beginning of the Gospel or the beginning of the earth but the unknowable beginning of the eternal-now when “I Am” came forth out of God Almighty. “He was in the beginning with God.”

This beginning is not like any beginning we can understand with our feeble limited intellect, not like the beginning of any created being or entity whether in the realm of time or eternity, but it came forth as a spoken Word, Logos in the Greek. The Almighty spoke and what He expressed was in Him, with Him and indeed was/is Him. Jesus was not created like everything else. Rather, He himself created all things seen and unseen.

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” This is where all pseudoscience that panders to mankind’s vanity fails, whether from Hawkings, L Ron Hubbard, Darwin or Mickey Mouse, none of them can account for first cause. You see, John nails it – Jesus is Himself the first cause of all things. The living, spoken Word of God.

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” With this, we have two more spiritual concepts – life and light and they are directly related to each other. Life is indeed, in this context, eternal life but it is also much more than that. It is an infinite thing not only in existence but in quality. Jesus told His disciples, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” You see, this life that was/is in Him illuminated, it exposed. Those who loved Him relished it and danced in its splendor; those who did not ran for the cover of darkness, just like rats, and wanted it extinguished.

And wonder of wonders, He was not content to have this life in Himself, but He gave it to us as well. “And so, it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Cor 15:45)

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (or overcome) it.” This world is indeed dark. It’s a dark planet with dark motives, dark ideals and everyone fumbles around in it feeling for a light switch. It’s over-the-top stupid that when the Light did shine here, mankind (especially the religious elite) didn’t comprehend it and tried to extinguish it. Epic failure.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” Now, John the Apostle first followed John the Baptist, and surely, he appreciated the Baptist’s iconoclastic message but when this guy clothed in a camel hair suit pointed out Jesus as the Light and Light-giver, God’s Son, the Apostle to be and his buddy Andrew became Christ’s first followers – they recognized and were drawn to the Light.

And there’s that giving nature of our Lord again – He gives life, and He gives light, both eternal qualities. Not to a select group, Jew or Gentile, but to all. He simply leaves it to us to believe it and accept.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” What irony! Fumbling, diseased, rotting humanity with dying souls crying out, “Is there a doctor in the house!!?” and when He shows, they don’t recognize or receive Him. His life and light are offered to all, but few will accept and receive it. Mankind turned dark back in Eden and still prefers darkness and death.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” To believe in His name is also to believe in His nature, His character. The word “name” signifies both. So what is His nature? We see it displayed in 3-D, in real life, in the Gospels – He’s gracious, kind, forgiving, loving, truthful, merciful, accepting, sacrificial, giving, helping, on and on it goes, and there’s nothing wrong, nothing evil, nothing crooked, because He is PERFECT.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” This word, “dwelt” means to pitch a tent or tabernacle and thus we see that John recognized in retrospect, that His God and Savior was that same One whose Glory went with his ancestors in the wilderness. “Begotten” means One who came forth out of, not created. Therefore, “only begotten” makes clear that He is unique, the only one to come forth out of God.

And though we know He is Life and Light, He is full of both Grace and Truth. In Him they exist as a perfect coupling.

What John saw in heaven in the book of Revelation, he seems to have struggled to express but what He witnessed on earth in Jesus his Shepherd, his Savior, his Lord was clear, clearly divine and without any comparison. The divine Word, the Logos, took on flesh and tabernacled among us and He is absolutely amazing.

Facing Fear in Faith

Apr 17, 2022

When Jesus was crucified, the disciples were fearful. They hid out in the ‘upper room’. They were disillusioned and lost – Peter went fishing along with several others almost as though they thought they could find solace in past activities. They lost faith and wouldn’t believe Mary Magdalene that she had seen Jesus alive.

Back in the Garden of Eden, the act of disobedience and sin led Adam and Eve to shame and fear. (Ya-re)

David, who had stood against Goliath lost confidence and feared for his life by the hand of Saul so he pondered escape to the land of the Philistines.

Such a powerful compelling force – fear. Yet the Bible says, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7

And today, the enemy of our souls is working as if time is running out to overwhelm and herd the world of men toward alienation from God and its own destruction with fear. Fear of death, fear of man, fear of suffering, fear of … the list is large and seems to grow every time the media speaks or Hollywood vomits out more of their lies.

But if we let Satan or the world and its forces control our lives with fear, we are not pleasing to the Lord. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the overcoming of fear.

That’s not to say that you jump off a cliff to prove the cliff doesn’t exist, you simply decide not to let the ‘cliff’ be a fearful thing to you.

In fact, “the fearful” are top of the list of those condemned to the lake of fire. Rev 21:8

So how do you fight fear? First, when we face our fears head on, they no longer have power over us. Again, I refer to David facing the giant, Goliath: “So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.”     1 Sam 17:48

Consider the three Hebrews in Babylon, standing before the mightiest king in the world who commanded them to worship his idol.   “…if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” They boldly affirmed, “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

At the same time, we look to the Lord. “I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant,
and their faces were not ashamed.” Psa 34:4,5

And we always look to Him in reverence. There are 25 different Hebrew words for fear in the OT and ten in Greek in the NT but the one in each Testament we use referring to God is the only one meaning reverence. (ya-re)

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment (penal infliction). But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Heb 2:15 …that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Bottom line – don’t let any fear of anything in this world be your master or even your ‘advisor’. Reverence God with all your heart and walk in faith.

Our Miracle Child

Apr 13, 2022

Gabriel was our miracle child from the very beginning. While I attended Officer Training School in San Antonio, Darlene and the kids stayed in a home my parents found for her in Colorado Springs. Dad would show up most every day to help out and spend time with the kids.

But then the balloon burst – I got a call at OTS in the middle of the night from Darlene and she was weeping and crying, “not again!” over and over. She relayed that Gabriel had been born at the Air Force Academy hospital with a transposition of the arteries that prevented him from circulating oxygenated blood once the placenta was gone. The surgeons had done an emergency operation to create a hole in the heart’s septum separating the isolated chambers and allowing a small amount of circulation. This saved his life but was a very temporary fix.

The additional dilemma was that if I ran back to Colorado Springs which everything in my heart was demanding, they would drop me from the OTS, the Air Force and consequently we would have no health insurance which Gabe was going to desperately need. I talked with Darlene about it and she agreed that I should stay. To say the least I couldn’t focus after that; it was killing me not to be with my wife and kids. I did the best I could though and spent a lot of time on the phone. (and a LOT of time in prayer)

Right after graduating, I was assigned to attend Auburn University to obtain an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering in just two years as well as to supervise the group of AF officers who were also at the school – about 25 – 30 or so. We found a house to rent in Opelika but shortly thereafter, Gabe’s ability to breathe started to decline and so we rushed with him to the Army hospital in Fort Benning, GA.

Sad to say, the doctor in charge of Gabe was disturbed that he had to interrupt his golf game and basically told us to accept that Gabriel was going to die. I blew up at him and we just took Gabe from the hospital and drove to Atlanta where we went to the emergency room of the Emory University hospital. There, the doctors said he was the sickest little child they had seen and quickly gathered their top cardiologists to decide what to do.

It wasn’t long until they had an answer. Although he would be the smallest child to ever receive such an operation, they told us they could help him by performing an operation called the Senning procedure. Bear in mind that his heart was the size of an acorn – a small acorn. We agreed and prayed desperately during the operation which took hours longer than they estimated.

When they finished, they warned us that he might not wake up but even as the doctor was telling us that, the nurse came out and said that he was already awake and full of energy. Of course, we praised God.

But then the other shoe dropped.

Over the course of the next week, Gabe’s energy and vitality steadily declined, and he got so bad that he couldn’t eat. I was in Opelika with the kids and dear Darlene was in the hospital looking out for our baby. She got more and more worried and said the doctors, though they clearly cared about Gabe, couldn’t figure out why he was going downhill. Finally, she overheard the nurses saying that the doctors had given up on him.

Anyway, she then called me again and told me of the situation weeping terribly. Something caused me to say, “Call me back in a few minutes.” I went to prayer as did she and when she called back, I told her with absolute assurance, “This is Friday. I guarantee that by Monday, you’re going to leave there with Gabe. Now, seek the Lord; I know He will tell you what the problem is.”

Well, she did exactly that and sure enough, the Lord showed her a group of doctors taking Gabriel’s blood to test and it dawned on her that different groups of doctors with their students had been doing the same thing over and over with no realization that together they were ‘bleeding him dry’.

So, she went ballistic. She virtually threw the next group out the door and barred the way to Gabriel. The attendants thought she had lost her mind, but she demanded to see the head cardiologist immediately. The whole hospital was quickly aware of the “crazy lady on the third floor” and when I got there, everyone was talking about it.

But the head guy came in and sat down with her and listened to her explanation. He was utterly shocked and sobered and said, “I think you’re right, Mrs. Dickey.” To his credit, he immediately ordered a blood transfusion for Gabe and in a few minutes, he was eating so eagerly, he broke the nipple off the bottle!   And just as the Lord had told us, Darlene and Gabe were discharged Monday afternoon. Praise God!

Out on a Limb

Apr 5, 2022

Back in the US for about a month, we got a call from a couple we knew in Rome. They asked us to consider joining them on a short-term mission to Acapulco, Mexico. Darlene was several months pregnant, so our inclination was to say no. Nevertheless, we prayed about it and felt that the Lord was saying yes. So, we got a small trailer to tow behind our little Chevy Vega – yeah, a Vega, and headed off to meet our friends and drive down south. Imagine six of us, four adults and two (and a half) kids towing a packed-out trailer venturing naively to Acapulco on the south end of Mexico on the Pacific coast – a long trip.

Along the way, since I was the one who spoke Spanish, I kept asking how much a small cabana there would cost to rent, and everyone said, “Oh about $150.” So, I thought, OK, we can stay a couple of months. Now, as we finally came down the hills into the city, our super-Vega brakes burned out and we coasted to a stop not too far from where we got them checked. The next day, we went all around the town asking to see places to rent and when we finally settled on a reasonable location, I asked the landlord to write up our lease agreement. As he wrote, I noticed that the cost was “$150 diariamente.”  

I immediately stopped him and asked, “What do you mean daily!?” Of course, he was put off and basically told me to take it or leave it.

Well, we left it. But after checking around, it was indeed the going rate and wow, were we bummed. We thought for sure we had not heard from the Lord but again, we went to prayer and the Lord said to simply go out and share the gospel, so we did. We witnessed all day to dozens to receptive people and then toward the end of the day, we were out on the peninsula that sticks out into the bay – a very nice area at the time – and encountered Jorge who loved hearing about the Lord and got saved.

He immediately wanted to learn more about the Gospel, and we explained that we would love to share more but we had to return to the States. We explained the situation to him, and he smiled and turned me around. He swept his arm in a half circle and said, “Take your pick!”

“What? What are you talking about, Jorge?” we asked.

“I am in charge of all these homes. You can stay in any ones you like for as long as you like. Just teach me about Jesus Christ.”

Needless to say, we were flabbergasted and so thankful. We moved in to two adjoining cabanas with a pool and rejoiced at God’s goodness.

That evening we decided to splurge a little and buy a plate of spaghetti at the one Italian restaurant we had seen. As we were splurping down the last noodles, our waiter, Fulvio, came over and asked if the food was good. In typical Italian fashion, we all put our index fingers in our cheeks and said, “Multo Buono!”

Fulvio jumped and exclaimed, “You’re from the old country??”

He ran and grabbed the owner who came over and said, “Fulvio says you are from the old country!” He pulled up a chair, snapped his fingers, ordered a round of drinks and desserts and we spent the next hour talking all about Italy.

Finally, as we began to leave, he insisted, “You have to come back and meet my friend.” When he observed our hesitation, he added happily, “On me of course. You’ll be my guests.”

 So, we showed up the next evening and were treated like royalty. Course after course was served with great care. Meanwhile musicians played violins around us. Then as they began to serve some wonderful deserts, an older Sicilian man appeared smiling broadly and introduced himself as Pipo. The manager brought over an extra chair, and we had a delightful talk about the restaurant, the ‘old country’ and of course, each other.

Pipo said he was mostly retired and liked to do artwork. Now, I had a liking for art as well, so we had a long talk about painting. Soon, he was insisting that we join him for a dinner at his house and we agreed.

A few days later, we journeyed out on the peninsula that juts out into Acapulco bay. There we found a rail car positioned to carry us down to where his phenomenal mansion was literally built into the cliffs above the bay complete with its own large swimming pool. Quite impressive to say the least.

As our relationship with Pipo progressed, we ministered to him about Christ and our desire to serve Him and he responded by taking us all out for dinner at least once a week for several months. Each time he seemed to receive more of the gospel message. Finally, on our last night together, he took us to the Princess hotel which at the time was spectacular – a pyramidal structure with hanging gardens inside all the way to the top.

At meal’s end, Pipo asked my friend and I to come with him outside. There, he held our shoulders and smiled. He said, “I have learned so much from you and wanted to thank you. You’ve helped me make an important decision – I’m going to stop what I’ve been doing and go back to the old country.”

He hugged us both and we prayed for him to place his trust in Christ. Of course, we had no idea what he meant by “what I’ve been doing.”

Anyway, the next morning, my friend and I drove to the open market to talk with the people who routinely helped us with vegetables. As we stopped to park, we heard gun shots everywhere and saw all sorts of people running. We thought we’d be sitting targets in the car, so we jumped out and put our backs against a convenient wall. Suddenly, one of the people we had seen frequently at Pipo’s home dashed around the wall and saw us.

“What are you guys doing here?!” he exclaimed.

“We just came to the market to get some produce. What’s all the shooting about?”

“You both need to get out of here immediately before you get hurt,” he replied with urgency.

“OK, but what’s this all about?” we asked.

“Pipo left! He just left…”

“Oh, yeah, he told us last night he was leaving,” we said with a tinge of cockiness.

“You don’t get it,” clearly our naivete was trying his patience. “Pipo was the second most powerful man in all the Latin American mafia. He ran the drugs from South America to the US and now that he’s gone, there is a huge struggle between many groups to take control.”

We were absolutely dumbstruck. We had had no idea and were thankful God had protected us and used us, unwittingly, to disrupt the drug trade by leading the kingpin to seek new life in Christ. As you might imagine we left Acapulco not long after this.

He Truly Knows Me

Apr 4, 2022

You know, there are times when I can get pretty down on myself. The older I get, the easier it is to notice my failings, both present and life-long. I got up at 3:00 AM this morning and knew I needed to spend some time before the Lord. Now, I don’t walk around all day beating myself up or stressing out over my sin filled character. But every once in a while, I ponder it and as a result come to more and more awe and wonder concerning the grace and mercy of my Father in Heaven.

You see, He knows me completely. He knows who I am and what’s in me, so no stupidity or bad behavior surprises Him. Get this, like a pick-up game of basketball, he chose me before the beginning of the world. “…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph 1:4)

“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (Jn 2:23-25)

“As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children,
So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.” (Psa 103:12-14)

So, in spite of my wretchedness, He loves me. How awesome is that! And He has already cancelled all my sins, past, present and future because I placed my heart in His and opened it to faith in Jesus Christ. This blew me away again this morning and lifted me up out of the stink of my own self. And I recalled that it was this message that Darlene and I shared with… well, let me tell you the story.

We were living in Athens. We never had much money; the translating job paid very little. So, I made ends meet by taking my old guitar out in the evenings and playing songs like a wandering minstrel in the streets. In Athens, everyone loves to spend their evenings dining or just talking at outdoor cafes. Typically, I’d sing a song or two and then take a collection. Then I got smart and had my little girl Starshine, who was about three, do the collecting with her hat. She was irresistible.

One evening as we were headed home, we passed by a long table with some ten or so large black men and at the end an elderly black gentleman. When he saw us, he waved energetically for us to approach. When I neared, he said in English, “Come, play us a song! Something with joy.” At that, his companions who resembled in size, the front line of the Chicago Bears, also chimed in, “Yeah, play us a song!”

Not one to take on unnecessary risk, I began to strum and sang a song about coming to Jesus innocently and receiving His joy. A bit to my surprise, they loved it. And the older man at the end said, “Sit, sit.” He took Starshine on his lap and she giggled.

“Where are you from?” he continued.

Shortly, we were engaged in a lively conversation about my song, living in Athens and probably ten other topics. There seemed to be an instant click between us, and he was enchanted with Star. After a half hour or so, we excused ourselves and he insisted that we come visit him in his hotel. Not wanting to get on the bad side of the ‘Bears’ at the table, we agreed.

And wonderfully, this began a long and delightful friendship with Abdul. We visited with him probably twice or three times a week for six months or so and each time listened and then discussed both Islam and Christianity. We emphasized how gracious God is and that because of Christ we enjoy the freedom of truly forgiven sins. He told us that he was a lawyer and an author known in the Muslim world and each time we met we grew closer to each other. Star would run to him and jump onto his lap. Then she would stick out her hand into which Abdul placed a piece of candy. She loved this as much as he did.

One day, after several months we went to his hotel lobby and though his ‘friends’ were there, he was gone. We asked them where he was and one of them let slip, “Oh, he’s in Tripoli.”

“Tripoli?” I asked. “He didn’t say anything about that. When will he be back?”

“Oh, in a few days, it’s another Arab Summit,” he replied and then acted like he’d really blown it. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.”

“That’s OK. You know we are his friends. Why is he at an Arab Summit?”

“Well…,” he paused, “Abdul is the Prime Minister, in exile, of the Sudan. He is still considered the legitimate leader of our country by the other Arab heads of State, so he attends for us.” This last part was said with obvious pride.

Darlene and I were dumbfounded.

When Abdul returned, we met with him, and he shyly confessed that it was true. He told us that he had spent seven years in and out of jail in Khartoum because the Egyptians had taken over and put all his government in prison, then the military leaders that had overthrown his government were themselves overthrown but the new leaders didn’t know who to trust. At one point, Abdul, convinced that he was about to be executed, wrote his will on the wall of his cell. The next morning, the ones who were going to execute him were themselves executed in the cell next to him.

Upon release, he fled the country with many people who were loyal to him, and he was supported by other Arab heads of state because he was so highly respected. He had been the first Sudanese leader invited to the White House and to speak to the UN. In addition, he had hosted several Arab Summits himself.

“Do you know what I did in Tripoli?” he smiled broadly almost like a child.

“No, Abdul. What did you do?” We anticipated something unusual just by his body-language.

“Well, there is this man named Ghaddafi who is the leader of Libya.”

“Yes,” we inserted. “We know who he is.”

“OK, well he was going on and on, loudly asserting that we all had to reject the West and especially Christians because they are all infidels and unworthy of our friendship. So, I stood and rebuked him and said that he was mistaken. I said that, in fact, I had met some wonderful people from the US who were Christians and if there are more people like them, we should welcome their friendship.”

“You said that!? Abdul, you said that at the Arab Summit?? Will that get you in trouble?”

“Oh no. It is the truth and I know many of them heard my conviction.”

We were flabbergasted at his boldness and prayed for God to protect him. Anyway, it wasn’t too long afterwards that the Lord led us to move to Italy. Of course, our goodbyes with Abdul were tender and loving. He wrote to us many times explaining that he had experienced vivid dreams about us and about Jesus. In one letter, us joyously wrote that he had asked Christ to come into his heart and forgive his sins. He was so happy that he knew he was saved and would see us in heaven.

A few months later he returned to Sudan under a blanket pardon, and we did not hear from him again. Much later, we found out that he died about a year after returning but we don’t know the circumstances.

I looked this info up later:

Muhammad Ahmad Mahgoub (Arabic: محمد أحمد المحجوب‎‎; 17 May 1908 – 17 May 1976) was the Foreign Minister, and then Prime Minister, of Sudan and author. He was an important writer who has published several volumes of poetry in the Arabic language. He was born in the city of Aldewen in 1908, but then moved to Khartoum at the age of 7. Mahgoub graduated from engineering school in 1929 and in 1938 he obtained BL in law from the Gordon Memorial College. He was elected to the Parliament in 1946. Mahgoub was foreign minister between 1956 and 1958, and then again between 1964 and 1965. He was elected Prime Minister in 1965, but subsequently forced to resign. He was elected Prime Minister for the second time in 1967 and served in that position until 1969.

After twice serving as Sudan's minister of foreign affairs (1956–58, 1964–65), he was elected prime minister (1965) but was forced by the constituent assembly to resign in the following year. He was again elected prime minister in 1967, and in August of that year he hosted an Arab summit conference designed to coordinate strategy against Israel. Mahgoub's government was deposed (1969) in a coup led by Muhammed Jaafar al- Nimeiri and other left-wing officers. A writer, Mahgoub has published several volumes of poetry in Arabic.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

So, it is the exciting, wonderful truth of this grace, the freedom from the ugly stench of sin that appeals to all people who will truly hear it. Just like me and just like Abdul, God knows all His children and loves us so dearly.

The Message

Mar 29, 2022

Thinking back to Genesis chapter one, what was one of the very first things God did? He gave names to His creation - Day, Night, Heaven, Earth, Seas, and here, Man or literally, Adam. In this chapter, we’re reminded of the fact that He created Man in the image and likeness of Himself and so what’s one of the first things Adam does? He starts naming things as well - cow, dog, porcupine, etc.   And in this passage, he, like God, gives names to his creation or rather his procreation.

Now the whole issue of names is one that we in our culture are far removed from -- we tend to name our children after movie stars or give them names that seem to sound good, but we give little weight to the meaning. By contrast, the whole original purpose of naming was one of characterization or prophecy.

I think names are important to God because they communicate truth about a person, place, or thing. On the other hand, the “father of lies”, the devil, is constantly confusing our understanding of names because truth is uncomfortable for him --consequently, he says that lust is now love, sin is now entertainment, gossip is news, and on and on it goes. He’s probably ticked that his own name was changed from Lucifer which means “light-bearer” to Satan which means “adversary”. He’s also called Destroyer and Dragon - truthful names but not exactly complementary.

Names are really what this chapter is all about. However, if you're like me, there are times when I'll just scratch my head and really wonder why God put a certain portion of scripture in the Bible. For many people, genealogies like this one are such passages. Why would the Lord take the time to record this detail? Remember, all scripture is given for a purpose and the theme of scripture in its entirety is Christ Jesus. He is at the center of it all.

And as we take the time to study it, we’ll see that this chapter is a neat illustration of that principle. In order to get the message that the Holy Spirit is imparting, we need to do some `mining' in it. Let's look at the whole passage first:

You can read Genesis chapter five.

So here, we have a genealogy that runs like this - Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. We started out this chapter saying that sometimes you just have to do a little ‘mining’ so to speak, in the Word, in order to dig out what the Lord wants to communicate.

Names don’t mean much to us today, but they mean a lot to God - always have, always will.

So, let’s look at these names:

   Adam means Man

   Seth means appointed

   Enosh means mortal, sentenced to death

   Cainan means sorrowful

   Mahalalel means from the presence of God

   Jared  means  one descends

   Enoch means dedicated

   Methuselah means when he is dead, it will come (or he will bring it)

   Lamech means to the humble, to the lowly

   Noah  means  rest, comfort

For some of you, the ‘light bulb’ is already going on. Can you see it? There is a divine message from the Lord in this genealogy. It says, “Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.” Let’s translate.

These names say, “Man, appointed mortal, sentenced to death, sorrowful. From the presence of God, One descends, dedicated. When He is dead, it will come to the humble, the lowly -- rest and comfort.” Wow! The gospel has just been given and God was the first preacher of it. No wonder He’s into names.

Bethabara

Mar 23, 2022

John 1:26-28

Bethabara was on the Jordan river. When I read this the other day, a fresh view of the symbolism just grabbed my heart. You see, the name Jordan means “descender” and as you may know it indeed descends into the Dead Sea. It is frequently asserted by Bible teachers to be a picture of death and thus quite symbolic when it dried up all the way to the town of Adam when the children of Israel walked across behind the ark of the covenant.

Anyway here’s the place John baptized, the place where Jesus got all wet, where the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came upon Him. And as for Him, so for us, baptism was essentially Jesus submitting to the symbol –death. Death on the cross – God’s divine plan. And in doing so, He fulfilled all righteousness. But there’s more…

Bethabara means “ferry house”. At some point it seems this was a place you could ride on top of the water – that is you could stay dry. And thus the picture of this place portrays a choice that we as believers have in following Christ.

We can stay dry too… or we can get wet, real wet, totally wet and thus encounter the work of the Holy Spirit. However, as with Jesus, it means death – death to self, self-interest, self-will, self-obsession. And yet in this death, we find real life. It’s a choice we make every day because we come to our own Bethabara frequently.

It’s a choice to stay dry or die. Remember Paul wrote “I die daily”

Prayer, help me Lord to follow you more consistently and take the plunge. My nature is to look out for number one. In my heart I want to be more selfless and I know that’s a work of your Spirit. Please help me to choose wisely and submit to your will.

Ultimate Freedom

Mar 17, 2022

The entire story of mankind is epitomized in the age-old saga of bondage versus freedom. When we think of bondage, we often picture prison cells, balls and chains, chain gangs, slave auctions, soldiers forcing people to work or to pay taxes, etc. Some may even think of their financial debt or monthly bills as a form of bondage. In the Library of Congress, there are way more than 10,000 titles associated with this topic.

In short, it has historically been a matter of overwhelming importance. And, man’s answers to resolve these various bondages take the form of political elections, civil rights marches, tax reform, limited government, and such.

But the oldest and most severe form of bondage has not been and frankly, cannot be addressed by any power, politics or philosophy of man.

In the beginning, man’s disobedience to God’s command concerning the Tree of Knowledge of God and Evil introduced the pernicious, chronic, trans-generational and ubiquitous bondage of sin and death.

And sad to say, mankind, on his own, simply cannot be free from these two oppressors no matter what he tries or how long or hard he struggles. Even imagining they don’t exist or trying to ‘redefine’ them doesn’t work. Every man is a slave to sin and doomed to die.

If you’ve read it you know the Bible makes clear that there is indeed a lifelong bondage in every person – that is, the fear of death. See Hebrews 2:14, 15. And we all know this very basic foreboding nests in the background of our psyche, emerging when we feel threatened.

Becoming a sincere Christian can and should alter this for when you are at peace with our Creator and have the guarantee of eternal life, physical death no longer masters you.   Of course, that’s not to say that Christians lack survival instincts, not at all.

But the believer knows that physical death has lost its ‘sting’. For the Christian, it is merely a transition and in fact, the fulfillment of being born of the Spirit.

And so, Christ offers many freedoms – freedom from the slavery to sin, freedom from hatred and bitterness, freedom from condemnation and guilt, and freedom from fear. Of course, all of these are blessings of believing in Him right now. But there is also the greatest freedom of all – an eternal one that Christ described in John chapter 3. In this life, when you are truly saved, Christ sends His Spirit to live within you – it’s called a ‘down payment’ by some, of the things to come. See 2 Cor 1:22, 2 Cor 5:5 and Eph 1:14. And thus there is a spiritual insemination of sorts. But, for the true believer, physical death is the culmination of being ‘born again’ or literally translated, ‘procreated from on high’. It is really the climax of being “born of the Spirit”.

And Jesus described it like this - “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7, 8) It is the eternal awesome unsurpassed freedom of the Spirit. Perfect freedom!

No more bondage to a fallen, sinful human nature. No more threat of death or tragedy or sorrow. You’ll be moving about like the wind, freely where ever you wish. You’ll find the fruit of the Spirit - love, humility, joy – all as pervasive and free as the air we currently breath; and all embedded in the new heavenly nature even more than sin is in the old.

When you finally experience the fulfillment of being born of the Spirit, when you leave this earthly life and are welcomed into the heavenly, that’s when real freedom embraces you.

Now, this freedom is not for everyone. It is available to everyone, but Jesus Himself said few would find it. That’s because it’s found only in Christ. And you cannot fake it. Those who turn Him down, spurn the amazing love, ignore the gracious gift and choose their own path – these leave this earthly life for a permanent desolation.

Don’t be one of them! Choose life, choose freedom, choose the unmerited, unconditional, everlasting love of Christ. Be forever FREE.

You Can't Beat God

Mar 5, 2022

On the near horizon is an event which will humble the enemies of Israel so completely and so dramatically as to usher in the final episodes of this age. It was revealed to the prophet Ezekiel some 2600 years ago but has, in the last decade or so, appeared on our radar. It is a war.  

Now, stop yawning. I know, I know, you’re thinking, ‘another war’? And I don’t blame you for your under-impression. There have been at least 11 wars or conflicts between Israel and her enemies since she was reestablished as a nation in 1948. This, however, will be one of the three big ones that remain.

Recent, best-selling books have alerted us to its catastrophic importance, but not many people really understand what the Bible has to say about it.   There is a ‘high level’ chronology in the last part of the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 36, we read of the mountains of Israel coming alive again and then in chapter 37 we find an eerie resurrection of sorts – a vast valley of dry bones which come together, become covered with flesh and then receive the breath of life – a huge army which pictures Israel becoming a nation again.  

Then come chapters 38 and 39 which deal with our war (we’ll look at those in more detail) which are followed by detailed instructions for the millennial temple, its services and divisions of the land for Israel during the 1000-year reign of Christ found in chapters 40 – 48.  

So, we find this war, commonly known as the war of Gog/Magog, nestled between the time of Israel’s rebirth as a nation and the events of the millennium. Some folks get confused by the multiple wars spoken of during the last days and that’s understandable.        

Briefly, there are three that are blockbusters so to speak and global in impact. The first is the war of Gog/Magog – details to follow. The second is the Battle of Armageddon, which occurs at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation. This is when Christ returns from heaven with His army. When He does, the Antichrist will rally the armies gathered with and against him there in the Valley of Meggido to fight against the ‘alien invaders’.

The last war will come at the conclusion of the millennium. At that point, Satan will be released from his prison and will proceed to deceive the nations of the world to once more fight against the Lord. This will end in their annihilation and Satan’s eternal damnation after which the Lord will completely renew both the heavens and the earth.  

Among these three wars there are several distinctives; for instance:

• Gog/Magog – God destroys the armies in the mountains of Israel with fire and brimstone from heaven.
• Armageddon – Christ destroys the antichrist-gathered armies with the Word of His Mouth
• End of the Millennium – Christ destroys the armies Satan gathered from the four corners of the earth

Now, as we examine chapters 38 and 39, we’ll find many strange names and you might wonder why the seeming obscurity? But, actually, the use of these names allows us to most clearly identify the places and players. As a fictitious example, my great, great, great uncle Ivan lived in Petrograd which was known as St. Petersburg but then became Leningrad which then became St. Petersburg again, but my great, great, great uncle Ivan was always Ivan.    

You see, people move and the places they move to are always getting their names changed, so if you want to be most accurate about the location of a future event, you nail it to the name of someone way, way back and to his descendants. The task then becomes one of tracing his descendants to the time of the future event.  

So, let’s consider now our two chapters and we’ll cover each name in some detail as we proceed.

Ezekiel 38:   Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,… (v1,2)  

First, we have someone called Gog. He is the leader of the horde. Now, in Amos 7:1 (KJV) we read, “Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.”  

OK, here is the same verse from the Septuagint: “Thus the Lord showed me, and behold a swarm of locusts were coming, and, behold, one of the young devastating locusts was Gog, the king.” The cause of the difference is in the translation results from a little mark from the original that was overlooked.  

And referring to this king, we read in Revelation 9:11, “And [the locusts] had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”    

From this, we can see that this leader, Gog, is probably a demonic or demonized entity.  

Now for Magog. Though it is the name of a land in the prophecy, it was originally the name of a grandson of Noah. His descendants are often referred to by their Greek name, the Scythians. Early historians identified Magog with southern Russia. “Scythian designates a number of nomadic tribes from the Russian steppes. Many of the later Scyths settled in the fertile area of the Ukraine north of the Black Sea while other related tribes occupied the area to the east of the Caspian Sea. The Scythian language belonged to the Iranian family of the IndoEuropean languages. The Ossetian dialect of central Caucasus appears to be a survivor.” (Chuck Missler)  

So, back to verses one and two. The latter part of verse two above should read more accurately, “the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” In more than 420 other instances in the Bible, that is the way the word Rosh is handled. So where are Meshech and Tubal?  

Meshech was the sixth son of Japheth, the son of Noah. He is identified with the ancient Mushki of the Assyrians and the Muschoi of the classical Greek writers. Assyrian inscriptions describe them as inhabiting Phrygia in northern Anatolia (modern Turkey). Herodotus identified the Mushki with the mountains southeast of the Black Sea, the northeast part of modern Turkey.

Josephus also identified the descendants of Meshech as dwelling in eastern Turkey.    

Some later writers identify the name of Meshech as preserved in the old tribal name of the Muscovites of Russia, after whom Moscow is named. This is not at all unlikely, especially when we consider their historically close association with the people of Tubal.  

Tubal was the 5th son of Japheth and a brother of Meshech. The descendants of Tubal first come to our notice in the inscriptions of Tiglath-pileser I, king of Assyria in about 1100 BC. He referred to them as the Tabali whose original area of settlement was adjacent to that of Tegarama. Their land, in Josephus’ day, was called by the Romans Iberia, and covered what is now the country of Georgia whose capital still bears the name of Tubal as Tbilisi.

The scriptures continue: …and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords’” (v3,4).   From this passage, it is clear that it is the Lord who is behind this whole event. Gog is “turned around” and led out by hooks in his jaws. The ancient Assyrians led their captives out in a similar way.

So, the picture is that Gog and his horde, though they think they’re acting on their own, are actually the prisoners of the Lord’s will. It is a large, well-armed host.

Next, are Gog’s allies: “Persia, Ethiopia and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you” (v5,6).

Persia includes the descendants of Elam, the first son of Shem and is now modern Iran. Iran was known as Persia until it changed its name in 1935. The name Iran is derived from the term airyana; Middle Iranian, 'ry'n, "Aryan" or in New Persian, Iran. Iran is the leading ally in the Ezekiel list and the present major exporter of "Islamic Fundamentalism". Persia covers present day Iran and Iraq.  

The original language for the next name is Cush and refers to the land lying to the south of Egypt, usually translated in English Bibles as "Ethiopia". Originally Cush referred to a piece of territory lying between the second and third cataracts of the Nile. Later it came to refer to a broader area known as Nubia. Today, this land is occupied by Sudan. Sudan is home to the National Islamic Front, is ruled by an Islamic military dictatorship, was home to Osama bin Laden from 1991-1996 and harbors countless Islamic terrorist groups. It also trades military supplies with Iran for docking rights on the Red Sea shipping routes.    

The next name, in the original language, is Put. Put was the third son of Ham, the son of Noah. Josephus identified him as the founder of Libya, whose inhabitants were called Putites. Put, however, is associated with all North Africa, also populated by the Berbers and tribes distinct from Cush. Put encompassed the area from present day Libya to Mauritania and the Mahgreb, that is, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.    

The next ally mentioned is Gomer. In the Babylonian Talmud the Biblical Gomer, the father of Ashkenaz, is rendered "Germania." Gomer is also associated with the Cimmerians who were expelled in 700 BC from the southern steppes of Russia into what is today Turkey but eventually established themselves in the Rhine and Danube valleys. So, Gomer potentially covers area from eastern Turkey to as far north as present day Germany and Austria.  

Togarmah was one of the sons of Gomer. The Assyrians called them Til-Garimmu, a name derived from the Hittite city Tegarama and carried into classical times as Gauraema, presently known as Gurun, 70 miles west of Mylayta. The city was destroyed by Sennacherib in 695 B.C. The Armenians still refer to themselves as "The House of Togarmah" even to this day. So Togarmah is the present-day area that covers part of eastern Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.  

Nearly all of the allies of Magog have in common that they are Muslim.

“Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you” (v7-9).    

Here in verse eight, we have an additional clue – this massive army will march against the regathered nation of Israel whose people are dwelling safely. Thus, something has to happen to give the Israelis this sense of peace. It may be a peace covenant.  

So Gog and his hordes come against Israel and this is God’s reaction: “’And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘that My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’” (v18-20)  

First, there will be an enormous earthquake – seemingly ‘off the scale’ and extremely wide impacting.

Next… “’I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone’” (v21,22).  

Gog’s armies, a Muslim brotherhood, will turn on each other perhaps using not only conventional weapons but bacteria and/or viral agents. Meanwhile, the Lord will rain down huge hailstones, fire and brimstone. Later, in the next chapter of Ezekiel, the Lord says that He will completely disarm these assailants and adds, “And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD” (v39:6).  

We know where Magog is, but the “coastlands” is somewhat of a mystery. Typically, they represent areas quite distant from Israel. That they “live in security” may speak of people who simply don’t expect to have any trouble perhaps because they have stayed out of the conflict. In this passage, Israel is seen as being basically on her own in the world. A few countries seem to give Gog a verbal slap on the wrist, but no one acts to defend God’s people except God. Could these coastlands refer to the US or EU? Possibly.

“’Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,’ says the Lord GOD” (v39:9,10).  

These verses make me think that this cataclysm will take place before or at the beginning of the seven-year long tribulation. It won’t be during because that would not give enough time to burn all the left-over weapons nor afterwards as there will certainly be no plundering or pillaging under the righteous rule of Jesus Christ.  

Scriptures which follow state that the people of Israel will be burying the bodies of the dead for seven months and indicate by way of their procedure that the bodies may be radioactive. Though translations differ, verse two of chapter 39 indicates that these enemies of Israel will be annihilated leaving as little as one sixth of them alive.  

Now, recent events are quite sobering for not long ago we saw the leader of the modern day land of Magog attack the very place where the ancient Magogian language is still spoken – Southern Ossetia in the country of Georgia, the home of the descendants of Tubal. It would seem that there’s a clearing of the way going on, for if Russia is to sweep south it must pass through Georgia and thus it is very much against allowing Georgia to become an active part of NATO.

       In addition, Russia not long ago created a historic treaty with Iran, providing advanced nuclear and military technology and supplies. Syria has opened its ports on the Black Sea to Russian naval vessels and is also being supplied militarily from Moscow. Libya and Sudan are also now formally tied to Russia via treaties and myriad agreements. So, as you can see, nearly all the players are in place and for the first time in history are allied with each other.

So, an amazing display of the power and authority of God Almighty foretold 2600 years ago is about to take place in the Middle East. Keep your eyes open and be in prayer!

Really Crazy Days

Feb 27, 2022

   And then will come to pass the days spoken of by Jesus and the prophets of old – the days of Jacob’s Trouble (Jer 30:7). After the church has been safely ensconced in heaven, after the Spirit of God ‘steps aside’ in this world, all hell will be unleashed -- quite literally.

   This, I believe, will be the time when our dear country tumbles into calamity. Though liberal economists and historical revisionists may differ with me, when I study carefully the history of this land, I cannot help but see the hand of God at work in making it great. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, the ancient king of Babylon who walked its walls and felt such pride in what he thought to be his own accomplishment, we should recognize America’s national power at this critical time in history as most definitely a work of God’s grace.

   Amid the hypocritical animosity of the other 187 nations of the UN, no other country stands with Israel. To be sure, the US has an overflowing cup of sin to account for as well, but as long as the true church is present and our national posture is supportive of Israel, we can hope for the blessings of God.

   But the time is nearly upon us when all of that will change. You see, much to the disappointment of patriotic Christianity, America is NOT mentioned even indirectly in scripture as playing a role during the Tribulation, that is, during the last seven years of this age of history also known as the 70th prophetic week of Daniel 9:24-27. The ‘players’ are named in the Bible and quite clearly identified, but our country is not.

   Now, to our natural minds, that is quite startling. No land in history has possessed such economic, technological or military might, (and consider our godly heritage!), but unless the scripture is veiling its mention in some prophetic imagery, we simply do not see it involved. With our posture as supportive as it is of Israel, this doesn’t seem logical.

   Some Bible scholars have suggested that a nuclear conflict will be the reason for this seeming disappearance (or lack of mention) of the US from the prophetic ‘stage’ of the “last days”. Certainly, there are enough enemies and available weaponry in the world to make this a credible possibility, but based in part upon the story of Genesis 19, upon what the apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 2:6-9 and many other scriptural indicators, I’m inclined to believe that like Lot in Sodom, we’ll be gone, physically taken out of the way, before that occurs.

   Others have asserted that a devastating economic failure will leave us in such a strong isolationist mindset that we’ll fail to be involved in the events of the Middle East or of prophetic consequence. Surely, that’s possible as well.

   However, there are enough sincere Christians in this land that I’m convinced our ‘disappearance’ in the rapture will devastate every functional aspect of the nation. As a consequence, I believe that for a period of time, the country will, in effect, cease to function. Unchecked sin and ubiquitous turmoil will consume her.

   Then, without a meaningful alliance with the US, Israel will be seemingly defenseless. But scripture says that they will also be experiencing a sense of security - perhaps as a result of winning a regional war against her neighbors and the PA - perhaps as a result of a masterful peace negotiation. We may be here to see it or not, but something will happen to make the Jews in Israel feel relatively safe. (See Ez 38:10-12)

   “Given the current situation in the Middle East, some kind of confirmation of a seven year agreement [like Oslo] is an absolute necessity, either to prevent all out war or at the conclusion of any such war.”

   “Bible prophecy says it will happen. The Bible also says it begins a time of judgment against Israel and the Gentile world. The Church was already judged at the Cross.”

   “Here’s what it all means, boiled down into a single sentence. At some point before that treaty is signed, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven with a shout, and the voice of an archangel, and all those living who placed their faith in Christ will be snatched away, to be forever with Christ.

   That treaty could happen at almost any moment. And that means the Rapture of the Church is even closer.” – Jack Kinsella

   Then, during this period of seeming security, the Russian-led invasion mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will take place. I, along with many others, am expecting that this invasion and the Antichrist’s rise to power will occur near the beginning of the Tribulation period for several reasons:

1. Ezekiel 39:9 says that the victorious Jews will burn the weapons of the invading armies for seven years – the length of the Tribulation.
2. The Antichrist will be known for a significant seven year covenant that probably enables the Jews to build their temple and begin sacrificial worship. See Daniel 9:27.
3. The Antichrist seems to become famous as a military genius, for the people will refer to him saying, “Who can make war with the Beast?” (See Revelation 13:4). So to the people, he appears to be invincible militarily (even against overwhelming odds as are described in the Ezekiel 38 invasion?).
4. Although it is clearly the Lord who miraculously delivers Israel out of this terrible conflict, it is observably Satan’s style to deceive – to unworthily take credit for what God has done and to blame God for what he has done. His proxy is justly called Antichrist which means “in place of Christ”.
5. In Revelation chapter six, right after the church is seen in heaven (chapter five), we see the immediate release of the Antichrist who, looking quite ‘regal’ and like a good guy riding the white horse, goes forth specifically to conquer. Right behind him are the personifications of War, Famine (or economic repression) and Death. So it is clear that once the church is gone, evil events transpire quite quickly.

   In any event, with America’s power seriously abated and sinful behavior rampant and unchecked, it is reasonable to expect that the Jewish people will be in danger of immediate world-wide attack. What Satan wanted to do through Hitler, the Inquisition, Haman (see the book of Ester) and others, he will try to do again – eliminate the Jewish people – all in a vain attempt to thwart God’s plan.

   But this time, it would seem that even Satan may have learned something -- that direct assaults on all the Jews have never resulted in their annihilation. (It’s the same thing he attempted to do to the early church.) So instead, he’s going to join them.

   That is, it’s quite possible that he’ll pretend to be their long awaited Messiah, fulfilling their perspectives of some of the Messianic scriptures, and for a while, they’ll receive him. Jesus said to the Jews, “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” (John 5:43)

   Now, his ‘act’ will be very convincing – he’ll be awesome in battle, bring a temporary peace, provide a means of constructing a new temple in Jerusalem, do signs and wonders, even overcome a deadly wound. But then, sometime near the middle of this seven year period, he’ll demand to be worshipped and will seek to kill the ‘remnant’ or minority of Jews (and Gentiles) who don’t tow that line.

   Yet although the scripture calls him the ‘son of perdition’, he won’t act like some Lex Luthor (remember Superman?) or carry a pitchfork and no, no red tights either. On the contrary, he will appear very ‘messianic’ – a charismatic leader and an apparent ‘good guy’, an angel of light so to speak. He’ll come on the scene quite suddenly and subdue three significant leaders. It’s interesting to note that the UK has just begun to push the creation of an EU ‘super council’ kind of like the UN’s security council, consisting of three countries – the UK, Germany and France. Anyway, rising rapidly to global prominence, he’ll speak boastfully against all gods as well as our Lord, the one true God.

   Sounds crazy, huh? It will be! Crazy days indeed! But the good news is that we who are saved by sincere faith in the death and resurrection of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, don’t need to be looking for the Antichrist. Jesus told us to watch for His own coming, not Satan’s front man. In fact, He was emphatic about it. Speaking of His return for the church, He said, “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming – in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping (spiritually). And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:35,36)

Happy Hour

Feb 16, 2022

“Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour (noon).   A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.”  

Now, as you’ve likely been taught, this was indeed radical.  Ordinarily, a rabbi of that time would not even acknowledge his wife if he saw her on the street.  But here, Jesus began to minister to the lowest social outcast.  Outcast?  Yes.  You see, the women typically went for water in the morning or evening, but this lady was there at noon.  Once you hear her story, you’ll understand that she probably had few female friends.   

But that’s where the gospel finds ‘pay-dirt’.  The ‘together elite’ don’t usually respond to its call.  It is the sinner that can be saved if you know what I mean.  Unfortunately, the church corporately spends far too much time and resource trying to impress the unimpressable.     

Anyway, the dialog began as, “…the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”     

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’" 

Keeping our focus on coming to faith in Christ, let’s consider this woman’s heart.  To begin with, she’s bluntly honest and this is always the starting point on the road to salvation.  Those who try to play an insincere or dishonest game of verbal dodge-ball with God find Him silent.  But Jesus gave this woman a response that engaged her beautifully.  When He said, “living water”, the original language is water ‘having vital power within itself, the power to enjoy real life – fresh, strong and powerful’.  Now, that’s no belly-wash!

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?’”   

Note that her first inclination was to think that Jesus would draw this ‘living water’ from Jacob’s well.  Her question was sincere and like most all of us who believe, her initial understanding of Christ’s words was foggy at best.  She challenged Him based upon her limited tradition and a supposed link to the patriarch.  It is much like those today who suppose that their salvation is somehow enabled by a loose relationship they share with someone ‘religious’.  This is often because they think they must be good to go to heaven, that salvation must be earned, and they know they’re not ‘good enough’ so riding on someone else’s coattails, so to speak, is the only alternative.  

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’" 

What the world offers, like Jacob’s well did originally, can come easy and initially be a temporary thirst satisfier.  But over time, it takes more and more effort.  It gets tougher and tougher to slake that dryness in your soul.  Finally, you can wonder if it is even worth all the effort for the momentary satisfaction.  In contrast, Jesus spoke of a source that billows eternally with life – a fountain that springs up or literally leaps.  It’s the same descriptive word used when Peter and John saw the lame man healed outside the temple in Acts 3:8 who, after being healed, “…entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”     

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’”  As yet, she still didn’t understand but she recognized that this was what she wanted.  Salvation has never been understood.  If you’re like me, there are fewer and fewer brain cells ‘upstairs’ and I’m grateful that understanding everything is not the key to eternal life.  This woman only recognized that what Christ offered was WAY better than what she had.     

“Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’”     

“The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’”   

“Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, "I have no husband,” for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.’”    

There is no other way; there is no real conversion without conviction.  Salvation is not simply an intellectual discovery.  It is the humbling confrontation with your sin before a merciful and gracious Creator.  That’s why Jesus presented it to her. 

Now, I submit that this woman is not just an example of a sad story – someone who for whatever reason went through five or six men.  Rather, she typifies us all. 

But hold on. You may think, ‘I’m not that bad!’  But, actually, you are.  So am I.  Even if your grandparents and parents were missionaries and you’ve worked with Billy Graham for decades, the truth is that we are all as deeply in need of salvation as the dear woman in this story.  Even the great apostle Paul concluded, “…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1 Tim 1:15)   

“Notice also Jesus didn't say, `You've had five husbands. Let's talk about Husband #1: Sam. Then, we'll talk about why you left George in Session 2. Come next week, and in the third session, we'll talk about Pete. In Session 4, we'll discuss Harry.' No, it didn't take Jesus five sessions to discuss the five husbands. He didn't delve into codependency, or into the woman's past iniquities. Yes, Jesus revealed her sin — but He didn't revel in it. Big difference. I think it is dangerous for people who mean well to start reveling in the past sin of another — talking about it, exploring it, pursuing it. Jesus does not model this for any minister of the Gospel, or for any servant of the Kingdom. He says, `I know you're a sinner. You know you're a sinner. Now, let's go on from there.'” (Jon Courson)   

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’”  Her perception of Christ was changing.  We commonly think of a prophet as one who predicts the future accurately but most literally a prophet is one who speaks the truth.  Now, this truth wasn’t particularly secret.  There were many who undoubtedly knew it, but how surprising it is sometimes for us to learn that God already knows our whole story.  He knows it all and yet He comes to us.  

Some say that her comment here was a theological dodge of sorts like when you are sharing with someone about Christ and they say, “Well, who did Cain marry??” or. “Can God make a rock so big He can’t move it?”  but I don’t agree.  This woman’s interest was sincere and she, observing that Jesus had a prophet’s insight into her life posed a question that probably had really nagged her.  Her experience and training led her to believe that something was amiss – she’d been taught one thing and yet the truth was somehow elusive.  Both the Jews and the Samaritans couldn’t be right.  This woman wanted to know the truth of the matter even if it contradicted the traditions she’d grown up with. 

And this is an important point. A sincere desire for the truth is fundamental to growing in faith.  So many Christians never progress in their spiritual walk because they stop desiring the truth – that’s because it’s humbling, very humbling.     

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’”  

Jesus said, “You don’t see or perceive (and thus, know) what you worship.”  And this isn’t limited to the woman or the situation.  Undoubtedly, Jesus is referring to the mongrel nature of the theological ‘soup’ the Samaritans believed.  But, it also speaks to the whole of fallen humanity.  The truth is that everyone’s life is an act of worship to someone or something whether to self, Satan or the Son of God.  Nevertheless, the vast majority of non-believers don’t see it.  At best, they are playing a dangerous game with eternal consequences.  Sin has drastically contorted their perception.

This woman wanted to see, to know the truth and He was staring her right in the face.  From her sincere question came a liberating answer – God is not stoically sitting in the heavens listening to some and ignoring others.  Rather, He’s actively seeking out those who will worship in His Spirit and with a true heart – nothing feigned, no games, no mindless religious routine. 

Recall, Jesus “needed” to go through Samaria as an illustration of what God is doing in this age – seeking those, like this woman, who want the truth and who will relate to Him, worship Him, literally ‘kiss the hand’ in Spirit and truth.   

“The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’”     

“Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’”    

Ah, this was the turning point.  Note, that she responded, “I know” rather than “we know”.  It became personal for her.  Belief in Jesus Christ is nothing if it’s not personal.  It is never because your parents are believers or your spouse.  In her statement, you can just sense this woman’s anticipation of the glorious truth being revealed to her heart.  She wasn’t theologically ‘savvy’, but she knew she needed a Savior. 

To her, Jesus was first a “Jew”, then a “Sir”, then a “prophet”.  Here, she brought up the topic of a Messiah, not Jesus.      At what point will you be satisfied with your relationship with Christ?  Do you know you need a Savior?  I submit that Jesus reveals Himself to us to the degree we desire to know Him.

“And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What do You seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?’”     

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.”    

Ha!  You know, there’s a ‘waterpot’ left behind every time the living water leaps forth in someone’s heart.  The things we once thought important, even vital to satisfying our ‘thirst’ are simply not our passion any longer.  That's truly a happy hour!