Spelunking All the Way to Christmas (Dec 09)

Bill Watterson draws a comic strip about a 6 year old boy, named Calvin, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. Only Hobbes is very much alive to Calvin—they do everything together! One day, the two are trying to decide what to do, when Calvin suggests spelunking—exploring caves. When Hobbes admits he didn't know of any local caves, the last scene finds them at a local pond having fun by throwing in huge rocks and watching them make a splash—spelunk!

I suppose that is one way to go spelunking when there is no cave available, but there are plenty of caves to be found in the Scriptures. Speleology is the scientific study of caves in their physical, geological, and biological aspects, but right now, let's go ahead and apply that study towards the caves that we can find in the Word of God, discovering some fascinating lessons from each. In these coming weeks, we can go “spelunking” all of the way to Christmas.

We begin in Genesis 19, with the very first mention of a cave—"And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters." (vs. 30) What's happening here? Well, it's really quite simple—God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for it's sin of homosexuality. Lot, Abraham's nephew, had chosen to live there, and in God's mercy, He led them out. But still the rebellion continued—Lot's wife turned around, as if to actually go back, and she became a pillar of salt. The rebellion was in Lot, too. God wanted him to get out of the area altogether, but Lot insisted on just going a little ways—to a “little city” called Zoar. “Oh sure, the big cities are destroyed, but I'll be OK in a little city—I can do what I want!” In the end, out of fear, they wind up on a mountain in a cave—by definition, a place of darkness; and in the Hebrew, it comes from a word that refers to bareness and nakedness. Oh, that it was! Lot's daughters, possibly fearful that the world had ended, and that they would never replace their husbands who stayed behind in Sodom, got their father drunk and had sex with him. Moab and Ben-Ammi, their illegitimate and incestuous children, would produce two nations that would be enemies of Israel for a long time to come. Rebellion and sin must be judged!

Yes, I know that doesn't sound very “Christmasy,” but isn't Christmas all about a Savior coming to set people free from sin? Oh, a cave can be a very dark place. You see, the second place we find the word “cave” concerns Lot's uncle, Abraham. In Genesis 23, we find that his beloved life-long wife, Sarah, had just passed away. In the midst of his dark grief, he still had to make the arrangements. God had promised him all of the land around him, but as yet, he did not actually possess any of it. So, he entered into a deal with the inhabitants—"...give me the cave of Machpelah...for a possession of a burying place amongst you." (vs. 9) In fact, it would be the only piece of real estate that Abraham would ever own in his lifetime—Praise God, it would be a life-time lived by faith, and not by sight or selfish feelings!

The next cave to explore is found in Joshua 10. The days of the Patriarchs are over, and Joshua—succeeding for Moses—is responsible for conquering the Promised Land. As they tackle the southern end of Canaan first, five local kings make a run for it—"...these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah." (vs. 16) When Joshua was aware of this, he ordered huge stones to be rolled in front of the only opening. In the mean time, he and his armies routed all their towns for their rebellion against God. Upon his return, Joshua order the five kings to be brought out, and that the captains would stand over them and symbolize the victory by placing their feet on the necks of the captive kings. It was then Joshua said to his men—“Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies...” (vs. 25) At which point the five captives we hanged, their bodies thrown into the very same cave, and the great stones were put back. Did you see what happened here? Those kings had chosen that cave in the first place, and that is where they ended up. If we constantly choose to be distant from God and His mercy, that is where we will end up. (Rev. 19: 17-21) On the other hand, if we receive His call and act on it, we will be with Him forever. The choice is ours—He alone is the victor, and He alone will have the victory!

In the days of the kings, we see another cave. Saul, Israel's first king, had demanded that he knew better than God and was now consumed in trying to kill David, the newly anointed king. 1 Samuel 24:3 tells us, “And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.” David's men told him its a good time to kill the old king—it would be self-defense. David almost took the opportunity, but instead just cut off a little piece of Saul's robe to prove he could have killed him. Praise God—even then, David was convicted for even contemplating to hurt the Lord's anointed. He had good reason; he could easily rationalize it, but it wasn't right—he would not be trusting in God, relying on God's own timing. The “Sauls” in our lives need to be trusted to God, too—God does know best!

Another cave I wanted to touch on is found in 1 Kings 19. Elijah was tired. He had just stood for God and against sin on Mt. Carmel, and killed 400 false prophets. Jezebel, the wicked queen, was furious. Frustrated and scared, Elijah ran away—first, under a juniper tree, where God sent an angel to feed and sustain him; and secondly—“And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (vs.9) With that, Elijah went into a pity party—“I've done this and that for you, God, so where are the crowds and the honor? I don't deserve to be treated this way!” God's response? “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah.” (vss. 11-13)

You see, Elijah's ministry was in transition—not all shaking and fire, but now a still, small voice. Centuries later, that still, small voice could be heard in a little town called Bethlehem. In the days of Caesar Augustus, Joseph and his expectant wife, Mary, made their way to the town of their ancestry in response to a recent edict. Luke 2 tells the story—"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (vss. 6-7) Since there were so many hillside caves in the area, many commentators suggest that it is likely that that stable was in a cave. Whether that is literally true or not, all of the previously mentioned caves are pointing to this very special and crucial event. Even from the beginning, mankind has insisted on being rebellious, like Lot and his family, by not going God's way, God's way. It only brings death, grief, heartache, and loss—and in the end, we find ourselves in the very place we had chosen in the beginning—just like the five rebellious kings. Frantically trying to defend ourselves, as David did with knife and cloth in hand, the conviction gets even stronger. Through surrender and repentance, we must vow to never sin against the Lord's anointed again.

Praise God—but even then, like Elijah, knowing full well the powerful hand of Almighty God in our lives, we can come into times where we get down and feel all alone—and even forsaken. In those times, get quiet before the Lord, and listen very carefully for His still, small voice. Such was the purpose of Christmas—to interject into this hectic and self-consumed world, a still, small voice of God's love and forgiveness. But it didn't end on a Bethlehem hillside—only a few miles away, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, stands a Cross—an empty Cross. And only a short distance from there, a tomb—an empty tomb. Yes, a cave, of sorts! Praise God—the stone is rolled away; let us not waste our time “spelunking” stones at the entrance of the cave, endeavoring to keep a dead king inside. Imagine—a bunch of holes in the ground being used by God to speak forth the gospel truth! “Spelunk” the real way—exploring the journey from your own personal rebellion, all of the way to your own personal resurrection life!

Can You See the Wide-Open Window of Witness? (Nov 09)

How thankful Mariam Muhina Hussein, a Christian woman in Islamic Somali, must have been when a woman came to the door to ask about the Bible and discuss Christianity. In reality, the woman was the wife of Sheikh Arbow, and was sent to discover just how many Bibles she did have, and to find “Christians who have defiled the Islamic religion.” The next day, Mariam answered the door once again...

Only this time, it was the Sheikh Arbow himself. He casually and politely asked if he could check out something in the Bible. Mariam innocently complied with his request, and went into a back room to get a Bible for him to see. It was then he made clear his true mission—he demanded that she retrieve all six of her Bibles. He then fired three shots, and she was dead—instantly! As gruesome and senseless as it all may sound, let me ask you a question. In that very moment, Mariam stood at the very throne of Jesus in Heaven—do you think she was any less thankful than compared to the day before when she had the opportunity to witness for Jesus? I don't think so!

Coming up on November 8^th, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, churches all over the world will pray for all to stand firm in their faith for Jesus Christ. Later in the month, as a nation, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day—will we only be thankful for prosperity and easy times, or will we also thank the Lord for the times of witness. Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India, saw every moment as a “chance to die.” Oh, I'm not talking about being foolhardy and sadistic in wanting to physically die; I'm talking about dying to self and pride, and thereby being a witness to the life of Jesus living within us. Even if it does come to martyrdom, it will be for the glory of God. You see, the Greek word used in the Bible for “witness” is “marturia”, the word that spawns our word, “martyr.” By definition, it is evidence that is given—a report, a record, and yes, a testimony. Yes, a living testimony—it is not just a book known as the Bible that upsets the other world religions and gets people shot and killed; it is the living Jesus, whose word it is, and the changed lives that are so convicting to those who don't have Him.

It was the Apostle John that made clear this reality in the opening lines of his gospel—”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (1:1) A few verses later, he shifts his focus to the forerunner of Christ—”There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” (vss. 6-8) As you probably know, John the Baptist would later be beheaded for standing on the Word of God—not just a book, but a living presence of Light within. How is that a witness to us? Remember—contrary to popular opinion, there aren't two groups of people—the persecuted church and those who pray for them. The Bible tells us clearly--”Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12) It is not just for some out there, and the rest of us can take it easy. If you truly bear witness to Jesus Christ, some will not like it!

Think about this—this “witness” is a favorite term for Jesus and His true, overcoming Church. John uses it 65 times in his gospel account and letters, and he uses it 19 times in the Book of Revelation. It was prophesied by Isaiah some 700 years before Jesus—”Behold, I have given Him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.” (55:4) And when He appeared among the people, Jesus confessed that He came into the world to “...bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37) In His final message to the churches, He would say of Himself that He was, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” (Rev. 3:14) He said this as a rebuke to the church of Laodicea, which had miserably failed to be a good witness for the Savior they had excluded from their lives and worship. In fact, He specifically told them, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” (vss. 15-16) He says the same to much of the so-called church today—those that span the globe for foolish and false signs and wonders; those that try to lure the crowds with entertainment, activity, and prosperity; those that refuse to tell the truth about sin and sinners because it might offend somebody, and even meet with persecution. They don't realize it, but it's a very hard brick wall at the end of a very dead-end road.

Shortly after Saul, who was soon to become Paul, was saved and baptized in Holy Spirit and fire, he hit, what would seem to most to be, a dead-end. He was trapped in the city of Damascus, and the Jews were trying to kill him. So his friends put him in big basket and lowered him out a window to freedom outside the city wall. Dead-end walls or wide-open windows of witness? Tom White, the USA director of The Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that reaches out to the persecuted, was once captured in Cuba for witnessing. While in prison, he would declare “God bless you” to the guard who delivered his breakfast—just before the door slammed shut. After several weeks of this, the door shut just before Tom could get out the blessing. The guard swung open the door and asked, “Hey, Americano, where is my 'God bless you?'” Closed door or window of opportunity—which is it?

Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor and the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, was witnessing to the invading Russian soldiers at their barracks—all under the pretense of selling watches. Raised on decades of godless communism, they were hungry for the Word of God. One soldier even offered to be the lookout for officers as Richard witnessed to the men. When one was spotted, he would signal him to switch to the topic of watches. As new soldiers arrived to the barracks on trains, Wurmbrand and others would throw small Bibles—the Bread of Life—through the passing open windows to the starving atheists. Arrested for his Christian beliefs and activities, Richard Wurmbrand spent 14 years of torture and very harsh conditions in a communist prison. His favorite story from that time was about how kind the soldiers were—to him, the iron shackles and chains provided them with musical instruments to play as they sang praises to Jesus—this was kindness! In the end, hundreds were saved by the Christian witness! How do you choose to see it? He told another story about a sugar cube. He and the other prisoners lived on small rations of potato peel soup and stale bread. One day, one of them got his hands on a sparkling white sugar cube. No, he didn't gobble it down—he passed it on to someone more frail than he. Through the ensuing weeks, the sugar cube went from prisoner to prisoner—from cell to cell—never to be consumed. Rev. Wurmbrand said he believed the cube was passed along for decades! What do you believe?

It's a wide-open window of witness! In India, in the last five years, more Christians have been beaten or killed, and more houses and churches burned, than in all other countries of the world combined. Why the persecution? The Hindus are frantically trying to stop the spread of revival in their land—thousands of Dalits, the so-called “untouchable” poor class, are getting saved, and they are telling others about Jesus. Journalist Li Ying is 8 years into a 15 year sentence for her role in publishing a Christian magazine in China. She is not allowed to have a Bible, and is forced to work 15 hours a day—and that is in-between the severe beatings. Shafia, a young Christian woman in Pakistan, was kidnapped and locked in a small room. Her assailant raped and beat her every night, trying to force her to accept Islam. Her only peace came in the midst of it as she repeated the Psalms she had memorized. With all of this, and much more—including the murder of her own brother, Rafi—she declares, “I have forgiven those who persecuted me.” It's all in the way you choose to see life, isn't it?

Picture Colombia, South America. One day, the bus Alex and other Christians were on was stopped by FARC terrorists, and all aboard were ordered off and tied up—men, women, and children. The bus was then set on fire, and everyone was machine-gunned to death. To really show his hatred, the leader sliced a machete across the face of Alex, trying to take off his head. Leaving all for dead, the terrorists didn't know that one man had lived—Alex! Much later, the blind survivor went to a local prison to witness to the Cross, and guess who got saved? That's right—a man named Ishmael, the terrorist leader. In fact, the two men now witness together of God's forgiveness and life-changing Word. It is incredible what God can do if we will just have His vision of things, and see ALL things through the wide-open window of His Witness!

The Divine Vine: Saving the Best Until Last? (Oct 09)

The story is told of an elderly woman who walked into a local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row, please,” she answered. “Oh, you don't really want to sit there,” the usher said, “The pastor is really boring, and he might see you dozing.”

With that, the woman inquired, “Do you happen to know who I am?” “No,” he said. “Well, I'm the pastor's mother,” she replied indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” the usher asked. “No,” she said. “Good,” he answered, and with that he slipped down the aisle and melted into the crowd. Do you see how important it is that we know one another? Now, no one could doubt that Jesus knows who we are and what we are all about, but do we truly know Him? To illustrate the depths of this, let's take this time to turn to the powerful picture of Jesus as the True Vine.

Herbert Lockyer, in considering this truth, suggests, “Solemnity is attached to this most descriptive title taken from the fruit-bearing world, because it is intimately connected with the last symbol Jesus applied to Himself while He was on this earth. How gifted He was in the use of a natural object for the purpose of illustrating truth! The way in which the figure of speech is worked out, and the wealth of spiritual meaning that is associated with it, show how calm and trustful Jesus must have been as He entered the dark cloud of desolation to secure our redemption from sin.” Yes, it might very well be true—did He save the best until last? When He performed His first miracle of changing water into wine in Cana, the people were amazed—He had saved the best until last! Near the close of His ministry, I wonder if there was something He saw that night that sparked this thought of the True Vine. Perhaps earlier in that day He had seen the engraved vine over the porch of the temple. Maybe He was inspired as He sat with His disciples in the upper room, and He took the cup that was filled with the fruit of the vine. Or it could have been as they made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane—and even to its very entrance—a place of solitude and solemnity, filled with olive trees and even grapevines. Yes, any of these may have played their role, but the essence of it goes way back into the Old Testament.

You see, the word, “true,” in the Greek, signifies something to be genuine, sincere, real, and even veracious. In John 15:1, we are told—”I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” Just by saying He is the true one, indirectly points to one that has been false. He was the Divine Vine in contrast to Israel, the fruitless vine. Isaiah explains just how much effort the Lord put into this vine, as well as the result of it—”My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. And He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.” (Isaiah 5:1-2) In the Hebrew, this “wild” refers to being filled with stench, and even poison. The implication is that of total rebellion and unruliness towards God—it is their fault, not God's!

It is so grievous to the Lord, He asks, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” (vs. 4a) Love, mercy, and grace abounded, and still they demanded their own ways. But Israel is not the only vine in the vineyard—what about so much of the church today? So many think that entertainment, glitzy promotional campaigns, and psychology are the new ways to get the gospel across to people. But how can the ways of the world accomplish the work of the Lord? They can't—they just become a slick and alluring replacement for the Holy Spirit. Oh, we can still claim to want—and even need—the Holy Spirit, but then we often go about it in our own way, depending on our own natural abilities. There is no doubt—we are in great need of a baptism of Holy Spirit and fire—a consuming fire that burns away our ideas, plans, and agendas, leaving nothing but His. (Mt. 3:11) After all, He never expects us to actually produce the fruit—we are called to bear it. Hosea 14:8 tells us, “From me is thy fruit found.” It is interesting—if not puzzling—that both the true and the false vines have the same Father as their Husbandman, and yet their fruit are exact opposites.

So why is that? The Jews have a tradition that the vine was first planted by God's own hands on the fertile slopes of Hebron. So why didn't it all work out? Hosea 10:1-2 explains—”Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself...Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty...” Yes, they were empty in that they did not have singleness of purpose—the Lord Himself. James, Jesus' own brother, once wrote, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.” (1:5-8) Do you see the need to be about the Lord and His ways His way? We have got to stop acting on our own plans, giving them the stamp of God's approval when it is really a matter of our own selfish desires. Singleness of purpose—God's purpose—is just as stable and reliable as you can get.

And what is the key? Do you remember what Hosea said? He said the vine was empty. I don't think that is just referring to the lack of big, luscious bunches of grapes; I think it speaks of the inside of the vine as well. Yes, the place where the life giving sap flows. Jesus said, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:2) Did you catch the part about “in me?” If we will be branches in Him—allowing for the same life-giving sap to flow through us as flows through Him—there will be an abundance of good, ripe fruit, and not just an “empty” vine. How do we get to that point? Notice, there is a “purging”; in other words, a cleansing or pruning. It is not just a matter of cutting out the dead wood; it goes far beyond that. Pruning takes out living branches in order that the remaining branches can flourish even more. Christianity is not just a matter of cutting out the blatant sins and vices, but rather, as I mentioned earlier, a burning away of even “good” things, so that we are only left with God's best. True Christianity is not empty religion, depending on lifeless ritual and a legalistic, perfunctory doing of things. Genuine Christianity is not a matter of people trying to work their way to God, but a matter God coming to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. This is what I mean when I say that Christianity is not a “religion”; it is a relationship with the Lord of Glory.

Praise God, Jesus went on—”Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (15:3-5) Yes, that's the promise, but here is the warning—”If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (vs. 6) And now, back to the quintessential promise—”If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” (vss. 7-9) Do you see it? This abiding is a very strong concept, referring to a deep sense of indwelling and ongoing expectancy and anticipation. It is the indwelling Spirit of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Without it, we will whither away spiritually. Remember this—every withered branch used to thrive on the indwelling sap of the life of God that filled it, but now it doesn't. Do you see the need for the continual abiding of which Jesus speaks? Verses 10 and 11 conclude the story—”If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love...These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” Yes, Jesus already knows us, but do we really know Him? No, it's not boring; this relationship can only become more and more exciting. Yes, there will be dark days ahead—there were for Jesus; there will be for His people—but we can come through them calm and trustful with Him living within us. Perhaps He did save the best for last—He is the Divine Vine!

Stones of Promise and the Stone of Reward (Sep 09)

Have you ever allowed a memory to become a powerful illustration of an eternal truth? I have. Take, for example, a couple of memories I have of the the old show, “Leave it to Beaver.” On it's web site, I found the following statement: “...The show was created by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, who found inspiration for the show's characters, plots, and dialogue in the lives, experiences, and conversations of their own children.” In fact, they once admitted that they followed their own kids around, with pad and pencil in hand, taking notes!

Now that may not mean much to you, but that really brings back memories for me. You see, I remember that my Dad got the biggest kick out of that show, and quite often, he would say, “Boy, the writers of this show must have kids!” Ha—I guess it's true then—”Father Knows Best!” I remember one particular episode where the Beaver and his buddy bought a sliding coin trick that made the coin disappear—just like the one I had—and were amazed at how everybody they pulled it on knew all about it. So, they ramped it up a bit—with a little neighbor boy as their audience, they made Beaver disappear, leaving a stone in his place. That's right—a stone!

For the whole rest of the show, the little boy was absolutely convinced that Beaver was now a stone—he talked to it, he slept with it, he hauled it around in his wagon, and he even tried to feed it—but he couldn't find the Beaver's mouth. It got to be such a problem for the little boy's mother, Beaver had to cut a visit to his aunt short in order to prove to the little boy that he was not a stone. What eternal truth could this possibly illustrate? Well, for me, it reminds me of a man who did become a stone—not magically or by trickery, but miraculously—and that man, believe it or not, was Jesus. But first, let me be very clear, the Bible is filled with the imagery of stones—Jacob made a stone his pillow; many buildings had a stone foundation that began with a cornerstone; stone dressing and masonry were recognized trades throughout Bible-times; stones were used in fighting, as Goliath found out; stone pillars, monuments, and landmarks were quite common; and being stoned to death was a frequent means of execution. With so many uses for stones in such a rocky place as Israel, is it so hard to see how it could be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ? Chris Tiegreen, in his devotional book, “Walk with God,” writes, “Jesus was no stranger to Old Testament imagery. His Spirit had inspired it, and His humanity had been educated in it.”

Back in the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel interpreted a dream. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar had a vision of a giant statue, each part of which represented a coming kingdom of the world—following the current kingdom would come the Medo-Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and finally—that's right, finally—that is, the final one, a Revived Roman Empire! That's right—the times in which we live right now! Each kingdom is represented by a different type of metal, in descending order of value—gold, silver, brass, and iron. The last one, however, is pictured as feet made with both iron and clay. In the last days, when the Messiah ushers in His universal reign, He is coming as a stone. A stone? Yes, in the dream, a huge, huge rock breaks off of the mountain and rolls down towards this great statue. Striking it in it's iron and clay feet, the statue is utterly destroyed, and the rock is seen for what it really is—a rock as big as a mountain. Yes, the “Stone” will, in the end, destroy this entire world system, and He Himself will become a very great mountain that even fills the earth. That, my friends, is a promise—a promise of God's rule and reign, carved in stone!

Did not Christ refer to Himself as a Stone? Following His quintessential parable of the tenants, Jesus said, “Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:42-44) This is not a trick—it is reality! Those that stumble and fall over His call to die to self and be humble before God—as many do today—will find themselves laid out flat on the ground. If they will humble themselves and repent, they can—and will be—recovered by His resurrected life. BUT, if they trip over Him and stay stubborn, not allowing themselves to be picked up by the miracle of new life, the stone will fall upon them, pulverizing them into dust with no way to be reconstituted. Yes, another promise!

Now remember—when Christ described Himself as the stone rejected by the builders, the builders, of course, were the Jews, who totally discounted His claims to be the Messiah. But—Praise God—the despised Stone actually became the Headstone of the Corner—the most important part of the building, for it keeps everything straight and true. One commentator suggests, “Christ is called the Cornerstone because, as the cornerstone unites in itself the first two walls, so also Christ unites in Himself two peoples—the Jews and the Gentiles, and by faith, makes them one.” All through the Old Testament, Israel is called to be a light to the Gentiles. With pagans all around—Amorite, Hittite, Jebusite, and Amalakite—there was but one “light” to shine on all the “ites.” But through the years, Israel came to see itself as the only people God even cared about. So the call went out to the Gentiles—by way of the Church—to shine the light of Jesus Christ throughout this sin-darkened world; to call one and all—Gentile and Jew—to the Cross of Calvary. To all who harden their hearts like stone and refuse His loving overtures of mercy, He will be the crushing Stone of Judgment (Mt. 21:44). Promise? Warning? Are they not really the same thing?

We have seen some Stones of Promise, now let's turn our attention in the end of the Bible—the Book of Revelation—to see the Stone of Reward. For those who overcome in the fight of faith, Christ promises, “...a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it.” (2:17) Sir William Ramsey, in his book, “The Seven Churches,” suggests this white stone to be a “tessera.” It is a little cube made of stone, ivory, or some other substance, on which words or symbols could be engraved. Walter Scott, in his “Exposition of Revelation,” writes, “A white stone was largely employed in the social life and judicial custom of the ancients. Days of festivity were noted by a white stone; days of calamity by a black stone. A white stone meant acquittal; a black stone, condemnation in the courts of justice. A host's appreciation of a special guest was indicated by a white stone with a name or message written on it.” I believe it is this last illustration that speaks to the current context, and therefore, is the most memorable.

You see, since this stone is white, it speaks of something positive, something pure, and something precious. Revelation 3:12 gives us a clue—”Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Remember—both this Scripture, as well as the previous one, were written to the Churches. Yes, the overcoming Christian is promised a white stone with something quite precious written upon it, but that only comes by virtue of Christ's intimate relationship with the overcoming Body of Christ. You cannot separate the two! You cannot say you love Jesus, and withhold your whole heart from His people. This stone of reward is a very powerful expression of the Lord's personal delight in His true Church first, and secondly, in each and every one that goes the whole way with Him. This new name signifies Christ, who is known in a very special, a very peculiar, and a very deep way, and that, most certainly, is a very precious reward that is far beyond all price. Yes, the author of this gospel story does have a “kid,” and He loves us so much he wants us to be conformed to His image. It's not a trick; it's a miracle—surrender and submit! Don't leave it to Beaver; leave it to the Lord Jesus!

On Handling the Gift of God (Aug 09)

Perhaps the following story will seem even more apropos in light of the recent flooding in our own country's mid-west. A flood came and left a very devout man stranded on his roof. A neighbor came by in a rowboat, but the man said, "No, thank you—the Lord will save me!" Soon the police showed up in a powerboat, but he gave them the same response. When the peak of his roof was almost submerged, he even sent a rescue helicopter away with the same declaration—"The Lord will save me!"

You probably know what happened—as the story goes, the man drowned. When he met the Lord in heaven, he asked, "Lord, why didn't you save me?" The Lord replied, "I gave you a rowboat, a powerboat, and even a helicopter—what more could you possibly want???" So often we get it in our minds that God is going to intervene in our lives through lightening bolt revelations and thunderous miraculous touches. But, in reality, he often uses a still small voice—often just giving us His answers in everyday circumstances, using every day people. Recently, I was just thinking about how much the Lord gives to His people, but, at the same time, how much is actually either misinterpreted, and thereby, mishandled by those who should just be receiving His gifts by faith.

The concepts of gifts and giving are actually paramount throughout the Scriptures, appearing over 1,500 times throughout the Bible's pages. Giving is what God does best! Well, actually, when you think about it—He does everything best, but it all comes from His giving heart. We see this with King David as he passes the kingdom on to his son Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 28, we find that David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but the Lord wanted to give that responsibility to Solomon—if he would persevere in the ways of the Lord! Though David couldn't actually build it, he could prepare the way. He gathered the wood, stones, and precious metals, and then asked the people, "…who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" (29:5b)

And what was their response? Verses 6 and 7 tell us, "Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God…" The list of things offered is so long, I don't have room for it here! But we are told—"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." (vs. 9) This is key as we begin this look on how to handle gifts—everything must be offered willingly. In one church I know, two families fought every year over who would give the most. Each wanted to be known as the most generous and devoted, but most certainly it was not willingly. Since their hearts were not right in the matter, it actually would have been better if they had given nothing! It must glorify God, not mock Him. You see, we must understand that the ultimate Gift is actually Jesus, and to handle Him poorly, mocks God. Herbert Lockyer once wrote, "What great reward there is for all who receive the Savior as God's gift. How blessed we are when, having received the Gift, we live for the glory of the Giver! Having received the gift of eternal life, ours is the obligation of living as those who, being heaven-born, are heaven-bound."

It was at Jacob's well that Jesus first gave Himself this title—"If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."(John 4:10) Jesus had asked for cool water, not only because He was tired and thirsty, but because He wanted to show her her own need for Himself—the living water! Praise God—as the Giver was the Gift, He willingly entered into the giving-heart of God—"For God so loved the world, that He gave…" (John 3:16a) Yes, the Giver was—and is—the Gift! But it doesn't end there—Jesus came, in part, to give the Holy Spirit, so that the Christian life would not just be a matter of having God nearby, but even within. Jesus told His disciples, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13)

Just like rowboats, powerboats, and helicopters must be received in order to have their intended effect, it is even more true when it comes to the Gift of the Holy Spirit. How should this Gift be handled? The Church of Jesus Christ had just begun—"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostle's feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." (Acts 4:33-35) That is what should happen; this is what shouldn't—a man and his wife, Ananias and Sapphira, sold some land, but kept back some of the proceeds, giving the rest to the church. In that moment, the Holy Spirit witnessed of the truth of the matter to Peter. You see, it had been their land—they could do anything they wanted to do with it or the money they got from it. But they claimed they were giving the whole thing—they lied; and worse yet, they lied to the Holy Spirit! And when Ananias wouldn't admit it and repent, he died on the spot and was buried immediately. Then his wife came in and lied about it, not knowing what had happened to him—and she fell to the ground dead, too. Oh, a Gift mishandled!

It is actually the end of the story that says it all—"And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." (5:11) Today, there is very little fear of the Lord. Many, even within the church, live in deception—shading the truth and leading people to believe that they are more devoted to the Lord than they really are. Case in point—a tithe! It is all through the Scriptures, but many today don't take it seriously. A tithe is literally 10%, and so a $300.00 weekly income would produce a $30.00 tithe; $500.00 would mean $50.00; and so on. And this is only the basic, bottom-line Biblical expectation—what about the "tithes and offerings" we speak about in our services? Our giving, to truly glorify God, must be a "willing offering"—a physical expression of the devotion and surrender that has been implanted in the human heart. Malachi says clearly that the withholding of the tithe is actually robbing God! How many places in our lives do we pretend to be closer to the Lord than we really are, and thereby "tempt the Spirit of the Lord?" (vs. 9) Not smart!

In Acts 8, we see the same thing, and, Praise God, even more. Verses 9 and 10 tell us of a certain man called Simon, who was "giving out that himself was some great one," and everyone around, "gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying This man is the great power of God." He had everybody fooled! But when he saw the Holy Spirit falling on people under the ministry of Peter, he tried to buy it. Peter told him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." (vs. 20) Today, many think the gift of the Holy Spirit can be bought through good works or traveling all around the country seeking a so-called new thing. Many flock to fast-paced, entertaining, mega-churches, sip their lattes—which they bought right there—and hear snappy little pep talks on how to live—a total mishandling of the Gift!

Listen—a gift is just that, a gift! A.B. Simpson once wrote, "Grace carries with it two great senses always; it comes without charge, and it comes when we are helpless. Grace does not merely help the man who helps himself. The gospel is that God helps the man who cannot help himself. Grace is given to the man who is so weak and helpless he cannot take the first step." Haven't you ever reached out to help another and your gift was rejected, whether it be your time, your resources, or your compassion? And did that cause you to quit? If it did, it shouldn’t have—where would you be if Christ quit reaching out to you after the first time—or the hundredth time—you rejected Him? You would be dead—drowned in the flood of your own sin and deception! When you turn down His rowboats, powerboats, and helicopters, what is left? If you put yourself on some spiritual pedestal, you will turn your back on the amazing compassion of God, and then not have any compassion with which to handle the Gifts intended for others. Proverbs warns, "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" (20:6) God is looking for—and will have—a people who will be honest before Him, handling His Gifts as though they are very precious, for, indeed, they truly are!

The Battle For Shiloh (Jul 09)

With the 4^th of July, otherwise known as Independence Day, just around the corner, I am reminded of the quest for peace and freedom that has always been the hallmark of this nation. Allow me to hearken back to a very crucial event—not in the days of the Revolutionary War and the search for independence from another nation—but rather, one that occurred just two years into our Civil War. It was April 6^th, 1862...

One of the first major battles of the western front was about to take place at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. The Confederates struck with the intention of driving the Union defenders away from the Tennessee River and into the swamps of Owl Creek. But the Confederate battle lines became confused during the fierce fighting, and Grant's men instead fell back in the direction of Pittsburg Landing. From a position on a slightly sunken road, nicknamed the “Hornet's Nest,” the Union forces were able to provide critical time for the rest of their line to stabilize under the protection of artillery batteries.

This two day battle would most certainly prove to be a real Hornet's Nest—with 24,000 troops killed, wounded, or missing, it would be the bloodiest battle thus far in the war. Though neither side had the decisive victory, it helped to shape the North's strategy for the next few years. Later, the battle and its location were named after the local log church at Pittsburg Landing—the Shiloh Methodist Church. On December 27^th, 1894, the once bloody battlefield became a peaceful National Military Park. You see, the local farmers had complained that their pigs were constantly rooting up the remains of the men who had been killed during the battle, so the park was established. It is now part of the National Park Service, and is visited by thousands of sightseers every year. The Battle of Shiloh is one thing, but what about the Battle for Shiloh? You see, the word, “Shiloh,” is actually mentioned in the Scriptures 31 times, and in the original Hebrew, it refers to tranquility and rest. Ironic, isn't it? War and peace!

All but one of these references have to do with a place just 10 miles from Bethel where the Lord called the people to gather. It was supposed to be a holy place, but the people had other plans—“Is this house, which is called by my name become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.” (Jer. 7:11,12)God had a great vision for Shiloh, but the people perverted it.The very first reference to Shiloh in the Bible, however, is a different story. In Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons, and tells Judah—the tribe from which the Messiah would come—“The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” (vs. 10) Praise God—all three of these terms, namely Sceptre, lawgiver, and Shiloh, are referring to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Just think of the mercy here—long before the other 30 times Shiloh is mentioned—and long before that town was given by the Lord for worship—the ultimate peace, tranquility, and rest is prophesied—Jesus!

Fifteen years ago, the Lord called my family and I out to start a new Bible-believing, Bible-living church. As we ventured forth, we had no insurance, no income, and no home—but, Praise God, He provided. Miraculously, our new mortgage was history in just a few years. To give the honor to the Lord, we placed a large plaque above the front door, giving the house the name, “Shiloh Bethel”—Peace in the House of God. In so doing, it does not commemorate the town of Shiloh, but rather, the house of Shiloh, and how our house would be a place of true worship—with His name upon it—focused on the soon return of our Shiloh. I think we need to be a little careful about our definitions here. Every moment of these last 15 years has been flooded with peace. Oh, I didn't say there have never been any difficult times, rough sailing, or even battles from the enemy. There most certainly have been trials and tests along the way, but peace isn't just a matter of not having conflict or troubling situations. True peace, according to the Scriptures, is a matter of being reconciled by faith to a Holy God through the blood of Jesus Christ. True peace only came through a bloody battle with Satan at the Cross of Calvary. True peace is the indwelling Jesus Christ!

Amy Carmichael put it this way, “The peace of Jesus stood every sort of test, every strain, and it never broke—then by His touch upon us we shall bear the image of the Man of heaven.” Concerning this, G. Steinberger wrote, “In His way, we find rest. We find peace in the same degree that we follow Him.” Oh, the world today has such a different definition. Today, peace is everybody getting along, and living in an ecumenical unity, even if we have to compromise the true Jesus in order to make others feel good. The result is a peace that the world and the worldly churches want. But the real Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you...If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 14:27;15:18-19)

Do you see how the world's definition of peace is so different from the real one? In fact, today, many people are seeking peace, but often it is so everything will go smoothly for them, hardly giving a thought for anybody else. Take, for example, the story of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, in 2 Kings 20. Verse one tells us, “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” So, the king went right to prayer—”I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.” (vs. 3) Well, the Lord did answer his prayer and assured him that he would have another 15 years to live. Shortly after this, Berodach-baladan, the king of Babylon, having heard of Hezekiah's illness, sent a delegation with letters and presents—probably trying to butter him up in order to gain a military alliance with Judah for an upcoming battle with Assyria. Hezekiah was so thrilled, that he took the delegation on a grand tour, showing them everything he and his kingdom had—all their riches, possessions, and even military secrets.

When Isaiah heard of it, he confronted King Hezekiah—“Hear the word of the Lord. Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (vss. 16-18) So, what was Hezekiah's response to this horrifying and tragic news? Did he fall to his face in repentance, and beg for mercy for his children and grandchildren so that they would grow up and be fruitful and productive for the Lord, and not spiritual eunuchs in the enemy's palace? Did he offer to do anything to make it right? No, in fact, he said to Isaiah, “Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days.” (vs. 19) Imagine that! He couldn't care less about anybody else, as long as his days were filled with so-called peace, ease, and comfort, as well as his own brand of truth. That is not true godly peace; that is nothing but the self-oriented peace of the world.

Only Jesus Christ Himself can offer and deliver the peace, tranquility, and rest we really need—“unto Him shall the gathering of the people be!” Oh, what peace there will be in our hearts when we truly long for His soon return to gather up His true Church—not as an escape hatch, but to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever. (1 Thess. 4) This glorious rapture, which could happen at any minute, is intended to fill us with peace—“Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (vs. 18) Yes, our Shiloh—the peace that passes all understanding—must be our focus. First, the war; then, the peace! First, the battlefield; then, the park. Yes, there was a Battle of Shiloh, but Satan wants you to think that the Battle for Shiloh was lost when we made His house a den of robbers. Well, it wasn't, due to His mercy, but He still wants us to persevere. Oh, not in your own strength, for the Battle for Shiloh can only be won through surrender—utter submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! Break away from the quest for independence and depend on Him alone!

It's Bound to Happen (Jun 09)

Have you ever heard that what goes around, comes around? In fact, all of life seems to go full circle. The story is told of a late night encounter that did just that. One evening, just before midnight, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had just broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to try to flag down the very next car that came along.

Soon, a white man stopped to help her, an event that was generally unheard of in the racially-charged 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance, and put her into a taxi. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but she still wrote down his address and thanked him numerous times. A week went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his great surprise, a giant console color TV—the latest in the technology of that day—was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read, “Thank you so very much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.” The note was signed, “Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.” The man had absolutely no idea as to her identity, and certainly didn't extend the kindness in order to get something. And yet, his kindness had gone full circle—what goes around, comes around. Now, certainly, this is not universally true, due to greed and insensitivity, but in God's economy, it is very true—it is bound to happen! Allow me to illustrate this with salvation and sanctification. If we stay on God's path, true salvation will come around and produce true sanctification. Paul put it this way—“...we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thess.2:13) Praise God—we are bound to give thanks for this powerful pair of gifts—salvation and sanctification. In the Greek, this “bound” refers to owing something, as in being obliged. In what way?

Well, we really can't separate these two things. Salvation, of course, occurs when we truly receive the price that has been paid at the Cross of Calvary as payment for our own sin. Once the blood of Jesus washes away that sin and changes our hearts, the transformation of our daily lives is not far behind. In fact, if this sanctification does not occur, the original claim of salvation is extremely dubious. Perhaps it might be helpful to see this sanctification in light of the original language of the Bible—in the Greek, it is “hagiasmos,” specifically a purification, as well as the state of purity. It comes from a word that means to be made holy, and thereby, consecrated or separated out. Herbert Lockyer once wrote, “For all who have been saved through Christ's redeeming work, no theme is more appropriate than that of sanctification, the root idea of which means being set apart towards an object. For us, this setting apart is of a two-fold nature—separation from sin, as well as unto God.”

Yes, it is bound to happen! Just as the Scriptures refer to those truly saved as both already saved and being saved, so, too, with sanctification. Through all that Christ has done, we are already sanctified, and at the same time, we are being sanctified. What we are positionally in Christ is made practical by the Holy Spirit, who is always active in translating our “standing” in heaven to our “state” on earth. It is as we recognize that we have been sanctified—and live in its power—that a daily sanctification is produced. And it all began with Jesus, who actually put it this way in His prayer to the Father for His followers just before His arrest--”They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth. As thou has sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (John 17:16-19) Jesus sanctified Himself? Yes, while He had no sin to separate from, He consecrated Himself fully unto the Father. Paul states it flatly—“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30) Yes, it is Jesus who IS our Sanctification—He sanctified Himself, that we might also be sanctified. What goes around, comes around—even full circle!

I think it would help to take note of the five modes, or ways, that sanctification happens. Allow me to take you around the loop, so to speak, to see everything full circle. First, we are sanctified by God the Father. While there are several places this can be seen, Jude 1 spells it out very clearly—“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called...” After all, it is the Father who sent the Son in the first place. Secondly, as we continue around the loop, we see that we are sanctified by and in Christ. We have already seen this in previous Scriptures, but, Paul, in First Corinthians, is quite emphatic about it. He begins this letter with this greeting—“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.”(1:2) And a little later, in calling the people out of sin and impurity, he writes, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (6:11)

In this Scripture, we get a peek around the curve—the third way in which we are sanctified—the Holy Spirit. Paul also tells the people in Rome his reason for writing to them—“That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” (15:16) Fourthly, we are sanctified by the Word of God. We have already seen this in the references to “the truth,” but Paul made it even clearer when he wrote to Timothy about watching out for false teachers, stressing that sanctification is by “the Word of God and prayer.” (1 Tim. 4:5) Paul, also, in speaking of the correlation of Christian marriage to Christ's own relationship to His Church, tells the Ephesians, “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (5:26,27)

As we come full circle, the fifth mode reveals we also have a crucial role in sanctification. As the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron, and ultimately to us, we hear these words—“For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy...” (Leviticus 11:44) The Lord promised Solomon, as he dedicated the temple to the glory of God, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14) Along the same lines, Paul writes, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 7:1)

Do you see how it all came full circle? God the Father sanctifies us by sending His only Son, who sanctifies us by first sanctifying Himself. The Holy Spirit, then, separates us unto purity and holiness by convicting us of our sin, and giving us the desire and the power to forsake it. This forsaking of the sinful self-life is made possible as we are confronted with the Word of God. But if we won't surrender to all that the Divine Godhead is trying to do in and through us, then none of it comes to fruition. If we do, however, we will find ourselves conformed to the image of Christ. Hebrews 2:11 tells us, “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” If we will just go full circle in all of this, the blessings are bound to abound. As we stand getting drenched by the storms of life, along comes Jesus to take us to our true destination—oneness with Him. Are we not bound to be thankful for this? With all the Lord has done, are we not obligated, through love, to give all of our hearts and lives to Him—a far greater value than a color TV set? Far greater--”And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:23,24) Bound to happen!

Easter in Reverse: Up To And Including My Life (May 09)

Just before takeoff, a line of 10 soldiers entered the plane and walked down the center aisle, taking their seats surrounding a civilian traveler. That man struck up a conversation with one of the soldiers and found out that they were all headed for two weeks of special training, and then deployment in Afghanistan. Shortly into the flight, the smiling stewardess offered sack lunches for $5.00. The man overheard one soldier say to the other, “I don't think I'll get one; it's too expensive.” The other soldier was in full agreement.

The man soon saw that none of the recruits had ordered lunch, so he approached the stewardess and gave her $50.00—a lunch for all ten of the soldiers. With tears in her eyes, she thanked him and said, “My son was a soldier in Iraq, and its almost like you are doing it for him.” A little later, a hot meal from first class came to the man, by way of a “thank you.” After all had finished their lunches, the man made his way to the rest room in the back of the plane, and somebody handed him $25.00, saying, “I saw what you did, and I just want to be a part of it.” A little later, the captain came back and said, “I just wanted to shake your hand—when I came home from Nam, someone bought me a lunch and I never forgot it.”

A little later, the civilian walked towards the front of the plane to stretch his legs, and somebody else shook his hand, leaving $25.00 in his palm. When they landed, another person slipped a folded $25.00 into the man's shirt pocket—without a word. Once in the terminal, he gave the soldiers all the money, and said, “It is still quite a trip to the base—have another sandwich.” As the man walked to his parked car, he whispered a prayer for their safety, and added, “Every one of these soldiers has written a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'” With Memorial Day just around the corner, it is crucial that we see it as much more than the “unofficial” start of a summer of frolicking. We must remember the sacrifices that have been—and are being—made for our freedom. Of course, the ultimate sacrifice was at the Cross of Calvary and the empty tomb of Easter— all of it paying the price for our sin—“up to and including His life.” When we repent and enter into this plan of salvation, eternal freedom is ours!

Remember—Jesus once said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:13,14) The key is surrender, and its fruit—obedience. Allow me to shift into reverse here, to make my point—even to the point of seeing Easter in reverse. You see, when God brought His people out of bondage in Egypt, the first thing they did was gripe and complain. Their focus was on themselves, not God! So the Lord made them wander for 40 years in the wilderness, only allowing the next generation to enter the Promised Land. And don't think that was because these younger ones were so great--”Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee...” (Deut. 9:5) The current inhabitants of the land had rejected God all along, and now their time was up! Disobedience has a price—a very big price!

In Joshua 10, we find Adonizedec, the king of Jerusalem—before it was Israel's capital—becoming very fearful due to the Lord's victories over Jericho and Ai. So, he rallied several other like-minded kings and nations to his side in an effort to defeat Gibeon, an ally of Israel. Verse 3 tells us who they were —”Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon...” In the Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, these names are very revealing—“Adonizedec” literally means the lord of righteousness and justice, but its a worldly morality that tries to rule in a place of false peace. You see, the city's name refers to a duality, an allusion to it's two main hills—no singleness of Godly purpose, but a focus on getting everything we want!

But that's not all! The word, “Hoham,” is actually of uncertain derivation—that is, with no known pedigree—a mutt, so to speak. His town, “Hebron,” in the Hebrew, points to a seat of association or a society—a charming. enchanting, and fascinating society, that lures others into joining. What a picture of our self-focused society, luring many to reject obedience to God! But even that's not all—”Piram” describes a running wild, like a donkey in heat, looking to “bear fruit” after its own kind—stubborn and prideful. And his city, “Jarmuth,” is an elevated place—elevated through self-exaltation and haughtiness, which, of course, results in pride. Furthermore, “Japhia,” the king of Lachish—another place of uncertainty—means bright and shining, basking in the perverted glow of showing off self. Lastly, there was “Debir,” which refers to the state of being “pastureless,” or without pasture—that is, trying to live without proper nourishment. Ironically, his town is a place for frisky male calves—almost fully grown and insisting that they know what life is all about—confident that they know everything. And there they are, by definition—dancing, revolving, and circling around, without a care in the world—not even aware that they are in a “pastureless” place. In verse 5, we see their source—they were the “five kings of the Amorites.” In the Hebrew, it refers to an appointment and a call that boasts of the self-life. Such is our self-oriented society.

And so, the battle began—the self-life pitted against God's life in His people, and God, of course, wins the battle. Verses 15-19 tell us, “And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah...And Joshua said, roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand.” Praise God—the kings of the self-life have been captured, but the battle is not over until all of the inhabitants are destroyed. (Vss. 28-43; Judges 1)

Joshua told his men to roll away the stones and let the kings out. He then ordered his captains to put their feet on the king's necks, as a symbol of God's victory over the self-life. “And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.” (vs.25) You see, the problem today is that many—even in the church— do not see “self” as an enemy, and, furthermore, they do not see that they need to be in the Lord's battle against that self-life. The “old man”, or “sin nature,” will always keep trying to rise up, in order to rule and reign over the life of God indwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. Don't struggle against it in legalism or self-determination—that is “self,” too. No, let it be crucified—dead and buried—“up to and including your life.” Verses 26 and 27 tell us, “And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.” Doesn't it remind you of Easter, only in reverse?—the empty tomb before the Cross? Oh, how it points to the real thing!

Praise God—in Christ, our self-focus has been crucified, but will we bury it and pile up the rocks? Do you see it? Joshua, or “Yeshua”—the Hebrew word for “Jesus”, was the one who buried the kings in the first place. The stones were then rolled away so the kings could be killed and then buried again—this time for good. There is much slain at the Cross of Christ—our own righteousness and rule; our wild running, stubbornly refusing to give birth, and then growth, to the life of God within us; our lack of pasture that comes in not feeding on the Word of God, and not fellowshipping with other surrendered and committed Christians; our frisky associations with those not committed that draw us away; and, yes, our own attempts at being the bright and shining star to others, drawing attention to ourselves, rather than to Jesus. These kings must be buried for good, and obedience is the key—obedience out of love for Him. Go ahead, write the blank check, but make it payable to JESUS, “up to and including your life!” Even though both Memorial Day and Pentecost will be here before the end of the month, you don't need to wait! Repent right now and give your whole life to Him— let the fullness of Pentecost's Holy Spirit indwell you.

Marbles and Blood: On Knowing My Redeemer Lives (Apr 09)

The story is told of little Barry, a poor country boy and his visit to the local produce market. "Hello, Barry," said Mr. Miller, the store owner, "How are you today?" "H'lo, Mr. Miller. I'm fine, thank ya. Jus admirin' them garden peas—they sure look good!" "They are, Barry—How's your Ma?" "Fine," the little boy responded, "Gittin' stronger alla' time." "Good," the grocer said, "Anything I can help you with?" "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

Since little Barry didn't have any money, Mr. Miller offered a trade. "All I got's my prize marble here, Sir." The kind man looked at it and declared, "Hmmmmm, only thing is this one's blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one at home?" "Not zackley," he admitted, "but almost." "Tell you what—take this sack of peas home, and on the next trip, let me look at that red marble." This not only went on over and over again, with Mr. Miller never "finding" the right red marble, there were two other poor boys just like Barry—and Mr. Miller just loved to "bargain" with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

Several years went by, and Mr. Miller passed away. In the line at the funeral home, were three young men—one in military uniform, and the other two in very professional looking suits. Each of them hugged Mrs. Miller, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her, and moved on to the head of the casket. One by one, each man stopped briefly and took Mr. Miller's hand, and after gently wiping his eyes, each one left the funeral home. To the next person in line, Mrs. Miller explained, "Those young men were the boys that my husband helped so many times—they just told me how much they appreciated the things he 'traded' them. Now, at last, when he can no longer change his mind about the size or color of the marbles, they came to pay their debt." With loving gentleness, Mrs. Miller lifted the lifeless fingers of her husband, and resting beneath were three exquisitely shined-up red marbles. Oh, what a picture of redemption—marbles, and, Oh,yes…blood!

You see, the word "redeem" itself means to buy back what was sold, pledged, or forfeited, and so a "redeemer" was one who ransomed by paying the price. The grocer had paid the price every time he sent a sack of produce home to those poor families. Jesus paid the price when He bought back humanity from Satan, which had been sold and forfeited when sin entered into the world. Jesus paid the price for a lost humanity when He shed His ruby-red blood. It is crucial, especially as we approach the close of the Lenten Season and come to the very doorstep of Easter, that we understand that "…almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission of [sin]." (Heb. 9:22) And this is emphatically revealed in God's dealing with His people from the very beginning. Adam and Eve were clothed with animal skins by God Himself following their rebellion—He killed His own precious creation to do so. Abel, their son, found his offering of the sacrificial lamb to be pleasing to God. But it doesn't end there—not at all!

Just look at Numbers 28! In describing the daily burnt offerings, God told Moses, "And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even." (vss. 3,4) Imagine that! Every day—continually! And when it came to the Sabbath Day, two lambs were to be sacrificed, "beside the continual burnt offering." (vs. 10) And then there was the special offering at the very beginning of each month—"And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot." (vs. 11; italics mine) And that isn't even all—during the seven day Feast of Unleavened bread, seven more lambs were offered up—each day! The same is true during both the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.

But then, during the 7 day long Feast of Tabernacles, Moses was given more instruction—"And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish." (29:13; italics, once again, mine) Imagine—14!—Every Day! Some might think that God really hates animals, especially lambs. But actually, it is just the opposite—every sacrifice was even a greater sacrifice for Him. All of it points to His own spotless Son at Calvary. This Cross, and the blood that was shed on it for our redemption, is both the focal and pivotal point of Scripture. This is why the Bible is truly a crimson book. In Hebrews 9:19-20 we read, "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood…and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." The American Standard Version reiterates—"the book itself."(italics are mine; the emphasis is God's)

It is a recurring theme throughout the New Testament, as well—that the blood on the Jewish altars was both symbolic and prophetic of the sacrifice by Jesus the Redeemer. In a very real sense, the blood is God's own endorsement for His own book, the Bible. It is His autograph, so to speak, ratifying the Covenant that is contained within. Christianity is not Christianity without the blood of Jesus, and yet, so many today want to erase it from every page. Dinsdale T. Young, one of the great evangelicals of old-time Methodism once wrote, "Let sneerers dub the Book as gory, we glory in its ruby redness. To us, the Blood-besprinkledness of the Bible is the guarantee of its everlasting veracity. The blood of Jesus streaks its every page. I cannot discredit the Covenant, for the Maker of the Covenant endorses it with His precious Blood." Many churches today, in an effort to draw the crowds and to keep them coming, have become, what they call, "seeker friendly." No preaching against sin, especially the sin that is present in that particular congregation; no mentioning of the blood of Jesus, because that would beg the question, "Did He die to take away my sin, and if He did, doesn’t that call me to forsake my sin?" Gets kind of personal, doesn’t it?

You see, Redemption is an eternal mystery, and we accept by faith the sacrifice we cannot understand, and glory in Him, who redeemed us by paying the ultimate price—the sinless Son of God, dying to take away the bondage of our sin. Isaiah, the prophet, spoke of the Holy One of Israel as a personal Redeemer. In his 59^th Chapter, he clearly states that, "…the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob." (vs. 20) In fact, in the 2^nd half of his book, Isaiah uses the term some 14 times—the number sounds familiar, doesn't it? In Romans 11, Paul reiterates Isaiah's claim of a Redeemer in Zion, only he uses the word "Deliverer." Furthermore, he states that all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile, are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption…in Christ," (3:24) and that it is in Him alone that we have, "…redemption through His blood." (Eph. 1:7) Yes, He "…is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

Marbles and blood—in both cases, the story does not end with death. Those red marbles would forever live in the memory of Mrs. Miller, as well as those three young men as they all ventured forth to live their lives. With regards to the redemption that Jesus' blood purchased, the Cross was not the end. Job, in all of his struggles, came to the conclusion, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." (19:25) Yes, his Redeemer would suffer and die, but He would also be raised to new life, and even come again. It is this resurrected life that comes within us and empowers us to live for God. Willis Canada, in one of his Christian songs, puts forth a very true call—"It's about time He gets what He paid for!" No, not to earn salvation, but as the fruit of it! Mr. Miller got his three ruby-red marbles; what will Jesus get???

Cavalry or Calvary? The Picket Prince and His Royal Salvation (Mar 09)

While on picket duty during a forty-day expedition against the Comanche in the Texas Staked Plains, a Cavalry trooper, in an effort to be ready for a surprise attack, put a lasso on his horse and then tied the rope around himself. He had remarked to a fellow trooper that in this way his horse could not stray during the night. His excessive precaution cost him his life. During the night, an approaching buffalo herd spooked his horse, and it ran away, dragging the sleeping trooper to his untimely death.

But why did the soldier even think of sleeping? He was part of the "picket"—a picket is a watchman, who is supposed to be wakeful in order to be able to warn all the others who slept. Virgil Hurley would agree—"We fall asleep at our tasks by failing to discharge them promptly, if at all, or by giving only half-hearted efforts. And where are our fellow Christians at such a time? The buzz-word in too many congregations is 'unconditional,' not 'accountable.' Unconditional is a comforting word since it erects no standards, imposes no expectations, and makes no demands—and leaves us each to determine when and how much to change. Accountability, on the other hand, rouses us from our spiritual somnolence and stupor, raises expectations for us, and holds us to the high calling of God."

This we see so graphically in Acts 5. Shortly after Ananias and Sapphira fell to the floor dead for lying to God about their level of giving to the church, "great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." (vs. 11) This was followed by a great outpouring of miracles and healing, which the religious authorities abhorred. Praise God—there is a much higher authority! It is true the apostles were imprisoned for their faith, but they didn't stay there long—an angel "secured" their release. For sure, Jesus is that higher authority—Shuang Shuying, an elderly Chinese woman, was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured for her Christian faith. In an effort to try to destroy her faith, the Chinese authorities refused to let her see her dying husband—not until he was dead, and then, she could view his lifeless body for ten minutes. After much prayer by their fellow Christians around the world, she was just released and permitted to see her husband—while he was alive! Yes, there is a higher authority!

Once the apostles were rounded up and warned again to not speak of Jesus, Peter responded, "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him." (vss. 29b-32) This "Prince" is used many times to refer to Jesus—both in the Old and the New Testaments. It can stipulate an author, captain, or originator. Peter, in Acts 3, calls Jesus the Prince of Life, in that He was the originator of it—physically, spiritually, and eternally. Right now, let's focus on the double name before us—a Prince and a Savior, and all through the powerful witness of the Holy Spirit.

This dual emphasis is powerful—the princely Savior expresses royalty, which all Israel was looking for in the Messiah. The other, the saving character, is something of which they had lost sight. Oh, sure, they still looked for an anointed one to come and save them, as in deliverance from their enemies, namely the Romans, but being saved from sin was not really the focus of many. Both emphases must be there—a Prince and a Savior! Each of these two features enters into each other, and together they express a magnificent whole—a royal salvation! I think that it is interesting that in our American culture, the Cavalry coming to the rescue is often a picture of human ability, when, spiritually speaking, it is Calvary that defeats our real enemy. Humanly speaking, the "princes" of this world responsible for crucifying the Lord of Glory were the religious leaders of Jewry, who did not want to bow to His authority. You and I are also in that number as we have done the same thing. And yet, behind all human agents of rebellion responsible for Calvary was Satan.

Isn't it strange that Jesus would give His Satanic foe the very title that He holds—"prince"—"…now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (John 12:31) Paul even calls Satan "…the god of this world." (2 Cor. 4:4) Able to be overruled by the real God at any given point, Satan does, however, have his fingerprints all over this world—just watch the news for five minutes or look at a newspaper—sin and tragedy everywhere. Though the consequences of rebellion linger on, at Calvary, this boastful, world-possessor and seeming-ruler was deposed and defeated, and faith in Jesus brings the victory. No matter the appearance of His lack of control, the Prince of Life, by His death, destroyed the Devil's power, and secured for humankind a magnificent freedom from his bondage. What a powerful testimony to the perfect holiness of the Prince and Savior—the "prince" of this world could find nothing of sin in Him while He was in this world! (John 14:30) Not that he didn't try—many times Satan intended to trip Jesus up, and in so doing, trip up His disciples—and the other way around, too. But our God is far greater, and greatly to be praised!

Take that big storm on the Sea of Galilee, for instance. Neil Wilson, in his book, "Were You There?—Find Yourself with Jesus," tells the story in his own words. In part, he states, "Jesus sent the disciples off in a boat without telling them how He would rejoin them. They didn't ask. If any of them wondered, they were soon distracted by a vicious storm. I don't know who was more afraid; the uneasy disciples who weren't fishermen, or the four fishermen who knew the terror of what could happen on Galilee. The fishermen rowed and shouted instructions—the rest bailed against the waves surging over the sides. Twelve men shared in that desperate fellowship." Oh, sure, God was using all of this as a test of their faith, no matter their experience levels, but can't you just picture Satan hovering above them in the air, dipping down his "princely" scepter and stirring the waves to a froth. Yes, anything to strike fear into the hearts of all of God's people—"Where is your Jesus now? He has left you and forsaken you, for He doesn't care about you or your circumstances." And then it happened, Jesus came to them, walking on top of the waves—their Prince and their Savior was there!

But notice—"For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened." (Mark 6:49-52) Literally, they were at the end of their wits in total terror, primarily because they hadn't really considered the keeping power their Prince and Savior had just displayed in the feeding of the 5,000. According to the original Greek, they hadn't put it all together, comprehending the majesty of it all and letting it change their hearts and lives. Satan had succeeded in "hardening" their "heart"—the Greek speaks of becoming "petrified, and therefore, stupid and callous." In fact, this hardening is not just an individual choice; it involves the entire church and all are affected—the "heart" is a collective singular heart. Is true Christianity really unconditional, with no standards, no expectations, and no demands? Hardly!

Matthew's gospel adds that Peter climbed out of the boat to join his Jesus—that sounds good, but when he got scared, down he went. Just imagine the thoughts that Satan tried to put into his mind in that moment—"Just reach out and grab the boat; save yourself for nobody else will." Praise God—it was Jesus who reached out, took Peter by the hand, and saved him. Dr. C. J. Rolls put it this way—"He Himself is the originator, author, and prince of the treasures of truth, the riches of righteousness, the values of virtue, the merits of mediation, the resources of regeneration, the ministration of mercy, the legacies of love, and the wealth of infinite wisdom. To this Prince of princes we may attribute all that is precious, virtuous, and gracious…His princely rights and claims are emblazoned throughout Creation, Revelation, and Mediation." Take it on the highest authority, He alone saves, without a speck of our own ability. But we do have a part to play. We are to be a picket people, sleeplessly guarding our heart, and watching and praying for the soon return of the Picket Prince—who is always watching out for us. He never slumbers and never sleeps, for He alone is our Prince and Saviour. Cavalry or Calvary? They sound very similar, don't they?—but one is based on human ingenuity, while the other gives a royal salvation—a full salvation from which not even wild horses could drag you away!

The Temptation: Shortcuts to Success (Feb 09)

Recently, I ran across a comic strip about three children—two brothers and their sister—entitled, "Foxtrot," written by Bill Amend. In the first few frames, young Jason is attempting to catch the perfect snowflake in his mitten, and passes up several inferior ones. Finally—"Ah, here's a keeper," he says. When asked by his sister what in the world he was doing, he explained—or…at least…tried to…

He said he was making his first snowball of the season—"I'm using only the finest, hand picked flakes of snow for maximum cohesion and aerodynamic performance. I want this first snowball to be the gold standard to which all other snowballs come up short. People will look at every other snowball and say, 'That's pretty good, but Jason Fox made a better one.'" Disgusted, his big sister makes a disparaging remark, turns and walks away.In the last frame, Jason had just reached down, hastily made a snowball, and aimed for the back of his sister's head, and said, "I guess I can let my second snowball be the fancy one."

Oh, the temptation there can be to take a shortcut! As we move a little deeper into the New Year of 2009, we would like to get past all of the problems and heartaches, troubles and worries, and have them vanish. We live in a fast paced society, with barely taking a minute to reflect on the true purpose of life. From fast-food to throwaway-everything, we live a shortcut-life. Hardly before Christmas was even over, the Valentine's Day stuff filled the store shelves. Even right now, as we take time in this Season of Epiphany to see how Jesus manifests Himself, many wonder, "Do we really have to take the time? Can't we take a shortcut and just get on with it?" Yes, that is the temptation, but NO, we must not fall into it—we must not be hurried. Shortcuts, when it comes to these crucial things, can be devastating and tragic. Our society—and so much of the "church" today—thinks they are aimed towards true success, but it is often their own version of success. God Himself never took shortcuts, and we ought to be very glad He didn't, for He is trying to use every minute of all that we go through to manifest Himself to our hearts and lives.

Take Jesus' own temptation experience, for example. Immediately following His baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus went up into the rocky wilderness for 40 days—fasting and praying, with no shortcuts. For what? What is the purpose? Matthew 4:1 tells us, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil"…it was precisely for this purpose—Satan tried to use it to get Jesus to divert from God's path and plan. Would Jesus take the shortcut—skipping the Cross—to so-called "success?" Verse 3 reveals—"and when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Come on, Jesus, doesn't that get your ire up; doesn't that provoke you to defend your identity? No, because Jesus wasn't into shortcuts. In the Greek, the "if" can be read as "since,"—even Satan assuming He really was God's Son. Either way, Jesus wasn't about go His own way, just to fill His empty belly. He quoted the Father—we are to live by God's every Word!

You see, Satan meant it for evil—if he could get Jesus out of God's will just once, the whole plan of salvation was ruined. He would no longer be the Sinless One. Yes, Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good—to manifest what God can do when we are "led up of the Spirit." Satan's next try reached beyond fleshly lusts; now, it was all about the Father's faithfulness—"Surely, since You are so close to God, He will protect you—He would never let You fall and "dash thy foot." (vs.6) Prosperity preachers today pull the same lame act—God certainly wouldn't let you go through anything difficult. So Jesus cut right through the lie, getting right down to basics—once again with the Word of God—"It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (vs. 7) Lastly, Satan took Jesus to a very high mountain, showing Him all the worldly kingdoms, and baited Him—"All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (vs. 9) Jesus was being asked to deny His Lordship just to gain the world—a shortcut that so very many today are willing to take. But not Jesus—"Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." (vs. 10)

In Oswald Chamber's book, "The Place of Help," he puts it this way—"Each of the temptations presented to our Lord by Satan had this at its center: 'You will get the kingship of men and the saviorhood of the world if You will take a shortcut—put man's needs first, and he will crown You king; do something extraordinarily wonderful, indicative of Your power, and man will crown You king; compromise with evil, and You will get the kingship of men.' Jesus could have brought the whole thing about suddenly (see John 6:15); but He did not. He withstood Satan and took the stupendously long way." Church, just meet some needs; just please some people; just do something wonderful, and all the world will love you. Well, then why did Jesus say the world will hate the true church? (John 15:19) Jesus' real message was "Repent," but many don't like that. Instead, they want to be like the world in order to be liked by the world. But that's a shortcut, and the Cross is lost.

Many want to hurry things up by man-centered revivals and conferences. They say, "The ends justify the means—numbers, numbers, numbers—give the people what they want—there's no time to seek the next step from the Lord—we have to take a shortcut." Oh, really? God never did, why should we? Oh, I know that the temptation is there, but don't fall into that trap! If we will take a little time here, we will see this clearly in the concept of the Passover. Over quite a period of time, God brought several plagues upon the Pharaoh of Egypt and his people for not letting God's people out of bondage. This did not happen over night—time was on God's side, so to speak, as He used it all to bring Pharaoh's court to the end of themselves. Finally, the tenth plague involved the death of the first-born. Israel, while dwelling in the very same land, would find protection from the Lord's Angel of Death as it "passed-over" IF they would come under the sacrificed blood of a lamb.

Paul, the Apostle, once wrote, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5:7-8) This, my friends, is true success—no longer just trying to cope; just existing in our own strength with no power of His grace to live for Him His way, and somehow thinking that that is just fine. It isn't! It really isn't! The "old leaven" represents all of our old, complaining attitudes, which need to be crucified for there to be maturity—the "sincerity and truth"—no perversion, no fermentation. In fact, in the Greek, it is referring to an unveiled and manifested reality, something that agrees with its appearance—changed heart, changed life. Picture, if you will, the difference and distinction the blood made in the original Passover. Remember, the lamb was slain and its blood was painted onto the door posts and lintels of the homes of the faithful—and it was done by the faithful. There were no shortcuts, but, oh, the difference it made! Can you see it? On the outside of those homes, nothing but darkness and despair, grief and wailing. The first-born in every household—from Pharoah on down—dead! But what about on the inside? No death, just life—safety, security, protection, and no condemnation. Yes, you and I have a choice—a choice of maturity!

Praise God—if we are sheltered by the sacrifice of Christ our Passover, there is no condemnation simply because He alone endured our decreed death. What a resting-place for the once wretched heart and struggling conscience—a divine resting place! And it isn't just all about you—what about the billions who need this Jesus. They need to see "Christ in you, the hope of glory."(Col. 1:27)Eternal souls are at stake—yours and everybody else's. There are no shortcuts; there are no substitutes for the Blood of the Lamb—not even fancy marketing and entertainment. Thank God Jesus didn't fall for one of Satan's offers of an easier way that canceled the Cross—Jesus' and ours. Watch out for the temptation of shortcuts to success—they bring nothing but disobedience and disaster. Jesus and His ways are the Gold Standard, by which everything else comes up short. Don't reach down and form your own "snowball"—that is a shortcut, and shortcuts will only cut you short! Where do you really want to be, both now and in the end?—On the outside or on the inside? In this New Year, get into God's Word and let it get into you!