My Father’s House (Sep11)

I'm sure you are familiar with the story about King Solomon's wise judgment concerning the dispute of two women over a baby. To cut the baby in half—that was the decision, knowing very well that the real mother would not let that happen. That is a true story! Another story has surfaced that is not Biblical, but, I suppose, can be illustrative. The Queen of Sheba sent two vases of roses to King Solomon. One vase had real roses in it, while the other had hand-made ones. The latter were so perfect—so real looking—she challenged the great king to tell the difference—without smelling them or handling them in any way!

This was no problem for the wisdom of Solomon. He just opened a window, and it wasn't long at all before some bees made their way into the room and went straight for the real roses—the fake ones didn't fool them at all! Likewise, many people today may look real from the outside, by the way they speak, or act or dress or look or...or...or...or! It takes the heart of God to truly know the spirit—to know the inside!

In recent weeks, our church has been looking at the kings of Judah, and whether or not they were willing to go the whole way in serving both God and their people. The vast majority were not! Whether the hindrance be worry, or fear, or pride, or lack of perseverance, or...or...or...or—no matter what the problem, we must take warning in our own relationships with the Lord. We must learn from their example, whether good or bad. Remember—it is God alone who knows the heart—the very center of emotion and intellect. Who will be willing to, not only enter into, but reside forever in the Father's house—His heart—and who will not be? The next king before us is King Uzziah's son, Jotham. 2 Chronicles 27:1a tells us, "Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem." First, let me mention that "Jotham", in the original Hebrew, means, "Jehovah is perfect." He was the 11^th king of Judah, and he reigned from about 750-732 B.C. Now there is a little confusion here in that he served as a regent, or co-king, for the first eight years, with and for his father Uzziah. You see, Uzziah, was punished for his pride that manifested itself in that he thought he could be his own spiritual leader and offer up his own incense. God showed him in a hurry that such rebellion would not be tolerated—suddenly, he had leprosy!

Even today—especially today, in these last of days—such ignoring of God-given spiritual direction in the true church of Jesus Christ, will not be tolerated. What the Lord says through His true pastors is not just advice—you know, 'take it or leave it"—no, it is His command. Jesus said at the close of the prophetic Book of Revelation, "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (22:14) Since Jotham's father could not really physically rule in the last ten years of his life due to the dishonor of the leprosy, his son helped him in that time, and hence, it is hard to know whether those 8 years are included in the 16 mentioned, or whether they are above and beyond.

So, what was his reign like? Well, 2 Chron. 27:2 tells some of the story—"And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the Lord. And the people did yet corruptly." I should mention that the "right things" is a reference to all that Uzziah did that was good, but it is not speaking of his rebellion. We are told Jotham did the right things, too, but it also says that he did not go into the temple, the corporate place of worship. I thought at first that maybe it refers to his decision to not follow in his father's sin by going into the temple to offer his own incense. And that may be very true—and if it is, that would be very good, but, it also says, "howbeit." And "howbeit" means "but." In other words, it is the opposite of doing what is right. So, it might be that that he just flatly didn't bother to go into the temple. And please don't think that that was normal for royalty. Notice that when Uzziah rebelled, the leprosy was only part of his punishment—"...he was cut off from the house of the Lord." (26:21b) Evidently, Uzziah had at one time been in his Father's house. King David, I suppose, is the prime example. He ends his "Shepherd's Psalm" with these words—"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Ps. 23:6) Yes, kings, too!

So, if it really is a flat-out refusal to enter the temple, it is directly related to the people refusing to let all corruption and idolatry go. In 2 Kings, we are told it was the king's responsibility to tear down the high places of false worship, but Jotham didn't do it. (15:35) Oh, if only he had had the perfect heart of King David on this matter. In Psalm 69, David explains what caused the closest people to him—including some of his own family—to reject and persecute him. Verse 9 reads, "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." Centuries later, Jesus Himself cleansed and purified the temple at the beginning of His ministry—"And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; and make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (John 2:15-17)

"Zeal," by the way, is a very strong word—heat, ardor, fervent mind, and indignation, are only part of the definition. Jesus was white hot in His fervency for the honor of His Father's house. It was Jesus' custom to be found on the Sabbath day, either in the temple or in a local synagogue. Clearly, He was not one to forsake the house of the Lord. And He was not just any king; He was—and is—the King of kings and the Lord of lords! Jesus was so zealous for His Father's house, He cleansed it at the conclusion of His ministry, as well—when He saw that the people ignored His first warning (Matt. 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19) They had turned the Father's house into a place of merchandise—a proverbial mart or mall—an "emporium"—a place to get what you want! It is also called a den of thieves—stealing the honor away from God by being about the Lord, but not according to His order. The temple was no longer a house of prayer—running from it like its a house on fire. And that it is—a gathered people on fire for God, and those that don't want that, try to turn it into something else.

Perhaps Jotham had no zeal for it. Praise God, though—whatever the reason for not entering the temple—something BIG must have happened, a real life-changer! We are told this—"So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." (vs.6) Prepared—in the Hebrew, it refers to standing erect, and therefore, perpendicular—established, fixed, appointed, sure, proper, and prosperous. Elsewhere, it is translated as faithful, fashioned, fastened, firm, fitted, and framed. Boy, that is a far cry from his days outside the temple. I think what happened is that he really entered the temple—the heart of God. Verses 3 & 4 tell us, "He built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built castles and towers." From the main entrance into his Father's house, to the furthest regions of the kingdom, Jotham—by the power of the Holy Spirit—"fixed" everything! He had prepared his ways before the Lord his God! Personal! Jesus put it this way: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go prepare a place for you, and if I go...I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1,2) Very personal!

At Ezion-geber, modern archaeologists have found a signet ring with a seal bearing the letters, "ITYM." These are Hebrew characters that can be translated, "Belonging to Jotham." Praise God—now Jotham belongs to the Lord and resides in his Father's house. A.W. Tozer once wrote, "We who live in this nervous and neurotic age of self-consumption would be wise to meditate on our lives long and often before the face of God and on the edge of eternity. For we are made for eternity as certainly as we are made for time. To be made for eternity, and choose to dwell exclusively in time, is, for mankind, a tragedy of huge proportions." Oswald Chambers asks, "Is the Eternal in you living in the Father's house? Are the graces of His ministering life working out through you in your home, your business, in your domestic circle? Let Him have His way; keep in perfect union with Him." Finally..finally...finally—a king was willing to go all the way, God's way—showing His perfection! And that is a matter of letting what's on the outside line up with what is on the inside. Don't judge everything by the outside—the rose could be fake!

The Rest of the Summer (Aug11)

Oh, summer! A busy time, and at the same time, it can be quite restful. Charlotte Lankard says she remembers the summer her granddaughter, Jessica, was six and she herself was 60—my exact age as well. The little girl proclaimed, "Grammy, next year I'll be seven, and you will be seventy!" Oh, kid's math! Hey, wait a minute—she might be on to something there. My Granddaughter, Lilia, will be three next summer; that would make me thirty. If only, huh?

Another summer found the two taking an Amtrak vacation to Fort Worth, and while there, they took a ballroom dancing lesson. When Charlotte came off the dance floor, little Jessica declared, "You don't look like a grandma!" When the little girl reached her 15^th birthday, the two sat in the airport waiting for the girl's flight home. She thanked her grandmother for the visit, the presents, and the time spent together and said, "Grammy, someday, I'll do these things for you!" Summer! Yes, it can be such a busy time, and yet, the memories stack up like a skyscraper.

We just bought a big, yellow garden wagon for little Lilie, in which to cruise the neighborhood. Boy, does she love it! By next summer, Lord willing, we will see how her younger twin brothers like it, too—all at the same time! Oh, and the water table on the deck—all she has to do is spot it through the kitchen door, and BAM—"Fun in the water, fun in the water???" And away we go! Oh, summer—busy, but memorable. We have all been blessed with summer memories. I wonder what we'll do with the rest of this Summer—both the "R and R" of it, as well as the rest—the time that remains? Recently, I was reading in 2^nd Chronicles about the restful reign of good King Asa, and wondered—why and how? It begins—"So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God." (14:1,2)

We're told, that in obedience to the Word of the Lord in Deuteronomy 12:2-3, Asa took away the altars of the false gods and destroyed the images. These "images" were Canaanite-like pillars of stone, believed to be inhabited by the local fertility gods, the Baalim. Right beside these, were wooden poles—sometimes called "the groves"—erected to the worship of Asherah, Baal's goddess-consort. William F. Albright, the famous archaeologist, suggests that these pillars and poles served as incense stands for their pagan worship. Though the king ordered their complete abolition and abandonment, we read in the next chapter that, "... the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days." (15:17) A perfect heart, but what about the rest of the life? During the years of peace and quiet, he, "built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest." (vs. 6) Resting, but ready! In the next verse, we find it was because he and the people had sought the Lord, they were given "rest on every side." This "rest," in the Hebrew, means, "to settle down and dwell in peace." And then it happened—the test. We are told that Asa had an army of just over 500,000—"mighty men of valour..." (vs. 8b) And up comes Zerah, the Ethiopian, with over 1,000,000 battle-hardened warriors. Whoa! Time to worry! But, "...Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." (vs. 11) Yes, Asa decided to rest in the Lord. This "rest," in the Hebrew, is more practical than even before—he leaned on his Lord, finding all the support he needed. Such is the Cross!

Psalm 37:7 tells us, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself..." Oswald Chambers writes, "Fretting means getting ourselves 'out of joint,' mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say, 'Do not fret,' but something very different to have such a nature that you find yourself unable to fret. Is it possible to 'rest in the Lord,' when our own little world is turned upside down and we seem to be forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people? If this 'Do not,' doesn't work there, then it will not work anywhere. This 'Do not,' must work in our days of difficulty, or it will never work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work for anyone else. Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself." Oswald Chambers goes on to make clear that worrying always results in sin. Why? Because it rises from our determination to have our own way. A good case in point is Jesus Himself—He never worried, and, in fact, commanded all of us not to worry. His purpose was never to accomplish His own plans, but to fulfill God's plan. Chambers concluded with this statement—"All our fretting and worrying is caused by planning without God." Oh, we can put God's name on our plan, but are we being totally honest about it? I mean, really?

Not much space is given to the victory, but the Ethiopians,"...were destroyed before the Lord, and before His host." (vs.13)—a powerful spiritual picture of what happens to our Enemy when the Lord and His true Church stand together. As long as King Asa rested in the Lord and not on his own plans, there was victory. And then it was confirmed—"...the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; the Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you." (15: 1,2) You see, this is the "how" and the "why!"—and, boy, does it ever fly in the face of so much modern theology.

Today, so many people believe that since God is a God of love, it doesn't matter what
we do. Yes, it does matter—we are promised He will never leave nor forsake us, but that is as long as we want Him! You see, it's a promise to the true Church, and not to individuals who refuse that vital connection. So, "...they (the people of God; yes, the Church—notice the plurality) entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul...and all Judah rejoiced at the oath...and the Lord gave them rest round about." (vss.12,15) Did you see it? It all boils down to the Cross—Redemption, Response, and Reconciliation. Chambers wrote, "When God gives us a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what we will do." Praise God—Asa and his people were not about to let anything slip through the cracks in this time of revival and reform. Even the queen—Asa's own grandmother (1 Kings 15:2,10)—was removed from her throne due to her own unrepentant idol worship—"Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it at the brook Kidron." (vs.16b) Even his own family was not going to stand in the way of his commitment to God. But then it happened—the years had passed, and another test—by the way, life is full of them—"Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah..." (16:1a) And Asa was scared stiff—worry and fretting filled every fiber of his being now. So, he ransacked the temple of its gold and silver and used it all to bribe Benhadad, the pagan king of Syria, to come to his aid. Where is the rest in that? His plan worked, but at what cost? The prophet told Asa that the Lord, "...shows Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him, Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." (vs.9) No more rest! Asa threw the prophet in prison and spent the "rest" of his years oppressing his own people and died a diseased and broken man. Ironic—for a man whose name means "healing," in the end, he didn't even seek the Lord for that! (vs.14)

He had begun so well, but ended so poorly—he refused to go God's way all the way to the end! If you don't want Him, He is not going to force you. So, do what is good and right, like Asa did, but
be that every day until the last day. Don't quit a day too soon! Remember—Jessica said, "Someday, I'll do these things for you." Let's say it to Jesus, but not "someday,"—what about right now and forever? Paul warned the Galatians, and us—"Are ye so foolish: having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect in the flesh?" (3:3)
It didn't have to be that way if they—and we—would just be filled with Jesus and His Holy Spirit—remember, it is God who gives the rest. Speaking of this, Hebrews 4:9-10 tells us, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His." So what about the "rest" of this summer?

A Father’s Form of Freedom (Jul11)

On election night, a thrilled Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky), laid out the modern-day tea party's platform, and did so in the words of a man who was alive for the original Boston Tea Party. He said that, "Thomas Jefferson wrote that government is best that governs least." Good quote, but there might be a problem here—modern archivists and historians say that the founding father never said that! Or did he?

Last year, on the House floor, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.), angry about the federal overhaul of health care, quoted George Washington—"Government is not reason. It is not eloquence. It is force—like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." An impressive quote, but did that founding father really say it? Once again, historians say, "No!" Recently, Sarah Palin was ridiculed for saying that Paul Revere's midnight ride was intended to warn the British about the resolve of the colonists. Warn the colonists or warn the British?—in reality, it would do both, but what did she really mean? And who cares?

What is true and what isn't? Senators, congress-men, and even President Obama have misquoted the founding fathers in recent times—altering quotes or just plain making them up. Is it just nervousness or blatant disregard for the truth? Or is it possibly that they got their information from an unreliable Internet blog? Could be! People used to say that if you read something in the newspaper, it must be true. Now the same is said of computer screens. Oh, by the way, all of this—who said what and when, or even how—is all up for speculation, for it is all from the same Internet. Call it literary license, if you will, but, in reality, it can produce a perverted sense of freedom. I suppose if you could just go back in time and speak with some of these founding fathers, you might find out the truth of these things, but I've got an even better idea—one that doesn't rely on time travel or the Internet. We have recently celebrated Father's Day, but I would like to return to a particular father—yes, even a founding father, but my source will be the Holy Bible!

The Apostle Paul, who traveled all over the then-known world, establishing and encouraging churches, was not always a proponent of Christ, but, in fact, a great opponent. Truth be known, that is how they met, and it is how any of us meet Him. You see, Saul—later called Paul—was a Pharisee who saw Jesus and His followers as a cult. It was possibly four years after the death and resurrection of Jesus—"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest..." (Acts 9:1) and sought the authority to capture, imprison, and even execute Christians from Damascus. Praise God—that's right, Praise God, for when he was near to the place, "...suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (vss. 3,4) He knew exactly who it was—it was God, straight out of heaven—"Who art thou, Lord?"
(vs. 5a) Immediately, it became even clearer—"I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (vs. 5b) Jesus is God!

How about that! Ever since Easter, our church has been looking at the resurrection appearances of Jesus. You would have thought that with the Ascension and Pentecost, that would be the end of it—Praise God, Jesus appears again! The Father had been working on Saul's heart to see the errors of his way—trying and trying to serve God, but, evidently, not in God's way. We can't just make up our own versions of truth and actually expect it to be truth, just because it fits what we want to do. There may be our own kind of freedom in that, but that is not true freedom. Saul got saved and delivered from all of that, was baptized in Holy Spirit and fire, and then on into his God-given ministry. Jesus had said, "...he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." (vss.15,16) Wait a minute! The prosperity preachers are always saying that the Christian life is supposed to be a walk in the park; what is this about hard times and suffering? Well, Praise God—that was not Paul's reaction at all to his appearance of Jesus!.

Oswald Chambers, in his devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest," puts it this way—"Where our individual desire dies, our sanctified surrender lives. One of our greatest hindrances to coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts and abilities to God. However, you can not dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself. If you will do so, He makes a holy experiment out of you—and His experiments always succeed. A true Christian realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently, there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus." For the Church in Corinth—and for us—he recounts some of the things to which he was called to endure—"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep..." (2 Cor. 11:24,25)

And the list went on, finally concluding with his greatest challenge—"...the care of all the churches." (vs. 28b) And not a word of complaint or bitterness—it was all for the glory of God. When he committed his life, he was totally committed! Chris Tiegreen, in his book, "Worship the King," writes, "We're a society of victims. That's what happens when a culture emphasizes human rights over human responsibilities. Focusing on rights to the exclusion of responsibility results in...well, the society we have. Everything is always someone else's fault. It's a matter of perspective—when we focus on the problems of the day and the people who seem to oppress us, we get intimidated. As we worship Him, the threats and burdens that weigh us down grow smaller, and He grows bigger—at least in our own eyes." Actually, He is always huge, but we need to see and experience Him that way. This is freedom!

Once, when Paul and his companion Silas, were arrested, beaten, and thrown into a dungeon—"...at midnight (they) prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was an earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken..." (Acts 16:25,26a)
Oh, man—what else could go wrong—complain, complain, complain. But we don't hear that
at all! Why? Because Paul knew God had a plan—"...immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed." (Vss.25,26) Everything was in God's hands. That's right—everything! Even this—"...the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." (vss.27,28) It was that loud cry that God used to stop the impending death and bring the seemingly unlikely life instead. The jailer and his family were born again.

Maybe that is part of the key—in these last of days; in this perverted culture we live in, we must cry out the truth loudly—it is only the indwelling Spirit of Christ that can really set us free! Praise God—we have such fathers to look to for such spiritual direction. Paul told the Church in Corinth—as well as us—"I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." (1 Cor. 4:14-16) Elsewhere, Paul would intimate that as far as he follows Christ, his spiritual children should follow him. In other words, he is not setting himself up on a pedestal, but, there is a certain respect and loyalty that is to be awarded to spiritual "fatherhood." He had planted them, laid the foundation, and given his life. Honor that commitment; emulate that commitment! Paul was able to remain faithful until the end because he didn't just see Jesus once—he saw Him throughout. But even at the end, after his trial before the Sanhedrin, "The Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness at Rome." (Acts 23:11)
Praise God—this is the Father's form of freedom—gospel truth living within, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And so it will be with us—after we meet the resurrected Lord in repentance and salvation, we meet Him again and again as we live the Christian life. Praise God—this is not just some unreliable Internet blog or a twisted quote—this Founding Father knew what He was talking about...and still does!

Good to Go: Up, Up, and Away! (Jun11)

The telltale, "Whooosshhh!" from the sky creates a scramble on the ground. People rushing out onto their decks and stopping their cars to crane their necks skyward for a glimpse of a brightly-colored balloon, drifting effortlessly over head. What an awesome sight! "Who is up in that thing?" they wonder, but secretly, they think, "Someday, I would like..." And the thought trails off........................................!

I know the feeling—about 30 years ago, I was sitting in my office at my first church, and I heard the thrusting of its burners. I ran out, and sure enough, a hot air balloon passed right over the church's roof. In 1987, my second church hosted the town's bicentennial, which included hot air balloon rides. I thought about it, but, instead, a friend took me up in a plane to take pictures. Yes, that was quite awesome, but I still wonder about the balloon's vantage point!

Today, the Endeavor Balloon Company at Smith Mountain Lake, Va., takes people up all the time. The entire experience takes about three hours, though the ride itself is only one hour, with the rest of the time spent in watching the balloon being filled over head. And then, the pilot yells, "OK, we are good to go—Up, up, and away!" One passenger relates the thrill—"While the pilot has little control over float direction, Colin showed us the precision with which he can manage the altitude by skimming along the surface of a nearby cove. A quarter of an inch of water moistened the wicker basket's floor as we made a wake in the glassy water." Just imagine the view over the next hour of green mountains and sparkling waters! I'm sure you are aware of the proverbial decision many families are making right about now as summer is upon us. With this economy, the decision has to be made very carefully in order to make the most of their time off—mountains or shore? Praise God—the disciples didn't have to make the choice—they would do both, and theirs would not be a vacation, but a powerful learning experience. Throughout the day of Jesus' resurrection, He told His disciples that they would go back up into their home turf of Galilee in order to meet with Him. We see it take place in the very end of the Gospel according to Matthew. And, Oh, what a thrill!

But, wait a minute—How do we get there? Some time must be given to inflating the balloon and getting all things ready. In order for us to be "good to go" for the ride we are about to take, let's go back to the Old Testament and let something there point the way. Up, up, and away! Right after King David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and established it as the capital city of Israel and the center for its worship, he makes known his vision for a permanent House of God. He told Nathan, the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains." (2 Samuel 7:2)
Nathan told him to go ahead, for it was fine with God—but he evidently spoke too soon. God appeared to the prophet that night and said that it was not David who was going to build it, but his son, Solomon. The king had soared with the thrill of the idea, but now his balloon crashed just as he got it off the ground. The Lord said, "Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore, as beforetime...he will make thee a house."
(vss. 10, 11b) "I will appoint," God had said—He alone would be the pilot on this trip!

God's vision was not just of a house for His people, but His people would be His house. David's kingdom would be established forever—for both Jew and Gentile—through Jesus Christ. A relationship with Him, through an indwelling Holy Spirit, would be far more thrilling than any physical building! A resurrected life would move over the tempestuous waters, and soar over the looming mountains of life, as on eagle's wings. Jesus would call His people to the mountains first—"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them." (Matt. 28:16) There is that word "appointed" again. In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, it means to be assigned a location or place, and to have every detail pre-arranged. You see, the travel agent was really on the ball—our Jesus had thought of everything! And it's a good thing, too—"And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted." (vs. 17) Even by this time, not all of the eleven were on board emotionally and devotionally. Physically, yes—they were in the basket, but clutching the edge with white-knuckles as the balloon barely clears the mountain's tree line. "Some doubted"—it means that some were wavering in their opinion, having a tendency to think twice about the whole experience. Elijah, when he confronted the false Baal worship in Israel, declared to the people, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him..." (1 Kings 18:21) A choice must be made!

Yes, this trip will cost everything, but Jesus will make the whole thing worthwhile—"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (vss. 18-20) Yes, He has much for us to do, but not in our own abilities—only in His! It is His capacity, His competency, His mastery—for He is the only potentate! He alone can get us over the mountains, and the whole thing is under His command, a reference to a setting out for a definite point or goal—and getting there with no crash landings! Matthew adds at the end of the story—Amen! Yes, so be it!

I should possibly also note that many times this meeting with Jesus is confused with His ascension—you know, "Up. Up, and away!" Many of the movies about Jesus end with Him giving this "Great Commission" and then lifting up off this planet. Not so! Notice, this encounter takes place in Galilee, while He would later ascend from the Mount of Olives, just outside of Jerusalem in Judea. (Luke 24:44-55; Acts 1:3-9; and I Cor.15:7) Yes, both were mountains, but different mountains—and Jesus soars over them both superbly! But don't forget that the balloon that Jesus pilots also sails over lakes. As I mentioned, I think that Jesus took them to the mountains first, but that is not explicitly stated in Scripture. I just have a hard time picturing "some doubting" after what was about to happen at the lake.

In John 21, seven of the disciples—not all of them—but some—perhaps the same some that doubted, decide to do something differently than just waiting around. Peter said, "I go a-fishing." (vs. 3a) Immediately, they hop into a boat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and they were "good to go," or so they thought. All night long, they caught nothing—not a blessed thing! They had gone back to their own abilities, their own understanding, their old lives—and Praise God—it didn't pan out! They got nothing for all their self-effort. When morning came, there was a man standing on the shore. He yelled out to the boatload, "Children, have ye any meat?" (vs. 5)
He wasn't asking the proverbial question, "Catch anything?" No, it was much more serious than that! In calling them "children," he was labeling them as babies! In the Greek, he was making clear how they were behaving—half grown, immature, weak, and childish. "What are you doing out there? You were supposed to wait for my further instructions—don't you have any "meat?" You see, the "meat" refers to a fish relish that is spread on the bread to make a fully, nourishing "sandwich." Since Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Holy Spirit is this meat. "Don't you have the Holy Spirit?" No, not much—but they knew that, and they also knew they needed more! In fact, all of these resurrection appearances would reveal their need for more. "Throw your nets where I tell you to"—and BAM—a whole boatload! SPLASH—in goes Peter; now he can't wait to be with His Jesus!

It was then, and only then, that he—and the others—would truly lose their doubt, and truly hear what He had to say about love—what it really is to be emotionally and devotionally ready to follow Him all of the way. No matter the circumstances; no matter the difficulties; no matter the hindrances—to follow Him all of the way! Then, and only then, can we glide over the waters and soar over the mountain tops to get to the ascended life and the utter fullness of an indwelling Spirit—good to go, all of the way to Pentecost! Up, up, and away! Whooossshh, what a vantage point! No more childishness; on to maturity! We, too, have been appointed to take such a trip, and reach such a destination. Please don't try to choose between the mountains and the lake—we
need
both, and Jesus has already arranged for all of it!

The Finger of God (May11)

As soon as I mention, "The Finger of God," your first thought might take you to the new Christian DVD by that title. Filmmaker Darren Wilson took a two year-long personal journey through 40 hours of footage to attempt to reveal the supernatural power of God. He writes in the promotion of it, "Hundreds raised from the dead. Manna appearing in the Pentagon. Gemstones falling from the sky. Teenagers healing perfect strangers on the street. This isn't old time religion. This is a new beginning. A spiritual revelation. This is the Finger of God!"

Really? It continues—"Prepare to go on a dizzying journey around the world—from the streets of California to the mud huts of Africa; from the underground church in China to the Gypsies in Eastern Europe—you will be challenged and encouraged by the extraordinary things God is doing in our world today. The Finger of God reveals a world you never knew existed. A world where God's fingerprints are found in the most unlikely places."

A couple of the reviews of the DVD express some doubt, saying,"Interesting, but some of the strange stories are not Biblical, and don't honor God." Most of the reviews, on the other hand, throw caution to the wind, and believe everything they see—"Real, true stories." Now, I do not doubt that some of the depictions could be true, but I also don't doubt that some could very well be "signs and lying wonders," ( 2 Thess. 2:9) Think about it—manna in the Pentagon? Could be the demonic signs we are warned about in these last days of apostasy, or just simply fabricated hoaxes! The gospel-writer John warns us in his first letter, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (4:1) Now, my intent with all of this is not to give a movie review, but to issue a warning—in these days of lack of discernment, many will be duped. Jesus said that the only sign we really need is the sign of Jonah—the death and resurrection of the Christ. (Luke 11:30) The true and real Finger of God is much, much more than intriguing and strange signs.

Let's begin our look at this through the eyes of King David. He once wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalms 8:3-4) Amazing—Hebrews 2 quotes these verses from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and applies them directly to Jesus. The Spirit has a very watchful eye on the Son of Man, caring for Him and His mission every step of the way. And yet, as Jesus is before Pilate, the Roman Governor, He looks about as forsaken, helpless, and dejected as could possibly be. When Jesus doesn't say a word in self-defense, Pilate declares, "Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?" (Mt.27:13) John's gospel adds, "...knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?" (19:10)
It looks absolutely hopeless; where is the Finger of God in that! But now Jesus answers—"Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above..." (vs.11)
This is the real Finger of God!

Secondly, beyond the power of God, the finger of God is seen in the Law of God. And how did that come to be? Well, Exodus 31:18 tells us, "And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with Him upon Mt. Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." This is not only true of the original Ten Commandments, but of the Bible, too. While human hands actually penned the Scriptures, they were under the direct control of the Divine Finger. The 40 or so writers responsible for the scrolls were inspired by the Spirit to set forth "the certainty of the words of truth." (Prov. 22:21) Peter declares that "...holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:21) And the same was true at the Cross—"And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." (John 19:19) When the religious leaders wanted him to change it to read that Jesus only said that He was the king, "Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written." (vs. 22) Remember? Jesus had said it—the only power that Pilate had was given to him by God!

Thirdly, we see the Finger of God in and through the Judgment of God. We find two references here—first of all, when the magicians in Egypt could no longer mimic the plagues that God was sending just before the exodus, they confessed, "This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said." (Ex. 8:19) Did you catch that?—as the Lord had said! Praise God—this whole thing was in God's hands, and all for a purpose—to show the glory of God! The other reference to the divine fingers stretching out in judgment is found in the sacrilegious feast of Belshazzar in the Book of Daniel. While the king and his cronies were desecrating the vessels that had been stolen from the temple, a large hand began to write on the wall—"the fingers of a man's hand." (5:5) "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN." (5:25)
Essentially, it meant that the king and his corrupt kingdom had been numbered and tested by God's holy order, and was found to be greatly wanting and defective. In fact, that night...he died! We see a similar thing when Jesus was on trial. Actually, from God's perspective, Pilate was on trial. He became so frustrated, "...he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be upon us, and on our children." (Mt.27:24,25) Did you ever see such scrambling in the wake of sin and judgment, unless, of course, it was in you? Our sin is a personal affront to God, and the judgment will be just as personal. What a tragedy to ignore the handwriting on the wall, absolutely insisting on our own innocence and shifting the blame to another!

The fourth way this awesome Finger is seen and known is in the moving of the Spirit of God, for the Finger of God is the Spirit of God. When Jesus was accused of having demonic powers, He clearly stated, "...if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you." (Luke 11:20) As everything was moving towards the Cross, did Satan actually think that he was winning? As Jesus was nailed securely to that Cross, was Satan doing Christ in, OR was Christ doing Satan in? We all know the answer to that question now, but did Satan know it then? Jesus, out of divine love, was taking our personal judgment upon Himself, but did Satan know that? As Jesus hung there, with both arms fully out-stretched in love, both thieves on the crosses next to Him had the Finger of God pointing right at them, even as they railed against Jesus. Others followed suit—"...they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads..." (Mt. 27:39) In the original Greek, it means they blasphemed Him. Some yelled, "...If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." (vs. 40) Still others screamed—"He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him, for He said, I am the Son of God."(vss. 42,43) Was Satan mocking God right to the very end, or was he possibly really trying to get Jesus down for fear of what the Cross would mean? I don't really know, but two things I do know—at least one thief got saved by the Finger of God, AND that was not Satan's idea!

Lastly, the Finger of God played a vital role in the very death and resurrection of Jesus, greatly affecting you and me. With hands still spread out to reach the world He loved, "...when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." (Mt. 27:50) He did not just "give up" in total exhaustion; He gave His life—on purpose! And that dramatic gift was manifested everywhere—the veil in the temple that separated the people from their God, was ripped from top to bottom by the very Fingers of God. The earth shook and the rocks were split in half. And that's not all—"...the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (vss. 52,53) You see, the dead were raised, but they didn't show themselves until after Jesus did—He was first, then the saints! In these days following Easter, let the resurrected life live in you. Paul tells us that we are the epistle, or letter, of Christ..."written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God." (2 Cor.3:3) Do we see the Finger of God and what He is writing on our hearts? He is writing, you know! Will we be living epistles, proving that the Holy Spirit is the Penman writing the story of our lives?

The Emperor’s New Clothes: Not Just a Fairy Tale (Apr11)

Do you remember the fairy tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes?" It was published in April of 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen. It described an emperor who cared for nothing but his own appearance. He hired two tailors who promised him the finest suit of clothes, which would be made from a stupendous fabric—invisible to anyone who was unfit for his position in society, or "just hopelessly stupid."

It turns out that the emperor himself could not see the fabric, but he pretended he did out of pride. When the clothes we're finished, the tailors "acted" like they were dressing the emperor, but in reality, he just stood there in his underwear. A gallant procession was held, and he and his government officials all acted like they could see the new clothes; none of them let on that they couldn't, for fear that they all would appear unfit for their positions or just plain stupid! As the parade marched on, finally a young boy shouted out, "But he isn't wearing anything at all!"

Truth be known, the story was not just a children's fairy tale. While still at the printers, it is said that Andersen changed the original ending, which just involved the parade, by adding the part about the child blowing the whistle. Most literary scholars agree that his reason was to satirize the hypocrisy of the society and show that even a child could see through the lies. In fact, it is said that a similar thing took place when he was but a child. While standing in a crowd with his mother, waiting to see King Frederick VI, he shouted, upon seeing him, "Oh, he's nothing more than a human being!" His mother tried to stifle him by crying, "Have you gone mad, child?" But it was too late; the truth had already been blurted out—this world is full of hypocrisy and snobbery; full of claims to be something that it is not! Our society claims to be just fine, and anybody who says differently is considered a crackpot. The fact is, this society, as it spirals out of control, is proving it has no answers—absolutely clueless. Headlines declare the chaos—murderous Somali pirates have massacred four Americans as they traveled the world by boat and delivered Bibles. Civil unrest is erupting in country after country against their ruthless dictators. Gasoline prices skyrocket as the fighting in Libya continues days without end. Gigantic earthquakes and tsunamis have led to nuclear nightmares. Quick fixes and band-aid approaches are all the world can muster; only God as the real answers that last!

The Bible predicted such lawlessness, self-focus, and cataclysmic events in the last of times. People all over this world—and even in the Church—are insisting that they clothe themselves with their own desires and ways of thinking. Praise God— throughout the Scriptures, we find the call to be clothed with God—His way! For example, what was Adam and Eve's answer to their clothing dilemma? Genesis 3:7 tells us, that due to their sin, "...the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Fig leaves would only be a quick fix—they would not last. But God had a different solution—"Unto Adam also and unto his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them." (vs. 21) Out of love and mercy, God killed some of His own creation and made clothes that would last—an awesome picture of His plan for salvation through the Cross and the blood of Jesus.

All of the way through the Scriptures, clothes and coverings point to the ultimate covering of the Holy Spirit. When the priesthood was established, it was absolutely essential, and repeated often, that these special men of God were to wear, "fine twined linen," (Exodus 28: 5,6,8, etc.) It is also explicitly mentioned that there was to be no wool used, as wool would be too warm and cause the men to sweat. And that sweat would be evidence of self-effort and work done in the flesh—not in the Spirit. When young David desired to fight the Philistine giant Goliath, King Saul wanted him to be clothed in the king's own battle armor. 1 Samuel 17:39 tells us, "...And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him." In other words, they wouldn't work—they would show a dependence upon the machinery of war, and not on the Spirit of God. Moments later, David said to the giant, "...Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." (vs. 45) A child, clothed in the Holy Spirit, would tell it like it is!

One of the most powerful examples of this is found in the story of Elijah and Elisha. As Elijah was about to be carried away in a fiery chariot, he asked his companion, Elisha, what would be his greatest desire? Elisha said, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." (2 Kings 2:9b) As the chariot took Elijah away into the heavens, his mantle—or cloak—fell upon Elisha, and he was indeed wrapped in a double portion. Sir Robert Grant, in his hymn, "O Worship the King," writes, "Established it fast, by a changeless decree. And 'round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea." We are told the Spirit came mightily upon Samson, Saul, and David, with only the latter taking it seriously, and the other two casting the mantle aside to their destruction. Jesus Himself is actually the epitome of taking this clothing seriously.

At His birth, the shepherds were told, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11-12) A naked, newborn baby, protected from the elements with strips of cloth, swathing His body and keeping Him warm and safe.
Yes, it would start with a baby—a young child would tell it like it is! Later in His ministry, He was transfigured before three of His disciples—"...His face
did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light." (Matthew 17:2b) Moments later, God would declare His opinion—"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." (vs. 5b) But that was God's opinion; man had another idea. Throughout Jesus' ministry, the religious leaders formed the intent of murder—kill Jesus before His truth exposed their lies. With intense abuse and torture, "They stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe," (Mt. 27:28) but ending the mockery by giving Him His old clothes.

Once at Calvary, "...they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots." (vs. 35; Psalm 22:18) There he hung—totally nude; the Romans did not even allow for the "dignity" of a loin cloth to "swaddle" His body. After Jesus' cataclysmic death—in that very moment—no one at the foot of the Cross would see things as they really were, except a few soldiers. Yes, "Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God." (vs. 54) Just before dusk, "...when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre..." (vss. 57-60)

Clean linen cloth! Yes, an obvious reference to the priesthood I mentioned earlier—no sweat! Being the great High Priest in the Book of Hebrews, Jesus would do absolutely nothing out of self-effort or pride. It doesn't matter how man sees it, fooling himself with his own ideas about what is really important in life. What really matters is how God sees it all—His creation, His call, His majesty, His Son—"Hear ye Him!" In the end, it will all go His way! And that it did, and that it will—three days after the Cross, the angel of the Lord rolled back the hindrance to seeing things as they really are—the stone—and revealed that Jesus had been gloriously raised from the dead. To prove it, the angel's, "...countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow." (28:3) Now all the world could see the truth of it—no more could anyone live in a fairy tale world, doing their best to keep God out of it—not honestly, that is! Many try, but it won't cut it in the end—it is just plain stupid! Lawlessness and self-focus will be vanquished in the end, and all who hold to such are unfit. How will He be seen then?—"...clothed with a garment down to the foot...His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they were burned in a furnace...and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." (Revelation 1:13-16) Listen, my friends, it's not a fairy tale—the Emperor really does have new clothes, and He wants to share them with you!

The Two Wings of Truth (Mar11)

The story is told of George and his wife cleaning out the attic, where they discovered an 11year-old claim ticket for the local shoe repair shop. They both laughed and wondered which one of them had forgotten to pick up the pair of shoes more than a decade before. "Do you think the shoes would still be in the shop?" George asked, "Not very likely," his wife responded. But George thought it was worth a try, so he hopped in the car and drove on down.

With a straight face, he handed the clerk the ticket, expecting him to say, "You have got to be kidding!" With a face that was just as composed as George's, the clerk said, "Just a minute," and went to the back room to look. Two minutes later, the man called out, "Here they are!" "No kidding?" George called back. "WOW, that's amazing! Who would have ever thought they'd still be here after all this time?" The clerk came back to the counter—empty handed—and calmly said, "They'll be ready this Thursday."

Boy, isn't that the way it goes? So many in this society make all kinds of claims, rushing this way and that to fill up their lives with what they think is important. And in the process, everything is under a deadline—projects at work, rushed leisure time, "drive thrus" for everything, and promises made and forgotten. All of life has become computerized, and when that all began decades ago, it was under the pretense of carving out more time for the things we really want
to do—jobs done faster so that we have more time. But what has it all become? A mad race, filled to the brim with emails, voice mails, and ear buds for everything. Haven't you noticed it? We are actually busier than ever, with no time for anything! And when something happens to fall through the cracks—like shoes that need to be repaired—the promise is left broken, and we still have to wait. Truth be known—we don't even bother to repair shoes much anymore; we just buy more! I wonder if this fast-paced modern life has effected our attitudes toward the spiritual, as well. Actually, I don't wonder at all—I know it has! Will anyone take time for God?

Our church has been in a preaching series for over four years! That's right—four whole years! We started out looking at the Biblical names for the Father, and then, we moved on to those concerning the Son. Recently, the Lord has brought us through several names, titles, and spiritual pictures for the Holy Spirit. We are now focusing on some that take their meaning from the things of the created nature that is all around us. Today, I want to bring two such things together into focus. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan once wrote, "The whole truth does not lie in, 'It is written,' but in, 'It is written,' and, 'Again it is written.' The second text must be placed over against the first to balance it and give it symmetry, just as the right wing must work with the left to balance the bird and enable it to fly. Many of the doctrinal divisions among churches today are the result of a blind and stubborn insistence that truth has but one wing. No, truth has two wings." Do you see what he is saying? You can't just rush around, extracting bits and pieces of Scripture to make your point. We need to take the time to see the whole picture—to see it accurately!

You see, Dr. Morgan is not trying to suggest that the two wings are working against each other, trying to counter-balance each other in order to produce the truth. No, God's Word is not like that—both wings are totally true, but they must be seen in the same context—working together to tell the whole story. For example, some like to just focus on God being loving, but, at the same time, ignoring His commandments and judgment against sin. That is lopsided—His judging of sin now is the most loving thing He can do. Look at Luke 10—a particular religious leader tried to trip Jesus up by asking, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 25b) Jesus knew that it was not an honest question, so He turned it around on him—He asked him how he sees the Scriptures. The man answered..."Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." (vs.27) And that was the kicker! Neighbor! "OK, Jesus, who then IS my neighbor?" hoping to justify himself—probably hoping his neighbor was only the one living right next door, and no one else. He wouldn't want this love thing to involve too many people!

Then came Jesus' illustration—"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves..." (vs.30a) Yes, literally down! You see, Jerusalem is 2,600 feet above sea level, and Jericho is half that. The road is crooked, narrow, and winding down through the rocky crags—the perfect place for robbers to hide. The man was robbed, beaten, and left half dead. Before long, a Jewish priest came by, but when he saw the wounded man, he passed by on the other side. In the Greek, it means that he purposely turned out of his way—not to help the man, but to ignore him! Shortly thereafter, a Levite—also a religious leader—came by, saw the man, and also passed by on the other side. Scripture had made it clear—if either of these two men had come into contact with a dead body, they would be considered ceremonially unclean! In this case, they would not be able to do their "jobs" for a season, and neither of them had time for that! Busy, busy, busy!!!

But then came a Samaritan—Yes, a Samaritan! They were scorned by the Jews because they were descended from Gentile ancestry, and because their kind of worship was different from that of orthodox Judaism, maintaining a priesthood of their own. This man, however, had compassion on the bleeding man—deep, deep feelings for him. He stopped what he was doing, and at great risk to himself, since the attackers could still be in the area..."went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him." (vs.34) He even promised to reimburse the innkeeper for the care the man would need over time. Praise God—he poured in oil and wine! Throughout the Scriptures, oil is a very powerful symbol for the Holy Spirit, accomplishing much in the Christian life. First of all, oil was used for various anointings, including healing for the sick. In James 5:14 the church is asked, "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." Likewise, the Holy Spirit marks out those he intends to move upon. Oil was also used for illumination. Rene' Pache spoke of it—"Holy oil alone continually lighted the temple, where God was worshiped and where the person and work of Christ were wholly symbolized." And, thereby, we are enabled to worship in Spirit and Truth.

Yet another feature of oil is that it was poured over the blood to cleanse lepers, and even the priests. (Lev. 8:30; 14:17) Blood and oil! Do not these two put together typify how we, as sinners, were saved and called to serve the living God? We are delivered from our spiritual leprosy by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary, and then, as a priesthood of believers, we are sanctified by the oil—the power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God—it is the blood that is symbolized by the Scriptures' references to wine. That's right, wine! Oil and wine—two wings for the same truth! Before Jesus went to the Cross, He used the juice of the vine to represent His blood, but after the Cross—at Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit came down, the mockers attributed the disciples' Spirit-led words and actions to their drunkenness—"These men are full of new wine." (Acts 2:13) How ridiculous!

This "new wine," in the Greek, is "gluckos," specifically referring to fresh, sweet grape juice. Those that mocked the disciples couldn't possibly have really thought they were drunk; they didn't know what else to do, but be sarcastic. The disciples' spiritual exhilaration and joy just had to be mocked by those who were refusing to deny themselves and experience it with them. This striking symbol of wine represents the refreshing, stimulating, gladdening influence of the Spirit in the life of the believer. Paul tells us, "And be not drunk with (intoxicating) wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." (Eph.5:18) The more deeply and repeatedly we drink of Him, the more we desire to be indwelt by Him. In a sense, you are holding the claim ticket right now—this sheet of paper contains the truth of God's Word. Don't procrastinate—go get your spiritual "shoes," and I can assure you, the Lord will not tell you to come back later. He wants your joy to be immediate and everlasting. In our church, we often sing this song—"He poured in the oil and the wine, the kind that restoreth my soul. He found me bleeding and dying on the Jericho Road, and He poured in the oil and the wine." Don't be too busy for the oil and the wine—the two wings of truth, without which, we won't be able to fly at all!

The Farm and the Fawn: A Matter of True Love (Feb11)

I know that in the midst of snow and cold temperatures, it may seem kind of odd to focus on what would turn out to be the hottest day of the year. The farmers had not seen rain in almost a month, the crops were dying, and the cows had stopped giving milk. Everyday the men struggled to get what little water they had into the fields. And then it happened!

The farmer's wife was standing at the kitchen window when she spotted her 6 year old Billy, slowly making his way to the edge of the woods, and then run back to the house. Several times she saw this odd behavior play out, so she decided to investigate. Following him back to the woods, she noticed that he had his hands very carefully cupped, intensely focused on not spilling a drop of the precious water. Thorns and branches slapped his face, but he didn't even try to avoid them—on he went to his intended destination!

To his mother's amazement, deer were standing around the clearing—including a huge buck—as the little boy knelt down so a tiny fawn could lap up the water. It was severely dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion. As the boy turned to go back to the house for more, his Mom hid behind a tree to let him fulfill his mission—his way! Back at the house, he turned on the outdoor spigot all the way, but only an occasional drop would land in his tightly clasped hands—it took 20 minutes. Just then, the boy turned towards the woods—and there was his Mom. The week before, he had been lectured on not wasting water, so now, with eyes filled with tears, he said, "I'm not wasting it, Mom!" As he made his slow and tedious way back to the fawn, his mother ran into the house for a full pitcher—and followed him. Her heart almost burst with joy as she watched the most beautiful heart she had ever seen work so hard to save a life. Tears rolled down her cheeks to the ground, when suddenly, they were joined with tears from heaven—yes, it started to rain! It was as if God was weeping for joy, too. She knew others would explain it all away—just a coincidence—but not her. It was a miracle—the rain that came that day saved their farm, and the actions of one little boy saved a fawn.

With Valentine's Day coming up this month, it is going to take a true heart—even a mother's heart—to see the beauty in a heart that will sacrifice everything to save the life of another. The Seasons of Lent and Easter are also coming up, and then we will see that Jesus was willing to do that very thing—sacrifice everything to save the life of another. For right now, I would like us to see how the Holy Spirit is absolutely bent on accomplishing the same thing. Believe it or not, we can see this in the simple analogy of water. Herbert Lockyer once wrote, "Water is one of the most common of symbols used to describe, not only the varied ministry of the Holy Spirit, but also the Holy Scriptures. We could not live without water or rain. We need water to allay thirst, to give beauty to the flowers, and fertility to crops and harvests."

Yes, water! Without water, we die! I suppose it all began very early on—Genesis 1:1-2 tells us, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

Praise God—all of life and creation can be eternally meaningful and purposeful, if it will allow itself to come into His order. As the people of God embarked upon the wilderness, Moses was told by God, "...thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people might drink." (Exodus 17:6) At the Cross, the Rock of Ages was smitten, and water, as well as blood, flowed from His eternal heart. Paul would later verify this incredible fact, referring to the people of God in the wilderness, "...for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Cor.10:4) When Jesus met with the woman at the well, He told her, "...whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst..." (John 4:14a) He was seeking to show her—and us—that the Holy Spirit, as an indwelling Well of Water, was the only source of spiritual life and refreshment. He alone will satisfy our soul's deepest thirst—the waters of this life have failed in that, trying to fool us with substitutions, for only He can bring true cleansing, life, fruitfulness, beauty, and joy.

This life-giving water is manifested in Scripture in several different forms. First, consider rivers. In John 7, we read what happened at the end of the Feast of the Tabernacles—"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (vss.37-38) Not stagnant, but moving water—fresh and clean. Did you know that it is reported that the Amazon River in South America has such a huge flow out into the Atlantic Ocean, that 100 miles out to sea, you can dip into it and still find fresh water? Whoa! And notice, this "living water" is plural—"rivers." Remember—In Genesis 2, when God put his brand new civilization in the cradle, so to speak, it was encompassed by four rivers, not just one or even two. This massive size and plurality indicate the variety, abundance, and many facets of the Holy Spirit's activities. What diversity in His dealings with us—chastising and rebuking are reserved for those He loves and disciplines. Such is true love, my friends!

A flood is another way for water to manifest itself. In Noah's day, the deluge was straight from God's heart—judging the sin of the world, and at the same time, giving it a second chance. A deluge of the Spirit is just as able to flood the earth with blessing. Isaiah 44:3 tells us, "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour out my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring." We must be truly baptized—immersed—in Holy Spirit and His fire. The trouble with far too many of us is that we often only want to drink just enough to keep us alive; not enough to truly thrive! Yet another mode for water is rain. The Psalmist tells us, "He shall come down like rain..." (Ps. 72:6) Joel, in his call to the people to repent, writes, "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." (2:23) Praise God—it is the "latter rain," at the end of the growing season, that brings the harvest all the way to fruition!

The absence of rain undoubtedly means famine, scarcity, and ruin, as many people around the world have found out. The Church is certainly suffering from spiritual famine, and is in sad need of hearing the sound of the abundance of rain. This famine, however, is of many people's own choosing—instead of a true Word, many flock around entertainment and prosperity. It is not a famine of the Word itself; no, it is a "...famine...of hearing the words of the Lord." (Amos 8:11)
You see, its a control issue, isn't it? People didn't want it, so God sends a famine. And don't forget natural springs—they are still another way in which we experience water! When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He also told her, "...the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14b) Springs are not only reservoirs of pure, fresh water, but the source of great rivers. The Psalmist said, "...all my springs are in thee." (87:7), and this is true of the Spirit, who is our secret source of every precious thing. In Him is a perennial source of supply—a Spring that never ceases to flow. All we have to do is recognize our need for such provision, and surrender to His ways of giving it. But once again—the issue is control, isn't it? If only we truly knew the blessings of such denial of self. If only...

The last form of water that I want to look at is dew. Even the word itself sounds insignificant, doesn't it? Early in the evening, its not there; a little later, it is. What's with that? Just as God had said He would be His people's rain, Hosea reveals that He, "...will be as the dew," (14:5) gently and softly moistening the ground and the roots they hold. As Moses concluded his ministry, he told the people, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God." (Deut. 32:2,3) Yes, let's publish the name of the Lord, as every drop falls into the cupped hand and onto the parched land. Praise God—as the farm and the fawn have indeed ascribed greatness unto Him, may we, too, know in our hearts that without the water of the Holy Spirit, we die! His true love, through the Spirit, waters everything and up comes life eternal!

The Wasted Gift (Jan11)

With Christmas just behind us, would you even begin to suggest that there were any wasted gifts, either of those you gave or of those you were given? I'm not suggesting that there should be, only that it is an interesting thought. William Sydney Potter, who wrote under the pen name, O. Henry, generally told his stories with a twist at the end. One tells of Della and Jim, a poor, young couple trying to make a go of it on $20.00 a week at the beginning of the 20^th Century—and it was Christmas time!

Della so wanted to get something nice for her Jim, but she only had $1.87 saved up. One day, while looking in the mirror, she had a very reluctant thought—she could sell her long, beautiful hair to Madame Sofronie, who ran a little shop just around the corner called, "Hair Goods of All Kinds." As far as Della was concerned, they owned only two precious things—she had her hair and Jim had his gold watch, which had been both his father's and his grand-father's. With the $20.00 she made by selling her beautiful hair, she bought a beautiful gold chain to replace the tattered leather strap on Jim's beautiful gold watch.

It would be a beautiful Christmas Eve. It was 7:48 pm., the pork chops were ready to fry in the pan, and Jim wasn't home yet. As he walked in, Della was worried that he wouldn't like her short hair. He hesitated, reached into his pocket and brought out a wrapped package. When he tossed it onto the table, he said, "Make no mistake about it, Dell, nothing could make me love you less than I do. But if you will just open that package, you will see why you had me going at first." As she opened it, there was an ecstatic scream of joy, but soon that gave way to tears. It was the set of tortoise shell hair combs with the jeweled rims. She had had her eye on them, so she knew they were expensive. Jim had not seen his gift yet—she hadn't wrapped it; she just held the glistening chain in her hand. "Jim," Della said, "Let me have your watch, and I'll put it on. I want to see how it looks on your beautiful gold watch." Instead, he tumbled onto the couch, and simply smiled. "Dell," he said, "Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em for awhile. Honey, I sold my watch to buy your combs. Suppose we can have those chops now?"

Some would say, "Boy, what wasted gifts!" But is that really true? You see, O. Henry originally entitled this story, "The Gift of the Magi." At the very close of the story, he wrote, "Here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that, of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi." You know who the magi were, don't you? Today, we often call them the wise men, though to many, they look the most foolish. From their long and seemingly pointless journey to their odd and senseless gifts that they brought with them, everything about it appears to be foolishness. But let's remember what Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries, who were martyred in the jungles of Ecuador, for the sake of the gospel, once said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." What a senseless loss—or was it? Jim Elliot's wife, Elizabeth, would see his murderer born again! How foolish is that?

Wise men have always been called fools. Matthew 2:1-2 tells us, "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." "Foolishness," their contemporaries must have thought! You see, they were astrologers and soothsayers from Persia, and, somehow, God must have revealed to them His Son's birth in Judea. So, they set out on a 1,500 mile journey across the wastelands to find the little child. Why? To worship Him! It sounds crazy, but it was their heart's desire. They hadn't even been raised in Judaism, but God can feed any hungry heart. The special star they had seen in the east sent them west, to the capital of Judea—Jerusalem. It was a logical location—certainly the young King of the Jews would be born in the capital. But when they arrived, they found the current king, Herod, and all the people of his court in a stir—they hadn't heard a thing about it.

It was then the king gathered his own so-called "wise men," and asked them about the exact location. They remembered that the Scriptures had said, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:5,6) Yes, Bethlehem, not Jerusalem! And when the wise men stepped out of the palace, the special star they had seen in their homeland appeared again, and led them to the very house where the young family lived. You see, it was now after Christmas—perhaps months later—and Matthew tells us, "And when they (the wise men) were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (vs. 11) Imagine—how crazy can you get? What fools! What is a baby going to do with those things—why not stuffed animals, or a binky? I mean, where is the wisdom in that?

Paul put it this way—"For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God...Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Cor.1:18,25) The gifts the wise men brought were not silly or foolish—they were not wasted at all! The gold would be a gift fit for a King, and so He was—precious and priceless. The frankincense is an incense and its smoke and aroma ascends into the heavens—it was their worship. And the oddest gift of all—the myrrh, used to embalm dead bodies. This little baby would not stay one—he would grow, and go to a Cross; He would rise again and reign forever. Praise God! Billy Graham once wrote, "From His very birth, Christ was recognized as King. Something about Him inspired allegiance, loyalty, and homage. Shepherds fell and worshiped Him. Wise men brought Him gifts. Herod, realizing that there is never room for two thrones in one kingdom, sought His life. As Jesus began His ministry, His claims upon people's lives were total and absolute. He expected and received complete adoration and devotion from His Church. Mature men and women left their businesses and gave themselves in complete obedience to Him. He was more than a poet, more than a statesman or a physician. He was the King of kings, Lord of lords." One King, one Kingdom!

Praise God for the wisdom of the wise men—when God warned them in a dream of Herod's murderous intentions, they didn't argue or debate—they went home another way! Perhaps it was on their long journey home—which by the way, was part of their gift to the Christ Child—that a powerful flashback jolted through their brains like a lightening bolt. Several centuries before, some young Jewish men were taken in the Captivity, and placed in their own land—Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. They were some of the Jewish captives that were, "Children in whom was no blemish, but wellfavoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace..." (Daniel 1:4) Wait till you see this...

At the outset, King Nebuchadnezzar expected these chosen captives to eat his rich foods, but these four young people said, "No!" In fact, we read, "...Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." (vs. 8) And the result? "As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams...And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm." (vss. 17, 20) Such wisdom would be needed for fiery furnaces and lion's dens, not to mention, powerful prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. And when the Messiah did come, He was worshiped by wise men in the same line, from the same country, with the same heart—Oh, for sure, the gift was not wasted, and neither will your life be, if it is given sacrificially and out of pure love. No, not wasted at all—not at all!!!