Price of Faith

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Jonah 3:5-9 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

Over the years I have had people come to me asking how they can get God to answer their prayers. Now mind you, they are not praying to win the lottery, have a bigger house, or nice car. No, they are praying for things that God really does want to respond to. But there’s a process. Typically I ask them, How bad do you want your prayer to be answered? After hearing their reply I have them read the following passage: Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:23-29)

The Disciples asked Jesus why they didn’t have the power or authority to cast the demon out? His answer implied that there was a price to “pay” for that kind of power and authority. What was the price? Prayer and fasting. Some scholars say that Jesus’ statement is even more profound than this. They teach that the implications behind what Jesus is saying refers to a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. From this account we could also surmise that an additional ingredient needed for prayer to be answered is a faith that moves you. It can be a faith that moves you to tears, or some action. But action is involved.

Paradoxically the pagans of Nineveh had more faith than the prophet of God. They took action. How can it be that the pagans had more faith than Jonah? It’s not like he lacked examples from the Old Testament. His ancestor Abraham heard of God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and lost no time in praying and pleading for God to spare the lives of the people. Not Jonah. In Jonah 4 he builds a shelter in the shade to watch and see if God would destroy the people of Nineveh. He doesn’t intercede. He doesn’t ask God for mercy. He watches, waits, and longs for their destruction.

For those seeking God through this time on god’s Calendar called Elul or faith moves us to reconnect to God. To draw near to Him through repentance. We have been confessing our sins, and repenting. But the question remains: Do the pagans, lost people, witches, satanists, new agers, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Buddhist, or Hindus – have more faith than you? Is there more demonstrable action regarding their faith in comparison to yours? Has your faith moved you to pray with tears like the father with the demonized son, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Romans 10:17 states Faith comes by hearing. Do you need to repent of having your ears closed to the Word of the Lord?


Drowning Man Found

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Jonah 2:6-7 .…Yet You have brought up my life from the pit and corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted upon me [crushing me], I earnestly and seriously remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple.

Do you remember the process you went through to truly surrender to Jesus? Can you recall who you were before you were born-again? If you believe that salvation is a one, and done event it’s easy to forget who you were before surrendering. But, if you believe that you are in the process of being saved from your sinful, self-centered, rebellious self you have plenty of times to recall what and who the Lord is presently saving you from. When Peter preached at Pentecost in the Book of Acts he said in Acts 2:21 And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord—Christ] shall be saved. The Greek word picture for the word “call” comes from the idea of someone drowning. In their ignorance they were lured to the waters for some fun. Before they knew it the sand beneath their watery playground had dropped off dramatically, terrifyingly revealing they were over their head. Frantically thrashing about, attempting to stay afloat, the terror grips them as they know all too well they cannot swim. In their thrashing they scream out in desperation, Help! Help! Someone save me. From the beach a Savior sees their predicament and plunges head first into the watery grave to save them. Are they saved when they become conscious of His efforts? Are they saved when He reaches them; saved when He wraps His arm around them to tow them back to shore? No they are not saved till their feet become firmly planted on Heaven’s shores.

Can you recall the times in your life when you were drowning and you finally called on the Lord to save you or has life dulled your memories? In Jonah’s prayer, attitude toward God’s mission, anger, and judgments towards the people of Nineveh – you can quickly detect he had forgotten what he had been saved from, and the process of salvation he was still involved in (God didn’t send Jonah to Nineveh because He was fresh out of prophets). Jonah neglected to realize that God’s mission was not only the salvation of Nineveh but also, his own. The task was intended to save him too!

As you have responded to the call of God to seek Him have you become like Jonah forgetting all the Lord has saved you from and what He is in the process of saving you from now? Have you been irritated, and annoyed at an assignment He has you in – a difficult person, or situation – that you haven’t realized He’s using to save you? Have you become like Jonah not overflowing daily for His great salvation? Can you recall all His salvation benefits declaring them by name? When’s the last time you gave thanks and remembered?


The Great Offense

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Douglas A. Knight; Amy-Jill Levine: The Meaning of the Bible – What the Jewish Scriptures and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us: ‘The fictional nature of the story of Jonah is indicated not only by the “great fish” that swallows the prophet and after three days vomits him up on dry land or by the exaggerated rhetoric (the word “great” occurs fourteen times), but also by the city’s surprising repentance: the entire population, and the cattle, repent after hearing a five-word (in Hebrew) sermon.’

Let’s face it there are many things in the Bible that offend our sensibilities and reason. But at the root of them all is an exposure of faith, or the lack thereof. Better yet, what is being exposed is what we truly trust. It’s one thing to believe, and quite another to trust it to be true. We flippantly state we believe God’s Word to be true but Jonah lays bare our heart. Is it simply a fictional story, a children’s fairy tale, or was Jonah a real-life individual? Did this event really occur?

Jesus thought so. Luke 11:32 The men of Nineveh will appear as witnesses at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, here is more than Jonah.

The Old Testament writer of the book 2 Kings thought Jonah existed: Jeroboam restored Israel’s border from the entrance of Hamath to the [Dead] Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonahson of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. (2 Kings 14:25)

Scripture is very clear regarding the connection between Jesus and the Word revealing the relationship we truly have with Him. The Word is the mirror of that relationship revealing what we value, love, and trust. Another obvious connection to the Word is that of the Holy Spirit. You can’t see Jesus apart from the Spirit, and the Word, nor can you truly grasp the message of the Word apart from the Spirit. What’s infinitely scarier is the fact that the Letter of the Law kills. In other words you can know the word but not know the WORD. To be so close and yet so far from eternal life.

Franklin Graham, recounts in an article in Charisma Magazine a struggle his father wrestled with Seventy-six years ago, a pivotal time in Billy Graham’s life. A young preacher friend had been questioning whether the Bible was truly and entirely the authoritative Word of God. The issues this preacher raised began to trouble Billy. Although he never doubted the truth of the Gospel, he wrestled over whether he could fully believe everything the Bible teaches. He even started wondering if his questions might cause him to give up preaching. He took his struggle with him when he traveled to San Bernardino, California, where he was scheduled to speak at Forest Home Conference Center, and then begin a citywide tent crusade in Los Angeles a few weeks later. Late one night at Forest Home, discouraged and unable to sleep because of the burden that filled his mind, he got up and went out into the moonlight for a walk. In the nearby woods he came upon a tree stump, and he opened his Bible and laid it on the stump. Then he poured out the agony of his heart to God. He knew the matter had to be resolved one way or the other. Finally he knelt in the shadows by the stump with the Bible open before him and prayed, “Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word—by faith! I will believe this to be Your inspired Word.” At that moment, he later said, he felt the burden lift and sensed the freedom and power of the Holy Spirit in and around him.

If you are participating in the month of Elul’s emphasis upon seeking to connect to Jesus through confession, and repentance then you are manifesting what you truly believe about Jesus and His Word. Your seeking is a mirror of your faith, and trust OR a mirror of unbelief, and distrust. Do you need to settle the issue of the Word of God in your life? Do you need to confess your unbelief?

Manifestation and Multiplication

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Revelation 19:10 The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy. What is prophecy but the manifestation of spoken words becoming a reality. Jonah had heard the testimony of God’s miracles to the patriarchs, the Exodus, the conquest of the Promised Land, the Word of God, the exploits of the prophets – and yet the pagans had more faith than him. How can that be? How can you be a prophet and not manifest the Word you have seen come to pass over and over?

What we should be asking is, How is it that I know these things and more? I mean, we even have the Resurrected Jesus, the indwelling Holy Spirit, the exploits of the Apostles, the New Testament Church, the completed book of the Bible (in a language we can read and understand) and the saints who have gone before us. Yet, is the fullness of Jesus manifesting through us or are we simply manifesting more of us? Are you becoming a manifestation of Jesus’ Testimony? Are you manifesting Jesus’ testimony in others?

After 11 days of repenting I am becoming apprehensive that maybe I’m being too hard and we need some encouragement. Oswald Chambers coined a term in his most famous of all Christian devotional classics. What was the term? Amateur Providence. Oswald states: One of our severest lessons comes from the stubborn refusal to see that we must not interfere in other people’s lives. It takes a long time to realize the danger of being an amateur providence, that is, interfering with God’s order for others. You see a certain person suffering, and you say — “He shall not suffer, and I will see that he does not.” You put your hand straight in front of God’s permissive will to prevent it, and God says — “What is that to thee?” If there is stagnation spiritually, never allow it to go on, but get into God’s presence and find out the reason for it. Possibly you will find it is because you have been interfering in the life of another; proposing things you had no right to propose; advising when you had no right to advise. Ouch! The psalmist exhorts the worshippers of Israel: Kiss the Son lest He be angry with you. John in the Book of Revelation adds He has a double-edged sword extending from His mouth. You Kiss the Son and you are going to bleed. It’s going to hurt. Do you desire a closer walk with Jesus? He burns with fire, and is long-suffering. The closer you get the more you become acquainted with His suffering.

What would you need to change your mind about today? What in you is not in alignment with Him, His Word, and His Will? How is it even possible to align with Him? Do you still desire more of Jesus? Why or why not?

Read My Lips

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Some may remember when President George H.W. Bush, Sr. was lambasted for a campaign promise during the 1988 Republican National Convention bid for the presidential nomination. What was the now infamous promise? Read my lips. No new taxes. The Democrats never let him forget that one. In the book of Jonah we discover that History repeats itself.

Jonah 1:9, 14-16 And he said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear and worship the Lord, the God of heaven, Who made the sea and the dry land.…Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship to the land, but they could not, for the sea became more and more violent against them.14 Therefore they cried to the Lord, We beseech You, O Lord, we beseech You, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.15 So they took up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.16 Then the men [reverently and worshipfully] feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

What’s wrong with this picture? Jonah states he reverently fears and worships the Lord – while running from Him in disobedience. The pagan, unbelievers fear God, pray, and quickly obey God. Amos 5:23-24 shines light on the contradiction: Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps.24 But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream. Interestingly enough, Amos lived during Jonah’s life time. What else did Amos say? 18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness and not light;…20 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light? Even very dark with no brightness in it? While Amos is preaching to Israel, Jonah is longing for the Day of the Lord to destroy the people of Nineveh. Can you see the wickedness in this? As I write this there are those in the Body of Christ longing for the rapture to come in September 2025. Why is that a problem? There are approximately over 3 billion people who have never heard the Gospel and we’re wanting to get raptured?

In Jonah 1:9,14–16 – Jonah chose to give lip service to God rather than truly fearing, and worshipping God ~ as compared to the pagan sailors who truly feared, reverenced, and worshipped God through obedience. Why do we need to seek God? Why do we need repentance? Years ago a pastor remarked that he was evangelistic yet didn’t think we needed missions because the American Church had done such a spectacular job of reaching the nations. Can you see the contradiction? I’m evangelistic but I don’t believe in evangelizing the nations? Keith Green wrote a song years ago titled, Asleep In the Light. It was poignant then and even more so now. Soak this in as you seek the Lord with repentance: Do you see? Do you see? All the people sinking down? Don’t you care? Don’t you care? Are you gonna let them drown? How can you be so numb? Not to care if they come, You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done, “Oh, bless me, Lord, bless me, Lord”, You know, it’s all I ever hear, No one aches, no one hurts, No one even sheds one tear, But, He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, And He cares for your needs, And you just lay back and keep soaking it in, Oh, can’t you see it’s such sin? ‘Cause He brings people to your door, And you turn them away, As you smile and say, “God bless you, be at peace”, And all Heaven just weeps, ‘Cause Jesus came to your door, You’ve left Him out on the streets, Open up, open up, And give yourself away, You see the need, you hear the cries, So how can you delay? God’s calling and you’re the one, But like Jonah, you run, He’s told you to speak but you keep holding it in….

Stubbing Your Toe

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Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was very angry. Jonah 4:4 Then said the Lord, Do you do well to be angry?Jonah 4:9 And God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the loss of the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die! – Do you perceive a theme in the above?

Have you ever stubbed your toe while walking barefoot or in flip flops or sandals? That’s how Jonah felt when he realized God was going to have mercy on the Ninevites. Jonah 4:2 states why he was angry: That is why I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger…. Why was Jonah angry? Because God is slow to anger. Jonah believed God should release hell fire and destruction on Ninevehs’ inhabitants. Jonah failed to ask what he deserved from God.

Behind Jonah’s anger is a deeper issue. Jesus warned of it in the Last Days: And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. (Matthew 24:10) Did you catch it? In the Last Days many will be offended, distrust, and pursue one another with hatred. Matthew adds: …will stumble and fall away. Why is that interesting? 1 Peter 2:7-8 records: Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. (NKJV)

This passage reveals the roots of offense: (a) They cease trusting God; (b) God is no longer precious. In other words He is not valued, honored, revered or respected. If you value God’s Presence you know you cannot remain in offense because offense is rooted in judgment, and unforgiveness. You cannot abide in His Presence and remain unforgiving and judgmental; (c) All these things lead to disobedience. In fact an offended Christian reflects a disobedient Christian. Because they don’t trust God, and He is not valued or revered, they quit being obedient. Jesus said if you loved Him you would trust and obey Him. (Show me an offended Christian and I will show you a disobedient Christian); (d) Naturally, when you factor in all the above it leads to a person stumbling spiritually, eventually falling away from God altogether. (Worse case scenario? They will create a god in and after their own image deceiving themselves into more deception and lies)

Psalm 119:165 adds: “Great peace have they who love your Law (Instruction) and nothing shall offend them.” If you love the Law – you love His Instruction. If you love His Instruction – you love His Word. If you love His Word – you love Him because He is the Word. If all of the above is true eventually you become unoffendable. On this ninth day of Elul (season of seeking God, connecting to Him, meeting Him in the dust to change your thinking about sin) take the time to ask yourself the following:

Are you or have you been offended by anyone or anything? This can be government leadership, institutions, church, denominations, family members, etc. Have you judged any of the above as deserving punishment? When you talk about any of the above do you find yourself becoming angry? If you need to make a list and release them one by one.

Deadly Silence

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Jonah 4:5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and he made a booth there for himself. He sat there under it in the shade till he might see what would become of the city.

A young man applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the job. Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man.” The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and then one spoke up, “Wait a minute–I don’t understand. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair.” The employer responded, “While you have sat there the telegraph has been ticking out the following message: “If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.”

Like the young man applying for the Morse code operator position Jonah had heard the Word of the Lord, and he was the only one who heard it. Unfortunately several times he had ignored the Word of the Lord. To make matters worse he was designated God’s Messenger and still failed to deliver the message. He chose silence and the death of his neighbors rather than opening his mouth in obedience to the Lord. When he opened his mouth he did it begrudgingly hoping that God would destroy them.

2 Corinthians 3:2-4 [No] you yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody.3 You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.4 Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God.

What have people been “reading” from your life? Would the apostles be as confident in us as they were in the Corinthians? Is it obvious that we are a letter from Jesus? What needs to change in your life for this to be true?

Jnh.1:7 – Jonah chose to be silent regarding God’s Word, and His judgment of all who rejected Him and His Truth. Was there ever a time in your life you chose to remain silent when you should have shared Jesus? Do you live more for the applause of men or the applause of Heaven? How many lives have been lost due to your silence and mine? What will the history books judge about Christians who remained silent as over 63 million babies have been aborted since 1973?

Jnh. 1:9-12 – Pagan Sailors had more trust in God’s Word, prayer, and messenger than Israel. Do satanists and witches have more confidence in the prayers of the saints? Do Muslims fear the prophecies of the coming Messiah more than you? Do atheists and agnostics have more faith in God’s Word than you? (why are they afraid to have the 10 Commandments posted in public schools?)

    A Sleeping Narcissist

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    Jonah 4:9-11 And God said to Jonah, Do you do well to be angry for the loss of the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die!10 Then said the Lord, You have had pity on the gourd, for which you have not labored nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons not [yet old enough to] know their right hand from their left, and also many cattle [not accountable for sin]?

    All Jonah cared about was himself and his comfort. His self-centeredness went so deep that he turned a blind eye to the possible deaths of 120,000 children. What’s really interesting regarding this passage is that God not only cared for the cruel Ninevites, and their children, He also cared for the cattle that would die if He brought judgment and destruction. But not Jonah.

    In the 1980’s the psychological designation of narcissus began to pick up popular, cultural steam as it entered pop psychology designating someone we used to categorize as self-centered. Sunday, August 24 I googled the question: What do you call someone who stubbornly refuses to change their behavior? I was surprised by one of the articles I discovered. It stated: “People with narcissistic personality disorder are extremely resistant to changing their behavior, even when it’s causing problems.”

    What is repentance? Change. First it begins with an acknowledgement that you have missed God’s Perfect Way of Love. Next it culminates with a change of mind which leads to a change in lifestyle. Elul is a time of conversion and repentance in order to seek God.

    Jnh. 1:5-6 – Jonah refused to have his mind changed – refused to be teachable – regarding his responsibility for his neighbors. How many messages have you heard, repeating the same theme, that you have refused to change your mind, behavior, actions or attitude about? Are you Christ-centered or self-centered in your lifestyle and actions? Is it possible to be a follower of Jesus and still remain a narcissist? Are you teachable? Is your thinking aligning more with the truths of God’s Word and the example of Christ than the lies of this world and popular culture? Has your thinking and lifestyle been changed to be more in line with Jesus and His Word in the past year or would others state you have remained relatively the same?

    Jnh. 1:6; 2:1-2 – Jonah had become faithless in prayer – choosing sleep over praying for his neighbors. Jesus told Disciples – Followers of Jesus – to watch and pray. Would you characterize your spiritual life as watching and praying? Do you watch and pray with Jesus? Do you have a daily quiet time with the Lord? Do you sleep while a small minority remain faithful in prayer? Are you sleeping while third world countries and believers are spending sleepless nights in prayer? Are you spending time in leisure while brothers and sisters around the world faithfully pray as they face the threat of death, rape, persecution, torture, beating and imprisonment? What does your prayer life reveal about your faith?

    Pitch Black

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    Jonah 2:4 But the Lord sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be broken.

    How many of you know that when a storm breaks out on the ocean it becomes pretty dark? Now imagine being Jonah in which the storm looks dark, and angry. Most likely the sun is obscured from his view. Now multiply that darkness by being throwing into the ocean depths in which you begin sinking down out of what little light was available to you. Finally, let’s add to your darkness a fish that engulfs you – whole. But wait. It becomes worse. You are alone without God because you have been fleeing from His Presence. That’s a tangible darkness – thick and unending (like being in a cavern when they turn out the light).

    What do you do? Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. That word simple can mean foolish or open-minded. Our culture has been engulfed in darkness by being so open-minded their brains are falling out. Sadly, many have yet to recognize they are drowning in destruction, sinking into a hell that will never spit them out. What’s greater than a lost person’s darkness? The darkness of being a so-called follower of Jesus, and not living up to who He created you to be. The good news is Psalm 119:130. Jesus’ Light comes through the entrance of His Word. His word can enter any situation when you break agreement with what has plunged you into spiritual darkness. Simply by confessing where you have missed His Way and His Word – His Vision for mankind – you come back in to alignment harmonizing with the One Who (according to the rabbis) sung you into existence.

    How did Jonah loose the Light of God’s Word into the darkness of His situation? Acknowledging God’s existence, and inadvertently confessing where He had walked away from God. Strangely, Jonah never seems to recognize his own glaring sins. What were some of the sins of Jonah that we share in?

    Jnh. 1:5-6 – Pagan sailors feared God’s judgment more than Jonah. Many of the parables of Jesus, and 1 Corinthians 3 makes it clear that our works will be judged by fire. Paul simply asks in 1 Corinthians 3, Don’t you know that you are a temple of God and you will be rewarded or possibly lose your reward – in the Final Judgment? Scripture reveals in the book of Revelations Jesus will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Why are they crying? Do unbelievers fear God’s Judgment more than you? Do unbelievers fear the Scrutiny of God’s judgment more than you? Sure, they talk a good talk until they know eternity approaches. What about you?

    Jnh. 1:5-6 – Jonah chose apathy and complacency over the spiritual condition of Assyria and Nineveh. Do you have an apathetic and complacent view regarding those around you who may spend an eternity in hell? Do you pray regularly for the lost? Do you engage people in conversations regarding eternal matters or does fear of man silence your voice? Do you fear man more than you fear God?

      How Low Can You Go?

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      Jonah 2:1, 5-6 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly,…The waters compassed me about, even to [the extinction of] life; the abyss surrounded me, the seaweed was wrapped about my head.6 I went down to the bottoms and the very roots of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet You have brought up my life from the pit and corruption, O Lord my God.

      You don’t get much lower than being surrounded by the abyss and traveling to the bottoms of the mountains. But that’s how low Jonah was lodged in the fish’s belly. How many of you have been there? Isolated, alone, and feeling like the only thing you have left is God (and even that doesn’t feel like enough). The interesting paradox is you are not alone. Others are feeling alone, and that God has abandoned them to their circumstances. Yet Scripture says that is precisely the place He can be found: Isaiah 57:15 “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

      What does it mean to be contrite? It means that you feel like you have been crushed, broken, cast down, and made to feel very small. The word lowly implies you have gone as low as you can go, or to humble yourself. Interestingly the Hebrew word for lowly finds it reference to a mountain. How does a mountain become low? The implication is, physically speaking, from an earth bound perspective a mountain is about as high as you can get. For that mountain to be humbled it would have to be leveled, scraped from the earth, sifted, and its debris leveled.

      How do you get delivered from the belly of this world system that seeks to chew, devour, and spit you out? Seek for and meet with God. Not in the heights of Heaven but in the depths of your earth. You see you are a son or daughter of Adam. In other words you are but dust. The good news is this is the very place Jesus kneels to make you new. The Hebrew word for bless implies kneeling before, or bending low in order to impart favor, grace, and prosperity. Picture that: The Creator of the Universe kneels before you to impart Grace. What does this mean? If you want to meet with the Godhead you have to join Him in the dust of that which is out of alignment, and harmony with His Holiness (otherness, uniqueness, separateness from all that is average, normal, and expected) In other words you have to acknowledge where you have sinned, or broken agreement with Who He is and God’s original design.

      Susanah Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, was once asked to define sin. She defined it as: anything that weakens one’s reason, impairs their conscience, obscures their sense of God, or diminishes their interest in spiritual things. Essentially, anything that gives the body undue influence over the mind, even if seemingly innocent, is considered sin. Interestingly enough you can actually find a list of things to confess simply by reading the book of Jonah. If you want to seek Jesus in order to meet with Him you have to meet Him in the dust of confession, agreeing with Him about where you have broken agreement.

      May I encourage you that during this season of repentance and seeking God that you commit to pray daily the prayer of Jonah for forty days, identifying with Jonah, and his many sins? Here are a few of Jonah’s sins you may need to confess:

      Similarities Between Jonah and Us:

      1. Jnh.1:1-3 – Jonah Seeks to run in disobedience from the Word of the Lord – ignoring it. Are you presently obeying all you know from the Word of God, or from His revealed will? Was there something preached yesterday you experienced conviction and correction that you need to put into practice today?
      2. Jnh. 1:3 – Seeks to pay a price to flee from God’s Presence , serving God, and others. Are you seeking God’s Manifested Presence and if so do seek to remain, or to abide? Are you currently, and actively seeking to serve God in personal worship, praise, thanksgiving and prayer on a daily basis? Are you currently serving others in your church or have you been more consumer oriented, centered in yourself, your wants, likes, and dislikes?

      Stuck in the Mud

      /in /by

      Jonah 2:6 But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. What pit was Jonah referring? The belly of the great fish or the spiritual condition that led to the belly of the fish? Jonah 2:6 echoes Psalm 40:2. Psalm 40:2 states: He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. What is miry clay? muddy, boggy or swampy soil conditions; deep, wet, sticky earth that is difficult to move through; damp, and squishy earth; wet spongy earth that is difficult to navigate or escape.

      Once Jackie and I were spending time with some good friends, Mark and Valerie Nelson, on an island in the Chesapeake Bay. Valeries Dad took us out in his boat to check on his crab pots near some of the marshy areas in the bay. Unfortunately we became stuck in the shallows and there was only one solution to getting unstuck. Get out of the boat and push it into deeper water. Thankfully Mark had the presence of mind to recommend we remove our flip flops before plunging over the side of the boat. Why was that a good thing? When we jumped out of the boat we sunk knee deep in slimy, squishy, stinky mud. The flip flops would have become a permanent possession of what the Psalmist referred to as miry clay. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing miry clay you know that it is difficult to walk and navigate through. (As the Nelsons and the Shaws soon discovered). For you see we had to lift our knees near our chests to simply get them unstuck from the muck (and oh, how delightful we smelled). Each step required considerable effort and after several steps we dislodged the boat.

      Why do we need to seek God? Life’s circumstances quickly lead us to being swallowed up in its’ grip causing our lives to begin to stink with the miry clay of this world system. Like Jonah, the big fish of life begins swallowing us whole, digesting, and reducing our lives to a living waste.

      Initially, it seemed strange to discover that at the height of Jewish repentance their go-to book in the Bible was, and still is, Jonah. It was strange until I began meditating realizing that I too had been swallowed by a great fish. That I too had become stuck in a pit, and in the miry clay of the Babylonian, Jezebel world system. It had taken its toll. The awareness of my spiritual plight grew as I prayed Jonah’s prayer. As I prayed my mind protested, How does this apply to me? I’m not like Jonah. I haven’t run from what God commanded me to do. I’ve not jumped ship, gone AWOL, or UA from my responsibilities. I’m not derelict in my duty, nor have I deserted my post. All of that sounded good till the Lord broke through my protest asking, What are you standing on Robert? Are you standing in humility, and obedience? Are you fighting the good fight of faith? Is your life marked by a constant changing of your thoughts to conform to My Word and the Spirit? Has your love for the lost and prodigals become like Jonah’s? If you love Me why don’t you obey Me without question? (For obedience is Jesus’ love language) When was the last time prayer wasn’t a chore or labor?

      After the smoke cleared from the fires of my conviction I realized that the book of Jonah was indeed a great guide for leading us to repentance. Yesterday’s blog asked, How do we go about seeking the Lord? Today revealed part of the answer. Humble yourself. Humble yourself admitting you have need of Jesus and you have not arrived in all that you have ascertained of Him.

      “We leak!”

      /in /by

      James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

      The Jewish month of Elul begins today, Monday, August 25 and extends to September, 23, 2025. What significance does that have for us as followers of Yeshua? Elul prepares the Jewish people for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah (Monday, September 22 – Wednesday, September 24, 2025 or according to God’s Calendar then year 5786). This new year is followed by a ten day period of prayer, self-examination and repentance. It is the custom that during the month of Elul, the celebrations of Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur that a shofar (ram’s horn) is blown indicating that it’s time for the spiritually complacent, those who have fallen asleep spiritually, are needing to wake up. Is this what Paul had in mind when he wrote: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”? (Eph. 5:14) Some may be tempted to say, Well that’s simply legalism; an Old Testament practice. Why do we need to seek God when we already have Him living in our hearts? Which, on the surface, appears to be a good question. Yet, they totally discount the New Testament Scripture that exhorts the same. It’s interesting how we have a selective process of reading Scripture. We often look for the things that support our opinions rather than allowing the truth to change us and lead us to change our thinking and way of living. Case in point? James 4:7-8 was written as an exhortation to the church; people that were followers of Jesus. What did James exhort them to do? Submit, and draw near to God, resist the devil, cleanse your heart, etc. Why would these people, who have Jesus living inside, are temples of the Spirit, have forgiveness of sins, and have been declared that they are not guilty, need to seek after God? For the same reason that “these” people have left Jesus outside of His church service – knocking trying to get in, have become lukewarm in their love and zeal for Jesus, and His Word, have become hard-hearted, and the list just keeps on giving. C.H. Spurgeon was once asked, Why do we need to keep asking to be filled with the Spirit? His response? “We leak!”

      I guess a more pertinent question would be to ask, Do you believe Jesus is about to return at any time? Do you believe He will come and tabernacle with us? (indicating the time of year He is planning on returning – the Feast of Tabernacles) Your answers to these questions results in a follow up question: Do you desire to have Jesus say to you, Well done, My good and faithful servant? or Depart from Me I never knew you? Many would say, But I know Jesus. To which I would reply, Are you making Jesus known? Any of us who claim to know Jesus would be about the business of making Jesus known. Any one of us who knows Jesus would be demonstrating their love and gratitude through uncompromised obedience, submission, and surrender to His Spirit and Word. Any one of us who truly knows Jesus would be living a lifestyle of having their thinking, and lifestyles changed to conform more fully to His example and word.

      Renewing our seeking after the Presence of Jesus calls us back to True Center of Who we have drifted from. In other words, We leak! Now the question becomes, How do you seek after Jesus? What does that look like in a follower of Jesus’ life?

      The Stance of the Gospel of Peace

      /in /by

      Nahum 1:15 Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts,
      perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off.

      The root meaning for the root word “good tidings” especially pertained to military encounters whose messenger was fresh from the field of battle. The news that would be brought regarding the battle was the good news of victory. The prophet Nahum refers to the “wicked one.” The New Testament equivalent for this word is Belial. Paul refers to it in 2 Cor. 6:15: What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? NIV Paul is using this name to refer to satan.

      What’s the good news of Nahum? Belial, the wicked one, has been utterly cut off. How is he cut off? By the message of the Good News. What is the message of the Good News? For us as believers in Jesus it’s all about the His Blood. But how is this Good News Activated? It’s in the feet of those who proclaim peace or shalom. Paul refers to this in Ephesians 6:15 And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. The messenger stands on Peace and in Peace. That is their warfare because their trust is in the Prince of Peace. This is how they fight the Good Fight of Faith.

      A stance is everything in fighting. It’s your foundation and base. If your foundation, or base, is out of balance you will surely fall. If your foundation, or base, is out of balance neither your offense nor your defense will be effective because the enemy already has you off balance. We overcome our enemy by the Good News of the Blood and the Peace that Good News brings. Revelation 12:9-11 (911!!!) reminds us: And the huge dragon was cast down and out—that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him.10 Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come—the salvation and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out!11 And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].

      That Blood works because of the One Who sacrificed His Life that we might live. Yet it’s only activated in those who do not cling to life but face death head on. The Apostles were always facing death and Paul reminded us of it: Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.38 For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:36-39)

      Yet in the midst of their for Jesus, to themselves, and for others, they became more than conquerors and gained a victory. This is why Paul reminded the Ephesians: Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. (Eph. 6:11) He repeats this topic of standing in verses 13-14: Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].14 Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth….(Eph. 6:13-14) The conclusion? Tighten up on the Truth, the Gospel, the Blood of Jesus. Know what His Blood and Gospel has secured and fight the Good Fight of Faith knowing that Resurrection Life awaits those who gladly lay down their lives for the Reward of the Lamb and for His suffering! The Battle is won by the proclamation of what His Blood has done. When you feel defeated and discouraged begin to remind the enemy what Jesus’ Blood has done and proclaim it aloud never forgetting your stance is everything. Remember your stance is everything.

      Two Minds?

      /in /by

      1 Corinthians 2:16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

      This is a profound promise. It’s truly intriguing when you compare 1 Corinthians 2:16 with Romans 12:2. Romans 12:2 states: Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude],….

      Since we have the Mind of Jesus according to the promise of 1 Corinthians 2 why do we need to renew our minds, or our thought processes? How can a born-again, follower of Jesus have the perfect, untainted mind of Jesus and have a mind that needs to be transformed (metamorphosised), and renewed to the Mind of Christ? James 1:8 echoes this: [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything…To make matters worse the Apostle Paul states: Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].7 [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot. In this passage in Romans 8:6-7 Paul states that not only do we have the Mind of Christ, we have the Mind of the Holy Spirit. In fact verse seven states in some translations that the mind of the flesh or soul is at enmity with God. It’s at war with God, hostile toward God, and is His enemy.

      How can this be? According to the Bible you can deduce we are triune in similar ways the Godhead is Triune. We consist of body, soul, and spirit. Now I can’t speak for you but my experience has shown that even after I know I have been born-again, and have a personal relationship with the Godhead, I have done, and said things that were not Christ-like. How can this be? I have Jesus living in me. One day my body is going to die. Does that mean Jesus dies with my body or is there a more powerful explanation to the paradox? I have experienced some pretty demonic, dark, and evil thoughts in my mind and at times those thoughts seem to override anything I know in Scripture, and seemingly even Jesus Himself. How can this be since Jesus lives in me? Other questions arise: How can one be a born-again follower of Jesus and still be sick: mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically? The answer is simple when you include the trichotomy of man: body, soul and spirit. My spirit possesses the Mind of Christ; it is sanctified, saintly, and holy; its seated in heavenly places with Jesus; it is not guilty, washed in the Blood of Jesus; brought to life through Jesus. BUT my soul fights against the things of God; houses unclean things; needs the transforming power of the Spirit and the Word. The mind of my soul needs to come into conformity to the Spirit and Word of God. But not the mind of my spirit.

      So what is the solution to this paradox? 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. To know Jesus and Him crucified is more than knowing the facts of Jesus’ Crucifixion. It is to know the crucified life Jesus was born into and lived every day of His human existence. To know this aspect of Jesus is to seek to live it. In other words to be crucified with Jesus; or to pick up your cross daily and live the crucified life with Him. To embrace the Truths of His Word by putting them into practice and obeying them – all of them. Quite simply if you were to disregard the “Thou Shalt Not’s” and make your focus the “Thou Shalts” you will have plenty of opportunities to die with Jesus, and see that soulish, rebellious mind submit to the Mind of Jesus. The good news? Resurrection awaits each death and you never out give God. You reap what you sow into: soul or spirit. You become more fully alive spiritually to Jesus, Who has lived, and in some respects presently living the crucified life. (He is still long-suffering for us in prayer)

      Burning With Zeal, Sons of God, Volcanos and Earthquakes

      /in /by

      Micah 1:2 Hear, all you people; listen closely, O earth and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be witness among you and against you, the Lord from His holy temple.

      What is going on? Have you read some of the headline news regarding global, seismic events? Scientists Give LAST WARNING as Mount Rainier Triggers a Chain Eruption Across the Cascades; Russia earthquake has caused a ‘parade of volcanic eruptions’; Scientists warn one of world’s supervolcanoes is awakening: ‘It will plunge the planet into chaos’

      Why are these volcanoes and earthquakes being triggered around the world? Romans 8:19-22 states that there is a connection between mankind and earth: For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].20 For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope21 That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children.22 We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now. Nature, earth, and all creation is linked to our freedom, as the manifest sons’ of God.

      Jesus used nature as a sign symptomatic of His Return inMatthew 24:7-8: For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;8 All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish]. Are the earthquakes and volcanoes increasing because the birth pangs, or spiritual contractions of all creation are hearing the Voice of the Lord, the Living Word of God approaching? Question is, Are we listening?

      Seven more signs are listed in Matthew 24:10-14: And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.11 And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.12 And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.14 And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end. What are the seven signs? Offense, Distrust or Unbelief, Falling Away from Jesus, Deceit, Love Grows Cold, Multiplied Lawlessness, AND the Gospel being preached to the whole world.

      1 Peter 2:7-8 states: To you then who believe (who adhere to, trust in, and rely on Him) is the preciousness; but for those who disbelieve [it is true], The [very] Stone which the builders rejected has become the main Cornerstone,8 And, A Stone that will cause stumbling and a Rock that will give [men] offense; they stumble because they disobey and disbelieve [God’s] Word, as those [who reject Him] were destined (appointed) to do. What is Peter saying? A similar thing that Jesus is saying: To the believer – the one trusting in Jesus, and obeying His Word – Jesus is Precious. They love and adore Him. But to those who are not trusting, who do not consider Jesus and His Word Precious, they are getting offended; they are stumbling over the offenses; they are falling away from the Lord. Their love for Jesus, His Word, and others is growing cold. They have forsaken what they were destined and appointed to do. To become sons of the Living, Most High God! To become little Christ’s – little anointed ones running with His Vision; His mission. Is that the point that Jesus is making to the Laodicean church? So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]. (Rev. 3:19) Another way of stating burning with zeal is to say you are boiling hot. Jesus is the Burning Man and those who draw near to Him will burn with His fire. Is this why earthquakes and volcanoes are increasing?

      The Burning Man’s Approach is nearing and repentance begins with changed minds. Is your mind changing or have you been digging in your heels to an earth that is already shaking; already changing preparing to erupt? The sons of God are about to be revealed and the earth knows it. Question is: Will you be counted among their number? Are you listening?

      I’m Sorry I Love You, Man Eating Chicken, and Let’s Eat Grandma!?

      /in /by

      Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a [real] Jew who is only one outwardly and publicly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical.29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [true] circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal [matter]. His praise is not from men but from God.

      Punctuation, or the lack thereof, can create multiple misunderstandings. Consider the following: Let’s eat Grandma! or Let’s eat, Grandma! Another example: I’m sorry I love you versus I’m sorry; I love you. One more example: Man eating chicken or Man-eating chicken?

      When the Bible was originally written there were no punctuation marks, or paragraphs. These were inserted and delineated by translators of the original texts. Case in point is the culmination of thought found in the passage listed above (Rom. 2:28-29). Paul lists several things that true Jews do and don’t do. (And may I add Paul was not advocating that Christians replaced Jews. That’s a heresy). One of the things true “Jews” don’t do is found in Romans 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. True Jews, and by implication, true followers of Christ do not judge others. Now there is a lot of confusion regarding this topic. A popular cultural saying is, “Don’t be judging,” in response to anyone who disapproves of their lifestyle, behavior or actions. What could be confusing about this issue is when one erases the chapters, verses, and paragraphs of the Romans 2:1 passage. Why is this confusing? Let’s clump Romans 1:18, 31-32 with Romans 2:1: For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.[They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.32 Though they are fully aware of God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them. Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce]. Back to the original question: Why is this confusing? Isn’t Paul being “judgey” in denouncing the actions of those in the world, and “judgey” of the believers? Add to that, Aren’t we supposed to look at the world practicing the aforementioned sins and abominations and determine that those who live like this and approve of these actions deserve hell? The point the Apostle Paul is making simply echoes Jesus’ teaching on the matter. We are called to be fruit inspectors. In other words, That’s good fruit, and that’s bad fruit. But what we are not called to do or be is God. The key to understanding judging others is found in this phrase: “and passing sentence on another,…” Judging others crosses the line over into God’s jurisdiction. Only He knows the thoughts and motives of another. Only He can pass sentence on their actions. In other words, inspect the fruit, but leave the sentencing and verdict up to God. In addition to all of this, fruit inspectors do not, and will not repress and hinder the truth (Jesus) or make it inoperative. In other words fruit inspectors are not amateur Providences (reference Oswald Chambers often used classification) – dulling or softening the impact of the Sword which proceeds from Jesus Mouth. Why not? There’s the kiss of resurrection life and encountering Jesus on the other end. Why would any True Follower of Jesus, or Spiritual Jew, want to prevent that?

      Do you smell that?

      /in /by

      Jonah 1:3 So he paid the appointed fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish from being in the presence of the Lord [as His servant and minister].

      One question comes to mind: What price are you paying to NOT be surrendered to the Lord’s Presence in serving others? It’s a shame that ministry has been perverted, and twisted to the degree that is hard to recognize Jesus in the ministers who claim to represent Him. Where so-called ministers of the Lord become the served rather than the servers. I find it humorous that over the years some have felt the “call” to the ministry while having no desire to serve Jesus or the Body of Christ – they simply want a platform for their “gifts” or talents. Others seek to be in the “ministry” simply because it’s easy money and they don’t have to work like the rest of the world. But I digress.

      Another way of restating the previous question is to ask, What price are you willing to pay to NOT die for Jesus, or others? What’s the least you can give to Jesus and others and have the benefits of eternal life? I just spent some time journaling seeking to process some of the things that have transpired in my life since April. From the untimely death of my sister till now I listed at least seven different challenges that have assailed, and buffeted me. When I listed them one question rose to the surface: What purpose do these difficulties serve and why have I been spiritually assaulted? While pondering the answer to this question I recalled that several others have been going through similar challenges. Painful challenges. Following this realization the more pressing question became, What is on the horizon spiritually that the Lord is preparing us for its inevitability? Jonah’s fleeing from the Presence, and service to the Lord led to his life sinking into the belly of a fish. (Imagine how bad he stunk following the fish spitting him out on dry land).

      Only once in my walk with the Lord have I smelled His fragrance. I have known others within our church who have smelled the beauty of His visitation. Which raises the greatest question. The question we should all be asking: What difference is there between Jesus, you and me, and Jonah’s life? Are we getting closer to smelling like Jesus or Jonah? Jesus’ embrace of His Father’s Presence, and serving others, has caused His life and Presence to smell sweet. On the other hand, Jonah’s avoidance of God’s Presence, and his unwillingness to serve God and others caused his life to stink. The moral of the story? Self-centeredness stinks. Dying for Jesus, and to yourself, causes the fragrance of Jesus to be released bringing life to those around you. Isn’t it interesting how we send flowers to those who are grieving or sad? The flowers have to surrender their lives to bring sunshine and sweet, smelling fragrances to those who are enshrouded in darkness, and the stench of hopelessness, discouragement, and despair. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 states: But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,15 For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:16 To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things? [Who is able for such a ministry? We?]

      Spirit-Filled

      /in /by

      Acts 2:42-47 And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord’s Supper] and prayers.43 And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts,47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].

      I was on a plane returning home from Africa and had a lengthy discussion with a retired pastor from a fundamental denominational persuasion. During our discussion I was often flabbergasted at his misinterpretation of Scripture, not to mention his self-assured, arrogant ignorance. Not only did he believe the supernatural manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit were limited to the 12 disciples, (and ceased to exist after their death) but he believed the church was birthed during the ministry of Jesus. What he failed to realize is that the church couldn’t be the Church, the Body of Christ, apart from the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The other glaring truth, often ignored by modern Christians, he failed to recognize is that the church ceases to be the church apart from the Holy Spirit (Who birthed the Church in the Book of Acts). Let that sink in deep. You can’t be the church apart from the Spirit. You can’t be born-again apart from the Spirit. You can’t know Jesus apart from the Spirit. You can’t know the Word apart from the Spirit. You can’t get into Heaven apart from the Spirit. You can’t worship the way God the Father wants you to worship apart from the Spirit. Individual Christian or so-called Churches can do nothing of eternal significance apart from the Spirit. Is this why so many buildings with Church lettered on the outside have so little of God’s Presence on the inside? And is this the key to why so many church attenders believe church attendance is optional? Why so many believe devotion to the Word (the Apostles teaching), fellowship, communion, praise and worship, prayer, giving, gathering in each other’s homes – is optional? Because Baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit has been ignored and dismissed?

      Years ago I mistakenly learned that the sign someone had been baptized in the Spirit was speaking in tongues. I say mistakenly because it’s only – A Sign – one sign, of the Baptism but not the only sign. The other signs of a Spirit-filled life are listed above. This is what made the gathering of the believers more than a day at the country club, or gathering around a table playing bridge. All these “signs” – devotion to the Word (the Apostles teaching), fellowship, communion, praise and worship, prayer, giving, gathering in each other’s homes – were Filled, Baptized, and Immersed in the Presence of the Holy Spirit. And it’s these signs that accompany, and follow those who are Baptized, Immersed, and Filled with the Spirit. Now many questions arise: Are you baptized in the Spirit? Is our church? Is your church? Can you call a church a church that has left Jesus and the Spirit outside of its “services?” And who are the services for? For that matter can you really claim to be a follower of Jesus divorced from communion with the indwelling, and infilling of the Spirit?

      Spiritual Limbo

      /in /by

      Obadiah 1:3 The pride of your heart has deceived you, you dweller in the refuges of the rock [Petra, Edom’s capital], whose habitation is high, who says in his heart, Who can bring me down to the ground?

      George Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator, was released from prison in 1977. Once he stated: “I have found within myself all I need and all I ever shall need. I am a man of great faith, but my faith is in George Gordon Liddy. I have never failed me.”  Statements and attitudes like his crack me up. It’s like the clever vacuum cleaner salesman who closed hundreds of sales with this line: “Let me show you something several of your neighbors said you couldn’t afford.” In truth you cannot afford to NOT humble yourself before the Lord. But what does that look like or better yet what doesn’t it look like? James 4:7 begins where we all have to come to an end: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. You can’t resist the tempter whose fall from Grace began with I will. If you refuse to be submitted and surrendered to God in obedience then you can be assured that you are most definitely not walking in humility, and you most certainly will not be able to resist the devil. It’s interesting that a similar thought is found in 1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. Many a Christian has lost the battle of seeking to resist the devil while failing first to surrender and submit to God in humility. Another passage used quite often here in America is 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways – then will I hear from Heaven…” True Biblical humility is accompanied by prayer that seeks the Face and Presence of God. True Biblical humility is accompanied by turning from wicked ways. Unfortunately this has been reduced to legalistic, moral formulas: “don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t chew, and don’t hang out with those who do.” Turning in humility to Jesus and His Word has a greater focus on what you Should Do than what you shouldn’t. Over the years we have learned ways to talk ourselves out of obedience to Jesus and His Word. For example, Jesus said, Go to the Nations and make disciples. I’ve have heard so many excuses for not obeying the Lord in this area that frankly amazes, and confounds me. (Paul called it the mystery of lawlessness – 2 Thess. 2:7) If I am truly humbling myself before the Lord I am going to seek to obey Him in every way that I am conscious and aware of.

      Once I had someone state that they could attain God’s Perfection. To achieve this requires that you obey the Word of God completely in every way. (By the way: this is completely impossible. If it were possible we wouldn’t need Jesus – the only PERFECT sacrifice). Yet, although sinless perfection is impossible, we are not excused from seeking to obey Him in every way. This is called sanctification or set apartness. We are called to be set apart uniquely to God, or as Paul designates us: to be saints. To be sanctified, and saintly is to be holy. To be holy is to be uniquely different from everything that is considered normal, average, and expected. It is to be a cut above the rest. In other words, you stand out, and are distinct, and distinguished from others. Thus you could sum holiness up with another word, humility.

      One more thought regarding humility: it is like the Limbo Dance originating in Trinidad, and Tobago. Just as the limbo bar is progressively lowered to the ground for its’ participants so humility grows progressively as you bend your soul before God’s Word, Spirit, and Grace. With each passing phase Jesus truly becomes your Petra – your unbending, and immovable rock – and to Him you can crawl and hide. As one of the smartest men in the Bible discovered and experienced: When I am weak then I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)

      Draw from the lessons of nature found in some Eastern proverbs: ‘A tree that is unbending is easily broken’, or as the religious classic, the Tao Te Ching states: ‘The hard and strong will fall, the soft and weak will overcome.’ In a nutshell this is Jesus’ teaching on meekness which simply means power restrained like the bridling of a horse.

      Jesus Was There

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      John 2:1-3 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.2 Jesus also was invited with His disciples to the wedding.3 And when the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no more wine!

      I’ve restarted a personal meditation series I began a year ago – but life happened and distracted me. What is the topic of my quest? Looking for the humanity of Jesus in the Gospels. When I initiated my search I utilized the Gospel of John (probably because it is my favorite of the Gospels). After prayer I sensed the Lord wanted me to begin with the Gospel of Mark. Why Mark? More than any of the Gospels it expresses the humanity of Jesus like none other. For example: Mark 7:34 And looking up to heaven, He sighed as He said, Ephphatha, which means, Be opened! Mark 8:12 And He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation. Meditating I came upon two passages: Mark 1:10-11 And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him.11 And there came a voice out from within heaven, You are My Beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.

      Several things stand out: Since Jesus was conceived by the Spirit why did He need the Spirit to enter Him? Jesus knew He was God’s Son why did the Father believe He needed His affirmation? (Which incidentally was tested by the devil, If You are the Son of God... not Since You are the Son of God) When we look at Jesus strictly from the perspective of Divinity, discounting His humanity, we dismiss everything He wrestled with as a man. In other words, He wouldn’t have needed encouragement from His Heavenly Father, and satan’s temptation wasn’t really a test.

      As I continued reading Mark 1 I stumbled upon this verse: What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God! (Mark 1:24) Even the demon acknowledged the humanity of Jesus: What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? He acknowledged where Jesus was from – Nazareth. (a town in Israel – not Heaven) In my limited experience of deliverance ministry I have been surprised that demons know the truth better than a lot of Christians. Yet, simultaneously the demon acknowledges Jesus’ Divinity: I know who You are—the Holy One of God! Unfortunately most Christians see Jesus only from the Resurrection and Ascension – downgrading His humanity as if He were hiding behind humanity like a mask. What should truly alarm us is this Scriptural fact: But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me. (John 15:26) The Holy Spirit testifies about Who Jesus is. Why is that alarming? If I am not seeing, knowing, and recognizing Jesus as fully God and fully Human I am disconnected from the One Who teaches, testifies, and reveals these things. In other words, I am not abiding in Him. John 15 warns if I am not abiding, or remaining in His Presence, I will be broken off and thrown into the fire like a withered branch. (John 15:2)

      Why am I saying all of this? Returning to our opening passage in John 2 a couple of things stand out: Wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (See Ephesians. 5:18). They had no more “wine.” (Implying, they were low on the Spirit). Jesus’ mother, and disciples were in need of more of the Spirit. But here is what captured me: Jesus was there! Jesus, as a man, conceived by the Spirit – needed more of the New Wine of the Spirit. If we are going to walk with Him in His Third Day Resurrection, then surely we – who have been born-again of the Spirit, raised to walk in His Resurrection Life, – need more of the infilling of the Spirit. Since Jesus was there – in need of MORE of the Spirit! Why wouldn’t we also need more of His Spirit? On the other hand, where Jesus is – there is MORE of the Spirit. Did you catch that? In other words, if we have Jesus dwelling and reigning within us – we will have more of the Spirit manifesting through us. Now the question is, Who and What is manifesting in and through you? More of the Spirit? More of Jesus? or More of you? More of the Devil? Those who have had the MORE of Jesus and the Spirit – quickly recognize when they are running low.

      Never Forget!

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      Amos 1:9,11 ….because they [as middlemen] delivered up a whole [Jewish] population to Edom and did not [seriously] remember their brotherly covenant….11 because he pursued his brother Jacob (Israel) with the sword, corrupting his compassions and casting off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually and his wrath he kept and heeded forever.

      Human nature is a funny thing. We are only a month and a few days to an event that happened twenty-four years ago: September 11, 2001. Never Forget was the common refrain used to remember the September 11th terrorist attacks and honor the victims, first responders, and all those affected by the tragedy. Fast forward twenty-four years later and the headlines read: Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral primary over Andrew Cuomo. He is known as a Shia Muslim, and a democrat socialist. Never Forget? We can rest assured many have fallen back to sleep and have totally forgotten. In fact it’s an interesting parallel between the Scripture reference above, Esau and his descendants, who kept his wrath and heeded it forever.

      Forgetfulness is a big deal to God. Some say we are to forgive and forget based on the Scripture in Micah 7:19 that states God hides our sin in the sea of forgetfulness. Isaiah 43:25 echoes this metaphor stating: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. One Biblical theologian from my teen years stated: It’s not that God forgets our sin – it’s that He chooses to not bring them up anymore. He chooses to release us from the debt He knows we owe Him. This is why forgiveness is an even bigger deal with God than forgetfulness. There is an interesting connection between forgetfulness and forgiveness. Dt. 4:23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you,… Dt. 6:12 states: …beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Don’t forget where you came from, and don’t forget Who you have made covenant with. Jesus amplifies this in His Parable of the Unjust Servant. Matthew 18:23-30 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 

      We fail to forgive when we forget the debt that has been paid for our sins. It’s really that simple. Only those who aren’t aware of the depths of their sin can casually throw another in to the prison of their making. Sadly many a person have forged their own chains through unforgiveness being tormented by something far worse than a measly offense. Psalm 119:165 states: Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Those who know the Word know it’s Jesus. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Law or the Instruction or Teaching. Those who can’t remember, can’t forgive, stumble over the Stumbling Stone of the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus. Why? 1 Peter 2:7-8 explains: Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. They stumble because of their disobedience, and their disobedience reveals what they consider to be precious.

      Losing Jesus

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      Luke 2:45 And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way.

      Pastor Ken Hemphill recounts the following: Have you ever lost one of your children, even for a split second? You are shopping in a crowded mall. Your little boy slips his hand out of yours and runs to the toy store window. The crowd suddenly swells and in that moment you lose sight of your son. He’s gone. Lost! Do you remember that   empty, sick feeling in the pit of your stomach? Adrenaline began to flow; you scurried into action, frantically searching to find your lost child. Can you remember the relief, the sheer joy, when you found him? Your plans to scold him for leaving your side were washed away with the joyous tears that unashamedly flowed.

      This account of losing a child is nothing in comparison with being entrusted by God to take care of His Son and you lose Him. Now that has got to be terror times ten million times – times ten million times. How do you lose Jesus, the Son of God? Dr. Michael Egnor, Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics, and author of The Immortal Mind recounts the following “haunting” he had as an atheist: When my son was a few months old, my wife and I noticed that he wasn’t smiling or making eye contact with us. He would look at objects with interest, but not at people. We started to face the possibility that he might be autistic. This terrified me – I had always dreaded autism. I knew it would be the worst agony to have a child you love who doesn’t know you or love you back. We took the child to an autism specialist, but he said it was too soon to be sure…At nearly six months of age, he was still not responding to us. I found it harder each day to go about my daily tasks because I thought about him all the time. One night it all came to a head. I was called to see a patient at a Catholic hospital in another town. As I was leaving the hospital, I passed the chapel. I thought, “I don’t believe in God, but I’ll do anything now. I just want my son to know me.” I went into the chapel and knelt before the altar. “God,” I said, “I don’t know if you exist, but I need help. I am terrified that my son is autistic. It’s agony to have a child who will never know or love me.” Then I heard a voice – it was the only time in my life I’d ever heard a voice in my head that was not mine – and the voice said, “But that’s what you’re doing to Me.” ...When I recovered, I prayed, “Lord, I will stop doing it to you. I’m sorry. I won’t be autistic to You any longer. Please heal my son, and heal me.”

      Miller’s Corollary states: Objects are lost because people look where they are not instead of where they are. Jesus’ parents assumed they knew where Jesus was – where they were not. It wasn’t until they returned to Jerusalem – the City of Peace – that they found the Prince of Peace. We often lose Jesus at the last place we had peace. Now they saw where they were. It’s only in being with Jesus that we know where we are. Now the question is, Have you been autistic toward Jesus?

      Come Further Up and Further In!

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      Joel 1:14 Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land in the house of the Lord, your God, and cry to the Lord [in penitent pleadings].

      Preaching Today gave the following illustration regarding fasting: A woman from Omsk, Russia, is reportedly suing McDonald’s over an advertisement featuring cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, which she said caused her to break her fast during Lent. Ksenia Ovchinnikova, an Orthodox Christian, said she was trying to stay away from meat and other animal products during the six-week period leading up to Easter. She said, “When I saw an advertising banner, I could not help myself. I visited McDonald’s and bought a cheeseburger.” In her official complaint, she explains: “In the actions of McDonald’s, I see a violation of the consumer protection law. I ask the court to investigate and, if a violation has taken place, to oblige McDonald’s to compensate me for moral damage in the amount of one thousand rubles ($14 US dollars).”

      It’s easy to laugh at the irony of this woman’s spiritual condition but truth be known it actually mirrors the spiritual condition of many. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus described Kingdom Citizens as those who gave, prayed and fasted. He didn’t say, If you give, pray and fast – He said WHEN. The value of getting closer to Jesus was forfeited for a fourteen dollar cheeseburger (and may I add, not a very good cheeseburger). How much was getting closer to Jesus for this woman? $14! Throughout the Bible you discover characters selling out for far less (Esau sold out for a bowl of soup). At least Judas held out for thirty pieces of silver (approximately $340 US). Ananias and Saphira held out for recognition and praise from men. (Which didn’t turn out so well for them).

      The whole point of prayer and fasting is to sanctify, or set apart time to seek to draw near to God; to enter into His manifested presence. To make this issue even more pointed Rom. 1:7 states: To [you then] all God’s beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life….We are called to be saints which derives from the word where we get our english derivative, sanctified. 1 Cor. 6:11 states: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. In other words, you were set apart – for giving, fasting, and praying. But Scripture doesn’t end there. 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,…If we are sanctifying as Lord in our hearts – we are setting apart Jesus as Lord of our heart; the Lord of our mind, will, emotions, personality, and body.

      Jesus said in John 15 repeatedly, If you abide in Me….Jesus hadn’t yet ascended to the Father when He spoke this to His disciples in the Upper Room. It must have sounded strange to their ears. (Most of the time they didn’t understand what He was talking about). It wasn’t till later they connected the dots. For Jesus to make this command, and expectation, He knew they would connect this saying with how, and what He taught. In other words, later on they would know what it meant to abide, or remain in Jesus; to stay in close proximity to Him. Since they knew what it meant to abide, or remain in Him, they also knew what it would take to not abide, or remain in Him. Not only did they understand this aspect of abiding they also knew there was more of Him. They saw Jesus as C.S. Lewis described Aslan carrying the children of Narnia into the New Narnia: “Come further in!” Aslan cries, with laughter in his eyes. “Come further up!” (C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle) The Unicorn, of The Last Battle, in the last of the seven novels of the Chronicles of Narnia, entered the New Narnia, describes drawing near to Jesus well: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been look- ing for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee- hee! Come further up, come further in!” He shook his mane and sprang forward into a great gal- lop — a Unicorn’s gallop, which, in our world, would have carried him out of sight in a few moments. But now a most strange thing happened. Everyone else began to run, and they found, to their astonishment, that they could keep up with him: not only the Dogs and the humans but even fat little Puzzle and short-legged Poggin the Dwarf. The air flew in their faces as if they were driving fast in a car without a windscreen. The country flew past as if they were seeing it from the windows of an express train. Faster and faster they raced, but no one got hot or tired or out of breath.

      Open the Door and Make Room for the Great Physician

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      Mark 2:17, 22: And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin). 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the bottles destroyed; but new wine is to be put in new (fresh) wineskins.

      Guy Richard, Ligonier Website wrote: Jesus is not talking about “sinners” generally or universally. All people are sinners in this general or universal sense, as Paul tells us quite clearly. Jesus is talking about a specific group of sinners, namely, those who acknowledge their sin and long to be healed and to turn away from their sin. We know that, because in the context of Mark 2, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees, who “grumbled” that He and His disciples were eating and drinking with “tax collectors and sinners” (v. 30) instead of associating with more respectable kinds of people (like themselves). Their question (and their grumbling) indicates that they did not consider themselves to be sinners. They were “righteous.” Even though they were sinners every bit as much as were the “tax collectors and sinners” and needed the healing of the Great Physician every bit as much as those other sinners did, the Pharisees did not believe it. They were uninterested in healing and repentance precisely because they saw no need for them. And Jesus’ point is that He did not come to call this kind of “righteous” person. He came to call those “sinners” who know that they are sick and need to be healed by the doctor.

      The Self-Righteous have a Do-It-Yourself Righteousness, a Substitute Righteousness – that displaces being Rightly Related to God. Self-Righteousness keeps you from hungering, thirsting and desiring more of God – because it’s so FULL of its SELF. Substitute Righteousness never allows you to see this because that would require humility, teachability, and meekness. The Wine of the Holy Spirit only inhabits the new wineskins of those who know they are sick and need a physician. Insert the Holy Spirit into a self-religious, self-righteous person and He will explode their faulty mental scaffolding. But sinners in need of Grace discover that not only does He fill, He expands into the farthest recesses of their life and living. They heed the call of the Rejected Jesus Who stands outside the door of His own church knocking – and they open the DOOR to Jesus, not religious repetition, and routine. They make room for His gold of faith refined in fires of testing – opening the door to fire, filled faith. They make room for being rightly related to Him, and others, so their nakedness can be covered with His Robes of Righteousness. They open the door to His Righteousness. They make room to see through applying His medicine to their blindness. They open the door for spiritual sight. Those in these categories have no confusion about Jesus’ verdict on their lives: poor, naked, blind and wretched. Some people get confused when you state such things. They want to live in the denial of self-righteousness. They forget that Jesus addressed His letter to Christians who prayed the sinners prayer, gathered for church, prayed, took communion, read the word, gave their offerings, sang their songs, and possibly even witnessed. But their love for Jesus was only lukewarm, and Jesus called them wretched. Wretched means they are in a pitiable, spiritual condition. Unfortunately for the Laodiceans, it appears they had been attending the same “church” as the Pharisees – failing to realize Jesus keeps company with the very ones that recognize their need.

      So, if Jesus came knocking on the door of our church, what diagnosis would He pronounce? If He came knocking on the door to your life what diagnosis would He pronounce?

      Earning Your Stripes

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      Hosea 1:9-11 And the Lord said, Call his name Lo-Ammi [Not-my-people], for you are not My people and I am not your God.10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and instead of it being said to them, You are not My people, it shall be said to them, Sons of the Living God!11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head, and they shall go up out of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel [for the spiritually reborn Israel, a divine offspring, the people whom the Lord has blessed.]

      The Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible states the following regarding this passage: There is a play on words between Jezreel and Israel; they look and sound more alike in Hebrew than in English. Hosea’s reference to Jezreel in verse 5 states: And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel – has a significant opposite meaning to that in verse 11. The scene of the breaking of the bow of Israel will become the scene of mending and reunification. The place of thorough disruption and scattering will become the place where God sows, which is the meaning of Jezreel: God sows.

      Hosea 10:12 states: Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you. In both passages the place of breaking becomes the place of mending; the place of harvest. Question is, what are we harvesting from that which is breaking? To those who have learned from both, the breaking and mending, become the sons and daughters of God ruling and reigning with Jesus. It’s interesting to note that Israel was one who wrestled with God and overcame. But that wrestling came with a price. For from that day Israel walked with a limp, his walk forever changed. Fast forward approximately 1600 years and Israel had blossomed and bloomed into a full blown nation – yet walking without a limp. Israel had quit wrestling with God for His promises; for His blessings. As a result God had to come to Israel and do the breaking so that many sons and daughters would be raised up like the sand of the sea. What’s the bottom line of all of these things? God’s people are broken people. Karl Marx once noted that religion was a crutch for the masses. He added, Religion is the opium of the people. Unfortunately for Marx, he failed to take a deep look into a mirror to see we are all broken people in need of a crutch. Spoiler alert: the crutch isn’t religion. Religion is what crucified Jesus (and is still crucifying Jesus). But Jesus is the Broken-hearted One Who is a friend to the broken-hearted, and broken. He has nothing to do with the religion of man. Jesus, the Son of Man, isn’t welcome. But into those who recognize their need He has sown His life, purpose, love, and joy. To the outside world we look weak and broken – but from an eternal perspective we cause Heaven to cheer and hell to tremble; we are the sons and daughters of God shaking the earth with the soon, approaching Kingdom of God.

      One last observation: Military rank is designated by the stripes on their uniforms. In the Lord’s Army we are earning our stripes – our ranking in Heaven’s Armies – through our faithful suffering. The more faithful (FAITH-FILLED) we are – through the suffering – the higher the rank and esteem in Heaven’s Armies. This ranking equals authority, and that authority gives us power to set others free from their prisons. So get out there and trample on those serpents and scorpions.

      Conceived by the Spirit

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      Matthew 1:19-20 And her [promised] husband Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly. 20 But as he was thinking this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary [as] your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of (from, out of) the Holy Spirit.

      A drunk husband snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he’d received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he’d pulled one over on his wife. When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. “You were drunk last night weren’t you!” “No, honey.” “Well, if you weren’t, then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?”

      I was in a School of Life meeting with Brad McClendon who said something quite profound and astounding: The spirit of this world find’s fault. The Spirit of God seeks God – seeks life, and we are living in the wrong realm if all we see is the nakedness and sin of others. In Genesis 3:10-11 the Lord says something profound (as He always does): He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Satan often tells us we are naked, less than, shameful, and unworthy. He seeks to expose and condemn us. He is the negative voice seeking to mimic the only Voice we should tune in to and turn to. When we look for what’s wrong, crooked, or dirty in others – that’s our focus – we are eating of satan’s fruit: experiential knowledge of good and evil. We use ourselves as the plumb line; the sum total of all that is good. We want to pull up the tares in others lives failing to realize that often we are tearing down the wheat growing right alongside of it. If all we are looking for are tares in other people – that’s all we will ever see in ourselves. But if we are looking for the Pearl of Great Price the tares will seem unimportant. We will end up spending time trying to get rid of the tares rather than spending time with the One Who sows the good seed.

      But that which is “conceived by the Spirit” isn’t willing to expose, shame, and disgrace others. Having the Father’s heart we seek to clothe people’s nakedness. Joseph “covered” Mary of what the people of her village – family, friends, neighbors, strangers – called sin. Joseph married her. He was wed to the Spirit and the Word. His focus wasn’t on what people called sin. His focus wasn’t on telling Mary she was “naked”. He chose to eat the fruit of Life rejecting the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. As Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:8, “love covers a multitude of sins“. Not that Mary had committed sin, and neither had the Godhead. Sin is all about missing the Mark – God’s Perfection. Often man misunderstands and misses God’s Perfect Love because of fear. Perfect Love drives out fear. Perfect Love sows good seed, and from it Jesus is birthed and manifested.

      What kind of seed are you sowing? Is what’s conceived in you of the Spirit or of the spirit of this world?

      Beauty From Ashes

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      Daniel 1:8 But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king’s rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might [be allowed] not to defile himself.

      Mental Performance Coach, Bryan Cain wrote: Unbroken is a book by Laura Hillenbrand, and a movie by the same name. Unbroken is the story of Louie Zamperini and his amazing journey of:

      • Being a boy who was bullied and always in trouble to…
      • Running in the 1936 Olympics to…
      • Enlisting in the military during WWII to…
      • Surviving a plane crash in the Pacific to…
      • Surviving an amazing 47 days adrift in a raft to…
      • Being captured by the Japanese navy, being sent to a POW camp, and becoming the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander to…
      • A life of severe post-traumatic stress disorder to…
      • A life filled with forgiveness, service and peace.

      Daniel, and Louie had one thing in common: determination. The AMPC translation uses the word “purposed”. Figuratively in the Hebrew it means to set a direction for or towards. Long before Daniel and Louie ever got to the challenges they faced they had set a direction for their lives. That direction of their hearts had taken them from one challenge to the next. But with each challenge they chose to ascend and not set up a camp, or turn around and retreat. It’s interesting that often the Bible talks about the Mountain of the Lord. Isaiah 2:2-3 states: It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. 3 And many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. It’s the ascent up to and into His Presence that teaches us, molds and weaves us into the tapestry of the Master Weaver, and Master Potter. We are shaped by our circumstances becoming things of beauty that glorify Him – as long as we submit to the process of weaving, and molding. Throughout Colorado you will see dead pines as far as the eye can see in many places. These pines are the victims of the pine beetle. Forest management enforces the policy of leaving these dead trees standing. Unfortunately for those living in or near the foothills and mountains these free standing pines can become kindling for fires you cannot even imagine. Fortunately, others have been permitted to cut the trees down, processing them at sawmills throughout the region. From the milled wood many a carpenter has fashioned them into beautiful, and unique pieces of furniture that can’t be found any where else. Every piece of wood has a unique color, hue, and grain pattern. From tragedy comes beauty, or unimaginable destruction. The outcome is determined by the choices we make through the process.

      Bullet Trains

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      Mark 1:34 And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him [intuitively]. Reading chapter one of the Gospel of Mark feels like you are riding along the bullet train A bullet train is a high speed train in Japan that reaches speeds of over 200 mph. Yet, in this one chapter Mark records that Jesus was baptized, He was led in the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days and nights, called and chose His 12 disciples, visited the synagogue, cast out demons in the synagogue, healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, healed the sick and cast out demons. I’m exhausted just reading it. But how? How did Jesus do all of these things? Mark one offers two clues: Mark 1:10 And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. Did you catch it? He was filled with the Spirit and He took time to pray – first thing, early in the morning.

      Bullet Trains achieve their fast speeds primarily through dedicated tracks, electric motors, and electro-magnetic levitation. Everything, but the dedicated tracks are invisible. What really makes them accelerate is what is unseen. It’s unfortunate that when it comes to looking at the things Jesus accomplished that we dismiss the impact of it all by saying, He was God. When our focus dismisses His humanity we fail to see the miracle achieved and modeled. Yes, He was, and is still – God. BUT, He was also human. If you dismiss His humanity you’ve missed the fact that He modeled His life as an example for us all. When we dismiss His humanity we dismiss the fact that He needed to be filled with the Spirit. He needed to pray. He needed to go to synagogue. He needed to read, study, and memorize the Word. He needed thanksgiving and worship. He needed to gather with like-minded believers to share Who God was to them and what He was doing in their lives. When we dismiss His humanity we dismiss His suffering through to the Fathers’ will in the Garden of Gethsemane – a struggle that was so intense He sweat drops of blood. We dismiss His suffering on the cross. We dismiss His being tempted in every way we are tempted. This was what the Apostle Paul was conveying to us: 1 Cor. 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. If we focus on Jesus simply being God we miss the fact that He lived a crucified life. The crucified life prepared Him for the crucifixion. Everyday of His life was a crucifixion. Everyday he hauled His soul – mind, will, emotions, and personality – onto His Fathers’ will bringing it into submission. But this only happened as a result of His surrender to the “dedicated tracks” the Lord placed before Him.

      A few of us are preparing to travel to Kenya for ten days of dedicated service to the people of Mlolongo. Part of our preparation involves reading the Book of Acts. Today our reading was in Acts 24 and one verse stood out to me: Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. (Acts 24:16) Why did he live this life of dedication? He believed in the Resurrection of Jesus and because of this hope he believed Jesus would raise his body to new life. Now Acts 24:15 states that Jesus is going to raise the righteous and unrighteous to life. Righteous means, rightly related to God and to man. When that day happens do you want to be known as one who traveled the same dedicated tracks as Jesus or one who ran off the tracks? Do you want to rise up to, Well done? Or do you want to rise up to everlasting shame? I don’t know about you but I want to be a bullet train like Jesus.

      Single-Minded

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      Ezekiel 1:12-13 And they went every one straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they turned not when they went.13 In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning.

      I found the following illustration regarding multitasking: So you think you can multitask? Texting while driving? No problem. Watching television and reading the Bible? No problem. Checking your email while listening to a spouse, a child, or a friend? No problem. In reality, however, according to a team of researchers at Stanford University, multi-tasking causes big problems. A Stanford University news service article announced the study this way: “Attention, multitaskers (if you can pay attention, that is): Your brain may be in trouble.” The researchers originally set out to discover what gave multitaskers their special focus; instead, they were surprised to discover that in many ways multitasking impairs performance. So while many people think they’re effective at juggling multiple tasks, they’re actually pretty lousy at it. For instance, heavy multitaskers are suckers for distraction and for irrelevancy. According to one of the researchers, “Everything distracts them.” Multitaskers were also more unorganized in their ability to keep and retrieve information. They were even worse at the main thing that defines multitasking: switching from one task to the next. Heavy multitaskers underperformed in almost every area of the study. The article based on the study concluded with this advice: “By doing less, you might accomplish more.”

      James 1:8 echoes the truth of this finding stating: [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. It’s interesting that the phrase two minds or double-minded is literally translated “two-souled.” As many of you know I used to drive eighteen wheelers, or semi-trailer trucks. One of the things I learned quickly was where I focused my eyes was where my truck was going. This sounds obvious but it required constant vigilance and discipline. For some reason if I became distracted by something on either side I would begin pulling in that direction. (Which many of you have most likely experienced driving down the interstate). Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Psalm 16:8 echoes this: I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Why would the writer of Hebrews use Jesus as the example of faith? Jesus was singly focused on the Father’s Will. So much so that He wouldn’t do things that were not in the Father’s will. Why? That’s where Jesus’ faith and trust rested. And there’s a clue for all of us. Multitaskers “faith” is in their mistaken ability to think they can do several things at one time equally. Whenever our faith is focused or even shared with any thing or anyone other than Jesus we end up losing our way, running into things, in a ditch, or worse. Fixing your eyes on Jesus, and setting the Lord at your right hand requires faith and focus.

      When I was a teen I used to compete in a track event known as the 440 yard relay. I was the “anchor man” for our team. Early on our coach taught us to avoid the temptation of focusing on anything other than the finish line. This was hard to do. Especially, when your competitor maybe a second slower, and you can hear his feet pounding the track right beside you. In that moment it is easy to look sideways or even backwards. But our coach taught that when we did this we shaved a second off our time – causing us to possibly lose the race. As followers and believers in Jesus we have one Anchor Man, and His Name is Jesus. He is the only one Who can empower you to win, and finish your race well. Take hold of His Anchor and allow it to guide you not only through life but in your everyday disciplines of prayer, reading the Word, thanksgiving and worship. Allow His Faith to rise up in you, focusing on Jesus at your right hand while you seek Him, His Presence, and stepping out in response to His leading. This should lead you to doing things that only Jesus would do. Henry Blackaby reminds us in the course Experiencing God, Our world is not seeing God because we are not attempting anything that only God can do.…What are you attempting to do that can only happen if God brings it to pass?

      It Ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings

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      Luke 1:7, 13, 18 But they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren; and both were far advanced in years….But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must call his name John [God is favorable]….And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.

      A Wikipedia article regarding the colloquialism, It Ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings, states: “This phrase is often used as a proverb. It means that one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress. More specifically, the phrase is used when a situation is (or appears to be) nearing its conclusion. It cautions against assuming that the current state of an event is irreversible and clearly determines how or when the event will end. The phrase is generally understood to be a reference to opera sopranos, who were typically heavyset. The imagery of Wagner‘s opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen and its last part, Götterdämmerung, is typically used in depictions accompanying uses of the phrase. The “fat lady” is thus the valkyrie Brünnhilde, who was traditionally presented as a very buxom lady. Her farewell scene lasts almost twenty minutes and leads directly to the finale of the whole Ring Cycle. As Götterdämmerung is about the end of the world (or at least the world of the Norse gods), in a very significant way “it is [all] over when the fat lady sings.”

      This colloquialism definitely applies to what transpires between Zachariah and the angel Gabriel. What is truly astounding is Gabriels’ casual comment: your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. Why is this astounding? Twice, Dr. Luke emphasizes the fact: both were far advanced in years, and Zachariahs belief: For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. But that is not the astounding part. The astounding part is, your petition was heard! I have a hard time believing Zachariah and Elizabeth were still praying for a child. In fact it is easy to believe that they had probably put this prayer request on the shelf, along with many other seemingly unanswered prayer requests. They had simply learned to accept these things as the way things were going to be. Most likely the future parents of John the Baptist had petitioned the Lord with this repeated, desperate request as they began seeing the window closing to the possibility. Surely, by this time, the “old man” had given up on that hope. What the angel was declaring just couldn’t be true. But how many of you know that the Bible is full of what seemed to be true events, trumped by even greater, truer events? In the beginning God released light, yet in the midst of His light being released there were lesser lights: the Sun, the moon, and stars. Jesus said in Jn. 8:32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. Jesus spoke this to Jews who had a revelation of the Truth (truth) in the Law, and the Prophets. Yet, as this was spoken, the Truth, the Greatest of ALL truths, stood before them declaring these things. What are we to make of this? Often we define truth by our perceptions of reality failing to enter into the Light of Truth, Jesus. Our circumstances may seem to be true – but there is a Greater Truth whose Name is Jesus. Now He is not an opera singer but He is a singer nonetheless, and He sings His song in a place of timelessness. What’s truly amazing is He sings His song over you and me. Rabbi’s believe God didn’t simply speak creation into existence, He sung it into existence. Possibly in Zacharias, and Elizabeth’s life the song hadn’t been finished and that’s why the manifestation of a prayer answered hadn’t come to their attention. What have you prayed about and given up on? Maybe it’s time for you to turn your ear to the song of the Singer, and listen for what He has to say. Luke 1:20 in the KJV reads: And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed…Maybe it’s time we confess to the Lord we have been dumb, and we need to learn to be still to know He is God; to listen and wait instead of speaking. Maybe it’s time that we take our place as a new creation and join in the song of the Singer. Chris Tomlin wrote a song by that name: Sing, Sing, Sing. The opening lyrics state: Sing, sing, sing and make music with the heavens. We will sing, sing, sing grateful that You hear us when we shout Your praise lift high the name of Jesus!