Jesus

His good plans

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I’ve been reading through the book of Jeremiah and I never fail to be amazed by chapters 42-43. Just as Jeremiah had been prophesying, Judah was taken captive by Babylon. A leader was chosen for the remnant that was left in Judah but soon afterwards there was an insurrection. The guilty parties were killed but the Jewish remnant was now afraid of retaliation from Babylon. They planned to seek refuge in Egypt but before leaving they approached Jeremiah, asking him to inquire of the Lord on their behalf. And they told Jeremiah this:

Jeremiah 42:6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

A few days later the Lord answered and told them NOT to go to Egypt, but to remain in the land and He would bless them there. But the truth is, they had already made up their minds as to what they wanted to do and they had hoped God would have the same idea. Well, He didn’t. And so all that talk about obeying Him whether it was pleasing or displeasing to them – turns out it was just words. They wanted what was pleasing to them more than they wanted God’s best for them. How strange that those would be two different things, but often they are.

There are times when the plan of God seems contrary to everything that we hoped for, when it seems displeasing to us, or perhaps even dangerous. Usually the problem lies in our lack of faith…our inability to believe that God knows what’s best for us better than we do. Oh how much faith we have in our finite minds and our own decision making skills which have often led us down a wrong, and sometimes damaging, path. To trust God in the details of life just seems so…hard.

Sooner or later, and hopefully sooner, we must realize that “it will be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God”. Can we believe that obedience to the One who loves us most will always lead us to a place we are delighted to be?

Praise party

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Psalms 65:1 …..Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion…..

As I meditated on this verse an image formed in my mind. I saw a group of people gathered together. They were excitedly making preparations as they waited in anticipation for the guest of honor to arrive. They were about to burst with their desire to exclaim “SURPRISE!!” at that moment when the one that this whole gathering was centered around entered the room . There would be laughing and joy and celebration. It all awaited the appearance of the one that the whole celebration was focused on.

Not only should our church gatherings be like this, but every day of our individual lives as we walk with Jesus. Filled with joyous anticipation, let us be found waiting, and our hearts ready to praise and rejoice in God. Whether I’m in my church, at my job, or in my kitchen, may the testimony of my life be “praise is awaiting You, oh God”!

It’s not always practical

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Revelation 2:20 “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

This was written to the church of Thyatira, a commercial city with many trade guilds (similar to a union). If you wanted to make a living in this city you had to be a member of one of these guilds. The guilds would regularly have a feast which the members were expected to attend. These gatherings would involve worship of pagan deities which included some form of sexual immorality as part of that worship. The woman who is called Jezebel was teaching the believers that it was okay to be a part of these meetings because it was necessary for them to be able to earn a living in the city. It was purely a practical thing. I’m sure that some of the things she said to the people were along the lines of “God knows that you are not there to worship any other gods, and he knows you have to provide for your family. “. And so she made allowances for the people to be involved in extreme ungodliness that would taint their testimony for Jesus and would most certainly taint their conscience.

Reading this passage reminded me of what Jeroboam said when he had the two golden calves built at Bethel and Dan:

1 Kings 12:28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

Sometimes being obedient to God can be very inconvenient and there will usually be voices telling you that it doesn’t take all that to serve God. We must reject those voices that counsel us in ways that are contrary to the word of God. We are called to be obedient, even when it seems impractical.

A fragrant life

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2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

He leads us in triumph. That word means an acclamatory procession. (Acclamatory – expressing strong and enthusiastic praise or approval; a noisy or enthusiastic expression of approval for someone or something.) Imagine the loudest parade you’ve ever been too. And now imagine your life being that parade for Jesus everywhere you go. This triumphant parade through life is sending out a fragrance into the earth.

A smell is a sensory representation of a thing. For instance, the smell of a hamburger isn’t an actual hamburger. But the smell of it reminds you of its taste and while the smell may be pleasant, it isn’t satisfying. It leaves you longing for something more tangible-an actual hamburger that you can eat and enjoy. So it is with us. The fragrance of Christ through our lives isn’t meant to satisfy others, but to make them hungry for Him.

There may be some followers of Christ who feel themselves to be always swallowed up by some trouble or temptation or fear. They watch the parade going by but feel too weighed down to join in. But there is grace to be fragrant here too – even in our most difficult times.

Who is sufficient for these things? Certainly not us. But in all things the grace of God is sufficient to manifest the fragrance of Christ through His people.

Soldiers and civilians

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2 Timothy 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

In this natural world, no one is a soldier and a civilian at the same time. You are either one or the other. You are either serving your country in the military (subject to the requirements and structure of that life) or building your own life according to your own desires.

There is a similar spiritual reality. We cannot be engaged in this spiritual battle and be entwined with the things of this carnal life. Yes, there are things that require our attention-work, grocery shopping, home maintenance, etc-but these things don’t need to disengage us from the battle. In fact, they could all be theaters where the battle is engaged.

How many believers indulge in entertainment that pollutes them or leisure activities that dull their spiritual appetites? We deceive ourselves when we think we are effectively fighting an enemy that we live in agreement with. A soldier that defects to the enemy is called a traitor and is subject to being charged with treason and we would agree that is the right thing to do. We are much more merciful to ourselves, justifying our daily defections as we romp carelessly in the devil’s minefields. Unaware of the danger that lies just beneath the surface, we risk being blown to pieces at any moment.

The true spiritual soldier realizes the importance of being focused in the battle and the danger of compromise, but his primary motivation is the pleasure of his commanding officer. He serves joyfully for the reward of the pleasure upon His countenance. He embraces the discipline required and the sufferings encountered because the battle is a worthy one and the reward is eternal. He is ever on the alert for a command that may be issued and hastens to perform all that his Commander requires, for he is well equipped and victory is assured. The affairs of this life pale in comparison to the excitement of his journey. He will live and die as a soldier of Jesus Christ.

Light bulb and lamp Christians

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John 5:35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

In this time of trouble and fear, distinctions are made between the true and false, the mature and immature, the spiritual and the carnal, the lamps and the light bulbs

Lightbulb Christians are able to emit light but the source is not related to a flame. There is no heat, there is no burning and at any moment the delicate inner workings of the bulb could be disturbed by some shaking or other, burst, and the light be extinguished. The lightbulb Christian can be shining or not based on the flip of a switch that anything in proximity to it has access to. Life is good and all is happy-the switch is flipped on and the light is shining. However a little trouble comes into the life and it flips the switch off and the source of power is interrupted. The lamp Christian, however, depends upon the burning of the oil that is contained within and as long as there is a continual supply there is a continual burning and shining. 

A lightbulb with its artificial, man-made light, can shine without burning. But a lamp must burn in order to shine. The Holy Spirit will be faithful to provide the oil we need – so let us burn and let us shine.

The Widow’s All

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Mark 12:38-44 Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

The Pharisee loved to be noticed and to be prominent among men. His attire and his seating at events communicated that he was a notable personage. He craved the attention that his seemingly superior spiritual life attracted. He was so educated, a brilliant man, and everywhere he went he heard the greetings “rabbi, rabbi” and he secretly glanced around to see if others heard it too. His attainments in life gave him great advantage, so that he was a man of some means. He was the epitome of a holy man, respected by all…except God.

His eye was drawn elsewhere. He saw the little lady who had escaped the attention of everyone else. She was nothing special. Plain. Uneducated. Poor. But she loved God. Unknown and unnoticed by the Pharisees around her who so casually tipped God from the excess of their wealth, she left the temple having given everything to God. It was such a pitifully small amount, yet it was the most extravagant offering given. And it attracted the notice of God.

Many give some, but few give all. Which one will you be? The Pharisee seeking the accolades from the crowd for his spiritual attainments or the unknown widow, giving all.

 

Arise and Fight

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2 Kings 18:31-32 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; ‘until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.”

This is so typical of demonic schemes against the people of God. Although a battle is engaged and the enemy has drawn near, he attempts to lull the people into complacency, convincing them to ignore his attack and to just enjoy the good things of life (or alternatively to settle into our current trouble as an inescapable trial) and all the while his intent is to come and snatch us up and make us his captives. He doesn’t want a people to trust God. He doesn’t want a people to fight against him. He relies upon our desire for a peaceful existence to keep us settled in the land until his time is ready. This is a picture of the church that has forgotten how to fight, or has become too comfortable to fight. We have our buildings and programs. We have our material things, our homes, cars and iPhones.

For many, complacency is the default mode. But in the kingdom we are called to warfare and a radical trust in a God who defends and preserves us.

 

The Father’s sons

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Song of Songs 1:6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.

These were not father’s sons, but the mother’s sons. They aren’t the Spirit born, they are sons of this world. They pursue wealth and success, fame and pleasure, and believe everyone else should too. Those who let them have influence over their lives and decisions will find themselves losing the purity of their walk with God and their spiritual life darkened by their pursuit of other things. The mother’s sons want you to work hard within their system (vineyard) even at the expense of your own spiritual priorities. Be sure that you will incur their ire if you don’t walk in step with their agenda…but you have a vineyard to tend.

The Father’s sons will always point you to your vineyard – kingdom living. They will encourage you to focus your life, in every way, upon the King. They will run beside you as you run this race, encouraging you when you become weary. “Keep going! The finish line is in sight”

Surround yourself with the Father’s sons for you have need of them. And they have need of you.

 

Oil in Abundance in the Secret Place

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2 Kings 4:3-4 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors–empty vessels; do not gather just a few. “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

My attention was arrested by these words – “shut your door”. It reminded me of this New Testament verse:

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

This woman had a bit of oil, but it wasn’t enough to sustain life. She needed more in order for it to be useful to herself and others. She didn’t just sit in her house lamenting her lack, she went to someone that could help her. The answer came in as much abundance as she had the faith to receive and she was able to trade with the oil. The flow of oil was only limited by the lack of something empty for it to be poured into.

I am reminded of how we can often be – stagnant, the life of God shut up in our earthen vessels. We have some bit of oil, but we sense our lack. We are receiving nothing of heaven into our life adding to our meager supply of oil and thus we have nothing to give out. Would to God that we would see this as a problem and call out for help. If Elisha was willing to help the poor widow, how much more will our Father be willing to help His own children that cry to Him. But we must bring emptiness to Him-not lives crammed full of other things that we’ve used as a substitute for the life of God. Discard all of that…let yourself feel the ache of your empty life…and then come to Him and receive the oil. Shut the door behind you because this is a holy moment, it is an intimate moment, this is the secret place. Let Him fill you with as much as you can contain. Then when you are full, bring what you have to those who need it.

There has never been a shortage of oil – just of empty vessels willing to receive it.