The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field (see Matt. 13:44)

 

 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

In John 10:10b, Jesus tells us that he came that we might have life in abundance, in all its fullness. But most of us, most of the time are willing to settle for far less than what he has for us. The saying “most men live lives of quiet desperation” is applicable many times, even to Christians. Why is this?

Well, there are many things that trip us up. In the first part of John 10:10, Jesus tells us that thief, that is the evil one, comes to kill and to steal and to destroy. For the most part he has done an amazing job, even in the church! As the Lord stirred my heart this morning about these things, I told him “I am not willing to settle anything less than all that you have for me?”

I mean, it’s either true or it’s not. If we have believed cunningly devised fables, then let’s throw the whole thing out. But if it’s true, then it’s worth selling everything to gain the treasure, which in the end is Jesus Christ himself. Indeed the Lord told Abraham “I am your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1).

Father, help me to follow through on what I told you this morning. I know that You desire passion lovers. Please forgive me for those times that I have been very much less than this. Lord with You all things are possible I praise and bless You in Jesus name amen

for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized 1 Cor 11:19

It seems to be an almost universal tendency for us to want to get rid of those who don’t agree with us. Such people tend to be a thorn in our side. Paul tells us elsewhere, that a servant of the Lord should not quarrel, but be gentle to all instructing those who oppose, so that perchance God will grant them repentance (2 Timothy 2:25).

Another universal tendency that occurs both inside and outside the church, is the pressure to conform. How many preachers have jokingly said “You have every right to disagree, you have every right to be wrong?”

I have heard this a number of different times, but many times felt that I was being told in no uncertain terms “You are wrong!” It can be a way of cutting off disagreement. And certainly there are times when it needs to happen, but many times the problem is that we do not listen to each other. In seminary I remember a wise professor saying to me “You need to feel the weight of the argument Phil!” In other words, we need to listen and really hear what the other person is saying.

Listening is surely a lost art! One way to improve our listening skills, is to say back what we think the other person is saying. This gives them an opportunity to say "Well yes that is what I meant," or "No," which then can lead to clarification. I am told that I am good with words, but I am very aware of their inadequacy. And this is never more evident to me, then when I am at work at loggerheads with someone. At such times the potential for misunderstanding is enormous!

In expanding a little from what Paul is saying in 2 Timothy, it seems to me that we actually ought at some level to welcome disagreement. What I mean is I think we need to encourage respectful interaction. This then not only gives us an opportunity to correct what is wrong, but also can help to uncover our own blind spots. And we all have blind spots!

Father, please grant me the love and humility that I need when people disagree with me, even if it’s not done in the right way. Help me always to be eager to keep the peace, and to speak the truth in love. In Jesus Name Amen

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love

Part of what we are praying when we pray “kingdom of God come, will God be done on earth,” is that we are willing to cooperate with him in bringing His will, His kingdom to earth. In this verse from Ephesians 1:4, He is showing us part of his purpose in election is that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love.

There are two things here. For the first neither here, nor elsewhere in the Scripture, is the Christian given license to do what ever he or she pleases. The idea which he expresses in verse six, is that our actions and attitude should show forth the glory of His grace!

I love the balance of Scripture, when the Scriptures talk about grace, truth is not far behind. When the scriptures talk about righteousness, love is not far behind. The second thing then, is that all of this should be immersed in the love that flows out of our relationship with Him. It’s too easy to get this out of balance, to have truth without grace, truth without love, love without truth, holiness without grace, holiness without love etc., etc.

And in the end it’s all about relationship with Him. He tells us that we are chosen before the foundation of the world, and part of this is that this enables us to operate out of rest and assurance that we are loved and accepted. So we don’t seek for holiness and blamelessness in order to get right with Him, but rather we do it because we love Him and we want to please Him.

Father, thank You that You chose me before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before You in love, and to show forth Your incredible glory. Forgive me Lord when I fall short of all of this, and give me your grace to be the man of God You call me to be. I love you Lord in Jesus Name Amen

I will not let you go until you bless me!

In this quote from Genesis 32:26, Jacob knew he was in trouble! He had robbed his brother not only of his inheritance, but also of his father’s blessing. And now his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men. It did not look good. Many times, it’s only in times of desperation, that we come to God. And he accepts this because He is good and gracious and loving. These times are pivotal times!

It can be very scary, because it tests your faith! Is He really there or is He not? Will we choose to trust Him? The point is that it brings up many of our ungodly beliefs. For example, I know He’s there for others, but will He be there for me? It also brings up feelings of inadequacy, I feel so unworthy at such times, and that can sabotage my faith!

Behind negative self talk of unworthiness, there lurks an ungodly belief. The point is that if God only accepts us when we are worthy, He would not accept anybody. In fact we know this, but we need to let it settle into our hearts. As Christians, we are accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV). But this truth needs to move from our heads to our hearts, so that we can rest in it. Until we come to this place, we are in fact in practice atheists, even as we confess with our minds that we are not!

In these pivotal times, these times of desperation when we cry out to God, we find ourselves like Jacob, wrestling in our spirit. At these time when we choose to press in, when we choose to say and mean with Jacob “I will not let you go until you bless me,” then these are truly times of breakthrough, times when our faith is rises to a new level.

Father help me to welcome these pivotal times of desperation. Increase my faith to truly believe that You are here for me, even me. I choose to believe at such times. I believe, help my unbelief. In Jesus Name Amen

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever

The scriptural basis for this quotation from the shorter Westminster confession, can be found in Ephesians 1:11,12. Part of what this means is that we were designed to glorify God, and that fulfillment will only fully occur when our hearts and minds are in sync with Him and His purposes.

If you think about it, you wouldn’t try to paint a house with an artist's brush, and for the most part you wouldn’t try to paint a work of art with a roller designed to paint walls. I say for the most part, because I don’t rule this out as a possibility, but I have to say that a lot of modern art leaves me cold! But I think you know the point I’m trying to make!

From the beginning we have rebelled against this. Somehow it offends our pride and our sense of free will, to be expected to conform to someone else’s agenda, even if it’s God’s. But as a loving earthly father knows many times, what is good for his child, so our heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and what will ultimately make us happy.

The world tells us that freedom and fulfillment come from casting off restraint, from being able to do anything that we want. But, as the alcoholic knows very well, a big part of freedom is the ability to be able to choose not to do certain things. And part of our rebellion is that we think we know better than the One who spoke and stars were flung into space! Most of us have to learn the hard way, that His ways are best, and that life works best within the constraints that He calls us to embrace.

In my own case, it was only after having suffered the consequences of my own rebellious choices, and in fact having come to the end of myself, that I was willing to try it His way. The Scripture says “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). I did, and I do, and I will do, and I can tell you that He is indeed good! Having lived on both sides of the track, I know well that His ways are best!

Father help me, by your Spirit, to continue to put to death the deeds and the desires of the flesh, so that I may truly glorify You, and so enter more fully into the joy and enjoyment of an intimate relationship with You. In Jesus Name Amen

He purposed [to] gather together in one all things in Christ

There are many things that we might wrestle with in life, health, finances, employment etc., etc. But the thing that I wrestle with the most, is relationships. The reason is surely, that our unity and love for one another is the very heart of God, and therefore at the spearhead of the attacks of the enemy.

We cannot, and we must not, separate His desire for our oneness, from the cross. In the cross, when we when we see it correctly, we see the second mile in spades! God so loved the world, that He went to extraordinary lengths to reconcile us to Himself, and to show us His priority in reconciliation. In the context of this paraphrase of part of Ephesians 1, Paul tells of God’s primary plan is to unite all things together in Him. Later in the epistle, he admonishes us to as much as is possible within us to live at peace with everyone.

It takes takes two of course, but the best place to work out our differences, is at the foot of the cross. What I mean is that we need to see the insignificance of our own differences and struggles, in the light of all that He has done for us. We cannot come to the foot of the cross in arrogance demanding our own way, demanding our rights, demanding justice over mercy. In fact we cannot come demanding at all! At the foot of the cross when we truly come, we get the true perspective of our own selfishness. When we truly come, and understand the depths of what He had to do to forgive us, and to reconcile us to Himself, in this light, all or wants and needs and desires are seen in the correct perspective.

Father, bring us to the foot of the cross together. Help us to see our relationship struggles in the light of all that You have done, and all that You desire. Help us, help me, to cooperate with Your primary purpose in sending Jesus, that is in the fullness of time to unite all things together in Him. In Jesus Name Amen

The “reality” I live in feels real, even if it's a lie!

Have you ever wondered how people can have a utterly different and contradictory beliefs, and yet all parties be so fully convinced that they are right? Part of the answer, is that it seems to be human nature to conform to the belief systems of those in our little group, those who influence us the most. I was challenged recently, to try and get into the mindset of suicide bombers and those who encourage them. In particular of the mothers who seem more than willing to allow their sons and daughters to perform this despicable act.

In order to understand, I had to feel the weight of the teaching that in this world view, your only secure hope of heaven is to die taking infidels with you. And what mother would not want her son or daughter to escape the flames of hell? So then this form of suicide is their only sure hope of salvation! To say this is a religion of works, is surely an understatement! And add to this the fact that this same worldview has a strong, and what I believe is a realistic, doctrine of our sinfulness. The New Testament puts it this way, that those who are not in Christ are strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12).

In particular for those immersed in the subjective reality of Islam, there is no teaching that Jesus Christ died for their sins, and that He freely offers pardon, the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of their souls. In fact they deny that Jesus even died, let alone died for our sins. In other words what they do know about Christ is polluted by lies, lies which deprive them of any hope from that source. On top of this there is a very strong pressure to believe the teachings of Islam. And even here in North America, there are stories of those who convert receiving death threats. In other words not only is there a strong emphasis on works, there is also a strong component of fear that mitigates against an open mind on these things.

I realize that all of this is politically incorrect, but as far as I can see, the only hope to escape this false reality of Islam, is the good news of Jesus Christ.

Father, help me, and those who have found Your Words to be true, to have the courage and the wisdom to know what to speak, how to speak and when to speak. Help us not to be intimidated by the tyranny of political correctness. In Jesus Name Amen

Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom

When the conversation inevitably turns to the saying that time goes faster as you get older, I often jokingly say “I'll let you know when I get there!” Having already exceeded my allotted threescore and 10 years, I am fully aware of how rapidly time passes!

For me this is not a cause to fear. It’s not that long ago as I was recovering from a bout of aggressive prostrate cancer that a friend said to me “You’re not afraid to die are you!” And I’m not, there’s a real sense in which I look forward to it. I don’t mean this in a morbid sense, but I have confidence that I am accepted in the beloved, and as the Scripture says perfect love casts out all fear. Nevertheless this verse from Psalm 90:12 speaks to me this morning.

For me, it’s important to live in the perspective of eternity. I know that I must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. Oh my salvation is secure, but I know that I may gain or lose my reward (1 Corinthians 3). What I want, more than anything else on that day, is to hear “Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your Lord.” If I lose this perspective of eternity, it is very easy to slip back into foolishness. Knowing that I am accepted, and yet that I must give an account of my life on that day, helps me to live more wisely.

Father, teach me to number my days, that I may apply my heart to wisdom in the fear and joy of the Lord in Jesus name amen

We have this treasure in jars of clay

Truth out of balance is not any longer truth! This quotation from the 2nd Corinthians 4:7, is easy to get wrong. The treasurer it is talking about is the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and jars of clay refer to our bodies which are elsewhere referred to as the temple of the Holy Spirit.

So you can see a jar of clay as being worthless, or you can see a jar of clay as a container of something very precious. I wonder what percentage of Christians think of themselves as worthless. From my experience it must be fairly high. And part of the problem here, is that many about churches are shame-based. In particular in such a church it is not a good sermon if you don’t come out feeling guilty. This is not the gospel, his Pharisaism and legalism.

We can go to the other extreme, and in so doing imitate our culture, coming to a place where nothing is wrong, everything is permissible! I like what a friend of mine tells of what he heard from God “Incomplete, but accepted!” Incomplete: you are a jar of clay. Accepted: you are precious in the sight of God, He loves you so much that he sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in you.

When we think of God calling us jars of clay, and get it right, it helps to keep us humble. Humility is having a realistic view of who we are. Humility is not thinking less of ourselves than we are, nor thinking more of ourselves than we are. It’s helpful to me to remember that God is my loving father. And just as in a loving family the child is loved and accepted even when he or she falls short of perfection, so we too are cherished and loved and accepted even when we fall short, as we inevitably do from time to time.

Father, thank you for your promise that when we see You, we will be like You. In the meantime grant me true humility, neither thinking more nor less of who You say I am. Thank You that You have given me Your Holy Spirit to guide lead and direct, and to witness to my spirit that I am your child in Jesus Name Amen

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!”

  Paul, in this quotation from 1st Corinthians 12:21, is expanding on the teaching that the church is the body of Christ. So just as the body has different parts, and different functions, so we too are different from each other. But the point that Paul is making, is that we need each other.

There is this almost universal tendency to put up walls against people who are different. The “irreconcilable differences” excuse is very common in the break of marriages. Differences on the other hand, when we let them, enhance a relationship, and bring us into a depth that would not otherwise be there. The scriptural analogy is that of iron sharpening iron.

There are two sides to Paul’s analogy. I cannot say that I don’t need you, and you cannot say that you don’t need me. Many of us have suffered from deep rejection even in the church. At the time of my conversion, to be divorced in the church in my province, was equivalent to having leprosy. I actually came to Christ through a broken marriage, deeply feeling the rejection of that, then finding further rejections in the church. Without saying anything about what is permissible and what is more permissible terms of marriage and divorce, rejecting the rejected is surely wrong!

We are all broken people, and because of this church can be messy. But one of the things that church is intended to be, is a hospital for the sin sick. It took me a long time to get over my rejection by the church. But God has used these things to draw me close to Him, the source of all healing. And now if I am rejected, I don’t take it personally, I don’t let it undermine me, because I know deep in my heart, that what He thinks of me is more important than what anyone else thinks of me.

Father, for anyone reading this who has also softened deep rejection, I ask you to meet them in their hurt and pain. As the God of all comfort, comfort and strengthen them, and bring them into a deeper healing relationship with you in Jesus name amen

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living

This verse from Psalm 27:13 that I quoted in a recent post came back to me again this morning. It was in the context of the post about waiting on the Lord. I always knew that the first verse of my life verses (Psalm 40:1–3) were my instructions. I knew He was telling me I would need to wait patiently on Him!

It must be several years ago now, that the Lord asked me “So you knew that your instructions were to wait patiently, did you wait patiently?” Well, I could say that I had waited, I had no choice, but as to waiting patiently, that was an entirely different matter!

The period between receiving a promise, and its fulfillment is a difficult but important time. It is difficult, because it stretches your faith. It is important, because it is in choosing to wait patiently that the growth occurs. The question comes over and over "Will I believe in spite of all the circumstances that point to the impossibility of the fulfillment of the promise?" So I chose to believe that what He had promised He would fulfill. But it’s not because it looked like a distinct possibility. On the contrary it looked, and to some extent still does, look impossible. But we have a God who calls things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17).

I have wanted to give up on my promise many times over the years, but He has always done something to encourage me to continue to believe. Indeed I would have lost heart had He not done this! Yes the ultimate hope is in the hereafter, but He encourages us to pray "Your kingdom come, Your will be done in the here and now." Thank you Jesus!

There is a deep connection between faith and hope, that I do not yet fully understand. But this morning I am starting to ask Him about it in Jesus Name Amen

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent Numbers 23:19

Has anyone ever let you down, and let you down badly? It’s highly likely that the answer is yes! Has anyone you trusted ever stretched the truth, even a little? Again the answer is likely yes! But there is One who will never let you down, and who will never lie to you, and that One of course is God!

In a world of shifting morals and values, I have found stability in my Rock, in the Lord. At the time of my conversion, my favourite hymn was “Great is thy faithfulness.” I had found faithfulness, in a world of faithlessness, and it steadied me, gave me a place to stand, and place to hope that life could be better. I had found the truth expressed in another hymn “On Christ the solid rock I stand… All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!”

I had cause over the weekend without actually seeing her, to gain insight into the life of somebody who intersected with my life briefly many years ago. This lady is stinking rich, and now in her old age is in poor health. I sense without even talking to her, that she is very far from the Lord, and I have the sense of a tired, lonely, empty life. It is so sad!

It’s hard to see people in such pain, and at the same time, to sense that there is no openness to find the One who can bring peace, grace, stability and hope in a world without any of these things.

Father, the default here, is to close my heart so that these things no longer bother me. With fear and trembling I have asked You to break my heart with the things that break Yours. But Lord I need to know what You want me to do with it, I need Your Grace to bear it, and I need Your wisdom to know when there is something You want me to do about it. I know that sometimes You just want me to pray, and sometimes You want me to speak. But I need Your help and Your guidance, and Your boldness to do this. So I am asking for these Graces in Jesus Name Amen

For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ

I’m not really sure why I was struggling so much this morning. Nothing untoward had happened, my circumstances remain largely the same, but the pain of old hurts just seemed to have risen again. Thankfully I know what to do in these times.

In the context of this verse from 2 Corinthians 1:5, Paul tells of his own suffering, and tells that he despaired even of life. He goes on to say that this sentence of death, because that’s what it felt like to him, simply caused him not trust in himself but in God who raises the dead, and in him who delivered, does deliver and will deliver from it all (verses 9 and 10).

It’s a choice of course. In times past I would have wallowed in my hurt. One of my hangups was obsessive thinking. It took me a while to admit that in doing this I was essentially engaging in a pity party. What I have learned to do, is to pour out my heart and complaint to God (Psalm 142:2). I combine this with an application of Genesis 32:26 where Jacob says to the angel “I will not let you go until you bless me.” The Lord loves us to take hold of Him in faith in this way. In doing so over and over I come back to peace as I receive His comfort, which is really all about his presence.

Father, thank you for Your peace, thank You for the principles of Your Word which truly work. Thank You that You suffered not only for us, but You suffer with us, and in doing so we find the fellowship of Your suffering. The world cannot see this, but it is available to every believer. I bless you Lord in Jesus name amen

those who wait on the Lord ....

The context of this part verse from Isaiah 40:31, is that the metaphorical winter has passed, and of a new day is dawning (verse 1). But we like Israel are impatient. The Lord asks Israel (and us) “Why do you say it my way is hidden from the Lord?” Likely most of us ask the Lord questions like this that make no sense. For example if we know anything about God at all we know that nothing is hidden from him. The point is though we may feel that our way is hidden from him.

The Christian has many wonderful promises from the Lord, but more often than not, there is a delay between the giving of the promise and its fulfillment. A little old lady English friend of mine, who is now with the Lord, used to say “the trouble with God, is that he has no sense of time!” The Lord in response to the above question answers it by asking another. “Do you not know, have you not seen, the Lord is the everlasting God” (verse 28). This chapter will humble us if we let it! It is well worth reading and meditating on!

For most of us, most of the time our God is too small. This chapter is amazing in terms of its potential to brings back into the right perspective. Nevertheless waiting on God is a fire, delayed answers are a fire. But they are a refining fire when we choose to trust and hope in him. The full quote of the title of this post is:-

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

In my last post I was talking about not fretting. if we are fretting we are not waiting on the Lord. In that same Psalm we were discussing in that post, David tells us to Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7). And in Psalm 27:13 he declares “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living, and in the next verse he tells us to “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.” He finishes with the repetition “ Wait, I say, on the LORD!” When we do this, we truly rise above the circumstances.

Father, please help me to rest and wait in hope on You. I know that You are not slack concerning Your promises. Please help me to trust in the journey, and in the process, and to find in it that deeper relationship with You. I love You Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Do not fret, it only causes harm

Every time I read this part of the verse from Psalm 37:8, I am reminded of the joke that gives the interpretation as the admonition not to play guitar in church. But as I came to the verse this morning, I found that it was highly applicable to my life. In particular I found myself fretting over the slowness to put some financial provisions in place before the end of the month. I knew I needed to do something about it (the fretting)!

The dictionary defines fretting as being constantly or visibly worried or anxious. I am well aware that at least part of the harm that this causes in my life is that it draws me away from the peace and presence of the Lord. And I know myself well enough to know, that once I get out of His presence, I can get into deep trouble! James tells us that it’s the early warning sign of falling into temptation (James 1:12?).

There are many verses that come to mind that help me to get back into his presence. Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind holds steadfastly to You, because he trusts in You.

Worry and anxiety and fear are the very opposite of faith, of trust. So what I did this morning was to repent of my lack of faith, and to ask Him to help me get back on track. He is always faithful to answer, and I am now back in His peace!

Father, I thank You that You have already given all things that pertain to life and godliness. In particular I thank You for the resources of heaven that allow me to do what You command me to do. I love You Lord in Jesus Name Amen.

The joy of the Lord is my strength

It came to me this morning as I was meditating on this verse from Nehemiah 8:10, that we have to war for our joy. As with love, joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but also as with love, it is commanded. Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice Philippians 4: 4.

The analogy of joy being fruit, reminds us that fruit comes as the tree is rooted and grounded in good soil, and watered (John 15:5). But how do we rejoice in the midst of trials (James 1:2)? Again the process has to do with abiding in him, in setting our hearts to be offence proof. I have this picture of joy just waiting to bubble up within us, but we have to let it. And what that means is that we constantly need to choose to deny the negative, and to choose the positive. Whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are of good report, we need to think upon these things (Philippians 4:7).

I just returned from a prophetic conference in Toronto, and one of the words that were spoken over me, was that there is joy stored up for me, and also that joy comes in the morning. As he does so often, the Lord underlined this last verse for me from Psalm 30:5. He had given this to me years ago at a moment of crisis. He was renewing his promise.

Father, thank You that it is Your good pleasure to give us joy. Lord help me to do my part in waring for this joy. You have promised joy, it belongs to me. I will have it, it’s my inheritance. I declare that Joy is coming, and I receive it, in Jesus Name Amen

And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know

In the defensive pose of much of the Western church, it’s easy for anyone with the smarts, to get into the big fish in a small pond syndrome. What I am saying is that the isolation can lead us to think we know more than we do! I am fortunate to have spent my entire career in the context of the University, where I am constantly rubbing up against those who know so much more than I do in my subject. It helps with the humility, it really does!

Even as a Christian I was intimidated by all of this. That is until the Lord showed me that if someone knew 50 times more than I did, in terms of what can be known, that 50 times is a mere drop in the bucket. So whether we want to hear it or not, the verse at the title of this post from from 1st Corinthians 8:2 is applicable to us. We often say it this way “the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.”

In the first verse of this chapter, Paul tells the Corinthians that knowledge puffs up, that is it has this tendency to make us proud and obnoxious. So, if we think we know something, and we allow that knowledge to make us feel superior, then this verse should cause us to rethink our attitude. In particular we do not yet know that we know nothing! On the other hand while knowledge puffs up (like the peacock) love builds up and edifies.

There is an equal and opposite error the Scripture warns us of. And that is that we can be always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). In particular in this scientific age, we can inappropriately dismiss anything that cannot be proved scientifically. This hinders many coming to faith. But to dismiss faith because you can’t prove God scientifically, is at the very least to be quite inconsistent. In particular you cannot live your life believing only what can be proved scientifically. For example were you in bed last night? Can you prove that scientifically? Well no! Neither can you prove love scientifically, but we do know when we are loved, and when we are not, and you probably know if you were in bed last night!

The writer to the Hebrews tells us, that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (11:1). So we can know, there is a substance to faith, and there is evidence for faith, but it only fully comes after we have chosen to believe.

Father, it’s so easy to get out of balance in the Christian walk. Help me to avoid these equal and opposite errors of operating in knowledge without love, and of failing to embrace the certainty of faith that a growing relationship with you brings. In Jesus Name Amen

Whom the Lord loves he chastens

Most of us likely don't like being corrected. We like to do what we want, but we may not like the consequences. After I became a Christian, my motivation changed, and I wanted more than anything else to please the Lord. He had a rescued me from the pit of my own rebellious behaviour. I do not mean that he voided the consequences, but rather he gave me the wherewithal to deal with them without going to pieces.

I kind of went from one extreme to another. In particular it has taken me a long while to move from having an oversensitive conscious, to being substantially free. Though there are certainly times when I ask the Lord to search my heart to see there be any wicked way within me (Psalm 139:23,24), most of the time I am content to rely on the promise of the verse at the head of this post from Proverbs 3:12.

You might find it strange that I think of this as a promise! After all who likes to be corrected? However, when you know that you will only be corrected for your own good, it makes a huge difference. No one on earth does this perfectly, but our heavenly father does. And there is no-one as gentle and loving as He is!

Before I came to this position I would find myself feeling guilty for all kinds of things. For example if I inadvertently brought a pen home from work and forgot about it, it would bother me when I remembered. Now when I give my day to him, I can rest in the assurance that he will show me anything that is displeasing to Him. And I am now free from that inner policeman that drove me crazy at times.

Father, thank You that my ongoing relationship with You solves all sorts of problems. In particular thank You for setting me free from my overactive conscience. It’s not that I like being corrected, probably nobody does, but I know that when You do, You have my very best interest at heart, and I know that I am deeply loved. In Jesus name Amen

Better than coffee #Jesus

We were discussing having to wait for our coffee in the mornings here at the Revelatory conference in Toronto. The caffe does not open until 8:00 and many of us are early risers. Though we were missing our coffee, we all agreed that Jesus is better than coffee!

I am, as I said, a morning person and for many years have spent time first thing in the morning reading. praying or sitting quietly before the Lord. There are certainly times when this fellowship with Jesus is richer than at others, but I find that this quiet time settles and establishes the right attitude for the day. This is especially true when there is something on my mind that is bothering me. At such times I journal pouring out my thoughts onto the computer to get them out of my head. In the past I had a problem with obsessive thinking - you know where the same negative thoughts go round and round and round!

I have written a million letters in these moment 99% of which I have never sent. But I find my journaling more effective when I pour out my complaint to the Lord rather than the computer(Psalm 142:2)! This brings me more quickly back to peace, though, depending on what it is, it can take a while!

The bottom line is that I would not have made it through life without Him, and these times of fellowship and intimacy with Him. And I mean this quite literally. There is a history of premature deaths in my family line, and I fit the profile. So yes, though I prefer not to, I can do without my coffee, but I cannot do without the Lord.

As I was wondering if I should blog on this this morning, my eye fell as I opened my computer, on a friend’s face book page. And there in big letters was C.O.F.F.E.E and underneath “Christ offers forgiveness for everyone everywhere. It was a sign 😀

It’s all true Lord, and I want to thank You this morning again for the fellowship we share in these quiet times. My life is so much richer and has so much more meaning in relationship with You. Thank You that You pursued me for so long, and thank You for Your patience with me. I love You Lord. And by the way thank You for coffee too 😀 In Your precious Name Amen

As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a place of springs

When I think of the Valley of Beca, I think of the biblical phrase “a dry and thirsty land.” Baca is thought to be a balsam tree, a shrub which grows in arid places. The NEB translates it ‘the thirsty valley’. Of course the psalmist is not speaking of a literal thirsty valley, but is rather a picture of spiritual dryness. And he is speaking of those who can bring living water into such places just by being there.

So we need to ask who “they” are. In fact the previous verse Psalm 84:5 tells us. It says “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.”

Many of us lead out of our own strength, even as Christians. I know I did for many, many years. Often it’s only when we come to the end of ourselves, to the point where, for whatever reason, our own strength is seen to be totally inadequate, that we finally take on his strength. Paul is talking about this in 2 Corinthians 12:9 when he says “when I am weak, then I am strong!” When we get to this place, we have to admit we cannot do it without Him, and then we have to ask for the strength He then freely gives to make up for what we cannot do.

So the “they” of verse 6 have two characteristics. Firstly they walk in God’s strength, not their own. Secondly they have set their heart on pilgrimage. Both of these things are diametrically opposed to the way of the world. In terms of the second point, the world is interested in the bottom line, in the endpoint of the journey. The one who changes the spiritual atmosphere on the other hand, is the one who lives in the process, recognizing that the journey is every bit as important, if not more important in God’s eyes, than the final destination.

it’s not particularly easy to be in this place. Often it’s a waiting game, and perhaps learning to wait is the hardest lesson of all. But Paul again says “there is great gain in godliness with contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6). Part of what we are being told here, is that being is more important to God, then doing. We are human beings, not human doings! our journey is primarily a journey into the heart of God, and this is a journey that never ends, it is eternal and ever more deeply satisfying hallelujah!

Father, to the extent that I have not yet fully allowed you to be my strength, and to the extent that the end point of the journey is more important than the journey, I ask your help in changing. Thank you Lord for your patience with me. I love you Lord in Jesus name Amen

I would rather face the past than be afraid of the oceans of tears that accompany healing

Many of us either live in the past, caught up in regrets or bitterness, or we live in the future, dreaming of an ideal future, dreaming of what might never be. In both cases we are in grave danger of living, as the saying goes, lives of quiet desperation.

Part of the fear referred to above, has to do with uncertainty, fear of the unknown. Another part has to do with not knowing that healing is available. I am part of an inner healing ministry, and over and over I see people dropping out at the point where they need to start to deal with the issues. It’s scary, inner healing is not for the faint of heart. The alternative though, is to be stuck in the past or the future.

In describing His mission in Luke 4:18, Jesus told us that He came to heal the brokenhearted. This is the heritage of the child of God. It is our birthright, but it is not something that is automatic, and it is not easy, we have to war for it. Part of this, is that we need to allow God to open up old wounds. A festering wound, physical or soulish, needs to cauterized to cut out the infection. This hurts, and hence the tears, but tears are cleansing and they necessarily come together with the healing.

It does take courage to allow God to do this, but we will never heal without dealing with the past. I am being reminded of these things, as I sit in a prophetic conference here in Toronto. And I am witness to Him healing hearts here, as people allow themselves to be vulnerable, and come forward for healing and prayer. I can see already that some of these people will never be the same as they start their journey to wholeness!

Father, please give me the courage to bring those things from both the past and the future, that at various levels can keep me stuck. Lord I choose to trust you for my healing, and for the abundant life that you promised me in Jesus Name amen.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ

The context of this verse from 1 Corinthians 3:11, is Paul using an analogy of the believer as God’s building. So just as every building has a foundation, so the believer has a foundation, and it is Jesus Christ. But what exactly does this mean?

Perhaps a useful preliminary question would be “What do you and I build our lives upon?” I hear the wish of many parents for their children being “I just want them to be happy!” Or perhaps your ambition was like mine in my teens, I dreamed of fame and fortune! Concerning happiness, if you are like me, if you look back and you ask yourself when were you happy, you will likely realize that during the happiest times you did not even know you were happy!

On the other hand, I can think of the times (before I was a Christian) when I was the unhappiest. During those times the lure of riches was the most intense. In other words, during that time I was looking to riches to bring fulfillment. But let me ask you, if you look at people who are rich and or famous, do you see that they are happy? Perhaps it’s possible, but I have not seen it. What I now believe is that happiness does not come as a result of pursing it, but that it is a byproduct of something else.

There is a saying that if you do not have something worth dying for, you do not have anything worth living for! There are many goals worthy of pursing, and they certainly provide a better foundation than the pursuit of happiness. My own goal for the fist 20 years of my Christian life was ministry. I took my value and worth from what I did for the kingdom. Looking back I can now see that I was a Christian workaholic, and in the end my pursuit left me empty and jaded. It did not fulfill my deepest longings.

I was a Christian, but my foundation was not Jesus Christ. My theology told me that He was my foundation, but my life did not reflect that. I knew my works would not get me to heaven, only what Jesus had done for me would do that, but looking back I can see that I was trying through works to earn acceptance in the church. Though I would have denied it at the time, what others thought about me was more important than what He thought of me. I can now see that I was essentially operating out of an orphan spirit.

What I needed was a revelation of the Father’s love. I am not just talking about an intellectual understanding that He loves me, but a deep experience of His love. And just as in a loving home the children are secure, so in an intimate loving relationships with God, we settle into the peace and grace and security that heals the orphan spirit, and brings healing and contentment and peace.

This did not come easy. I had to go through a second broken marriage and followed by a journey in and through some previous struggles that had never been healed to truly find Him. You do not know that God is all you need, until God is all you have. But when you come to the end of it all, you see truly that indeed there is no other foundation than the one He laid which is Christ Jesus!

Father, in the pain and or emptiness of our inadequate or false foundations I hear Your call “You will search for me and find me when you seek for me with all of your heart.” Keep me searching Lord because this will lead me ever deeper, and Father anyone who is reading this and feels something stirring in their heart, let them cry out to You, as You will surely lead and guid and answer. In Jesus Name Amen

You are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

The expectation throughout the whole of the New Testament, is that once we have become a Christian, we should grow up into maturity. Paul here, in 1 Cor. 3:3, is pointing out that the presence of envy, strife and divisions among us, is evidence that we are still carnal, that is spiritually immature.

Though we are admonished not to compare ourselves with others (2 Cor. 10:12), we are admonished to grow in grace. We are all at different stages, and depending on where we have come from, some of us will have a lot further to go than others, to be spiritually mature. The expectation though, is that we go from glory to glory, as we behold the Lord’s face (2 Cor. 3:18). For the alcoholic, the first months sobriety is perhaps the first stage of his or her glory! For others it may be the realization that we have not arrived! In any case, we cannot go from glory to glory without Him, but as Peter points out in 2 Peter 1:3, He has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him.

Among other things, these two references testify of resources that are available to us, that are worth emphasizing. The first, from the 2 Corinthians reference, has to do with intimacy in worship with the Lord. Paul is talking about the transforming power of His presence. We have a part to play of course, namely that we are to behold His face. We cannot do this without spending time with Him. This is a far cry from our tendency to rush into his presence with a grocery list of prayer requests. I am speaking to myself here!

The second resource is not independent of the first, but rather adds to it. In particular the phrase "knowledge of Him," includes knowing Him in relationship, and also knowing about Him and His ways. We must not neglect the rational side of the knowledge of Him, as some do. So then Paul tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), and Jesus tells us that if we continue in his Word, then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:31).

Father, thank you that you have already provided everything that I need to live a life that is pleasing to You. Help me to do my part in appropriating this. When I get out of balance, please bring me back. Thank You, that You have begun a good work in me, have promised to bring it to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In his precious name Amen

Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2:5

In conversations with those who do no believe, I have often sought to win them by persuasive arguments. It really does not seem to work. I have often had the experience of winning a point, only to go back later to find that they had reverted to their original position.

It’s not that reason and logic does not play a part, and many people are stuck in unbelief precisely because for them they have to understand before they can believe. But it doesn’t work that way. The famous saying comes to mind “I believe, therefore I understand.” I’m not saying I understand everything, I would have to be God for that to happen!

I have often used the illustration that if you don’t believe that a human body can float in water, the only way you are going to be convinced is if you get in the water, relax and just allow the water to do its work.

In the West, our culture is a culture of unbelief. As Randy Clark says this is a vicious circle. We don’t believe, so we don’t act in faith. In particular we don’t ask so we don’t receive (James 4:2). On his website Global Awakening, he says "If you want to break this vicious cycle, come with me on a short-term mission and you will see miracles happening.”

I did that, in fact I did that twice. And it's true, I saw many more miracles than I can even remember. Some I thought I would never forget but I did. But I do remember, and remember well, seeing blind eyes opened, deaf ears unstopped and the lame walking. Now no one can tell me miracles don’t happen. I saw it with my own eyes, in fact God has even used me to perform miracles. Yes, little old me! And now I can say with Paul “My faith rests in the power of God.”

Father, I thank you that you have shown me something of Your glory and your power. Please bring more and more of these miracles to Newfoundland. In fact kingdom of God come, will of God be done on earth here in Newfoundland as it is in heaven. In Jesus Name Amen

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified

The offering refer to in this verse from Hebrews 10:14, is the one perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The writer to the Hebrews is contrasting the superiority of Christ’s offering with that of the yearly offerings of the Levitical priesthood. In short there is no comparison, for he tells us that it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin (verse 4).

There are two things here that need to be held in tension, namely the tense and meaning that he has made perfect, and perfect for ever those who are being sanctified, and the implication of the tense in the phrase “being sanctified,” namely that the process is ongoing. This tension is made clear just a few verses later, where we are told of the consequences (no more sacrifice for sin) of wilfulness (verse 26). In particular the writer to the Hebrews knows nothing of what has been called "cheap grace," the teaching that it doesn’t matter what we do after we get saved, it’s all covered under the blood.

Sanctification, or salvation has 3 components. I was saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved! The illustration that I like that illuminates this for me, is of someone being shipwrecked at sea. He is picked up by a passing ship (was saved), he is being transported home on the ship (being saved - the current state), but finally he will arrive home (will be saved)!

It seems to me that there are two errors here. The first is that we somehow contribute to our salvation by what we do after we were saved. The sacrifice is perfect and complete as Paul makes very clear in Ephesians 2:8, 9. "It is by grace that we have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

The second error is presumption, the attitude that says “God will forgive me no matter what I do, that’s His job!” The verse already quoted above (verse 26) makes it very clear that this is in error. Like many other Biblical truths, these truths that need to be held in tension (both and, rather than either, or), and there are errors to avoid. There is much that can be said about this.

Father, in the midst of controversies in the church about these things, it is easy to forget the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. In the midst of debate we can lose our thankfulness, and be more interested in being right and proving the other side wrong, than in praising and blessing and thanking You. Father help me never to lose sight of You either in the midst of theological debate, or in over familiarity of these things. In Jesus Name Amen

Unity and discontinuity in the Bible

The biggest differences between the Judeo-Christian faith and all other religions, can be summed up by saying that all other religions are man reaching up to God, while the Judeo-Christian faith is all about God reaching down to man.

From the beginning God had wanted fellowship with mankind, and from the beginning because of sin, mankind hid himself from Him (Genesis 3:8). Because of mankind’s choice, God cursed the earth. He did it for mankind’s sake (Genesis 3: 17 NKJV), with the clear intention that the consequences of our reaping what we sow, would bring us back to himself. But mankind resisted every step of the way.

From Genesis on, the Scriptures chronicle the pervasive spread of evil. In the midst of this God chooses a people to whom He could reveal Himself, and His ways. Because of the spread of sin and because of its deceitfulness, He needed to teach them morality. So he chooses Moses to reveal his 10 laws, or 10 commandments as we call them. So Moses goes up the mountain to receive these commandments, and when he comes down the people say to him “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19). And one of several ways to look at the Old Testament, is simply that it is demonstration after demonstration that this does not work. In particular we see that mankind is incapable of following God’s laws. In the New Testament Paul tells us, that the Law is our tutor to show us our need of a saviour, of Christ (Galatians 3:24)!

And this brings us to a radical discontinuity between the Old Testament, the old covenant, and the New Testament, or the new covenant. If mankind was incapable of following the Law, then God needed to reach down and provide a different way to reconnect with man.

But God knew this from the beginning, He was not caught by surprise as can be seen from the unity of the two Testaments. And because this is a post it is necessarily brief. So let me paint a simple, but profound Biblical picture. I came to this this morning as I meditated on the phrase “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

So then one of the precursors to the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, is God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son, his only son Isaac on Mount Moriah. God is testing Abraham, and though He himself will follow through as will be seen, He never intends for Abraham to follow through. On the journey to the mountain, when Isaac questions him, Abraham tells his son prophetically “God will Himself provide a lamb for the burnt offering” (Genesis 22:7). From this and elsewhere, we get a picture of a lamb as a substitute.

The next precursor has to do with the Exodus. The plague that would finally convince Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go was the death of all the firstborn. The children of Israel were spared this when they took the blood of their lamb, and smeared it on the door posts and lintels of their houses. God tells the children of Israel “When I see the blood (of the Lamb) I will pass over you! It is the blood of the Lamb that saves!

Next comes he whole sacrificial system. We will pass over this too 😀, except to say it was all about atonement for sin, but that it was a picture of something that would work, rather than something that actually did work (Hebrews 10:4). Next, in Isaiah 53, the prophet speaking prophetically of Jesus (see Acts 8:35 in context), says of Him that He was like a lamb led to the slaughter, and that the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Coming to the New Testament, when John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching he declares “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Thus he identifies Jesus as the substitutionary Lamb!

The theme continues in Revelation 5:12 where we catch a glimpse of heaven where the saints praise the glorified and risen Christ with the words “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!” And then finally we come back to the verse that prompted it all, the verse that speaks of Jesus as the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

This theme, the Lamb of God, is just one of many themes that permeate both the Old and the New Testament and show its unity, and in my opinion it’s ultimate divine authorship. What is impressive is that this and many other other unifying themes come from multiple authors in diverse times and settings. Yet with one voice they testify to the truth and the beauty of the God who came down and became one of us, in order to reconcile us to himself.

Father, I praise and bless and glorify you this morning. Thank you for your amazing provision, patience and passion in sending your son to reconcile us to yourself. Lord help us, help me to live a life worthy of all that you have done for us. In Jesus Name Amen

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

There are two things that stood out to me in this verse from James 2:20 this morning. The first is that this is a question! I had never seen this before, even though I had read the passage many, many times. So seeing this, I needed to ask myself the same question “Do I want to know?” Well why wouldn’t I? The only reason would be that I either want to do something I shouldn’t do, or I don’t want to do something that I should. It also reminded me, that independent of what is true, a good deal of what we know is what we choose to know!

The Scripture talks about the deceitfulness of sin, and that the heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked. So this question is reminding me of these things this morning, and as a consequence reminding me that I need to ask God to search my heart, least I too be deceived.

The second thing that stood out to me was the phrase “O foolish man.” I looked up word translated here as “foolish” in Thayer’s Greek lexicon. It gave me “destitute of spiritual wealth, of one who boasts of his faith as a transcendent possession, yet is without the fruits of faith.” It also pointed me to this very verse in James.

So to me, this answers very clearly those who advocate what is being called “cheap grace.” This teaching comes about as an attempt to avoid the error of seeking to earn our salvation, a clear impossibility according to the Scriptures. But in doing so it takes the equal and opposite error of presumptuous grace. This essentially says that we can do what we like, we don’t need to change we don’t even need to repent, it’s all covered by the blood. This is false faith, it exists only in a heart that is deceived, and is foolish, vain and empty, or as James puts it “dead!”

Father, I am aware of how easily I can be deceived. So I ask You again this morning, to search my heart to see if there be any wicked way within me. Please lead me in the everlasting way, and make it my goal to please You, so that on that day I may here the words “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.” In Jesus Name Amen