When I am weak (II) More than conquerors

In the previous post on the subject “When I’m weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10), I mentioned that at the beginning of my journey I had called out to God in my weakness and pain. And though circumstances did not change, my ability, with His help, to handle them did. But it was survivor mode, not the abundant life. I didn’t realize it at first, but this was just the first step on a journey. I have, in fact, been in recovery for many years now, however I felt led recently to go to my very first meetings of AA, Alcoholics Anonymous. Knowing that I was a newcomer, I was asked to share. I introduced myself “Hello, my name is Phil, and I am one of you!” Indeed I am, I am joyfully aware that without my higher power, who happens to be Jesus, I am powerless to live the promised abundant life (John 10:10b). Admitting my powerlessness is of course, the first of the twelve steps of AA.

But why joyfully? Well when I am weak, and I reach out to Him, then He makes available to me all the resources of heaven. And this morning I am thinking about my journey to become more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37). So first of all what exactly has He made available to me to help me get there? Well, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). We do not have many times, because we do not ask (James 4:2). But when we do, He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). His power and His authority are indeed at work in the one whose higher power is Jesus. When Jesus is my higher power, these things are my birthright my inheritance!

But becoming more than a conqueror is not automatic. Indeed when I was first saved, I was little more than a survivor. However, now that I know there is so very much more, I am not content to stay there. But if it is not automatic, then how do I tap into it? It is by believing, and by pressing in (see January 20 post), by contending for the things that are promised. I’m not saying that I have arrived, but I am further along than when I was first saved. And my part is being faithful; taking in His Word; meditating upon it; sitting before Him in worship and praise; not neglecting to come together with the saints; provoking and being provoked to love and good works. In other words fully cooperating in ongoing the learning process of what it means to be a disciple. If this sounds exhausting, it is without Him! But when I am vitally connected to Him, these things come naturally and are a pleasure, and I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)!

Father, thank You for your promise that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us (James 4:7). Lord we need to daily encounter You, I do! I long to be daily lost in wonder love and praise, and I need, as Paul did, to be energized and mightily inspired by You in an ongoing basis (Colossians 1:29). And I will not forget this morning Lord, that more often than not, that becoming more than conquerors only comes through the fire and the battle, through the pain and through the turmoil. We are after all in a battle to the death with the enemy of our souls. Give us the grace Father to be more than conquerors in the midst of it all. And we will give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen

Everything happens for a reason. Really?

In seeking to hold in tension and understand that God is Sovereign (all things are under His control), and that we have free will, we can either fail to take responsibility for our actions, or in effect deny that He is in over all control. My own thought on this is, that He works His sovereign will in spite of our disobedience, He dos not cause it! But does He not know that we are going to fall before do? Well yes, but does this mean that He caused it - my sin happened for a reason? When my children were younger I got to know their weakness. Certain disobedience would happen over and over, and I could see the pattern! But knowing that they would do it cause their disobedience? I was desperate at times to prevent it. Similarly with God, does His allowing something mean that He causes it? Surely not!

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and God used this in two ways. He used it to polish Joseph’s character (from boastfulness for example to humility). At the end of the story Joseph tells his brothers “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, ... to save many people alive (Genesis 50:20). Were Joseph’s brothers puppets doing God’s will? My thinking is that if they had not sold Joseph into slavery, then God would have used some other way to work His sovereign plan to bless all the families of the earth (Geneses 22:18). It is clear that God is delighted when we are truly sorry for our sin (i.e. Luke 15:7). For example when Judah showed his repentance by being wiling to stay in jail in place of Benjamin (Genesis 44:33). But does this mean that God was delighted with their sin? Well no, because “love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6), and God is love (1 John 4:8). God is not the author of evil. The Westminster Confession says that God “neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.”

It’s not that difficult really, God good, Devil bad! So did the Devil made me do it? Well no, because we have free will, we have choice and we will be held accountable for them (2 Corinthians 5:19). This too is disputed in our culture. I hear in all sorts of contexts “This is the way God made me.” It seems we are ever more than willing to blame God, the Devil, anyone but ourselves. Having said this, it needs to be admitted that we do not feel free at times to choose. But this is because “He who sins, is the slave of sin” (John 8:34). The point is that when we make the same poor choices over and over, the behaviour develops into an often deeply ingrained habit, from which it becomes very difficult to escape. This is not to say that some are not more susceptible than others. The default for children of alcoholics , for example is to become alcoholics. But this susceptibility does not take away our choice, our free will. I am not saying we do not need a deliverer!

Father, nobody is saying that it does not feel at times as if it is impossible to escape from this or that ingrained addiction. But the truth of the matter is, that we Christians are destined to be “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). And nobody is saying that this is easy Lord, but it often starts with coming out of denial, and admitting that without You we are powerless over our difficulties. We need Your help Lord, I do. We need Your principles and Your promises and Your power. In fact we need a life giving encounter with You in Jesus Name Amen

When I am weak, then I am strong

There are many things in Christianity that are so, so puzzling to the unbeliever. For example, the first shall be last, or he who would gain his life must lose it (Matthew 20:16; 16:25), or this morning’s quote from 2 Corinthians 12:10. In this very same verse Paul is saying that he takes pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. And why? It is because God’s strength in and through him is perfected in his weaknesses (verse 9). Receiving God’s strength in the midst of our trials works in the same way that we received His wisdom when we admit that we lack it, and ask for it in faith. It is simply given (James 1:5,6)! How does He do this? Well, He may whisper into our hearts, or friend may say something, or circumstances may show us the way. In fact He has a thousand ways to do it, and somehow we know.

It’s hard to put your trust in something or someone that you’re not even sure is there, but "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). I have discovered that the difficult times, the times of stress, disappointments. etc., etc., are crossroads. I can choose to trust Him, or I can choose to be offended. As an unbeliever I had to have the rug pulled out from under me a number of times, before I came to the place where I realized I needed help if I was going to survive. And in my weakness, in my desperation , I cried out to Him and He came through for me. I do need to say, that circumstances did not change, what changed however, was my ability with His help to handle them. He is the God of all comfort and grace, and like Paul (verse 9) I experienced the sufficiency of that grace. It not only got me through, but it brought me into a peace beyond comprehension (Philippians 4:7).

I don’t know where you are in your journey this morning. But whether you are there, or not quite there yet, He invites us into encounter Him. "Taste and see that the He is good" (Psalm 38:4). And over and over I have found Him faithful when I have come to Him in child like faith, choosing to trust Him in spite of all that’s going on. And He has always given me grace to help in my time of need (Hebrews 4:16). And it is about coming to Him! It is not primarily about coming to a theology, or a church, or a bunch of rules. It is coming to a rock, a safe place, a shelter in the storm, a very present help in time of need. And I can say with a multitude of the saints this morning, that He is faithful, He is precious, and worthy of my praise.

Father, it is little wonder that the wisdom of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those of us who believe, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). I have heard it said Lord that I believe, therefore I understand. I certainly understand a lot more this side of faith, but there are still many things I do not yet understand. As the Scripture says, Your ways are past finding out (Romans 11:33). I will have a lot of questions for You on that day, but in the meantime even when I do not understand I choose to trust You in Jesus Name Amen

God can handle our being real

Over the past few days, the Lord has brought a number of people across my path who are really struggling. And what I want to say, is that one of the things I appreciate about recovery programs in general, especially twelve-step-programs, is that they are safe places, places to be real, places where we can take off our masks and be honest about where we are at, and what we are feeling. When people are hurting deeply, what comes out of their mouths may not exactly be what you want to hear in the middle of a worship service! How are we to respond? My attention was drawn recently to a verse in Job 6:26 “Do you intend to rebuke my words, And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?” The words "are as wind,” picture someone who is desperate, exhaling something that demands to be let out. Job asks “Do you intent to rebuke my words” thus adding to his already unimaginable pain?

Far too often, especially in “holy” fellowships, we wear masks because to do otherwise is not safe. And sometimes, because some of our views of God may be false, believing Him to be unsafe, we may withdraw from Him. But David, when he is in deep distress and overwhelmed “pours out his complaint to the Lord” (Psalm 142:2,3). And what comes out of our mouths at such times might just not be “Christian.” Psalm 137, recording the words of the exiles in Babylon reads “Blessed is he who takes your little ones and dashes them against a stone” (verse 9). Charming! What is interesting, it that this is the very last verse of the Psalm. In other words the writer does not (as in many of the Psalms) redeem himself by the end! I believe in leaving that Psalm in the Psalter, the Lord is showing us that He is big enough, and secure enough, to allow us to be real with Him. And clearly being real is exactly what the Psalmist was, warts and all!

At the end of Psalm 142, David is not yet delivered either. The last verse (verse 7) reads “Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name ... For You shall deal bountifully with me.” David knows that bitterness is a prison, and even in the midst of his pain, he knows that the Lord is his deliverer (verse 6). And in faith he believes that in His time, the Lord will deal with him bountifully. This side of the cross, with access to the Throne of grace, we are admonished to be sure that we do not fail to obtain His grace and so be defied and defile many (Hebrews 12:15). Nobody is saying that this is easy, and perhaps this is one of the many places where we all fail (James 3:2).

Father, I think I know You well enough to know that You would rather than we came to You with railing accusations, rather than stay away. That at least gives You the opportunity to answer. In my own life I have in my minds eye, pummeled You with my fists even as You held me in Your embrace. At such times I know I am wrong, even as Job seemed to know he was wrong. But sometimes we just seem to need to let it out. Thank You Lord that You are big enough to handle this. And Father, learning this about You, help us please to extend the same grace to others as, in the midst of their pain, they may say or do something inappropriate. But also Lord help both us and them not to stay there, but with David to cry our for deliverance and comfort in Jesus Name Amen

You inhabit the praises of Your people (III) Truth in the inward parts

There is perhaps nothing that sabotages intimacy more in relationships, that secrets withheld from each other. And there is perhaps nothing that draws us closer after a rift, than taking responsibility for our faults and confessing them to each other (James 5:16 again). I have heard some say they hate arguments, but they love making up! Of course in our relationship with God He is never at fault, but there is something amazing about making up with Him in true repentance and confession, it fosters worship and intimacy and love. You get the sense of this from King David in Psalm 51 when, after the biggest failure of his life (adultery and murder- 2 Samuel 11), he turns to God with his whole heart. And the phrase from that Psalm that stands out to me this morning is “You desire truth in the inward parts” (verse 6).

Part of bringing the Kingdom on earth (as it is in heaven), is with His help, returning to the openness and vulnerability in the relationships before the fall. After the fall, like Adam and Eve, we hide from each other and from God (Genesis 3:7,8). In particular, if it is true that in many things we all fail, and it is (James 3:2), then there must be many things that we hide from ourselves. I have often thought that if God showed us all of this in one foul swoop, we would die of guilt and shame. This is why I think unbelievers on that will cry out to the rocks on that day, to hide them (Revelation 6:16). The type of openness and vulnerability we are talking about here might sound scary! But listen to David in the midst of his reconciliation with God “O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise” (verse 15).

David is experiencing the unconditional love and acceptance that is available to all who turn to Him in repentance, and who open themselves up to transformation. The truth is hard to hear at times, but when we hide from what God is wanting to show us, our lives are impoverished. He knows the best and gentlest way to show me what needs to be shown. And He knows the pace I can deal with it, without being crushed. And actually, as in the natural, the times of deepest intimacy often come after He has shown me something, and I have turned from it and asked Him to help me to deal with it. There is nothing I want more than to know that there is nothing between me and Him. This is what it means to me, to be to be walking in truth in the inward parts. It is walking in the light as He is in the light, and it fosters true intimate fellowship with Him and those who are also seeking to walk in the light (1 John1: 3,7).

Father, You Word talks about repentance without regret (2 Corinthians 7:10). In truth there are many things in my life that are worthy of regret, but what I know is that when I really understood what I had done, and turned to You in true repentance, it produced in me a deep appreciation of all that You needed to do for me through Your work on the cross. And though it was, and still is, painful to admit it when I am wrong, nevertheless it takes me deeper into Your heart, and moves me closer to be lost in wonder, love and praise. And so I ask You again this morning Lord to “Create in me a clean heart … And renew a steadfast spirit within me” (verse 10), and in this way tune my heart to sing Your praise in Jesus Name Amen

You inhabit the praises of Your people (II) A sacrifice of praise

It is relatively easy to praise the Lord when things are going well, that is if we are not want to take Him for granted. It’s another thing to praise Him when your world is turned upside down. I have not always done this well! It is however something that we can learn, and it is life saving, and life giving! Brian Doerksen, a Canadian worship leader, tells of the circumstances that lead to his receiving his famous song “Now is the time to worship.” It came at the end of what he describes as the darkest and lowest season of his life. Among other things this was about learning that two of his six children had a condition called Fragile X Syndrome, a form of mental retardation.

He tells that while he was going for an exercise/prayer walk one morning he “heard” the song coming to him as clear as a bell. The verse that stands out this to me this morning reads “One-day every tongue will confess you are Lord, one day every knee will bow. Still the greatest treasure remains for those, who gladly choose you now.” Indeed every knee shall bow whether they want to or not (Romans 14:11), and there is indeed treasure (reward), for the faith that chooses Him now. But just as a loving father delights in his children, the Lord also treasures such a response in His children. He treasures our choice to love and trust and praise Him while it remains a choice for us to make. So the question comes to mind, in the difficult times, in the times when we are overwhelmed, in the times when we least feel like praising the Lord, will we still praise Him? When we praise Him in spite of it all, this can rightly be called a sacrifice of praise!

Worship songs have helped me greatly to choose to praise Him in my own time of need, in times where I have felt literally overwhelmed. The Vineyard song “Yet I will praise,” is one such song. I would sing “I will praise You Lord my God, even in my brokenness … even in my desperation … even when I feel deserted … even in the darkest valley,” and “I can’t understand all that You allow, I just can’t see the reason. But my life is in Your hands, and though I cannot see You, I choose to trust You. Even when my heart is torn I will trust You Lord …” And as I did such things, over and over again He would draw me to His heart, He would lift me and comfort me, and give me the grace to go on in spite of the circumstances. In fact it is the difficult times that we truly find that He is faithful and true and beautiful.

Father, I would not be being honest if I were to say that this was easy. It was not, and there are still times when it is not. But at such times I ask rhetorically with Peter “Where shall I go, You have the Words, the rhama of life?” And I want to thank You this morning Lord for the testimony of those who, by tapping into Your grace, mercy, love and comfort, have survived far greater trials than I have. And being surrounded by this cloud of witnesses, I choose and commit again this morning to praise You in season, and out of season, when it is a joy, and when it’s a sacrifice. And I thank You for Your faithfulness to keep this that I am committing to You again this morning Lord. In Jesus lovely Name I pray these things Amen

You inhabit the praises of Your people (I)

Worship is much more than singing spiritual songs, and as I write this morning I am in a season where the Lord is taking me deeper into worship, and hence deeper into His heart. And as this paraphrase from Psalm 22:3 indicates, a primary benefit of worship is His presence, His dwelling in our praises. This is not just some nice theological idea, it is intended to be a wonderful, tangible experience of our relationship with Him. Words are too inadequate, and the closest I can get to a description of this experience comes in the line “lost in wonder, love and praise,” from a well-known hymn. I’m not entirely sure where the Lord is taking me in this season, but more and more I never want the worship to end. I am reminded of the twenty four elders who cry out night and day “Worthy is the Lamb” (Revelation 4:8).

I would not be being honest if I were not to say that it has taken me a long time to get to this place. But I don’t think that it needs to! After all the Lord is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4: 23). In this regard Romans 12:1 comes to mind where we are entreated, by the tender mercies of our God, to present ourselves as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to the Lord this is our reasonable, logical spiritual act of worship. In particular in view of all that He has done for us, is doing and will do, the only reasonable response is to give ourselves wholly and completely to Him in moment by moment surrender and obedience. This, Paul tells us, is an act of worship. But it’s not just about behaviour, about obedience, about becoming holy. This is to worship Him in truth, but we are also to worship Him in spirit.

In the verse following John 4:8 above, we read that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. We cannot worship Him in spirit without a vital, dynamic Spirit to spirit connection with Him. It starts of course, with the new birth (John 3:3-6), and continues by staying connected, and by pressing in. It is intended to touch our emotions, and in fact all that we are. That is why we are commanded to love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30). Worship in spirit, and worship in truth are connected. When we continue in His truth (His Word) then we will increasingly know the living Truth (Jesus - John 8:31,31; 14:6). And just as we can suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18), so we can also enhance the truth by living in righteousness. Worshiping in spirit and in truth in this way is part of what it means to draw near to God, and what allows us to claim His promise that He will draw near unto us (James 4:8).

Father, I worship and praise and bless and magnify Your Name again this morning. Thank You Lord that it’s not all up to us, because when we do our part You do yours. And I have the sense this morning Lord, that You are far more desirous of drawing close to us, than we could ever be to You. Our love and devotion are weak, but nevertheless pleasing to You. Thank You that You know our frame, and know that we are but dust. Thank You Lord that there is coming a day when we will be able to worship You in the fullness of what it means to worship You in spirit and in truth. In particular we will know You because we will be like You (1 John 3:2), oh glorious day! I pray these things in Your precious Name Amen

Bless the LORD, O my soul … And forget not all His benefits

At a time of extreme personal distress and difficulty, we read that David strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6). And though we do not know the occasion of this Psalm (103), it does seem to be a perfect example of him doing just that. When things are going wrong, or things are not happening the way we want that to happen, or as fast as we want them to, it’s easy to get discouraged. And at such times, we need to learn from David who counseled himself (his soul), essentially preaching the gospel to himself. In fact three times in this Psalm he instructs himself to bless the Lord (verses 1, 2, 22). And in typical Hebrew parallelism this instruction includes remembering the benefits with which, as we read in Psalm 68:19, He daily loads us down.

This morning we are looking at the three of these benefits: He forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases and redeems our life from destruction (verses 3, 4a). In the midst of trials, temptations and difficulties, how easy it is to forget, to forget (or take for ranted) the fact that all our sins and iniquities are forgiven, all of them! But not only this, He redeems our life from destruction! And I am remembering this morning the destruction that followed the natural consequences of the sins of my youth. The redemption of these things, the putting right of the destruction, is not yet complete all these years later. I do know however, that God is using all these things to help others to come to terms with, and to overcome, their own past. And for this, and many other things, and with all that is within me, I bless His holy Name (verse 1b).

With regard to the healing of all (not just some) of my diseases, I know that ultimately healing will be complete in the hereafter. But in the meantime, I can press into and claim my youth to be renewed like the eagle (verse 5b). In many ways my body is showing signs of its age, nevertheless I have had a significant healing in my knees. Whereas before going down steps was difficult, I can now run up and down stairs. So surely if He can do that for one of my difficulties, He can do it for them all. So I am pressing in, and declaring and contending for divine health. Yes I know I have to die eventually, but I want to die healthy! No it’s not a joke, Moses died healthy at the tender age of 120 (Deuteronomy 34:7)!

Father I praise and bless and magnify and worship Your holy and precious and lovely Name again this morning. Forgive me Lord for the times I have allowed circumstances to move me away from thankfulness. Please remind me in those times, to counsel my soul, and to remember and to rehearse Your many, many benefits. Who is a God like you Father, pardoning my offences and daily loading me down with benefits both in the here and now and forevermore? You are indeed worthy of honour and glory and praise and I ascribe greatness to You again this morning. I give You thanks and I bless Your holy Name in Jesus Name I pray Amen

We become what we focus on (worship)

We tend to laugh at the ancients who, in their ignorance, worshiped idols made of silver and gold. The root of the word “worship” is “worth,” and when we ascribe supreme worth to something we are in danger of worshiping it, in danger of idolatry (worship of anything that is not God). There is another aspect of idolatry that is brought out in Psalm 115:8 which says “Those who make them are like them, So is everyone who trusts in them.” So idolatry is not just ascribing supreme worth to something, it is trusting in it (them). We can make idols of people or things. We can make idols of movie stars, for example. We can make an idol of our intellect! I am a self made man! In Colossians 3:5 covetousness (showing a strong focus or desire for especially material possessions) is called idolatry. But perhaps the most disturbing thing about all this is that “We become like them” (Psalm 115:a)!

In what sense though, do we become like them? Well idols of silver and gold cannot see or hear. And Paul gives the sense of how this applies to spiritual idols when he says “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:21, 22). It might sound a little harsh, but the point is that whenever we put anyone or anything above God, then rather than becoming more and more like Him we become less like Him. And what is God like? He is love and joy and peace and patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22, 23).

What I am saying, is that we are not standing still. We are either going forward or moving back. We are either choosing things that bring life, or we are choosing things that being death (Matthew 16:25). There is no fence (Revelation 3:15,16)! We are either for Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23). Choosing to be for Him is choosing life. Not choosing Him is choosing death! We either increasingly display the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22,23 again), or we increasingly display the works of the flesh (wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions etc., etc. Galatians 5:19-21). There is a reason the most important commandment is to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. It is because when we do this, we are becoming more like our awesome, beautiful, amazing God. If we do not put Him above all else, we are moving towards the other fella, even if we are in denial of it.

Father, You tell us in Your Word that You are a jealous God, and that You will have no other gods before You (Exodus 20:3-5). I want to be more like you this morning Father. I want to display more of the fruit of Your Spirit. But in order to do this Lord I must cast down every idol. So Father I ask You this morning that if there are any idols in my life that I am not aware of that You would reveal them to me so that I may repent and forsake them. We don’t see what we don’t see. I don’t see what I don’t see. But as I continue in Your word Lord I become less and less blind and in fact I am being transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18) in Jesus Name Amen

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty

We are looking at Psalm 91 this morning, a Psalm of protection and deliverance. The protection is from every conceivable danger and threat (i.e verses 3-6), and it is in spite of all that is going on around us “A thousand may fall at your side … , but it shall not come near to you” (verse 7). Since "ten thousand may fall at my right hand," the protection is not universal. It it does however extend to “your” household for “No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” (verse 10). The protection involves angels watching over you (verse 11), it is strong and akin to the safety of a high tower of a fortress. It includes not only protection, but also deliverance (verses 2, 14).

If it’s not universal, who then can claim this protection? It is “He who dwells in the secret place of the most high” (verse 1)! But what does this mean, and how can I get in on it? Traditionally this verse has used to point out the need to have a quiet time. And certainly we do need to set aside a time with God. But it has to be much more than rushing in and out of His presence. Most of us have likely had a visitation, an experience where we have sensed that God was meeting with us. But in order to abide in His presence, what we have to do, with His help, is to cultivate His presence as a habitation, a dwelling place. It starts with the realization that He is far more desirous of this than we could possibly be. One picture that helps me is of an artist painting a prortrait of the Queen. He or she would be conscious of being in the presence of royalty all through the process. So this is not about going to a monastery, but rather cultivating His presence moment by moment as we go about our daily lives. Bill Johnson talks about how careful you would be if you had a dove on your shoulder and wanted to keep it there.

But what if the plague has already come near your tent? Well with God, as long as you still have breath, it is never too late! In Christ there are always new beginnings, and in fact, this is where deliverance comes in (verse 14). I myself came to the Lord through various disasters, much of which was brought on by my own poor choices. This does not disqualify me from claiming deliverance and all the promises in this Psalm and elsewhere. In particular I claim “I will restore the years the locusts have you eaten” (Joel 2:25). The locusts of course brought devastation! However, as with every principle and promise of the Word of God, it is not automatic. We have a part to play. Our part is to press in, and to war and content for these things as our birthright, our heritage.

Father, since you give us the very breath and the air that we breathe, we can do none of this without You. It’s too easy to be weary in well doing, too easy to be in survival mode, putting up with things You never intended us to put up with. Thank You Lord for the principles and promises of Your Word. Inspire us and energize us this morning Father, and help us to do our part so as to ensure that You are working in our desires and the wherewithal to do (Philippians 2:12,13), in particular, to dwell in the secret place. In Jesus Name we pray Amen

Iron sharpening iron (VIII) Responsibility, restitution and reconciliation

Just as the dross rises to the top in the process of smelting silver, so too does the heat generated in interactions in close relationships, bring our hidden character defects to the fore. Of course it also brings up the dross in the other persons life too, but the question is “How will I deal with this?” My thoughts this morning are taking me along the lines of what He needs me to do in terms of taking responsibility for my part in what is going wrong, in terms of appropriate restitution (appropriate compensation), and in what He wants of me in the process of reconciliation. The scripture tells me “As much as it lies within you be at peace (reconciliation) with all (Romans 12:18).

The default reactions to the “dross” rising to the surface in our interpersonal relationships are anger, blame, resentment, control, malice, getting even etc., etc. It seems to be so much easier to see the faults in the the other, person than it is to see, let alone admit, our own faults. We need to see these things as a crossroads and respond in the way that Jesus did who “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Clearly if we are at fault we need to take responsibility and admit it, but we are also responsible to our reactions to the wrong done. It is not about who started it, it is about who will be the peace maker (a gentle answer turns away wrath Proverbs 15:1).

In terms of restitution, there is wisdom in the ninth step of twelve-step-programs “make direct amends wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” But most of the time at the very least we, if we are to obey Romans 12:18 quoted above, we will need to apologize for our part in what went wrong. And we need to do this whether the other person is willing to take responsibility for their part or not. The Old Testament law often required restitution to be more than what was taken (i.e Exodus 21:33-34; Numbers 5:5-7). When the offence is great, we will need great sincerity, wisdom, humility and grace to do this well, and we may need to wait on Him for the timing - the right time for them as well as for our coming to the place where we can do this with grace. We also need His wisdom for the means (face to face, phone, letter etc., etc).

Father, since it is true that You are actively working for good in all things for those of us who love you, then we need to see everything, including interpersonal conflict, as an opportunity for You to make us more like Jesus. And since we are to be Your agents in reconciling the world to You (2 Corinthians 5:18), it makes no sense for us to refuse to be reconciled in our personal conflicts. But once again Lord, we need Your comfort and mercy and grace and love. And I ask things things for myself, and all those reading this blog this morning, in Jesus Name Amen

We know that in all things God works for good for His lovers (II)

I was saying last day that when our lives line up with God and His purposes, we can be confident (truly know), that He is turning things round and working in all things for our good (Romans 8:28). When we press into this (see January 20 post about pressing in) so that we experience this truth, it enables us to better handle life. It starts with a choice. What I mean is that when life hands us a curve ball, we need to realize we are at a crossroads. We all have a default mode of operation, getting angry, or depressed, or looking for someone to blame etc., etc. This is to operate according to the sinful nature, but in context, Paul has been talking about the need, by the Spirit, to put this kind of reaction to death (verse 13).

If we truly believed, no matter what happened, the good, the bad and the ugly, that it would all turn out right in the end, then we could relax and enjoy the journey. But as the verse says, we do know, and as Paul asks rhetorically in verse 31 “If God be for us who can be against us?” Now you can be sure that our knowing, our faith in this, will be tested. It is part of the battle to believe! And since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17), when I find myself in the midst of a trial or temptation, I need to go back to the promises and principles upon which I have meditated. So I might remind myself of this mornings verse, or I might claim the promise that “The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

When I do this, and when God comes through for me, as he always does in strengthening and settling me in spite of what’s going on, then it’s as though He has placed another brick in the “wall of my faith!” And when He has done this over and over, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, then the wall becomes thick and strong and tall. And I am well on the way to becoming the overcomer He designed me to be. And as He moves me from glory to glory in this way, I become more like Jesus (verse 29), as I share in the fellowship of the suffering (Philippians 3:10) of the One who Himself was perfected in suffering (Hebrews 2:19).

Lord Jesus, You tell us clearly that trials and offences must come, but I do not want to be the cause of offence to anyone (Luke 17:1). I am also aware, that I am the only Bible some people will read! I need Your help here Lord to be the man You call me to be, and to live a life that adorns the gospel. I need Your boldness to speak when You would have me speak. I need Your peace to be silent when You would bid me be silent, and I need more of Your love so as to pray compassionately for those who hurt me or get under my skin. And I need grow in faith to believe that You truly are working all things together for my good. And I pray these things in Your lovely and precious Name Amen

We know that in all things God works for good, for His lovers (I)

This morning we are looking at Romans 8:28 which says "And we know that in all things God works for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” The story of Joseph comes to mind: Sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by the wife of his master, he was thrown in jail, where he languished two full years after it was clear that the Lord was working to release him. If you know the story, God turned it all around, and he became second only to Pharaoh. He was then able to rescue his family from famine, bringing them to himself in Egypt, the land of plenty (Genesis 37-50). After his father died, his brothers were afraid Joseph would now be free to reap vengeance upon them. But Joseph responds “As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good” (Genesis 50:20).

The verse continues telling that the good was the saving of many lives. Though Joseph could not possibly have known this verse written centuries later, his reaction to his suffering seems to indicate that he knew the truth of it. I say this, because by his actions and character on every occasion, he found favour in the eyes of those who were over him. His master Potiphar made him number one his household, and the keeper of the jail did a similar thing. What I am saying, is that when we know this truth, truly know it, it changes the way we respond to the trials and difficulties and temptations of life. We know it of course, by faith not by sight. Faith is not just intellectual belief, it is putting our money where our mouth is (James 2: 17). And when our faith acts in obedience to this truth, it deepens our faith still further, it deepens even further our “knowing.”

I have heard the partial quote in the title of this post spoken as if it were a stand alone statement. The statement however is qualified, it is for those “who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.” In the Scripture obedience is equated with loving God, and disobedience with hating Him. We see this perhaps most clearly in the apposition of hate and love in Exodus 20:5, 6. In terms of this morning’s verse, it is when in love and obedience our lives line up with Him and His purposes, that we can be confident (truly know), that God is turning things round, working good in all things, even through the bad. This is true, when we repent, even after we have blown it. In fact the godly sorrow of true repentance leads us to godly zeal and obedience (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11). What an amazing God He is!

Father, Your word tells us that in this life we will have troubles, and this is true for the just and the unjust! But when we know You Lord, we can take heart, because You have overcome the world (John 16:33). Thank You Lord that there is coming a day when there will be no more tears or suffering or death (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime Father, help us to truly believe and trust in the truth that You are at work for good in all things as we choose to trust You and to walk in faith and obedience. In Jesus Name Amen

Honour, listen, speak. Iron sharpening iron (VII)

In a line from the movie Bambi, Thumper is heard to say “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” In its context (i.e. children squabbling) it makes a certain kind of sense, but to treat it as an absolute truth is a mistake. For example following this advice might lead you to not dealing with things that really need to be dealt with. But to throw out the the spirit of the advice can lead to raucous argumentation. Dealing with things in anger, or not dealing with things in conflict avoidance, i.e. not saying anything in an attempt to be “nice,” are both wrong. They will eventually sabotage the relationship, no matter how strong it was in the beginning.

The way that we as Christians are intended to deal with this sort of thing, is to come against them in the opposite spirit. We need to come against anger in a spirit of sweet reasonableness. The Scriptures tell us “a gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). On the other hand we sometimes need to exercise tough love. The Scriptures recognizes this when it tells us “faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). I am not saying this is easy, but it is about dealing with His way, and this involves honouring each other, and in humility regarding the other is better than self (Philippians 2:3). We can honour the other one because he or she is worthy of honour because we are all made in the image of God. We do not have to honour the behaviour pretending it doesn’t matter, but we do have to honour the person!

Once we have absorbed first and foremost the need to deal with each other in honour, then James has some further advice. He tells us firstly we need to realize that in many things we all fail (James 3:2). Secondly, since this is true, and we are easily deceived in may things especially in relationship to the tongue, then we need to humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God (James 1:6, 22, 26; 4:10). Furthermore when we humble ourselves, He gives us grace, the wherewithal to do what without Him we cannot do (James 4:6). Finally he tells us to be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath (James 1:19). One of the ways we can know we are truly hearing each other, is to reflect back what we understand the other person has just said and ask “Is this what you are saying?” In this way we can avoid many, many misunderstandings. It also helps us to not be simply waiting for our turn to jump, in without really listening (slow to speak). When we speak we do of course need to speak in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Father, in the midst of conflict, we need Your help to be kind and compassionate one to another, forgiving one another just as You forgave us in Christ (Ephesians 4:32). Thank You for reminding me this again this morning Lord that lack of forgiveness is one of Satan’s devices to trip us up, and take us captive to do his will (2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Timothy 2:26). Thank you too Lord that we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmity. Thank you Lord that you understand us, and invite us to come before your throne of grace that we might obtain mercy in grace to help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:15,16). And I praise and bless You again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Do not be drunk with wine, which is recklessness, but be Spirit filled

Make no mistake about it, we will be filled with something, be it wine, or self-importance, or fear, or anger etc., etc. In the context of this verse from Ephesians 5:18, Paul is telling us that it is the will of God, that we be filled with His Spirit. The religious spirit has sought to make it about rules and regulations. But good luck if you want to turn the New Testament into deeper stronger rules than those given in the Old. The Old Testament laws were intended to show us that living by rules just didn’t cut it (Galatians 3:24). And if it was impossible to get right with God by keeping Old Testament rules, how on earth can we do so by keeping the more stringent requirements of the New Testament commandments (i.e Matthew 5:38-48).

So if the way to be right with God is not by keeping rules, then what is it? Jesus tells us in John 15:5 “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The picture that Jesus is giving is of Him being the vine, and we being the branches (verse 5 again). And just as the branches cannot bear fruit unless they are vitally connected to the vine, neither can we bear fruit unless by His Spirit we remain vitally connected to Him. We do of course have a part to play, we need to abide in Him, to be being filled with His Spirit. We cannot be filled with His Spirit if we are full of other things. We need to get rid of the old ways, being drunk etc., etc. and put on the new. I like to do this by inviting Him to fill me first thing in the morning, spreading my hands before Him, and asking Him to fill me, and to take complete control. I often ask Him to show me any wicked way, and commit again to allowing Him to guide and lead me in moment by moment obedience. I cannot do this without Him!

I used to confess that I was a leaky vessel, and that is why I felt I needed to keep asking Him to fill me. But “According to your faith, be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29). So believing, as in having negative faith that I am a leaky vessel, kept me stuck there. I do of course need to guard my heart and to make sure that I do not quench His Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). But when I ask Him to fill me, I choose to believe that I am full. A literal translation of John 3:34 is “Not with measure does He give the Spirit.” Some translations have interpreted this as it is Jesus who has the Spirit without measure. And this of course is true, but it is not what the verse is saying. He gives the Spirit without measure, which means that if we have not received the Spirit without measure, then there is more, there is always more! I have heard this illustrated as air in a blown up balloon. It is full of air, but more air can be blown into it, as it expands to receive it!

Father, help me to be consistent in coming to You morning by morning, putting off the negative, and putting on Your Spirit. Please expand my ability to receive Him. Thank You that there is always more. Thank You Lord that when I abide in You, and Your Words abide in me, then I will indeed produce much fruit. Thank You for Your Word, thank You for Your Spirit, thank You for Jesus in whose precious Name I ask Amen

My soul thirsts for You as in a dry and thirsty land

The dry and thirsty land referred to in this quote from Psalm 63:1, is the Judean wilderness. And if you want dry, the Judean wilderness is dry indeed! But David is not talking about natural thirst and natural dryness, he is speaking about spiritual thirst and spiritual dryness. We too live in a spiritually dry place, and our culture is looking to satisfy its raging thirst in all the wrong places. If you ask most people what they want from life, the answer very often is that they just want to be happy. But King Solomon who had every material thing and every earthly pleasure his heart desired could declare “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, and a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). On the other hand Jesus tells us "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Tradition has it that this the occasion of this Psalm was when David took to the wilderness because his son Absalom had usurped his throne and David had fled there (2 Samuel 15:1ff). David’s relationship with the Lord had started early as a shepherd boy, and had been reinforced in his time in the wilderness running from Saul. So by this time David’s relationship with the Lord is solid, and his very first response in this new trial, was to call out to God saying “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You” (verse 1). David could easily have been offended, crying out to God asking why, but instead, he presses into God. He writes “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You,” and “Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice” (verses 3, 7). Do you go to God in difficult times, and if not, where do you go?

Just yesterday somebody was saying to me that I was strong and that I somehow seem to be able to manage to rise above it all. My response was rather that actually, I am too weak to go anywhere else but to Him. And if I am strong, then I am strong in Him, not in my own strength. And with Paul can declare “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10). The point is, that when my soul follows close behind Him, then His right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:8). Some have accused me of using God as a crutch, but to me it is far more like a brand-new pair of legs! And in this dry and thirsty land most people I see are limping, and some limping quite badly!

Lord, in Abraham’s disappointment in the long delay in Your coming through for him, You told him You are his shield, his exceedingly great reward (Genesis 15:1). I’m starting to see it Lord, and I press in to You again this morning. And I thank You for Your Word and for Your promised never to leave me nor forsake me. And so my lips too shall praise You Lord, because Your lovingkindness is indeed better than life in Jesus Name Amen

I have many things to say to you, but you are not yet able to bear them

I picture Peter as a big burly fisherman, passionate, impulsive, yet easily crushed by criticism. But perhaps that last thing is more about me, than Peter! Then again perhaps it’s all of us! And if it’s true that in many things we all fail, then there must be lots of things that are hidden, denied, rationalized and/or excused. Well of course, we don’t know, what we don’t know! But if we believe that the Bible is true, then it must be true, that in many things we do indeed all fail (James 3:2)! In this morning’s title quote from John 16:12, the disciples had been with Jesus for three years, and He had already dealt with many things during that time. But still He held back, knowing that they were not yet ready to hear the many things He still needed to say.

I never cease to be amazed by the dichotomy that we, on the one hand are so resilient, having such an incredible ability to bounce back, and to overcome almost insurmountable obstacles. On the other hand we seem, at the same time, to be very, very fragile! We can be as bold as a lion in the face of unimaginable danger, yet be paranoid about a mouse! When it comes to receiving the truth about ourselves, we seemed to be able to go to extraordinary lengths to avoid facing up to it. Yet it is the truth that sets us free (John 8:32)! I was saying last day, that in intimate relationships we need to give each other permission to gently, lovingly and prayerfully draw each other’s attention to the flaws that hinder our fellowship. Part of what I’m saying this morning, is that if we are going to do that, then we need to realize how fragile we ourselves are in this area, and so to be very, very careful about the if and the how and when we do this.

This morning's quote from Jesus comes in the midst of His private ministry to the eleven, on the very night He was betrayed. So when was He going to be able to say the many things He needed to say? Well He was, of course, going to speak them through His Holy Spirit. I have found, that I much prefer it to be the Lord who tells me what He needs me to hear. He knows when to say it, and how to say it in a way that I will not feel condemned or belittled, but in a way that I am actually able to hear. For this reason, when I find myself in conflict with somebody with whom I am in close relationship, I prefer to go to Him first “considering myself” (Galatians 6:1), and to ask Him to show me any part I may have played in what is going wrong.

Father, thank You that You are kind and compassionate, tenderhearted and forgiving towards us. And since You are this way with us, it only makes sense that You require us to be the same way with each other (Ephesians 4:32). We need Your help Lord! Help us Lord to regard each and every negative interaction as an opportunity for You to make us more like Christ. Thank You for the abundant grace You make available time, after time, after time in Jesus Name Amen

Iron sharpening iron (VI) Lessons from the silver smith

I suspect that even as Christians we can hardly even start to fully appreciate the depths of hell from which we have been rescued, and the enormity of the job it takes to fit us for heaven. And one of the main aspects of our testimony to the world, is the change and the ongoing transformation He wants to make in our lives (1 Peter 2:1; Romans 12:2). Part of this is the refining that He accomplishes in the iron sharpening iron process. And what happens in this process, is that our character flaws come to the surface as we rub up against, and irritate each other. The picture the Bible gives of this, is of smelting in a furnace. Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore in order to extract out a base metal. In Malachi 3:3 we read “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

The story is told of a young woman visiting the silversmith to inquire about the refining process. The silversmith told her that under intense heat, the dross rises to the surface, and can be skimmed off. The silversmith told her that with too little heat the dross remain, but with too much heat the metal can be spoiled. The point here is that our God will not allow us to be tested beyond our ability to endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). This does not mean however that we don’t feel like we are tested beyond our ability. I am sure you know what I’m talking about! She then asked the silversmith how he knew when the process was finished. He replied that he knew it was finished when he could see his reflection in the silver. And His goal in our lives, is that we would reflect the beauty of the Lord, and we be being transformed from one degree of glory to another (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Some of my own deepest to trials, temptations and frustrations have occurred in interpersonal interactions. And the closer relationship, the hotter the trial will likely feel. There are three things that will facilitate the process. Firstly we need to be conscience of what it is that He is doing through the trial. Peter tells us “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try (read refine) you” (1 Peter 4:12). Secondly, we need to cooperate with Him in the process “I beseech you therefore that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord” (Romans 12:1). Thirdly we need to give each other permission to draw each other’s attention gently, lovingly and prayerfully, to flaws which irritate and to which we may be blind (Galatians 6:1). There is much to say about the who, how and when of this last point! There is much to say about the who, how and when of this last point!

Father, we used to talk about “grace builders.” That is those people that You allow in our lives that show us our need of Your grace to deal with them in love, gentleness and humility. I have come to realize, that likely I am a grace builder in the people You send to build grace in my life. It's iron sharpening iron again. But I do know Lord, that it is in our close relationships that You do the deepest work, and that it is therefore likely the hardest. We can’t likely do this with everybody Lord, even Jesus had just 3 special friends. So this I am asking You to send people with whom You want us to engage in this refining process. And then please give us the grace to be conscious of what you’re doing, so that we may cooperate with You, and so to choose to commit to each other in Jesus Name Amen

What time I am afraid, I will trust in You

It is all too easy to take “council of our fears,” to base our decisions solely on the fear of what could go wrong. But this is not to walk in faith. On the other hand walking in faith does not mean being foolish! What it does mean is to choose, as David did in this quote from Psalm 56:3, to put our trust in Him. I was recently asked to do something that I was not at all sure I could handle, and before I knew it fear was rising up within me. I could, of course, have said no to the request! What I did is to take it to the Lord and ask Him what He wanted me to do. After all He has promised to give wisdom to those who lack it, and ask for it in faith (James 1:5, 6). As I write, it seems to be working out.

As I thought about these things this morning, I felt directed towards a verse in Psalm 91 “A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you” (verse 7). This is a promise to those who “dwell in the secret place of the Most High,” and who choose to put their trust in Him and to make the Lord their refuge and fortress (verses 1, 2). It is something of a challenge to choose faith when you see disaster all around (a thousand falling at your very feet). It’s not as though bad things don’t happen, they do! But when we do our part, He gives His angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways (verse 11). Does this mean that as a Christian I am never called to suffer? Well no, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

These were the words of Jesus when He was telling them that they would be scattered, and He was telling them so that “you may have peace” (verses 32, 33). In the midst of the most painful time in my entire life the Lord impressed a Vineyard song and my heart. And in particular the verse “And I can't understand all that You allow, I just can't see the reason. But my life is in Your hands And though I cannot see You I choose to trust You." But you know what? When we choose to trust Him, He brings us through the trial to peace, and we experience His comfort and grace and mercy and love. It is the fellowship of his suffering (Philippians 3:10).

Father, more of the words of that song are coming to me. “Even when my heart is torn I will trust You Lord. Even when I feel deserted I will trust You Lord. Even in my darkest valley, I will trust You Lord. And when my world is shattered, and it seems all hope is gone, Yet I will praise You Lord.” Thank You Lord that You have promised never to leave me nor forsake me. Thank You for Your comfort and for Your grace. I choose to believe this morning Lord, that on that day when I see You face-to-face, I will see things as they really are, and I will know that “You have done all things well!” And Lord “What time I am afraid, I will trust in You” in Jesus Name Amen

Iron sharpening iron (V) The goal - sweet fellowship

The goal of iron sharpening iron, is twofold. Firstly it is to enable us to come together in humility at the foot of the cross. Secondly it is to put the friction of iron sharpening iron behind us, and with the Lord’s help to come into times of sweet fellowship where we in gentleness and humility we confess our faults one to another (James 5:16). It is a process, and at the beginning it can be very painful, but if we both push through, the rewards are great. This is not just theory with me! Let me explain. Over the years my openness has, at times, been met with responses that include judgement, accusation and the other person trying to fix me. As you may imagine, this is very painful and discouraging. There were times (not always) when they were just trying to be helpful. But in close and valuable relationships if it is not helpful, it needs to be challenged.

I remember a time when, with a long time prayer partner, I had shared a personal fault. This was met with the start of a lecture which, by my objection, was stopped in it’s tracks. At one point in the conversation I asked if I could say something that would likely hurt. Because the relationship was longstanding and there was mutual trust I was given permission (Proverbs 27:6). The response was of brokenness “I didn’t realize I was doing that, I was wrong, I am so sorry, will you please forgive me?” This brokenness pulled out a tender hearted response in me, and we realized that we were truly together at the foot of the cross. A time of sweet fellowship followed as we thanked the Lord for the work He had done in both our lives, and for demonstrating that indeed there is healing when allow the iron sharpen iron process to morph in confessing our faults one to another (James 5:16).

The request to forgive is an important part of the process. Just saying sorry could be met with an unspoken “Well I should jolly well think so!” But a request to be forgiven requires a yes or no answer. Since we know we need to forgive, a negative answer would put us in the wrong. And though forgiving may be hard and it may need to be a process, it starts with the choice to forgive! We may have a long way to go in the goals stated in this post in most of our relationships. But it starts with a putting off, and a putting on. We put off anger, wrath and malice, and we put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering. We put on love. It is commanded (Colossians 3:8,12,13)!

Father, how good and how pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity (Psalm 133). But in order to come to this place Lord, something has to die. We have to die to to the self life, to thinking and acting as if life is all about me. It is however Kingdom work, and it has eternal value! So I pray Kingdom of God come, will of God be done in my relationships in Jesus Name Amen

Iron sharpening iron (IV) Don’t fertalize the weeds!

I remember being told of a particularly persistent weed that covered my friend’s garden. They tried everything, but the weed kept coming back. Lopping off the heads certainly didn’t work, trying to dig them up by the roots, that didn’t work either, neither did poisoning them. They did eventually did get rid of them though sheer persistence. Of course, the last thing they wanted to do was to fertilize the weeds. It wouldn’t make any sense! Yet somehow we don’t seem to apply this obvious common sense to the weeds that so easily grow up in our hearts. Now imagine this was your garden, and you discovered that your wicked neighbour was secretly sowing weed seeds and fertilizer. How annoying would that be, and what would you do?

Inevitably, in any close relationship there will come a time when the honeymoon is over, and our best intentions likely will go right out the window! We begin to have unkind thoughts about each other. She knew that would hurt me, he deserves to be punished. She did that deliberately, that was just mean. He deserves my resentment. I’d like to give her a taste of her own medicine. This morning’s post comes out of a battle I found myself having recently, and there are two verses that go along with my thoughts. The first is “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat” (Matthew 13:25). In particular we do have an enemy, and he has a destructive agenda (John 10:10a), but it is not our friend, it is not our partner (Ephesians 6:12)!

The second verse tells us “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Modern research on the brain has revealed that not only is every thought accompanied by an emotion, but that the emotion actually precedes the thought by a split second. It is here that the father of lies tries to plant lies and seeds of discontent in our hearts. What I am saying, is that many times the thoughts that accompany our hurt feelings are not our own, they are sown by our enemy. And we can feed and fertilize these thoughts and emotions, or we can take every thought captive. We have been given the weapons and the authority. Sometimes however, not realizing all this, we have fed the weeds and they have formed into a stronghold. At such times, we need to know the truth that the weapons of our warfare are mighty. With these weapons, we can pull down these strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4,5). It is likely a process, but it starts (a) with knowing that our struggle is not against our friend, (b) realizing that once again we have been hoodwinked by the enemy, and (c) knowing that the Lord wants to use this to refine us in the iron sharpening iron process (Romans 8:28,29 again).

Father, it is too easy, in the midst of the hurt, pain and sense of being let down, to see our friend or partner, as the enemy. Help us to stop Father, to turn to You, and to see every trial, temptation and difficulty as an opportunity to defeat the enemy, to have our hearts healed, and so to grow up in Christ. It’s not easy Father but we don’t learn to sail on a smooth sea. Thank You for Your promise that when You have tried us we will come forth like gold (Job 23:10). And we will give You the glory in Jesus Name Amen

Iron sharpening iron (III) Self examination

The saying “The unexamined life is not worth living” is attributed to Socrates, but it also has Biblical warrant. “Let a man examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28). Socrates is telling us why, and so is the Bible. In particular, life going well and our choosing to honour others are related (Ephesians 6:2). In particular, when we are in conflict with someone, we need to remember that the other person is made in God’s image and worthy of honour, even if we believe their actions are not. There is a lot that is hidden! For example we don’t have a clue many times, why we react the way we do. Have you ever taken an instant dislike to somebody you just met, whom you could not possibly know? Some of that can be intuition, as when the person has an air of arrogance about them. But in my experience there have been times when some characteristic of that person reminded me of someone who had hurt me in the past. I was, however only able to figure it out afterwards.

Many times when we are reactive in our interpersonal relationships, we may think we know what’s going on. But as we were saying yesterday, the presenting issue may be covering something much deeper. And if we are going to cooperate with God in the iron sharpening iron process, we need first and foremost to stop and take stock. In particular we need to nip the blame game in the bud, and with God’s help examine ourselves. The other person may have triggered some guilt or shame, or some unforgiven, perceived or real, misdeed from the past. We may be overreacting, being oversensitive or misunderstanding. We may be reading into the situation something that may not be there. It may be some wrong to which we have been unwilling to admit. In any case, more likely than not, there will be faults on both sides. But even if this is not the case, we need to be willing to be shown!

There is a basic question we need to ask ourselves in all of this, it is “Am I willing to be shown my fault in all of this?" If not, then “my brother may need to show me my fault” (Matthew 18:15ff). As for me, I would much rather the Lord show me, than my brother show me! He knows the best way to tell me, and when we ask Him "Search my heart oh God, to see if there be any wicked way within me” (Psalm 139:24), He is always gentle. There are always consequences to leaving things unexamined, and therefore unresolved. We need to become willing to be shown what needs to be show. This might be a process! We won’t fool God by going through the motions, and many times He will wait so that He can be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18).

Father, You ask us rhetorically “If God be for us who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). And since You have our back in all things, there is always a purpose and what You allow. So Father help us to regard each negative thing as an opportunity for You to work in us. We do of course need to cooperate, so we need, I need, You to remind us, to nudge us, to help us to stop, and then to yield to You and to each other. Father, it is so much less painful for us to confess our faults one to another, than it is to have the other one show us our fault. But in all Lord, You have promised to be at work for our good (Romans 8:28), and we give You all the honour and glory and praise again this morning, in Jesus Name Amen

Iron sharpening iron (II) Getting to the source

We don’t know what we don’t know. Perhaps an obvious statement, but one with profound implications for the subject at hand. I remember a pastor telling me “It’s not that you’re not good with words, it’s that you’re too good with words!” I had not realized that, together with my outgoing, some would say domineering character, had left some feeling intimidated. When, for whatever reason, people don’t feel free to speak their mind, resentments tend to build up. And they will come out somewhere, they will! It can lead to punishing silences, or majoring on minor irritations. “You left toast crumbs in the butter.” That particular irritation can of course be solved by having his and hers butter, but solving that irritation is not solving the hidden communication problem.

There is a phenomenon that I have noticed, which the Bible spoke about a couple thousand years ago. I’m talking about the fact that quite often the faults that annoy us most about others, are the very same faults we ourselves have (Romans 2:1). I first noticed this years ago was driving a young lady home from a meeting. This young woman talked, and talked, and talked without stop. One of the things she said was that she could not stand another member of the fellowship. When I asked her what it was that she didn’t like about him, she replied “Well you can’t get a word in edgeways!” She didn’t see it, she really didn’t! And then there are those things that arise out of our unspoken expectations. “Dad always took the trash out, but that lazy bum always leaves it to me!” His mom always took the trash out, so how is he expected to know? “Well if he loved me, he would know!” But we are not mind readers, well most of us are not anyway!

If it’s true that God wants to use significant relationships as a tool in our character polishing, and it is, then it’s better that we start to cooperate with Him sooner, rather than later. In particular, when we have come to the place where we are both committed in a relationship (I’m not just talking about romantic relationships), then we need to see each and every negative reaction as an opportunity to “iron sharpening iron.” And the sooner we start this, the better! The goal is to come to the place where we truly regard the other is better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), and to approach each other with love, honour and humility. Can you imagine how much easier it would be if we started here? But as with so many of His commands it is a process!

Father, we need Your help Lord, I do! Too often what we are fixated on the end result, or we simply just want to get rid of the pain. But Lord over and over in Scripture we see that You use the difficulties, the trials and the temptations and even the failures, as Your tools to make the Biblical characters (and therefore us too) more like You. I am grateful this morning Lord, that You have not left us to struggle alone, but always when we fully cooperate with You, You give us with the command the wherewithal to obey. You even change our desires to conform to Yours (Philippians 2:12, 13)! But thank You also Lord, for Your promised that when we delight ourselves and You, You give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4) in Jesus Name Amen

Therefore from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh

In the previous verse from this quote from 2 Corinthians 5:16, Paul tells us that Christ “died for all, so that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” It is for this reason, that we determine to no longer see others according to the flesh, but rather to see them in the spirit, as God sees them. And God sees each one of us as saints, as new creations (verse 17). It’s easy to see others according to the flesh, seeing their faults, seeing the trash. It’s less easy to see the treasure that God sees. And part of this, is that God sees the end from the beginning. He sees the end results of the character polishing that our trials and tribulations and difficulties are intended to forge (Romans 5:1-5).

It is He who does the work, the character polishing, the transformation (Philippians 1:6; Romans 12:2), and sometimes we get in the way. How many of us in our relationship difficulties have tried to fix the other one? if an older sibling tries to take over from the parents, disciplining (or fixing) the younger ones, then likely the parents will have to deal with the interference of the older sibling first. And how do the younger ones react? They will likely resent it and fight back, and not always gently! We need to see our trying to fix others in this light. That is not to say, that we should not exercise healthy boundaries, or become enablers for dysfunctional behaviour. Indeed there will be times when we need to “go to our brother” (Matthew 18:15 we will get to this eventually!). But the fact of the matter is that trying to fix each other is a huge problem in relationships. And more often than not, it makes things much, much worse.

We need to see the other person, and to treat the other person as God treats us and them. As regards to how He sees them, we will likely have to ask Him. And how does He treat us? Well first and foremost He does not try to control us, He treats us with dignity and respect even when we have messed up big time. When that happens, He invites us “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). So then even in the midst of our differences and difficulties, we need to deal with each other as He does, with honour. We need to be slow to speak and quick to hear (James 1: 19), and we need to take responsibility our part in what is going wrong. We will be returning to this in the days to come in our “iron sharpening iron” series.

Father, You tell us “In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3). And we can’t likely do that if we are still seeing our brother or sister according to the flesh. We are so used to seeing the trash rather than the treasure. We have a long way to go Father, and we need Your help. Open our eyes Lord, take the wax out of our ears, help us to see our brothers and sisters as You see them, and to act accordingly. How good and how pleasant it is to see the brothers dwelling in unity, it is the very essence of life in all its fullness (Psalm 133; John 10:10b). I bless You this morning Father in Jesus Name Amen

Iron sharpening iron (I) Unity in diversity

A therapist I know once told me that in the breakup of the marriage both parties know only about 10% of the truth. I don’t know where he gets the percentages from, perhaps it’s 27.2 versus 13.5, but his point is well taken. We are all a mixture of truth and error, and none of us knows the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But it is not just in marriages where we allow those pesky “irreconcilable differences” to separate us. Differences though, are not intended to be a cause for separation, they are, when we deal with them properly, intended to bring a rich harmony into our lives. Our God, being Trinity, is the very essence of harmony, unity in diversity, and there is truth in the saying that variety is the spice of life. Music would be quite boring, if it was all in unison and no harmony, if there was only ever one instrument, and no orchestra!

But how do we get from discord to harmony? The process, and it is a process, is perhaps best described by Proverbs 27:17 which says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” In order to explain what this means let me quote another verse “The first to speak seems to be right, until his neighbour comes and cross-examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). In particular, the truth comes out in the interaction, in the back-and-forth in the debate. When we truly hear the other person’s point of view, we can more accurately discern the truth. And it is likely that both will have some truth, and both will have some error. So then those who participate in such an exchange will “sharpen” each other's understanding.

But just as you can't do iron sharpening iron without some friction, we are unlikely, at least in the initial stages, to move from discord to harmony without interpersonal friction. The marriages I know of, that more than most exemplify the intended relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31,32), have all come through a period of struggle to get to where they are today. And perhaps the fact that they seem to be so few of them, reflects the fact that, at least in the West, commitment seems to have gone out the window. It’s no longer “as long as we both shall live,” but rather “as long as we both shall love!” But we will never have authentic relationships if we are not willing to deal with the differences and discord, and to push through the misunderstandings and the pain to the intended harmony.

Lord Jesus, You tell us that if we are not willing to take up our cross daily and follow You, we cannot be your disciples (Matthew 16:24). And following You entails looking unto You, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before You endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). My understanding in the context of this mornings discussion it that You are wanting us to stick with it through the iron sharpening iron process. It surly works best, when we come humbly together to the foot of the cross, where we can truly see that there is no difference. It is there Lord, that we find mercy and grace to help in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16). We need your help Lord, and we ask for it again this morning in Your holy and precious Name Amen

Guilt, shame and conscience (V) Forgiving myself

Since God is a God of justice and we are made in His image, it is very natural for us to have a strong sense of justice, a sense that wrongdoing should be punished, and that something should be done about injustice. This may be pure as when it leads, in a godly way, to campaigning against injustice. William Wilberforce’s lifelong campaign against slavery comes to mind. But it can be perverted, out of balance, lacking mercy (another attribute of God), and can finish up in a self-righteous judgemental attitude towards others. It can also be turned inward against ourselves. How many of us, for whatever reason, have exclaimed “I can never forgive myself, I do not deserve to be forgiven!” The fact of the matter is however, that not one of us deserves to be forgiven.

I have heard people say they expect (hope) that God will balance their good and bad deeds. But justice doesn't work like that! What good deed would make up for murder for example? "But mi'lord he helps little old ladies across the street!" It's irrelevant to the verdict! But I thank God again this morning that in Christ justice and mercy have kissed (Psalm 85:10). In particular the substitutionary sacrifice of our perfect saviour is more than sufficient to cover all sin. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). So if I’m having a hard time forgiving me, I might need to ask myself “What punishment would be enough to make it right?” Surely my self-condemnation would not require a greater punishment than the excruciating death of Christ on the cross. Indeed the word excruciating itself reflects the severity of the pain of crucifixion.

I said earlier that forgiveness may need to be a journey, rather than an instant fix. Unforgiveness is a sin that needs to be repented of, and it starts with a choice. It is a process, and I may need to choose to forgive over and over. This is true whether it be forgiving others, or forgiving myself. The picture of the new birth is important here, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am not the same person who did the deed, that person is dead! Indeed “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). The new man is how God sees us, and part of living by faith, is choosing to see ourselves as God sees us, and living out of that, as the reality it really is (Romans 6:11).

Father, the song by Godfrey Birtill comes to mind where You sing over us “Do you believe what I believe about you?” And as the good and loving Father that You are, You think we are amazing. So I choose this morning Father, to believe what You believe about me. With Your help, I will operate out of sonship, rather than out of an orphan spirit. This too is a process, but I know that You have begun a good work in me, and will keep right on working on it until the day I see You face-to-face (Philippians 1:6). And for this I thank and praise You again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Guilt, shame and conscience (IV) Repentance and joy

True guilt, like pain has purpose. It is a warning that something is wrong. Ignoring guilt is a bit like taking the bulb out of the warning light in a car. Guilt not dealt with properly, can be crippling. King David described the feeling as “my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long, my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” He cries out to God “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.” He asks God to “Restore the joy of my salvation” (Psalm 32:3,4; 51:8,12). I said earlier, the cure for guilt is to be forgiven, and ultimately only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:7). David shows us the way “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ And You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5; 1 John 1:9).

We cannot hide our sins from God. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). And since we must give an account, surely it is better to come out of hiding now, and to confess so that our sins be forgiven, covered and cleansed (1 John 1:9 again). But what does it mean to confess? Well first and foremost as above, we need to acknowledge our sin. We need to repent and ask forgiveness. It is here where the pain of our guilt comes in. The Scripture says “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” What is godly sorrow? Well the opposite, worldly sorrow, includes being sorry I got caught, remaining in our guilt, and/or not being willing to change. Godly sorrow is not only willing to change, it actually does something about it. It produces diligence to do the right thing (1 Corinthians 7:10).

And just as there is godly sorrow and earthly sorrow, so also there is godly joy and earthly joy. I remember in the months leading up to my conversion I had gone to a party where I was its “life and soul.” When I had first arrived it was dead, I started to change the atmosphere by moving in time to the music. I don’t remember what else I did. What I do remember, is that after the joint was rocking, I left and walked the streets weeping, I was so empty and lonely and in such emotional pain. So I know earthly joy, I was wearing the mask of joy! But I also know and experience the joy of my salvation. When we are at loggerheads with someone on earth, and we truly reconcile and make up, there is joy. But this joy is nothing compared with the joy of reconciliation with God when you have been very, very far from Him (Luke 15:20-24).

Father, help us to keep short accounts with You, so that we do not need to go into the depths of guilt into which David went. Thank You Lord for the joy of reconciliation. Bring us back to our first love and first joy this morning Lord. Then take us deeper, bring us to the place where we have joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). And we will give You praise and glory again this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Guilt, shame and conscience (III) Who says it’s wrong?

It grieves me to admit that the church has at times, laid guilt trips both on its adherents, and on those outside. And this is so very, very wrong! Our message needs to be that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses to them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). But guilt and shame are real, and they will not disappear by blame or by suppressing or by denying them. We cannot be whole when we are in denial. Guilt is the feeling that I did something wrong. Shame is the feeling that there is something wrong with me. The cure for guilt and shame is to be forgiven and cleansed, to increasingly to come to know who we are in Christ, and to be clothed in His righteousness (1 John 1:9; Isaiah 61:10). There is much to say about these things, as they are key to becoming whole.

We saw last day with the example of eating meat offered to idols, that our consciences can falsely accuse us of wrongdoing. But who is to say what is right, and what is wrong? This is a particularly relevant question in a world in denial about truth, right and wrong. The Bible of course claims to be Truth (i.e. John 17:17). But saying that the Bible is true because it says so, is something of a circular argument. Because of this, many have rejected the claim. But a bad argument does not imply a false conclusion (false implies true, is true ). I did not come to believe that the Bible is Truth by logic alone. In fact, the truth claims of the Bible can be tested. For example Jesus tells us that if we continue in His Word, meditating on it and obeying it, then we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:32,32). So part of how I know that the Bible is true, is because as I seek to continue in it its teachings, I am progressively set free.

Experiencing the truths of the Bible in this way is just one of many confirmations. But our focus is on its teachings in becoming whole. A further confirmation for me, is that every psychological concept that works seems to have a Biblical warrant. As an example, psychology tells us that bad choices have negative consequences. The Scripture puts it this way “We reap what we sow” (Galatians 6:7). And every time I have made choices that go against what the Scriptures teach, there have eventually been bad consequences. Spiritual laws are different from physical laws. If I try to break the law of gravity by stepping off the roof, the consequences are immediate. When I try to break spiritual laws, like plant growth, reaping what we sow takes time. But there also is a multiplication factor. If we sow to the wind, we reap the whirlwind! My conclusion is that when God says ‘no’ He does so for our protection, and when he says ‘yes’ He does so for our provision that we might have life in all its fullness (John 10:10).

Father, that the Bible is true is confirmed by reality of its spiritual laws and principles. In particular, the mind set on the flesh is death. When it’s all about me, my rights, my wants, my desires, my life does not go well. But when my mind is set on spiritual things, it is life and health and peace (Romans 8:6; Galatians 5:22, 23). Truly Lord You are not some celestial Scrooge wanting to take away our joy. No, You are a good and wise Father. I thank You this morning Lord for Your Word, for the principles, the promises, the power to live the Christian life, but most of all for Your precious presence. I worship You again this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

Guilt, shame and conscience (II) Shipwrecked faith

According to Scripture our consciences can be weak or defiled. They can be seared and they can be evil. They can be cleansed, they can be pure (1 Corinthians 8:7; I Timothy 4:2 Hebrews 9:14; 10:22; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:3). A good conscience can be rejected. The importance of not doing this is brought out in 1 Timothy 1:19, where Paul speaking of a good conscience says “which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.” We reject our conscience, when we do something we ourselves think is wrong. Likely the first time we do this, our consciences will accuse and bother us. What seems to happen, is that the more we do it, the less our consciences kick in. And if we do this often enough this is how our conscience becomes seared. The picture of course, is of the insensitivity of the scar left by a branding iron after it has healed.

On the other hand our consciences can be weak. There were some in Corinth who believed that eating meat offered to idols was wrong. In this context Paul instructs us that weak consciences should not be ridden over roughshod. He also instructs us in how to walk in love with respect to those who believe these things (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). The various states of conscience described above can apply to whole cultures, or portions thereof. It should be clear that many of the Nazi concentration camp guards had seared consciences, as after a particularly horrendous day at the camps, they would cheerfully go to confession. It seems to me that the conscience can, at the same time, be both seared and weak. You don’t have to look far to see examples of this in our North American culture. In saying this, I am of course begging the question of what is actually right and wrong. It is my intention to deal with this in the next post in this series.

It is far easier to see the faults in others of course, than to see them in ourselves, and in our own subcultures. And the warning not to judge lest we be judged, comes to mind (Matthew 7:1). But since our consciences can be so easily be modified, what are we to do? The writer to the Hebrews links those who are mature with those “who because of the use are having the senses exercised, unto the discernment both of good and of evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Put simply, we suppress the truth by unrighteousness (Romans 1:18), and our consciences are defiled and even seared in the same way. On the other hand our senses, and in particular our consciences, are refined as we are cleansed from sin (1 John 1:9) and as we practice righteousness (by reason of use).

Father, it is distressing to be judged by somebody else’s sensibilities. And this is happening to believers in spades in today’s environment. The pressure to conform is enormous. It’s complicated, because some of it is right, even though a great deal of it is wrong! In light of Jeremiah 17:9 there have to be places where we are still deceived, so I ask You this morning Lord to them reveal them to us, we exercise our senses, test all things and hold on to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Thank you for your promise that when continue in obedience to Your Word, we will never fall (2 Peter 1:10). In Jesus Name Amen

It takes a village to build, nurture and restore relationships (IV) Safe places

There is something of a Catch-22 in the gospel. The good news makes no sense until we know the bad news that “All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). On the other hand is almost impossible to come to out of denial about the bad news, until we know the good news that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). We need to know that God is a safe place, and that we can come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help (Hebrews 4:16). In practice coming out of denial is a process as we learn to hold both truths in tension. In fact part of growing in Christ, is progressively learning to live as a little child, knowing that we are flawed but at the same time loved and fully accepted.

Part of the Christian journey then is learning experientially that God is a safe place. In particular we need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and will choose to remember our sins and iniquities no more (1 John 1:9; Isaiah 43:25). Since we are to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1), then we too need to be safe places, extending grace and mercy to each other, and forgiving and loving each other. It is not however, intended to stop with the individual. We need to be, and to create safe communities (villages). Only then will the world looks at us and exclaim “Look how they love one another!” And we will not create safe communities, if our individual relationships are not safe. And our individual relationships will not be safe until we ourselves become safe.

Becoming safe will not happen in isolation. Most of our woundings occur in relationships. We get hurt in relationships, and we heal in relationships, not in isolation! So then restoration and reconciliation needs to start in the place where the evil one is focusing his attention in this day and age, on marriages and families. In part II of this series of posts I suggested that in order to cooperate with the Lord in his agenda to heal broken hearts and set captives free (Luke 4:18), the church needs to teach Biblically-based recovery principles. Small groups are an extremely useful tool in helping to put these principles into practice. We need to utilize all the gifting’s of the body of Christ. We need people who have struggled and overcome, to come alongside those who are still struggling. This is already happening in para church organizations such as twelve-step programs. It needs to come into the church, and we need to be humble enough to take advantage of their experience, and in particular to learn from them about creating safe places.

Father, I am learning from those who seem to know about these things, that revivals seem to stop because the leaders have not dealt with their issues, and in particular have not had their hearts healed. And it seems to me that is why You are opening up more and more ministries that embrace Your recovery agenda to heal broken hearts and set captives free. We have a long way to go Father, but when we fully yield to You, then all things are possible. So I pray again this morning Lord, Kingdom of God, will of God be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Let it start with me Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

Guilt, shame and conscience (I) The offence of the cross

In my primary goal of helping us to come to true intimacy, to the place where we can confess our faults one to another (James 5:16), my thoughts keep getting interrupted by things that I feel we first need to understand. Over fifty times in Proverbs we read of the need to get understanding, above all get understanding. If, as we have been saying, we go to our brother without understanding to either confess, or to show him his fault (Matthew 5:24;18:15-17), we will likely mess it up, and make things very much worse. Understanding needs to start with ourselves. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3 that each one, in lowliness of mind, should esteem others better than himself. And we cannot even start to do that if we do not understand our own propensity to sin. And we will not likely fully come to terms with that, until at the same time, we know how deeply we are loved and forgiven.

Christians have been accused of laying guilt trips on the world, and sadly this accusation is far from being without foundation! We will however, need to talk about true and false guilt, and the difference between guilt and shame. But what I want to say this morning, is that Jiminy Cricket’s advice to Pinocchio to “always let your conscience be your guide,” is not good advice. My particular quibble is with the word “always!” The point is, that among other things, our consciences are culturally conditioned. We can read of the puzzlement of adults who were arrested for incest in isolated communities, where incest was simply accepted as "normal." The Scriptures talk about the possibility of our consciences being “seared as with a branding iron” (1 Timothy 4:2), a picture of extreme insensitivity!

I have gotten myself into trouble in Christian circles by quoting Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked, who can know it?” It was not quoted in self-righteousness. At the breakup of my first marriage, I had murder in my heart, and I’m not at all sure that I would not have followed through if I thought I could’ve gotten away with it. Just to be clear I didn’t! But an important step on my journey to salvation, was Holy Spirit convicting me of my own culpability. Then coming across this verse I came to see that the Scriptures know us very well. Actually, if you are a Christian and you don’t know that your heart is deceitful, then in fact you are demonstrating the verse.In particular as a Christian you know intellectually that Jeremiah 17:9 is true, but if I don’t know it in your spirit …?

Father, I don’t think we can even start to come to the place where we can regard others as better than ourselves, until we start to acknowledge that given the right (or possibly the wrong) circumstances each and every one of is is capable of the most heinous of sins. But in order to do this Lord we need to know that we are safe in You, totally forgiven and fully and unconditionally accepted. Thank You Lord for the divine exchange. You made Jesus to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Truly Lord, only the substitutionary sacrifice of our perfect saviour was sufficient to cover all of our sin. This is the offence of the cross (Galatians 5:11). And I want to thank You again this morning Lord for Your amazing provision in Jesus Name Amen