Eternity Talk

Song of Solomon - Seasons of Love

2010-03-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I would start a new series of articles looking at the prophetic interpretation of the Biblical book Song of Solomon (also known as Song of Songs and Canticles).

Is it a Picture of Christ and the Church?

There has been a tendency to shy away from any form of allegorical interpretation of this beautiful love song due to the abuse and over imaginative manipulations of the meaning of the imagery used. However, I sincerely believe that the Church is missing out profusely on an important message if this song is seen only as a celebration of marital love (which it definately is).

The Apostle Paul saw the marriage of man and woman as a prophetic picture of Christ and the Church and indeed we see the two intertwined in his teaching in Ephesians 5, the marital union revealing the mystery of the union of Christ and His bride, the Church.

All other books in Scripture reveal God's redemptive plan and Christ can be seen typologically in every Old Testament book so why should Song of Solomon be any different? I agree that an allegorical interpretation is going too far but I do believe that we can interpret the song as an extended Type (prophetic foreshadowing) of Christ and the Church.

Solomon wrote a song that is his best out of the 1005 he wrote (1 Kings 4:32,33),for his best bride out of the 1000 he had (1 Kings 11:3-4). The Shulamite (a female version of Solomon meaning 'Princess of Peace' and showing that the woman came from a village called Shulem in Lebanon) was a poor vineyard worker in comparison to the royal origins of Solomon's other brides. In the same way Jesus wants us to hear his best prophetic song over his best (and only) bride, the Church. The Church is made up of those poor in Spirit, most not of any note in worldly eyes, but we are destined to be his royal bride.

Solomon may not seem to be a good foreshadowing of Christ or even a good example of love but neither is David a perfect Type of Christ, and yet scholars have no problem stating that David is indeed a positive Type of Christ and an example for us as a worshipper seeking the heart of God.

Interpreting the Song

Song of Songs is a JEWISH LOVE SONG. This means that in order to interpret the meaning of this book we need to understand two things...

(i) The Jewish mind.
(ii) Jewish Songs / Poetry.

(i) The Jewish Mind.

We need to look at the difference between the modern (western) mind and ancient Jewish thinking...

The Difference Between Jewish and Western Thought.

JEWISH MIND
Dynamic Understanding.
Impressions.
What something or
someone DOES (functional).

WESTERN MIND
Static Understanding.
Images.
What something or
someone IS (Descriptive)

Jewish thinking does not look at what something, someone IS (descriptive) but what something, someone DOES (functional). That is why we do not get much description of what biblical characters look like, but mostly it is about what they do (all but one (Luke) biblical writers were Jews). Therefore, in looking at the things mentioned in Song of Songs we must ask, not what they look like, but what is their function, nature, quality etc. This will give us the correct interpretation.

For example...how would you describe a pen ? How would a ancient Jew describe a pen ? Jewish thought goes, “I am not the pen...I cannot percieve what PEN is, therefore I must relate the PEN to me. How to use it ?” etc...

The Jewish mind looks at IMPRESSIONS rather than IMAGES. For example, see Song of Songs Chapters 4 & 7 . The modern mind would see an UGLY WOMAN.....

1 Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove's eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, going down from Mount Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep which have come up from the washing, every one of which bears twins, and none is barren among them.
3 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like a piece of pomegranate.
4 Your neck is like the tower of David, built for an armory, on which hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, which feed among the lilies.
Song 4:1-5(NKJV)

...the biblical mind would see the beautiful personality and heart of the woman as we will see when we come to interpret these passages. Prophetically this passage is Jesus singing of the beauty of an obedient, loving Church, revealing the character of such a people.

(ii) Jewish Song /Poetry.

As this is a poetic song we must interpret the ‘heart’ of the song, not simply taking it literally. As mentioned above, we should interpret the meaning of the things mentioned (plants , animals, buildings) according to their function and biblically revealed meaning (such as the dove representing the Holy Spirit as can be seen at the baptism of Jesus with the Spirit decending as a dove).

Where there is a place or person's name it is useful to look at the original meaning (eg. Solomon = Prince of Peace).

How The Song Is Divided.

The Song is divided into stages of love by a phrase that contains “I charge You” in all cases. Mostly the phrase will be something like “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.”( 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; 8:4 - five stages of love.)

This phrase shows us that we cannot force someone into a deeper love relationship either on a human level , or with God. Each person has to go through each season at the pace that love dictates!

The stages, or seasons of love can be given the following names.Each stage or season denotes a particular quality of the love of the woman to the man (the Church to Christ) - the higher the stage, the more mature the love.

STAGE 1: ( 1:1-2:7) : Premature Love.
STAGE 2: ( 2:8-3:5) : Possessive Love.
STAGE 3: ( 3:6-5:8) : Painful Love.
STAGE 4: ( 5:9-8:4) : Powerful Love.
STAGE 5: ( 8:5-8:14): Perfecting Love.

We see how the Beloved (Christ) constantly draws the Lover (Church) out of her comfort zone into the mountains and fields (which speaks of her calling in this world).

Many Christians have seen this book as one of the greatest missionary challenges in the Bible. Hudson Taylor wrote that Song of Songs was ‘..the strength of my life and missionary endeavour.”

In my following musings I will go through each season exploring what qualities of love should be seen in the relationship of us, the Church, with the lover of our souls, Jesus. He draws us out of our comfort zones and into His harvest purposes. The following picture describes this journey of love - You will see the terrain change as you progress through this song and it will be useful to constantly refer to this picture to plot roughly where the Bride is!

We must ask ourselves, where are we in this journey of love? The Lord is calling us more and more to a deeper level of relationship with Him. Are we responding to His love ? Are we reaching out beyond our limits into His heart, His purposes and His desires ?

The Power of a New Song Part 1

2009-09-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever--
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever. "
Ps alm136:1-9 NKJV)

Pondering

There is a song in the Old Testament that appears many times and was used throughout Jewish history at important events and had a powerful impact when used. This song became known as the 'Great Hallel' and was sung at all the important feasts of Israel and is recorded in full in Psalm 136.

This Psalm was probably originally written by King David. King David was a worshipper who established the Tabernacle of David to renew worship in Israel. It was at this Tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was stationed, that he probably sang this song first as a spontaneous new song in it's basic, primitive form. It may later have been adapted and had additional verses added by David himself or other Psalmists and became a powerful anthem for Israel at important times in their development.

It was sung responsively (see Ezra 3:11), meaning that the leader of worship would sing one line and then the whole congregation would sing the next line and so on until the end. I have only included 9 verses above, the Psalm is actually 26 verses long. As you progress through the Psalm it is a powerful declaration of God's goodness and lovingkindness to the nation of Israel. When this Psalm is quoted in Scripture only the first verse or a variation thereof is quoted but the rest was probably sung in its entirety.

It is important for a group of God's people, whether it be a local church , cell group or missions organization to have a clear identity. A song or motto that comes from within is a powerful binding agent and motivates the members to move on for the greater glory. In the case of a local church, or any group of God's people for that matter, a prophetic song of praise to God that rises out of the body of believers is a powerful force.

Do you have a song that God has given you for your life? A song for your family? For your Church? Pray for Davids to arise up who will pen songs that speak in a specific and powerful way to those God has placed together with you. Maybe you are that David!

Poem

We must decrease, You must increase,
Let Your glory fall in this place.
We must decrease, You must increase,
Lord we want to see You face to face.

(This was a spontaneous new song the lord gave in this Tuesday night's prayer meeting and the whole congregation was singing it together.)

Prayer

"Father, fill me with songs of deliverance, songs that are meaningful to me, to my family and to my local church. Raise up Davids in my fellowship that will write new songs that minister powerfully and take us to the next level. Amen."

The Power of a New Song Part 2

2009-09-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying:

"For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,"

that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God." 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (NKJV)

Pondering

David's new song, as recorded in Psalm 136, was so powerful that it was continuously used in Israel's history. The first recorded instance of its use is at Solomon's dedication of the Temple. As the worship team played and sang this song the whole Temple was filled with with the glory of God and the priests were overwhelmed and unable to continue ministering as they were used to.

Notice that the new song is totally God focused! There's no me or I in it and it totally exalts and dwells on the character and nature of God as good and full of mercy. The Hebrew word used for "good" is "toeb", meaning "good in the widest sense: Beautiful, best, bountiful, cheerful and prosperous". Hence, it goes way beyond our modern meaning and may be best interpreted as "full of abundant richness". The Hebrew word used for "mercy" is "checed" which is always used of the covenantal lovingkindness and faithfulness of the Lord.

As we sing forth new songs with our whole heart, dedicating our temple, our body, to the Lord, focussing solely on God and His goodness and mercy then the Lord will meet us in a special way, maybe even sweeping us off our feet as the priest were in Solomon's temple! I've experience this quite a few times - when I focus wholly on God and worship Him with new songs I have sensed the glory of God falling, sometimes even physically seeing what appears to be a cloud fill the place where I am and I am dumb struck with His goodness and loving kindness, unable to minister, only able to be ministered to!

I challenge you to simply sing out the phrase, "For He is good and His mercy endures forever" with all your heart before the Lord in your quiet time with Him and you will experience something of God's glory.

Poem

As we sing of His goodness,
As we sing of His grace,
He will reach down to bless
And reveal His face.

Prayer

"Lord, Your are totally good and awesomely merciful, full of lovingkindness and compassion. I pour myself out before You, singing of You and focusing on You alone. Amen!"

The Power of a New Song Part 3

2009-09-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Passage

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

"Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever."

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. "
2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (NKJV)

Pondering

The next time we see David's new song sung by Israel is when they are under attack under the reign of Jehoshaphat. They are surrounded by the enemy and as the king prays before God in the Temple the Lord tells him to send out His mighty army. However, His mighty army is not quite the kind of army we expect! It's an army of singers and musicians who go forth singing the new song of David as they march towards the enemy.

This singing army does not even engage physically in battle with the enemies of Israel because the Lord sets ambushes against them and they scatter, fighting each other and are totally destroyed when Israel finally reaches where they were station as a once mighty, intimidating force.

We may find ourselves surrounded by enemies, towering over us and intimidating us. However, as we march forward singing new songs of God's goodness and mercy then the Lord will send angelic ambushes against the enemy. Where the enemy formed a mighty barrier in our way we will walk right through with the new song on our lips. This new song of praise will be like a mighty sword that will go ahead of us and slay the enemy.

I have experienced this reality many times. At times when I'm overwhelmed by the attacks of the enemy on my thoughts, my health, my finances, my relationships and so forth, as I have chosen to march forth singing new songs of His goodness and mercy then defeat is turned to victory. There are times I can remember when I have walked along burdened by financial woes and, after a simple bursting forth of a new song, I have ended up my journey dancing and skipping along with great joy and release.

Poem

When the enemy comes in like a flood,
New songs shall gush forth from my lips,
And they will drown in the power of His blood,
And be lost like sinking ships.

Prayer

"Father, put a new song constantly on my lips, especially in the presence of my enemies. I will rise up to sing when the enemy rises up to attack. Amen!"

The Power of a New Song Part 4

2009-09-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

Passage

"The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say:

"Praise the LORD of hosts,
For the LORD is good,
For His mercy endures forever"-

and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD. "
Jeremiah 33:11 (NKJV)

Pondering

The final time we explicitly see David's new song being used by Israel in Scripture is when they return from captivity. Jeremiah prophecies that the Jewish captives in Babylon will return and joyfully sing this song. This is fulfilled in Ezra 3:11 where we see the new Temple has been rebuilt after the Jews return and on the dedication of the second Temple they sing this song:

"And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD:

"For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever toward Israel."

Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. "
Ezra 3:11 (NKJV)

Singing new songs to the Lord sets the captives free, especially ourselves! Recently in our Church Tuesday night prayer meeting we have been singing new songs and there are testimonies of many burdens simply lifting off people as they sing. Last Tuesday I led the congregation in a responsive singing of Psalm 136 and the Lord's presence was awesome and He was setting many captives free.

Open up Psalm 136 now and sing through it with all your heart. If you are with Christian friends you can sing or speak the first line as they responsively say or sing "For His mercy endures forever". This is powerful stuff! Try it!

Poem

Lord You are good
You've set us free
And as we sing
New life we see.

Prayer

"Father, You are good and Your mercy and grace has delivered us from slavery to sin and the word. Praise You Lord that you have set this captive free. Let me sing forth this freedom so many others may be set free. Amen!"

Should Christians Judge?

2009-09-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.." Matthew7:1-5 (NKJV)

Pondering

For the next few days I'll be looking at the common Spiritual Urban Legend that says, "Christians Shouldn't Judge". This SUL (Spiritual Urban Legend) says something like, "Jesus forbade His followers to judge, therefore Christians should not judge others."

This thinking come from such verses as:

"Judge not, that you be not judged." Matthew 7:1 (NKJV)
"Therefore let us not judge one another anymore." Romans 14:13 (NKJV)
"Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge." James 4:11 (NKJV)

However, as we shall see, this is not what these passages teach us! As in the other SUL’s, this one takes Bible verses out of context and makes them say whet they never intended. Indeed, not only does this SUL take these verses out of context but it fails to see the whole Biblical context of teaching on judging. For example, what about 1 Corinthians 2:15? This verse seems to state the opposite of the above verses when it states, "But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one"(NKJV). The Greek word for ‘to judge’ is the same in all instances (‘krino’), meaning "to properly distinguish between right and wrong".

To see how we are to know when to judge and when not to let’s start by examining Matthew 7:1 in context.Jesus was here addressing the Jewish leaders who were pointing their fingers at others in judgement, like those who came condemning the woman in adultery. Jesus was not saying there's no place for such judgements as sin needs to be exposed. However, He was bringing forth the principle that we cannot judge hypocritically, where we are living with sin in our own lives, often in similar areas to those we are accusing.

Jesus ends up by saying, "First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.." Here He is clearly saying that there is a time for removing the sins of others, only not when we are having bigger sins in our own lives due to hypocrisy. Indeed, Matthew 7 goes on to say that we must judge who are "dogs" and "swine" (v6) and judge between true and false prophets (v15).

In the case of the woman caught in Adultery (John 8:3-11). Jesus exposed the scribes and Pharisees hypocrisy and then did not condemn the women but let her go. You may look at this as proof that we are not to judge. But Jesus did make a judgement when He said, "Go and sin no more" (v11) and He was also judging the hypocrisy of the others! There is a time for us to judge but we need the wisdom of God to know when that is. That's what I will look at in over the following days.

Poem

To judge or not to judge?
That's a tricky question.
If , in sin, I will not budge,
Then it is I who is undone!

Prayer

"Father, purge me of all hypocrisy that I may live an upright life that others will judge as worthy of following. Amen."

Righteous Judgement

2009-09-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
John 7:24 (NKJV).

Pondering

So, what exactly is Jesus’ teaching about judging?

Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." John 7:24 (NKJV). This excellent verse gives us a needed balance that helps us unravel what Jesus really taught on this subject. There are times when we must not judge but there are also times we are to judge with righteous judgment. The question we must ask then is, "What is righteous judgment and what is unrighteous judgment?"

It is important to know when to judge and when not to because the consequences can be dire. If we judge when we are not supposed to then, according to Matthew 7:2, we will reap judgment back in our own life and bring others under unnecessary condemnation, even stumbling other Christians (Romans 14:13), maybe causing them to sin. If we do not judge when we are supposed to then we are protecting others in their sins and indirectly showing that it alright for them to continue sinning.

"Righteous judgment" basically means we can judge when we have the right to judge. When do we have the right to judge? As we have seen, we can only judge when there is no unconfessed sin in our lives, especially in the area we are judging. And, as we shall see, we should only judge when we have the authority given to us to do so, judging only in the area of clear cut morality as revealed in Scripture.

The problem is we tend to judge when we shouldn't and not judge when we should!
We tend to judge according to what we see externally (by sight) and not according to how a person measures up to the Word (by faith). Over the next few days I will be looking at important Scriptures showing us when we should and should not judge.

Poem

We should judge with righteous judgment,
But what does that really mean?
It means to judge when we have the right
And not merely from what we have seen.

Prayer

"Father, You are the righteous judge. Help me to be like you and only judge when I have the right to do so and to keep my mouth shut at all other times! Amen."

When not to Judge Part 1

2009-09-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way". Romans 14:13 (NKJV)

Pondering

There are some areas that we are not to judge in.

Firstly, don't judge others personal convictions/preferences.

Romans 14:13 says, "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way". This does not mean that by judging others in any situation we are stumbling them and so we should not judge at all. We must read the whole context that starts with Paul pinpointing a particular problem the church in Rome was experiencing.

Romans 14:1-4 gives us the context: "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

The problem with the Roman Christians, that Paul is addressing, is that they were disputing "over doubtful things". They were judging each other concerning their own personal convictions and preferences in their worship to God. These were not black and white moral issues but grey areas of conduct.

Personal convictions include Christian practices such as what food and/or drinks they can or cannot consume, which day is the Sabbath and what can or cannot be done on the Sabbath and so forth. Paul's teaching in Romans 14 is that these are not black and white areas and we may differ greatly in these areas. In Christ we have been freed from legalistic practices but that does not mean we must force others into the same freedoms we have if their conscience cannot take it. We must not put stumbling blocks before Christians in areas where they have a weaker conscience.

One example Is drinking beer. I come from a culture and background where drinking beer is a socially acceptable practice among Christians, as long as we do not get drunk. I go on missions trips to Cambodia and make sure that I do not openly drink beer there as it is not acceptable for Christians for a variety of reasons. If I did drink beer in front of other Christians there they may think, "This pastor is drinking beer, why can't I?". However, they may well start drinking and have too much and be stumbled, feeling shameful due to the cultural context. I could say to them, "You are free in Christ to drink alcohol in moderation, Jesus did!" but I would really be judging their convictions.

Therefore, the over riding principle that Paul is getting to is that we must always take the most loving course of action. If we know person has certain convictions that are not sinful we should not judge and challenge those conviction and we should act in a way that will not stumble them.

Poem

Do not judge others in areas that are gray,
Such as the food they prefer or their chosen special day.
These personal convictions are not life and death,
But show the variety we have from the one who gave us breath.

Prayer

"Lord, help me to hold judgment when it comes to other's personal preferences that are not necessarily sinful, but different to mine. Help me not to be a stumbling block but a stepping stone for your love to walk into our relationship. Amen!"

When not to Judge Part 2

2009-09-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

Passage

"You pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:3-4 (NKJV)

Pondering

Secondly, don't judge by outward appearance.

We are not to judge a book by its cover. Do you remember Susan Boyle from Britain's got Talent 2009? She came onto the stage looking like an eccentric old maid and everyone turned up their noses at her when she said she wanted to be a singer like Elaine Paige. Well, as soon as she opened her mouth to sing the entire audience watched on in amazement, many dropping their jaws in wonder, many ashamed that they had judged her so harshly.

This kind of judgment is wrong because it is not based on any sin of the person, but our sinful, judgmental perceptions of that person. Often, the root is pride or conceit ("I’m better than they are"). Racism falls into this category because we are judging merely on the person’s appearance and our preconceptions as to what they will be like.

We have no right to judge on a person’s appearance because, even though marred by sin, all people are made in the image of God. So we are really judging God’s choice of skin colour or His choice of looks. Even if we are judging people on the outward appearance due to the effects of sin (such as severe deformities), it is not their own fault and we are really still judging God as He allowed them to be born in this manner.

In the passage of Scripture quoted above James presents the Churches he is writing to with a very real issue that was plaguing their gatherings. There was a division between rich and poor and the rich were taking the better places in the Church meetings and ordering the poor to sit on the floor! To James the issue was not that they were judging but that they were judging "with evil thoughts". In this case the evil thoughts were thoughts of pride and haughtiness where the rich perceived themselves to be more important than the poor.

We are all created equal and have no right to judge others by appearance alone, especially in the Church. The Church should be a place where all are treated equally and this should be a powerful witness to the world.

Poem

Do not judge a book by its cover,
You never know what you may discover
As you humbly love and accept one another
As did Jesus towards us as our Divine lover.

Prayer

"Yes Father, give me the strength to accept others who seem unlovable on the surface. Let me never judge a book by it's cover, but accept others as You do. Amen!"

When not to Judge Part 3

2009-09-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord." 1 Corinthians 4:2-4 (NAK)

Pondering

Thirdly, don't judge by Ministry Style.

Ministry style and ministry content are not the same thing. A certain ministry style may offend you, not because it is sinful or wrong but because it is different to what you are used to or what you prefer. However, if the content of a ministry is heretical, with false doctrine, then it is wrong no matter what style it comprises of.

We know that some in the church at Corinth were judging Paul on his ministry style, especially his personal delivery. Compared to other teachers of the Word there he seemed to lack certain speaking skills (see 2 Corinthians 11:6) and he was rather odd in appearance with some physical problems (though we are not told what they were exactly). Later this proved to be a real problem in the Corinthian Church with many preferring self proclaimed leaders who had more of the style the locals preferred but who were teaching heresy!

What is more important, style or truth? I would rather listen to a stuttering, boring Bible teacher who is teaching the truth from God's Word than to a well polished, enjoyable, entertaining, motivational teacher who throws in Bible verses but whose teaching is not Scripturally sound.

So, when a ministry is Biblically sound it does not really matter what style it takes, as long as the style does not cause one to sin. We may have a preferred style but we must not judge other ministries purely on our preferences.

Even when we do see other ministries that teach heretical content we should not publicly pronounce judgement on that ministry unless we have the authority to do so. I have seen many so-called "Discernment Ministries" on the Internet, exposing and shaming many other ministries, claiming them heretical. Who gave them the authority to do this? We have authority to openly judge and correct wrong ministries if they are under our jurisdiction, but if they are not then we should bring it to the attention of those who actually have the authority to do anything.

Poem

Hands up, hand down, noise level high or low,
Jumping up, falling down, dancing or no,no,no!
Red faced preacher shouting out or church mouse teacher so sane,
As long as the truth is being proclaimed, it's all lifting up His name!

Prayer

"Father, thank you for creating us all so very different. However, sometime that means other's ministry style can offend me or cause me to judge. Help me not to ctiticize wrongly concerning ministry style but to loving listen and learn from the truth they do proclaim. Amen!"

When not to Judge Part 4

2009-09-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?"
James 4:11-12 (NKJV)

Pondering

Lastly, don't judge with critical opinions of others.

In this passage in James we learn me must not "speak evil of one another". James does not say we must not judge at all, only that we must not speak judgmentally against others with a critical spirit, even if what we say is true.

When we criticize others, we are placing ourselves in the position as judge and pronouncing judgment upon them when we may not know or understand all the details of why they are doing what they are doing. If we have the authority to judge their situation (such as when they come to us for counsel and we are in the place to counsel them), we need to judge purely from the principles and truths in the Word of God without imposing our own opinion.

Here James is primarily saying that we should not judge others based an outsider's perspective. It was F.B. Meyer, I believe, who once said that when we see a brother or sister in sin, there are two things we do not know: First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin. And second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him or her. We also do not know what we would have done in the same circumstances.

At a pastor's conference in Spokane, Chuck Swindoll told of being at a California Christian camp. The first day there a man approached him and said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak and his delight at now finally being able to realize that desire.
That evening Swindoll noticed the man sitting near the front. But only a few minutes into the message the man was sound asleep. Swindoll thought to himself that perhaps he was tired after a long day's drive and couldn't help himself. But the same thing happened the next few nights, and Dr. Swindoll found his exasperation with the man growing.

On the last night the man's wife came up and apologized for her husband's inattention to the messages. She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed as having terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr. Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal.
Unless you have the authority given to you to judge a person in a moral issue (such as if you are their parent or counsellor) then you should always give them the benefit of the doubt and keep your mouth firmly closed and your heart open to them.

Poem

What I see concerning others
is only one small part,
I tend to look only on the surface
But God looks at the heart.

Prayer

"Lord, help me to see others through Your eyes and not judge others with critical opinions not know their full story. Help me to withhold judgement when it is not right to judge and release love and mercy instead, giving others the benefit of the doubt rather that gossiping and speaking critically of them. Amen!"

When it is right to Judge Part 1

2009-09-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?"
1 Corinthians 6:3-4 (NKJV)

Pondering

Firstly, it is right for the Church to deal with disputed between members.

In the Church at Corinth there were Christians taking other Christians from the same church to Romans law court to settle differences.Paul said that this was crazy as Christians will ultimately be judges of such matters in the Millennial Kingdom, even judging Angels.

Ideally, Christians should not take other Christians before secular law courts but should offer the matter up for the Church leadership to deal with. A major reason for this is so that the problem does not spill over into the non-believing world, which discredits the Church's witness to the lost.

"Have you ever considered how standing up for your rights - particularly against another Christian, with unbelievers present -- impacts your witness? The entire sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians deals with the issue of a believer taking another believer to court. The bottom line is, it just shouldn't be done.

Unfortunately, much of what the world sees of the church is not good. They see division and strife. They see all manner of disputes, and they don't want to have anything to do with such unloving, uncaring people. Can you blame them?

So then, what should you do if there is a dispute between you and another believer? According to the context of verse above, you should accept the wrong, and let yourself be cheated, unless it is a serious case where you need to bring in Church leaders to help resolve the issue. Ouch! That hurts, but it is the course of action that is preferable to taking your brother or sister to court. After all, in most cases, you would take your brother to court over a material matter, that, from an eternal perspective, really doesn't matter."
(Taken form an article by Rebecca Livermore entitled, "Why Christians Shouldn't Sue Each Other" - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/205559/why_christians_shouldnt_sue_each_other.html)

Poem

The world will only really see
That we are His disciples,
When they see you loving me
Even when we've been rivals!

Prayer

"Father, the witness of Your Church to the world is very, very important. Help me to love my brother and sister in Christ, especially the unlovable and even those who place themselves as my enemy, so You may shine brightly to the lost. Amen!"

When it is right to Judge Part 2

2009-09-15T00:51:00.001-07:00

Passage

"For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
1 Corinthians 5:3-5 (NKJV)

Pondering

Secondly, it is right for the Church to deal with unrepentant sinners.

One area the Church has been given the go-ahead and authority by God to judge others is in matter of serious sin within the Church. In the Church at Corinth there was a serious sin that was being left unchecked by the Church, indeed the Church was boasting that such a thing was happening as they thought it showed their true freedom in Christ.

As bad as it may seem to us, one of the Church brothers was actually having sexual relations with his "father's wife" (v1). The Corinthians were deluded into thinking this should not be judged as they bought into the Spiritual Urban Legend we are currently looking at. Paul wrote back saying that he had judged the situation and so should they. They should judge this brother as Jesus clearly taught the Church to do in Matthew 18:15-17:

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." (NKJV)

As we have see, there are times the Church must rise up to judge as that is our destiny in Christ, to be judges and rulers. But it must be righteous judgment where we have the moral authority. In such cases where there is obvious sin the Church must not turn a blind eye, but turn a non-hypocritical eye of judgement towards the situation.

When a Christian brother or sister clearly sins against you, you must firstly confront them one on one and seek reconciliation. You extend forgiveness to them but if they reject you bring in two or three more mature counsellors. If this fails the matter needs to be brought before the whole church (through the leadership) and be dealt with accordingly. This may even lead to the Christian being ex-communicated from the Church (notice the purpose of this is still restorative - we are to treat them as non believers, ones we are to reach out to in love).

Notice that this is in the context of the Church. If non-believers sin against Christians then the Christians should immediately forgive them and shine forth the love of Christ. What is the point of a Christian judging a non-Christian when they are already under eternal damnation without Christ! The Christian's role towards the non-believer is to declare the Good News about Jesus Christ.

Poem

The Church often judges when it should not,
And fails to judge the creeping rot,
The sin that's so often is left unchecked
So that many believers end up ship wrecked!

Prayer

"Father, help me to judge when I have the moral authority to do so. That means pointing out my brothers of sisters sin so they an repent and be restored. Give me the boldness to be a righteous judge when I need to be. Amen."

When it is right to Judge Part 3

2009-09-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

Passage

"I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say."
1 Corinthians 10:15 (NKJV)
"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge."
1 Corinthians 14:29 (NKJV)

Pondering

Thirdly, it is right for the Church to judge the doctrinal teaching of preachers/prophets.

Remember I said that we are not to judge ministry style but we are to judge ministry content. However, this only extends as far as we have the God-given authority to judge. If the ministry is not in our own local Church we are to discern if their teaching is right or not but we do not have the right to publically judge and criticize them. If we are a Church leader we can warn those under our authority about this false ministry but we should leave it at that.

If a false ministry arises within a Church or Denomination then the leaders of that Church or Denomination have the right and should judge and cut off that ministry if necessary. There are many so-called "Discernment Ministries" on the internet I have seen bombarding all types of ministries they feel are heretical (most times they attack their ministry style not content). In these cases they do not have the moral authority to do so. Even if they are warning other Christians they should only warn those under their immediate authority, not the whole world through the internet!

When done properly, this judgment saves Churches and Christians from being deceived and entering into error. In our Church we used to be very laid back about inviting guest speakers until we had an unfortunate encounter where a preacher came and taught heresy with a very proud and rebellious spirit. After that we have been very careful who we invite, checking up on their ministry track record and doctrinal beliefs, usually needing strong personal references.

What this means for the individual Christian is that we must be like the Bereans, checking out from Scripture to see if what we hear from the pulpit is truly Scriptural. If it is not we can only publically judge if we are in the place of authority to do so. If not we must guard our hearts, refraining from back biting and making sure we distance ourselves from such error and warn those we should about the ministry in question.

Poem

Lord, let Your Word dwell in me richly,
So I may tell when falsehood comes.
That I may judge with righteous judgment
Warning my sheep so that none succumbs.

Prayer

"Father, help me discern properly between the truth and false teaching and help me judge righteously according to the moral authority You have given me. Amen!"

When it is right to Judge Part 4

2009-09-15T00:47:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world."
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (NKJV)

Pondering

Lastly, it is right for the us to judge our own faith first.

Actually, this is where it all starts! As we daily judge ourselves by the Word of God we will become more and more like the Righteous Judge Himself, Jesus. That is our goal. But how many Christians daily ask the Holy Spirit to reveal their sin or wrong attitudes, allowing Him to shine the light of His Word on their hearts?

The following thoughts from "Our Daily Bread, January 9, 1994" are helpful here:

"State employment officials in Tucson, Arizona, posted an interesting sign over a full-length mirror. Directed to all job hunters, it read, "Would you hire this person?" In another office a mirror and sign posed this question: "Are you ready for a job?"

Self-evaluation was what the apostle Paul called for in 1 Corinthians 11. Believers in Christ need to judge themselves, he said, to avoid being judged by the Lord as unfit for His service. In the Corinthian church, the "appearance problem" was especially serious. Those Christians "looked" awful. They were actually getting drunk and quarreling among themselves while going through the motions of celebrating the Lord’s Supper. So Paul said, in effect, "Look at yourselves. What a mess! If you don’t get your lives straightened out, the Lord will have to do it for you." Then the apostle added the sobering fact that God had already begun to cleanse the church by sending some of them to an early grave. This is a hard truth, but one the church still needs to hear today."

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of God, experiencing His judgment. Therefore let us judge ourselves first and start living as we should. Only then can we stand as righteous judges. If we fail to judge ourselves properly then we will be like the Jewish leaders in Jesus' time who were speck inspectors with huge planks in their own eyes.

Poem

Lord shine Your light upon my heart
So I can judge and clean out sin,
Before You come as judge to start
A terrible process I don't want to begin.

Prayer

"Father, help me to daily come before You so Your Spirit may show any sin in my heart and I can come clean before You through the blood of Jesus. Let this be a regular habit so that I need not come under your terrible hammer of judgment. Amen!"

What Do We Think About God?

2009-09-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7

Pondering

Practically, our view of God, consciously or otherwise, affects every thought and action we perform, since it functions as the central premise of our world view. If we do not believe in a god but that we evolved from apes then we will think and act like an evolved ape! If we believe in a god of war then we will become a warring people (e.g. The Vikings). Therefore, it is vital that we grasp from His special revelation of Himself (the Bible) what He really is like so that we can then become like Him.

We become like what we worship. Some people have got it backwards. They worship their dog and start to look and act like it! Let’s turn things around (turn DOG backwards you get GOD) and worship the true and living God to become more like Him. As Daniel says, "Those who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits" (Dan 11:32). If we know God as He really is (strong and mighty), we shall become like Him!

What image of God do you have? An angry old man up in the sky, uninvolved in our affairs except when he throws a few thunder bolts in judgment? A harmless, jovial, "buddy" who always pats you on the back and gives you what you want?
Often our image of God is shaped by our own Father’s relationship with us. If he was overly strict and distant then we can project that image onto God Himself and relate to Him in that way, feeling that He cannot be known intimately and speaks to us only to condemn us. If our Father was too permissive and let us do what we wanted, we will see God as too laid back, one who fails to correct us, and one who is indifferent to our sin.

Let us be like Daniel, one who really knows his God. We only know God by spending time with Him and letting Him reveal more of Himself to us. Today, determine in your heart to draw near to God that He will draw near to you, showing who He really is.

Poem

What image of God fills your mind?
An angry old man or one who is too kind?
Turn to Him and let Him reveal His reality,
As You seek Him on your knees, simply let Him be.

Prayer

"Father, strip me of all wrong images I have of You. Show me who you truly are that I may worship and serve You in spirit and truth. Lord I want to draw nearer and nearer to You so You will draw nearer and nearer to me and I'll become more and more like You. Amen."

The Biblical View of God

2009-09-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

Passage

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Pondering

How do we answer pre-believers who say that all religions ultimately worship the same god or that Christians worship three gods (Father, Son and Holy Mother)? We need to have a clear grasp on what Scripture tells us about the God we worship so that we can communicate this to others through our testimony and response to their questions about our God.

God created all things. Before creation there was only God. All God created was good but became corrupted by sin. God is far greater and superior than the sum of all His creation, which includes the Devil and his fallen angels (demons). Hence, there is not a DUALITY of good and evil in this world as all that is evil is definitely not equal and opposite of God. God is in control and only allows evil to seemingly triumph as He knows what is best and is working in all things for good to outwork His divine plan.

The following story shows various ways man has developed to understand life:

MICE IN THE PIANO

Imagine a family of mice who lived all their lives in a large piano. To them in their piano-world came the music of the instrument, filling all the dark spaces with sound and harmony. At first the mice were impressed by it. They drew comfort and wonder from the thought that there was Someone who made the music - though invisible to them - above, yet close to them. They loved to think of the Great Player whom they could not see. Then one day a daring mouse climbed up part of the piano and returned very thoughtful. He had found out how the music was made. Wires were the secret; tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths which trembled and vibrated. They must revise all their old beliefs; none but the most conservative could any longer believe in the Unseen Player. Later, another explorer carried the explanation
further. Hammers were now the secret, numbers of hammers dancing and leaping on the wires. This was a more complicated theory, but it all went to show that they lived in a purely mechanical and mathematical world. The Unseen Player came to be thought of as a myth ....But the pianist continued to play. (James S Hewett, ed ILLUSTRATIONS UNLIMITED p187)

Pantheism believes that God is in all things and all the universe is God. Most primitive animistic beliefs in any area of the word hold to this view of life. Hinduism is Polytheistic (worshipping many gods) as were the religions of the ancient empires such as Greece and Rome. They believe each god is responsible for one aspect of the universe (such as war, love, agriculture etc.). Atheism has only gained wider acceptance in recent years with the advances in Science and the rise of Communist nations. Agnostics (or Freethinkers) generally believe there is a god or that there are many gods but they have no relevance or real impact in their life. Buddhism is more of a philosophy of life and its believers can be atheistic, monotheistic or even polytheistic. Christianity is Monotheistic, meaning the worship only one God. Other Monotheistic religions are Judaism and Islam.

The main difference between Christianity and all other religions or philosophies is the gracious, loving personal relationship we enjoy with God through the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The Trinity does not mean Christians worship three Gods but worship one God in three persons. Indeed, because God is three in one He eternally lives in gracious, loving, relationship. He is a God of Love and Grace. That distinguishes Him form all else and that is a reason to worship Him and love Him and serve Him!

Poem

The mice thought the piano was their god at first,
A living, throbbing deity, that had given them birth.
Then one found many strings, each singing a different song,
So they started worshipping each string not knowing they were wrong.

Then one mouse found the hammers beating on the strings,
And came with a theory for why the piano rally sings.
It's just a mechanical wonder formed by amazing laws,
There's no gods of great player who really deserves applause.

And all the while the Great Player sat and played on the piano's keys,
Playing a song of love and joy , calling the mice to sit upon His knees.
It was not through simple observation that the mice could know what's real,
But by following and living for the one the music did reveal.

Prayer

"Thank you Lord for revealing Yourself to us in Your Word. Show me who You really are that I may worship You in spirit and in truth. Amen!"

What is God Like?

2009-09-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Passage

"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."
John 1:18 (NKJV)

"Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?"
John 14:9 (NKJV)

Pondering

Scripture has progressively revealed the nature and attributes of God. There is a revelation of God's essence and His pesonality. God cannot be seen and heard in His essence but can be seen and heard in His person. In John 1:18 it says no one has ever seen God (His essence) but John 14:9 says that when the disciples saw Jesus they saw the Father (His Person hood). Another example of this is Moses speaking to God face to face (Exodus 33:11) and then being told he could not see God’s face (Exodus 33:20) - an explanation of this is that the first meeting was with the Angel of the Lord (pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, one of the persons of the Trinity) and the second was with the very essence of God.

The fact that God is revealed in personal terms means we can have a relationship with Him in His three persons.The revelation of His essence means that He is unlike any other personal being and is to be feared with reverential fear above all else.

God’s essence is that part of Himself that is unique to Him (He is self-existent, unchanging, all powerful, all knowing and all present) but His personality is seen in us as we are made in His image (the image of His person hood - man is tripartite, body, soul and spirit, as God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

We cannot display His attributes of essence (i.e. none of us is all powerful, all present or all knowing) but we can and should display these attributes of His person hood.

Holiness - What He IS - pure and separate. We are to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet 1:15-16).
Righteousness - What He DOES - right and just. We are righteous (Matt 5:20) only by the imputed and imparted righteousness of God in Jesus (Rom 3:22).
Sovereignty - His perfect REIGN and RULE. If we endure His will then we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12) both in this life (1 Tim 3:5;5:17) and in the age to come (Rev 5:10).
Wisdom - Correct application of knowledge. We, the Church, are to make known the manifold wisdom of the Lord to the world (Eph 3:9-10), meaning we partake in this attribute of God just as King Solomon was given God’s wisdom.
Love - Goodness, kindness, faithfulness, loyalty. We are to move in His agape (self-sacrificial) love (1 John 4:19-21).

Hence, we should worship God in His totality. We stand in awe and wonder before His essence but we enter into intimate relationship with Him in His three-fold personality, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Poem

You are lion, You are lamb, fully God and fully man.
To be feared yet You embrace, cannot see yet You speak face to face.

Prayer

"Lord, I stand in awe before You. You are all powerful, all knowing and all present. Yet, you are my father, my lover and my friend. What an amazing paradox and one that I worship You within. Amen!"

Knowing The Trinity

2009-09-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Jesus also was baptized and while He prayed the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are my beloved Son, in You I am well pleased." Luke 3:21-22

Pondering

It has been said that if we try to fully understand the Trinity then we will lose our mind but if we don’t fully believe in it then we will lose our soul. We need to believe in and relate to what God has revealed of Himself by progressive revelation in the Bible. As we will see, He has revealed Himself as one God in three persons. It is through these three persons that we can have a personal relationship with God.

God’s unknowable essence is not blocking His personality from shining through. Rather, His personality is built upon His core essence and radiates out to humanity. He can be known and wants us to know Him in His three persons. We can clearly see His invisible Essence in and through His creation (Rom 1:20) but cannot partake in or relate with Him in this. We can, however, relate to all three of His persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit - each fulfilling a unique relational role. We can partake in His holiness, righteousness, sovereignty, wisdom and love as we relate with all three, who are these attributes (God does not HAVE these attributes He IS these attributes- He is Holy, is Righteous is Love etc.)

Probably the best physical illustration for the Trinity is Water in that it exists in three states, liquid, ice and steam yet all are H2O. So Father, Son and Spirit are all GOD. However, the Trinity always exists and work together and not in isolation.

The picture of a fruitful tree is good in illustrating the WORK of the Trinity. The Father, as the root, begins all things - He is the man with the plan. The Son, as the shoot, arranges the Father's plan according to His pattern - Jesus is the pattern son and we are to be like Him. The Spirit, as the fruit, produces the desired effect in us, working powerfully in us to produce the Fruit of the Spirit (Christ likeness).

Father, Son and Holy Spirit are seen working together as separate persons who are each fully God. The most clear example of this is at the Baptism of Jesus. The Father speaks from heaven (He planned this event) over the Son (He is the pattern son, living the Father’s plan) and the Spirit descends as a dove onto Jesus (He empowers and anoints Jesus to produce the works He was called to walk in - Eph 2:10).

The Trinity gives us the basis for all Christian leadership (Parents to children, husband to wife, church leadership). They are all equal but submit to one another in a loving environment. The Father is treated as the first among equals. Jesus, though equally God, did nothing without the Father’s go ahead and the Spirit likewise responds to the will of the Son. The Spirit’s main ministry may be termed a “spotlight” ministry, where He lives to glorify the Son, Jesus.

Let us ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us in all His fullness, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Poem

Our God can be known as He is Three in One,
Father, Spirit and Jesus the Son.
He has always been three in loving community,
And He reaches out in love to you and to me.

Prayer

"Father God, beautiful Jesus and sweet Spirit, show more of yourselves to me day by day. Let me enter into deeper relationship with each one of you. Take me deeper into You, the great three in one. Amen."

Lambs and Lions.

2009-09-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Passage

1 "Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,"
Says the LORD of hosts.
2 "But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderer's soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the LORD
An offering in righteousness.
4 "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the LORD,
As in the days of old,
As in former years. "
Malachi 3:1-4 (NKJV)

Pondering

Last night, in the Tuesday Night Prayer Meeting of our Church, one sister came forward and spoke Malachi 3:1-5 as a prophecy for our Church. As she spoke it the Lord gave me a vision that, at first, I thought did not have much to do with this passage of Scripture.

In the vision I saw many lambs all going humbly into God's Temple. In the temple they all merged into one sacrificial lamb who was sacrificed on the altar. Then a kingly lion arose from the altar and roared with a mighty roar from the Temple and the sound echoed from the mountain into the valley and to the sea, shaking all things. Then the lion became many lions going forth from the Temple into the nations with great authority and miracles took place wherever they went.

Now I see that this vision fits perfectly into Malachi 3:1-4. Malachi is actually prophesying about the coming of John the Baptist before the first coming of the Lamb of God, Jesus. Jesus came to cleanse the natural temple in anticipation of cleansing the spiritual temple, the Church. We as the Church are awaiting His second coming as the mighty lion of Judah, who comes as a refiners fire.

The vision is actually a picture of what God wants to do in His church before His final return. We are to come together as one offering, each of us a living sacrifice through the one perfect sacrifice of Christ Himself. Only offerings in Christ are acceptable. We must all come humbly as lambs to offer ourselves before God through the blood of the Lamb until we become one living sacrifice.

As we come together, Jesus , the Lamb of God will come and make us one body in Him. He will come to cleanse us and raise us up as the mighty army of the Lion of Judah. Then we will be prepared as His army to go forth into the nations declaring His might name with signs and wonders following.

Poem

Lord may I come to you as a lamb,
Humbly to sacrifice all I am.
Then You will cleanse us and raise us high,
And, as lions our united roar will shake the sky!

Prayer

"Father, prepare us, Your church, for You second coming. Come into Your Temple and cleanse us. Let us come together as one living sacrifice to glorify Your name and then rise up as Your end-time army to storm the gates of hell and save the lost. Amen!"

Which Tabernacle are you in?

2009-09-02T04:59:00.001-07:00

Passage

"So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel."
1 Chronicles 16:1-4 (NKJV)

Pondering

Following on from my thoughts about Blueprints and Game plans, I have been contemplating the differences between the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacle of David. The Tabernacle of Moses was given as a blueprint to Moses when he was on Mount Sinai. The Tabernacle of Moses was the pattern and place of worship for God's people until the Ark of the Covenant was plundered by the Philistines. When the Ark was finally retrieved it was not returned to the Tabernacle of Moses on Mount Gibeon but spent time in priest's houses before being taken by David into the Tabernacle he had erected for it on Mount Zion.

If The Tabernacle of Moses is God's blueprint for worship, then the Tabernacle of David is God's game plan for worship! We are in the Church age where God is restoring Tabernacle of David worship (see Acts 15:16-17). The Tabernacle of Moses speaks of worship under the Law. It had many items of furniture that had to be accessed by the priests in a particular order to enter into God's presence (e.g first was the altar where sacrifices were offered and then the priest went to the Brazen Laver to wash). The Tabernacle of David, however, was a simple tent with only the Ark of the Covenant (God's manifest presence) in the middle.

In the Tabernacle of Moses only the High Priest could enter in before the Ark of the Covenant but in the Tabernacle of David all the priests could freely go before the Ark with expressive worship in song and probably dance too (not seen in the Tabernacle of Moses). Now, it must be understood that the Tabernacle of David did not do away with the truths about worship expressed in the Tabernacle of Moses, indeed the Tabernacle of Moses actually brought those truths into fulness and full liberty (just as Christ fulfilled the Law and brought us into grace).

The Bible teaches us that the Law is like a school teacher leading us into maturity in Christ (Galatians 3:24). We're not meant to remain in the restrictions of the blueprint but we are to move onto the freedom there is in His grace game plan! In worship this means we are not to follow the Tabernacle of Moses rigidly as a model of worship, religiously going step by step into God's presence. We are to enter the freedom of worship expressed in the Tabernacle of David where all of the truths of the Tabernacle of Moses are given a freedom in His Spirit. Being filled with His Spirit gives us wisdom to know His will (Ephesians 5:17-18)l and His way of worship. It is significant that after King Solomon had asked God for wisdom at Gibeon (before the Tabernacle of Moses) his first step of wisdom was to go and sacrifice to God at the Tabernacle of David on Mount Zion (1 Kings 3:15).

Let us enter wisely by the Spirit into the kind of free worship that the Tabernacle of David speaks of. It was here that many of the Psalms spontaneously came forth as new and spiritual songs. Let us burst forth into new spiritual songs as His priests in the freedom of worship brought to us by Christ!

Poem

Take me past the outer courts, into Your Holy place,
Not by clever method but by Your loving embrace,
Lead me past the brazen altar with the sacrifice of praise,
Not by rigid order but by grace my hands I raise.

Prayer

"Lord, I ask for Your wisdom to worship you in Spirit and in Truth, to worship You freely like in the Tabernacle of David. Lead me on into free, dynamic and powerfully prophetic worship. Amen."

Does God have a Blueprint for my Life? Part 1

2009-08-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.." Ephesians 2:10

Pondering

There is a Spiritual Urban Legend (SUL) that says "God has a Blueprint for my life". This SUL causes one to believe something like, "Every little detail of my life is in God’s blueprint and I need to seek His specific will for each step that I take as there’s only one right option." This belief is backed up by such verses as Ephesians 2:10, which is interpreted as meaning that God has mapped out every step of our life and there are specific activities we are to do if we are to remain his perfect master pieces!

This all leads to the faulty assumption that for each one of us, there is only one right spouse, one right church, one right school or college, one right job, one right house and the list goes on and on! However, if you take this thinking to its literal conclusion we have many problems.

What if God only has one wife or one husband for you in the whole world and, in a moment of weakness, someone else marries them? Wouldn't that also mess it up for the right one they were supposed to marry (and the chain reaction would go on and on). You may say that God would stop such a thing from happening, but then He would be over-riding the free will that He has given us.

As we will see in the next few days devotions, this belief leads to many dangerous results and is not what the Bible really shows us concerning God's will. God does have all planned out for us, but only He is outside time and space and can view that blueprint objectively and properly. From our side of heaven the blueprint is not the best metaphor for our life journey.

Poem

Does God have only one spouse in storage for you and me?
What if someone else wins their heart and they marry?
What about the person destined to be with the other one?
Oh no! This has set of a chain reaction like an atomic bomb!

Prayer

"Father, keep me from the trap of a "blueprint mentality" where you only have one right choice. in every situation. Help me to have the wisdom to make right choices based on what Your Word really shows me concerning Your will. Amen."

Does God have a Blueprint for my Life? Part 2

2009-08-30T02:35:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.." Ephesians 2:10

Pondering

There are three dangerous results of this SUL.

1. Paralyzed by Fear - This faulty thinking can cause one to say something like, "I can’t see the next part of the blueprint, I’m scared I’ll miss it so I’ll just wait until I see clearer ." Often this means that Christians are hesitant to go into any form of "ministry" or make any major decisions (such as getting married or moving jobs) until they receive a thunderbolt from heaven, some clear sign from God (usually backed up by many so called "God-incidences"). This is not to say that God does not give specific guidance. He did not put up His nose to Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:26-40), twice giving Gideon clear signs that He would use him to save Israel (something He had already clearly spoken to him). But, remember, this was at a time that Israel was under threat of destruction by the Midianites. It was a crucial and decisive time in the history of God’s people so crucial and decisive direction and action was needed.

2. Preoccupied Focus - This spiritual myth can cause one to say something like, "I must focus on my blueprint at all times even if it means I can’t see anything else". We can be so preoccupied with "not missing His best" that we miss opportunities to show justice, mercy and obedience to God’s revealed will (revealed in His Word). We may be so concerned with looking into His blueprint for our life that it actually becomes an obstacle, a blockage to really seeing the way ahead. We may become like a builder walking around with the blueprint in his face knocking into existing structures and treading on other people’s feet! It’s like the single who makes an impressive list of all he is looking for in a bride (that He believes to be God’s blueprint) that he fails to ask, "Why would such a perfect bride want to marry someone like me?"

3. Punished by Failure - Another dangerous result of such un biblical thinking is that it could lead us to say something like, "Oh no! I got it wrong, my boss will be mad at me as I’ve messed up the blueprint". A blueprint makes no room for flexibility. What is written in ink is the final plan and cannot be changed. This view sees God as some tyrannical architect who is not pleased with us unless we’re following His blueprint 100%. What happens if we believe God has only one partner for us to marry and we later marry out of desperation and find ourselves in a marriage we believe to be out of God’s will? Should we seek divorce and continue our hunt for Mr. or Mrs. Right or remain in the relationship under a punishing cloud of failure? Of course not, both options given are not God’s will.

Poem

If there's really only one right way for me to go,
And I sit around waiting but never know,
I'm like a rabbit in the headlight's blaze
That freezes in fear and dies in a daze.

If i'm forever seeking God's blueprint for me,
Then His justice, mercy and obedience i'll not see,
And I'll walk around with the plan in my face
And knock into all things and people all over the place!

And when I finally do make a move
I may find that I've missed the groove!
Then i'll walk under a black cloud of failure,
And sit around in fear year after year.

Prayer

"Father, keep me from the fear, wrong focus and failure of the "blueprint mentality". Give me Your wisdom to walk in your ways as revealed in Scripture,. Amen."

Does God have a Blueprint for my Life? Part 3

2009-08-30T02:32:00.000-07:00

Passage

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

Pondering

All that we have seen so far about the myth that God has a blueprint for us brings us to ask the question, "What then is God’s will?"

The main Greek word use for God’s will is "Thelema", which is usually said to mean something like, "a specific intent referring to the plan, will and purpose of God". This understanding actually comes from the modern meaning of the word "will" and not the actual meaning from Bible times.

With this faulty understanding, verses containing the word "will" in reference to God mean His specific blueprint. Hence, Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God", is seen as meaning we must find out God’s specific actions for us that are good, acceptable and perfect (some interpretations split His will into three categories, the first (His good will) being inferior to the second (His acceptable will) and the second inferior to the last (His perfect will), but this actually contradicts the blueprint mentality which says that there’s only one perfect choice and all the rest are just plain wrong).

However, the actual meaning, and the meaning that the original co-authors and recipients of the Bible would have understood, is better expressed as "God’s preference, His desires for the way we conduct our lives." His will is His stated preference, desire and mode of conduct as revealed in the canon of Scripture. Hence, the real meaning of Romans 12:2 is seen to be that God’s preference, and desire for us in every situation is totally good, pleasing and perfect (read "mature"). As we understand His preferences and desires from Scripture we’ll walk in His wisdom and maturity.

Poem

God's will is not some cold, hard set-in-stone narrow way,
That if we slip from it we'll never see the light of day!
But it's a network of love that leads up His holy mountain,
And as we commune with Him he'll lead us to the source of the fountain.

Prayer

"Lord, teach me Your ways, help me to understand and live in the light of your holy will, your preferences and desires for the way I conduct my life. Amen."

Does God have a Blueprint for my Life? Part 4

2009-08-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.." Ephesians 2:10

Pondering

A better term than "Blueprint" for our understanding of God’s will is "Game plan". In a blueprint everything is decided, even down to the smallest details, and should not be changed, especially if the designer is perfect. However, a game plan is a stated plan of execution that has a series of "if..then" statements, allowing for some flexibility and also for mistakes that are inevitably made along the way. A blueprint has only plan A, but a game plan allows for a whole variety of plans (Plan A,B,C,D..) based on the actions of the opposing team and other factors.

Hence, in any decision, we are to seek God’s game plan. Think about choosing the right person to marry, going to the right university, getting the right job. A blueprint mentality would say that there is only one correct choice. A game plan view, however, would follow certain strategies and principles of the game. So in choosing a right partner to marry there are certain guidelines the Bible does give us such as seeking for a fellow Christian of similar maturity and vision (and there may well be more than one who meets these criteria).

This is not to say that God does not give specific direction when needed. Think of the guidance given to Paul and his team as they wanted to enter Bithynia (Acts 16:7-9) - the Holy Spirit forbade them to go east but instead gave a vision of the Macedonia man, showing they were to continue west into Europe. God’s game plan was missions, discipling the nations according to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and with a westward emphasis. Paul was busy doing this, using the strategy he understood from Scripture with the wisdom he had gained by the Holy Spirit. As he was about to step a bit out of the game plan the Lord intervened with specific direction. However, Paul was not hunting for this direction but busy doing what he considered to be the will of God.

So, Ephesians 2:10 could be best expressed as "For we are God’s spiritual soccer team, hand picked by the manager’s son, Jesus, and coached by the Holy Spirit to follow a good game plan that’s already been prepared and presented to us by the coach from Scripture." Indeed the manager’s son is the world’s best and He is our elder brother, His name is Jesus. We are sons and daughters of the manager and destined for a glorious and famous win against the best team the world can throw at us!

Poem

I'm part of God's spiritual soccer team,
The goal is "The Lost to redeem",
The game plan is reaching every tribe and tongue
Ministering with my God-given gifts to old and young.

Prayer

"Father, mature me in understanding and moving in Your gameplan for every area of my life. Let Your Word dwell in me richly so I can constantly make choices wisely and glorify Your name. Amen."

Does God have a Blueprint for my Life? Part 5

2009-08-30T02:28:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.." Ephesians 2:10

Pondering

In order to understand and move in God’s Game plan we need to:

1. Master the Basics - Know and keep the basic disciplines and rules of the game.

Just like a soccer player needs to go through basic disciplines and keep the basic rules of the game so Christians need to have their spiritual disciplines (personal prayer, worship, Bible reading, fellowship etc..) and basic obedience to God’s laws firmly in place. For example, a Christian who is staying and sleeping with his girlfriend may be asking if she is the right one to marry. The first thing he should do is repent of fornication and live separately from her and then follow God’s game plan for marriage, whilst building up an effective prayer and worship life and understanding of the Bible in fellowship with other Christians.

2. Move Biblically - Think and act according to the ethics and codes of the game.

A soccer player may know all the basic rules of the game but then get on pitch and start shooting at their own goal! They would not be breaking any basic rule as such but it is something that is not helpful for the team to win the match! In the same way, as Christians we may not be breaking any basic laws of God but we may not be doing things with a Biblical mind set. One example of this is a pastor who gets involved in a get rich quick pyramid scheme saying that the money can be used for God’s kingdom (this is ethically wrong according to the Biblical mind set - see Proverbs 28:20).

3. Modify our Bearings - Fine tune from experience and the Coaches guidance.

Even when we have mastered the basics and are moving with a Biblical mind set we are still sinners saved by grace and can make mistakes. Even seasoned soccer players occasionally need the coach to correct them. We have already seen that the Apostle Paul was moving within God’s game plan until he tried to go to Bithynia and then the coach (the Holy Spirit) had to intervened supernaturally to redirect him. This is the role of the prophetic, pointing out God’s specific game plan for the moment and giving further guidance and correction when needed.

Poem

To really enter into God's great game plan,
We must firstly know the rules of the game.
Then with daily discipline, run as Jesus ran
And, as Jesus, think and do the same.

Prayer

"Lord, help me to join in your great game plan by mastering the basics, moving Biblically and modifying my bearing as led by Your Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Engaging in God Part 1

2009-08-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." 2 Samuel 6:10-12a (NKJV)

Pondering

Previously the Ark of the Covenant, God's manifest presence, had rested in Abinadab's house for some years (1 Samuel 7:1) . There's no mention of Abinadab's house being blessed as Obed-Edom's was, and all within only three months. What was the difference between Abinadab and Obed-Edom?

I believe the difference is summed up in the word ENGAGEMENT. Obed-Edom invited and welcomed the Ark (glorious presence of God) into his home. He engaged with God where Abinadab did not (even though they both had the Ark in their house).
Two Christians can have God in their life by being born again, but only one may be experiencing the blessing of God as only they are engaging in God!

WHEN THE INVITATION GOES UP, THE BLESSING COMES DOWN!

Obed-Edom worshipped with real worship, with all his heart inviting God's presence into his house. As a result God blessed him and his whole household. Abinadab had years with the ark in his house, but never really engaged with God. He and his sons just practiced a dead, dull religious formality of "worship" before the Ark.

Let us decide today to engage with God. Invite His presence into your life. Worship Him in spirit and in truth and experience His blessings in your life.

Poem

The Ark may be in your house,
But is your heart in the Ark?
Invite the Lord to be your spouse,
And He will lighten up your dark!

Praise

"Lord, let me engage with You like never before. I don't want to go day by day with you living in me by Your Spirit and yet never really engaging with You. Lord, I long to worship you more and hunger and thirst after you like Obed -Edom and his household did. Let Your blessing fall on me and my household as I do this. Amen!"

Engaging in God Part 2

2009-08-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." 2 Samuel 6:10-12a (NKJV)

Pondering

When we ENGAGE in true worship to the Lord He blesses us:

1. PERSONALLY ("the LORD blessed Obed-Edom"v11).

As Obed-Edom pressed on into real, abandoned worship, the Lord poured out His blessing on his life. His name means "Servant of Edom". Edom comprised of the peoples descended from Esau. Esau had missed out on the promised line inheritance due to selling his birthright to his brother Jacob. As a result he and his line were cast off by the Lord. However, Obed-Edom refused to live under the curse of the pass and pressed on in to engage with the Lord. Because of this the Lord blessed him in spirit, soul and body. In Christ every curse of the past has been broken and we can press in to claim every spiritual blessing.

2. RELATIONALLY ("and all his household" v11).

Not only was Obed-Edom personally blessed but his whole household was too. The whole house had an atmosphere of true worship and his wife and kids were mightily blessed. Their relationship with each other would have blossomed and been wonderful too. If you fill your household with the fragrance of engaged worship then the blessing will go from you to your household and it will truly become a heaven on earth. I can remember an occasion where my our household was very tense, full of anger and frustration. I went into my office and worshipped until the Lord broke through, blessed me and changed the atmosphere in the house so that we ended up laughing together!

3. COMPLETELY ("and all that belongs to him" v12).

Not only was he personally and relationally blessed but all he owned (property and possessions) was blessed with abundance and fruitfulness. As you engage with Him in real worship even your electrical appliances, car, furniture, business acumen and so forth will be blessed! I can remember a time when our video player broke down and I went into worship with my guitar and when I tried the player it worked perfectly!

Poem

Engage in God in abandoned praises,
His blessings will pour down as the worship rises.
Your whole house will be filled with his fragrant spices,
And all you own will be free from ungodly crises.

Prayer

"Father, I do not seek your blessing, I seek Your face. AS I engage in You in worship I know that I will be blessed and so will my household and all I own. Blessed be You glorious name. Amen."

Engaging in God Part 3

2009-08-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." 2 Samuel 6:10-12a (NKJV)

Pondering

We have seen that Obed-Edom and his household was blessed as he remained in God’s presence. Scripture says that the Ark 'remained’ in his house. The word 'remained' in Hebrew means 'dwelt , communed, married''

We ENGAGE GOD by:

1. COMMUNING - first thing.

Our quiet time with the Lord should start first thing in the morning. This time is not a business proposition where we come with our agenda and lists of things to discuss, but an intimate relationship where we commune with the Lord. Another word for 'remain' is 'abide". As we abide in Him then we will bear much fruit as apart from Him we can do nothing. I love to sing intimate worship songs and spend time communing with the Lord in the morning.

2. COMMUNICATING - Through day.

Our time of communing with Him at the start of the day should spill over into all that we do and say as we journey through the day. We can communicate with Him, asking for His wisdom and direction as we meet different situations. I call these times of communicating "arrow prayers" - sometime t is a simple "help Lord", other time it's "what would you have me communicate to this person Lord?". They are quick prayers to communicate with the Lord all through the day, even if we are very busy.

3. CALIBRATING - At end of the day.

When we come to the end of the day it is a good practice to take time to calibrate our relationship with the Lord. Calibration means "to ensure accuracy of something: to test and adjust the accuracy of a measuring instrument or process" (Encarta Dictionary). This is a time where we go over the day with the Lord and assess how accurate we were in following His leading and living as He would want us to. As the Spirit to shine His light on your inner life, revealing anything that needs repenting of or fine tuning in your life.

This process of Communing, Communicating and Calibrating will allow us to remain in His presence day after day.

Poem

Early in the morning
Bow down and love Him deeply,
Then rise up and launch forth
To obey Him completely.

Speak to Him in busy times
In things big and small,
Incline your ear to hear Him,
Be attentive to His call.

Then at the end of the day,
When all is said and done,
Pause to seek his correcting words
And then sleep sound in the Son!

Prayer

"Lord, Help me to remain , to abide in You and You in me, just as Obed-Edom remained in Your presence and Your presence remained with Him. Every Day strengthen me to commune, communicate and calibrate with you. Amen."

D-Day

2009-08-26T01:16:00.000-07:00

Passage

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?"
Psalm 42:1-2 (NKJV)

Pondering

According to the Encarta Dictionary D-Day is the "day when operation is to begin: a day chosen for the beginning of a military operation or other major venture". As I was preparing for the Tuesday Night Prayer meeting I sensed the Lord say that it would be "D-Day". As I prayed further my attentions were led to Psalm 42 where I heard these three couplets: The Deers will Drink, The Downcast will Dance and Deeper and Deeper!

For us to reach our D-Day, we need to pant for the River of God like a thirsty deer. This is not just a whim but a passionate desire to drink from His goodness and come to His River of pleasure and purpose. We need to realize our emptiness before Him and seek for the River. If we seek with all of our hears He will bring us there.

It is at the river (with the multitudes that keep the pilgrim feast - v4) that our downcast souls need to be commanded to hope in God and praise Him (v5). It's as our souls choose to praise Him, even when so cast down, that He shines His countenance on us and takes us into the depths of the river (v7).

As "deep calls to deep at the noise of Your waterfalls" (v7a) we are taken deep into the river where "His waves and billows have gone over" us (v7b). When you are deep under the waters, even when there is a violent storm above, you do not feel the turbulence above. You are in the stillness and the place where treasures in darkness are found. This is the place the Lord wants to take us as we launch forth from our D-Day, the day we dare to drink deeply like a deer!

Then God promises He will "command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with" us (v8). The downcast soul shall rise up under His glorious countenance to praise Him in song and dance, no matter what storms surround. When the darkness of evil night creeps in the Lord gives us a victorious song and then he helps our countenance (v11) to shine and not be downcast.

AFTER NOTE: I led the congregation through the above journey found in Psalm 42 on Tuesday night and truly the Deers were Drinking (many came forward to drink deeply), the Downcast were Dancing (almost everyone was dancing at the end of the time) and we went Deeper and Deeper with new songs in the night and our countenances shone. The next day I awoke with a smile on my face and such tremendous peace and joy!

Oh! And by the way, all the songs were in the key of D!!!

Poem

Our D-Day is at hand,
Where we enter the Promised land
The operation begins to expand
And enter into all He has planned.

It all starts as thirsty deers,
Casting aside all foreign fears,
And drinking deep from the one who hears,
PIercing through the veil of tears.

He will then wrap us in His waters deep,
And like a revived deer we'll leap
Into the promises He will keep
And a harvest of joy and purpose we will reap.

Prayer

"Father, draw me deeper and deeper into Your river of purpose and delights. Let this be my D-Day where I truly enter into your plans and purposes by thirsting after Your best and let my soul rise up to shine forth your love and joy all the days of my life. Amen!"

Lightning bolts and the Fear of the Lord!

2009-08-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Passage

"The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."
Isaiah 11:2

Pondering

Tonight as I was leading worship in the Tuesday Night Prayer Meeting something very unique happened to me that i've not experienced before. One lady came forward during the worship to read out Isaiah 11:2, asking us to pray for this spiritual anointing.

I started to read out loud this passage of Scripture, praying for each aspect of the spirit's anointing to come upon us and I was just coming to the conclusion. I said "The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear.....", then it happened. I was standing behind the pulpit, and as I said the word "fear" what seemed like a lightning bolt from heaven knocked me off my feet, literally!

I'm sure people were bending their heads to see me sprawled out behind the pulpit, wondering if I really was slain by the Spirit and had gone to meet my maker! All I knew was that some physical force like electricity had hit me and I was knocked to the floor and found my self prostrated face to the ground in utter awe and adoration of my living God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of it all. If we want wisdom then we must first fear God. Fearing God is not negative fear such as fear of a tyrant who is angry or unpredictable. It is reverential fear that realizes that no unholiness can stand in His presence.

Lord hit me again with the lightning bolt of the Fear of the Lord that I may love you and serve you more and more.

Poem

The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me
To bring good news to the poor.

The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me
To proclaim the year of the Lord.

.The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me
To bind up the broken heart.

The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me now,
The Spirit of the Lord God's upon me
To set the captives free.

(New song given during Tuesday prayer meeting, 25th August 2009)

Prayer

"Father, as I ask for Your wisdom I'm painfully aware that it all starts with fearing You. Teach me what it means to fear you and not fear man. Hit me witth a lightning bolt of the Fear of the Lord! Amen!."

The Help of our Countenance

2009-08-24T03:22:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you so disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." Psalm 43:5 (NKJV)

Pondering

After I came back from Church on Sunday I sat down and watched an old Doctor Who TV episode on DVD.This is a UK TV series about a Time Lord who travels through time righting wrongs. In the episode I watched the Doctor thwarted a threat from the Sigorax, a hostile alien race who came in a huge spaceship to destroy Earth. As the spaceship was leaving, and the Doctor and his team were celebrating, a haggard looking Prime Minister gave the decision to shoot down the spaceship.

When the spaceship debris was raining down on London the Doctor turned angrily to the Prime Minister and said to her, "I can bring your government down with only six words". He then went aside with her (yes, a female prime minister) aide and whispered into his ear, "Don't you think she looks tired?" Eventually, the strain of office did get to her and her government was overthrown. All because of six words that indicated a downcast countenence!

In this Psalm we see that our countenance is effected by the state of our soul. If our soul is downcast within us then our countenance will be downcast. The remedy is praising God. We can actually speak to our souls, "Hey Soul! Get a grip! Why are you in such a blue mood? Come on and praise the Lord right now."

Say this to your soul right now and choose to praise God for who He is and what He has done. We praise Him not only when we feel like it but especially when we don't. We can choose to command our soul to praise Him and He will strengthen us to do so! This is how David strengthened himself in the Lord and we too can do the same thing.

He is the glory and the lifter of our head. Amen!

Poem

If your soul is feeling blue,
And your face shows it too,
It's time for a praise renew,
And you'll surely get a breakthrough!

Prayer

"Father, thankyou that you are always worthy to be praised no matter what I go through. I choose to command my soul to praise You in every situation, good or bad. Soul! Praise the Lord. now! Hallelujah! Amen!"

Does a Godly Home Guarantee Godly Kids? Part 1

2009-08-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Acts 16:31 (NKJV)

Pondering

This SUL (Spiritual Urban Legend) says something like, "The Bible promises that if you bring up your kids properly in the ways of the Lord they will eventually be strong in the faith.." People will confidently base this assumption on one or two main verses of Scripture, the commonest being Proverbs 22:6 and Acts 16:31.

Both of these verses are taken as promises by the Lord that if we do the right things in bringing up our kids then they will turn out great in the end, even if they stray away for a while.

The problem is that this erroneous thinking leads to three possible and very damaging results with faulty reasoning attached to them:

False Guilt: "My kids have turned out wrong so I must be at fault."
False Hope: "My kid is a mess now but I’ve done all the right things so they will come back to the Lord eventually."
Foolish Pride: "My kids are great. I’ve done all the right things. Yours are a mess, so you must be at fault!"

In the next few days devotionals we will see that these mind sets are not Bible based and will cause untold hurts if we embrace them. IF you have said any of the faulty statements above ask God to forgive you and calm your heart to have the right perspective.

Poem

I did all things right, my kids came out wrong,
I sang God's tune, they sang another song!
I blame myself and so do those around,
But this blame game really has no solid ground.

Prayer

"Father, help me to be the best parent I should be and to look at other parents in love, helping them and not hindering them from being the best parents they can possibly be. Steer me away from false guilt, false hope and foolish pride in all matters related to parenthood. Amen!"

Does a Godly Home Guarantee Godly Kids? Part 2

2009-08-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Acts 16:31 (NKJV)

Pondering

Underlying the erroneous thinking that "A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids" is a wrong understanding of what the Bible actually teaches. As mentioned, Proverbs 22:6 and Acts 16:31 are seen as iron-clad promises to be claimed and, as long as we do our part, the promise will definitely come into reality.

However, let us look deeper at these verses and see what the verses actually teach us. We'll look at four points, two today and two tomorrow:

1. Proverbs are not promises and Biblical narratives contain observations not hard and fast teachings.

Proverbs are general God-breathed observations on life put into a short, pithy statement. They are generally correct but there can be exceptions to the rule. The righteous aren’t always honored. The wicked sometimes succeed. The diligent can lose it all. The lazy can strike it rich and kids brought up well in the Lord can still be rebellious, even to the end.

Acts 16:31 are not God’s words, but the God-inspired words of Paul and Silas to the Philippian Jailer. They are right in his situation but are not a universal promise to be claimed by parents of all eras.

2. The Hebrew word for "Train" in Proverbs 22:6 is "chanak" (strongs 2596), which is best interpreted as "dedicate".

Our kids are to be dedicated to the Lord from the start. Just like Hannah dedicated Samuel to the service of the Lord, naming him prophetically as one who would lead Israel to hear the Lord once more (his name means "heard of the Lord"). This proverb only refers to one aspect of child-rearing, that is dedicating your kids to what the Lord has in store for them and helping them to succeed in this with proper discipline and spiritual guidance.

So, even though there is no hard and fast promise that our kids will turn out right when we bring them up rightly, this is generally the case. Hence, we need to dedicate our kids to His ways for them and He'll take care of the rest.

Poem

Train a kid in the way he should go
Does not mean that he will steal the show.
In fact he may be stolen by another crowd,
So we need humility and not be over proud.

Prayer

"Father, help me dedicate my kids (physical or spiritual) to Your way, not mine or theirs. Let me have the spirit of Hannah who committed Samuel to your service and allowed him to go in your ways. Amen."

Does a Godly Home Guarantee Godly Kids? Part 3

2009-08-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

Pondering

We continue to counter the faulty belief that "A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids" . Let us continue to look at the next two observations that help us interpret Proverbs 22:6 properly:

3. "In the way he should go" not "the way you want him to go" or even "the way he wants to go".

This ties in with what we had seen the meaning of "train" in this verse. We are to dedicate our kids not to our own dreams, or even their own earthly dreams, but to God’s dream for them. That is the way they should go - the way He has prepared for them beforehand (Ephesians 2:10), as He knows best and is their creator. This means we need to pray for them, help them discover God’s gifts and calling on their lives and mentor them in this pursuit.

4. "Will not turn from it" is not the same as "will turn back".

As mentioned, some interpret Proverbs 22:6 as meaning that if they train their kids properly in the Lord (and there are many theories on what this actually means), even if their kids turn away and become rebellious, God promises they will come back again eventually. However, as we have seen, a proverb is not a promise and this proverb says nothing of the sort anyway. It says that, generally, if parents dedicate their kids in God’s way, they will not even turn away in the first place!

Hence, Proverbs 22:6 is a general scenario but it does have exceptions. If a kid is trained in all the rights ways he or she should turn out well, but if he or she does not there’s no guarantee that he or she will come back. The only guarantee is that God is good and He knows what He’s doing . As parents, therefore, we can only lift the wayward kid into God’s hands and , like the Prodigal Father, pray he or she comes home.

Poem

Let me not live my dreams
Through my kids.
So that their screams
Don't pierce my ear-lids!

Let me draw out the gifts
God has placed within.
So my training lifts
Them closer to Him.

Prayer

"Father help me not to live out my own dreams through my kids (physical or spiritual), but help me to draw out the gifts and abilities you have fashioned them with to be a blessing in this world and beyond. Amen."

Does a Godly Home Guarantee Godly Kids? Part 4

2009-08-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

Pondering

The SUL (Spiritual Urban Legend) that "A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids" is based on some fundamental non-Biblical beliefs.

1. Children are born sinners not blank slates.

Modern parental techniques are very much influenced by the teaching on Psychologist B. F. Skinner. Skinner believed that children are born as blank slates, able to be shaped and molded in any direction so long as we use the proper rewards and stimuli. This teaching leads to the belief that parents make or break a kid by their parenting methods and the environment in which they raise their kids.

However, this does not square up with what the Bible teaches. In Scripture we see the proclamation of David, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:5), which is in agreement with many other Scriptures teaching that, since Adam and Eve, all humans are born with the sin nature (see also Ezekiel 18:1-20, Jeremiah 17:9,Romans). 5:12).

There’s such a thing as a willful child. You can train up three kids so they turn out great and godly and then use the exact same methods but see the fourth child become a rebel. In this case the parents are not at fault, their child bears the blame as they have let sin take control.

2. The best surroundings do not guarantee the best sons and daughters.

Skinner’s legacy has led people to believe that if you have the picture perfect home then you will raise picture perfect kids. However, as we have seen, sin spoils that perfect picture and, as kids grow up, they become responsible to live right before God. Even with the best training they can still choose the wrong path!

This is best illustrated by going right back to the start of mankind. Remember the Garden of Eden? There probably has never been such a perfect environment since then. God, the perfect father (and mother come to think of it) trained his first children in the best way possible and in the best environment. But they still rebelled!

3. Parents are basically stewards so stop blame shifting (or boastfully showing off!).

Children are a blessing from the Lord, they are not ours to own but belong to Him and we are put as stewards over them. Parents, therefore, are NOT responsible for how their kids turn out but they are responsible for how they raise them. They are accountable for INPUT not OUTPUT.

Unfortunately, most times parents are blamed for the way their children turn out, often piling much false guilt onto already hurting hearts. Only God knows if a faulty child is the result of parental neglect, parental heavy handedness or the child’s own willful rebellion.
If, like Eli in the Bible, the parents are at fault (1 Samuel 3:13), then God will deal with them without our unhelpful intervention.

The other extreme is also quelled by seeing parents as stewards. We have no right to boastfully show off if our kids turn out well as we are simply performing a servants role. We are not the owners of our kids, God is. If anyone gets praise for how well kids turn out then it is God, not the parents.

So in conclusion: Give it your BEST SHOT then BE STILL!

Poem

Just as Adam and Eve had the best parent,
And they lived in the best place,
So kids can grow up to resent
And turn away their face
Even living in the best home
Their hearts can take off and roam.
But like God extended out His grace
We too must give mercy it's rightful place.

Prayer

"Father, keep me from all the traps of parenthood and from judging other parents wrongly. Let me be a humble steward of all you give me, especially my kids. Amen."

Aeroplanes and Rockets

2009-08-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Passage

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne."
Revelation 4:1-2 (NKJV)

Pondering

The glory realm is a place we can be caught up into. It is the very Throne room of God where only one focus is possible - The King on the Throne. It's all about Him and His will in the glory realm. In the Bible, those who were taken up into the glory realm lived and walked in His glory and signs and wonders followed them. Think of the Apostle Paul who as captured up into the realm (2 Corinthians 12:4) and then moved in an exciting grace-filled ministry that saw many signs and wonders.

In the glory realm ministry becomes exciting, easy and a great joy. It's like the difference between being ground bound and then flying higher and higher until eventually you hit outer space. On the ground it is impossible for us to carry a car with one hand! In outer space it is no problem at all.

Just like the earth has many "atmospheres", so the spiritual life has "atmospheres". In the natural we have the Troposphere, which is the realm in which we live on the ground. Then we have the Stratosphere with the Ozone Layer and where jets and planes whizz about. Then we break through to the Mesosphere which is really the beginning of outer space. This sphere can only be reached by Rockets.

Many Christians are still struggling in the spiritual Troposphere , weighed down by the gravity of sin, worries, fears and stresses. Some rise up to fly like eagles in the spiritual Stratosphere. But very few break through to the Spiritual Mesosphere where the glory realm is and the will of God is the main focus and signs and wonders are every day occurences.

Notice that Aeroplanes do not have a strong enough structure to puncture through to the Mesosphere. They would break up if they tried. Only Rockets can pierce through. Man-made structures are torn apart in the Mesosphere and only God's Rockets survive. I believe the Rocket is like our abandoned prayer, praise and worship unto Him. As we pierce through in Spirit-Led prayer and Praise then we will experience the glory realm. We have been seeing this in our Tuesday Night Prayer Meetings the last few weeks. Throne Room New Songs have been breaking forth and the glory of the Lord is being glimpsed (with spontaneous healings as we worship). But there's so much more!

Let's pierce through into the spiritual Mesosphere and beyond! Let's be Rockets and not merely Aeroplanes.

Poem

Flying high in the Plane of Successful Christian living,
That's usually the goal of our sacrifice and giving.
The successful structures that fly above the mountains high
Must be set in stone as surely they cause the Church to fly.

But when they are set in stone they sink to the ground,
And God shows us visions of a place where His glory shines around.
It's in the realm beyond where planes fly, where man made structures fail,
Where only the Rockets of true praise and abandoned worship can prevail.

Prayer

"Father, let me glimpse more and more of Your glory realm. Forgive me when I settle for the safe and comfortable "Aeroplane" structures to fly high in my Christian life - well tested prayer techniques, song leading routines, sermon preparation methods and so forth. Take me beyond those to Your higher atmosphere of Glory. Amen!"

Emus and Eagles

2009-08-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Passage

"But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

Pondering

Over the weekend I had a wonderful time teaching and preaching in Full Gospel Church J.B, Malaysia. After all my hard work I went for a delicious meal with Pastor James. It was the first time i'd ever eaten Emu meat and I was so chuffed to be eating this delicacy that I even took a picture of it on my PDA!

As I was eating the meal I heard the Lord say to me "Many leaders (including me some of the time) and old time Christian in church are like Emus, like overgrown chickens!". I didn't really take this thought into deeper meditation until our staff meeting this morning at church. Pastor Song was talking about the need for us to be like Eagles, not ground-bound, doing things in our own strength. He implied we must fly on the currents of the Holy Spirit.

Then sister Anna had a vision. At first it was a group of chicks with their legs bound at the bottom of a mountain. Then the vision changed into a group of eagles soaring the summit of the mountain. This reminded me of my Emu meal. Suddenly it dawned on me what the Lord meant. Like the chicks, the Emu is a ground-bound bird but it is much bigger, more impressive and quite fast. However, one thing it cannot do is fly.

In the same way we can be fat christians, full of knowledge of the word. We can be tall, upright and impressive looking with all our refined Christian posturing and even very fast in running in the ministry for Him. However, without wings we're ground-bound and not breaking through into the glorious ministry God has for us. The wings are faith and love. We need faith in the Lord and the Love of the Lord so we can soar higher and see further for Him. Soaring far above fleshly, ground ministry, far above the clouds.

Poem

A big, fat, furious Emu,
That's what many of us are.
Looking good and standing tall,
And going so very far.

But one thing that is missing
On the emu's resume
Are wings to fly so very high,
And leave the ground so far,far away.

Without You I am nothing,
An eagle without wings.
But with You even mountains move,
And above the clouds my spirit sings.

Prayer

"Father God, help me to soar like and eagle and not run gound-bound like the emu. Lord, strengthen my faith so I can boldly flap my wings of faith and love and leave all fleshly, earth-bound ministry to be led by Your Spirit. Amen!"

The G Race

2009-08-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

"...looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;" Hebrews 12:15 (NKJV)

Pondering

Today I was preparing for my teaching on New Testament Survey. There was one pictoral outline of the epistle of Hebrews that caught my eye. It has pictures of all the things Christ is better than on the left hand side. On the right are the cloud of witnesses watching on as a person (representing me) stands before an upwards race track leading to Jesus on His throne. On the track, in big letters is GRACE. Suddenly saw that word as being 'G Race' - the Grace Race.

We are called to throw aside all that hinders us running in His grace. One big thing that hinders us in this race is bitterness, by which we "fall short of the grace of God". Just yesterday I almost fell into a trap of bitterness! There was a quiz on Facebook that I took showing me the ideal location that I should be living in. The conclusion was that I should be living in the countryside by a river in beautiful solitude. Actually this is my ideal dream place and a pang of longing came over me when I read this and saw the attached picture. I could have followed through the thought process and started to blame God for bringing me to this concrete jungle with so many people and get bitter at Him. But I didn't.

This feeling had also come a few days earlier when I saw a friend from Singapore who was going on a trek in the Lake District, England, my favorite place of all. I felt a bit trapped here in Singapore and longed to escape to such a place. However, I started to think of God's grace in my life and the undeserved favour lavished on me. He has given me a wonderful wife and three great kids. He has led me into ministering in a fantastically supportive Church fellowship and opened many doors to teach His word in the nations. Just this weekend i'm off to teach New Testament Survey in Malaysia. This is enough. His grace is enough.

I will run the G Race.

Poem

Amazing Grace has saved my soul
And set my feet on the track.
I'll run the 'G Race' and be made whole
Pressing onwards, no turning back.

Prayer

"Father, thank you for You amazing Grace towards me. I don't deserve to be where I am with all You have given me. So, out of undying gratitude I will continue to run the "G Race" until that day when we meet face to face. Glory to You always. Amen!"

The Sound of Many Waters

2009-08-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Passage

"His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters." Revelation 1:15
"And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne.." Revelation 14:2-3a
"..the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters.." Revelation 19:6

Pondering

As I was preparing to lead worship for Tuesday night's prayer meeting at church I felt the Lord was asking me to lead the congregation in "new songs". As I pondered on what this meant I was led to the passages in Revelation concerning the sound of many waters. It's interesting that the voice of Jesus is as the sound of many waters, the same as the voice of the multitudes, His saints, gathered worshipping in heaven, who sang "new songs".

As I meditated on these thoughts I realized that God wanted us to sing prophetic new songs that were actually the voice of Jesus as all of us together sang with one voice. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10) - as we sing together new songs with one voice it is the voice and testimony of Jesus and this is the spirit of prophecy.

What the Lord was saying was that we were to sing new songs not just with one person standing with the microphone singing a spontaneous spiritual song, but as one whole body sounding forth as the sound of many waters - each having streams of living waters flowing from them, combining as a whole to form many waters, a mighty river!

As I studied further I realized this "new song" (Psalm 33:3) or "spiritual song" (Ephesians 5:19) was a song of "deliverance" (Psalm 32:7) when sung in congregation. This was the case with Jehoshaphats worshippers who went ahead of the army before the enemy. As they sang a new song of spontaneous prophetic praise (in Hebrew "tehilla" ) "the Lord sent ambushes against" their enemies (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).

At first I was going to lead worship as usual, going through the songs I had prepared. However, the keyboard player turned up late and there were only two other musicians who turned up. After having practiced the songs we went into our pre-service prayer where we pray in the spirit and seek the face of the Lord. During this time the Lord gave me a "new song" (see the poem below). I sang it out and then all the congregation started singing it together. I heard the sound of many waters. After that we went into about an hour of singing almost all "new songs" (one songs we knew - The River of God - and at least five spontaneous "new songs").

Many of the songs were in response to spoken prophecy and directly songs aimed at declaring deliverance (one was declaring deliverance from Giants in our lives such as when David came against Goliath. The words went something like "You come to me with sword and spear, but I have no need to fear, I come to you in the name of the Lord.")

As the "new songs" came forth "as the sound of many waters" in congregational singing there was such a powerful prophetic anointing and the Glory of God filled the place as the waters cover the seas. It was truly wonderful and I believe a fresh revelation from the Lord.This was the most enjoyable time i've had leading worship and very "easy" and "light".

Let's come together and sing new songs, the sound of many waters, songs of deliverance.

Poem

Hallelujah, Hallelujah Praise the Lord
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, glory to His name.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Praise the Lord,
Yesterday, today and forever the same.

Prayer

"Lord God, You are awesome, so much greater and bigger than we can think or imagine. Let us not limit You but allow You to be who You are and have Your way in our midst. You rejoice over us with singing and we join in that song together as one, a new song, the sound of many waters, songs of deliverance. Take us deeper Lord. Amen!"

Five Suggestions for Surviving Parenthood (pt 1)

2009-08-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Passage

"And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob." Genesis 25:28 (NKJV)

Pondering

We can learn from Isaac and Rebekah's mistakes concerning their failure in bringing up Esau and Jacob.

Firstly, deal with the negatives of the past.
Isaac was overindulged as a child and over-protected. He may have harbored bitterness to his father for not allowing him more freedom to take risks. This could explain why he favoured Esau, his hunting, adventurous child. This also could have caused Isaac to be attached more closely to Sarah, his mother, causing an over reaction of grief at her death and possibly leading to unhealthy comparisons of Rebekah to Sarah in their marriage.

Secondly, develop communication.
We know that Isaac and Rebekah communicated well in body (King Abimelech of the Philistines caught them making out in his court - Gen 26:8- when they were in their sixties!) and in Spirit (as they both are mentioned praying), but they lacked soul communication (communication in mind, will and emotions). Hidden bitterness may have crept in (in Isaac as Rebekah could not conceive, in Rebekah as Isaac became more withdrawn). This lack of communication caused severe problems when they finally had children.

Thirdly, destroy favoritism.
Psychologists warn us that favoritism in the family unit tends to cause serious personality defects in the children. Isaac favoured Esau and Rebekah favoured Jacob. This led to serious problems, with Rebekah and Jacob conspiring to steal the firstborn son blessing. Bitterness and mistrust ruled in their family.

This is something I have become painfully aware of in my own family. Not long ago I was very lenient to my youngest son, Matthew over a small issue. Later my wife told me our daughter, Melody, was crying. I found out that this was because I was very harsh on her when she was younger over the same issue. I was showing clear favoritism to Matthew. After that I have sought to minimize, if not destroy, favoritism (soon after that event I started the practice of 'dating' Melody to see films together and spend time with her and also equal time with my two boys).

Poem

Spend time eye to eye with your spouse early on,
Communicate in body, soul and spirit before the children come.
If not you will spend unequal time with your favorite,
And when the kids are gone you'll look at your spouse and say,
"Who is it?"

Prayer

"Father, I pray you'd help me to communicate effectively with those dearest in my life and not to have favorites. Amen!"

Five Suggestions for Surviving Parenthood (pt 2)

2009-08-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents."
Genesis 25:27 (NKJV)

Pondering

So far we have seen three things we can learn from Isaac and Rebekah's mistakes concerning their failure in bringing up Esau and Jacob....

Firstly, deal with the negatives of the past.
Secondly, develop communication.
Thirdly, destroy favoritism.

Now let's look at a final two pieces of advice...

Fourthly, draw out their dreams.
Instead of enabling their sons to go the way they were made by God to go, Isaac and Rebekah were living THEIR dreams through their kids. Isaac had lived in a sheltered, low risk-taking relationship with his father and got excited hearing Esau's risky adventures. Rebekah had yearned for someone to communicate emotionally with and Isaac had not satisfied her in this area, so she turned to her home loving son, Jacob. They both despised their other sons as they did not fit into what they were looking for.

As parents the Bible says we must train up our kids "in the way he should go", (Proverbs 22:6) not in the way we want them to go.

Fifthly, display a loving example.
Esau and Jacob were raised with the negative examples of lack of trust and deceit. We see Rebekah listening in on Isaac's conversation with Esau, probably full of bitterness that Isaac does not speak to her in the same manner. She then hears that Isaac plans to bless Esau so she quickly conspires with Jacob to "steal" the blessing through deception (Read Genesis 27:5-8). This environment of lack of trust and deceit is played out in Esau and Jacob's lives as they go into adulthood and only remedied by the grace of God.

But that's another story for another time.

Poem

I want my kid to be a doctor as I failed in that pursuit,
So they can drive to work in my smart pin-stripe suit..
Maybe then they will be like I am. The same as me right now :
Unhappy, unfulfilled and as bored as a munching cow!

Prayer

"Father, help me to be the best parent I can be. If I have kids now help me to release them into your dreams for them, not my dreams. Help me and my spouse display a loving , trusting example to them. If I have no kids now then prepare me to be a good parent in the future, whether to my physical or spiritual offspring. Amen."

The 5 C's of Finding the Right Life Partner (Pt 1)

2009-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
Genesis 24:2-4 (NKJV)

Pondering

In Singapore it's a joke that most seek after the 5 C's - Cash, Credit Card, Condo and Country Club membership to be considered successful. Well in order to have a successful marriage we must learn 5 C's from Isaac and Rebekah!

When choosing the right partner we are to seek godly...

1. Christians

Abraham's servant did not search among the ungodly nations around them. Instead he went to Haran to find a bride for Isaac from the chosen line.In the same way we should not go evangelistic dating, hoping the other will turn to Christ as we date them! Normally the opposite happens and the Christian drifts away from the faith (i've witnessed this many times). We are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, especially in dating and marriage.

2. Counsel

Isaac chose to listen to the counsel of his father and to the decision of his father's servant. He did not follow his heart as our hearts can mislead us, especially in relationship matters. Young adults and youth of today rarely seek their parent's counsel in relationship matters, but if our parent are godly it is a wise thing to seek their advice. Also, Abraham's servant is a type of the holy spirit who not only searches out a bride for God's son, Jesus, but also searches for our partner if we seek His counsel.

I'll consider the next two C's in my next devotional thought.

Poem

You do not yoke a donkey with an Ox,
That's as dangerous as leaving a chicken with a fox.
Yoking those two will cause angry shoving,
No harvest work will be done and very little loving.

Prayer

"Father, my prayer is for the Christian youth and young adults of today that they would not dive into marriage without waiting on you and seeking godly counsel, allowing you to choose the right partner so they will be equally yoked. Amen."

The 5 C's of Finding the Right Life Partner (Pt 2)

2009-08-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Passage

"And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher." So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." Genesis 24:15-21 (NKJV)

Pondering

So far we have looked only at the first 2 C's, now we'll consider the next three.
When choosing the right partner we are to seek godly..

1. Christians
2. Counsel
3. Character

Abraham's servant sought for the woman who was not simply beautiful but who was a dedicated and loving servant. His requirement was that the bride-to-be would offer him a drink and also water his ten camels. Now, one camel alone would need about six of Rebekah's water jars - thats sixty rounds of water from the well! This shows us that Rebekah was a hard working servant who thought not of herself but had compassion on others. Christian character is vitally important when you are seeking for the right life partner. Look for signs of selfless service and compassion in the other person above external beauty and an impressive resume.

4. Communing

What was Isaac doing as the servant was out looking for a bride for him?

"And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming.." Genesis 24:63 (NKJV)

Isaac was a man of prayer and he was meditating on the Lord whilst his bride was being brought to him. If you want to get the best spouse, pray for the right one. Spend time meditating on the Lord and seeking His will in all things, especially concerning your life partner.

5. Communication

This is where Isaac and Rebekah failed and later we see the terrible results of bad communication in their relationship. Isaac was a quiet, contemplative type and Rebekah was probably more bubbly and approachable. Their communication probably failed early on and led to terrible things in their marriage.

Tomorrow we will see how this lack of communication effected them and their children.

Poem

Rebekah did not just satisfy one thirsty soul
But ten empty camel humps were made whole.
Her selfless service and enduring grace
Were what put a smile on the servants face.

Prayer

"Father, help me to be the best partner to the one you've chosen for me. Help me to be compassionate and selfless and serve them with endurance all the days we are together. Help me to pray for them and, when we are together, with them, so we can be a powerful team for Your kingdom. Amen.!"

Should we Forgive and Forget?

2009-08-09T01:55:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV) {see Jeremiah 31:34}

Pondering

There is a Spiritual Urban legend that we must "Forgive and Forget". This commonly teaches us, erroneously, that "Just as God forgives us and forgets our sin so we should forgive others and forget their sin."

At first glance you may say, "Well, isn’t that what the Bible says? Doesn’t Colossians 3:13 teach us that we should forgive as God does and, according to Hebrews 8:12, God "remembers no more" all our sins." But, as we will see, the term "remembers no more" does not mean "forget" as we understand it in modern English.

The key to understanding what the Biblical term "remembers no more" really means is in understanding the Biblical use of "remember". In modern English , "remember" means to not forget. Just by looking at one Biblical use of "remember" we can see this modern meaning is not the same as the Biblical one.

Take Noah, for example. Genesis 8:1 says that "God remembered Noah" after he and his family, and all the animals had been floating around in the Ark for five months. Did God forget all about Noah for five months and needed to be reminded by one of His angels? Can God forget? Isn’t He all knowing? Obviously the Biblical term "remember" means something quite different. Indeed, the best interpretation would be "to respond to and work in a situation or person" (in this case, all those in the Ark).

Conversely, the Biblical meaning of "remember no more" would be "to not respond to and work in a situation or person". So, when the Bible says God remembers our sin no more it means that He does not respond to our sin and work in our lives as we deserve. By His grace we are completely forgiven and do not need to live in shame and separation from Him. He knows all about our past sins, but if we ask His forgiveness through Jesus Christ with real repentance, He casts away ("as far as the east is from the west." Psalm 103:12) the present alienation, shame and guilt that sin brought to us.

That's good news!

Poem

To forgive and forget is what we are told,
Cause God does that, I guess He is old!
Though He knows all things can He forget them too?
How very convenient for me and for you.

It's amazing He forgets the sins of His saints,
Even though His Word records their complaints.
So, if ever God was to read His own word,
He'd suddenly remember, Oh my! That's absurd!

Prayer

"Dear Lord. Thank you that if I confess my sins you are faithful and just to forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Though you do not forget my sins you do not treat me as my sins demand as Christ has taken all the punishment of death and separation. Praise You Lord for this wonderful news and help me to embrace fully your glorious forgiveness. Amen!"

Forgiving and Forgetting is Impossible

2009-08-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

Passage

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
Psalm 103:12

Pondering

The Spiritual Urban Legend that we must "Forgive and Forget" is potentially very dangerous. It is not merely a small, innocent mistake of interpretation and understanding. It can cause huge problems in our relationships with God and others.

Firstly, believing we must forgive and forget is dangerous because it is IMPOSSIBLE with the big hurts in our life. Larry Osborne says, "Sure, we can and should forget the little things; the social slights, the unkind word, the fool who jumps our parking space. But when it comes to the true hurts and injustices of life, most of us are keenly aware that self-induced amnesia isn’t in the cards."

How many of you have heard a preacher say that God has turned His back on your repented sins after having tossed them into a deep ocean and then put a sign of "no fishing" there? What they mean by this is that God has forgotten about and covered all your (and others) repented sins and so must you. Don’t go back fishing for their memories and dig up the past. That kind of thinking is all well and good for small hurts and sins of the past. However, some hurts are so huge that they are like icebergs with tips sticking out of the ocean of forgetfulness!

The problem here is that such thinking can cause us to give up seeking forgiveness for the big sins and big hurts of the past. We try and bury them deep in our sub-consciousness but they keep resurrecting to haunt us. We end up paying lip service that we have forgiven those who hurt us so badly, or we have been forgiven for the huge sins we committed long ago, but because we have not fully forgotten them we feel that true forgiveness is out of our reach!

Hence, many Christian walk around with unneeded guilt due to a faulty spiritual urban legend. The truth is that God does not want us to forget really painful memories that have caused much hurt. He wants to heal those memories. To forgive others is not to forget what they have done to us but it is to relinquish our right to hurt back, to give that person a second chance and receive healing of past memories, so when we think of those events all we think of is what our glorious saviour has done to heal and restore us.

He has taken the separating barrier of our past sins away, as far as the east is from the west. When we have fully repented of past sins God can well remember those sins but knows that our repentance has restored our relationship with Him. So, as we remember our past sins and hurts we can rejoice that He has healed those memories and see how great is His love and forgiveness!

Poem

Trying to forgive and forget can cause us to quit,
As we try to throw the big sins in the pit.
To our dismay they are too big to fit,
So we hide them and just let them sit.

True healing comes when we let Him shine the light
Revealing those sins in their depths and their height.
Then seeing His cross is deeper and wider than these
We ask for true forgiveness and fall to our knees.

Prayer

"Thank you Father that your grace is sufficient. No matter how great my sins of the past you forgive them fully and restore me to full relationship with You. Though you and I can still remember those sins we know that they are forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ. A painful, hurtful memory can now be transformed into a time of deep gratitude of where we have come from - looking from the mountain top into a valley of past sin and marvelling at the deliverance. Amen!"

Forgiving and Forgetting is Irresponsible

2009-08-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."
2 Samuel 12:13-14 (NKJV)

Pondering

Secondly, believing we must forgive and forget is dangerous because it is IRRESPONSIBLE! We can wrongly think that because God has forgotten our sin we must be off the hook when it comes to any consequences of that sin. Hence, a convicted murderer could repent of all his sins and receive forgiveness of his sin of murder. Then he may expect God to miraculously intervene so he does not have to spend any time in jail but be restored to a normal life. Imagine the prisoner’s shock when he learns he has been given a double life sentence without parole. As time goes by he could become hurt, bitter and angry at God for not keeping His word.

When God forgives us he stops treating us as our sin requires (that is, we have restored relationship to God). However, if there are seeds of negative consequences already sown, they will be reaped. This is clearly seen in King David’s life. When the prophet Nathan confronted David with his sins of Adultery and murder he said that God had "put away" his sin but there would still be negative consequences: his baby, the product of that adultery, would die and there would be ongoing problems with his children (which later surface in Amnon’s incest and Absolom’s rebellion).

Was David forgiven? Yes! Did he expect God to take away all negative consequences of his sins? No! But, in the midst of enduring the painful consequences of his sin, he experience renewed relationship with God and supernatural joy in His presence (Psalm 51:11-12). The more damaging our sin is to the testimony we have as a Christian, the more consequences we’ll have to endure even after we have received full forgiveness from God. But the most important thing is that our relationship with God will be fully restored and we’ll experience His love, peace and joy.

Poem

When we sin there's a seed of a weed that is sown,
That continues to grow even when forgiveness is known.
It may damage our garden but one thing it won't do
Is break our relationship with the gardener too.

Prayer

"Father, it's sobering to realize that sins I commit can have a dramatic effect on others. Help me to walk in true godly fear so that I live more and more uprightly, not committing sins that will hurt others. Also, help me to realize that I may be seeing consequences of past sins that have been forgiven. This is a natural outworking of the law of sowing and reaping but it does not mean my relationship with You is broken. Praise You Lord for your amazing grace and mercy lavished upon me.Amen!

Forgiving and Forgetting is Inadvisable

2009-08-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme."
1 Timothy 1:19-20 (NKJV)
"Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works."
2 Timothy 4:14 (NKJV)

Pondering

Thirdly, believing we must forgive and forget is dangerous because it is INADVISABLE! It is not advisable to forgive others and forget completely what they have done. Why is this so? Because, if they are not fully repentant they can keep coming back to commit the same sin against you and treat you like a mat or a punching bag. You may say, "But didn’t Jesus teach us to turn the other cheek?" Well, my reply would be , "How many cheeks do you have?"

Forgiving others does mean giving them a second chance (as God gave to David a second chance to remain as King) but it does not mean allowing them to trample all over you (David still had to suffer the consequences of his sin as we have seen). You may turn the other cheek a few times but if that person is not changing in the area of the sin forgiven you need to rebuke them and even distance yourself from them (as seen in the pattern found in Matthew 18:15-17).

This is illustrated in the following story: An African man worked for Eunice, a missionary in Liberia. One day she caught him stealing clothes from her house. "Please forgive me," he pleaded. "I did wrong. I promise not to do it again." She forgave him and allowed him to continue working for her. But less than a month passed before she caught him stealing again. "Look at you!" She said. "You’ve stolen again!" The bright fellow stared at her and yelled back, "What kind of a Christian are you?" Eunice, dumbfounded, had no idea how to respond. The man continued, "If you forgive me, you do not remember it. If you did not remember it, such a thing did not happen."

Forgiving someone does not mean your relationship with them will be fully restored or you will continue trusting them as before. In the story above, the missionary was right to give the worker a second chance. However, after the worker proved that he was not really changed she should have either dismissed him or set more safeguards over her possessions. This would not be a sign of lack of forgiveness but a sign of wisdom. She should still fully forgive him each time by giving up the right to hurt back but full trust may never be restored.

In the Biblical example above Paul even delivered Alexander to Satan for the Lord to repay according to his works. Alexander was an Ephesian Christian, a member of the church in Ephesus. Something transpired where Alexander sinned and harmed Paul in a way that is not recorded. Instead of forgiving and forgetting, Paul extended forgiveness but distanced himself from the unrepentant Alexander, asking God to exact vengeance on him! Sometimes vengeance is an option but not for us to exact, but God.

Poem

Christian! You're not a door mat or a punching bag
That others can abuse.
Remember, punching bags can always bounce back
But in doing this you'll lose.
Let God send the punching bag from heaven
And giving up the right to hurt you must choose.

Prayer

"Father, help me to be wise when others trample over me as I forgive them. Teach me when to withdraw and when to ask You to come in a repay them. In every situation help me to give up the right to hurt back. Amen!"

Running The Right Race

2009-08-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24

Pondering

In this life we are to run in the right race, not the rat race! I read a story recently about a cross-country championship in Riverside, California. Out of 128 runners only 5 runners finished the race properly. You see, Mike Delcavo knew the organizer of the race and knew the course very well. When he saw the others going the wrong way he motioned for them to follow him. Only four followed him, the rest laughed and mocked and went their own way. Only Mike and the other four finished correctly and gained the prize.

It is no different in this life where we're all running a race. But do we know the organizer, Jesus, who will show us the course layout by His Spirit? As we run correctly there will be many who mock and laugh at us but if we keep on running in His race we will gain the prize of being with Him eternally.

In the above story, the other runners actually crossed the finishing line before Mike and the other four but were disqualified as they had taken a short cut. That's the trouble when you run in the rat race, taking short cuts to get there first. Someone once said that you can win the rat race but you are still a dirty old rat! The only race worth running is God's glorious race that the Apostle Paul ran in and, at the end of his full life, could say, "I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness." 2 Timothy 4:7-8. I want to run this race and no other.

Poem

You may run well in the rat race,
Beating all the others flat.
But when you arrive in first place,
You'll find that you're still a dirty rat!

Prayer

"Father God, keep me from running all worthless races and give me the strength to run your race, even when others mock and laugh at me for doing so. Amen!"

How To Run The Christian Race

2009-08-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Passage

"And if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." 2 Timothy 2:5
"I press on toward the goal for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14
"And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown". 1 Corinthians 9:25
"..let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2

Pondering

If we are to run God's race we must run correctly. Scriptures show us the correct way of running the Christian life.

We are to run....

1. Keeping the RULES of the race (2 Timothy 2:5)
2. Having the finishing mark as our AIM (Philippians 3:14)
3. With great self CONTROL(1 Corinthians 9:25) and
4. ENDURING until the end (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The four key words are:

Rules
Aim
Control
Enduring

We run His race by keeping the rules as revealed in His Word, the Bible. We are put in the race by His undeserved favour as we confess our sins and confess Him as our Lord and Saviour but we still have a standard to live by. If runners use illegal performance enhancing drugs they may excel for a season but ultimately will be caught and eliminated. We must run our Christian race with integrity and holiness.

Our Aim in the Christian race must always be to please God and run always towards His goal of being like Christ. In Paul's day there were regular games where runners competed against each other (the origin of the Olympic games). At the finishing line the judge would stand with the prize, a laurel wreath crown for the winner. As the runners came down the final stretch their eyes would fix on the judge holding the prize and strain forward to win. In the same way we must fix our eyes on Jesus and strain forward to be more and more like Him.

Runners need much self control and must throw off everything that hinders them in their quest for glory. In our Christian life we must walk in self control and exercise our spirits daily through prayer, worship and Bible reading and flee all temptations and sins that will slow us down in our race.

Finally, what is the point of starting well if we never finish the race. We must endure until the very end. When Carlton Heston was concerned about not being able to win the chariot race in the movie Ben Hur, Cecil B.De Mille told him, "Your job is to stay on the chariot. It's my job to make sure you win". So too for us - we're just to endure and do what God has asked us to do and leave the winning up to Him.

Poem

I may run and win, but along the way break the rules,
The only crown I will wear is the one reserved for fools!

Prayer

"Father God, help me to run the Christian life by keeping your rules found in your Word, the Bible. Help be keep my aim on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. Help me to be self controlled and run without entangling sins and baggage that will hinder me. Help me to endure to the very end by clinging tightly onto you. In the name of Jesus. Amen."

Faith is not Fearless

2009-08-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church." Acts 12:5 (NKJV)
"And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel." Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished". Acts 12:13-16 (NKJV)

Pondering

How many times have you heard preachers say that the opposite of faith is fear? Well, that may be true of the modern meaning of faith (a fearless confidence and positive attitude), but it is not the opposite of Biblical faith. If Biblical faith means ‘trusting obedience’, then the opposite is ‘mistrusting disobedience’. A person may fearlessly take risks in "faith" to set up a thriving, successful business and claim it is the blessing of God, but actually be living in mistrusting disobedience to the Creator!

Sometimes as we listen to God and hear His word (faith comes by hearing the word of God - Romans 10:17), He will speak to us clearly to do something that we do not want to do. We are fearful of taking that course. If we fearlessly do something else with what seems like great "faith" we have no faith at all. But if we apprehensively, timidly and even, fearfully, start to walk in His revealed way, even in great weakness and difficulty, we have much faith!

In the passage here the church is praying for Peter to be released from prison. They are fearful and locked away in Mary’s house. James has just been martyred and Herod was harassing the church. Their prayer was far from what we would call "full of faith and belief". When Peter really was released and turned up at their door they could not believe it and were amazed. Wasn’t that what they had been praying for? Did God answer their prayer? Yes! Was it a faith-filled prayer? Well, I would say they prayed in faith , even if that faith was the size of a mustard seed. They prayed because they loved and trusted God in the midst of persecution. Did they have fear? Yes! Wouldn’t you in their situation? But, according to the Biblical definition, they had faith.

Poem

The boy falls off the cliff and clings onto the overhanging tree,
His father reaches out his hand and says,"Son, trust in me".
The boy has faith and reaches out, but fear still lingers on,
Yet when he's in his Father's arms that fear is finally gone.

Prayer

"Father, give me the strength to trust You and obey You, especially when You ask me to move into areas I find scary. Though my heart may tremble with fear I will trust you and walk more and more boldly into your destiny for my life. Thank You Father that you are totally trustworthy. Amen!"

Faith is not Fail-safe

2009-08-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise."
Hebrews 11:36-39 (NKJV)

Pondering

Faith does not guarantee everything will go smoothly or ‘successfully’ (at least in the world's definition of success) in this life. Reading through the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 one may originally think that if we have faith then we will be victorious and successful in this life, seeing deliverance from a wicked generation like Noah, supernatural blessing like Abraham and so forth. However, when you arrive at verse 36 your head will spin and you will be confused if you hold the urban legend view of faith!

Trusting in the Lord may lead us into great suffering and persecution, such that it may seem like none of His promises are being fulfilled. Indeed, in the cases given at the end of Hebrews 11, all those mentioned here did not receive God’s promises in this life but they did have a powerful testimony of faith. They didn’t have Jedi-like faith that blasted all the opposition in the arena to kingdom come but they had a strong trust in the Lord that He would be with them and give them His peace and joy, even in death. They trusted Him so much that they followed him obediently down the valley of a shadow of death, not fleeing to safety on the mountain of false faith.

Poem

Lord please give me the strength to stick with You always,
Through sunny times of joy and thrundrous stormy days.
My faith in You is not based on how things go outside,
But based on your unchanging grace that melts all of my pride.

Prayer

"Lord, I don't trust in you for my own benefit. I trust in you whether you take me through heaven or hell on earth. It is enough that You are with me. If You lead me through the valley of the shadow of death I will not run to the mountains of false faith but will take Your hand and trust You to lead me where I must go. Amen!"

Faith Is Not A Force

2009-08-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Passage

"And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
Luke 17:5-6 (NKJV)

Pondering

When Star Wars first came out I remember preachers comparing it’s message with the teachings of the Bible. Good versus evil like in the Bible, the dark side and the light side of the force like the kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God and faith in Satan or faith in God.

Unfortunately this is a complete misunderstanding of the Bible. The Bible never presents a dualism of good versus evil, but an initially good creation by an uncreated, almighty God. Later His angelic creation, Lucifer, rebels and becomes Satan, taking a third of the angels with him. Satan is not the diametric opposite of God but a pale created negative wannabe god with only one third of the original angelic force behind him. Faith is nothing like the FORCE portrayed in Star Wars. The FORCE is more of a new age or Gnostic view than a Biblical one where we must pray and fast and believe God enough to rise up in the ranks of faith from a spiritual padawan to eventually become a Christian Jedi master!

Biblical faith is simply trusting in God and taking His Word and obeying it out of love. Even if we trust Him as little as a mustard seed then He can perform mighty miracles through us according to His will (uprooting trees and casting mountains into the sea).

Poem

Faith is not a Force which grows as we ascend the ranks of God,
But it is childlike faith that clings to the Shepherd and yields to His staff and rod.
It's not a growing power that grows as we master the faith,
But it is God moving mountains as we trust and seek His face.

Prayer

"Lord, help me to trust you like a child, that even if my trusting obedience is as small as a mustard seed I know you will work miracles through me. Amen!"

True Faith

2009-08-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Passage

“"And the LORD said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
Genesis 11:6-7 (NKJV)

Pondering

I’ve heard preachers use the tower of Babel episode positively to show, as they say, If men are united and have enough faith, nothing is impossible for them, and the audience erupts in applause. However, this story is a negative example of positive thinking! God is showing that man should not visualize and positive think his way to a course of action that is opposed to God’s plan, as the tower of Babel was.

The Biblical word used for faith is the Greek word "pistis", meaning confident trust in God that leads to obedient action. Modern English has different meanings for Faith, Belief and Trust, but all these English words are used to interpret ""pistis" in the New Testament. These English words have been morphed into meaning something very different to their Biblical counterpart - Today "Faith" has come to mean "Confident belief that something unseen will be manifest", "Belief" has come to mean "mental assent to something" and "Trust" has been reduced to some passive acknowledgement of a person's faithfulness.

An illustration that well shows the true Biblical meaning of Faith is that of a tightrope walker who walked across the heights of Niagara Falls on a tightrope blindfolded. After that he took a wheelbarrow and pushed it across with a bag of potatoes inside. Then he called to the adoring crowd below saying, "Who believes I can push a man across in the wheelbarrow?" All hands went up. Then he pointed to one of the men with his hand up and said, "Ok. You believe I can do it then get in the wheelbarrow now". The man looked at his watch, made and excuse and quickly ran away. He had mental assent that the tightrope walker could do it but had no real faith as he was unwilling to trust and obey!

Whenever you see Faith, Belief or Trust in the New Testament the meaning is simply Trust and Obey the Lord! God seeks trusting men and women not positive thinkers!

Poem

Faith is not believing great things will happen to me,
It's not visualizing a wondrous future we will one day see.
It's simple trust in Jesus that He's my Shepherd King,
Where He leads i'll follow, and in valley or mountain i'll sing!

Prayer

"Father, help me to display real faith in you. Help me to simply trust you and obey your word. Keep me from dreams and desires that will lead me away from your will. You are my shepherd and where You lead I will follow. Amen!"

Child-Like Faith

2009-07-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Passage

"But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 19:14 (NKJV)

Pondering

Early this morning we received the news that one of our church members,Jack, had passed away and gone to be with the Lord. This is getting to be more of a regular event as our church grows larger. However, this time it gripped our hearts a bit more than usual as this brother died at the age of only 28 and had been a good friend of ours for about ten years, joining the cell group in our house for many of those years.

Though he was 28 Jack had a medical condition that caused many complications in his body and cause him to have the mind of a small child. The last few years of his life he was wheel-chair bound but he was not bound in his spirit! Yes, he was often childish, even throwing tantrum when not getting his way. But I will remember him for his simple childlike faith. He sang like an angel with joy and passion in our cell group and prayed with even more fervour.

One time our fan had broken down in the living room where we have our cell meetings. Jack rolled confidently up to the fan in his wheel chair and laid hands on the fan and prayed "Be healed in the name of Jesus!" Immediately the fan started working again.

Do we have faith in God like a child or have we grown more "mature" (this should read cynical)?. Let us learn from Jack and enjoy our relationship with Daddy God, coming to Him as a child, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Poem

Here is the poem I've written for Jack that I will share at his funeral tomorrow:

Jack's Poem

A child trapped in a body that decays,
Yes, childish sometimes, but childlike always.
He laughed like a Cherub, a smile on his face,
Sang like and angel and prayed with simple faith.

Though bound on this earth in a body and a chair,
He freely loved to give and receive a king's share.
Now bound no more but dancing, singing, free,
He is forever with King Jesus, receiving gifts endlessly!

We love and miss you Jack, with your simple ways,
And know we'll see you soon, one of these days.
When Jesus returns with all the saints we'll see
Jack laughing, swimming, singing and, best of all, FREE.

Prayer

"Father, I want to learn from Jack today. I come to you as a trusting child, with simple faith and no pretentious adult cynicism. Help me to become more and more childlike in following and relating to you day by day Lord. Amen."

More and More

2009-07-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God". 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NKJV)

Pondering

Today I spoke at one of my church member's Christian workers gatherings at her work place. My topic was that God want us to excel more and more in four areas. These for areas came to me as I studied the occurences of the term "More and More" in Scripture. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word "Yasap" (strongs 3254) is the closest match to this term. In Greek the closest match is "Mallon" (Strongs 3123).

Instead of sinning more and more (see 2 Chronicles 33:23;26:14; Hosea 13:2) we are to:

1. Minister more and more.to (1 Thess 4:1) and For (1 Thess 4:10) God
2. Open up more and more to God (Psalm 71:14) in praise.
3. Receive more and more from God (Psalm 115:14)
4. Experience more and more of God (Philippians 1:9) (the word knowledge in Scripture is always used more in terms of knowing a person in relationship than mere factual head knowledge).

These four things spell M.O.R.E!

We should be growing more and more in each of these areas. Is our ministry to the Lord in personal worship and prayer getting more nd more, going deeper and deeper, soaring higher and higher and reaching further and further? Are we ministering more and more to others according to our gifts and callings? Are we opening up to God more in our daily walk of praising him, lifting our hands higher, raising our voices louder with greater and greater passion? Are we receiving more and more of God's abundant provision day after day? Are we experiencing more of the Lord's immense three in oneness - His awesome power, his majesty, his salvation and his love?

"MORE LORD!"

Poem

More of You in my life Lord,
More of all that is in Your Word.
Let me never be satisfied with where I am Lord,
But press on into what I've not seen or heard.

Prayer

"Lord, I know that all I've experienced of you is not even a drop in the ocean, but a splash in the stream that leads to the river that runs into the ocean! Take me into more of all you are and have so that I can minister more and more to and for you, open up more and more to You, receive more and more from You and Experience more of You every day. Take me deeper, higher and further into You. Amen!"

Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice

2009-07-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."
Rom 12:15-16 (NKJV)

Pondering

Today something happened that made me wonder how people watching from the outside would react if they witnessed the scene. The reaction would vary from a humorous chuckle through various stages of bemusement or disgust to even anger.

My son, Matthew, who is six years old, called me into the bathroom with a triumphant tone and excitedly asked me to look into the toilet bowl. "Daddy, I did a big poo!", he chirped joyfully. I looked at the brown prize and was extremely happy and congratulated him and even went to tell the other members of the family.

Many seeing this would think Matthew was very rude and naughty to suggest looking at the contents of his bowels and that I was very wrong to encourage him in this prank. However, this was a glorious day of breakthrough for Matthew, indeed for us all. A day to rejoice with him in his rejoicing.

You see, Matthew was born with an imperforate anus, meaning he was born with no anal opening. This has meant that we have had to dilate him regularly to remove the build up of hard poo. Up until this moment he had not been able to do a proper poo by himself. Therefore, this was a very special moment of joy for us all.

We tend to judge circumstances through our own lenses, often not really understanding what others are going through. It is important not to judge merely from our own experience but to try and understand where others are coming from when they do things that seem strange to us. Let us learn to rejoice with those who rejoice, whether their rejoicing makes sense to us or not!

Poem

A day of rejoicing for one may cause others to mock,
But let us have love and get over the shock.
We are all different, each travelling a different path,
So when we feel like reacting let us join in and laugh!

Prayer

"Father, thank you for making us all so very different. However, often we resent those differences and want others to do things like us. Help me today Lord to learn a bit more how to identify with those who are different from me and to rejoice when they rejoice. Amen."

Don't Forget to Ask

2009-07-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Passage

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Luke 11:9-13 (NKJV)

Pondering

Have you ever noticed that the first letters of Ask, Seek and Knock spell ASK? AS James says, we often go through life not having what is rightfully our because we simply do not ask (James 4:2). However, then James says that it is possible to ask God for something but receive nothing. Why? "Because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures". (James 4:3)

The picture that Jesus gives us is of one asking correctly as He asks within the Father's will. We are to ask the Lord what we are to seek in prayer and then seek it until He leads us to the door. We then PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens) the door and it will open to glorious answers.

The first part of prayer in in inquiry. We enquire what God would have us pray and then seek for the fullness of what that prayer is. Many Christians pray without really asking - they are demanding what they want. This type of prayer is rarely answered as it falls into the James 4:3 category.

We must ask for that which the Father will give us - bread, fish and eggs prayers, not stone, scorpion or serpent prayers!

Poem

When on your knees do not demand
But come to Him and ask,
Seek for what is already in His hand,
And join Him in completing that task.

Prayer

"Father, I thank you that you are a prayer answering God. Help me to prayer your prayers that you will surely answer and open the doors of abundance. I ask, Father, that you always show me what to seek in earnest prayer that I only pray to move Your hand to do that which leads to Your open doors and not my closed ones. Thank you Lord. Amen."

Rejoice in the Lord

2009-07-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

Passage

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:4-7NKJV

Pondering

Today started horribly! I realized an important computer program I need for creating covers and labels for teaching CDs had been forever wiped off all my systems and I had lost the disk it was on. My mood swung down and down and caused me to be quite irritable towards others around me. Was it the end of the world? It seemed like it under my black cloud. However, in reality, it was a minor thing.

Paul was under house arrest, unable to roam further than the chain he was attached to (which was attached to a Roman soldier to make sure that roaming did not happen). As Paul wrote to the Philippians who were experiencing persecution, he filled His letters with the joy of the Lord. You see, in trouble, the Joy of the Lord is our strength. It is as we rejoice in the Lord in the midst of problems that His love, joy and peace fill our hearts. It is not logical. We will not feel like doing it. But as we do then we will experience a divine paradox - great joy can be experienced in great distress.

Notice that Paul does not merely day "Rejoice!" That would be a glib thing to say given his and their circumstances. He said "Rejoice IN THE LORD". Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross with an inner rejoicing that the Father's will is best and He is in control. Christ lives in us by His Holy Spirit and we need to ask Him to fill us with His joy and rejoice with His rejoicing. In Him is full ness of joy..

As I did this today the Lord gave me a creative solution and I managed to find a free program that not only did what the old one did, but better! Praise the Lord. He is always good and worthy to praise and rejoice in! Amen.

Poem

In good times rejoice.
In bad times rejoice more!
When storms come in, raise your voice,
And dance before an open door.

Prayer

"Thank you Father that you are always good. You are good in bad times and that is a reason to rejoice in You. always. Help me Lord to always have an attitude of gratitude as I know that you will fill me with more of your love, joy and peace as I do. Amen."

The Upward Call

2009-07-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Passage

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14-15 (NKJV)

Pondering

Today I woke with excitement knowing I had an important task to finish - the Discipleship Manual i've been working on. As I went through the day, hardly breaking to drink and eat, I felt like I was going onward and upward on a mountain expedition. When I finally typed the last page and added the last illustration I sat back , speared my flag into the mountain ice at the summit, and grinned!

God's call on our lives is an upward journey, not a drag-along, never ending, monotonous flat land (though there will be wilderness moments to be sure) or a series of tumbling ever downwards slopes that leave us more depressed at the end of every day than when we first set out (though there will be valley moments in out pilgrimage).

Pressing onwards does require sacrifice. I think of the many things I have had to give up to go on the journey God has called me on. I had to leave family, friends and country and arrive in a foreign land with only a stuffed backpack and a few dollars to my name. Though I had earned a good degree at Imperial College, London, God's call caused me to turn my back on the riches, large house, nice car etc. that would have been my lot If I had continued on that path. However, this path that God set me on is an upward one. My faith is going up. My joy is rising. My fulfillment in life is on the up. Hallelujah! I await the complete prize at the end - It truly will be awesome as the prizes I have had from Him in this journey itself are already out of this world.

Poem

Onwards and upwards on His holy Highway.
Soaring ever higher as I turn to Him and pray,
Then rising from my knees to walk with Him in faith,
I revel in the task given, and move in it by His grace.

Prayer

"Lord, I'm so grateful for your call on my life. Thank you that you have called me on an ever upwards journey of great joy and meaning. Yes, there's an awesome prize at the end, but you bestow many gifts on me as I walk towards that prize. The gift of joy. The gift of fulfillment and meaning. Take me higher Lord. Lead me on to greater heights in you every day. I press on to the glorious goal, not with drudgery or depression but with great joy. There may be pot holes on the way, painful thorns scratching at me, but my eyes are fixed on the summit and I launch forward with great joy. Thank you Lord. Amen."

The Devotional Handbook

2009-07-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

Passage

"In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the
Power and the glory forever. Amen."
Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)

Pondering

This morning I awoke with a dream clearly etched on my consciousness. In the dream the Lord came to me with a handbook and gave it to me. He said that I should write in it a devotional guide that was to be a pocket companion to the Bible for people to have a meaningful devotional life.

Immediately I went to my Desktop computer and started typing down an outline as inspired by the Lord. I felt the Lord was asking me to use the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) as an outline and then seven "P"s came quickly to me as a working framework for the Devotional Handbook.

1. Praise (Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.).
2. Perspective (Your kingdom come.).
3. Petition (Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.).
4. Provision (Give us this day our daily bread. ).
5. Purging (And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.).
6. Protection (And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.)
7. Proclamation (For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.).

This is a wonderful guide for an intimate, meaningful relationship with the Lord. I will spend time making this Handbook for use in my Church and the Church worldwide.

Poem

The Master gave us a pattern prayer of power.
The least we can do is spend at least one hour,
Delving into the crystal clear waters of intimacy,
The deeper we go in Him the further we'll see.
Prayer

"Our Father, you are so awesome and worthy to bow down before and worship with all my heart. Draw me deeper into this glorious relationship you give so freely to me. So unworthy as I am, but I can enter into a dynamic relationship with you through the blood of Your dear Son Jesus. Truly Lord, I ask you would take me by the hand and lead me on in this prayer journey day by day. Teach me Lord to pray. Amen"

True Racial Harmony

2009-07-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Passage

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation." Eph 2:14 (NKJV)

Pondering

Today my son, Matthew, had Racial Harmony Day at his kindergarten. This meant that all the kids dressed in their traditional costumes. This is not as easy as you think for us as I am British and my wife is Chinese. This year we chose the British look (whatever that is). In my wife's eyes that meant dressing him up in a tuxedo with a bow tie (like a page boy at a wedding). When he arrived he was upset as most of his friends were wearing Ben 10 T-Shirts and jeans! (Singaporean triditional dress?).

Having lived over 20 years in Singapore I thank God for the comparative tolerance there is between races and religions but am acutely aware that this is a surface tolerance. There is much racial prejudice beneath as can be witnessed behind the scenes with groups of Chinese telling cutting Indian Jokes or the behind the back glance of disapproval from one race to another.

But the good news is that in Christ the wall of racial prejudice is truly torn down and we onre one in Christ, whether British, Chinese, Indian or Malay. I have caught glimpses of this unity in the English service I pastor in our church. We have Chinese and Indian Singaporeans, Japanese, Australians, Pakistanis, South Africans, Malaysians, Indonesians, Filipinos and more all worshipping together as one. This is a beautiful foretaste of the worship in heaven where every tongue tribe and nation will worship together without divisions or prejudice.

Poem

Some wear veils, and some wear hats,
Some love dogs, and some love cats.
Some kids sleep early, some kids sleep late,
Some arrange marriages, other date.

In the natural there's much to divide,
Language, actions and national pride.
But in Christ these walls have been broken down
And we are one, whether Black, white, red, yellow or brown!

Prayer

"Lord forgive me for the times I look down on other races or think badly about certain cultural behaviour. I thankyou for making the human race so diverse and I want to celebrate the differences! Praise You Lord that, though we are so different, You bring us together as one in Christ. Lead me today Lord to bless someone of a dirrerent culture or race to me and to show your love to them. The middle partition of racial pride is truly gone in Christ. Amen!"

The Philip Factor

2008-10-28T05:08:00.001-07:00

God uses ordinary people in extra ordinary ways!

"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing." Acts 8:26-39

This is the story of deacon Philip. He was not an apostle but an ordinary follower of Christ made extraordinary by certain qualities he possessed, the sum of which I call the Philip Factor.

The Philip Factor is that you can be ordinary but used by God in extraordinary ways only if you are OPEN to God's Ways, OBEDIENT to God's Will and OVERFLOWING with God Word.

Firstly, Philip was OPEN to God's Ways in his life. He was an ordinary Church member in Jerusalem but was chosen and appointed as a deacon. Seven deacons were chosen in the early church in Jerusalem to free the Apostle from practical tasks, especially the task of distributing aid to the widows. These deacons were chosen as they were "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). Philip was chosen as one of the seven, which shows us that he was living a victorious Chrisitan life, shining forth Christlikeness in his character and conduct.

As the early church grew and became established the role of a deacon continued and was further qualified. Paul wrote to Timothy to appoint Elders and deacons in the church at Ephesus and the deacons were to "be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience" (1 Timothy 3:9-10).

Philip opened his heart up to the Lord, having faith in Christ's transforming power. Though Philip was initially an ordinary Church member he rose up above the ordinary to live an outstanding, extraordinary life for Christ. All of us can do this as we claim all the riches of Christ that are available to us. According to Scripture, once we have a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (that is from the time we become a born again Christian) we have available to us "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). All of God's provisions for us to live victoriously and for our lives to count for eternity are available to us if only we would open our hearts to His ways and trust in Him above all else.

This is my own experience. For many years I was an ordinary church goer, regularly attending appointed meetings and participating in Church events. However, I was an extremely fearful, shy and insecure individual and went to church as a form of survival. The turning point came when I went to university in London and started attending a church called Holy Trinity Brompton . I went on an Alpha Course and on the final weekend away the Lord met me in a powerful way as I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Bathed in His power, I suddenly had a revelation of my position in Christ. I knew I was not destined to survive and beg like a dog for crumbs from the Master's table, but to be seated in heavenly places with the Master, clothed in His righteousness, living in His victory. Soon after that time God led me into full time missions work and I was sent to Singapore where I live to this day as Pastor in the English service of a church here. This happened because God gave me the power to live an exemplary life for Hiim, and because of this I gained favour from man and slowly was recognized as having a godly character fit for the Lord's service.

Secondly, Philip was OBEDIENT to God's Will. After his fellow deacon, Stephen, was martyred, Philip fled Jerusalem into Samaria, avoiding the great persecution in his home town. Jesus had said that the Holy Spirit would empower the believers in Jerusalem to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) but they had only really been effective in reaching Jerusalem and Judea, the Jewish people most culturally like themselves. However, it took persection to force these early missionaries to reach their next destination, Samaria. The Samaritans were a people group hated by the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea due to their corrupted form of judaism and their origins from intermarriage with Assyrians, the hated enemy of Israel from generations past.

It was into the midst of this hated race that Philip fled. He loved the Lord too much to hate the Samaritans any more. He knew that his Lord had taught "If you love me keep my commandments", and a final commandment that Jesus had given to His church included being His witnesses in Samaria. So the story in Acts shows us that "Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did'" (Acts 8:5-6). Philip was thrust right into the middle of God's will and because of his openness and obedience He found himself in the midst of a revival!

This is where we come to the passage quoted at the beginning of this article. In the middle of a great revival in Samaria an angel of the Lord comes to Philip and tells him to go south along the road to Gaza. Philip knew this meant travelling into a desert, a barren and undesirable place. Previously he was thrust into God's will by circumstance with no real options. However, now he is presented with a choice - obey and go into a desert or disobey and stay in a wonderful revival. What would you do? The flesh would want to stay but going into the middle of God's will is always the wisest choice, so that's the wise decision Philip took as he "arose and went" (Acts 8:27).

The name Philip is a Greek name meaning "lover of horses". For a horse to be useful it needs to be broken-in and bridled. The breaking-in process is the breaking of its stubborb and wild will and the act of bridling is to put a bridle on the horses head so the rider can control it. Jesus wants to ride on our lives, leading us into the Father's will, the best place for us to be. But, before this can happen, our will needs to be broken until we get to the point, like Jesus, where we can say to the Father, "not my will but yours be done".

Philip was truly broken-in and bridled by the Lord. Even though the Lord's guidance seemed crazy he willingly and joyfully obeyed and ended up being very glad that he did. Indeed, Philip's obedience would eventually result in a revival where a whole nation turned to Jesus. It is recorded that the African nation of Ethiopia became a Christian nation in about AD300 and this fact can be traced directly back to the meeting of Philip with the Ethiopian Eunuch that we read about in this passage.

Just think of the many "coincidences" that occur in this story. Philip walked 50 miles and "just happened" to come across the caravan of one of the most influential person in the nation of Ethiopia (the trusted treasurer of the queen). As he ran past the Eunuch's chariot it "just happened" that he was reading aloud Isaiah 53, a passage concerning the sacrificial work of Jesus on the Cross. Then, as Philip was invited into the chariot to share the good news of Jesus and the Eunuch wanted to profess his faith in Christ and be baptized there "just happened" to be some water nearby, in a desert! When we obey the guidance of the Lord, be it through angels or the Spirit Himself, there will be many divine coincidences that I call "God-incidences" that will lead us to do mighty works for the Lord.

Thirdly, Philip was OVERFLOWING with God's Word. He had obviously immersed himself in the Word of God he knew - the Old Testament writings and the teachings of Jesus passed to him by the Apostles. It was because he knew God's Word he could accept his divine Samarian assignment where others would have defaulted. It was because he knew God's Word that he could leap into the chariot with the Ethiopian Eunuch and, from the word that dwelled in Him richly, overflowed a clear interpretation of Isaiah 53 in the light of the work of Christ on the Cross and his resurrection and ascension.

We need to immerse ourself in the Word of God daily. Listen to it, read it, study it, memorize it and meditate on it. Empowered by the Spirit, His indwelling Word is a powerful weapon. When we are forced into situations we would rather not be in then the Word of God will keep up safe and strengthen us to be victorious (like Philip in Samaria). When he leads us to walk through desert roads the Word of God will sustain us and gush forth from us to refresh the weary souls of others God leads us to, those who will pass that word to others.

The Ethiopian Eunuch would not have travelled alone. He would have travelled in a large caravan of possible a hundred or more people. He was a rich and influential man who would have travelled with body guards, members of the royal court, merchants and others. History tells us that many Ethiopians converted to Judaism from the time of Solomon (through Queen Sheba), so the nation of Ethiopia at that time was under the blessing of Abraham and would have been a powerful and influential land. So, when he gave his life to Jesus and was baptized, this would have been witnessed by the whole caravan. Because of his influential position I believe many others would have immediately followed his example and as they travelled back to Ethiopia with the Good News there would have been a mighty revival in that land. All because Philip was OPEN to God's Ways, OBEDIENT to God's Will and OVERFLOWING with God's Word.

You may feel like you are just an ordinary person living a meaningless, ordinary life. But with Christ in your life you can be used in extra ordinary ways if you will simply be OPEN to His ways, OBEDIENT to His Will and OVERFLOWING with His Word. Let the Philip Factor be evident in your life.

Today, open your heart and let Jesus in even more! Determine to live in His full and abundant provision for you. You'll be amazed at what the Lord can do through your life.

AMEN!

Rev.Tim Gibson

28/10/2008