prophecy

As Christians we often wish to get a glimpse into heaven to see what it is like. Jesus lived there before coming to earth. John the Baptist called Him “He who comes from heaven,” and said that Jesus “testifies to what He has seen and heard.” (Jn 3:32) Not only did Jesus see and hear what life was like with God, but He also had an in-the-moment ability to hear what God was currently saying. John tells us that Jesus “speaks the words of God,” (Jn 3:34). This was Jesus’ testimony; that He spoke the words of God.

Though we do not spend our time gazing into heaven to see and hear what goes on there, Jesus did give up His Holy Spirit which reminds us of the Words He spoke on the earth, and will show us of things to come. In fact, Peter tells us that it is the Spirit of Christ which prophesied in the past and continues to prophesy now (1 Pet 1:11 & 2 Pet 1:21). We can have the in-the-moment ability to hear the Words of God.
What sort of things would we be hearing from God? Different things. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth just like it is done in heaven. We pray this way because the way things are done on earth are not the way they are done in heaven. When God speaks it gives us a glimpse of how things are done differently in heaven, and what His kingdom should look like on earth. Our thoughts, in the natural, cannot grasp the things of God, for His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Is 55:9). What God speaks to us should sound new, and unfamiliar to our own way of thinking.

The Bible tells us that we may speak the words of God to one another. It is the gift of prophecy. We also learn that the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev 19:10). Jesus went on record as One speaking from God. Those who hear from and speak the words of God have the Testimony of Jesus (Rev 12:17). They hear and see things differently when God is speaking to them, and will speak things that are unfamiliar to the listeners. If we do not want to change the way we see things, we will not receive what they have to say. But if we open our ears up to the voice of true prophecy, we will receive what God has to say to us through them. Amen.

Noble

Here is another proverb-like entry;

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

The noble at heart know that truth does not originate from them, but is a gift to them. Pride is believing that what you think is truth because you believe you are the source of truth. A proud man wants to believe what he wants to believe, period. He does not examine to see if what he hears is the truth when compared against other truths by the Holy Spirit. This is the spirit of pride which lives in all men. But the one that follows the Holy Spirit wants to believe what is the truth and will submit all he hears to the light of examination by the Holy Spirit, for he loves the truth more than his own thoughts.

Learning from King Ahaz's mistakes

Though many of the kings of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, Ahaz did not. It is surprising what parallels we can find in his infidelity towards God and in our own tendencies to follow the ways of the world and our flesh. While Ahaz’s father enjoyed prosperity and power because he followed God, by the end of Ahaz’s life he had led his country to ruin. We read about Ahaz in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28. Here are Ahaz’s steps which led to destruction;

1. He followed the practices of the countries which had originally been driven out of the Promised land, sacrificing his sons to idols

2. He sought friendship with his enemies so that they would help him in battle. Yet they caused him trouble.

3. He changed the worship of God by making his own altar and setting up altars in the streets. Service to God no longer required consecration, and religion became a thing where men could be worldly and unfaithful to God.

4. He brought the bronze altar from the temple to sit next to his own altar, but used it only for seeking God’s guidance. People could live an unholy life yet seek God for their benefit.

5. Ahaz stripped the altar of the Lord of its meaningful symbols, and also shut the doors of the temple, discontinuing the lamps and the burning of incense. True worship of God was stopped and the Spirit of the Lord blocked from the lives of men.

6. Ahaz sought help from the idols of those who had defeated him because he thought they were the source of power, and not God. He was unable to see God’s chastening hand in his life, and so Ahaz could not gain wisdom nor understanding after his defeat.

Though Ahaz brought calamity upon himself and his country, his own son Hezekiah brought reform, and revival. We read about Hezekiah’s reform, beginning in 2 Chronicles 29 and 30. Here are his steps of success;

1. He had the priests consecrate themselves. This restored the precept of being set apart from the world, or holy. Those who serve the Lord were to be dedicated to His ways, and separate from the ways of the world.

2. The temple was cleansed of all defilement and restored to its original service. Returning to the original purposes of religion re-established God’s nature and purposes in their lives.

3. Hezekiah made a covenant with the Lord, so that God would turn away His anger. He acknowledged that it was the Lord who brought kingdoms down and it was the Lord who made them to prosper.

4. He encouraged the priests, telling them that God had chosen them to “stand before Him and serve Him, to minister before Him and to burn incense.” (2 Chron 29:11) This re-established the God-given roles of the priesthood, a reversal of Ahaz’s independence and rebellion (2 Kings 16:11-13).

5. Hezekiah gathered the city officials and had sin offerings done in the temple. Those responsible for leading and protecting the people were the first to repent. After the sanctification of the temple and the leaders, service at the temple was restored to all the people.

6. Hezekiah invited all Judah and Israel to forsake their idols, and to attend Passover at the temple. A movement of unity begins amongst the two kingdoms which once were brothers.

7. Hezekiah prayed “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God . . . even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” (2 Chron 30:19). This caused healing of all the people who newly dedicated their hearts to the Lord, even though they had not had time to consecrate themselves. The priests also blessed the people, and their prayers were heard, for their prayers reached to heaven (vs 27).

Though we may occasionally find ourselves repeating the mistakes of Ahaz, yet God is gracious and able to restore us. Let us dedicate ourselves daily to God and separate ourselves from the ways of the world and the flesh. Amen.

crabby prayers

The Lord would rather have a crabby complaining prayer that asks for wrongs to be made right than a passive Christian who reasons that the wrongs are right for him. Remember the widow who made her case continually known to the unjust judge.

Remember the martyrs beneath the altar, making their case for vengeance before God. Though the timing of His answers belongs to God, the perception of right and wrong lies within our hearts. Let us no longer judge the afflicted and oppressed because of their behaviors, but join with them in their prayers. Amen.

rejected

This morning the lesson I received was a continuation of the lesson about Jehu, king of Judah. Out of self ambition he had slain more people than the Lord intended and brought judgment on his household in the 4th generation (Hosea 1:4). While reading further, though, the Lord reminded me of a dream from 12/14/08 and impressed me to write it down for you. It shows how one man’s self-promoting spirit affects the faith of the church. Here it is:

I was at a church-type meeting. The speaker had a very convincing car salesman-type voice. He gave us all clothes from the cleaners which each had a large plastic saran wrap-like label ironed onto them which said “rejected.” His talk was to convince us that we were rejected by God. Then, he indoctrinated the people into thinking that, if they discussed his topics from his book, they could be set free. The skirt I had received was royal blue with pleats near the bottom of the front (I had actually owned this skirt at one time). I began pealing the label off, but it was very hard to remove it all.

There was a break and then we returned to our seats, which were like desks. I saw a man across the aisle and went to him. I wore a bandana-scarf as a head covering, and said “I can’t believe you are here!” He looked like he wavered in holding to the speaker’s beliefs. I told him that what he was hearing was wrong . . . we weren’t rejected. I perceived that he had doubted God was with him in the past, and because of this he had felt rejected. After I gave him this word of knowledge the man indicated that I was correct. I again spoke to him about the speaker’s doctrine being untrue.
I walked towards the door and the usher stopped me, asking why I was leaving and if I still felt rejected. I said “I’m not rejected anymore,” but he thought I had accepted the speaker’s lessons and had become un-rejected through them. I didn’t tell him he was wrong. He smiled and let me out. Outside a large car drove up with young men in it. They were not refined in their attitudes, and looked forward to hearing the speaker. End of dream.

If a servant of the Lord, being a pastor, evangelist, teacher, prophet or apostle, devalues the people of God, he devalues Jesus Himself. Jesus told us this. “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his rewards.” (Mt 10: 40-42) The opposite of receiving each other is rejecting each other. When a minister uses his own teachings (remember the desks) to make men dependant on himself, he will cause them to also reject what God has to give them through the other members of the body of Christ. Ultimately, being dependant on the minister will cause the listeners to feel rejected without him, and outside the acceptance of God. This is not true. Yet, so strong is our desire to belong to each other that many will subscribe to false teaching in order to not experience rejection.

May I encourage you today, that you are accepted in Christ. It is He who paid for you and includes you in His family. If there is any teaching which causes you to be dependent on another for acceptance, please set those lessons aside, for they are false. If there are any words which cause you to reject other members of Christ’s body, please set them aside, for they are contrary to Jesus’ words. Let us receive one another today, and thereby receive Christ Himself. Amen.

The Battle is the Lord's

Do you ever wonder why anger comes up in you and there is no reason for it? Sometimes we say we are in a “funk”, yet to define what got us there is beyond us. However, our moods and emotions are never beyond the Holy Spirit. This morning the Lord answered a question I had about my own mood. He told that, because I hadn’t won a particular victory through my prayers, I felt that things were useless. I thought the battle was mine, when in fact, the battle is always the Lord’s. Here is the lesson He gave me along this line.

We have many examples of battles lost and won in the Old Testament of the Bible. I was led to read in 2 Chronicles 14 about Asa, a king of Judah who did right in the sight of the Lord. He destroyed idols, and built up the towns, putting walls around them. God was with the nation of Judah because of the actions of their godly king. We also must tear down idols to have God’s favor in our lives. When our hearts are right and we are restored in our relationship with God we then fortify our life, building up our faith and protecting ourselves by the word of God.

After we have rid our lives of idols and fortified ourselves with the word of God, which builds up our faith, our enemy will come against us to discourage the progress we have made. This is what happened to the nation of Judah after their cities became fortified. Then Asa got his army into position for battle. He cried out to God, first affirming that they needed a balance in power, for the enemy’s army was vast. He said, “There is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.” Then Asa asked for God to help them, for “we rely on you.” Third, Asa told the Lord that it was in His name that they were coming against this vast army. And forth, He declared “You are our God; do not let Man prevail against you.” This is a good strategy for any battle we encounter.

Balance of power – Asa was a direct descendant of King David. David wrote that the Lord “rescued me from my powerful enemy . . . who were too strong for me (Ps 18:17). Asa’s father Abijah was also delivered in a battle where his army had been surrounded by the enemy (2 Chron 13:13-17). And Asa’s son Jehoshaphat would later face a “vast army” (2 Chron 20:12) to realize that God would be on their side, bringing His power to overcome the stronger army. He said that “power and might are in your hand and no one can withstand you (2 Chron 20:6). Jehoshapaht understood that God ruled over kingdoms. So we see that not only is the Lord capable of overpowering the stronger army, but it is His pattern. When Asa later relied on an alliance with another king instead of the Lord Hanani the seer told him that “the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chron 16:9). Sadly, because Asa had made the alliance with the other king he was not blessed with peace but continual war.

Trusting God – King David trusted God (Ps 18:30-32) as did Abijah (2 Chron 13:18). God should be the first One we turn to when things turn out badly, not man.
Defending our faith – our faith, and belief in the truth of what the Lord says, is worth defending. When we confess Jesus’ name on earth He will confess our names before the angels of God (Lk 12:8). If we take a stand in our faith, we have the Lord taking a stand in heaven for us. As king Asa had told the Lord that they came against the vast army “in your name”, so his son Jehoshaphat told the Lord that the Jews had build the land as a sanctuary “for your name.” (2 Chron 20:8) They were standing in defense of what the Lord had established, bringing God into the battle to fight for and with them.

Recognizing the players – When our enemy comes against us, it is an affront to God. God intends to win the battle. Asa affirmed whose battle it was when he said “You are our God; do not let Man prevail against you.” (2 Chron 14:11). After we have stood our ground, enlisting God’s help in defense of what is His, we need to recognize that the battle is the Lord’s. We do not need to get angry, be discouraged, or throw our hands up in frustration and say “I quit!” God wants to establish His kingdom on the earth through us and is looking for those who are committed to Him, to strengthen us. Though He establishes the kingdom with our help, it is really His battle, and not ours alone.

our debtor or our lover

God is not held accountable for the sins of people against us. He is not indebted to us, needing to pay us a favor or bestow a blessing because of evil done to us. Indebtedness and repayment are attitudes of Man that cheapen their relationships. The origination of these feelings comes when we are offended and hurt. Yet, God is holy and is not the source of sin. In fact, He provided a sacrifice for sin that caused Him great pain; Jesus, His Son, dieing on the cross. God proved His own goodness and love in the act that cost Him the most. He also proved that He doesn’t like sin because He made a way for us to be holy through that same sacrifice.

People demand repayment because they want wrongs to be righted in regard to their personal hurt. If a man waits for repayment from another man, the waiting period prolongs the suffering and pain. If this man sees personal offence as a matter of justice between himself and his offending brother, then he loses the gift of giving forgiveness and the endurance that comes by extending grace. Sadly, he cannot be used by God in ministry because his desires are for himself; he wants a good life, a pain-free life, a life filled with favor. A man who desires that all people treat him as he wishes will also require the same from God. He is a god unto himself.

Seeing God as being in our debt and needing to repay us cheapens our relationship with Him because He paid the debt we incurred as sinners, and the very One who paid that debt continues to intercede for us when we fail on a daily basis. In an on-going relationship with God we receive an on-going and never ending love from Him. God’s love and provision for us gives our relationship with Him value. When we become thankful for our lives we show gratitude for the value God has put in them. When our relationships are full of gratitude our lives seem richer. Let us find reason for gratitude today and enjoy the wealth of God’s love that ever abounds towards us. Amen.

Growing Relationships

Some people spend their lives trying to define their relationships so they will know what to expect, and how to behave. These people like to control the relationships and do not like change. Other people grow with relationships. They realize that people and circumstances change over time, and they themselves may even become active agents of healthy change. It is this second person, who grows with his relationships, who will find the purpose of and fulfillment in his relationships with men and with God. He will grow in his understanding of what to expect from the other person (their identity), and how he behaves (his identity). Those who control their relationships with God and men can only become experts in their relationships as a predictable system in which they operate, but can never have the intimacy of truly knowing the other person, nor of knowing God.

We have insights into God’s nature (His identity) through the roles God had with His Son, and His Son had with His disciples. We see that Jesus called Him “Father”, and on occasion called His disciples children. Jesus obeyed His heavenly Father and taught His disciples to obey. Children earn their father’s trust by following what the father says, and so we have parables about being trustworthy, which is measured by our obedience.

We also see that God is called “Master” and we are servants, submitting to God’s will. Jesus taught that even leaders should be servants, washing each other’s feet. Just as we learned to obey and become trustworthy in the role of God’s child, we learn submission and faithfulness in the role as God’s servant. God entrusts us with fellow-servants to feed as we ourselves are growing in submission and faithfulness to Him.

We also are a student of God’s word, as His Spirit is our Teacher. Because God is many things to us we find ourselves growing in knowledge in many areas. Just as a child who remains a child is retarded, we cannot remain the same in any one aspect of our relationship with God. It is His plan that young children will become fathers of faith, helping others to grow in their faith. Servants will learn to lead, eventually ruling as priests. Servants will also become friends of God, if they truly have learned their steps of sonship first; obedience, and trustworthiness. Those who study to learn will one day teach. God meant for all our relationships to grow, and with our growth in understanding of Him, we see our own identity changing, going from glory to glory.

Our final relationship with Jesus is as His Bride. As His Bride we enter the most intimate relationship with Christ, the Bridegroom. The Bride becomes Christ’s partner for life. She has gone through the stages of childhood, servant, and student. Because she learned to be obedient and trustworthy she could follow her heavenly Father into the role of the servant. There she learned submission and became faithful, nourishing others by the food wherewith she was nourished. As God’s friend she was entrusted with more insight about Him and His will. Because she did not betray His trust in her she became a leader. Because she was taught by Him she became a teacher. And all her works prepared her to become His Bride (Rev 19:7); God’s eternal purpose for His relationship with Man.

Those who do not reject growth in their relationship with God will be ready, prepared as His Bride. They will not be perfecting the same steps of childhood by repeating them over and over again. Because their very identity is growing they will press forward in their relationship with God, never more content to remain a child, servant or student.

God is growing His relationships with Man, and we must grow our relationships with each other. Our maturity in Christ should cause us to minister the steps of what we have learned to others (Eph 4:11-16). As spiritual fathers and mothers we should bring up babes in Christ to the same maturity and intimacy with the Lord that we enjoy. To keep members of our congregation the same is to be controlling, and to desire predictability. We will then have retarded children, ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of all God is and all they were meant to be.

God is coming back for His Bride. Let us make ourselves ready. Let us be busy about the Lord’s business of growing relationships in the Lord. And, of course, looking forward to His coming, let us say “Come Lord Jesus.” Amen.