Fear or Faith, or Fear & Faith?

Monday afternoon, October 22, 2007
Have you noticed that many of the people who claim to be living in faith are really living in fear? Have you noticed how susceptible many of those within the Body of Christ are to this deception? The truth is many believers are fully persuaded that faith and fear cannot coexist and, as a result, they are easy targets for the enemy’s deceptive techniques. Somehow, we must begin to realize that faith and fear do coexist and that they will continue to do so until we get Home—when faith becomes sight.
The pattern usually looks something like this: the believer has no problem trusting God for things like the sun rising in the morning, or the changing of the seasons, or the spring rains, even for justification, sanctification, and glorification; however, when it comes to trusting Him for things that might not be so certain, he has a very difficult time.
For example, I well-remember a group of ladies from a local home for drug and alcohol addicted women attending our church and being faced with receiving the Lord’s Supper. Their leader was very adamant that they could not participate because we use wine, as one of the elements, not grape juice. In his mind, for them to participate would mean that everyone of the alcoholics in the group would immediately begin craving alcohol and revert to their old ways of abusing it, thereby, completely defeating the purpose of the center. Yes, I understood his concern and, certainly, did not attempt to change his mind; however, I did wonder how he could so readily trust God for their justification, even their continued justification, but not trust Jesus’ words, when He said, “This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remissions of sins”? If the wine of the Eucharist is, as Jesus indicated, His blood of the New Covenant, I seriously doubt that anyone need worry, as to its substance or it efficaciousness. I am willing to bet that no believer has ever turned back to abusing alcohol, as the result of drinking the wine of the Eucharist! As to non-believers: they aren’t supposed to be participating in the Eucharist anyway!
Yes, I know that some of you are thinking that he was just using common sense and protecting the ladies from their enemy (alcohol), and you would have done the same thing. And, yes, I know that some of you are thinking that I could have used some commons sense and offered them a different “table” and used Welch’s grape juice, instead of wine. All I have to say to that is this: Jesus could have done the same thing but He did not. I am absolutely confident that Jesus never even entertained the thought that the wine of the Eucharist—His Blood of the New Covenant—would somehow be looked upon as an abusive substance that should be avoided by alcoholics!
I could serve up many other examples for you to consider but let me, simply, say that oftentimes, when we say we are walking in faith, we are really walking in fear, and that fear robs us of some of the most incredible blessings of the Christian life. Furthermore, let me remind you that fear and faith do coexist in every situation of our lives, and, I might add, it is the fear that produces our desire for faith.
One last thing: it is fear, not faith, that causes us to attempt to manipulate things, so as to prevent what we fear from actually becoming reality. Just for the record: God is pretty much determined for the righteous to live by faith, even in the midst of fear.
Just thought I would remind us that He really is trustworthy, even when we are scared to death.

The Exact Truth!

Monday morning, October 15, 2007
Luke begins his “gospel” with this rather interesting introduction: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4; emphasis added). I say this is rather interesting, not because Luke decided to write his own account of the good news of Jesus, but because of his reason for writing it—to reveal the exact truth about what had been taught.
From what I have been able to observe, it seems that few believers are really interested in knowing the exact truth concerning the gospel, as is evidenced by the fact that most seem to be completely satisfied with whatever pious pabulum they are fed by the teachers of their chosen denomination.
Folks, I have some breaking news: there is but ONE true gospel! Unfortunately, however, we seem to be more interested in protecting what our “chosen denomination” holds as truth, than we are in seeking to know the exact truth—the one true gospel! Admittedly, it is much easier to trust another to tell us what we are supposed to believe, than it is to be a serious student of God’s Word, one who refuses to settle for anything less than the exact truth; however, as John indicated in the first of his letters—there are many false prophets, who teach from the influence of the spirit of antichrist (see 1 John 4:1f). Obviously, then, if someone chooses to allow another to determine what he believes concerning the gospel, it is very important that he be able to test the spirits; otherwise, he is easily deceived, which, by the way, is one of the characteristics of laziness!
For John, the litmus test for determining the trustworthiness of a spirit is very simple: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, . . .” (1 John 4:2-3a). Sadly, many have interpreted this to mean that the exact truth of the gospel is this: believe in Jesus. Obviously, we must believe in Jesus BUT what is it that we must believe, when we believe in Him? In verse 2, John gives us this bit of added insight, when he tells us that every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh, is from God, BUT what does confessing that Jesus has come in the flesh involve? Surely, it involves more than the mere words—Jesus has come in the flesh! Just for the record: our confessing what we believe involves much more than a mere recitation of someone’s prepared “confession.”
Before I run out of space, let me tell you that the MO of the spirit of the antichrist is NOT what most think, as he is stupid but not dumb. His MO is to take error and make it look so much like truth, that it is taken for truth by the vulnerable, and I might add—he is well-aware of who the vulnerable are. For example, if you are struggling with some area of your life, with you back against the wall, he knows it, and he also knows that you will be quick to “buy” what he has to offer, even though it is error and far, far removed from the exact truth!
Do remember this: “You are from God, . . ., and have overcome them [the spirits of antichrist]; because greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world” (vs. 4). Be encouraged!!

Preaching with a Passion!

Friday morning, October 12, 2007
Because of the nature of this week, I have spent very little time listening, watching, and waiting in preparation for Sunday’s message; in other words, I have been distracted from my normal routine. Thankfully, I have learned that distractions are sometimes blessings, rather than a curses, and I think this is the case in my being so “distracted” this week. Now that I can take the time to reflect, it is clear to me that the events of this week did a much better job at keeping me focused upon Him, than following my normal routine could have ever done. Of course, the question I am presently raising is this: how is God using the events of this week to influence my understanding and my preaching of the text for Sunday’s message?
You will probably have to be a “preacher with a passion for preaching” to understand this but I will offer it: a true preacher preaches out of the overflow of his/her heart not out of the abundance of someone else’s heart. In other words, until the text become a part of the preacher’s life, the preacher ought not to preach from it. Unless the message comes from the overflow of the well-spring of life within the preacher (living waters), it comes from stagnant waters, waters that bring death, not life. As you might imagine, this mindset motivates the preacher to listen, watch, and wait, even in the midst of the most powerful of distractions; however, doing so requires that the distractions be seen as blessings, rather than curses, and that is no easy task!
Thankfully, He has His own way of “turning water into wine” and I am really thankful that I know that bit of truth; otherwise, I would be one frustrated preacher—especially in the present moment and with the present text! For the life of me, I cannot understand how the text for Sunday is related to the events of this week, at least in the moment; however, I am expecting Him to begin to show me, and by Sunday to pour from the abundance of my heart, His message for His people. I will now listen, watch, and wait!
Just for the record, here are the first two verses of Sunday’s text: “Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God—has God for its source” (1 John 4:1-2’; Amplified Bible). Yes, I could probably “preach” from these verses but mere preaching is not the goal; the goal is to preach from the overflow of my heart, and that means this: if He doesn’t come through with the message, we might as well sit and be quiet, until He does.
As you can see, your prayers will be greatly appreciated, especially in light of the fact that the effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous produce incredible fruit! Please remember that prayer is not about our efforts to talk God into doing what we want Him to do, but about our being motivated to desire His will over our own.
Enjoy Him today!

Columbus Day!

Monday evening, October 8, 2007
Today is Columbus Day in the good, old USA; the day we celebrate the fact that the world is round, not flat! Granted, I am guessing, but it is my guess that you spend lots of time considering how things would be, if Columbus’ sailing trip had proven the world flat, rather than round. If you will allow you mind to wander just a bit (which is easy for me!), you will soon realize why we celebrate this glorious fact—falling off the edge would be, well it would be bad!
One of the things that intrigues me about this holiday is this: there were many people in Columbus’ day (1451-1506) who sincerely (truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it) believed that the world was flat, and they also believed, just as sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it that ole’ Chris was crazy, as in C-R-A-ZY, for even thinking about taking his sailing trip, aka voyage! Surely, or so they thought, the dingbat knew that, if he sailed far enough, he would simply fall off the end of the earth and that would be his end—demise, finish, final sailing trip!
Why does that intrigue me? It does because even though they sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it believed that the world was flat, they were incorrect, and in the face of that opposition, Columbus set sail, even continued sailing, when most of those who were traveling with him wanted to turn around and go home. Restated: Columbus not only was willing to risk being ridiculed for what he believed, but also and more importantly, he was willing to risk his life for what he believed and there is something about that that intrigues me. I might add that he was not only willing to risk his life, he actually took the risk!
As strange as it seems, many Muslims are not only willing to risk being ridiculed for what they believe, but also and more importantly, they are willing to risk their lives for what they believe. I might add that many of them are not only willing to risk their lives, they actually give their lives for what they believe. If you watch the news, you can actually witness it happening! Yes, they believe the world is “flat” and they really believe that it is—sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it—but like the folk of
Columbus day, they are incorrect, and that intrigues me.
Thankfully, our God has a people—a remnant, we are called—each of whom is on a voyage with Him, a voyage that most people of our day believe to be foolish and ridiculous. We have been called to sail the High Seas of Life with the strangest of missions—to love our enemies; to pray for those who despitefully use us; to give not only our coats, but also our shirts; to go not only one mile, but two; to forgive not only once, but as many times as necessary; to turn the other cheek; rather to be wronged, than to wrong another; never even to notice when another does it wrong; to lay down our lives for one another; to consider the other person as being more important than ourselves; and, I might add, having done all, to stand, and to stand regardless of the cost, even if it means literally giving our lives for what we believe—you know, like the Muslims do!
Could someone please tell me why most of us, who call ourselves Christians, people who, like Columbus, believe the truth, would “tuck tail and run” in the face of adversity, rather than stand up for what we say we believe? Yes, I know that Jesus died, so I would not have to die, but He did so for my justification, not for my witness to the world that I really do believe—sincerely, truly, unwaveringly, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it! He cannot do that for me; I must do it myself, if it gets done.

Let's Suppose--

A SUPPOSITION:

Let us suppose that you just learned that, regardless of what you do, you cannot sin. Yes, you can violate the laws of the state of Georgia, you can violate the laws of the US Government, you can even violate international law, but you cannot sin.

You can offend you mate, your neighbor, your boss, your friend, your child, your parent, but you cannot sin.

You can murder, steal, gossip, overeat, worship idols, commit adultery, smoke, chew, cuss, and spit, but you cannot sin!

It matters not what you do, you cannot sin!

And let us suppose that what you just learned is absolute truth.


QUESTIONS:

1. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you live your life? Be honest!
2. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view God?
3. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view Christianity?


A SECOND SUPPOSITION:

Let us suppose that regardless of your behavior, you will have a front row seat in Heaven—guaranteed! There is none of this, “I hope I make it to heaven” or “I hope just to have a back row seat in heaven”; instead, you are guaranteed a “front row” seat, really a seat on the platform, in heaven.

QUESTIONS:

1. How will this guarantee affect the way you live your life?
2. How will this guarantee affect the way you view God?
3. How will this guarantee affect the way you view Christianity?


A THIRD SUPPOSITION:

Let us also suppose that you also just learned that the reason you cannot sin, the reason you have an unconditional guarantee of a platform seat in heaven, is because Jesus took ownership of all of your sins, became guilty of them as if they were His own, was punished to the full extent of the Law’s requirement for them, took them eternally away, never to be remembered again. In other words, you just learned that Jesus took ownership of the debt you owed God, paid it in full, canceled it, and nailed it to the cross.

QUESTIONS:

1. How will this just-learned truth affect your taking ownership of the fact that you cannot sin?
2. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view Jesus?
3. How will this just-learned truth affect the way you view the gift of life that He has bestowed upon you?


Well, I have some very good news for you, BREAKING NEWS, as the say on Fox: “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9; emphasis added); “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18; emphasis added).

Foolish Choices!

Friday morning, September 28, 2007
I can only assume that being the strong, committed believer that you are, you have been keeping an inventory of all the foolish choices you have made since you became a Christian; after all, not doing so would, indeed, be the foolish choice among foolish choices! After all, God is keeping not only an inventory, but a very accurate and graphic one, or so “they” say. Surely, you would not be so foolish as to fail to have your own, just in case you need to defend yourself on that great Day of Judgment.
What concerns me is this: even though we are faced with the sure and certain “day of judgment” (the one where all of our foolish choices will be exposed for everyone to see and to know) we continue not only to make foolish choices, but we make the same ones, over and over. Are we dumb or what? I am just hoping that both of us can somehow avoid that “day of judgment” especially in light of how often the same foolish choice will show up in our “Power Point” presentations. To be sure, avoiding it will be much easier than trying to defend or to justify our foolish choices, especially before God. By the way, have you noticed how some “Christians” seem to be more excited about experiencing this “Day of Judgment” than they are about seeing Jesus; I get the feeling they think their “Power Point” presentation will somehow impress God? Talk about foolish choices!
Seriously, I really believe that many “Christians” sincerely believe that after they present their “Power Point” presentation to God, both the onlookers and Jesus will be so impressed, that they will become the center of attraction. Of course, this is nothing new because being the center of attraction is their modus operandi. This is why the religious live and breathe!
Now, on to my point: the most foolish of all the possible foolish choices we might make is the choice to believe that “I am the center of attraction” in the gospel. Oh, I know that none of you would ever say that but may I say that your actions DO speak louder than your words AND what you do NOT say often says much about what you DO say!
For example, the belief system that says, “Christians will one day stand before God and be judged for all of their sinful actions”, places man at the center of the gospel and leaves Jesus standing somewhere on the outside in the shadows! How so? When a believer stands before God, He will stand before Him “in Christ”—completely and eternally forgiven, completely “debt” free—and from before the foundation of the world, judged to be as righteous as Jesus is righteous! How so? Isn’t it obvious? From before the foundation of the world, Jesus, bearing you sins in His body on the cross, was judged “GUILTY” of your sins, punished to the full extent of the Law’s requirement, took your sins away, and God promised never to remember them again!
It should be obvious but I will say it anyway: Jesus is the centerpiece of the gospel and that is not subject to change. If you have placed yourself upon this pedestal, prepare for a terrible fall! Oh, He will pick you up and set you free but you will regret having made such a foolish choice.
Just thought I would remind you that He is the I am—the One who was, is, and is to come!

Itty Bitty Darlin!!

Thursday morning, September 27, 2007
Just for the record, today is a very important day—Little Darlin’ (aka Annie Ladner) will give birth to her first child, a boy! At 2:30 PM, Seattle time, she will undergo a “C” section, as this son of hers is refusing to turn from his breach position and prepare for his grand entrance into his new surroundings. I have the feeling that he is merely letting everyone know that he is not going to be easily controlled (and thank God for that!), as I am certain that there are already several, who have planned his entire lifetime, even if it is 100 years.
He doesn’t yet know it, but his mother is one incredible woman; however, in my humble and accurate opinion, it won’t be long before he finds it out! Hopefully, someone has written a daily journal of Little Darlin’s life over the past several years, and I am praying that he will find it, as soon as he learns to read. This I guarantee: if he finds it and reads it, he will love her forever and hold her in very high esteem! What an incredible gift God has given to this “Itty Bitty Darlin!” I can hardly wait to see this picture develop (just hoping I can live at least 30 more healthy hears!!).
Interestingly, while this Itty Bitty Darlin has been “cooking” in his Mom’s womb, God has also been cooking up another blessing; He has given Annie a man—a real man—who, from everything she tells me, treats her like who she is—a saintly queen! He loves Jesus and he loves Annie and that is enough for me (although I am thankful that he has a degree in engineering and is also attending the Divinity school at Mars Hill). You can bet that he will be present and accounted for when this little boy arrives on the scene, and you can also bet that Annie is counting on it!
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I will go ahead and tell you: the father of this baby is not the Mr. Wonderful that is presently in Annie’s life, but that does not frighten him, not at all! Yes, Little Darlin’ had a sexual relationship with someone and found herself pregnant, but still in love with Jesus, still God’s Little Darlin’, rejected by the religious, embraced by the elect, and still on her journey Home!
How many of you remember how folks talked about Mary, when she got pregnant with Jesus, having obviously had a sexual relationship before her marriage to Joseph (there is no telling the gossip, had they known it was with God!)? It was a scandal among the religious but in the eyes of God it was precisely His plan, not only for Mary but for you and for me! To use Steve Brown’s words: a scandalous freedom, indeed!
People still gossip about David’s sin with Bathsheba, completely ignoring the fact that he was a man after God’s own heart! How in the wide-world could God have ever appointed and anointed David to be King of Israel, especially in light of his track record (I carefully checked and he broke each of the Ten Commandments!)? Easy! He always chooses and uses sinners, not the self-righteous!
Yes, I am well-aware that Big Darlin ain’t Mary, and I am just as aware that Itty Bitty Darlin’ ain’t Jesus or David, but I am also very, very aware that this Mom and this child ain’t your run-of-the-mill mother and child. You can take this to the bank: God has some incredible plans for this Mom and her son (I don’t know his real name, just yet!) and I am really looking forward to seeing just what He has in mind!
Count of this: neither of them will ever be a hireling—not for sale or rent—as they belong to Him and Him alone—TROPHYS OF GOD’S GRACE!!
You watch, wait, and listen—

A New Office for an Old Fart!

Monday morning, September 24, 2007
For those of you who do not know, several months ago, I took on the task of closing in a screened porch at our house, one that overlooks the 16th green on Healy Point Golf Course. Actually, the view is quite nice but because of my allergies to pollen, we never used it; it just gathered dust, pollen, and junk. Then one day I got the ‘bright” to convert it into an office for me—a place where I can read, study, write, think, and et al.
Well, the idea was good but the task was huge, especially in light of the fact that I decided to do the work myself, which included framing, wiring, installing outside walls and inside walls, installing a door, installing seven windows, and painting! Factor in the fact that I am no longer a “spring chicken” and maybe you can appreciate what I mean by “huge” but do not feel sorry for me, as I really enjoyed it!
Anyway, I have finished everything but painting the outside walls, which I will get done, as soon as I finish moving my old office into the new one. Even the word “moving” gives me the, well, I don’t know what it gives me, but whatever it is it ain’t good! Now think for a minute: the fact that I am a preacher, a Bible teacher, and an eternal student should give you some insight into what is involved in this “moving” experience. You guessed it—BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS! Thankfully, I have, periodically, gone through my books and removed those that were no longer of interest to me; otherwise, I would have needed to build a public library instead of an office. Even so, I have plenty left (and then some), many of which are already packed in boxes and ready to be removed. Rest assured, however, that my remaining library will be sufficiently stocked with those books that speak to my passion—knowing Him, who to know is eternal live.
Just for the record, I no longer read “how-to” books; if they were worth the paper they were written on, I would long-ago have “fixed” everything that was broken, everything from finances to marriages to, well you name it. If you still want to read them, maybe you should ramble through some of my boxes, as you will find plenty of them, not to mention that they are still being written. Interestingly, the ones that seem to be most popular are those that tell us “how to” live the Christian life. I guess we think if we can ever get that figured out, then everything else will work itself out and life will be fine. Unfortunately, there is one problem and these books do not address it (for obvious reasons): these books are attempting to tell us “how to” do something that we cannot do, namely, live the Christian life. In all of my years of reading, if my memory serves me correctly, I can recall only one author, who dared to state the truth: WE CANNOT LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE! The only person who ever modeled the Christian life was Jesus and He continues to be the only person to make such an accomplishment. The good news, however, is this: His life is your (my) life; consequently, He lives the life in us! Cease striving! (I love those words!) This is the secret (to living the Christian life): Christ in you, your hope of glory!
Back to my new office: I am really looking forward to the opportunities it will provide for me to read (mostly those who are seeking to know Him, rather than trying to figure out “how to” live the Christian life), writing what He shows me, sharing it with you, and continuing my watching, waiting, and listening. Beware! I will probably be reading some of those who think outside the typical, religious paradigm, so who knows what I might discover! Whatever it might be, I will share it with you and I trust that you will provide me with your insight and comments.
I just thought you would want to know—

Starbucks or Bud Light?

Friday morning, September 21, 2007
In yesterday’s perspective, I attempted to point out (among other things) how we feel the need to hide parts of our lives from one another when we are in “church”; yet, on the outside, we tend to be more open with one another. I also attempted to point out that the church has incorrectly taught us to believe that our hiding makes church “more holy”—removing the “sin” increases the “holiness” in the “temple.”
You probably are not one of them, but many people believe (strongly believe) that the church building is God’s house—the Temple of God—and, therefore, we should do whatever we can to keep it holy, even make it “more holy”.
For example, have you ever noticed the number of cigarette butts that are scattered outside the front door of most churches? There is a reason for this: smoking cigarettes is sinful, so keeping them on the outside of the church increases holiness. Yea, right! Now, I am all-for banning cigarette smoking in buildings, not because of my interest in increasing holiness, but because the smoke irritates my sinuses.
Why, I can remember when people came to church dressed in their “Sunday Best” and for two good, religious reasons (many still do!) : (1) they wanted to appear to one another as if everything was A-OK and (2) they wanted to look their best for Him, since they were visiting His house. You know, eliminate the worldly and, thereby, make church “more holy.”
To be honest, I know more Christians who drink beer (some of them, drink lots of it), than I know Christians who do not drink beer, but for some reason most all of them feel like they cannot drink beer while they are “in church”; after all, it is God’s house and the alcohol will somehow defile it—decrease it holiness. Now, I am not attempting to promote alcoholism, but I am attempting to promote truth! Interestingly, many local churches, in their effort to attract the masses, are now offering Starbucks coffee. I, actually, have a much better idea—offer draft Bud Light in frozen mugs—but this would attract the “wrong” masses, at least from their perspective!
The truth is this: the church building is NOT God’s Temple—YOUR BODY is His Temple and it IS holy and there is nothing you can do to increase or decrease it holiness [“Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)]! Why? Because He is Holy and, therefore, HE is the reason your body, His Temple, is holy. If you think for one minute that YOU can somehow defile (or destroy) His Holiness, you are deceived—BIG TIME DECEIVED!
I cannot understand how the church has drifted so far from Jesus and His modus operandi; after all, He was called a “glutton” and a “wine bibber” for obvious reasons. I am absolutely positive that there were NO cigarette butts on the ground in front of His church, and I am just as positive that He offered draft Bud Light in frozen mugs, well, maybe Cabernet Sauvignon in Riedel crystal, and He did so because He came for the “wrong” masses, at least from the church’s perspective. Why, He even went so far as to welcome the whores, liars, cheats, drunks, murderers, and thieves to sit on the front pews of His church—up close and personal—while the religious, hypocrites had to take the “seats” of the cigarette butts.
Let’s stop hiding and pretending; after all, He knows the truth about us and He loves us, even so!

Gut-wrenching, God-awful, and tooth-pulling!

Thursday morning, September 20, 2007
As most of you know, I am a pastor and not a novice; after all, 28 years does give one a bit of experience. As I look back over the years, I wonder how I have survived them, as I have “enjoyed” some gut-wrenching, God-awful, tooth-pulling experiences. Sometimes I think that “church” folk are the meanest folk on earth; to be sure, many of them act as if they are, whether they are or not (thank God for the remnant!).
What most of you do not know is that I am also a member of a country club; I love to play golf and I love to eat, both of which are well-accommodated at this club. I have noticed something about these folk, many of whom are also members of some local church, and it is this: they all pay dues, they get along well, treat each other with utmost respect, have fun, support each other, encourage each other, and never judge each other.
I must admit that I often wonder what happens to these people between the country club and the church; well, I should say that I used to wonder, but now I think I have a better understanding. You see, the country club is not religious, the church is, and therein is the problem; religion kills but relationship brings life.
There is something else that most of you do not know about me: I live adjacent to the 16th green on the golf course that is a part of the aforementioned country club. Oftentimes, when I am sitting on the deck, golfers are filing by, as if some major tournament is taking place and I am able to make some incredible observations. Have you ever watched the behavior of golfers? Other than the occasional “speaking in tongues” and the occasional “bet” and the occasional “cigar smoke” and the occasional “improper moving of the ball” and the not-so-occasional “cold beer consumption,” golf is a game of gentlemen. It is just incredible to watch and to play, especially if you are a pastor. It matters not whether I am playing or watching, I often wonder what in the wide-world happens to these men between the 18th hole and the church pew; well, as I said, I used to wonder, but now I have a better understanding, or at least I think I do. You see, religion has no place on the golf course; however, it is the theme-song of most churches.
Is it not ironic that when these very same men are in the church pew, they feel they have to hide their “speaking in tongues” and their “occasional bet” and their “occasional cigar smoke” and their “occasional improper moving of the ball” and their “not-so-occasional cold beer consumption”? You see, the church teaches that our not allowing these things somehow makes “church” more holy (or protects it holiness), like what my friend said about the Eucharist (we make it more holy by substituting grape juice for wine!). Can you imagine what it would be like to attend a church service where “speaking in tongues” and the “occasional bet” and the “occasional cigar smoke” and the “occasional improper moving of the ball” and the “not-so-occasional cold beer consumption” were not only allowed, but encouraged? Wow! That is a novel thought!
You probably cannot imagine it, but I will tell you this: if it were possible for behavior to somehow cause “Holy” to be “More Holy,” this would definitely get the job done. Why? It would not only eliminate the hypocrisy that religion produces (See Matthew 23!), it would also reduce (at least, reduce) the “gut-wrenching, God-awful, tooth-pulling experiences” that are so common not only to pastors, but also to lay people. Remember? Religion kills but relationships bring life!
You would have loved our home group last night, especially the absence of religion and the presence of relationships! Isn’t this what Christianity is about?

The Eucharist!

Tuesday morning, September 18, 2007
It seems that yesterday’s perspective stirred a bit of interest in the Eucharist (Holy Communion; the Lord’s Supper) and that is a good thing—a very good thing. It is my guess that it was my friend’s comment that did the stirring and that is also a good thing. It went something like this: The church attempts to make the supper more holy by substituting grape juice for wine!
You get the point, I feel sure: since drinking alcohol is sin, we make the supper “more holy” by removing the alcohol and using grape juice. Of course, since using alcohol would be detrimental to the alcoholics in the congregation, we make the Supper “more holy” by removing the alcohol and using grape juice.
How in the wide-world can we make anything “more holy”? There is no superlative for “holy”; it is either holy or it is unholy! Yes, I know that the Scriptures speak of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, but the truth is the Holy Place in comparison to the Most Holy Place was not holy at all! It had the “air” of holiness but it was NOT holy (the blood of bulls and goats CANNOT take sins away!). I will leave that for another perspective.
Of course, many churches have abandoned the Supper altogether and those who have not, celebrate it only very infrequently. In the end, very few Christians have any appreciation for it; in fact, many will not attend on the Sundays that the supper is celebrated because they feel unworthy to participate. Others, when they see that the Table has been set, silently wish they had not come and for the same reason. How sad! Jesus told us to celebrate this Supper often, and as often as we do to remember Him. What a privilege! Unfortunately, it is celebrated far-too-seldom by most believers and appreciated by an even smaller number!
My friend’s comment about our making the supper “more holy” by substituting grape juice for alcohol applies to so many areas of the Christian life. The Devil is an deceiver, indeed! Take worship for example: one group thinks we make it “more holy” by making it more emotional; whereas, another group thinks we make it “more holy” by keeping our emotions a bay. Some think we make worship “more holy” by substituting “praise choruses” for the hymns of the church; whereas, others think we make it “more holy” by refusing to sing praise choruses. The fact is the object of worship is not to make worship “more holy”; instead, God is the object of worship and He is so because He IS holy!
Many sincerely believe that there is a direct relationship between how well we obey the Ten Commandments and how “holy” we are; the better we are at keeping the commandments, the more holy we are! In other words, we make ourselves “more holy” by substituting our “obedience” for Jesus’ obedience and that is sad, especially in light of the fact that none of us are obedient (Well, close enough for all practical purposes but, as I said yesterday, this ain’t about hand grenades or horse shoes!).
Dear Christian friend, there is no substitution you can make that will improve your righteousness (holiness); all you can do is accept His righteousness as your own, which makes you as righteous as He is righteous and THAT is enough to get you Home before dark!
Just for the record: the heart and essence of the Supper is that through His shed blood and given body we have been made Holy—like Holy of Holies, holy! No need to try to improve of that by making substitutions! Hallelujah!

A More-Holy Version!

Monday afternoon, September 17, 2007
Yesterday, I received an email from Danny Payne, a friend of mine from Reynolds, that resounded with truth, the truth that I wish everyone could know. I am placing a portion of it here in my perspective for you to read, and I am doing so because I think there are things in it that will impact your life. Take your time and read it carefully:
“In most of the Protestant churches, we make the remembrance of the Last Supper a little ‘more holy’ than Jesus by substituting grape juice for the wine. I guess we think that Jesus didn't get it right the first time!! We are in the end our own worst enemy, in that we can't take the most awesome gift ever given, as just that, a gift. We insult the Father by trying to pay for it in some sort of way, only to frustrate ourselves. I once heard this joke: What is the difference between a statistician and a mathematician? If you place a scantily dressed, well endowed woman on one end of a football field, and you place both the statistician and mathematician on the opposite end and ask each the question, ‘How long will it take you to get to the other end of the football field, if you go ten yards, then half that distance, then half that distance, etc., etc.?’ The mathematician will tell you that you'll never get there; the statistician will tell you that you'll get close enough for all practical purposes!! I compare the legalist to the statistician, in that the legalist, I can only presume, thinks his focus on the law will get him close enough for all practical purposes. Fortunately, for me anyway, God will not grade me on the curve; I have Christ's awesome work to thank for that.”
What incredible insight! I know of very few (very few!) Protestant churches that give the Eucharist (The Lord’s Supper) a place of even minor importance (How often does your church celebrate the Eucharist?); consequently, most have no real clue to its significance. To be sure, virtually every Protestant church (yes, there are exceptions) uses grape juice instead of wine and the reason is obvious: in the minds of many Protestants, the use of alcohol is sinful; consequently, in a effort to make the celebration truly “holy” grape juice is used, rather than wine. Listen up: JESUS DID IT CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME and He used honest-to-goodness wine, the kind that is fermented—the kind that contains alcohol! Oh, yes, I almost forgot: some do not use wine in the Eucharist because it might (probably will, or so they think!) cause the alcoholics in the congregation to begin drinking again! Bologna! Have you forgotten what Jesus said about the wine of the Eucharist? May I remind you? Thanks! “This IS My blood of the Covenant . . .” If you think using wine in the Eucharist is sinful OR if you think it will cause the alcoholics in the congregation to begin drinking again, then I assume you also think the wine of the Eucharist is a mere symbol, and if that is what you think, well, you are really missing-out on something incredibly wonderful.
This watered-down version of the Eucharist reminds me of the statistician in Danny’s “joke”—it is close enough for all practical purposes; however, may I remind you that Christianity ain’t about hand grenades or horse shoes—close enough is to miss the entire party!! The fact is you never will appreciate the Eucharist, UNLESS you stop trying to make things holy and submit to the One who is Holy!
If you don’t do anything else, DEMAND that your church begin celebrating the Eucharist every time the Word is proclaimed! I can only tell you that the Eucharist is more powerful than any sermon I have ever heard and I have heard a few powerful ones!
Just thought I would let you in on what He told Danny!

Acquiring Holiness

Thursday morning, September 13, 2007
Your response to my last two perspectives has, as I expected, run the full length of the field—from fear to faith. I have found it interesting that some, who normally respond, have not responded at all, which is fine with me but it does raise some questions, which for the moment, I will keep to myself.
Some of the responses reminded me of the frustration both Jesus and Paul must have felt, as they attempted to eradicate religion and replace it with relationship. Both Jesus and Paul pressed the religious very, very hard and on many occasions, only to be rejected, a rejection that continues even today.
It is sad to me to see so many Christians living, as if it is their job to somehow acquire holiness by living up to what they believe is the “standard of holiness.” They, inevitably, have their own “sin list” and they use it as the standard for holiness. Of course, their “list” always presents a standard for holiness that is much lower than God’s standard, which, as you know, is perfection. It is not, however, just “any old perfection”; instead, it is perfection, as He sees perfection, which is, obviously, very different than we see it. In our “sincere” attempts to be holy, to reach the standard, we do the most amazing thing—we lower His standard to one we can reach and call it holiness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against this but for some reason, most do not heed the warning.
This is a quote from that sermon: “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). We respond to this in the same way as the religious of Jesus’ day responded; we lower His standard to something reachable by saying, for example, I have never had sex with another man’s wife. Obviously, He knew we would do this, so He raised the standard even higher than the standard of the Ten Commandments. Listen to what He said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Anyone want to make the boast that you reach this standard? I might add this: if sin came in categories, it would be obvious to me that the sin worse than committing adultery is the sin of being proud that you haven’t.
On the other hand, some of your responses reminded me of the incredible joy both Jesus and Paul (especially, Jesus) must have experienced when eyes were opened to see the incredible truth of the gospel. I can only imagine how they felt when they witnessed some of the religious abandoning the old way of religion and entering into that “Song of Songs”, intimate, relationship with Jesus—the kind of relational intimacy that says, “You are altogether beautiful, My darling and there is no blemish in you” (Song of Songs 4:7).
Look at what Paul had to say: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56; emphasis, added); “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account” (Romans 4:8); “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Or works? No, but by a law of faith” (Romans 3:27; emphasis, added).
In the end, my strong belief in the gospel has left me with this attitude toward Him: “ I am lovesick”; “My Beloved is mine and I am His”; “I must seek Him whom my soul loves”; “Many waters cannot quench love” (Song of Songs 2:5b, 16a; 3:2b; 8:7a). I am no longer trying to reach the standard; instead, I am resting in an incredible relationship of love!

I Get the Message!!

Thursday morning, September 13, 2007
Ok! OK!! OK!!! I get the message! Of all the responses I thought I might have received from my winning the lottery, the one I received most was the least expected—HOW MUCH DID YOU WIN? The truth is I would have told you but when the lottery people learned that I was a minister they suggested that I not reveal the amount because it oftentimes causes problems—jealousy, envy, judging and a host of others—so I was just trying to be obedient and follow their advice.
I have had the night to think it over, however, and in the thinking, I decided to be “disobedient” (who would have ever dreamed it!) and tell you how much I won, provided, however, that you never tell anyone. Ok? Thanks! I mean, if this gets out, all those religious bigots will be after me and I, simply, do not have time to deal with their envy and jealousy and judging. If they could just accept the One True Gospel, they would not have the time, nor the inclination, to be so involved in the business of others—judging, correcting, saving, gossiping, conforming, educating, distancing, et al—because they would be preoccupied with living the True Christian life!
Wait a minute; hold the phone; it just dawned upon me that Jesus had to deal with them every day, so I guess I would be in “good company” after all (not as busy, as I thought!); therefore, on second thought, forget about keeping it a secret—go ahead and tell whomever you choose! Who knows, someone might “get saved” by my having won the lottery and THAT would be a hoot; even better, someone might stumble upon the One True Gospel, as the result of my winning the lottery, and THAT would be a “double hoot”!
Are you ready? I am about to reveal the amount, so hold on to your seat. Are you sure you are ready? Before I tell you, you might want to think about the fact that should you tell others, in all probability the religious bigots among them will come after you as well, unless of course you tell them what a sorry excuse for a Christian I am, how disappointed you are in me, how I have compromised my witness, how hundreds and hundreds will end up in hell as a result, how I have disgraced the ministry, how I have disgraced the church, and how I need to confess, repent, and seek God’s forgiveness!
Should you be so bold as to do what one of my readers did with this story, namely, tell all his friends that this “perspective” was the clearest picture of the gospel he had ever read, you, like my reader, could expect to be, well, you could expect to be placed into the same “pigeon hole” as they have placed me, and THAT would be a hoot ‘de hoot! What an incredible honor it would be to have you in my “pigeon hole!”
The truth is I hate being “pigeon holed!” Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran—who cares, unless it is the pigeon hole labeled “Renegade”! For some reason, I love being a renegade, especially when it irritates the religious. I know I do not hate religion as much as Jesus hated it but I do think I am gaining ground on Him! I have the feeling that when He told His disciples to pick the grain on the Sabbath (because He hated religion), the religious reacted to Him in much the same way they will react to you, especially when they learn that my winning, motivated you to buy a lottery ticket, maybe even two!
Oh, I almost forgot—I won the grand sum of two hundred forty dollars ($240)! Ain’t that a hoot te doot!

His!

I Won the Lottery!

Wednesday morning, September 12, 2007
I WON THE LOTTERY! I am not kidding; I won the lottery! Well, it wasn’t that Mega Million lottery; however, I was somewhat richer when I left the store, than I was when I entered it. Admittedly, I took a huge chance (the odds were AGAINST me) but this time I won.
Now that you know this, I will give you time to deal with all the “religious” feelings you are having, as I tell you that I did refuse to accept the money; after all, I am a preacher and preachers would never accept ill-gotten gain. Even so, it was fun to win—to beat the odds!
If you believe that I refused to accept this money, I suppose I should also tell you that I never drink wine, hate good cigars, despise Scotch, shoot scratch golf, am an incredible dancer, obey the Law, read the Bible a 4 AM every day, and live a holy life. I mean, if you believe the first lie, you will probably believe the rest of them; in any case, it gives you something to think about (maybe, “I” give you something to think about!).
This is the truth: I love good wine, good cigars, good Scotch, play miserable golf, have no clue as to dancing, do not obey the Law (cannot!), do not read the Bible every day, much less at 4 AM every day, and I do not live a holy life (cannot!). Now don’t you go and start feeling sorry for me because I am fine—like really fine! There is absolutely no reason for you to try to convince me to stop enjoying wine, cigars, and Scotch because I will not give you that kind of power over me. There is certainly no need for you to chastise me for my not keeping the Law because I cannot; I have tried and tried but I always mess up (in case you have forgotten, Jesus knew I could not keep it, so He kept it for me!). As to dancing, well, my Mama messed up my mind about dancing by telling me (repeatedly and emphatically) that it is sin and you cannot change that. As to Bible reading, I promise that I have done my share of that, just not every day at 4 AM (not any day at 4 AM, that I can remember). I really wish I could live a holy life but, if I cannot obey the rules, I sure as hell cannot live a holy life. If you knew just how hard I have futilely tried to live “holy-ly” you would feel sorry for me but don’t! Jesus knew about my depravity and, thankfully, He loved me enough to perfectly and permanently deal with my sin problem, leaving me “seated at His right hand in the Holy of Holies” (the MOST holy of all places!), which, obviously, fixed my inability to live a holy life. By now you should be figuring out why I love Him and trust my destiny to Him!
If my memory serves me correctly (which I doubt), my purchase of a lottery ticket is called gambling, so we can assume that I gambled this morning (thankfully, I won!) and many of you will, therefore, be quick to label me a sinner; after all, it is “those” sorry sinners, who gamble. Feel free to do so because it really will not bother me—not any at all. I am fine—like really fine, and your “religious” opinion of my standing with God is not worth, well, it is not worth the time it took you to express it. By the way, where in the Bible is gambling listed as sin; I know where judgment is listed but what about gambling?
Anyway, I am already getting offers from some sincere Christians, as to how I can spend my money—on them.

Free Will & The Sovereignty of God

August 16, 2007

The following is my paraphrase of something one of my readers wrote to me in response to my last “perspective”: It is very difficult to reconcile the "free will" that we all have with the fact that God chose us before the foundation of the world, especially in light of the fact that the two seem contradictory.

As you might imagine, these comments have challenged me to respond; therefore, I offer the following in the hope that it will challenge you to think outside the parameters of your usual paradigm, especially if you tend to think more highly of yourself than you ought.

Obviously, God’s having chosen us and predestined us to be His children before the foundation of the world eliminates any possibility of our choosing Him without any prior, causative influence from Him. Just for the record: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called, and whom He called, these He also justified, and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:28-29).

In other words, man’s will is NOT free and each of us should be very thankful that it is not; otherwise, you can rest assured that every last one of us would choose to reject Him, having no interest in or inclination for Him—actually, dead to Him. May it never be that God would leave the choice of redemption up to any of us; instead, may He continue to show mercy to whom He chooses to show mercy and harden the rest; at least, this way, redemption is possible for some of us. “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires” (Romans 9:18).

Having said that, allow me to add this “apparent” contradiction: man’s will is free but only within the parameters of God’s providence. In other words, we do make choices, many of them each day; however, we can never make a choice that lies outside the parameters of what He has already decided (predetermined, predestined). As I write this, I wonder why anyone would want it any other way? To be sure, God allows us to make choices, even foolish choices (or so them seem to us, usually after the fact), but He will never allow us to make any choice that is outside the parameters of His providence (what He has already decided) and I (for one) am very thankful for this.

Just for clarity, follow the thought sequence in the above passage: whom He foreknew, He predestined; whom He predestined, He called; whom He called, He justified; and whom He justified, He glorified. In other words, God predestined that some be justified and glorified; the rest are left in their depraved state—dead to God. Now, this raises a significant question: Who did He foreknow? For those who think more highly of themselves than they ought, the answer is this: He foreknew those who would choose Him; consequently, these are the ones He predestined, called, justified, and glorified. For those who do not think so highly of themselves, the answer is this: He foreknew those He had chosen unto Himself; consequently, these are the ones He predestined, called, justified, and glorified.

To be sure, if you think more highly of yourself than you ought, the contradiction is huge; however, if you do not have such a lofty opinion of yourself, there is no contradiction, none at all—God simply does as God pleases and man does not answer back to Him. Justification is, indeed, a thing of grace and mercy and God really is GOD!

Thursday Evening Thoughts of a Country Preacher

As I write this, it is 9:15 on Thursday evening and my mind is doing what it has done for nearly 30 years—week after week after week—turning its attention to that still, small, Voice and listening to hear what He has to say about His Word for Sunday morning. Truthfully, there is nothing I enjoy more (except for the actual preaching of His Word!) than listening and waiting and watching for Him to speak those life-giving words that (1) release me to trust Him to do what only He can do—communicate His truth and (2) create a sense of eager anticipation for what He might speak on Sunday morning—His Word to us.

No, I do not attempt to come up with a parallel outline or a manuscript; instead, I simply listen and wait and watch. The truth is I sometimes enter the pulpit having no idea WHAT I will say, but I never enter it without having listened and waited and watched. Over the years, I have learned that WHAT I say is really not important; it is what He says that matters. I am simply a vehicle, a mouthpiece, through which He can speak His Word (hopefully).

This might sound a bit strange, nevertheless, it is true: the more time I spend alone, the more effective is my listening and waiting and watching. Distractions are plenteous, especially when I am allowing someone else to control what I am thinking; however, when I am alone, I seem to do a much better job of giving Him my undivided attention. Yes, even then, my mind strays but at least it is not a non-stop stray! Unfortunately, most folk don’t realize this and, consequently, expect their “preacher” to always be available to listen to whatever needs to be heard. In your reading of the Scriptures, have you noticed how frequently Jesus left everyone and found a place of undistracted listening and waiting and watching for His Father? If you haven’t, I will go ahead and tell you that He did it much more frequently than the Scriptures reveal and He did it without feeling guilty at all about what He might not be hearing that needed to be heard!

Over the years, I have also made this observation about my preaching: the more frequently I talk about Jesus the more powerful the message. Obviously, there is much to be talked about today and much of it needs to be talked about among Christians; however, preaching (at least for me) should be reserved for the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ; after all, it is the power of God for salvation! I am convinced that God’s Word for us is super-saturated with Jesus and it is so because He is God’s Word—the Word become flesh. I will tell you this: through my listening and waiting and watching, the Holy Spirit has convinced me that Jesus is the not only God’s Word to us, but also the power of the message preached.

By the way, the “power” of the message preached is not evidenced by how many “come forward” in response to an invitation (this only evidences the preacher’s ability to manipulate); instead, it is evidenced by how many walk away RESTING in His finished work.

Finally, the effectiveness of the preacher lies not in how much effort he puts forth attempting to “get up” a sermon, but in how much time he/she spends resting in His finished work. Unfortunately, most believe that resting is not being productive and they are probably correct; however, the Bride of Christ is NOT corporate America and God did not call me to be productive (He promised to produce!); instead, He called me to preach the gospel—in season and out of season.

No Evidence!

July 20, 2007

Each of your remembers the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three men who were put in the fiery furnace because they refused to worship a pagan god. The following is a line from that story, actually the punch line: “. . . the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them” (Daniel 3:27b). To say the least, the pagan god lost to the One True God and everyone knew it; however, I must point out that there is a significant difference between knowing who the One True God is before hand and in knowing who He is after the fact, especially if you are one of those about to be thrown into the fire.

To be honest, I am not surprised that these three men survived the fire because I truly believe that God is in charge every time and all the time; however, I am amazed at the fact that they came out of the furnace without even trace evidence that they had been in it—the fire had no effect on their bodies, their hair was not singed, their clothing was not burned, and to top it all, they didn’t even smell like smoke. Why does this amaze me? It does so because I have never seen it happen, at least not that I remember!

Sure, I have seen many people survive a “trial by fire” but without exception (in my experience) they have all (including yours truly) at the very least “smelled like smoke” when the came out of the furnace. You see, we not only want others to know that we have survived the fire, we want the battle scars, the evidence, at least the “smell of smoke” to prove to them our ability to endure and of course to gain their sympathy. Actually, what we want is for others to value us, to esteem us, to love us, to accept us, so much so that it is as if we think the “trial by fire” was a complete waste, if we do not have evidence of the intensity of the struggle to show to others and to, thereby, find acceptance.

This reminds me of what Jesus said about fasting: “And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men but by your Father who sees in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Matthew 6:16-18).

Somehow, His ways are simply not our ways; as difficult as it is, make it your business to keep some things to yourself, especially if you really want acceptance. You might be surprised at the result—

Just reminding you of what He said . . .

A Letter from Miriam

Recently, I was introduced to a lady (Miriam Morales; second from right in the picture) who presently lives in Israel, and it didn't take me long to realize that she not only loves Jesus, but she also loves the Israeli people--so much so that she is giving her life in His service among those precious people. As the result of my intrigue, I asked her if she would write something about her work there, something that I can share with each of you. The following is what she wrote and, believe me, it is worth the read:


Greetings from Jerusalem, June 2007

I believe that the LORD sent me here with the assignment to pray His heart over the Land and the people of Israel, to release His spirit of grace, truth, and supplication -- for His Jewish people first and then for the Gentiles. This is an unusual Land dichotomous in the beliefs of the peoples as well as in the cultures, and the physical properties of the land itself.

Every day I witness ancient history nearly colliding with advanced modern technology and perceptions. I have been driving on a newly constructed highway only to be stopped as an elderly Arab man crossed the main road on his unhurried donkey, or been sitting in traffic blocked by a herd of sheep and goats crossing from one side of a valley to the other while construction of the latest public transport system the “Light Rail" droned on nearby. While traveling the road that passes by Masada (Herod’s southern palace and the last fortress for the Jewish Zealots following the destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD), I have run into herds of camels and donkeys meandering in the desert, sometimes accompanied by their tent-dwelling nomadic Bedouin herders as I drove past the many extravagant 4-5 Star hotels where Israelis and tourist float in the healing salt-laden water of the Dead Sea. Some of these Bedouin herders may still use smoke signals to communicate with other herders on a distant hill while others may be connected to the Internet on the computers in their tents. At other times, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) tanks and other military vehicles have been my “unintentional” escorts -- unknowingly joining my angels on their assignment. My family and I never travel anywhere without asking the LORD for His divine protection and His angels to go with us.

I am always in prayer for the IDF, the Israeli Air Force (IAF), their leaders and the young soldiers that man the “Check Points” going in and out of the West Bank, Gaza, border crossings and other dangerous areas. Actually, by the grace and intervention of God, the “separation wall” (or in truth the “security wall”) and the check points have lessened the terror attacks by over 90 percent. Do not be fooled when propaganda calls it the “wall of shame,” which intentionally misleads the world via the ill informed media. Pray and do not be fooled in any capacity by the “lies, slanted reporting, mistruths, and half truths” that are being propagated by a large portion of the mainstream media, especially CNN, BBC, and other biased and bigoted networks, when it comes to reporting on Israel ("Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn't steal." - Psalm 69:4b (NLT)).

Everywhere a person goes in Israel you will see and hear peoples of diverse nationalities and languages talking on their ever-present cell phones -- from a very young child to the average aged person who is walking along the street, riding in a car or bus, or sitting in a restaurant. If only their desire to communicate with their Creator was at the same level of interest. If only the hearts and spirits of these people were truly open to the One True and Living God and the God of our Salvation. We must pray for them to have ears to hear ("But the peoples minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ." (Yeshua Messiah) 2 Corinthians 3:14 (NLT)).

Members of the same intercessory pray team that came to pray last year have just left the Land after being here for 3 weeks. "Aliyah" (the term for the re-gathering and return of God's Hebrew children to the Land of Israel) has been the common denominator in prayer for years with these people of faith and vision, Prepare the Way Ministries and The Joshua Intercessors. There are 700 Scriptures that pertain to or reference Aliyah, some of the most pivotal being found in Jeremiah 16 and 31, and Ezekiel 37, and perhaps the most descriptive being Jeremiah 31 - please read all of Jeremiah 31...

"Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. 'Behold, I am going to send for many fisherman,' declares the LORD, 'and they will fish for them...'" - Jeremiah 16:14-16a.
"Say to them, 'Thus says the LORD GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them into one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms."'" - Ezekiel 37:21-22.
"Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the LORD will execute His Word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.'" - Romans 9:27-28 "...'I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' In the same way then, there is also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice." - Romans 11:4-5 "...Proclaim, give praise and say, 'O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel'..." "There is hope for your future," declares the LORD, "And your children will return to their own territory..." "Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your mind to the highway, the way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, return to your cities." - Jeremiah 31:7b, 31:17, 31:21.

...One needs only to look onto the diversified faces of the people returning to and living in the Land to see the fulfillment of these prophetic Scriptures!

It was a privilege to be able to pray with these intercessors in locations from the “Old City” in Jerusalem, the Supreme Court, the Knesset, to the Negev Desert -- such hearts for God, His chosen people, His end-time prophetic promises, and not least, the Muslim people and the hope of their salvation. On two previous visits before moving here, and presently, the LORD has given me the ability to travel the length and breadth of this small nation to pray and proclaim His prophetic Scriptures and everlasting promises over her heartland and on her borders -- borders that are very much in jeopardy even as I write this letter. Please join with me in prayer for the safety and protection of her borders, but especially for the salvation of those living in Israel - within her borders. Pray that we will not fall victim to the “peace at any price” mentality or coercion ("Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch." - Psalm 62:1 (NLT)

In the upcoming weeks, the next team of ministers to arrive will be my precious friends and devout team from SOKO International (Save Our Kids Outreach International). SOKO is a ministry that has gone to 11 nations around the world and ministered the love and joy of our LORD and King to both children and adults. I have ministered with this team in the U.S. and in Canada, where the team has gone into prisons, youth prisons, detention centers, housing projects, synagogues, and churches. SOKO ministers with caring and compassionate hearts to the lost and the hurting as well as to the people of God.

The "SOKO Israel" team has ministered in hospitals (during the 2nd Lebanese war), the streets of Tel Aviv, and in local congregations around the Land. During the last year, the SOKO Israel team has taken its puppets and puppet tunes (the Disneyland-style, big head, remote controlled puppets) into the Home for Handicapped Children, the hospitals, and SPRINGS of HOPE - Bringing hope to the survivors of terror. It has been my great joy to have my family, including my grandchildren, join the team. My family even took the program to their own [Yeshua-believing] Hebrew speaking elementary school and to some local Holocaust survivors. In the upcoming weeks, we will again be helping the directors of SPRINGS of HOPE with some of these precious children, who will be accompanied at times by some of their parents. These children or their parents have experienced levels of terror that have left the entire family devastated and frightened. Some victims are so traumatized that they would rather never leave their homes than to face the reality of life or another attack. What a blessing it has been to see a wounded soldier, patient, or traumatized child breakout of their circumstance and into an abandoned smile of real enjoyment, or to hear them laugh and just receive the love and comfort of God. God willing, we will be going into the hospitals and local congregations again this year. These are our plans while knowing full well that there is the very real possibility of a greater war this summer than last. Will this stop the SOKO team from coming? No, they all came last summer and we ministered in the middle of the war and they will come again this year -- trusting and believing that our lives are in God's hands.

We are beginning to witness a small wave of Jewish people coming to the Yeshua through the prayers and loving efforts of local believers and their congregations. Last summer SOKO joined the ranks of these dedicated believers and went to a new age festival on the shore of the Sea of Galilee -- 15,000 young people and some families had gone to seek “enlightenment” and a week of “fun and play” while camping by the water. God had higher plans and purposes and brought divine appointments. Hearts and lives were touched, never to be the same again. Into those reckless but searching hearts truth and revelation found fertile soil ("No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him..." - John 6:44a).

This past spring at another “festival” on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea another 25 young people gave their hearts to the LORD and were immersed in that sea into new life and new beginnings in Yeshua. ("The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 'Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'" - John 9:37b-38.) What joy, what a miracle. I never cease to be amazed as I witness the everlasting and long-suffering love of our Heavenly Father. I always pray for more and more souls to come into His Kingdom. Time is short and eternity is long -- the Father desires that none would perish. May we all take time from our busy lives and pray for the salvation of these languishing and shipped-wrecked souls. “Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish (or are unrestrained (NASB))." - Proverbs 29:18a (Amp). One of my daughters shared this acronym with me - BUSY:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan’s
Y-oke

As we see the violence in Gaza expanding and the very real possibility of this lawless violence and hatred spilling over into the West Bank and beyond, one must really stop and consider the times we are in and the signs we are witnessing as the "Quartet" (U.S., Russia, the European Union and the United Nations) supports this kind of solution. The truth is that the “two state” solution for a divided Israel has increased the possibility of more terror attacks...

"Now learn the parable of the fig tree: when you see its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door." - Matthew 24:32-33.
"In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look upon the one whom they have pierced; and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." - Zechariah 12:8-10 "In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten." - Jeremiah 50:4-5 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" - Matthew 23:39 "For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David (the Messiah) their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days." - Hosea 3:4-5 "...'and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.' ...'so I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!'" - Zechariah 8:8, 15

...Beside all the signs described in Yeshua's Olivet Discourse, is the sign of Aliyah, the return of the remnant of Israel to the Land in the last days - Aliyah is one of the more potent and pertinent signs that we are truly in the last days. Decisions made by Israel and the Quartet to fund, support, and ally themselves with Abbas and his Fattah Palestinian organization is even more incredulous, but prophetic none-the-less. It reminds me of the old children’s story of the Gingerbread boy getting on the back of the crocodile to cross the river only to be eaten later by that same crocodile. LORD, we pray that You give our leaders wisdom. I especially pray for the leaders of Israel, the U.S., and Britain and for our “spiritual” leaders to have much godly discernment and to teach their people truth!

I am confronted almost daily with Israeli people who are very discontent with the political and military leadership of this country, and yet I see this very same political scenario being acted out time and again with the very same faces who have betrayed them in the past, but appointed to different positions of authority. Why human beings are so hard-headed and determined that their wisdom is of more value than that of our Heavenly Father is an eternal mystery ("It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in princes." - Psalm 118:8-9).

Recently, I have heard and read about the Palestinians who are trying to flee Gaza. These particular Palestinians are stating that they were better off under Israeli control than under the new hate-filled, violent Hamas government they voted into power. The truth is that the Islamic religion and its Jihad movement call for the annihilation of the State of Israel, the U.S., the Jewish people and Christians -- all “infidels.” This edict leaves no choice other than being a Muslim or converting to the Islamic religion. This is their goal and their only acceptable state of reality for the world. There are many intercessory groups that are praying for the salvation of the Muslim people here in the Land and abroad. Muslims and Arabs who have come to the Christian faith and who now believe in Yeshua (Jesus) are in grave danger while their livelihoods and their very existence are threatened by those within their own families. We need to especially pray for those Arab Christians who live in Gaza under the control of the Hamas government. They are in real peril!

I really do see the Jewish people wanting to live in peace and to be able to live side-by-side with the Arab peoples. When I walk along the streets or visit the “Shuks” (the open air markets), I see these Arab people with the freedom to conduct commerce, educate their youth, visit their own places of worship, and profit from trade among Jews, peoples from others nations living here, and tourists. I have recently taken a young Jewish mother who was diagnosed with cancer -- undergoing surgery and subsequent treatments -- to several of the local Jewish hospitals. (Her name is Hadar -- please join your prayers with mine for this single Mom and her 2 year old son.) In the emergency wards and treatment clinics that are filled with both Jews and Arabs, I see highly trained and skilled Jewish doctors, nurses, and technicians treating all with respect, and sometimes working along side Arab doctors and nurses.

This week alone, the world has seen Israel giving aid and rescuing those out of Gaza with the most serious of medical conditions. The Palestinians are the ones who wanted their own state, and look at what leadership abilities they have demonstrated! I do not see the Israeli government or military wanting to intentionally obliterate those of another nationality or religious belief. However, the situation grows more tenuous every day as the nations that hate Israel are calling for her destruction. (Obadiah 1:15-21)

"Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near. ...Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the LORD's ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, 'Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations.' ...The LORD will answer and say to His people, 'Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. But I will remove the northern army far from you, and I will drive it into a parched land... ...Thus you will know know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame... ...For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.'" - Joel 2:1, 15-20, 27 and 3:1.

Wake up America! Wake up people-of-faith who are sitting in congregations! What the enemy, Satan, would like to do to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people, he would like do to all true believers in Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) and the nations they live in. It is well-known that in America and the other western nations, there are covert and readied Islamic Jihad cells waiting for the opportunity to bring destruction and chaos. Stand with God -- stand with Messiah, Yeshua. "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.' Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear..." - Romans 11:19-20. So let the true believers in Yeshua come together in our faith and stand with the Nation of Israel. Pray that the scales will fall from Israel's eyes and that they will not continue in their unbelief so the LORD will graft them back into the olive tree to join us, the wild branches. "And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?" - Romans 11:23-24. Live in such a way that you will provoke the Jewish people to jealousy -- not trying to provoke only those who live throughout the world, but those who may live just across town or across the street. "...if I (Paul) might somehow move to jealousy my fellow countrymen (Jews) and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" - Romans 11:14-15. Please read Romans 11 praying for deeper insight and godly revelation. Ask the LORD to show you Scriptures relating to these “end times” and how we need to prepare our hearts and live our lives.
"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. Who then is the faithful and sensible [servant] whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that [servant] whom his master finds so doing when he comes." - Matthew 24:44-46.
"...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" - Luke 18:8b.

Pray for understanding and discernment. Romans 11:25-26 says, “For I do not want you, Brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery -- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all of Israel will be saved; just as it is written...” Dear people, the “fullness of the Gentiles” time period most likely began in June of 1967 when Jerusalem was reunified under Israeli rule and no longer under Gentile rule. Since the time of Jerusalem's fall in 70 AD, Jerusalem had been under the control of one Gentile nation after another. According to God's Word and the timeline laid out therein, we are in the last hour if not the last minutes of time before the return of our LORD and Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth.

"Who is like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which you swore to our forefathers from the days of old." - Micah 7:18-20

We all need to stop and pray to hear His voice! Being too busy is not the Father’s plan -- it's only when we take the time to hear His voice that we hear a word behind us, “This is the way, walk ye in it..." - Isaiah 30:21 (KJV). In the times in which we are living, it is CRITICAL that we know and hear His voice and are led by His Holy Spirit! Please seek God’s face and God’s truth and “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” PS 122:6.

In the great love and grace of our LORD and Savior, Yeshua, Miriam Morales

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is used unless otherwise noted

Food for the Truly Hungry!

I must admit that I have always been very fond of food—seafood, country food, city food, gourmet food, fried food, boiled food, grilled food, sautéed food, baked food, Chinese food, Mexican food, French food, Southern food, Italian food, Japanese food, and, especially, soul food. There is nothing better than a spread that includes fried chicken, cream 40 peas, fried side meat, turnips with roots, mashed potatoes loaded with butter (the real thing), sliced, fresh tomatoes, fried okra, country fried steak with lots of gravy, fresh Kentucky Wonder pole beans, a pot of chicken and dumplings, hot cornbread, and fresh biscuits! Of course, you would always follow this up with a fresh peach cobbler and homemade banana pudding (the real kind). In my mind, that is what the disciples had in mind when they said to Jesus, “Rabbi eat” (John 4:31). This may be why I am so fond of Paul’s incredible declaration: Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food . . . (1 Corinthians 6:13)!

As I write this, my mind keeps going back to my childhood days when my mother or my grandmother would call me to dinner (lunch, as Yankees call it) or supper. You can believe that I stopped whatever I might have been doing and headed for the table, where a feast was in store; it never took but one call! As I remember it, somewhere about half way through dinner, I would ask, “What are we having for supper?” Whatever the answer, from that point forward, my taste buds would dance in eager anticipation of the next meal.

Recognizing that the disciples shared my keen interest in eating, as was evidenced by the fact that they walked into Sychar to buy food, I am really surprised at Jesus’ apparent indifference. Surely, He, too, was hungry—very hungry! You would think that the mere mention of eating would have excited His taste buds, and He would have been off to Sychar with the other guys. Regardless of what I might think, the fact is this: He had food to eat that nourished and satisfied Him far more than anyone’s fried chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, and sliced tomatoes ever could.

Interestingly, the disciples were just as surprised as I am at His obvious indifference toward eating. I feel sure they discussed their concern all the while they were out to lunch. Can’t you hear them asking these questions: What is wrong with Jesus? Why in the world is He acting so weird? Who made Him mad? What is His problem? Why can’t He be social? Who ate His lunch?

In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” The disciples therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work (John 4:31-34).

Think about what Jesus said: My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work (vs. 34); this really puts things in perspective! As much as I enjoy eating food (pork chops, collards, cabbage, and corn bread), there is more—much more! Jesus had food to eat about which most of us know nothing because most of us have been satisfied with pleasing and satisfying our fleshly desires. These desires usually take precedence over our deepest desire—to know Him whom to know is eternal life. When our fleshly bellies are full, we have no desire for that which is better—much better!

I wonder if the disciples ever caught on to what Jesus was telling them. It appears that the Samaritan woman did. The evidence? She left her water pot! When she drank from the well of water that would spring up in her, her water pot lost its significance. The disciples on the other hand left the scene, wondering which one of them secretly brought Jesus His lunch.

MY PERSPECTIVE: If it is true that Jesus’ food was doing His Father’s will and accomplishing His work (and it is), then I have the strong feeling that that should be our food as well. In all probability, nothing else will satisfy our deepest desire.

Worship!

Although I wrote this article on July 31, 2001, it still rings true today:

There are many terms in the English language that are very difficult to grasp. This is especially true regarding the theological terms we so frequently use. Try these on as examples: love, hope, faith, justification, grace, mercy, forgiveness, repentance, sanctification, Eucharist, sacrament, joy and peace. Consequently, there are times when I wish we used New Testament Greek rather than English as our primary language. At least, we would all understand the meanings of the words we use because each word would have a clearly defined meaning. As it is, effective communication is very difficult. We speak or write words having certain meanings in mind that are heard or read by people who have completely different meanings in mind. Although I did not mention it in the above list, worship is one of these words.

There are almost as many different meanings of the word worship as there are people who worship because each Christian has his or her own idea of how worship is defined. There is reformed worship, liturgical worship, charismatic worship, blended worship, contemporary worship, traditional worship, Spirit-led worship, fusion worship, informal worship, formal worship, individual worship, congregational worship and, of course, true worship. With all of these, there is no wonder we struggle as worshipers!

Unfortunately, most of these ideas of worship are the fruit of our efforts to attract people to our churches. We want to reach everyone and we want everyone we reach to be comfortable. God forbid that anyone would be uncomfortable in a worship service! As a result, many churches schedule several services each Sunday for the sole purpose of offering something that will attract everyone. The mind-set goes something like this: If formal worship does not happen to be your cup of tea, then by all means attend our contemporary service. If that one proves to be distasteful, try our blended worship service. If all else fails, try our true worship service!

MY PERSPECTIVE: It never dawns on us that what we attract them with is what we attract them to, and when whatever that is gone, they are gone. Consequently, most of what we call evangelism today is nothing more or less than Christians moving from one church to another in search of their soul’s deepest longing—intimacy with Jesus—only to find another disappointment.