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.

The Blessing of Suffering?

Dear Fellow Travelers,

Roughly seven years ago, I was introduced to the writings of Richard Wurmbrand, from which the following is an excerpt:

I thank God for the years I passed in solitary confinement. I was, for three years, thirty feet beneath the earth. I never heard a word. I never spoke a word. There were no books. The outward voices ceased. The guards had felt-soled shoes; you did not hear their approach. Then, with time, the inner voices ceased. We were drugged, we were beaten. I forgot my whole theology. I forgot the whole Bible. One day I observed that I had forgotten the “Our Father.” I could not say it anymore. I knew that it began with “Our Father . . . ,” but I did not know the continuation. I just kept happy and said, “Our Father, I have forgotten the prayer, but You surely know it by heart. You hear it so many thousand times a day, so You assign an angel to say it for me, and I will just keep quiet.” For a time my prayers were, “Jesus, I love you.” And then after a little time again, “Jesus, I love You. Jesus I love you.” Then it became too difficult even to say this because we were doped with drugs that would destroy our minds. We were very hungry. We had one slice of bread a week. There were the beatings, and the tortures, and the lack of light, and the things. It became impossible to concentrate my mind to even say so much as, “Jesus, I love You.” I abandoned it because I knew that it was necessary. The highest form of prayer I know is the quiet beating of a heart that loves Him. Jesus should just hear the “tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock,” and He would know that every heartbeat is for Him. [The Triumphant Church (Bartlesville, Oklahoma: The Voice of the Martyrs, 1999), p. 24-25]

In the first place, I cannot imagine the suffering one would endure being confined for three years inside a very small cell, thirty feet beneath the earth. Furthermore, I cannot imagine what it would be like to endure three years without hearing a voice; that silence would be deafening! How one would keep from going “mad” is beyond me. To be sure, I have no idea how one could physically or mentally survive on a diet that consisted of only one slice of bread per week. Add to all of this, the beatings, the drugs, the tortures, the lack of light, and I have a difficult time believing that story is true.

This, however, is what intrigues me about this man: in all of his suffering, his pursuit of Jesus never diminished, it only intensified! Even after he was too weak to repeat the simple prayer, Jesus, I love You, he never lost his passion for Jesus. Oh, I am sure that there were times when he wondered where God had gone. I am also sure that there were times when he wondered why God did not deliver him from this relentless suffering (he actually spent 14 years in prison because of his refusal to deny Jesus); however, after 14 years of imprisonment and torture, his response was this: I thank God for the years I passed in solitary confinement.

Although none of us have suffered like this man suffered, and certainly none of us have suffered for the reason he suffered, most of us have suffered to some lesser degree and, I might add, suffering is suffering. Somehow, the whole of Christianity is built on the foundation of suffering. In Hebrews, we read these intriguing words: Although He (Jesus) was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8; parenthesis mine). Obviously, Jesus, Himself, suffered—relentlessly suffered. Then there is the host of other men and women of God who have, without exception, suffered because of their stand as Christians. We simply cannot get around the fact that suffering is a part, a vital part, of Christianity. Why, therefore, should we think that we are somehow exempt from it?

Yes, I realize that there are various kinds of suffering. Some suffering is the fruit of our foolish choices, while other suffering is the fruit of our faithfulness. Even so, suffering is suffering, and it always hurts. It is never pleasant! It is never enjoyable! Fortunately, however, God uses our suffering for our benefit and for His glory. In other words, God never wastes our suffering—NEVER!

Richard Wurmbrand suffered because of his faithfulness, his refusal to deny Jesus. Even though it was motivated by love, it was very painful, even debilitating; however, in the end, he could say with integrity, “I thank God for my suffering.” Obviously, God did not waste his suffering.

I guess I just wanted to remind you to stop and thank God for your suffering. Oh, I know that you have probably already thanked Him for many things, but have you thanked Him for the suffering He has allowed you to endure? If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to thank Him because your suffering is not without purpose—His Sovereign Purpose. Did you notice one of the fruits of Wurmbrand’s sufferings? He came to know the highest form of prayer—the quiet beating of a heart that loves Him.

MY PERSPECTIVE: Our suffering just might be our greatest blessing.

Idolatry or Obedience?

He grew up in a society that was almost as pagan as the one in which we live. Idolatry was rampant, even in his own family. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River (Euphrates), namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods’” (Joshua 24:2; parenthesis mine). The truth is, Abraham had probably never even heard of God, the Father of our Lord Jesus. Instead, he had probably been well indoctrinated into the same pagan notions his parents embraced, and was, therefore, very much an idolater. He was probably fully convinced that any religious persuasion other than the one his father, Terah, embraced was heresy. Interestingly, however, Abraham’s religious persuasion was not a deterrent to God’s purposes. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac (Joshua 24:3). Even though God knew that Abraham and his family worshipped other gods, He took him from beyond the river Euphrates (the place of idolatry) and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants through Isaac. Awesome! That reminds me of just how glad I am that God is big enough to open our eyes (even when we don’t want Him to do so) and show us The Truth. It also reminds me of just how thankful I am that God doesn’t wait around for us to make the first move toward Him. It really reminds me of just how thankful I am that God does as He pleases—regardless! What really happened was this: when God called Abram (Abraham), he and his wife, Sarai (Sarah), were living in Ur of the Chaldeas, far removed from any notion of following God anywhere. The call was clear: Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). In my opinion, that was quite an order; even so, the Scripture is clear concerning Abraham’s response: So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:4-7). I think we could conclude that Abram obeyed God and it paid big dividends! Did you notice the way the Scripture describes Abram’s response? I really like it! And they set out for the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5; emphasis mine). I wonder what would happen, if more of us would “set out” in obedience to God’s call. I am convinced that more of us would find ourselves enjoying the pleasures of God, if we, like Abraham, simply “set out” in response to His call. Notice that Abraham had no idea, as to where he was going; he just “set out” in obedience! Think about what must have been going on in Abraham’s mind as he built the altar to the Lord. At one point in his life, he had no idea who God was; however, at this point he is obeying God and being blessed by God. Thus far, Abraham had been obedient to God, and God had done EXACTLY as He had promised to do. I want you, however, to notice this: Abraham would not settle for ANYTHING less than God’s best. By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:9-10). Somehow, Abraham knew that this was just a shadow of what was to come; he knew that the best was yet to come. As a result, he never planted his feet firmly on this soil; instead, he lived in tents as an alien (a stranger) in the land of promise. Why? The Scriptures make it clear: He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God! Have you ever noticed that obedience to God, especially “set out” obedience, moves your focus from what you can see to what you cannot see? Have you also noticed that obedience to God never allows you to be satisfied with what you can see? Somehow, you are always being moved from glory to glory and from faith to faith! Most of us need to “set out” in obedience to the God of Abraham, especially since the call has already come. Truthfully, anything less is idolatry.

Dear Fellow Travelers,

In Genesis 6 we find the story of Noah and the ark: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. And the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them” (Genesis 6:5-7).

To be honest, it is very difficult for me to understand how God could be sorry that He had made man on the earth when He knew BEFORE He created us how we would behave. I can understand why his heart would be grieved by our behavior but for the life of me, I cannot understand why He would be sorry that He had created us. Even so, the text tells us that He was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and I believe it to be true—period.

The truth is I am much more concerned about the end result of His being sorry that He created us than I am about understanding why He was sorry because the end result was rather horrific! Man, along with the animals, the creeping things, and even the birds of the sky, were blotted out! That’s right—BLOTTED OUT! It really is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God, when He is angry!

HOWEVER, there is more to this story. Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8; parenthesis mine). I have no idea how many people were alive at the time, but only one family found grace in the eyes of the Lord—Noah’s family. As the head of his family, the grace (favor) that God extended to Noah was also extended to his wife, his sons, and their wives. For whatever reason, God chose to be merciful to Noah and graciously set him apart as a righteous, blameless man, along with his family. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 6:9-10). But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you (Genesis 6:18).

Do you remember a time in your life when you really needed someone to be gracious to you? The reason for your need of grace could have been any one of a number of things, but wouldn’t it have been great if that someone had extended grace to you?

Maybe you are one of the fortunate ones, who did experience a lavish outpouring of grace. If you are, do you remember how it made you feel? You were guilty as charged, but the person you offended chose to lavish grace upon you. The truth is it had a profoundly positive influence on your life!

Interestngly, Noah was one, who found grace, not in the eyes of another person, but in the eyes of God. Wow! What an awesome thought! Noah was just as much a part of that sinful race as were each of the others, but God chose to be gracious to him and declare him to be righteous and blameless, even to spare his life. Noah deserved to be swallowed up in the deluge just as much as the rest of the people, but God chose to provide him an ark of safety. Incredible grace!

Obviously, Noah was a man of faith (he is included in the Hall of Faith—Hebrews 11). For some reason, He simply believed God. When God declared that he was a blameless and righteous man, he believed God, and he began to live as a blameless and righteous man. This was evidenced by his obedience to God. Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so did he (Genesis 6:22).

There is this obvious progression: (1) Because of his sinfulness, Noah deserved destruction—to be blotted out; (2) God, however, chose to be merciful and extend grace to Noah; (3) God gave Noah faith—saving faith; (4) God declared that Noah was blameless and righteous; (5) Noah walked in obedience to God—the fruit of faith. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26); and (6) Noah escaped the wrath of God in the safety of the ark.

MY PERSPECTIVE: Man escapes the wrath of God only as the result of God having chosen to place him into Jesus, who is his ark of safety. Furthermore, the end result of the grace of God having been extended to man is saving faith and the good works of obedience—the good works that God prepared beforehand. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Now you know why I love rainbows!!

A Return to the Basics

The following is from Mike Mason’s book, The Gospel According to Job, pages 37-38:

Job knew one of the great secrets of faith: the believer in God has no worldly rights. The true believer is someone who has abdicated all rights, freely accepting the status of a slave and no longer laying claim to any earthly chattel, whether it be “houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields” (Matthew 19:29). These are precisely the sort of things that Job has just lost, and yet his initial response to their loss is not bitter complaint, nor even mere acquiescence, but adoration.

The fact is Christians have abdicated one kingdom in favor of another. They have released their hold on this world’s elaborate system of amenities and expectations, in order to embrace something infinitely higher. In practice this letting go can be a delicate process, for as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven we certainly do have rights, but what we do not have is worldly rights.

For a Christian to insist on having worldly rights and comforts is, plain and simply, to be a grumbler. It is to be like the Israelites in the desert when they were continually murmuring against God. How often do we as believers waste precious time and energy trying to “claim” things that, as those whose lot in this life is nothing more than to share the cross of Christ, we have no right to claim? The tragedy is that meanwhile we neglect to claim the spiritual rights that are properly ours. In our pursuit of worldly contentment, we forfeit spiritual joy and peace.

We Christians are people who know in our bones that we never had any right to be created in the first place, let alone redeemed. We know we have no more inherent title to life and its goodness than a dead man has. For us the coffin lid has already been nailed shut on all the natural joys and privileges that earth can offer. Knowing this, we are set free to bless the Lord in all circumstances, whether we find ourselves clothed or naked.

When Adam discovered he was naked, he hid from the Lord. But when Job was faced with his nakedness he worshipped, and this is what sets fallen man apart from the redeemed man. Even Christ, after all, when He came into the world, came naked. And He died naked, too. The Gospels plainly state that soldiers divided Jesus’ garments among them at the foot of the cross, including His undergarment. The pictures do not usually show this; it is almost as though the sight of God’s nakedness would be somehow more appalling than His death. But in the full Biblical revelation it is clear that God became not only man, but man naked and helpless, and that both at the beginning and at the end of the Lord’s earthly life His bare flesh had to be wrapped in rags like that of any other poor wretch.

MY PERSPECTIVE: Maybe we need to return to the basics of Christianity and find ourselves, as naked children, simply relaxing in His incredible love, His measureless mercy, and His lavished grace.

I penned these words in October 2000, almost seven years ago, and in my opinion they are very relevant today. I would love to have your comments!

Dear Fellow Travelers,

Last Sunday our text (Hebrews 11) took us to Genesis 6 and the story of Noah and the ark where we found an example of what it would be like to experience the wrath of God. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. And the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them” (Genesis 6:5-7).

To be honest, it is very difficult for me to understand how God could be sorry that He had made man on the earth when He knew BEFORE He created us how we would behave. I can understand why his heart would be grieved by our behavior but, for the life of me, I cannot understand why He would be sorry that He had created us. Even so, the text tells us that He was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and I believe it to be true—period.

The truth is I am much more concerned about the end result of His being sorry that He created us, than I am about understanding why He was sorry. The end result was rather horrific; man, along with the animals, the creeping things, and even the birds of the sky, were blotted out! That’s right—BLOTTED OUT! It really is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God when He is angry!

HOWEVER, there is more to this story. Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8; parenthesis mine). I have no idea how many people were alive at the time, but only one family found grace in the eyes of the Lord—Noah’s family. As the head of his family, the grace (favor) that God extended to Noah was also extended to his wife, his sons, and their wives. For whatever reason, God chose to be merciful to Noah and graciously set him apart as a righteous, blameless man, along with his family. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 6:9-10). But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you (Genesis 6:18).

Do you remember a time in your life when you really needed someone to be gracious to you? The reason for your need of grace could have been any one of a number of things, but wouldn’t it have been great if someone had extended that grace to you? Maybe you did experience that lavish outpouring of grace. Do you remember how it made you feel? You were positively guilty as charged, but the person you offended chose to lavish grace upon you. The truth is it had a profoundly positive influence on your life!

Our text, however, tells us that Noah found grace, not in the eyes of another person, but in the eyes of God. Wow! What an awesome thought! Noah was just as much a part of that sinful race as were each of the others, but God chose to be gracious to him and declare him to be righteous and blameless, even to spare his life. Noah deserved to be swallowed up in the deluge just as much as did the rest of the people, but God chose to provide him an ark of safety. Incredible!

Obviously (he is included in the Hall of Faith—Hebrews 11), Noah was a man of faith. For some reason, He simply believed God. When God declared that he was a blameless and righteous man, he believed God, and he began to live as a blameless and righteous man. This was evidenced by his obedience to God. Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so did he (Genesis 6:22).

There is this obvious progression: (1) Because of his sinfulness, Noah deserved destruction—to be blotted out; (2) Instead, God chose to be merciful and extend grace to Noah; (3) God gave Noah faith—saving faith; (4) God declared that Noah was blameless and righteous; (5) Noah walked in obedience to God—the fruit of faith. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26); (6) Noah escaped the wrath of God in the safety of the ark.

MY PERSPECTIVE: Man escapes the wrath of God only as the result of the grace of God. The end result of the grace of God having been extended to man is saving faith and the good works of obedience—the good works that God prepared beforehand. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). We escape the wrath of God ONLY in the safety of Jesus, who is our ark.

How Many of Your Days Have You Used Up?

Take a few minutes and answer these questions—honestly, of course:

1. What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here?
2. How am I fulfilling that purpose?
3. Am I satisfied with what I have done thus far with the life that God has entrusted to me?
4. If I should die TODAY, what legacy would I leave to my family?
5. If I should die TODAY, would my family be left in financial ruin?
6. If I knew that TODAY would be the end of my life on earth, how would I want to spend that day?
7. If I knew that TODAY would be the end of my life on earth, with whom would I want to spend the day?
8. If I should die TODAY, what loose ends would I be leaving for someone else to tie together?
9. Do I have an up-to-date will (the legal document)?
10. Do I have an annual physical examination?
11. How do I want to spend the rest of my life?
12. What do I regret most about my life?
13. Am I in control of my life, or is my life in control of me?
14. Am I enjoying my life?
15. Am I so focused on living this life that I have lost sight of the real life?

Regardless of what your answers might be, I wonder if you will do anything to change the things that you can change. I wonder if you will accept the fact that you, even you, are not exempt from death. I wonder if you are aware that God ordained your days when yet there was not one of them. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them (Psalms 139:16).

MY PERSPECTIVE: Life is a most precious gift, even the life we live on this earth. Interestingly, God has entrusted life (on this earth) to us for an ordained number of days; the mystery being the number of those days. It, therefore, seems to me that it would behoove each one of us to live every day as if that day would be the very last of that mysterious number; it could well be, you know. And by the way, for those of you who will get “religious” on me and tell me that you can’t wait for that last day to come because things will be so much better for you then, remember this: most of you will leave behind people who love you and will sorely miss your life on this earth. Do not be so self-centered!

Faith's Resting Place

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, he makes it very clear that faith’s resting-place should be the power of God and not the wisdom of man. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5; emphasis mine).

In other words, Paul was telling the saints of the church at Corinth that he purposed to do nothing, not even in his message or in his preaching, to influence them to believe that true faith has anything to do with the wisdom of man. Paul was fully convinced that when faith rests on the wisdom of man, it can only produce what man can conjure—nothing of lasting value.

Paul confirmed this in chapter one: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God . . . (1 Corinthians 1:21). In other words, when all the wisdom the men of the world could put together has accomplished all it could possibly accomplish, it will not have borne the fruit of even one person coming to know God, not one eternally significant thing will have been accomplished! And that, in the wisdom of God, not in the wisdom of man! It is so very true: The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). Man has NOTHING about which he can boast!

If your faith is resting on the wisdom of men, then all you will ever see is what the wisdom of men can accomplish. You will never see what true faith in God can accomplish—the works of the Spirit.

Obviously, this is true, not only for an individual believer, but also for a local assembly of believers. If any local assembly of believers places their faith in the wisdom of men, all they will ever see is what the wisdom of men can accomplish. To the eyes of the world, that might be much; but to the eyes of those whose faith is resting on the power of God, all that the wisdom of man could accomplish, put together, would only be the pitiful and shameful fruits of man’s labors—works of the flesh.

To be specific, if this local assembly rests its faith in the wisdom of men, believe me, it will see only what the wisdom of those men is able to achieve and that is not what any of us want for this church! Surely each one of us wants to see the sovereign and strong hand of God move amongst us in ways that we have never before seen. At the very least, we want to see Him continue to do the things He has been doing since before the foundation of the world. Surely we want to see Him continue to call into being that which does not exist (Romans 4:17), continue to raise the dead (John 11), continue to heal the sick (Luke 6), continue to give sight to the blind (John 9), continue to cast out demons (Luke 8:26-39), continue to equip the saints for the work of service (Ephesians 4:12), and above all, continue to draw men unto Himself (John 12:32). These things never happen as the result of the wisdom of man! They can only happen as man allows his faith to rest on the power of God.

MY PERSPECTIVE: The faith that rests on the wisdom of man is really not faith at all because its end is to see what man can accomplish; consequently, most of what we call faith is really not faith at all.

All Things are Lawful!

I penned the following in June of 2000, and I continue to believe that His ways are not our ways! How in the wide-world has the church moved so far away from the truth of the gospel? Of this I am certain: were Paul to pay us a visit, he would be flabbergasted and we would call him a heretic!

Dear Fellow Travelers,

You probably know this by know, but I really do love the way Paul (the apostle) writes, and I especially like the way he communicates what he writes. He has a way of slipping in the most unlikely comments at the most inopportune times. I guess I should not be surprised because he did make it very clear that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Actually, I do not suppose anyone would be, if he believed the gospel that Paul believed, especially if he believed it as strongly as Paul did.

Anyay, he can come up with some of the most unorthodox comments; he must have been on a mission to irritate the religious people of this day. Whether or not he was on such a mission, he certainly did irritate them! Please join me as I take you on a brief tour of some of his unorthodox comments:

(1) Grace to you and peace (Romans 1:7).

(2) The kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).

(3) There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).

(4) He is not a Jew who is one outwardly (Romans 2:28).

(5) There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).

(6) Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).

(7) Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account (Romans 4:8).

(8) While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

(9) Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20).

(10) Sin shall not be master over you (Romans 6:14).

(11) We have been released from the Law (Romans 7:6).

(12) Apart from the Law sin is dead (Romans 7:8).

(13) I am no longer am I the one doing it (Romans 7:20).

(14) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

(15) God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28).

(16) For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ (Romans 9:3).

(17) I will have mercy on whom I have mercy (Romans 9:15).

(18) He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens who He desires (Romans 9:18).

(19) Let love be without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9).

(20) Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another (Romans 13:8).

Although the list could go on and on, I will stop with these because I want to highlight this one: All things are lawful for me (1Corinthians 6:12). Can you imagine anyone having the courage to make such a statement, especially to a group of Christians who have been thoroughly convinced that keeping the law is the way to please God? Well, whether or not you can, Paul did it. As you know, many of the Christians in the Corinthian church were deeply involved in various sins, especially immorality, and they were so, even though they knew better.

In the midst of this epidemic of sin, Paul arrives in town and, right out of the chute, he announces that all things are lawful for him. He must have been crazy! I can only imagine what the leaders thought; to be sure, they certainly thought that the epidemic was about to become pandemic. This crazy man had just announced that all things were lawful for him, and if you read on a bit further you will find that he said almost the same thing again—All things are lawful (1 Corinthians 10:23). This time he omitted the word “me” and simply made it all-inclusive! All things are lawful—period! Had he gone “mad”?

May it never be! He knew what most never know (apart from the Law sin is dead), and he was simply putting into practice what he knew to be truth. He knew well that the only hope the Corinthian church had of overcoming this epidemic of sin was for them to be released from the Law. He knew that the Law is the power (strength) of sin, and he knew, just as well, that he had to release them from that power.

Most evangelists would have come into town and immediately purposed to put the people under the Law by telling them that God would never be pleased with them as long as they continued to live such reckless lives. They would have heaped judgment and condemnation upon them, rather than upon their behavior. The result would have been tragic! The epidemic would have, indeed, become pandemic.

Paul was much too wise for such foolishness. He pointed out the sin, to be sure, but he also made it clear that not one of the sins could separate them from God or from His love. Talk about unlikely comments at inopportune times!

Think about it! There is an epidemic of sin running wild through the church, immorality is rampant, and Paul’s fix is this: Everything is lawful!

MY PERSPECTIVE: God’s ways are definitely not our ways.

The Pruning of the Vine

I penned the following lines on January 7, 2003:

Dear Fellow Travelers,

I trust that each of you enjoyed a good holiday season, and, even more, I pray that you are looking forward to a great 2003. I am praying that your best day in 2002 will be equal to your worst day in 2003 (I hope I communicated what I was thinking)!

It is very apparent that the Holy Spirit is moving among us—a deep moving of God that is obviously the fruit of several years of severe pruning. I hate pruning not only because it hurts, but also because it involves the cutting away of what appears to be such good wood. Even so, I am well aware that pruning is necessary for the production of new life—fruit that remains.

Interestingly, when the Vinedresser has pruned the vineyard and the resultant life—new life—is formed, the pain of the pruning is seen for what it is—the exercise of life. God’s pruning of His vineyard so concentrates the life of Jesus in the remaining branches that new life—His life—explodes throughout the vineyard. Although both are beautiful, the contrast between a pruned vineyard and a fruit-laden vineyard is simply breath-taking; however, nothing can compare to the beauty of the vineyard when the blossoms are in full bloom. (Next spring, look one of our local peach orchards and you will see what I mean.)

Although I have seen it coming (the buds of life have been evident), this past Saturday night and Sunday morning it became unmistakably obvious that the work of the Vinedresser was paying off and paying off big time! The life of Jesus has filled the vineyard of Grace Christian Fellowship with the blossoms of life; blossoms that will soon become fruit— fruit that remains.

MY PERSPECTIVE: As the Vinedresser continues His work in His vineyard, we should give ourselves to the study of His Word—a life of meditation; to the celebration of His Supper—a life of thanksgiving; and to the discipline of His model—a life of prayer. As the vineyard begins to bear fruit, fruit that remains, you will be very thankful for this time of nourishment and enrichment.

Interestingly and thankfully, vineyards are pruned every year but my how painful the pruning is, especially to those of us who like to avoid pain. The fact is, however, that without the pruning the vine becomes worthless, at least as far as fruit-bearing is concerned. My, how much He must love the church and the fruit she bears!

Blessings with grace lavished,

Mac Goddard