Out of the Nowhere into the Fray

Do you present Christ only for it to fall on deaf ears? Then this story of Elijah is for you! Please take time to read the whole story.

1Kings 17 – 19 How often have you wondered when God was going to work and when He did, you can’t fathom how it all happened? Such is the case of Elijah the Tishbite in Gilead. Why did God call him to a nation of whom he was not related? God’s ways are not our ways, thankfully. God’s patience had run out for King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and He would take an ordinary man to prove that Baal was false and God was real. And so the contest began over the sacrifices.

Baal earned a zero in answering and God earned a resounding 100%.

You would think after seeing God’s power unleashed the king and queen would relent and believe but just as today, they did not. Instead, Jezebel decided to end Elijah’s life once and for all. God revealed His power and Baal’s lack of power. God now will have the last word for these workers of iniquity.

The contest is over and where do we find Elijah but in the desert whining in his depression. How like us! Truly Prov 29:25 is truer than we want to admit. We fear men more than we fear God. We have a mountaintop experience, fail to see others turn to Jesus and we fall into the valley of despond. Many love Easter for its resurrection story but on Easter Monday they fall back into their unbelieving ways. And like Elijah, we retreat to the cave where we can hide. I told the Easter story but it fell on deaf ears! Oh woe is me, I am a failure! Can you relate? It has happened more than once to me and probably it has happened to you as well.  That is why Elijah’s story is so very relevant to our lives and why we need to read it again and again. We need to see the compassionate heart of God when we are facing the deadly d’s of discouragement, depression, dismay and more. God calls out to Elijah to remind him he is not alone in this work!

So, friend, when you feel you are swimming upstream against unbelief, read this story again and again. You may not be an Elijah but you are called to present Jesus! Get up and get back to work. If we don’t present Christ they will enter a Christ-less eternity and you will hear that their blood is on your hands just like God told Ezekiel—but that’s another story for another time. 

There are still people who need to hear about the power of the Resurrection.

Get up and tell the gospel story to all whether they believe or not!

Is Your Blindfold On?

Proverbs 23:23 “Is Your Blindfold Still On?”

A recent experience reminded me of what a blindfold does—to hide what should be seen. Pilate was a man who walked blindfolded. When Jesus sought to remove his blindfold by telling him that he came to testify to the truth so men might see and recognize Him as Truth, Pilate sneeringly asked Jesus: “What is truth?” Not being interested in further dialog, he walked away.   The image of God, Jesus, TRUTH, stood before Pilate yet it was as if he willingly chose to put the blindfold of ignorance back on!

The Proverbs writer wisely said “acquire truth and do not sell it…” This truth is so precious because it cost the life of Jesus!  Perhaps that is why Jesus gave us this short parable about truth. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. [Matt 13:44] The treasure is Jesus who is TRUTH and when we stumble upon Him we should be willing to surrender all to Him. Jim Elliot captured this in a nutshell: “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

The question then before us is why, when truth is revealed would we choose to put the blindfold back on? It is because  2Co 4:4 “the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Like Pilate we have the choice. We can let Truth remove our blindfold we can see Him in all of His glory or return to the blindfold because we don’t want to see our need for Truth.

Is your blindfold still on or have you received the TRUTH with joy?

 

 

Those Pesky Deadly D’s

 

As we continue through the letter titled simply Hebrews we are noting the fatherly yet teacher  character.  He has not been remiss to remind the reader that even though they might be like those  who are facing almost daily  persecution and difficulty in their lives, these readers should beware of drifting and disbelief which are part of the disease of the deadly d’s. Our archenemy has his arsenal complete with just the one for today it seems–like distraction. You are on your way only to be distracted from your appointed round by it! And then there is discouragement. Add to that list any more that begin with “dis..” and you get the picture.

But, Christ is supremely appointed as our high priest and he is greater than any “dis…” The author of Hebrews reminds us that we need to focus on Christ who is and was the perfect Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. As the Son, Jesus is superior to angels, superior to Moses and now superior to Aaron. And yet in his humanity he suffered, prayed deeply, was tempted yet without sin. This is why he could “[become] the source of [our] eternal salvation.”

It is why Jesus said about himself “I AM the Way, The Truth, the Life” and no one, not a single person alive now or before or in the future will  come before the God of the universe apart from Jesus Christ. Many say that is so narrow-minded. I didn’t say it Jesus did. He is the one who died on that cross and rose again to new life. Consider then the source.

Think of being on a deserted island with no provisions. A rescuer comes. You have a choice, will you choose to trust him even though he is a stranger when he says, “if you trust me I will take you to safety.” You have a choice to follow or stay. The one who follows is just like the one who trusts the words of Jesus and is saved for eternity. The one who says no I won’t trust him has just lost their ticket to salvation/freedom, rescue and a life with God in eternity.

Have you believed and trusted God’s plan or are you thinking if I just love God it is enough? James said  “Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear” yet they are not saved for eternity. God’s plan may be narrow-minded in your eyes but that is His way, will you trust him? The blessings are out of this world!

How to Pray for the Wicked

Today as we watch the news our hearts are filled with much sadness by the many atrocities around our world. But God wants us to see that it is at times like this that we must be bold in our prayers for those who are blinded by the enemy and do NOT know the truth so that they may come to the knowledge of who Jesus really is and who God is.

TRUTH: The Holy Word presents the case of the righteous vs the wicked (the ungodly) from Genesis to Revelation that we may be discerning of the ways of Satan.

TRUTH: But there is also another reason and it is so that we may confidently approach God with weeping and praying for their lost souls. We know from history that the words of Paul have come true in more than one century: “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” The why is clear: “the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.” [Jn 16] because “the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” [2Co 4:4]

TRUTH: We must  bow before the Father and pray that their eyes of their heart be enlightened so that they may know the hope that is true and everlasting; that they may come to the knowledge of the true God; that the blindness that Satan has passed over their eyes may be removed and they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn to God and be healed. [John 12].

TRUTH: Beloved we are blessed to know the truth. Be bold before the Father and pray with boldness for the lost.

The Time is Now!!!

Clara Scott authored the hymn “Open my eyes that I May See”. The first stanza reads as : “Open my eyes, that I may see, glimpses of truth thou hast for me…” As we read Revelation 6 more than ever we need to see with spiritual eyes for the truth within is almost more than one can digest. In reading this chapter one verse keeps coming back to mind: John 3:16 “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It is when we view God’s love in sharp contrast to the hate of Satan, which is sovereignly allowed upon men in this chapter, that we bow the knee and are overwhelmed with gratitude of God’s gift of His Son’s sacrifice on the cross and our salvation.

John 3:16 says that the gift God has for those who will bow the knee is eternal life. However, in this chapter we find that just as the Israel and the religious leaders during the time of Jesus rejected the evidence: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them, so too men in the last stages of the clock of time, men will not cry out to God for His peace, love and salvation but will continue to reject.  That is a frightening thought which should drive us to share the good news of salvation to everyone who is divinely brought across our path that they may not have to face the judgment of God. 

In Chapter 6, John shows us what God revealed. It will not be His grace but horror upon horror to show men the power of evil and hate in the form of war, famine, death, disease. They respond by calling out  to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” In reading this another verse came flooding back to this author: Rom  1:32 “Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die..” Isn’t it ironic that these men fully understand God’s judgment and his wrath but choose mountains and rocks to  the path of goodness, love and peace which only God can provide? We stop and ask “why?” Why do men reject God? Again we turn to the words of John: John 3:19 “people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.”

Beloved, if you have not done so I implore you now to open your eyes and allow the Holy Spirit to illumine you and bring God’s love and peace to your heart. It is not too late—but do not delay, we do not know when God will choose to allow the events of chapter 6 to unfold in all of their reality. Keep in mind God’s clock is running down; have you called upon Him?

 

 

 

Being a SaltShaker for Christ

Everyday you pick up the salt shaker and probably do not realize that there are at least 14,000 uses for the common table salt. Truly God’s gift is a wonder. Salt is not just an enhancer but also a preservative. It is an excellent cleaning agent—a brine of salt and vinegar poured down the kitchen sink prevents grease from collecting! Jesus said we are to be salt and light, not pepper and dark!  Yesterday we talked about the message of the gospel and how it offends the person to whom we bring it. But, if they only could taste the salt in our shaker then what a transformation would take place!  The message may be offensive but as Paul and Jesus said we are to be meek and gentle, salt and light in a dark world.

Today in our reading, [2Cor 11] Paul speaks to his beloved Corinthians in boldness for as their spiritual father he had promised them to Christ. He used the analogy of a father’s jealousy for the protection of a virgin daughter. In particular, Paul spoke to them about his love and concern for their lack of discernment regarding those who came to them with various “truths” thus deceiving them and leading them astray.  Jesus asked this pointed question: “But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again?” This is what Paul was asking his beloved Corinthians. By not being discerning they were losing their salt’s effectiveness, they were being“tossed to and fro , and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness…” [Eph 4]

As the Corinthians we need to ask why we too so easily accept the pepper of this world; those who come wrapped in skilled speech and are proud. Unlike the , the Corinthians and us in turn, are often unable to discern the truth of  message because we are searching the scriptures to verify what is said is truth and not error. [Heb 5:14]  

Jesus did not say to be pepper but to be salt. Just as pepper is dark so our enemy is dark. Just as pepper is spicy so is the enemy with his methods of deception. He has one aim in mind; he seeks to devour. The false teachers came with the motive of removing the salt from the Corinthian church and its effective testimony. The enemy today comes for the same reason. Their peppershaker might be camouflaged as a salt shaker but when turned upside down we find not flakes of salt but peppercorns! As Jesus said, they are dressed in sheep’s clothing but inside are but ravening wolves. Once we know the truth we can discern the peppershaker from the saltshaker. As babes we are to be encased and protected in the saltshaker but once mature we are to allow God to shake us out. We will then find that we are walking and sharing the table with the pepper. Our job as salt is to share the truth that frees from death, preserves the saints, heals, seasons and shares the cleansing message of the gospel to the peppers of this world.