THE MEASURE OF OUR LOVE

           When Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the signs of His coming and the end of the world, He spoke of wars, pestilences, famines, earthquakes, persecution, murders, betrayals and false prophets who will deceive many.  Then He said this, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”  (Matthew 24:12)

            There is no doubt that iniquity abounds today, but what about Jesus’ statement that “the love of many shall wax cold.”?  How has the abundance of wickedness in our world affected our love?  How are we affected when someone betrays our trust; we are lied to, stolen from and rejected; someone enacts a scheme to ruin our character, our career or our ministry; we have bad experiences in church situations from false brethren or false leaders?  If you add to that list murders, wars, persecution, famines and plagues, life becomes one of “survival of the fittest”.  Human nature builds a barrier around “me and mine” to close out anyone who might be a threat physically or emotionally.  But as a Christian, what happens to our love?  Real love.  Active love.  Selfless love.  God’s Love.

            Has our love already been lost in the chaotic mix of life experiences?  Have we guarded our hearts from actively loving God and others because we have been abused, misused and rejected in the past?  If we could measure our love, how would we measure up?  All we have to do is look at the life of Jesus to see what love looks like in action.  Then we can do a little measuring of our own. 

COMPASSION – “But when he [Jesus] saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”  (Matthew 9:35-36)  Compassion is a stirring deep within that causes us to truly care for others and moves us to help change their circumstances. There were numerous times when Jesus had compassion on a group of people or an individual and met their need.  He saw their sickness and healed them.  He saw their spiritual blindness and enlightened them.  He saw their need for food and fed them.  He saw their sin and died for them.  That’s what compassion does.  It sees a need and meets it, whether it is a spiritual need, physical need or material need.  We are to have that kind of compassion, the kind that moves us to do something. 

1 John 3:17 asks us, “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”  We can’t help them all, but we can start right where we are.  (See Matthew 25:31-46.)

Acts of love and compassion are not always accepted, but we cannot allow rejection to cause us to get discouraged and let our love grow cold.  Jesus mentioned Jerusalem’s history of rejecting and murdering the prophets God sent to them.  He also knew they would do the same to Him there.  Yet He wept over the blindness of the city and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.”  He still loved them enough to give His life for them even while they were rejecting Him. 

Do we have that kind of compassionate love?  It seems to be missing.  Even in our churches, we lack the oneness in Christ that causes us to care for one another out of genuine compassion.   Showing compassion is not acting out of a sense of duty.  It is an overflow of the love of God within us.  Without love there is no compassion. 

SACRIFICE - “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

Jesus certainly counted the cost of redeeming us.  He looked ahead to the suffering and death He would endure, the constant contention of the religious rulers against Him, the betrayal by one of His disciples and the unbelief and desertion of even His closest followers.  But because of His great love, He looked farther than that, all the way to the end, and sacrificed Himself for us.  “…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  (Hebrews 12:2)

In John 15:12-13, Jesus told His disciples (that includes us today), “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Whether we are called to give our physical life or to be a living sacrifice to accomplish the will of God, we are called to give up self.  We forfeit the honors, rights and possessions of this world to gain much greater honor, rights and possessions - everlasting ones. Our culture puts great emphasis on standing up for our rights and looking out for ourselves.  God’s Word puts great emphasis on doing the will of the Father even when it means sacrifice, because our work is an eternal work, not a temporary one.  As Christians we will make those sacrifices grudgingly unless we look beyond this life and its hardness and see all the way to the end, to the eternal joy that is set before us, and to the souls who will be in heaven because of our obedience.  Look beyond what you can see.

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  (1 John 3:16)

            FORGIVENESS – “So let it be clearly known and understood by you, brethren, that through this Man [Jesus] forgiveness and removal of sins is now proclaimed to you”.  (Acts 13:38 AMP)  Jesus knew all too well the price of sin.  He certainly didn’t treat it lightly.  Rather than leaving us to be destroyed by sin, He paid its price so we can “go and sin no more”.  Sin is abolished forever in the lives of those who come to Him, repent, receive His forgiveness and surrender to His Spirit within them.  We can have a life of freedom in truth and godliness.

            We are also told to forgive.  When we do, we not only free others from their debt to us, but we set ourselves free from bitterness.  We are obligated to forgive, but we can only do it sincerely when we forgive from the love of God in our hearts.

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”  (Mark 11:25-26)

            TRUTH – This attribute of love seems to be misplaced. It may even seem negative, but Jesus always spoke the truth because He knew it would set us free from sin, legalism, tradition, death and hell.  He knew truth would break the chains of this life, and we would be free to live in the Kingdom of God.

            Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  (John 14:6)  He also said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  (John 8:31-32)  If hearing the truth is hard for us, it simply means we have some areas where we have not fully lined up with it.  The light of truth shines in areas where we need to make changes.  Understanding the truth gives us the opportunity to choose freedom in that area or to stay in bondage to a lie. 

            As we receive the truth of God’s Word, we are to share it.  It takes great compassion to speak out when we know it will initially be misunderstood as being unkind.  But when we speak “the truth in love” to others and ourselves, we will “grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”  (Ephesians 4:15)

            Jesus often spoke against the hypocrisy and covetousness of the religious rulers who totally missed the truth of what God was doing.  (Luke 12:1, 5)  Once again, that may seem unkind, but He knew He must lead His flock in the right direction, and that meant He had to point out the wrong direction.  Even a few of the religious rulers realized He was speaking the truth and followed Him.  Open hearts will hear and be set free.

            The whole essence of love can be seen in Jesus, and we are to follow His lead.  Jesus loves us, so we love others.  Jesus sacrificed for us, so we sacrifice for others.  Jesus forgave us, so we forgive others.  Jesus had courage to speak truth, so we must speak truth.  Jesus brought us the goods news of the Gospel, so we take this good news to others.

            There is no clearer place in the Scripture than 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a for us to see how this love is to work out in our daily lives.  Let’s read it from the Amplified Bible.

            “Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.  It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].  It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.  Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].  Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].”

            We should all ask ourselves, “Is that a description of me?”  How does our love measure up? 

“There are three things that remain—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 - TLB)

THE CHRISTIAN'S TASK IN PERILOUS TIMES

                Clearly we are living in the perilous times of the last days.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we are instructed to exhort one another - to admonish, warn, urge and encourage one another – “so much the more” as we “see the day approaching”.  It is not an option for Christians, it is our responsibility.  These are serious, urgent days, and we need to lay aside anything that will keep us from God’s work.  What is more important than the eternal?  Here are some ways we can make an eternal difference.

STAND IN THE GAP

            Ezekiel was one of God’s servants who prophesied the downfall of Israel.  His prophecies became reality because the people wouldn’t listen when he warned them of what would happen if they did not repent and return to God.  So, the enemy destroyed them.  Many people lost their lives and many more were led away as captives into Babylon.

            God had been their wall of protection when they stayed within the boundaries of His love and His covenant.  But now they had forsaken Him and broken their covenant with Him.  They were no longer under God’s covering because they had chosen to remove themselves from His presence to worship idols and be like all the nations around them.  The hedge of safety God had placed around His people was broken down by their own doing, and the enemy gained access.

Before they were destroyed, God looked for someone who would make a difference and shore up the wall of safety.  “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30)

God was looking for someone from among them to “make up the hedge”, to re-establish the covenant, to rebuild the hedge of protection.  He wanted somebody to take a stand in the gaps that were created by their rebellion, idol worship, and their broken covenant with Him.

            Walls were built around cities in those days for their protection.  If the walls were broken down, the enemy had access.  Picture one of those walls with a broken place in it and the enemy rushing through to destroy the city from the inside.  The enemy would search out the weakest place and attack there.  But the bravest soldiers within the walls, the champions, would see the breach and rise up to stand in those gaps and keep out the enemy.  They would risk their lives to save the city.  The enemy would have to retreat, because these soldiers had restored strength to the weak places.  Access had been closed to the enemy.

            Now picture the broken places in our lives where the enemy has found access to our minds and emotions.  His intention is to press in and destroy us.  Busyness overtakes us, we let our guard down, we compromise “just a little”, we forget God and try to control things on our own.  The enemy sees these weak places and attacks.

            God wants us to see the gaps and stop pretending they are not there.  Then He wants us to take our stand.  He wants us to acknowledge the breach in our personal lives where we have given the enemy access, the brokenness of our families, the compromise, carnality and broken covenant of our churches and the broken down places in the walls of our nation. 

Today God is looking for those who will see the gaps and be brave enough to stand in the breached places.  The boundaries of truth, righteousness, peace with God, faith, salvation, God’s Word and our communication with Him have been breached.  They have been compromised, and the enemy is running in through the broken places.  God is looking for those who will stand in those places to protect them; those who will rebuild them.

When the wall of God’s protection is broken, the consequences will be paid unless someone will stand in the middle of the broken places.  So, how do we stand in the gap? 

            Ephesians 6:11 and 13 gives us the answer. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” 

We are to stand, set ourselves against, resist and oppose.  We oppose and resist evil by doing good, not by fighting against it with more evil.  In other words, we don’t have to fight lies, we just need to stand in truth.  We don’t have to set up a battle against unrighteousness, we just stand in righteousness. It may sound easy, but standing is impossible if we are not equipped with the armor God has provided for us.  Ephesians 6:14-18 lists the pieces of armor we need to defeat the evil powers of darkness.

TRUTH is reality, how things really are, not how we perceive them to be.  Reality has been replaced with opinions, humanism and religion.  We need to seek the truth. God’s Word is truth.  When there is a question, go to the Bible and find out what God says, then stand on it.

 RIGHTEOUSNESS has become a thing of the past in our present world and even in the church, but God never changes. His principles never change.  We must be in right standing with God through the blood of Jesus Christ and then follow what is right.

PEACE means to be set “at one again” with God.  When we are “at one” with God, we have His peace that transcends what is happening around us right now.  The world’s peace is temporary, but God’s peace is everlasting. 

FAITH is believing God above everything else and walking in agreement with Him even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. When the enemy rushes in, our trust in God will shield us against the fiery darts of the enemy.

SALVATION – Our salvation is our deliverance.  In speaking of Jesus Christ, God says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)  We can stand on that truth.

WORD OF GOD – We have to settle it in our minds and hearts that the Word of God is true and everlasting, and then live on that conviction.  We cannot rewrite it and rearrange it to fit in with the ungodliness of our culture and still call it truth.  If it can be changed, it isn’t truth to start with.

PRAYER – Prayer is simply communication with God.  We speak to Him and we listen to what He speaks to our spirit.  It is our vital connection to Him.

So we stand immoveable, established, firm.  We keep our place regardless of whose presence we are in, regardless of the enemy’s tactics.

In Ezekiel’s day God found no one to stand in the gap.  How about today?  Is there anyone who will stand?  Each of us has to ask ourselves if we will be the brave soldier to stand in the broken places and strengthen the weak areas.  Standing in the gap can change those within the city and without.  God calls us to be active in His Kingdom, to serve with fervor.

“I HAVE SET THEE A WATCHMAN”

            In Ezekiel 33:7, God called Ezekiel to be a watchman.  “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.”

Notice the two things God called him to do.  (1) Hear the word from God’s mouth, and (2) give the people God’s warning.  I believe those who will stand in the gap will also become a watchman of sorts.  We need to put on the whole armor of God, then hear the Word of God and make it known to those around us.  We hear His message when we take time to be in His presence.  When we pray, read the Word and listen, allowing the Holy Spirit to give us insight into the Word and show us how and when to share it.  He will make it clear.

            The word “warn” in this passage means to admonish and teach.  But it also means to be light, to send out light.  That’s really what a warning is.  It’s not a threat, but showing a person where the wrong path they are on will lead them and helping them see the right path.  Warnings are meant to turn us from something that will harm us to something that will bless us and others.  A warning is conviction for correction, not condemnation for destruction.  If we have received light, we are to give light. 

Philippians 2:15-16 gives us all this admonition.  “…That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” 

            We are responsible to pass on what we hear from God.  This is what God told Ezekiel in chapter 33:8-9.  “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

BE A LABORER IN THE HARVEST

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”  (John 4:34-35)

            It’s easy to put everything into the future and avoid doing it today.  But Jesus said the time to labor in the harvest is now.  When doing the will of God becomes our life, we will be about our Father’s business above all else.

            What job has God assigned us in the harvest of souls all around us?  If we don’t know, it’s time to ask God and then go to work.

“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”  (Luke 10:2)

SHAKING OFF APATHY

The cabinet in my kitchen was way overdue for a cleaning and de-cluttering.  It had come to the point where it was no longer functional because there were too many things stored in there, and I could never find what I was looking for.  Once we sorted through everything, discarding some items and putting others in order, the cabinet became useful again.  Everything was in order.

Perhaps we have allowed our hearts to become so cluttered and distracted that we are numb, spiritually and emotionally paralyzed, immobile and dysfunctional.  Maybe it happened when we became disillusioned with our faith because we didn’t get the answers we wanted, or our circumstances overwhelmed us, or life just got in the way of our walk with God.  Whatever the reason, apathy and indifference toward God can take hold, causing us to become cold and unfeeling.  There is a way out.  It's a process that we will look at first in the natural, then in the spiritual.

When wicked king Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah inherited the kingdom.  Hezekiah was only 25 years old when he became king of Judah, a nation that had broken their covenant with the one true God and was serving idols.  Ahaz had even shut the doors to God's Temple and set up places for idol worship "in every corner of Jerusalem."  Jerusalem was the capital city.  The people had become cold toward God and were searching for answers everywhere but the right place.  They had no interest or concern for the things of God.  They ran after the latest fads and gods who they hoped would deliver them from their enemies, but things just got worse.  They didn't need to change their god; they needed to change their hearts and return to Jehovah.

When Hezekiah became king, he did not sit passively by and allow his nation to continue to be trampled on by other nations because of their paganism.  He knew the cause and he did something about it before they were completely destroyed.

In the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the temple and repaired them.  Then he called on the Levites to remove all the “filthiness out of the holy place”.  So, they cleansed it.  After the removal of the things that were not supposed to be in the temple, they returned the vessels that were supposed to be there and cleansed them.  After this cleansing process, they were free to begin offering the sacrifices God required of them.  Worship returned to the house of God, and once again God blessed the nation of Judah and protected them from their enemies.

It seems a large part of the Church is in a place of apathy.  There is an absence of passion for the Kingdom of God.  Few seem to be interested in hearing God's Word, and even fewer have a desire to follow what He says.  We have settled for less and have become comfortable without the Holy Spirit among us.   So we have no power, no discernment, no godly wisdom.

What is the remedy for our apathy and spiritual paralysis? for our lack of power?  The first step is to reopen the door of our hearts.  We are the temple of God.  He wants to have access to us consistently, not just an occasional visit.  When we open the door and give God access, He speaks to us.  We give Him entrance when we pray - sincere, passionate prayer - not a rote formula we slumber through.  We also open the door when we study His Word, the Bible, and take it to heart, allowing it to change and renew us on the inside and ultimately on the outside. 

The Word of God is our source of truth, strength and wisdom, but how well do we know it?  How much of what we know is operative in our lives?  It's not enough to hear it, mentally agree, be enlightened, and walk away.  We need to live the Word every moment day in and day out. 

Jesus teaches us to remain consistently connected to Him.  It’s called walking in the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Jesus told some of His followers, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  (John 8:31-32 – NKJV)  This abiding in the Word, walking in the Spirit, will change every aspect of our lives and give us freedom.  It’s not a walk of duty and obligation, but one of love and relationship with God.

WARNING:  When we give Jesus access, His light of truth and righteousness will shine on everything in us and expose what is not truth and righteousness.  In other words, His light will show us the places in us that need to be cleansed and the filth that needs to be carried away.  He doesn’t expose those areas to condemn us, but with love, assuring us He will help us through the whole process of removing the filthiness and restoring what is good.

Today, good is called evil and evil is called good.  We need to be aware of the difference in the two, and the only way we can do that is through the Word of God as it is revealed to us by the Spirit of God.  If we are not careful, we can fool ourselves into believing we are living according to God's Word just because we have a mental knowledge of what it says.  We need to allow God to shine His light of truth deep into our hearts before we will know where we really stand.  We can let Him do that now while we have a chance to change, or we can wait until the end when it is too late.  The New Living Translation renders Romans 2:16 like this:  "And this is the message I proclaim - that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone's secret life."  When that day comes, I want to have already dealt with the sins of the “secret life”.

Every thought, every action, every attitude that lifts itself above the Word of God in our lives needs to go or be put in its proper place.  We have to be ruthless in cleansing our temple if we want the fire of God’s Spirit to fall on us.  Under the Old Covenant, there were certain procedures of preparation before the sacrifices would be accepted.  Even now our hearts must be prepared before our sacrifice will be accepted.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

In order to acceptably offer this living sacrifice to God, we need to be cleansed and no longer molded into the image of this world, but changed by the power of God to be like Him.  We are changed step by step, day by day, as we walk in the Spirit.

We will find it well worth the cleansing process when the Spirit of God fills (or refills) us with His power, knowledge, wisdom, righteousness, enlightenment and all the other treasures of His Kingdom.  We can receive light in the middle of this dark world, and we can have our passion for Christ and His kingdom renewed.

Allowing Jesus to cleanse our temple is the beginning of freedom.  Only then can our hearts sing in pure worship.  Only then can we shine this light into the hearts of others, remembering we have been blessed so we can be a blessing.

"Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord.  Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead, rebuke and expose them...But when you expose them, the light shines in upon their sin and shows it up, and when they see how wrong they really are, some of them may even become children of light! That is why God says in the Scriptures, “Awake, O sleeper, and rise up from the dead; and Christ shall give you light.  So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to."  (Ephesians 5:10-17 – TLB)

Let God arise in your heart!  Shake off the bands that keep you bound.

You can be free indeed!

A CHRISTMAS OF SURRENDER

As we read the events of Christmas as told in the Bible, we watch as God draws back the veil and gives us a glimpse into the heavenly sphere.  He revealed "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27)  He called those who were willing to take part in His plan, and they experienced things they had never known before.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary; an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, the shepherds saw a multitude of the heavenly host praising God; the wise men saw a star and were able to interpret its meaning.  These are not your ordinary, everyday happenings.  It was a glorious time of the supernatural being revealed to natural men and women as God announced His “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

            God is still revealing the supernatural to those who receive His Spirit. We can have a light that shines and reveals a spiritual level that the natural person cannot see.  By His Spirit, we can understand God’s Word more clearly, hear His voice speaking in our spirits, see beyond the physical things that are happening around us, and have understanding that goes beyond human knowledge.

            There is no age barrier, no gender barrier, no special skills required.  We don’t have to be at a certain place.  We simply have to be open to receive Him.  We learn that from reading the accounts of Jesus’ birth.

            All the characters in the Christmas story are familiar to us.  Each one has their own story of how the birth of Jesus affected them personally. Through the words in the Scripture, we can see the response to their initial encounter with the God of all creation.  We can watch their faith grow as they choose to follow God.  Their experiences can give us a greater understanding of God’s eternal plan. 

            From Mary we can learn the value of submission, even when we are grossly misunderstood.  She was looked upon as a fallen woman, and very likely the rumors flew from one to another.  It would have been hard to accept her story as truth.  After all, she was an ordinary young woman claiming an unbelievable story.  Even after Jesus had grown up and began His ministry, the religious leaders made mention of His “illegitimate” birth.  But it wasn’t true, and God’s favor and blessing were on Mary.  That means much more than the favor of the world.

What are we willing to give up in order to become part of God’s eternal plan?  Will we fully answer His call, or fall prey to the condemnation of those who don’t believe?

            Joseph found that things are not always as they seem.  The “truth” was pretty obvious to him about Mary, and it may have shocked him that she would make up such a fanciful, sacrilegious story.  But, Joseph discovered the obvious was not always the truth.  Just when he thought his world was falling apart, the door to the heavenly realm opened and showed him the honor God was bestowing on Mary and him by allowing them to be part of His miraculous plan.

            When we think our world is crumbling beneath our feet, we need to take another look.  Our God is in control.  What He allows is for our ultimate good, no matter how devastating it may seem.  If we seek Him, He will draw back the veil and show us the truth in His time.  But we must learn to trust Him regardless of “the obvious”.

            I believe we can learn several things from the shepherds.  One is this:  God knows exactly where we are and it doesn’t matter if we are low in the social order or on the top.  The shepherds were not exactly white-collar workers, and they were on the job out in the field.  God sent not only one angel, but a multitude of angels to them!  We are all loved by Him, and He sees us where we are.  He wants us all to know His plan of salvation.  We may be rejected by those of high standing in this world, but we can be accepted by the King of kings and know Him personally.

            The second thing the shepherds can teach us is that we are to share what we have received.  They didn’t keep the news to themselves.  They listened to the angels, believed the news, went to see Jesus for themselves, and immediately began to share the good news with others.  Too often we are quiet when we should be talking about Jesus and letting others know of the salvation we have found. 

            The wise men set out on a long journey because God showed them a star and gave them the knowledge to understand what it meant.  They followed the star seeking Jesus regardless of how much it cost them.   Few seek Him like that anymore…with total abandon!  We try to fit Him into our schedules a few times a week, but too often those times have become a form instead of a love relationship with Jesus.  Are we willing to put forth the effort to seek Him at great personal cost because we long for more of Him, His Word and His Spirit?  When we seek like that, we will find.

            Even Herod can teach us something.  He clung so tightly to what he had, that he couldn’t grasp the truth and enlightenment he could have possessed as his own.  Instead, he tried to kill the Truth and Light.  He missed the opportunity of a lifetime.  What we have in our hands is there only because God has allowed us to have it for a while.  If we hold tightly to material things, traditions and positions, we will lose the most important gift we could ever receive.  We might have to release some things in our lives so we can cling tightly to Jesus, but He is definitely worth it. 

            When we realize these were real people who had lives like we do, it puts a different perspective on things.  They had plans of their own.  Mary and Joseph were planning a wedding.  The shepherds were on the job.  They were busy about their daily routines and had feelings, doubts and hopes, just like you and me.  But the birth of a Baby changed everything about their plans and routines as they responded to the call of God.  He will change us, too, if we listen to His voice and respond to Him in complete surrender. 

God can do wonderful things through ordinary people who respond to His call with the words of Mary, “be it unto me according to thy word.”  Let this be a Christmas of surrender.

WARNINGS

            There is an old saying, “a stitch in time saves nine”.  Common sense tells us if a tear in a garment isn't mended when it first happens, it will continue to tear and fray, making a bigger hole that requires more stitches to fix.  If it’s left too long, it cannot be repaired.

            The Scripture speaks of God “rising up early” and sending his prophets to warn His people of impending judgment if they did not repent.  That means God didn't wait until the day of judgment before He warned them.  He began early when their transgressions were a small tear that could be easily fixed.  His warning went out before their sins were so deeply imbedded in their hearts, before their sins had multiplied and infected the whole nation, and before they had begun to accept their sins as commonplace, normal behavior.

            God doesn't give us warnings to cause us to be fearful or to beat us down until we feel hopeless and defeated.  He speaks clearly, directly and even bluntly sometimes because He doesn't want anyone to perish.  His desire is for us to know the truth and be set free by it.

When we read and follow God’s Word, we find instruction, comfort, warnings, encouragement and even rebuke when needed to keep us in the way of life.  His Word is truth and will keep us through times of chaos and times of peace.  He warns us to examine ourselves and see if we are following Him or if we have wandered away from His Word.  He loves us enough to warn us of our own human frailty and the fierceness of our enemy.

In writing to one of the churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”  Who would want to take our crown?  Who would want us to release the Truth we have in Christ?  We have an enemy that is using every scheme he can to trip us up and cause us to lose our faith.  He sets snares for us, and we need to be wise to his tricks.  They are not innocent tricks, but deadly ones.

Satan tries to undermine our faith by causing a hint of distrust toward God just as he did with Eve.  We need to refer back to God’s Word when that happens to reinforce the truth.  If we don’t, Satan will make us feel hopeless and disappointed in God because He didn’t do something we thought He should.  Our enemy tries to convince us that God has forsaken us and doesn’t care about the trials we are going through.  He knows that what we believe can be altered by how we feel.  If we feel down and rejected, we begin to believe we are down and rejected, and we act on those feelings rather than holding fast to what we know to be true.  It’s amazing how little Satan has to do to change how we feel and ultimately what we believe.

Termites are very small, but they can ruin the foundation of a building by consistently eating away at the foundation little by little.  Once the foundation is compromised, the whole building is in danger.  If we allow our feelings to rule instead of Truth, we will little by little doubt the very fundamentals of our faith – Who God is, the inerrancy of His Word, salvation through Jesus only and by grace instead of works.  When we no longer trust God, we no longer believe God, and the very foundation of our salvation has crumbled.  We need to hold fast to what we know to be true, especially when our feelings tell us something different.

            When I went through a rather mild trial, for some reason I was overwhelmed emotionally and my emotions began to make decisions about my beliefs.  I couldn’t understand why God hadn’t moved on my behalf.  At the moment, I couldn’t see how foolish that was, but I finally realized I had to reach beyond how I felt and stand on what I knew to be true.  When I came through the other side, I knew why God had not intervened earlier.  I learned a lot through a little test that became a huge deal in my mind because my feelings overshadowed what I knew to be true.

Hebrews 10:23 tell us, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.”  How can we hold fast when it seems our hands keep slipping and causing us to fall?  How can we retain our faith when God isn’t fitting into the mold we have made for Him?  Maybe we need to get to know Him better - as He truly is rather than how we have invented Him to be in our minds. 

Sometimes it helps to honestly examine our walk with Christ and determine if we are growing in Him.  If we have been saved for years and are still baby Christians, that is the reason we slip so easily. 

It has never been God’s intention for us to stay newborn babies after we are born into His kingdom, and never mature in our faith.  But that is the condition of a large percentage of professing Christians.  They repeat a prayer, join the local church and become active there.  That’s great, but what about their relationship with Jesus?  Have they really met Him, and deepened their relationship with Him through the years?  That’s what being a Christian is all about, a growing relationship with Jesus.  If we are truly going to be Christians, or “little Christs”, we have to get to know Him so we can follow Him and be like Him. If we are not consistently growing in His Spirit and His Word, we are losing ground.  In Hebrews 5:12, we read, “For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food.”  (Amplified Bible)  We cannot mature until we read the Bible, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning to us, and then put it into action in our everyday living.  Don’t allow Satan to take away the truth you have.  Put it into practice. 

            The mindset of the world can cause us to second guess the things we have learned to be true through our faith and experience.  When an overwhelming majority doesn’t believe the truth and their reasoning seems to make sense, we need to have enough of the Word in us to see through the error and deceit.  Scripture tells us that evil men will go from bad to worse, “But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them].”  (2 Timothy 3:14 Amplified Bible)

If we don’t put what we have learned into practice, we will lose it.  If we don’t know the truth, we will fall for the lies of Satan.  Many of our churches no longer preach the truth because they have convinced themselves the truth changes with our culture.  How foolish.  If truth can change, it wasn’t truth to begin with.  Rather than losing our grasp on truth, we need to hold to it, grow in it and proclaim it with a renewed sense of urgency.  The Holy Spirit will bring the Word to our remembrance when we need it, but we have to know it first.

            Paul gave this charge to Timothy.  “Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.” (2 Timothy 4:1-4 Amplified Bible)

            This encouragement and charge is for us, too.  Certainly the time is upon us that Paul described here.  God knows it is difficult in our times to continue speaking the truth when people don’t want to hear it.  But we are all called to carry the Gospel to those in our circles of influence.  That might be someone we know well or a stranger, but we need to keep a sense of urgency in our message – both living it and sharing it.  In Jeremiah 9:3, God says those who are not “valiant for the truth”, do not know Him.  The opposite is also true.  Those who really know Him will be valiant for the truth.  It’s when we get careless in our relationship with Jesus, that we become weak and are susceptible to the wiles of the devil. 

God is faithful to sustain and strengthen those who follow Him with their whole heart and who hold fast to His Spirit and His Word.  “For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name’s sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do.  But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end, In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.  (Hebrews 6:10-12 Amplified Bible)

Be careful.  Hold fast.  Press in.  Stay in the Word and listen to God’s Spirit.  When we draw near to God, He draws near to us.  He wants us to know Him.  He wants to reveal Himself to us in His Word.

            “…hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

"I AM GOD"

“Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.”  Deuteronomy 6:14   

While I was praying one day, three statements began to well up in me.  I felt they were important and wrote them down.

1.       “My God is high and lifted up.”  - God is above all (everything, nothing excluded) and He is    in complete control.

2.       “My God will reign forever.”  -  His is not a temporary control; it’s for eternity.  He has        always been in control, He is now, and always will be.

3.    “My God will gain the victory.”  -  No matter what it looks like now, God has won.    Regardless of the circumstances and the actions of people, God has already won.

Do we genuinely believe those statements beyond any doubt?  If we did, it would change the course of our actions.  It would change the course of our thoughts and priorities.  That kind of belief would change everything about us because it would change who we are.  How grounded are we in our faith?  How committed are we to our God? 

We are all concerned that God has been technically removed from our government, our schools and our nation as a whole.  And we should be.  But we should be more concerned that God has been removed from many of our churches and in many areas of our own lives.  The Church is weak because the whole counsel of His Word is unwelcome in many pulpits and church members’ hearts as they have settled into the comforts of this world and have become apathetic concerning the work of God’s Kingdom. 

Recently, I heard reports of homes that were invaded and the children were told to renounce Jesus or die.  None of those children renounced their Savior, and all of them were martyred as their parents looked on, helpless to stop the slaughter.  That’s how deeply those children believed in Jesus.  They were sure of their salvation.

Too often our light trials cause us to doubt the goodness of God and the control He has over all things.  Sometimes we despair over things that are so petty.  Our emotions tell us God doesn’t care for us because He doesn’t keep every little pain, opposition and burden from us.  We rationalize that comfort and being carefree equals to love.  So, when we pray for Him to remove a discomfort and He allows it to stay, we face a crisis of our faith.  Most of us have been called by His name long enough to know Him better than that, but do we?

No one wants to face the kind of situation our brothers and sisters in other countries are facing.  But if we did, what choice would we make?  Is Jesus really our All in All, our Savior, Master and Lord?  In their circumstance, would we still believe God is high and lifted up; God is reigning and will reign forever; God will gain the victory?  Are we assured beyond any doubt who He is to us?

The parents of those martyred children expected the soldiers to return for them, and they begged their Christian brothers and sisters to pray that they would have the courage their children had.  It reminds me of Hebrews 11:35 speaking about those that were martyred.  “[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life.” (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine)  Is that what we would have asked; to have courage to face death? 

Their spiritual life was more real and more precious to them than the physical.  They saw things, not from the natural view of this world, but from the life they lived in the truth of God’s Kingdom.  If we will ask, God will open our spiritual eyes and let us see what is really happening around us.  When we sincerely seek Him in prayer, studying His Word and listening to His Spirit, we will see greater things than this world.  We will understand that He alone is God.  Only those who are born of the spirit can see the Kingdom of God.

The assurance we have in God will be in direct proportion to our relationship with Jesus Christ.  It comes only when we have a close, personal connection with Him on a spiritual level, and it will deepen as we are consistent in that union.  An intellectual knowledge of Him can be pulled down by reasoning.  An emotional knowledge of Him will constantly vary with our circumstances, whether they create joy and peace within us or fear and doubt.  Our intellect and emotions can lead us to “other gods” that are no gods at all.  They can cause us to slide away from Him and to put our confidence in other concepts, things or people.

In the prophet Jeremiah’s day, many of God’s people were serving Him part time.  After all, He was the God of their ancestors, so they didn’t completely let go of those traditions and sentiments.  But they also served other ‘gods’ like the nations around them.  God doesn’t accept part time allegiance.  If we acknowledge only that He is ‘a’ god, then we are denying the fact that He is the only true God.

Jeremiah confronted the people with these words from God Himself.  “Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?  But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.  Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”  (Jeremiah 2:11-13)

Here God lists two destructive choices they made.  First, they turned away from the revealed presence of God in their lives and the power of His Spirit to lead them, protect them, provide for them and bless them.  Second, they turned to their own strength and knowledge that was totally inadequate to lead them, protect them, provide for them and bless them.  Because they rejected God as God and were doing it their way, they found themselves in enemy territory before long.

Can you imagine how appalled the hosts of heaven must have been – those who live continually in the manifest presence of God, who have seen His glory face to face?  They must have considered it unbelievable that anyone would make that exchange.  But it still happens every day. 

Have we changed our gods?  I have always had to pause when I read the verse in 1 John 5 from the Living Bible that says, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.  Amen.”  The King James Version says it like this:  “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen”.  That puts a little different perspective on it, doesn’t it?  An idol is “anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”  It makes the act of looking to other things, people, concepts and theories rather than the Word and Spirit of God sound much more serious.

Anything can become an idol in our lives if we allow it to take God’s place in that area.    It can be whatever we allow to rule our thought patterns, our responses, or to dominate how we spend our resources God has given us.  It can be traditions that we carry out in His name, but without His presence.  People or possessions can become so dear to us that they become idols; a career that we pursue above God can control our time and priorities; rebellion against His will can turn us from following Him to seek our own way.  God says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  (Exodus 20:3)

Now is the time to renounce any other gods we are depending on, listening to, worshiping, offering up money to, or sacrificing our time for.  In Isaiah 26, God’s people had learned a lesson about serving other gods.  They repented and turned back to the Lord God Jehovah, Who was and is and is to come.  They found serving Him was superior by far to serving other gods and losing His presence among them. 

They said, “O Lord, our God, other masters besides You have ruled over us, but we will acknowledge and mention Your name only.  They [the former tyrant masters] are dead, they shall not live and reappear; they are powerless ghosts, they shall not rise and come back. Therefore You have visited and made an end of them and caused every memory of them [every trace of their supremacy] to perish.”  (Isaiah 26:13-14 - Amplified) 

Do we have other masters ruling over us besides God?  We can choose what God we serve, so let God arise in your heart and put to rest any other gods. 

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”  (Psalm 46:10)

THE PERFECT SOLDIER

I'm not sure what prompted it, but a picture came to my mind recently that captured my thoughts and led to this article.  I saw a soldier dressed in a crisp clean uniform and shiny shoes. He was marching with a group of soldiers on parade while the crowd cheered them on and the band played.  It wasn't the celebration of those who had been in battle and won a great victory.  Rather it was the pomp and ceremony of those who had acquired a position and were proudly displaying their ranks.  There was a certain arrogance and superiority in their demeanor.  They were on exhibit as models of the perfect soldier, but they were not an accurate representation of those who were active in service.

In contrast, I saw another soldier who was in a trench.  His uniform was crumpled, torn and covered with dirt, blood and sweat. His shoes were nearly worn out; his body was too.  He had fought in one battle after another and had been wounded numerous times, but he refused to give up.  He was holding his ground against the enemy. It seemed he was beaten, but he knew better. 

The parade soldier considered him a disgrace to the uniform and a shame to the regiment for putting himself in a position to be wounded by the enemy.  Why couldn’t he be more like these polished, proud soldiers?  Why couldn’t he uphold the dignity of the uniform and follow the regulations?

Yet the wounded soldier was the one who understood what the war was all about.  He was the one actually changing the course of history for his generation and those who would come after them.  He was the one who denied himself for the sake of a greater purpose.  He wasn’t afraid to confront the enemy face to face because he was equipped and experienced in warfare.  He knew how to conquer the enemy and gain inroads into his territory.  He was willing to face danger, because he already knew the outcome.

The first soldier was nothing more than a showpiece holding up a public image of a warrior, but lacking the authenticity of experience and practical application, yet he received all the glory while the trench soldier was unnoticed. Although he appeared to be the perfect soldier, he wasn't. The soldier in the trench was.

There is a vast difference between the two.  One knows Jesus personally and truly follows Him while the other leads a religious life based on what he has been taught about Jesus.  The parade soldiers are “doing church” in the natural.  They don’t need the Holy Spirit because they know all the ropes.  They don’t need His leadership because they have learned all about leadership from other parade soldiers.  They think they can carry on without any “outside help”, because they have never seen the battle.  They put forth a great show, but one thing is lacking – the power that comes only from the Holy Spirit.

I wonder how we would feel about the Apostle Paul if he lived in our day. He was definitely a trench soldier. But he also knew what it was like to be a parade soldier, an empty showpiece.  He had been a Pharisee who thought he was righteous and doing the work of God as he marched in the parades to the beat of the cheering crowd. He knew what it was like to hold a position that commanded the respect of other men and put him in a place of power over them.

But one encounter with Jesus Christ caused him to leave all that behind to become a trench soldier – a real soldier, one who understood by experience what was truly important, who understood the enemy, who understood the power of the Holy Spirit that was within him, and the cost of the war. Jesus had met many of those Pharisees and warned His followers against being like them.  So, Paul left behind the rank of parade soldier to be promoted to the perfect soldier, one who was more than outward show, who had substance, the Spirit of God, at work in him.

As he embarked on this new journey, he was almost always surrounded by controversy and chaos, yet he was never the one who caused it. He simply spoke the truth of the gospel with all the power and authority of God working through him.  That’s the mark of the perfect soldier - the power of God working freely through them.  That was enough to stir up every demon spirit who wanted to stop the gospel from being preached.  Everywhere Paul went, there were enemies of the cross who would twist his words and his purpose. He was persecuted and placed in dangerous circumstances on a regular basis.  Did that stop him from preaching the Word?  No!  He understood the war, the enemy, and the outcome.  He wasn't worried about his life or his reputation. He wanted to please God more than anything else.  He wanted to fight a good fight, finish the course God had set before him and receive the reward he knew was waiting for him.

Paul wrote about the "trench soldiers" versus the "parade soldiers" in 1 Corinthians 4:9-14.  "For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.  We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.  Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.  I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.”

The parade soldiers may look down on the trench soldiers, but their well-being depends on them. They may wonder why these trench soldiers can't keep their clothes clean and stay far enough away from the enemy to keep from getting wounded. They may say if that soldier would shape-up, there wouldn't be so much controversy surrounding them. But while the "parade soldier" stands by or retreats, allowing the enemy to advance, the trench soldier gains ground and holds it.  He gets the job done.

Paul didn't try to cause trouble. He didn't do or say things just so he could add another badge to his collection or another type of persecution to his list. But he would not back down from the truth. He would not drop the banner of Jesus Christ and run. Why? Because he knew what was really important, not just for himself, but for the whole world. Not just for his generation, but for ours, too.

The whole purpose of this comparison is to ask ourselves these questions:  “Am I a parade soldier or a trench solider?  Am I serious about what I do in the Kingdom of God?  Is it a sideline of my life, or my whole life?  Have I given my all to Jesus, following His command to bring others to Him, or am I just “doing church” on a natural level?  Am I working in my own power, or in the power of the Holy Spirit?”

A parade soldier may look like the perfect soldier, but that’s only in the eyes of the world.  When the battle comes, they are not equipped because they are not fully led by God’s Spirit.  So they are unable to accomplish anything of any real value. Their accomplishments are on a temporary, natural level rather than a spiritual one.  They are distracted by the crowd around them and the expectations of their peers.  

A trench soldier isn’t out to win accolades from the world, but to please Jesus and set others free from the power of the enemy.  He is fully engaged in the war and oblivious to any outside distraction.  He does what is right, regardless of the cost.

In the early days of the Church, there was a whole army of trench soldiers, and they ‘turned the world upside down’.  God is calling for soldiers in this generation who are willing to give their all to make a difference in the world and to call out others in the church to join them.  He needs those who are not entangled with this life, but are sold out to Jesus Christ and willing to enlist, having counted the cost.  He doesn’t draft soldiers; we have to enlist.  But before we enlist, there are a few things we need to know.

One of the promises Jesus gave us is that people would hate us...just like they hated Him. In John 15:19, He said, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Then in 2 Timothy 3:12 we are told, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

Jesus didn’t try to hide any of this from us, neither did any of the apostles.  They wanted us to be prepared and realize the importance and seriousness of the service we are entering, that this is a war.  We didn’t start it, and we are not to add to it.  We are simply to stand for what is right according to God’s Word.  And that causes the turmoil. But at the same time, it brings freedom to ourselves and those we minister to.

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."  (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

If we evaluate our position and find that we are a parade solider, we don’t have to settle for that rank.  We can move up to be the perfect soldier, complete in Christ, working in the trenches and the Spirit of the Lord working with us.  Is it easy?  No.  Is it worth the sacrifice?  Yes.  For now and eternity.

“Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.”

Psalm 144:1