THE HOLY DEPOSIT

            If you had a large sum of money in a safe inside your house and you guarded it carefully but never used it or invested it, what good would it be?  If it stayed tucked away and was never spent to meet your needs or the needs of others, it would be useless.  And if you didn’t deposit it in an interest-bearing account, it would stay the same throughout the years, never increasing.

            Our lives are the same way.  They are given to us to be used and invested during our time in this world in a way that will make a difference for eternity.  The Apostle Paul said, “for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”  The word ‘keep’ means to guard or preserve.  The word ‘commit’ means to deposit.  When we deposit our lives into God’s hands, He will guard it and see that it is put to the very best use with nothing wasted.  But first we have to commit it to Him.  The most difficult obstacle we face in making that deposit from our hands to His is prying our fingers open so we can surrender it all.  Once we take that step, He can accomplish great things through us. 

            Have you made that deposit yet, or are you still struggling to maintain control of your life?  We may feel safer when we are “in control”, but the fact is there is no way we can truly be “in control”.  Just when I think I have everything going in the right direction, something unforeseen happens to prove me wrong.  When we realize that fact will never change and we lay all our efforts at His feet, we are the safest we can possibly be…and the most useful.  Since nothing takes God by surprise, He can keep everything going in the right direction without anything disturbing His schedule…even our reluctance to surrender.

            As we deposit our lives into God’s hands in full surrender, He deposits His Word and His Holy Spirit in us to allow us to gain the optimum increase.  His dividends are “out of this world”!  It works like this.  We deposit our lives into God’s hands so He can deposit His Spirit and Word in us.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Because from that deposit in us we are to make a deposit into the lives of someone else so they can start the chain over, depositing their lives into God’s hands, receiving His deposit and passing it on.  It’s like the seeds that produce trees that produce fruit that produces seeds that produce more trees…and on and on it goes!  That’s how trees are perpetuated in the earth.  And, spiritually speaking, that is how we perpetuate the Kingdom of God in the earth!

Just think about it for a moment.  Jesus came to earth and chose twelve men whom He took under His wing and deposited into them the Word of God by teaching them and by example.  They left their past behind, deposited their lives into His hands and followed Him.  Eleven of those twelve continued with Him and received His deposit as He poured out His Spirit on them.  From that moment on, they were swept into another life, into another dimension, and they began to deposit the Gospel into the hearts of those around them.  That is why you and I can have this holy deposit today.  It began with their testimony of Jesus and has continued to be passed on all the way down to us.

            From the moment we surrender our lives to Jesus, we no longer continue as we were, because we have entered the Kingdom of God and He is always urging us forward.  He is always teaching us and leading us to the next season in our lives.  And He equips us for whatever work He calls us to, because Jehovah-jireh always provides what we need for the journey. 

            God gave Moses complexly specific instructions on every little detail of building the Tabernacle and all its furnishings, even down to the fringe on the priests’ robes. It must have seemed completely overwhelming.  But God also gave specific men the gifts and abilities to be able to accomplish His plan perfectly.  We read in Exodus 31:1-6, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.  And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee”.

God supplied the men to do the work, but it wasn’t through their own abilities and wisdom.  God had specifically placed the wisdom, ability and understanding in them they would need for the task…by His Spirit.

That is a beautiful example of how God equips us to do His work today.  God gave them abilities by filling these men with His Spirit.  When He calls us, He equips us, and He has called every born-again believer to ministry – to spread the Gospel throughout the earth.  When we say with a sincere heart, “Here I am, Lord; Send me”, He will begin to show us the specifics He has for us.  He will show us our part in fulfilling His great purpose on a day to day basis – sometimes on a minute to minute basis.  And He gives us all we need to accomplish it just when we need it.

So God equips us by depositing in us His Holy Spirit and His living Word -  the same Holy Spirit and the same living Word Who empowered the disciples and the men who worked on the Tabernacle.  When we speak God’s Word, there is power in what we say. 

Even our natural words have a certain power to them.  We can influence a person’s life with encouraging words or discouraging words, with lies or truth.  Just imagine how powerful our words can be when we speak God’s Word with the force of His Spirit in them!  The Word of God is alive!  We need to realize what we have and use it for the glory of God and the perpetuation of His kingdom.  The Spirit and the Word work together in us to help us have understanding into spiritual things.  The Spirit gives us insight into the Word that we would never possess otherwise.  We have wisdom, power and ability by that same Spirit.  We will be called into account for what we have done with that deposit in us.

Jesus told the parable of a nobleman who went on a journey and gave several of his servants money before he left, saying, “Occupy till I come”.  The word ‘occupy’ means to carry on business.  When he returned, the servants showed him the profit they had made from what he had given them, except for one servant who was so afraid he would lose his master’s money, that he wrapped it in a napkin and hid it, then he presented it back to him on his return.

Each servant was given the same amount of money.  Each was expected to invest it while the master was away.  Those who wisely used what they were given had a healthy increase to show and were rewarded with even more.  The servant who didn’t invest what he was given had even that taken from him.

Jesus has given each of us the same amount of His Spirit and His Word to invest in the lives of others.  What are we doing with the Word of God and the deposit of His Spirit within us?  It is up to us to develop it and invest it.  We can’t do anything with what we have on our own, but we can do miracles with what God has given us.

He is saying through this parable that we need to invest what He has given us so it can multiply.  Remember the five loaves and two fish that Jesus used to feed about 5000 men plus women and children?  Remember the oil and meal that was only enough for two little cakes for a widow and her son, but lasted “for many days” for them and the prophet Elijah?  They didn’t have much to give, but God increased it!  God doesn’t ask us to provide what we don’t have.  He wants what we do have so He can work through it.

God doesn’t call just a few to do the Father’s business.  Jesus tells each of us to occupy till He comes, to carry on His business while He is away.  And He expects a return on the deposit He has placed in us.  The more we give, the more we will receive from Him.  If we hide what He gave us, we will lose it.  Are we about our Father's business?  Or have we fallen into the pattern of this world so completely that we have nothing to give?  If so, it’s not too late.  With full surrender we receive His deposit.

None of this information is new.  We know all of these things, but knowledge is not enough.  Jesus expects us to put it into practice and live out what we know.

What are we doing with this holy deposit?

BUSINESS AS USUAL / DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS

How is your life going?  Is it humming along with business as usual, or has something interrupted your regular routine?  It may be a happy occasion that has broken the normal rhythm, or it could be sickness or tragedy.  Life has a way of letting us know we are not in control.  And God often allows interruptions to turn our eyes to Him and away from the frantic rush we live in or the mundane schedule we cling to.

When we experience divine interruptions, it’s time to proceed with caution, to slow down and pay close attention, because God is speaking into the normalcy of our routines to capture our attention.  These divine interruptions turn us away from the sameness of our lives and cause us to focus on something else.  We will either focus on the situation itself, or we can look deeper to the God Who is calling our name, the God Who beckons us to break our routine to see Him and listen to His voice.

When business as usual suddenly ceases, we rarely know what to do with ourselves or how to respond.  We find ourselves in the realm of the unknown and on the verge of change that causes us to feel unsure and even a little hesitant to proceed at all.  In those times we will hear the voice of cynicism, fear and intimidation shouting for our attention.  But, be still and wait until you hear the whisper of God’s voice. Depending on the nature of these disruptions of the normal, we may feel a surge of power and insight within our hearts, even an excitement to move in a new direction.  Or we may feel we have reached the end and have no desire to go any further at all.  But God is waiting for us to look His way and listen to what He has to say.  What does He want us to do with this turn of events?  What is He saying to us from the midst of the uncertainty?  Some never hear Him speak even when “business as usual” is brought to a screeching halt.  Others hear, but cling to business as usual as if nothing had happened.

Such was the case with Belshazzar, king of Babylon.  God drastically interrupted his “business as usual”.  Belshazzar knew about God because when Nebuchadnezzar, his predecessor, had conquered Judah, Judah’s God conquered Nebuchadnezzar.  Belshazzar knew the whole story. Obviously, Belshazzar didn't learn from Nebuchadnezzar's experiences.  Who knows how many divine interruptions Belshazzar ignored before this final interruption we read about in Daniel 5.

"Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.”  While he was drinking, he commanded that the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of God’s temple be brought for them to drink from.  So they were brought, and “they drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” 

Can you imagine hosting a royal party and having it interrupted by a man’s fingers writing on the wall in the candlelight?  The king was terrified, as any of us would be.  He turned pale and was shaking uncontrollably.  It was a sobering experience in every sense of the word.  He immediately called for his “astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers.”  He must have thought he was still in control.  After all, he had resources.  He offered a high position to whoever could read the writing and explain the meaning, but none could do it. Belshazzar’s revelry had been interrupted by something terrifying that neither he nor all his lords and wise men could understand, explain or control. 

Finally, Daniel was brought in, and he reminded Belshazzar how Nebuchadnezzar was given a great kingdom, but “when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him…till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.  And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven.”  Belshazzar was living life as he chose, but that never goes on forever.  He knew who God was and what He had done, but he chose to ignore Him.  And now he was being called into account. 

Then Daniel read the message sent from the Most High God, not the gods they were drinking to, but the One Belshazzar had excluded from his life and worship.  “This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.  Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.  Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

What an alarming revelation!  Belshazzar had been weighed in God’s balances and was not up to standard.  The foolishness of Belshazzar’s heart was exposed and impending judgment pronounced.  In all this, there is still no mention of him acknowledging God or repenting.  Instead, Belshazzar proceeded to give Daniel the position in his kingdom he had promised as if life would continue on as usual.  But before the night was over, Belshazzar had no kingdom.  He was killed and his kingdom and power were seized by Darius the Median.

What if God interrupted our “business as usual” with a pair of balances in His hand?  What if we were weighed in God’s balance today…right now?  Would we be found wanting, or is our heart pure before God?  We hear the warnings and are quick to agree with them, but are we continuing on with business as usual?

How many times has God interrupted us, but we refused to turn to Him?  We can wait too long, and the mercy that flows so freely now will be ended.  Right now, Jesus calls us to be cleansed by His blood and empowered by His Spirit.  He may not call tomorrow.  If we are too caught up with the world to turn our attention to God, we are flirting with danger.  If we are friends of this world, we are enemies of God.  Most of us know that, but are we truly living in the reality of that knowledge?  Belshazzar was very familiar with the story of Nebuchadnezzar, but it didn’t change him.  And he paid an eternal price. 

Yet there are those who come face to face with a divine interruption and meet it with skepticism at first, but press on to move into the next level.  Those are the ones who see God.

Gideon was an Israelite whose “business as usual” was living under the oppression of the Midianites and struggling to find enough food to survive.  The Midianites had invaded Israel and now controlled them.  They destroyed all their crops, sheep and cattle.   Gideon was hiding by a wine press to thresh some wheat he had managed to find somewhere when he came face to face with the angel of the Lord who said, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”  Gideon’s reply was, “if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of.”

Initially, Gideon was skeptical and tried to hold on to business as usual because he saw no sign of God coming through, and he was a ‘nobody’ who could do nothing to change things.  He argued with the angel that his whole family was poor and that he was the least in his father’s house, far from being a “mighty man of valor”.  Finally he asked for a sign that God was speaking to him.  He asked the angel if he would stay where he was until Gideon returned with a meal for him.  He agreed to wait.  When the meat and bread were brought, “the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.”  (Judges 6:21-22)

            That’s what happens when we look for God in our interruptions – in spite of our unbelief, skepticism and circumstances.  If we look for Him, we will see Him.  Gideon was ready to listen after that, and “business as usual” was all but forgotten as he began to listen to God’s directions and follow them step by step until he finally led an army of 300 men that defeated the Midianites and freed Israel…just like the stories he had been told!  Some of the things God told him to do didn’t seem to make sense and could have had disastrous results if God didn’t come through, but Gideon followed the Lord because he had seen Him.  When his “business as usual” was interrupted by God, he accepted the challenge and obeyed God, leaving behind the oppression of the enemy and any doubts that God was still the God who his fathers had told him about.

            When God interrupts our lives, we are at a crossroad of decision.  Look and listen carefully before you choose your course.  What would happen if we all opened our ears to what God is saying to us?  How could He use us if we turned our attention away from “business as usual” to listen to God’s directions and followed them step by step…even when they seem to make no sense or could have disastrous results?  What if we actually believed the stories we have heard about God’s power and faithfulness and acted on it today even if we have to take the “risk” of depending on God instead of ourselves? 

            What has interrupted your “business as usual”?  Whether it is a heart full of joy or a broken heart that seems to be un-mendable, listen to God.  He is speaking.  Hear Him above the pain, above the laughter, above the shouts of the enemy, above the uncertainty.  Hear His whisper and follow.

"SHALL HE FIND FAITH ON THE EARTH?"

When I was a young girl, I was blessed to sit under the teaching of Rev. George Britt.  For years he had studied the subject of the last days extensively from the Scripture and also kept up with current events in the world news, especially those concerning Israel.  So, he was able to expound on prophecy in light of how it related to what was currently happening in our world.  Oh, how I would love to hear what he would say about the events of our day. I believe he would remind us of Luke 21:28. "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Watching events unfold in our world today and seeing multiple signs God has placed in the heavens recently reminds me of the words Jesus said just before telling us to “look up, and lift up your heads.”  He said, "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."  (Luke 21:25-27)

There are so many disturbing changes happening in our generation…all on the list Jesus gave over 2,000 years ago.  So we must guard against allowing fear to enter our hearts and minds.  Fear will immobilize us if we allow it to become our focus.  Our hearts will fail us and cause our faith to fail if we are not consistently looking to and trusting in Jesus.

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told a parable, and like all His parables, this one has a specific purpose.  The lesson is “to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”  This is what Jesus said.  “There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

            Jesus was emphasizing the point of persistent prayer with expectation.  That kind of prayer will keep us from fainting and losing our faith.  That kind of prayer comes from knowing in whom we believe.

Psalm 9:10 says, “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”  What does it mean to know His name?  The Amplified Bible explains it like this:  Those “who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy”.  Those who seek Him will know Him and put their trust in Him.  And He will not forsake them.  Only those who know His name, His character and authority, and stay consistently connected to Him will know beyond doubt He can be trusted.  If we are not closely acquainted with Jesus, we will distrust Him when the pressure is on.  Our confidence comes from His Word, His Spirit and our personal experience with Jesus. 

I was offered a wonderful ministry opportunity, but during the process of working things out, there were lapses in communication with those who had made the offer.  During those times, I would lose my expectation and the hope that it would ever happen.  If I had been communicating with them regularly, I would have known that everything was right on course and I would not have lost my trust in their promise.

Satan knows our strength lies in our relationship with Jesus.  So he tries to cut us off from our Source and turn our focus to the people and circumstances around us.  If we see things as they appear instead of how they really are, we get off course.  Satan knows those who do not stay closely related to Jesus will lose their hope.  Hopeless people stop praying because they don’t expect answers.  Prayerlessness cuts off their connection with Jesus and they become faithless.  The enemy of our souls wants us to stop praying, to stop expecting, to stop reading the Word of God and allowing it to change us.  He wants us to be empty of the Holy Spirit within us. Faith dies without a consistent connection with Jesus, just like a branch that is detached from the vine dies and withers.  

Pray, pray and pray until you know His name!  Then keep on praying.  Get to know Jesus through the pages of His Word.  Then your confidence and faith will be established and strong.  You will trust Him as never before because you will know His heart and His power.  You will understand His character of mercy and His omnipotence!

            Recently I have encountered spiritual attacks that have been difficult to bear.  At first I thought it was just the normal fear from seeing the happenings in the world and our nation, but I soon realized they were deliberate attacks trying to undermine my faith and immobilize me with hopelessness. The enemy of my soul was pressing my mind and emotions with bouts of unbelievable, sudden fear that I felt I could not push away.  At the strangest moments, a wave of fear would overwhelm me and almost make me physically sick.  Thoughts would pop up in my mind which I pushed away, only to have them return.  They were wearing away at my faith and my hope.

Thank God!  We have a very powerful weapon against such evil attacks.  It is a sword, known as the “sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” 

I began searching for specific scriptures that would feed my faith, and allowing God to speak directly to me from the pages of my Bible.  The Word of God brings to light the lies of the enemy and replaces them with truth.  One of the passages I found spoke of "sudden terror".  "Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes [for you will be guiltless], for the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger]."  (Proverbs 3:25-26 – Amplified Bible) 

I don’t believe I am alone in this area of spiritual warfare.  It has awakened me to the urgency of knowing His name and continually praying so we will not faint, especially in this hour.  Our hearts don’t have to fail us because of fear.  The lies of the enemy give us no hope and cause us to feel that we are doomed, so there is no reason to continue.  If you are in despair, run to the Word of God.  Ask Him to reveal Himself by His Spirit.  There is a safe place.  We need the strength and wisdom we find there.

Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.”  (Amplified Bible)  ‘Defer’ means to yield in opinion.  If we listen to the lies of Satan, we will begin to yield in our hope in Christ.  We cannot allow trials, persecutions and the cares of this life to overtake our hearts and minds.  We have a better option.  Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

When we are warned of danger, we should begin to get ready.  When we have a tornado warning, we have a chance to get in a safe place until the storm is over.  Jesus has warned us in His Word.  It’s time to hear Him and take cover in the secret place under the shadow of the Almighty.  Don’t allow yourself to lose hope in Him.  He is our only hope and the only One Who can bring us through whatever lies ahead.  Taking cover in Christ is not withdrawing into a shell.  Much to the contrary, it places us in His presence continually so we can boldly carry out His mission.  (See Acts 4:23-31.)

            Jesus gives us this warning: “But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose; For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth.  Keep awake then and watch at all times [be discreet, attentive, and ready], praying that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things [taken together] that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”  (Luke 21:34-36 – Amplified Bible)

            What is your eternal soul worth to you?  What are the souls of your family members worth to you?  What are you spending your time on?  What is on your mind most of the day? Are you absorbed with things of this world, or the Kingdom of God?  Do we find joy in reading the Bible and praying, or is it just one of our "disciplines" that we are supposed to do so we can check it off our list every day?  We need to awaken to the fact that it is our lifeline.  It is our connection with the God of the Universe.  If we treat our relationship with Jesus lightly, we are in trouble, because we are not in the secret place of the Most High with our minds stayed (continuing, standing firm, remaining) on Him.  If we are not following Jesus and His sayings, we are not one of His.

Are we close enough to Jesus to have faith to stand in the worst of times?  Answer this question honestly.  Your eternal life depends on it.

When the Son of man comes, SHALL HE FIND FAITH IN ME?

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.