Regret Behind You....

 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear......So he came and took away His body.  Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came..... (John 19:38-39 NKJV)

 

     Nicodemus had a night time encounter with Jesus as depicted in John 3. Joseph of Arimathea had apparently become a secret follower of Jesus. This unlikely pair never was able to fully muster their spiritual courage and allow themselves to reveal the fullness of their faith until after Jesus died. Joseph petitioned Pilate for the right to bury the body of the Lord, and Nicodemous, a fellow Jew Joseph would have known from their service in the Sanhedrin at the Temple, brought burial accoutrements.

 

     As they performed the tender but morbid act of preparing Jesus' body for burial and placing it in the tomb, I wonder what they felt in their hearts. I don't think I am stretching the

biblically unmentioned very far to assume they had some regrets. Perhaps they regretted not boldly defending Jesus against the unfounded accusations of the Sanhedrin where they held sway. Maybe they regretted not be submitting to sitting under His teaching at the Temple, or perhaps they regretted time spent sitting quietly while their friends condemned Jesus as a heretic instead of confessing their growing thoughts of faith.

     Like the wealthy Joseph and scholarly Nicodemus, many of us have painful regrets of how we have failed to serve Jesus in our own lives. I'm sure these men weren't even aware in their grief that they were also fulfilling more of Isaiah's Messianic prophesy found in chapter 53 and verse 9a -- His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death.... Thoughts of what might of been, the If only I'd of the many times Jesus had been so close to them but they had ignored Him must have filtered through their minds.

 

     The grave Joseph gave Jesus was an expensive gift. It was the custom then that bodies be placed in tombs to decompose. Once all that remained was the skeletal structure, the bones were placed in an ossuary box marked with the person's name, and then left in the tomb. This tomb had been carved from solid stone and was an expensive gift -- especially for one that would only be used for its intended purpose for three days!

 

     Morbid reflection about time lost that could have better been used to serve the Lord is normal for us to experience as Christians, but it should quickly conclude as the fruit of faith replaces regret. For Joseph and Nicodemus, their grief blinded them to seeing that the cross that had brought such sorrow was very close to what they thought was a final burial spot, but was really the birthplace of resurrection. Isaiah saw that too a thousand years before it happened -- "Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.(Isaiah 54:4,5)

 

     J.A. Motyer wrote of this verse-- Shame . . . disgrace . . . humiliated represent three synonymous Hebrew verbs sharing the fundamental idea of disappointed hopes, the embarrassment of expecting - even publicly announcing - one thing and then reaping another. Joseph and Nicodemus were expecting one thing, burial and decay and got another, resurrection and glory.

 

     Do you mourn the life that might have been if your submission to God had come sooner, or been greater? Break free from the bindings of morbid reflection. End the funeral of your past life and embrace the power of resurrection. Bury the past, God has promised He no longer remembers it. No crop is harvested until it is ripe. God has gathered each of us at exactly the right time. Jesus' concern about the yesterdays of our lives is buried in the Grace of His forgiveness. After that, He is a God of today and tomorrow. We have to trust him for both.The remaining question for us is simple --

 

     What can we do today to serve Him in a way that leaves no accumulating regrets?

 

     Paul expressed it this way in Romans 12:1 -- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

  

    

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

It Takes Faith to Stop Hammering at the Rubble

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, 'Says the Lord of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " (Zechariah 4:6-7 NKJV)

   

   For many Christians, our personal foundation was built on human wisdom before we knew the Lord and studied His Word. As Americans our foundation stones often include self reliance, personal achievement, the value of accumulation, and freedom to accomplish whatever we want. Even for those raised in the church and steeped in the Word these secular notions and cultural influences have drifted quietly and corruptively into our hearts.

 

   In the biblical account reflected in the verses above, Zerubbabel faced the challenge of rebuilding the temple. In fact, the term the Lord spoke through His prophet Zechariah, "O Great Mountain" probably referred to the mountain of rubble that existed after the temple's destruction. Zerubbabel was what would today be called a community organizer. He had limited ability, resources and power to accomplish the daunting task before him, and he was hindered (as we often are) by self doubt and discouragement.

 

   The work of God often requires resources that exceed our abilities. When we reach the intersection of  the enormity of the task we face and the limitation of our abilities and feel our helplessness, we are faced with many options. We often choose to push on against insurmountable odds in our own power, producing frustration and exhaustion. In the work and way of the world we are taught to fight through these crossroads with sheer self will. But God's message is not one of human dominance, but rather utter dependence on Him. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, 'Says the Lord of hosts...

 

   It is culturally counter intuitive to follow God's plan -- In order to win, you need to surrender -- but we can only win Kingdom victories when our hearts are fully reliant on the King. Great relief awaits us when we surrender the outcomes of our difficulties to the mighty hand of God, even in the face of critics and those who mock the Lord and His work.  Charles Spurgeon, an early mega church preacher, saw this clearly --

 

“O churches! take heed lest ye trust in yourselves; take heed lest ye say, ‘We are a respectable body,’ ‘We are a mighty number,’ ‘We are a potent people;’ take heed lest ye begin to glory in your own strength; for when that is done, ‘Ichabod’ shall be written on your walls and your glory shall depart from you. Remember, that he who was with us when we were but few, must be with us now we are many, or else we must fail; and he who strengthened us when we were but as ‘little in Israel,’ must be with us, now that we are like ‘the thousands of Manasseh,’ or else it is all over with us and our day is past.” (Spurgeon)

 

   Or consider David Guzik 's commentary on the  conclusion of this passage --  He shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”--

   This is God's assurance to Zerubbabel that not only will the work be finished, but Zerubbabel - he - shall finish it, setting the capstone and declaring that it was all a work of grace. When the work is done through human might or power we can take credit for it, but when the work is done by the continual supply of the Spirit, then it is all to the glory of God’s grace.(Guzik)

 

  Zerubbabel faced a literal mountain of rubble. We often face piles of relationship rubble, financial rubble, or the rubble that remains after sin is departed. Often we decide -- this is my mess, I have to clean it up. The Lord's plan is far simpler. Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit....

 

   So I'm thinking..... what rubble rocks am I am hammering by my own strength while the Lord looks on, thinking, My Spirit could move that entire mountain for you, Steve, if you'd only trust Me enough to let Me.

   It takes faith to stop hammering, and faith releases the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  
 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be quoted in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

 

Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” (2 Samuel 18-20)

 

   I met an alter ego of myself today, a shadow and type for my flesh. His name is Shemei.

 

   In second Samuel we find an interesting story about King David that occurred at a point in his life where he was getting older and a little less fierce. His Son, Absolam, decided to depose and kill David, and take the throne that would have otherwise come to him in the normal line of ascension rather than wait. He managed to drive King David from Jerusalem and even from Israel. As David left Jerusalem, the servant Shimei helped deceive the King and bitterly cursed him. 

 

   Months later, after David's army had fought those loyal to Absolam and defeated them (including killing Absolam), David and his mighty fighting men congregated on the bank of the Jordan, ready to wade across into Israel. David delayed his crossing until those forces who had supported Absolam's rebellion came to him to resubmit themselves to King David's authority. But Shemei the deceiver didn't hide in the crowd. He came forward first, prostrated himself before David and asked for mercy, Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart...

 

    David's military leaders urged him to put Shemei to death, but David forgave him. Is such mercy really possible? Shemei knew he had committed a great sin and he showed great repentence, accompanied by acknowledgement that David had the authority to impute whatever punishment he deemed appropriate. Shemei's repentance was straight forward and unambiguous. He didn't attempt to justify what he had done, and he revealed his understanding of the gravity of the situation by hurrying to the front of the crowd to fess up as quickly as possible.

 

   I intend to never sin again, but know I will. Sometimes I feel like the boy pictured above, a dunce to sin, making a promise to "be good" that I know Ill never keep. I am a broken man living in a broken world. When I find myself again a sinner against King Jesus, I hurry to his feet, prostrate my heart before him, and request His mercy in the form of forgiveness by Grace. Therefore, here I am....The great preacher Charles Spurgeon put it like this -- “Perhaps you have been like Shimei, who cursed king David, and you are afraid that Jesus will never forgive you. But David forgave Shimei, and Jesus is ready to forgive you. He delighteth in mercy. I do believe that the harps of heaven never give to Christ such happiness as he has when he forgives the ungodly, and saith, ‘Thy sins are forgiven; go in peace.’ “

 

   If [1] we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to [2] cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

 

   I hate that I fall to sin, but I do not have to fear it. Jesus has conquered sin's greatest consequence, death. Death, oh death, where is your sting?  As Spurgeon said, He delighteth in mercy. My sin always has prideful roots that seed renewed rebellion against King Jesus, and my repentance always travels on the wings of renewed submission to Him. My Shemei moments exalt themselves against the throne that will eventually quash them by Grace. Thank you merciful Lord Jesus. My hope is in you, Therefore, here I am.....Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me.

 

  

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be quoted in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

   I've been reading an interesting book entitled, Move: What 1000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth. This book is a project of Pastor Bill Hybels' church designed to determine what conditions and activities foster spiritual growth at all levels of Christian maturity. The project began with a massive survey of attendees at 1,000 churches. Quickly, common denominators for spiritual growth were revealed. I'm going to focus today on three. They  will not surprise you.

 

   The first two walk hand in glove as foundational personal spiritual disciplines, without which spiritual growth is stifled -- reading the Word daily and personal daily prayer time. Across the "spiritual continuum", from infant Christians to seasoned Christians these two were found to be absolutely necessary for spiritual growth to prosper. For those of you who recognize these as personal weaknesses, I'll suggest a simple path for you to walk to restart your spiritual growth and get off the plateau where you are stranded.

 

   First, read the Word. This is so simple and takes only a slight investment of time to produce enormous results. Read a passage of scripture each day. My wife and I read two chapters a day when we are reading a narrative (a portion of the bible which tells a story), and one chapter if we are reading theological explanations (like the book of Romans). Each

day we individually read, then at some point when we are together, we briefly discuss what we have read. Maybe once a week when the discussion goes deep we'll refer to a modern bible commentator like David Guzik to get more clarity. We also usually look up the meanings of names and names of places mentioned to further illuminate the scripture.  All of this involves ten minutes of reading and ten minutes of discussion -- not a burdensome amount of time. It's so simple. Pick a book that interests you and begin to read a little each day. Find a spiritual mentor you can consult when you have a question. In one year, you'll be amazed at the scriptural ground you have covered and spiritual growth you've found. The bible is written so that ordinary people can understand it, but only if they read it. 

 

   Second, daily personal prayer. Genuine Christianity is based on a personal relationship with Jesus. That relationship can never reach the level of intimacy that the Lord desires without daily prayer, a practice that my friend Pastor M.K. Babu rightly calls "sitting with the Lord". Find a quiet place and pray each day. Pray in your normal voice, as if you were taking with a friend (you are). Confess your sins, praise Him, and talk about your concerns. Ask Him to help you understand the scripture you are reading. Tell Him you love Him, and thank Him for saving you. Quickly, this will become your favorite time of the day.

 

   Finally, Move identifies one absolute roadblock to spiritual growth -- failure to recognize and submit to the authority of scripture. If you don't admit that the bible is God's Word and submit to its authority to govern your life, your Christian walk will stifle and die. This presents a simple choice. Do I believe the bible or not? I pray you choose to believe it.

 

   Move has so much more than these things to offer, and I suggest you read it (but not in place of reading the bible). What I have mentioned are simple, but life changing things. Begin today. You'll be blessed.

 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole of in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.bogspot.com

Reaching for Reconciliation (With a Knife in Your Hand)...

   Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve [fn] himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to [fn] you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. (1 Samuel 24:2-4 NKJV)

 

     After months of relentless pursuit by King Saul who intended to find and kill him, David finally had a chance to return the favor. His men encouraged him to kill King Saul, but David, described by the bible as a man after God's own heart, simply cut the corner from Saul's robe, then revealed himself to Saul and reached for reconciliation. This remarkable event required remarkable faith. David trusted God more than he feared Saul.

 

   Reconciliation with those in our lives with whom we live in brokenness requires simple faith. Christians are called by the bible to reach for reconciliation when relational brokenness invades our lives. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NKJV)

 

   But what about when you are completely innocence of causing the brokenness? What about when the person is being a real jerk about it? What if I am certain that my efforts at reconciliation will be rejected? What if they deserve what they are getting? Yada, yada, yada. There are a thousand self justifications to resist reconciliation, but a command by the Lord to pursue it -- he has committed to us the message of reconciliation....

 

   Peace and resentment can't occupy the same heart. They are biblically incompatible concepts. One comes from the dark forces and seeks to poison our hearts, they other from the Lord. Reconciliation is the anti-venom for a poisoned heart. Christ won't send us to reconciliation alone. He accompanies us. He empowers the necessary forgiveness, and seeds in us a contrite and humble spirit. Experience may have taught us that we've always held a grudge, but the Word reminds us -- the old has gone, the new has come!

 

   As we mature in Christ - that is, as there is less of us in us and more of Him in us - resentments will fade and reconciliation will become our norm. Conflict will be marked in our lives by its rarity and brevity. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

 

   Is there someone in your life with whom you need to reconcile? Just as the Lord pursued reconciliation through Christ with you, pursue reconciliation through Christ with them. Pray first, the reach for reconciliation today. David reached for reconciliation with a knife in his hand, but decided to use that knife only to cut himself free from fear and resentment.



Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworswednesday.blogspot.com

Religion Demands Authority From God, But Never Gets It...

...on one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him and they spoke, saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?" (Luke 19:47) 

    On the day described above, religion confronted God, unpleased with His methods. These verses reveal the threat that is perceived when the Gospel is declared in the presence of those who refuse to declare it. I said is perceived and not just was perceived, although both are accurate. Even today, those who have not received God’s Grace through the Gospel often resent those who have. 

     I wonder what the daily Sanhedrin meetings at the Temple were like in the days of Jesus time on earth. He quietly entered the Temple, selecting a place under Solomon’s Colonnade, the roofed “porch” that extended around the perimeter of the Temple mount, and taught. It seems likely that spies were appointed to monitor all Jesus taught, seeking flaws. Looking back we see the absolute folly of trying to find the Author of the Scriptures in conflict with Himself, and imagining themselves more capable of understanding what we now know was His Word, than He. His opponents were used to looking back in Scripture, and agreed that a Messiah would someday come, but were unable to recognize Him when He arrived. 

 

   Then as now, if you don’t believe in a Messiah, the Gospel is nonsense. Then as now, if you have not been transformed by the power of the Gospel, you’ll find your spirit uncomfortably pricked every time you hear it or are near it, and although you may mention it in passing, if you have not experienced Gospel transformation you cannot be a valid Gospel witness.  

   In today’s verses, the Sanhedrin decided to open a debate with Jesus based on the issue of authority. They were men of authority who instead of operating always under God had co-opted His authority as if their own, presenting a sort of – this is our house and we’re in charge here attitude. In their pride of leadership, they mistakenly confronted God in His own house.  

   When God extends His authority to us for some purpose for ministry in His kingdom, we must receive it as servant leaders or we’ll likely end up as religious tyrants. Jesus promised that His sheep know His voice. Over the centuries ministry leaders who have begun to operate as the Temple leadership did are able to deceive their flock for a while, but eventually the flock recognizes the fraudulence of a voice which mimics but isn’t genuinely led by their shepherd, and they depart, seeking an authentic Shepherd. 

 

   We don’t need to spend a lot of time evaluating false spiritual leaders. If they mimic but don’t sincerely imitate the Lord, our ears will discern their spiritual lip-syncing. However, we do need to apply the spiritual disciplines of prayer, discernment, bible study, fellowship, etc, to make certain our message remains authentic, fully authorized by God. We need to seek Him with daily spiritual vigilance, especially if God has placed us as teachers of the Word in any way. It is an unfathomable privilege to be permitted to care for and teach God’s children. Paul told us -- and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.   (1 Timothy 1:5-7)  

  

   Be wary of unauthorized biographies of Christ expressed by false prophets. Are there some easily discernable signs of Christian authenticity? I think so.  Authentic Christians speak easily and without shame of the sin burden the Lord has lifted from them, and you won’t be around them long without hearing the detailed testimony of their salvation. They wear a mantle of love, forgiving easily, and have eyes that seek Kingdom purpose and opportunity. It is impossible to compliment them. They always deflect glory toward God.  

  Christ's authority only accompanies Christian authenticity. Religion can claim God's authority, but it will never possess it. Once, religion even tried to kill God to get His authority. It briefly looked like they may have gotten their way. But on the third day.... 

 

 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

The Power of Wet Ankles....

"When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you…. (Deuteronomy 7:1) 

    Sometimes I balk at the border of the better land to which the Lord has directed me. My hesitance always results from fear. Sometimes because I feel like a spiritual grasshopper and across the border I see scary grasshopper eating giants. Sometimes I feel like an interloper, unworthy of drinking from wells I didn’t dig. I often balk because I allow my timid self awareness to tint and diminish awareness of the Lord's omnipotence.

   Ever had a Moses moment where the "still small voice of God" reminds you – Remember, we were here forty years ago and you balked. You’ve had forty years to think it over. Have you decided to trust Me this time? In the old movie, The Ten Commandments, Moses perches on a rise overlooking the Red Sea and parts the waters. The bible isn’t clear on the minutia of the moment, but I think Moses actually had wet ankles. I see him timidly, maybe even with some fear (soon to be replaced with wonder) walking into water that the Lord said wouldn’t be there. Maybe he even got knee deep before the wind began to blow from the east and the water began to recede.

   Often, God goes before us and when we arrive the enemy we thought would be waiting is simply gone, banished by the Lord. More often the Lord waits for the first few timid splashes to reach His holy ear before He parts the water, or heals the sickness, or provides the money, or saves the seemingly unredeemable. 

   In today’s verse God describes the land we know now as Israel as the land  -- you go to possess. It was a gift waiting for the Israelites unwrapping with steps of even tepid faith.

   I prayed today, and asked the Lord to reveal to me the border of the next thing He is leading me to, at which I am stalled. Even as I formed the question in my mind, I was refreshed with the answer (which I’ve been wandering nearby for a while pondering the uncertainty before me).  When I fear my own ability to succeed, I am justified by experience. When I fear God’s ability to succeed, experience has proven me wrong many times.

   But, Lord, there are city kings and armed enemies in my way…. the LORD your God…… has cast out many nations before you…. Emerson wrote something which has been a helpful reminder to me many times-- Some of your hurts you’ve cured, the fiercest you’ve even survived; But oh, what torments and grief you’ve endured, from evils that never arrived. Is it possible that the Lord my God has already cast out the things before me that I fear? That would leave me in a pretty awkward situation, fearing only the welcoming holy Presence the Lord has provided to greet me.

   Maybe today my mustard seed faith will stop wandering and risk wet ankles.
 

2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in part or in whole without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednsday.blogspot.com .

A Heart on Fire

   Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by [1] that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22 Amp.)

 

 

   There is no doubt that by the time the Lord saved me my heart had become well corrupted. When I was a new Christian, Satan used to attempt to induce spiritual whiplash with his accurate accusations about my thoughts and deeds. He seeded doubt in me by his relentless accusation -- You are a fraudulent Christian! In those early days, I often agreed. I allowed the devil to disrupt the work of the Lord by simply listening to him instead of listening to Jesus. It took a while as a new believer to sort that out. I eventually conquered his lies by responding to him with scripture. I'm convinced that drives him crazy. Satan hates the Word.

   Today's verse cites the power to transform a corrupt heart -- true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by [1] that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness. Faith transforms and transcends human corruption of the heart. 

 

   David Guzik comments on the original audience for this verse, Hebrews who had found salvation in Christ, but were being drawn back by their peers to the traditions of their fathers -- The encouragement to draw near wouldn’t be given unless it was necessary. These discouraged Christians had a problem in drawing near. This was their real problem: they lost their intimate relationship with Jesus, and nothing else is going right. They may have thought that they had many, many problems - persecution, difficult relationships, hard times with culture or economy. But the real problem was their relationship with God wasn’t on track. They didn’t draw near to God on the basis of what Jesus had done.

 

   Are you in a tough time? Many people have gone through worse times and have had a better attitude, and more joy, than you do now. What is the difference? They knew how to draw near! Just as importantly, they are reminded that they will never regain that intimacy coming through the institutions of the Old Covenant.

 

   Transformation doesn't come from human desire to change. It comes from intimacy with the Lord Jesus through personal intimacy in prayer and intellectual intimacy through sowing His Word in our minds and hearts. Hearts corrupted by ordinary human life on planet earth can be transformed to hearts on fire for Jesus. There is still a part of me that mourns the loss of innocence, so I ask the Lord daily in prayer to restore that innocence to me. While that will never completely happen, I now know this. I walk out my days with a heart on fire for Jesus, enflamed by simple faith. (His work, not mine)

Thank you Lord.

 

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be quoted in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

An Ordinary Angel vs Satan the Serpent of Old

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in [fn] his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;  and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; (Revelation 20:1 NKJV)

 

  I read the bible everyday. I usually read two or three chapters. I have never begun at Genesis 1:1 and read straight through to the end of Revelation. My pattern is sometimes random at my own whim, and sometimes Spirit led. I've read the entire bible several times, and some books many times. Right now, I am again reading Revelation. I'm near the end, chapter 20, where I came across today's verse.

 

   Revelation is John's account of what Jesus revealed to him about the final days of the Age of Grace in which we live, and the return of Christ. Here he witnessed Satan's capture and imprisonment -- Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in [fn] his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years... We often view Satan as more powerful than he is. Oh, he has power, but he is by no means in equal opposition to the lord. When it is time for his apprehension, Jesus won't come to get him, or even Michael or Gabriel, God's most powerful angels. Just an unnamed angel from the Lord's host of angels will be sufficient to do the job.

 

 

     ...and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed;  Satan had a moment two thousand years ago where he believed he had successfully entombed the son of God, Jesus. He probably celebrated that as a great victory..... for just three days. When Jesus decides to remove Satan's influence from the earth for a thousand years, it will be done with sparse effort. This will not be his full and final punishment. That will come a millennium later. Perhaps it will be a great heartache for him to see his manipulative influence removed and the earth, and to see it's creatures, man and the Lord in living in harmonic peace.

 

    Satan has read the end of the Book. He knows what is coming for himself, and often tries to attack Christians in a similar way. He wants to bind us with fear or shame or by convincing us that his authority is equal to the Lord. God seeds ministry in our hearts and Satan screams that we will surely fail. He would love to bind us in the smallest Christian image he can so that the influence of Christ in us won't overshadow him. God seeds hope, he seeds fear and we are left to follow fear or faith.

 

   Is there a ministry dream the Lord has placed in your heart that you are afraid to step into? Jesus doesn't send us into ministry, He leads us. Everywhere He asks us to step, He has already tread. Quit listening to the deceiver, and follow Christ. When you do, Satan's voice will fade in the distance.

 

 

 

Copyright 2013  Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

  

 

  

                 

                 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also Me.

   Today I experienced a troubled heart. Not for trouble I am personally experiencing, but because someone I love is troubled. Often it seems easier to endure my own difficulty that to watch someone else walk through theirs. After the initial impact, I prayed and I turned to scripture. Jesus' words in John 14:27 often comfort me – My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you…… Some days the world can pile us so high with trouble that our knees threaten to buckle under the burden, then a strange strength arrives unannounced and we stand. Wisdom and discernment begin to flow and eventually the Lord’s peace governs our heart, even under the weight of the burden, once again.  All of this is the work of the Holy Spirit, our constant companion. When we can’t tell truth from lies, the Spirit of Truth will discern. When our path is clear but looks too steep or rocky, the Holy Spirit encourages us forward. When we feel exhausted and alone, we remember David’s words – Where can I go from your Spirit? - and find ourselves in the company of Three – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are among holy friends, holy counselors, holy wisdom, holy healing and holy power from the throne of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. Fellowship in the Spirit can sustain us through what otherwise would seem impossible.

   Guzik writes -- Even though there was good reason why their hearts might be troubled, Jesus tells the disciples to challenge their troubled hearts with faith in the Father and the Son. They did not have to give into the emotions of fear and despair - they really could... let not your hearts be troubled.

   Do you need help today? The Helper is already present. He is with you and is reaching to help. He has been sent by the Father in the Name of Jesus. What could have more power? He has proceeded from the Father and the Son and remains in constant contact with all who have simple faith in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord.

   Do not let your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid. God is with you.

              

               Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in art without prior written permission if a ink is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com

Soapy Mouthed Kids and #Cussin' Christians.....

   But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. (2 Tim 2:16 NKJV)

   There was a forsythia bush located at the end of my childhood home. It's branches were untrimmed and it draped to the ground creating a concealing canopy. As small children we loved its tenting privacy. When I was 4 or 5 years old, as several of us were  gathered there I was "dared" to say the sh-- word. I balked, so I was "double-dared". The peer pressure overcame me and I whispered the evil word. Immediately one of my sisters who was present jumped to her feet screaming, "Stevie cussed, Stevie cussed!"
 

   As I heard my Mom calling for me I felt fortunate that my Dad wasn't home. His punishment would have been forceful. Mom was probably going to give me a good talking to. She surprised me, herding me to the bathroom and pinning me against the sink with her legs. She quietly reached for the half used soggy bar of soap that was sitting there and said, "Let's clean that dirty mouth." and inserted the soap. It was a horrible taste. The soap was soft enough and my mouth small enough that bits of soap adhered to many of my teeth. Crying, I rinsed it out. Then again. And again, and again...... It was so hard to fully remove that taste that I soon quit trying. I tasted soap all afternoon.

   As dinnertime approached, I was certain that food would finally cleanse my soapy palate. As we were about to start dinner, Dad arrived, Mom informed him of the days activity, and he more harshly repeated the process, then sent me to bed. I tasted soap until I ate my Wheaties the next morning. I learned a lesson that day (but not the right one). I learned not to use course language around my tattling sister.

   In today's culture, few parents (even Christian parents) would use this punishment. I've learned of a company named Munchkins, makers of children's products, who this very year have launched a new product call "Naughty Mouth Soap". Copy from their website report -- Just like other Munchkin cleaning products, the new Naughty Mouth Soap is natural, and free of harsh chemicals, parabens and dyes. Available in five ill-tasting flavors, each addresses a specific behavioral situation, including Whining Wasabi, Lying Liver, Spoiled Child Spoiled Milk, Vulgarity Vomit and Extra-Strength Sour Pout Face, which features a foul-tasting concentrate ideal for even the most challenging personalities. - See more at: http://www.munchkin.com/press/munchkin-inc-raises-bar-cleaning-launch-non-toxic-naughty-mouth-soap#sthash.ag1NhkV7.dpuf  (When you go to this link, be sure to check the date of the press release.)

   If parents decide to use this product they'd probably struggle with which words are wrong to say. Many that were on Mom's "soapable offence" list are now commonly heard on evening TV shows. Lately, I know many born again Believers who have adopted the TV standard for use of language, or worse. I've even found myself doing it once or twice with words that seem not-to-be-any-longer-soapable offences.
 

    When I became a Christian, I had a mouth trained by thirty years in the industrial construction business. I struggled to stop swearing and failed repeatedly. One Sunday as I left church the Lord stopped me in my tracks and spoke into my heart that my cursing days were over. I broke and cried out to Him, explaining that I had tried often and failed often and couldn't seem to stop. His Spirit quietly said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)  In my weakness and His power, I finally stopped. Many years passed without an evil word passing my lips.

   So, what words should a Christian never say? I polled a few friends this week and got a variety of answers, accurately depicting the disparity of belief that exists on this subject. All agree that the commandment must be obeyed - You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Ok, don't use the Lord's name in vain. That's were the agreement stopped. Many believe that there is no prohibition to the use of TV approved words, the so-called lesser swear words. A few even think that their apparent regular use of the F bomb is fine (a position that I think is a lot easier to defend before me than it will be on Judgment Day before the Lord). One dear friend from the mission field pointed out the use of alternative cussing, words like flippin', frickin", holy crap, and all the JC replacement words are out of bounds for him. Another quoted Romans 12:2 Don't be conformed to this world.... and lamented the extent to which Christians are being conformed to the culture rather than impacting the culture for Christ. Perhaps my favorite response was simply tis -- I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20). Anything that Christ wouldn't say, I shouldn't say.

   To all these biblical answers I say, Amen!, and offer this question for reflection:

   Dear child of Christ, what passes your lips that would never have passed His?

Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com


  

   

Duck Dynasty Beards, Egyptian Square Beards, and Where is the Culture Dragging Me that I Shouldn't Go?

And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber's razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. Ezekiel 5:1( NKJV)

   Every morning millions of men follow this instruction. Even men like myself with a full beard have a little morning maintenance to perform. The Duck Dynasty show has caused a resurgence in the popularity of full untrimmed beards in the US. While it seems like a new thing, it is not. In Leviticus 19:17, God instructed the Israelites -- You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. (Finally,  a decree of God I have faithfully obeyed for over thirty years.) Because of this commandment, the beard took on a special significance in Hebrew culture.

   Leviticus 19:17 is translated above, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard….. but a better translation for edges would be corners. Corners? Do beards have corners? During the enslavement of the Jews by Egypt, the Egyptian style was to trim the beard square (with corners). To imitate this style was to imitate enslavement and disrespect God’s deliverance in the Exodus.

   A Hebrew man’s beard was considered his finest adornment. Many would swear by their beard. To lose their beard would have been the greatest imaginable loss, equal to loss of
life. In 2 Samuel 10 when the king of the Ammonites died, David, who had been friendly with the king sent a cadre of servants to comfort his son and the new king, Hanun. Hanun’s people convinced him that David had really sent the servants as spies, and -- Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return."

    Conversely, it was considered a sign of most respectful greeting for one man to grab the other by the beard. What was socially respectable for the ordinary Hebrew often flowed from what was absolutely required of the priests of Yahweh, and this was true with traditions about the beard.

   In the Hebrew  beard centric culture, God told Ezekiel, a priest, -- take a sharp sword, take it as a barber's razor, and pass it over your head and your beard… The sight of a beardless and hairless priest then would have received the same reaction we might have today in church if a pastor walked to the pulpit to preach one Sunday, naked. People would scream and run, covering their faces. Most would condemn him. God was requiring of Ezekiel an act that while it might bring temporary shame to him personally, would assure that people noticed him sufficiently that they would receive God’s warning about their future. God is just. God is good. He prefers repentance to rebuke. His desire was that His chosen people would return their hearts to Him. Ezekiel complied and shaved it all, but God’s children continued to ignore Him.

   This verse made me reflect on my instinctive compliance to cultural norms. I say I am a man of the Book, and want to hold a biblical worldview, but in truth I often consider cultural norms so normal that I never even attempt to observe them through a biblical lens.

   Question for reflection through a biblical lens -- What areas of my life are culture driven rather than biblically driven? Where is current American culture dragging me that I shouldn't go?


Copyright 2013 Mission of the Master Ministries, Inc. May be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission if a link is provided to http://wordworkswednesday.blogspot.com