Have You Ever Made a Mistake?

Tonight, I opened my Bible and found myself reading about Daniel and the lion's den in Daniel chapter 6. For the first time, it struck me from the king's perspective: One who made a terrible mistake that was about to cost the life of someone he loved and valued. Have you ever been there? Maybe it hasn't cost someone's life or maybe it has, but I'm sure you and I have both made major mistakes that we only recognized after we made them. What is our response in that situation, what is God's response, and what does that say about our Father in Heaven?

Daniel 6:13-16a - "So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions...

The king had been rashly talked into making a decree that no god could be worshiped or prayed to, but only he could be worshiped. This was a terribly prideful mistake. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov 16:18). I know this proverb all too well, not just from memorization, but from living it. Be careful of any decision or portion of a decision that allows pride inside! It will hurt you and quite possibly those you love in the end.

The gist of this portion of the passage is that the king had made a mistake, though he didn't know it yet. When it was revealed that the death of his beloved subordinate Daniel would be the consequence of his mistake, he was deeply moved and sought to reverse it and save him. How much was he troubled by this and how much did he love Daniel? It says in verse 18, "Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him." He didn't sleep all night, sought no comfort, and didn't even eat. However, as was the law in that empire, not even the king could change a law that he or any other king had written into law. This might sound a bit rigid, as it allows for no amendment policy; however, this was central to the Mede and Persian empire and their way of life.

Now for the most interesting part. The king was fully aware of his blunder and he felt powerless to do anything. What a sinking feeling in the soul when we realize our error just in time to see the consequences but have no power to avoid them! What deep sorrow when our mistakes, whether prideful or otherwise, begin to hurt deeply our loved ones. What utter hopelessness we feel when we see the train wreck that we have caused proceeding and cannot stop it! We cry out in anguish as this king did, but to what avail?

The most important part of this section is found in the second part of v. 16:

"...But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”

The cry to our Lord. As we read on, Daniel was saved by God sending an angel to "shut the lions' mouths." Even when all hope is lost, there is hope in our God. And if it so pleased our Lord, Daniel would not have been spared and would have served our sovereign God's purpose in his death. But God's purpose was contrary to the foolishness of this prideful king. God's purpose was not finished in Daniel, or in the king for that matter, and through their faith and the power of our sovereign God, Daniel was saved.

The next day the king hastened to the lion's den to see what had become of Daniel. When Daniel was found alive, he was pulled out of the den and prospered even more greatly in the kingdom for God's glory. Additionally, the king then tossed the men who had devised the entire plan, which was set specifically to trap Daniel, into the lion's den where they met their death. And finally, this prideful king was gloriously humbled, proclaiming throughout the kingdom that the God of Israel is the one true God (v. 26-27). Even the king fulfilled God's purpose through the Lord's glorious work to turn what was meant for evil into good.

Have you been tossed into the lion's den and there is no way out? Pray to the Lord to deliver you and strengthen you through the experience, just as Daniel was. The lion's den could be a great work of God after all. Have you stumbled and brought forth a terrible result on yourself or a loved one? Call on the Lord to rescue. And if in His favor and grace, He spares you, do away with all unrighteousness that served to set the trap.

The main lesson for me in the perspective of the king is that God is faithful when we are not, and even my own foolishness and pride will not stop a sovereign God. It is never too late to pray and seek His face, even as we stare down the mouth of a lion. Furthermore, let us "clean house" and remove all unrighteous thought and behavior once we recognize our folly. Finally, let us glorify God for his mercy and grace, and seek to follow Him more closely in every decision going forward. May the God of all grace pour abundantly His grace upon you and your loved ones, and may it please Him and glorify Him as we repent, call on His name, and live in His deliverance. Amen.

India 2011 - Day 10 - Back in the States

For our faithful readers and prayer warriors, I want to thank you for your partnership during this amazing God-filled mission trip. We arrived safely home in Houston this evening. As wonderful as India has been, it's nice to be back in the States. However, I still miss India!

Thank you again for your support, and I hope you enjoyed tracking our trip. Please be praying for God to do even more through the As Our Own ministry, as it pleases and glorifies Him. Amen.

India 2011 - Pictures

We have some pictures!

Josh at the Frankfurt airport (they're still looking for him):

Our team upon arrival at the airport:

Typical Indian bathroom, except cleaner (fortunately we have american style toilets to use at the guest house and hotel)"

More to come. Stay tuned!

P.S. Internet may or may not be available for the next few days. Lord willing it will be available and I can continue blogging!

The Pain and Glory of Waiting on the Lord

“Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.” – John 11:32-35

If you read through the Bible, especially the Psalms, you will find the following phrase (or similar) written a multitude of times: “Wait on the Lord.” It is interesting that this message had to be conveyed so clearly so many times. When you think about raising and disciplining children, you know that there are some commands that need only be given once and others that need repeating over and over. The most difficult commands to obey are the ones that need repeating over and over, and I believe this is true with us as God’s children and His repeated commands to “Wait on the Lord.” Let’s consider that with sincerity today and set our hearts and minds to obey at last.

This very morning I received an email newsletter from Global Media Outreach (www.GodLife.com). It was uncanny how its message was tailor made for me this morning, and perhaps for you, too. The message was about having dreams in life and having to wait for them, entitled “The Key to Living Your Dream Life.” Even the best, God-ordained dreams. Yet having to wait, and what effective waiting looks like. An excerpt from the newsletter:

“Abraham waited decades to have a baby; Moses had to endure Pharoah’s intimidation and 10 plagues until God’s people were released; and David had to run for years in the wilderness until he was made king. These are just a few examples! But the greatest wait in the Bible was for Jesus, the Messiah. God promised Him thousands of years in advance, and only a few were still waiting for Him when He finally came…

…Waiting isn’t glamorous. In fact, it’s really hard. But it’s the key to obtaining your promise from God. Maybe He has promised you healing, maybe a great marriage, or maybe your kids serving the Lord. Whatever it is, it’s going to take patience. That’s just the way God is. He uses the waiting period to make us better, to make us ready for the promise. “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph's character” (Psalm 105:19).”

The verse from Psalm 105 about Joseph’s character being tested and perfected while he was waiting helps me to understand part of the purpose for waiting. Furthermore, the story of Lazarus, Jesus’ friend and the brother of Mary and Martha, illustrates a supreme example of waiting (read John 11 for the full story). Jesus received word of Lazarus’ illness in time to come heal him and save him from death. Yet, inexplicably to those around Him, Jesus waited two days before coming to see Lazarus. Why would he wait? Did he want to wait or was He fighting His flesh in order to obey the Lord? I believe that the fact that Jesus wept upon hearing of Lazarus’ death and seeing such deep grief in Mary and Martha, whom He loved deeply, is proof enough that it was not easy for Jesus to wait and let Lazarus die. What restraint our Savior showed! And, what love! If you know the rest of the story, you can see that this was a supreme act of obedience to the Father in His perfect sovereignty, and an obedience centered in love, for the best possible outcome of this scenario was for Lazarus to die. This is because Jesus then brought Lazarus back to life.

There were many implications from this. First, those who immediately surrounded Jesus at this time, including the disciples and Lazarus’ family, saw firsthand a greater power through Jesus than others had comprehended previously. No one had been dead four days and risen again. Secondly, the news spread throughout the region, such that the faith of others was increased in Jesus as the Son of God. Thirdly, it was the turning point to drive the evil religious leaders to the point of executing Jesus, the purpose of His ministry. Fourthly, it showed that Jesus could not only raise Himself from the dead (He is God afterall), but that He had power and authority to raise any and all people from the dead, according to the Father’s will.

Each of these things came forth from Jesus obeying His Father’s command to “wait on the Lord.” Where are you hearing the still, small voice of God telling you, “Wait on the Lord?” Pay attention to the timing of circumstances in your life and coming across those words while reading the Bible. I assure you that they were meant just for you, as they are meant just for me, as well. Lazarus’ death and resurrection by Jesus marked a turning point in Jesus’ ministry, turning His path to the cross, gloriously fulfilling His purpose on this earth. Turning points in your life and mine will often come the same way—through waiting. Let’s be vigilant to obey the Lord and wait for Him at all times.

So what can we expect while we are waiting and what is the expected outcome? Firstly, pain. If we look at the example of Jesus and Lazarus, it is clear that Jesus experienced the pain of loss and hurting loved ones as a direct result of His waiting. Waiting will be the hard choice, it will hurt you personally, and it often times will hurt those you love most. Furthermore, there may be times when you are waiting on the Lord and no one else understands. This was Jesus’ experience. Do you think that you are experiencing something that Jesus cannot identify with? Certainly not. Jesus understands what it is to wait, the pain in the consequences of waiting, and He understands when no one else does. I emplore you to cry out to Him in your distress, and the God of all comfort will be with you.

But there is more to expect while waiting on the Lord. First, your character will be sharpened, and likely the character of those in relationship with Jesus who are impacted by your obedience will be sharpened, as well (Psalm 105:19). Second, the glory of the Lord will be revealed in time. For Jesus, waiting produced a more glorious display of the character of God, revealed more clearly the simultaneous humanity and deity of Jesus Christ, and brought many more believers in addition to building the faith of those who already believed in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. These very things will be true in our lives if we will “wait on the Lord.” I pray that you realize the certainty of this promise, that you read God’s Word and hear His still, small voice concerning waiting on Him, that you open your heart to receive the comfort and understanding from Jesus Christ Himself, and that you receive the full glorious blessing that comes from such sweet, abandoned obedience. May God work such miracles in your life this very day. Amen.

You Might be Involved in Human Trafficking without Knowing It

MEN: Please watch the video below, especially the final 5 minutes, which are full of powerful truth.

It turns out that most men in America and around the world have actually propagated human trafficking, many without knowing it. But there is hope:

Jacob's Story from Unearthed on Vimeo.

Obedience – A Well-Balanced Meal of Service

“…Obedience is better than sacrifice...” – 1 Sam 15:22 (NLT)

I find that a struggle exists within me between healthy sacrifice and healthy enjoyment in that which God commands. It seems easy to fall away from the proper balance and toward either experience-seeking (doing something because it benefits us or we get enjoyment from it) or begrudging obedience, when we set our faces as flint for pure obedience at full sacrifice of ourselves, but with a sense of self-righteousness and the absence of the joy of the Lord. Honestly, I see most of us erring to the side of the former, following that which we enjoy instead of having obedience as our starting point and guide; however, I believe that God has designed us and His commands to have a good balance of both flavors: sacrifice and joy. This is of course a paradox to the human mind because it is the work of the Holy Spirit who is higher, greater, and not limited by human imperfection.

As I have been recently considering decisions before me, in which I feel called by the Lord to service, I have recognized that it is going to cost me something. And as I wrestle with it all, recognizing that in some ways I look forward to the service because I love it, but in other ways would rather run away like Jonah because of what it could cost me, I feel that the Lord has spoken some truth to me about obedient service of our Lord.

To me, following God in joyful obedience can be illustrated by a well-balanced meal. A well-balanced meal typically consists of a main course (meat or protein), vegetables or other healthy additions as side-dishes, and even some sweet dessert (You might astutely comment that dessert means that the meal is no longer “well-balanced,” but I have included it in the analogy for a reason.). When it comes to decision making and living out our lives for Christ, being poured out as an offering for Him and our fellow man, obedience is the main course…it drives the meal, it is the center-piece for the meal, and it is the impetus for action. God will’s it; therefore, we do it. Let’s not forget who God is and who we are, created in His image for His purposes and His pleasure. Now, when God wills something, He wills it in all love, He wills it in all goodness and righteousness, He wills it in all wisdom and sovereignty, and He wills it in perfection. And because He is God and we are His servants, what He wills, we obey. This is the main course of our meal of service to our Lord.

Even the main course in itself can be analyzed before moving to the side-dishes and dessert. God’s main course of obedience for His will is always seasoned with Himself, a pleasing spice to life. We may have to do some effort, working with our hands to cut through the main course, chewing on it such that we can stomach it, but there is a flavor from God that is joy in the midst of our labors.

And the meal of obedient service to our Lord goes beyond the main course of strict obedience, for there are further joys and further difficulties along the way. First, the difficulties, including repercussions:

As someone who has struggled to find the slightest pleasure in eating many of the vegetables that God has placed on this earth for our nutritious benefit, I relate the consequences of following God and the “grin and bear it” portion of obedience to the vegetable side-dish. You may chuckle here, as I do…and I do enjoy many vegetables (rest easy, Mom, I am eating my vegetables…at least sometimes), but think of that one vegetable that you absolutely can’t stand…the one you wouldn’t eat unless you were forced to. Well, sometimes that vegetable shows up on our plate of obedient service to our Lord. But I have already hinted at the dichotomy of eating such an unpleasant item: God uses it to strengthen and nourish us in a unique way that our main course and certainly our dessert could not do. We must have the spiritual vitamins that are contained within sacrificial obedience to our Lord. It will not always be easy, and in fact, many times it will be hard to obey the Lord. This is because it will cost us something. This is because our circumstances may be less favorable. But God has placed it in front of us as we noted before with all love, goodness, righteousness, wisdom, sovereignty, and perfection…will we not accept what God has handed directly to us? We will, and we must willingly consume that which is nearly unpalatable, such that our souls receive perfectly balanced spiritual nutrition from God Himself.

And finally, our favorite part: dessert. Yes, obedient service to our Lord always comes with dessert. There is a time that is coming, after we have finished our full courses of obedience—the main course, the side dishes and everything else—that we will receive the joyous perspective of God and marvel at such a well prepared meal of service as we delight in all that God has done, is doing, and will do. The joy that flows naturally from the Spirit will be a sweet, sweet dessert to our souls. This sounds like a reference to Heaven, and it is, but it is a reference to the “here and now” on earth, as well.

Psalm 27:13: - “I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see
the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (NKJV)

You see, God provides us the sweetest of joys as we grow closer to Him through obedient service, and He does so not only in Heaven, but in the land of the living.

In view of this, it is easy to see how we often get unbalanced in our service. We frequently try to supplant obedience with dessert as the main course. If we live for dessert, we will eat more of it and less of our healthy balanced-meal. Likewise, if we live for experience, driven by our affinities alone, we will become self-seeking, forsaking God’s call. At the same time, we sometimes become so committed to sacrifice that we eat meals of side-dishes alone, and although this can sustain us for a time, we will need some core nourishment of a well-seasoned main course to sustain us. Furthermore, if we have come to a place where obedience has no joy, then we are susceptible to refraining from partaking any longer, starving ourselves of God’s leading because we are wearied in our unbalanced approach to obedience without joy. And so it is important that we remember that obedient service to our Lord is a well-balanced grand feast, in which obedience to His will is central, sacrifice is essential, and the sweetness of joy is our reward and promise. Through the Holy Spirit, obedience and sacrifice are not without joy.

Heb 12:2 - “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

I write these things only because I have experienced them and continue to experience them, and every saint that has ever lived has experienced them, as well. Even more significantly, Jesus Himself experienced it, as revealed in Hebrews 12:2, and therefore we must experience it alongside Him as we are sanctified to be one with Christ. Take heart in your present circumstances, accept the main course of obedience, willingly digest the unpleasant sacrifices in side-dishes of nourishment, and anticipate with certain hope the joy of the Lord that will be manifested to you by His Spirit. We could never conceive of this truth, for it goes well beyond human ability, and we could never acquire such a glorious truth, for it goes well beyond human utility. But is a gift of God, and one that He wishes to pour out on you.

“…The joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Neh 8:10

I pray that you take your place at His table, embrace the meal set before you, and offer your life in obedient service to our Lord. May the joy of the Lord be made full in you, and may it be your strength today and forever. Amen.

Decision vs. Discernment

Decision (n) – 1. The act of making up one’s mind

2. Judgment, determination

Discern (v) - 1. To perceive by sight or the mind

2. to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different

When facing choices, whether easy or difficult, do you set your mind to decide or discern what is best?

I found myself praying and mulling over some upcoming choices with the Lord this week. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit works in a way that separates my ears and mouth. What I mean by this is that I’ll hear something I say in prayer and have an immediate reaction upon hearing the words, as if I am not the one who spoke them. And so this week I prayed, “Lord, please help me to decide and discern what is best. I’m not sure I have enough info and I need your help to make the right decision.” Immediately, I was convicted of the difference between seeking to decide and seeking to discern.

Before I dive into the superlative nature of discernment over decision, let me first give merit to proper decision. A hymn that I love says, “I have decided to follow Jesus,” and it is both beautiful and accurate. As Christians, we have decided many things. First, we have decided to follow Jesus. We have since decided to put on the armor of God and fight sin. We have further decided to take up our cross daily and welcome sanctification. And we may have even made many life decisions, such as where to live, work, go to church, have relationships, and general lifestyle choices. However, in these latter things, the discernment mindset is superior to the decision mindset.

Heb 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Another quick disclaimer for those of similar temperaments to me and in order to be thorough: finding the dividing line between decision and discernment is very difficult and the lines will often seem blurred instead of clear. Thanks to God that we have His Word, which is sharper than any double edged sword, dividing truth and error, joints and marrow, outward actions or the most subtle inward thoughts. It is a broad sword and a surgeon’s scalpel all in one, lopping off the head of the evil one and also discerning the most subtle truths of God and man. Therefore, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to divide to the uttermost precision differences in attitudes and behaviors such as the decision and discernment mindsets.

Note that decision and discernment, though different, are often overlapped in space and time. For instance, you must first decide to pursue discernment. And once you have discerned, you have the decision to obey God or not obey. Decision in the absence of discernment is the source of catastrophe, both personal and sociological. It is the folly of man to make decisions without the wisdom of God. However, decision with discernment at the helm is the source of living and leading in God’s will. I encourage you to set out to discern God’s very mind, His good and pleasing will, then simply decide to follow what He reveals as His will.

The key truth here is that the decision mindset carries within it the sense of one’s self and will. If “I” make a decision, then “I” have chosen what “I” think is best, regardless of the complexity and how selfless my criteria might be. The key is that I am placing the emphasis on my analysis, logic, and wisdom by regarding anything as “my decision.” Compare this to submission or subordination, where I follow the wishes of another who has made the decision. In this case of submission, I am merely following and not deciding anything myself, except to obey the orders, no matter what measure of analytical skill or logical thinking abilities I may have. Any abilities or judgments of my own are irrelevant in that situation because the decision is not mine to be made, except to obey.

I often set myself into deep thought and analysis to thoroughly consider a situation, decipher facts from misleading fictions, trying to consider all affected parties, and determine the greatest utility between option A or B for the entire framework of affected parties. I know that whichever option can be most pleasing and useful for our Lord is the best, and so I seek to make the best decisions for His will. This is a seemingly noble approach, especially since God has equipped us to learn the Word and live in the Spirit to make good decisions; but when we have listened to the Word or the Spirit, I submit that we have done less deciding and instead, more discerning. Think about it: God already foresaw this decision, and in fact, he has placed it directly in front of you to make this very choice, such that in doing so you grow closer to Him and glorify His name. He knows your affinities, your tendencies, your weaknesses and strengths. He knows to what degree you listen to Him and to what degree you do not. And He already knows the very best “decision.” Now, if your God is with you wherever you go (Matt 28:20) and seeks to speak truth to you and guide you unto all truth (John 16:13), and has all powerful wisdom in all things, and tells us that if we ask we will receive (Matt 7:7-9, Luke 11:9-10), then why in the world would we try to make any component of any “decision” without hearing from Him and choosing His choice in obedience, regardless of how we’ve analyzed it ourselves?

In view of these truths, it is clear that the answer is in seeking His face and discerning His will, not in making a decision. The decision has already been made in Heaven! God’s wants option X! Do you perceive it? How can you be sure that your decision matches His will? The only answer is discernment. And in addition, the seeking to discern God’s will is as much his very will as the specific choice that He desires. Anything less than fully seeking Him in discernment, combined with making the correct choice (obeying His will), is less than His perfect will. Discernment without choosing what God chooses is disobedience. And choosing what God chooses without purposefully setting out to discern His will is His divine providential mercy and accomplishes His physical purposes, but has left us void of the glory of pursuing Him as He wills (We are apt to credit our own logical and analytical abilities in that situation, a dangerous place to be. Even the evil kings of the old testament and every evil man since has been used to fulfill God's purposes.). Furthermore, every good decision ever made by any man was either discernment coupled with obedience or God’s sovereign guiding hand. The former is God’s preferred will and the latter is His allowed will. The former is growth in relationship with God, yet the latter can lead us away from Him personally, as we become more self-reliant...even though in the good decision the physical happenings remain squarely within His sovereign will, our attitude of not seeking Him first leads to greater distance from Him. Therefore, we must both be seeking discernment and and following it with obedience to walk in God’s will.

You see, even though the approach of wanting to make our best decision seems noble, it is like a child who has been sent to the grocery store to pick up a key ingredient for the dinner that their parent is preparing. If the child initially seeks their parent’s guidance and upon hearing that there is a missing ingredient, immediately sets out to retrieve the item without hearing the specific instruction about which item is missing, the child is likely to miss the mark. Now, what an amazing instaneous response of service! What a heart to please their parent! Much like Peter, immediate action shows a good heart, but not necessarily wisdom in the action or decision. Sometimes, we don’t listen closely enough to our Father to hear the rest of the instruction, to discern His specific will. Suddenly, we find ourselves needing to make a decision, and though we may be skilled decision makers, how can that replace discerning the exact will of God?

I do not mean to split hairs here, so to speak, but I do intend to divide joints and marrow, truth and error, and I have found within me a source of error when I have considered big choices a matter of decision making instead of a matter of discernment seeking. The difference is somewhat self reliance versus complete dependence on God. If even a grain of sand’s worth of self-reliance is left in me, it must die, and the same is true for you. Not there yet? Take heart, it is a life-long journey that concludes in the perfection of Heaven for believers in Christ. But until then, let’s be on our way, let’s search out the great boulders or grains of sand of self-reliance and lack of faith in ourselves, confess to the Lord, and be refined for His purpose and glory, which is also our joy. I encourage you to take a challenge with me: the next time we find ourselves saying, either out loud or in our heads, “I need to make a decision” or “I’m not sure what to do,” instead replace those words with “I need to discern God’s will” or “I have not yet discerned God’s preference” in all sincerity. I believe that as we seek to commit our minds to discernment, we will not only find that God responds with true discernment and wisdom, but that we also have a peace in every choice, large and small, that we did not have before. May the God of all wisdom, all peace, all knowledge, all love, and all grace pour out His Spirit upon you this day with discernment for every decision and in all things. Amen.

Pray It Through: A Loving God’s Response to Our Requests

What are you asking of God today? What is He giving you? Do your requests match His responses? If so, have you noticed that He gives beyond what you asked for? And if they don’t match, have you noticed that He gives you even better things than you asked?

We live in a world of want. Whether it is the homeless man starving on the street or the CEO desiring a larger yacht, we all feel a desire for more than we have. I find this to be true of all humans at all times, independent of social status or upbringing, independent of life experience or education, independent even of character. Though some display and may even feel more want than others, I find this base desire to be present in even the holiest of mortal men. They may conquer it through the Holy Spirit, but it is still an intrinsic part of our flesh.

The root of this want is likely our separation from our holy Creator God. The homeless, starving man does not know he is starving in the pure presence of God (which will only be experienced by men in Heaven), and furthermore, he no longer is homeless or starving in the pure presence of God. Regardless of your perspective, the want is gone. The same is true for the CEO who wants even more, if he is so blessed to be brought to a place in which he turns to Jesus as his Savior. “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven…” (Matt 19:23). There is much to this truth that I will not indulge in tonight, but one aspect of the rich man’s difficulty is that he has distanced himself from his most basic neediness that gets man in touch with his only true need, God Himself.

The same is true in the Church. And in fact, God has beckoned His children to ask things of Him throughout time. One of the greatest examples is Solomon. Solomon had the opportunity to ask of God whatever he wanted and receive it. Let me stop right now, and ask the question of you: If God told you He would grant you one thing, in addition to the salvation that you have already received as a child of God, what one thing would you ask of Him?

1 Kings 3:9-13 – “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.”

Those who know Solomon’s story might jump into the question above with the idea of answering just as Solomon did. I would caution that although Solomon asked for a great thing, that is not necessarily specifically what God would prefer that you as an individual ask of Him. Treat the question seriously: What one thing will you ask of God? Seek His face, seek to be transformed into righteousness, and ask in sincerity with faith, and He will give you what your heart truly desires.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

I would like to build upon the prayer request that we just formulated by examining the interaction of God and Solomon and seeing its application to us this very day. You see, Solomon did not ask for earthly wealth and riches, but that is what he received. He did not ask for greatness, but that is what he received. And in addition, he received a greater gift, that which he asked for: God’s wisdom. In this I see the generosity of God to give “exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). And in addition, I see the power of a prayer when our hearts are truly set on God and not ourselves, delighting ourselves in the Lord, and therefore receiving the desires of our hearts: God Himself. (For more thoughts on this, see “Delight yourself in the Lord, and…”)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you.” – Matt 6:33

I challenge you: whatever physical thing you are asking from God, take the request to the next level, just as Solomon did. Solomon likely desired riches and greatness, but he took his request to the next level, asking for Godly wisdom, and God responded by giving him all of these things. God’s response shows that He knows the heart of men! He knows that Solomon and every other man and woman desires well-being, greatness, and good and pleasant things. And so He poured out His kingdom on Solomon, giving him Godly wisdom as a main course or centerpiece, and adding to it the side dishes or garnishes of earthly riches and greatness.

Do you seek physical healing? I encourage you to take your request to the next level and ask for healing of your sinful heart and unrighteousness. Do you seek relationship with others, whether it be a spouse, friends, or family? I encourage you to take your request to the next level and ask for deeper knowledge and intimate relationship with Christ Himself. Do you seek to excel in your career? In encourage you to seek and request of God the highest position in heaven, which is the lowest of positions on earth as servant (“The last shall be first and the first shall be last,” Matt 19:30). Do you seek wealth? In encourage you to request of God heavenly riches stored up through trial and suffering and perseverance in Christ. I have a rare guarantee for you: God will absolutely answer these prayers with a resounding “Yes!” and you will please your Father in Heaven so abundantly! How then will He hold back the Kingdom of Heaven from you, His sincere servant after His own heart?

A note about sincerity. The above is certainly no formula. Take this as a formulaic approach without sincerity and you will by no means receive the greatest blessings that God wishes for you to ask and receive. However, if you are sincere, these things are yours. Perhaps with that conviction, you and I should start with the same prayer and ask for a heart that would change such that these prayers would actually be sincere. I believe this will please God, as well, and begin us both down the path of His good and pleasing will.

You see, I know something as your Christian brother. When we ask for physical healing or meaningful earthly relationships, when we ask for success and wealth, we attempt to express our deepest needs to God, but we do so inadequately. How great is our God, though?! Because in our meager attempts to dig at the root of our desires, failing to see that what we really want is Him, He sees and knows what we really need and want deepest in our souls…and that is just what He gives.

Luke 11:9-13 - “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

You see, when you ask God for a good thing that pleases Him, He gives it. And I see it one step further, especially as it relates to the rest of this conviction: We know that if we ask for bread (a good thing in God’s sight), He doesn’t give us a stone (a lesser thing in God’s sight). But I submit to you that when we are so blind in our humanness apart from God, such that we ask for a stone, He knows that we really need the bread, and that is what He gives anyway! Now, perhaps we are not ready to receive it just yet and we would actually reject the delicious heavenly bread, in whatever form it appears in our lives. But God continues to work in our hearts until we can receive that bread. His work is ongoing and He never ceases to do good work in you and me. It is simple, yet essential that He has given us the power to reject Him, and in that the power to choose Him. This is the essence of love: to choose someone when you have the power to reject them. After all, this is exactly what God has done for us in His love and grace in the wake of our sin. Without this choice given to us, there is no love to be shared and we are just robots. Though many will call the concept of freewill problematic, we can see clearly that freewill presents both extremes: eternal separation from God, or eternal closeness to God in love…in both cases, the result of our choosing. To eliminate the possibility of Hell is to eliminate the possibility of Heaven as it exists and has been designed as our dwelling place—love with God, of God, from God, and all because of the ability to choose Him and be chosen.

And so I implore you: choose God through His Son Jesus, seek His face in sincerity through the Word and prayer, search the desires of your heart and elevate them to a standard of righteousness. Take your physical needs and examine their parallels with your spiritual needs, then focus on the spiritual, attacking your deficiency in prayer. I know what awaits any man or woman who is in this place: the powerful, sweeping arm of God granting His will in the life of His servants in the most pleasing of ways. I pray that God’s power is so displayed in your life this very year, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6). Amen.

Do I Pray With God On My Side?

Have I really realized that God is on my side? Honestly, strangely, too often, no.

I became aware of this during my small group discussion tonight. We started in Zechariah 6, began discussing God’s sovereignty, and ended up engaging in prayer and discussion about hard things we were praying through. Someone made the astute comment that God was angry alongside my brother in Christ, angry at the same thing. Someone else astutely commented that God is interested in character, not comfort, holiness not happiness…but also that He seeks to bless us in the here and now, “in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13 – “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13 has been a special verse to me since I discovered it during the darkest time of my life. I was literally dying of an incurable disease, dealing with a recently broken relationship, and I was in physical and emotional pain on a daily, hourly, minutely basis. The physical pain gripped me and I could not escape it…even in periods of relief, I was gripped with dread of the next minute when it would strike again. In the middle of all this, I could see the fruit of the Holy Spirit being revived in me, for I had accepted Christ at a young age but had since not chosen Him as first in my life. I could see 2 Cor 4:16 coming to life:

2 Cor 4:16 - “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

This was me. The outward man was dying and would soon be dead. And in fact, I beckoned that day. I found myself crying to God as Job did, asking for His mercy in the form of death, so that I could come to Heaven where there is "no more crying or pain" (Rev 21:4).

Even still, as God refused to honor my short sighted, yet sincere request, knowing what was even better for me and His Kingdom, I did not yet know how to go on. And so, when God revealed Psalm 27:13 to me it was encouragement beyond description because I was faced with a life of pain and could not foresee any relief, and He would not let me die. To realize that I can have the same hope as David the psalmist that I would see the goodness of the Lord and His blessing as I live on earth. It and a new, real relationship with Jesus Christ sustained me throughout my trial, and I am excited to report that He has continued to heal and restore me from that day forward. I have no more pain and the disease is well controlled (auto-immune), as he has brought healing to my body, mind, heart, and soul. Praise God!

And so throughout the conversation with my brothers tonight, I was hit with a sound conviction: I often forget that God is actually on my side, He is for me, and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) I realized that when praying hard for a loved one, whether it be salvation for a friend, restoration for a family member, or healing for myself, I often feel the burden of convincing God. I almost chuckle at my immaturity, for what man can convince God of anything? God made that man and knows his thoughts before he thinks them! And if I could “convince” God of anything—meaning that He was then inclined to act in a different manner than he would otherwise—I would be doing a terrible thing…for God is perfect without me and tells us that “My ways are higher” and “My ways are not your ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Going further, I realize that the root of much of my attitude of combating or convincing God comes from a life of rebellion. I have spent much of my life rebelling against Him, desiring the minimal legalistic belief in God, asking for things that were against His will in my own foolishness, and in a state of confusion for what is good in God’s sight…and as a reborn soul, I have forgotten that He replaces those old desires with the Holy Spirit. That although we once prayed very much against God, He has been patient, and once restored to Him, we can ask in confidence in single mindedness with our God and fellow believers.

And even with this knowledge, I find myself praying with a burden to turn God’s ear when praying for very pure things that are obviously part of His will (any prayer for salvation is in line with His will, for starters). But what resistance am I feeling? It is not God’s resistance. My epiphany is that God is absolutely for you and me in much of our prayers, once we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. If you believe in Christ for your salvation, you have the Holy Spirit, and many of your prayers and desires are the same as God’s! (As a side note, always submit to His will and do not be so arrogant as to think that any and all of your desires are His…but realize that some of your desires as a regenerated soul, and truthfully, more and more of your desires as you are sanctified by Him will be His very will.)

What a comfort that God is looking down and saying “Yes! Yes, I am angry with injustice. Yes, I am jealous for my church. Yes, I am pursuing that lost, loved soul. Yes, I will heal you for my glory. Yes, I will never let go of you and will bring you closer every day.” At this moment, I lose the disposition of praying in a position facing God, sitting opposed to Him. Instead, I pray with Him, alongside Him, looking at the same things and desiring the same righteousness for His glory. He has his arm around you and me as we pray…He needs no convincing…He is for us, so who can be against us?

I pray in agreement with God Himself through Jesus Christ that you would feel how awesome, how powerful, how deep, how wide is the love of God for you, and that you will begin to pray with confidence, assurance, and peace alongside your Savior and Father God, for the building up of His church and for the glory of His name. Amen.

Do You Believe, or Don’t You? 5 Responses to the Gospel

Belief in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, equals eternal life in Heaven. Denial of the Son of God equals eternal death in Hell. There is nothing in between. In which place do you make your eternal dwelling?

John 3:16-18 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

I have a friend who recently lost his mother. Understandably, he took it pretty hard, and I felt blessed that he spoke with me about it and was able to grieve and heal just a little bit in that way. In our conversation, his main comfort was that he knew his mom was now in Heaven, which I was pleased and comforted to hear, for his sake. One of the things he said did not strike me until later. It is something I have heard countless times when grieving a loved one, as he stated that his confidence in his mother’s entrance to Heaven was that she “was strong in her faith” or a “great woman of faith.” I of course nodded in encouragement, belief, and thankfulness.

However, while listening to a song on the radio today (“Stonger” by Mandisa) that said “if only you believe it,” you can be saved and God is faithful to complete the good work started in you (Phil 1:6), I recalled my friend’s words in a slightly different way. I realized that we place our faith in loved ones’ salvation in the word “strong” or “great” in the phrase “was strong in their faith” or “great person of faith,” when our confidence should simply come in the word “faith” alone.

There is much to be said about someone strong and great in their faith, and Jesus often distinguished between great and small faith with statements such as “ye of little faith” (Matt 8:26, 16:8, 17:20) or “you have great faith” (Matt 15:28). Yet, we see the power of even the smallest faith as Jesus pointed out in Matt 17:20, addressing the disciples’ question of why they could not drive out a demon that Jesus did:

Matt 17:19-21 – “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Furthermore, Jesus says to anyone who believes that He is the Son of God:

John 14:11-12 – “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

This is a most powerful belief! To do things even greater than the miracles Jesus performed?! Simply because we believe He is the Son of God? Yes. Jesus said so; therefore, I repeat it to you.

I see in this the simplicity and truth of the Gospel; that it begins and ends with belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died in our place for our sin, conquered death by rising from the grave, and ascended to Heaven to the right hand of the throne of God to rule, reign, and judge forever; and that if we believe and ask to be saved by His name and His blood, we are assured of eternal salvation and entry to Heaven with Him.

So let me ask you, do you believe or don’t you? If you say “no,” you might be much more honest than many who say “yes,” and there is hope for you. It is my prayer that you die saying “yes” to Jesus Christ, so that we may live together forever with Him in Heaven. To those who say “yes,” I encourage you to take a moment and examine your inner self to see if you really believe in Christ. Here is a litmus test:

Upon hearing the good news that those with the tiniest faith in Jesus are granted Heaven and that a “great faith” or “strong faith” is not required, what is your response? Most will respond in one of 5 ways:

1. Relief and rest that you are going to Heaven, even though you know your faith is small and inconsistent.

2. Questioning if that is really true and desiring to know the real answer.

3. Disappointment because you believe that you have great faith and think that those with small, inconsistent faith should not be granted the same reward as you.

4. Happy because you don’t have to worry about doing anything the Bible instructs, as long as you say you believe in Jesus. You have the smallest faith that is necessary, that’s all you desire, and what you do next is irrelevant to that faith.

5. Rejecting the entire idea as hogwash with no desire to have any faith in this “Jesus.”

First, the good news: There is hope for you, no matter which of these responses you have (or a 6^th that I have not captured). Especially for responses 1 and 2, God has you in a good place to be closest to Him.

If you have the first response, you are indeed ready to receive grace, which is the simple necessity for the child of God. There is no pride in receiving grace, only gratitude, and that is a pure heart that God loves and is pleasing in His sight. Take heart #1, you are loved and precious in the Kingdom of God!

If you have the second response, you are a person that desires truth and are pursuing God’s very heart and Spirit, which is truth. Search the scriptures and you will find this truth. Start with John, read the Gospels, and go from there. Take heart #2, you are pursued as a son by a loving God as you pursue Him and His truth.

Here’s the bad news: Responses 3-5 need immediate revision and are not consistent with the heart of God and Holy Spirit that indwells the believer.

Eph 2:8-10 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

If you have the third response, that is actually quite despicable. There is no grace in that response—it is only by the grace of a perfect God that you have even a mustard seed of faith, let alone strength in that faith. And if this is your response, I wonder how strong and close to your Savior you really are. Pay close attention to this parable of Jesus:

Matt 20:1-16 – ““For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.””

Salvation is granted to the man who asks Jesus in his final breath the same as the man who is baptized at an early age. And so we see that there is to be no comparison and salvation is not obtained by works “so that no man can boast,” but instead I humbly proclaim the graciousness of God to save a sinner such as me. Be convicted number 3, and then take heart, for God is faithful when we are not.

Perhaps response number 4 is the most dangerous of all. At least the man with response number 5 is not lukewarm. The Lord God says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:15-16)

If you are one with the fifth response, I understand, and I pray for you with great concern. Be afraid, number 5, for you are lost and facing Hell in this moment; but also take heart, for you are not beyond the reach of your all-powerful Creator God, and you can still be saved if you will repent and call on the name of Jesus. It is my prayer that you turn to Him, whatever it takes.

And so, back to number 4. This is the most dangerous of mindsets because if truly felt, it proclaims that your “belief” in Jesus Christ is only lip service and you do not truly believe. That may seem like a bold statement, but it could not be a simpler truth. Jesus states that those who believe seek to follow Him. He never makes the statement that those who believe will never sin again…He commands that we don’t (John 5:14, 8:11, 15:10)…but the distinction is that those who believe in a Savior, acknowledging and comprehending what that means, seek to serve and worship Him for the rest of their lives. That is still somewhat ambiguous, so let me make is very plain and simple: those who believe in Jesus Christ experience change in their hearts that leads to change in their actions. This is the work and empowerment of the Holy Spirit that is beyond ourselves. If you declare to believe in Christ and your behaviors as well as your motivations have not changed, and even worse, if you say that you “believe in Christ” and therefore it does not matter what you do now because those with the smallest faith reach the Kingdom of God, I say to you, Wake Up! You have been deceived! For you do not truly believe and are the farthest from Him, for He spews the lukewarm from His mouth! If at any point, you or I strive for the minimum, we strive for the absence of God in our lives…that is the exact essence of sin.

The Greek word for sin (as translated in the New Testament) is hamartano, which literally means to miss the mark or “to be without a share in.” It could often be used to describe an archer who did not hit the target’s bullseye no matter how close he may have come. We must strive for the center, the bullseye, and if we do, although we cannot live perfectly on our own and reach the Kingdom of Heaven, God assures us through Jesus Christ that declaring our intent and smallest seed of real faith and belief in Him, He will bring us to the bullseye, the place of sinless Heaven, upon the conclusion of our lives. We must have genuine intent and genuine belief that Jesus is the Way and the only Way. That is it. Number 4, I encourage you, take heart, for God replaces the heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)…cry out for Him to create a pure heart within you and He will (Psalm 51:10).

Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

And so I ask you one more time, do you believe or don’t you? Do you have “great faith” or “strong faith.” No matter…do you have any faith that is real in your Savior Jesus Christ? That is the principle question and nothing further. If you answer “yes” in truth, then I look forward to seeing you in Heaven forever. Amen.

The War Over My Soul

Wars have been fought, lost, and won hundreds of times and with thousands upon thousands of individual battles since the beginning of time. We have the advantage of post-outcome perspectives to remove ourselves in a 3^rd-party, birdseye view of these wars with the ability to identify turning points. Points at which the wars changed and were virtually won. Yet, after each of these turning points, there was still war to wage…for the job had to be finished, even if “the war was over” from the historian’s perspective.

I believe that this is an applicable analogy to the war over your soul and mine, and the war over every soul from Adam to present day. It certainly is a war, and to call it anything less is to diminish the severity of the fight, the fierceness of the struggle, and the weight of the outcome.

Gal 6:10-18 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

There is a macro and micro view of this war, or series of wars over our souls. The macro view, which is sound, is that humanity in its entirety since Creation and until the Apocalypse and end of time, is one major war, with many strategic battles throughout time, including the battle over our individual souls, yours and mine. There is much to this accurate view in my opinion, but tonight I will focus on the micro view that sees the battle over your single soul as a war of its own, and one that is lifelong.

Rom 8:35-39 – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The thought of lifelong war may be discouraging, but realize that we were made for continuous battle and are fortified by God Himself to fight, and after having withstood all, to stand. To stand in victory as more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. Truthfully, as many souls have ever lived, there are as many wars for those souls, and just as truthfully, some of those wars have been lost, some won, and if you’re alive to read this post today, then yours is still ongoing.

I would like you to focus on yourself and the war over your very own soul, as I do the same. Where is the battle currently? Do you even recognize that you are in the middle of a war? The man worst off in the middle of a ferocious battle, is the one who walks out in the middle unknowingly, for he will surely be caught in the crossfire. Don’t be that man! Look up, open your eyes, open your ears, read the Word and have fellowship with your fellow believers—you will soon discover that you are standing in a war zone for your very own soul. When you have embraced this truth, you can then choose your side, pick up your weapons and defenses, and fight the good fight—the only way to victory, for there will be no peace treaty with Satan, I can assure you.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, then I have the greatest news and encouragement for you—the turning point has already been reached, and the rest of your life will prove that the war is already won. Much like the historian who can see that WWII was effectively won after D-Day--the largest turning point in the largest war with the greatest implications--if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, D-Day has come and the day has been won for your soul. The stage is now set for the counter-attack on our Enemy until he is vanquished forever. Yet, there is still fighting to do and casualties will still be incurred.

This is the nature of war, even post-turning point war. There is still much fighting to do and a job to finish. Let me ask you, have you experienced spiritual “casualties” in your life so far? I know that I have. The enemy’s casualties have been idol worship in my heart, lust, selfishness, and non-righteous anger, just to name a few. The casualties on our side have included physical setbacks, mental anguish, and lost relationships. Yet, God even redeems these casualties. Afterall, He has raised men from the dead, the greatest of which His Son Jesus Christ, and conquered death of all sorts. He can resurrect your body, your mind, your circumstances, and your relationships. But only if they will serve Him in the battle and not the enemy. Remember, the enemy’s casualties were idol worship, lust, selfishness, anger, etc in my life, and likely similar sins in your life. There is no resurrection for those things. Sin is to die and stay dead, so any resurrection of circumstances, relationships, etc will only be possible through the power of Christ for His purpose.

And so after D-Day for our souls' salvation, the battle still rages and casualties are felt. Have you not experienced this, too? I’m sure that you have. Ask the men who fought across Europe on the march to Berlin after D-Day if the war felt easier. There were still smaller, yet important turning points ahead and to finish winning the war, they could at no point quit, and many more brave men and women gave their lives to win the war and fight that good fight. The same will be true in the spiritual war over our souls. We will still need to finish the post-turning point, post-Salvation march to victory. This is sanctification, when we continue to be purified to completion. The turning point has been reached and we have received the reinforcements and pivotal ”air support” provided by God and His Holy Spirit! The victory is ours and we are assured it! Is this cause to quit? No, it is cause to fight with all the more fervor!

So I encourage you if you feel that your battle has gotten too fierce and you cannot conquer it, continue to fight. D-day has already been won, if you are a believer. Recognize the battle…the battle with exterior circumstances will be fierce, but the hottest part of any battle is over that which is valued most, and that will be within you, for your soul. Begin to recognize the battle there. It is present with every sin and backslide, it is present with every temptation, it is present with every thought not taken captive on behalf of God and even in the taking captive of those thoughts.

2 Cor 10:3-5 – “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The first shot rings out in traffic as you look with anger at the driver who has wronged you. The first shot rings out as you look at that person of the opposite gender in public for a half-second too long with only the slightest hint of lust in your heart. The first shot rings out when you delight in someone else’s possessions and begin comparing with yourself. The first shot rings out when you are confronted with a truth about yourself by another and first consider whether to be honest or not. You’ll notice that at the first shot, you may very well not have even sinned. But if someone is beginning to shoot bullets in your direction and you are on a battlefield, if you decide to ignore those bullets, they will begin to hit you. And if you ignore them further, they will begin to rip you apart and you will take on casualties. And if you continue to refuse to take up defense and fight back, you will eventually be killed and lose the war. Recognize the first shot and respond and crush your enemy, the Evil One. He is most easily crushed at the onset of the battle, for that is when He is most vulnerable. His bullets and flaming arrows cannot strike us, except for when we have put down our shield of faith, which "extinguishes all the fiery arrows of the Devil." Keep your shield up in faith in God.

If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I wish I could provide you comfort, but I cannot. If you are not a believer, then Satan is still on the march in your life, D-day has not come, and in fact you are losing the war, and without Jesus Christ, there is nothing you can do about it. I encourage you, seek Jesus, win D-day, and set out in a life of conquest with an all-powerful Savior. The greatest conquest experienced by any man is the war over his own soul, for it requires reaching out for a Savior God, followed by an entire lifetime of continuous battle. But a battle that we win.

To fight without Jesus as Savior is to lose and realize the terrors of eternal Hell fire. To not fight is to be occupied without any resistance and realize the terrors of eternal Hell fire. But to fight with Jesus is the only victory…sweeping, certain victory. Which of these three will you choose?

Lastly, we are not isolated as lone warriors. The Holy Spirit and armor of God is sufficient to win the battle decisively if we were lone warriors, which makes it an all the more decisive victory when we stand and fight together. Prayer is our weapon, and when we come beside each other in prayer, we fall into battle formation. One of the most powerful battle formations of its time, the time when Paul wrote of the armor of God, was the phalanx, perfected by the Romans. In the phalanx, soldiers would get close together, interlocking their shields, such that no weapon or enemy could penetrate. With their shields interlocked, their strength was multiplied, and they were protected from all sides and angles (even from above!). Here is the point: when we band together in sincere fellowship and prayer, we are interlocking our shields of faith and multiplying our strength supernaturally. When a single soldier might fall in a given battle, a phalanx prevails, and likewise it is true with prayer. Find the strength of community and praying for one another in all things, and you will find the ability to fight and win battles that you could not win alone.

Repent and cry out to your Savior. Win the turning point. Fight the good fight. Join the phalanx of fellow believers in prayer. Never stop. Always conquer. Through the power and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, victory is ours. Amen and Oo-rah!

Year in Review: August

Continuing with the Year in Review, here are the top posts from August 2010:

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010

"Love your neighbor as yourself." An Inconvenient Conviction

"Think about Jesus' statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 10:31) It can only be meaningful if the love of ourselves is quite extensive. If we did not love ourselves, then the command would be to not love others, or love them only so much, only as much as we love ourselves..." (read more)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

A Psalm to My God

"I feel so alone. Yet I am not alone. Lord, You turn loneliness into inspiration for action. I feel helpless, but I am not. I am more than helped—by my Father I am carried when I cannot stand and watched with joy when I can..." (read more)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2010

The Spirit Manifested: Belief and Discernment at Once

"...God’s Holy Spirit needs no embellishment. The Holy Spirit is God and God has never needed human embellishment, only obedience and confession of the Source. For those of us who have experienced such a raw, amazing touch of the supernatural, we can easily stray when we embellish His natural moving..." (read more)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010

The Best for the Journey

"Imagine you have a son who is 18 years old. You have plans to buy him a reliable car that is also extremely pleasing to him in every way—aesthetically, performance, interior, reliable, easy to maintain, fuel efficient. Now you’re on your way to go get the car..." (read more)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2010

Acknowledging the Inner Conflict – Time with God

"...There is an elementary concept in chemistry called “activation energy.” Simply put, it is the minimum energy input required to induce a given chemical reaction. It’s almost like an investment—you put money in a good investment, then you get even more back. Many chemical reactions take an initial “boost” of energy..." (read more)

Pray It Through - Praying for a Sure Thing

When you’ve been praying for something, maybe for a long time or maybe just one day, and you get the news that your prayer is going to be answered in the near future, what is your response?

Praise and thanksgiving are very appropriate here. But what about more prayer for the thing that you already found out is a “sure thing?” And I’m not just talking about the word of a man saying it’s a sure thing, I’m talking about the Word of God Himself. Unfortunately, I have to confess that in that moment, my prayers often cease. What if instead our response was not only to continue to pray, but actually pressing the accelerator and diving into continual prayer and fasting? That doesn’t sound very logical, but it is the response of Daniel to the revelation of God’s promise for the Israelites in Daniel chapter 9.

Daniel 9:1-4a – “In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed…”

Notice first of all that the promise, the revelation, was discovered by sincere searching of the scriptures and an intimacy with God’s Word that Daniel certainly practiced (It earned him a trip to the lion’s den, as chapter 6 tells us that Daniel “got down on his knees and prayed” three times a day, even when it was forbidden.). The same will be true for us: if we are seeking a word from our God, if we are seeking direction, it will most often be found in the Bible. Daniel had one of those moments where you’re reading something that you’ve read before, but then suddenly it jumps off the page and you understand it like you never have before. Daniel suddenly understood the promise given in Jeremiah 29:10:

“This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.” (see also Jer 25:11-12)

Daniel was able to see that not only would the captivity last only 70 years, but the 70thyear was approaching! Suddenly excitement as freedom was near! When you see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is so close that you are only steps away (things like financial security, full health, marriage, children, freedom from addiction, or anything you’ve been longing for and can see is almost yours after waiting for so long), do you get fixated on being in that place you’ve been longing for or do you respond like Daniel and pray even harder for the promise, the “sure thing?” I want to challenge you and myself to respond as Daniel with renewed fervor, not lacking thanksgiving, to seek Him fully and pray it right through to completion.

But let’s make sure we understand the nature of Daniel’s prayer. If you haven’t read Daniel 9 recently, I encourage you to stop reading this and read it now (if you have only enough time to read either my blog or the Bible today, please read your Bible! It is the only pure truth that lasts and anything you read outside of the Bible should point you right back into it.).

Daniel’s prayer was of sincere, sweeping repentance. In addition to prayer and petition, he fasted. In addition to fasting, he put on sackcloth and ashes, a sign of grief and repentance. Grief and repentance in the face of a fulfilled promise? Yes, this is the response of a human heart pure before the Lord, recognizing our sinful nature, His perfection, and confessing in His presence in response and awe of a gracious, loving, powerful, sovereign God of justice who would relent for “[His] people who are called by [His] name” (v. 19).

Every single verse from 4 through 16 speaks of confession of sin and repentance. So we see revelation followed by a full repentance, as Daniel confesses personally and on behalf of the entire nation, for “all Israel has transgressed your law” (v. 11). Finally, Daniel makes an appeal to God for who he knows God to be in verses 17-19. This is an appeal to grace, mercy, and for the sake of God’s own name to be glorified, because the Israelites bear God’s name before all men and nations. Revelation and conviction, followed by thorough repentance (13 of the 19 verses here), followed by an appeal to God’s character--His face, not just His hands.

2 Chron 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

You see, Daniel was a man seeking much more than personal gain or the hands of God to bless him and his nation. Daniel had an intimate, dedicated relationship with God through His Word. We have the same Word of God in the Bible, and additionally, we know that through Jesus Christ, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Through the Word of God, most purely Jesus Christ in our lives, we too can have this intimate relationship with a pure, just God who is also loving and merciful such that He saves those who call out to Him through the name of His Son Jesus Christ.

2 Chron 7:14 speaks to repentance and seeking God’s face, and the promise that follows: restoration, both spiritual eternity and the physical present. It is interesting how much Daniel’s prayer models this promise, in that He spoke up on behalf of an entire nation “who are called by [God’s] name,” he offered repentance for the entire nation and sought God’s face on behalf of an entire nation, all of which are prerequisites to the promise of forgiveness of sin and actual healing of the land.

What I see in this prayer is a leader stepping up in intercession for His people. Boldly, powerfully, humbly, and purely. This is a leader well acquainted with God and His Word. A leader who answered to God alone and not men. A leader blessed by God to rise to this position for a time such as the one described in chapter 9. These are real leaders and the kind that we need to be seeking in America and across the world. What good is a leader who can provide one generation of wealth and prosperity? We would fall all over ourselves for a leader that could deliver on 4 years of prosperity, yet we struggle to find even that. Yet what future do we preserve for our families and our nation if even a full generation of prosperity can be promised and delivered, but no more? We need to stop being so short-sighted and see the eternal picture, or at least 2 or 3 generations past ourselves for starters. We need a leader who will seek God’s face. A leader who knows His Word. A leader that answers to God alone and not men. A leader who will be an intercessor to God for his people, through Jesus Christ the Supreme Intercessor.

Can you imagine what great works God would come and do in America if a Daniel became President of the United States? How about a Daniel that became the leader in your school, your church, your office, or your family? What might be started on this small level and propagated by the hand of God? I don’t believe we grasp the power and value God places on a sincere intercessor who seeks the heart of God and His face.

Isaiah 59:15-16 – “So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.”

“He wondered that there was no intercessor.” In the book of Isaiah, this speaks to the absence of men to intercede on the behalf of the defenseless, such that evil abounded; to intercede to God the Father on behalf of a sinful nation; and the inability for a man to properly intercede for the sins of any man, such that God Himself would have to become a man, live a perfect life, make the sacrifice of death that results from sin, conquer death on our behalf, then take His place at the right hand of the throne of God with a the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the only adequate intercessor on our behalf.

Do to this lack of an intercessor in the time of Isaiah, the Israelites would soon enter into the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. And with Daniel as an intercessor at this time, according to the promise given through Jeremiah, at 70 years, they would be delivered.Notice also that right at the very onset of Daniel’s prayer, God gave a command:

Daniel 9:21,23a - “…yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering… 23 “At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved…””

An empowering truth and realization is that at the onset of our first words of prayer, God has already seen our heart and begins to act swiftly in our favor when we bear such an attitude as Daniel.

In view of all this, as we stand in the climate of our times, will you join me as an intercessor for our people? Will you search the scriptures with me for truth and receive God’s promises and revelations? Will you give yourself to sincere prayer and repentance, thoroughly and personally, as well as for our entire nation? Will you set out with me to seek God’s face, desiring an intimate knowledge of His very character? If so, we will be the leaders through which God will accomplish His every promise to be fulfilled in our lifetimes. And when we see the eminent fulfillment of God’s every promise, every personal small or large thing, or on a national or global scale, let's respond as Daniel responded, diving deeper into prayer.

God’s promises are a sure thing. Let’s pray them through to completion. I pray that we discern and seek leaders like Daniel and that we ourselves would be those leaders right where we are today. Amen.

(To see all posts for "Pray It Through," click here.)