A new way of problem solving

 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

We find ourselves in the midst of a great cosmic battle. Trouble finds us. Jesus promised us that it would - "In this life you will have great tribulation". Men tend to problem solve this way: See problem, analyze the problem, solve the problem. Then go onto the next situation, whatever it is. Women might be a bit more collective in their approach. They might ask for help from their sisters. Yet we are all glued to this paradigm, that the suffering of our present situation is something to be solved. Well duh, isn't that obvious? There is nothing quite so motivating for change than our discomfort. So we charge ahead. 

Of course, we are not ABLE to solve everything. Human wisdom and reasoning can only go so far. At last resort, believers in Jesus will of course finally offer up a prayer. I mean, why not? Nothing else is working, right? What harm could a little prayer do? Maybe God will hear us, maybe He won't. No harm in trying. But God is showing me another way. 

I suppose there is no better known Psalm than the 23'd. Imagine the LORD being our shepherd! The peace, the ideal place with such comfort. Any old sheep would just say, "Not baaaaaad". Well, not so much, saints. Yes, He is our Shepherd, and yes, we will always have all that we need. But we will also enter "The Valley of the Shadow of Death". Hmm, sounds like a place for a motorcycle rumble! Having found ourselves in such a place, we experience abandonment, and our faith is challenged. This is our cross, what we must take up ere we become one of His disciples. 

Alight then, back to the Psalm. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me. Well, it is far more than that. Our troubles are in front of us. We see them well enough. What we don't see, though, is that God's love is chasing us down. Far from aloof, God is actively campaigning on our behalf. If we just wait, His love will catch up to us. But what does this look like? 

This is the test of our faith. When pressed in on all sides, when we can't go forward, cannot go back, cannot go over and can't stay where we are, what do we do? We stop. We go back to the most objective fact in all the universe: The Love of God. While we were still his ENEMIES, Christ died for us. And since God did not spare even His own Son, will He not also freely give us all things? Perspective: "Let this blessed assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shared His own blood for my soul". We do not need to question this love. No matter our current situation, God does love us. And with eyes of faith we lift up our praises to Him. 

In Psalm 100, the psalmist directs us to "Enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, and his courts with praise." We praise the God who loves us. We praise Him for who He is, and for what He has done. And in this, does not His presence surround us? Whatever our situation may be, is He not transcendent of it? His love has been chasing us down, saints. Let us enter His rest, firm in our knowledge of this. Amen. 

Transformed mind

Be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness

Ephesians 4:23

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

Romans 12:2

How many truly happy people do you know? If you know even one such person, I would say that is uncommon. I have never met even one person who would not wish that something was different in their lives. Even someone who has learned to overcome sorrow still will have something in their lives that is unpleasant. Suffering is universal. Life will NOT be what we think it should be. Sorrow and heartache are the result of living in a world that is under the deceptive power of the evil one. But yes, friends there ARE truly happy people in this world, who have learned the secret of happiness. They rejoice when going through a trial. They are glad when things don't work out. They are misunderstood at best. Persecuted at worst. Because they point out to the world that this life is not all there is, the world hates them. But even though life comes crashing down around them, they rejoice. 

Our natural life, apart from Christ, is centered in our own selves. What works for us? Where can we go to find fulfillment? And the answers are always external. Social status. Comfortable life. Family. What to wear, what to eat? But Jesus says there is more to life than that. To those who believe in Him, a great fountain of contentment is the promise. But there is a difference. Where the world looks outside for verification, Jesus invites us to an inner fulfillment based not on anything outside ourselves, but on this objective fact: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. All of our life flows out of this, so we can confidently say, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness". 

I mentioned that there is no person on earth who does not wish for something different. This is everyone, saints included. The cross is ever before us, and we are in the process of putting the world behind us. I do not desire the cross that is before me. I am perplexed. Where is God, anyway? Even now, honestly, He seems a zillion miles away. Somewhere out there. Uncaring about the strongholds I am facing, apparently alone. I will not give up, though. The most objective fact in all the universe is His love for me. Here I will stand. Here I will die. Only the assurance of His presence will I carry to the grave. 

My pastor is fond of saying that for the saints, our current cross is as bad as it will ever be. For those in the world, their life is as good as it will ever be. Everyone suffers. Only saints persevere, for our eyes are not on earth, but on our Eternal Destination, that Heavenly City of God, where our true possessions lay. Suffering is the universal experience of every person on earth, but for the saints there is a redeeming purpose. 

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This is the reason we don't give up. This is the meaning of our lives. All of the world is being crucified unto us, and we unto it. We are meant to live for eternity, and eternity calls us beyond whatever trial might come our way. When pressed in every direction, "Let this blessed assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and HAS SHED HIS OWN BLOOD FOR MY SOUL". Amen and praise His Name. 

O Lord Jesus, we pause at this time, in the midst of the storm, to look upon Thee. We are not considering the trial that surrounds us, but are looking to Thee, the "author and perfecter of our faith". We love you, Lord. We know that you have loved us. This is enough, both for now and forever. Amen. 

Bring him to Jesus

 O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. Mark 9:19

Jesus has taken Peter, James and John up to the Mountain of Transfiguration. The other nine, presumably, are left behind at base camp. There, a father of a demon possessed lad had brought him to the disciples asking them to cast out the devil from his son. But they could not do so. Now that Jesus is back, the boy is brought to Him, and the demon is sent packing. 

Well, no surprise. But I was listening to Dan Mohler teaching this morning on this particular verse. I really appreciated his take on this. First of all, to whom is Jesus speaking? Well, not to the boy. Not to his father, and not to the obstinate demon. No, Jesus is speaking to the nine disciples left at camp. They had all been sent out two by two with specific marching orders: Tell them they need to repent. Heal the sick. And yes, CAST OUT DEMONS. In amazement, they came back and reported to Jesus that "even the devils are subject to us through Thy Name". So what has changed? 

The disciples, having seen that demon sent back to Hell, asked Jesus that very question. Cryptically, Jesus replies

This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (9:25). 

This kind? This kind of what? Was this some sort of super demon that could not be cast out unless they prayed and fasted? Most assuredly not, saints. No such demon exists. Every single one of them is subject to the authority of the Name of Jesus. When that authority tells them to go, they MUST go. So then, what is Jesus referring to? Dan suggests, and I agree with him, that Jesus was referring to "this faithless generation", that is a generation of disciples who had lost their faith. There was nothing wrong with the power of the Name of Jesus. The authority was very much there, but the transmission lines were down. Unbelief had crept in. Not good. But when Jesus interviews the father of the boy, here is something intriguing:

but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. -- Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (9:22-24)

I suppose we could throw some sympathy the father's way here. He had heard the reports about the 70 sending those devils away. A reasonable expectation would be the same result this time. But instead, crickets. The demon would not budge because he did not have to. The poor boy is not a whit better. The father is understandably aghast. The nine disciples must have felt silly. But Jesus has already given away the store here. "If thou canst believe, ALL things are possible to him who believes". How many things, saints is all things? Not SOME things, not MOST things, but 100%! The power is ALWAYS available, we just have to make sure the method of transmission is pure. 

Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22-23). 

Well there you go brothers and sisters. "This kind" refers to "this kind of unbelief". The condition for breaking this stronghold? Prayer and Fasting (ever wonder just WHY the devil seems to throw everything but the kitchen sink at us when we fast?). Maybe he knows very well what happens when the saints believe? You think so? Sigh. This is so sad. Have we given up within an inch of the goal line? 

I am not beating anyone up here. I want to encourage every saint that is reading this, most of all myself, who am even now dealing with an obstinate spirit that has afflicted my family for years. Wistfully, I have hoped that "someday" God will give it it's eviction notice so I could move on. Silence. Says Jesus, "well actually . . . I have long ago given YOU the authority to toss him on his ear". Oops. But again, this is not a chiding polemic about the evil of unbelief. The father of the boy recognizes his need. He had a general belief that his miracle was possible, but not a specific faith that it was already accomplished. The father of the boy acknowledged his problem, and ASKED JESUS FOR HELP to overcome unbelief. 

"Bring the boy to me". Saints, this is surely the next step. Having asked Jesus to help us overcome doubt, we bring that longstanding stronghold to Him. He has shown us the path to believing begins with prayer and fasting. I do not know why. I am certainly no expert in either. But let us encourage each other along the way here. Does anyone have a testimony of overcoming unbelief, and seeing people healed, or strongholds demolished, or long time sinners converted? Your stories will surely help. 

"Lord, we come to you for help. We confess that we have waited in futility for an answer to prayer when your command has always been 'come THY kingdom, be done THY will, on earth as it is in Heaven'. The father in this story asked you for help in overcoming unbelief, and we would do the same. Jesus asked him to bring his situation to Him, and we would do the same. May we continue, Lord Jesus, to abide in you, and may your words continue to abide in us, so that asking what we would, our strongholds will be smashed, and your Kingdom would go forth to the next battle. Amen."

Has God REALLY said?

 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Genesis 3:1

This is the first lie. Eve sees that the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and evil good for food and pleasant to look at (v6). Self realization dawns on her - here is something good, and God has kept it from her. Satan is right, God is keeping her from knowing what is good and evil. She could do this. She could know what is right, and do it.  She can steer the ship. Upward and onward. Sensual. Tempting. Immediate gratification. 

But once Pandora's box is opened, all the evil's of the world came flying out. I don't believe there was bad intention on Eve's part here, but deception. The wisdom of the world LOOKS good, but underneath it all is the question that caused her to look in the first place: Has God REALLY said? The devil, of course is a thief, a murderer and a destroyer. Underneath all his work is a lie. "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar, and the father of lies" John 8:44. He questions God's character, he questions His very Word. Saints, nothing has changed. Satan still presents us with natural perceptions that would suggest God has missed the boat, that He is ripping us off, withholding something from us. What are some of these lies?

He challenges male leadership. Is is right that man, as he was first created, should be the one to carry the mantle of leadership? That the woman must always take a "subservient" role just because she is a woman? It's just not fair, is it? Surely God did NOT say this. God has made no difference between man and woman in Christ. And women have indeed been used to lead, even in the Bible itself. God must be just, as we understand just, so the concept that He makes distinction in the roles of men and women in both the home and the church makes no sense to the natural person. 

He challenges Devine Election. Poor Ishmael. He was actually the first born, wasn't he? What did he ever do to deserve to be relegated off the pages of the Bible as a mistake? Same with Esau. While sharing the womb with his brother Jacob, Jacob snatches away his birthright. So both he and Ishmael grow up under a shadow of resentment. A just God doesn't play favorites, does He? 

He challenges sexual orientation. For as long as he can remember, the gay person has known no other reality than same sex attraction. As far as he knows, he was created that way. Therefore, somehow we must set aside the Bible's clear warning about deviant sexual behavior. God must NOT have said that, because that would mean God is not just. 

All three of these are lies. In believing them, all three have been the root of so much evil in the world. But let's not be smug, saints. I can safely guarantee the devil has used some form of this lie, "Has God really said?" to challenge every one of us. The sins of this world have made it a place full of evil and injustice. Perhaps you grew up in a home where there was no father, or he was emotionally absent? And your concept of God is warped by this false image.  Or maybe a beloved grandmother died before her time? You prayer made no difference. God killed her. Fill in the blank. No one had perfect parents. No one came through to adulthood unscarred by other people's sins. Somehow God is responsible. If He is so powerful, why is there such suffering and sorrow in the world? The indictment seems so sure. God either is not all powerful, and cannot do anything to help us, or He just does not care. Thus the challenge. How then will we answer?

If anyone in history could have truly accused God of wrong doing, Job comes to mind. Externally he was as perfect as a human being could be. But he fell into ruin anyway. No matter, Job tells his wife. God gives, God takes away. Blessed be the Name of the LORD. His friends come to comfort him, which they did for a while, but then Job opens his mouth and essentially accuses God of ripping him off. He'd have been better off never having been born. His friends suggest (the nerve of them) that somewhere, some place, Job had slipped. And all his suffering was his own fault. So even saint Job, when confronted with the loss of his reputation, began to ask, "Has God really said?" Of course, God answers from the whirlwind, and Job rightly realizes that ours is not to question the Creator, but to instead trust Him. 

We will ALL face the whirlwind. When we do, where will we turn? If we try to reason our way out of the storm using our natural senses, the enemy will tear us to shreds. His accusation is irrefutable. His trap is sure. Certainly God is unjust. He messed up. Ad nauseam. The alternative? Answer him the same way our Lord did: "It has been written". End of story. We can know for sure our God is NOT unjust. We know He is in fact good, that He loves us. While we were yet sinners . . . He came. For us. In love. His Word is sure. We must trust that though "all around our souls give way, He then is all our help and stay". In this world we WILL have tribulation, but Jesus has overcome the world. When, in the face of every evidence that God does not care, we reject that lie and praise Him anyway, the stronghold of his lies comes tumbling down. And we will be even closer to our true home, that celestial city where there will in fact be no more suffering or sorrow, and every tear will be wiped away. Even so, Lord Jesus, come. 

Temperance

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God. Psalm 50:24

Just what is "conversation", and how would we order it aright? This was a use of the word from some of the older versions of the English Bible. This does not strictly mean the words a person uses, although it includes this. No, it is much broader. This "conversation" is the entirety of how you live your life. It is not what you think you are, or what you would hope you are, but what you actually are known for. Off with the mask. Outwardly you might give lip service to God, but here is what God says: 

"And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them" Isaiah 29:13. 

The prayers might be pious, but the reality is that this is just a show. Jesus was not impressed with the religious crowd of His day. They made great outward shows of their piety. They may well have done what the law requires, at least to the letter. But they have not changed. Unlike Christian in Pilgrim's progress, they have not been to the Cross. They have never gazed upon their helpless estate before God. They are willing to go to Church on Sundays, but are not willing to acknowledge Him the rest of the week. Self is still on the throne, albeit wearing religious clothes. 

Well, this sort of conversation is not what God has in mind. He desires intimacy with man, and the heart, not formal worship, is foremost in importance. What might this look like? What doesn't it look like? How can we know if we love the LORD with "all our heart, mind and soul" or if we are just going through the motions?

Saints, we know. Where do our eyes cast their sight upon? Where do our feet take us each day? Unlike Christian and Faithful, Are we easily distracted by Vanity Fair? What we truly believe is revealed by what we do, not what we say. Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ". Ouch. Our conversation is the sum of the things we do, and the world will spot a phony like Gandhi did. A man's actions are the first test. Does he have compassion on the poor? Does he treat his wife with honor? Does he have time for his kids? 

Jesus tells the religious crowd, "These things you ought to have done", but they are not enough. You can do all the things the law would require, but still not be in the Kingdom of God. The piety the LORD requires is one of Love. The basic actions are a floor, not a ceiling. the mark of a true disciple will be the man who follows the Lamb wherever He goes, from devotion, to the end of his journey here on earth. Anything less than that falls far short. Let us then press on to a conversation the LORD honors. 

"We know that we are children of God, but the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." I John 5:21-22

 The Kingdom of God, Jesus told Pilate, is not of this world. Our life in the LORD is one of near constant struggle because we have an enemy, and he is assaulting our minds with lies. Though indeed Christ won the battle on the cross, and sealed it with resurrection, the world is yet under the influence of the devil. He knows that he has been evicted, but as long as men don't know this, and claim God's promises, Satan's marching orders are delayed. 

We are watching the fall of Western culture these days. Traditional values are openly mocked on college campuses. Main stream media outlets follow their lead. To our amazement, some want to redefine gender to suit their preferences. Nothing is absolutely true, except of course, that there is no absolute truth! We in the Church are watching all this, but from whence does it come, and is there hope?

Hebrews 2:8 tells us that though indeed everything has legally been put under Christ's feet, this is not yet visible to everyone. Satan no longer owns this world but he has not yet been cast down to Earth (Revelation 12:10). Thus, effectively, from the second Heaven, he controls what is going on in the world. He is however an usurper. He has no legal ground to stand on. The gates of Hell are vulnerable to the church's army. Sadly, few in the church know this, though. We believe his lies, and the accusations he makes against us stick. He is a thief, a liar and a murderer. 

But is there hope? There is always hope. Without hope, we would not be able to live even a minute. "Let there be hope on earth, and let it begin with me" to paraphrase the old song. Though the prince of this world is not yet cast down, we don't need to listen to him. Instead, we can "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are given five defensive weapons, and one offensive weapon to fight that deceiving spirit. The helmet of salvation covers our minds, so we can cling to what is true, and spit out the rest. The shield of faith stands in front of us to quench the fiery lies he spits at us. The breastplate of righteousness covers our new heart, and grants us the confidence we need to petition Father. The shoes of the gospel of peace put a barrier between us and the world. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God that assures us that we can stand against the lies of the evil one. Finally, the belt of truth pulls it altogether.

Watermelon test

 “O Taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

(Psalms 34:8, NASB20)

One of the joys of Summer is buying your first watermelon. Usually these arrive at Costco sometime in May, but often are not as sweet as those grown later in the year. So, if you buy one in May, you just don't know what to expect. Some say if the yellow spot, where the melon rested on its side, is large and well defined, you've got a good one. But here's the thing: Unless you slice it open and taste it, there's just no way to know. You pays your money, and you takes your chances!

the Bible speaks much about the Name of the LORD. In the ancient near East, a name was much more than a moniker by which a person was called. Your name in that culture is the essence of your character. Poor Nabal. His name means "vile person" and that surely is what he was. David had treated him well, but when he needed help, Nabal refused. So his name really was spot on. But not so the LORD. "The Name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous run into it, and are saved" (Proverbs 18:10). Strong in character. Reliable. Immoveable. Those who trust in His Name will never be put to shame, Isaiah 49:23. 

So the LORD challenges us. Try Him. Test Him. Taste Him. He is all that He claims to be. Well, that doesn't seem so hard, does it? When there is no turmoil blowing in, sure enough. But that is not life here on earth. We all know this. Most often we find ourselves going from the frying pan into the frier, from one trial to another. SOS. The LORD calls to us, "Come to me all ye that are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). The promise is sure. He will never leave us or forsake us. But like Peter, with wind and waves swirling, we must get out of the boat and COME! 

Faith without works is dead, writes the apostle James. It's just not true faith. If we believe, we will take steps that demonstrate we believe, or our faith is a mere theory, unreliable and moved by the slightest challenge. So just what might a life that truly believes look like? How can we tell? We might say we believe, but until we are tested, we just don't know. Maybe the melon is sweet, maybe not. Taking rest in Him is the surest thing we can do, but such trust cannot be passive. We don't yet live in the sweet bye and bye, but as believers in the LORD, that is our true position. 

Perhaps a man has heard a word from the LORD asking him to make a major move. He might say, "Yes LORD I will go", but like the first son in Jesus' parable, he never does go, and proves that he does not really believe. Our faith does not live in a vacuum. We also have an enemy who wants us to fall back, and be destroyed. Like Peter, he would sift us like wheat. When cne does a word study on Faith, I have found that over 80 percent of the time, it's in the context of being challenged. So how then to obtain true faith, one that will not falter when "sorrows like sea bellows roll"? This faith comes from hearing, from a heart that is actually listening to His Word. We ask not for bread alone, but for revelation. In beholding Him, we become like Him, 2 Corinthians 3:18. This is not passive. This is not theory. St John tells us that we already are God's kids, I John 3:2. But when we see Him, we shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. We dare not go to war without a weapon. The Word of the LORD will form us into mighty warriors, but this character is gained in the prayer closet, in that garden, early in the morning when "the dew is still on the roses". This is how the LORD transforms us from fickle to faithful. There is no other way, saints. Let us then go on to know the LORD. His going forth "Is as certain as the dawn". Only then will we be ready for the trial that is ahead.