Flourishing Like a Palm Tree

This morning at Oak Creek Assembly of God (Oak Creek, Wisconsin) during a class on "Living in the Spirit" led by Pastor Mark and Heather McKinstry, they were noting that we need to serve (minister) out of 1) passion and 2) power.  As Heather began to talk about ministering out of passion, she talked about that being two-fold:  We need to have a love for God and a love for people. 

In her discussion she posed the following question to the class:  "What does guarding your heart in ministry look like?  Do you need to do that?  If so, how?"

My mind immediately went to Psalm 92:12.  Quoting here from the NIV: 

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon."

This is a passage that has been especially meaningful to me for decades.  I remember teaching on it in a lunch-time Bible study back in the late 1980s. What I want to focus on here is just the first part:  "flourish like a palm tree."

Palm Trees

I'm a native Floridian.  Because of that, I'm pretty familiar with palm trees.  The name of my elementary school was "Sabal Palm" and, needless to say, it was landscaped with them.  While the big ones that you probably picture are native further "down the state" (south), we do have some of the smaller ones that grow natively in the "black jack woods" in northern and central Florida. 

But, to the point, what does it mean to "flourish like a palm tree" and how does that tie to the question posed during today's lesson?

When a storm is "moving in" (heading onshore from the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico), the trees begin to respond to the winds and changing conditions.  The palm trees begin to sway in the wind.  However, unlike "hardwood" trees, the palm is limber and flexible.  While many of the other trees may have limbs snapped off or even the whole tree snapped in two, the palm trees just let those winds of adversity blow on through.  I'm sure you have seen them on the news during hurricanes swaying back and forth.  However, though it may lose some of it's fronds (leaves), when the storm passes, the palm tree "shakes it off" and is still standing while many of the trees around them may not be. 

You may occasionally see a palm tree that has been uprooted, due to lack of a sufficient root system.  The need for a proper root system, one deeply grounded, is an issue to be addressed. 

Yet the bark of the palm, that is flexible enough to allow for what I just described, is very tough.  It is almost impenetrable.  Why is that important? 

The palm tree has a "heart."  In recent years, you may have seen "heart of palm" salad on a menu in an upscale restaurant.  If so, it was likely expensive.  It is made with what we refer to as the "meat" from the heart of a palm tree, which is deemed quite delicious.  It is harvested by cutting through that very tough bark (no easy task; in years past, I've helped do it) to get to the core of the tree to cut out that soft, edible center.  [Are you starting to get the picture?] 

Like a human or animal, the palm tree cannot live without it's heart.  Once the heart is cut out, the palm tree will die. 

Let me now return to the question posed:  "What does guarding your heart in ministry look like?  Do you need to do that?  If so, how?"

To "flourish like a palm tree," we must:

1. be flexible
2. firmly rooted
3. have a tough hide
4. have a tender heart

First, we must learn to allow the storm to blow around us without breaking us.  Sometimes standing "righteously rigid" can be a hazard.  Not the "righteous" part; just the "rigid" part.  We can allow a religious spirit to drive us and not be able to lean into the wind and allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to "hold us together" in the midst of the storm. 

Second, we need to make sure we are properly rooted, making sure we are "rooted and grounded in love."  (Ephsians 3:17)  If we do not have a sufficient depth to our root system, when the storm blows, it will pull the roots out of the soil and leave us lying flat! 

Third, we need to have "tough hide" - or put another way, "thick skin."  We need to not be easily offended by what people do or say.  In Matthew 18:21, Peter asks Jesus a question:  “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”  I'm sure Peter thought he was being very generous with his forgiveness.  But Jesus didn't seem to think so.  In verse 22, "Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'"  Then Jesus goes on to expound on how we need to forgive others, if we want the Father to forgive us. 

Fourth, we need to develop an impenetrable hide that does not allow the fiery darts of the enemy to penetrate and get to our heart.  How do we do that?  By forgiving quickly - before a seed of offense can take root and begin to grow.  That is how we keep a tender heart.

I hope from now on anytime you see a palm tree or hear it referenced, you will remember the lessons we can learn from the wonderful piece of nature: 

1. Be flexible in adversity and lean into the Holy Spirit.
2. Grow your roots deep in the Lord and be grounded in His love.
3. Have "thick skin" so you are not easily offended.
4. Forgive quickly so your heart may remain tender and to be desired.

When God says “No," why do we keep asking?

 
Some time ago as I observed the consequences of a situation it reminded of the dangers of asking God if something is okay for you to do after you know He has already told you, “No.” I drafted this post then, but never completed and published it. I ran across the draft this past weekend and realized the message was a good one for me to revisit at this particular point in my life. (It’s interesting how we usually have to live our sermons!) So, here it is.  J

We should realize that when God says “No,” He means “No.” He’s a loving Father. He doesn’t say no to something that will be good for us; He only says no to things that will turn out to not be good – no matter what they may look like to us!

What I do not understand is why, after being told “No,” we continue to ask. If it is a timing issue, then He would not say “No.” He would say, “not now” or “not yet.” Again, when He says “No,” He really means “No.”

Let me put this in human terms. If we ask our natural father if we can do something and he can see the consequences of the decision will not be good, a loving father will say “No.” But, if he knows it is something that good for us or is okay (of no long-term consequence either way) but we’re not ready for it, he won’t say, “No.” He’ll say, “Not now.” He may give more direction, like “when you’re ready for it” or “when you’re 16” or, depending on his circumstances, “when I can arrange it." In essence, he's saying, “when the timing is right.” Then, we have a timeframe or the permission to ask again to see if it is now time.

However, it’s not uncommon for us to go back to our earthly fathers who have told us “No” and begin to beg or try to maneuver (dare I say “manipulate”) them into changing their mind. Likewise, many of us go back to our Heavenly Father after He has told us “No” and do the same thing.

God knows the ultimate outcome and consequences of our decisions. The immediate decision may seem harmless to us, or even beneficial, or at least bringing pleasure in some way. But God knows the end of the matter. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that the Lord declares:

For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

When we insist on a path different from His plan, not only are we not assured of the prosperity we would find in His plan for us, we can also move ourselves outside of the realm of protection, sometimes straight into harm’s path – whether that harm be physical, financial, relational, or spiritual.

Many times over the years I have had someone explain to me that God was telling them that something they wanted to do was okay to pursue, even though they had previously told me that He had clearly told them not to do so. Does God change His mind? Sometimes it may appear that way. But let’s take a look at an example in Scripture where it appears that He did.

The story of Balaam begins in Numbers 22. Balak calls upon him to come and curse the children of Israel. We don’t know anything about Balaam before this, but it is apparent he has a strong relationship with God because in verse 9, “God came to Balaam.” Since there is no indication that this was surprising in any way to Balaam, it seems safe to assume that it was not an uncommon experience.

God asks Balaam a question. We know that God already knew the answer (as He did when He asked Adam and Eve who told them they were naked or asked Cain where his brother was). I learned long ago that when God asks a question, He isn’t looking for information; He’s looking to reveal something to us about ourselves. In this case, it was about Balaam’s relationship with the men who were present.

In verse 12 God specifically and clearly tells Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” At first, Balaam responds in obedience. (Verse 13 says that “Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, ‘Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.’”)

But Balak is persistent and sends more men, “more numerous and more distinguished than the former” and ups the ante by offering “honor” and whatever else Balaam wants. The enemy knows our weaknesses; he knows what will tempt each of us. For some is it money. For some it is honor or prestige. For some it is relationship with someone in particular. Satan knows how to have someone – often it’s someone we consider Godly – dangle just the right carrot in front of us to get us to go where he wants us to go instead of staying put where God has us (or going the direction God wants us to go).

To me, Balaam’s first step down the wrong path was when he said:

Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me. (Num 22:19)

When God has already come to you and said not only “Do not go with them” but also “you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed,” (Num 22:12) and you are being asked to do is to go with them and curse the people God has told you not to curse, why are you asking for more information?

At that point, Balaam was not in need of any more information. Should he go? No. Should he curse those people? No. Period. End of discussion.

When we, like Balaam, go back to re-ask the same question that God has already answered, we are revealing our heart. Our heart is set to do differently from what God has directed us.

We are wanting God to change His mind. We are wanting Him to change His “No” to “Yes.” We need to learn a lesson from Balaam that He will sometimes do that – but it is not to our advantage when He does! (Remember, God’s reason for saying “No” is because He knows the eventual outcome. That is not going to change just because we keep asking!)

Verse 20 makes it appear that God has changed His mind. God comes to Balaam again, and gives him permission to go, though He gives Balaam restrictions on what he can say.

God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”

While God may have given Balaam permission to go, He was not pleased that he did. In fact, God was angry with Balaam about his decision to go.

But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. (Num 22:22)

HINT 1: When “the angel of the Lord” – generally believed to be the pre-incarnate Christ, also known as the Lord of Hosts – stands in our way as an adversary, perhaps we should reconsider where we are heading!

But not Balaam. Even after going through the whole issue of his donkey saving his life from the angel of the Lord three times and the donkey talking to him, even asking Balaam questions which Balaam answered, Balaam doesn’t “get” the message!

HINT 2: When your donkey starts talking to you, it’s time to pay attention to what it has to say!

Finally, Balaam, the prophet, sees what the donkey has been seeing – “the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand.” He says to Balaam:

“Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me.” (Num 22:31-32)

So the angel of the Lord (Christ) has just said (1) He has come out as Balaam’s adversary and (2) Balaam’s way is contrary to Him. Wouldn’t you think at this point it’s time to let that donkey turn around and take you home? Not Balaam. And, unfortunately, all too often, not us either.

No, we don’t usually see the Lord standing in our way with a sword drawn or have a donkey carry on a conversation with us. But God often tries to speak to us just as clearly. He’ll send people with counsel. But we decide they just don’t love us and don’t want us “to have anything good,” or that they are jealous of our opportunity. He’ll send a message across our path through a sermon, a teaching, a word of wisdom, or a prophetic word, but we decide it doesn’t apply to our situation or we twist its (rather obvious) meaning to suit what we want to hear. Or we flock to those who will tell us what we want to hear.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Tim 4:3-4)

Balaam persists in his desire to go to Balak. He repents for not realizing the Lord was standing against Him, and “offers” to turn back.

Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” (Num 22:34)

As I said before, wouldn’t you think by this point Balaam would be heading for home? The angel of the Lord has already told Him “your way was contrary to me.” If the Lord stands there telling us that our way is contrary to Him, why would we respond "if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back"? Shouldn’t we just repent and turn back - quickly? Not Balaam. All too often, not us either.

I believe God gives Balaam permission to go because He knows what is in Balaam’s heart. If his heart had not been so set on going, he (1) never would have started the journey and (2) would be quickly turning back without asking, again, what he should do. God said “Do not go with them” and now the angel of the Lord is saying “your way was contrary to me.” Balaam didn’t need to ask God again what His opinion was about the journey. God had already made it abundantly clear. But Balaam still had his heart set on going – so that he might receive honor from Balak. What are we willing to sacrifice, how far will we push, to get the thing that gratifies us - the thing our heart desires?

Once again, Balaam is given permission to continue and does so, even though it is obviously not what God wants him to do.

But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.” (Num 22:35)

If all of God's counsel does not keep you from going somewhere you should not (or doing something you should not), He can still hem you in so that you can't really enjoy it when you get there! As I have heard Bishop Bill Hamon say many times, "God won't make you violate your will, but He knows how to make you willing!" (Ask Jonah!)

We know the rest of the story. When he gets to Balak, he cannot curse the people whom God has blessed. Three times he tries and three times he blesses them instead. So, instead of receiving honor and riches from Balak, Balak is even more angry with him that when he refused to come. So Balaam does not benefit from the trip, nor does Balak.

Some might say, “no harm done.” You could claim that, in fact, Balaam did speak the blessing of the Lord over the children of Israel and he even provided a Messianic prophecy in his final discourse to Balak in Numbers 24:17. So, what’s the big deal? God allowed Balaam to go and constrained him so that he blessed God’s people. Right?

Let’s not try to justify disobedience so quickly.

There is an often overlooked end to this story. While Balaam did prophesy over the people of Israel only blessing, as God directed, the way Balaam is referenced within the New Testament shows how he was remembered - how he was viewed by God. There are three New Testament references to Balaam:

… Having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. (2 Pet 2:14b-15)

Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. (Jude 1:11)

In the first two passages, it is clear that God’s record of the event was that Balaam had “gone for the gold” – that his motivation was money. But, it’s unlikely that he actually received any pay, because he refused to do what Balak requested. Hence, he did not get that which he sought - the money or the honor. He did not "enjoy" his trip after all!

It’s the third reference that I find most enlightening.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. (Rev 2:14)

While we do not have this recorded in Numbers, when Jesus is speaking to John in the vision that we have recorded as the book of Revelation, He reveals what Balaam did while on his visit to see Balak. Somewhere in their conversation that is not recorded for us, Balaam told Balak how to make the children of Israel sin against God so that His blessing and protection would be lifted from them. If you continue reading in Numbers, the next chapter talks about these very things happening, which substantiates the statements made. Remember it is the resurrected Christ that is making these statements to John. He would know!

We can talk ourselves into believing that God is telling us something is okay when we know He’s already said, “No.” He may even have changed what He is telling us, as He did with Balaam, if we have persisted long enough in continuing to ask after He answered. We have no reason to be asking Him the same question over and over after He has answered. If He’s answered our question, all we are doing is trying to get Him to give us permission to do what we have set our heart to do. As with Balaam, sometimes He will. But instead of following Christ's example to pray "not my will, but Thine be done," we are following the example of Balaam.

I do not want to be like Balaam – and have Christ’s assessment of the fruit of my life being something quite different from what it should be. I do not want to place myself in a position to compromise or, worse yet, collaborate with the enemy. When God says, “don’t go,” it’s really best not to go!

I have often heard people who chose to continue on a path that God had told them to turn back from explain, even after admitting that they were in disobedience while on it, why it was okay that they had taken it.  I have to admit, I have trouble with that “logic” (justification). They usually point to a time here or there along the way that God used them during that time or how they grew because of it.

God used Balaam to bless His people. But the eventual fruit of Balaam’s journey was recorded as being greed and having taught the enemy of God’s people how to cause them to stumble in their relationship with God. God’s view is sometimes different from our own. We sometimes go where we shouldn’t (get into a situation, relationship, business deal) and leave (get out of it) without knowing the full impact of what our disobedience has cost – not only for us but also in the lives of others.

My prayer is that I become more and more quick to obey. Along with that I must also reject the temptation to try to convince God that my way is better than His. It never is!

All of that said, I am grateful that we serve God under the New Covenant, not the Old. He is loving and His mercies are new every morning. If we find that we have traveled down a wrong path, the appropriate action is to repent for our disobedience and turn around. His forgiveness is sure. And He will lead us back to the right path.

"quasi-Christian" movement

If you’re like me, you’re going “What?!”

Lee Grady’s recent Don’t Join the Cult of the Backslider article is about a new movement being birthed here in the US that is purposeful deception.  Below are some excerpts (with emphasis added). 

Since the Wild Goose Festival was held in North Carolina’s mountains, you might be tempted to think it was a typical bluegrass festival. Think again. The organizers of this event, which attracted 1,500 people in late June, say their quasi-Christian conference “is going to grow into the largest, best run, most dynamic religious happening in the U.S.” ...
... But the founder of Wild Goose, a peace activist from Northern Ireland named Gareth Higgins, is convinced his movement will capture the hearts of young Americans who are questioning their evangelical faith and exploring other options.
To help them discover this new spiritual path, Higgins brought in an assortment of authors, artists, musicians and activists, all from the far left side of the Christian spectrum, to speak or perform June 23-26 at Wild Goose. They included Jay Bakker, son of TV evangelist Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker; Frank Schaeffer, son of evangelical authors Francis and Edith Schaeffer; and San Francisco pastor Paul Fromberg, who described his 2005 marriage to another man and told the crowd: “God is changing the church through the bodies of gay men.”
The appeal of Wild Goose is tragic. ... They want a kinder, gentler, softer Christianity that is acceptable to secular culture rather than one that confronts and contradicts it.

I think many of you share my belief that the last statement is the exact opposite of what we were directed by our Lord, Jesus Christ to do! 

Interestingly, just before reading this article, I had read an article by Francis Frangipane that perfectly prescribes the antidote for the above.  Below is an excerpt from his article: The Divine Obsession (emphasis added).

World Changers Needed
It is this very passion to be conformed to Christ that separates the third group from the others. Though smallest in number, its members are the most effective. Throughout history, these have been the world changers. These are the individuals who have understood the priority of God. They know that the Father's highest passion is to behold His Son revealed in a believer's soul. As much as they are moved with compassion for the lost, their primary quest is not to touch their neighbors' hearts, but to touch the heart of God. They know if they awaken the Father's pleasure, the power of His Spirit will go before them. God Himself will change the hearts of those around them.
It is my sincere quest in life to be like Jesus in everything. It stuns me to know that if I am truly conformed to Christ, I have the Spirit's promise that I will also awaken the pleasure of Almighty God. Here, in my transformation, is the power to touch cities and redeem cultures, for it takes transformed people to transform nations.

Please read Lee Grady’s entire article and be aware of this scheme of the enemy.  We need to stop this through prayer before it begins to build any momentum.  Let us pray with Lee “that [God] will raise up young leaders who are filled with compassion, empowered by the Holy Ghost and brave enough to point their generation back to biblical truth.”  Amen!! [So be it!!]

weeding your garden

Yesterday as I was weeding my flower beds, I was reminded of lessons the Holy Spirit taught me many years ago while doing the same task. I thought they might be good to share with others.

A number of years ago a friend of mine in ministry had asked me some questions regarding the difficulty she was having with helping a particular individual get free from some things in her life. The woman had been through multiple deliverance sessions, including with the friend who was discussing her situation with me, but never seemed to reach any point of real victory. I promised to pray about the situation and see if God would give me insight.

A few days later, I was out weeding my flower beds. The "dirt" in the area (I hesitated to even term it "soil") can be rock hard. Hence, try as you might to dig the root out, you usually end up with only part of it which, of course, means you get the top (the visible evidence) of the weed, but it soon grows right back.

However, this day was different. It had rained most of the week. The ground was saturated. On this particular day, I could pull most of them out, root in tact, by hand. Those that I couldn't simply pull, a small spade would easily dislodge the root. In some places, the ground was so wet that the dirt would quickly even fill back in the hole left, so there was little to no evidence that something had been removed.

In the midst of that, I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me about the ministry situation.

In the parable of the sower (recorded in Matthew 13 and Mark 4), Jesus refers to the soil of a person's heart determining their ability to receive the word of God and produce fruit based on it. In one of the scenarios within His story, the heart soil is full of thorns that "choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22) As I was weeding my flower beds that day, I was reminded of this analogy. The issue is to get the weeds (thorns) out of the garden of our heart.

The question posed to me had been why it was so difficult to remove the "thorns" in the situation with this particular individual. (In other words, why it was so difficult to see healing and deliverance that lasted.) I knew I had encountered other, similar situations over the years as well. Yet, with other individuals who had as many issues or even more or "worse" issues, the deliverance had been much easier, the healing immediate, and the both had been permanent (a done deal!). What made the difference?

As I was pulling the weeds so easily this particular day, when I had spent many other days in these same beds that had been much more laborious and the results had not had any long-lasting benefit, I suddenly "saw" the answer.

The difference was in the state of the soil!

The reason I was able to pull the weeds so easily today had nothing to do with my desire to get rid of them or my willingness to spend the time and energy needed to do the job. It had everything to do with the condition of the dirt in which they were rooted.

I immediately "knew" the issue was the preparation of the heart's soil before the ministry session. When the heart of the person coming for ministry has been saturated by the "washing of water with the Word" (Ephesians 5:26), then the ministry session is much easier and the results are real and sustained. Pulling down the strongholds within a person's mind, delivering them of the spirits that have oppressed them, closing off those doors (permanently!) that allowed that access, and seeing them healed from the issues of the past still takes effort, but the results are visible and sustained. They are free from those areas and it shows in their countenance and in their life!

However, when the person desiring ministry has not invested the time and effort to "water" their heart with the truth of the Word of God, it's like trying to dig the weeds out of my flower garden on a hot, dry day. It's very difficult to do. And, while you may actually get all of a particular root here and there, there are more "missed" than gotten. Hence, while there is usually some fruit from such ministry, much (dare I say "most") of it is short-lived. Without getting the real root of the problem, the "symptoms" (weeds) simply begin to resurface.

In the end, those ministering spent a lot of time and energy for very little result. Even more sadly, the person receiving ministry often feels that "this doesn't work" and are hesitant to go through another deliverance session later. Tragically, some who have gone through several different sessions begin to feel "there's no hope for me."

What I learned from this revelation is that as a minister in the area of deliverance and inner healing, I need to be sure the person asking for a deliverance session is ready for it. There needs to be counseling done ahead of that time to ensure the person has "softened" their heart soil by the "washing of water with the Word" so that the time spent will be productive and will bear good and lasting fruit in their life.

It is sometimes difficult to tell someone "no" when they ask for ministry. However, I have learned that if they truly want to get set free, they are willing to hear "you aren't ready to go through that yet" and do what it takes to get there. They are willing to go through the preparation phases to get to a day when the weeds can be quickly and easily pulled.

======
Here's a word of warning for someone!
(I sensed that strongly as I typed the following statements.)
There are those who are not willing to pay that price and simply want the "quick fix" from you, as a minister. They are not willing to invest their own time and effort to get to a point of being ready for effective ministry. (For some, this includes not being willing to give up areas of sin in their lives.) They may leave and tell everyone how "hard hearted" you are, because you "refused" to minister to them. Do not succumb to the their pressure and minister to them! It is not likely to have any long-lasting benefit (if any, at all) and they will simply then tell everyone about their "awful" experience with you. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Be driven by compassion coming from the heart of the Father - not the "need" of the person. Move (minster) when the Holy Spirit says it's time. If He says "no," we need to also say "no" as well.
======

For those who have issues that you want (and need!) to get past - be those besetting sins into which you continually fall, those "hot buttons" that set you off for no apparent reason and need to be "defused", or just attitudes and feelings that you are know are inconsistent with God's Word - I can personally testify to the reality and the benefit of effective deliverance ministry. I have experienced both deliverance and inner healing. I have also seen their awesome results in the lives of others. It is real. But, be willing to prepare yourself to deal with your issues.

... and get those weeds out of your garden!

God Chooses Whom He Chooses

I was reading in 1 Chronicles earlier this evening. While I doubt any of you are saying, “Oh, yes, one of my favorite books!” I did find some nuggets buried among all the genealogy. :)

In 1 Chronicles 5 we have the history of the sons of Reuben. The first thing that caught my attention in this passage was in the first two verses.

“1 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. 2 Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph).” 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 (emphasis added)

To understand this, we need to refer back to Genesis 35:22 and Genesis 49:4.

“22 It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it.” Genesis 35:22

“4 'Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,
Because you went up to your father's bed;
Then you defiled it--he went up to my couch.'” Genesis 49:4

We do not know what led up to Reuben, Israel’s (Jacob’s) first-born son having a relationship with Bilhah. Bilhah was Rachel’s maid and one of Israel’s two concubines. Since Rachel was having difficulty in conceiving while her sister was freely producing sons for their husband, Rachel had “given” her maid to her husband as a concubine, just as Sarah had given her maid, Hagar, to her husband, Abraham, when she believed she would never be able to provide him with a child. Bilhah bore two sons to Israel, Dan & Naphtali.

Whatever the events leading up to the act, the sin was committed. “Israel heard of it” and the Holy Spirit saw that it was recorded in Scripture. That one sinful act, dishonoring both his father and Bilhah, cost Reuben his “preeminence” – the rights bestowed on the first-born son.

We sometimes seem to believe that God doesn’t really care about what we do day to day – or that in His “grace” He will overlook our sin. Not so!

There have been too many times over the past few years of the secret deeds done by men of God in places of “preeminence” being brought to the light for all to see and know. As with Reuben, these things always exact a price – whatever “preeminence” the individual had, it is stripped from them.

There have been many sensing and expressing that there is more exposure to come. God is intent on having a pure Bride for His Son. The five-fold ministry is specifically tasked with assisting in bringing Her to maturity. Those within the five-fold ministry, and particularly those in key (or preeminent) leadership positions, who are themselves living impure lives need to hear and heed this warning. Get it straight – or know that the time is coming when it will be exposed.

But there is another point here that is also interesting to me.

When Reuben lost the privilege of the first-born birthright, it did not simply pass to the second-born son, Simeon. Instead, it passed to the sons of Joseph, which means the grandsons of Israel.

We know that both Israel and God favored, Joseph. We know that Israel favored him because he was the first born of Israel’s first love, Rachel. But we do not know why God favored him – any more than we know why God favored David over his brothers or why God “highly favored” Mary above all other women to be the mother of His Son.

Have you ever looked at someone that God has obviously “favored” (anointed in a special way, caused to be favored by both believers and non-believers, placed in a key position, etc.) and wondered, “why did God pick them?” (Be honest! I have – and I’m pretty sure at least most of you have as well. :)

I’ve learned over the years to simply take a step back and realize that God is Sovereign. He gets to choose whom He wants to choose.

He chose Abram while he was in a heathen land to send out of that land to a land he knew nothing about, including not even knowing where it was, promising to give it to him. He chose Isaac over Ishmael. He chose Joseph to be the deliverer of not only his family but the nations of the world at that time. He chose Moses over Aaron to be the deliverer of His people. He chose Saul, the son of Kish, from the smallest family of the smallest tribe in Israel to be the first king. Then, when Saul lost the favor of God due to direct sin (there’s that theme again – God will judge sin in His leaders), God’s favor was passed to David, the youngest of the sons of Jesse. And the list goes on …

Lest we think this was simply an “Old Covenant thing,” let’s take a look in the New Testament. Jesus chose the 12 to be His disciples. (He even chose Judas knowing what he would do in the end.) Out of them, He chose three – Peter, James & John – to be His inner circle and get special times with Him that the others did not. Yet, when it came time to establish the church in its early days, it was James (the brother of Jesus, not the disciple/apostle) that was selected by God to head the council of elders in Jerusalem. And we can’t forget Saul, turned Paul. God picked one of the worst human enemies of the early church to become one of His greatest ambassadors.

Yes, God chooses whom He chooses.

He sometimes even chooses the unrighteous and gives them favor and preeminence to do His tasks for Him. That's a teaching for another day ...

A Season of Change

We here in the U.S. know how the mantra of “Change” resonated with the masses, even if they didn’t know what was going to change or how. On the other side of the ballot was a pair who labeled themselves as “reformers.” That message also resonated with their supporters.

Why?

Why is it that people who normally prefer the “don’t rock the boat” philosophy suddenly embrace the idea of turning it over and forcing everyone to “get involved” in the process – swim or sink!

Why? Because we have entered a season of change.

Like it or not; embrace it or fight it; things are changing.

What is changing?

In the U.S., the first answer is “the Administration.” Technically, it is the executive branch of our national government – the president and his cabinet. (There is also some change within our legislative branch – the Congress.) The fact that this is changing is not new. It happens at least every eight years, and, potentially, every four. This time, however, there is the “feel” of a much more drastic shift than we have previously experienced.

The current changes in the economy is not restricted to the U.S. It is much more widespread. While the U.S. is going through everything from the housing crisis to the potential meltdown of the “Big Three” automobile manufacturers, both Europe and Asia are experiencing their own economic challenges.

Other major cultural shifts are also occurring in both the U.S. and other western countries. The vocal minority is managing to exert the political influence needed to cause laws to change to empower behavior and agendas with which the majority do not agree. This runs the gambit from the legalization of same-sex marriage in various states in the U.S. to the legalization of the execution of Islamic Sharia law in parts of the United Kingdom.

I could spend pages enumerating the issues that are having negative impact on our societies and seem to be moving us further and further from godliness and righteous rule. For those with a theological view that things will continue to get worse and worse until God finally snatches us out of here to save us, it might seem that the end is near. I’m hearing more and more people say, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” It seems as though they are simply waiting to leave – and hoping it won’t be too much longer.

Not me. I know that (among other things) Christ is held in the heavenlies until His enemies are made his footstool (Hebrews 1:13) and until “times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). Since neither of those things have yet happened, He cannot yet return. So, instead of retreating and waiting on the evacuation, I’m sharpening my sword.

Those of us with a different understanding of scripture also have a different view of the current situation. Rather than being ready “to throw in the towel” or to hunker down to “hold the fort” while we wait for God’s emergency airlift to evacuate His people from the planet, we’re sharpening our swords and trying to “strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Hebrews 12:12). We know that while “the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people” that “the LORD will arise over [us], and His glory will be seen upon [us].” (Isaiah 60:2)

Change is not just coming to the secular world.

Change is also coming to the Church.

God is restoring the revelation of the true message of what the Kingdom of God is about. As we begin to understand, embrace, and walk out that message, we know that we will begin to take back the territory we have allowed the enemy to take. We know that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us. (Matthew 16:18) We know that gates don’t move (or at least not easily!); they are stationary. We have come to understand this passage means we storm those gates and take the territory that the enemy thought was protected behind them. It is time we go on the offensive and invade his territory to reclaim it for the Kingdom of God. How else will we ever reach the “times of restoration of all things”?

What territory do we need to recover for the Kingdom?

First, we need to retake any real estate the enemy still holds within the soil of our own heart or mind.

Then we need to pull down any strongholds he has built within our families, in the lives of those we love or with whom we have covenant relationships.

Then the territory under enemy control in our businesses, places of work, neighborhoods, stores or restaurants we frequent or anywhere “[our] foot shall tread” (Joshua 1:3) must be recovered.

Finally, we need to reclaim those areas within our governments – at all levels including city, county, state and national governments – that are not functioning under principles of the Kingdom of God.

How?

There is much teaching and training to be be done here. Let me boil it down into a very brief summary for you to think upon.

We must understand what it means to be “kings and priests” – and start functioning in both roles here and now in this present age. If we are going to impact our world, we must do as Hebrews 6:5 tells us. We must taste “the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.”

We need to be able to access heaven to see the solution to earth’s problems and bring that solution into the earth realm. Then and only then will God’s will be done on earth (here and now) as it is in heaven (as we look into the heavenly, eternal realm and see it).

Then “the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” And then, “the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:2-3)

Why will the Gentiles come to your light? Because you have light and they don’t.

Why will kings come to “your rising”? Because you have the answers to the problems they could not solve.

When we begin to access heaven (from our priestly position) to bring heaven’s solutions to earth, then we will begin to rise upon our mountain and displace the kings who currently rule there (establishing our kingly position).

Selah!

lessons from Narnia – part 3

In lessons from Narnia – part 1 and part 2, we have discussed five lessons:

1. Impatience is costly.
2. Failure to deal properly with personal trauma will knock you off course.
3. Talking with the enemy will cause you to lose your advantage.
4. Disunity will set you up for deception.
5. When you don’t finish the job, you allow room for the enemy to work.

In part 3, we will wrap this series up with two additional lessons.


6) God is waiting for us to engage Him in our battle.
When Lucy finds Aslan, he has been waiting for them to come for him. He is well aware of the situation and their need for him. However, he was waiting for them to come to him to ask for his help rather than him simply coming to their rescue. This is consistent with what we are told in Jeremiah 29:11-13.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

While God’s plans for us are good ones, He waits for us to seek after Him to obtain them. It wasn’t until Lucy went searching for Aslan with all her heart and all her strength that she found him. And it wasn’t until she found him that he “listened” to the cry for help she brought from the others. He began to fight on their behalf immediately. Even before he arrived at the scene of the battle, he engaged the trees and elements of nature to fight for Peter, Edmund, Susan, Caspian and the Narnians.

This may seem like just part of the tale spun by Lewis in his writings, but the Bible records the fact that the elements of nature do sometimes align themselves to assist God’s people in their battles, as well as God, Himself, “getting in on the act.” Following are a couple of examples.

“And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.” Joshua 10:11-13 (emphasis added)

“And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” Exodus 14:19-29 (emphasis added)

I just love the stories where God gets into the fight!


7) The enemy always underestimates God.
In 1 Kings 20:23, the servants of the king of Syria reasoned that “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.” Of course, that was not true. In fact, according to scripture, God took the accusation personally and it ensured their defeat!

The Telamarines similarly argued that if they crossed back over the river, they would be able to defeat the Narnians. The scene that follows reminds one of the Egyptians pursuing the Israelites – though this time the Telamarines are fleeing before the Narnians. It is here that the Telamarines come face to face with Aslan and realize that he does exist, that he is fighting against them, and that his power is definitely greater than their power. Any time we encounter God “face to face” we will always be reminded of Who He truly is.


As stated at the beginning of this series, these are just a few of the truths that C. S. Lewis wove into the story and that were portrayed in the movie. I trust you have found some nugget of truth in this series. If so, Selah, “think on these things” – and on other Simple Truths from the Word of God.

lessons from Narnia – part 2

In lessons from Narnia – part 1, we focused on two lessons:

1. Impatience is costly.
2. Failure to deal properly with personal trauma will knock you off course.

In part 2, we will look at three more. Again, if you have not yet seen the movie, you might want to wait to read this until you have done so.

3) Talking with the enemy will cause you to lose your advantage.
When Prince Caspian entered Miraz’ bed chamber, he had the clear “upper hand,” having caught him sound asleep, totally unaware and unprepared. However, instead of killing Miraz, Caspian begins talking with him. Never carry on a conversation with the enemy! It only provides him an opportunity to regroup to overpower or seduce you. While they are talking, Prince Caspian allows Miraz to get up. As the prince is watching Miraz, the evil king’s wife reaches for her crossbow and takes aim at her nephew.

Fortunately, Peter and Susan arrive to rescue Prince Caspian. But they, too, leave Miraz alive to be fought another day. The enemy we resist for a moment but fail to deal with completely will be back to fight us another day – strengthened by our lack of decisiveness in dealing with him (it) previously.

4) Disunity will set you up for deception.
After suffering the terrible defeat at the castle, Peter, Susan, Edmund, Caspian and those who managed to escape the castle with them return to Lucy and the others waiting at Aslan’s How. Peter and Caspian get into an argument, each blaming the other for the terrible loss. With the rift between them and Caspian doubting the legendary abilities of the four, the dark dwarf Nikabrik makes his move to convince Caspian to align with the dark powers to defeat Miraz, promising him certain victory. Disunity and disillusionment set us up for deception. Nikabrik knows that only the blood from the seed of Adam (a human) can bring back (free) the white witch and her powers.

At first, the promise of victory lures Caspian into their grips. Then, when he sees the witch, he realizes who is really behind the promise (and that the ancient stories really are true) and tries to pull out. Just as Nikabrik and his companions are about to overpower the prince and provide the needed blood for the witch to be freed, Peter, Edmund and Susan arrive to rescue him. The witch then begins to lure King Peter into her deception, even though Peter had stood firmly against her in their previous encounters. Once again, we see how disunity sets us up for deception. Fortunately, Edmund remembers all too well her deceptive powers and thrusts her through with his sword. In the meantime, Nikabrik and his companions, the old hag and the were-wolf, are killed. These forces of evil are destroyed and Peter and Caspian are reunited in their effort to restore Narnia.

5) When you don’t finish the job, you allow room for the enemy to work.
Having realized their only hope of survival and victory is Aslan, Lucy and Susan are dispatched to search for Him. In the meantime, the others try to delay the battle by sending a challenge from High King Peter to (self-proclaimed) King Miraz to meet in a one-on-one battle to the death to decide the victor. This, of course, is a parallel to the battle of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.

Miraz finally agrees, and Peter and Miraz engage in the challenge. After some time, they mutually agree to a rest period. Both have sustained injury. Miraz begins to suspect treachery, since he had instructed the lords attending the battle with him to kill Peter if he appeared to be gaining the upper hand and they had not.

When the battle is re-engaged, Peter finally gains the upper hand and has Miraz on his knees, defenseless. Rather than finishing the job and killing Miraz as the challenge stated was to be the end for one of them (and as David did with Goliath), Peter hands the sword to Caspian for him to finish the job. Miraz intimidates Caspian with a well-worded remark and Caspian also refuses to kill him. Both Peter and Caspian assume the victor of the challenge is clear and that the war is now over. Not so! Never expect the enemy to play fair!

One of the lords who attended Miraz to the challenge now kills Miraz with one of Susan’s arrows that he had saved from a previous battle. The fact that their king has been killed by Susan’s arrow rather than Peter’s sword appears as unfair play to the waiting Telamarine army – and the battle begins.

Twice Peter and Caspian had the upper hand on Miraz and could have killed him. Twice they spared his life, somehow expecting him to suddenly “change his colors” and act rightly. Both times, refusing to “utterly destroy” the enemy in the land (as the children of Israel were repeatedly told to do) proved costly.

“And when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.” Deuteronomy 7:2

When we believe that confronting sin without dealing with it completely and killing it at the very root of the problem is sufficient, we only set ourselves up for it to come back and cause us even greater devastation.


For more lessons from Narnia, check back for the final post in the series, part 3.

lessons from Narnia – part 1

As “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” movie began to play, I heard the Holy Spirit instruct me to look for the truths in it. He said there would be many, but there were certain key ones of which I should take note.

Notes:
1. For those who have read the book but have not yet seen the movie, it does not follow the book exactly. So events referenced here may be slightly different than the events in the book.
2. If you haven’t seen the movie yet but intend to see it, you may want to wait until afterwards to read this.

Background
To set the stage for those unfamiliar with C. S. Lewis’ chronicles, Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy are siblings who live in 20th century London. In the first book of the series, “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe,” the four youngsters “fall into” ancient Narnia through an old wardrobe in which they were playing. There they quickly learn to be warriors as they encounter the evils of the white witch and finally meet the great leader, Aslan. As the story unfolds, Aslan offers his life sacrificially to spare the life of Edmund, who had fallen prey to the evil deception of the witch. As with the true Lion of the Tribe of Judah, death was defeated and Aslan returned to life, empowered to overthrow the witch, who is bound and remains powerless for over a millennium.

Many years pass in Narnia, where peace reigns under the oversight of High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, Queen Lucy and, of course, Aslan. One day while riding in the woods, the four find themselves back in a strangely familiar spot. They are soon tumbling back through the wardrobe and back into 20th century London – on the same day they left! While they had spent many years in ancient Narnia where they had grown to adulthood and ruled the entire land as its kings & queens, only a few hours had passed in modern earth time. They had returned to London and their childhood.

As time passes, the four continue to long for the adventures of Narnia and their beloved Aslan. After a couple of years, they are about to the point of reconciling themselves to the fact that their life is to remain in London as they are when they suddenly find themselves passing back through a different portal into Narnia. In the couple of years that have passed in earth time, they come to realize that it has been over 1300 years in Narnia and it is not at all the way they left it. They learn that both their legacy and even Aslan are so long forgotten that they are considered myths by most. In the meantime, the land was invaded by Telamarines who had landed on its shores and had been taken over by their evil rulers. Due to the untimely death of his father, Prince Caspian is to be the heir to the Telamarine throne, when he is of an age to assume it. In the meantime, the land is ruled by his very evil uncle, Miraz. As the movie begins, Miraz’ wife bares him a son. With this news, Miraz attempts to kill Prince Caspian, so that he and his son will become the heir of the throne. Thanks to his tutor, the prince escapes, but must run to the woods to save his life.

1) Impatience is costly.
As “the kings and queens of old” (Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy) who have been summonsed back by Prince Caspian meet with the prince and the creatures of Narnia to strategize on how to best approach the battle with Miraz and the Telamarines, King Peter makes a costly mistake. At this point in the movie, only Lucy has seen Aslan since their return and she saw him only briefly. The others disbelieve that she really saw him at all. From that frame of reference, Peter decides they have “waited long enough” on Aslan to come to provide leadership. He apparently believes Aslan has either died or gone away and concludes that “now it is up to us.” The results of his decision prove costly to their army.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

King Peter’s failure to do this cost the lives of many of the Narnians. His decision reminds me of a similar decision made by King Saul of Israel who believed he had waited long enough for Samuel, God’s prophet, to show up before a great battle.

Timing and location are critical elements in any battle. Impatience will always cause you to play into the enemy’s hands. To avoid his snare, we must always seek the counsel of the Lord and refuse to move until we have His strategy for the situation.


2) Failure to deal properly with personal trauma will knock you off course.
Once inside the moat-surrounded castle where Miraz lived, Prince Caspian was to see to it that the gates were opened and draw bridge down to allow the Narnian army to invade the castle. His first “detour” from the plan was to find his old tutor, Cornelius. Finding him cost time, which is a precious commodity when dealing with the element of surprise. It would not have been a critical issue had that detour not led to the second, more costly one.

Having found Cornelius, the prince learns that Miraz had murdered his father, King Caspian, whom he had believed to have died in his sleep from natural causes. This sends the prince to Miraz’ bed chambers to personally confront the (self-appointed) king. This both cost time and exposed their presence to Miraz and, therefore, his army. Prince Caspian’s emotional “need” to confront Miraz put all of those with him in greater danger. His personal “need” caused him to lose focus on the greater mission. It also pulled Peter and Susan off task to follow and rescue him. This meant all of them were now off the plan – and not where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. In addition, Miraz and his army were now fully aware of their presence. The element of surprise was over and its advantage lost.

Failure to deal with our emotional traumas in a right way causes us to play into the enemy’s hands and to spiral deeper and deeper into sin. When we are controlled by our emotions, we react out of them rather than acting in a way we know is right. An example of this from scripture is found in 2 Samuel 13. King David’s son, Amnon, raped his half-sister, Tamar, and then refused to marry her, leaving her to live the rest of her life in shame. Tamar went to live with her brother, Absalom, disgraced because of what had happened. In verse 22 we read, “Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.” For two years, Absalom plotted to kill Amnon. By verse 32, “Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.” Absalom knew this was not the way to handle the matter because two verses later we are told “then Absalom fled.” This caused a breach in Absalom’s elationship with his father, King David, which was never properly reconciled. That breach eventually led Absalom to attempt to take the throne and kingdom from King David, resulting in his own death along with the death of many others. (See 2 Samuel 15-18.) Failure to deal with emotional traumas or unwholesome desires will lead us down a path of destruction, which will affect not only us but also others around us.


For more lessons from Narnia, check back for part 2.

Which of these were neighbor to him?

"So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" (Luke 10:36)

Over the past few weeks, I've been given reason to ponder on some things that have been turning in my head for quite some time - in fact, years.

Do you go to one of those churches where everyone hugs each other and tells them they love them? Sounds good, doesn't it? It can feel good, too. But ... does it mean anything?

"Of course it does!" we respond. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are family. We love each other.

Are we? Do we really?

"Of course we do!"

Ok, let me put the question another way. Do we act like it? Do we demonstrate our love and concern?

I've pondered this in my own life for several reasons, looking at it from both the giving and receiving end. I've also observed three separate situations recently and the evidence they have provided is inconsistent with what we say. Let me share some of those stories to keep it from sounding like just a "poor me" story. There seems to me to be a difference in what we say and what we do.

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Situation 1:

A 40-something year old man who ran in marathon races suddenly dropped dead in his home from a heart attack. In spite of faith-filled prayers and CPR, he did not revive. Of course, his wife was in a state of shock. Since there were children involved, she had to "be there" for them while dealing with her own grief and the reality of the sudden change in financial condition since he was the bread winner.

I had talked with someone who had known this couple for many years and was "a sister in the Lord" to them. I was seeking to find out from her what needs might be there. She told me how she had offered to bring pizza over and to do anything that needed to be done. Since no needs were expressed, she did nothing (other than taking some pizza over) and had no suggestions for me of things that needed to be done.

I barely knew this couple. But I knew they had a large family, most of which lived elsewhere, so that means they will need large quantities of food - meat, vegies, and dessert (aka - a meal). You don't ask; you assess the need and act on it.

I later learned that the ex-wife of the man who died (and mother of his oldest daughter) went over and cleaned the house before the out of town relatives arrived. She didn't call and ask; she simply showed up, cleaned the house, and left.

Which of these ladies was a neighbor to this woman? Her sister in the Lord? Or the woman who showed up to clean the house of the widow of her own ex-husband?

Situation 2:

Another 40-something year old man, also very athletic and healthy, collapsed when two aneurysms burst. After struggling for over a week, he, too, passed away leaving a wife and small children.

From what was said by the minister at the funeral services, this couple was very involved in their church. So, in the midst of roller coaster ride while his life hung in the balance and for a period of time afterwards, meals were provided to the family for the children and wife (when she was there to eat) and the extended family from out of town who were staying in their home to care for them while "mom" was at the hospital with "dad." Gift cards were also provided to help buy meals for the wife at the hospital or gas for her or the extended family who were driving back and forth from out of town or whatever was needed. And the lawn was kept cut.

Who did all that? Their church family? No. In as far as I know, they did not do anything. It was their coworkers who provided the food and gift cards and began taking care of the yard. Their neighbors took over the yard care and assisted with the food delivery, if no one was home when it was brought by daily for about a month.

Who were the neighbors to this family? Their church family? Or their coworkers and those who happen to live beside them?

Situation 3:

A man in his early 50s had a massive stroke. Once again, he and his wife were very committed to their local church.

His wife was "living" in the waiting room for the critical care unit, going home only to shower and freshen up and check on the house and the mail. Once again, gift cards for expenses she and their (grown) children were incurring and yard care was provided. Once again, it was his coworkers who provided these; not their church family.

Who were their neighbors?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I could go on with more examples, but I think you get the point. It isn't enough to hug each other and say "I love you." "Love" isn't a word, nor it is a feeling. It's a commitment that elicits action on our part when the one we love is hurting or in need.

Let us ask ourselves ... to whom have we demonstrated our love recently?

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11)

covenant relationships

As a general rule, we in the United States do not grow up with the understanding of covenant that they do in some countries. Most people do at least acknowledge that marriage is a covenant relationship. However, the divorce rate in our country – among Christians as well as non-Christians – testifies to the fact that keeping that covenant relationship is not always a priority.

One evening this past week, I was caused to reflect on a particular covenant relationship I have had for about 15 years. The reflection was triggered by an incident in which my covenant friend was being viciously attacked by a family member and I “stepped in” to defend her from the lies that were being spewed. I won’t go into the details of that situation, but it did cause me to later reflect on my relationship with the friend I had defended.


What does it mean to be in covenant?

• It means being there when they need someone – without being asked.
  
• It means knowing “that’s not really necessary” sometimes means, “I don’t want to ask you to do that (but it would really be appreciated if you did).”
  
• It means watching their back and defending them – even if they are not around.
  
• It means being willing to step in front of them and “take the bullet” in their place – or provide the protective shield when they are under attack.
  
• It means being willing to utilize all of our resources (finances, time, energy, etc.) to meet a need they have.
  
• It means being as scripture said of David and Jonathan where their souls were knit together and “and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Sam 18:1)
  

In our society today where self-centered, watching-out-for-yourself sometimes seems to be the norm, it is often misunderstood when one person is willing to “lay down their life” for another – particularly when it is for a friend rather than a spouse or relative. It can be questioned even when it is for family.

I went through a season of care-giving for my mother in her final years. As she aged, the time and attention needed to do all that was needed continued to increase. Once when we were “back home” visiting extended family and friends, I had her cousins and then my cousins pull me aside and tell me that I needed to consider putting her in a nursing home, because (in their view) I shouldn’t “put my life on hold” for her. My thought was, “What?!”

In my view, I wasn’t putting my life on hold. I may have been putting some plans on hold, but not my life. I was living through a season of my life in which I had the privilege of caring for the person who had spent years caring for me. Why would I not want to do that? Isn’t giving ourselves away what love is about?

How many today are willing to do that even for a relative, much less for “a friend”? Yet, John 15:13 states, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (emphasis added)

Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves the question, “For whom would I do that?”

Then ask the question, “Who would do that for me?”

The answers to those two questions will reveal your true covenant relationships.

Oh what a tangled web we weave ….

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive.”
(Sir Walter Scott)

As I sat in a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) waiting area over this past weekend, I watched the demonstration of the truth of this phrase. I was sitting with a close friend whose brother is in the final stages of AIDS. Of course, AIDS does not kill you; it breaks the immune system down so that you contract something that does. In his case, he made it through Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma a few years back. Now it is Fungal Meningitis, which is very serious.

He had been in the hospital for a little over a week when he took a sudden, drastic dip that caused them to move him to MICU in the early hours of Saturday morning. When I met his sister and parents at the hospital at 1:30am, things did not look good. We did not expect him to make it through the day. Close friends were called a few hours later. His friends began arriving to be able to see him & friends of his parents began arriving to comfort them.

Here’s where the web begins to get tangled. The young man who is dying had never told his parents about his homosexual (actually, bi-sexual) lifestyle, so he also would not tell them when he learned he was HIV positive. Then, of course, he would not tell them when he learned he had moved into full blown AIDS. Further, he had forbidden his sister and friends to tell them. The dance going on in the waiting room & hallway would have made a good episode on a sitcom, if it had not been so serious.

Further, the doctors and nurses would call the sister back to talk in private, because he had requested that his parents not be told the full story. In addition, his sister is a nurse, so she understands more easily the situation and possible ramifications of each report. However, the fact that they were talking with her instead of the parents was causing the mother to fume – even though the daughter would return and immediately convey the information (that could be). If the doctors had talked with the mother & father, they could not tell the full story due to trying to not reveal the “real” issue.

Finally, late Saturday evening, the mother blew up at the doctor and demanded to be told the whole story. Since she did have a durable power of attorney, he did so. There’s a lesson in being careful what you insist on! She now had to face how her son, who could never do anything wrong, had been living a lifestyle of which she had always spoken in very derogatory terms.

Hmm … could that be why he never wanted to tell her? I do not in any way condone homosexuality. I believe that scripture is very clear on the fact that it is sin. However, it is also sin to be judgmental. Further, the sin of homosexuality is no “worse” or “more sinful” than any other sin – be that heterosexual promiscuity or adultery or lying or backbiting or gossip. Unfortunately, many of those who speak out against homosexuality do so out of attitudes that are equally wrong from a scriptural standpoint. We need to be seeking to minister and bring freedom and reconciliation, not condemnation.

After the initial shock and anger than no one had told them previously, there is much more peace “all around” now that people can talk openly and honestly about the entire situation. Now all the facts, conditions, and potential series of events can be laid out and understood.

So, why is it that we sometimes try to deceive someone? One lie only leads to another – and then another one to cover it – and then another, etc. Then you have to remember to whom you told what – and try to keep people who believe different stories apart, or (as he did) make sure that one party knows that the other party does not know something or knows “a different story.” It all gets very complicated – and the web begins to grow.

This leads to another old expression: Honesty is the best policy. Which, of course, is consistent with scripture, “No lies about your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16, The Message)