After Naaman was healed of leprosy he urged Elisha to accept a gift but the prophet refused. Elisha was making a clear distinction. The grace of God is never to be merchandised for profit. Accepting such a gift was to say the power was in the prophet's ability not God. In Acts 8:20 we read of Simon the sorcerer who wanted to purchase the authority of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Peter rebukes him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! (NIV).
Minutes after Naaman departs, Elisha's servant Gehazzi reasons that his master was too easy on Naaman. Naaman after all was an Aramean whose people had a history of cruelly oppressing Israel. When Gehazzi returns with two talents of silver and clothes he hides them and then presents himself to Elisha. The prophet asks is this time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? (2 Kings 5:26). In other words, everything that Gehazzi had dreamed of owning and enjoying but had nothing to do the kingdom of God.
It was not the time (or ever) for self indulgence and self interests. And it was not the time for those things that might have been permissible and lawful. Sadly, the American culture capitalizes on entitlements, rights, and privileges which has corrupted the thinking and behavior of the people of God.
Right now God is asking us the same question He asked the exiles who had returned from Babylon. "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" (Haggai 1:4, NIV). We want much but will not release the very thing God has placed in our hands. As a result, we have no return in our labors and efforts because the focus is on ourselves and what we might gain (1:6).
Beloved, if there is ever a time it is now to pay tithes (giving to the building of His kingdom) and stop arguing with Him that you can't give anything to God because you may be without. He will provide. Whatever the Lord prompts you to do - be it service, tithing, encouraging another or praying - do so as unto the Lord without seeking a reward. The leprosy that clung to Naaman become Gehazzi's for all his generations. Beloved, don't take it into your own hands to fulfill your desires for it only be rot to your bones.
Trust the Lord for He knows how to reward those who faithfully seek Him above their own interests (Hebrews 11:6).
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Count It All Joy
In my youth I found James 1:2 very troubling. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (KJV). Truth to be told I found certain temptations very pleasurable - which of course makes it so tempting!
But whatever delight was experienced quickly gave way to regret and shame. Worse many people were hurt by my selfishness. So how was it possible to find joy - or as one Bible translation puts it as pure joy - when falling into various temptations?
God will never tempt us to sin (James 1:13). Still temptations will present itself. It may be from our own flesh, the world or the devil. The word temptation used in James 1:2 also means trials. The purpose of a trial is to test the fidelity, integrity, virtue and constancy of our character. God will permit trials but He provides the grace and power to overcome. The end result of a trial is conformity to His image.
And that leads us to the key word found in the verse. James instructs us to count it all joy. The word count in English could be translated as esteem but in the original it means "what goes before, in front". In other words, when we encounter trials or temptations (sometimes both at the same time!) we should keep in mind that there is a purpose that's leading us to something of greater value and purpose. And that is found in the next couple of verses: "...But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (verse 4).
Beloved, most of our temptations are driven by a lack or need but rather than wait for God to respond we often take matters in our hands.
True joy is denying ourselves what we think is our right to possess. Rather we give way to God to possess us with a faith to believe He is more than able to meet our needs and desires.
Recall David had sinned in committing adultery and murder. God said to him, "I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more."(2 Samuel 12:8, NIV).
Beloved, we must believe God can give us much more than what we feel our flesh deserves. How much greater the joy of denying ourselves for His best! And that is the joy that gives us strength to endure while waiting upon God - His blessings and rewards don't come with shame, guilt or pain of hurting others.
But whatever delight was experienced quickly gave way to regret and shame. Worse many people were hurt by my selfishness. So how was it possible to find joy - or as one Bible translation puts it as pure joy - when falling into various temptations?
God will never tempt us to sin (James 1:13). Still temptations will present itself. It may be from our own flesh, the world or the devil. The word temptation used in James 1:2 also means trials. The purpose of a trial is to test the fidelity, integrity, virtue and constancy of our character. God will permit trials but He provides the grace and power to overcome. The end result of a trial is conformity to His image.
And that leads us to the key word found in the verse. James instructs us to count it all joy. The word count in English could be translated as esteem but in the original it means "what goes before, in front". In other words, when we encounter trials or temptations (sometimes both at the same time!) we should keep in mind that there is a purpose that's leading us to something of greater value and purpose. And that is found in the next couple of verses: "...But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (verse 4).
Beloved, most of our temptations are driven by a lack or need but rather than wait for God to respond we often take matters in our hands.
True joy is denying ourselves what we think is our right to possess. Rather we give way to God to possess us with a faith to believe He is more than able to meet our needs and desires.
Recall David had sinned in committing adultery and murder. God said to him, "I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more."(2 Samuel 12:8, NIV).
Beloved, we must believe God can give us much more than what we feel our flesh deserves. How much greater the joy of denying ourselves for His best! And that is the joy that gives us strength to endure while waiting upon God - His blessings and rewards don't come with shame, guilt or pain of hurting others.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Untying Emotional Knots
A knot is a compact intersection of interlaced material, such as cord, ribbon, or rope (The Free Dictionary).
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (KJV). Some say this describes a marriage relationship ("tied the knot") where two become one - their strengths overlapping each other's weakness.
But there are other knots like the one in your stomach from tension or a painful knot in the lower back.
Recall the strength of a knot is in the particular material used with its many interwoven threads or strands. And where two or more pieces of this material intersects a knot can be formed which constricts movement or prevent slippage.
You could say a multi-layered argument in the mind can form a tight knot. A mental or emotional knot prevents the flow of sound thinking and reasoning. You may have heard it said, "I got my wires crossed." This happens when conflicting information overlaps what you first believed to be true. For some the mind is a tangled mess of crossed and crisscrossed wires that eventually become knotted into a tight ball! We don't know what what to believe anymore.
We could say the worse knot is unbelief that binds us to our faulty thinking thus limiting God to have His way in our lives.
That is why we must ask the Holy Spirit to unravel the knots in our minds - especially knots formed by damaged emotions that have tightly interwoven itself over the years.
We have made assumptions based on our life experiences and drawn conclusions based on our human reasonability. As a result this constricts any movement away from our position of thinking to thinking rightly and clearly.
Beloved, He knows how to unravel those twisted emotional knots by wounds perhaps from unkind words or painful experiences. He knows the material of our arguments and the many strands that strengthen it.
When He completes the work of untying our emotional knots - His word will form another knot - something that is called a true love knot - that will bring healing. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Psalms 147:3, KJV).
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (KJV). Some say this describes a marriage relationship ("tied the knot") where two become one - their strengths overlapping each other's weakness.
But there are other knots like the one in your stomach from tension or a painful knot in the lower back.
Recall the strength of a knot is in the particular material used with its many interwoven threads or strands. And where two or more pieces of this material intersects a knot can be formed which constricts movement or prevent slippage.
You could say a multi-layered argument in the mind can form a tight knot. A mental or emotional knot prevents the flow of sound thinking and reasoning. You may have heard it said, "I got my wires crossed." This happens when conflicting information overlaps what you first believed to be true. For some the mind is a tangled mess of crossed and crisscrossed wires that eventually become knotted into a tight ball! We don't know what what to believe anymore.
We could say the worse knot is unbelief that binds us to our faulty thinking thus limiting God to have His way in our lives.
That is why we must ask the Holy Spirit to unravel the knots in our minds - especially knots formed by damaged emotions that have tightly interwoven itself over the years.
We have made assumptions based on our life experiences and drawn conclusions based on our human reasonability. As a result this constricts any movement away from our position of thinking to thinking rightly and clearly.
Beloved, He knows how to unravel those twisted emotional knots by wounds perhaps from unkind words or painful experiences. He knows the material of our arguments and the many strands that strengthen it.
When He completes the work of untying our emotional knots - His word will form another knot - something that is called a true love knot - that will bring healing. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Psalms 147:3, KJV).
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Faith To Forsake Egypt
In the Scriptures Egypt represents the world and all that it offers outside of Christ. It's very much like our present day world with it's ungodly system of thinking and behaving. At your choosing the flesh pots of Egypt offer sensuality, materialism and idolatry of all sorts.
Such worldly voices will say, "All this and much more if only you turn back from following the Lord to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin for a season!" But they speak nothing of the death that follows sin (James 1:15).
For forty years the Israelites complained in the wilderness for the lack of food and water. Egypt was behind them but it became evident of a deeply embedded worldly attitude and mindset. Remember these are the same people who were once slaves cruelly mistreated and despised in Egypt. Their twisted ideal of Egypt was now a place filled with food and enjoyment compared to this dry and barren wasteland. They went as far as calling Egypt the Promise Land (Numbers 16:13).
Beloved, when we go through difficult times there is a temptation to form an ideal world where our flesh is well pampered and nourished. But like the Israelites we forget the cruel bondage, the destruction and pain caused by our sins and the sins of others.
Some Christians may say I don't live or act like those in the world. Beloved, I'm addressing a mindset - an argument - that the world we had forsaken to follow Christ somehow holds out a promise of a better life especially when things become too hard and difficult.
Speaking of Moses we read: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27 KJV). It was not fear that drove Moses out of Egypt but faith in God who He saw as greater and higher than the Egyptian palace where he had once lived.
The Scriptures warns us "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15 KJV).
We must ask God to increase our faith to see the invisible things of God - His kingdom, His purposes and His plans - that will make our present life and the way we live be brought into right perspective. Beloved, we need the faith of Rahab who believed He would save her and her family even though it meant the city and how she lived in Jericho would be destroyed.
The testimony of those who forsake Egypt without a second thought to that place or how they live matters. It will speak to the next generation that God has something far better than this decaying world.
Beloved, eternity awaits for us. One day we will see Him face to face - the very One we saw when He found us in our Egypt and called us out to bring us into the Promised Land.
Such worldly voices will say, "All this and much more if only you turn back from following the Lord to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin for a season!" But they speak nothing of the death that follows sin (James 1:15).
For forty years the Israelites complained in the wilderness for the lack of food and water. Egypt was behind them but it became evident of a deeply embedded worldly attitude and mindset. Remember these are the same people who were once slaves cruelly mistreated and despised in Egypt. Their twisted ideal of Egypt was now a place filled with food and enjoyment compared to this dry and barren wasteland. They went as far as calling Egypt the Promise Land (Numbers 16:13).
Beloved, when we go through difficult times there is a temptation to form an ideal world where our flesh is well pampered and nourished. But like the Israelites we forget the cruel bondage, the destruction and pain caused by our sins and the sins of others.
Some Christians may say I don't live or act like those in the world. Beloved, I'm addressing a mindset - an argument - that the world we had forsaken to follow Christ somehow holds out a promise of a better life especially when things become too hard and difficult.
Speaking of Moses we read: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27 KJV). It was not fear that drove Moses out of Egypt but faith in God who He saw as greater and higher than the Egyptian palace where he had once lived.
The Scriptures warns us "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15 KJV).
We must ask God to increase our faith to see the invisible things of God - His kingdom, His purposes and His plans - that will make our present life and the way we live be brought into right perspective. Beloved, we need the faith of Rahab who believed He would save her and her family even though it meant the city and how she lived in Jericho would be destroyed.
The testimony of those who forsake Egypt without a second thought to that place or how they live matters. It will speak to the next generation that God has something far better than this decaying world.
Beloved, eternity awaits for us. One day we will see Him face to face - the very One we saw when He found us in our Egypt and called us out to bring us into the Promised Land.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
All His Longings
One morning I was reading and praying through Jeremiah chapter 33. It was after I read verse 9 something wonderful happened.
"And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it." (KJV).
God brought a corrective judgment to a backsliden Israel because of their persistent rebellion and idolatry as well as other gross sins. Though it appears His people are ruined in a desolate city God extends a promise of restoration.
There was a deep longing in His heart for them to be restored and healed. Even centuries later when Jesus walked the earth He said, "...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing" (Matthew 23:7, KJV).
Suddenly the air grew very still. In that moment it was if I heard God let out a deep aching sigh. I started to weep when He asked softly, "Maybe after all this they will love Me?".
Immediately I thought about my own life with a long and tired history of repeated failures and regrets. A soul which often felt the crushing weight of daily living. A mind that at times is twisted in knots from anxious and fearful thoughts. Like David I cried, "Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee." (Psalms 38:9,KJV).
I nearly missed it when He prompted me to read the verse again. He caused me to realize it was His goodness that draws the human heart to freely love and worship Him. So too does the kindness of God leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). It will always be His goodness as evidence of His longing for us to be in an abiding unbroken fellowship with us.
It was not my longings but His longings that mattered the most.
"Oh, God," I prayed while falling to my knees. "Let me love You afresh! Let this life You had to afflict and break so that I would keep Your word be Your redemptive story of Your goodness so that many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD (Psalms 40:3, KJV)."
Beloved, only His Spirit can cause us to love Him more fully and richly. Remember our prayers of faith are like incense rising from unfeigned lips that soothe His heart's desires. It's not so much our longings that we must seek to be answered but rather respond to all His longings. Abraham learned this truth despite waiting for a promised child and he became known as a friend of God.
In such a relationship you will find your longings being freely exchanged for all His longings and the fulfillment of them for a richer, peaceful life.
"And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it." (KJV).
God brought a corrective judgment to a backsliden Israel because of their persistent rebellion and idolatry as well as other gross sins. Though it appears His people are ruined in a desolate city God extends a promise of restoration.
There was a deep longing in His heart for them to be restored and healed. Even centuries later when Jesus walked the earth He said, "...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing" (Matthew 23:7, KJV).
Suddenly the air grew very still. In that moment it was if I heard God let out a deep aching sigh. I started to weep when He asked softly, "Maybe after all this they will love Me?".
Immediately I thought about my own life with a long and tired history of repeated failures and regrets. A soul which often felt the crushing weight of daily living. A mind that at times is twisted in knots from anxious and fearful thoughts. Like David I cried, "Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee." (Psalms 38:9,KJV).
I nearly missed it when He prompted me to read the verse again. He caused me to realize it was His goodness that draws the human heart to freely love and worship Him. So too does the kindness of God leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). It will always be His goodness as evidence of His longing for us to be in an abiding unbroken fellowship with us.
It was not my longings but His longings that mattered the most.
"Oh, God," I prayed while falling to my knees. "Let me love You afresh! Let this life You had to afflict and break so that I would keep Your word be Your redemptive story of Your goodness so that many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD (Psalms 40:3, KJV)."
Beloved, only His Spirit can cause us to love Him more fully and richly. Remember our prayers of faith are like incense rising from unfeigned lips that soothe His heart's desires. It's not so much our longings that we must seek to be answered but rather respond to all His longings. Abraham learned this truth despite waiting for a promised child and he became known as a friend of God.
In such a relationship you will find your longings being freely exchanged for all His longings and the fulfillment of them for a richer, peaceful life.