The Shepherd's Voice

I woke up this morning thinking about all the places in the Old Testament that God physically speaks to someone and a reality struck me. For many of us who call themselves Christian we want a Moses experience in an Elijah world. If that seems a little strange let us take a look at these two encounters. First we find Moses out tending the flocks of his father-in-law when this he sees a bush that is on fire:

3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Exodus 3:3-4 (ESV) 

If we take the time to look further into these passages of scripture we come to understand this is when Moses receives the marching orders to go back and confront Pharaoh and to bring freedom to God’s people. As Christians we often wish God would be this clear with us when we are seeking guidance about what to do as we serve Him. However, the reality is we are more often especially in today’s world going to find ourselves feeling like Elijah who has been serving God and has taken a stand for Him to the point he is the last true prophet left and people are seeking to destroy him. We find Elijah hiding in a cave wondering how and why God would bring him to this place and situation. I believe many of us can relate as we find ourselves in what feels like similar situations. However, God is still speaking it just requires a different kind of listening.

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (ESV)

While several eye-catching things happened before Elijah that God could have used to provide him direction and get his attention it was the still small voice that caused Elijah to move. The difference between these two encounters is simple for me. It comes to understanding the relationship between God and each individual. Moses did not know who he was talking to and Elijah did. God had to create a situation that would cause Moses to turn aside and come to meet Him where He was. Elijah however knew the voice of God. Elijah had allowed his own circumstance to effect his ability to hear God’s voice. It required God to refocus Elijah’s attention and reassure him that He could go nowhere that God could not find him or be with Him. Just like Moses once Elijah was listening, God instructed him about what he was to do.

Today are you as believers able to recognize that still small voice or are you looking for your burning bush. Jesus taught us about hearing His voice in John 10:

3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:3-5 (ESV)

If you are looking for the burning bush maybe it’s because the voice of the shepherd is strange to you. In our world today there are millions of voices crying out for our attention something new and flashy draws us to the left and the right each day. However, it requires a discerning ear if you really desire to hear God’s voice in your life. We must develop that listening ear through fasting, worship, prayer and scripture reading so that we can recognize and understand the voice of the shepherd when He calls us. I pray today that you begin to have an ear of discernment for the voice of the shepherd as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Our Helper

I don’t know what exactly you may do for a living in my own life I have done a little bit of everything from being a bag boy in a grocery store to waiting tables and dozen things in between. While in high school I studied brick and block masonry and was a descent block mason. I came to realize though that it was a lot of hard work and I was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, I learned a very valuable life lesson during this experience and at the time I was un-churched so today I can look back and say it was a biblical lesson also from the Wisdom of Solomon. We read in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (ESV) 

The trick to be a truly good block or brick mason is not your own abilities but the abilities of the laborer that works with you. As a block mason you work generally in one place or a stretch of wall that can be any length all your movement is from one end of the wall to the other. It is tedious and repetitive work. The trick to doing it quickly is having a laborer that can keep the mortar and bricks or blocks supplied, if they are not working twice as hard as the mason than productivity will be low. Believe me one person can lay block all by themselves but the work is extremely slow and unproductive. What I have come to understand out of the physical world is also relevant to my life as a Christian.  

What I have come to understand is that many of us who accept Jesus and begin to live our lives as Christian believers try to do it on our own. While this is admirable there really is no need for us to struggle with the work of the Christian life all by ourselves. For one thing Jesus promised us a Helper in the Holy Spirit.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (ESV)

 

On the day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you received the Holy Spirit to help Guide and direct you in your Christian walk. There are two problems though; first we are often so used to doing everything on our own we do not want to turn to or trust in the helper we have received. Secondly we don’t really know or understand anything about who the Holy Spirit is.

1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19:1-2 (ESV)

Today as a believer in the Lord Jesus you have been given a helper that if we will surrender our will to His guidance we can experience life in a way that is different than anything you can ever imagine. The Christian walk is not an easy one however if you are walking with the Holy Spirit in the right relationship you will find the support necessary to live it. I pray today that you allow the Holy Spirit the proper place in your walk with Christ. Be blessed as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Forgiving the Sinner

I have been struck by a passage in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 that has made me stop and ask a question that I had never given a great deal of thought to before today. It has to do with forgiveness and how Paul directed us to treat the sinners among us. Not the person you meet on the street who does not know Jesus but the individual who for whatever reason has fallen away from the faith and has chosen to live in sin. I once had a man tell me that as a New Pastor in a church in Alabama that the church roles had more people who had been put out of the church for failure to live a moral life style than there currently were members. To him he believed that almost 70% of the community had at one time or another been members of the church. However, in the pattern of the holiness they had been shunned or as the Catholic Church calls it excommunicated. However if we look at what Paul tells the church at Corinth we have failed to head His teachings when we do this. If you are not familiar with this situation it is laid out in 1 Corinthians 5 and has to do with sexual immorality within the church at Corinth.

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (ESV)

 It would seem that from the second letter Paul has mellowed some. However, I believe his reaction is a model of what we are to do. Too often when people fall into a sinful situation we fail to recognize that except for God’s grace we are not far from falling also. Yes there is a time when we are told to separate ourselves from the brother or sister in Christ that has fallen into sin as to prevent ourselves from being dragged down with them. However, Paul is telling us here that there is a time to try to lift up and restore that same person.

5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 (ESV)

 

You see when we are unable to turn and forgive we are allowing the devil an opportunity to run rampant within the church. Paul explains this need;

 

9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 2 Corinthians 2:9-11 (ESV)

 

The devil would love for a church to become known as that church were if you are not perfect in every way you are not welcome there. In 20^th century terminology it’s being referred to as the country club church. Where everyone is there to be served and everyone has to look or act a certain way in order to fit in. This pattern of church is in a slow march towards death and it is because we begin to lose the ability to forgive others and accept the fact that we all can fall sometimes. Today is there someone that you need to forgive. As Paul stated when a brother or sister in Christ causes pain to the body it impacts the whole body. Just as if you hurt your arm your whole body suffers for it.

Is it not in the best interest of the body to give forgiveness and restore those who have fallen, if they so desire to return. I pray that today you recognize the forgiveness you have received from Christ not just once but every day that you are given breath and begin to think about others the same way that Jesus thinks about you. We are all in need of forgiveness. I pray that this healing of your Church will begin with you. Be blessed as you walk in the light of God’s word.

Discipline of Prayer

I woke up this morning with this thought going across my mind; “You have not because you ask not.” I got up and started looking for this passage of scripture and it is found in James 4:2;

² You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. (ESV) 

I know I have heard it preached time and again and James is rather direct about why we fail to get what we ask for. It comes from having the wrong passions when we ask.

³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:3 (ESV) 

 We often ask for things not out of our need but out of our desires and wants. James explains that much of the evil and sin we see in the world comes from these passions of the flesh. As I think about this Jesus provided us with the model prayer and as I think about it more there are some critical points that I need to change in my own prayer life and maybe you do to. The first issue I realized was whose will am I praying?

¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

Do you have a laundry list of things you pray for? I do sometimes it causes me a lot of stress waiting on God to respond to my wants. I think one issue that causes this is because there is another passage of scripture John 14:14;

¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (ESV)

That is often thrown out there when we teach people to pray. After all this is a direct quote from Jesus Himself. However, like all scripture we need to examine the rest of those passages around this statement. Verse 13 is critical to a right understanding of how we are to pray.

¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13 (ESV)

Jesus has promised to do what we pray for IF it brings glory too the Father. How many of our prayers are focused on glorifying God? Trust me when I say that one truth will change how you pray. The discipline of prayer is something that requires humility as the center focus of your prayer life Jesus warns the disciples time and again that those with haughty hearts and worldly passions were only fooling themselves. He instructed them to:

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6 (ESV)

There is a little prayer found in Proverbs 30 that I recommend ever believer learn as part of their prayer life;

7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9 (ESV)

As we learn to pray it is desirable to approach the throne in humility remembering that without the humble sacrifice of Jesus Christ we would not even have the opportunity to go before God with our petitions. Ask yourself when you pray; who will get the glory out of what you’re asking? If the prayer you pray is answered will people see God at work or will they only see you? The answer to that question will help you determine if you are praying with the right passions. I pray God is glorified in all that you pray as you walk in the light of His word.

Our Mediator

The READ initiative from the Church of God is currently moving through the book of Job and as I was catching up on some of the days I had missed I was struck by these passages that are found in Job 9:32-35,

 

32God is not a mortal man like me, so I cannot argue with Him or take him to trial. 33 If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. 34 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of His punishment. 35 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.

 

I was struck by the description of the role of the mediator that Job desires to come. The concept of a mediator is someone who is looking to bring a solution to two parties that is acceptable to both. Job desires to have the attacks upon his person and family end, even if it means God kills him. However, it would be acceptable to him that God just stop the attacks. We know more of the story than Job does at this stage; we know that in heaven the devil has been given permission to test Job and God has allowed it to happen with specific limitations imposed.

 

Today does it seems like you are under an attack or that God has his sights set on your destruction? Do you feel like you have been singled out to receive His wrath? Trust me this feeling occurs to all people from time to time. It comes from two things first we don’t know and understand God’s real nature and secondly we don’t know how God really feels about us as His creation. As parents often we have to allow things to come into the lives of our children that we would rather they not endure. However, we must allow it to help them learn how to deal with life. It’s not always pleasant for the parent or the child sometimes it is even downright hard to stand back and watch. It goes against the nature of a loving parent not to try and help their child when they are in trouble.

 

The same thing can be said about our relationship with God. While he is unable to come to us directly because He is holy and can have not part in the sinful nature of mankind, He has provided us a mediator in His Son Jesus. Through Jesus we are able to come into His presence and make our pleas to God directly. Paul tells Timothy this and we read it in 1 Timothy 2:5;

 

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

 

It is through this mediation that we are reunited to our creator. While many will tell you there is no cost to accepting Christ I won’t lie to you about it. There is a great cost when you accept Christ as your mediator you must learn to surrender your self-will to His will. Just as when you enter into a courtroom with a lawyer Jesus is there to bring a defense for each of us. However, if we jump up and start shouting at the judge demanding he hear us out. We would be found in contempt the same thing applies when we go before God. It is not by our will that God allows us into His presence it is through the willful obedience of  the sacrifice of His Son that we have been given another chance to have fellowship with God.

 

Today do you know Jesus as your savior if so you also have a mediator who stands between you and God making intercession for you daily? If not; today you can change that by asking Jesus into your heart and surrendering your will to His. I pray you make a decision that will change your life. So as Job declares, “you would be able to speak to God without fear;” knowing the love he has for you. Have a blessed day.

Need for Solitude

During the past several years one of the things that has begun to catch my interest is spiritual development as a believer there are several areas of spiritual formation that in our culture that have fallen out of practice. One of these is the practice of solitude in our fast past world we are able to receive information constantly. To many this is just a fact of life. However, we are often overly connected to people and things that draw every bit of energy out of us. Have you ever started your day off feeling like Tony the Tiger only to wish you were back in bed by lunch time? This issue of over-activity and connectedness is not something new mankind has been working themselves to death since the beginning of time. Often we fail to recognize this; it can take many forms even our Christian ministry can become something that weighs on us and drags us down to the point we are ineffective. This is where the spiritual discipline of solitude comes in.

            Yes this is a real spiritual discipline we see it practiced throughout the New Testament and it was modeled for us by Jesus and he even instructed the disciples to participate in it. We see it in Mark 6:30-32:

30  The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. (ESV) 

Have you ever been too busy to eat? I have found myself in that situation and so have many of you. There are several other passages where Jesus withdraws from the crowds and even His disciples in order to pray, fast and recharge always returning with a heart of compassion for the hurting. We see this in Matthew 14:13-14;

 

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (ESV) 

Our desire as Christians is to be like Jesus in our actions and deeds we are to show love one to another and live lives that help bring glory to God. John Ortberg in his book The Life You Always Wanted shares a story about how he decided he was going to try to show people more love when he interacted with them. He goes on to say that loving people requires a lot of energy and that if he was going to develop a heart that could love others he would need to get more sleep. I have to say I agree with that statement as will many of you.

The spiritual discipline of solitude is where you can begin to grow and strengthen yourself for the work God has called you to. Today is a great day to start if you will slowdown long enough to realize you probably have times during your day when you are actually alone you can stop and catch your breath learn to relax and focus take the moment to pray. Thanking God for what he has given you  even if its just 5 minutes the change in your thoughts could change your attitude and help to prepare you for what is coming next. That was what Jesus showed his disciples when he told them to take a time for themselves. Today this same spiritual discipline is real and each of us who desires to love others and live lives that glorify God will need all the energy we can muster to do it. I recommend you begin taking time today to practice the discipline of solitude. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.