A Remedy for the Afflicted Soul

1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy (ESV)

    Paul found purpose and meaning in life through the ministry of the gospel. He was constantly in prayer (1:2, 3:10); daily making intercession and supplication on behalf of those he had shared the gospel with. Paul did not view this task as a burdensome duty; rather he would say “we were not only ready to share the gospel of God but also our own selves” (2:8). Paul was so affectionate of those he shared the good news with he did not just stop at the giving of the word but went so far as the giving of his own rights; physical, spiritual and emotional.
    I spent six months in Kenya sharing the gospel with a group of teens I got to know and cherish as my own children. As my time with them went on my affections for them grew deeper, longing as Paul longed that they might be found “standing fast in the Lord” (3:8). At times exhorting, encouraging, and charging them as a Father would his children (2:11-12). Other times I found myself taking on a more gentle approach, “like a nursing mother taking care of her own children” (2:7). Even to this day I have found purpose and meaning through the ministry of the gospel to these children. Remembering them in my prayers and eagerly awaiting an encouraging report (3:6). I am a blessed man, and have time and time again received those reports of their longing to see us once again.
    It is upon the receiving of these reports I can share in the quotations of Paul, “for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith” (3:7). My desire is that you would see the purpose and comfort to be found within the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are His ambassadors and have been entrusted with the task of allowing Christ to make his appeal of reconciliation through us. To this day few have known affliction and suffering like Paul has known, and yet it was in the laying down of his rights in these times that he found the most joy. In times of suffering our nature tells us to seek out all the help we can find for ourselves. But Paul would say in these times seek out the needs of others and see how you can help them, for there is found the best remedy, therapy and counseling for the afflicted soul.

Summit Bound

Psalm 119:75 I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me (ESV)

    Felt stranded and alone lately? Have you lost heart and become cast down? Wonder why the Lord allows affliction to befall upon his beloved? Have you been heading for the summit only to realize none but you have made it? I have spent most of my growing years on the mountain being that I am an avid snowboarder. In those years I have witnessed some of the most epic storms and yet been graced with some of the most beautiful calms. Days when I could not see my own hand in front of me and days when I could see as far as my eye would let me. There are no rules when it comes to predicting mountain weather, anything goes. One minute the sun can be shining and the next minute you can be caught up in a storm closing in.

    The higher up the mountain you go, the more keen your senses become to the reality of your position. Conditions worsen and the weather is often harsher at higher elevations. The summit is the place that takes on the most grueling weather. Some times for days it does not let up, whereas lower down on the mountain you can find calm from the storm. A true minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is nothing short of summit bound. He has been called to ascend to heights few others will know. The higher he goes the harder it will be to continue on. He can be assured of finding himself lonely as others turn back for calmer conditions. No doubt this same overwhelming sense of loneliness flooded our Savior in the garden of Gethsemane when He came back from prayer to find His most beloved disciples sleeping on the job (Mark 14:32-42). In that moment He realized His comfort came from the Father alone. Like David, He had learned how to “strengthen himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6). We should not look to vain things for our strength in the time of need, rather we must learn as Jesus did to cry out “Abba, Father.”

    The view from the summit is also the best. Although many days the visibility is next to none, when the storm does let up there’s no better place to see more clearly then at the summit. This is also true of the Minister. He will encounter storms unknown to most. It is in these storms his senses will also grow stronger then the average man. He will have to stand on the rock even when he has lost all sight of it. If he is going to make it, he must learn to navigate upon the rock by faith and not by the sight of it.

    Now if you have ever spent a season on the mountain you also know there are times of inversion. This means at some point you ascend above the cloud level and gain back all visibility. When lower down the mountain the people are stranded in a white out you can see for miles at the summit. Now the Shepherd can lead his blinded sheep for he has survived the most grueling of whiteouts known to the mountain. When the people have become cast down and have lost all hope of making it out alive; the Minister has vision to get them through. All the while sympathizing and having compassion on their condition.

    I also grew up on a river and have spent many years observing the flow of the water. When summer comes and the snow begins to melt the rivers are rushing with water. Although the water is much to cold to get in, there is an abundance of it. This season is quick to shift; as the snow begins to melt away the water calms down and warms up a little bit. It is now suitable for swimming and freely flowing for the people to enjoy. As a minister it is easy to start off strong and seem untouchable. But the ones who stop half way up the mountain will soon melt off and be no more. This man is not fit for the ministry. You cant sow in preservation and expect to reap in the benefits of sacrifice. To the sorrow of his people his journey will be short-lived.

    The people need a well seasoned Minister, one who has spent time on the summit of the mountain. Who in the late of summer still has enough snow to supply the riverbeds with fresh water. It is these Ministers, who have endured the storm that buried them, and now their storehouses are overflowing for business. They are not stingy in there dividing of the word, but with great diligence they pour out their souls on behalf of the needy. Rather then preserving their flesh they offer themselves as a living sacrifice for their people. It is their duty and privilege to exhaust their lives for Jesus. It is the man who can say with confidence,"I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me," that is fit for the building up of the saints.

Man Up

    I was reading Psalm 119 this morning and came across verse 18, my prayer then became; “Lord, open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Little did I know what I was asking for, but sure enough He was faithful to quickly answer that prayer. I then continued my morning reading in the book of Habakkuk and what I began to read was nothing short of wondrous. Its important to remember that the Prophets of old were not popular by any means. Often they were threatened, mocked and persecuted for the message they delivered. It was a message contrary to culture and generally did not go over well with the people. Now I say this because when you ask the Lord to see as He sees, your going to receive a similar message.

    What I saw this morning in Habakkuk was a conversation between a genuine man and the Lord that quickly resulted in change. I love any type of progression in the Scriptures, but today I couldn’t resist writing this one down. The first four verses of Habakkuk look a lot like most face book posts I see today. “So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.” Word it how you will, but the complaint remains the same, “why isn’t God doing something?” The Lord answers Habakkuk and gives him a glimpse of what is to come, the raising up of a “bitter and hasty nation.” 

    I love Habakkuk for many reasons, but the most pertinent reason is that he is honest and real with God about where he stands. For that I have to give him credit, but what he says next is almost hard to read (I think what’s hard about this next text is it reminded me so much of myself). Habakkuk responds by giving an analysis of Gods answer. He starts off by challenging the Lord, asking if He has forgotten of His own character? And then proceeds to tell the Lord (as if it had slipped His mind) His created and intended purpose for the Chaldeans and the injustice of their present actions. In other words he is saying, Lord what you have just told me about the Chaldeans is not what you meant to say, I think this is what you meant to say.

    Now as if that wasn’t enough, we get a glimpse at how spiritually prideful Habakkuk was. Being that he just gave a logical response to the Lord, one that in his eyes was more accurate and just, he prepares for the next “battle-round.” “I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” I cant help but laugh at the fallen nature of mankind in this verse. Go ahead throw the first stone, but at the end of the day you and I are no better then Habakkuk. I am actually willing to go to bat for Habakkuk because I can respect his genuine character, at least he is real with the Lord. His gaze was fixed upon himself. As we often find ourselves doing, he was already contemplating his next response before he received a reply. Not only that, but he talked of exalting himself to higher ground, as if by doing so he possessed the ability in his own strength to level himself with the Lord and see as He see’s. He placed himself on the same ball field as the Lord and that will never be true of mankind, even though the world screams equality.

    The Lord answered Habakkuk and gave him a little behind the scenes look at what was really going on. What I love about progression in the scriptures is that the change we see is nothing short of wondrous. Habakkuk’s response this time is what brought me to the point of this writing in the first place. If you want to see the justice of the Lord in the midst of this twisted generation, man up like Habakkuk and ask Him to show you. For he is both Righteous and Just. “God will not be mocked.” When He shows you, He will also instill in you a reverential fear of Him, that you might also say, “in wrath remember mercy.” Don’t forget the might of the Lord, how in a moment, in the blink of an eye, He can do as He wills; “The sun and the moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear.”

    If you are bold enough as Habakkuk, to take your complaints of the lack of justice before the Lord, be prepared to be shaken. “I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me.” Habakkuk was anything short of shaken up by this interaction with the Lord, but he also came out seeing as the Lord sees. He knew where his strength came from. He now knew the only one who could take him to the high places. He now knew that “the righteous shall live by his faith.” Fruit or no fruit, his trust was in the Lord, who knows all and sees all and is in control of all. One thing he knew, he was saved from eternal damnation and in that would he rejoice.

    The name Habakkuk means “embrace”; to seize eagerly; to lay hold on; to receive or take that which is offered. This book is a beautiful illustration of what it looks like to embrace a relationship with the Living God. Habakkuk knew he had a right to relationship with the Lord and he fully embraced that right. The Spirit and the Bride say come to all who thirst and receive the water of life without price (Revelation 22:17). Come freely! Habakkuk came freely, his only requirement was to come and of that command he fulfilled. Not only did he come, he embraced this invitation with passion and affection. When is the last time you got intimate with the Lord. Go and embrace him, for their he will answer you.

In Too Deep

    Found yourself at the Red Sea? To far in to turn back? Is the world pressing in behind you and yet what’s in front is no route for escape? Fear not, for our brother Moses found himself in this same place. Not to mention the million plus he was leading during this epic moment in history. Moses had lead the people to the point of no return, behind them was desert and in front of them was the Red Sea. They had no boats to cross and yet they could not turn back because the Egyptian army was closing in on them. They had one choice, press on.

    Don’t think this was an easy decision for Moses. He faced great opposition from the Israelites and had to act fast or soon they would all be dead. What allowed Moses to stay so calm in this time, wasn’t he filled with thoughts of doubt and fear? Wouldn’t he be lacking self-confidence? How did he keep the people calm? Why didn’t he snap under the pressure? When the Israelites were looking back at the Egyptians, Moses’ gaze was fixed upon his Savior. When our gaze is fixed on the distractions of this world we will be overcome with fear and doubt and see no way out. But when our gaze is fixed on the Lord, our souls will say; “fear not, stand firm” and behold “the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13).

     Are you at a place in your walk, where you know there is no turning back, yet you see no way of continuing on? “Lift up your staff,” for it was then the sea parted and they found dry ground to travel upon. Christian, your staff is the Word of God. Now Moses was not lifting something he was unfamiliar with. This staff had not left his side in forty years and the Lord had already made known to him the power it possessed. When Moses held his staff it meshed perfectly with his hand. He knew what he was holding and it brought him great comfort, holding him up through times of weariness.

    The physical relationship between Moses and his staff is a direct correlation to our spiritual relationship with the Word of God. Does your bible fit your hand like a glove, or has it been a while since you have opened it up. Or maybe your like Moses, who in time of trouble already had his staff with him so he didn’t need go looking for it, he just lifted it up. Is the Word of God dwelling richly within your soul, or are you lost searching for your weapon in the time of battle. Oh that the scriptures would be bound “on your heart always” and tied “around your neck”, so that “when you walk, they will lead you” (Proverbs 6:21-22).

    Been overcome by the world lately? Take heart, for Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). When faced with the impossible, lift up your staff. Know the power the scriptures hold and stand firm on those promises before the fullness of the promise can ever be seen. Often times the Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent (Exodus 14:14). Don’t run back to Egypt before the battle is won, rather see as “Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians.” Christian join in song with the Israelites (Exodus 15), for the battle is won.

The Long Awaited Return

    Believer? Has your child walked away from the Lord? Discouraged and left without hope? Take heart, for God is faithful, even when we are faithless. Don’t miss the beauty of this truth and the personal application within. It was Hosea who so sacrificially set the example. For he was to marry a whore, who would be unfaithful in their marriage. And all the while in this whoredom, Hosea’s love would grow deeper for his wife. Yet their would be no reciprocity to his love for her, even to the point that she would become the wife of another man. But still Hosea sold his possessions to buy back the mother of own his children. He remained faithful, though she was unfaithful. Sounds awfully familiar doesn’t it? In the context of our relationship with the Lord, we are the whore (so says the text). All we bring to the table is whoredom, yet God remains faithful. Isn’t the revelation of this truth what brings us back to the Lord every time. We constantly fail and chose other gods and still He is always faithfully awaiting our return. It is this truth that brings us back in a state of rejoicing. It is at this truth we find our hands raised high in humble adoration of our faithful savior.
   
    Lets take this now one step further. Wasn’t it the faithfulness of the prodigals sons father that brought him back. For he remembered of his father, how even his servants were taken care of (Luke 15:17). Although he walked away, the fathers faithfulness left an everlasting impression on the heart of this prodigal son. In his worldly pursuits he was left empty handed and hungry, never finding the comfort he had seen demonstrated in his fathers house.
  
    Christian, this is my exhortation to you. Stay faithful and hold fast to the truth. When your children have wandered away from the faith, do not wander with them. Do not make exceptions and change your beliefs to comfort them in their affliction. Rather remain faithful and obedient to the Lord, that you might comfort them in the day of their return. For surely one day, your child will look upon your faithfulness to the Lord, and return home in all humility.
   
    The biggest witness of a believing parent to a non believing child is an unwavering faith. It was the faith of my own mother, who never compromised her relationship with the Lord in the time of my wandering that brought me back. For this world left me empty and searching, but the warming memory of my fathers house brought me back to a right standing relationship with the Lord.

    Now I never said this would be easy. Just as Hosea who loved and saw no reciprocity, you might find yourself loving your child even in the times they show no love back to you. This might require for you to sell off some of your possessions. Giving up your own freedom and time to make intercession on behalf of your child’s soul. For in every season there is a time to sow and a time to reap. For even in the story of the prodigal son, their would have been no fattened calf to celebrate with had their not been countless days of watching after it. Fatten your calf, be persistent in prayer, that you might share in the testimony of the prodigal son, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24).

How Deep the Fathers Love for Us

    Believer, have you found yourself on the run? Have you ventured back to the land of Egypt, have you returned to play in your own vomit? Fear not for it was on the run the Lord meet with Jonah. It was there the Lord appointed a hindrance; not to pay him back, but to bring him back. What a beautiful illustration of new covenant truth, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. The most wicked of them all, and still you will not find a man or woman that Christ did not come to die for. Salvation is for all, Christ’s steadfast love is just a call away.

    Let us not take lightly the context of Jonah. He was on the run, trying to flee from the presence of the Lord. It was there he found himself in the deepest darkest place known to mankind. The mysterious unknown depths of the ocean, a place still undiscovered to this day even by the brightest of scientists coupled by their most cunning technology. Not to mention Jonah was in the belly of a fish, a place no man has ever found himself before and lived to tell of it. Do not let these profound truths hinder you from believing this day, rather let your souls marinate in them. Could it be you have found yourself in a dark place? Christian, have you backslidden? Non-believer has your folly got you into a heap of trouble? Do you feel as though you have landed yourself in the belly of the fish? Fear not, only fear the one that can save you, and turn to him. For the Lord says, “If you turn at my reproof, behold I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you” (Proverbs 1:23). Don’t be numbered among the ones who would not listen, as for them they have already received their reward.

    It was in Jonah’s distress he cried out. Has distress taken over your soul? What a simple call to Jesus will do. Feel as though you have gone to deep, like the waves have taken over. Feel not, for He has redeemed Jonah’s life from the pit. It is in this state the Lord saves, it is here the Lord hears, it is now He speaks. Vomit him out on dry land he said to the fish, and so will it be with your soul. From the miry clay will He place your feet upon the rock, on His Son Jesus Christ. Is your life fainting? For it is their Jonah remembered the Lord, it was there his prayer made it to the holy temple. Faint no more, call upon the Lord your God and be saved!

Oil or Blood?

Psalm 72:14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight (ESV)

    Believer…is thy blood precious in thou sight? We live in a time were oil has become more precious then blood. We will kill and destroy lives over the matter. We have fallen enslaved to the things of this world. We, the very ones that were given dominion over all, have become the predecessors. It is a sad day to the one who has received this revelation. The fruit of this tragedy is desolation, division and hostility amongst the people. What will it take for the most precious resource of all to take back its righteous standing? We must view blood through the lens of Christ before it will become precious again. For none is more precious than the blood of Jesus. This sacrificial love that was shed out for you and I was one of demonstration. We love because He first loved us.

    Now don’t fall into the same trap that I have thinking this only applies to the Hitler’s of this world. For even believers have lost the true value of the blood. I make this general assumption based on the condition of the body. If we truly saw the blood of another as precious, wouldn’t we go to great lengths to see to it that this precious blood would become eternal. For all around us are mortal men and women, who’s bodies are wasting away, whose blood is failing them and are in desperate need of a blood transfusion. They need the blood of Christ, to wash away their sins that they might find life, and life more abundantly. I want us to look at the life of a few men who were truly impacted by the blood of Christ, and the marks they bore in response to this divine revelation. “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we are in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor. Working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things” (1 Corinthians 4:10-13).

    Fellow servant, do you bear these marks? Have you forgotten the hands and side of Christ, pierced and wounded for our transgressions. It was upon Jesus revealing His wounds He also would commission His disciples saying, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21). To be a true follower of Christ, to daily bear ones cross will come with a price. A true disciple will bear the marks, the same marks thy savior bore, to the point of no longer possessing human semblance. To share in His sufferings, His open flesh rubbing against the splintery wood of the rugged cross. And it was all because of your blood, the joy set before Him, that He so graciously endured. We must swim against the grain of our culture, no longer looking like we come from the same planet. For our citizenship is in heaven, and of that citizenship we are ambassadors. Let the precious blood of Christ be your lens for perspective, motivation and zeal as you venture out in faith.

A Man of Prayer Refined by a Heart of Anguish

    As of late the Lord has burdened my heart with the current condition and state of our Nation more then ever. It has only been in times of earnest prayer that I have been able to gain a healthy perspective on this matter. The darkness of our nation is a dangerous place for the believer lacking worldview. Without an intimate abiding and communion in the Light, this present darkness will overpower all else. But it is in times of fellowship, abiding and prayer that we gain the perspective needed. It is there we receive a glimpse of light. It is there when the things of this world begin to fade away, and all of sudden the things that once seemed impossible now seem possible in the presence of the Almighty. I am taken back by the overwhelming revelation of the one who is “mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1). Who could stop all mankind in their tracks in this very moment, and bring upon all creation a keen awareness of the Spirit of Christ, drawing all to a place of being sold out for Jesus. Leaving behind all they know and following the one who knows all.

    The Lord has been speaking to me on this matter, through the life of Daniel. The character of Daniel is one that still cries out relevant today. Daniels life of burden, due to his many visions, was counteracted by a life of prayer. His burden would fuel his prayers. The burden kept him dependent upon God, for without insight, perspective and understanding it would seem to much to bear. What we must not fail to mention, and what I believe is our “ah-ha” moment, is Daniels devotion to his prayer life. For sake of illustration your in a prayer meeting and Daniel is in your midst. He spouts out a well balanced, beautifully piercing to the heart, masterpiece of a prayer. If you would have asked Daniel, “How long did it take you to prepare for that prayer?” His response would have been, “A lifetime.”

    We are told of Daniel right before the Lions den; “He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10). He did not beautifully compose his latter prayer in the ninth chapter at random, this was not his first time praying. He was not following some formula or trying for the first time something he heard at last weekends seminar or pastors conference. That prayer was one cultivated over many years of devotion, heart-felt, Savior directed, bearing a sign of authenticity, humility and dependence. There is only one way to learn how to pray like that, and that is to abide in prayer all the days of your life. Not just the days when you are in the den, and a pack of lions are surrounding you. Or when that radical vision comes and your heart caves in. But everyday; through the good, the bad and the ugly. Then will it be said of you as was said of Daniel; “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:12). Oh that you might long for this to read…“Fear not, (Dear Reader), for from the first day that you…”

    My prayer for you is that the Lord might revive in you a spirit of prayer. One that comes with a heavy burden, that you might be fueled into a deeper communion and dependence upon the Savior of this world. That it would be because of your prayers we see the God of this universe shine in all His glory upon this desolate nation.

Are you Living Like an Orphan?

John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (ESV)

    Oh that we would not mistake this statement for that of the second coming. Believer…Jesus is back! He has left us and come again in the form of His promised Spirit. Are you living like an Orphan? Awaiting the second coming and numb to the present indwelling Spirit of Christ. He left us that he might come to make His home in us. “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Jesus has not left His children, for He is with us now! To the world, they no longer see him, for their perception is that of the physical realm. But for us believers, we live not by sight but by faith. A belief that when Jesus said it was to the advantage of His believers He go, that they might receive the Helper (John 16:7), He truly meant it.
    
    I write this in hopes of stirring up your present faith. Jesus has promised us life, and it is through His current state of living that we might find this promise. “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). When you come to Jesus, where do you go looking for Him. Are you guilty of going to the tomb as I have? For we both know there He will not be found. But yet still I approach His throne expecting no encounter, expecting no interaction, fellowship or communion. It is as if I believe He is still in the tomb, yet we are instructed the living will not be found among the dead (Luke 24:5). It is time I get out of the tomb. It is time I quit wandering around aimlessly like an orphan. For I am an adopted child of the Living God. When I come to Him, I have aim. My aim is the fellowship obtainable through the risen Savior. I must expect an encounter, I must expect intimacy, relationship, fellowship and communion. It is only then will I find Christ, when I approach him as that of the living.

    What confidence we should have as children to approach His throne in boldness, and yet what fear we should walk in knowing that we don’t deserve such an invitation. What reverence we should have for the Holy One who has made it all possible. What joy this should fill us with, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11).

Spit...Mud...Go?

John 9:7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing (ESV)

    Lets imagine for a minute, you have come before the Lord in supplication, making your request known before him. For the sake of illustration, your asking the Lord what you ought to do with your life. It is then the Lord speaks to you, and tells you He’s sending you to a foreign land, where He has prepared a work for you to walk in. You begin rejoicing over the promise and direction you have just received, but it isn’t long before your rejoicing turns into doubt. Upon giving you this promise the Lord also tells you that you will blindfolded during your travels. All of a sudden the direction given doesn’t seem so clear. You begin to question the Lord, asking him if you cant see, then how will you ever make it there? Due to your finite reasoning, you have forgotten the promise that He just made with you.

    Now, we need look no further then the healing of the blind man to see this very illustration played out before us. Only what we will see is the faith of a blind man, not limiting the word of God by his finite reasoning, but believing in the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37). As I was reading this chapter, I started asking the Lord, why would he cover this mans eyes with mud. Wouldn’t this mud make it harder for him to see. But the Lord quickly responded with an answer, that’s right, it would make it harder for him to see. But it will also require him to have a greater faith in my word, ultimately bringing glory to my name as I work through what man has deemed impossible (vs3).

    The blind man did not count the further limiting of the mud against the works of the Lord. Rather in faith, he went to the pool, the pool which means sent. I’m sure the word “Go,” was ringing so clear in his ear, empowering him as he walked not by sight but by faith. Standing firmly on the promise that he had been sent on mission with an anointing from Jesus of Nazareth. To no surprise the man went, washed and came back seeing! The Lord is forever sending out the message to his saints to GO (Matthew 28:18-20). Only it may be with that commissioning things begin to look a little muddy. We need not worry, for Jesus is sending us out with an anointing. The anointing is found in the washing of our spiritual eyes with the word of God. The eternal pool, the only pool that holds the authority of a sure promise (Psalm 33:11). As we immerse ourselves in the pool of Gods word, the things once muddy will look so clear, the things of this world will begin to take on their proper perspective. We to will share in this testimony, “though I was blind, now I see.”

Been Entrusted with Much?

John 4:42 It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the savior of the world (ESV)

    Entrusted with Much? Yeah, Its something every follower of Jesus has, it’s a daily occurrence and in the English language we refer to it as a testimony, although its much more then a word. We pick verse 42 up in the midst of a progression, the story begins in verse seven when we first see the women at the well introduced. It’s a story of an unrepentant sinner filled with the guilt and shame of her hidden adulterous lifestyle, and a beautiful testimony of how Jesus met her right where she was at. Proceeding her encounter with Jesus, we pick up in verse 28 and it tells that’s same day she, “left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’” A simple testimony, no more then a few words, and yet…Jesus used it? So I ask myself…how so simple, but yet so fruitful? Doesn’t it take the Billy Grahams of the day to accomplish such a task? Clearly that is not the case here, we a see a forgiven sinner, a new convert at that, and the Lord using her to further His kingdom.

    We are told in verse 39, it was this woman’s testimony (of only eight words) that would lead many Samaritans to come to believe in Christ. How could it be? We have all been entrusted with a testimony, but with an entrustment comes great responsibility. Believer, I wonder have you taken for granted what the Lord is doing in and through your life. Paul would instruct Timothy in regards to his testimony, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). Paul would say we have been entrusted with this message of salvation not for our own sake but for the sake, purpose, praise and glory of the Lord.

    Has your testimony been a vehicle in the hand of God that he has made his appeal through? Don’t miss the doors that were opened through the sharing of the adulterous woman’s testimony. It lead people to Christ, and upon coming to Him, many more came to believe because of His word. Your testimony is a vehicle, and when offered up as a sacrifice it will burn, creating the sweet smelling aroma of Jesus’ divine grace. It is that aroma that will awaken the spiritual senses of the dead soul. It will no longer be your testimony ringing in their ears, but it will be the very words of Christ welling up inside of them. Her testimony was but a catalyst, that they too might know for themselves and believe through an encounter with their risen Savior. “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” A great entrustment indeed!

How Hard Can It Be?

John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (ESV)

    I see a progression in this section of scripture that is worthy of notice. Philip first appears in verse 43, when Jesus calls him in saying, “Follow me.” The only thing we are told about Philip is where he is from. Then directly after his call, Philip finds a man named Nathanael, he goes on to tell him about Jesus of Nazareth. Then Philip challenges Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus for himself. I see a threefold procession taking place; one that I believe is the Jesus style of disciple making. First we receive the call, second we find another person, tell them about Jesus, and third we give them the same invitation to come and follow. To look even deeper into this procession we need go no further then the great commission Jesus gave to His disciples Himself. I find it no coincidence we see the same procession in the great commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). We see the call to go, the invitation extended to another to enter into the triune community of the godhead, and the telling them of Jesus, or as worded here teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us believers.
    Believer we must not stop there for the most vital piece of this methodology has yet been discussed. In the great commission we see one vital component throughout the whole, that is Jesus. As his disciples we are to go in his authority and have received the promise he is to be eternally with us as we go. What a promise! As we give the invite, “come and see”, we need not fear for He is with us. I rejoice in this beautiful illustration found in the gospel of John. We must note that Jesus knew of Nathanael before Philip ever came into contact with him. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree I saw you.” It was not Philips responsibility to get the job done, for Jesus knew of this man before the foundation of time. Philip was just the messenger in this scene, but Jesus knew the work he had for Nathanael to walk in long before Philip ever gave him the invitation (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus is faithful to complete the good work began (Philippians 1:6), we simply must be willing and yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, that he might make his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Application:
My prayer today is to be more yielded to the leading, guiding and directing of the Holy Spirit. Trusting and believing as I am lead to give the invitation, “come and see,” Jesus already knows the one I’m giving it to, and is obligated by promise to be with me as I fulfill His great commission.