Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. – James 4:5-10

With the institution of Coronavirus social distancing I’ve entered into the realm of internet live-stream gatherings. While I anticipated that with this physical distancing would come diminished spiritual engagement among the Body of Christ, that’s not been the case.

There have been Sunday services, Zoom Prayer meetings for Youth ministry, Coronavirus intervention, Healing services, Instagram prayer sessions, prayer efforts focussed on revival, drive-through prayer events as well as on-site prayer times outside of area hospitals. Prayer is not being stifled but is rising up.

Why?

I’ve recently been meditating on James 4:5 where James basically challenges believers with, “Do you trust scripture as God’s word?” “Is it true or do you think it is all in vain – meaning that it will be without success or a result?” “Do you really believe that the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?”

Clearly, Coronavirus is not of God. It is a result of a corrupt, fallen world and a tool of the enemy to “steal, kill and destroy”. But, our God is using it to cause that Spirit within us to rise up yearning jealously.

The Greek word for Yearns is Epipotheo – to long for, to pursue with love, to even lust for. The Spirit within us lusts with jealousy/envy for what? For our heart, mind and soul. For our attention and trust in His goodness, righteousness and truth. That our hearts desire would be for God and would look beyond the temporal things of this world and desire the things of God.

Coronavirus is not the all-powerful being – THE loving God is.

The yearning jealously is like the bubbling magma building up pressure beneath the volcano. It is causing an eruption of desires crying out to God for Him to show up to be real and powerful and relational.

How is this Possible?

Last night one of the Cable News Talking Heads did a segment on the models used for predicting number of deaths from Coronavirus. The positive news was the the IHME modeling revised their prediction of Coronavirus deaths in the US down from their original estimate of 240,000 to 61,000. A huge drop! Praise God!

Some people may presume that the drop was due to effective social distancing. But, the reality is that social distancing was already built into the original modeling of 240,000 deaths. The scientific community is at a loss as to why the trending has dropped so significantly.

It could be just bad modeling or is it something else? Has the Spirit of our engaging God used this scourge of Coronavirus to cause His Spirit to yearn earnestly within His people? And . . . He is responding?

One of my favorite scriptures is also found in James chapter 4 with verse 8 – “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” It is a relational dynamic you see between God and His people throughout scripture. God is constantly, through creation and by His Spirit, beckoning us with open arms. His Spirit is yearning Jealously within us for Him to be our sole desire. As we then sincerely draw near to God, He responds by moving in with power!

On this Good Friday – the day we honor Jesus, our Savior for showing up to be the ultimate sacrifice for our crimes, let’s keep on drawing near. Our loving God is responding as the Spirit of God erupts, causing us to draw near and God is reciprocating to show up again and again with all of who He is.

The world may not see it or understand it but we know who deserves the credit . . .

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Psalm 105:1

 

 

And while He was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over His head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. – MARK 14:3-11

This Passage was our Church’s Holy Week Devotional for Wednesday.

It took me back to messages I posted in February about keeping a Sabbath Life.

The Old ‘Martha Vs Mary’ Syndrome

A number of years back, our church , in regular support of one of our inner-city ministry partners, went out to their surrounding neighborhood to do yard work. As part of this outreach a group formed the “Prayer Team”. We went around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, introducing the neighbors to the local ministry and asking if there was anything we could pray for them about. I was surprised by how many welcomed the prayer – for serious issues including illness, finances, addiction, family dysfunction, etc. We prayed with several who embraced the Gospel and committed to follow Christ.

However, there was an interesting dynamic within the overall serving team. There were a few of those doing yard work who poked fun at the ‘Prayers’ indicating, “Why don’t you guys pick up a rake and do some real work?” Some of it was being playful but not all.

The truth was/is that I am an introvert and hate knocking on doors and talking to strangers. It could have been much easier for me to pick up a rake and start serving in that way. Am I saying that one way of serving/engaging with God was more valuable than the other – raking vs praying? No. It is a matter of how we are being led to engage with God through service and whatever that is, it is being done unto the Lord.

While serving and giving to the poor is sacrificially hard and challenging, dare I say for some, it can be the easier road to take. ‘Doing’ rather than ‘Being’ can come easier and more culturally acceptable to some people. Often the ‘Do-ers’ look down with disdain at the ‘Be-ers’ as slothful slugs. Our culture applauds the ‘Do-ers’.

It’s fascinating to me the way this passage is translated in the ESV. Jesus is indicating that serving the poor (while scripture clearly identifies it as a high priority) is almost dismissive as something that is always around that can be done anytime. Certainly, there is no lack of opportunity. But sometimes we think of it as the highest priority. The truth is that in the world we now live in, we can never do enough to eradicate all that leaves so many in a poor condition. It and they will always be with us.

Jesus is teaching that this time of intimate caring and relational tenderness with God should be a priority. Yet, even as the woman lavishly interacted with Jesus, what was she doing? She was serving. Even in the serving we look to that as the opportunity for intimate relationship with our God. Jesus declares in Matthew 25:40, “. . . inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Still, in my humble opinion, that is not the best of intimacy with God. Serving those who the King loves is not quite the same as sitting down and being in the King’s presence, lavishing our praise upon Him and enjoying all He has to lavish upon us. Allowing God to restore and replenish us. Is that selfish of us? No, actually we are in relationship with a jealous God who desires our full attention.

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. . . James 4:4-6

Those in ministry can experience the burden of the endless onslaught of the needy. They can easily get caught up in exhaustion from striving to meet every need. Jesus says, “Do a beautiful thing with me!” He then will guide, direct and empower us to do a beautiful thing with the ‘Poor’ around us.

In these current days of ‘Coronavirus stay-at-home social distancing’, during our highest, Holy Week, what better time for many of us to take the time for intimate, one-on-one engagement with our engaging God?

And, if the voices are saying to us, that we aren’t ‘doing’ enough when we choose to ‘be’ in dedicated time with God, let Jesus stand up to defend us basically saying, “Back off!” . . .

“Leave them alone. Why do you trouble them? They are doing a beautiful thing to me!”

The “Crown” Virus

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Certainly, James could not have been referring to the Coronavirus when speaking of trials we face? What Joy should we consider in the midst of it’s insidious pain, death and destruction?

Actually, God has his own ‘Coronas’ in mind for those who persevere to be mature and complete as imitators of Jesus.

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Corona: Loosely defined as “Crown”

• In Astronomy, it’s the rarefied gaseous envelope of the sun and other stars.
• In Physics, it’s the glow around a conductor at high potential.

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While this temporal ‘Crown Virus’ seeks to kill and destroy, the Bible refers to the everlasting Coronas promised Christ-Followers from God when enduring trials and as a reward for faithfulness – Crowns of Righteousness, Life and Glory.

1. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:8
2. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12
   • I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Revelation 2:10 
3. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. – 1 Peter 5:4

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The 3rd Healing Encounter Night

The Sunday before last I attended the 3rd Healing Encounter Night with Dr. Chauncey Crandall. In the midst of the President’s call for a National Day of Prayer on Sunday, March 15th, there was a growing call to limit meetings of large groups. Many Churches including my own home church were led to close our doors and to meet via the amazing technology we now have.

Not all churches made the same choice for that Sunday. Some felt God’s leading and met as a congregation in their place of worship. Before Sunday, I wondered if Dr. Crandall and his team would decide to cancel and forgo meeting together under the growing threat of Coronavirus. Here you have Dr. Crandall, a highly-regarded man of Science as well as a man of great Faith. Would he be led by the overwhelming consensus of the medical community and the many other voices or by God’s leading, if different?

For Dr. Crandall, there was no question. Just before Paul writes of the crown of righteousness in 2 Timothy 4:8, he directs in verse 5, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” After all, this would be a night of God’s healing and a time to honor the call for a National Day of Prayer. Only by God’s leading did the event go on as scheduled.

Continue reading →

My apologies for the premature release of yesterday’s post: Dipping My Toes Into A Powerful Surf. Somehow an earlier version that did not include my conversation with Joe got posted. Below is the revised portion at the end of the post with Joe’s testimony of the evening . . .

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. . . While I was kind of hoping to experience the Holy Spirit knocking me down and turning me inside out, I’m guessing God knew I didn’t need that. What He provided for me was a fullness of joy that was more than enough. And one more thing I know . . . I’ll take another dose of that!

Follow-up on my friend Joe

I just recently spoke with Joe. He was excited and the memory of the Night of Hope and Healing has stayed clear in his mind. Joe exclaimed that it was the most powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit he had ever experienced. He went to the event with no intention to be ministered to, but only to assist in the setup for the evening. But, when Dr. Crandall began to minister in prayer, Joe found himself in the middle of the swirling tide.

In the midst of his crumbling personal life and the fading reality of Alzheimers, Joe was overcome by God’s presence – reassuring Joe of how much God values him and loves him, and will be there to care for him. What I had hoped for, for myself, is what God did for Joe. He was left feeling turned inside out – spiritually and emotionally healed from the inside out.

I also spoke with Joe’s close friend who had invited him down to the event. Since then she has had almost daily phone calls with him, and said that while he is still dealing with his dementia, she attests that ever since that evening his speech pattern has changed – no more stammering and stuttering. He’s more clear-headed and his speech is smoother. She surmized that it was God’s healing touch from that evening.

God’s healing is not always what we expect. But, God heard the cry of Joe’s heart and God poured His love into Joe’s life and for good measure – He touched Joe’s tongue.

“At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” Mark 7:35

But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”– 2 Kings 5:11-15

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That’s it. I’m going!

I wasn’t sure because of other commitments how I would get there, but I was going.

It’s called ‘A Night of Hope and Healing’ – an event in South Florida being hosted by Dr. Chauncey Crandall. Dr. Crandall is a highly-regarded cardiologist and surgeon – a man of science. He is also a dynamic Christian who has diligently and passionately pursued the power of God and has (as promised in Hebrews 11:6) been rewarded by God to be used in miraculous ways.

I’d never been to a major healing event before but this one was being organized by my Brother-in-Christ, Tim, who I have known for years (He officiated my Daughter’s wedding). Tim had called out of the blue one day and filled me in on the continued movement of the Holy Spirit in new ways across churches in South Florida. Knowing Tim, there was no doubt that what He was describing was new to him. I had been seeing God begin moving in new ways in my dynamic but fairly conservative New England church. So, I had to check this out.

As I prayed in advance of going, excited by what I had heard and in anticipation of great things a memory flooded into my mind:

Years ago, I visited one of my brothers in Hawaii. He took me on a tour of Oahu and as we toured we checked out the powerful and infamous surf of North Shore. When we arrived, due to a recent storm, the surf was even more monstrous than usual. Yet, there were no surfers. I was surprised and confused when I saw signs on the beach well away from the water’s edge warning to not go any further. What? Come on! The shore line seemed a mile away.

I didn’t see any lifeguards so I decided that the warning must have been for high tide. I crossed the line to get closer and to just dip my toes into the famous waters. I didn’t want to surf or swim or wade into the waters, just to dip my toes in.

Immediately, a life guard popped up from out of nowhere and came running at me screaming to get back.

He startled me and I threw my hands up calling out, “Really? Okay, okay.” I shook my head in disgust at his ‘overreaction’ but complied and went back.

Sure enough, moments later a huge, thunderous wave rose up and dropped onto the beach like a bomb exploding. The spray shot high into the air. The churning, swirling waters raced up to the signs I had just passed. The monster swirled for a bit and then receded, sucking everything that had been on the beach out to sea.

The power, the speed and the havoc of it all took my breath away.

Resisting the Spirit of Naaman

While praying with that memory filling my mind, it struck me that for most of my life while walking with Jesus, I have wanted to just dip my toes into the power of God’s Holy Spirit but afraid that I may be caught up and dragged away to a place I was fearful of going. To find myself isolated and bobbing in a sea of the supernatural. I lived something like the spirit of King Naaman, who wanted God’s healing touch but wanted it his way – resisting how God would dictate.

But, now I believe I’m at the point where my heart is more willing to go where God directs and willing to see what God will do in whatever way he wants to do it.

After all, what’s to be afraid of, if it’s truly God’s doing?

The event was located near West Palm Beach, Florida where my Daughter and Son-In-Law live. They are familiar with Dr. Crandall’s reputation for medical excellence (In fact he is a client of my Son-in-Law’s firm) and when they heard about this side of Dr. Crandall, they were surprised and intrigued.

Both my daughter and I attend wonderful churches where God is moving in amazing ways but where the sign gifts aren’t particularly emphasized. I called my Daughter only to ask if she would give me a ride to the event and she and my Son-in-law immediately said they wanted to join me. Awesome!

The event was at 6pm on a Sunday. So that Sunday, I attended worship and taught a class on the ‘Character of Christ’ at my church in Connecticut. From there I hustled off to catch the flight to Florida and had my daughter and Son-in-Law pick me up to go learn something of the ‘Charisma of Christ’. We went straight to the campground where it was being held – old tent revival style. After walking with Christ for almost 40 years, this was the first event of its kind I had ever attended. For all of us this was our “First Rodeo”.

We were late and missed the worship and the testimony by Todd Shoemaker – a man I’ve met who thrives on God’s sustenance in the midst of a seemingly never-ending string of life-threatening illnesses.

We approached the huge tent packed with a crowd that spilled out beyond its perimeter. The night was clear with a full moon and a cool breeze that I’d swear accelerated and swirled every time Dr. Crandall called on the Holy Spirit.

My anticipation and excitement for what God was going to do kept building. We settled in at the back of the crowd. I prayed as I fixated on a strange glow that seemed to hang over the tent.

I will admit that I went with some reservation knowing there would likely be certain things that, theologically, I’d be uncomfortable with. Indeed, there were a few things that caught my attention. But, I resisted the attitude of Naaman and decided to not pre-judge but to let God’s truth reign in me.

Dr. Crandall took the stage just as we arrived and shared stories of the amazing healing God has worked in people’s lives through him. It struck me as all due to his willing faithfulness to stretch himself in pursuit of all God wants to do through him. He made it clear that any ministry of healing was the avenue for those to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He then gave a clear message of the Gospel highlighting how sin drags us down to the lowest level and how God’s grace rescues us. He then extended an invitation to those who didn’t know Christ. To God’s glory and to their joy several accepted that invitation.

Then Dr. Crandall invited those who wanted prayer for healing to come forward. One of the reasons I felt led to race down from Connecticut to attend the event was because I was asked by Tim to do a “write-up” documenting the experience. I moved up front, but off to the side, with the mindset of a journalist, not for my own healing but to soak in and absorb the overall experience.

The Doctor asked that the sickest and most needy would be allowed to come forward first. He began praying for those who were brought right up front in wheel chairs and suffering from ALS, neurological disorders and mental issues.

The rest of the crowd couldn’t resist and pressed forward. Dr. Crandall tried to organize the group asking them to line up but the swirling desire of those wanting to be touched by God was too great. They pressed in. He would pray and move on and His team would continue to pray.

I was feeling overwhelmed by the crush of the crowd and the tremendous need of the people. It made me think of the crush of the desperate crowds that Jesus ministered to.

Then the image of that North Shore beach and the churning waters that swirled and lingered for a moment came back fresh into my mind. It was the power of the Holy Spirit mixing with the people, churning like frothy living water. It ebbed and flowed and sloshed following Dr. Crandall as he moved. The great, frothy tidal pool swirled around him.

Then my eyes were drawn to one head bobbing above the churning sea of spirit and humanity. A face filled with emotion crying out to God. I adjusted my focus and to my shock, it was a friend named Joe, from my church in Connecticut. Joe was suffering from early onset dementia. His deepest desire was to have his mind set straight by God’s power. Friends drew him out of the crowd and continued praying for him. They led him away before I could get across the crowd to join him.

The prayers continued. Here and there I would hear people crying out their thanks for God’s healing touch. A few people stumbled away after Dr. Crandall’s prayer and I asked how they were. They beamed. Some couldn’t even speak, unable to come up with words that could adequately describe what God had just done and they simply hugged me. Others declared their joy with simple superlatives like, “Great”, “Awesome”, “Fantastic”.

I watched as periodically, Dr. Crandall would put his hand on someone’s forehead and they would drop below the surface gently floating to lie on the soft seabed. (of course, there was a team there ready to catch those falling, being overcome by the instantaneous power and peace of God).

I had to laugh as I watched one particular woman who appeared to be simply trying to move past Dr. Crandall through the crowd. He reached up, placing his hand on her forehead as she passed. She dropped like a stone. The team was quick to catch her and after a few minutes she was helped up shaking her head and beaming with joy.

As the tide receded and the crowd began to thin, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the smaller tidal pool puddles of prayer that were left behind – groups gathering to pray for those that lingered. The Lord generously gave me some words of hope and encouragement for others.

When Dr. Crandall had a moment, Tim introduced me. The doctor placed his hand on my forehead and began to pray. He blessed me with my heart’s desire that God would use my writing in ways that would further His Kingdom. I’ll admit I was hoping that the Spirit would knock me down and turn me inside out. That didn’t happen. All I sensed as he prayed was a feeling of deep relaxation as if resting on a comfortable couch.

After Dr. Crandall prayed for me I realized that I had lost track of my family and went to locate them. I was concerned I would find them pointing at their watch, anxious to leave. But, when I came up to them they were peacefully sitting and taking it all in – in awe of watching so many desperate souls desiring to be touched by God.

I waved them forward, “Come on. Let’s go meet Dr. Crandall and be touched by the Holy Spirit.” I could see each with a mixed look of fear and excitement – an expression like, “Who me?”

We went forward and came up to Dr. Crandall. I chuckled when the Doctor asked them, “What’s wrong with you?” They were stumped and shrugged their shoulders saying, “Nothing. We just want to experience God.” He complied and prayed wonderful prayers over them.

Once again, there were no lightning bolts, no fainting, no falling over, just a sweet sense of peace and comfort as if the hand of God was messaging their neck and shoulders.

As things were wrapping up, we headed out and went to grab a bite to eat. In the restaurant, we shared about God’s movement in our lives and debriefed on what the evening meant to each of us. There was a lot to unpack.

Now, a few days later the results of the meeting are still yet to be fully known. Testimonies of God’s healing were beginning to surface.

I came to the meeting with hopes of seeing people walk away from wheelchairs, physical deformities restored, Blind and deaf healed, etc. Honestly, I did not see any of that though that’s not to say it didn’t happen and still won’t. Yet, I came away fully satisfied. God was present and He was working in powerful ways. For me, the fact that God has my daughter and her family in a place to desire to go to such an event borders on the miraculous. That I could enjoy sharing the things of God in this way with them was a source of more joy than I could have imagined in that place.

While I was kind of hoping to experience the Holy Spirit knocking me down and turning me inside out, I’m guessing God knew I didn’t need that. What He provided for me was a fullness of joy that was more than enough. And one more thing I know . . . I’ll take another dose of that!

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Follow-up on my friend Joe

I just recently spoke with Joe. He was excited and the memory of the Night of Hope and Healing has stayed clear in his mind. Joe exclaimed that it was the most powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit he had ever experienced. He went to the event with no intention to be ministered to, but only to assist in the setup for the evening. But, when Dr. Crandall began to minister in prayer, Joe found himself in the middle of the swirling tide.

In the midst of his crumbling personal life and the fading reality of Alzheimers, Joe was overcome by God’s presence – reassuring Joe of how much God values him and loves him, and will be there to care for him. What I had hoped for, for myself, is what God did for Joe. He was left feeling turned inside out – spiritually and emotionally healed from the inside out.

I also spoke with Joe’s close friend who had invited him down to the event. Since then she has had almost daily phone calls with him, and said that while he is still dealing with his dementia, she attests that ever since that evening his speech pattern has changed – no more stammering and stuttering. He’s more clear-headed and his speech is smoother. She surmized that it was God’s healing touch from that evening.

God’s healing is not always what we expect. But, God heard the cry of Joe’s heart and God poured His love into Joe’s life and for good measure – He touched Joe’s tongue.

“At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” Mark 7:35

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” – John 14:2-3

Sadly, our young Brother-in-Christ, Andrew, passed away this week. But, our joy is in knowing where he is and who he is with. Please read my post about Andrew, There’s Another In The Fire – So Take The Plunge from November 26, 2019

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After hearing of the passing of Andrew by overdose, in my shock and sadness the Lord led me to Proverbs 30.

• There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives,
  To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.
• The leech has two daughters—Give and Give!
• There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, “Enough!”: The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water—And the fire never says, “Enough!” – Proverbs 30:11-16 

First of all, I am in no way suggesting that what is described above was Andrew. His was a joyful, exuberant and energetic spirit.

What the Proverb describes is what exists in our world that works to devour people like Andrew. It struck me as describing a generation fooled by the certainty of their inherent goodness, tormented by social media and driven to drugs, desperation and destruction.

Am I overstating? Perhaps. But, not in the light of this world’s intent to destroy Andrew and the growing epidemic of drug use and overdose.

The filthy leech that rules this earthly realm always wants more – to drain the lifeblood of God’s creation.

Truthfully, what I initially felt was not just sorrow but a mix of anger and sorrow – for the deception and corruption of this world. It was something like the only time in the Gospels that Jesus is said to be angry. His was not just anger, but a combination of anger with sorrow and mourning.

In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3 a man holds out his deformed hand anxiously waiting for a miracle. Jesus hesitates and asks the Pharisees if it is right to heal on the Sabbath. They stay silent, condemning the man to stay deformed rather than admit to the truth and their error. Jesus experiences a mix of anger and mourning for their hardhearted, compassionless silence.

As I meditated on God’s word I heard, “Enough is enough!”

The prophets were often commissioned by God to expose the extreme sinfulness of Israel and the human suffering it caused, and to warn of the judgement that was inevitable, unless they repented. God warned that he will act to end the sin and suffering by judgement saying, “Enough is enough!”

But, this was not what I heard for Andrew.

It was not the great judgement declaration of the Prophets. What I heard was the great compassion declaration of a loving God that said, even with all God had done and was doing for Andrew: a new and vibrant relationship with the living God, a family that continued to lavish loving grace upon him, a church family rejecting any notion to turn their back on him and even a new beautiful, caring romance was not enough to drown out the years of the enemy’s voice screaming in his ear, “You cannot live without this drug!” God said, “Enough is enough!”

But, I had to chuckle. As I prayed, a familiar phrase from my ancient days (the 1960s) came to mind. The memory of a cartoon from when I was a child surfaced. It was Tooter Turtle and Mister Wizard, where Mr. Wizard would rescue Tooter from some catastrophe by crying out,

“Drizzle, Drazzle, Drozzle, Drome; time for this one to come home.”

Not exactly straight from the Bible but I sensed God saying, as Jesus shared in John 14:2-3, My victory is already won for Andrew. Enough is enough! It’s done. No more of the enemy having his way. Time for this one to come home!

God was not the author of this sin that led to death. In fact, God had stepped in to “rescue” Andrew’s life several times in the past. (Which by God’s loving patience led to Andrew’s accepting His gift of eternal life) But, by God’s love, this time He brought Andrew home.

Let’s lift up praise to our God now lovingly embracing Andrew – even as we pray comfort for his family and friends left behind.

For Andrew, no more questions about acceptance. No more feelings of loneliness. No more need for drugs to grasp at a deceptive substitute for experiencing God. All of it now perfectly satisfied in God’s powerful arms. Andrew rests unbound and unharmed.

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:25

But, Andrew is no longer in the fire. He’s now swimming with his Savior – plunged into the refreshing waters of God’s eternal love.

For us, let’s use Andrews memory and Jesus’ example of what to do with our anger and sadness – to turn and to heal. To continue to offer true healing and hope for eternal life to the multitude who are desperately lost and hurting.

 

 

 

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15–16 

As I covered in the previous post, perhaps the biggest challenge for Sabbath Living is TIME.

When I decided to commit more time to deliberately engage God as described in my previous post (because there is no substitute for time in building a relationship) I wondered where I would find the time? My schedule was jam-packed. Yes, I would rearrange my schedule, try to reduce useless activities (mostly of the couch-potato variety). But, could I go in later to work, or substitute work during lunch for prayer time or take occasional breaks to be ‘Jesus’ to my co-workers? The thought of it left me with dread for the work I might miss, leading to poorer work performance and risking potential career advancement – the dreaded ‘Fear of Failure.’

God led me to Ephesians 5:15–16 in the King James Version says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Interesting notion – redeeming the time. It’s not God redeeming the time but my actions “redeeming the time”. How is that done? What I decided was that God would honor a greater dedication to time spent with Him. Was my God big enough and real enough to do what I couldn’t do? Could I TRUST that He would fill in the Gaps for time I would take away from elsewhere to spend with Him? Well, I trusted and He did.

“Redeeming the time” means letting God fill in and take over when we don’t know how something will get done if we don’t do it. The phrase redeeming the time is also found in Colossians 4:5: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (KJV). In both passages, redeeming the time is related to wisdom in how we “walk” – that is, in how we live.

To redeem something means to buy it back, to regain possession of it. In fact, the NIV’s translation of Ephesians 5:16 uses the phrase ‘making the most of every opportunity’. Rather than waste our days on frivolous pursuits that leave no lasting imprint, Scripture instructs us to be diligent about doing good (Titus 3:8).

I would add Paul’s charge to the Galatians – To walk and Keep in step with the Spirit – Slowing down and removing barriers to hear His voice. Making connecting in relationship with the living God a priority in my life. That is what Jesus did. In, fact He only moved as the Spirit led him – only doing and saying what he saw and heard from God the Father. For us, that means to live deliberately and engage God through Spiritual Disciplines.

If the thought of practicing all the 15 Spiritual Disciplines is too overwhelming Pastor John Mark Comer recommends this short list to practice:

1. Keep a Sabbath – People who keep a Sabbath life live all 7 days differently
2. Solitude – enjoying time alone with an interactive God
3. Simple living – strip down that which needlessly fills up our lives
4. Slowing down – Moving more at the pace Jesus did – directed by the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Really? How can we possibly operate effectively always on “Slow”?

Does living a Sabbath Lifestyle meaning always moving at a snail’s pace? We never move fast? Even as I was away writing about slowing down, I got a call from my wife, Eleni. She was leaving late for work and a wind storm kicked up, knocking over our full garbage cans and scattering trash all over our and our neighbor’s yards. There she was scurrying all over the neighborhood chasing down wind-blown garbage while desperately trying to get to work. (I smartly resisted giving her this pious advice over the phone, “Hey, honey, just slow down.”

Circumstances will dictate we move fast at times but should it be the rhythm of our lives? We slow down to hear God’s voice and gather His wisdom and guidance. God’s voice then may dictate to wait, move ahead, slow down, or speed up.

1. When Jesus was called to come heal Lazarus, the Father said “wait”. While those he loved were incredulous that Jesus would delay, we know now the purpose of His waiting.
2. Conversely, when Mary asked Jesus to turn water into wine, He pushed back saying it was not His hour. But then He went ahead and performed His first public miracle. Did He just cow tow to his mother? No, I speculate that while He initially said it was not His time the Father whispered, “Actually, it is time.” and Jesus began his ministry in earnest.
3. Occasionally, the Gospel’s indicates that Jesus moved with a sense of urgency. Yet, the thing he did regularly with immediacy was healing as in Matthew 20:34, “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately (Eutheos) they received their sight and followed him.”

A test Christ-follower’s use to gauge our trust in God is to consider how much we trust God with our Time, Talent and Treasure? Each of the 3 present major challenges. All three are impacted by Sabbath Living. But, of the 3, Time may be the most easily dismissed yet the hardest to comply with. While I covet the other 2, I am sooo jealous of my time.

Developing any relationship requires committing time. If we seek God it requires a time committment. Do we believe Hebrews 11:6 that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him? So, if we make that dedication of time with Him, it not only means that He will honor our commitment by covering our back, but even more so will reward us.

Be rewarded – Put yourself on Sabbath time. Commit more time to seeking after God.

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” – Psalm 8:3–4

“Rather, His is a revolution of character, which proceeds by changing people from the inside through ongoing personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. It is one that changes their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and habits of choice, as well as their bodily tendencies and social relations. It penetrates to the deepest layers of their soul.”—Dallas Willard

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This post is an excerpt from a manuscript I’m considering publishing about the ‘Character of Christ’. This coming Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Black Rock Church I will begin teaching on this subject during the 11:30am hour. In addition to teaching, I’m looking for feedback to fine-tune the material. Please come join in.

In my last post I promised personal experience with the challenge of living a Sabbath Life. This is my experience with entering into Sabbath Living. I don’t suggest it is a model for every Christian but I will say that it may capture some biblical/universal truths about living out a Sabbath life.

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How Real Is my God?

The question was a scary one. How real do I really think my God really is?

I had been following the person of Jesus Christ for about twenty years. All along, I was growing in the knowledge of Jesus and experiencing him in very real ways. But, at this point I seemed to hit a wall.

I was living my faith out of dry bones. How big was my God? What kind of testimony to the reality of God in my life did I have? If someone were to ask me how I could prove God was real, what could I say?

Before heading off on a short-term mission trip with my church, I made a decision. I was going to take this time to begin treating God as more real than I ever had before. How would I do that? My plan was that I would begin reading through the Bible. (Pretty clever, huh?)

I had worked my way through the Bible a number of times before, but this time I was going to pray beforehand with a determination that I would engage with God and listen for his voice—listen for him to speak to me and then listen by reading his written Word. And, if I was truly going to believe God was real, whatever was coming into my head during this dedicated time was going to be his voice. He is big enough and real enough, and he was going to speak. Whatever it was, I would write it down, and then act on what God said. Little did I know what I was getting into.

Here was my biggest question: How would I know that what was coming into my head was from God? I decided on three tests. What I was “hearing” had to pass these tests if I would be confident that it was from God:

1. Was the voice I was hearing in my head consistent with God’s written Word, the Bible?
2. Was the voice I was hearing for myself or for others consistent with 1 Corinthians 14:3—speaking edification and exhortation and comfort to men?
3. Was it consistent with the character of Christ, utilizing the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?

As I committed significant time and energy to this Sabbath endeavor, God responded and I saw James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” and Hebrews 11:6, “[God] is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” being realized. As I drew near and lingered with God, He would speak and continue as much as I was faithful in being a “doer” of His word. God began to deliver more than I could handle. God seemed to be saying, “You want it, you got it!”

Isaiah 44:3 says, “I will pour water upon him who is thirsty.” The Hebrew phrase ‘pour water’ is Yatsaq Mayim. It indicates pouring to overflow of, yes, refreshing waters but with indication of almost violent waters.  At times I felt like I was drinking from the proverbial “Firehose.” He was bringing issues and people and situations into my mind and providing me with things I believed he wanted to speak into my own life and into others’ lives. Would I be receptive and his faithful emissary (or dare I say, apostle)?

It was a tremendous season of stretching my faith to not only act on what God was speaking into my own life but even more so for the challenge of speaking into others’ lives.

Let me now say that on the personality spectrum of extrovert to introvert, I fall on the introvert side of the spectrum—I basically find human interaction exhausting. For me, this was a huge challenge!

Offering up what I believed were God’s words of life and peace and joy and comfort that provided others with hope and direction was challenging enough. This was usually well received. But, more than a few times people stared back at me confused, not knowing what I was talking about. Easy enough—I heard wrong and if what I shared didn’t mean anything to them, I encouraged them to put it on the shelf or throw it out altogether. On numerous occasions people came back later, excited that the words had gelled into something meaningful.

The greatest challenge, however, was dealing with confronting difficult issues—bad behavior, sin, addictions, unfaithfulness, unkindness, coarse language, etc. Things in others God seemed to be calling on me to confront. (God wasn’t shy about bringing up my own issues, too.) The problem is that I am not very comfortable with confrontation (ask my wife). Plus, how do I do this and pass the third test of speaking with a voice that is consistent with the Fruit of the Spirit? Does being true to the Fruit of the Spirit mean I can only say nice things?

In these instances where people are behaving badly, the temptation is to jump in and righteously judge and condemn. Surely, the power of the condemnation should be enough to persuade the person of their sin and to change their ways! But it just doesn’t seem to work that way.

The truth is that Jesus was able to do it. Jesus confronted without condemning and by staying true to his character. I realized that I had to know what Jesus would say and how he would say it. Not my words and voice but his words and voice. This required knowing more fully Christ’s true character.

The point of sharing this experience is that if God wanted me to address some difficult situation, he wanted to tell me how to do it consistent with the character of Christ. For those occasions when I have truly sought out his words and his voice, I have seen God touch lives in amazing ways. Don’t get me wrong. Even when I am completely confident I have spoken with Jesus’s voice, it does not always result in the impact I hoped for.

Even Jesus was not always able to have the impact he seemed to be looking for. Even with words that are good and righteous and true, people turned away from Jesus (e.g. the rich young ruler) because the message was too hard. Still, I am convinced that if I am willing to put in the time and effort, any message can be effectively conveyed with the rich, full-nectar medley of all the Fruit of the Spirit, from the full character of Christ.

The truth, though, is that this does not come easy (not in my experience). When the disciples failed to heal the boy as recorded in Matthew 17:14-21, they asked Jesus why not. He replied, “Because of your unbelief . . . However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (verses 20-21). I believe part of this answer has to do with not operating in the natural but earnestly engaging God for the words and ways he directs us to best respond, which is always consistent with the character of Christ.

How BIG is my God? For me, perhaps the greatest evidence of His ‘bigness’ and ‘realness’ is through conversational relationship. A God that listens and speaks with a voice that can be heard and can be known.

“To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice.” – Psalm 68:33

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  – John 10:27

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The above testimony was my experience and my personal challenge. Is God asking something the same of you? I don’t know.

I do know that God is like a parent who desperately wants to spend more interactive time with their kids. Regardless of how much or little time the kids will give them, they love their kids and will cherish and covet any time they can get. Whether the child realizes it or not, it’s their most valuable time spent.

A test Christ-follower’s use to gauge our trust in God is to ask how much we trust God with our Time, Talent and Treasure? Each of the 3 present major challenges. All three are impacted by Sabbath Living. But, of the 3, Time may be the most easily dismissed yet the hardest to comply with. While I covet the other 2, I am so jealous of my time.

The next post I will explore being, On Sabbath Time.

“but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.” Deuteronomy 5:14

“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Dallas Willard

A Church Story

A member of the Church Board of Directors was invited to sit in on a meeting of the Finance Committee. The Director was surprised when the Finance Committee member’s discussion went into a negative critique of Sunday Services. It further devolved into negative comments about the work ethic of the Church leadership.

The Director shook his head. This committee is an extension of the Board of Directors and is organized to serve at the pleasure of the Board on matters of Church finances. The Director wondered, How was this discussion advancing that purpose?

Before the Director could intervene, the high-powered business executive serving as Committee Chair injected with a negative tone, “Can you believe one of our senior staff leaders has the time to sit down to breakfast with his wife and kids every morning?”

The Director, with his mouth hanging open, stared back at the Chairman while shaking his head. The look itself said, Do you even realize what you are saying?

The Committee Chair met the Director’s gaze and a sad blush of conviction swept across his face. He sullenly admitted, “I guess I wish I could do that.”

The Director enjoined, “Let’s stop right now and pray that God would lead us all into life-giving practices that this particular Staff Leader has provided us as an example.”

The men prayed and the Holy Spirit changed hearts.

What is Sabbath?

It is not necessarily referring to Sunday or a given day. Sabbath is a day of rest, remembering, celebration and renewal. It is historically connected to the Creation Story – when God created the world and all forms of life in six days, and then rested on the Seventh (Sabbath).

The meaning of SABBATH was enriched when the Hebrew slaves were liberated from bondage in Egypt and camped in the wilderness for 40 years. (see Exodus 16) God provided Manna (meaning “What is this?”) for food, and instructed the Israelites to gather enough food on the 6th day to provide for the 7th (Sabbath) – but not to gather extra on the other days of the week. If they gathered more than they needed, the food would spoil and smell vile.

The Sabbath day was expanded to the Sabbath year, when the land and animals were to rest – debts forgiven, slaves released, etc. So, Sabbath includes release from bondage, debt and sin leading to healing, second chances, fresh beginnings.

Sabbath is more than a day, or a year (sabbatical) – it is a way of being (living) that can inform and permeate everything we do. It invites us to release our need to control, to let go – Letting God be a Bigger God. In our culture this requires growing in our trusting relationship with God.

Sabbath in a Wealthy Culture

In our culture of “success”, if we are not multi-tasking at breakneck speed 24/7 then we are no more than a slimy slug – a valueless lump of flesh. Who has time to value real relationship?

Very early in my corporate career I thought it was so nice that my boss was taking me for my first visit to the executive dining room as a reward and to build up our relationship. Then he shared the sobering reality, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” He was just buttering me up to dump more work on my already exhausting workload.

This hurriedness and compulsion to “pack it all in” pervades every aspect of our society – school, business, family, leisure, church and even our spirituality. Does it all enrich our lives? Do we feel more satisfied, fulfilled, peaceful and joyful?

What do we expect from our Pastors and Spiritual Leaders?

While living a Sabbath lifestyle is meant for all Christ-Followers, my focus in this post is the incongruence of expecting the same level of frenetic activity and behavior of our Pastors and Church Spiritual Leaders, whose very charge is to lead us and teach us in “The way of Jesus.”

Christian theologian and author, Dallas Willard taught, “We can become like Christ by doing one thing – by following Him in the overall style of life he chose for himself.”

The Business Executive may say, “Living in a wealthy culture, requires a certain work ethic that I have to live up to. Why shouldn’t I expect the same for my Pastoral staff?” The questions is, “How spiritually satisfied are they?

Without diminishing the pressures people face in the secular work environment, do we as church members fully appreciate the tremendous pressure Pastors are under being burdened with the expectation that they should meet every spiritual, mental, emotional and urgent physical need of their flock? To be all things to all people at all times – to not disappoint? For many people coming into church, they come because they are damaged and need help. It can be an overwhelming bottomless pit that can swallow ministry leaders up.

They see a need and jump on it, another need and jump on it, another need and jump on it. Before they know it, from all the ‘doing’, the ‘connecting’ with God that they were called to imitate and teach is out the window. Now, they are the ones who are spent physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

I’m certain it is happening in many Congregations – particularly those that are dynamic and growing.

If I only had more time!

Pastor John Mark Comer who is a leading advocate for Sabbath living teaches that the solution is not more time. It’s actually God’s mercy that he has limited the amount of time in a day. We would only exhaust ourselves more filling up that much more time. The key is to slow down and to simplify – living in step with the Spirit and “redeeming the Time”. To live deliberately and engage God through Spiritual Disciplines.

When author John Ortberg, asked Dallas Willard for wisdom on what he should do to be spiritually healthy, Willard only replied, “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Nothing more. That was it.

The Biblical Truth is that as followers of Christ, our conviction is that what Jesus offers us as an example is good, right and true – healthy and life-giving.

Church congregations should want our Spiritual leaders and church staff to be living the life of Jesus and teaching us to do the same.

How can we encourage and support Church Staff?

There are some obvious (not necessarily easy) solutions. The most obvious is praying for our leaders. Other obvious solutions are to look for opportunities to lighten their burden by volunteering in ways that free up their time to slow down and engage with God. There’s always throwing more resources into the mix or perhaps looking at ways to pull back on the ministry throttle.

Carl Jung famously wrote, “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.”

I believe perhaps the most important thing we can do for our church leaders, as their ‘flock’, is to strip away our own urge to have them conform to the life pace the world dictates and to encourage them to live the life Jesus called them to live – to then be that life-giving example for us.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

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Next post will be Part II of Ruthless Sabbath – Letting God Be A Bigger God – I’ll share some learnings and personal experience with the challenge of living a Sabbath Life.

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” – Matthew 8:5-10

Most often, those who Jesus healed came to him with Jesus physically touching them in some way. There are three accounts when Jesus healed from a distance. This account was not the first for Jesus but the Centurion’s faith amazed Him. The Greek word here for amazed, Thaumazo, has elements of wonder and surprise to it. What was Jesus surprised by? Certainly he was surprised that a Roman leader would show such great certainty in Jesus’ ability to exercise the power to heal. Is it possible that there was an element of surprise by the Centurion’s understanding of the model of authority as it relates to the spiritual realm? Was this a lesson for Jesus?

Just asking.

My Brother-in-Christ, Chris Bruno was similarly Amazed and Surprised.

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Guest Post by Chris Bruno

There is a husband and wife team I hire to do my annual pellet stove cleaning. Recently, I called to set up an appointment for cleaning and spoke with the wife. While we spoke she complained about having serious back pain. Being the good Christian who believes in the power of prayer, I asked, “Can I pray for you?”

Initially, she didn’t respond and we continued to talk pleasantries and sidetracked by “business” talk. But, as we were talking one of Pastor Dan’s testimonies flashed through my mind:

Dan was sitting in a diner with a leader from the Symposium he was attending. They got into a conversation with the waiter who said that his wife was dealing with serious back pain. The leader asked if he could speak with the wife on the phone. The man agreed and gave the phone to the leader who prayed for the woman’s healing. Dan could then hear her excitement over the phone as she was instantaneously relieved of her pain.

But, this woman had ignored my first offer and I found it tempting to take the opportunity as an “out” – to just finish the conversation and say goodbye. However, with the memory of Dan’s testimony fresh in my mind I mustered the boldness to press in. I gently asked again, “Before you go I’d really like to pray for you.” She agreed.

I prayed a simple prayer that God would heal her and then asked, “How are you feeling?” She politely responded, “Okay.” I pressed further, “Let’s pray again.” She agreed.

When I finished praying the second time, the woman declared, “Oh my God! I feel warm all over! I feel so much better!” She blurted out, “You have a gift!”

Whoa! I humbly redirected her to the one we just prayed to – Jesus and God’s power to heal. We said our goodbyes.

The next time she came in to do a cleaning she was perfectly fine though there wasn’t much said about the healing prayer.

Who was this healing for? What struck me was that while I was completely convinced of God’s power to heal, I just could not imagine that healing could occur praying over the phone. It was not in my realm of belief. With this experience, God broke out of the limiting box I had put God in. Before that encounter I would have said, “No, way does God work that way – particularly not through me.”

I’m always amazed at the multi-tasking work God does. Regardless of what God was doing to move in this woman’s life, this episode increased my faith and has empowered my walk. Jesus was teaching me of the Centurion’s faith – our authority in the spiritual realm. A lesson about increasing my level of belief in the power of God.

“Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour” – Matthew 8:13

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Our own Pastor G, who oversees our Church’s Care and Prayer ministries has seen enough to repeatedly testify that he is no longer surprised when God shows up in powerful ways.

This Christmas season I pray that we Christ-Followers might stretch ourselves with that same gift of Centurion Faith – recognizing our authority in Christ to believe in the powerful works of God that would become so commonplace we would no longer be amazed and surprised.

I recently read the book Raising The Dead by Cardiologist, Dr. Chauncey Crandall practicing in Palm Beach, Florida. Of our authority in Christ he says,

“I have learned to walk in the authority Christ gives his followers, and I feel now that when I see someone suffering from spiritual depression-someone who is captive to the enemy-I have the authority, like a general in an army, to command the forces of heaven to go into action so that the Kingdom of God will come to reign in the person’s life.”

“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.” – Luke 9:1

Have Merry Christmas in His power!