The Plight of a Prophet

"Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, 'Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?' So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.' Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief." Mark 6:1-6

As Jesus was in the midst of an incredibly expanding and wildly popular public ministry, the Gospel of Mark reveals to us a sad and sobering event. Jesus decided to visit His hometown of Nazareth, where He was given the privilege of teaching in the local synagogue on the Sabbath. At first, the listeners were amazed and mesmerized at the wisdom and authority of His words. But others were not so impressed. They began to question His lack of education, as well as His family pedigree. Slowly but surely the attitudes of the congregation began to change. No longer were they astonished at what they heard, now they were offended by what they heard. The passage concludes by telling us that Jesus healed a few sick people (He could have healed them all) and that He marveled because of their unbelief. But in the midst of this testimony, look carefully at what Christ said: "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." Interesting, is it not?

The word prophet, or a derivation of that word, appears 470 times in the New King James Version of the Bible. Most of the time we think of the classic definition for prophet: one who foretells future events. This is certainly valid, as many of God's prophets in the scriptures were used to reveal upcoming events. A clear example would be Elijah declaring with boldness that there would be no rain for an extended period of time as found in 1 Kings 17. Or the powerful prophecy of Isaiah foretelling the sufferings of Christ concerning His humiliation and death as found in Isaiah 53. Yet the most accurate understanding for a prophet in the context of Mark 6, and even today, would be one who is chosen and called by God to be His spokesman, delivering His messages, warnings, and guidance to a particular people.

Now I realize that some people believe that the ministry of the prophet is no longer valid in the days in which we live. I beg to differ with this opinion, however. The Bible says in Ephesians 4, "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." There is no biblical evidence given that any of these distinguishable ministry assignments has ever been declared null and void. I understand that the classic definition for apostle is one who has personally seen the resurrected Lord. If this is true, then we certainly can agree that the office of apostle was closed with the death of John on the Isle of Patmos. If, however, I agree with some missiologists that the office of apostle now includes those who will go to an unreached and unengaged people group with the gospel of Christ in order to plant churches and make disciples, then that spiritual gift and church office is still a prominent one today. But my focus is not on apostleship, but rather the vital ministry of the prophet. And Jesus said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."

Over the years I have studied the lives of some of God's greatest spokesmen. Many of these were gifted men who spoke with the divine unction and boldness of a prophet. Yet so very often these men were despised and rejected. Both in the biblical narrative and throughout church history, God has sent prophets among His people. And to put it quite simply, their messages were met with anger, resentment, and at times, violence. The aforementioned prophet Isaiah is one example. In Isaiah 6 we find the great experience of worship that this man encountered following the death of King Uzziah. God gave him the privilege of encountering a vision of His glory, causing Isaiah to confess his sin, receive personal cleansing, and answer the call to serve by declaring: "Here am I, send me!" If you would carefully read the remainder of that chapter, you discover a chilling assignment. God would gift this man to become a mighty prophet, but the people would refuse to hear and heed his message. When Isaiah asked how long he would have to preach to a hard-hearted people who refused to repent, God said, "Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitants, the houses are without a man, and the land is utterly desolate." Not a very lucrative assignment, wouldn't you agree? Oh yes, God said that a remnant would be spared, but the vast majority of His people would be judged. Isaiah understood the plight of a prophet.

Another example would be Jeremiah. In chapter one of the book that bears his name, we find incredible truth about this man's calling and empowering. God said: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations...you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you." Yet like Isaiah, the Lord revealed to Jeremiah that his assignment would be a difficult one and his message would be despised. God said: "They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, to deliver you." For those today who like to judge ministerial success, Jeremiah would have been an absolute failure. Why would I say this? Because he was eventually arrested and thrown into prison. The plight of a prophet.

A final Old Testament example is Ezekiel. In chapters two and three we discover the call of God upon Ezekial to be a faithful watchman on the wall, sounding forth the warnings of impending judgement. Yet God revealed this truth to His servant: "Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them." Ezekiel was eventually carried away into Babylonian captivity. Even this great man could not escape the judgement of God against a backslidden and hateful people. Again, the plight of a prophet.

If you have seriously studied the word of God, the most well-known of God's prophets would be the forerunner of Christ: John the Baptist. When I preach a message on this man's life, I focus upon:

• His Miraculous Birth (Luke 1:5-80)
• His Powerful Ministry (Matthew 3:1-12)
• His Agonizing Imprisonment (Mark 6:14-20)
• His Gruesome Death (Mark 6:21-29)
• His Enduring Legacy (Matthew 11:1-11)

John the Baptist had an explosive ministry that probably lasted only twelve to eighteen months. Multitudes went out to the wilderness area to hear him. Many of these listeners repented of their sin and displayed the sincerity of their decisions by submitting to baptism. Others came to identify with this impressive movement, but John clearly saw their hypocrisy and rebuked them with strong words of condemnation. As he pointed his followers to Christ, he was eventually imprisoned for his unwillingness to tone down his biblical beliefs concerning the sacredness of marriage. Separated from those who loved him dearly, he was eventually beheaded to appease the hateful spite of a deranged woman. The plight of a prophet. Yet Jesus said about John the Baptist, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." Think about it, the Son of God said that of all the billions upon billions who have been born of women, NO ONE IS GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST! That, my friend, is the ultimate compliment.

It has been said: "The more things change; the more things remain the same." Our world today is very much like the world of yesterday. Carnal men and women in the Old and New Testaments did not want to be confronted with authoritative messages from a God ordained prophet who uncovered their sin and warned them of judgement to come. And still today, carnal men and women do not want to be disturbed by a thundering voice of righteousness. As one friend of mine said, "The sleepy, lethargic church of America doesn't want to be awakened. When a modern-day prophet of God dares to lift up his voice like a trumpet and sound the alarm, most members roll over trying to hit the snooze button saying, 'Leave me alone, just leave me alone!'"

In closing, let me use the words of the great Leonard Ravenhill: "There is a terrible vacuum in evangelical Christianity today. The missing person in our ranks is the prophet. The man with a terrible earnestness. The man totally otherworldly. The man rejected by other men, even other good men, because they consider him too austere, too severely committed, too negative and too unsociable. Let him be as plain as John the Baptist. Let him for a season be a voice crying in the wilderness of modern theology and stagnant "churchianity." Let him be as selfless as Paul the apostle. Let him, too, say and live, "This ONE thing I do." Let him reject ecclesiastical favors. Let him say nothing that will draw men to himself but only that which will move men to God. Let him come daily from the throne room of a holy God, the place where he has received the order of the day. God, send us PROPHETS!" The prophet is God’s detective seeking for lost spiritual treasures. The degree of his effectiveness is determined by the measure of his unpopularity. Compromise is not known to him. He has no price tags. He is unquestionably controversial and unpardonably hostile. He marches to the beat of another drummer. In the day in which we live, there is not a more urgent national need than that we cry unto God for a prophet. Let him preach with a voice this century has not heard, because he has seen a vision no man in this century has seen. God send us fiery men of holy boldness that will lead us from this wilderness of crass materialism and entertainment-based worship, where the rattlesnakes of lust bite us and where spiritually blind pastors lead us to an ever-nearing Armageddon. GOD, HAVE MERCY, SEND US PROPHETS!"

I have learned from personal experience that the sleepy, ungodly church in America today despises those who possess the spiritual gift and powerful ministry of the prophet. Yet even when faced with anger, rejection, and hatred, I find solace in the words of Christ...

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."

Luke 6:22-23

Moving from Mystery to Mastery

"I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly!"
John 10:10

The Apostle Paul wrote concerning a great mystery, which is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" in his letter to the Colossian believers. That one, simple statement sums up the totality of truth as found in the Bible concerning God's work of redeeming and indwelling grace. In Christ, God became an earthly man, so that He might die as a sinful man, in order to be resurrected as a glorified man, thus opening the way for all men to be made righteous in His sight. My, what a God! Theologians call this truth, substitutionary atonement, but I just simply call it wonderful! Amen? Yes, AMEN!

Those of us who have been saved may not understand all the eternal, scriptural details of our conversion, but we know that He has come to dwell (live, abide, remain) in our inner most being. The result is a demonstration of His saving grace and redeeming power to a lost world that desperately needs to know Him. The abiding presence of Christ in us guarantees us a life of complete victory, overwhelming joy, and daily abundancy. Sincere honesty, however, requires us to confess that our lives seldom reflect this kind of living on a day-by-day basis. Rather than thriving in the great light of His provision, we often live defeated and rejected in a wilderness wandering, much like the children of Israel in the Old Testament. My heart's desire is that we experience all that He has wonderfully promised to us, and provided for us, and enter into the fullness of our inheritance as twice-born believers. Someone might be asking, "How is this possible?" The answer might surprise you in its simplicity, beloved, and will be as we learn to move from the mystery of life to the mastery of life.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!!"
Galatians 2:20

This amazing verse is the testimony of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Galatia. Paul wanted those men and women to know the same truth as the followers of Christ in Colossae. He wanted them to realize the great mystery of redemption, which is, "Christ in you the hope of glory." This awesome truth opens to us the majestic promises that we need to live victoriously and abundantly each and every day. How is this possible? The answer is simple, friend, for it is faith that moves us from our redeemed position to our revived possession. It is faith that matures us from living a substandard life to a supernatural life. It is faith that causes us to go beyond an experience of grace to an encounter of glory. And it is faith that empowers us to leave behind an enduring of dull religious activities on Sunday to enjoying a dynamic relationship every day! There is no doubt about it, Christ desires for all of us to move from the mystery of His indwelling presence to the mastery of His enabling power. Amen!

In order for us to realize how we can move from mystery to mastery, I want us to investigate the lives of the early disciples. As we carefully digest the truth of the gospels, we learn that these early followers of Christ were tremendous failures. This is clearly revealed as one of them actually received money to betray our Lord, while the others all forsook Him and fled on the night of His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Seeing the instabilities of their lives causes us to more fully understand the truth of Christ when He told them, "Without me, you can do nothing." Even after His miraculous resurrection, they still displayed extreme cowardice and fear as they hid behind locked doors. Jesus was alive, and yet incredibly, they remained feeble and faithless.

What about us today? Do we keep our religious beliefs locked behind the safety of our own church doors? Do we cower in silence as the deranged voices of the unrepentant spew out their vile garbage that is slowly, yet steadily, moving our country away from her biblical heritage? Do we seek to maintain our own little religious status quo while a lost and dying world rushes off towards death and destruction in that horrible, eternal place called Hell? Why are we struggling to remain in the safety and security of our own dark shadows, when we could be triumphantly living day by day in the sunshine of His resurrection power?

"Without me, you can do nothing."
John 15:5

The disciples, in and of themselves, were not successful men. We clearly see this as we read the four gospels in the New Testament. Investigating the instabilities of their natural lives, we realize that we are very much like they were. When Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing," He was speaking to all of us. Surrounding his dialogue concerning the relationship between the vine and the branches, Christ spoke great truth about the coming of the Comforter. After His resurrection, the Bible says that He met with them, breathed on them, and declared plainly, "Receive the Holy Spirit." He also commanded them to "wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Then with wonder and amazement, He rose up into the clouds and returned to His glorious home. On the Day of Pentecost, their understanding of the third Person of the Holy Trinity would finally be unveiled as His presence was suddenly overwhelming them. This miracle transformed them from a place of failure to a place of fruitfulness; from a life of barrenness to a life of blessedness; from a sense of timidity to a sense of triumph, as He, the Spirit of Christ, filled them, controlled them, empowered them, and worked mightily through them!

Jesus specifically told them to wait for a specific promise to be fulfilled, and He told them to wait in a specific place: Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem? Why not Capernaum, or Nazareth? Why not one of the lovely mountain hamlets that they had visited, or a beach side resort along the sandy shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea? Because Jerusalem was that ultimate place of personal pain and humiliation; it was the place of greatest failure to these ordinary men who had been charged with the extraordinary task of global evangelization. The disciples had to learn that the power necessary to accomplish this assignment in this place must come from God Himself, and not from the committed flesh of redeemed humanity.

No matter how hard you and I might try, we cannot perform the work of God. Man has never been able to accomplish anything of eternal significance, and when we try to do the impossible, we only become frustrated, defeated, and humiliated. Too many churches are filled with men and women who are not living by the power of God. We have plodded along for so long in the energy of the flesh, that we don't even know that there is a better way. Beloved, stop trying to serve Christ in your own strength and through your own self-effort. Cry out to Him now in sincere brokenness, and you will find that He is ready, willing, and able to move you from the mystery of life to the mastery of life!

"Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of
Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
Luke 24:49

Jesus commanded His followers to remain in Jerusalem until His promise of their being filled with the Holy Spirit would be accomplished. Why Jerusalem? Why not Capernaum, or Nazareth? Why not a lovely, quiet mountain village, or a vacation paradise on the Mediterranean Sea? Because Jerusalem was the ultimate place of personal pain and humiliation; it was the place of greatest failure for these men. If Jesus had told them to wait in one of those other places for the coming of the Holy Spirit, they would have forever avoided this city of failure. Their mindset of ministry would be to elude the more difficult and hard places of the world, thus disregarding the clear teaching of Christ that His gospel should be proclaimed to every race in every place, even Jerusalem, the place of His rejection and death, and the place of their failure and shame. Jesus was preparing to move them from mystery to mastery, and He would do this in the most unlikely of settings, Jerusalem.

Not only should we look at Jerusalem as their place of failure, but we must also realize it is the place of their greatest fear. On two different occasions they were huddled together in an upper room behind locked doors when the resurrected Savior appeared unto them. During both of these encounters Jesus said, "Peace be unto you." Why did He say this? John 20:19 tells us they were assembled behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. The vicious hatred that moved the religious leaders of Jerusalem to have Christ crucified by the authority of the Roman Empire made these intimidated disciples run for cover and remain hidden. In other words, they were clearly demonstrating their personal cowardice.

Fear is a crippling emotional reality that is not of God, as His word tells us that He "has not given us a spirit of fear." (2 Timothy 1:7) As you face the moment-by-moment challenges of life, what dominates your heart and emotions? If you are one who continues to run and hide behind the locked doors of religious tradition, self-comfort, and personal preservation, then you have not moved in the wonderful, liberating, and life-changing experience of the mastery of life!

"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."
John 16:7

Jesus clearly revealed to His disciples that He would be going away. Although this was very regrettable news, Christ went on to explain to them how His departure would actually prove beneficial to everyone. Jesus, as a man, limited Himself to one particular place at one particular time. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, however, He would be able to multiply Himself in order to have a dynamic, global impact. This experience would be realized when He came to abide in the hearts of all believers. Just before His glorious ascension, He told those who were gathered with Him on the Mount of Olives to "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." We have already seen how this intimidating city was their place of failure, and their place of fear. Now this same city would become their place of faith as well.

They had the choice of remaining in Jerusalem as commanded, or they could run away as fast and as far as possible. Yet something about the words of Jesus, perhaps even His facial expressions, spoke of the overwhelming importance of perfect and complete obedience. Although they could not fully understand all that would be transpiring on that great Day of Pentecost, we should thank God that He brought them to a place of faith in His spoken word and His revealed will. Through their obedience, He not only changed the spiritual temperament of that city, but He has also changed the world.

Without faith, we know that it is impossible to please God. And without faith, we will never know what it is to move out of our positions of powerless and passionless Christianity, to an incredible experience called the mastery of life.

"And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place... And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit"
Acts 2:1-4

The disciples of Christ had been instructed by Jesus to stay in the city of Jerusalem until they were "endued with power from on high." This most important city in Israel was their greatest challenge. We have already discovered how Jerusalem was their place of failure and fear, and how it was now beginning to be transformed into their place of faith. This can be seen in their obedience to the Lord's command to remain in this city rather than escape to a more friendly environment.

The Gospel of John reveals to us that before Jesus ascended back to Heaven, He lovingly restored a backslidden Peter and those who had accompanied him on a fishing expedition. Now that Jesus is gone, these men remain firm to the instructions given to them from their Lord. No more going down to the lake for fleshly pursuits. Gathered together on the day of Pentecost, the obedient, united body of Christ now experiences Jerusalem as their place of fullness. Wow! What an awesome truth, as the Spirit of Jesus moved with such an incredible force on these timid, scared, and yet believing individuals, resulting in men and women standing and speaking with such an astonishing anointing that the entire city was shaken with eternal truth!

Beloved, that kind of experiential fullness was not reserved solely for the early church. That kind of supernatural encounter is available to every genuine follower of Christ who will believe and receive! Now please understand, we should not look for the day of Pentecost to repeat itself with the sounds and sights of wind and fire, just as we don't expect to experience another Christmas, Good Friday, or Easter as recorded in the scripture. The day of Pentecost was one dramatic day in the life of the church when clear prophetic teaching from Christ was fulfilled. Yet I believe with all of my heart, that if we yield ourselves afresh and anew to His authority, we can encounter the life-changing fullness of the Holy Spirit that will most definitely move us from the mystery of life to the mastery of life! Do it again, Lord, do it again!

"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
Acts 2:47

Jerusalem, we have learned, was the place of failure and fear for the followers of Jesus. It also became their place of faith and fullness as they tarried in this city as ordered by Christ before His spectacular ascension. As you study the Book of Acts, you will clearly see that Jerusalem finally becomes their place of fruit for these disciples as the Lord saves 3,000 people on the day of Pentecost through their witness, and thousands more as they continued to exalt Jesus on a daily basis. The heading in most of our Bibles for this Book says: "The Acts of the Apostles", which is not very accurate. The correct title should read: "The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles", which is the MASTERY of life!

You and I cannot produce spiritual fruit. In fact, the scriptures never command us to create or manufacture fruit. We should certainly desire to be fruitful followers of our Lord, but we cannot produce fruit, we can only bear fruit. How? It is only possible as we live in a state of yieldedness to the abiding presence of Christ in us. In Jack Taylor's classic book, The Key to Triumphant Living, he states how one must realize the RESIDENCE of Christ IN the human life, submit to the REIGN of Christ OVER the human life, in order to experience the RELEASE of Christ THROUGH the human life. The disciples in the Book of Acts did not save one person. It was the enthroned Christ working through them that transformed lives and turned cities upside down with the gospel. These men and women of faith serve as examples to us of what can happen when we happily surrender to the His absolute control over our lives today.

No one can perform the works of God, only God can. We must understand this principle and believe that He desires to work through us as we surrender to His will. Marvelous and miraculous fruit will abound as the life of Christ is released through our lives on a daily, ongoing basis. May you and I clearly and wonderfully find ourselves moving from the experience of grace revealed as the MYSTERY of life, to this encounter of glory recognized as the MASTERY of life! AMEN!

Worship of the Wise Men

 

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'" Matthew 2:1-2

Whenever we hear the word Christmas, different images come to our minds concerning this very special time of the year. With all of the various events surrounding this most festive season, we can get so consumed with the enjoyable things that are going on around us that we forget about the best thing that we can experience, and that is the worship of our Lord and Savior. As I’ve studied again the details of the journey of the wise men to find Jesus, I see several important lessons that should impact our daily lives as believers.

I. THE TIMING OF THEIR WORSHIP

 A. A Time of Private Worship - At some point in their homeland, these magi received a unique and powerful revelation from God in the heavens concerning the birth of a new king of the Jews. Because of this revelation during private times of worship, these men embarked upon their incredible journey. Are you spending quality time in private worship? Are you investing precious moments opening the word of God and allowing Him to speak to you? Are you setting aside the necessary time to seek His will for your life, and to possess His mind for the decisions that you must make? There is no substitute for the incredible value of private worship.

B. A Time of Personal Worship - As these men began leaving their homes in Persia for the long journey to Jerusalem, how joyful they must have become as their paths began to intersect and they discovered that God had revealed to others concerning this great news of Divine activity. Now they were not alone on the journey but were part of a “family” of pilgrims determined to find this newborn king. They could now worship with each other because of their common bond of faith. Are you involved with intimate times of worship with your family in the comfort of your own home? Do you open up your home, or even your office, so that others might gather with you for worship, spiritual growth, and personal encouragement? Is your activity revealing that worship is not something that you attend, but it is a constant and consistent attitude of life?

C. A Time of Public Worship - These men finally reached their destination, and they bowed down and worshipped the Lord of Glory! Through the testimony of Joseph and Mary, they discovered that this young child was more than the Prophesied Sovereign of Israel; He was also the Precious Son of God and the Promised Savior of all mankind! The Bible says that they went home another way; and I believe spiritually, as well as physically. When you and I come to a public worship service, we too should come into the presence of the King in such a way that we all go home another way! Changed, hallelujah, by the presence of God Almighty!

II. THE TESTIMONY OF THEIR WORSHIP

A. Jesus was Worth Their Time - Scholars agree that the journey of these wise men took up to at least two years, four total if you consider their return voyage, so Jesus was worth their time. At least 1,460 days was invested by these men to find and worship the Christ child. Is Jesus worth the best of your time, or do you simply give Him some of the leftovers of your busy schedule? Do you rejoice over the game going into overtime, while griping and complaining if a church service goes a little long? Vance Havner used to say years ago that the modern church was guilty of gathering at 11 o'clock sharp and dismissing at 12 o'clock dull. Friend, is Jesus Christ worth your time?

B. Jesus was Worth Their Trouble - The wise men did not travel by jet, bus, luxury sedan, an oversized SUV, or a modern, sophisticated crossover vehicle. They did not stay in a Holiday Inn, Comfort Suite, or even a Motel 6. In fact, no one left a light on for them, other than God's brilliant star hung in the heavens overhead. The journey was a long, hard test of faith. They surely faced ridicule and laughter from the unbelievers that were encountered on the journey, as well as being misunderstood by their own family members for putting their lives at risk to travel to the Holy Land. But Friend, Jesus was worth their trouble. Is Jesus worth the trouble that you might have to face as you follow His footsteps for your life? Is He worth the ridicule that you receive from unbelievers for your willingness to be light in the midst of darkness? Is He worth the sting of rejection from family and friends who do not understand why you possess a strict code of conduct concerning your personal choices and decisions? Is He worth the heartache of being laughed at because you refuse to compromise your biblical convictions? Is Jesus worth your trouble?

C. Jesus was Worth Their Treasure - When they came into the house (not the stable) where the young child (not the babe in a manger) was, they presented unto Him gifts of gold, which speaks of His DEITY; frankincense, which speaks of His PURITY; and myrrh, which speaks of His HUMANITY. All of these were extremely expensive gifts. But Jesus was worth their treasure! Is He worth your treasure? Many say that they love Jesus, and yet they give Him little or nothing of what He has supplied to them. When I first entered into ministry, statistics revealed that the most faithful church members in America gave only 3.8% of their income to the church. Today, that number has dropped to 2.5%. Church members today are giving scraps to God and consider themselves spiritual giants! Hypocrisy is rampant in the house of God! Is Jesus worth your treasure?

III. THE TRIUMPH OF THEIR WORSHIP

A. Their Worship has been Recorded - Not everything about the life of Christ is recorded for us, and yet God so moved on the heart and mind of Matthew, that he wrote for us the worship of these wise men. What a glorious and eternal testimony for these unnamed men from the East!

B. Their Worship must be Remembered - So often we allow the Bible to become so familiar to us, that we fail to understand the significance of its truth. We should not forget the important lessons of life that are kept for us in Matthew chapter two. Friend, guard your heart so that you might remember the attitudes and actions of these wise men.

C. Their Worship should be Repeated - We should seek to worship the Lord of Glory as these men did so very long ago. After all, wise men still seek Him!

I pray that during this Christmas season, and throughout this new year, you and I will worship our wonderful Savior in spirit and truth so as to experience His life and grace in such a way, that we will never be the same again!

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

One Thing

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13-14

Multitasking: the performance of multiple tasks at one given time; the work of applying proper focus upon several responsibilities that must be done concurrently; the stressful labor of giving oversight to multiple demands or events at the same time.

In a world that continues to operate at internet speeds, the idea of multitasking is something that many of us can relate to. It makes no difference if we are in an office environment, a stay-at-home mom, a construction site, a health clinic or hospital, or if we are a staff member at a local church. We all know what it means to multitask, and we all know how mentally and emotionally draining it can be when we are pulled in different directions and forced to focus on several demands at one time. In fact, after years of study, psychologists, medical doctors, and even human resource specialists in the business world are saying that multitasking is detrimental to an individual's overall health, and to their long-range productivity.

This revelation should come as no surprise to us who are serious students of the word of God. In the Old Testament, Moses was a man with a full plate. He was providing critical leadership to the Jewish people following their exodus out of the land of Egypt. When his father-in-law, Jethro, saw the incredible load that Moses was seeking to carry, he confronted him in a loving and firm way: "The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself." (Exodus 18:17-18) He then counseled Moses to select able men who would become rulers over a certain number of people, to judge matters that would arise between them. There would be other rulers, or judges, that would hear cases that could not be easily decided. If anything was too difficult for this hierarchy, or network, of leaders, then eventually Moses would hear the case and apply God's law to the situation. What was Jethro telling Moses? Multitasking will put you in an early grave!

Now I know that we cannot totally escape this reality of life. But at times we must take a healthy look at where we are physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually, especially when we seek to spread ourselves thin in order to cover a lot of bases. Recently, I was led of the Lord to do some evaluating on my own walk of faith in this journey of life. As I began to look carefully at what dominates my time, focus, and energy, I remembered the testimony of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter three. His saying "one thing I do" really began to intrigue me. As I meditated on this passage, I also looked at other verses of scripture that had the two words "one" and "thing" wedded together. This time of study proved to be very personal to me, and I hope it will be very profitable to me, and others, as well.

If you have been reading my devotional blog since its inception, you understand how my heart has been recaptured and drawn back to my first love of serving Jesus. Three years of having wandered in a spiritual wilderness was enough. God showed me that He still had a desire to use me in His kingdom activity, and it has been exciting and exhilarating to immerse myself again in the work of the gospel. In evaluating my current set of circumstances, it is easy to discover that three areas of life dominate my time: family, work, and ministry. The demands of each of these will put me into a multitasking mindset that at times is personally overwhelming. Is God calling me to let something go in order to invest more time in ministry? I have already scaled back considerably on the amount of work that I am performing in my secular employment, and yet I still face the struggle of having too much to do and not nearly enough time to get it all done. Does that sound familiar to you?

Perhaps a change is on the horizon for me and Tammy, we do not know. But we do know that our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think. We are desperate to see and experience a move of the Spirit of God in churches across this land, and yet we are saddened that so few have a heart for true revival and awakening. In fact, it seems as if the vast majority of church members, and many church leaders, do not even understand this terminology of biblical truth and church history that has transformed countless lives when He begins to do a fresh and powerful work among His people. No wonder spiritual darkness seems to be gaining the upper hand, as the light is very dim. Oh, how I pray that my singular focus will be to KNOW HIM! Then, and only then, can I be adequately prepared to make Him known.

Restoring Life

“Loose him, and let him go!” John 11:44

It would be impossible to somehow list the miracles of Jesus from being the least significant to the most dramatic. Each time we read about the Son of God doing something in the realm of the supernatural, it reminds us of the unique and wonderful qualities of this God-Man, as He lived a humble life marked by His unlimited authority.

He turned water into wine at the suggestion of His loving mother. He blessed and broke a little boy’s lunch and fed over 5,000 men (not counting the women and children). He calmed troubled waters by speaking to the howling wind, “Peace! Be still.” He anointed blinded eyes with mud made from His own spittle, and those eyes began scanning the wonder of God’s creation with 20/20 vision. He caused the rotting, putrefying flesh of the isolated leper to become as soft and beautiful as a newborn child. The leper’s song was changed from “Unclean, unclean” to “Jesus Loves Me” as he ran excitedly back home to embrace his family. And He stood against the enemy of our souls, casting out those fallen spirits who occupied and were destroying the lives of those who had been demon possessed. These are but a few examples of the authority of Christ displayed for us in the Gospels. Yet there are three miracles that truly must captivate our attention when we consider the greatness of His power, and they all have to deal with the trauma of death.

In Mark 5:21-43, we have the account of a twelve year old girl, the daughter of Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, probably Capernaum, where Jesus had established his ministry headquarters. We do not know the reason for her sickness, but it was severe enough that this man went looking for Jesus as He was returning from a trip across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus immediately began to go with this man to his home, but the journey was interrupted by a diseased woman with an issue of blood. When word came that the girl had died, Jesus would not allow the sad news to prevent Him from going to see her. Ridiculed by those who had gathered to mourn her passing, Jesus chose a few of His disciples, and along with the girl’s parents, entered into the privacy of her room and called out her name to a restoration of life! She who had been enveloped in death for a few brief moments was alive again – Praise the Lord!

Looking at Luke 7:11-17, we find the story of a frightened widow in the town of Nain who was burying her only son. This young man would be the sole provider of financial security for this woman, and now he was dead. Was his death a result of some horrible disease, or the shocking reality of a violent accident? We do not know the answers to these questions, but we do know the result of the Lord’s presence that day. He stopped the funeral procession, put his hand on the open coffin, and spoke softly to the young man, who immediately sat up and began talking to his bewildered and excited mother. Death had been a reality for this young man perhaps for several hours, if not overnight. But now the sting of death was only a memory as he danced again in the sunlight of divine love!

The testimony of Lazarus in John 11:1-44 is a little different. This man was not twelve years old or in the maturing years of early adulthood. Lazarus would have been considered middle aged, if not in the beginning of his senior adult years. When Jesus finally arrived on the scene, Lazarus was far beyond experiencing death for a few brief minutes or even a collection of hours. Horrified when Jesus commanded that the stone should be rolled away from the place of his burial, Lazarus’ sister, Martha, protested that he had been dead for several days, and there would be a horrible odor coming forth from his decaying corpse. Nevertheless, the stone was removed, and following a prayer to His Heavenly Father, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” The Bible says that the man who had been dead suddenly appeared in the opening of his death chamber still wrapped in his grave clothes. Then the words of instruction from the lips of our Lord to those who observed this incredible miracle, “Loose him, and let him go.” Wow!

Jesus was, and is, the giver of life. Divine life springs forth from spiritual death when He calls our name in redemption. But He is also the restorer of life. When our life of faith seems to have experienced some sort of horrible disease or tragic accident, resulting in death, He can call our names like no other. And when He does, life is restored. My journey is not unique. Life can often be described as two steps forward, and one step back. Since I began chronically some of my personal adventures in this format, more and more of His grace is being realized as I obey His directives. What about your journey of life and faith? Are you experiencing the sufficiency of Christ in victorious living, or do you feel more entrapped in a dark tomb of fear and shame? If the latter is more like your current situation, do not despair, for the Lord of glory is still able to break the chains that bind you as you hear Him whisper your name. By faith, you can respond to His powerful voice and experience restoration of life. And as you rise up in obedience, you might also hear Him declare to those who are nearby: “Loose him, and let him go!” I pray that for you and for me, the best is yet to come! AMEN!!

A Door of Divine Opportunity

“A great and effective door has opened to me!” I Corinthians 16:9

It is quite thrilling when we recognize that God is doing something unique and wonderful. It is even more thrilling when we realize that He is giving us the opportunity to join His activity. The Apostle Paul had just concluded a season of ministry in the city of Corinth. He had labored faithfully there for some eighteen months before ending what we call his second missionary journey as he began the arduous journey back towards Jerusalem. Paul passed through the city of Ephesus as he traveled, and he told the believers that he would return to them if it proved to be the Lord’s will (Acts 18:19-21).

 

Well, it certainly proved to be God’s plan for this man to return, and when he did, he experienced some of his most fruitful ministry. After straightening out some poor doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit and believer’s baptism, Paul spoke boldly among the Jews in the synagogue for three months. When opposition began to rise against his teaching, he was able to secure a place in the school of Tyrannus (who was either a Jewish rabbi, or perhaps a Greek philosopher, and a well-known and respected teacher with his own “private” school) and continue his ministry for the next two years. This door of opportunity gave Paul a secure place to teach, lecture, mentor and disciple both Jews and Greeks on a daily basis. As a result, the Bible says, “the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” (Acts 19:20) No wonder Paul said to the Corinthians that a great and effective door has opened to me!

As I write these words, God has uniquely opened a wonderful door of ministry opportunity for me as well. I may not encounter what Paul did so many years ago in the exciting city of Ephesus, but I am no less delighted to be involved in the life and ministry of the Bethel Baptist Church on Military Road in Columbus MS (https://www.facebook.com/p/Bethel-Baptist-Church-100064557615154/). Tammy and I had been sincerely praying for a place to serve that would embrace our giftedness and life experiences, and we are humbled by this unique opportunity that God has given me to serve Bethel as their Interim Pastor. Please pray that we will bear spiritual fruit like we’ve never seen before, as we seek to love and lead this precious body of believers into the fresh encounters of God's presence. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:5-8) To God be the glory!

Our Greatest Need

 "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'"
Luke 10:38-42

Jesus once again found Himself in the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Their love often drew Him and His followers to rest and relax in their humble abode in Bethany. As was His custom, Jesus took the opportunity to teach wonderful truths concerning His kingdom. Mary was so caught up with the glory of His words, she failed to realize that Martha was left alone to prepare and serve these very special guests. Finally, Martha had endured enough, and she bolted into the area where everyone was listening to Christ speak. Instead of quietly gaining the attention of her sister, she raised her voice towards Jesus, and sternly rebuked Him for not realizing her dilemma and instructing Mary to assist her. Out of the mouth of our Lord is spoken some of the most powerful and pointed words of both gentle love and firm correction. He drew attention to the fact that though Martha was busy tending to the needs of everyone in her home, she was missing what was most important. “One thing is needful,” Jesus said, “and Mary has chosen that good part.” According to Jesus, “one thing” stands above all others in our lives as being our greatest need. What is that one thing? Simply put, it is intimacy with Him. That is what Mary was experiencing as she sat quietly and lovingly at His feet, placing everything He had to say into her innermost being.

As I ponder the truth of our greatest need being intimacy with Jesus, I am reminded of how this kind of precious fellowship will work to glorify Him in each of our lives. In the New Testament, I find three clear experiences that can be ours when we reserve adequate time to sit expectantly at His precious feet.

1. Directs Us in Ministry (Acts 16:6-10)

Many of us are familiar with the predicament of the Apostle Paul. Desiring to be of service to Christ, he had attempted to carry the gospel to different areas and cities, only to be blocked and bothered by the Holy Spirit. A vision of a man eventually appeared unto Paul in the night to go to Macedonia, which brought the good news into Europe. Why should this testimony be important to us? Because I am thoroughly convinced that all of us who name the name of Jesus should live our lives, as did Paul, making life choices and ministry decisions based upon revelation, not reason. Henry Blackaby has attempted to instruct us of this principle of life in Experiencing God. When we learn that God is at work everywhere - that He chooses to pursue a love relationship with us - and that He will invite us to join Him in His work, this will move us away from holding “think sessions” to study statistics and strategies to formulate our future plans. Very few believers and churches, however, have this kind of intimacy. Plans often prove to be randomly selected based upon some kind of reasoning, which leads to confusion, failure, and lost opportunities to majestically exalt the name of Jesus. Intimacy with our Lord, on the other hand, will direct us into exciting ministry that will display His supernatural power working through our lives.

2. Delivers Us from Impurity (Galatians 5:16)

The only solution for the sin problem that we daily face is found in this one simple verse: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” The word “walk” in its root meaning has the idea to live by or to be occupied with. Therefore, the pathway to conquering those internal and external temptations is not found in our firm resolve, our tearful commitments, or participating in accountability groups. All of these are certainly important, and I would never desire to subtract from their significance. Deliverance, however, lies clearly in our fellowship with Christ and willingness to yield ourselves to His Spirit. As one pastor said to me, “Personal failure is nothing more than misplaced affection. Whenever we choose to love someone or something more than we love Jesus, we are on a pathway leading to destruction.” Good words, and powerful – Amen?

When we, like Mary, have our lives preoccupied and taken up with Christ, we will begin to live our lives on a different level. The face of Jesus will become so lovely to us, that the things of this world that tend to attract our flesh will lose their allurement. The words of this powerful hymn are true: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

3. Develops Us for Victory (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The Bible is clear concerning the fact that as we live this life of faith, we are on a battlefield, not a playground. The lives that have been ruined in failing to realize this truth surround us. God’s plan, however, is that we rise above the kingdom of darkness in their attempts to thwart His will being accomplished through our lives. The Bible says that we “are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” It is His desire for us to wave the banner of Christ in triumphant celebration over our spiritual enemies. I firmly believe that as we read these verses in Ephesians concerning the armor of God, we will discover the very person of Christ being placed upon us for battle. After all, is He not our TRUTH, our RIGHTEOUSNESS, our PEACE, our FAITH, our SALVATION, and the WORD of GOD? And did not Paul instruct the church at Rome to “put on the Lord Jesus” in relation to victorious living? As we learn to appropriate by faith the authority and lordship of Christ in all that we face in our daily lives, we will find ourselves being developed into the conquerors that God calls us. For the Apostle Paul, this victory meant boldness to speak the truth of God even while he was imprisoned for his gospel preaching. For you, it may mean a victory in some other aspect of your life.

No matter what circumstances you might be facing in life, one thing is needful, intimacy with Jesus. As you and I draw close to Him, just in reach of even the hem of His garment, we will encounter an abundant life source that is overwhelmingly sufficient to meet our every need. Understanding our greatest need, may we adjust our lives to be more like Mary, and less like Martha. Spending time at the feet of Jesus is never wasted time, for it is when the God of eternity becomes the God of our reality, and what we encounter shall not be taken away.

I pray these thoughts will challenge and bless you as seek to please the Lord Jesus. I was recently blessed to preach this message at a local church, and it is available via their Facebook page. You should be able to find it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3264328263876119

May God abundantly bless you in your service and ministry.