Strategic Indigenous Missions

Only God Is Good

When a rich young man came to Jesus and addressed Him as “Good Teacher” and then asked Him what good things he should do to enter into the kingdom of heaven, Jesus responded by saying, “No one is good but One, that is God,” (Mat. 19.16-17).

We all have our concept of being good. This young man had kept all the commandments, he had been a “good” boy, yet felt that something was still lacking.

Most define goodness by comparing it to evil, such as “better than” or as the “absence of evil,” etc. But Good is a Divine quality, thus cannot be defined by man, but rather by God Himself. Let me show you how God defines good.

Good is:

• Giving honor to the detestable. He bestows honor on all of us.

Man honors by merit. He gives honor to the winners, achievers, the beautiful and talented. He gives to those who deserve to be honored.

• Loving the unlovable, that is, the bad people, before they change, while yet in their sin.

Man withholds his love until there is change. Guards himself from being hurt and so is careful not to give his love to just anyone.

• Showing care and attention to those who have stolen from the poor, killed the innocent and abused the helpless.

Man wants justice to rule. The sins of man can become so hideous that our response is so often, “You deserve to burn in hell.” No mercy for Hitler, Bin Laden, Stalin, the pedophiles, the rapists or who we hate.

• Forgiving all sin and healing all disease.

Man forgives most sins, especially ones own, but not all. He also desires that his sicknesses be healed, yet is satisfied when the homosexual get AIDS, knowing that it is well deserved.

• Giving a chance or even second chance to the victims of rape, divorce and abuse.

Man condemns the innocent life to death, (in abortion), in cases of rape and incest, stigmatizes the divorcee, and ostracizes those scared by abuse and deformation.

• Extending the life of the miserable, knowing that as long as there is life there is hope.

Man gives up too soon. God is longsuffering not desiring that any one perish. Man wants to hurry up death through euthanasia, killing the deformed child, so as not to burden society with prolonged health care and pulling the plug on those barely hanging on to life.

No, only God is good. There is no good in man. He cannot save himself nor can he apart from God be like God. Some have said that there will be many good men in hell. But, no, there are no good people in hell. All who are there well deserve being there, for all have sinned. Only God is Good and we need Him in our lives.

Scriptures to meditate on: Mat. 19.16-22; 25.34-46; Romans 3.23; Psalms 103.3; I Peter 2.17.

Why I Love the Church

Some time ago I heard a statistic of the church in America that really shocked me. It said that there were more “born again” Christians out of church than in church. This meaning that more people were opting to weekly stay home than to congregate with fellow believers. As I thought about this phenomena, I was led to evaluate my own reason for fellowshipping regularly or as we normally say, “go to church.” I have listed 25 reason why I love the church.

1. …because I love Jesus and He is the Head of the Church, which is His Body, (Col. 1.18).
2. …because I want to be where Jesus is, (Eph. 2.22).
3. …because I want to be a part of His family, (Eph. 2.19).
4. …because I want to be in a place where the devil cannot prevail, (Mt. 16.8).
5. …because the church is the place where I am built up and edified, (I Cor. 14.5, 12).
6. …because being in the Church, I remain steadfast, (Heb. 10.25).
7. …because I worship better in church, (Heb. 2.12, Ps. 22.3).
8. …because the Lord’s Supper only makes sense as we take it together in the congregation. (I Cor. 10.16; 11.20, 23-31).
9. …because it is where I receive spiritual protection by being under spiritual authority, (Heb. 13.17).
10. …because it is where I learn to hear the voice of one Pastor, (Ecc. 12.11-13).
11. …because it is where the elders minister to the sick, (James 5.14-15).
12. …because it is where I receive comfort when I am sad and where my brothers rejoice with me in my victories, (Rom. 12.15).
13. …because Christ loves the Church and gave Himself for her. (Eph. 5.25).
14. …because Jesus will return for the Church. I want to be a part of the Church!, (John 14.2-3).
15. …because the Church is the Bride of Christ and she will be eternally with Him. (Rev. 21.9-).
16. …because the Church is being purified, washed and sanctified by the Word to be presented to Jesus, (Eph. 5.26-27).
17. …because in the Church I have a priestly ministry, (I Peter 2.5).
18. …because I was called and chosen to be a part of the people of God, (I Peter 2.9).
19. …because it is where the invisible becomes visible, (i.e., love of God, covenant, adoption, acceptance, etc.).
20. …because it is where I met my wife and raised my children.
21. …because it is where there is agreement in prayer and certainty of receiving answers, (Mat. 18.19).
22. …because it is the storehouse where I bring my tithes and offerings, thus receiving blessings and protection, (Mal. 3.10).
23. …because it is where I receive correction as a son and not allowed to go my own way, (Heb. 12.6).
24. …because the Church is the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven and only those whose name is written in the Lamb’s book of life will be there, (Rev. 21.9-27).
25. …because it is where you are and I want to be a part of you all.

Growing Up Spiritually

No one likes to hear these words: “I wish you would just grow up!” It shows a certain disgust or distain with an attitude or action being portrayed. The fact is we are all in a process of “growing up”. Physically we reach our peak at about 25 years of age. From then on we are in the process of maintenance until we begin the dying decline. Spiritually speaking, we have a beginning, which is called the “new birth”. We begin as “babes” in Christ, grow as children, developing into the experience of youth, so that we can arrive at maturity or adulthood.

One does not just jump into adulthood, but rather grows into maturity. Maturity is measured by one’s capacity to be responsible. As a child, one learns through obedience and discipline. Paul refers to this stage as that of a soldier. A new recruit first learns to obey and then is told why. The commands are direct; “march, stop, sit, dig the ditch.”  The basic disciplines of reading the Bible, praying, fellowshipping, etc., are not optional for growth. In the child phase of growth, one’s character is being formed, values are being learned and godly habits established. Obedience is to produce submission and discipline is to produce self-discipline.

In the natural, if we remain as a child, something is seriously wrong. God desires that we attain the full stature of Christ, which means growing up. Having raised five children of our own, my wife and I found that youth are motivated by rewards. They don’t respond so well to orders, as do children, but rather to incentives. For example, “If you wash the car, then you can go out this weekend.” Paul explains this growth stage as that of an athlete. He trains for the prize. He learns to deny himself for a greater goal.

This is an excited period of our maturing in Christ, but is not all there is. Adulthood is where we are to go. It is as adults that one lives for the benefit of others. An adult is motivated by vision, service and purpose. This stage is referred to as that of a farmer. This is the productive time, when one’s fulfillment is in seeing his life influencing and touching others.  Adults have children; youth should not. The youth are still “me” oriented, so if they would have children, usually it is the parents/grandparents or other adults who raise them. God desires that we grow up spiritually so that we can win the lost, care for the hurting and disciple the nations.

Scriptures to meditate on:  I John 2.12-13; II Timothy 2.1-6

Living Stones

The writers of the New Testament used many different illustrations and figurative language to describe the church of Jesus Christ. We see the church referred to as a New Man, as a Bride, as a Soldier, as a Temple or House, and as a Body. With each picture we see how many members become a whole in order to fulfill a purpose.

The church is not a physical building, an organization or even a meeting. It is a people that have been placed together to express the person of Jesus Christ to the world. Peter refers to the believers as “living stones” being built together to form a spiritual house. In so many parts of the Christian world, the church is seen more as a pile of stones. The main objective is to have a lot of people in one place. Many programs are designed to attract the crowds and success is seen in the ability to have the biggest and most dynamic of meetings. In this picture of the church, the temptation is for the best to rise to the top. Though this may mean stepping on peoples to get there, the goal is to get to the top of the pile. It is similar to an experience I had as a boy growing up in Alaska. My friends and I used to play “king of the mountain”

in the piles of snow left by the snowplow. The objective was to get to the top of the snow pile and that meant pulling down whoever was there first.

This is not the picture we have in I Peter. A house is not a pile of stones but stones that have been built together. A short time ago I had an addition built onto our house. I was surprised how careful the builders were to reinforce the foundation. You have to have a good foundation before you can begin to build the walls. The foundation we are all built upon is the cross of Jesus Christ. The work of the cross in our lives deals with the wiggly effect of being a living stone. We can’t be a rolling, wondering stone any longer. We must find our place along side some, over others and under still others to be built into the habitation of God, His Holy Temple. This speaks of submission to authority, faithfulness to friends and responsible discipleship. Our advancement and the completion of the work, depends not on our “getting to the top”

, but on our supporting the weight, (ministries), of others.

Scriptures to meditate on: I Peter 2.4-10; Ephesians 4.11-16; 2.21; Revelations 21.22-27; Hebrews 3.1-6.

All

In reading through the Scriptures, I am amazed at how frequently the word all or every is used. One day I looked up this word in the Hebrew and the Greek to find some hidden or expanded meaning, and what I saw was amazing. The word all means literally, ALL. Wow, that is deep! It is not in the Word of God to show emphasis, but to really mean everything or everyone, (no one excluded).

Let’s look at some of these “alls” by subject.

Sin: “All have sinned…”, Romans 3.23
“All we like sheep have gone astray…”, Isaiah 53.6

Salvation: “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3.9
“who desires all men to be saved…”, I Timothy 2.6

Prayer: “that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority…” I Timothy 2.1-2
“…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit”, Ephesians 6.18

Healing: “…Who heals all your diseases,” Psalms 103.3

Blessings: “…who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” Ephesians 1.3

These are just a few of the many times these words are used to express God’s all encompassing love and desire He has for us. He has determined to pursue us with His goodness. Many times our own insecurities speak to us that we are not worthy of His care and love. That His “all” is conditional and that we are not included in it for whatever reason we may have presented. But, the fact is that God never said that. We may feel excluded and unworthy, but that does not make it true. When the Bible is so clear about something, we need to doubt our doubts but not His Word.

Scriptures to meditate on: Number 6.24-26; I Timothy 2.1-6; II Peter 3.9; I Peter 2.21-25; Matthew 4.23.

Speak Lord. I’m Listening.

When Samuel was a small boy, he was awakened in the night by a voice he thought was his mentor’s, the priest Eli. It turned out to be God speaking to him. This was the first of many occasions Samuel was able to not only hear God speak to him, but also to respond back. What an amazing thing to be able to dialog with God Himself!

Though God does speak and desires to communicate with us, many have difficulty in hearing or discerning what He is saying. Our mind is so often distracted and cluttered by so many worries and concerns, that when we want to hear what God has to say, all we just get is the buzz of our own thoughts. Our mind is important in the experience of hearing God, but only as an interpreter. God speaks to us in our inner man or spirit, then the mind interprets what He is saying. Some wish God would just speak audibly or through some sign in the sky, thinking that this would make things so much easier, but this has happened in the past and still many didn’t get the message. An example of this is in the Gospel of John where God spoke audibly about His Son, and those with Jesus thought it was just thunder or some angel. The same thing happened to those with Saul on the road to Damascus. God speaking audibly is no guarantee that we will hear correctly.

Hearing God is through revelation, not through natural intelligence. Revelation is when the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our understanding. The two disciples that were talking to the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize it was Jesus talking to them until their eyes were opened. Jesus explained the Scriptures about Himself, (which is the same Greek word used in I Cor. 12.30 for interpretation of tongues), their hearts were moved and then revelation came.

Instead of hardening our hearts toward God, because of our stubbornness and sin, let us prepare our hearts to hear Him. Offer yourself to Him as a child and ask Him to open the eyes of your understanding.

Scriptures to meditate on: I Samuel 3; Ephesians 1.17-18; Hebrews 1.1; John 12.28; Luke 24.13-35.

It’s A Great Life

If God is good and His will is good, then the life He has given us is to be enjoyed to the max. Before I came to know the Lord, I lived from weekend to weekend. I was always bragging about what I did last weekend or what I was planning to do the next weekend. It seemed that the present was not enjoyable at all. When I gave my life to God, I began to discover what life was really all about and each day became an exciting adventure. A life without God is purposeless, hopeless and boring.

The life of God is a love life. When someone is in love, they walk differently, have more energy, sleep less and will do almost anything to please their love. Some years ago we had four of our six children engaged and living at home at the same time. Wow, was that an experience. Other than the high phone bills our home was a buzz of emotions. Each time the phone rang, four voices would call out, “I’ll get it” I was a nervous wreck thinking that one more of my children would come asking for a private time to talk to me. Being in love is a great thing.

Living for God, or rather, living His life is not being devoted to a religion. Religion is man’s pursuit of God. Life is what is given to us from God. He is the initiator/creator of life. In other words, living the Life of God is a relationship that God has offered to us. It is His love, His person, experienced in every moment of our life. For this reason, His life is passionate, energetic and vibrant. There is nothing better.

Having experienced a life with God, one has a hard time imagining living any other way. I guess it is as possible to fall out of love as it is to fall in love, but that means that someone or something has taken His place in our life. God’s love and purpose for our lives have not changed, but if we change and walk away from this His Love, we lose a Great Life.

Scriptures to meditate on: Romans 8.38-39; I John 4.8; Rev. 2.4; I Cor. 13;John 10.10b

As The Eagles

The eagle is a bird used quite often in history to symbolize superiority, conquest and divinity. Many nations have the eagle as their national symbol and some even display this bird on their flags. In the Bible, the eagle speaks of vision, renewal and faith. Because it is a metaphor used in Scriptures for the victorious believer, let us learn how to be as eagles.

The eagle is noted for its capability to reach great heights. Far above the cares of this life, it soars effortlessly above the circumstances which would try to pull it down. From its lofty position it can see clearly what is moving on the ground. It has an incredible vision. If it weren’t for its vision, it would never fly so high. Lesson number one: Our attitude, vision, determines our altitude.

An eagle can live up to 70 years, but at around 40 years his beak and claws have grown too long to be able to grab his prey. His feathers become worn and if left in this condition the eagle would die far before his time. To be renewed the eagle finds an isolated place on the cliffs and beats his beak on the rocks until it falls off. After it has grown back, he uses it to pull out his claws. When his claws grow back he then uses them to pull out his feathers. Only after they grow back can he soar once again and complete his days. Lesson number two: Renewal requires removal or no gain without pain.

To overcome the natural laws of gravity, the downward pull of the earth, the eagle employs the laws of aerodynamics. As he goes against the flow of the wind, he is lifted up. The resistance of the air is used to his advantage. The negative opposition becomes the stimuli of faith. The world does not stop because we have problems. If we give up we will be pulled down, but if we extend our wings of faith and trust God we will raise above our circumstances. Faith is released when we are between a rock and a hard place. Lesson number three: Problems either make us bitter or better.

Scriptures to meditate on: Isaiah 40.28-31: 41.6,10; Ephesians 1.3, 20-22; 2.6; Romans 8.37-39.

Transformed

In Romans 12, verses 1 and 2, we are admonished to be transformed instead of being conformed. Conform means to be pressed into a mold. It is a mindset, or paradigm, that is forced upon us by the given status quo. The paradigm of our day is a functional one. The emphasis is on accomplishment, job titles and agendas. We live by the clock and find our value in our usefulness and function.

Instead of being conformed to this identity, or mindset, we are to be transformed into the person God as destined us to be. The paradigm that God desires us to have is a relational one. A functional paradigm creates competition, jealousy and loneliness. God takes the solitary and places them in a family. He said that it wasn’t good that a man remain alone. As we give ourselves to Him, He transforms us from being independent to living in a community, from suspicion to trust and from self-gratification to loving others as we love ourselves. God created us to be human beings, not human doings.

Transition involves a crisis and process. There is an initial thrust into a new way of living, which is then accompanied by progressively being changed. The Chinese word for crisis is a combination of two words: danger and opportunity. There is both fear and expectancy in change. I used to think that change was difficult for just the elderly, but over the course of my ministry I have found that change is difficult for everyone. For one to be motivated to change, the benefits must over rule the discomfort. The consequences of not changing must be seen as more undesirable that the pain in being transformed.

Paul said that as we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds we will experience the good and perfect will of God. That’s enough motivation for me. Our discovering God’s plan for our lives is conditional to embracing the crisis and process of change. It may be difficult to let go of our own selfish ways, but God has so much more for us as we learn to trust Him with our life.

Scriptures to meditate on: Romans 12.1-2; Psalms 68.6; Genesis 2.18; Jeremiah 48.4; Philippians 3.13; II Corinthians 5.17;

Called to Good Works

As I was reading through the book of Titus, I began to see two words often repeated. These were “good works.” To many of us these two words are easily discarded as they remind us of what many try to do to earn salvation. Our thoughts go quickly to Ephesians 2.8-9 where is says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” So when our emphasis is on the grace of God and living by faith, the idea of works gets easily put on the back shelf.

James comes to the defense of works by saying that faith without works is dead. In other words, we cannot have one without the other. In this pastoral letter of Paul to Titus, we see that good works are the responsibility of all those who have been saved by faith. In the second chapter of Titus, goods works are the outward sign of an inner work. It is following the pattern of life revealed in Jesus Christ and serving as an example, or pattern, for others to follow. Our faith is not just to be worn on Sundays, but affects our relationships, doctrine, integrity, character and motivation. Our everyday life is the only Gospel that many people will ever see.

The inner work of being dead to sin and alive to God is seen in our ability to lay down our life for others. Good works is doing good to others without expecting anything in return. It is being a blessing at all times to all people. Jesus is the pattern in that He gave up His own life for sinful man. His only motivation was love. The natural man places conditions on good works. It has its own timetable and expects a positive response. But good works that come from a grateful heart needs no praise, credit nor approval.

An accusation against the church has often been because of our good works, or rather our lack of them. As we are zealous for good works, we destroy the arguments of the enemy. The criticism, “they don’t do what they preach,” is too often true. Let us show the unlovely God’s love. Let us win them without a word.

Scriptures to meditate on: Titus 1.16; 2.7-3.14; I Corinthians 11.1; I Peter 3.1; Romans 10.8-9.

God is Good

One of greatest truths we can come to know is that God is good. It seems so simple and obvious, yet so often our lives and conversation does not reveal that we really believe it. The negative pull downward influences our world view to the point that we speak out continually our frustrations and doubts. But with every negative word we say, God has a positive response.

When we say, “Its impossible”, God answers, “All things are possible to them that believe.” We may say, “I’m so tired”, but God says, “I will give you rest.” We argue, “I just can’t do it,” and God says, “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” We say, “I’m afraid”, but God says, “I have not given you a spirit of fear.” We respond, “But I feel so alone”, and God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Though you may not believe in yourself, God believes in you. He has created you and has called His handiwork good. God does not make mistakes, especially in making you or me. We are the prize of His creation. If we feel out of control, we must realize that God is still in control and knows what He is doing. Nothing escapes His full attention and involvement. So when you say, “I can’t go on”, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” We know our weakness, but He knows His strength. God bases His response to us, not on our ability but on His ability to supply all that we need.

You see, God is for us not against us. We can trust Him with all our life. As we trust Him with each decision and with our dreams and future we will prove that good and perfect will of God. God is Good and there is no shadow of turning in Him. He is the same each day. He won’t have a bad hair day and be grumpy and hurt or disappoint us. He is not as a man that we could be false or inconsistent. Even when we don’t feel so special or loved, God says, “I love you.”

Scriptures to meditate on: John 3.16; Luke 18.27; Philippians 4.13, 19; Hebrews 13.5; II Timothy 1.7; Matthew 19.17; II Corinthians 12.9; Romans 12.1-2.

Two Cities

As the two seeds multiplied and man began to populate the earth, we see two world systems developing. These two systems of thought are at enmity with one another. They are characterized by two cities: Babylon and Jerusalem.

Babylon is the fruit of the seed of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Here a philosophical dualism of good and evil emerged, producing double mindedness and relativism. Each person in this city determines his destiny and is motivated for what is right in his own eyes. There are no absolutes or moral standard in Babylon, but rather what is the expressed will of each given generation.

Religion is varied here, as each one seeks his own path to God and self-realization. It breeds fanaticism and indifference, hypocrisy and sincerity and incites wars and promotes peace. This two-sided tree creates dual personalities, which, in every day life, are seen, as people are one way at church and another at home or one way at work and another at home.

Jerusalem, on the other hand, represents God’s rule. There is no democracy here, but rather the reign of one benevolent, sovereign King. Jerusalem comes down from heaven. To enter this city, one must die to his self-rule, his independence, and accept the Lordship of Jesus. One will speaks of unity and peace. Two, (good and evil), speaks of division and strife. There are no committees in this city of God. Here the people of God seek to do His will above all and to be directed by Him each day.

Truth is not relative to the individual’s own taste or desire, but rather is revealed to him by God. God has given us the Holy Spirit to bring us into all truth. He will lead us to daily fulfill the destiny God determines for us. Here true fulfillment is achieved and inner peace is found.

Scriptures to meditate on: Revelations 18; 21.9-27; James 1.8; Matthew 6.33; 28.18-20.

Being A Holy Priesthood

Martin Luther contributed greatly to the restoration of the church when we began to preach about the priesthood of all believers. This opened the door of salvation to millions and millions of people. The priest, in his day, was the only one that could go directly to God. They were the only ones who could read and interpret the Bible and thus be assured of salvation. The people were dependent on the priest, thus the church, to be their mediator and through good works, which were determined by the priest, negotiations, which we bought favors or indulgences, or physical denial and pain, one could possible share in this blessed hope of salvation.

When Luther saw, in Ephesians 2.8, that we are all saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not of works, millions readily accepted this free gift from God. The map of Europe changed as did the future of the church. The priesthood was given to each believer. Each one could go directly to the Lord in prayer, worship and receive personal salvation and edification. The Word of God was made available to each one in their own language and a new of era of evangelical revival was established.

Yet, something was missing. In both the old covenant as well as in the new, the priest not only ministered to God and received from Him, but also ministered from God to the people. In what we call the Reformation, Luther’s followers maintained the established division between clergy and laity. Everyone could be a priest in going directly to God, but not everyone could minister from what they had received from God to others. I believe that God is restoring this final part of the Reformation in our days. All are called, all are being built into a spiritual house and all called to be a holy priesthood to minister both to God as well as to man.

The characteristics of a priest are these: To hear and obey the Word of God, to guard is heart and life in holiness, to speak the truth in love, of offer up spiritual sacrifices and to intercede for the lost. Each one of us are called to bear fruit and to disciple those we have won for Christ. As we each function in our priestly office the church will be build and the Kingdom of God established.

Scriptures to meditate on: I Peter 2.5; John 15.16; Matthew 28.19; Ephesians 2.8; 4.15; Philippians 4.18.

Two Seeds

A seed represents fruit. It has within itself great potential for multiplication, but is limited to produce only after its own kind. An apple seed will only produce apples, not potatoes. As the Bible say, “What you sow, that you will also reap.”The seed does not just refer to plant life, but also animal and human life. We can talk about the seed of mankind, referring to their descendants.

Adam and Eve had two sons or seeds. The first, Cain, was a worker of the soil. He was of the nature of his father the first Adam. He had his eyes on earthly things and so as he worshiped God, he brought to him the work of his hands. One worships only what he knows, so as Cain approached God in offering sacrifices, he presented the best he had, but it was the fruit of what had been cursed. His offering was rejected, because it was a result of his work and not his faith.

The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil leads one to base truth and what is right or wrong on what feels good, appears good and seems good. If one would come into an economically, socially and morally depressed environment and promise an end to unemployment, crime, inflation and moral decay, would you vote for him to lead your government. Probably you would. If so you would have voted for Hitler, as did the Germans in the 1930s. In Revelations, the Beast who comes out of the earth appears to be the answer to all the world’s woes.

The second seed was Abel. He was a tender of sheep. He represents the second Adam. When he worshiped God, he brought to Him what had life, a lamb. His offering was accepted because it represented the fruit of the tree of life. He did not work to produce life, he only offered up to God the life he had. He suffered for doing good and did not retaliate. His blood was poured out onto the earth, as was Jesus’, and spoke to the whole world. The blood of Jesus is the good news of salvation to all mankind. It speaks better than the blood of Abel. The blood of Abel speaks of justice and revenge; the blood of Jesus speaks of mercy and redemption.

Scriptures to meditate on: Genesis 3.1-15; I Corinthians 2.14; Romans 1.18; Revelations 13.11; Ephesians 2.13; Hebrews 11.4; 12.24.

Two Trees

Free will is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to mankind. By being able to choose, we are elevated above the rest of creation and given the possibility to have a relationship with God as a friend. Friendship is not compulsory, but rather voluntary. Thus, a choice is necessary.

God placed two trees in the Garden of Eden. Man was given a choice: life or death, curse or blessing, freedom or slavery. Man could either walk with God or away from Him. With a free will came the consequences of its choices. Each choice is a cause that has its given effect. As the two trees represent free will, they also represent family lines, thus the expression, “family tree.”The seed of the tree man partook of affected his offspring and generations to come. Adam made the wrong choice. He ate of the tree that led him away from God. The seed of this “good and bad” tree entered into all of mankind, producing people who could be as good and they could be bad, but who would not know God nor would have His eternal life.

This choice brought death, separation from God and slavery to sin. For life and communion with God to be restored to man, the seed of the Tree of Life would have to be sown into man, for each tree produces after its own kind. The seed of Life could not be sown into a descendant of the first Adam, who was already polluted by sin, but into a second Adam who knew no sin. This second Adam is Jesus, the sinless son of God. Confronting temptations, (choices), He made the right decisions. He conquered sin and death and now to all who believe in Him receive a new nature, are born again and have eternal life. The seed of the Tree of Life is the Word of God. It is received into our hearts through faith in Jesus Christ. It transforms man and sets him free from the slavery of sin and cancels the consequence of him former wrong choice.

Scriptures to meditate on: Genesis 2.9; John 14.6; 3.16; 10.10; 1.14; Galatians 6.7; II Corinthians 5.17-21.

A Vision With A Mission

Having a vision is not like watching a film, where we are passively observing the future unfold. Vision is seeing what can be, but necessitates our involvement for it to come to pass. It is like prayer, in that we are involved in God’s will being done here on the earth. Reese Howells, a British intercessor, said often, “Never pray unless you are willing to be the answer to your prayer.” In the same way, you cannot be a visionary without being a missionary.

Ezekiel received a vision of a valley of dry bones. These bones represented the actual state of Israel. He didn’t receive this vision just to be informed, but rather to enact change. God did not want Israel to remain “dead” and so involved Ezekiel in their restoration by having him speak His word over these dry bones.

Having a vision with a mission involves several things. First, we need to know that if we have a vision, then we will be involved in its fulfillment. Secondly, our words must be in line with the Word of God. It also requires faith in God to do the impossible. A vision that will change the coarse of history is always beyond the ability of man. Next, vision is strategic. It doesn’t just happen. There are steps to take. First the bones came together, then the nerves, muscles, flesh and skin. There is always order to a vision’s fulfillment.

Because vision changes people and nations, it is not without offense. These bones coming together caused a lot of noise. For God to bring forth a people who would walk together in unity and do great conquests as an anointed army, independence had to be dealt with. This scandalizes those “loose cannons” who desire to do things their way. They are always learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. Salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ is also not without offense, yet it is the power of God to all those who believe.

Scriptures to meditate on: Ezekiel 37.1-12; II Timothy 3.7; Romans 10.8, 17; I Corinthians 1.18.

Being a History Maker

There are people in the world that we deem heroes, those that have made history. We all remember their names. We study about them in school and the world is forever indebted to them for their contributions. What makes them so unique? Each has had just one life, 24 hours in their day, a father and mother, same air we breathe and their own series of difficulties and trials, yet they seem to have risen above the rest to mark their generation.

Abraham was one such individual. He became the father of the nation of Israel as to all the Arab nations. Even to Christians all around the world, he is considered the father of all who believe. He has become an example of faith for the whole world and I believe there are aspects of his life that we can imitate and thus be a history maker as well.

Abraham became a friend to God. He sought to have a relationship with the one true God, even in the midst of a polytheistic environment. He was able to stand alone in his faith in God. He also had the courage to begin a new life in a new place. To enter into what God had for him he had to leave the past behind. His desire was to obey and to please Father God. Abraham was a blessing to others, both in his own family as well as in the other nations were he went. And when he began to prosper and succeed he maintained his humility.

If we take on these characteristics, then we too can influence our world in a positive way. God desires that we be salt and light in a world without hope. He desires that we fulfill the destiny to which we have been called. God wants us to be a history maker.

Scriptures to meditate on: Genesis 12.1-3; Romans 4.11: Isaiah 51.1-2; James 2.23.

Love At First Sight

It is really amazing to see how a person changes when they fall in love. They walk different, they spend more time before the mirror, they smile a lot and it seems they have less need for sleep then they ever had before. Love is a mystery for sure.

Jacob had this experience when he met Rachel. Some chemical reaction went off in him and he knew that she was the one for him. Even though her father put restrictions on their relationship, he was more than willing to pay the price. Seven years past as if it were a day and now he would receive what he had been waiting and laboring for. It was the “hope set before him” that gave him the ability to be patient. Rachel was good looking. She was all he wanted.

The wedding day came, they celebrated until late in the night and Jacob became drunk with expectation only to wake up the next day to find he didn’t have what he really wanted. Instead of Rachel by his side, there was Leah, her older sister. He felt deceived and greatly disappointed. Leah is noted as having poor eyesight. She wasn’t the “good looker” that Rachel was. She had a weak vision.

So often we begin our Christian life with such high expectations. We have been smitten by the love of God and have a vision of experiencing of a life full of blessings and joy. Our life changes and we are full of enthusiasm and energy to go the extra mile in serving the Lord. But then come the disappointments and after a time we realize that what we have is not what we thought we would have. Our vision becomes clouded and our love grows cold. What do we do next?

Do what Jacob did. Return to your first love. Don’t accept the weak vision and the present situation as your destiny. Keep your eyes on God’s perfect will for your life and don’t turn back. Let love have its way in you.

Scriptures to meditate on: Genesis 29; Revelations 2.4; Hebrews 12.2; I Corinthians 13

Successful Relationship

Over the years of my ministry I have performed scores of marriages. Each one holds on to the promise of a long life of happiness and love. On the marriage day no one ever thinks of divorce or separation. There is just this wonderful expectation of spending a life together with their lover and best friend. However, as the years progress and as adjustments are confronted, many times this hope is tested and some to the point of failure.

As I have counseled couples over the years, I have found that those who are successful in their covenant of marriage have this in common: they have placed God first in their lives. Man has been created in the image of God and God is Spirit. Man as a spiritual being can only experience true unity in his relationship “in the Spirit”. I have seen this principle over and again in the Scriptures; “Seek first the Kingdom of God” Even in prayer and worship we see this principle, “I will pray in the Spirit and with the understanding also, I will sing in the Spirit and with the understanding.”

We are to first know one another after the spirit and not after the flesh; according to the new life we have in Christ. Even before one marries, this pattern needs to be observed. First know the other person after the spirit by praying together, studying the Word together and fellowshipping with others. Then comes the area of the soul: mind, emotions and will. Find out one another’s thoughts, desires, likes and dislikes. When covenant is established then it is sealed by the two coming together in physical intimacy. If this order is reversed, there are bound to be difficulties in developing lasting and healthy relationships. Keep your unity by being “in the Spirit.”

Scriptures to meditate on: I Thessalonians 5.23; II Corinthians 5.16-17; I Corinthians 14.15: Philippians 3.3; Romans 8.4-5, 26-27, Ephesians 4.3.