Let it God and Get Going

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” (Re 13:10 AV)

Divine recompense is the patience of the saints.  This is one of our hopes.  We endure persecution and injustice because we know the God of the universe will do right.  We know He will bring all things to light and He will judge righteously for the cause of the His saints.  Yet, there is a degree of faith intimated in this truth.  Not mere patience.  Rather, enduring patience.  Not expectation that is constant, but a resolution to leave it with the LORD allowing more pertinent pursuits to occupy the mind and heart.  It is one thing to wait on the sidelines for justice to be served.  Quit another to go about one’s responsibilities because he is certain of it in the future.

One of my favorite sports to watch is professional hockey.  The very thing that turns some off is the thing that draws me.  It is the fighting that breaks outs.  Most who are not familiar with how the game is played do not appreciate this form of in-game justice.  The game is so fast moving that the refs cannot possibly see all fouls committed by players.  Slashing, tripping, and especially dangerous and questionable checks go unnoticed.  After a while, the violator must be dealt with.  A fight does not break out (at least most of the time) for purely violent reasons.  There is usually a cause for it that has been building up over minutes of play.  What we want to notice though is the lack of this fighting during playoff games.  The same injustice occurs on the ice.  The same dirty plays go unnoticed by the officials. What the players decide to do about it is put it aside until the game or series is in hand.  They focus on the task of winning a contest.  Not on the justice which needs to be meted out.  They are not preoccupied with an illegal hit that went unpunished.  They are not obsessed with a broken wrist from an illegal slash.  There are more important things to consider.

I have met many a Christian who has become paralyzed in their Christian growth because they are preoccupied with fairness.  They want God to even the scales right away.  They cannot put it in the past.  They want the LORD to seek revenge because they feel they have been done wrong.  They are not happy Christians.  They are miserable because fairness is the passion of their soul.  The saints in glory are told to wait. They pass the time in worship and service to the LORD.  They will not pass the time standing on the precipice of glory doing nothing in the hope of God’s justice.  As far as they are concerned, it is as good as done; whether immediately or in the future.  Since it is certain, then it is complete.  Time to serve the LORD.

Three Strikes, He's Out

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Re 12:11 AV)

Many live in defeat to the enemy.  They believe the devil is too powerful for them to overcome.  This is partly true.  He is too powerful for us to overcome all on our own.  But greater is He that is in thee than he that is in the world.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us all the power we need to overcome that wicked one.  Above, John tells us the three-step process of overcoming the power of that wicked one.  They are salvation, sanctification, and sacrifice.

The blood of the Lamb is the foundation upon which the other two are built.  Salvation starts the process of victory and guarantees eternal victory.  Even if we fail miserably, death and hell cannot have our soul.  We are free from the condemnation reserved for the devil and his angles.  It is the blood of the Lamb which is our plea against the truthful charges of the devil.  He is right when he points out our failures, flaws, and foolishness.  He is an efficient prosecutor.  But the blood of the Lamb has cleansed us from all our sin and we stand justified.  Not because of any merit we bring, but because of His mercy and sacrifice.  Strike one.

Many a battle is lost because we do not live in the truth of the word of God.  Just because we are saved does not necessarily mean we will always do right.  Living practically in the righteousness of Christ purchased at Calvary is a battle.  One that must be fought every day.  No matter how much we fall down, we must get right back up again and fight for more ground.  Our testimony is founded upon the word.  It takes reading and studying before we can apply it.  We must live within the pages of the Holy Word of God for the devil to lose again.  This was the means of defeat revealed to us on the mount of temptation.  Christ successfully beat back the harassment of the Devil by quoting scripture.  Strike two.

The third step in this process is to not love one’s life.  Who really cares if the devil persecutes us unto death?  We get to begin the peace of eternity once our last breath is taken.  What is the worst of all he can really do anyway?  In light of eternity, what difference does it make if we go to glory sooner or more tragic than we had hoped?  In fact, death in the service of Christ would be an honor.  It would be a humbling thing to be afforded the privilege to die for the One who died for us.  Once we get in our heart the idea that this life is temporary and we really do not care if death comes swiftly, what threat does the devil have anyway?  Strike three.

Irrational Rebellion

“And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” (Re 9:6 AV)

Absolute rebellion is absolutely irrational. After being tormented for five months from a scorpion bite (or whatever this judgment truly is), men wished to die rather than to continue in life.  The problem is, hell is far worse then then torment they will be facing from this particular judgement.  It was so horrible, they never gave thought to the reality of what hell would be like.  All they wanted was for the present torment to end.  This is what rebellion does.  It becomes irrational.  It wants relief from present circumstances but doesn’t consider the cure to be worse than the disease.  It is interesting how much we will endure for the sake of self-determination.  We will put up with a lot just to prove we can make our own choices.  We will plow through the hardest of consequences just to make a statement that no one can tell us what to do.  Even if it means things get worse.  But it becomes dangerous when we cannot stop and think of how worse it can get.  This makes complete sense though. 

Sin’s allure is immediate gratification.  We want pleasure quickly and intensely.  We are not concerned with the pain that will follow.  This is why sin is irrational.  This is why the desire of those who wish death; which means eternal torment; is irrational.  Their pain and torment from this particular judgement will last five months.  Hell’s torment will last forever and will make the scorpion bite seem like child’s play.  Yet, sin wants immediate and extreme pleasure or relief.  It is never concerned with what might follow.  Even if what might follow is immensely worse.  “just make it stop” may not be what we truly need.  Perhaps the answer is in repentance.

The problem with rebellion and sin is the short-sighted nature of it.  Sin and rebellion are not founded upon wisdom.  They never were.  Relief from the judgement of God without repentance towards God and His righteousness is not found upon wisdom.  It is founded upon foolishness.  What is even worse is the temporary relief they will get from the scorpion bite will only make the coming torment of eternal hell seem all the worse.  Like a torture chamber which is designed to give temporary relief that the next experience be all the more extreme, those in rebellion are not seeking the right remedy.  They remedy will only result is heightened torment.  Why don’t men repent?  Why don’t they turn to Christ?  Their solution in rebellion only makes it worse.  They do this to themselves.  Why?  Just turn!  Admit what you, God, and everyone else already knows.  You, like the rest of us, are vile and wicked.  We stand in need of forgiveness and grace.  Swallow the pride and call upon Christ before the torture become permanent.

No Escape

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Re 6:17 AV)

This is the theme of the book of Revelation that is often forgotten in our pursuit of the deeper meanings found within.  The theme of the book is judgement upon mankind by the Lamb of God for their rejection of Him.  The book is not about end times with no point.  It is about the glory of God our Savior.  It is about the Son of God and glory due Him by all whom He has created.  It is about His wrath founded upon His righteousness and the spurned grace which He so mercifully gave.  It is about the world as a whole rejecting His humiliation, His passion, and His continued offer of grace that demands such a response as the judgments which are to follow. 

Someone might counter with the argument the punishment does not fit the crime.  But who are we to decide that?  Imagine what Christ went through to procure the salvation of mankind.  He created the very soldiers and crowds who would torture Him.  Imagine leaving a place of divine existence and limiting oneself to the existence of man.  Imagine having the power to cease the torture by divine power, yet knowing He would be in disobedience to the Father if He did.  Imagine enduring all that for mankind who hates you anyway.  Imagine going through all that knowing the vast majority of those for whom He did this would reject it anyway.  Still, someone might say the punishment does not fit the crime.  As a pastor, there has only been two times in thirty years when an individual as expressed a thank you for benevolence given from the church.  There was only one time it resulted in renewed commitment to the ministry.  Over hundreds of times, the response is the same.  An attitude of entitlement or pride that refuses to acknowledge the grace given.  We still help.  We still assist.  There is an expectation of gratitude or commitment.  But if there is none, then next time there is a need, they will more than likely not receive any.  What we gave was not ours.  It was the LORD’s.  He will visit them in their ingratitude.

Mark the words of Revelation.  Judgement is coming for rejecting so great a grace.  Not only rejection, but flat out rebellion must be confronted.  The world is so arrogant to assume it can stand up to our all-powerful Creator.  Naïve doesn’t even come close to describing what they will be expressing.  Their rebellion against grace is what will seal their judgment.  And no one will escape.

Neglected Devotional Time is a Step Backward

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Re 2:5 AV)

I have noticed an alarming trend of those who know the LORD and seek to be successful in the walk with God.  There is a trend that business and faithfulness to the truth is more important that maintaining one’s personal daily walk with God.  I have been repeatedly asked over the thirty plus years of my ministry to help others who are struggling in the life.  Almost to a tea, they share one common problem.  They have failed in their daily devotional time with God.  The church at Ephesus was a stalwart of truth.  They examined everything and everyone.  They cleansed from their sphere of influence all false apostles and all error they brought with them.  From a doctrinal point of view, you could not find a purer church.  However, they has a serious deficiency.  They had allowed their personal walk with God to go neglected.  From God’s point of view, it was a step down.  No matter how much doctrine they knew and how well they could defend it, if they didn’t walk with God, it was of little value.  And, it was serious enough for the LORD to warn of their pending removal from His presence.

I thank God for the churches and men of God who stressed a personal devotional walk with God.  A time set apart every day for Bible reading as opposed to Bible study.  A time set apart which all other cares are blocked out and the voice of God has our fullest attention.  A time when we confess our faults to a gracious God and pour our hearts out to Him.  A time when there are no interruptions.  A time when the dog has to lay down somewhere.  A time when the kids are fending for themselves.  A time when our spouse is busy about her or his tasks for the day.  A quiet place where the Spirit of God does not have to compete with other distractions.  No phone.  No email.  No outside stimuli.  One of the rules of the office in my first church of which I was a staff member was the secretarial staff was instructed that no phone calls or interruptions were allowed for any staff member before ten o’clock.  The pastor made it a point to strongly encourage his staff to be in their respective offices as early as possible and he would guarantee the privacy needed for their devotional time.  Very smart!

When the wonderful sheep God has graced me with come to me with issues, the first thing I will inquire of is their salvation.  The second is the habits of devotional time.  It is almost a given that if they are struggling, it will all boil down to how much time they spend with God each day.  I am selfish this way.  I have learned it is the most valuable practice I can do.  I have to.  For my own health and for the health of those who depend on me.  Don’t interrupt the LORD!  He is speaking to me.  You’ll have to call later.  If not, I am taking a step backward no matter how much Bible I may know.

Hold Fast

“Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” (2Jo 1:8 AV)

John reveals the heart of a pastor here.  We realize our ministry is limited.  We know that we cannot bring everyone into a state of Christlikeness.  We know that we have strengths and weaknesses.  We know that other men of God will come along and minister in a different way with different strengths to bring the body of Christ into a state which glorifies our Savior.  We would be naïve to think our ministry alone was sufficient for the care of the sheep under our stewardship.  It has always bothered me why pastors rotate pulpits.  Most do.  Only those with larger churches with a support staff to assist them tend to stay for a long period of time.  They have a multitude of voices on their staff to assist them in areas of weakness.  But the small churches with only one man seem to rotate out and in several pastors in the life of the individual.  But what we desire is stated clearly above.  Our prayer is those things successfully taught be not so soon forgotten or abandoned.  Our heart’s desire is our labor would not be in vain.  We would hope that our imprint upon their hearts would be a lasting one to the glory of Christ and Him alone.

I have three sons.  They are remarkable people.  Each has a deep heart for service to the Master.  As their father and pastor, there came a time when I had to hand them off to other men of God.  These men were more gifted and experienced in areas of life and ministry which I was lacking.  It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but at the same time, fulfilling.  I knew that my time of influence was coming to an end and it was time for them to learn things which I could not teach them.  Had I insisted they stay close to their father’s influence, they never would have been able to grow into what the LORD would have them to be.  One comfort that strengthens my saddened heart is the knowledge that my influence on them was not wasted.  Us four men may not all agree on every point, but there is a kindred spirit of love for God and a servant’s heart that cannot be broken.  I know, as sure as I am sitting here writing this entry, that my sons will not falter from the call of God on their lives.  They will not fall away.  They will not fall out.  I may or may not have been the greatest influence on them, but I know the LORD used me to shape them; even if a little bit; into the men they are today.

The same is true of a church.  It would break the heart of a pastor or missionary to learn the years of their work didn’t make all that much of a difference.  It would break their heart to see all the sweat and tears shed for a body of believers go by the way side because the adversary, flesh, or the world gained an advantage.  It would be a tough pill to swallow if those for whom the man of God labored turned their back on all they had been instructed and went right back into what he labored so hard to bring them out of.  If the man of God won a soul, his heart would break of they eventually went right back into the world.  It would break his heart if he labored so hard to restore sound doctrine, cleanse the body of carnality, or set a clear course for the future only to see those things fad away.  That is our heart.  That the body hold fast and continue on.

The Circle of Love

“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” (1Jo 2:5 AV)

There is great debate today of the place of commandments in the life of the saint.  There are those who believe that grace cancels law for the practical life of the believer.  Actually, this doctrine is as old as the first century church.  It was begun by a man called Nicholas.  He was the first gentile deacon of the church at Jerusalem.  He served at the time of the council recorded in the fifteen chapter of Acts.  At the time, the Gentiles and Jews struggled over the place of the law in the lives of the Gentiles.  They consensus was the law was to take a minimal place in the lives of the Gentiles until further revelation was given by God.  That is, the particularly Jewish portion of the law such as circumcision, dietary law, laws of inheritance in Canaan, etc.  No one debated that adultery was not permitted.  Baring false witness was not, all of a sudden, moral.  Nicholas used this idea of relaxed law to undermine the entire law.  He taught, as is taught today, that law was canceled in grace.  That the child of God was no longer under the law.  He was partially correct.  However, as is the case today, this idea has been abused to permit the child of God to do as he pleases and not as he should.  We are going to look at this from a different angle.

God has manifested His love to mankind by grace.  The grace revealed in His Son.  When Christ came as a man, endured temptation as we, suffered and died in our place – that was grace!  That is grace!  The gift of salvation in by the torture and death of His Son is grace.  That is how we see God’s love towards us.  But how do we reciprocate?  How is love made complete.  Perfect, in the Bible, means complete.  How is this circle of love made whole?  What is our manifestation of our love towards Him?  We cannot show grace.  Grace requires and authority or position of strength show mercy towards another of lesser strength and standing.  God is God.  We are not.  So, I ask the question again.  How do we make this circle of love complete?  The answer is throughout this letter.  By our obedience to His word.  Or, law!

A child, even though he is bent towards disobedience, still desires to please his father.  He enjoys being successful in meeting expectations placed before him. All one needs to do is watch a reaction from a child when he is congratulated for picking up his toys.  A student wants to earn an ‘A’.  An employee wants to be recognized for extraordinary work.  It is in our make-up to desire to please an authority.  Why, then, would we want to remove the law as a means to complete the circle of love?  According to our beloved Apostle, obedience is what God has given to us as means to express our love towards God.  In removing the law, the contemporary and removed the means by which God has given to show our love and our walk with God is all one-sided.  It is self-centered.  It is man-centered.  It is eventually empty.