David Ward: The Monastic Option

The Monastic Option

    Today, few Christians recognize the names St. Anthony, St. Basil, and St. Benedict.  And fewer still live the monastic life of solitude and asceticism they espoused.  To be fair, though, it must be said that the Bible doesn't require such of us.  However, the ideals these men represented are as valid today as ever.  Therefore, while Christians may not be required to follow strict monastic rule, they are, nonetheless, expected to follow the dictates of scripture.  And the keystones of the monastic life are also keystones of the Christian life.

Self Denial

    To begin with, "self-denial" was a cardinal doctrine of monasticism, and it remains so today.  After all, Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  Great, what does this mean?  It means several things, but, first off, it means just what it says—a follower of Christ must “deny himself,” i.e. deny those desires at odds with scripture and at odds with God’s will for one’s life.  The Apostles are perfect examples, as all of them gave up everything to follow Messiah, and tradition tells us that eleven of them were martyred for the Gospel.  Next, we must take up this difficult cross of self-denial “daily.”  It is not enough to practice our faith on Sunday or Wednesday night.  We must master the discipline of self-denial in every area of life and at every moment be willing to submit to His will, whatever it entails.  We must be willing to put our needs and desires aside for the cause of the Gospel.  Finally, we must be willing to “follow” Jesus.  And, today, this may be the ultimate act of self-denial, as it seems everyone everywhere is trying to squeeze as much into life as possible.  In fact, I don’t think I know anyone who could stop at a moment’s notice and do something else without consulting his daytimer.  Yet, to truly follow Jesus, this is what is called for, the desire and ability to hear and obey Holy Spirit, moment by moment, and submit to the will of the Lord.  Consider Matthew, who immediately left his station to follow Jesus.

Sacrifice

Monks were also called on to “sacrifice,” which really goes hand-in-hand with self-denial, and so are we.  In Romans 12:1, Paul put it this way, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, which is your reasonable service.”  A “living” sacrifice is an interesting concept.  We are not a sacrifice consumed in a moment, like those on the altar in the tabernacle, but a sacrifice that is continually being offered up for the Gospel (Romans 8:36).  But what is it we are to sacrifice?  It is our lives, our wills, and our goods, everything.  Simply put, since He (Christ) gave his life for us, we are to give our lives for Him, which Paul says is “reasonable" service.  How do I sacrifice my life for Him, though?  First, by determining His will, His calling, for your life.  You have been given a spiritual gift (I Peter 4:10), and you are expected to minister in that gift within the church.  And oftentimes (which I think is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God), this gifting flows into our vocations.  For example, my primary Spiritual gifting is teaching, and I teach for a living.  In this way, then, I am sacrificing my life for Him by functioning as He created me.  Then, I sacrifice my will to Him whenever I submit to His leading, as opposed to my own desires.  For instance, in the last few years God has given me a ministry to other church leaders, especially those no longer in ministry and many much older than me, who I come along side to support and validate.  It's not something I ever thought about or asked for; it happened by the Spirit, and I embraced it; I submitted to God's leading in this ministry.  Finally, I sacrifice my goods (money/treasures).  I'm talking here about those times when, led of the Spirit, my wife and I gave guitars, birthday parties, couches, washing machines, dryers, vehicles, and money (even paying others' debts), sacrifices all, for the good other others.

  

Service

A third monastic essential was "service," and, again, it is still a core value in the church.  Jesus said this in Matthew 20:27, "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant."  In this verse, the word for servant is from the Greek doulos, meaning "a slave; frequently, therefore, in a qualified sense of subjection and subservience."  He also said, speaking to the twelve, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).  In this verse, the word for servant is from the Greek diakonos, meaning "to run errands; an attendant; a waiter."  It should be clear from these verses how important service was and is to Christ.  After all, He was the ultimate servant, giving His life for many.  And so the Gospel calls us to serve as well.  But whom do we serve?  According to Galatians 6:10, "Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters" (NLT).  Colossians 4:5 says, "Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity" (NLT).  I believe these verses tell us to serve both within and without the church, as we have opportunity.  For example, about twenty years ago a coworker of mine was suddenly told by her husband, without any forewarning, that he wanted a divorce, so he moved out of the house.  She was left with their two children and all the bills.  Of course, I counseled her and tried to help the best I could.  About a week later was her daughter's birthday, but she had no money, so my wife and I gave her a birthday party at our house.  We not only went all out with gifts and goodies, but also my wife gave her daughter a doll that she had been given by her grandmother.  To make a long story short, through this simple act of kindness (service) both mom and dad came to the Lord, and their relationship was restored within weeks.  Whatever the form, service is a key to the kingdom, and we should desire to serve because of the Love of Christ that has been shed abroad in our hearts by Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). 

Separation

    Finally, "separation" is probably the most obvious and radical ideal of the monastic life, as these ascetics tried as much as possible to separate themselves from society.  And while most present-day Christians would protest, according to scripture we are not of the world (John 17:16) and we are to be holy for He is holy (I Peter 1:16). Clearly, then, the principle of separation from the world is still valid.  And today, sadly, this is where the church (Christians) most often fails in her witness.  And this is exactly why the idea of separation is so important because we cannot have a credible witness if we act like the world.  However, it should probably be said here that we don’t have the advantage first century Christians had.  That is, their separation was so obvious because the distinction of their day was much greater.  For instance, they no longer participated in the Roman pagan religion or its practices, e.g. feasts, sacrifices, emperor worship, etc.  Also, they no longer participated in the rampant sexual immorality (much of it required by ancient idolatry) of the ancient world.  Furthermore, they met in homes to worship, not in the temple.  In other words, their new behavior was completely opposite of the world around them, so it was obvious who the Christians were.  It was a simpler time, with less choices and distractions; therefore, those who shunned the common customs really stood out.  Yet, we cannot use this as an excuse; we have to be as radically different as our first century forebears. 

    But how do we do that?  Number one, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:17).  Previously Paul had been talking about the relationship between the righteous and unrighteous.  He asked several rhetorical questions, e.g. "what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?"; "what communion has light with darkness?"; "what concord has Christ with Belial?"; "what agreement has the temple of God with idols?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).  Then he concluded with "come out from among them and be separate."  So then, since there is no fellowship between the righteous and the unrighteous, come out from them, separate yourselves from them.  Simply put, separate yourselves from the world, from worldly people and practices.  You must make the break; it is a choice you must consciously make and practice.  Second, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…" (I John 2:15).  Again, the onus is on us Christians not to be taken (captured) by the things of the world.  These appetites should have died with Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3-6) and must be mortified by the Spirit (Romans 8:13).  Again, we must consciously put to death the desires that would overcome our bodies, and we can by the power of the indwelling Spirit.  Finally, we must be "trained to recognize the difference between right and wrong, and then do what is right" (Hebrews 5:14 NLT).  The King James reads, "…even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."  In other words, we must practice making right decisions and good habits that sensitize our spirits to what is right.  This then, in turn, will make it easier to discern right from wrong and practice the right.  If we do these things consistently, then we should be demonstrably different from the world, separate from the world.

Conclusion

    Clearly, these monastic ideals are as relevant today as they were seventeen-hundred or five-hundred years ago.  We all may not decide to cloister in order to fulfill them, but we must practice them if we are put on Christ and impact the world.  In that sense then, monasticism should be alive and well today, as the whole church engages in self-denial, sacrifice, service, and separation.  Whether in a monk's robe or street clothes, these ideals were modeled by Christ and should be embraced by us.  How about it?

 

Rod Levey: Standing Covenant with Noah

THE STANDING COVENANT WITH NOAH

The first time the word covenant is found in the Bible is in relationship to Noah.

In Genesis 6:4, the Lord saw that the heart of mankind was consistently bent toward wickedness and evil. Verse 6 says the Lord was grieved in His heart and sorry He had made man. In verse 7, we find the Lord stating, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth” because of that which was mentioned in verse 5.

In verse 8 it's written, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” In the midst of the earth's population of a corrupt people, there was one man who had found favor with God. Why? Why was Noah, in God's sight, one who was different from the rest?

Verse 9 answers this question. This verse starts out by saying, “This is the genealogy of Noah.” Then it goes on to say in that same verse, “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” This at first glance seems to be a strange way to describe a genealogy. Verse 10 sounds reasonable in regard to a genealogy: “And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.” This is a clear genealogy, three sons that came from their father's loins. This was the picture of Noah's descendants firsthand, the biological lineage.

Now, let's go back to verse 9. I believe there was no mistake as God described the bloodline; the characteristics of this bloodline were of a spiritual birthing, not natural. Although Noah had three natural children, Shem, Ham and Japheth, God noted the spiritual children of Just, Perfect and Walked with God which were birthed by and had the characteristics of the Father. Noah, as a son of God, up to this point in his life had retained his moral character and lived his life in the fear of the Lord. He made personal, consistent choices to honor God. He loved God and expressed that love by the birthing of three descendants, “Just,” “Perfect” and “Walked with God.”

Noah lived a Just life before God –lawfully right—before God. He was morally upright. He made God's standards his standards. Noah chose to take a stand for God. Love motivated him to not compromise and yield to the lust of the flesh as the others were doing.

The second child in Noah’s spiritual bloodline was “Perfect.” Noah lived a wholesome life; clean, without blemish. He was sound in his decisions and judgments, a man of integrity. He was focused and unwavering. He purposed not to be involved with all the mixture that was being offered in his generation. Noah wasn't caught up in the fads and forms of his day. Stable living before a holy God marked him. His influence was God alone, not the many voices and choices of the hour that were available.

The third in Noah’s spiritual genealogy was “Walked with God.” Noah stayed in fellowship with God.  He communed with the Father. Nothing was going to distract him from the intimacy he had with his Creator. Noah walked with God. He knew who had the lead and therefore followed with a submissive heart, a pure example of a bondservant. Rejection, ridicule nor reason would deter him from following and walking with the One who was his Lord. Again, he didn't walk or follow the majority—the masses who had turned from God for the fulfillment of their pleasures and satisfaction of their fleshly appetites. He knew the way of expressing his love to his Maker: the way of the cross. He would not fall prey to what was regarded as the norm in his day, what was acceptable, what everyone else was doing.

Verse 11 says, “The earth was filled with violence.” The people of Noah’s day were simply living wrongly. They were in sin. Everyone was doing that which would bring them unjust gain. They were concerned with themselves only. There was no mentality of a love for God and a love for their neighbor. Men were lovers of themselves, doing only what would bring them self-satisfaction, comfort and pleasure. Some had a name “sons of God,” but their life behavior and conduct did not resemble that of God. They had a form of godliness, but there was a denying of its power—the power of love revealed in covenant relationship.

Covenant always speaks of bloodshed and slaughter. Sacrifice is a key component of covenant living. Psalm 50:5 says, “Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” This particular psalm appears to be speaking of a time of judgment. It looks like it was a day similar to Noah's generation and ours. There is an addressing of all the motion and form taking place—you know, going through the motions of religion. In verses 16-21, the writer Asaph clearly points out the issues the Lord was addressing to a corrupt, unjust people. For example: lip service, unwillingness to submit, adulterous relationships and not walking in righteous living with family members. The chapter ends in verse 23: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and [but more than that] to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God (italics mine).” Whoever offers (brings the sacrifice) of praise acknowledges God. But to him who orders his conduct, his walk, his course of life right, God will cause to see the salvation of God.  Bringing sacrifices to God has its place. He won't reprove us for them (Psalm 50:8). However, His Word clearly states in Samuel 15:22, “And Samuel said, 'Hath God delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.'”  Proverbs 21:3 says it this way: “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

  

Noah walked with God.  He loved and feared Him. His sacrifices were a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart; therefore, he ordered his life by living a covenant relationship which was revealed in a lifestyle above and beyond offerings.  This reflected his love for God.  Psalm 25:14 says, “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them his covenant.” In covenant, there are always promises, stipulations, requirements and reasonable expectations; however, at the core of covenant there must be death.  Hebrews 9:16-17 speaks to this, “For where there is a testament [covenant] there must also of necessity be the death of the testator, for a testament [covenant] is only in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives (italics mine).” I believe the covenant of the Son of God's love was revealed to Noah, and by seeing this, Noah expressed his love to God in obedient conduct. Noah was dead to himself and alive to God.

Back to Genesis 6:18. God speaks to Noah, the one man that “walked with Him” and says, “But I will establish [stand, continue] My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark (italics mine).” At the time of judgment, God was saying, in effect, “There is a difference with Noah beyond all the others; therefore, I am going to arise and take a stand to continue covenant with the one who continually took and takes a stand for Me and My desires, one who is living with Me and for Me.” Noah was the “one man” (human being) who fulfilled the covenant in his day. He held up his end of the oath, the vows, if you will, to live a certain way with God. There was another time the Lord Jesus “took a stand.” It was when Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit “took a stand” for Jesus as a martyr. This was a true covenantal expression!

Love for God means that we will seek and receive grace from Him to keep His Word. Therefore, fulfilling our covenant with God is dependent upon faith in our Savior and that which He accomplished at Calvary. Noah is obviously a type of Christ. Jesus is the “just” One. Jesus is the “perfect” One. Jesus is the One who “walked with God.” Jesus did only that which He saw the Father doing. He walked in perfect obedience.

We have a lot to overcome in this world in the hour in which we are living. There's only one way to fulfill our end of this covenant with our God whom we love. John the apostle brings a truth that puts this story of Noah and God into light. He puts it this way in John 14:21: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Doesn't this sound similar to Psalm 50:23 and familiar to the account of God and Noah?

God's truth is still true with us today. He has legitimate and reasonable expectations of us who are in covenant with Him. We can fulfill these expectations because and only because of the price that has been paid in His Son, Jesus Christ, at Calvary. It will cost us the same. In the same way Jesus gave His life in totality for us, we also have to give our lives in totality for Him. We, too, will need to pick up our cross daily and walk in the Spirit so we will not bow to the desires of the flesh. Those of us in Christ still find grace in the eyes of the Lord just as Noah did. Furthermore, Jesus will come back for the “one man” who is in covenant with Him, those who have made a covenant, not of words only, but for those who are hearers and doers of His Word. The book of Revelation speaks of these covenant keepers as those who overcame by the blood of the Lamb (relational rights), by the word of their testimony (relational vows) and those who did not love their lives to the death (relational conduct).

How about you? Are you content with believing in the finished work of Jesus and the confession of your faith? Or will you also become a martyr for Him and live in this generation distinguished as just, perfect and walking with God?

Thurlow Switzer: Heritage of Those That Fear the Lord

The Heritage of Those that Fear the Lord

Recently, my dear father, James Clark Switzer, revered father of seven children, and grandfather of 70 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, passed from this life to his home with God our Father (September 26, 2009), joining my mother who passed five years ago. As you might well understand, this has been a significant time of reflection as well as a great celebration of his life, a ninety-year pilgrimage lived to the glory of God. He pastored 16 churches in his lifetime, 13 of which he started from scratch as a church planter. The highlight of the memorial celebration of his life was when nearly seventy grandchildren and great-grandchildren ascended to the platform and sang, “To God Be the Glory.”

My dad’s favorite verse, often quoted, was Psalm 61:5. Since I was called upon to speak at his memorial service, I reflected upon the intent and meaning of this text.

“For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name” (Ps 61:5 NKJV).

Three great ideas come from this passage and they hit home with me, and continue to impact my appreciating dad’s life. I am embracing them personally with fresh intensity as guidelines for my life, and as ideals to pass on to my own children and grandchildren.

First, the Power of the Vow

My father was a man who lived with a focused life, a man faithful to his vows before God. Dad was a man of his word; he could be trusted; he followed through to what he committed himself to. Dad modeled to all of us a life lived with an intense focus, a life centered and occupied with the vow to honor and glorify God.

Eccl 5:4-5 – “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed — better not to vow than to vow and not pay.” NKJV

Num 30:2 – “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” NKJV

One time my wife asked Dad if he would consider building a door for the shelf in the corner of the kitchen by the sink. Dad asked for a hammer, walked over to the sink area and punched a hole in the wall, and said, “Done!” Once he committed to something, it was as-good-as-done. He always finished his tasks.

Secondly, Leaving a Heritage

Dad left a strong, vibrant heritage to us his family. The words “you have given me a heritage of those who fear the Lord,” find their power in the word “heritage.” It is the Hebrew word, yeyuschah, which means, “to occupy, a conquest, something occupied, to drive out and possess.” Dad left us a heritage of one who overcame obstacles and possessed life in the spirit of overcoming. The power of a legacy that he passed on showed its power in three ways.

The power of this heritage was felt first in his love and commitment to his family; they were his heritage. He lived his whole life and prayed in such a way as to leave a spiritual legacy of faith and faithfulness to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He strongly believed in a faith that would reach to the third and fourth generation.

Ps 127:3-5 – “3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” NKJV

Deut 4:9-10 – “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.” NKJV

The power of this legacy was felt secondly in the fact that he and mom lived in such a way as to pass on “pleasant” and “goodly heritage” to his family.

Psalm 16:5-6 – “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; you maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a goodly heritage.” KJV

I do not recall ever having a head-to-head battle with my dad, or he with me, yet I clearly knew when he corrected me and provided guidance for my life, not only as a child, but also as a grown man, even to recent times of conversation and heart-to-heart discussion.

In addition, I felt the power of this heritage in the fact that dad never backed away from an attack coming from other people or from circumstances that challenged him to the hilt. For instance, he knew the power spoken of by the prophet Isaiah that God would always be his defender and that he did not need to react to the voice of those who opposed him or stood against him.

Isa 54:17 – “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me," says the Lord.” NKJV

Third, the Fear of the Lord

Thirdly, Psalm 61:5 emphasizes that a sound heritage is characterized and motivated by a desire to see all “fear” the name of the Lord. Dad’s prayer was that of David.

Psalm 61:5 - “For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.” NKJV

To fear God is to reverence Him and His ways, to embrace an attitude of awesome respect and obedient service, and allowing this to be an impetus to pursue the will of God in all that one does. The fear of God lies at the heart of successful living in the world.

Psalm 86:11 - “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” NKJV

Ps 119:111 – “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” NKJV

Eccl 2:21 – “For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.” NKJV

God has established His inheritance in the saints. God our heavenly Father has left us a powerful and eternal inheritance in the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Eph 1:15-18 – “15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” NKJV

How does a man and woman, a father and mother, leave such a heritage to his family and to those who follow him? This occurs by living faithfully one’s faith and modeling by life one’s trust and commitment to God. Thanks dad `and mom, for leaving such a heritage to us your children. Thanks for living a life in the fear of the Lord, honoring His Name. We are so grateful.

Thurlow J. Switzer

Lynda Switzer: Attention: Control Panel Beeping

Attention: Control Panel Beeping
By Lynda M .Switzer

True beauty and strength flow out of our lives when we not only know in our heads that God is in control, but also we embrace a lifestyle integrated with God’s Word and surrendered to the Father’s plan and purpose.

Attention: Control Panel Beeping: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked: and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings (Genesis 3: 6, 7.) “Here, Adam, have some of this tasty fruit!”

Attention: Control Panel Beeping: “So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid: perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes (Genesis 16:2-4). “Abram, we can make this happen with you and Hagar!”

Attention: Control Panel Beeping: “Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to Him . . . Go out to the field and hunt game for me and make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son . . . So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying . . . Now therefore my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death” (Genesis 27:1, 3, 4, 5). “Jacob, just do what I tell you and you’ll get the coveted blessing from your dad!”

We love to fix things and make things right! It seems to be part of our nature. Our control panels beep loudly! Does God always want us to take responsibility to fix the circumstances and situations that happen in our lives? When we go on our fix-it/control- panel- beeping expeditions, we usually encounter a lot of stress. Our lives begin to overflow with despair, frustration, anger, and self-pity.

Biblically, are there other responses that should be our “first responder” actions rather than our just jumping in to fix things? Life is hard. Are you in a hard season of your life right now? Know that God’s plan for us is bigger than our plan, better than our plan, and different from our plan.
God’s heart for us and the end result that He has in mind may be far different from where we think we’re going or what we think we’re doing.

Our flesh is crushed when we can’t control things. God will press into us. He loves us so much! His heart is that we passionately worship Him, allow our lives to bless others and use our energy to extend His Kingdom. It’s not about us and our comfort level.



Three questions to consider:

1. Do we hold back our worship because we have some issues we need to work out with God first?
2. Do we understand that, just like God ultimately blessed Abraham and miraculously provided his seed, that His purpose in Abraham’s life was that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed, Genesis 12:2? God’s intention is to bless others through our lives!
3. What is our destiny and purpose from the moment God created us?

What’s your life overflowing with? Despair or realizing God has appointed us to worship and serve Him in the midst of our circumstances? When we try to control things, frustration and self pity sneak into our lives and replace God’s peace, His assurance, and His love.

There’s a beautiful story in the Bible of a woman and a family that accurately illustrate how powerfully God is in control amidst unlikely circumstances:

Esther 2:5-7,” In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.”

Hadassah means myrtle (A myrtle tree is a common evergreen bushy shrub with oval shaped shiny leaves, fragrant white or rosy flowers and black berries.) Esther means star. Mordecai may have renamed her when he adopted her. (The definition of a star is “a natural luminous body visible in the sky especially at night.) God was sovereignly moving Esther from just a common (bushy) life to the stardom of putting her life on the line for her people.

Do we read that Esther is in despair in captivity? Is she walking in self pity at being an orphan? Verses 8 and 9 of chapter 2 reveal that Esther is well trained, well adjusted and spiritually prepared in this pagan nation. God is opening doors of favor to her. Esther 2:17, “The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” Esther becomes queen. When we have successes in our lives, do we take the credit for them ourselves or do we recognize the hand of God putting us in places of His design for His purposes?
In Esther 3:13, we read of wicked Haman’s deadly conspiracy. “And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, on one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.” Just like Mordecai’s commitment to worship only Jehovah made Haman very angry, pursuing holiness and not living like others around us may bring upon us the hatred and hostility of unbelievers. What gallows in our lives are ready to hang us up and shut us down?

There’s an interesting phrase here that reveals the reputation and leadership of Mordecai. “He (Haman) disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai” (Esther 3:6). Who were the people of Mordecai? God’s chosen people, the Hebrews!
We, too, are part of God’s chosen people. I Peter 2: 9, 10, in The New Living Translation reads, “You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God’s mercy; now you have received his mercy.” God is in control of our circumstances and lives. It’s a good thing!

In Esther 4:4 we read, “The queen is deeply distressed” at hearing that her uncle sits at the gate clothed in sackcloth. Esther’s response is, “I can’t do anything about this. Mordecai, if I do as you say, I could die.” Mordecai’s faith-filled reply to Esther is in 4:14. “If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther, God has set you up! If you remain silent, you may miss the main opportunity, purpose, and privilege for your becoming the queen.

Mordecai is appealing to Esther to look at the big picture of what God is about to do. This reminds me of the account of Joseph in Genesis. What did Joseph say about the ill treatment he received from his brothers? In Genesis 45:7, 8, Joseph tells his brothers, “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” Note the progression in Joseph’s spiritual understanding. In Genesis 40:15, Joseph sees himself as “stolen away, having done nothing to get me here in this dungeon.” But, later in Genesis 45:8, Joseph tells his brothers, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.”

What Esther does next shows the depth of the godly mentoring that she had received from Mordecai. In Esther 4:16, Esther says, “Go gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Attention – control panel beeping: decision time! Will Esther (will we) cater to the flesh or yield to the Spirit as the Apostle Paul encourages us in Romans 8?

Instead of jumping up to try to stop the destruction of her people by herself, Esther called for fasting and prayer, and Esther herself embraced fasting and prayer with her maidens. Esther’s response reveals her ultimate commitment to Mordecai and her people, the condemned Jews. “You do your part to help me; and I will do what you have said, even if I die doing it.”

Doing the will of God requires action. The scriptures read that David ran quickly toward Goliath in I Samuel 17:48, “So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” David ran toward the giant confidently in God’s authority. God gave Esther the plan and she literally had the king eating out of her hand. Haman was hanged.

What happened next? Esther risked her life again! In Philippians 1:20, 21, the Apostle Paul writes, “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
King Ahasuerus authorizes Mordecai to write a decree in the king’s name. The decree states that the Jews can legally fight back if assaulted. Esther 9:1, “On that day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.” Esther 9:19, “The Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting as a holiday and for sending presents to one another. . . so they called these days Purim (vs. 26) . . . and established (vs. 28) that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.”

Like the Old Testament Hebrews who preserved their traditions, we’re passing on memories. What kind of memories are we passing on? Are we carnal (ruled by what I think, ruled by what I want, what I feel) or are we spiritual (Romans 8 – controlled by the Spirit)?

We are called to the Kingdom of God for such a time as this. God invites us to surrender our control, to let go of circumstances and situations that we are holding onto so tightly, to shut down our beeping control panels. Do we find our identity more in our circumstances and relationships with others than in our relationship with Christ?

Yes, our lives have problems, but in humility and surrender, we can shift our focus off our problems and unto Jesus. Christ’s life is mighty within us - eager to burst forth every day in our lives. Instead of struggling to always try to be in control, Jesus invites us to surrender to His will, worship Him, display His works, and extend His Kingdom in the midst of our daily lives.

Christ in us the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27, “To (His saints) God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1,2 NJV).

David Ward: Dance!

"Dance"

It is generally true that every culture has its dance. And this goes back to ancient times. Today, many cultural dances are making a seeming come back, such as Irish dance. Yet, in the church dance is still a controversial issue.

To some dance is just too sensual to be allowed. To them there is no acceptable dance. Moreover, to the extreme minority dance is sin, and anyone participating is sinning. To them, dancing in church would be akin to heresy.

However, the Bible has several examples of people dancing and scriptures that support dancing. For example, Miriam and other women danced joyously after God delivered the Hebrew children through the Red Sea. Likewise, King David danced before the Ark of the Covenant as it was returned to Jerusalem. The Psalms are replete with verses that not only support dancing but also call for dance as a method of praise, e.g., Psalm 149:3 and 150:4 not only support dancing but also call for dance as a method of praise.

Furthermore, the lack of dance in church may be associated with the fact that, as a culture, there is no American dance. For instance, there is Hebrew dance, Russian dance, Irish dance, Greek dance, a host of African dances, Spanish dance, but generally speaking, there is no singular dance associated with Americans. That is to say, there is no common dance Americans share when they come together.

Yet, some churches today have adopted Hebrew dance since Christianity was founded by a Jew and is largely dependent upon Hebrews scriptures. These churches use Hebrew dance as part of their worship and a way to live out scripture. They teach the specific steps of the various dances and the meanings behind the different gestures and postures.

Some churches have adopted a sort of split system of dance. For instance, in one church I attended it was all right for children to dance but not adults. In other churches dance is somewhat accepted so long as it done at the back of the sanctuary, not at the front or in the aisles. Then in some churches it is acceptable for women to dance but never the men.

Of course, there is the age-old fear of "looking stupid" when one dances. I am convinced this is what keeps most people, especially men, from dancing, whether in or out of church. Apparently, King David did not suffer from this anxiety, as he danced in what amounted to his underwear before his subjects.

Whatever the reason, Christians are greatly divided when it comes to dance. Some may take a class in ballroom dance but never consider dancing in church. Still others may freely dance in church during worship but never dance outside of church. In any case, I believe the Bible prescribes dance as a legitimate form of worship, so long as the center of worship remains Jesus Christ!

Jonathan Switzer: Soul Shifting

Getting our soul right.

Been emotionally overloaded recently? Or maybe you have felt mental recently. Well, you’re in good company. King David, the conqueror of giants and archetype for the Messianic King of Kings, was the quintessential emotional basket case.


However, somehow, David was able to transcend his mental moments and live in a way that inspired artists like Michelangelo and saints for ages. What was it? Is it something you and I can do?

Misery loves company, right!?


The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians says to speak to one another in, “Psalm, hymns and spiritual songs.” Jesus and the Apostles regularly spoke to one another and interpreted their struggles through the grid of things that David wrote in the Psalms.

Apparently, there is some key emotional, mental coping mechanism found in those Psalms. (Though to say it that way minimizes the spiritual power really at work.) Apparently, there is no shame in having your soul overwhelmed and downcast. (Remember, soul, is the Bible’s word for what we now tend to call our mind, will or emotions. I like the word soul better, it’s more Biblical.).

In fact, the Bible seems to give us the impression that because life has been corrupted with sin (both our sins and others), our souls will often feel like they are in muck and mire. Or sometimes our soul will feel torn to shreds like a Lion’s prey by things other people say. Other times our soul will be full of joy and confidence. Or perhaps it will feel dry and empty.

Simply put, biblically, if we are anything like David, we should expect our soul to run the gamut of emotional struggles depending on how many sinful people we have had to put up with. (Or sometimes, maybe even oftentimes, the distraught in our soul is due to our own sin.)

Nevertheless, David never gives the impression (in the Psalms) that his soul should naturally respond to the sinful world around him with joy and rejoicing. Yet, David still sets the example as someone who rejoiced in the Lord always. How did he do it?

Basically, David regularly went to pray. As he did, he seemed to persistently let God set his soul back on a rock, hidden under the Shadow of God’s wings, protected in the strong tower of God’s name.

It’s a soul shift. For David, it happened in prayer.

Prayer was the way that David seemed to regularly (daily/weekly?) take time to shift his soul from the “crazies” of the sinful world he faced everyday.

David seemed to do four things regularly in his prayers in the Psalms. First, he honestly, and often in an emotional manner, told God what was happening to him and how he felt about it. “I am surrounded by enemies on every side.” “They seek to devour me.” “Why do the wicked prosper?” “I am dry and empty.” “My soul is downcast and anxious.”

Now, we have so often been taught the power of “rejoice in the Lord always” that I think we forget to go through the human process of righting our soul. We forget to be honest. We might have been led to believe that we can just snap our fingers, quote that verse and force ourselves to smile and rejoice. If that is the case, then we have probably felt also the miss in our soul, wondering if there shouldn’t be more to it. Perhaps, we just wondered that maybe rejoicing worked for some people, but not for us.

But David never in the Psalms forced his soul to rejoice. If he was in tough situations, he never tried to just snap his fingers into rejoicing. Rather, he always started with a brutal, emotional and honest description of how he felt, how fearful he was, how discouraged he was, how distraught he was. In that description he would not hesitate to place blame as to what was causing his soul’s struggle. (Remember, sometimes he actually did feel joyful in which case he started with a description of that joy).

We must not be dishonest with ourselves or with God about how we feel and why.

However, that is just step one. Though step one must not be skipped and must not be rushed, there are three more steps that I discern in David’s prayers. Step one is a vital preparation for a genuine soul shift, but it is the second step that is the beginning of the actual soul shift.  We find that David begins to refocus on God’s perspective of his situation. Remember, David started with an honest description of what he saw happening and how that made him feel. However, next, little by little David would remind his soul of God’s perspective. Things like, “I know Lord that you will punish the wicked.” Things like, “The one enthroned in heaven laughs…” Another time it’s, “You, O Lord are a shield about me.” Or perhaps, “the Lord will hear when I call to him.” One of my favorites is, “you record all my tears.” There are so many of these soul-shifting, soul-soothing truths that we would have to quote much of Psalms to hit them all.

But that is the point. We must not be men and women who have our own perspective at the center of our heart and soul. Rather, we must put God’s perspective at the center. David was called a man after God’s own heart. David was called that because his habit, his practice, was to go to God in prayer and after being honest (and sometimes taking a while to say what he really felt) he would begin to refocus on God’s perspective.

It is likely that David was called a man after God's own heart because of these soul shifting prayers he prayed. 

So, thirdly, David would make statements that seem to show that David is choosing to believe God’s perspective. It’s just not enough to know what God thinks. We have to believe that what God thinks really changes the game; that it really makes a difference. David says, “Lord, I take refuge in you.” Another time he says, “find rest O my soul in God alone.” Or he says to his soul, “put your hope in God.” Or, “But, you O God do see trouble and grief.”

Of course, this is why David can start a Psalm so anxious and stressed and then by the end of the Psalm he can sound as though he is really rejoicing in the Lord. He IS NOT FAKING IT. His soul has really shifted from despair to confidence in the Lord; from dry and thirsty to refreshed; from fearful and scared to peace and joy.

As David’s perspective changed to God’s perspective, his soul’s state would change also.

So, let’s summarize: David’s rejoicing always started first with honesty. Let’s start there with him. Let’s take however long we need to express what we are really feeling. Then, second, he refocused on God’s perspective and reminded/told his soul to believe God’s perspective. Third, he actively chose to believe God’s perspective. And fourth, as a result, David genuinely rejoiced in the Lord always.

He just simply never faked it. David prayed through each situation UNTIL his soul had genuinely shifted. Then the power of rejoicing seemed to invade his entire soul and burst forth with real victory. Jesus’ beatitudes seem to follow a similar pattern of honesty, God’s perspective and rejoicing.

Let’s learn to read the Psalms and let David teach us how to honestly deal with our soul’s struggles with the difficulties of a world full of sin. Then, let’s speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs…

…for the sake of your soul…all you mental, emotional basket cases. Join with David and me, your compatriots in anxiety, fear and struggle… and pray through to a genuine soul shift.

Alanna Jennings: Spiritual Gardening

Spiritual Gardening – Part 4
Hybridization
“How Beautiful the Bride”
Alanna Jennings

No gardener worth his or her salt would go to the trouble of planting a garden and then not tend to it.  Our Heavenly Father is a good and loving gardener, who tends to His garden by cultivating, watering, feeding, pruning, and propagating.  He even uses hybridization to make us unique individuals, while at the same time ensuring that each of us are in His image, reflecting Him.

Through hybridization (the breeding of a blended “offspring” from unique “parents”) there are now thousands of different kinds of roses alone, and countless species and varieties of other flowers. The varieties developed by hybridization are called cultivars.  In the plant world, new cultivars can occur as the result of “sport” – or, in other words, chance genetic mutation.  While these plants may resemble other flowers, they are not the same as “species” flowers.

New roses are developed through cross-breeding, where the attributes and characteristics of the old rose are bred into the new rose through cross pollenization or seeding.  With these thoughts in mind, I will quickly leave the natural garden and get right to the spiritual gardening concepts that are on my heart.

We, like new roses, are new creatures in Christ Jesus, created through cross-breeding.  When we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, we become partakers of the divine nature, as we read in II Peter 1:2-4 : “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

How wonderful to know that we are not “sport” or chance genetic mutants - as evolutionists would have us think.  Rather, we were created in the likeness of an awesome God  (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 5:1) and our purpose was determined before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4, 2:10, 3:10-11).

If we and our brethren are indeed created in the image of God, as Scripture tells us; how is it that we feel we have the liberty to be critical of one another, either corporately or individually?  After 25 years as a pastor’s wife, I have heard more than my fair share of criticism of the Church (most of it from the Church, I might add).  One of the terrible truths about Christians is that, occasionally, we eat our own.  Like every decadent civilization, we have been known to sacrifice our young (immature believers) and leave behind our wounded (hurting believers).  In our rush to get off the battlefield, or extricate ourselves from spiritual warfare, or alleviate our own pain and suffering in troubled times, we walk away from our brethren, thinking they are beyond hope when they’re really just “mostly dead” and in great need of rescue.

I write to you, my Brethren, in the fear of God, knowing that I am chief among sinners with regard to the judgmental thoughts I entertain and the critical words I speak.  How often I find myself judging according to the flesh, the precise thing that Jesus warns us about in John 8:15.  I am endeavoring to change these unprofitable habits in my life, as I am more and more often reminded of the dire warnings that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about improperly “discerning” the Body of Christ.

We can all agree that the Church, in the natural realm, has deficiencies and weaknesses clearly visible for all to see.  But, I think we take too lightly the fact that it is the Messiah’s Bride, created in His image, that we speak ill of, dare to entertain critical thoughts of, and treat in a manner unworthy of the Lord.

How then, should we view the Body of Christ?  Simply put, just as God views her - as pure and spotless.  And, by the way, we will never love her as we ought until we begin to look at her with the eyes of the Bridegroom.  This “view” will never come into focus as long as you are looking with carnal eyes.  You will need your spiritual eyes to behold the awesome beauty of the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife (Revelation 21:9-27).  You see, dear Saints, divine grace has expressed the eternal purpose of God in the statement that Christ will one day present unto Himself a glorious Church: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”,  Ephesians 5:25-27.

Note that it is not you who will present yourself, or anyone else, to Him pure and spotless.  The washing of the water of the Word is still needed to keep us cleansed, defiled as we may become by the fallen world in which we live.  With defects yet to be remedied, and wounds still in need of healing, how gracious are the words used of us: “not having spot or wrinkle”.

Her sins are forgiven (but we do not forgive).  Her sins are removed as far as the east is from the west (until we throw them in her face).  Her shame has been rolled away (until we roll it back onto her).  For what, after all, are “wrinkles” but the marks of age; and what are “blemishes” but the effects of sin.

How is it, then, that we can believe of ourselves and others that we are without wrinkle and without blemish before God?  Because His word clearly states it as fact! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation”, II Corinthians 5:17-19

God here looks beyond all of history, including ours, and sees His Church reflecting nothing of man’s fall, but reflecting only the glorious image of His Son.  Is God seeing what will be, or what already is?  I am of the opinion that this promise is not afar off, but speaks of the condition of the Church right now.  Have the wages of sin been paid for, or is payment yet to come?  Are we cleansed by the blood of the Lamb or not?  Are old things passed, and have all things become new, or is this promise yet unfulfilled?  Do we live in redemption, or are we waiting to be redeemed?  Has His blood shed once, for all, washed us clean, or is there need for more bloodshed to make us spotless?  Are we without wrinkle in our Bridegroom’s eyes right now, or do the effects of time and decay mar our beauty for our Beloved?  The answer to these questions is found in Hebrews 9:13-14:  “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” 


If we are indeed the pure and spotless Bride, what is left for us to do?  While the purpose of this article is not to expound on the process of sanctification, I leave you with the following verses for your consideration:

    “Buy from Me white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.”  Revelation 3:18

    “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”  Revelation 19:8

    “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Romans 13:11-14

    “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:20-24

    “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”  II Peter 3:14

    “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”  I Peter 1:17-21

    “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:12-17


Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.  Amen.
Jude 24 - 25