Personal Year's End Reflection

But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.

(Galatians 6:4-5 KJV)

It seems fitting at this time of year to examine in one’s own heart those things which have proved to be areas of strength and areas of weakness in our life. Therefore, I write this on a personal level, not as teaching, but as a sharing of myself to encourage others to do the same. Perhaps in my honesty I can urge others to be vulnerable, if not with others, at least with themselves.

As I move along the road of sanctification, being conformed to the image of God from glory to glory, there are times of growth toward that goal and times where I seemingly lose ground.  I am going to personalize what Peter says concerning the church, in 1 Peter 2:5. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”  God is building me as a spiritual house and not only needs, but desires, my cooperation in the process. The fancy term is spiritual formation.  We all have strong points and weak points in our lives. This is not to say that the strong points are currently as strong as they should be or that the weak points are beyond repair, for we know that the process is not yet finished. And that, my friends, is a good thing. So with that as an introduction, I want to share several strengths and several weaknesses in my own life with you.

On my birthday several weeks ago, I asked my wife, Jan, to prophesy over me what the Lord was telling her about me. One of the things she said was that God was giving me a new name and as I reflected on that I heard within “Faithful and True.” So I will start my strengths list with what God said about me rather than what I see in myself. If God says I am faithful and true, then who am I to argue with Him? (Moses and Gideon just came to mind) This was a big deal to me. Life has challenges that can bring us, and me specifically over the last few years, to the point of feeling like Gideon when the angel of the Lord came to him as he was threshing wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites: “And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house (Judges 6:15 KJV). But I rejoice that as my wife and the Lord were faithful to speak, I will rejoice in the next verse, “And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man (Judges 6:16 KJV).” Am I as faithful and true as I will ultimately be? No, but He’s given me a vision to grow into concerning myself. This is something both He and I can build on.

Another strength I recognize is the ability to focus. Once I get locked onto a subject or task, it seems impossible to break my attention. Because of this, I can be highly productive in the areas I focus on. I am a good student because of my focus. On the flip side of this coin, focus can also be a weakness in me, but that comes later.

This has been a year of allowing God to work true humility in me and I see that as strength.  I know the work is not complete yet, but I am happy to see a deeper level of humility now than I have before. We all need those around us for accountability. I have many people I look to for counsel and to keep me accountable. I know God is the agent in this, but He uses those around us to assist. Jan and others have been lovingly faithful to me in not allowing me to go unchallenged in certain areas of thought and action. This, at times, has been very hard for me. But the fruit produced has been worth all the pruning.

Change is hard for me and yielding to change gracefully is one of my greatest weaknesses. So when change is thrust upon me I usually respond in an ungraceful way, sometimes hurting those around me. I am much happier in the familiar and in control.  As I yield to the humility being worked more and more within me, I believe the resistance to change and the need to control will be eradicated. I believe this one area has hindered me from entering into all the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Control causes hardness. Blessedly, I live and work with those who have been gracious and forgiving, correcting me and giving me time to seek the Lord concerning it. This is grace at its best.

Although focus is a strength, aspects of it can be a weakness; this certainly being the case with me. I get so locked into what I’m doing at times that the slightest interruption, again, causes an ungraceful, ungrateful reaction in me. Although I could chock it up to having a one track mind, I might as well just identify it as a character fault and allow the Lord to tear it down and rebuild grace in its place. I know He has begun the work, as I can see improvement in that area over the last year. My prayer is to yield more to His hand and His chisel as the work of formation continues in me.

               Another area of weakness can be my tendency to intellectualize too many things. I am an avid reader, which I believe is a good thing. It keeps my wheels turning on many different levels. The downside of that is learning can become an intellectual exercise that misses the higher learning experience of the Spirit. This, luckily, is not a major weakness, just something I become aware of from time to time.

So there you have it. So rejoice with me in my strengths and stand with me as I allow God’s grace to help me minimize my weaknesses. Take some time and create your own list. You don’t have to share it, but the honesty in creating it can be the first strength on your list. Happy New Year to you, my friends. 

Lessons to Learn From Mary

As we enjoy this most magical time of the year, I’d like to share with you what I consider the true meaning of Christmas. I want to look at what happened before the star, before the stable, before the shepherds, before the wise men, and therefore, before the baby. The following verses from Luke reveal things that sometimes we miss or take for granted. Read it with me afresh and allow the Holy Spirit to bring forth something new in your thinking.

Luke 1:26-56 KJV  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,  (27)  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  (28)  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  (29)  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  (30)  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  (31)  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  (32)  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  (33)  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  (34)  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  (35)  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  (36)  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.  (37)  For with God nothing shall be impossible.  (38)  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.  (39)  And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;  (40)  And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.  (41)  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:  (42)  And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.  (43)  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  (44)  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  (45)  And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.  (46)  And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,  (47)  And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  (48)  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  (49)  For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.  (50)  And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.  (51)  He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  (52)  He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.  (53)  He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.  (54)  He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;  (55)  As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.  (56)  And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

The above passage of scripture comprises 3 distinct elements known as The Annunciation, The Visitation, and The Magnificat.  It’s important to remember that this all precedes the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas morn. What can we learn from this to help us in our Christian walk? Let’s look at several lessons as we deconstruct the story.

First of all, who is Mary? We know that Mary was a young virgin teenage girl from the town of Nazareth, in Galilee, engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. But what about the social and political ramifications of what we know? Mary was one of the least important persons in her social structure. She was female, she was young, and she was Jewish. Rome ruled over them, tolerating their religion only so much as it helped them control the populace. She had low social status, low family status, and her parents most likely arranged for her marriage to Joseph, who at least had a good trade as a carpenter. Mary was the most unlikely candidate for a visitation from an angel of the Lord. But visit the angel did. And as with many angelic visitations recorded in scripture, the circumstances and timing were not the best. Barely into puberty with her marriage and life ahead of her, here comes Gabriel with a message on behalf of God that would majorly complicate her plans.

And Gabriel wasn’t very subtle in his approach. “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” As we read what happened, it wasn’t the presence of the angel had shook Mary up as much as what he said. She wondered what kind of greeting this was and it troubled her. Often when God uses an angel in the guise of an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher to bring us a word of the Lord it troubles us. We look at ourselves, our circumstances, our social status and think, “Is he talking to me?” Look back at Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, Gideon, and others, who when the word of God came, were a bit troubled in their minds about it. We, along with Mary, can be so glad that God knows our fears and is always ready with a word of comfort. “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”  The favor of God can take us where money, status, and all the rest the world has to offer can never take us.

But Gabriel didn’t stop there. He dropped the bomb. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Now we must remember Mary wasn’t schooled in the scriptures, she was schooled in keeping a home and becoming a good Jewish wife. She had to take Gabriel’s words at face value without scriptural reference. So we really can’t blame her when she asks, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” The girl knew where babies come from and this wasn’t making sense.  But patient Gabriel had that covered, too. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.  For with God nothing shall be impossible.” So not only is this new paradigm of conception explained to her, but the news of her cousin’s pregnancy in her old age continues to mess with Mary’s knowledge of reproductive propriety. In the natural, neither of these occurrences could have happened, but with God all things are possible.

How often do we look at why something can’t happen? If we are focused on the natural facts of a matter, we will oftentimes miss the supernatural truth that God wants to reveal.  Mary knew, that for different reasons, neither she or Elisabeth could conceive. But even in her knowledge of the natural facts, a little encouragement from Gabriel in telling her of Elisabeth’s condition and saying, “For with God nothing shall be impossible,” opened up the realm of possibility for her. God unwrapped this revelation in such a way that faith arose within her. To me, her next statement stands as the most important in this entire passage.  “And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’”  

Mary knew what her decision would mean. She knew the questioning that would come, the remarks and gossip that would follow. She also knew that her life could be taken by stoning for her “offense”. She hadn’t talked this over with Joseph or her parents, although she must have considered what this would do to them. No, we see that in spite of Mary’s fear and questions, when the word of the Lord came to her, it was her turn to bring an annunciation, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord!” Oh, if faith would rise up in us to face the fears and ask the questions, and then say, in spite of them, “Behold the servant of the Lord.”  But the second half of Mary’s statement is as important and revealing as the first; “be it unto me according to thy word.”  Because in making that declaration, Mary was embracing her cross. Her son, the one she would bear, would have His own moment of decision and faith in the Garden of Gethsemane years later and say, “ nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42).” It is one thing to say we are His servants, quite another to submit according to His word.

The church in the United States has been so slow in responding in faith to God’s word. If something is going to cost us in God’s unveiling of kingdom principles and practices, we draw the line and flatly refuse, or half-heartedly agree, knowing that for God to ask that of us, surely He will rapture us out of here so we won’t have to face the consequences of our choice. Oh, Lord, give us the grace to see our hard, backslidden hearts and come clean with you in repentance.

Although the Annunciation is full of splendor, the Visitation sublime, and the Magnificat beautiful in so many ways, this simple yes that Mary uttered is the true Christmas story to me. Everything else comes after heaven coming to earth and earth responding in faith. 

The Incarnation

With Christmas just weeks away, I have been thinking about the incarnation, the first coming of the Lord Jesus to earth as a human being. We have allowed so much sentimentality to invade our acknowledgement and celebration of such a momentous event. I live in Oregon, a Northwestern state in America. Here most people feel that the perfect Christmas must include snow on the ground, eggnog in the cup, and presents under the tree. I know every locale has its own tokens, remembrances, customs, and celebrations surrounding Christmas.  I’ve spent three Christmases outside of the Pacific Northwest. One in Alexandria, Virginia; one in London, England; and one in Brisbane, Australia. My favorite was in London, where on Christmas Day the streets are virtually empty. No cars, no noise, a surreal, eerie quietness that so wonderfully preceded my entering St. Paul’s just as the evening Vespers carols began to ring through the vast edifice.  As delighted as I was with this experience, and the fond memories I still hold years later, there is still the danger of letting that experience define for me what the perfect Christmas is.  Yet, I guard myself to not do that because the fact of Christmas far outweighs the outward, cultural aspects of Christmas.

The preparations for the first Christmas excluded black Friday shopping madness, decorating of hearth and home, sending cards, and all the rest. The unwrapping of that first Christmas revealed a much simpler, if not more complex, series of events. As we read in Matthew:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

(Matthew 1:18-20 KJV)

Before the birth of Christ could be accomplished through Mary, there needed to be a seed planted within her. Now the Bible is quite clear that this seed was not planted in a natural act by Joseph, but rather “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” I know we know the story, perhaps too familiarly at times to consider with proper import the process behind the birth of the baby. In the natural when we see a woman with child, we do not- as it should be- imagine or dwell on the act that brought about the conception. In the back of our minds we know, as my first pastor, Norman Clear, used to say, “They did more than say ‘Howdy’.”  The natural act of conception is eclipsed in our thinking by the product of that act, the child within the womb soon to come forth. But when we read the account in Matthew above, we must examine the process with more than a cursory nod. To miss the process in Mary is to miss the process in us, as well.

Jesus, some 30+ years after His birth was clear about the process and distinction between natural and spiritual birth when He spoke to Nicodemus in John chapter 3:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

(John 3:3-6 KJV)

Water and Spirit here both speak of God’s grace as an agent of regeneration. Not the natural waters of baptism, but spiritual washing that must precede baptism. As the apostle Paul says in writing to Titus:

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

(Titus 3:5-7 KJV)

But this process of spiritual conception, this seed planting, is not a singular event. The sowing of seed in our lives is a continual and perpetual grace of the Spirit, from glory to glory.  As 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Paul tells us just previously that in Christ the vail of the heart is taken away. In the natural, conception can only take place after the vail, or cover, of the womb (hymen) is taken away in intercourse. Spiritually, in Christ there is no longer a separation, a barrier to the Spirit planting seed within us. However, as in the natural, the womb of our heart must be in a receptive state to receive the sowing of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, poured out on the day of Pentecost, initiated a process of spiritual intimacy, seed planting, filling, that continues time and again in the life of every believer. The story of Christmas is not only the story of Jesus coming to earth through a Jewish virgin by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was conceived in Mary of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is conceived in us of the Holy Spirit. The incarnation began with Jesus but continues in us as we are conformed to the image of God’s Son in the earth.               

Architecture of the Heart

My wife, Jan, and I love architecture. Lately we have been watching You Tube videos and doing photo searches of Gothic style cathedrals from around the world. The architectural designers behind these masterpieces built with enthusiasm because they truly believed these structures would house God. Many are inspired in proportion by the measurements of Solomon’s temple. I visited England and Scotland several times in the very first years of this century and was awed at the sight of Bath Abbey, York Minster, and Westminster Cathedral, among others.

As much as I was and am inspired by these “house of God,” they pale in comparison to the true tabernacle of God, the heart of man. I’ve compiled here 30 positive, spiritual architectural features of the heart from the Psalms and Proverbs. Of course, there are many duplicates to these within the respective books and also throughout scripture. There are many negative examples of heart architectural, as well. But if we cultivate these positive traits, we can largely avoid the negative. There are 30 entries here, so a monthly devotional could be “built” around them. God bless.  

Ps 4:4 Aware heart
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Ps 4:7 Glad heart
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

Ps 7:10 Upright heart
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

Ps 9:1 Whole heart
I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

Ps 10:17 Prepared heart
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

Ps 13:5 Rejoicing heart
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

Ps 15:2 True heart
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Ps 17:3 Proved heart
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

Ps 19:14 Meditative heart
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Ps 24:4 Pure heart
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Ps 27:14 Strengthened heart
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Ps 28:7 Trusting heart
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Ps 34:18 Broken heart
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Ps 40:8 Devoted heart
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Ps 45:1 Expressive heart
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Ps 51:10 Clean heart
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Ps 51:17 Contrite heart
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Ps 57:7 Fixed heart
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Ps 78:72 Innocent heart
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

Ps 86:11 United heart
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Ps 101:2 Perfect heart
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

Ps 119:32 Enlarged heart
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Ps 119:80 Sound heart
Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

Pro 3:3 Imprintable heart
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Pro 4:23 Governed heart
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Pro 8:5 Understanding heart
O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Pro 10:8 Wise heart
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

Pro 14:30 Sound heart

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Pro 15:13 Merry heart

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Pro 18:15 Prudent heart
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge

Does America Have a Covenant With God?

Several weeks ago as I was pondering the happenings in our nation and world, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, reminding  me that Israel was the only nation of people who has a national covenant with God.  As much as most Americans would like to believe that our nation has a covenant with God, it simply is not true.  Those Americans who have received Jesus Christ as savior and Lord do have a personal, relational covenant with God, as those grafted into the tree, and in fact, a much better covenant. But the nation, as a whole, does not. If this is true, it means that any Gentile nation whose population has become more and more secular over the decades, as ours surely has over the last 60 years, has the probability of losing favor with God.

In October of this year at The Missional Holiness Conference, Wesleyan pastor Dwight Mikesell brought out the fact that we have already lost God’s favor. In fact, we are already experiencing His judgment. He correlated political and social direction away from God over the last 60 years to Romans 1:21-32. He divided the decades between 1950 up to the present into 4 blocks with the accompanying judgments of God. Let me present them here in abbreviated form.

In the 1950s and 60s, evolution was promoted as the correct view of human origin, taking God the Creator, out of the equation. Since God was gone, we need not speak to Him, so prayer in public schools was eliminated. The corresponding verses in Romans 1:21-23 say:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

In the 60s and 70s we came into the sexual revolution which brought with it unchecked immorality, increased pornography, STDs, and legalized abortion.  We continue to read in Romans 1:24-25:

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

In the 70s and 80s, homosexual rights became an ever increasing political and social power play between traditional morality and liberal agendas. The correlation continues in verses 26-27:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

From the 80s to our current time, political correctness has morphed into political corruption as we see in verses 28-32:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

I don’t think it possible to ignore what Mikesell brings out as a true assessment of a nation under judgment, not because of the sin, but given over to the sin.

 The other day I read an internet post on a popular prophetic site by an honored, veteran prophet. I will not mention his name. It really doesn’t matter who it is. What matters is that he was, in my humble opinion, so wrong in his assumptions about America. If he thinks the intent of our founding fathers can sustain us, if he feels Kate Smith’s singing of “God Bless America” will turn our hearts, if he thinks our stellar support of Israel will stay God’s hand, I cannot agree with him. He goes on to talk about America blessing God, but here again, who can do that? Only those serving God can bless God. It will take the bride within the church interceding and repenting for the church at large to start the ball of revival rolling again.

Is it not obvious that our economic, political, and religious systems are in shambles before us? We cannot rest on the laurels of our founders, a patriotism that honors country over God, or a quasi-coziness with Israel. It is only the kingdom of God made manifest by the true people of God directed by the Spirit of God that is going to give America a fighting chance.  

Witchcraft in the Ranks

When you think of witchcraft, what comes to mind? The Halloween imagery of black hats and broomsticks? People or objects being levitated through the air? Appearances being transformed into something new before your very eyes? You may have different thoughts when it comes to witchcraft, but let’s look at what witchcraft looks like in the midst of God’s people. Could there be witchcraft in the ranks at your church or home group meeting?

            The apostle Paul pointedly confronted the Christians of Galatia in his epistle bearing their name:

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

(Galatians 3:1-3 KJV)

Certainly if the witchcraft in their midst had been overtly manifested, they themselves would have recognized it. But as it is so many times in the church, subtlety (a distinction that is difficult to make but is important) wins out in the congregations of Galatia. Here is what John Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible says about this witchcraft at Galatia:

“Who hath bewitched you? some false teacher or another had, or it cannot be conceived how their heads should ever have been turned this way; which must be understood, not in a literal and proper sense, as Simon Magus bewitched the people of Samaria with his sorceries, but in a figurative and improper one; that as sorcerers and enchanters cast a mist before people's eyes, or, by some evil arts or juggling tricks, deceive their sight, and make objects seem to appear which do not, or in a different form than they really do, so these deceitful workers, who had transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ, as Satan sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light, had set this doctrine in a false light before them, thereby to corrupt their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ. Though the apostle reproves the Galatians for their folly and weakness in giving in so easily to such deceptions, yet he imputes the chief fault unto, and lays the greatest blame on the false teachers; whom he represents as sorcerers and enchanters, and their doctrine, particularly that of justification by works, as witchcraft; it being pleasing to men, a gratifying of carnal reason, and operating as a charm upon the pride of human nature.”

I’d like to expound on several things Gill’s brings out about this witchcraft and then make some closing remarks.

            First of all, there were teachers in their midst that were, in effect, setting doctrines before them in a false light. Jesus says in Matthew 6:22-23, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” A false light is darkness. It may look the same on the surface, but the illumination it brings is deception. These two verses are set in the middle of a text dealing with treasures and motivations of the heart, the inability to serve two masters. False teachers have a false light coming from lust for false treasure and false motivations. Sometimes their treasure is control over people. Their motivations oftentimes revolve around building their ministry, their kingdom, and of course collecting subjects to do their bidding. This is not the Mosaic Law but it is legalism none the less.

            Secondly, this deception comes about by the subtle exercise of the sorcerer’s art. Not upfront and blatant, as with Simon Magus, but nevertheless seeing the same outcomes. Let’s look first at juggling tricks. The scriptures are, in our days, being juggled to bring about any outcome one may desire. Safeguards are being thrown aside in the name of one “new revelation” or another. Hell is no longer really hell or eternal separation from God, but a place of refining. Homosexuality is no longer an abomination to the Lord and those who stand against it are “haters.”  Out of balance doctrinal stances are no more than juggling acts, mesmerizing the people of God. When one follows the lift of the juggler’s hand releasing the newest, hottest trend in Christendom, it’s easy to forget the foundational truths that keep us grounded in truth. And how about deceiving their sight, making objects seem to appear which do not, or in a different form than they really do. Is this no more than distortion of the truth? Can we not see this in soul-based prophetic words, and dreams and visions that call not to the hidden things of the heart, but to the earthly things of the soul? Find what people want and then “prophesy” to that want and of course tell them that you are their gateway to fulfilling that want. This is sorcery at its finest and it happens all around us, not just on Christian television.   

            Lastly, can we see witchcraft as “it being pleasing to men, a gratifying of carnal reason, and operating as a charm upon the pride of human nature”? Here again is that soul connection; the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Paul speaks in his second letter to Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4 KJV). Charismatic witchcraft will always play in the soul realm. Soul-based prophetic words do no more that reinforce that soul-based lust in the hearer, bringing it front and center, displacing the spiritual desires of God for one’s life. Many lust after a word from God rather than the Word of God. I’ve known and counseled people who could not receive counsel unless it was given in a prophetic word. Good, sound scriptural counsel (The Word) was rejected in place of “the word”, usually spoken through someone willing to connect to them on a soul-based level.

            In closing, as Gill says, “Though the apostle reproves the Galatians for their folly and weakness in giving in so easily to such deceptions, yet he imputes the chief fault unto, and lays the greatest blame on the false teachers…” The apostle Peter has a final word on this as related in 2 Peter 2:1, saying, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

            Are you with leaders that stroke your carnal desires? Do they tell you what you want to hear rather than what God says in His word? Do they counsel you out of a motivation of control, manipulation, and witchcraft? Are they out to build their kingdoms of sand or are they equipping you to be a builder on the Rock? Don’t waste your time, effort, finances, and peace of mind following the sorcerers. Only Godly counsel, firmly based on the Word, and delivered with no hidden motives, can bring you to wholeness.

"The Iron and the Clay" by Janice Bowman

NEWS FROM THE THRONE ROOM FOR YOU.   I am going to share something here that will get you thinking. In the year 1960 at the United Nations General Assembly for decolonization of the nations, we see both Nikita Khrushchev, the Russian prime minister for the cause of communism, and the president of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower.  Now Khrushchev’s name interpreted means clay. Eisenhower’s name interpreted means iron.  If we go to the book of Daniel we see the image the prophet Daniel sees during his position with King Nebuchadnezzar. In the book of Daniel, chapter 2, starting in verse 31 we see the prophet Daniel describing a great image he saw in a vision and he is describing to the king what he sees.  He describes all the body parts of this image which represent nations and kingdoms of the Earth. I am going to skip down to the feet now. Daniel saw a mixture of Iron and clay in the feet of the image and says the iron and the clay do not mix. Saints they did not mix any better than Khrushchev ideas did with Eisenhower’s, than communism and democracy.  So next Daniel sees a rock cut out of the mountain, not made with hands, and it is coming faster and faster towards the feet of this image. The rock keeps gaining momentum, it comes faster, and faster, and it smites the image on the feet, and down comes that image. The image becomes powder scattered in the wind, and only that great rock is left standing in the earth. That rock represents the church of the living God with Jesus Christ as her chief corner stone.

The apostle Peter reminds us that we are all lively stones built into the church of the living God. Jesus is that rock cut out of the mountain, made without hands, and all along the way while this rock gains momentum and becomes more and more massive, the Holy Spirit gathers lively stones, stones that He grafts into that rock cut out of the mountain. That rock becomes bigger and bigger as it picks up greater, and greater speed, becoming weightier, and weightier all the time. This is in type and shadow depicting the very heavy weight of glory that is headed towards the earth, and not all here in the earth will be blessed by that rock saturated in weighted glory!! Jesus said if men won’t fall upon this rock, Jesus Christ, then it will fall upon them!!!  The church will have in these last days a weight and a holiness that comes against all that is false, both in the church and out, and judge with righteous judgment all that is in darkness.  All those that know their God shall be strong and do exploits!

 We are, and have been since the beginnings of our nation, in the foot stage of that image that Daniel saw in his vision. That iron that is still in this nation is not going to mix with the clay of the anti-Christ doctrines that surround us on all sides!  However, notice that the rock cut out of the mountain destroys the strength of the iron also. It is time we, as Christians, stop bragging about the strength of the iron in this nation, and get our eyes back on the Rock. Neither the iron nor the clay was good enough to stand in the holy eyes of God. While we blame bad government, it is the enemy’s strategy to get us in wars and political arguments and scandals that don’t matter! As long as slew foot can get us involved in the wrong war, and paying attention to all the scandals around us, we continue ignoring the scandal of the cross. Then he has us! 

I have heard many people say they just want government back the way it was. Many people fail to realize the way it was, as much as  of us enjoyed it, was not good enough for God. God will uproot and blow away not only the clay among us but also the strength of the iron because there was too much bragging about it in the first place. It is long overdue that the people of God in this nation want a perfect government that will rest upon the shoulders of Christ and not our favorite politicians. Even our forefathers that we so like to brag about, and as good as some of them might have been, fell short of God’s greatest desire for a more perfect government made without hands. His servant Daniel was faithful to show us how all government will be smashed into powder.  Yes, even this government in America that we cry for to be restored to her past glory! God is telling us to let go of what we once had and stop fighting to gain back what he has rejected to usher in something far greater than what many of his people won’t let go of. The church must come into unity with the mind of Christ at this moment in history. As she joins hands with the Holy Spirit and all of creation in deep groaning and travail to herald in the kingdom of God, under the canopy of Christ Jesus, who shall rule and reign forever and ever. Too many are still whining and crying and grieving the very heart of God as they ask for the leeks and the cucumbers of what they want America to be again. It will never be that again. Let go of what you want back from the past and strive for what God wants in the present and in the future.

We are in a revolution; we are in a spiritual war.  We may lose a battle from time to time, but we will not lose the war if we listen to our general in the heavens.  There will be some very hard times, as both the iron and the clay are destroyed.  That iron we have all loved so much, that strength that we all admired in this nation, that good part will also be destroyed simply because it has not been good enough for God. God always wants the best not just what is good.  Good, better, best.  God will never rest until the good gets better and the better gets best!  That might not be our standard but it is the standard of the God we serve.  If so, then let us not be afraid to let go of the past and let go of all fear and come into perfect agreement with God’s standard and not what we have been comfortable with. That great and mighty rock cut out of the mountain, without hands, needs to be the revelation of the church at this time, especially in this nation where the iron and the clay struggle against each other in ever increasing ways. Let it all go!

 He who can hear what the Spirit is saying to the church, let it all go. Every nation struggles inside of His womb to bring a many membered body into the fullness of the mind of Christ. People yearning for the good ol’ days of the past are going to miss the next and final and greatest blue print plan for the church in these last days.  We are being called to a war but not for what we had in the past. You that hear what the Spirit is saying to the church will catch this but all those who hope for what once was will miss the next and greatest move of God, which is the full measure of the mind of Christ.  We won’t find it in the past. The kingdom of God is at hand.

Praying for Churches in My Town

I’m on day 23 of 30 in praying for the churches in my town. It began on the first of November at the Lord’s direction not knowing that others were beginning a month of posting each day what they were thankful for.  When I began my prayer quest, I had no idea what to expect.  I know some of the churches well, having attended and ministered in them in years past or I am currently worshiping with them. When praying for some I got distinct impressions how to pray, with others, nothing. It doesn't seem to be as important how I’m praying as the fact that I am praying.  A simple prayer of blessing or a pointed intercession both are accomplishing what God intended, especially in me. I’d like to share just a couple of things that have happened for me as a result of this God-given task.

                I believe that above every other benefit for me has been a renewed awareness of the combined footprint the church of God has in this small town. It’s very easy to get focused on what our church, our ministry, or our denomination is doing in the area and forget that we are not the only ones touching lives. In the apartment complex where I live, a Lutheran church in the general neighborhood has began a weekly Bible study, did several children’s activities this summer, and has some Christmas activities coming up.  They have a beautiful building to worship in but meet in the new community room at our complex when they come here to minister. They have added a welcome Godly presence in a neighborhood that has a lot of single parent households as well as its share of drug and domestic violence activity. Another church has also been planted on our side of town that focuses on those believers in recovery and the non-churched as well. The pastors have a heart to see the lost saved and new believers grow in the grace of God as they face their addictions and grow past them in Christ. They meet in a school cafeteria by design to be able to put what resources do come in back into the community. Now on the surface, these two churches are as opposite as day and night. One has an older congregation and liturgical worship, and the other has a younger congregation, very contemporary praise band and open worship format.  Their target and approach are very different but they each add to the footprint in a unique way that builds the kingdom. I think of churches I've never been in on the other side of town. I think of denominations whose ways are not like mine. They contribute to the footprint, too. Every toe on the foot, every finger on the hand, every organ in the body is important.

                For me, acknowledging the larger church of my community in my prayers has been a blessing. I have a week to go and will probably start the cycle again next month. I take as much time as needed to pray for each day’s assignment, as the Holy Spirit leads me. As I check my daily list to see who is on for the day, I realize that my doctrinal stance and Christian experience are at odds with some I pray for. But I pray anyway. I pray because I know God has a plan for each church in my town. I pray God will bless the pastor and leadership and reveal Himself to them in a greater way. I ask the Holy Spirit to stir every pot and bring His goodness out of every congregation. I ask that Jesus be glorified in everything they do. I pray for them the same way I pray for myself.    

Mothers, Where Are You?

I remember when I got saved in the early 70s and settled into church life in The Dalles, Oregon, I was blessed to be in the company of mothers. Most were natural mothers, too, but it was their spiritual mothering that I benefited from greatly. They knew how to get with you and “pray you through.” And come hell or high water, they helped get you to the throne of grace to take care of business. I’m not saying I didn't have men as spiritual fathers. I did. Good solid men of God who helped mold and shape me as a young man. But what I miss and what I want to know about our current church culture is, “Mothers, where are you?”

It wasn't only just those women in the congregation that mothered us. We had mothers with strong apostolic and prophetic anointing on their lives come to us and preach the word with power and authority, not to just the women but to the whole congregation. One particular dear saint, Rachael Titus, packed such an anointing on her that the room would hush when she entered. Rachael was in her 80s at the time and I remember her mothering us with deep wisdom, spiritual discernment, and power.

I know the black church has a long history honoring their mothers. Deaconesses are often referred to as Mother. They are shown great respect in the congregation and listened to. They are given freedom to speak into the church. And not quite as comical as a Tyler Perry movie, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of the “look.” The look says it all.

Could it be that In an attempt to get men to take their rightful place in the life of the church, we've let the pendulum swing far too wide,  bringing with that the consequence of discouraging  and devaluing the spiritual mothers in our midst? I know that Women’s Ministry in the church is important, as is Men’s Ministry. There are times when we need to be with and fellowship and minister to those of like gender. But most women never get a chance to do more than that.

We talk so much in evangelical circles about the need for a father and a mother in the home. We need the same thing in the church. We let the women bake the cookies for the after service fellowship and let them change poopy diapers in the nursery, and teach the kids in Sunday school, but do we really let them Mother the church? Do we respect them enough to allow them their rightful place in speaking into our lives from the pulpit some Sundays?  It seems we want the benefits of their service but not the benefits that would serve us the best; their wisdom, insight, and power. Mothers, where are you? 

A Year Pursuing Holiness

I set off at the beginning of this year (2013) to pursue holiness. That statement, to some, might seem absolutely absurd. In fact, it is. First of all, to set a time limit on the things of God is presumptuous at best. God doesn't work on our schedule. And secondly, to think one can obtain what is pursued with any certainty is also presumptuous.  Finding the things of God is not like a trip to the store to find ice cream. So let me describe my presumptuously absurd journey over the last months and then draw some conclusions from it.

                I began my quest with the reading of “Spiritual Sobriety- Freedom and Recovery from Cultural Christianity” by Frank Manno. The plow was harnessed to the oxen with that one. Next came “Holiness, Truth, and the Presence of God” by Francis Frangipane. We were off and running then, turning over some soil in my life that had long lain fallow. Throughout this year I've spent the time with Oswald Chambers, Steve Hill, J. Lee Grady, Smith Wigglesworth, C.H. Spurgeon, and a second round with Frangipane in “The Days of His Presence.” I've read and re-read Art Katz’s “Apostolic Foundations” and marveled at his teaching concerning the correlation between priesthood and the apostolic ministry. “Seven Lamps of Fire” and other books by George H. Warnock have challenged me beyond measure.  Each author has hit a different note in a beautiful harmony which accompanies the melody the Holy Spirit is beginning to play in my life.

                I have listened to hours of preaching by David Wilkerson, Carter Conlon, Leonard and David Ravenhill, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and other men and women of God from a variety of denominational backgrounds. Some are very well known, and others not so much, like Pastor Joe Myers from Grace Street Church of God in Apopka, Florida. He’s a hard working, blue collar pastor with a full time construction business and a full tilt anointing. Their messages aren’t always explicit concerning holiness, but their spirits are immersed in the experience of holiness in their own lives that comes through their preaching. Some are fiery in their approach to preaching, like Pastor Joe, and some are very conversational in their delivery. It’s their lifestyle behind their styles that made all the difference. It’s the same with the authors. Not every book I read is about holiness, but I found holiness in every book.

                With all this reading and listening I even found time to read my Bible and pray. Imagine that! Some of my reading was topical, some devotional, and some just because. I prayed the same way. I think I like the just because the best. I also found with Bible reading and praying came a lot of time just quietly listening to the Holy Spirit. And thinking.  And listening.  And thinking. And then responding. I believe that’s called a conversation.

                I’m not going to spend the time or words here to describe in detail every nuance of my journey this year, but I would like to draw a few conclusions.  My presumptuously absurd journey did reach a favorable destination. I’ve long been a proponent of praying, “Lord, help me live with my questions while I’m waiting for your answers.” OK, I’m at that place with holiness, too. Was I able to accomplish what I wanted to this year? Oh, yes, and more. Was I able to “catch” holiness? I rather believe instead that holiness caught me. You might ask, “How do you know that to be true?”

   Here’s the bottom line. I believe I’m much farther along than I was because I’m far enough down the path to look back. I’m not the same guy I was going into this journey. I believe I’m a better husband. (Check with my wife for conformation!) I know that my nature has become more Christ-like. I don’t struggle with some of the sinful attitudes I struggled with a year ago. I know the most important key this year on my end was the fact that I wanted to make the journey.  And, as I expected, any destination is just the beginning of the next leg of the trip.

               Paul got it right when he said, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. “

(Philippians 3:7-14 KJV)

A Thief in the Night

               Several months ago, my friend’s house was broken into.  The thieves took some valuable electronic stuff from a workroom and some not so valuable snack food from the kitchen counter. They even got into the refrigerator and left the door open when they left. Such punks! My very nice Nikon camera had found its second home at their house, and yes, it was taken also, along with several computers and other cameras. My camera was a lot of money when I bought it, but at the time, I had the money. Now I don’t have the money to replace it, which makes it even more valuable to me. And the thing is, this all happened in the middle of the night when they were at home sleeping. They had no idea anything was missing until they woke up, saw the refrigerator door open, the snack food gone, and then began to notice the things of substance that were gone. The thieves were either very quiet with their actions or my friends are very sound sleepers.

                Our country is asleep and very soundly. The church is asleep, too, and snoring to boot. America is losing freedoms it paid a high price for and may not have what it takes to get them back. The church is not exercising the privileges it has left in an environment that is noticeably more hostile with each passing year. And still we sleep, and snore, occasionally rolling over and stretching to get more comfortable for the next round of slumber. Fluffing the pillows just won’t do it.

                For some the dawning of new morning will bring exceeding joy, to others great pain and sense of doom. Yes, Jesus will come as a thief, too. For those who know Him he will steal away all pain, sorrow, and inadequacies we have borne in this life. For those who do not know Him, the clock will stop. Time to repent will be stolen away. Regret will remain.  They will say, “If only we had woken up.”

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 KJV)

Prayer Challenge for November

I'm issuing a prayer challenge for November. I've compiled a list of churches and pastors in The Dalles. There are 29 on the list below. I would like to see Christians in our community take one church a day and pray for it and its pastor(s). Pray as the Holy Spirit leads you. Sure there are many doctrinal differences in the churches listed and some you probably really don't agree with at some level of doctrine or practice. But can we put all that aside for a month and just ask God to direct and bless? A lot of pastors are struggling for vision. Ask God to make it clear for them. Let me know if you're up to the challenge. If I've missed a church write it in on your list.

Pastor Bob Middleton- Columbia Gorge Christian Fellowship (Calvary Chapel)

Pastor Dan Trautman, Pastor Mike Wilson- First Christian Church

Interim Pastor Rich Zimmerman, Assoc. Tim Vance- Gateway Presbyterian Church

Pastor Josh Smith- Solid Rock Community Church

Pastor David Clear, Assoc. Brent Hartley- Covenant Christian Community Church

Rev. Janet Fullmer, Rector- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Pastor Matt Rotter- Harvest Foursquare Church

Pastor Joseph Levine- St. Peter’s Catholic Church

Pastor Nate Warren- Emmanuel Baptist Church

Pastor Jeremiah Porter- Calvary Baptist Church

Pastor Fred Sheldon- Lifeline Baptist Church

Elders Rob Garrett and Jim Monroe- The Dalles Household of Faith

Pastor Drew Frisbie- The Dalles United Methodist Church

New Life Pentecostal Church

Pastor Jerry Brooking- The Dalles Full Gospel Center

Pastor Jesse Jacobsen- Bethany Lutheran Church

Interim Pastor Marguerite Rourk- Zion Lutheran Church

Fr. John- Mark Gilhousen- Augustinian Center of the Columbia Gorge

Pastor J.W. Jepson, Accoc. Wes Jepson-  Life in Christ Center

Pastor Bob Friel- The Dalles Vineyard Christian Fellowship

Pastor John Westhafer- Faith Lutheran Church

Pastor Jim Quaite- Heritage Bible Baptist Church

Pastor Norm Wells- Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Pastor Giberto Hernandez- Templo Betel Asamblea de Dios

Pastor Andy Anderson- The Dalles Church of the Nazarene

Majors Kevin and Tammy Ray- The Dalles Salvation Army

Pastor Douglas Marquardt- The Dalles Evangelical Church

Pastor Deborah Allen- Church of Christ Congregational 

Pastor Del Griebel- Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Greater Part of Responsibility

According to the dictionary responsibility is “the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management.”   That definition immediately brings two questions to my mind. The first is, “What exactly is being responsible, answerable, and accountable?” and the second is, “What is within my power, control, or management?” In trying to answer these questions, I believe we can gain a greater understanding of what should be meant by the term ‘responsible Christian living.’

When you look up the definition for the word responsible, it again brings out the words answerable and accountable, but adds “often followed by to or for.” For the Christian, I believe before we can be fully responsible, answerable, or accountable for something, we have to be totally responsible, answerable, and accountable to something, or more accurately to Someone. Only when we are responsible to God does He give us response-ability, the ability to respond in the right way. So in my opinion the greater part of responsibility is response-ability.  This ability to respond is spelled out in another part of the definition of responsible:  “having a capacity for moral decisions and therefore accountable.” We are accountable to Someone regardless if we accept the fact or not.

The Old Testament is about God’s desire for man to be responsible, answerable, and accountable to Him. It starts in Genesis and runs the full length of the Hebrew Scriptures. Responsibility to God began in the garden where Satan enticed mankind to exercise their will in his own power, control, and management against God. God gave man power, control, and management of his domain. This was good as long as it was carried out with responsibility, answerability, and accountability to God. As long as the responsibility to was directed properly, the responsibility for was productive and life giving. When man redirected their responsibility, answerability, and accountability to another someone, the power, control, and management became corrupted, as well. God’s dealings with man are portrayed with vivid detail in the rest of the Old Testament, with the same outcome. When individuals or nations were responsible, answerable, and accountable to God, they were blessed and prospered. When they responded as Adam and Eve did in the garden, they encountered hardship and loss.

So what happened when Jesus came? Did His coming to earth change God’s mind on the issues of responsibility, answerability, and accountability? In Luke, chapter 2, we see a story that establishes early on in Jesus’ own life His responsibility, answerability, and accountability to God.

40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, 44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. 46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
    52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:40-52 NASB).

This pattern, early established produced favor with God and men in Jesus’ life.

 Let’s next look at what Jesus dealt with directly after His baptism by John.  Matthew 4:1-11 tells the story.

4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”
5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;

and

‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,

SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him (Matthew 4:1-11).

We see here that Jesus was responsible, answerable, and accountable to God for those things He had power, control, and management over. Here we see the divine pattern set in the life of the second Adam as Jesus exercised His will and responded in God’s response-ability to the same temptations Satan used in the garden.

During His ministry we see time and again a Jesus responsible to the Father. His own words to this effect are recorded in the Gospel of John 5:19: Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” One has only to look at the gospels and examine the ministry of Jesus to come to the same conclusion. His greatest example of this was in another garden, the garden of Gethsemane.  Matthew 26:36-50 again shows Jesus’ responsibility, answerability, and accountability to God. Without response-ability at Gethsemane there would have been no crucifixion.

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”  39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!” 47 While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”  49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

We see here both the weakness of men and the strength of a Man. His inner circle went to sleep on Him, but Jesus persevered in giving His will over to the will of the Father. And in doing so gave up power, control, and management to those who seized Him in order to fulfill the Father’s purpose.  After what Jesus suffered, His dying words asking the Father to forgive were a response-ability only God could give.

We see not only in Jesus’ life but also in His teachings this mandate of responsible Christian living. In Jesus’ life we see Him fulfill the law. In His sermon on the mount, we see Him set forth a raising of the bar for those called disciples.  As we read and re-read Matthew chapters 5-7, we come to a better understanding of what response God wants to give us ability for. Jesus spoke above the letter of the law, calling for a Spirit birthed response to God and to our fellow man. Our ability to respond comes by the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He spoke of behavior and thinking far above what man can do in the natural.

34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

In condensing the law and prophets to two commands, one would think the responsibility would be less. But it actually raised the level of responsibility. and along with greater responsibility the Holy Spirit gives greater response-ability.