Have you ever considered the different responses of Zechariah(father of John) and Mary(mother of Jesus) when they encountered the prophetic Word of God delivered by the angel Gabriel?
In Luke 1:18 Zachariah asks the angel Gabriel “By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” and in Luke 1:34 Mary asks the angel Gabriel “How can this be, since I have no intimacy with any man as a husband?”.
Each had questions but each received completely different responses from the angel Gabriel. Zechariah was struck dumb for 9 months and Mary was not.
In Luke 1:20 we find out why Zechariah was struck dumb “Now behold, you will be and will continue to be silent and not able to speak till the day when these things take place, because you have not believed what I told you; but my words are of a kind which will be fulfilled in the appointed and proper time.” The emphasis in this verse being “because you have not believed”.
Nothing cuts across the Word of God more than unbelief. The hallmark and essence of a Christian is faith and trust in God and His Word.
Although the Word of God can’t be thwarted (see Luke 1:37 below) but it can be hindered and there can be consequences that can affect you and others.
One final note, Zechariah was struck dumb, he could not speak. May I suggest that unbelief often doesn’t just stay in our hearts it’s gurgles out of our mouths and affect others and our environment.
“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” [Luke 1:37]
At one point in my dream, I found myself in a large room with many other believers. I had the distinct impression that we were gathered together due to the prevailing challenging circumstances. We were all praying in the Spirit. There was some passion and urgency in our prayers, I guess it was proportional to the amount of pressure we were all under (oh, the wisdom of pressure that can, if we choose, push us into the Father’s heart).
I remember I had this song bubble up in my heart and out of my mouth…
Praise Him, He is here!
Praise Him, He is here!
Praise Him, He is here!
Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him!
It was at this point that I woke up.
Then I started bumbling around with my smartphone, pressing wrong buttons and waking up my wife (always not a good thing). I was trying to write down the above simple song that not only praises Jesus but acknowledges His presence. I knew I wouldn’t remember it in the morning. I finally succeeded.
It took me a while to go back to sleep but as I pondered and sang this song (in my head) I remembered the scripture where Jesus has a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well.[Luke 4:1-26] In particular, Jesus, at one point says to the woman (verse 22)
…”You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know”…
As this woman found out, an encounter with Jesus radically transforms our praise and worship. We begin to praise and worship what we know, or rather, who we know, instead of who or what we don’t know. We go from worshiping in ignorance to worshiping in truth. What a great revelation and freedom this is!
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (not where but who) (not ignorance but truth): …21 “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.…
(Inspired by a message given by Chrishan Jeyaratnam(Hillsong Church State Leader – Western Australia/Bali) entitled ‘The Leper King’ – Sunday 26/07/20)
Chrishan spoke about the story in the Bible of the 10 lepers and how 10 were healed but only one came back to praise and thank Jesus.Luke 17:11-19
I want to particularly focus on a quote Chrishan gave from C.S.Lewis which greatly spoke to me. This quote was originally taken from C.S.Lewis’ book ‘Reflections on the Psalms’ [P93-97] but is also reproducedherein a devotion from the C.S.Lewis Institute. Here is the C.S.Lewis quote…
“I think we delight to praise what we enjoybecause the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed […] The Scotch catechism says that man’s chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”. But we shall then know that these are the same thing. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” – C.S.Lewis
There is a revelation moment here for me. There is something deeper here to be grasped. C.S.Lewis is able to form into words something quite profound about praise.
“Praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment”– praise is the completed work of enjoying God. It’s the end product of knowing Him!
“Praise is the appointed consummation” – what a marvelous way to describe praise! God isn’t demanding us bow and praise Him for some kind of vane reason – no! – God is not like that! – no, no – praise expresses the completed (and ongoing) revelation of enjoying Him and “we delight to praise what we enjoy”. 🙂
“In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him” – AMEN!
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence [face] of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”[Gen3:8 AMP]
What Does God Sound Like?
I often wonder what would it sound like to hear God walking in the garden…would there be a mighty roar of wind?…would there be a gentle rustling of leaves?…would there be the sound of God’s footsteps?…or perhaps ‘the sound of the Lord’ relates to a sixth sense, a‘spirit to Spirit’ sense that Adam and Eve were aware that the Lord was in the garden. Indeed, God did create them in His image [Gen 1:26-27] – which would include a spirit, as well as the soul and body.
And the mystery of God’s presence being in the garden (more than in any other place) really points to God having a form which, for me, points to Jesus. So my long bow with this verse is that from time to time, or probably daily (knowing the love and character of God), Jesus would walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening (as He also did with His disciples when He was here on earth). You know, I believe sometimes we can get caught up in the harshness of the Old Testament and we can really miss this altogether – How great is the Father’s love is for His creation and how He longs and loves to fellowship with it (and how disappointed He must have been that Adam and Eve were attempting to hide from Him).
In any case (even if you do not agree with the above), Adam and Eve were familiar with the ‘sound of Lord’ and they knew He was in the garden and yet they did not go to Him as I suspect they usually would have, because of their sin. Fellowship and relationship with God was broken that day and instead of perhaps running to Him they hid from His face. This was a very sad day for humanity and for God!
But here is the Good News :-)…
Jesus came to restore everything that was lost through Adam at ‘the fall’!
(‘the fall’ = the fall of humanity through the sin of Adam and Eve)
To understand what has been restored through Jesus let us have a look at what has been lost through Adam.
Through Adam relationship and intimacy with our Heavenly Father have been lost. Our inherited sinful nature rebels against God and His Word. The penalty for our sin and rebellion is death and Hell. We are lost, we are condemned, we are without hope, we are without a purpose, we are without a future, and we are completely powerless and helpless to do anything about where we are heading. There is no way of escape and, because of God’s perfect judgement, nor do we deserve a way of escape.
Now putting the bad news aside here is the Good News :-)…
Jesus came to restore everything that was lost!
Through Jesus and His death and resurrection,our judgement and condemnation has been fully paid for through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We are no longer lost but we are saved by God. We are no longer hopeless but now have great hope in our Saviour and we live in the purposes and calling of our Heavenly Father which He has planned for us before the beginning of time. We are no longer powerless and helpless against the schemes of the enemy but we have given given authorityin the name of Jesus through his great victory over the devil at the cross. The authority that had been forfeited by Adam has been restored by Christ. The devil doesn’t even have the keys to His own jails anymore. He is rendered powerless! All he has is lies and tricks. All authority has been given to Christ and to all who are in Christ, Jesus has given His authority. So if we don’t fall into a rebellious life or we are not tricked by the devil schemes we are truly free, free indeed [John 8:36] by the finished work of Jesus on the cross!
Even further, as if this was not enough, Jesus came to give us far more than we could ever hope for or imagine[Eph 3:20]! Jesus calls us not to a life of mediocrity but a life of abundance!
In John 10:10 Jesus says“I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”
When I mention abundant life I am not overlooking troubles that can come our way from time to time that can place great demands on our faith and our character. In John 16:33 Jesus was aware of these and said there will be “tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] and He said this so that in Him “we may have [perfect]peace.”
This abundant life that Jesus speaks of in John 10:10 is created by the Author and Creator of life himself. The One who gave us life is the One who can give us our best life. God knows all about us and He has made each one of us a perfect and abundant life plan for our lives – imagine a life to the max – a life overflowing in abundance! A life of perfect peace! How can this be possible?
Getting Back to the Garden
What was life like in the Garden of Eden before the Fall and how do we get back there?
Here are a few observations about the Garden of Eden before the fall. The Garden was:
a place created by God for Adam and Eve to live and enjoy.
a place where God could enjoy and commune with His creation.
a place for Adam and Eve to fellowship with one another and to fellowship and commune with God.
a place for Adam and Eve to rule and to have dominion over all of creation.
a place that displayed the magnificence, creativity and glory of God.
I’ve had a revelation (which I don’t mind if you accept or reject) the Garden of Eden is no longer a physical place but a Spiritual place.
If the Garden of Eden is no longer a physical place but a Spiritual place how do we get back there?
Just before Jesus ascended He said to His disciples “don’t leave Jerusalem until you are baptized, empowered and united with the Holy Spirit”[Acts 1:4-5].
The key here is a life empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit comforts us, gives us peace, teaches us, counsels us, encourages us, exhorts us, gives us wisdom, gives us Spiritual gifts to help others, helps us to worship God, convicts us of sin, gives us strength, shows us the truth, guides us, helps us to pray, produces fruit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and is always with us everywhere we go.
The Garden of Eden or Utopia or Shangri-La or Paradise or any other place of contentment or peace or rest are not found in a physical place but found in a place in our heart where Jesus comes to live with us by His Spirit.
Jesus says:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”[Matt 11:28-30]
True contentment or true peace or true rest for our souls is found in Christ alone. This is not a physical place (like the Garden of Eden) but it is a Spiritual place. It is a position or posture of our heart to receive the Good News about Christ, and to receive the infilling of His Holy Spirit.Then, as God’s Word says, “our new, real life is hidden with Christ in God”[Col 3:2-3] – the safest, most peaceful, most restful and most contented place we can find!
This life is available to everyone but not everyone finds this life:
In the nineth chapter of the Book of Joshua (verses below), Joshua and the assembly leaders of Israel get themselves into a big pickle.
In short, the Gibeonites have used all sorts of tricks to deceive Joshua and the men of Israel into making a peace treaty with them even though they are their neighbours.
Joshua’s error is made obvious in verse 14:
“The men of Israel sampled their provisions (ie: the provisions of the deceiving Gibeonites) but did not inquire of the LORD.”
You see, Joshua and the men of Israel looked with their eyes and heard with their ears and maybe even tasted witht their mouth but “did not inquire of the Lord”; they did not ask of the Lord; they did not speak with the Lord; they did not pray to the Lord; and so they were deceived.
Let’s make things a little clearer. The Gibeonites were the enemy of Israel. Joshua was meant to completely destroy them, as he had done with other peoples in the region, but because “he did not inquire of the Lord” he is now, tragically, making a peace treaty with them. In other words, Joshua is making a peace treaty with the enemy.
Further, the Lord had made a promise to Joshua and the Israelites that he was going to go with them and destroy all of the enemy so that they would inherit all of the land. So this agreement that Joshua has made with the Gibeonites stands in opposition to the very promise of God all because Joshua and the men of Israel “did not inquire of the Lord”.
When I was in Cyangugu, Rwanda earlier this year with my friend Jerome I met another friend’s father who is a Pastor there and he said to me “It’s very hard for someone to come out of witchcraft and into faith in Jesus because they have made agreements with the devil.”
I believe there is a similar thing going on here with Joshua. Joshua, in his foolishness, has made an agreement with the enemy that stands in opposition to the very promise of God. And not only that, but they now have a deceptive enemy living in the camp with them. They have mistakenly decided to honour their oath made in deception rather than honour the promise of God. “The enemy is living in the camp”.
What can we learn from these verses?
We know that our enemy is actively trying to deceive us out of our inheritance. That inheritance is ours by faith in the promises of God. We’re not to live by sight but in everything we need to “inquire of the Lord” (PRAY) so that we are not deceived into loosing our inheritance and/or compromising the promises of God. We need to be quick to acknowledge our mistakes and honour the Word of God and the Promises of God higher than any foolish decisions that we make. You will notice that there was no repentance by Joshua and the men of Israel. There was only ‘damage control’ going on to honour an invalid agreement that was based on a deception.
Joshua Chapter 9: 9:1 Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things — those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)— 2 they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel. 3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” 7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?” 8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan-Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11 And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.” ‘ 12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. 13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.” 14 The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. 15 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. 16 Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. 17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, 19 but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 20 This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” 21 They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept. 22 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? 23 You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” 24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25 We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” 26 So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day. NIV
This clip comes from ‘The Passion’ movie. It’s poetic license at it’s best as Jesus has ‘crushed the head of the serpent’ at and through the cross, not here at Gethsemene (and not a real snake). However, for me at least, it is a powerful visual of what Jesus’ death and resurrection has achieved in the spiritual (which is perhaps the original intent).
Note: A snake’s poison is lodged in its head so crushing a snake’s head leads to the snake fatally ‘drowning’ in its own poison.
The reference is:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” [Gen 3:15]
So what is ENMITY? – actively oppossed, active hatred, active hostility
Kind of like a modern day terrorist? – Yes, that right – actively destructive
Who’s involved? – Well, God is speaking to the serpent and the other party is Eve.
Anybody else? – Yes, the serpent’s offspring and Eve’s offspring
I don’t get it? – The serpent’s offspring are the evil spirits and the wickedness of man and Eve’s offspring is all of humanity including Christ and His Church.
It says God put this enmity there, so it’s all His fault? No, no! Everyone is responsible for their own heart and ‘yes’ the devil has a heart. It’s just that his heart is divorced from anything good. There is nothing good in him. Therefore his heart is filled with hatred, lies, deception and destruction. He is totally against God, and more specifically those made in God’s own image. God has allowed this to happen. And God is still completely in control.
So why does it say ‘HE will crush your head’, isn’t Eve a she? Ah yes, very observant! God is not talking about Eve but one of her offspring.
Who is this? Well, it’s the only one who is worthy and has the authority to crush the serpent’s head and that is Jesus.
What about ‘and you will strike his heel’ bit? The serpent was allowed by God to strike the humanity of Jesus. Also, God allows the serpent (the devil, Satan) to attack the humanity of man as well but Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us victory over anything the evil one can try to do to us.
So this verse is quite prophetic? Absolutely! God not only pronounces a curse over the serpent but also prophesies about His Son!
So this verse is quite important? Yes! It not only explains our past, it also explains our present and our future.
How do you mean? Well, 1) it explains what happened in the past 2) it explains our present and why the world is the way it is 3) it hints or prophesies to God’s solution for mankind (Jesus) and 4) it explains or lays out the future. You see the future isn’t uncertain; it is set and complete. The devil has been defeated. Jesus is the victor! We no longer have to perish in our sins but we can have a sure hope of our future through Jesus Christ!
But wait a minute, why didn’t God finish everything up at the cross? Good question! Why don’t you ask God this? But do you realise that you wouldn’t be here if God did that! These days that we live in are days of God’s grace where every person has the tremendous opportunity to receive or reject God’s graceous gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 says this:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
You will never have this day again.
Believe Jesus and receive Him into your heart today!
Would it be possible you are not ‘stepping up to the plate’, to be everything God intended you to be, because you have some warped idea of what humility is?
Let me try and explain. Humility in the Bible is often mentioned in the context of repentance and being a servant of the Lord. It is taking a lowly position for the grace and forgiveness of the Lord to come into your life(and mine) and also so that the Lord can use you for His great pleasure. In contrast, a prideful heart in these situations leads to no repentance, no grace and no forgiveness and also, God is not able to use you for His purposes. This is easy to see and understand but its application in our lives is often hindered by our own sinful nature.
A Warped Humility
But what if you aren’t stepping into the things of God because you think that if you do, you will be drawing attention to yourself and therefore no longer qualify to be humble. I mean, somehow, you’ve picked up a kind of ‘warped or false sense of humility’ that is constipating the things of God in your life.
Are you getting what I am trying to say?
Now on the surface of things, this thinking might sound honourable (to you), but going under the surface, it is a lie and deception of the Devil straight from the pit of Hell.
Am I being a bit strong about this?
I don’t believe so. You see, this ‘warped humility’ stands in the way of God’s plans and purposes for your life. It is a barrier or a stumbling block for ‘God’s Kingdom come’ in your life. Therefore it is ‘anti’-Christ in your life.
Humility is a State of the Heart!
You see, humility is a state of the heart and not the head. It’s a position of the heart out of which everything else flows. If you are stumbling over ‘warped humility’ ask yourself these questions:
Do I still have a prideful heart? In other words, are things still all about me?
Have I been deceived in my mind? In other words, has my head deceived my heart?
Am I still preoccupied by the ‘perceptions of men’? In other words, am I concerned about whether others will see my actions as prideful?
It’s All About God!
It’s all about God. Life is all about God. It’s not about you(and me) so stop focussing on yourself in whatever form that might be!
Forget about youself and be FREE to be who God meant you to be.
We are Meant to be Radiant!
In reality, we are meant to be radiant, and stand out, and to be salt and light in this wicked world. We’re meant to shine the light of the glory of God into this darkened place.
BE YOU!
Step into the destiny that God has for you and radiate His glory. Get over this ‘warped humility’, this stumbling block of Satan and start glorifying the Lord with the plans and purposes that He has for your life!
You were Meant for Greatness in the Eyes of the Lord!
This is kind of powerful – The Reason by Hoobastank with clips from The Passion. (Warning – very graphic)
Isa 53:1-11 (Prophecy dated at 700BC) 1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. [New Living Translation]
Many, many people have walked away from God, believing that ‘God isn’t Good’ because of some misplaced ‘Justice’ issues.
You know what I mean; the thoughts that we can have like, “Why is this happening to me?”, “I don’t deserve this!”, “This is not fair!”, “Where is God in all of this?, “Where is the justice?” and so on and so forth. And from there we talk ourselves into believing something terrible about God, that perhaps He is not Just, and therefore perhaps He is also not Good. I have said this in a previous post and I need to say it again, whatever happens in our lives we must always remember that ‘God is Good’. We must always have this as a pillar of truth in our hearts.
WE MUST BE UNSHAKEABLY CONVINCED ABOUT THIS!
Even when we don’t understand what is happening, when God appears silent, when we can’t see God anywhere, we need to make sure that the enemy can NEVER snatch away from our hearts, that pillar of truth that ‘God is Good’.
Did you hear that? Did you get that into your Spirit?
READ IT AGAIN!
Even when we don’t understand what is happening, when God appears silent, when we can’t see God anywhere, we need to make sure that the enemy can NEVER snatch away from our hearts, that pillar of truth that ‘God is Good’.
So, what about justice?
That is, the Justice of God. Here are some thoughts (they are by no means exhaustive):
Foolish and Selfish Notions about Justice
Firstly, I want to deal with a foolish notion about God’s Justice. I believe a lot of us have a foolish notion that we deserve life to be trouble free and fair. Now this isn’t really a ‘Justice of God’ issue, but when we are in those moments of trouble and despair, we think life (or rather God) is unfair. We ignorantly blame God and label the situation as a ‘Justice of God’ issue. In reality, in those moments, we have no concept of what the ‘Justice of God’ really is. You see, the foolish notion that we deserve a trouble free and fair life is a self centred delusion that is birthed out of the depths of our pride and sinful nature. God and His Justice gets twisted. You see, we try to twist our selfish notion into a ‘Justice issue’, an accussation against God, and from there, unfortunately, we begin to slander God’s character. Have you thought about the implications of this thinking? That by blaming God we are actually slandering His character!
“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? – God [Job 40:8]
Some preachers feed into this foolish notion of prosperity and blessings and ‘best life now’. “YOU DESERVE WEALTH AND PROSPERITY” (NOT!). And what happens when we don’t get these things? Our faith takes a nose dive, the wheels fall off and disillusionment sets in, and, in the end, God gets slandered! We say, “Oh, if God was ‘Just’ I wouldn’t be going through all of this”. NO, NO, NO!
PRIDE, PRIDE, PRIDE!
This is not a Justice issue. This comes from the depths of our sinful nature. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is, since we were born, the only thing we have deserved is death and hell (Rom 6:23) . The truth is, if God’s Justice was metered out upon us we would have never lived at all! The truth is, in these present days, we are living in times of God’s Mercy and God’s Grace through His Son Jesus. In these present days, God’s Justice is held back from those who are evil and those who are ‘good’ (ie: I mean ‘not so evil’)(Matt 5:45). “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”(Rom 3:23), “All are condemned to die for their sins”(Rom 6:23), “But Jesus took our condemnation and gave us His righteousness(Rom 5:9-10, Rom 5:18-19) – as a free gift”. Stop looking for more than Jesus. Those who are in Christ have everything. EVERYTHING we have is Jesus. Jesus is our Jewel and our Crown but if we are blessed with material wealth this is a bonus. And when trouble comes, we still have Jesus! Jesus is enough! (unless we are looking for something more than Jesus).
Life is not Fair
I have always observed that ‘Life is not Fair’ and, since the sin of Adam and Eve, life can never be fair. So, if you are hoping for Justice and Fainess on this side of Eternity you may be waiting a very long time (However, sometimes Justice does happen and sometimes it is something worth fighting for). But, on the other side of the coin, we have a sure hope that Justice will prevail (eventually) when God wraps all things up. ‘Life is not Fair’ is not a moan or a whinge, or some slogan to justify brokenness or mediocrity, it is a fact of life. ‘Life is not Fair’ is a wake up call to get over things, to move ahead knowing, in the end, there will be Justice. ‘Life is not Fair’ can be a releasing thing knowing that you are not the only one singled out for injustice.
Consider Cain and Abel. What did Abel do wrong? NOTHING! – his gift was acceptable to the Lord. He had favour in the eyes of the Lord and yet he was murdered by his brother. Where is the Justice? Please tell me what did Abel do to deserve to be murdered? Please tell me the wisdom of this story so that we can understand God Justice(Gen 4:3-16)? The truth is, Abel did nothing to deserve his murder just as there will be things in our lives that will be unfair and unjust. The sin of Adam(and Eve) has set off a chain reaction of sin and corruption in the hearts and lives of men and women that even extends to God’s very creation(Rom 8:19-22). In the world that we live ‘Life is not Fair’ but ‘God is still Good’.
The Lord’s True Justice
The Lord loves justice and His heart is for the poor and the needy.
“The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love” [Ps 33:5]
“The LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy” [Ps 140:12]
So, as our hearts come more into line with God’s heart, so our love for righteousness, justice and the needs of the poor and the weak will grow greater.
Bono, in his speech to the NAACP put it this way…
This is true religion, true religion will not let us fall asleep in the comfort of our freedom. “Love thy neighbor” is not a piece of advice, it’s a command…That means that in the global village, we’re going to have to start loving a whole lot more people…where you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die…The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is where the opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God is with the mother who has infected a child with a virus that will take both their lives. God is under the rubble in the cries we hear during wartime. God, my friends, is with the poor, and God is with us if we are with them.
God’s instructions and warnings are clear…
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other” [Zech 7:9-10]
“Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow” [Isa 1:16-17]
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” [Mic 6:8]
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” [James 1:27]
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless” [Isa 10:1-2]
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” [Matt 23:23]
In the words of Jesus and His mission we hear the heart of the Father…
Luke 4:16-21 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
There is so much more to the Justice of God. It is perhaps sufficient to say that we have discovered that the true Justice of God shows the Father’s heart of compassion for the lost and broken, the poor and in prison, the blind and the opressed, the orphan and the widow but it also shows the Father’s great wrath for all those who oppress and take advantage of the weak and also perhaps to those of us who sit on their hands and do nothing.
And finally,
Luke 18:1-8 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?“
I find this passage really interesting. It starts with the persistent prayer of a widow for justice and it ends with Jesus saying “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?“
So where are His faithful ones, helping the widow get her Justice?
Have you ever really considered the challenge and the freedom of this verse?
James 5:17-18 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
“Elijah was a man just like us”
I believe there is a challenge here in this verse for you and for me. You see, “Elijah was a man just like us” and God wants to take the ordinary, impart His Spirit, and make us extraordinary; God wants to take the natural, impart His Spirit and make us SUPERnatural.
Do you know and understand that God doesn’t play favourites?
Rom 2:11 makes it clear: (see also Deut 10:17, Acts 10:34-35, Eph 6:9)
“For God does not show favouritism”
Do you believe this? Do you accept that God does not show partiality to any man(or woman)?
Well, if you believe God’s Word that ‘Elijah was a man just like us‘ and you believe that ‘the Lord shows no favouritism‘ consider the freedom and the power that God can impart into your life. There is no limit to what God can do in and through you. Or is there a limit?
2 Chron 16:9a says this:
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
Do you know what the limiting factor is in our relationship with the Lord?
Is it God? – NO WAY!
Is it the Devil? – NO WAY!
The limiting factor is us!
GK Chesterton puts it this way:
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”
It was during this first visit to Britain that Moody heard the words which set him hungering and thirsting after a deeper Christian experience and which marked a new era in his life. The words were spoken to him by Mr. Henry Varley, the well known evangelist, as they sat together on a seat in a public park in Dublin. The words were these: “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to Him.” “He said ‘a man'” thought Moody, “he did not say, a great man, nor a learned man, nor a ‘smart’ man, but simply ‘a man.’ I am a man, and it lies with the man himself whether he will or will not make that entire and full consecration. I will try my utmost to be that man.” The words kept ringing in his mind, and burning their way into his soul until finally he was led into the deeper, richer, fuller experience for which his soul yearned. The impression the words made was deepened soon afterward by words spoken by Mr. Bewley, of Dublin, Ireland, to whom he was introduced by a friend. “Is this young man all O and O?” asked Mr. Bewley. “What do you mean by ‘O and O’?” said the friend. “Is he out and out for Christ?” was the reply. From that time forward Moody’s desire to be “O and O” for Christ was supreme.
Prayer:
Father, I do not pursue You and love you with all of my heart and all of my mind and all of my soul and all of my strength. I allow things to get in the way of my relationship with You. Please forgive me and give me a heart that is fully consecrated , fully devoted and fully committed to You. I take myself off the throne of my life and put You onto it. Have Your way with me and my life. My deepest desire is to see Your Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven. Lead me and refine me and empower me be your Spirit, in you Son Jesus’ name, Amen
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe"
Enlightened Hope 