OUT OF THE BOX

Part Five: FORGIVENESS

2012-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

In continuing our study on “Burnt Stones” we now look at the subjects of Forgiveness, which is a foundational aspect of spiritual health. –Billy Long

Forgiveness
“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Matthew 6: 12.
One basic requirement for spiritual health is forgiveness. Conversely, unforgiveness is a major cause of spiritual derailment. The Biblical command is clear and simple and yet one of the most difficult to obey. A person does not have to be spiritually "deep" or intellectually brilliant to understand the verses relating to forgiveness, but there is something in human nature that tends to embrace unforgiveness and receives some perverted sense of satisfaction in harboring resentment.
Conflict and mistreatment bring wounds and pain, and so victims feel they have a right to be angry and bitter. People who have been victimized will go to great lengths to customize scripture to fit the inclinations of the moment in order to justify their wrong attitudes. And those who do want to be free often struggle for months or years to gain victory. It should not take so long, but the weakness of the flesh can prolong the process. A person must cultivate his daily walk with the Lord to gain victory. If he neglects this, his heart will harden and he may never be free.

Understanding God's Forgiveness.
Understanding God’s forgiveness releases God’s love and enables us to forgive others who mistreat us. We forgive because God has forgiven us and commands us to forgive others (Matthew 18: 3; Luke 7: 47; Matthew 6: 12). We often fail to forgive because we fail to recognize the magnitude of the forgiveness we have received from God. Unforgiveness, therefore, is rooted in self-righteousness and ingratitude.

Knowing that God is the Righteous Judge.
People refuse to forgive offenses because they do not have faith in God as the Righteous Judge.
Righteous men love justice (freeing the innocent and punishing the guilty) and cry out for it in society. Carnal men, however, confuse revenge with justice. Justice cries out for a man to be dealt with according to truth based on God's law and God's ways. Revenge simply wants to satisfy our lower nature by inflicting pain in return for an injury received. Revenge is indifferent to mercy and to justice. Revenge cares not for God's ways or God's purpose. Revenge is a selfish lack of faith and love. People seek revenge because they do not trust God to be the Righteous Judge. They do not think He will adequately punish their enemies.
We must always remember that God is the righteous judge. We are commanded to forgive and leave vengeance to Him.
“Who…when He was revile, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…” 1 Peter 2:23
“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but reather give place to [God’s] wrath;for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12: 19

Following Christ’s example and command.
God showed His love toward us in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners and in rebellion (Romans 5: 8). Jesus taught His disciples to love those who mistreat them (Matthew 5: 39-49), and to forgive offenses seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-35). We must forgive even when the offender does not repent.

Forgiveness and Trust
This brings up an important point. Forgiveness and trust are two separate issues. You can forgive someone but still not trust him. If a person apologizes, you can forgive him, but you are not required to trust him unless he repents and changes.
For example: Let’s say you are riding in a car with a neighbor who is breaking all the traffic laws, speeding, running red lights, passing on curves, and refusing to yield right-of-way.
You appeal to him to change his ways, but he refuses to listen to your warnings. Then he wrecks his car and injures you in the accident. Later you are standing beside the road with casts on your broken arms and legs, still in pain from your injuries, and your neighbor drives up and stops along side you. He says, “I am so sorry that I hurt you.” You respond, “I forgive you.” He then opens the car door and says, “Hop in and let’s go for a ride.” It would be very acceptable for you to say, “I forgive you and love you because I am a follower of Jesus. I hold no resentment toward you. But I will not get in the car with you again until I know you have changed your ways and attitude about driving and obeying the traffic laws. I forgive you, but I do not yet trust you.”

Mercy
Mercy is benevolence, mildness, and tenderness of heart which disposes one to overlook injuries and to treat an offender better than he deserves. It is the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, to forbear punishment, or to inflict less than law or justice will warrant. It acknowledges the offense but wants to help the offender.
Mercy is with a view towards repentance (2 Peter 3: 7-10) and is a companion of justice. Mercy and compassion will walk with a person to the last mile in trying to help him gain freedom and deliverance. Mercy is given to the repentant. It forgives, but follows through with all the requirements of Biblical love and integrity. Mercy has strength to speak the truth in love. It forgives the offender, while acknowledging the offense and recognizing its harmful effects. Mercy will give correction and rebuke when necessary, but will do so in love and will forgive.
Matthew 5: 18; Luke 6: 35-36.

Conclusion
Forgiveness is so important to our spiritual health. Unforgiveness, however, is an element in the rubble of the past that must be removed in order to build again and move forward with healthy spiritual growth and life. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and who has forgiven us of all our sins. As we trust Him and follow in obedience in the arena of forgiveness, we will experience anew His grace and strength, and the hidden treasures that are ours in His kingdom.

PART FOUR: DON'T ARGUE WITH THE DONKEY!

2012-01-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

This is Part 4 in our discussion on Burnt Stones. In this and subsequent posts I plan to list Biblical principles that help us to come through the fire without becoming spiritually disabled, “burnt stones.” You must scroll down to read previous posts. -BL

ENGAGE THE LORD FIRST
We encounter various trials in our Christian walk. Some we can't explain and some are indicative of the “roaring lion” seeking to devour the righteous. But there are also times when adversities are the result of our own foolishness, disobedience, or sin, times when our adversaries are instruments of God designed to get our attention, teach a lesson, interrupt our wrong path, or to discipline us.

God raised up adversaries against Solomon because of his idolatry (1 Kings 11). Balaam’s donkey balked and fell underneath him because his way was contrary to God (Numbers 22: 21-34). Moses, on the other hand, was a faithful man troubled by a stubborn crowd of disobedient people who were ready to stone him.
Moses’ first response was to cry out to God (Numbers 14: 1-5; 16: 1-4). By contrast, both Solomon and Balaam did not seriously approach the Lord before dealing with their adversaries. Balaam’s first response was to become angry and argue with his donkey. Solomon sought to kill his adversary and fight his enemies. Both should have dealt with God first rather than allowing their initial actions to be focused on the people or things they wrongly perceived as the root cause of their difficulties.

In blaming the “donkey” and the adversaries we act as if we have been placed into their hands. God does not leave us to the whims of circumstance. He does not abandon us to the erratic and unpredictable whims of others or to the destructive efforts of deliberate adversaries. That’s why we wrestle with God before wrestling with the enemy. Whether innocent or at fault, we should cry out to the Lord before arguing with “the donkey.”

The Two Primary Characters on the Stage
The two primary characters on the stage of my life are God and me. All others are secondary, including the devil. Though Satan is shown as the villain in the first two chapters of the book of Job, he is not mentioned again in the remaining forty chapters. Job’s resolution did not come through wrestling the devil. Neither did it come when he argued with his friends. He found resolution during his intimate encounter with God in the final chapters of the book. It is interesting to note that God’s focus was to declare His own greatness and to correct and strengthen Job. He did not discuss Job's friends, except for the correction they received in the final chapter. He did not discuss spiritual warfare or how to deal with Satan (though these are necessary). He interacted with Job and let Job experience the intimacy of His presence and all the wondrous things that proceed from that glorious place. Job saw the Lord and he saw himself (Job 42: 5-6). These are the first steps to coming through the fire successfully.

Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord before facing a potential struggle with Esau (Genesis 32: 24-32). In that place of intercession he experienced a life-changing brokenness (humility and surrender) before God which led to his restoration with Esau. He came face to face with Him Whose name is Wonderful! He also came face to face with himself and experienced a name (character) change.

Fulfilling Our Own Obedience
The lesson is very clear. We meet with God before we deal with and react to others. We make sure our own accounts are clear before we busy ourselves correcting or accusing others. Even if we have been mistreated, there may still be a need, an error, or some disobedience in us that brought about the situation. I should fulfill my own obedience before I expect God to avenge the disobedience of others. I should do what God requires of me in the situation before I apply a high standard of right behavior to others who are troubling me (2 Corinthians 10: 6). If I am guilty, I repent and change. If I am innocent, I listen for what my Lord is requiring of me in the situation.

The Fire Tests the Righteous and the Wicked
Years ago there was a cartoon that revolved around conflict between a good guy named Dudley Do-right and an evil man named Snidely Whip-lash. Naturally each person in conflict thinks he is right and the other is wrong. This causes disobedience in both “Dudley” and “Snidely.” The one who is wrong fails to repent. The one who is right refuses to hear what God is saying to him in terms of lessons, attitude, and procedure. Because he is right, he thinks God is requiring nothing of him but to point out the other person’s error. When a person’s first response is to focus on the sins of others while "flattering himself" (Psalm 36:2), he will be busy in self-justification, self-defense, and self-righteousness. He will be unable to hear what God is saying to him.

The principle to keep in mind is that fire tests not only the wicked but also the righteous, and sometimes especially the righteous. Usually people tend to think that the fire is directed only toward the wicked or the person who is wrong. They fail to realize that God is often more interested in how the righteous will behave in the situation. Therefore, we mistakenly think that God is busy focusing on the other person’s sin and requiring him to change while we, being right and innocent, are free to misbehave. The fire, however, tests both "Dudley Do-right" and "Snidely Whip-lash," and God requires an obedient response from each.

It is possible to be right in position and wrong in disposition. A person who is right in his evaluation of a problem must also keep a right spirit and maintain godly conduct. The guilty who refuses to see himself and fails to break and repent will be burned by the fire. Moreover, the person who is "right" but whose heart is governed by carnality and who behaves in an ungodly manner will also be burned by the fire. In other words, "right" people who get in the flesh in their attitudes and behavior will fail the test before God. There are many people who were on the right side of an argument but ended up as “burnt stones” disillusioned and spiritually desolate because they did not please the Lord in how they conducted themselves.

In Conclusion
If your “donkey” is giving you trouble, don’t argue with it (it may actually be saving your life- Numbers 22: 33). Look for the angel of the Lord who may be standing by to correct you. If you have been thrown into the furnace, reach out to “the Fourth Man” who is standing there to bring you out refined and in possession of a great testimony. Wrestle with God before you wrestle with people. Let your first impulse be to seek the Lord and engage Him. It is in the Lord’s presence that we find grace and strength for life. It is there that we find wisdom, anointing, and direction for dealing with all the other secondary characters that we will inevitably face on the stage of our life.

“The king…asked, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire...? Look…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ … Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. …these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.” Daniel 3: 22-28

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 1 Peter5: 10

“For you, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined….We went through fire and water, but You brought us out into a wealthy place.” Psalm 66: 8-12

2011-12-26T18:09:00.001-08:00

Immediately below is Part Three in the "Facing Trials Redemptively" series. You must scroll down to read Part One and Part Two. -BL

PART THREE: A Matter of the Heart

2011-12-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

”As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.” Proverbs 27: 19

In commenting on the two previous posts a friend said, “Billy, I hope part three will include some REHAB.” His statement highlights the fact that it is easier to list problems than it is to provide solutions. “How To” books are generally disappointing to me. They give insights, inspire, and point in the right direction but are limited in their ability to bring us to full satisfaction in the results we anticipated. This is because the solutions lie primarily in the heart rather than mechanically following a list of steps. The heart, not the mind, determines our spiritual state. It is the heart that determines how a person perceives God, and how he deals with life, other people, and his environment. The mind is the battlefield, the mind can be blinded and confused, but it is a product of the heart. The disposition of the heart determines the revelation a person can receive, the clarity and accuracy of his perception, and the extent of his ability and willingness to change. The heart is the rudder of the mind.

A person can be enlightened by a simple presentation of truth when his deception is a simple matter of ignorance, wrong thinking, or not having access to the facts. Simple truth will correct the problem. But when error is a problem of the heart, the mind is deceived and will refuse to see the light, until the heart is surrendered and broken before the Lord.

A friend of mine having gone through a season of relational conflict complained to me that people had not forgiven him. I told him, “They have forgiven you, but they do not trust you. Forgiveness and trust are two separate issues. People will forgive you if you genuinely apologize, but they will not trust you unless they see brokenness.” (Brokenness is a humility in which a person sees himself, repents, and changes). My friend then asked, “What do I need to do to show them I am broken.” I responded, “I cannot give you a list of steps for you to mechanically walk through. The answer does not lie in outward behavior that might be only an outward and shallow act. To show them you have broken you must actually be broken (humbled and changed of heart). They must see a change of heart, otherwise they will instinctively sense you have only gone through a mental exercise of memorizing a list of outward steps that make you appear humble and changed."

Therefore, I am not promising to solve all the reader’s problems by giving him a “cure-all” list of things to do. But I do hope to give Biblical truths that will motivate and inspire. And if the reader has a heart after God and is open to the Lord’s voice, he may find a key that will unlock a door or gate leading to avenues of life and grace. He may receive a seed of truth that will grow into a tree of healing, blessing, and spiritual growth.

There is no “how to” book that will do all the work for you. The heart must be surrendered in faith and obedience before the Lord in order to receive the healing and life-changing word of God. A friend of mine wisely said, “You cannot lead a person past his heart.” The biblical principles presented on these pages are written to inspire and act as “triggers” or springboards for the obedient and surrendered heart. The words are simple and easy to understand but yet only the sincere and honest heart will succeed in comprehension and application.

In subsequent posts we will begin looking at Biblical principles that help us face life and trials redemptively.

“Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God…but exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3: 11-12

“Let your heart retain my words…keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4: 4, 23

[Scroll down to review Part One and Part Two, the previous posts in this series].

2011-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Below is PART TWO in the Burnt Stones series. You must scroll down below it to read PART ONE.
-Billy Long

BURNT STONES -PART TWO

2011-12-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

STANDING IN THE RUBBLE

"...The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are unable to build the wall." -Nehemiah 4:10

"If a cat sits on a hot stove, he will not sit on a hot stove again. But by the same token, he will not sit on a cold one either." -Mark Twain

Isaiah prophetically called our age the year of God's favor. This means that God is working by His grace to turn all things to good for those who yield to Him in obedience and faith. He sends the fire to purify. He allows trials in order to "perfect, establish, and strengthen." He applies the rod of discipline to train and to produce holiness. Even judgment itself, which generally represents punishment upon the wicked, is often God’s intense effort to effect repentance in the lives of rebellious people. God deals with His people in His love and wisdom, and intends for them to come through all things in better shape spiritually than when they started. It is man’s negative responses that hinder the plan and cause him to end up burned rather than refined. When men are inclined to rebellion and unbelief, when they do not have hearts to know God, they become burnt stones when they face the fires of life.

The "burnt stone" syndrome happens when a person is overwhelmed by the various troubles he faces. It occurs when one embraces wrong or sinful responses to difficulties and adversities. These wrong responses, left uncorrected, hinder the grace of God, choke out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and produce spiritual desolation. When a person gets the wind knocked out of him, his primary concern becomes survival rather than service. When a person is standing amid the broken fragments of collapsed walls, he loses heart and hope. How can I give of myself again after all my past investments have gone up in smoke? How can I build again? Why should I build again? Who can I trust? These are questions asked by those who have been disabled by the fires of life.

SYMPTOMS
Below is a simple outline listing numerous symptoms that describe these wounded veterans who no longer serve with joy and hope, and who have forgotten what it is to love and be loved by the people of God. They have decided that church is not a safe place, and so they remain at a “safe” distance from God's people, God's purpose, and often from God Himself.

Hurt
-grieving at the pain of loss, wounded by people they trusted.
-In shock because of some disappointment of hope, unwilling to trust again, and afraid to try again.
-See themselves as victims. They feel robbed.
-No longer willing to be vulnerable, and unwilling to be exposed to potential hurt.
They say, "I will not be hurt again!" This survivalist mentality is a form of self-centeredness and it produces the inability to risk obedience. The first motivation becomes self-protection or self-preservation which is a form of self-centeredness and a focus on self-interest. The obvious consequence is the inability to have a heart after God's interest. This represents a departure from the way of the cross.
(Mat.16: 24-25, Neh.6:10-14).

Unable to Trust
- Not trusting God or people
-Having lost confidence in God.
-Not trusting fellow-believers.
This ultimately is a loss of faith and trust in God. True faith in God must include the ability to trust His working with other people.

Withdrawn
-Superficial faith and superficial involvement with God’s people; withdrawn, independent,
-Detached and isolated. Separated from real church life, having drifted to the fringes and avoiding relationships.
-Drifting along and drifting away.
-Cautious and reserved in approaching God and other Christians.
-Withholding themselves from both God and man. The walls that protect also isolate.

Hardened Heart
-Using problems as an excuse to neglect their spiritual lives.
-Heart hardened through anger, bitterness, hurt, and other unhealthy attitudes.
Ungodly attitudes, when embraced and nurtured, will take their toll upon the Christian's walk with God.
As the heart hardens, the fruit of the Spirit (those good qualities which usually mark the Christian's life)
begin to wither, and the worst tendencies of a person’s heart will begin to grow. Stumbled by tribulation, the heart becomes unfruitful soil for God’s word.

Spiritually Disabled
-Spiritually paralyzed, disabled, and incapacitated.
-Angry, confused, disillusioned, with loss of purpose.
-Living far below their potential, hiding their candles under baskets.

Loss of Vision and Faith
-Failing to see and understand the sovereignty of God.
-Unbelief, lack of hope, lack of faith, lack of vision.
-Not understanding, not having the divine perspective.
When a person refuses to break and be obedient in the dealings of God, he will not be able to accurately interpret his experience. This lack of resolution will cloud his ability to see and understand God's plan.

When we are burned by the fire, we avoid those things which we perceive will get us burned again. We fall prey to isolation, self-protectionism, and a survivalist mentality. A person can not move forward in useful and fulfilling service to God while his life is controlled and directed by this perspective and disposition. One can not build the future while standing in the rubble of the past. The ground must be cleared of the rubble in order to face the future in faith, in obedience, and without fear. The first step in getting out of the rubble and clearing the ground is to clear our own heart. We must ask God to forgive us for our wrong reactions, find grace to forgive others, and then sit in the presence of Jesus to find renewed peace, joy, and courage.

There are many Biblical lessons and principles that help us to find that place of peace, joy, and purpose. It is possible to come through the fires of life without a negative complex and without smelling like the smoke of our last trial. We can be like the Hebrew men who experienced the presence of "the Fourth Man" (Jesus Himself) as they stood in the fire, and come through it with garments filled with the fragrance of His presence. I am reminded of the old hymn, "My Lord has garments so wondrous fine, and myrrh their texture fills. It's fragrance reached this heart of mine. With joy my being thrills." When we hold to Him in faith we will diffuse the fragrance of His presence and life rather than the ashtray smell of the smoke from our last fiery trial.

Please visit again and look for Part Three in this series.
Scroll down below to read Part One. - Billy Long

2011-12-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

The following post is Part One in a series of articles designed to encourage the believer to stand in faith and trust God in all circumstances. By engaging the Lord properly we can "come through the fire without smelling like smoke." -Billy Long

BURNT STONES - PART ONE

2011-12-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

"...The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." Nehemiah 1: 3
"...Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?" Nehemiah 4: 2

The drama of the church is often reminiscent of those scenes from war movies in which excited new recruits march toward the front lines while being met by weary veterans limping along bandaged and bloody, carrying their wounded, and still in shock from the trauma of battle. The new recruits move forward ready to conquer the world, while battle-weary veterans groan in the pain of failure and disillusionment. Multitudes start out in the Christian walk, everybody expects testing, they just don't expect it to be so intense and real. They expect victory without battle (naiveté and untested faith) or battle without victory (skepticism and unbelief). Untested faith and motives must inevitably face the refiners fire; and the disillusionments of time and testing can take a heavy toll on the lightheartedness of youthful innocence and inexperience. As a result many Christians tend to move over time and experience from the naiveté of the inexperienced novice unto the skeptical or bitter cynicism of the disillusioned veteran.

How many Christians do you know who sit “on the back row” hovering at the fringes of the Christian life? How many do you know whose lives have fallen apart? It's the spouse who has become spiritually defeated because of marriage conflicts. It is the pastor who feels he has been crucified by a rebellious flock. It is the Christian who has been abused or hurt by the church or by its leaders. It's the person who has been disillusioned and disappointed by his own failures and that of others and by the unexpected complications of life. Hopes held high in the beginning eventually dissipated in the midst of hard times, mistreatment, distresses, and sin. The experienced "veteran" is often the most depressed.

It is easy to find new Christians who rejoice in their new life in Christ, but how many seasoned and experienced Christians, after so many years and "miles," still retain that sparkle in their eyes, and still sing with the lightness and joy of a clear spirit and a pure heart unencumbered by the weight and baggage brought on by pain, conflict, and disappointment? They are out there, those seasoned veterans who know the joy of the Lord and who actually found it during the most difficult and trying circumstances. The Bible has many examples.

We marvel at the faith exercised by David as he killed the lion, the bear, and Goliath, but we should also marvel at the faith he demonstrated in facing mistreatment, conflict, failure, and God's discipline. We marvel at his faith in "slaying his ten thousands", but we should also stand in great awe at the faith which enabled him to patiently endure as he fled from Saul in the desert and which enabled him to wait in godly obedience until God placed him upon the throne of Israel. Rarely are our Christian brothers actually eaten by the lion or slain by Goliath, but they frequently fall in the wilderness while fleeing the "Sauls" of life, fall into bitterness facing "Shemei," (friends who forsake us), or succumb to temptation beholding "Bathsheba." Many who stood during the glory of victory over Goliath have fallen during their walk through the dark valleys of God's discipline.

Notwithstanding a few stumbles, David managed to stand through it all. He began his career as a youth filled with faith, courage, and a song. He endured, even wrote Psalms, during the dark days, and served the purpose of God in his generation. He ended his career with an abiding faith tested and refined in the fire, an enduring courage seasoned in the struggles of life, and a praise song tempered and enriched by both mountain peak and valley pit. The apostle Paul is a similar example. He exhorts us to attest to our servanthood by standing faithful to our Lord and Master as we pass through the wide spectrum of contrasting experiences—by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, in victories and in what appears to be failures (2 Corinthians 6: 4-10).

Many people never make it through these alternating changes and fluctuations in life. They are made desolate by the tests that sneak in the back door while they are guarding the front door. We must be faithful in good times, but we must also stand in faith and patience, with perseverance and endurance in the difficult places of life, such as...
(1) Mistreatment, which can leave us grieving, wounded and in pain.
(2) Conflict, which can leave us hurt and angry.
(3) God's discipline (which is meant for good) but which can leave us "black and blue" and
spiritually disabled if we stiffen our necks and refuse to break.
(4) Failure, which can bring shame and disgrace.
(5) The evil day, which causes us to discard faith and to feel forsaken.
(6) Disillusionment, which brings despair when we are disappointed by people or some hope in which we trusted.

Many Christians (through these trials) have become desolate, spiritually disabled, and "burnt stones" lying in the rubble of what they once thought could never be moved or shaken.

Burnt stones lie as a broken-down monument to some past tragedy and testify to a loss of vision and lack of hope for the future. Nehemiah described the ruined city of Jerusalem as being in great distress and reproach, with its walls broken down and its gates burned with fire. Glorious dreams and great expectations of its prophetic destiny had seemed to go up in smoke and scatter to the wind. Although the temple had been rebuilt by Zerubbabel and Ezra, the walls and gates of the city were still nothing more than shattered ruins and heaps of rubble with stones burned, torn down, broken, and scattered. This picture of desolation is a fitting description of those who have been derailed and sidelined from the mainstream of God's plan for their lives. Like the city Nehemiah came to rebuild, the temple is there, but the walls are down. Spiritually disabled and without vision, so many "burnt stones" lying in rubble, out of place, and dysfunctional. They have enough pulse to claim life but not enough life to enable usefulness in God's service.

Many of these wounded "veterans" expect to eventually recover their spiritual health and resume their normal functions in the Lord’s service. Others, however, have resigned themselves to spiritual "nursing homes." Their primary goal is to survive and make it to heaven. Some, even more sadly, have quit altogether and, from their prisons of disobedience, find themselves questioning God and refusing active service in His kingdom. Instead of being willing and obedient, they now refuse and rebel.

[Part Two of this series is posted above].

2011-10-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

The article posted below is a reprint from January 2010. I had the privilege and joy of witnessing the Lord's amazing work in the life of my grandfather. Many of our new readers may not have heard this wonderful story. -Billy Long

PaPa's Miracle When He Faced the Truth

2011-10-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

Tharon Hardee was my maternal grandfather. The grandchildren called him Pa Pa. In 1964 he was in his seventies and a member of the church, but living a life inconsistent with his Christian testimony. I was 15 years old at the time, and remember sitting in Pa Pa’s family room and listening intently as my mother, her sisters, and brother expressed to him their concerns about his eternal soul.

“Daddy,” they told him, “we are worried about you and are concerned that you are not walking with the Lord as you know you should.”
“Why, Jesus is my all in all,” he responded emphatically, and acted surprised that they would question his behavior. He was not ready to admit the truth about where he was, and it seemed that the discussion had no apparent effect. He continued his life doing the things he knew were displeasing to the Lord.

A few months later on a Saturday evening while I was at my weekend job of steaming oysters at a local seafood restaurant I received word that Pa Pa had had a stroke and was in critical condition, and that I should go immediately to Loris Hospital where the family was gathering. I entered the emergency room just as they were pushing him down the hall. As his bed was rolled past me he looked up at me with distress in his eyes and with heavily slurred speech said, “Billy, pray for me!” This cry told me that in his heart he knew the reality of what his children had been trying to tell him. Facing death, he had to also face the truth.
“Okay, Pa Pa,” I said as they rolled him past me and on to treatment.

He was in the hospital for about three weeks, but finally recovered enough to be sent home. He was alive, but the stroke had left him unable to walk. The family decided I should sleep at my grandparents home at night in order to help my grandmother care for him. I would lift him up off of his bed every morning and literally carry him to the little cot that had been placed in the family room where he would remain all day. In the evenings I would go back to his house to resume my duties helping my grandmother. How well I remember going over to that little cot each night, lifting him up and carrying him in my arms, and placing him in his bed where he would sleep for the night. This routine went on for about two weeks.

Then one Saturday his nephew Carl came by to pray for him. He read 2 Chronicles 7: 14, and the verses leaped from the pages almost like an audible word from God to my grandfather. Every word seemed to be a word directly from God. They described him perfectly, stating the problem and the solution. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Carl read the scripture, said the prayer, and then left. Pa Pa, sitting alone on that cot with those words echoing in his heart, looked up to the Lord and took Him at His word. He repented and turned his life over to the Lord in that very moment.

A few minutes later, my mother received a phone call from my grandmother saying, “Jessie Lois, Tharon wants you to come here now.” When Mama and I walked in, we saw Pa Pa sitting on his cot crying. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he looked up and said, “Lois, the Lord has restored to me the joy of my salvation,” and then after a pause, he continued, “And I think He has healed me, too.”
Mama then shouted, “Well, get up, Daddy!”
He immediately arose and began to walk. He was crying and laughing at the same time, and rejoicing in the overwhelming knowledge of God’s forgiveness, joy, and healing. I still remember him walking out the back door and circling the house a couple times with arms lifted, praising and thanking the Lord for his healing. My mom and I immediately called the rest of the family to tell them of the miracle.

Pa Pa was a new man after that. I remember being with him when friends from his past who had not heard of his transformation would come up to him and make some crude comment or some reference to his past life. He would get a very serious and stern look on his face. “I don’t do that anymore,” he would say, and then explain to them that he was walking with the Lord now and that his life had changed. I watched him love the Lord and walk with the Lord until the day of his death about two years later. Whenever I would visit him during those two years he would always ask me to pray for him and with him before I left. Often at night I would sit with him and read to him from the Bible. Those are precious memories. I had witnessed his years of hypocrisy, and then had the joy and privilege of witnessing his wonderful healing and the transformation which came to him when he faced reality and was honest with himself before God. We can all learn a lesson from this.
“But...the good ground are those who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patient endurance.” Luke 8: 15
“Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts…” Psalm 51: 6

You can make a comment by clicking "comment" in the line below this article. Or you can email me at blong8@sccoast.net . -Billy

2011-10-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Our self-centeredness often blinds us to the eternal perspective and causes us to approach God like spoiled children rather than humble, obedient servants. The article I have posted below is a re-print of an earlier article from November, 2010. It shares some important lessons about our need to trust God’s love, wisdom, and timing in how He apportions our responsibilities and dispenses our rewards. -Billy Long

"I've Worked All Day. It's Not Fair!"

2011-10-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

"The last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 19: 30; 20: 16.

“The apostle Peter answered and said to Him (Jesus), ‘See we have left all and followed you. Therefore what shall we have?’” Matthew 19:27.

“And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” Matthew 20: 9-15.

The first verse (Matthew 19:27) quoted above is a statement made by the apostle Peter, a devoted and obedient follower of Jesus. The second quote (Matthew 20: 9-15) describes complaining laborers who felt they were not adequately compensated. To both of these Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” This statement, though difficult to understand, basically expresses God’s right of ownership and decision-making over our lives as His servants.

“Hey, it’s not fair!”
The workers who worked all day complained because those who worked only the last hour were paid first and received the same amount as those who worked all day. The reverse order of payment and the equal pay for unequal work hours exposed the hearts of those who worked longest. Their grumbling was rooted in self-centeredness, wrong motives, and blindness to the heart and character of the landowner. His kindness to the late-starters was being interpreted as mistreatment of the all-day workers. This illustrates man’s tendency to despise the riches of God’s goodness when it is poured out on others. In our short-sightedness we become envious and think we are deprived.

God’s economy is not limited to this temporary, natural age. His rewards are both now and in eternity. When we in our short-sighted self-centeredness judge God’s goodness and wisdom only by what we see in time (the temporal, natural perspective) we do seriously err. Men’s hearts are exposed when they judge God by the “wage and hour” mentality. Such attitudes reflect self-centeredness, lack of spiritual perception, and blindness to Jesus Himself and to the Sovereignty of God.

“But I was being good when they were being bad!”
I had friends and acquaintances who were still rebellious teenagers when I was seeking God and preaching the gospel as a young boy in high school and throughout my college years. These men now have significant and thriving ministries while I sit in relative obscurity and in what has at times felt like relative failure. I had to deal with a subtle jealousy regarding this, but have come to the place where I genuinely rejoice in God’s blessing over the lives and ministries of these friends and acquaintances.

It is God’s prerogative to bless whom He chooses based on His wisdom and purpose. He is Sovereign ruler over the temporal affairs of man. He chooses and apportions, and we must trust Him with how He disposes and rewards. We must rejoice when God blesses others. We praise the Lord when we are “hidden in His quiver” while others are being used in the spotlight.

Peter: “Lord, what about that man?”
Jesus: “What is that to you? You follow me.” John 21: 21-22
We should not make value judgments about ourselves by comparing our lot to that of others, or by judging our place in God according to how He treats other people. This leads to pride and arrogance if our lot is better, or to envy and jealousy if our lot is worse. In any case, it leads to erroneous thinking. God deals with each of us according to His own purpose and wisdom. He does not operate on the “fairness” principal. He does according to what is right and necessary according to what He has purposed in Himself.

Worker: “But I have borne the burden and the heat of the day!”
Jesus: “Friend, I am doing you no wrong.” Matthew 20: 12-13.
It is common for people to feel they have not received adequate compensation or reward for their labor and efforts. We must remember that our labor is not in vain and that our just reward is with Him (Isaiah 49: 3-4). It might also be good to ask ourselves if we really have born the heat of the day? I may have worked hard, but still it is a matter of perspective. To the lazy man every way is hard, and to the self-centered person every task is an inconvenience and sacrifice. Often the ones who complain the hardest are those who do the least.

When we have done everything we should do, still we have done no more than was our duty to do in our relationship with God. Do we think we have given so much? What do we have that we did not receive? We have nothing that did not first originate with God. He is the source, the means, and the end. He is the center- not us. And we owe Him everything, including our lives.

“Take what is yours and go your way.” Matthew 20: 15.
The complaining workers received “what was theirs” but were sent on their way. They walked away not knowing the future blessings they had forfeited, and they were of no further use to the Master. They were grasping for wages rather than looking to the rewards that come with the Master’s favor. Instead of focusing on the meager and limited portion we think we have earned, we should humbly serve and look to the loving Master who plans to pour on us by grace a bountiful supply from the riches of His storehouse, a supply greater than anything we could ever earn. We do not want Jesus to “give us what is ours” and then tell us to “go our way.” We do not want Him to “give us our request, but send leanness to our soul.” (Psalm 106: 13-14). It would be the greatest loss and the cause of the deep regret to take what is “mine” and yet lose Him and the blessing of intimate fellowship with Him. He rewards faith and obedience. He Himself is our exceeding great reward.

“I have served all these years, and you never did that for me!” (Luke 15: 29.
We should rejoice when others are blessed. God does not detract from nor rob from me when He shows goodness to others. It is an evil heart that assumes God’s blessing on others represents something taken from me. The elder brother in the prodigal son story was not motivated by love. He was envious, and was probably afraid that the Father would take away some of his inheritance and give it to the prodigal brother who had returned empty-handed after wasting his own. In his comments on these verses Bob Mumford said, “The Father has unlimited wealth and increase. He would be able to restore the prodigal brother without ‘taking away’ from the elder brother.” But in any case, we should be willing to sit in a humble station and rejoice when God blesses someone we think does not deserve it? It is not proper to begrudge God’s benevolence shown to others or to think we deserve it more. We should not forget what the Father said to the Elder brother. “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours” (Luke 15: 31).

“They complained…” Matthew 20: 11.
The workers acted like they were part of a union organized to protect themselves against management. God is the Sovereign Master who actually loves us. We don’t have to negotiate for our benefits. He has already given us all things in Christ. We serve Him knowing that in His great love, knowledge, and wisdom He is acting for His purpose and our good. It is our self-centeredness that makes us complain and charge Him with inequity. When we make ourselves the center (instead of God and His purpose), we darken and distort our discernment, our interpretation, and our understanding.

“Friend, I am doing you no wrong.” Mat. 20:13
God’s ways are infinitely higher than ours. He acts according to His will and purpose which are based on His perfect and complete knowledge and upon His incomprehensible wisdom and goodness. We humans are foolish to charge Him with evil. The prophet Daniel said that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He pleases.” (Daniel 4: 25). The apostle Paul said so eloquently, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Rom 11: 33). We should daily join the biblical writers who said, “Praise the Lord, for He is good.”

Billy Long

For further study see Matthew 19: 27-30; Matthew 20: 1-16; 20: 20-28; Luke 15: 25-32

FAILURE?

2011-10-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

“And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” Matthew 11: 2-3

“Did I miss it?”
Sitting in a dark prison awaiting his execution John began to doubt himself, his message, and his work. “Are you the One or do we look for another?” he asked Jesus. He wanted to know if he had wasted his life in a pointless and now painful exercise in futility or if he had genuinely heard God’s voice and accomplished a legitimate and divine task. Jesus responded by giving him honor and calling him “more than a prophet.”

We too are often faced with inexplicable and unexpected turns in life that cause great perplexity and bring us to the verge of despair. We forget the significance of our purpose in God and do not see the hidden fruit of our labor. During these times we must not necessarily trust our sense of failure. Perceived failure may not be real failure.

Flawed, but Succeeding
David completed his course and served the purpose of God in his generation (Acts 13: 36) even though his life was not perfect. There were instances of failure and stumbling, yet he still went on to fulfill God's plan for his life. David's example shows us that God, while not condoning sin and irresponsibility, does factor in our mistakes, failures, and short-comings. He is not surprised. "He knows our frame; He remembers that we are but dust" (Psalm 103: 8-14) and so extends great mercy and abundant grace.

A Matter of the Heart, Not a Matter of Competency
There are Biblical examples of those who actually failed in God's service, but their failures were indicative of heart problems rather than competency issues. King Saul is an example. He was disqualified and removed from the throne, not because he lacked skill at being a king, but because he did not have a heart to obey the Lord (Acts 13: 22). He failed at obedience and faith, and he refused to surrender to the will of God. The issue comes back to the heart. A person who is rebellious at heart will fail and then use his failure as an excuse to disobey even more. A person who has a heart after God may stumble but will get back up and persevere in his attempt to please God and do His will.

A Graceful Thoroughbread, a Bucking Bronco, and a Swayback Mule
God is the ultimate judge of success and failure. In one phase of ministry I felt I was riding a graceful and beautiful thoroughbred. In another phase I was riding a bucking bronco, tossed and thrown. A third situation felt like sitting on an old sway-back mule that could barely stand up. The first seemed to be a success, the second was a partial success and a partial failure, while the third started off slow and then gradually tapered off, a failure by human standards.

But things are not always as they seem. Man and God do not always esteem things the same, and the mysteries of His will are not always known to us. Therefore, we should do our best, but let God be the judge. Sometimes we succeed in God's plan while failing in our own, while at other times we fail in our own while succeeding in His. What we think is failure may not be failure at all. The same is true for success. Our goal should be to please the Lord and leave the results to Him.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15: 58

PUFF AND BLUFF

2011-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

[There are three erroneous approaches to the subject of Satan and demons. The first is the open and active involvement in demonic activity as in the occult, psychic phenomena, and the animism of primitive societies. The second approach is to deny their existence altogether. The third, and somewhat irrational, approach is that of Christians who believe in the existence of evil spirits because they read about them in the Bible, but who simply ignore the subject as if the evil spirits described in the Biblical examples somehow mysteriously faded into the background and do not relate in any real way to our contemporary society except to entice people to sin.
The spiritual realm as it is described in the Bible is real. The following article simply touches the subject in a matter-of-fact manner without giving any preparatory instruction. If we follow the Biblical pattern and model, we will present the subject in a balanced and proper perspective. But still it is difficult to make it palatable to those who reject the Bible or the spiritual realm.] –Billy Long

The Puff Adder
When I was a young child I came upon a snake that frightened me. It coiled up, looked right at me with head raised and puffed up making a hissing noise. I started to back away, but a friend told me not to fear, that this was only a puff adder. It had no venom and could do no harm but was simply putting on a show to intimidate me. I picked up a stick and poked gently in the snake's face. The snake then employed a new scheme when it realized its strategy had failed. It flipped over belly-up and pretended to be dead with its mouth disjointed and tongue hanging out to the side as if it had been beaten to death. I took the stick and tried a few times to turn the snake back over to the normal position. But it wanted me to think it was dead, and kept flipping itself back over onto the belly-up position. Its fierceness was only a bluff.

The Girl with the Demon
A young girl was involved with a fellow who practiced Satan-worship. She had decided to leave home and run away with him. One of her friends, however, brought her to Laurel and me, hoping we could persuade the girl to change her mind.

As we sat in our living room I addressed the girl with these words: “We are living in a day in which there is much spiritual activity. God is pouring out His Holy Spirit and we are witnessing a visitation of God’s presence and a revival in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the supernatural presence of Jesus Christ in His church. But there is also an intensification in the realm of darkness which tries to counterfeit the working of the Holy Spirit. This counterfeit is seen in the surge of demonic activity in the areas of psychic, occult, and new age activity.”
I proceeded to tell the young lady that this rise in spiritual stirrings had created a great hunger in the youth of her generation, and that she was faced with a choice. She could turn to the Lord and experience the treasures He is making available, or she could follow her boyfriend in Satan-worship and enter the bondage and deception of demonic activity.

At that point in the conversation an unusual thing began to occur unexpectedly. As I spoke to her she began to twitch and tremble, and her eyes began to turn up in their sockets. Laurel and I looked at each other knowing that the Lord’s presence had stirred up a demon in the girl. I then told the girl, “What you are experiencing right now is an evil spirit that entered you as a result of your involvement with your boyfriend in Satan-worship. We are going to cast it out.”

The girl immediately held up both hands with clenched fists, and with a very angry and threatening expression on her face said, “Don’t bother me. There is no telling what I might do!”
I was surprised by this unexpected response. As I paused for a second Laurel immediately spoke to the spirit saying, “We are not afraid of you. Come out of this girl now!”

The threatening and intimidating expression on the girl’s face immediately changed from anger to fear and grief. She began to cry as she actually slithered out of the chair and onto the floor. The demon came out of her with groans and cries.

The spirit in the girl behaved in a similar fashion to that of the puff adder snake. It first tried to intimidate and frighten. But it came out of the girl when faced with the reality of Jesus’ presence and our knowledge of the authority we have in His name.

A Superstitious Couple
A few years ago I was talking with a husband and wife who were beginning to delve into witchcraft and who thought they had received communications from dead relatives. I shared the gospel with them, pointing them to Jesus, and telling them that the Bible forbids involvement in these occult activities because witchcraft is of the devil, and ghosts are not dead people but are in fact demons or evil spirits pretending to be dead people.

The enemy was angry that I had shared the truth of the gospel with this couple. Later on that day I was in my motel room working at my computer when all of a sudden a couple cans of tuna sitting on the microwave were thrown across the room and onto the floor. It was a spirit trying to frighten me and intimidate me into not sharing the gospel with this couple.
I was not afraid but felt the power of the Holy Spirit and the righteous indignation of the Lord rise up within me. I immediately stood to my feet and commanded the spirit to depart, leave, and not come back.

I immediately felt the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. I took a few minutes to praise the Lord for the truth of His word, for the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, and for the power and joy of His presence. I then went back to my computer and finished my work.

The Bluff
“Bluff” means "to deter or frighten by pretense or a mere show of strength; to deceive an opponent in cards by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand." This is how the devil operates. He seeks to frighten and intimidate us. This strategy often works on believers who do not know the scripture, the power of God, and their authority in Jesus’ name.

We as believers need not fear. Christ has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into His kingdom. He defeated Satan at Calvary and stripped him of his power.
Satan can only rule over those who chose to serve him and follow him and his ways. To gain advantage and control over Christians he must use fear and discouragement, deception, accusation, and enticements to sin. Fear and discouragement lead to unbelief and disobedience. Deception leads astray into error, accusation produces guilt which hinders faith and confidence, and sin causes us to turn away from God.

But when confronted head-on and in the open, the enemy tries to bluff his way by appearing strong and threatening. But he knows he is defeated. He knows that we as followers of Jesus are victorious in our God. The main point that I emphasize in this post is that we need to know it.

Then the seventy returned with joy saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you authority…over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10: 17-20

Phillip went down to Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitude with one accord heeded the things spoken by Phillip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many…and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in the city.” Acts 8: 5-8

ADVENTURES IN SLEEPWALKING

2011-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Awake and Asleep At the Same Time
When I was about 12 or 13 years old, one night during my sleep I woke up in the air, shocked to realize I had just jumped off the bed. When my dad was a child he walked in his sleep one night and threw his bed mattress and sheets out the upstairs window shouting “Fire, fire!” while his younger brother, my uncle Norwood, watched and laughed at him.

It’s difficult to explain somnambulism to someone who has never experienced it. Sleepwalking is an unusual state in which a person is sound asleep and acting out his dream, sometimes getting out of bed and walking around. He is awake enough to navigate through his environment but still asleep and interacting with the imaginary delusions of his dream. I have done this many times in my younger days.

Running From the Wrecking Ball
A few years ago I attended a conference with a group of pastors. We rented motel rooms with double beds in order to reduce each man’s cost. My friend Ron was across the room fast asleep on his bed. I was asleep in my bed but having a vivid dream about one of those huge wrecking balls that demolition experts use to destroy buildings. It was about to be dropped from a boom that had swung out over me. In an effort to escape I stood up on the bed and leaped to the floor trying to get out from under it. But the boom followed me, and so I took a couple quick steps and jumped up onto Ron’s bed. I managed to step over him without stepping on him, but I woke him from his sleep as I danced over him in a panic, running from that ball which was still hanging overhead and following me around the room.

Ron yelled out, “Billy, what are you doing?” as he watched me jump to the floor and run around the motel room trying to get away from that demolition ball. I call out, “Ron! How do you make that thing stop?”

He had no idea what “that thing” was, but playing along with my dream, his immediate response was a clear and authoritative, “By faith, brother.” I immediately stopped in my tracks and said, “Oh!” And then very calmly lay down and went back to sleep.

The True Watchman versus the Sleepwalker
“All you beasts of the field, come to devour, all you beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; Dreamers, lying down, loving to slumber.” Isaiah 56: 9-10

“Watchmen” are intercessors who pray and do battle in the spiritual realm in behalf of others. They are supposed to be awake, alert, and standing guard while others are asleep. From their position on the wall they have a clear view of the surrounding area. They are able to see an enemy approaching from a distance and blow the trumpet to give warning to those in the city.

"Dreamers" refers to watchmen who have fallen asleep on the wall and are failing in their responsibility to pray effectively. The literal Hebrew refers to those who are raving or talking in their sleep. Their anxiety, caused by their neglect of responsibility, oppresses them in their sleep and causes them to dream they are performing their duties. These watchmen, instead of engaging the real spiritual battle in prayer, are fighting phantoms in their dreams—while the real enemy slips in through the breaches in the real wall and devours the city.

“Be sober unto prayer.” 1 Peter4: 7
The “dreamer” or “sleepwalker” is an appropriate description of the intercessor who is not sober.
Sobriety is sound judgment rooted in a right spirit. It refers to the ability to stay in the realm of reality. We maintain sobriety by being spiritually awake, keeping our hearts right, and maintaining communion with the Lord. This is especially important for the intercessor.

An unhealthy disposition can distort our insight and perspective. A bad attitude will hinder our prayers. Sometimes in the midst of problems and conflict we allow our spirits to be overcome by anger, resentment, bitterness, hate, disillusionment, and despair. These can lead to confusion and the inability to see clearly. We begin to pray out of strife or we ask amiss. We speak “words without knowledge” as Job did, or “call fire down from heaven” as some of Jesus’ disciples wanted to do, or we simply pray erroneously because our wrong spirit has caused us to incorrectly assess a situation.

Our self centeredness will cause us to lose the kingdom perspective, and our prayers will tend to reflect self-interest rather than God's interest. Our prayers will be motivated by our wants and wrong motives rather than a heart for God’s kingdom and purpose. Under healthy conditions we “see through a glass dimly,” but with a bad attitude we add confusion and distortion. An inaccurate perception of God and life does not help our prayers.

When we cultivate our relationship with the Lord, keep our hearts right, and keep our spirits clear of ungodly attitudes, God lifts us up above the dust and clouds of battle and gives us the divine perspective. This is sobriety. Our "instruments" are working and we maintain the ability to follow them (as an airline pilot in the clouds at night in bad weather). With a good heart we are more inclined to have a good perspective on reality. But in those times when we cannot see, when we are disoriented and do not understand, a right spirit will help us to engage in effective prayer.

He Would Have Passed Them By?

2011-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

[Below is a re-print of an earlier posting. The story is full of spiritual implications, but I will point out only a few of them. - Billy Long ]

"Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side...Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by." Mark 6: 45-52

“He made His disciples get into a boat.”
The “boat” is significant because it represents a context from which we can not easily escape. The disciples, on that small boat in the middle of the sea, could not simply change their minds and walk away from the problems and issues at hand. They could not escape the process; they had to ride it out. The Lord desires to work deeply and significantly in our lives, but He knows that human nature wants to run from the fire and will attempt to escape if it has the option to do so. We would rather sin than suffer, and in the crunch we seek relief rather than the purpose and glory of God. We tend to be like the Psalmist who cried out, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” It is interesting to note that a "successful" escape leads only to “wandering” and to “the wilderness.” Wandering gives the illusion of freedom, and the wilderness gives the temporary illusion of comfort, only because it is less intense than the crucible God designed for our change and growth.

This explains the boat. He places us in a class room or training context from which we can not escape, by-pass, or take the easy way out, at least not with integrity and righteousness. This is a good thing. It shows that God loves us enough to work with us in spite of ourselves.

“He made …His disciples go before Him.”
Jesus promised to go "before His sheep" when He sends them forth, but here He commands His disciples to go “before Him.” This seems to be in contrast to the promise, and when it happens to us we are tempted to feel alone and left to ourselves.
But the reality is the opposite. The psalmist, in his dark hour, feeling forgotten and forsaken, and crying out daily with sorrow in his heart, came to understand that God was actually dealing bountifully with him. Sometimes our darkest moments indicate God’s most intense presence rather than His absence. We must remember that the disciples, although in the middle of the sea in a storm at night, were not really alone. Miles away and through the darkness “Jesus saw them.” With Him there is no darkness nor distance. God may be out of our sight, but we are never out of His sight. He saw them and went straight to them. They were not ignored by God. To the contrary, the whole experience had been designed especially for them. They were getting special attention. As one story goes, we see only one set of footprints not because He is not walking with us, but because He is carrying us.

“He…would have passed them by.”
This sentence requires more discussion than can be done in this short space. It represents a principle that Christians often miss. While there is such a thing as Divine resistance which is accompanied by the absence of grace, there is also an area in our training where we encounter what appears to be Divine resistance but which is actually the Lord’s desire to stimulate us to aggressive faith and prayer, to provoke us out of passivity and apathy, and to move us to the assertive and determined action of obedient children passionate to do His will. It is a place where we work together with Him through intercession and patient endurance. How often do we let the Lord pass on by because we think that is what He wants to do? How often do we interpret His apparent reluctance as a genuine lack of interest? We think He does not want to engage us and so we back away, drop the subject, and let Him pass on by. It is clear that Jesus never intended to pass by that boat. His heart was with those men. They were the object of His special care and focus at that moment. We should take note and learn from this example.

There are other Biblical examples of God’s children pressing into Him when on the surface it appeared they were encountering resistance. The two men on the road to Damascus constrained Jesus to stay with them when He made as though He would have left them behind and gone on further. The Canaanite woman cried out to Jesus and obtained healing for her daughter after Jesus had given her three negative (almost offensive) responses (that would have caused most of us to turn and walk away). In wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless bless me!”

I don’t fully understand this principle, but I do know that God wants us to “trouble” Him with things. Our quickness to let Him pass on by is not courtesy, but rather complacency, passivity, and spiritual laziness. Sometimes it reflects our low self-esteem. We think we are not worthy of His attention and help. But ultimately it reflects our lack of understanding of God’s love and desire to be involved in our lives.

“He made His disciples…go…to the other side”
Our destiny is the “other side,” which means we will make it through. We must not be afraid of the storm that comes on the way. Jesus will silence and still it as soon as its purpose is completed. The experience in the boat was to make them grow and to cause them to know Him at a deeper level. Peter even had the opportunity to walk on the water with Jesus at this time. So maybe our goal should be not simply to get to the other side, but to be at His side. Let’s not jump to the conclusion that the Lord does not want to be bothered, that He has better things to do. Let’s touch the hem of His garment and cry out to Him to abide with us. Let’s also cry out to Him as Peter did, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” We will find that He is not only present, but very present, "a very present help in time of trouble."

Biblical references for further study:
Mark 6: 45-52; John 10: 3-5; Luke 24: 28; Mat.15: 21-28; Gen 32: 22-32; Luke 11: 5-8; Lu 18: 1-5; Psalm 13; Matthew 14:22-32; Hebrews 10:19-23; Psalm 46:1.

Please click "comment" below if you would like to make a comment or share an insight, or you can email me at blong8@sccoast.net

A Bible Quiz: Just for Fun!

2011-07-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

I have written a quiz to test your knowledge of the Bible. Choose the right answer(s) from the list below each question, and then read the Biblical reference to confirm your answer. You might enjoy taking the test. It's just for fun. But the Biblical references contain some serious lessons.
Billy Long

Gideon was…

1. A man who left Bibles in all the motels of Israel.

2. One of the judges who delivered Israel from the Midianites.

3. One of the neighboring kingdoms and a faithful ally of Israel.

Judges 6: 11-16

Lazarus was…

1. The city where Jesus lived.

2. A friend of Jesus who was raised from the dead.

3. A prophet who prophesied of Jesus’ birth.

John 11: 11-15, 12:1

The Apostle Paul was sent to…

1. North Dakota

2. The Gentiles

3. Jerusalem

4. Summer Camp

Acts 9:15;

While Peter was preaching in Cornelius’ household…

1. Everyone in the house mocked him.

2. Everyone in the house was filled with the Holy Spirit.

3. His sermon lasted so long a little boy fell asleep and fell out the window.

Acts 10:44-48

When the Lame man at the temple gate asked for alms...

1. Peter took up a special offering for him.

2. Peter and John healed the man.

3. Peter rebuked the man for turning God’s house into a den of thieves.

Acts 3: 1-9

When Stephen preached to the elders, scribes, and Sanhedrin council…

1. He was preaching a trial sermon so they could vote whether or not to hire him as the pastor of their church.

2. 5000 people were saved and baptized.

3. The people stoned him to death..

4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7:51-60

Jonah was in the belly of the whale…

1. 40 days and 40 nights.

2. 3 days

3. Four score and seven years

4. No one knows the time or the hour

Jonah 1: 17

Ananias and Sapphira were…

1. Characters on a TV sit-com

2. The high priest and his wife

3. A husband and wife who lied to the apostles and dropped dead.

4. Gem stones that were popular in Israel

Acts 5: 1-14

Which two sentences are in the Bible?

1. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

2. Little children keep yourselves from idols.

3. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.

4. It takes one to know one.

1 John 5: 21; Galatians 6: 7

Joseph and Mary went to Egypt because…

1. They wanted to visit with Moses.

2. They were warned by God to flee King Herod who wanted to kill the baby Jesus.

3. Egypt was a favorite summer vacation spot.

4. They went there to be taxed according to the Caesar’s command.

Matthew 2: 13

Which of the following is NOT in the list of miracles performed by Jesus?

1. He walked on water.

2. He healed the sick and raised the dead.

3. He turned stones into bread.

4. He multiplied fish and bread.

Matthew 4: 1-4

Which three of the following were NOT among the original 12 disciples?

1. Peter

2. Andrew

3. John

4. Larry

5. LeRoy

6. Barnabas

Matthew 10: 1-8

Which of the following books is NOT in the NewTestament?

1. Philemon

2. Titus

3. Hebrews

4. Gone with the Wind

What was Jezreel?

1. A Hebrew folk dance

2. A city in Israel

3. Ahab’s domineering and idolatrous wife.

1 Kings 21: 1

Sodom and Gomorrah were…

1. A wicked husband and wife who were turned into pillars of salt.

2. A famous brother and sister band who sang in the temple.

3. Cities that were destroyed because their wickedness was so great.

Genesis 18-19

Moses’ brother and sister were…

1. Aaron and Hur

2. Sharon and Hem

3. Aaron and Miriam

4. Todd and Luretha

5. Acquila and Priscilla

Numbers 12: 1-16

Balaam was…

1. A donkey who spoke English

2. A donkey who spoke to a man

3. A man who tried to curse Israel for money and was rebuked by a donkey.

Numbers 22-25

Jethro was…

1. Uncle Jed’s nephew

2. Moses’ father-in-law

3. Half of the singing group “Homer and Jethro.”

Exodus 18:1

Thank You

2011-06-28T00:45:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for all of you who visit this site, and especially those of you who visit on a regular basis. I now have visitors from all over the United States and from many countries around the world. I would enjoy hearing from some of you and getting to know who you are and where you are from. It would be a great blessing to me if you would write me at the email address below and introduce yourself. Thank you so much.

Billy Long blong8@sccoast.net

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me.” Daniel 6: 22

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

“Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth…I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure…. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6: 26-28

“…I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4: 17-18

“The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Psalm121:7-8

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16: 33

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident...For time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27: 1-5

Some Thoughts to Clarify the Previous Two Posts

2011-06-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

A good friend presented some questions after my last two posts. Below are some thoughts to help clarify some of the points I discussed.

I have re-read my recent posts dealing with God’s judgment, and I am comfortable with what I what I presented, given the context in which it is given.

The first motivating thought in my post is that there is a God, as opposed to the Atheist who thinks God does not exist and that He is irrelevant to earth’s events, and as opposed to the deist who thinks God simply walked off and left us to ourselves. There is a God who manages the affairs of earth, and we must acknowledge and call upon Him.

When I say “nothing is out of His control” I am saying that nothing is “out of control,” that is, God is not helplessly standing by watching.

I would not make a blanket statement saying bad weather is God’s judgment. The weather is like everything else in life, some of it is good, some of it is bad, some of it is a blessing from God, some of it is an attack from the devil, some of it is Divine judgment, and some of it is simply mystery. I do not say that people who are experiencing bad things are being judged (See my “Icy Hot” post), although sometimes bad things do indicate reaping and judgment. But I would also add that sometimes bad things happen to innocent people like Job. But we should not be afraid to face the fact that God does at some point send judgment on iniquity.

Life is too complex to blame everything on God or on the devil. Discernment and compassion are necessary before we start making presumptions and judgments about other people. But I do feel that our nation is headed into judgment unless there is a national repentance or a sufficient amount of intercessors to stand in the gap (Gen 18:16-33; Ezekiel 22: 30).

The kindness of God leads us to repentance. That is God’s first approach, and He is patient and longsuffering with His kindness. But when we do not respond to His kindness, there does come a time when He disciplines His children to help them along (See “Goodness and Severity of God” post). There also comes a time when the judgment of God does fall on a nation or people when iniquity reaches its fullness.

My opinion is that we would be a bit arrogant to think that our nation does not deserve judgment. It is this awareness of potentially impending judgment that awakens and stirs the intercessors to arise, pray, and stand in the gap. If we see no potential for judgment, then we see no urgent need to “sigh and cry because of the abominations” as Ezekiel said in chapter 9.

I believe in the “Goshen principal” (Exodus 10: 22-23; Zephaniah 2: 3) in which God hides and protects His people. I pray that my household and God’s people will live in “Goshen” in the days ahead. But I think also that there are times that the righteous may suffer to some degree along with the rest when judgments fall on a nation. Daniel and Ezekiel both were taken into captivity with Israel; and there must have been some righteous people in Israel who went into captivity with the others. If an economic crisis hits our nations, we will all feel it, including the church. Although, I think the church should ask for and believe for the “Goshen” experience.

I do see pestilence, sword, famine, etc as instruments of God’s judgment in scripture, and that He used them on Israel and other nations.

I think a “plague” can be a judgment on a nation in a general sense, but not necessarily on the individuals. For instance, an epidemic of AIDS might be judgment on a nation in general as a result of its rampant promiscuity, but not necessarily a judgment on every individual with AIDs since many innocent people have contracted the disease.

The “Euroclydon” post speaks to the same audience in our nation that Amos or Joel spoke to in their books. So I do believe God sends judgments, and I do believe sin will bring judgments. But I don’t believe everything bad is a judgment of God. I do think the topic is too complex to cover all the bases in a short post.

Merciful God, not Dispassionate Nature

2011-06-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

In a recent posting (see below) I suggested that God is trying to get our attention. The calamities and natural disasters that have been occurring so frequently and intensely should cause us to fall on our knees and cry out to God for mercy and turn to Him in repentance and faith. In the late 1800s there was a major earthquake that hit Charleston, SC. People in the Longs community 120 miles away from Charleston were unfamiliar with earthquakes and many of them rushed to my great-grandfather’s home to find out what was happening. They responded by reaching out to God in prayer. Over the following decades they gathered every year at the little country Methodist church on the anniversary of the earthquake and thanked God for His protection and mercy. They acknowledged God and turned their hearts toward Him in that hour, and continued to do so for years afterward.

When I listen to the news and hear of the intense natural disasters, severe earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, fires, floods, hurricanes, in addition to all the economic disasters that appear to be coming, I prefer to believe in a personal God calling us to repentance than to think that the earth is on its own and going crazy and out of control with “no one at the wheel.” If these things are simply nature, then we are in big trouble with no real solution. Man has no power over nature gone awry, but He can call upon a merciful Heavenly Father who is able to save us. Divine judgment, even though fearful, at least implies a living and personal God. Otherwise, we are at the “mercy” of cold, impersonal, and dispassionate nature.

God is real and involved in history and in the affairs of earth. I cannot believe that He is sitting idly by and indifferent to all that is transpiring. The Bible says that He administrates times and seasons, each to its fullness, with a view toward eventually summing up all things in Christ. This means He is involved in the affairs of mankind. He determines the boundaries and times of nations, and not one sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. Since God loves the world so much that He sent Christ to die for our sins, we must know that He is involved in the affairs and management of earth itself, and His involvement implies and necessitates action on our part.

Gather yourselves together, yes, gather yourselves together...before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth… Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2: 1-3

Now learn of the parable of the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—even at the doors! …But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24: 32-39

And is shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:25

"And Then Came Euroclydon!"

2011-06-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

[This post accompanies the article posted above. -Billy Long]

“When the south wind blew softly, supposing they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea they sailed close to Crete…but not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon…and all hope that we should be saved was finally given up.” Acts 27: 13-14.

The above verses describe the journey taken by the ship on which the Apostle Paul was traveling as a prisoner to Rome. The journey began peacefully with a warm, calm wind and beautiful weather. But then came Euroclydon, a tempestuous storm that destroyed the ship, and which would have taken the lives of all who sailed on it, had not Paul been there to hear from God and guide them to safety. A peaceful start followed by the storms of disaster is also illustrated in the examples that follow.

The prophet Amos lived in Judah, but was sent by the Lord to the northern kingdom of Israel. The nation was in idolatry and going through empty religious motions in their walk with God as they experienced a false sense of security bolstered by a time of prosperity and national optimism. The “south wind was blowing softly” and in their complacency they were “at ease” and unaware of the judgment of God that was looming on the horizon. “Euroclydon” was coming.

The prophet Amos warned them as he proclaimed “the end has come.” But in their self-satisfaction, comfort, and prosperity they did not believe him. Nevertheless, within 40 years the Assyrian army invaded and carried them away into captivity. The southern kingdom of Judah remained, but the northern kingdom of Israel was no more.

A little over a hundred years later the prophet Joel spoke to the kingdom of Judah. The nation was experiencing a great economic crisis caused by plagues of “chewing locusts, swarming locust, and crawling locusts.” These creatures had invaded the land like an army and had devastated the economy, stripping trees and crops, laying bare the vines and fields, cutting off the wine, the grain, the fruit, and the oil. The water brooks had dried up and the land mourned. The people thought the worst had come. But into this context the prophet Joel stood up to proclaim that the current devastations were only warning “tremors” compared to the real judgment that was to come if they refused to repent and turn back to God. The big “earthquake” was the Babylonian army that would later invade and carry them away captive.

We as a nation have lived in relative peace, plenty, and prosperity. We have been secure thinking we were exempt from the troubles that plague the rest of the world. For us “the south wind has blown softly.” But recent national and global events have created a sense of apprehension and fear. We have seen how helpless we really are in the face of the power and fury of nature. 911 reminded us how vulnerable we are to human wickedness and to those who have malicious intent towards us. We witnessed hurricane Katrina, the Gulf oil spill, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Hatii, plus other catastrophes and strange weather and natural phenomena that have taken multiple thousands of lives. These events came suddenly and ferociously upon people who for the most part were at ease and not suspecting any danger. Even now we see conflicts and distresses around the world, governments gone crazy with spending and debt, and the ominous clouds of severe global economic crisis. For the first time in contemporary history, Americans realize that these plagues can come to our own doors. For the first time we have the sense that our government itself will also be helpless to aid us.

We have “sailed” with the warm “south wind blowing softly,” and in that place of prosperity and security we have as a nation turned our back on God, laid aside His written word and the godly values taught in it. We have called evil good and good evil. We have honored the wicked and persecuted the righteous. We have killed millions of babies in the womb, and rejected God’s word regarding morals and lifestyle. We have continued in our religious ritual without stopping to really touch the living God our creator and Lord.
Is it possible that God may be trying to get our attention?

In his storm at sea, the Apostle Paul arose with a word from God that saved everyone on his boat. Maybe the church in this season should touch God in the same way, and arise as a light in the darkness and speak a word of salvation to a generation that is beginning to feel the insecurity of a threatening storm.

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7: 14.

The Goodness and Severity of God

2011-06-03T02:50:00.000-07:00

“Therefore, consider both the goodness and severity of God…” Romans 11: 22

A tricycle and a cedar switch
I had a tricycle when I was four years old. Daddy told me I could ride it around the yard but never to go near the highway. But temptation came, and I figured it would be more fun and easier to ride my tricycle on the hard pavement than through the dirt in our yard. So I decided to ride it across the highway and visit the country store across the street. Away I went pedaling my little tricycle and making my way across the busy highway. As I rolled up to the front door of the store I suddenly felt a hand gently grab my arm. It was Daddy. He had broken a small, limber cedar switch from a little tree in our front yard. It did not harm me, but it stung my legs as he gave me a “switching” all the way back across the street to our house. We were a sight to behold as I “danced” across the road with Daddy’s right hand flicking the little cedar switch against my bare legs, his left hand holding mine while I held the tricycle with my other hand. I learned that the pain of discipline outweighed the pleasure of disobedience. I never rode that tricycle into the street again.

I knew instinctively that my father was disciplining me for my good. He was protecting me from dangers of which I was unaware. Our heavenly Father deals with us in the same way. His severity does not denote a lack of love; but proves His desire to protect us from peril and to save us from the harm that sin and foolishness inflict upon us.

The parent and the coach
When a young athlete makes a mistake that hurts the team, he receives two very different but necessary reactions. His parents tell him, “It’s okay, you’re a great player; you’ll do better next time.” The coach, however, scolds the boy telling him he needs to focus and work on this particular area of weakness or be prepared to sit on the bench for a while. The coach's rebuke is necessary for growth and improvement. The parents' mercy encourages the young man and prevents him from losing heart. God deals with His children in the same way. He is kind, but severe when we need it. His steadfast love gives us hope and encourages us to persevere. His severity provokes us to obedience and helps us overcome our weakenesses.

“Consider the goodness…of God”
The first Bible verse that I memorized as a child was John 3: 16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The first song I learned was “Jesus Loves Me.” This truth is paramount to our understanding of God. He loves us with an incomprehensible and steadfast love. It preserves us when we would fall and holds us when we would flee. It woos us when we go astray and receives us when we return. His goodness leads us to repentance. It also causes Him to be patient beyond our comprehension. God's kindness is demonstrated in the longsuffering and forbearance He shows to a world in continual rebellion against Him and to His people who are often complacent and unfaithful.

“Consider the…severity of God.”
I serve the Lord because I love Him, but there have been times of weakness and vulnerability in my life when I remained faithful to the Lord because I fear His judgment. I do not want to forfeit rewards when I stand before Him, and I do not want to die lost and enter eternity without Him. The writer of Hebrews says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Nevertheless, it is God's love that holds me.

God’s discipline and even His judgments are acts of love designed to bring us back to Him when we don’t have grace to respond to His kindness. His discipline strengthens us to obedience. His wrath (and judgment) is an ultimate effort of love to get our attention and turn our stubborn and rebellious hearts back to Him when we go astray. The "rod" of God administers grace to enable my obedience when I might be too weak to respond simply to His love.

A chest pain kept me out of trouble.
I was not spiritually aggressive during my eleventh grade year of high school and my spiritual idleness made me vulnerable to temptation. On one particular occasion I was making plans to fall into some mischief, but awoke with chest pains on the morning of the “evil day.” I immediately decided not to go through with my plans. I was afraid I would die and go to hell. It was as if the Lord was saying to me, “Your friends might be able to do that, but I will not allow you to.” The fear of God preserved me when the weakness of my flesh was, for the moment, stronger than my resolve to obey. I thank God for His discipline which helped save me from a foolish decision in that hour.

Conclusion
God disciplines us because we are His beloved children. It is part of His program for helping us to grow, mature, and be what He desires us to be. It is an aspect of grace, a manifestation of the love and wisdom of God in dealing with human nature. It is for our good. It corrects (makes right) those who need to be adjusted and punishes those who refuse the correction.
There are two contrasting Bible verses that are actually and truly compatible.
"Praise the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever." 2 Chronicles 5: 13; 20: 21
"Let us...serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 13: 28-29

He love us. But He does have a "cedar switch," and will use it when we need it.

"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12: 5-6

Lawless Hands May Grab, But God's Hand Rules

2011-05-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

“For…you have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy.” Psalm 31: 7-8

The following paragraphs are intended to help us see that God’s hand is the undergirding “moving sidewalk” that is constantly carrying us forward in His purpose even when the enemy and circumstances try to point us in the opposite direction. Lawless hands may “grab” us, but God’s hand rules. We must see ourselves in God’s hands rather than victims of those who mistreat us.

Whose Prisoner?
“…I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you…” Ephesians 3: 1
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner….” 2 Timothy 1: 8

The apostle Paul did not take on the role of victim nor did he rail against those who placed him in chains. Focusing upon them would have depleted his spiritual life leaving him bitter and frustrated. He counted himself a "prisoner of the Lord" not of the Romans. And his enemies, without realizing it, sent him to the very city (Rome) to which Jesus had told him to go (Acts 23:11). His epistles from the Roman prison are in our Bible today and have been read by millions. Though he was bound, the word of God was not bound. His testimony is a poignant reminder that we are in the hands of God, not in the hands of those who afflict us.

Who Sent Joseph?
“But the patriarchs, being envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him.” Acts 7:9
“He [God] sent a man ---Joseph--- before them, who was sold as a slave.” Psalm 105: 17

Joseph’s brothers sold him to traders who carried him off to Egypt in chains where he served as a slave and was unjustly accused and imprisoned. His “owners” and masters controlled all the decisions for his life. They “hurt him” and had no regard for his God, yet unwittingly sent him to the very position of which God had spoken in the prophetic dreams of Joseph's youth.

“God sent me.”
“But now, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45: 5

Had Joseph focused on the cruel acts of his brothers and masters, he would have developed the victim mentality with all its self-centeredness, ungodly attitudes, and deficiencies of character. He would have been overwhelmed with bitterness and anger. He might have written a book with a sad ending about how he had been mistreated and sent to Egypt as a slave. He most likely would have committed adultery with Potiphar’s wife and wasted away in prison.

Joseph, however, did not focus on those who mistreated him. His business and call was higher. On the surface it appeared that his brothers in cruelty had sent him to Egypt, but the truth is that God sent him to save his family and a nation, and to settle his people in a place where they could grow and develop until God was ready for them to enter the promised land 400 years later. Lawless hands had “grabbed” him, but God’s hand ruled.

In Whose Hands?
“Him, being delivered over by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, and have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” Acts 2: 23-24

“Lawless hands” were at work with malevolent intent grabbing Jesus to crucify him upon a cross, and yet beneath it all was the hand of God delivering Jesus over to his determined purpose. Here is the mystery of God's sovereignty. The actions of wicked men against an innocent person were turned to the purpose of God and to the salvation of the world.

Oppressed people tend to see only the “lawless hands” that mistreat them. The result is loss of faith accompanied by harmful and ungodly attitudes. Jesus, however, kept his heart toward the Father's plan knowing that the redemptive hand of God was at work to fulfill the greater purpose of God. The enemy's plan backfired. Christ became the crucified lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, and He was raised from the dead as our Lord and Savior.

We are in the hands of God.
The sovereign hand of God undergirds and holds us in spite of the “lawless hands” that work against us. His hand is the “moving sidewalk” on which we stand and which carries us forward even when it seems the enemy and life attempt to carry us backwards.

When we spend our emotional, mental, and spiritual energy on the "brothers" who "threw us into the pit" or the "Romans" who "threw us into prison," we make ourselves their victims and their prisoners. But when we engage the Lord, surrender to Him, and stand in faith with a right spirit, we experience the grace and power of God working all things together for our good and to His purpose.

We may not always be given the most comfortable route. The Apostle Paul might have preferred to go to Rome on a wonderful Mediterranean cruise ship with the bountiful buffet meals and lively entertainment. Joseph may have preferred to go to Egypt as part of a family vacation, a group tour of the Holy Land with all the first-class accommodations and helpful tour guides followed by a first class excursion to Cairo. But each man’s journey was painful and in chains. They took the way of the cross and drank the “cup” of suffering on their way to the joy set before them and to the fulfillment of a purpose which was greater than themselves and their comfort.

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.’ So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying '…I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you. Now please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your fathers.’ And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, ‘behold, we are your servants.’ Joseph said to them. ‘Do not be afraid, for I am in God’s place. But as for you, you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive…and he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 50: 15-21

The PEWS

2011-05-05T02:57:00.000-07:00

THE CAT AND THE RAT

2011-04-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

“I have not been alone in hearing… that God is moving His people …from a focus on self, personal healing and individual blessing to a focus on demonstrating the power of the kingdom of God beyond the walls of the church for the sake of all those Jesus came to save.” -a quote from Sanford article in Charisma Magazine.

The Cat at the Door
When I was just a kid we had a yard cat that should have been out hunting mice, but instead, was always sitting at the screen door meowing and whining plaintively, “begging” for someone to let him in the house. “Meow, meow, meow!” he cried. Translated into English this means, “Let me in. Feed me, pet me, help me, comfort me, make me happy. I want to go inside where it is comfortable and safe. I don’t want to face the world outside.”
My Dad hated for a cat to sit at the door begging like that. So he pushed the door open, and shoved the startled cat out onto the carport. As he walked past he said, “When I get back, I am going to haul you off to the shopping center.” He fully intended to get rid of the cat.

The Fight
About an hour later, I heard a commotion beside the corn barn at the edge of our back yard. I turned my head in time to see about 15 or 20 squawking chickens flapping their wings, jumping in the air, and scurrying in every direction to flee the water hole that had formerly been a mud-wallow for a few hogs. And among those chickens I saw that cat in the middle of a back-flip somersault a couple feet in the air. I ran over to see what was happening and found the cat locked in mortal combat with a large wharf-rat that was as big as the cat. Most of us have seen how a cat will often toy with a mouse, playfully tossing it into the air until he is ready to eat it. In this case, however, the rat had tossed the cat into the air.

I watched this battle until the cat finally killed the rat. He crouched over his prey and maintained a firm grip on the dead rat as he looked up at me with blood flowing from a big cut running across his entire face. His expression almost seemed to say, “I did it! Thank God I’m still alive!” He then proceeded to eat as much of the rat as he could. A couple other cats wandered over and joined the feast. There was rat to go around, and rat left over.

When my dad learned of this event he decided to keep the cat. There was no trip to the shopping center, and the cat’s lifestyle changed dramatically after that. It was as if he had understood my dad’s threat to “haul him off.” He never again sat whining at the door, and every few days he would drag up a dead rabbit, or rat, or bird and lay it on the carport, as if to say, “I’m still on the job.” The cat, with that ugly trophy scar across his face, stayed with the family a few more years until it died of old age.

The "Door" of the Church
As Christians we tend to be like that cat. In our focus on self it is easier for us to “sit at the door” of the church seeking our own comfort and self-fulfillment, rather than facing the tasks and challenges associated with reaching out to people in the real world. We often fear getting involved in the spiritual battle that is involved in the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Contemporary culture surrounds us with things that look good, sound good, taste good, and feel good, things that are fun. We want to do what pleases us--- DVDs, movies, TV, Music, video games, sports, and various amusements. We don't want to face what is difficult, demanding, and tedious. We often expect rewards and fruit when there has been no effort or labor. And then we carry this over into our walk with God, expecting Him to bless us, help us, comfort us, etc, without our enlisting to serve Him and His purpose. We want the blessings of the kingdom without the travail and labor involved in the spiritual walk. We avoid anything that causes discontentment, inconvenience, adversity, or pain. We subconsciously think everything in our spiritual walk should be fun, convenient, and focused on “me.”

We expect our meetings to entertain us and not be unpleasant. We want positive messages that do not challenge us. This tends to produce a large crowd of superficial and shallow Christians sitting as spectators enjoying the performance up front. It seems that the multitudes are not attracted to depth and substance but to glitter, show, and celebrity. They run to the latest thing, the newest thing, and to what gets the most PR. They go after the latest trends and those things that feed their fancy. Church becomes either a buffet or fast food which makes us “fat,” rather than the family meal which provides real nourishment, strength, growth, and spiritual substance.

A crowd is a good thing when it is made up of real disciples who want to know and follow Jesus, but a crowd is not necessarily a good thing, when the self-centeredness of the people is indulged, and when they are not confronted with truth nor helped to see themselves or the purpose of God. I believe that the Lord does want to bring us in and set us on His lap and embrace us with His love and kindness, but I also think He wants us to quit sitting at the “screen door” and to boldly face the challenges and “giants” that await us as we conquer the land with the message of the kingdom of God. Otherwise, as one friend of mine said, "I'll see ya'll at the shopping center next week."

“I have fought the good fight.” 2 Timothy 3: 7

BUT THE ROOSTER WAS FIERCE

2011-04-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

“…I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus.” -1 Corinthians 15: 32

Paul Law’s Message at the African Pastors’ Conference
The Kenyan pastors sat enthralled as Paul Law told them of the time he was surprised by the fierce growl of a lion crouching in the bushes in front of him near his missions ranch in the Congo.
He had been told that the creature had left the area, and so he considered it safe to look for the remains of a cow the lion had previously killed and dragged into the bushes. But now the threatening roar announced the presence of the beast.
Paul stopped in his tracks, and without turning his head was about to quietly give instructions to the three companions following behind him. They, however, were not there. They had already fled to the truck leaving him alone with the lion. He carefully and slowly walked backwards keeping his eyes in the direction of a possible attack. He made it safely back to the vehicle to find that the two men who reached the truck first, had jumped in, shut the doors, and locked out the third fellow who was now lying in the back of the truck in the fetal position.

The conference pastors sat on the edge of their seat as Paul proceeded to tell how he and his brother David returned later and killed the lion that had become a threat to their children and livestock. Contrasting his faithful brother with the men who had fled in fear, Paul spoke of the strength drawn from friends who stand with us in the battle and in our times of trial. It was a moving and powerful message.

When Paul finished his message, after a short break it was my turn to speak.
I looked at the group of pastors and said, “Paul Law has told you of the time he was face to face with the lion. I am going to tell you about the time I was attacked…” At this point they leaned forward to hear what harrowing tale I was about to tell. I proceeded, “I am going to tell you about the time I was attacked… by a rooster!” The audience began to mumble asking each other, “Did he say ‘rooster'?” And then the whole place “cracked up” as these African pastors all began to laugh. To them a rooster is nothing to fear. A rooster is food, not a predator. It was only a rooster, but it was fierce to me.

I was an eight or nine year old boy at the time, and to me the event was very traumatic. My Aunt Maggie’s old “flogging” rooster came charging at me jumping up trying to claw me with those sharp talons. He was not one of those little bantam roosters, but a full-grown, combative, big barnyard boss, almost as big as me. I picked up my cousin’s old rusty B B gun and used it as a bat. Every time that rooster jumped up I would swing that rifle down on his back and knock him back to the ground. I should have swung sideways and hit him up side the head, but I was too afraid to think of that. I struggled for a few minutes until Mrs Grace Gore, an elderly lady passing by, saw my plight and saved me. It was not much to brag about. I was attacked by a chicken, and rescued by an old lady, but the battle was real to me, and she was a beautiful woman on that day.

"...For if they fall, one will lift up his companion." Ecclesiastes 4: 10
Both of the above stories illustrate our need to have brothers and sisters to stand with us as we face the issues and trials of life. But even more importantly they remind us that we should be vigilant in our walk with the Lord so that we are “there” spiritually for those who depend on us and who may need us in their hour of need. Often I have prayed, “Lord, I want to stay in that place where the heavens are open to me, and I can call upon you in faith as I pray for my wife, my children, my friends and all those for whom I am to stand in the gap. I want to be among those who pray 'Thy kingdom come,' and it represent a real force in bringing your kingdom, rather than just the prayer of rote that so many simply recite." I want to cry out to God in faith for those who are searching, serving, or suffering, and to actually encourage and strengthen them rather than locking myself in the safety of the vehicle while others are left outside to fight or die alone. We need to stand with those who face the “lion,” but we should not despise the struggle of those who face the “rooster.”

“But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf…” 2 Corinthians 1: 8-11

Suggested reading: Ecclesiates 4: 8-12; Luke 22: 28; Ezekiel 22:30; 2 Timothy 4: 9-18; 4: 16-18

If There Are Snakes In There, There are Fish In There!

2011-04-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Surprise Attack
My son Reuben and I were working in the yard one summer’s day a few years ago and stumbled upon a nest of bumble bees hidden in the ground beside a storage shed out back. Bumble bees are normally non-aggressive and mind their own business, but they will attack with a vengeance if anything disturbs their nest. Reuben and I backed away, but our dog saw an adventure and fearlessly began to bite and snap at the buzzing creatures as they flew out of the hole to defend their nest. This was the dog’s first experience with bumble bees, and she was enjoying it immensely --- until she received a couple well-placed stings. She was not expecting this. The startled dog cried out with a loud yelp and took off running as fast as she could around to the front yard and out of sight. She had learned her lesson. She found a quiet place, lay on the ground, and began licking her wounds assuming the worst was over.

The Bumblebee did not play fair.
When things calmed down I returned to investigate the nest. Suddenly, one lone bumble bee came flying out of the hole and right towards me. I took off running as fast as I could toward the front yard hoping he would give up if I ran far enough away from the nest. Nevertheless, when I looked back, I saw this bumble bee at eye level about 3 feet behind me, closing in, and only a couple seconds away from stinging me. Then all of a sudden he inexplicably turned away from me, made a sharp right turn, and went straight for the poor dog lying quietly in the front yard minding her own business. Instantly I heard the dog give another loud yelp as the bumble bee stung her again. The dog then jumped up and ran off into the trees to hide in the bushes. This second attack was an even greater shock than the first one.

Snakes are fun?
This same dog used to catch snakes. She would come running up into the yard with the snake’s body hanging out both sides of her mouth and flapping around as she jumped about playing with it. Her prey had been limited to harmless garden snakes, green snakes, and rat snakes. She had never met a bad snake and so her education was not yet complete. I knew she would one day run up on a copperhead which would disillusion her and drastically change her approach to snakes.

I came home one day to find the dog listless and moping about with her snout swollen up as big as the rest of her head. She had finally met up with a Copperhead thinking she could play with it, and kill and eat it as easily as she had done with so many with other snakes. Again she had learned a hard lesson. Henceforth, whenever she found a snake she would bark and growl, but keep her distance. She would not avoid them, it was her nature to be aggressive and to fight, but now she did so with a little more knowledge and wisdom. She was never bitten again.

Religion versus harsh realities
The dog was caught completely by surprise in both instances, not expecting any real pain or problems other than the fun of the game. Are we like that? What about you? Were you expecting a toaster oven for joining? Were you expecting a tour of duty in Hawaii rather than warfare in the spiritual battlefields of the world? Did you expect the enemy to be fair and play by the rules? Did you expect your Christian friends to be perfect and never disappoint you? Did you expect no surprises, no enigmas, no anomalies? Did you not realize that you might “wake up” one day to say “Oh God, what happened to me?”

John the Baptist may have felt this way as he sat in a cold, dark prison awaiting his death and questioning his whole life and ministry. He sent word to Jesus asking, “Are you the one or do we look for another?” Jesus sent encouraging words letting him know that things were progressing according to God’s plan. The snake may have bitten your foot, but we are crushing his head. John had done a great work, he had prepared the way, and now Jesus was demonstrating the kingdom of God through miraculous signs and wonders. Jesus at that time also reminded the multitudes that the kingdom is not about men in soft garments, nor religious people acting like children sitting in the marketplace playing religious games and pretending while the real world and reality passes all around them. “The kingdom,” He said, “suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” We get real bruises and real hurts, but we stay in the battle.

Because we have confined our spiritual realities to the inside of the four walls of a church building, and placed God behind our religious traditions, choir robes, and candles, it is hard for many to see Him in the harsh realities of everyday life. This is one of the reasons why it is so easy for people to ignore God in real life while checking-in with Him on Sunday morning and then inviting Him to the funeral so they can get into heaven if it should happen to exist. Maybe that is one of the reasons the Old Testament had so much blood and sacrifice. People were reminded constantly of life and death and the fact that their spiritual life was intimately tied to the harsh realities of the every day real world.

"If there's snakes in there, there's fish in there."
When I was a teenager my friend Mr. Arthur Harrelson and I went fishing in the black waters of Woods Lake just off the Wacamaw River. We paddled with one hand and fished with the other as we slowly maneuvered our small, two-man boats through the moss-covered cypress trees and river oaks in the water along the edge of the lake. A tree had fallen over into the water and was lying on its side with half its branches under water and half above water. We slowly guided our boats toward the tree and aimed our hook and line to catch fish that were surely lurking in its branches underwater. The branches and limbs above the water were loaded with snakes, and I kept hearing “Ker-Plop” and “ker Plop” as I watched many of them drop into the water as our boats approached. Suddenly, I heard splashing and looked around to see that Mr. Harrelson had gotten out of his boat and was wadding waist deep in the black water. He was moving toward the tree and leaning forward with his hook and line dropped into the midst of those limbs.
“Mr. Harrelson!” I said, “What are you doing? There are a lot of snakes in there!”
Never taking his eyes off his cork, he replied, “If there’s snakes in there, there’s fish in there.”

Mr Harrelson was willing to face the snakes to catch the fish, and he caught more than I did. The same is true in our walk with God. The battle is real and the enemy is real.Therefore, we should not play games and pretend, but neither should we be afraid and shrink back because of the realities. If the “snakes” are there, the “fish” are there. We should be of good courage and bravely go forward expecting to be more than conquorers through Christ Jesus. The spiritual battle is real, and often difficult and painful, but we will succeed as we continue in faith and patient endurance placing our trust and confidence in Jesus Christ our Lord.

“…I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus…” 1 Corinthians 15:2

“..in all these things we are more than conquerors than through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Icy Hot

2011-04-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

“The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” Isaiah 50: 4

Icy Hot or Preparation-H
Years ago a lady in my hometown was suffering from that “burning and itching sensation” that we hear about in TV commercials. She sent one of her children to the drugstore to purchase a tube of Preparation-H Ointment, which was placed in the tiny medicine cabinet above her bathroom sink along with other medicines which promise relief from various physical ailments.

Soon afterwards, her hemorrhoids began to “flare up,” and the pain drove her back to the medicine cabinet for the relief she so desperately needed. Reaching for the Prep-H Ointment she inadvertently took the Icy Hot instead. Icy Hot is a wonderful medication for muscular pain and various aches that need penetrating heat, but it was never intended for hemorrhoids. You can imagine what happened as she applied a very generous portion to the afflicted area.

Job’s Comforters
Truth, like medicine, is meant to be applied appropriately, especially when we are dealing with people’s lives. “Job’s Comforters” are people who are quick to give an opinion based on a superficial observation and without any revelation or true insight into the realities of the person to whom they speak. The first two chapters in the book of Job portray Job as a godly man bearing up under unbearably severe infirmities. Then his friends came and sat with him a few days. Job probably sensed what they were thinking and knew they were about to open a jar of “Icy Hot” to rub into his hurting wounds. As a result he cursed the day he was born. They had come to comfort him, but proceeded to add to his distress with their insensitivity, condemning words, and misapplication of truth. How often does this happen in our own lives!

Not in the Same Boat
It is not wise to make rash judgments against people based on outward circumstances. We need wisdom when we reach out to people in their moments of trial, so that our words are in season. We cannot tell what season a person is in just by looking at the “color of the leaves on his tree.” It is possible for two people to be in similar circumstances for opposite reasons, and it takes revelation to know why a person is where he is. Jonah was in his distress because of his disobedience. Job, in contrast, suffered because he was perfect, and God was pleased with him. Jesus was hanging on a cross among thieves and criminals, but he was there for a vastly different reason. “Job’s Comforters” cannot tell the difference; they swing the sword of truth without discerning the people to whom they speak.

What counsel would you give the two men I am about to describe? What would you say to the people who are with them? These two men are in two different boats. The boats are being tossed in a terrible storm at sea. Both men are asleep in his boat while everyone else on board in both situations are terrified that everyone is about to perish. What do you say to these men whose circumstances, in terms of outward description, are almost exactly the same? Well, one of these men is Jonah. He is there because of disobedience and must be thrown overboard. The other is Jesus. He is God and is about to teach His disciples a lesson in faith. A Job’s Comforter most likely would have taken his lesson from Jonah, looked at the outward similarities, and would have proceeded to throw Jesus overboard.

Truth and Love
Knowledge alone does not make a person spiritual, wise, or mature. Knowledge alone can produce arrogance and be used to inflict pain. With our knowledge we need wisdom and insight. And if you feel you are short on these, then just fall back on love. In many cases compassion, mercy, and love will prevent you from speaking foolishly and behaving unwisely when it comes to giving words and advice that might hurt people. Obviously there is a time for “open rebuke” and the “wounds of a faithful friend” (Prov.27:6). But too often people suffer from the insensitivity of a “Job’s Comforter” who brings in the Icy Hot for a pain it was not meant for.

…And Then Came Euroclydon

2011-03-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

“When the south wind blew softly, supposing they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea they sailed close to Crete…but not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon…and all hope that we should be saved was finally given up.” Acts 27: 13-14.

The above verses describe the journey taken by the ship on which the Apostle Paul was traveling as a prisoner to Rome. The journey began peacefully with a warm, calm wind and beautiful weather. But then came Euroclydon, a tempestuous storm that destroyed the ship, and which would have taken the lives of all who sailed on it, had not Paul been there to hear from God and guide them to safety. A peaceful start followed by the storms of disaster is also illustrated in the examples that follow.

The prophet Amos lived in Judah, but was sent by the Lord to the northern kingdom of Israel. The nation was in idolatry and going through empty religious motions in their walk with God as they experienced a false sense of security bolstered by a time of prosperity and national optimism. The “south wind was blowing softly” and in their complacency they were “at ease” and unaware of the judgment of God that was looming on the horizon. “Euroclydon” was coming.

The prophet Amos warned them as he proclaimed “the end has come.” But in their self-satisfaction, comfort, and prosperity they did not believe him. Nevertheless, within 40 years the Assyrian army invaded and carried them away into captivity. The southern kingdom of Judah remained, but the northern kingdom of Israel was no more.

A little over a hundred years later the prophet Joel spoke to the kingdom of Judah. The nation was experiencing a great economic crisis caused by plagues of “chewing locusts, swarming locust, and crawling locusts.” These creatures had invaded the land like an army and had devastated the economy, stripping trees and crops, laying bare the vines and fields, cutting off the wine, the grain, the fruit, and the oil. The water brooks had dried up and the land mourned. The people thought the worst had come. But into this context the prophet Joel stood up to proclaim that the current devastations were only warning “tremors” compared to the real judgment that was to come if they refused to repent and turn back to God. The big “earthquake” was the Babylonian army that would later invade and carry them away captive.

We as a nation have lived in relative peace, plenty, and prosperity. We have been secure thinking we were exempt from the troubles that plague the rest of the world. For us “the south wind has blown softly.” But recent national and global events have created a sense of apprehension and fear. We have seen how helpless we really are in the face of the power and fury of nature. 911 reminded us how vulnerable we are to human wickedness and to those who have malicious intent towards us. We witnessed hurricane Katrina, the Gulf oil spill, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Hatii, plus other catastrophes and strange weather and natural phenomena that have taken multiple thousands of lives. These events came suddenly and ferociously upon people who for the most part were at ease and not suspecting any danger. Even now we see conflicts and distresses around the world, governments gone crazy with spending and debt, and the ominous clouds of severe global economic crisis. For the first time in contemporary history, Americans realize that these plagues can come to our own doors. For the first time we have the sense that our government itself will also be helpless to aid us.

We have “sailed” with the warm “south wind blowing softly,” and in that place of prosperity and security we have as a nation turned our back on God, laid aside His written word and the godly values taught in it. We have called evil good and good evil. We have honored the wicked and persecuted the righteous. We have killed millions of babies in the womb, and rejected God’s word regarding morals and lifestyle. We have continued in our religious ritual without stopping to really touch the living God our creator and Lord.

Is it possible that God may be trying to get our attention?

In his storm at sea, the Apostle Paul arose with a word from God that saved everyone on his boat. Maybe the church in this season should touch God in the same way, and arise as a light in the darkness and speak a word of salvation to a generation that is beginning to feel the insecurity of a threatening storm.

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7: 14.

2011-03-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

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THE STRUGGLE TO FIND COMFORT

2011-02-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

“In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalm 94:19.

Refusing Comfort
“Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, ‘For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.’ Thus his father wept for Him.” Genesis 37: 34-35

"Refusing comfort" refers to the state in which the loss or pain is so great and final that there seems to be absolutely nothing that could possibly heal the hurt, relieve the pain, or replace the loss. Jacob found himself in this condition as he experienced heart-wrenching grief over the loss of his son Joseph. No one was able to comfort him. No words could relieve or console him.

Genuine and Not Superficial
To a person in such grief the idea of comfort often seems like an empty and futile promise. Consolation is viewed much like the consolation prize which is usually given to the losers of a contest. The "consolation game" is a contest for those who have lost early in the tournament. Likewise, a person in the intensity of his pain often tends to view attempts at comfort as being merely the "consolation game" or the “consolation prize,” a substitute for the real thing, a shallow and superficial attempt to make him feel better,

This, however, is not what the Bible means by “comfort.” God's comfort is real and genuine, not imaginary or illusory." It is supernatural and comes from and with God Himself. There is a depth of reality and glory and a supernatural quality in genuine comfort which makes it substantial. It represents real healing rather than a mere superficial "second prize."

In God Himself
Job could find no comfort in words, rationalizations, or in sweet thoughts from friends. He, like Jacob, found that there are times when the anguish, the loss, the disappointment, and the hurt are so great that nothing will comfort because nothing can change what has happened. He also discovered that it is difficult to find comfort in the midst of so many unanswered questions, when there is suffering without explanation and understanding. The great question “Why?” sometimes stands between us and our comfort.

In these times our comfort, relief, and hope is in God Himself, not in ideas, words, or in anything that could be said. Our comfort comes only in God, in the revelation of His presence, in seeing Him and His eternal perspective. He comes to us Himself and brings a comfort that is supernatural and beyond comprehension. It is interesting to note that Job, with the confusion and questions that must have been swirling around in his head, posed none of them to God during the Divine visitation. Seeing the Lord brought a supernatural revelation and understanding that needed no further explanation.

God’s Visit Makes the Difference
Before God visited Job, no one could comfort him for the loss of his children and reputation. No one could soothe the pain of his boils nor answer any of his questions. But all of this was resolved when God came to him. Job arose in joy and relief as he looked into the eyes of the Eternal. Any questions he may have had were answered in the supernatural touch and in the revelation of God Himself. Once Job resolved his situation between himself and God, he was then able to receive comfort from and be comforted by his friends.

From Job and Jacob we learn that comfort does not usually come instantly but rather follows certain processes such as the normal time needed for grief, as well as the time required to take care of necessary spiritual transactions between us and God. We need to realize that God loves us, that He desires to reveal Himself to us and bring us into His presence to receive enabling power by His grace. He may come to us in our private prayers, He may reach out to us through the love and touch of a friend or through fellow Christians. He may allow us to grieve for a while, but He will not leave us bereaved and desolate. He has sent the Holy Spirit to be His Presence with us to strengthen, encourage, and comfort. (John 14: 16-18)

“…It was too painful for me---until I went into the sanctuary.” Psalm 73: 17
“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you…” Job 42: 5
“…in Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Ps. 16: 11
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation…” 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4

My Other Blog

2011-01-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

Christians often fail to realize the real importance and necessity of prayer. Many remain at a shallow level in their prayer experience not realizing the depths that can be attained as they enter the presence of God. One of the mysteries of prayer is that people think they know what it is while in fact real prayer is probably one of the least understood of spiritual experiences. So many Christians have walked into the foyer and think they have experienced the whole house. Not only do they fail to actually enter the house itself, but they also fail to realize there are things to do in the house.

For those of you who are interested, I have begun a study on the subject of "Praying in the Spirit" on my other blog (The Secret Council).
Just click on this link: http://councilroom.blogspot.com/
Billy Long

He Would Have Passed Them By?

2011-01-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

[Below is a re-print of an article I posted in June 2008. The story is full of spiritual implications, but I will point out only a few of them. - Billy Long ]

Mark 6: 45-52.
"Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side...Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by."

“He made His disciples get into a boat.”
The “boat” is significant because it represents a context from which we can not easily escape. The disciples, on that small boat in the middle of the sea, could not simply change their minds and walk away from the problems and issues at hand. They could not escape the process; they had to ride it out. The Lord desires to work deeply and significantly in our lives, but He knows that human nature wants to run from the fire and will attempt to escape if it has the option to do so. We would rather sin than suffer, and in the crunch we seek relief rather than the purpose and glory of God. We tend to be like the Psalmist who cried out, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” It is interesting to note that a "successful" escape leads only to “wandering” and to “the wilderness.” Wandering gives the illusion of freedom, and the wilderness gives the temporary illusion of comfort, only because it is less intense than the crucible God designed for our change and growth.

This explains the boat. He places us in a class room (boot camp?) from which we can not escape, by-pass, or take the easy way out, at least not with integrity and righteousness. This is a good thing. It shows that God loves us enough to work with us in spite of ourselves.

“He made …His disciples go before Him.”
Jesus promised to go "before His sheep" when He sends them forth, but here He commands His disciples to go “before Him.” This seems to be in contrast to the promise, and when it happens to us we are tempted to feel alone and left to ourselves.

But the reality is the opposite. The psalmist, in his dark hour, feeling forgotten and forsaken, and crying out daily with sorrow in his heart, came to understand that God was actually dealing bountifully with him. Sometimes our darkest moments indicate God’s most intense presence rather than His absence. We must remember that the disciples, although in the middle of the sea in a storm at night, were not really alone. Miles away and through the darkness “Jesus saw them.” With Him there is no darkness nor distance. God may be out of our sight, but we are never out of His sight. He saw them and went straight to them. They were not ignored by God. To the contrary, the whole experience had been designed especially for them. They were getting special attention. As one story goes, we see only one set of footprints not because He is not walking with us, but because He is carrying us.

“He…would have passed them by.”
This sentence requires more discussion than can be done in this short space. It represents a principle that Christians often miss. While there is such a thing as Divine resistance which is accompanied by the absence of grace, there is also an area in our training where we encounter what appears to be Divine resistance but which is actually the Lord’s desire to stimulate us to aggressive faith and prayer, to provoke us out of passivity and apathy, and to move us to the assertive and determined action of obedient children passionate to do His will. It is a place where we work together with Him through intercession and patient endurance. How often do we let the Lord pass on by because we think that is what He wants to do? How often do we interpret His apparent reluctance as a genuine lack of interest? We think He does not want to engage us and so we back away, drop the subject, and let Him pass on by. It is clear that Jesus never intended to pass by that boat. His heart was with those men. They were the object of His special care and focus at that moment. We should take note and learn from this example.

There are other Biblical examples of God’s children pressing into Him when on the surface it appeared they were encountering resistance. The two men on the road to Damascus constrained Jesus to stay with them when He made as though He would have left them behind and gone on further. The Canaanite woman cried out to Jesus and obtained healing for her daughter after Jesus had given her three negative (almost offensive) responses (that would have caused most of us to turn and walk away). In wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless bless me!”

I don’t fully understand this principle, but I do know that God wants us to “trouble” Him with things. Our quickness to let Him pass on by is not courtesy, but rather complacency, passivity, and spiritual laziness. Sometimes it reflects our low self-esteem. We think we are not worthy of His attention and help. But ultimately it reflects our lack of understanding of God’s love and desire to be involved in our lives.

“He made His disciples…go…to the other side”
Our destiny is the “other side,” which means we will make it through. We must not be afraid of the storm that comes on the way. Jesus will silence and still it as soon as its purpose is completed. The experience in the boat was to make them grow and to cause them to know Him at a deeper level. Peter even had the opportunity to walk on the water with Jesus at this time. So maybe our goal should be not simply to get to the other side, but to be at His side. Let’s not jump to the conclusion that the Lord does not want to be bothered, that He has better things to do. Let’s touch the hem of His garment and cry out to Him to abide with us. Let’s also cry out to Him as Peter did, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” We will find that He is not only present, but very present, "a very present help in time of trouble."

Biblical references for further study:

Mark 6: 45-52; John 10: 3-5; Luke 24: 28; Mat.15: 21-28; Gen 32: 22-32; Luke 11: 5-8; Lu 18: 1-5; Psalm 13; Matthew 14:22-32; Hebrews 10:19-23; Psalm 46:1.

Please click "comment" below if you would like to make a comment or share an insight, or you can email me at blong8@sccoast.net .

God's Purpose Will Prevail

2011-01-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

[Below is a re-print of an earlier posting from Sept 2009. This article will encourage you to stand in faith trusting God in His power, wisdom, and love to be able to perform His will in your life as you surrender to Him in faith and obedience.] -Billy

Seeing so many things that could discourage us and seeing the failures of God's people we are tempted to lose heart and faith and to think that there is no use trying. We have seen what we thought were the wrong people succeeding and the wrong people failing. Like John the Baptist we have seen the glory and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God!" Then we have sat in our "prison cells" and said, "Are you the one or do we look for another? Did I miss it?"

We have stood on the mountain top and cried out, "This is it!" And we have crawled on the valley floor crying, "Where did it go?" We have said, "Lord, I'll never leave you nor forsake you" and later denied Him before the rooster crowed. We have slept while others were in their Gethsemanes. We have had friends walk into our Gethsemanes and betray us with a kiss. We have seen churches fly and churches fall. We have been in the processes of God and were not sure whether we were being pruned or stripped, whether we were being purged and refined or burned and rejected. In our attempts at obedience we have at times stepped out in faith not sure whether we were stepping up or stepping off. We have been asleep in the boat during the storm and did not know whether to stand up and say, "Peace! Be still!" or whether to ask someone to throw us overboard to the whale.

In the midst of all of the situations above, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the eternal purpose of God was accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3: 11). Instead of being in the pits of unbelief because of our failures and that of others, we should rejoice that Almighty God will complete the church and bring forth His kingdom. Not one jot or tittle shall fail of what He has said regarding the church and His kingdom plan. Jesus, while hanging on the cross, gored by the "bulls of Bashan", bitten by demonic dogs, and "pierced by the congregation of the wicked" (Psalms 22) which surrounded Him on Calvary, could still, in the face of this, know that all things were accomplished and that the Scripture concerning Himself had been fulfilled. He thus could say, "It is finished!" (John 19: 25-30). How much more from His place of glory and authority at the right hand of the Father, even in the face of a hostile world and a stubborn and stiffnecked church, will He not again come to say in the proper time, "It is finished!"?

The book of Ephesians speaks of God's purpose, God's people, God's grace, and God's power. These are high and lofty elements; they represent the wonderful work of God. The book also deals with the nitty-gritty areas of life such as unity, godly living, spiritual warfare, the family, relationships, etc. Sooner or later God's purpose, power, and grace will prevail in the nitty-gritty, and God will reveal in His people just how much He really is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20). He is able to subdue all things unto Himself (Philippians 3: 21). He will complete His work.

We have faith for the past and for the future—but we think God has trouble handling the present. We believe God controls all things. He controls the whole—but we think He has difficulty with the parts and the particulars. We believe He sets the boundaries of nations—but we think he has no control over the unreasonable and trespassing neighbor who has moved the boundary lines of our front yard. We believe, according to the scripture, that God will produce the glorious church, that He will succeed with the whole—but we think He is failing with the parts, with the individuals, that He controls the "whole" but not the "each." Obviously we must realize that to determine the boundaries of nations God must have power over the neighbor's small plot. To be God of history, He must also be God of the moment. To control past and future, He must control the present. He is God over all. He will complete His work and fulfill His counsel. Not one jot or tittle shall fail of all his good promises.

The apostle Paul experienced every type of evil from the hands of men, including attempts to destroy his life. He experienced grief from the failures of churches under his ministry. He was forsaken and rejected. He even suffered at the hands of the demonic messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. Yet in spite of all this, he spoke eloquently and with great faith concerning God's plan for the church. He trusted in God, in God's wisdom and power. Paul began the book of Ephesians with the phrase "Paul...an apostle by the will of God." Having experienced God's sovereign initiative and power, and having seen how it completely transformed him into God's faithful and passionate servant, Paul basically proceeded to say, both explicitly and implicitly in the book of Ephesians, that the church, the people of God, will also be transformed and made into the perfect man by the same will of God and by the same power of God.

God is building together a people into an habitation of God through the Spirit. That People is His heritage, His chosen possession, through which His great power and grace shall be demonstrated, through which the manifold wisdom of God shall be made manifest unto principalities and powers, and through which His life and image shall be reflected upon the earth. His kingdom shall come. He shall bring down all principalities and powers until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. His glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Therefore, we should not be moved away from the hope (the confident expectation) of the fulfillment of all that is promised and proclaimed in the gospel. The Sovereign God is administrating times and seasons, each to its fullness, until all things are fulfilled in Christ. God's sovereignty, His power, His grace, and His wisdom are the backdrop and foundation for our faith and confidence. There is no place to sit down disillusioned with God, His purpose, His plan, or His church. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think. No matter how discouraging our own experiences have been, God will succeed.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?...Hope in God." Psalm 42: 11.
"according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3: 11.
"continue in the faith steadfast ... not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard..." Colosians 1: 23.

Practical Wisdom and the Spirit's Leading

2010-12-31T22:30:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine was having to make a tough decision in an area where there appeared to be some tension between practical wisdom and what the Spirit of the Lord was leading him to do. Below is an email exchange of our conversation. The unusual nature of the topic may spur some of you to comment.

My friend's email
Billy,
I wanted to shoot a quick note your way with an update letting you know that I'm about to take a major leap of faith and leave my current job with no other job lined up to step into. I know many people would consider this to be CRAZY, especially with the current state of the economy, but, at the risk of sounding like a spiritual nut, I truly feel as though it's the direction God is moving me in.

I've been praying for wisdom/clarity of thought in what steps to take next, and I'd be much appreciative for your prayers as well. This is the first time in my life I've stepped away from something without having something else in place to move into...it's a bit nerve-racking. I'm sure you've experienced those times when you move back and forth between that peace that passes all understanding, and the fear of the uncertain...that's exactly what I'm feeling this past week. Any thoughts or wisdom you care to impart will ALWAYS be welcomed!

Thanks,
_________

My response
Hello, _______,
Thanks for the email. I certainly understand where you are. I’ve had a few similar situations in the past. I remember once, when I was making a similar step of faith, I told everybody I felt like a man standing on a platform blindfolded. I didn’t know if I was about to step-up or step-off. There were times it felt like I did both.

Paradoxes are abundant in our spiritual walk. Natural wisdom and specific, unique direction from the Holy Spirit most of the time flow together without tension. But once in a while they seem to stand in contrast, at times when the Holy Spirit leads us in what we normally wouldn’t do in the practical order of things. Sometimes people will foolishly use the “leading of the Spirit” as an excuse to do some very unwise things. Then other times we use “natural and practical wisdom” as an excuse to not follow the Lord’s specific leading, because we are either afraid or simply unwilling to obey. We should not use "spirituality” to neglect practical wisdom and prudence, but neither should we use natural wisdom to neglect our spiritual walk. Both are necessary in our walk with God in the real world.

We have to know natural wisdom (which is also godly) and we have to know the voice of the Holy Spirit, who generally leads us into practical wisdom. These are usually in perfect harmony, and we know our instrument is tuned properly when the strings harmonize beautifully. This requires a genuine walk with the Lord and the ability to discern the situation and hear His voice.

Sometimes though, the Holy Spirit will lead us down an unusual and unexpected path that on the surface appears to go against the normal expectations of wisdom. But this is God’s prerogative. But it means we really need to know His voice, and not let this principal of the “unusual road” become a stumbling block by using it to cast aside wisdom, discretion, and prudence in the name of the Lord’s leading. What it boils down to, is that a man has to cast himself at the feet of the Lord with a sincere and honest heart seeking to do His will, and then put his trust in the Lord for guidance.

I have lived and walked on both sides of the coin. Looking back, I don’t know whether everything I did was exactly according to the perfect will and direction of the Holy Spirit, or whether the Lord was merciful to me and simply blessed me in times I might have followed the foolishness of youthful or misguided zeal. In any case however, He has been merciful and good to me, blessing my obedience, and showing mercy over my ignorance and failures.

I’ll be praying for you, and I know the Lord will direct and guide you. Please let me know how things go. I’d love to hear what God does and some of the lessons you may learn. Keep in mind, if the Lord is in it, it will still require faith once you make the step. A word from God gives you faith to face what comes, but it does not remove the battle or the opposition. It gives you grace to persevere until the purpose of God is done.

Please let me know how things go. I look forward to the next time we can get together and visit in person.

Bless you,
Billy

Usual advice for the unusual decisions
Generally speaking, it is best to follow practical wisdom as taught in the book of Proverbs.The Holy Spirit's leading is not inconsistent with common sense. However, there are exceptional times when He may lead us in what appears on the surface to be unorthodox and unconventional. During these times it is important that we ask God to search and purify our hearts. We should also discuss the matter with someone we trust. A person who isolates himself from input is often a person who is seeking to do his own will. We can be led astray by selfish desires and wrong motives, and we need faithful friends who will be honest with us regarding what they see in us. Ultimately however, we have to make our own decisons. It is important that we be able to walk them out in faith and good conscience.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

“And when he brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.” John 10: 4

“The integrity of the upright will guide them.” Proverbs 11: 3

“The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.” Proverbs 11: 6

Tribulation and Good Cheer

2010-12-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

"..and a sword shall pierce your soul.” -Luke 2: 35

A supernatural word from God does not mean your life will henceforth be easy and free of grief and pain. Sometimes, to the contrary, it may mean the suffering, hardship and tribulation involved in entering the kingdom of God and extending it into a hostile world system. The Apostle Paul’s commissioning word from God included the phrase, “I will show him how great things he must suffer for My sake.”

The angel Gabriel visited Mary telling her that she would be the earthly mother of Jesus. We celebrate these words at Christmas as we sing about the joy and wonder of it all, while often failing to recognize the perplexities that accompanied the fulfillment of that revelation. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song inspired by the subsequent word given to Mary by the elderly prophet who warned her of the grief she would someday suffer at Jesus’ crucifixion. “A sword shall pierce through your soul.”

Then later Mary must have wept with tremendous inner grief when she realized the price paid by those mothers in Ramah who lost their babies when Herod, overcome by the fear of One being born who might be a potential threat to his position, had all the male children under two years of age put to death by the sword. What were Mary's thoughts, knowing that others had lost their children when it was her child Herod was trying to kill? The realities would have been very difficult to understand and even harder to explain. She must have pondered these things in her heart as she trusted God to comfort those who had suffered without knowing why.

Jameson, Faucet, and Brown in their commentary on Matthew 2:16-18 say eloquently what must have been God’s answer to these mothers: “O ye mothers of Bethlehem! methinks I hear you asking why your innocent babes should be the ram caught in the thicket, while Isaac escapes. I cannot tell you, but one thing I know, that ye shall, some of you, live to see a day when that Babe of Bethlehem shall be Himself the Ram, caught in another sort of thicket, in order that your babes may escape a worse doom than they now endure. And if these babes of yours be now in glory, through the dear might of that blessed Babe, will they not deem it their honor that the tyrant's rage was exhausted upon themselves instead of their infant Lord?”

Jesus died and gave His life that the Kingdom of God may come. And one day righteousness, peace, and joy will reign on this earth and the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The lion will lay down with the lamb. The child will play near the snake, and there will be no hurt or sorrow. There will be no breaking in or breaking out, and no outcry in the streets. But meanwhile, as we proclaim the joy and salvation that is in Christ Jesus, we must be prepared for the spiritual warfare that is necessary in proclaiming God’s kingdom and seeing it extended into the lives of people in this present age. The apostle Paul who preached in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit, returned to the new Christian communities strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and reminding them that "we through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

Jesus said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33)

Temptation's Deception

2010-12-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Serving Faithfully and Joyfully Without Complaint

2010-12-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

What blessing, strength, encouragement, and life we receive from those who serve the Lord faithfully and without complaint! How our hearts are touched by those whose lives demonstrate such surrender to God’s will, and whose love for the Lord is revealed in their willingness to lay down self, take up their cross, and follow Him. Below is an email from a friend whose life has been such an example to me.

An Email From A Friend October 28, 2002.
Dear Billy and Laurel,
...I've been meditating recently on a comment by FB Meyer: "There is a providence of loss, a ministry of failing and fading things, a gift of emptiness…" This has been relevant to me, obviously, in the face of our family's loss and the necessity of giving 5-6 hours a day, 7/7, en route to or at the hospital. Let me say, there is no place I'd rather be. I don't begrudge it at all. My heart is to be there. But it has been a huge pruning as far as having time, energy, strength for "ministry". And we have no idea what the future holds. It seems a strange way for Him to dispose of His servant's time and energies. I'm thinking of you and us.
Dennis Peacocke said, while he was with us in London, that we were "an expensive piece of work", indicating that the Lord has invested lots in our lives over the last 40 years. The phrase struck me, because He [the Lord] seems to be getting very little return on His investment during this season. But that is His job. I bow to His sovereignty, and wait in hope...
And I know that our friendship together, born out of years, deep love, and some fire, is inviolable. That friendship was Jesus’ goal with those the Father put with Him. And they are still with Him, surrounding Him, helping Him extend His government.

I don't have answers for our predicament at this point - and don't need them. I just need Him - and He gives Himself freely.

I look forward to talking.
Our love to you both,
Paul

The following true story stands in stark contrast to the email quoted above.
I was observing a roofing crew at work on a phone company facility. Because of the crucial nature of the equipment in this building and the absolute need to ensure no interruption of the phone service to customers, the contractor was required to have a man (the “spotter”) stand inside and inspect the ceiling underneath the roofing work area during the early morning tear-off phase of the work. The spotter’s job was to make sure there were no leaks, dust, or particles falling from the ceiling onto the equipment. His job, though very important, is relatively easy and comfortable compared to the physical labor of the men at work on the roof. Company policy requires the spotter to remain inside only during early morning tear-off and during removal of the old roofing membrane. He then returns to work on the roof with the other men as soon as the tear-off phase is completed and installation of the new membrane has begun.

On this particular job, however, the foreman kept the spotter inside the building through the entire workday. The other workers complained, thinking they were being treated unfairly and that the foreman was showing favoritism. “Why does he allow M____ to sit inside all day while we have to work, sweat, and suffer up here in the heat? Why does he not make M____ come back onto the roof when tear-off is completed, instead of remaining inside when it is not necessary for him to be there?”

A Surprising Explanation
Hearing their complaints against the foreman I went to him and asked, “Why do you allow the spotter to remain inside all day?” His answer surprised me. “I leave him in there because I don’t like him. He is lazy and he doesn’t do good work. I keep him down there because I don’t want him around me and I don’t want him up here where the work is going on.”

His response showed me how badly the working crew had misinterpreted the foreman’s actions and motives. They had completely misjudged him and his opinion of them and of the spotter. He was not honoring the man who was left in the shade, and he was not disrespecting the ones who were required to work in the hot sun. To the contrary, it was his respect for their skill and diligence that caused him to keep them in the more difficult and necessary place. He needed them on the roof because he could depend on them to do a good job. It was his displeasure with the spotter that caused the foreman to leave that worker inside in the “easier” place all day. He placed more responsibility upon and asked more of those from whom he expected more, from those he knew would do the best work.

Our Load May Represent God's Confidence In Us.
If these workers could so greatly misunderstand their boss, how much more do we in our limited knowledge misunderstand the deeper mysteries of God in the way He works in our lives?
God disciplines those He loves and He requires more from those He favors. He asks more from those upon whom He has placed a high calling and from those who have been given more. It is an honor for God to ask of you more than He asks of others.
The early Christians did not complain and say, “Why me?” when they were persecuted and beaten for Christ’s sake, but rather they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His sake. They knew they were being honored as “worthy to drink the cup” (Mark 10: 35-39). The true spiritual giants are not those who seem to glide along effortlessly in “flowery beds of ease” on a warm and balmy day. The horses who submit to the training bridle are the ones chosen to pull the kings carriage, not the ones who are left to run wild and free in the pasture. It is not a compliment when God asks nothing of you.

Why is God asking hard things of us and requiring more of us than seems fair? It may be that we need it. But also it may be associated with the high calling He has placed on our lives, a reflection of His great expectations regarding our character and potential. It may also be that He has honored us by allowing our participation in such an important cause and great work, the depth and significance of which is known only to Him. We will not know the full ramifications of our service until we stand in His presence in the age to come. But in any case, we should always know that He works with a view to the joy and delight He will have in bestowing rewards and blessing upon those He loves so dearly, and especially upon those who serve Him so faithfully.

Luke 12: 48. “…For everyone to whom much has been given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
Matthew 25: 23. "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"

"I've Worked All Day. It's Not Fair!"

2010-11-30T22:08:00.000-08:00

The last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 19: 30; 20: 16.
“The apostle Peter answered and said to Him (Jesus), ‘See we have left all and followed you. Therefore what shall we have?’” Matthew 19:27.
“And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?” Matthew 20: 9-15.

The first verse (Matthew 19:27) quoted above is a statement made by the apostle Peter, a devoted and obedient follower of Jesus. The second quote (Matthew 20: 9-15) describes complaining laborers who felt they were not adequately compensated. To both of these Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” This statement, though difficult to understand, basically expresses God’s right of ownership and decision-making over our lives as His servants.

“Hey, it’s not fair!”
The workers who worked all day complained because those who worked only the last hour were paid first and received the same amount as those who worked all day. The reverse order of payment and the equal pay for unequal work hours exposed the hearts of those who worked longest. Their grumbling was rooted in self-centeredness, wrong motives, and blindness to the heart and character of the landowner. His kindness to the late-starters was being interpreted as mistreatment of the all-day workers. This illustrates man’s tendency to despise the riches of God’s goodness when it is poured out on others. In our short-sightedness we become envious and think we are deprived.

God’s economy is not limited to this temporary, natural age. His rewards are both now and in eternity. When we in our short-sighted self-centeredness judge God’s goodness and wisdom only by what we see in time (the temporal, natural perspective) we do seriously err. Men’s hearts are exposed when they judge God by the “wage and hour” mentality. Such attitudes reflect self-centeredness, lack of spiritual perception, and blindness to Jesus Himself and to the Sovereignty of God.

“But I was being good when they were being bad!”
I had friends and acquaintances who were still rebellious teenagers when I was seeking God and preaching the gospel as a young boy in high school and throughout my college years. These men now have significant and thriving ministries while I sit in relative obscurity and in what has at times felt like relative failure. I had to deal with a subtle jealousy regarding this, but have come to the place where I genuinely rejoice in God’s blessing over the lives and ministries of these friends and acquaintances.

It is God’s prerogative to bless whom He chooses based on His wisdom and purpose. He is Sovereign ruler over the temporal affairs of man. He chooses and apportions, and we must trust Him with how He disposes and rewards. We must rejoice when God blesses others. We praise the Lord when we are “hidden in His quiver” while others are being used in the spotlight.

Peter: “Lord, what about that man?”
Jesus: “What is that to you? You follow me.” John 21: 21-22
We should not make value judgments about ourselves by comparing our lot to that of others, or by judging our place in God according to how He treats other people. This leads to pride and arrogance if our lot is better, or to envy and jealousy if our lot is worse. In any case, it leads to erroneous thinking. God deals with each of us according to His own purpose and wisdom. He does not operate on the “fairness” principal. He does according to what is right and necessary according to what He has purposed in Himself.

Worker: “But I have borne the burden and the heat of the day!”
Jesus: “Friend, I am doing you no wrong.” Matthew 20: 12-13.
It is common for people to feel they have not received adequate compensation or reward for their labor and efforts. We must remember that our labor is not in vain and that our just reward is with Him (Isaiah 49: 3-4). It might also be good to ask ourselves if we really have born the heat of the day? I may have worked hard, but still it is a matter of perspective. To the lazy man every way is hard, and to the self-centered person every task is an inconvenience and sacrifice. Often the ones who complain the hardest are those who do the least.

When we have done everything we should do, still we have done no more than was our duty to do in our relationship with God. Do we think we have given so much? What do we have that we did not receive? We have nothing that did not first originate with God. He is the source, the means, and the end. He is the center- not us. And we owe Him everything, including our lives.

“Take what is yours and go your way.” Matthew 20: 15.
The complaining workers received “what was theirs” but were sent on their way. They walked away not knowing the future blessings they had forfeited, and they were of no further use to the Master. They were grasping for wages rather than looking to the rewards that come with the Master’s favor. Instead of focusing on the meager and limited portion we think we have earned, we should humbly serve and look to the loving Master who plans to pour on us by grace a bountiful supply from the riches of His storehouse, a supply greater than anything we could ever earn. We do not want Jesus to “give us what is ours” and then tell us to “go our way.” We do not want Him to “give us our request, but send leanness to our soul.” (Psalm 106: 13-14). It would be the greatest loss and the cause of the deep regret to take what is “mine” and yet lose Him and the blessing of intimate fellowship with Him. He rewards faith and obedience. He Himself is our exceeding great reward.

“I have served all these years, and you never did that for me!” (Luke 15: 29.
We should rejoice when others are blessed. God does not detract from nor rob from me when He shows goodness to others. It is an evil heart that assumes God’s blessing on others represents something taken from me. The elder brother in the prodigal son story was not motivated by love. He was envious, and was probably afraid that the Father would take away some of his inheritance and give it to the prodigal brother who had returned empty-handed after wasting his own. In his comments on these verses Bob Mumford said, “The Father has unlimited wealth and increase. He would be able to restore the prodigal brother without ‘taking away’ from the elder brother.” But in any case, we should be willing to sit in a humble station and rejoice when God blesses someone we think does not deserve it? It is not proper to begrudge God’s benevolence shown to others or to think we deserve it more. We should not forget what the Father said to the Elder brother. “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours” (Luke 15: 31).

“They complained…” Matthew 20: 11.
The workers acted like they were part of a union organized to protect themselves against management. God is the Sovereign Master who actually loves us. We don’t have to negotiate for our benefits. He has already given us all things in Christ. We serve Him knowing that in His great love, knowledge, and wisdom He is acting for His purpose and our good. It is our self-centeredness that makes us complain and charge Him with inequity. When we make ourselves the center (instead of God and His purpose), we darken and distort our discernment, our interpretation, and our understanding.

“Friend, I am doing you no wrong.” Mat. 20:13
God’s ways are infinitely higher than ours. He acts according to His will and purpose which are based on His perfect and complete knowledge and upon His incomprehensible wisdom and goodness. We humans are foolish to charge Him with evil. The prophet Daniel said that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He pleases.” (Daniel 4: 25). The apostle Paul said so eloquently, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Rom 11: 33). We should daily join the biblical writers who said, “Praise the Lord, for He is good.”

Billy Long

[For further study see Matthew 19: 27-30; Matthew 20: 1-16; 20: 20-28; Luke 15: 25-32]

If you avoid all eggs, you'll never eat a rotten one; but then you'll never eat a good one either.

2010-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

This article is a follow-up to an earlier post entitled "Some Thoughts On the Manifested Presence of God." To read that article you have to scroll to the bottom of the page and click "older posts" and do that until you reach the post you're looking for. -BL

We should not use “bad apples” as an excuse to avoid all “apples.” Grocery stores and trees are full of good apples, and it is extremely rare to find a bad one. When I was a kid I found a worm in a peach taken from a tree in our yard, but it did not stop me from eating peaches. I found a rotten egg once when I was a child. It stank worse than anything I had ever smelled before or since. But I knew that it was an exception to the norm. Eggs are good, and so I continue to enjoy them as a part of my usual breakfast menu. I did not let one bad egg cause me to henceforth approach all eggs cautiously as if they might be rotten.

If you were to visit a church where people were swinging from the chandeliers or behaving strangely, would you then reject emotions and joy in your spiritual walk ? Would you say, “These people are crazy,” and use this as an excuse to avoid any search for God? Or would you search for the reasonable Biblical pattern for worship and the healthy expression of joy and emotions? Would you read the Bible to find out what it really says or just assume that the “apple” or “egg” you found represented the norm for all apples and eggs? Why is it that people are so quick to reject God and spiritual things because of bad examples and unwise people who misrepresent Him and His ways?

The things that people usually fear in spiritual experience are not the true Biblical patterns, but rather the unreal “phantoms” they have created in their own minds as a result of prejudiced propaganda or experiences with bad examples which most likely were exaggerations or soulish aberrations of the true biblical thing. For example, I have seen and heard some preachers that caused me to flinch, but the greatest portion of my experience is with the many stable, sincere, and gifted men of God who serve the Lord faithfully and wisely. The preachers we see portrayed on the typical TV show and in the movies are usually parodies or burlesque exaggerations of the real thing. Anyone investigating a spiritual truth or experience should go to the Bible first and see what is actually described there, rather than skipping the Biblical model and arguing against the distorted, the false, or the counterfeit they may have encountered. Our hunger to know God should cause us to wade past the stumblingblocks, go to His word, call out to Him, and search for the real thing.

This principal is especially true in the matter of the supernatural manifestation of God’s presence among His people. The problem is that people tend to approach the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit from an initial negative perspective. Rather than welcoming the potential of God’s wonderful presence supernaturally at work among us, they begin with a negative disposition seeing the working of the Holy Spirit as a necessary evil, as something from which to protect themselves. Their first response is not to hunger for the amazing, positive possibilities, but rather to assume a defensive posture with their primary focus on avoiding the abuses. They are so worried about the “bathwater” they don’t see the baby. The result is avoidance, severe regulation, or prohibition. We should not fear the presence of God. Jesus, in referring to the Holy Spirit, said, "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you...know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Lu 11: 11-13). To always expect the "scorpion" rather than the "egg" is an expression of unbelief and is a lack of confidence in God's goodness and in His ability to manage His church.

This tendency to approach God's presence negatively with fear causes churches and Christians to remain in “safe” waters where the boat will not be rocked and where there is no need for discernment and risk taking. We don’t have to worry about the “bathwater” problem if we don’t have the “baby” among us. We don’t have to worry about “cleaning the stall” if we don’t have an “ox” in the barn. We don’t have to worry about a “rotten egg” if we just avoid all eggs. This fear causes us to miss out on the adventures of life. It keeps us from launching out into the deep and witnessing the supernatural presence of God at work.

The point here is that the church should not be ruled by the fear of misuse and abuse of spiritual things. The church should be secure and discerning enough to move out courageously and in faith into the wonderful area of God’s presence at work among us, not fearing the awkwardness and stumbles that are often necessary in the growth and learning process. We see this principal in the example of how Jesus trained the twelve disciples. He knew the mistakes they would make, but He did not “roll His eyes” and withdraw, but instead, He “rolled up his sleeves” and moved on with the full training program.

We should follow His example.

Struggling With Condemnation?

2010-10-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

In our weakness and failures we go through self-condemnation and guilt, we feel the disdain of society, the disappointment of our friends, and neglect or rejection from the church. This swirl of emotions and experiences can leave a person confused and struggling, and cause him to forget that God loves him with a steadfast and unfailing love that is beyond comprehension.

Self-Condemnation
I received the following email from a friend. He writes…
“I say this with mixed feelings of regret and joy: at (almost!) 60 years old, and after 42 years as a Christian, I am actually beginning to have an abiding awareness of God's affection for me and gracious care of me. It has taken me an awfully long time to get past feeling like expecting Him to really like me and want to do good for me is presumptuous. (‘Who is poor, pitiful me to expect anything from a holy God?!’) Not sure where that came from, except a lot of shame in my past, but I am very gratefully learning to renounce such a curse and embrace blessing. I considered you and Bob Stamps my very closest friends for a lot of those early years, and I continue even now to rejoice in our friendship.”

I responded with the following email:
“Thanks, L____, I appreciate and treasure our friendship. And regarding your comments about ‘pitiful’ you, even the Apostle Paul said, ‘Oh wretched man that I am...’ But he did it in the context that we are all that way, and God loved us while we were yet sinners. I think the low self image that thinks God does not like me, and the pride that thinks I am such a great person are both equally a lie. God simply loves us because we are His and created in His image and because that is His nature.
Even His discipline in our lives is a sign of His love. He ‘scourges every son whom He receives’ (Heb 12). And the key word there is ‘receives’ because it is the opposite of ‘reject.’ If God loves you, He takes you out to the ‘woodshed’ every now and then. If He leaves you alone, then you're in trouble.
You projected onto the Lord the rejection you felt from others, and also you believed the lie of the devil that said you were unlovable, not worth much, and not very important. His love for us ‘passes all understanding.’ We just have to accept it and believe it and know that our thoughts to the contrary are a big lie. He loves us- all of us. ‘To whom much is forgiven, the same loves much,’ Jesus said.”

Society’s Condemnation
“Love covers a multitude of sin.” -1 Peter 4:8
“Dead flies spoil the ointment and cause it to give off a foul odor, So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor." -Ecclesiastes 10: 1

The two verses above stand in contrast. One refers to the mercy you receive from people who love you, and the other refers to the disdain you receive from the general public when you fail.
It is true that love covers a multitude of sins. People who love you will tend to think the best of you, give you the benefit of the doubt, and be merciful to your faults and offenses. However, those who dislike you will see every wrinkle, blemish, and flaw (including some that aren’t there), and will tend to be critical of everything you do, no matter what you do. And they will take pleasure in making sure everyone is informed and knows about your areas of sin and failure.

A man's folly is more entertaining to the public than his wisdom, and his sins will be trumpeted much louder than his accomplishments, especially if they follow his accomplishments. Our failures often make a bigger “splash” than our successes, and so a little bit of foolishness can spoil an otherwise good reputation. People will often forget all the good things a man has done and judge him based on the one mistake or failure in his life. Some well-known Christian leaders have learned this the hard way. Many who have done great works and accomplished many good and significant things will be remembered primarily for the moral failure or some area of mismanagement that was discovered in their lives.

Satan’s condemnation
The Bible calls the devil “the accuser of the brethren.” Our proclivity to sin makes us vulnerable to accusation, and the enemy of our souls takes advantage of this in order to accuse us to ourselves, to society, and even to God. He slanders us in our innocence, and accuses us in our guilt.

In Zechariah 3, when Satan tried to point out all the reasons why God could not use the people of Israel and why God should reject them, the Lord’s answer was simply, “I have chosen them.” God’s sovereign choice settles the matter. The work of the cross makes the enemy powerless in his accusations. When he charges us with sin and failure, God simply says, "Jesus bore their sin, the penalty has been paid, and I have chosen them. They have been tried in the fire (they have been disciplined). I have chosen them, and My sovereign choice stands."

Zechariah 3 should be very encouraging to us because it reveals the enemy's helplessness before the blood of Christ and the sovereignty of God. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. God has chosen us and we have surrendered our lives to follow Him. How great is His abundant grace and steadfast love to His children!

God’s Redeeming Power
A student who had confessed to sexual immorality was asked to stand before her Christian high school to express her repentance. Word of her situation had spread around school and everyone knew about the sin. Therefore, it was decided that the students should also be informed of her repentance. She stood before the assembled students and told of her failure and how she had turned back to the Lord. The Holy Spirit began to touch people. Teachers and students began to weep throughout the auditorium. Afterwards many came up in tears asking for prayer and confessing their own sins and need for help. The Lord had forgiven her and enabled her to be a blessing to many others. God is able to turn our shame and remove our reproach.

We are able to strengthen others when we turn to the Lord in our weaknesses and failures. Those who have never failed tend to be proud and critical and are often judgmental and condemning of others. Those who know their own frame (Psalm 103: 13-15) and who have seen their own “feet of clay” are more prone to show compassion and mercy toward others.

Like the woman "who was a sinner" we should turn our sin into true repentance, deep love, sincere gratitude, faithful service, and a faithful testimony (Luke 7: 36-48).
Have you stumbled or failed in some way? Is the enemy pressing you down with guilt and shame? Do you feel like you are standing before God wearing filthy garments? The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Some Random Thoughts on Human Nature

2010-09-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

An Honest Heart

In trying to “referee” a relational conflict I found that one of the parties involved was a man with whom I could not find any solid ground on which to communicate. I realized that he was one of those people who create their own false reality and then make themselves believe it. A man deceives himself first, so he can lie to everyone else with a clear conscience. Integrity starts with being honest with ourselves.

Learning the Hard Way
Human nature often learns the same thing the hard way more than once.
When we were kids, my cousin William walked up to me one day limping.
When I asked him what the problem was, he told me, “I stepped on a bumblebee barefoot.”
“Why did you do that?” I asked.
“I just felt like it,” was the reply.
Then a few days later he was limping again.
“What happened this time?” I asked.
“I stepped on a bumblebee barefoot,” he replied.
“Why?” I asked. “Didn’t you learn anything the last time?”
“I thought if I did it quick, it wouldn’t hurt.”

A high school girl had her foot in a cast.
“What happened?” I asked.
“My boyfriend backed over it with his car,” she replied.
“How?”
“He started to back out of the driveway and I put my foot behind his front tire and told him he could not leave. He figured if he drove over it fast, it would not hurt.”

“Breathe on me!”
We should commit our lives into God’s hands and be prudent in planning and attaining goals, but we should also shun manipulation and the use of questionable means to get what we want.
My sister had the mumps, and my cousin William decided he wanted to get the mumps too so he could stay home from school. So he came over to our house before getting on the school bus each morning during the first week of her sickness. He would go over to Eva’s sickbed and lean over in her face and say, “Breathe on me.” He would inhale deeply as she breathed on his face.
One morning not long after that, he awoke with the mumps, with jaws and neck all swollen. His first thought was, “Oh boy! Now I can stay home from school!”
But to his chagrin, he looked out the window to see that our coastal Carolina community had received one of its extremely rare winter snows. He lay in bed while all the rest of us kids stayed out of school to play in the snow for a couple days.

"I love everybody?"
A person who says he loves everybody may not actually love anybody. It is easier to love everybody than to love somebody. “Everybody” refers to a vague and general group of people. We are called to love the individuals we have to deal with on a daily basis.

The flesh is never satisfied.
A man who can have any woman he wants will not want any woman he has. He thinks he is desired of all, and that there will always be a better one around the next corner. The Bible says that the desires of the flesh are deceitful. They lie to us and are never satisfied when indulged. When we feed our “flesh” it never (for more than a moment) sits back and says, “Thanks, I’m okay now.” It always wants and usually demands more and more.
The most contented and satisfied person is the one who has disciplined himself or herself to commit to and love the spouse God has given.

The Problem with “Mr. Cool”
Why do some of the prettiest girls often get involved with some of the sorriest guys? Maybe it’s because the sorriest men will “use” a girl for sex, and the girl is deceived into thinking this is love. People who are seeking love need to realize that promiscuity prevents intimacy. A girl desiring to be loved and to have an intimate relationship will give her body to a guy not realizing that it will distract him from her. Sex should follow the real intimacy of commitment and love in a real relationship (in marriage).
Also, girls who are looking for “Mr. Cool” will tend to live in the moment and foolishly ignore the future. “Mr. Cool” is good for a “one-night stand” or for a short-term relationship because he makes a girl feel attractive and needed for the moment. But he most likely will not commit to or be faithful for the long haul. He will skip out when the need for disciplined responsibility is called for and when it’s time to live in the nitty-gritty daily life of caring for someone other than himself.

So many kids today are being hurt by the fantasy and unrealistic expectations fed to them by the entertainment industry and the lack of healthy parenting.

2010-09-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

L D and the Religious Folk

2010-09-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

[The following article is a re-print of an earlier post. It is a good story, and some of you newer visitors may not have read it yet] -Billy

L.D. was a colorful character who ran a country store a couple miles from Longs crossroads where I grew up. I used to stop in occasionally, and visit with him and any of the local farmers who happened to be standing around the old wood heater that sat in the middle of the one-room store. He watched and listened as people from the local churches dropped in. From his position behind the counter he would hear all the latest gossip and get a good whiff of all the “dirty laundry” to which he was exposed on an almost daily basis. Consequently he did not have a favorable impression of many of the church members who passed by. When one of the local pastors tried to talk with him about his need to repent, LD quickly responded, “You surely don’t want to check behind your members too close. Cause if you do, you’re going to be disappointed.” LD knew all that was going on. He could tell you who had been “on a drunk”, who was having an affair, and how the various communities took turns with their episodes at sin.

As you would expect, he never attended church, but like so many people who believe in God but don’t claim to be a part of any Christian fellowship, he did have his own philosophy of religion which he was quick to share, especially if he thought you were about to “preach” to him. He would share his own philosophy of religion with the added implication that you might want to clean your own house before you try to clean his.

He had an amazing insight into human nature, as well as an almost humorous insight into the life he observed around him. He once told me, “It’s a shame for a church to have more doors than members. That being the case, if they live long enough, that church will eventually die.” Referring to one of the cult groups that came knocking on his door, he said, “The thing that makes me feel so bad is how people treat them. It’s about as wrong to mistreat them as it is to believe them.”

There came a time when L.D. became very sick and soon learned he was dying. And even then he had some interesting things to say. Knowing death was imminent he told me, “If I have to take the early bus, that’s okay.” A local pastor visited him and was telling him he needed to change his life. His response was, “Well, there ain’t much sin I can do right now---unless I do it in my mind.”

In spite of all this, he did make a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord while he was in the hospital. A local pastor, Owen Johnson, prayed with him one evening during a visit. I went to visit him shortly after that and found him very eager to tell me about his experience. He told me, "The time was just right. It could have been you or any other preacher, but the time was meant to be. Owen was leaving. He got to the door, stopped, and turned to me. My hand was sort of stretched out toward him. He came back and started leading me in the sinner's prayer. It wasn't planned. It was like two trains colliding. Like lightning striking. It just happened.” His encounter with the Lord was real.

Soon afterward, I went again to visit him in the hospital. As I walked up to the door of his room I overheard a pastor talking with him and telling him that his recent conversion experience was not valid, and that he was not saved because he had not been baptized in water, and that it had to be by immersion. I thought, “How can this religious leader say something like this to a man who is on his death bed and unable to walk?” I entered the room as the pastor was leaving. L.D. looked up at me from his bed, and the first words out of his mouth were, "That little man was telling me that what me and Mr. Owen did won't but a bunch of sh_ _. If I won't felling so bad, we might a had to call 911."

I assured him that the Lord had honored his prayer and his commitment. I told him that normally a believer should be baptized in water out of obedience to the Lord’s command, and I personally believe in immersion. However, I reminded him of the thief on the cross next to Jesus who went to paradise without being baptized. I told L.D. that he was already in right standing with the Lord, that the Lord understood his inability to get out of that sick bed, but if it would help him feel better about it all, I would baptize him by sprinkling right there in that hospital bed. He was delighted. We invited a couple other people to join us and we had a little ceremony right there. The Lord’s presence was with us, and LD was at peace.

It is amazing how unloving a religious spirit can be. It is a religious spirit that makes us so rigid, cold, legalistic, unbending, and pharisaical. This type of attitude will not reach our contemporary culture. We who follow the Lord need to “oil our hinges” and “loosen our joints” in order to reach the people in the world around us today. We don’t have to throw out our convictions in order to reach sinners, but there are many things we are uncomfortable with that are not sin. We have to be careful that our religious convictions are not just religious rather than spiritual. We often separate ourselves into irrelevancy. Those who desire to be fruitful in reaching this current generation will find themselves being led into strange and religiously uncomfortable territory in the season ahead.
Jesus did ask the Father to sanctify us, which is to set us apart from the world. But then Jesus said to the Father, “As You have sent Me into the world, even so I send them into the world” (John 17: 18). Sanctification is God’s taking the world out of us. A religious spirit is our taking ourselves out of the world and separating ourselves into being out of touch, out of reach, and irrelevant to the very people we need to reach. How do we obey Jesus’ command to not eat and drink with the drunken, while following His example of eating with sinners and being called a drunkard? There is a place where God’s love brings wisdom. A religious spirit is so sanctimonious it keeps us away from the very people we need to reach; and when it does not keep us away, it drives them away. Jesus told the Pharisees, “The harlots and sinners will get into heaven before you." Sometimes we are so busy keeping the outside of the pot clean that we lose touch with the inner living fountain of God’s life and love.

"My preacher is so annointed he pure foams at the mouth!"

2010-09-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

How do we expect people to act when they are being used by the Holy Spirit? A fellow once said to me, “My preacher is so anointed he pure foams at the mouth.” That is a strange one, and I am thankful that the Lord does not expect us to do that. So what style do we use in our presentation?

The Spirit-filled Harvard professor very calmly walks up to someone and in a very dignified and stolid voice and says, “This is what the Lord is saying to you, Your canines will develop acariasis and become acaudal.”
A backwoods farmer then walks up to the same person and in a very emotional and enegertic manner says, “Thus saith the Lord. Thy dogs-uh will become infested with ticks and lose their tails-uh.”

The fact is, these men said the exact same thing, but each one spoke out of his own personality and style. The Lord’s word was in the content while the style represented the individual vessel.

I want to share three examples below that show us that we can be ourselves and not have to act a certain, expected way when we are being used by the Holy Spirit.

A Casual word that was supernatural
I was visiting a church in Lexington, Kentucky a few years ago. The morning worship service had ended and people were standing around the auditorium talking and enjoying the fellowship of friends and family. I happened to notice two girls standing on the other side of the auditorium. I was acquainted with one of these girls from a singles conference at which I had recently spoken. I knew that this young lady would one day make some man a good wife, and so I decided to walk over and, in a light-hearted and humorous way, encourage her.

I crossed the auditorium and went up to these two young ladies. As they turned to me I said, “There is a crazy man out there!” They both reacted with surprise and said, “What?” I responded by addressing the unmarried girl with these words, “You are going to make some man a fine wife, and there is a crazy man out there for not having already snatched you up and married you!”

I was expecting her to respond with a laugh, but instead, her eyes filled with tears. I said, “What’s wrong? What did I say to make her cry?”
Her friend then explained to me the conversation they were having just before I walked up. The single girl was sad because her fiancé had recently broken off their engagement. She was depressed and questioning herself wondering why he had ‘dumped’ her. As they stood there she had asked her friend, “Is something wrong with me that he would not want to marry me?” The friend had responded, “No. There is nothing wrong with you. He’s crazy!.”
Then, “out of the blue” and totally unaware of the situation and their conversation I walked up and said, “There is a crazy man out there.”

I believe I was sent to encourage her. However, I was completely unaware of the significance of what I was saying until the friend explained to me how my words confirmed what she had just said moments before.
I was just simply trying to encourage someone based on what I had seen with my natural eyes. I was not trying to be spiritual or do anything special. The timing, however, made the word supernatural.

A Short word that was supernatural
During our first year of marriage Laurel and I were part of a church in southern California. It was composed mostly of young people and had sprung up during the Jesus Movement and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was taking place at that time. Multitudes of kids were coming to know the living reality of Jesus Christ and His presence in the working of the Holy Spirit. One thing that stands out in my memory of those days is the hunger for God that was demonstrated in the lives of those kids. They took their Bibles with them almost everywhere, they always had pen and paper to take notes during Bible study, and they all wanted to be used by God in some way.

I remember on one occasion I was about to teach a Bible study to a group of about twenty or thirty of these kids, and was silently asking the Lord to confirm my direction for the teaching that night.
Then one of the boys stood up. I knew he was about to share what he thought would be a prophetic word from the Lord. He said, “The Lord wants us to watch and pray.” He then paused and stood there silent for a minute hoping to add something more significant. But that was it. He had nothing else to say and so he sat down dejected, and a little embarrassed thinking he had failed.

I then stood up. “Our friend has just given a short, simple word telling us to watch and pray. He does not realize how the Lord has just used him. He has not only shared a word to which we should all take heed, but also, without knowing it, he has given a word of confirmation to me. I was just now asking the Lord to confirm the teaching I am about to give. My text for tonight is Matthew 26: 41, ‘Watch and pray…’ My Bible was opened to that verse and my eyes were on those very words as our friend was saying ‘The Lord wants us to watch and pray.’”

A miracle of healing in response to hardly a prayer
As I was leaving a friend’s house one day, He and I passed his five-year old son playing with some toys on the ground. As we discussed other things the father showed me some sort of bone growth that was on the back of the child’s head. It was just a little smaller than half a ping-pong ball and had been there for years. The doctors had told him it was nothing to worry about. It would not harm the boy, but was simply unattractive and inconvenient. My friend and I did not focus on the child but continued our conversation.

However, as I talked with my friend, I very casually laid my hand on the back of the child’s head a couple times saying, “Lord, bless him.” Again I said, “I know it’s nothing to worry about, but Lord bless him anyway,” as my friend and I went on with the conversation about other things. Then I drove away feeling guilty that I had not taken time to pray an official and “real” prayer over that child. Instead I had only said a “Lord, bless him” in passing as I talked about other things.

I was surprised a couple days later when my friend called to tell me that the child’s growth had completely disappeared. The Lord had healed it in response to a simple “Bless him” prayer.

So what is the lessons here?
While there are often unusual and strange occurrences during great visitations of God’s presence, it is important for us to know that generally speaking we can move in the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit in the normal conversational tone of everyday life. How else can we approach the average person in the world with the reality of Jesus Christ? We can be ourselves, we don’t have to act strange or change our voice. This is one of the keys to moving in the Holy Spirit on the job, in school, on the street, and out in the market-place. You don’t have to walk up to people and shout. You don’t have to say ‘’God-uh” or “yea, yea, thus saith the Lord.” You can be emotional or non-emotional. You can be enthusiastically zealous or you can be quiet and reserved. The key is to be genuine and real. The supernatural is not what you do, but rather what God Himself does. Sometimes God’s work is seen as obviously and patently supernatural. Other times it can be hidden and unnoticed because it is defined by the context and timing and may be significant only to those to whom it is directed.

When we care about people and reach out to them in a real and genuine manner, we will see God at work. And, as in the examples given above, we may find out later that He was at work when we were not aware of it. We may be able to say as Jacob did, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.”

Please introduce yourself.

2010-09-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

Over the last 30 days 411 visitors from around the USA and other parts of the world have made over 900 visits to this site. I want to thank each of you for taking the time to visit and read the postings. Your comments posted to the blog as well as your emails have been so appreciated.
If you are a visitor whom I have not had the privilege to meet, would you consider sending me an email and introducing yourself. It would be a blessing to me to know who you are and what part of the country you are from.
Send correspondence to blong8@sccoast.net
Thanks,
Billy Long

"...As Bro Larry Brings Us the Message."

2010-09-03T02:38:00.001-07:00

“Hot Off the Griddle of Heaven.”
Pastor and Mrs Varnell did all they could to encourage us young college “preacher boys.” Their little church in a nearby town provided many opportunities for us to speak at their meetings. I remember one special occasion when Pastor Varnell called me and said, “You boys come and preach this Sunday.” Usually one of us would deliver the sermon, but on a couple occasions we did a “tag team” message, dividing the time up between us. On this particular occasion Pastor Varnell was letting us decide who would address his congregation.

Our circle of aspiring ministers consisted of Larry, Lonnie, Mike, George, and me. On this particular Sunday, however, Larry Rodeffer and I were the only ones able to attend the meeting. On our drive to the church I turned to Larry and asked, “Do you have the message?” He shook his head and said, “No, Billy. I don’t have a thing. Do you?” Very confidently I replied, “Yes, Larry. I’ve got the message.”

We arrived at the church, went in, and took our seats on the platform beside the pastor. I began looking through my Bible, doing some last minute preparation for the sermon. Larry was sitting there relaxed with his Bible lying on the seat beside him.
When it came time for the sermon, Pastor Varnell walked up to the podium and said, “Bro Billy and Bro Larry are with us this morning, and one of these boys has a message ‘hot off the griddle of heaven.’ ” He turned and looked at us, and I gave the signal that I would be the one he should introduce.

I walked up to the podium, read a few verses from Luke chapter 4, said a prayer, and then looked out at the congregation. But to my great horror, my mind went blank. I had preached from those verses many times, but this time I could not find the message. As I began to mumble to the congregation I thought to myself, “Oh Lord God, how am I going to get out of this? I have read the scripture and said the prayer.” Once you do that you are into the message. “But I have nothing to say. What am I to do?”

A brilliant idea came to mind. I paused a second, and then with renewed confidence and peace, I looked at all those people and said, “You all remember what I have said---as Bro Larry brings us the message.”
I then went to my seat and sat down, looking at Larry with that “innocent” guilty look on my face.

Without saying a word Larry looked at me in a mild shock, and very slowly picked up his Bible and walked over to the podium. He laid his Bible on the pulpit, opened it up, and then slowly looked back and stared at me for about three seconds with that questioning look of surprise and shock still on his face.
He then gained his composure, told the congregation to turn to the chapter where Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood, and proceeded to give one of the best sermons he had ever given.

“Brother Larry” did have the message. I did not. And though Larry had not planned to speak at that particular moment, he drew from the resources of his life of prayer and study and gave a message that really did turn out to be “hot off the griddle of heaven,” as Pastor Varnell had promised in his introduction. Larry was the only one there who knew I had been rescued from a predicament. His success overshadowed my mistake.

Mistakes are part of growth .
We must be willing to make mistakes and to stumble in order to learn and grow. It takes faith to be willing to take risks. Peter spoke up and was wrong a few times, but learned in the process. In the Bible we see men of God moving in great success, accomplishment, victory, and accuracy in the things of God, yet we also see them in failure, missteps, and errors of judgment. Why is it that we have difficulty seeing ourselves on either end of this spectrum? We are shocked to think that we can experience and participate in the same successes as those men of the Bible. We also are shocked and discouraged when we find ourselves in the same types of mistakes and failures. Too often we are content to stay in some path of mediocrity and safety where we do nothing great and make no major mistakes. We even think this is where we belong. But that is not real life as God intended for us. God meant for us to learn and grow. And to do that we need to be willing to take risks in our walk of faith.

Likewise, leaders must not be afraid for people to make mistakes. Often church leadership is afraid to create an atmosphere where people can take risks, especially in the things of the Holy Spirit. They are afraid people will become strange and spooky or get into some eccentric and crazy behavior. Therefore, they prohibit people from stepping out and taking initiative. My philosophy has been that church members should have freedom to speak up and “step out”, as long as they give the leadership and their brothers and sisters permission and liberty to correct and instruct them in the process. This atmosphere of freedom and love where people are comfortable attempting obedience, unafraid of failure, yet loyal to truth, teachable, and willing to be corrected rather than indulged or rejected is what we see in the relationships of the twelve disciples in their walk with Jesus and each other. This same atmosphere is good for us also. Training and growth require the freedom to stumble and slip a bit.

For more Bible study on the subject of "Handling Mistakes and Failure" go to the following link:
http://councilroom.blogspot.com/

Billy Long

The Lord Revealed Himself...By the Word of the Lord.

2010-08-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

“But if all prophesy (speak by revelation), and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” 1 Corinthians 14: 24-25

The verse quoted above indicates that the Lord moved among the early Christians in a very supernatural way in giving revelation, discernment, and insight to His servants as they reached out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would like to share with you three examples of this happening in my own life.

A fellow on a plane
A few years ago the Lord gave me a word for a fellow who was sitting across the aisle from me on an airplane. Awkwardly I turned to the young man and said, “I am a Christian, and sometimes the Lord shows me things about people so I know how to pray for them. The Lord has shown me that there are issues between you and your father that need healing.”
The young man looked at me with a blank stare and said, “No, not really. There is nothing going on between me and my father.”
“Well, okay,” I said apologetically as I leaned back in my seat wondering if I had made a mistake. But the impression was so strong that I turned to the gentleman again and said, “Sir, I don’t mean to bother you, but I feel very strongly that there is a problem between you and your dad that the Lord wants to minister to.”
“The fellow looked at me and said, “No. there is no problem between me and my father, but there will be if I ever see him again!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
In a very somber tone he replied, “He abandoned me and my mother when I was a little kid, and I haven’t seen him since.”
“Hmm, “I responded, “Don’t you suppose THAT is the issue the Lord wants to minister to?” I could see the light come on in his mind as he looked at me and said, “I guess you’re right.” I told him that I would say a special prayer for him. I also prayed that the Lord would use that experience to show him that there is a God who knows and cares about him.

A lady on the plane
On another occasion on a return flight to Raleigh, NC I was seated beside a lady who was flying into Columbia, SC. As the plane was about to land in Columbia, I prayed quietly to myself, “Lord, this lady is about to get off the plane, and I have not said anything to her about You. Is there anything special I should say to her?”
Suddenly the Holy Spirit gave me a name. [This is the only time this has ever happened to me]. I turned to her and said, “Who is Frank?”
Suddenly her expression froze and she stared at me speechless with her mouth open.
I continued, “Sometimes the Lord shows me things to pray for people and I think the Lord has shown this to me for your sake. You can tell me. Who is Frank?”
She very sheepishly mumbled quietly, “Frank is a friend of mine who is having marriage problems.”
I responded, “And Frank is coming to you for comfort, isn’t he?”
With mouth still open and still staring at me in shock she just shook her head and whispered,”Um hum, yes he is.”
I then told her that the Lord loved her and had a plan for her, and wanted to reveal Himself to her, but the enemy had placed this temptation and stumbling block in her path to distract and lead her away. I encouraged her to go home and find a quiet place to sit and talk to God, to seek Him and get to know Him.
Immediately the plane was at the gate, and this lady got up and walked away still in a daze. I thought to myself, “She will go home with a fresh realization that there is a God who knows her and cares about her. Maybe she will look to heaven in faith and know that He is there and that He is listening to her.”

I-95 Roanoke Rapids
I was having breakfast with a pastor friend of mine at a motel restaurant on Interstate 95 when I noticed a gentleman sitting alone at a table across the room. I turned to my friend and said, “Sam, you see that man over there. He is going through the pain of a divorce.”
When Sam and I finished our breakfast I noticed the gentleman was still at his table and decided to go to him. I walked over to his table and said to him, “Sir, my friend and I are pastors. When I saw you sitting here, the Lord showed me that you are going through the pain of a divorce, and I would like to pray for you.”
The fellow stopped eating and looked up at me with sadness in his eyes. “I am in the middle of a divorce right now,” he said.
I told him that the Lord loved him and wanted to deliver him from the things in his life that helped cause the divorce. He responded, “I am from New England, and I am on my way now to Florida to get help for these very things.”
I gave him my card and told him I would be praying for him.

About a week later I received a letter from him thanking me for reaching out to him. He shared how our meeting that morning had encouraged him. His faith was strengthened and his hope renewed because he was made aware that there really is a God who knows him and cares about him.

Conclusion
The purpose of the supernatural in the church is not for show or theatrics. It is simply the presence of God at work. It happens when the people of God are moved with compassion and allow the Holy Spirit to work through them to encourage, strengthen, heal, comfort, and touch the people around them. God speaks and acts to reveal Himself.

“For the Lord revealed Himself…to Samuel by the word of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 3:21

What does this cartoon say to us?

2010-08-22T08:02:00.001-07:00

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My Visit To A Philosophy of Religion Class

2010-08-19T08:36:00.001-07:00

A girl from our church in Raleigh NC was taking a philosophy of religion class taught by a professor from Duke University. Nancy came to me one evening and shared how she had been brought to tears when some of the other students mocked her for sharing her faith during a class discussion. Nancy was a committed Christian and loved the Lord. She was shocked at the unbelief and skepticism of the professor and the students,and soon came to discuss it with me and fellow believers at church.

Now she was asking me to visit the class. The professor had told the students to invite their pastors to come sit in on the discussions. My first thought was, “This professor wants to pull out all his weapons of complex, intellectual, theological, and philosophical thought, all his esoteric terms, and make me or any other pastor who shows up look like an idiot in front of the class.”
But I knew this was a great opportunity and so agreed to go. The next week one of the men from the church went with me to the class. I was a little nervous as we took our seats but was filled with faith knowing the Lord wanted us there.
The professor opened the class, welcomed me and Colin, and then addressed me with the following question: “In light of ….”

[At this point he began very eloquently using so many “ten dollar” words, rare theological terms and historical names hardly known to the common layman, the meaning of which was very difficult to follow. At first I thought he was deliberately trying to use class-room esoterics to confuse me so that I would not be able to intelligently answer his question. But then, to my surprise and great delight he concluded his thoughts with the following question.]
“Jesus and the apostles are said to have worked miracles. Therefore, since you teach your people that the Bible is true, what do you say to your parishioners who ask you why we do not see miracles today?”

This professor thought he was dealing with a dispensational cessationist, a person who believes the Bible but also believes miracles have ceased. This cessationist base is a weak position on which to stand in the face of an articulate liberal philosophy which sees it as an illogical and irrational religious hypocrisy. They conclude that if miracles don’t happen now, they never did.]

My response to this proferssor shocked him and the whole class. I answered, “We teach that the Bible is true, that Jesus died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and is alive today, and that He has given us His Holy Spirit as His living and active presence with us. Therefore, when people ask me why we do not see miracles today, I tell them, ‘Hang around here a while, and you will see one!’”
You could have heard a pin drop as I proceeded to share testimonies of healings and miracles that I and others in our church had either witnessed or been a part of. I gave examples of supernatural healings, exorcisms, and examples of the workings of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12.
The same students who had scorned Nancy’s testimony before were now sitting there silent and amazed. Suddenly one of them spoke up, addressing the professor. “The way it looks to me,” he said, “you’ve been talking only theory and words. These guys have been out doing it.”
I know there were still some skeptics in the class, but our boldness to share the truth along with real-life examples seemed to embolden those timid souls who secretly believed, but who had previously been afraid and too intimidated to speak up.

The professor then surprised me as he addressed the class. “This has truly been our most fascinating class yet.” He then turned to me and said with a subtle sadness and sense of regret, “I wish you had been my pastor when I was a kid.”
It seemed to me he was saying, “I am set in my place and position now, and I don’t see how I can change now, but if I had heard these things in my younger days, I might have taken a different road.”

Certain principles were impressed upon my mind as I left that classroom. I saw very clearly the power of the truth, the reality of the Word of God and how it penetrates the heart when spoken with confidence that comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit who confirms it to the hearers.

I saw the blindness of the world and the emptiness of philosophy. Intellect can be impressive, but devoid of spiritual life it is so empty. It does not touch the needs and hearts of the common man.

I also saw the weakness of silent, impotent Christians who do not speak up. That segment of the class had remained "invisible" when Nancy had been scorned for her belief. But upon hearing our message, they were emboldened to speak up.

I also saw the folly of mixture. Some of the students in that class believed some of the Bible, but not all of it. Therefore, they had no real authority on which to base any argument or belief. To be selective with the Bible is to make yourself the authority. Therefore, you have no authority on which to base anything. When human reason is the final authority, we end up with millions of ideas and no real grounds or authority for any of it.

I have witnessed with my own eyes the reality of the scripture. I have seen people healed through prayer. I have witnessed the miracle of a broken back healed instantly. I have witnessed a young man healed instantly of severe and advanced cases of asthma and emphysema as he was prayed for. I have cast demons out of people and witnessed the same effects as those described in the New Testament.
When given a chance, the Bible will come alive and prove itself true. I therefore, choose to believe Moses, the apostles, and those saints who have given us the Bible. I prefer to believe the written account of those eyewitnesses who walked with Jesus rather than putting my life and trust into the hands of modern unbelieving philosophers who speak out of their own intellectual arrogance and emptiness.

“[We have]…so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Hebrews 2: 3-4.
“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…” Acts 4:33
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to take heed as a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 16-21

2010-08-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Never Give Up, The Father Comes to Help

2010-08-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

After you read this, scroll down and watch the accompanying video.
I have received so many responses from people telling me they wept as they watched the Derek Redmond video below. Why does it have this effect on so many of us? First of all, the anguish and disappointment in the young man's face is heart-wrenching. Also, the determination of his loving father to help him finish the race is deeply moving.
But I think it touches us so deeply because subsconsciously we identify with this young man. Most of us don't see ourselves finishing the race so strong and proud as those who sped across the finish line up front, but rather we see ourselves stumbling, broken, limping, and often crippled, and finishing the race because our Father in heaven in His great love and mercy towards us has come to pick us up and help us along to the finish line, holding us in His arms.

These Bible verses seem very appropriate here.
"If I say, 'My foot slips,' Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me Your comforts delight my soul."
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us." 1 John 3: 1.
"Now unto Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever, Amen."
Jude 1: 24-25.
"Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12: 1-2.
"...He will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." Romans 14: 4

I encourage you to watch this inspiring video.
Billy Long

The Pews

2010-08-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have occasionally drawn cartoons for church newsletters. Below are a few from the past. Many of the characters are actually caricatures of real people whom some of you may recognize. You have to know the people to fully appreciate the humor.

Some Thoughts on the Manifested Presence of God

2010-07-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

John 15: 19. “A little longer, and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me...”
Rev. 1: 10-17. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet…And I turned to see the voice that spoke to me…and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength…”
1 Cor. 15: 3-8. “…He rose again on the third day…and was seen…by Cephas…by the twelve…by over five hundred brethren at once…and after that He was seen by me also….”

To see or not to see?
The natural man comprehends God in the same way as a blind and deaf man would view a brilliant sunrise or listen to beautiful music. He would be oblivious to the wonders around him no matter how brilliant the sight or how loud the sound. The revelation of God works on the same principle. The person who has a heart after God will see or hear Him in the smallest sign, while the one who has rejected God in his heart will see nothing or explain it away, no matter how powerful the Presence or how obvious the miracle. Jesus said that no sign would be given to an evil and adulterous generation. He hides Himself from the proud but reveals Himself to the humble and to those who seek.

It is amazing how those who reject God can close their eyes to His manifested presence.
The Pharisees knew first-hand that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. They witnessed with their own eyes the awesome effects of this miracle on the people around Bethany and Jerusalem. They responded by plotting to kill Lazarus (again) and silence his testimony.
The people of Israel trembled before the presence of God on Mt Sinai, and yet at the foot of this very mountain they made a golden calf and fell into idolatry.
Jesus rebuked certain cities where most of His mighty works had been done because they had refused to repent even in the face of such powerful evidence.
Jesus told of the man in hell who begged “Father Abraham” to send someone back from paradise to warn his brothers not to come to “this place of torment.” His argument was, “If one goes to them from the dead they will repent.” The Divine response was, “If they will not hear Moses and the Prophets (their Bible) neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”
The lesson is clear. The heart of man determines how he responds to God’s presence and initiatives. If he is inclined toward God, he will see the evidence and embrace the Lord. Otherwise, he will remain blind.

God’s Presence Has Implications for us.
People often resist the presence of God because of the significance of its implications to them personally. The presence of God automatically shines a spotlight on our own nature. The more clearly we see God the more clearly we know ourselves. This is one reason for our tendency to keep God at a safe distance away. When He shows up we are forced to face certain realities in our lives. The manifested presence of God automatically creates a consciousness of our responsibility to respond to Him. If He shows Himself and we see Him, then we have lost our excuse for not seeking, serving, and obeying. The more silent and distant God is, the more we feel we can in good conscience ignore Him. But when He shows up we are forced by His very presence to say “yes” or “no” to Him. Nominal Christians and people who are spiritually unresponsive are threatened by the manifested presence of God because it disturbs their complacency. And complacency is another form of saying “no” to God. To know Him greatly means to follow Him deeply. If He “stays away” then I can be lukewarm and live my life without being bothered. But if He shows up, I am then forced to deal with where I am in my relationship with Him.

Stephen was stoned because God showed up. The power of God was on Stephen so strongly that his words could not be resisted by the council before whom he stood. When stubborn and rebellious hearts encounter the irresistible words of God at this level they cannot remain neutral, and they cannot hide underneath a cloak of pretend and complacency. Unable to resist Stephen’s words, they had to either receive his words or kill him. They chose the latter. They actually stopped their ears, and shouted loudly as they ran at him and stoned him to death. On a side note, we should take note of the fact that the ones who resist God the loudest may be the very ones whose hearts are being pierced by the word God is speaking.

What is the attitude of churches toward the presence of God?
In many cases the attitude of churches can be described as follows. They want the Lord to be present; but they want Him to behave. They want Him close enough to keep watch, but not close enough to be seen. They want God to be generally and mystically around but not specifically and pointedly obvious. They want Him to move in a general sense quietly and unnoticed over an audience of passive spectators waiting to receive a warm feeling as they focus on what is happening up front on the platform.
Pastors want God to be present in the church, but are often afraid of the risk involved in letting God show up in His people. They want God to work, but they don’t want Him to use people. They are afraid of what might happen if the Holy Spirit is free to work through people in a supernatural way. Therefore, the agenda and programs tend to quench the working of the Holy Spirit. It is "safer" to prohibit than to learn from experience and actually lead.

We stand and pray for God to move among us and we appeal to people to take initiative and be spiritually aggressive, while at the same time we create an atmosphere that prevents both. We quench the Spirit, and we do not allow people to really express themselves. We want God to act, but within our pre-set parameters. We want people to act, but only in our pre-cast organizational slots that exist to serve the institution. In other words, we ask God to show up and people to function, but in reality are afraid of both.

We should hunger for His presence.
Since I was a teenager I have never been able to understand why people who know and love God would not be passionately hungry and desirous to see Him and His works. Why would we be afraid of the miraculous visitations of His presence in our gatherings or out in the streets as we tell people about Jesus Christ who was crucified for our sins and who is now alive and working among us by the power of the Holy Spirit? Why would we not be willing to take the risks involved in learning to be vessels to whom He can reveal Himself, and through whom He can reveal Himself to a world that so desperately needs Him.

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down…to make Your name known to your adversaries.” Isaiah 64: 1-2.
“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness…and with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was on them all.” Acts 4: 31, 33

Click on the Youtube song below to hear a beautiful worship song about the glory of God's presnece.

2010-06-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Cat and the Rat

2010-05-11T11:31:00.001-07:00

“I have not been alone in hearing… that God is moving His people …from a focus on self, personal healing and individual blessing to a focus on demonstrating the power of the kingdom of God beyond the walls of the church for the sake of all those Jesus came to save.” -a quote from Sanford article in Charisma Magazine.

Cat and Rat

When I was just a kid we had a yard cat that should have been out hunting mice, but instead, was always sitting at the screen door meowing and whining plaintively, “begging” for someone to let him in the house. “Meow, meow, meow!” he cried. Translated into English this means, “Let me in. Feed me, pet me, help me, comfort me, make me happy. I want to go inside where it is comfortable and safe. I don’t want to face the world outside.”

My Dad hated for a cat to sit at the door begging like that. So he pushed the door open, and shoved the startled cat out onto the carport. As he walked past he said, “When I get back, I am going to haul you off to the shopping center.” He fully intended to get rid of the cat.

About an hour later, I heard a commotion beside the corn barn at the edge of our back yard. I turned my head in time to see about 15 or 20 squawking chickens flapping their wings, jumping in the air, and scurrying in every direction to flee the water hole that had formerly been a mud-wallow for a few hogs. And among those chickens I saw that cat in the middle of a back-flip somersault a couple feet in the air. I ran over to see what was happening and found the cat locked in mortal combat with a large wharf-rat that was as big as the cat. Most of us have seen how a cat will often toy with a mouse, playfully tossing it into the air until he is ready to eat it. In this case, however, the rat had tossed the cat into the air.

I watched this battle until the cat finally killed the rat. He crouched over his prey and maintained a firm grip on the dead rat, as he looked up at me with blood flowing from a big cut running across his entire face. His expression almost seemed to say, “I did it! Thank God I’m still alive!” He then proceeded to eat as much of the rat as he could. A couple other cats wandered over and joined the feast. There was rat to go around, and rat left over.

When my dad learned of this event he decided to keep the cat. There was no trip to the shopping center, and the cat’s lifestyle changed dramatically after that. It was as if he had understood my dad’s threat to “haul him off.” He never again sat whining at the door, and every few days he would drag up a dead rabbit, or rat, or bird and lay it on the carport, as if to say, “I’m still on the job.” The cat, with that ugly trophy scar across his face, stayed with the family a few more years until it died of old age.

The "Door" of the Church
As Christians we tend to be like that cat. In our focus on self it is easier for us to “sit at the door” of the church seeking our own comfort and self-fulfillment, rather than facing the tasks and challenges associated with reaching out to people in the real world. We often fear getting involved in the spiritual battle that is involved in the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Contemporary culture surrounds us with things that look good, sound good, taste good, and feel good, things that are fun. We want to do what pleases us--- DVDs, movies, TV, Music, video games, sports, and various amusements. We don't want to face what is difficult, demanding, and tedious. We often expect rewards and fruit when there has been no effort or labor. And then we carry this over into our walk with God, expecting Him to bless us, help us, comfort us, etc, without our enlisting to serve Him and His purpose. We want the blessings of the kingdom without the travail and labor involved in the spiritual walk. We avoid anything that causes discontentment, inconvenience, adversity, or pain. We subconsciously think everything in our spiritual walk should be fun, convenient, and focused on “me.”

We expect our meetings to entertain us and not be unpleasant. We want positive messages that do not challenge us. This tends to produce a large crowd of superficial and shallow Christians sitting as spectators enjoying the performance up front. It seems that the multitudes are not attracted to depth and substance but to glitter, show, and celebrity. They run to the latest thing, the newest thing, and to what gets the most PR. They go after the latest trends and those things that feed their fancy. Church becomes either a buffet or fast food which makes us “fat,” rather than the family meal which provides real nourishment, strength, growth, and spiritual substance.

A crowd is a good thing when it is made up of real disciples who want to know and follow Jesus, but a crowd is not necessarily a good thing, when the self-centeredness of the people is indulged, and when they are not confronted with truth nor helped to see themselves or the purpose of God. I believe that the Lord does want to bring us in and set us on His lap and embrace us with His love and kindness, but I also think He wants us to quit sitting at the “screen door” and to boldly face the challenges and “giants” that await us as we conquer the land with the message of the kingdom of God. Otherwise, as one friend of mine said, "I'll see ya'll at the shopping center next week."

2 Timothy 3: 7 “I have fought the good fight.”

When Disillusioned by People and Life

2010-04-29T09:25:00.001-07:00

DISILLUSIONMENT
The term "disillusionment" means to be freed from illusion and no longer be misled or deceived. Disillusionment can be helpful because it forces one to face reality. It is beneficial to see truth and be freed from misconceptions, but the term also has a negative connotation when it describes one who has been enlightened to some disheartening reality. It refers to the disappointment that accompanies the enlightenment, to the paralyzing effect that it can have on a person's will to act, and to the discouragement that comes with discovering the disappointing truth about someone in whom hope and trust were placed.

Disillusionment becomes a problem when a person does not respond to it correctly, when he overreacts and becomes overwhelmed by it. If it is not handled in the grace of God it can cause one to become cynical and bitter, to quit trusting people, and even to question God. Disillusionment, taken to an extreme, causes people to enter into another form of illusion— seeing only the negative and the bad. It is good for a person to see reality, but he who sees no good is no longer in reality and has moved from naieve idealism to the misconceptions and deceptions of skepticism and cynicism.

The person who is disillusioned needs to be encouraged to believe that truth and integrity do exist, that not everything nor everyone is false. He must be encouraged to learn from experience and grow in discernment so that he is not misled again. He must hold to the good and discard only the bad. He must stand in faith and walk on in obedience.

Psalm 73
Whether a person is disillusioned because he has been genuinely disappointed by some hope, or because his heart has perverted his perceptions of reality, his answer and deliverance are in the presence of the Lord. David saw the wicked prosper while the people of God suffered. He saw the ungodly appear to sin with impunity while he himself was chastened every morning. His first reaction was to feel his efforts at righteousness had been in vain. What he saw troubled him, and his reaction to it grieved him deeply. It was all too painful— until he went into the presence of God. He would have given up had he not sought the Lord.

It is at Jesus' feet that we gain the right perspective. It is there that we get our bearings and reference points. We present our hearts for cleansing, open the Bible and see what God's word says. The “dust” of life’s complications combined with the flood of negative input into our minds can harden our hearts and cause our understanding of the simple words of scripture to dim and fade from our spirit. Our answer is to sit at Jesus’ feet with God’s word and listen to the Holy Spirit. David did this, and his conclusion was, "I have put my trust in the Lord God."

"That Way I Can Kill the Whole Bird With One Stone."

2010-03-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

Just as truth can be stranger than fiction, reality can sometimes be funnier than jokes. Therefore, I try to keep track of unusual things I hear people say. Below is a list of word-abuses that I have heard over the last few years. These friends and acquaintances did not realize they were corrupting a word or using the wrong word. The following sentences were spoken in earnest.

A fellow told me he did not want to sound self-defecating.

A second cousin told me her sister had an infection in her influfial tubes.

One man said he suffered from sick-as-hell-anemia.

The hospital had to place a lady’s husband in contentious care.

Another man was in there with a brain hemorrhoid.

A fellow told me a family member had immaculate degeneration.

One man said he had problems with his heart rhythm, but the doctors had decided not to install a space-maker.

A friend told me, “While I am in town, I’ll go by and pay the fine and also return Joel’s guitar. That way I can kill the whole bird with one stone.”

This same fellow was explaining to me why he quit his job. Up to this point he had endured a few things that had bothered him about the job, but when his boss embarrassed him in front of the other employees that was the thing that broke the camel’s straw.

A fellow was suffering from digestive heart failure.

A gentleman told me that he had been reading in the book of the prophet Jackariah.

I actually heard this on TV one evening. A man who was in prison for life was being interviewed by a TV news anchor. When asked to compare the inmates of today with those who were incarcerated with him twenty years ago, he replied, “Years ago there was a certain code of conduct among the prisoners. But today these men coming in here are all messed up. You know, the criminals of today just aren’t raised like criminals used to be.”

In describing Mary’s and Joseph’s engagement, a preacher on the radio said that Mary was be-throught to a man named Joseph.

A fellow told me his brother had phosphate cancer, but he over-ed it.

When I asked a friend if any other churches took part in the conference his church had sponsored up in the mountains, he replied, “There was one local church there that dissipated with us."

A construction worker told my friend that he had to go pick up his workers conversation check.

My cousin who is a nurse just shared these with me. A patient told her he had a history of roaches of the liver. Another patient said he was going to have a buried enema. Another said the nurse had given him a depository to help his bowels move.

A fellow came to work one morning and told my friend, "My wife's arthritis is so bad we can't even have intersection."

If you have heard any humorous word-abuses, feel free to send them by email or write them in the comments section that accompanies this article.

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BUT THE ROOSTER WAS FIERCE!

2010-03-17T20:16:00.001-07:00

“…I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus.” -1 Corinthians 15: 32

Paul Law’s Message at the African Pastors’ Conference

The Kenyan pastors sat enthralled as Paul Law told them of the time he was surprised by the fierce growl of a lion crouching in the bushes in front of him near his missions ranch in the Congo.
He had been told that the creature had left the area, and so he considered it safe to look for the remains of a cow the lion had previously killed and dragged into the bushes. But now the threatening roar announced the presence of the beast.

Paul stopped in his tracks, and without turning his head was about to quietly give instructions to the three companions following behind him. They, however, were not there. They had already fled to the truck leaving him alone with the lion. He carefully and slowly walked backwards keeping his eyes in the direction of a possible attack. He made it safely back to the vehicle to find that the two men who reached the truck first, had jumped in, shut the doors, and locked out the third fellow who was now lying in the back of the truck in the fetal position.

The conference pastors sat on the edge of their seat as Paul proceeded to tell how he and his brother David returned later and killed the lion that had become a threat to their children and livestock. Contrasting his faithful brother with the men who had fled in fear, Paul spoke of the strength drawn from friends who stand with us in the battle and in our times of trial. It was a moving and powerful message.

When Paul finished his message, after a short break it was my turn to speak.

I looked at the group of pastors and said, “Paul Law has told you of the time he was face to face with the lion. I am going to tell you about the time I was attacked…” At this point they leaned forward to hear what harrowing tale I was about to tell. I proceeded, “I am going to tell you about the time I was attacked… by a rooster!” The audience began to mumble asking each other, “Did he say ‘rooster'?” And then the whole place “cracked up” as these African pastors all began to laugh. To them a rooster is nothing to fear. A rooster is food, not a predator. It was only a rooster, but it was fierce to me.

I was an eight or nine year old boy at the time, and to me the event was very traumatic. My Aunt Maggie’s old “flogging” rooster came charging at me jumping up trying to claw me with those sharp talons. He was not one of those little bantam roosters, but a full-grown, combative, big barnyard boss, almost as big as me. I picked up my cousin’s old rusty B B gun and used it as a bat. Every time that rooster jumped up I would swing that rifle down on his back and knock him back to the ground. I should have swung sideways and hit him up side the head, but I was too afraid to think of that. I struggled for a few minutes until Mrs Grace Gore, an elderly lady passing by, saw my plight and saved me. It was not much to brag about. I was attacked by a chicken, and rescued by an old lady, but the battle was real to me, and she was a beautiful woman on that day.

Both of the above stories illustrate our need to have brothers and sisters to stand with us as we face the issues and trials of life. But even more importantly they remind us that we should be vigilant in our walk with the Lord so that we are “there” spiritually for those who depend on us and who may need us in their hour of need. Often I have prayed, “Lord, I want to stay in that place where the heavens are open to me, and I can call upon you in faith as I pray for my wife, my children, my friends and all those for whom I am to stand in the gap. I want to be among those who pray 'Thy kingdom come,' and it represent a real force in bringing your kingdom, rather than just the prayer of rote that so many simply recite." I want to cry out to God in faith for those who are searching, serving, or suffering, and to actually encourage and strengthen them rather than locking myself in the safety of the vehicle while others are left outside to fight or die alone. We need to stand with those who face the “lion,” but we should not despise the struggle of those who face the “rooster.”

2 Corinthians 1: 8-11. “But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf…”
Suggested reading: Ecclesiates 4: 8-12; Luke 22: 28; Ezekiel 22:30; 2 Timothy 4: 9-18; 4: 16-18

[Please see the "FRIEND IN NEED" paragraph at the end of the previous post below].

AN ACT OF COMPASSION

2010-03-14T10:45:00.001-07:00

“…And when he saw him, he had compassion” Luke 10: 33

My friend John Moses was in the check-out line at a grocery store recently and noticed that an elderly lady with a small child in line in front of him did not have enough money to pay for the groceries she was buying for herself and her grandchild. He noticed how sad and embarrassed she seemed to be as she began removing food items from her bags.

John’s heart was moved with compassion because he realized she needed every single item of food for herself and the child who was with her. Turning to the cashier he said, “Please put those items back into her bag. I will pay for her groceries .” The cashier gladly placed all the food back into the bags. The elderly lady, full of gratitude for such kindness, turned to my friend and thanked him for what he had done.

John did not mean to draw attention to himself, but he immediately received comments from those who saw what he did. The cashier said, “I have worked here for years and I have never seen anyone do that before. There have been many times when people did not have enough money to pay for all their items, and never once, until now, have I seen anyone offer to help them.”

Compassion is an instrument of God’s love and affects the one giving it as well as the one receiving it. One evening not long afterwards, John was driving from his home in Georgia to a work project in south Florida. He began to think about what had happened and became very sad. He felt his heart touched once more as he remembered the lady and the child in the grocery store. But now he was becoming angry with himself because he had only paid the amount the lady lacked. He had wanted to pay for all her groceries and let her keep what little money she had, but the cashier had misunderstood and had charged on his card only what the lady lacked. Tears welled up in his eyes as he envisioned the elderly lady and the child. “I should have done more,” he thought.

It was at this moment that he gave me a call.
I assured him that the Lord was pleased with what he had done. His kindness had blessed the elderly lady and the child and had made an impression on those who saw it. In his humility he was now feeling he had not done enough. But there was no need for guilt. Our walk with God involves a learning process. Sometimes we do things perfectly, other times we stumble around. But the Lord is with us through it all, teaching us, and helping us to grow. The Lord used this experience to reveal Himself to John in a special way. When we are moved with compassion we not only touch others but also God Himself.
[Comments can be made by clicking "comment" just below the next paragraph].

A FRIEND IN NEED
A 24 year old young man named Jack Ness is scheduled for surgery on March 22. His condition is macroprolactinoma, a brain tumor sitting on the optic nerve. He is a fine chrisitian man with a heart of gold. Doctors confirm that if he doesn't have this surgery he will lose his eye sight. The cost of the surgery is $150,000. Jack has no insurance, and Medicaid has turned him down for any assistance. His parents are dear friends of mine and I recommend him as worthy of our help.
If you would like to help this young man, please make out your check to:
North Beach Covenant Church (note "Alms" on the memo line)
and send to:
368 Cox Lane
Longs, SC 29568

If There're Snakes In There, There're Fish In There!

2010-02-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Surprise Attack
My son Reuben and I were working in the yard one summer’s day a few years ago and stumbled upon a nest of bumble bees hidden in the ground beside a storage shed out back. Bumble bees are normally non-aggressive and mind their own business, but they will attack with a vengeance if anything disturbs their nest. Reuben and I backed away, but our dog saw an adventure and fearlessly began to bite and snap at the buzzing creatures as they flew out of the hole to defend their nest. This was the dog’s first experience with bumble bees, and she was enjoying it immensely --- until she received a couple well-placed stings. She was not expecting this. The startled dog cried out with a loud yelp and took off running as fast as she could around to the front yard and out of sight. She had learned her lesson. She found a quiet place, lay on the ground, and began licking her wounds assuming the worst was over.

The Bumblebee did not play fair.
When things calmed down I returned to investigate the nest. Suddenly, one lone bumble bee came flying out of the hole and right towards me. I took off running as fast as I could toward the front yard hoping he would give up if I ran far enough away from the nest. Nevertheless, when I looked back, I saw this bumble bee at eye level about 3 feet behind me, closing in, and only a couple seconds away from stinging me. Then all of a sudden he inexplicably turned away from me, made a sharp right turn, and went straight for the poor dog lying quietly in the front yard minding her own business. Instantly I heard the dog give another loud yelp as the bumble bee stung her again. The dog then jumped up and ran off into the trees to hide in the bushes. This second attack was an even greater shock than the first one.

Snakes are fun?
This same dog used to catch snakes. She would come running up into the yard with the snake’s body hanging out both sides of her mouth and flapping around as she jumped about playing with it. Her prey had been limited to harmless garden snakes, green snakes, and rat snakes. She had never met a bad snake and so her education was not yet complete. I knew she would one day run up on a copperhead which would disillusion her and drastically change her approach to snakes.

I came home one day to find the dog listless and moping about with her snout swollen up as big as the rest of her head. She had finally met up with a Copperhead thinking she could play with it, and kill and eat it as easily as she had done with so many with other snakes. Again she had learned a hard lesson. Henceforth, whenever she found a snake she would bark and growl, but keep her distance. She would not avoid them, it was her nature to be aggressive and to fight, but now she did so with a little more knowledge and wisdom. She was never bitten again.

Religion versus harsh realities
The dog was caught completely by surprise in both instances, not expecting any real pain or problems other than the fun of the game. Are we like that? What about you? Were you expecting a toaster oven for joining? Were you expecting a tour of duty in Hawaii rather than warfare in the spiritual battlefields of the world? Did you expect the enemy to be fair and play by the rules? Did you expect your Christian friends to be perfect and never disappoint you? Did you expect no surprises, no enigmas, no anomalies? Did you not realize that you might “wake up” one day to say “Oh God, what happened to me?”

John the Baptist may have felt this way as he sat in a cold, dark prison awaiting his death and questioning his whole life and ministry. He sent word to Jesus asking, “Are you the one or do we look for another?” Jesus sent encouraging words letting him know that things were progressing according to God’s plan. The snake may have bitten your foot, but we are crushing his head. John had done a great work, he had prepared the way, and now Jesus was demonstrating the kingdom of God through miraculous signs and wonders. Jesus at that time also reminded the multitudes that the kingdom is not about men in soft garments, nor religious people acting like children sitting in the marketplace playing religious games and pretending while the real world and reality passes all around them. “The kingdom,” He said, “suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” We get real bruises and real hurts, but we stay in the battle.

Because we have confined our spiritual realities to the inside of the four walls of a church building, and placed God behind our religious traditions, choir robes, and candles, it is hard for many to see Him in the harsh realities of everyday life. This is one of the reasons why it is so easy for people to ignore God in real life while checking-in with Him on Sunday morning and then inviting Him to the funeral so they can get into heaven if it should happen to exist. Maybe that is one of the reasons the Old Testament had so much blood and sacrifice. People were reminded constantly of life and death and the fact that their spiritual life was intimately tied to the harsh realities of the every day real world.

"If there's snakes in there, there's fish in there."
When I was a teenager my friend Mr. Arthur Harrelson and I went fishing in the black waters of Woods Lake just off the Wacamaw River. We paddled with one hand and fished with the other as we slowly maneuvered our small, two-man boats through the moss-covered cypress trees and river oaks in the water along the edge of the lake. A tree had fallen over into the water and was lying on its side with half its branches under water and half above water. We slowly guided our boats toward the tree and aimed our hook and line to catch fish that were surely lurking in its branches underwater. The branches and limbs above the water were loaded with snakes, and I kept hearing “Ker-Plop” and “ker Plop” as I watched many of them drop into the water as our boats approached. Suddenly, I heard splashing and looked around to see that Mr. Harrelson had gotten out of his boat and was wadding waist deep in the black water. He was moving toward the tree and leaning forward with his hook and line dropped into the midst of those limbs.
“Mr. Harrelson!” I said, “What are you doing? There are a lot of snakes in there!”
Never taking his eyes off his cork, he replied, “If there’s snakes in there, there’s fish in there.”

Mr Harrelson was willing to face the snakes to catch the fish, and he caught more than I did. The same is true in our walk with God. The battle is real and the enemy is real.Therefore, we should not play games and pretend, but neither should we be afraid and shrink back because of the realities. If the “snakes” are there, the “fish” are there. We should be of good courage and bravely go forward expecting to be more than conquorers through Christ Jesus. The spiritual battle is real, and often difficult and painful, but we will succeed as we continue in faith and patient endurance placing our trust and confidence in Jesus Christ our Lord.

“…I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus…” 1 Corinthians 15:2

“..in all these things we are more than conquerors than through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

God's Presence or Just Routine?

2010-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

Psalm 61:-1-3
When I was a child I marveled at the stories in the Bible. There was something in my heart that longed to see the manifestation of God’s presence working intimately among His people. I wanted to experience the Lord’s presence in the same way as did those people in the Bible. I especially remember sitting in a revival meeting in our Baptist church and feeling such frustration at how complacent and satisfied the people seemed to be. The Lord was with us; I knew that. But I felt so strongly He wanted to do more and that He would surely come if we asked Him. I decided to do something about it.

When the pastor gave the invitation at the end of his message, I walked up to him and asked if I could say something to the congregation. He stopped the music, asked the congregation to be seated, and stepped back so I could speak. I am sure he thought it would be a good thing and “safe” to let a sixteen year old boy speak to the congregation.

Everyone listened intently. I looked over the crowd and said, “I don’t think we as a people are really praying and asking God to work among us. If each of us would actually take time talk to the Lord before we come to these meetings, and ask Him to visit us, God would surely be here revealing Himself in some special way. I don’t know what He would do, but I know He would do more than what we are seeing here now. As we sing another verse of the song, I want those of you who feel the same way to join me up front, and let’s all kneel down here and ask the Lord to visit us.” The worship leader resumed the music, I knelt on the front row to pray, and about twenty-five or 30 people joined me. My heart rejoiced. People were responding. Something wonderful was happening. "Surely there will be a change now," I thought. "The Lord may visit us in a special way tomorrow night." I naievely thought the people would all go home and take some time to pray, and that the pastor would be so happy about what I had done.

I was disappointed the next evening when I saw that everything was back to routine and nothing had changed. I thought, “Obviously not many, if any, are praying at home, and no one seems really hungry to see the Lord work among us beyond this ritual and routine.” So during the invitational song I once again went up to the pastor and asked if I could say something. He very politely declined and said, “I think it is best if you don’t say anything tonight.”
My heart sank. I realized then that he was satisfied with things the way they were. He was not interested in God's “showing up” beyond the usual, and he especially did not want the congregation at the altar praying on their knees. He was afraid of what might happen, and he was not about to allow a 16 year old boy to instigate such activity.

But something happened a few months later to highlight the issue in my mind once again. During another revival meeting, a very well-dressed military man walked into the back of the auditorium during the meeting. I saw him bend over and whisper to a gentleman on the back row, who then arose and walked over to one of the families in the church and led them out to speak with this visitor. The pastor followed them out, and after a few minutes, he returned to the meeting, and stood before the congregation to share the terrible news. “The C___ family has just received news that their son’s plane has been shot down in Viet Nam, and he is now missing in action. Let’s all come up to the front and pray for God to save this young man’s life.” I watched as almost the entire congregation gathered at the altar area to pray.

I asked the Lord, “If this is the thing to do now, to break the routine, to gather in prayer to lift our voices together to cry out for God’s help in an emergency, why then do we not do it all the time? Why is it not a way of life? The world is full of emergencies and needs. People are always suffering everywhere. People are groping about and in need of God. People need the Lord. Why do we not sincerely and passionately call upon Him as part of our daily routine? Why is this not a part of our daily spiritual life as a people?” It blessed me to see the church in agressive and passionate prayer during this time of need. But my question was, "Why do we not thirst like this every day? Why do we not thirst to know Him?" To seek to walk intimately with the Lord daily, will this not strengthen our faith when we call upon Him during our times of need?

“Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children…” Lamentations 2: 19

“Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down! That the mountains might shake at your presence…” Isaiah 64: 1

“Oh God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no waer. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.” Psalm 63: 1-2

Pa Pa's Miracle When He Faced the Truth

2010-01-23T18:45:00.001-08:00

Tharon Hardee was my maternal grandfather. The grandchildren called him Pa Pa. In 1964 he was in his seventies and a member of the church, but living a life inconsistent with his Christian testimony. I was 15 years old at the time, and remember sitting in Pa Pa’s family room and listening intently as my mother, her sisters, and brother expressed to him their concerns about his eternal soul.
“Daddy,” they told him, “we are worried about you and are concerned that you are not walking with the Lord as you know you should.”
“Why, Jesus is my all in all,” he responded emphatically, and acted surprised that they would question his behavior. He was not ready to admit the truth about where he was, and it seemed that the discussion had no apparent effect. He continued his life doing the things he knew were displeasing to the Lord.

A few months later on a Saturday evening while I was at my weekend job of steaming oysters at a local seafood restaurant I received word that Pa Pa had had a stroke and was in critical condition, and that I should go immediately to Loris Hospital where the family was gathering. I entered the emergency room just as they were pushing him down the hall. As his bed was rolled past me he looked up at me with distress in his eyes and with heavily slurred speech said, “Billy, pray for me!” This cry told me that in his heart he knew the reality of what his children had been trying to tell him. Facing death, he had to also face the truth.
“Okay, Pa Pa,” I said as they rolled him past me and on to treatment.

He was in the hospital for about three weeks, but finally recovered enough to be sent home. He was alive, but the stroke had left him unable to walk. The family decided I should sleep at my grandparents home at night in order to help my grandmother care for him. I would lift him up off of his bed every morning and literally carry him to the little cot that had been placed in the family room where he would remain all day. In the evenings I would go back to his house to resume my duties helping my grandmother. How well I remember going over to that little cot each night, lifting him up and carrying him in my arms, and placing him in his bed where he would sleep for the night. This routine went on for about two weeks.

Then one Saturday his nephew Carl came by to pray for him. He read 2 Chronicles 7: 14, and the verses leaped from the pages almost like an audible word from God to my grandfather. Every word seemed to be a word directly from God. They described him perfectly, stating the problem and the solution. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Carl read the scripture, said the prayer, and then left. Pa Pa, sitting alone on that cot with those words echoing in his heart, looked up to the Lord and took Him at His word. He repented and turned his life over to the Lord in that very moment.

A few minutes later, my mother received a phone call from my grandmother saying, “Jessie Lois, Tharon wants you to come here now.” When Mama and I walked in, we saw Pa Pa sitting on his cot crying. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he looked up and said, “Lois, the Lord has restored to me the joy of my salvation,” and then after a pause, he continued, “And I think He has healed me, too.”
Mama then shouted, “Well, get up, Daddy!”
He immediately arose and began to walk. He was crying and laughing at the same time, and rejoicing in the overwhelming knowledge of God’s forgiveness, joy, and healing. I still remember him walking out the back door and circling the house a couple times with arms lifted, praising and thanking the Lord for his healing. My mom and I immediately called the rest of the family to tell them of the miracle.

Pa Pa was a new man after that. I remember being with him when friends from his past who had not heard of his transformation would come up to him and make some crude comment or some reference to his past life. He would get a very serious and stern look on his face. “I don’t do that anymore,” he would say, and then explain to them that he was walking with the Lord now and that his life had changed. I watched him love the Lord and walk with the Lord until the day of his death about two years later. Whenever I would visit him during those two years he would always ask me to pray for him and with him before I left. Often at night I would sit with him and read to him from the Bible. Those are precious memories. I had witnessed his years of hypocrisy, and then had the joy and privilege of witnessing his wonderful healing and the transformation which came to him when he faced reality and was honest with himself before God. We can all learn a lesson from this.

“But...the good ground are those who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patient endurance.” Luke 8: 15

“Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts…” Psalm 51: 6

Our Answers are in Him

2009-12-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Below is a paraphrased excerpt from a letter wrote I about 6 years ago. I have edited out the "juicy" parts, but nevertheless it is a candid expression of what I was dealing with at that particular season. Many of you may identify with it to some degree. I would encourage you to follow it up with Psalm 73, which encourages God’s people to find their peace and solutions in the presence of God.

A personal letter, Summer of 2003:
“My life has come to a place of overwhelming shock to me. It is like waking up from a dream and finding I am in a nightmare. To start out with a vision for great things and to end up at the bottom has been a great and shameful disappointment to me. My life has been filled with wonderful signs of God’s presence and horrible pits of darkness at the same time. I have always tried to follow what I thought was the Lord’s way and direction, yet now I realize how I have been so influenced by my fears, anxieties, laziness, and lack of discipline. Over the years I have struggled with all sorts of mental weaknesses that have stunted and dwarfed my potential. The lines between these inherited mental infirmities and undisciplined self-centeredness have been blurry, and have made it hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins...

Yet I have learned to be content with the Lord Himself rather than needing ministry to make me happy. I have set my focus to facing my own inner monsters and destroying them. I have been making progress and am rejoicing in it…With the victory that I have moved into over this last month I have received tremendous hope for myself and the possibilities of further changes to come. I plan to climb a step daily and take advantage of whatever grace and plans the Lord still has available for me. When I say “hope for myself” I am referring to areas in me that need change, and changes in the areas that affect my family and the other important concerns of my life.

…I have faith for God to change me. I have faith for Him to continue the good work He has been doing in me in this season. And “ministry” does not matter. Changing, pleasing the Lord, and blessing my wife and family are what matters. [At this point in my letter I made reference to a specific area where I needed to see victory, and then said…] We just have to endure while the Lord defeats that enemy too." -BL, summer, 2003.

Psalm 73
Whether a person is disillusioned because he has been genuinely disappointed by some hope, or simply going through a difficult and perplexing time, his answer and deliverance are in the presence of the Lord. David saw the wicked prosper while the people of God suffered. He saw the ungodly appear to sin with impunity while he himself was chastened every morning. His first reaction was to feel his efforts at righteousness had been in vain. What he saw troubled him, and his reaction to it grieved him deeply. "It was all too painful" he said— until he went into the presence of God. He would have given up had he not sought the Lord.
It is at Jesus' feet that we gain the right perspective. It is there that we get our bearings and reference points. We present our hearts for cleansing, open the Bible and see what God's word says, as we listen to the Holy Spirit and let Him minister to us. David's conclusion was, "I have put my trust in the Lord God."

Job 42: 5-6
Job was tested to the limit in his suffering and did not understand what was happening or why. I am sure that in his extreme pain he had many questions. But in the final chapter, God Himself showed up, and Job bowed before Him in humility, flooded with the knowledge of God's greatness, love, kindness, goodness, and wisdom. In that moment of revelation he did not question God. In God's presence we need no other answer, and yet in Him we have all the answers.
The Lord is pleased to give us understanding, but we must remember that He is our wisdom. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We should seek Him. It is in His presence that we find our answers, our peace, our strength, and our joy.

Disobey and Have A Party?

2009-12-01T19:19:00.001-08:00

“And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands (the idols)…” Acts 7: 41
“And…he…made a molded calf…and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Exodus 32: 4-6
“It is…the sound of singing I hear….He saw the calf and the dancing.” Ex 32: 18-19.

The verses above show that you can disobey the Lord and still have a party---at least for a while.

One of the problems with human nature is that it so often loses sight of both reward and consequences. When we get caught up in the temptation of the moment or in what we want right now, we forget that there is a reward for faith and obedience, and a consequence and a reaping for evil and disobedience. And so like Israel, we make our “golden calves” and have a party.

Moses had gone up the mountain to meet God face to face and to receive the commandments and the laws for Israel’s life as a nation. The people became impatient, discontent, perplexed, and maybe bored during the 40 day wait while Moses was on the mountain. They felt that God was taking too long, and maybe Moses was dead. So they decided to make their own gods. This would liven things up a bit and provide a more cheerful atmosphere. It would help them to feel better. They made an idol and rejoiced before it,” They were singing, dancing, and feeling good. It actually appeared to be one of their happiest moments since leaving Egypt. Sounds like something wonderful, but what a fleeting deception! 3,000 people died as a result of this egregious sin (the idol, not the singing and dancing).

The enemy of our souls is so very deceptive. He inhabits our idols and pretends to offer so much. And we foolishly rejoice in those idols because they indulge our flesh and allow us to do as we please. They help us to feel better by providing a quick momentary fix. They help us to temporarily drown our fears, and to forget our deeply troubling thoughts and unanswered questions. They appeal to our selfishness and our self-centeredness. They appeal to and feed our rebellious nature while also keeping us distracted from the one true God.

God calls a person to surrender now, and to pay the price of obedience up front. For now it may mean self-control, waiting, sacrifice, suffering, and doing the right thing when we would rather be doing something else. The cost is now, but the rewards will surely follow. The blessing is beyond the obedience.
The enemy, on the other hand, offers all the “good stuff” up front. He offers pleasures and “what you want” now. He makes you think it’s free or at a discount, and with no waiting. As a result, many have eaten at his table not realizing the horrible price they will inevitably pay. If you think God is asking too much of you now, just wait until the devil comes to collect later.

Israel sang, danced, and rejoiced before their idol, and shortly thereafter 3,000 lay dead. By contrast, Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoying the passing pleasures of sin he could have experienced by ignoring God's call on his life. He was able to do this because by faith he saw the rewards that would follow. (Heb 11: 25-26). Jesus said that the world will rejoice while you are sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy” (John 16: 20). In His own example, Jesus in His hour of suffering was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him, because He knew that His travail of soul would redeem man back to God (Heb 12:2). Impending sorrow and regret await those who live in disobedience; but for those who take up their cross to follow Jesus, joy will come in the morning.

It is an honor and a privilege when the Lord calls upon you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). And if you really knew the gift that is being offered, you would not be blinded by what you think is too great a price to pay. If you could really see who it is that calls you, you would fall at His feet in complete surrender knowing that He and the treasures He brings are inexpressible and far beyond comprehension.

The bible says they "rejoiced in the work of their own hands" (i.e., their idols). But this joy was fleeting, tenuous, and false. "Idols" are deceptive. They lie and are like clouds without water boasting of false gifts. I have a good friend who says he has his own religion, but he lives in fear of death, and with tremendous anxiety about growing old. Our idols can only offer a temporary "high" or a temporary "sleep" to help us avoid facing life, truth, and the reality of eternity. Grind up the "golden calf" and cast it away. Look up to the living and true God, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Only in Him is true joy and real peace.

[For those theologians among us, let me say that I know that salvation is a fee gift, and can not be earned. Please understand the terms such as "price" and "cost" in context of Luke 14].

Poems from Experience

2009-10-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Just for fun I decided to include some poems I wrote. The first two I think are quite witty. The first one I wrote in response to mine and Laurel's kidding about my tendency to repeat myself too much. The second one I wrote in response to my struggles to change in areas that would improve my role as a husband. The other poems are of a more serious nature and which share some spiritual insight gained from experience.

Vain Repetitions
My emails will say hello, communicate, and engage.
They may even dazzle you with eloquence and prose.
Expert tools of grammar will be utilized on each page.
But no trite phrases, and no repetitions. No. None of those.
Your heart will be warmed by thoughts so expressed
In simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and other additions.
But in the end you surely will have confessed
The thing has a glaring absence of those redundent repetitions.
His heart and mind are drawn with words
Telling revelation, his schedule, truth, and no fiction.
Impressing that pretty lady with things he’s heard,
Messages fresh and new, but no nasty repetition.
You can trust what I’ve said, you can trust what I wrote.
Repetitions are over, in the past, no longer to offend.
You can believe the truth of this note.
Repetitions are gone. As proof I’ve said it again.

A Husband’s Struggle to Change

The apostle said he had the privilege to “lead about” a wife.
I guess I’ve been trying to do that all my life.
But still I’ve had to deal with pain and strife
of only being able to be “about to lead” a wife.

I think about it and study on it which is what I usually do.
But the problem is being able to actually follow through.
And it’s not like I’m trying to learn a lot of something new.
I’m having trouble nailing down a few.

I look pitiful after failing a few tries,
She looks frustrated and rolls her eyes
Still I manage to give a little surprise
When occasionally I stand to the occasion and arise.

But It seems my progress is only brief
Enough to give hope but not relief.
Such little faith is beyond belief
What can I do to prevent such grief

But now after so much time has flown,
Through labor and grace I have finally grown.
Significant fruit from seed that was sown.
Thank God my wife did not leave me alone.

JOURNAL ENTRY: SPRING 2004 INSPIRED BY JOHN 12: 24-25.

The fires were hot and the waters were deep.
Would I drown or be consumed?
But I had forgotten how grace is reaped,
and life in Jesus resumed.

The weapons that pierce and cause us to bleed
and lay us in mourning and gloom,
No matter how fierce, still they cannot pierce
the pain and wall of the tomb.

For in that dark place, the light of His face
will show mysteries before unseen.
And all the bad will remain in the grave
while we are raised redeemed.

JOURNAL ENTRY: 6/30/99. INSPIRED BY JOB 29:1-6; ISAIAH 49.

Held in deep contempt, and stabbed by eyes of scorn,
Heart broken and rent, with dignity stripped and shorn,
The honor that was meant, to others has been borne.
But God's favor is not spent; why should I then mourn?
He has not changed His intent nor the reason I was born!

Laid aside and forgotten, no one calls for me.
Bereft of my begotten, none upon my knee.
But He shall lift His hand, and a banner shall the children see.
They shall fill the land, and they will come to me.
For God's favor is not spent; why should I then mourn?
He stands by His intent and the reason I was born!

JOURNAL ENTRY: SPRING, 2004 INSPIRED BY MAT 13:31-32; DAN 4: 10-12.

A tree stood before me thick with limbs and leaves all green.
Its branches were home, shelter, and food to birds and smaller animals unseen.
Its whole being, as if signaling to God, waved in the breeze.
And quietly shouted, "The kingdom of God is like these."
It is home, provision, and protection. It is God's rule, His love and care
to all who follow Him, love Him, and build their nests in there.

Billy Long

His Purpose Will Prevail

2009-09-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Seeing so many things that could discourage us and seeing the failures of God's people we are tempted to lose heart and faith and to think that there is no use trying. We have seen what we thought were the wrong people succeeding and the wrong people failing. Like John the Baptist we have seen the glory and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God!" Then we have sat in our "prison cells" and said, "Are you the one or do we look for another? Did I miss it?"
We have stood on the mountain top and cried out, "This is it!" And we have crawled on the valley floor crying, "Where did it go?" We have said, "Lord, I'll never leave you nor forsake you" and later denied Him before the rooster crowed. We have slept while others were in their Gethsemanes. We have had friends walk into our Gethsemanes and betray us with a kiss. We have seen churches fly and churches fall. We have been in the processes of God and were not sure whether we were being pruned or stripped, whether we were being purged and refined or burned and rejected. In our attempts at obedience we have at times stepped out in faith not sure whether we were stepping up or stepping off. We have been asleep in the boat during the storm and did not know whether to stand up and say, "Peace! Be still!" or whether to ask someone to throw us overboard to the whale.

In the midst of all of the situations above, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the eternal purpose of God was accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3: 11). Instead of being in the pits of unbelief because of our failures and that of others, we should rejoice that Almighty God will complete the church and bring forth His kingdom. Not one jot or tittle shall fail of what He has said regarding the church and His kingdom plan. Jesus, while hanging on the cross, gored by the "bulls of Bashan", bitten by demonic dogs, and "pierced by the congregation of the wicked" (Psalms 22) which surrounded Him on Calvary, could still, in the face of this, know that all things were accomplished and that the Scripture concerning Himself had been fulfilled. He thus could say, "It is finished!" (John 19: 25-30). How much more from His place of glory and authority at the right hand of the Father, even in the face of a hostile world and a stubborn and stiffnecked church, will He not again come to say in the proper time, "It is finished!"?

The book of Ephesians speaks of God's purpose, God's people, God's grace, and God's power. These are high and lofty elements; they represent the wonderful work of God. The book also deals with the nitty-gritty areas of life such as unity, godly living, spiritual warfare, the family, relationships, etc. Sooner or later God's purpose, power, and grace will prevail in the nitty-gritty, and God will reveal in His people just how much He really is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20). He is able to subdue all things unto Himself (Philippians 3: 21). He will complete His work.

We have faith for the past and for the future—but we think God has trouble handling the present. We believe God controls all things. He controls the whole—but we think He has difficulty with the parts and the particulars. We believe He sets the boundaries of nations—but we think he has no control over the unreasonable and trespassing neighbor who has moved the boundary lines of our front yard. We believe, according to the scripture, that God will produce the glorious church, that He will succeed with the whole—but we think He is failing with the parts, with the individuals, that He controls the "whole" but not the "each." Obviously we must realize that to determine the boundaries of nations God must have power over the neighbor's small plot. To be God of history, He must also be God of the moment. To control past and future, He must control the present. He is God over all. He will complete His work and fulfill His counsel. Not one jot or tittle shall fail of all his good promises.

The apostle Paul experienced every type of evil from the hands of men, including attempts to destroy his life. He experienced grief from the failures of churches under his ministry. He was forsaken and rejected. He even suffered at the hands of the demonic messenger of Satan sent to buffet him. Yet in spite of all this, he spoke eloquently and with great faith concerning God's plan for the church. He trusted in God, in God's wisdom and power. Paul began the book of Ephesians with the phrase "Paul...an apostle by the will of God." Having experienced God's sovereign initiative and power, and having seen how it completely transformed him into God's faithful and passionate servant, Paul basically proceeded to say, both explicitly and implicitly in the book of Ephesians, that the church, the people of God, will also be transformed and made into the perfect man by the same will of God and by the same power of God.

God is building together a people into an habitation of God through the Spirit. That People is His heritage, His chosen possession, through which His great power and grace shall be demonstrated, through which the manifold wisdom of God shall be made manifest unto principalities and powers, and through which His life and image shall be reflected upon the earth. His kingdom shall come. He shall bring down all principalities and powers until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. His glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Therefore, we should not be moved away from the hope (the confident expectation) of the fulfillment of all that is promised and proclaimed in the gospel. The Sovereign God is administrating times and seasons, each to its fullness, until all things are fulfilled in Christ. God's sovereignty, His power, His grace, and His wisdom are the backdrop and foundation for our faith and confidence. There is no place to sit down disillusioned with God, His purpose, His plan, or His church. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think. No matter how discouraging our own experiences have been, God will succeed.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul?...Hope in God." Psalm 42: 11.

"according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3: 11.

"continue in the faith steadfast ... not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard..." Colosians 1: 23.

Wounded Veterans

2009-08-08T12:28:00.001-07:00

"...The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."
Nehemiah 1: 3
"...Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?"
Nehemiah 4: 2

The drama of the church is often reminiscent of those scenes from war movies in which excited new recruits march toward the front lines while being met by weary veterans returning from battle, limping along bandaged and bloody, carrying their wounded, and still in shock from the trauma of conflict. The new recruits move forward ready to conquor the world, while the battle-weary veterans groan in the pain of failure and disillusionment. Multitudes start out in the Christian walk, everybody expects testing, they just don't expect it to be real. They expect either victory without battle (naiveté and untested faith) or battle without victory (skepticism and unbelief). Motives and untested faith must inevitably face the refiners fire. The disillusionments of time and testing can take a heavy toll on the lightheartedness of youthful innocence, naiveté, and inexperience. As a result many Christians tend to move over time and experience from the naiveté of the inexperienced novice to the skeptical cynicism of the disillusioned veteran.

How many Christians do you know who no longer fellowship with other Christians or who just sit on the back row and hover at the fringes of the Christian life? How many do you know whose lives have fallen apart? It's the spouse who has become spiritually defeated because of marriage conflicts. It is the pastor who feels he has been through his own crucifixion at the hands of a rebellious flock. It is the Christian who has been abused or hurt by the church or its leaders. It's the person who has been disillusioned by the unexpected complications of life, and disappointed by his own failures or that of others. Hopes held high in the beginning eventually dissipated during hard times, mistreatment, distresses, and sin. The experienced "veteran" is often the most depressed.

The "burnt-stone" syndrome occurs when a person is overwhelmed by the various "fires" of temptation, mistreatment, conflict, failure, disillusionment, and disappointment. It occurs when one embraces wrong or sinful responses to difficulties and adversities.These wrong and sinful responses, left uncorrected, hinder the grace of God, choke out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and produce spiritual desolation. When a person gets the wind knocked out of him, his primary concern becomes survival rather than service.When a person is standing amid the broken fragments of collapsed walls he loses heart and hope. How can I give of myself again after all my past investment has gone up in smoke? How can I build again? Why should I build again? Who can I trust again? These are questions asked by those who have been disabled by the fires of life.

Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms that describe these people. They no longer serve with joy, and they try to remain at a safe distance from God's people. They have lost sight of God’s purpose. They associate it with those people and things that brought them pain. They grieve because of unexpected loss. They are unwilling to trust again because they were wounded by people they trusted. Disappointment of hope destroys vision.

Loss of Confidence in God and His people
To lose confidence in God’s people can cause us to consequently lose confidence in God Himself. No matter how much Christians or people fail, we must not forget that there is a God on the throne who rules and who will ultimately bring forth the full manifestation of plan and His kingdomon this earth. It is a deception to give up on God because of the failures of His children. We are willing to risk obedience because we trust in God. True faith in God must also include the ability to trust God with other people.

Avoiding hurt
Seeing themselves as victims who have been robbed they become bitter and angry,unwilling to risk vulnerability, afraid of being exposed to potential hurt. They say, "I will not be hurt again!" This survivalist mentality produces disobedience because obedience is seen as a risk. The primary motivation becomes self-protection and self-interests. The obvious consequence is the inability to have a heart after God's interest and God’s heart. They depart from the way of the cross. (Mat.16:24-25, Neh.6:10-14).

Avoiding Relationships
Superficial faith and superficial involvement with other Christians; withdrawn, independent, detached and isolated, separated from real church life, having drifted to the fringes and avoiding relationships; Drifting along, drifting away.
-Cautious and reserved in approaching God and other Christians; withholding themselves from both God and man. The walls that protect also isloate.

Hardened Heart
-Using problems as an excuse to neglect their spiritual lives. Ungodly attitudes, when embraced and nurtured, will take their toll upon the Christian's walk with God.
-Heart hardened through anger, bitterness, hurt, and other unhealthy attitudes. As the heart hardens, the fruit of the Spirit (those good qualities which usually mark the Christian's life) will begin to wither, and the worst tendencies of his flesh will begin to grow.
-Stumbled by tribulation, they allow the heart to become unfruitful soil; the word of God and its fruit are choked by the stresses and distresses.

Spiritually Disabled
-Spiritually paralyzed, disabled, and incapacitated.
-Sitting at home angry, confused, disillusioned, with loss of purpose.
-Living far below their potential, hiding their candles under baskets.

Loss of Vision and Faith
-Failing to see and understand the sovereignty of God.
-Unbelief, lack of hope, lack of faith, lack of vision.
-Do not understand, do not have the divine perspective. When a person does not acurately interpret his experience, especially if this misinterpretation stems from his failure to be broken and obedient before God, he will have short-circuited his power of discernment and will be unable to see God's plan and hope for his future. Not having resolved the past, he will be unable to proceed.

When we are burned by the fire, we avoid those things which we perceive will get us burned again. We fall prey to isolation, self-protectionism, and a survivalist mentality. A person can not move forward in useful and fulfilling service to God while his life is controlled and directed by this perspective and disposition. One can not build the future while standing in the rubble of the past; therefore, the ground must be cleared of the rubble in order to find freedom to face the future in faith, in obedience, and without fear.

And the future must be faced, for we have within us a God-given inner need to progress and move forward. It is no wonder that the enemy does everything within his power to destroy our future by ruining our past. To lose all that we have invested in, to be hurt by those from whom we least expected it, to be dismayed in the grief of our failures will strain anyones faith to the limit. When the past is seen only in terms of hurt and regret, the present is experienced as pain and emptiness left by the void, and the future is viewed as a dark place devoid of vision and purpose. When the past is a disaster the future is faced with fear. In such a state, it is very difficult to look forward, much less to reach forward.

Our God, however, is the God of redemption. Time after time the Bible gives testimony of God's ability and willingness to turn all things to our good and to His purpose. Christianity was built to successfully sustain us in difficult times. A spiritual and godly approach to life's difficulties will cause the Christian to please God in all things and to come through it all in communion and relationship with the Lord and with feet firmly on the path of God's purpose. It is a matter of our engaging the Lord properly, understanding His Sovereignty, walking in faith and obedience, and maintaining a right spirit and relationship with Him. For the Christian there is never an excuse for spiritual disability, quitting, or settling for less. There is a place in God where every Christian can come through every fire without "smelling like smoke".

My purpose in writing in this article is to encourage and inspire Christians to face adversity in a manner consistent with God's word. The fires of trials and testings will thus refine the Christian rather than leaving him burnt and disabled.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8: 28
"But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." 1 Peter 5: 10
"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather let it be healed. Heb.12: 12-13

2009-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Ralph the roofer is checking the hot asphalt temperature for the sixth time today.

Human nature does not always learn wisdom from experience, does it?

ICY HOT?

2009-07-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 50: 4 “The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.”

Icy Hot or Preparation-H
Years ago a lady in my hometown was suffering from that “burning and itching sensation” that we hear about in TV commercials. She sent one of her children to the drugstore to purchase a tube of Preparation-H Ointment, which was placed in the tiny medicine cabinet above her bathroom sink along with other medicines which promise relief from various physical ailments.
Soon afterwards, her hemorrhoids began to “flare up,” and the pain drove her back to the medicine cabinet for the relief she so desperately needed. Reaching for the Prep-H Ointment she inadvertently took the Icy Hot instead. Icy Hot is a wonderful medication for muscular pain and various aches that need penetrating heat, but it was never intended for hemorrhoids. You can imagine what happened as she applied a very generous portion to the afflicted area.

Job’s Comforters
Truth, like medicine, is meant to be applied appropriately, especially when we are dealing with people’s lives. “Job’s Comforters” are people who are quick to give an opinion based on a superficial observation and without any revelation or true insight into the realities of the person to whom they speak. The first two chapters in the book of Job portray Job as a godly man bearing up under unbearably severe infirmities. Then his friends came and sat with him a few days. Job probably sensed what they were thinking and knew they were about to open a jar of “Icy Hot” to rub into his hurting wounds. As a result he cursed the day he was born. They had come to comfort him, but proceeded to add to his distress with their insensitivity, condemning words, and misapplication of truth. How often does this happen in our own lives!

Not in the Same Boat
It is not wise to make rash judgments against people based on outward circumstances. We need wisdom when we reach out to people in their moments of trial, so that our words are in season. We cannot tell what season a person is in just by looking at the “color of the leaves on his tree.” It is possible for two people to be in similar circumstances for opposite reasons, and it takes revelation to know why a person is where he is. Jonah was in his distress because of his disobedience. Job, in contrast, suffered because he was perfect, and God was pleased with him. Jesus was hanging on a cross among thieves and criminals, but he was there for a vastly different reason. “Job’s Comforters” cannot tell the difference; they swing the sword of truth without discerning the people to whom they speak.

What counsel would you give the two men I am about to describe? What would you say to the people who are with them? These two men are in two different boats. The boats are being tossed in a terrible storm at sea. Both men are asleep in his boat while everyone else on board in both situations are terrified that everyone is about to perish. What do you say to these men whose circumstances, in terms of outward description, are almost exactly the same? Well, one of these men is Jonah. He is there because of disobedience and must be thrown overboard. The other is Jesus. He is God and is about to teach His disciples a lesson in faith. A Job’s Comforter most likely would have taken his lesson from Jonah, looked at the outward similarities, and would have proceeded to throw Jesus overboard.

Truth and Love
Knowledge alone does not make a person spiritual, wise, or mature. Knowledge alone can produce arrogance and be used to inflict pain. With our knowledge we need wisdom and insight. And if you feel you are short on these, then just fall back on love. In many cases compassion, mercy, and love will prevent you from speaking foolishly and behaving unwisely when it comes to giving words and advice that might hurt people. Obviously there is a time for “open rebuke” and the “wounds of a faithful friend” (Prov.27:6). But too often people suffer from the insensitivity of a “Job’s Comforter” who brings in the Icy Hot for a pain it was not meant for.

Comfort for a Hurting Friend

2009-07-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

[Below is a personal word that I recently shared with a friend who had been hurt by friends he loved and trusted. Obviously this word is not meant for everyone reading this entry, but there may be others of you to whom it will also speak. –Billy Long]

During my prayer time this morning I was reading about Jeremiah’s “perpetual pain” (Jer.15:15-21), and realized this word is for you. I know there are no simple answers or quick solutions to the grief and pain you are experiencing. But I think the Lord has given me a word that will at least give a little comfort until you complete this particular phase of your journey into the Lord’s purpose for you.

I believe the Lord did lead you in the path you took. It was not a mistake. He sent you there because he knew your pure heart and good insight would allow you to see the realities of the situation. He also knew that your integrity would cause you to speak up rather than sit silent. He knew it would be difficult and painful. He knew that you would question your own motives and search your own heart and wonder if somehow you had failed. He knew you would do this because the humble and obedient tend to examine themselves more diligently than the rebellious and self-centered who usually blame everything on others. He sent you to represent Him in sharing the insight and admonition that those around you needed to hear. Whether you realized it or not, you were, in a sense, a prophetic voice into the situation. Your wounds, therefore, are the Lord’s wounds, and you carry them for His sake. The scars on the prophets’ backs were badges of honor to be held before the Lord. Part of your healing will be to realize that your scars are from wounds received for the Lord’s sake. They will not be festering, disabling, sores that sideline you.

Jeremiah said, “Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable?” Obviously this is what it feels like to you now and where you may be for a while. But ultimately you will not see these pains and bruises from the perspective of yourself, but as trophies borne as a result of obedience and being sent on a difficult mission for Him.

The thing you have been through may leave scars. But that is not necessarily bad. Jesus still carries the scars in his hands, feet, and side. They bear testimony to the work the Lord produced through His obedience. You will eventually thank God that He counted you worthy to be among those who suffer for Him in such a way.
Remember, it is no compliment when the Lord allows a person to have an easy life with no challenges. It is a great compliment and signifies the honor and confidence the Lord has in you when He gives you difficult assignments that don’t seem fair for you to have to bear. God requires more of those He loves. He asks more of those from whom he expects more. You have loved the Lord and have wanted to know and do His will. He has let you see reality. But Solomon said that with wisdom comes grief (Eccles 1:18). The more reality we see and the more insight God gives us, the more we will realize how “out of plumb” things are and how much “whitewash” rather than mortar is being used in the wall. Then when integrity forces us to speak up, we are attacked for pointing out the truth, even when presenting it humbly and in love.

So in summary. I know it will take a while to work through the pain, even as it was with Jeremiah in the verses referred to above. But when you see it in the light of what I have shared, you will let it take you to Jeremiah’s place of promise where the Lord ministers His grace, strength, and redemption.

This is not meant to be a cliché or quick-fix, but to encourage you to stand in faith until the Lord shines the warmth of His pleasure on you and rewards you with even more insight and spiritual substance as a result of faithful obedience and perseverance. As with Job, relief will come when God shows up and reveals Himself (as in Job 42) to celebrate with you your victory, and to reward you for passing your test while you were serving Him. If we see ourselves as His servants (i.e. we are serving Him and representing Him rather than ourselves) ultimately we will come through the fire without smelling like it. (Dan. 3: 24-28).

"That Ain't What I Said!"

2009-06-27T07:25:00.001-07:00

Hebrews 4: 13 “And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

We have all heard about the dumb criminal who robbed the convenience store after filling out an application for employment and turning it in with his real name and phone number on it. The police simply read the application and went to his home and arrested him. Here are a few other situations illustrating the truth that “all things are open and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."

The men in the police line-up stood stood facing a mirror on the wall. Behind it was the victim who was about to identify the one who had stolen her purse. The men were being told to repeat the same sentence the thief had said to the woman when he robbed her. The officer addressed the first man, “Suspect number one, step forward, hold out your hand and say, ‘Give me all your money.’” The man complied. The officer then gave the same instructions to the second man who then stepped forward and said, “Give me all your money.” But the third man, after receiving the same instructions, became irritated and looked up at the glass and said, “That ain’t what I said!”

Here is a true story from a courtroom trial. The prosecuting attorney was questioning a witness who had seen two men running out of a convenience store after they had robbed it. The attorney said, “Now you say that you met two men running out of the store as you were walking into the store? You say each had a gun in his hand, and one was carrying a bag.” The prosecutor then began to turn slowly toward the couroom as he continued to query the witness,“Now, are these two men in the courtroom today?" But before the witness could respond, everyone, including the jury, noticed that the two defendants had raised their hands.

I bought a bottle of cologne that I had never tried before. It smelled pretty good, at least on everyone else. I splashed some on my face, and then walked out to the car. I sat in the driver’s seat waiting for my mother to get in. She opened the door, sat down, tilted her head up, and began sniffing the air. She then looked down at the bottoms of her feet as she said to me, “Billy, check the bottom of your shoes and see if you stepped in any dog poop before you got in the car.” I knew it was the cologne, but said nothing about it. I just went through the motions of checking my shoe soles. I did not use that cologne any more after that.

Years ago I was babysitting my 4 or 5 year old sister Kay and her cousin Ginger who had come to visit and spend the night with her. They were playing hide and go seek, and Kay had gone into the bed room and was hiding behind the bed. Ginger entered the room smiling and laughing and began searching behind the doors and in the closet trying to find her. So as Ginger was standing beside me and searching the room, I called out to Kay, “Kay, be very quite. Don’t make a sound. Don’t say a word.” Immediately from behind the bed, a little voice called out, “I not!” Ginger looked at me with a big smile and then ran straight to the hiding place.

Numbers 32:23 “Be sure, your sins will find you out.”

The lesson in these unrelated stories illustrate the utter foolishness of our attempting to hide who we are. It is not only impossible to hide from God, but neither can we hide from those around us. Who we really are is ultimately revealed in our words, our countenance, and our behavior. The smell of our “bad cologne” will expose us. And if we are good at hiding it, we must remember the old proverbs that tell us the “walls have ears” and “the little birdie” will tell someone. We are like the goldfish in the bowl. We cannot run away from home and there is nowhere to hide. So it is best to have an honest heart before the Lord, for He loves us and will give grace for reality if we will face it. He does not give grace for pretend. The apostle John said that if we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

SURRENDERING TO GOD'S DISCIPLINE

2009-06-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

"When with rebukes you correct man for iniquity, you make his beauty melt away like a moth," Psalm 39:11

Discipline is often painful but is not harmful unless it is stubbornly resisted, despised, and rejected. Discipline has a positive purpose. Discipline is God's love providing us with incentive to obey, working to help free us from disobedience and harmful ways, and attempting to bring us closer to Him. Surrendering to God’s discipline results in strength, righteousness, peace, maturity, wholeness, and holiness (Hebrews 12: 12-17), but stubborn refusal to break leaves us stripped, bruised, and spiritually disabled (Isaiah 1:5-6; Psalm 38:1-5).

David is a wonderful example of how to respond to God’s discipline. He was quick to humble himself with a broken and contrite spirit before God. He acknowledged his sin and attempted no excuses or self-justification. His prayer was, “Have mercy upon me…for I acknowledge my transgression.” (Psalm 51).

Psalm 31: 9-10 "Because of my iniquity"

When David was confronted with his sin, he did not pretend to be innocent and allow God to be blamed or charged with injustice. How many times have we gotten what we deserved while letting God be blamed for allowing the "sweet thing" to suffer? If a man's secret sin causes him to fail and lose everything, while he "goes down" blaming Satan and people, others will look at him and say, "How could God let this happen to such a good man?" If he does not admit his own responsibility, his children and those who observe his life will have nagging fears that God was either helpless or unfaithful. They will accuse God of evil instead of recognizing the man has reaped what he sowed.

2 Samuel 15: 24-26 "But if He says thus: 'I have no delight in you,' here am I,let Him do to me as seems good to Him."

In this verse we see David "leaning over" and submitting obediently to the rod of discipline. Submitting to God’s discipline does not mean you are a bad person. To the contrary, it is a wonderful expression of humility, character, and faith. Allowing God to "take you in hand" (2 Samuel 23: 5-6) produces security. Rebellion and resistance produce insecurity, grasping, manipulation etc. (James 4: 6).
David had faith under discipline and trusted in the Sovereign, Almighty God. He was willing to forfeit his throne if God required it, and he would not grasp in the flesh to save it as Saul had done. In attaining the throne, David had not reached forth with rebellious hands to seize and grasp it as Absalom was attempting to do; and as king he would not reach forth with rebellious and unbelieving hands to keep it. He had trusted God to procure it and he would now trust God to secure it. He refused to grasp in the flesh against the will of God. He submitted to God's discipline even to the point of laying down his place, his throne, and his ministry. Many of God's servants have failed under discipline because they were unwilling to forfeit what God was asking them to lay down. As in David's case, we may not actually lose it, but we must be willing, if God asks us.
The way of the cross is the path to take when under discipline. During these times a person must have faith in God. He must be willing to surrender everything to God, including his position. David, by his surrender to God's discipline, stands in sharp contrast to Saul and Jeroboam who resisted God's discipline by selfishly grasping to hold what God was taking from them. They had forfeited the throne and, in their rebellion, could not see the futility and foolishness of their carnal manipulation. We must always beware of the grasping attitude.

1 Peter 2:19-20
If we are expected to endure grief when suffering wrongfully, how much more then when we suffer for our faults! For example, if a man has given himself to pornography and immorality, what should be his response when he discovers his wife has had an affair? Of course, she needs to turn from her transgression, but he should be on his face in repentance realizing that his own sin helped bring on the situation. He should fall before God with a broken and contrite heart rather than venting anger and looking for revenge.

Psalm 39: 9-11 "because it was you..."

David recognized his predicament was God's hand being laid upon him as result of his own disobedience and need for discipline. David knew it was from the Lord because Nathan had told him by prophetic utterance what the consequences would be. Therefore, he did not blame others. A rebellious heart will often fail to associate the rod of discipline with the sin that precipitated it. For instance, while a man may be falsely accused of some immorality that he did not do and suffer unjustly because of it, he may, in reality, be under God's discipline for arrogance or some other sin completely unknown even to his detractors. The adversary may be completely wrong in his charge and may be accusing falsely, but God may still be using him as the rod of correction. Shemei and Absalom in their rebellion accused David falsely. David was innocent of their charges against him, but he was not innocent before God.
A rebellious heart will make the presumption that "Since I am innocent of these false charges, I am therefore innocent, period." Consequently, this person will resist God's discipline instead of surrendering before God and committing himself into the hands of God who is not only a merciful Father but also the Righteous Judge. We must be careful lest in fighting “Shemei” we find ourselves fighting God.

Revelation 16: 5; 1 Peter 2: 23 “He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”

Rebellious men in this age often surrender in the face of great power simply because of having been overcome by the sheer force of power they cannot resist. This is an outward surrender but with inner defiance. But when men stand before the God of the universe in that great day of the Lord, they will not only yield outwardly, but will face the clear, absolute, and incontrovertible truth that God is right and has always been right. Before God in that day, everyone will realize the utter and total foolishness of his own ways and will be compelled by the sheer force of truth to admit that God is righteous and that rebellious man was in error. There will be no lie or deception in the presence of God. There will be no pretending, no games, no manipulation, no false accusations, no specious finagling, no devious twists of facts, no spurious arguments, no perversion of truth, no legal technicalities to obstruct justice. God will judge righteously according to absolute truth. Man will be absolutely naked except for those, who in repentance and obedience, have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ and clothed with his righteousness.
Meanwhile, let us surrender to the loving hand of our Heavenly Father and trust completely in His love and purpose in our lives. His discipline is not bad. He disciplines those He loves.

An Encouraging Word

2009-05-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am sharing from my journal a couple examples of how the Lord encouraged me with a word in season when I needed it. The entries go back to the beginning of 2001.

January 29, 2001
I was sitting at my desk preparing to go to work one morning and struggling with frustration at where I was in my life. I had gone from being a successful pastor to facing the failure of a new church plant and trying to find a job that would provide for my family. Looking through a notebook I came upon a poem I had previously written to encourage myself to persevere and trust the Lord in the waiting process: “When it seems you are forgotten and your good days in the past, His grace brings forth a new song. He saves the best for last.”
The poem was based on the words spoken to Jesus when He turned the water into wine: “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine…and then the inferior. [But] you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2: 10). Laurel and I believed this was God's plan for our life and "ministry." The best is being saved for last.
In a flash I thought of all the good words the Lord had spoken into my heart over recent years. I realized I had to resist the temptation to be angry at my situation and to resist feelings of failure, and feelings of being forgotten and abandoned.
I closed my notebook and started to arise but decided to read a verse of scripture before going to work. I reached over and opened my bible. It fell open to Ecclesiastes 7: 8-10. It was like an audible voice from God. Each word applied to me:
“The end of a thing is better than the beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not say, ’Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” I knew the Lord was encouraging me to stand in faith and confidence, and to trust Him for what He will yet do.

February 14, 2001
I stopped by an auto shop a couple miles from my home. As I walked out of the office and across the parking lot to my van I was feeling the stress of financial pressure and a little despair and distress at my perplexity concerning direction for my life. I had cried out to the Lord in prayer the night before, and Laurel and I had prayed together before I left the house that morning.
As I walked across the parking lot, a black fellow in a bright red shirt who was at the other end of the building yelled to me across the parking lot, “God will make a way! No matter what the trouble, God will make a way! Just praise Him!” I did not know this man. I had never seen him before. But I received his word as from an angel of God, for he was truly sent to me by the Lord.
Then, like icing on the cake, the very next week, our grandson Christian, who was not more than 3 years old at the time, just out of the blue said to Laurel, “God will take care of you, gammy.”

I believe the Lord speaks to us on every side if we will only listen. He reveals Himself and strengthens us as we face the issues of life. That word does not remove us from the battle, but rather helps us to “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 1:18).
"But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord. I say, 'You are my God. My times are in Your hand.' "
Psalm 31: 14-15.

Manipulation

2008-12-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

In continuing our discussion of conflict and some of the problems seen in leadership I would like to briefly discuss manipulation. Your comments are welcome. Just click on "Comments" at the end of the article.

To often leaders are guilty of manipulation. Manipulation is unhealthy in any relationship and is a violation of trust. It involves the dishonest use of influence to get people to do what you want them to do and is an underhanded means of controlling people. Leaders use manipulation when they lack the ability to lead by inspiration, when they have ulterior or hidden motives, or when they are trying to get people to do what the individuals most likely would not do if they had access to all the facts. Manipulation involves giving partial truth and withholding information that would be necessary for others to make an objective decision. It means distributing information selectively, giving little twists to the facts, and sharing only that which would cause other people to respond favorably to the objectives being presented.

Being diplomatic can “put a sweet face” on manipulation. Diplomacy in its positive sense refers to the ability to handle affairs in such a way as to arouse the least hostility, the ability to deal with people wisely in such a way as to stir up the least amount of conflict. This is consistent with proverbs wisdom which exhorts us to control our spirit, guard our tongue, and to speak wisely without stirring up unnecessary strife. This can be a good characteristic in leadership. However, we must also remember that diplomacy disassociated from truth becomes manipulation. A leader who is being diplomatic in his pursuit of peace must be careful lest he become less than honest in dealing with people. A lie that makes people feel better is still a lie. A leader must adhere to truth and reality in working with people. He should not stretch the truth, give half-truths, or lie in order to pacify or to get what he wants.

Manipulation in leadership represents a failure at honesty and sincerity. It is an absence of faith in the Sovereign God to accomplish His work by the Spirit of God. It is a lack of faith in God's ability to work in other people. It is also a failure to respect other people.
Godly leaders lead by influence, example, and truth, and not by manipulation. People follow good leaders because they trust them. Many people were offended by Jesus, but they were offended by truth. Jesus never lied or misled them to get them to do what He wanted. It is not God’s will that integrity be sacrificed for vision. If the vision is of God, then God will fulfill it in His time and in His way. When leaders have to sacrifice integrity to get people to “do the right thing” then the leaders are “off track.”
Leadership should always remember that obtaining objectives by the use of specious arguments (those which appear sound and correct without really being so) only create the illusion of success. Sooner or later reality will come to light and people will be upset.
Godly leadership requires reality and spiritual substance in those who lead. People of spiritual depth, integrity, and truth do not have to manipulate. They are willing to trust God to inspire people to do the right thing, and they are willing to let the vision fail rather than use the enemy's methods to get the job done.

Problems That Get Leadership into Trouble

2008-12-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Introduction
The issues highlighted below are principles I learned while serving “as referee” (and in some cases a participant) in a few church “fights” and were originally written with the intention of helping pastors understand some of the issues that get them into trouble. Initially I was reluctant to share these with a broader audience, but then realized that the principles are apropos to any discussion of healthy leadership. Many readers will identify with one or more of the problems discussed.

For every issue there is a flip side. There is always the “other side of the coin.” This “flip side” issue is especially true for some of the areas covered in this article. For example, pastors usually teach on gossip, and they try to prevent unhealthy and destructive communication within their community of believers. But my emphasis here is the other side of the issue, which is leadership’s unhealthy control of communication among members.

Control of communication among members.
A typical dilemma for leadership is how to create an atmosphere of open and healthy communication while discouraging gossip and destructive talk. There is such a thing as the scorner and the gossip whose tongues can damage good fellowship, but even in a healthy group there are issues and concerns that need to be addressed from time to time. Leadership needs wisdom in this arena. Forbidding people to talk (restricting communication) can be a form of manipulation and a means of isolating people in order to control them. There are verses in the Bible that warn us of gossip and of the discord created by loose and uncontrolled tongues, but leaders have often used this principle to stifle necessary communication, and not allow people to have free communication among themselves when genuine concerns or controversial issues arise that should be scrutinized and honestly evaluated. People should be free to communicate openly on issues that arise within the group, and individuals should have the freedom to communicate their concerns and complaints. The problem here is that leaders often exhort people to not talk, while the leadership itself fails to provide a genuine, honest, realistic, and healthy platform to deal with the real issues.

The apostle Paul tells us we should “speak the truth in love.” With this statement he points out three operative principles that are necessary in healthy relationships. “To speak” means that people should communicate rather than suppressing real issues and concerns. It is not healthy to not speak. The error in leadership is that they often think that it is spiritual for people simply “to not speak.” And so they work at keeping people quiet rather than getting “all the cards on the table” and dealing with the realities, whatever they are. A wise man once told me that God gives us grace for reality not for pretend.

The second and third principles are to speak "truth" and to do so "in love." It is not hard to get people to speak, but it can be difficult to get them to do it in a godly manner. This is probably why leaders can be nervous about encouraging communication. The tongue can set the world on fire, but still, communication is necessary for a healthy community.

I think it is interesting to note here that one real problem in leaders who have control issues is that they fail to provide a platform for individuals on their leadership teams and councils to communicate their real concerns or talk about the real issues that bother them. One tool used in this form of manipulation is to plan such full agendas and organize the meetings so that the individual council members have no opportunity to “let their hair down” and share their hearts. It is possible for every member of a council or board to sit there with a shared concern over a particular issue but remain silent because the head of the group would not include or allow the topic in the agenda. The other aspect of this strategy is that leaders condemn individuals if they talk with each other individually outside the council. As a result the real concerns of people are never addressed in or outside the councils, and the consequences will be a continual stream of frustrated people who eventually leave the church.

In an atmosphere where people are intimidated into silence they become unwilling or unable to speak up, and fail to discuss genuine or perceived issues that are important to them. This becomes a potential volcano waiting to erupt as frustrations develop over time. Unspoken and suppressed problems remain unresolved problems. They build up pressure and may eventually become explosive. Insecurity and lack of integrity create a closed atmosphere where people are afraid to talk. This is an unhealthy protectionism in leaders. It is based on a suspicion and distrust of people. It assumes they will always do the worst if they have access to facts and information. In a healthy group where there is integrity, life, and security, there will be an atmosphere of freedom and openness. People will be able to speak the truth in love, which aides in the growth of the individual and the group.
The tongue can “set things on fire,” but leadership needs to remember that some issues and problems are real. Leadership falls into serious trouble when it views the discussion of a problem as being in itself the problem. This is often an evasive action that diverts attention away from the real issues and causes the real concerns to not be addressed properly. When problems arise, they do not go away by suppressing them. Problems and complaints need to be faced and addressed. It is a mistake to evade people’s concerns and attack them for "talking.” If someone complains that there is a rattlesnake in the Sunday school, you need to at least check the room and make sure there is no snake hiding in a corner before you condemn the person for making you look like a bad housekeeper with his accusation.

Other issues that I would like to discuss are manipulation, control, “using” people, apologizing without apologizing, integrity and truth. We will look at these in subsequent postings.

He was a Christian, so he only shot him in the leg

2008-10-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

This posting is merely an introduction to the subject. In future postings I would like to share some principles that help us to understand the spiritual weapons available to us in relational conflict. Send me a short email if you are interested in this subject and in my continuing with this topic. blong8@sccoast.net

"You got some fine children, but they will kill you!"

I met an elderly lady named Rosalie on the street in Loris, SC. When I asked her about her husband, she replied, "I ain't married, but I do have me a boyfriend". She then laughed while telling me of a warning her children gave regarding the boyfriend. "If you get married and he don't do right, we'll kill him," they had said. This obviously made the boyfriend a little nervous, but he wanted to stay in good-standing with his sweetheart, so he told her, "You got some fine children, but they will kill you."
Her boyfriend's statement would fit appropriately in many church situations. Watching how Christians often hurt other Christians, I have said, "Lord, You got some fine children, but they will kill you."

"Shoot up here among us! One of us got to have some relief!"
Jerry Clower has a great story about some men who went 'coon hunting, and one ending up in a tree-top brawl with a lynx. The man in the tree cried out desperately for the men on the ground to shoot the lynx. The fellows on the ground, unable to see through the limbs and leaves, yelled back, "We can't! We might hit you!" The man in the brawl then yelled down, "Shoot up here amongst us! One of us got to have some relief!" I once heard an elder groan this same “prayer” as he was leaving a church business meeting.

"He was a Christian, so he only shot him in the leg."

A few years ago a certain church was having some problems. The situation became so bad that the pastor and one of the deacons got into a fist fight in a church business meeting. Then, about six months later, I heard on the local radio station that the pastor had shot the deacon. He did not kill him, he was a Christian, so he only shot him in the leg.

"The Church Parking Lot?"

The photo at the top of the page was in the December 1991 issue of National Geographic. In the picture is an old car riddled with holes. There are two men slumped over dead in the front seat and one in the back seat. The photograph looks like a scene from a gangster movie or from the life of Bonnie and Clyde. Based on this description, what would be your answer to the following questions: What kind of people are in the car? What kind of people fired on the car? How would you describe the relationship between the people in the car and the people who fired on the car? What was the objective of those who fired the shots? People are very surprised to learn the true answers to these questions. The picture is from an article about the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The actual caption reads as follows: "Slain by friendly fire, shipyard workers John Adams, his father, and a friend were five miles from Pearl Harbor when their Packard was hit by shrapnel from errant five-inch Navy shells. American anti-aircraft guns rained damage on Honolulu, untouched by Japanese bombardment." The men in this car were Americans accidentally killed by Americans. They were killed by men from their own team. Now, with these facts in mind go back and answer the questions again.
How often has this same thing happened in the church and in our relationships! Tragically, this photo could figuratively have been taken in some church parking lot. Church members have often done more damage to one another than to the enemy's work.

It is no surprise that conflict issues have been the cause of many Christians and non-Christians staying away from church. Conflict has been used as an excuse to reject God. It has left many Christians spiritually disabled and derailed because it hardens the heart and causes love to grow cold. The search for relief often tempts us to compromise. Anger and the desire for revenge prevent Biblical resolution. Confusion and disillusionment cause us to quit. God's plan, however, is to give us spiritual weapons that will bring us through every distress in good spiritual health and make available His power, wisdom, and grace to help during our times of need.

It indicates a real love for Jesus when a person is able to emerge from the fires of conflict in spiritual health and continue on in his walk with God and with the church. Resolving conflict redemptively involves repentance, forgiving, sometimes restitution, and even forgetting. It means being faithful to do the right thing in as much as depends on you. Sometimes it means leaving implacable, intractable, and unrepentant people to the judgment of God. It also means to trust the mysterious and unexplainable into the hands of the Sovereign God. This requires faith, humility, a heart of obedience, and a true relationship with Jesus Christ. Otherwise, a person will find it impossible to do these things. An unbroken person can not wield the spiritual weapons necessary to succeed in this arena.

Spiritual weapons give us the ability to do what God requires of us and, just as importantly, to entrust to God those things which are outside of our own power to change. We should not have a heart of unbelief in these matters. We must believe in God's Sovereign ability to redeem the past and to direct the future. Read again Romans 8: 28. If you stand with a heart after God and walk in a Christ-like spirit, God will be with you and bring you through and onward. The key is to walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord. In future posts I would like to discuss some very practical principles that help us to understand the spiritual weapons that God has given us.

Dealing With Conflict

2008-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

LOOK AT YOUR NOSE

2008-08-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” -Genesis 1:1.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead..." -Romans 1: 20.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse of heaven His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." -Psalm 19: 1-4.

Life is infinitely too complex to have come into being randomly and by itself. There are so many interdependent systems that are necessary for the existence of life on earth; and the degree of refinement, accuracy, and perfection in the coordinated performance of all these operations necessary for life are too complex to exist apart from design. They are independent yet dependent and interdependent, and their functions must be exactly precise and with perfect timing. These dynamics testify to the existence and reality of God.

I see the reality of God in many simple, subtle, and yet so obvious aspects of life that we often take for granted. For example, look at your nose. It is located in a most beneficial and practical place on your body. The nostrils point down so you don’t have to cover them to keep rain from falling into your sinuses. It is just above your mouth so that the sense of smell can work together with your sense of taste to help you enjoy your food. I can think of other more unpleasant places your nose could have been located. Your ears have their own little “satellite dishes” on the sides of your head to help capture sound. Your eyes are in recessed sockets to help protect them. They are located in the front of your head so you can see where you are going. Your feet point in the same direction as your eyes. The size of our moon, its distance from the earth, the tilt of the earth’s axis, the distance of the earth from the sun: If you change any of these in the smallest degree you will end life on earth. This is also true of the numerous systems that operate in the human body: Skeletal, circulatory, reproductive, pulmonary, muscular, neurological, etc.
Life is just too orderly to have come into being without design. Everywhere you look you see evidence of design. The necessary interacting, interdependent, and coordinated operations of the systems required for life, from biological to geological to astronomical are so exact and precise that it is impossible for life to have developed on its own by chance.

And what about sex? I could rest my case on that point, but will continue my thoughts. Male and female. In terms of species development the world could not have seen reproduction without the complete and fully developed male and female. If you could have reproduction without these, then there would have been no need for male and female. So how could this have possibly evolved---two separate systems made to be completely separate and absolutely compatible, and yet totally interdependent with neither being able to carry out the reproductive function without the other? There would have been no births, no reproduction without fully developed reproductive systems. “SOMEBODY” had to design this, and it had to begin fully functional.

This law of “irreduceable minimums” eliminates the possibility of evolution. Scientists have discovered that there is no such thing as a “simple cell” to start with. [Just get a scientist to explain the complexity of the DNA in any single cell]. I recently saw a documentary on TV in which a scientist described the complexity even in the single-celled amoeba. Too many complex, separate, yet interdependent systems have to be in operation at the same time for life to exist. If you eliminate any one of them, life would cease to exist. In other words, for life to exist, all of these systems would have to be created simultaneously.

Evolution is a very awkward and yet convenient way for people to try to avoid God. Evolution itself is foolish, but if you do away with God, evolution is about the only thing you are left with to explain how we got here. So the very concept of “evolution” is a product of intellectual “devolution,” i.e., what you arrive at by default when you reject the reality of God. A few years ago I was reading a book in which the author had recorded his conversation with a prominent evolutionist. The evolutionist told him, “We did not evolve from anything. Life is too complex to have evolved, but I prefer to believe in evolution than to believe in God.”

I prefer to believe in God. It is more comforting to believe in God, that there is a power beyond and greater than our comprehension who created us as finite beings with limited capacity to understand the created universe, and who created us with no capacity within ourselves to comprehend or grasp the infinite realities beyond our created universe, but Who also desires to introduce us to Himself and take us beyond what we see and know. As the Bible says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."

If there is no God, then we face the most depressing prospects, a meaningless procession of people heading into an eternal oblivion. But there is a God and this gives us hope for eternal life. The very issues raised in the paragraphs above echo the words of the psalmist who tells us that the heavens, the earth, and all creation testify to the glory and existence of God. This means that there is more to life than this life. This is only the beginning, not the end. To see and understand this, one must look up to the One who is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our Lord who brings us to the Father.
"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him." -Colossians 1: 16.
"For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. -Romans 11: 36.

[You can go to the comment page to write a response by clicking "comments" below, or you can write me an email at blong8@sccoast.net ].