Projects OLD & NEW
My interest in spiritual gifts evolved organically from a rebirth out of the new age. Simple meditation, Zen Buddhism, and the writings of Carlos Castaneda did resonate on one level, altering my perspectives while introducing me to new spiritual disciplines and ideas. This emerging eclectic philosophy helped win a few arguments and make me appear more learned but in the end proved pointless – pointless in resolving any real pain, guilt, and regret in my life. In public I was fine, in private not so much. Out of a desperation of sorts coupled with a challenge from my newly minted convert of a brother, I read the New Testament. And with no one to whisper to the contrary, came to terms with a dissonant darkness inside me and discovered a dynamic God engaged in people's lives. I began to see the possibilities. This book is in part about those possibilities.
I did not want to write a spiritual guide, nor a memoir to retrace my journey, yet I needed a real experience to anchor this exercise and put long seasons of spiritual concepts into practice. The year 2015 would yield that opportunity when my daughter called me about her mother's health crisis.
I use this real event as a test case for a broader understanding of spiritual experiences. The story may be compelling but what is more significant is the underlying philosophy that fueled our decision making, and which can serve as a foundation to help others as they face life's challenges. I develop this philosophy through a verse by verse study of 1 Corinthians 12 and include a model for spiritual gifts derived from the same text.
With that, our story begins. It starts with two mini events and then a major – a dream, a vision, and a trial.
There is a story of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus which can be found in Mark 10:46-52. It may only be a few verses but it speaks prophetically to our generation. Let’s dig in and see what it is saying, and see if you agree with me. Here’s the passage:
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Mark 10:46-52 NIV
This is a wonderful story. Whenever the power of God is released and someone is healed, it’s special and important, but there is just so much more here than that.
Then they came to Jericho
First the city is Jericho. And this is no coincidence. When we see the setting is Jericho, then we need to perk up and pay attention to what God is saying. Whenever God does something significant in a place and we end up back there again we need to remember what made that place special. It may help us understand what’s going on. Everyone knows a little of the story of Jericho but let’s do a quick review.
Moses had led Israel out of slavery from Egypt, but instead of going directly into the land God had promised them, Israel had to wander in the desert for 40 years. God did this until the generation that had disobeyed and did not believe had died off. At the end of that time period, Moses died and Joshua assumed the leadership of the people. He was the one selected by God to lead the people into the “promised” land.
This is what happened:
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." Joshua 6:2-5 NIV
Jericho then represents a supernatural victory over an incredible seemingly impenetrable stronghold. The first city that the Israelites defeated in the promised land set the tone for everything. The priests led the way carrying the Ark of the Covenant, which was the symbol for the presence of God. The symbol of the city’s strength was their wall. God himself dealt with the wall. God himself brought down the stronghold. All the people had to do was shout.
Jericho then represents a supernatural victory over an incredible seemingly impenetrable stronghold.
Are there strongholds in your life that need to be dealt with?
Enter Bartimaeus
Bartimaeus was sitting on the side of the road begging the Bible says. He was no drifter. He had history. He was identified as the son of Timaeus. How long had he been there? It doesn’t say but he’d been there long enough for everyone to know his name, his family and his situation. He was blind and he was poor and he had been reduced to begging.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Bartimaeus sat in the shadow of a place that represented an incredible victory. He sat in a land of promise delivered to his people by the hand of God. Yet he sat out of the way on the sidelines – broken, with no one to help him.
Here’s the difficult part if you can face it. This is our generation. This is who we are. Many of us are Bartimaeus. Discarded without hope - ineffectual in our lives –out of the way –not in the game –not using our gifts –powerless with no one to help. His blindness speaks to hopelessness. His blindness speaks to a lack of purpose and direction. His blindness speaks to a lack of vision for the future. His blindness speaks to strongholds. As impenetrable as the walls of Jericho must have once seemed, the walls of his hopelessness can seem even more daunting. Are we Bartimaeus? Are we a generation beset with strongholds? Is this who we are?
What do you think when you think of the future? For those who are in Christ the future is full of light. Full of hope and possibilities unimagined because of our God. What do strongholds do? They limit the light of God. They darken. They reduce our choices.
Those beset by strongholds are in the darkness. Strongholds limit light, the light of God.
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Ephesians 4:18 NIV
I will never be able to do that because I’m too shy or too scared. I can’t do that because I struggle with drugs, or alcohol or pornography. I have too much of a temper. I feel that I will never have enough money. I will never be respected because of my height or my weight or my ethnicity or my education or my upbringing.
Strongholds bring darkness. They block the light of possibilities of creativity of God’s purposes in your life. Strongholds generally are not hidden but obvious and defiant. They are often things that we know are there but we refuse to see. Strongholds cause blindness because they bring darkness. They cause a loss of clarity and purpose. Can you feel the strongholds of this generation? In your own life? Does a stronghold dominate your life?
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:115 NIV
One of my favorite verses that you hear every time you hear me. The word of God brings light to our darkness. Place a lamp at your feet and you’ll see where you stand. You may not always like it, but it is critical for you to always know where you stand. Lift the light up and you get direction. It’s not only about where we are going but where we are right now.
Window of opportunity
Enter Jesus just passing through. Remember:
(Jesus is) far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1:21 NIV
Enter Jesus with all rule, all authority, all power and all dominion. His rule is higher than any ruler. His dominion extends past all boundaries including time. His authority or right to rule has been earned with blood. He possesses and commands all power. Jesus is victory. He is the immovable object and the irresistible force. He overcomes all obstacles. Nothing can successfully withstand him. He sees Jericho and remembers. He passes through walls. He passes through our strongholds. He has overcome death. He is undefeated. He is our window of opportunity.
Is Bartimaeus in the right place at the right time? No, the presence of Jesus creates the timing. Just like the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God as they carried it around Jericho, the ark passed by Jericho again only this time through the person of Jesus. The presence of Jesus creates the opportunity. Jesus doesn’t only create the opportunity; he is the opportunity. He is the opportunity for deliverance and restoration. But Jesus is passing through.
The Pain of the Crowd
Let’s look at crowd. The Bible says that Jesus and his disciples together with a large crowd were passing through Jericho. And Bartimaeus heard from the crowd that it was Jesus. So it looks like the crowd here was helping. But what happens when Bartimaeus begins to call out to Jesus. The word says:
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!" Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet,
Mark 10:47-48 NIV
Many rebuked him it says and told him to be quiet. What type of people rebukes a broken man who cries out for deliverance? Aren’t these the same people who had told him that Jesus was passing by? Weren’t these people following Jesus? Hadn’t they heard him? Hadn’t these people seen Jesus in action? Is it thinkable that those walking with Jesus preferred some to be healed and others to be ignored? Could the crowd have stigmatized Bartimaeus because he was a beggar? Stigmatized means to view with disgrace or shame. Who is the crowd today?
If it is painful to think of ourselves as Bartimaeus, how much more painful is it to think of the crowd as the Church. How painful is it to think that the Church stands in the way of our deliverance? Who I ask you are the stigmatized ones today? Who is Bartimaeus?
Paul once told Timothy:
I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
1 Timothy 5:21 NIV
Do nothing out of favoritism. Do not disqualify your spiritual authority and defile the purposes of God through favoritism. Yet it seems that favoritism is a wall in the church, a stronghold as well. Strongholds darken, limit possibilities. Limits our understanding of who Jesus is and what his heart is. Strongholds can darken our understanding of the purposes of God so much that we can yell “shut up” to a person crying out for deliverance. Who again is blind in this passage anyway?
Jesus stops. We have enough evidence to know that Jesus responds when called regardless of what we think or want to think. Notice how the crowd reacted once Jesus intervened:
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Mark 10:49 NIV
After Jesus responded to Bartimaeus’ shout the crowd then became encouraging. Do you think they were surprised? Too bad they couldn’t be encouraging from the beginning. But do you think the crowd learned something this day, watching Jesus in action. Can we learn something this day watching Jesus in action?
The Christian life is difficult enough to have to overcome the Church for deliverance. But there it is. Be aware of it. Don’t be crushed if it happens. They are just having difficulty seeing. Appeal to a high authority.
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, Ephesians 1:22 NIV
Bartimaeus Sees Before He Sees
But notice something about Bartimaeus. He begins to see before he begins to see. Notice the words carefully. He hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, but to whom does he call? Look at the change in the term used for Jesus.
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me! Mark 10:47 NIV
Bartimaeus hears Jesus the man from Nazareth but calls to Jesus the Son of David, the Messiah, the everlasting king from the line of David. As the angel told Mary:
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Luke 1:31-33 NIV
Even though Bartimaeus was blind, he began to see Jesus for who he is. He began to see with his most important eyes first - the eyes of his heart.
His seeing helps him overcome
So notice the amazing part here. The crowd tells Bartimaeus that Jesus of Nazareth is here. There’s a crowd. There are voices. He is on the sidelines and he needs to do something because Jesus is on the move. He must call out. But it is not that easy is it? He must overcome. He must overcome his own unworthiness. He must overcome his own shame and hopelessness. He must overcome his own inner voices. But there are outer voices as well. He must cry out above the crowd noise. He must overcome the crowd opposition as well.
How does he go from sitting on the sideline to going forth? How does he do it all? By Seeing. By seeing who Jesus is, he is able to cry above his own inner voices and above the crowd and above the circumstances. Our key to escaping the Bartimaeus generation is to begin to see.
This is a prayer for this generation, the same prayer Paul prays for the Ephesians. This prayer is in two pieces:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17 NIV
This is for the crowd in us, that the Holy Spirit in us may help us know him better, so we could know what he likes and what pleases him, so we could know he dislikes partiality of any kind, so we could avoid being an obstacle to his purposes, so we could know his heart and how much he cares for everybody.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
This is for the Bartimaeus in us, that our heart would be enlightened – that our hearts would be filled with light. That we would see and understand in our heart and be established with the knowledge of 3 things.
1. The incredible hope that we have in Christ. This is a hope of incredible and endless possibilities. This is a hope of freedom and victory over any and all strongholds. This is the hope of thriving and not just surviving in any and every situation.
2. The incredible inheritance that is laid up for us because we are now God’s children – things so wonderful the Bible tells us that are beyond comprehension. Things so awesome that there is nothing in this world in which to reference them. This is our new lot. This is our new future.
3. Incredible power that is here to transform us and to sustain us – the same invincible power that can overcome or reverse anything – even death. That is the power that follows us.
He wants us to see and know three things about ourselves now that we are in Christ:
incredible hope, incredible destiny, and incredible power.
Bartimaeus goes to Jesus
Lastly we can see the effect of what Bartimaeus sees in his heart. It gets him to the right place.
Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. Mark 10:50 NIV
And although Jesus knows what Bartimaeus wants, still he asks him:
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. Mark 10:51 NIV
Doesn’t it seem that God always seems to ask questions that he knows the answer to. Why do you think he does that? Maybe he wants us to articulate to him exactly what we want. He wants us to express ourselves. He wants us to show him that we have learned a few things. That we understand what we need and that we ask for that very thing. The Lord is not big on us praying in a lot of generalities. When Jesus asks you “What do you want me to do for you?" What are you going to say? Just bless me or have you anything specific? Do you have anything to say? Do you have anything in your heart?
Bartimaeus said:
"Rabbi, I want to see." Mark 10:51 NIV
Isn’t that perfect. Bartimaeus revealed what was in his heart. He expressed it. That is the very thing he needed and he asked for it. Count me in with Bartimaeus, I want to see as well.
Jesus, responded:
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Mark 10:51 NIV
Express what’s in your heart to the right person. That’s faith. Jesus gets Bartimaues to reveal his heart. Bartimaeus puts his trust and hope in Jesus.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews
11:1 NIV
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:52 NIV
Bartimaeus Generation is not all that bad
Finding out we are Bartimaeus is not really all that bad because the story does end with his healing. Deliverance, salvation or any victory starts with a realization of our condition and if we can face it then maybe we can look to the One with all the answers.
This is a generation of people that have not fulfilled their purposes in God. This is a generation of people who have been beset by various strongholds. This is a generation of people who can’t seem to get help, even in the Church of God. But the Lord is looking to restore vision and light to the place where it is needed most, to our hearts. May your prayer be Ephesians 1:17-19.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:17-19 NIV
It is not uncommon to see a father hold his child and say a blessing over him or her. We see this occur in the Bible with Isaac blessing Jacob and later Jacob blessing his twelve sons. When this happens, the person giving the blessing speaks over them great and wonderful things for their future. Now our relationship to our heavenly Father has this very same element. Once we are born again into His kingdom through the blood of his own Son, God speaks a blessing over us. This blessing speaks to the core of our new being, our potential and our destiny – great and wonderful things for our future.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 NIV
As the above scripture states, this is a blessing that has already occurred for those who have become Christians. At first glance this verse is rather daunting. The term “every spiritual blessing” means that God has no intention of holding anything back. But what would you expect when it is God who originates a blessing anyway. The word of God says that the depths of his blessings are beyond our ability to think or comprehend.
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV
What this verse means is we could never even imagine the fullness of God’s blessings. We need the Holy Spirit to communicate it to us. The blessings of God have no material physical counterpart. There are no words to describe it. Nothing exists in our reality in which to adequately compare it to. That is the greatness of our God and His Son Jesus the Christ.
When God says “every spiritual blessing” he truly means every spiritual blessing.
So, imagine as newborn babes in the kingdom of heaven, God speaks his words over us to the core of our inner being. These words travel like seeds that get lodged into our DNA. As Jesus says in the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8, the ultimate sower is God and the seed is the word of God. These words of blessings are new seeds of potential and destiny for our lives.
Notice the verse again says something important in referring to what God has done “who has blessed us.” This event has already happened. He has already spoken over us.
Speaking of Destiny
for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 11:29
The blessings that God speaks over us include gifts and calling. The gifts are spiritual gifts and the calling is a spiritual calling. In you right now are the seeds of the potential God has placed in you. In you right now is the seed of your calling. In you right now are the seeds of your spiritual gifts.
How did it get there? God placed it there. Is he going to take it back? Nope. His calling and his gifts are irrevocable. His seeds are irrevocable.
Take a Holy Spirit moment right now. Pause and take a deep breath. You have been brought into the kingdom of light by the blood of Jesus the Christ. In this name, the God of the universe treats you like his own child and has spoken over you with special words – words of love and delight only for you. He didn’t speak these words to your ears but to your heart and your spirit. These words are the seeds of your destiny. They include your calling and your gifts. Can you sense it?
These Are Words for You
Jesus is personal. How personal is he? He can deal with us so individually that it’s hard to explain. When the presence of the Lord comes upon me, it is like only he and I exist. Yet he deals with everybody on that level. You have his full attention and concern and care but simultaneously with everyone else. How does he do this? I don’t know but it is really cool. He is really and truly God.
Seed has the plan
The seed has the plan. The seeds that the Lord has planted in us come with a plan. An acorn is a seed of an oak tree. An oak tree has a sophisticated way of getting energy from the sun and releasing oxygen as a byproduct. It has a mechanism for absorbing water and nutrients from the ground. It has a cell structure that facilitates the distribution of nutrients throughout the tree. It has a reproductive system that produces new seeds. We do not possess the accumulated knowledge or technology or ability to produce a tree from scratch. But within the acorn is embedded all those sophisticated plans. Plans we can’t even decipher. The seed has the plan. In the acorn are the plan and the purpose. What about us? The seed of God in us has the plans for our life. You are not without a plan if you are in Christ. You are not without a purpose, a calling or gifts. It’s in the seeds.
Potential Is Not The Thing
Do you have the seed of a pastor? That is who you are. Will you ever pastor a church? I don’t know. The seed is the potential. The seed has the plan. The seed though is not the thing. The seed needs to mature and grow into the thing. Put yourself outside of the Lord’s covering and do you think your seeds will mature? Jesus stated in the parable of the sower (see Matthew 13, Mark 4 or Luke 8) that there are things that keep seeds from maturing.
Without reading the whole parable here they are:
1) A hard heart
2) No depth or understanding
3) Distractions or worries of this life
Think of these things as challenges to your calling and your destiny. Think of these things as limitations of your development.
A Note on Personal Prophecy
This study came about as a result of personal prophecy. Some of you reading this may have been to a Bible study, church service or prophetic conference where some prophetic person spoke some things over you. This can be very exciting and challenging at the same time.
Without going into the whole story, I was in a prophetic conference myself when a well-known prophetic teacher stated and I am paraphrasing “Some of you had better take stock of your personal prophecies, because they do have a shelf-life.” What he was saying is that if you don’t start acting on these personal prophecies you will lose them. I spent a bit of time thinking about that statement. Does “use it or lose it” operate in the kingdom of Heaven? You cannot deny that many people (if not most) have gone on before us without walking in the fullness of what God has provided.
But if personal prophecy is the word of God it must be true, right? I actually asked this question to that well-known prophetic teacher and we ended up in a mini debate in which he said that the word of God does not always come true. It was interesting. I think he had to take that position because of his previous statement.
So what’s the quick note? Well if God has seeded us and those seeds are irrevocable then there is no shelf life or timeline on personal prophecy (while we live). However, if there is no maturity there is no fulfillment.
Personal prophecy then speaks to our seeds of our potential our call our destiny, but the seed is not the thing. When people speak over you many times they are speaking to your seeds.
Remember Paul did a little of this to Timothy when he said:
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Tim 1:6 NIV
Conclusion
In wrapping up, I’m not saying you need to do anything. I just want you to tune your prayers. Hopefully this study has helped to tune your thoughts.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 NIV
Let’s tune our prayer to walking in the fullness of what God has already blessed us with. Let’s take our prayers to the next level. It’s time to stop seeking blessings. It is time to start seeking growth. Whatever God has seeded in your life, may he make it more and more clear to you. There is no physical action to take - only spiritual action. Do not be concerned about running out of time or losing anything. The seeds are irrevocable. Only concern yourself with being open to the Holy Spirit to allow him to cause growth in what he has already seeded you with.
Lastly, I believe there are people everywhere where the seeds of their calling, gifts and destiny in Chris have been dormant and the Holy Spirit is going to begin to cause growth. Your job is to be open to it. The Lord desires to rise up a people with true depth who walk in the fullness of who he has called them to be.
Today I want to do a word study on the phrase “stand firm.” I call it Standing Firm in 3D because I was impressed with its multidimensional meanings. We can think too much in black and white. We often look at things too simplistically. We must remember that we have a multidimensional God - someone whom we cannot exhaust with our thinking or analysis. His ways are just too complex. He thinks “multidimensionally.” As I've often stated, He speaks to the present and the future with the same words. Some of the concepts He presents to us are multidimensional like “standing firm.”
Now, these are real days when we need to stand firm. You've heard it again and again, but what does “standing firm” mean? Well, through the help of technology (and the Holy Spirit of course) we can get a bit more clarity. The technology I'm talking about is www.biblegateway.com. This site allows you to not only do simple word searches like my NIV hardbound concordance but also multiple words or phrase searches. This is very difficult to do with a one-dimensional concordance but simple with a tool like biblegateway.com. That's what I did with this study. I simply searched for Bible verses with “stand firm” in them and I will now present those to you, at least the ones that spoke to me and demonstrated its multidimensional nature. I encourage you to use this resource and do studies like this as well.
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
Difficult times are ahead. For the Israelites, this was the most difficult time in their history to that point. The stakes were at a point that most of us cannot and will not ever imagine. They were facing genocide. Now look at what the Lord requires of them because He will NOT require more from you.
Do not be afraid...
First of all, we need to get something clear. Something that I cannot say enough or remind myself enough.
When the Lord tells us to do something we have the ability to do it. He doesn't tease us. He speaks to our new capacity and new ability in Him.
We have the resources to keep ourselves from being consumed, paralyzed, and overwhelmed by fear. Period. That doesn't mean we aren't consumed, paralyzed or overcome by fear. It means that we don't have to be. It means that overcoming fear is “now” within the scope of our ability in Christ. There are many things that are now within our reach. This is one of them.
Paul told the Romans this:
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
We can overcome fear – by design.
Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.
The Lord is telling us that this problem is on him. Deliverance is on him. Our job? Don't be consumed by fear - which means don't panic. Don't run. Don't change your mind, but, hold your ground. Deliverance is what he brings to the table.
So, this verse teaches us that standing firm is not being afraid which is well within our design parameters in Christ.
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
Just reading this verse is exciting. Can you see what this verse adds to the equation. This verse takes place much later than the previous verse. Israel is now a nation and is faced with an invading army. The Lord gives them similar instructions, but he says more specifically:
You will not have to fight this battle.
Some of us are so ready and eager to fight our battles. These are battles we have no business fighting and many of them are battles we will never win. You know what I mean. Some of these are battles that you have spent a lifetime struggling with. Look at the words of comfort of the Lord. But look what he adds.
do not be discouraged
Your job is not to give up. Do not quit. Do not let go. Do not for any reason stop believing. You do that and let the Lord do his thing: deliverance. He says do not be discouraged as if it is in my power to not be discouraged. Yes, it is. How do I know this? Again, because he said it. He designed us, so he must know what our abilities are - for those of us who are now in Christ. Still, he adds one more thing.
Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.
The Lord is not giving them a free pass. Deliverance doesn't come with denial. Deliverance doesn't come pretending we don't have issues. He didn't tell the Israelites that they could just stay under their beds and come out when the coast was clear. They had to show up. We have to show up. God is not a God of denial. He tells them and us to face whatever it is that we are dealing with. Face it.
Pretending is for the religious and that is not our destiny. It is a contradiction to be afraid to speak about the problem for fear of giving it power. It is a contradiction to lie about our pain because we think it reflects poorly on our faith.
When Jesus healed the blind man in Mark 8:23-25. He asked him a question:
Do you see anything? He was not asking him to go away and to claim that he was healed. He wanted to know what if anything had actually occurred. To paraphrase he said: What is your reality? Not there yet? Now try he said. Get the picture? Whatever it is face it. Don't be in any type of denial – even religious denial.
So, this verse teaches us that standing firm is about facing our issues, not avoiding them. This leads us to the very next verse in line.
then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.
Can you see the beauty of these verses as they come together? Face your issues the Lord says in the previous verse. But in this verse, he says lift up your face
...and without shame
the energy of our fear, the reason we don't want to face our problems, the power behind a lot of these things is the shame.
The shame that we have this problem in the first place. The shame that we got ourselves in this situation. The shame that we have this disease. The shame that we are in need. The shame we need help. The shame that we are being threatened. The shame that someone is pursuing us or bullying us. For some of us, the pain of shame is greater than the pain of the thing.
What is shame? It is easier to define shame for what it lacks. Shame is disgrace. Shame is the lack of grace.
We face issues. We think it reflects a total lack of grace in our lives. We can think to ourselves that the Lord didn't help us. He hasn't extended his grace upon us. That is shame. Shame is one battleground. The only way to deal with shame is to trust him. His death on the cross is the source of eternal grace. Don't forget it. Don't doubt it. He will not put you to shame.
There is no shame in admitting weakness and coming to Him. His kingdom is built on this idea.
As Peter reminds us:
For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:6
We've been given glorious grace.
...he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:5-6
So, this verse (Job 11:15) teaches us that when we stand firm and face our issues we're going to have to deal with the shame. Be warned. Be prepared. Trust that he has no intention of putting you to shame and remind yourself of His glorious grace.
Are you getting a good picture of the multidimensional aspect of standing firm? Here's another one.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
There are those who trust in the might of this world, the knowledge of the world, the resources of this world. We the people of God rise up and stand firm. Standing firm here is paired with rising up. This is slightly different than showing up. Rising up is like taking position. He doesn't want us to recoil and stand firm or to run and then stand firm. He wants us to rise up. Stand up.
When we rise up, we will be seen. We don't do justice to standing firm if we are hidden in the process. Rising up adds another dimension. It adds a dimension of confidence to standing firm. Confidence is good not bad. The dispute should only be about the source of the confidence – in ourselves or in the Lord. However, confidence is a good thing.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Hebrews 10:35
But what is confidence (without launching into another word study)?
Confidence is when the truths of God resonate in us enough to the point we believe it. It builds a bit of faith, and that faith develops a weight and a depth of stability that gives us a sense of internal security - enough that we can articulate it a little and even guide our actions by it. That is confidence.
So, this verse tells us that standing firm is coupled with rising up and being seen. It is about displaying a little confidence.
As things get a bit weighty and seemingly difficult, notice our next verse in our word study:
O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm;
Let's pair this with a similar verse in the word study.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:21
At this point we've spoken of showing up, and facing issues, dealing with shame, and being seen. It can all seem a bit weighty. Remember God is a multidimensional God. So, to all we've heard and read we add:
you made my mountain stand firm
Standing firm is not a technique that we develop through the strength of our will. It is not an attribute that is developed through a good childhood, superior training, good books, or the right circumstances. It is the strength of the Lord imparted to us – from his Spirit to our spirit.
It is Him that makes us stand firm. This verse helps us release a little pressure and recalibrate. Enjoy.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the all surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Okay, let's not get too conceptual here. How do we get the strength of the Lord to stand firm? Easy, kind of. First, we acknowledge that the Lord desires to impart His strength to us. That's what we are doing now - through His word. Then we do the only thing we can do – pray. We understand that He desires to give it to us, so we ask for it in our time of need.
I do this. Lord, I'm being overwhelmed here. I'm lacking in me, and I need help. I need your strength to get through this. I need your strength to deal with this. In Jesus' name.
Here's something funny. In many of my struggles, I forget to ask for the Lord's help when I need it. So, do you know what I learned to do? I learned to ask the Holy Spirit to remind me to ask for help when I need it. It's similar to a problem I used to have in prayer. I used to always fall asleep when I prayed. I would get a bit frustrated and ashamed. Then I went into my prayer time, praying that I wouldn't fall asleep. I prayed for help staying awake. The Lord honored my request.
If you get anything out of this study, get this. Call on Him for help when you need it. It will change your life.
If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”
Israel was once again facing difficulties, threats, challenges that the Lord sent Isaiah for a bit of instruction, clarification, and encouragement. He wants us to stand firm. From the last verse we see it is to be done with his strength – not our own.
Here's the qualifier, the Lord wants you to be soberly aware:
If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
This is a conditional statement. Standing firm is conditional. Standing firm is anchored and enabled by our faith in Him. When things happen and yes things do happen, the foundation of our ability to accomplish anything in God is our trust in Him.
Standing firm just reminds us, that for the believer, (think about the word “believer”) faith is our oxygen. Standing firm doesn't produce oxygen, it requires oxygen. Fortunately, the word of God, and teaching, and worship, and prayer are all oxygen producing.
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Standing firm is His idea. His plans, His purposes, His goals stand firm. This is what He is like. Maybe that is one of the reasons He calls it out of us. He doesn't alter His plans because of pressure, setbacks, threats, changing conditions, expediency, weakness, revenge, fear, lack of information or change of heart. His plans for us, our growth, our future, our hope, our salvation stand firm – forever.
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
Simply put, we learn to stand firm because that is what the righteous do. Standing firm through the difficulties of storms, is part of the DNA of the righteous – deposited in and demonstrated by the Lord.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
This last verse is always amazing to me. We must break this one down just a little.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Funny way to put it. Christ has set us free with the intent that we REMAIN free. The Holy Spirit exhorts us to:
Stand firm, then
Why? So you:
do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Can you get it? Standing firm is a requirement to being free. If you do not learn how to stand firm, you will not be free. Make sense? If you can't say no, you will be in bondage to whatever you can't say no to. If you can’t resist, you forfeit your freedom. So, it is His intention that we remain free, so He teaches us to stand firm.
Now is that multidimensional or what?
Lord, help up to grasp this. Holy Spirit helps us to internalize this. May we see your hand as we hold fast. May we face our issues and disregard the shame. May we take a stand, with your strength, and our trust in you. We know this is what you are like, this is what you desire, this is what the righteous in Christ do and this is what is required in these times. Lord help us to stand firm. Amen.
In our last study we looked at assessing our spiritual defenses by studying the armor of God. In this study we’ll focus on surviving a spiritual assault. We’ll do this by looking at the spiritual assault that happened to Jesus in the desert. This is important because the way Jesus was attacked in the desert is the same way we’re going to be attacked. The enemy will use the same techniques upon us that he used on him. And he’s after the very same thing – our authority.
The first thing to understand is that spiritual assaults, no matter how they come, are all about one thing – authority.
To set the stage we need to look right before the altercation began. We must first go to the Jordan where Jesus’ cousin, John, was baptizing people in the river as a symbol of their repentance.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17 NIV
So, what happened when Jesus got baptized? The Holy Spirit came upon him, and God spoke to him. This is critical because it helps us understand who Jesus is in relation to us. Without that understanding we miss the whole point in the desert.
The Bible says that Jesus is God in John 1:1 and Hebrews 1:3. However it also says the following:
…being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:6-9 NIV
Jesus was God and man as he walked the earth. But to wholly represent man, he “made himself nothing.” In a sense, he refused to be God on the earth. He became as subject to the laws and restrictions of this universe as if he were just an ordinary man. He had to eat; he had to rest; he could be beaten; he could bleed; and he could die. His goal was to set himself up as an “Adam” on the earth. Adam being the original man that God had created from whom all other men and women came. The Bible says this in comparing Adam with Jesus:
So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45 NIV
Adam represents a prototype for mankind. Jesus then represents the new and “last” prototype. See why this is critical? By making himself nothing, he has removed any inherent advantages he would have had over humanity. This gives the altercation in the desert something with teeth. This also means that Jesus understands us at the deepest possible level. That is why the Bible says this:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15 NIV
Back to the Jordan. When Jesus received the Holy Spirit as a man, he established the new model for humanity. A man or woman with the Holy Spirit is all that is needed in this life to be like Jesus or to be like this new “Adam.” If we could just pause here and drink this in. Peter says it this way:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 NIV
We have been equipped with everything we need. Knowledge of this is the power of our lives.
The next thing that happened after Jesus got baptized was he heard the audible voice of God:
And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17 NIV
Jesus heard God declare three things to him: Sonship, love, and pleasure. The love from God we would expect to be automatic because God is love. Our father will always love us. We need to remember it. Count on it. Bank on it. Never doubt it. The pleasure of God is not automatic though and neither should it ever be. Our father may always love us but he is not always pleased with us. Psalm 147:11 is a great verse to remember because it joins both love and pleasure.
…the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11 NIV
This verse says the Lord delights, or we could say, the Lord takes pleasure in those who revere him and who base their lives on the hope that he will always love them – no matter what. According to the gospels, Jesus hadn’t done much at this point. Had he? But look back at the verse. We never have to do much to please God. He is pleased with us by simply honoring him as God and by trusting that he will never stop loving us. Is that too much to ask?
He also declared Jesus’ sonship. Sonship is another key point that helps us understand the dessert experience. When God declared that Jesus was his son, he revealed the next true ruler of everything. He declared the heir to the throne that governs all things. This was a declaration of authority. The closest anyone on earth ever came to such authority was Adam. God declared to the atmosphere that Jesus was his Son. He revealed him to John and all those who were present – whether seen or unseen. God revealed to the enemy who Jesus was.
Assault on Authority
Here’s the whole text:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11 NIV
Re-fighting Adam’s Battle
Jesus had set himself up as an “Adam” in the earth. What we see then in the desert is a re[1]fighting of the original battle between the enemy and Adam and Eve. What is key to our understanding is that when the enemy attacked Jesus, he’s attacking a man. The techniques he used are the ones he uses against men. This is not special for Jesus. This is an assault on man. This is what scripture means when it says:
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
What we all should know
First of all, Jesus knows a few things about the enemy that we should know. He knows he’s an enemy of his father. He knows that he is a liar, so he can’t trust anything he says. He knows that he wants to destroy him. He knows that this is the same enemy that tried to assassinate him as a baby.
The enemy’s goal is authority - to try to get Jesus to act according to his will and not God’s. The enemy’s goal is to undermine Jesus’ authority at worst or take it at best. He uses three techniques. We need to be aware of these techniques for two primary reasons. First, we’ll see them in slight variation again and again and again. Second, they are the techniques that rule the world.
Many of us know these.
For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16 NIV
Regardless of how common this verse is, these techniques still rule the world and unfortunately still dominate in many churches.
Funny Thing About Spiritual Assaults
Remember a spiritual assault is an assault on authority. The goal of surviving a spiritual assault then is to hold onto your authority. And here’s the funny thing. If we review what the enemy does and says to Jesus each time, we will see that he doesn’t win unless Jesus does something. Isn’t that strange? The enemy can’t just take authority from man. Remember Adam and Eve. He didn’t take it from them either. The enemy may try to intimidate man. He may manhandle Jesus and transport him against his will, but he can’t get authority that way. He can’t overpower us and take authority. He takes authority by our agreement in opposition to God’s will. Without our agreement, we can’t lose authority. The enemy has power, but he doesn’t have the power to override our will.
He needs our agreement. I’ll try to make this clear as we walk through his techniques. The techniques are intriguing.
1. Physical need
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Let’s see what’s happening here. Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights. He would have needed the Holy Spirit to keep him alive. This is not key to understanding this point, though. The key is that he was hungry. That was the circumstance he was in. This was a circumstance that God had setup. The enemy did not setup this circumstance in the life of Jesus. Neither does he set up all the circumstances in our lives. Please remember this. However, the enemy swoops in to capitalize on the circumstance. He devised an attack on his physical needs. But it is more than about food. He’s looking to gain authority.
Notice he said, “If you are the Son of God.” That means he had been paying attention. His use of “if” was to introduce doubt, or to unseat what God had just spoken. He tried to weaken faith. Then he suggested seemed almost reasonable. He was not out of left field, was he? He was trying to undermine Jesus’ authority. He was trying to get Jesus to take his recommendations. So, he made a suggestion that was based upon a real and legitimate need.
Jesus had to decide what would take precedent: physical or spiritual needs. He knew what was at stake but there was a competition in his desire to meet a real and legitimate physical need and to do the will of God. Do you see this? The enemy was trying to leverage a circumstance to use the desires of Jesus’ body to override the will of God.
The enemy knows that physical desires can be extremely powerful things. He knows that he has been successful over probably millions of people in which he had gotten them to be completely subservient to physical desires. We have a name for those. We call them addictions whether alcohol, drugs, sex, food etc. Doesn’t matter what it is. The goal is always the same – authority.
Jesus with the Holy Spirit responded with the word of God. Remember our spiritual armor. In the spirit realm the word of God is like a sword.
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Thinking in broader terms, Jesus stated that the physical realm would be submitted to the spiritual. Our true life is not about what our body needs but what our spirit needs. See then Jesus in action and see the potential of a person with the Holy Spirit of God. He is the new “Adam.” This is our spiritual potential. This is how we will respond someday.
"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV
The Holy Spirit wants to take us to a place where no physical need ever trumps God’s will. The intention of this study is not about condemnation but about survival. The goal of this study is consistent with all my studies, to tune our thoughts and then our prayers accordingly.
2. Emotional Needs
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
The appeal to Jesus’ physical need wasn’t successful. Another reminder. A spiritual assault is only successful if the enemy gets your agreement by getting you to act. So what transpired here? The enemy took a completely different approach, which is also very interesting.
But look at how this verse begins: “Then the devil took him.” Don’t let that slip past you. It is critical. I’m always amazed at that statement. The enemy transported Jesus from the desert to the temple in Jerusalem probably 30 miles away. He made him stand at the highest point of the temple. What a statement of power from the enemy. How could you see this as anything but intimidating? Let’s think about this. Has the enemy not overpowered Jesus at this point? Has he not?
When we read this passage, what angle did the enemy use to attempt to undermine Jesus’ authority here? What physical benefit would Jesus have gained from jumping? Nothing. What was the enemy doing? He was trying to get Jesus to prove something here. Wasn’t he? He was trying to get Jesus to act out of emotion and not the will of God. Some say he was trying to get Jesus to act out of pride. I don’t quite see it that way.
Think of it this way. You are sleeping in bed, and you are instantly transported to the top of the Empire State Building, where you are made to stand on a ledge. You are then taunted by the devil to jump. How could you be feeling anything other than fear and intimidation. Wouldn’t you be in a bit of shock and fear for your life? You may even think that the enemy may push you. Jesus might have been very hungry, but at that moment, adrenalin would have been surging in is veins. His emotions would have been going crazy. Ever been there? The enemy had turned up the pressure. He created the situation. Throw in the fact that the enemy was also taunting him with scripture and things could have gotten a bit confusing.
We must remember that nothing has changed. He was after the same thing. His power alone could not get him what he desired. He needed agreement. Don’t give him agreement and he will not be successful. He wanted Jesus to act out of an emotional need in defiance to the will of God.
Jesus with the Holy Spirit responded again with the word of God. There is no other alternative. There is no other way to survive. Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Jesus responded to the extent that he does not need to prove anything. Or in broader terms that there is no emotional need in me that will cause me to act outside the will of God. When we allow our emotions to rule us and to cause us to act, we play into the hands of the enemy. Just like we can’t let our physical needs dictate, neither can we let our emotional needs dictate. Our emotional needs can trigger us to compromise our lives. It can even compromise the work of God.
The work of God can never be about proving anything to anybody. If you are doing things to prove yourself, you’re not working for God. It seems that so much of the work of God is motivated not by the will of God but the emotions of the worker. People share the gospel out of guilt from their past. People preach strongly against certain sins because those are the very things they struggle with. People pray for the power of God to promote their ministry. People obey God because they think God doesn’t love them. People sacrifice out of an emotional need to reach God. The Lord is never looking for sacrifice. He’s looking for hearts. Obedience is more important to him than sacrifice.
Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22 NIV
3. Material Needs
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
The enemy hadn’t been successful the last two times, so he took still another route. Again “the devil took him” but this time it was not as intimidating as before. This time he enticed him with material things. It was more than just material things here because the enemy was using Jesus’ own destiny to derail him. He offered him a deal that would yield “all the kingdoms of the world.” He’d offered something that resembled Jesus’ purpose and future. He’d offer Jesus something he thought was close to Jesus’ heart.
Also, if we were unsure this was about authority, the enemy clarified it with the statement: All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Let’s not kid ourselves. All temptations are not created equal. The enemy will package a temptation that looks a lot like your destiny. It is designed to get you to value your future more than the one who holds the future. The enemy will package a temptation that will expose the leanings of our heart. This is what I call a pure assault. Still nothing had changed. The Holy Spirit desires to help us see through it.
I partially quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 earlier. Let me present the whole verse now:
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV
Jesus with the Holy Spirit responded once again with the word of God.
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
In broader terms, just like there is no physical or emotional need that is above the purpose of God, neither is there any material possession - even the rule of the entire world. The spiritual is more important, or of more value than the physical. Jesus said this:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV
It drives me crazy to hear this verse distorted. This is not a formula for getting your bills paid. This is not a formula for prospering in this world. If you use this as a formula for prosperity, then what is your focus? Is the purpose of seeking the kingdom of God motivated by wealth? If this is the case, then your authority has been compromised. Has the enemy managed to undermine the authority of whole churches or even whole spiritual movements using wealth?
Conclusion
Jesus’ experience in the desert shows us how to survive a spiritual assault. If you can excuse the pun, this is not about finding a magic bullet. It is all about using a spiritual sword. There are few points to remember. First, a spiritual assault is an attack on authority no matter how it is packaged. Second, an assault is only successful if it gets your agreement in some way. That means being overpowered without your agreement, which may not be fun, does not transfer authority. You can’t lose this way. Lastly, it can be done. The Holy Spirit has been given to us for this very reason. Jesus took on the role of a man with the Holy Spirit and demonstrated to us that it can be done. Jesus accomplished it on our terms - as a man. His victory is our victory. He is our potential. He is our future. Amen
Is peace possible? There are wars on battlefields and in churches and at every turn there is a distinct lack of peacemakers. War is one of the biggest of all businesses. Our current reality is that of endless war. The world spends about 1.5 trillion US dollars a year on the military. The US alone makes up about half of that. So, is peace possible in a society that feeds off conflict both real and now virtual? I would say not likely, not without a complete revamping of the current world system of thinking, morals, and politics. But if you asked if spiritual peace was possible even in the present system, I would say that –
spiritual peace is here.
In John 14:27 the Lord made an important statement about peace.
Jesus and the disciples had been together for about 3 years. During that time, he had demonstrated the power of God on a scale that had never been seen before. On this specific night, he let his disciples know that his betrayal and death were imminent. After what they had personally witnessed, that must have been devastating. This was literally the last thing they thought could happen after having entered Jesus’ realm of miracles and impossibilities. They had seen Jesus revive a young man named Lazurus after he had been dead for a few days. Imagine how confused they were when he told them he was going to be killed. But Jesus also told them this:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27 NIV
Okay, let’s break down this verse.
His peace is here.
Jesus has left his peace with his disciples. This is the same peace he operates from. Notice the emphasis on ownership. The peace is from him. This is not developed through years of meditation or focus. This is not about our willpower. This is not about the ones among us that have been gifted with a high EQ (emotional quotient). This is not about the instinctive politicians, actors, or salespersons among us that can display a convincing poise under difficult circumstances. This is his peace.
Not like the world gives…
He’s implying that he gives differently than the world’s system. This is not karma. He’s not giving because of the good things we have done. This is not payback. This is not owed. This is not because you had a good childhood or because you consider yourself to be a good person. This is not earned peace. Translation – this is about him, and what he gives to us.
Don’t we have to receive his peace?
What a terribly theological question. How did we get so convoluted with receiving? Who has bewitched us? Repeat after me. There is no work in receiving. Again. There is no work in receiving. The things of God are gifts. The only work is in believing.
Jesus said that clearly:
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Mathew 21:22
The work is never in the receiving. The work is always in the believing.
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
John 6:29
The receiving is the outcome of the work. I’d like to make this harder for some of you, but I can’t. In order to receive the peace, he has left for you, all you have to do is to believe him at his word. This is something I must constantly remind myself of as well. That’s how we receive everything from God: by believing what he said.
New Ability
The end of this verse is where it gets tricky. Here’s his command:
…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
With his command is the assumption that we can carry it out. But how could we just start doing this? How does this suddenly work? Answer: It is new ability in us through his peace. Does this make any sense to you? He’s not telling us to keep our hearts from being troubled. He’s telling us that we have this new ability in us through his peace. What troubles you right this instance? What’s bothering you right now? Problems with people? Problems with health? Problems with finances? Problems with the world? These problems can cause us all to spiral into a world of depression, pain, anxiety, and trouble. They can consume us, but you can stop being troubled. You have that power in yourself right now. You can keep your heart from being troubled. He wouldn’t tell us to do it if we didn’t have the ability to do it. He’s practical. He’s sincere. He means what he says. Really.
…and do not be afraid.
Don’t be afraid, he says. Don’t let yourselves be afraid. Bizarre I know, but he says we now have this ability to keep ourselves from being afraid. If some of you were here right now, you’d be arguing with me. You’d present mountains of evidence to defend your right to be afraid. Isn’t that true? You’d talk about how fear is a good and healthy thing and how fear is sometimes unavoidable. Well, the only good kind of fear is the fear of God. Other fears can be crippling to spiritual progress. We all know that fear can dominate our lives, dictate the choices we make, stifle our growth, and undermine our goals. This is not new. Jesus says do not let yourselves be afraid. He says this as if we can. He knows more of what is possible than us. And this is now possible for us.
Lastly, if you go back and read the whole chapter, you’ll see within the context of this passage is the activity of the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit of God brings us the peace of Jesus and this new ability. This ability is transferred from his Spirit to ours. Paul acknowledges it in this next verse.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
Ephesians 3:20
Let’s look at another verse with peace and our new ability on our mind.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Jesus is talking to us not directly but through Paul. He says, do not be anxious about anything. Yes, then this is within our ability too. I know; I know. Some of you will go to great lengths to defend your right to be anxious. You will be able to state very legitimate reasons why anxiety is inevitable. But Jesus says it is not. We have newfound ability.
…by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God
Do not be anxious about anything but in everything pray. Do not be anxious and do pray. We can do both. We have new spiritual muscles. Maybe you haven’t used them much or at all, but they are there. Prayer helps put us in touch with this ability. What I mean by this is that making a spiritual connection to God helps open us up to our new spiritual abilities. Does that make sense? If it does, then pray.
Different kind of peace
…And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
This is a different kind of peace. To transcend understanding means that it can operate independent of the events and issues of our lives. That would mean it is independent of traditional components of peace like status, wealth, health, and happiness. Go figure. That’s what it says. God must operate on a totally different plane than us, huh?
Not Conflict Avoidance
We can manufacture our own peace through avoiding conflict. Avoiding conflict is a rational strategy to seek peace. Avoiding conflict to achieve peace has its roots in the fear of people. Have you ever been in a place where to maintain peace you needed to be very careful what you said or did? Note to self - that is not peace, not God’s peace. Let’s hope that is not your church or your family or your job. Remember the Lord’s peace can transcend understanding. When things transcend our understanding, they can seem counter intuitive. Watch this. The way of peace could sometimes lead through areas of conflict and pain and suffering. Would you call that counter intuitive?
Not Denial
We can manufacture our own peace through denial. We think we can be at peace by not thinking about our problems. And deep down we hope that not thinking about them will cause them to go away. This is denial, not peace and it’s not faith. It won’t alter our problems. Transcending our understanding also means we can face our problems, not be consumed by them, and yet still be in peace. That's a peace we can use. A peace that only functions on a nice sunny day isn't much use during a storm. It isn't much use in our lives.
Place of Safety
…will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
It is a place of safety but a different kind of safety because it guards our hearts and our minds. Guards it from what? Guards it from going somewhere else, like anxiety or fear. It keeps our minds from catching the fire of our problems and then smoldering day and night. Ever been there?
The world is full of stories of people in very difficult situations that got swallowed up by fear or anxiety and in moments of desperation did things they would not normally do or would never have dreamed they could do. For some, their anxiety had cornered them and left them few rational options. There is no need to go into detail here – but in Christ we have a new ability to keep this from happening - to keep from descending into those dark places.
Lastly, let me share one more verse about this place of peace. This is the Lord’s exhortation to live there.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace that the Lord has given us – that we now have - let that peace rule. The Lord is saying that he wants us to make decisions and choices that keep us in this place. First, I guess we need to get a sense of what that place is like.
Do you remember a time when you said or did something wrong in a close relationship? Whether the person said something or not, could you tell something was off? Could you tell the relationship lacked something? Did you apologize? Were you able to get back to the same place?
I can remember making an insensitive comment that hurt my wife. I could sense something was off without her responding. I could feel it in my spirit. I wanted to do whatever I could to put it back. I didn’t want to get used to living without peace with my wife. It was like the Lord said, “Bingo, that’s how I want you to live with me.” The Lord wants us to let peace rule. He wants us to be committed to living in peace, his peace. Peace was meant to be a barometer in our lives – in every decision and in every situation.
Living in Peace
No secrets here but to follow peace. Refuse to ignore your heart when it says it is not at peace. Stop and fix it, change it, reverse course if you must, apologize, whatever is required to get back to a place of Christ’s peace – or even arrive there for the first time.
Two choices are before you, A and B. Choice A is ignoring peace, you fully understand it. It makes sense. Choice B, you can’t see how it works. Choice B has peace. Choice A doesn’t. I am used to going with choice A and ignoring my heart, my spirit when it objects. I try not to let it bother me, but it does. You can train yourself to ignore the Lord’s leanings but there is a problem with that, because we have been called to peace.
Called to peace.
His peace is to be our new normal. His peace is now our calling. By design we need his peace to thrive, to grow, to rest and to progress. Therefore, when we are far from peace, we are far from our calling – far from our destiny. Called to peace is by design. If we don’t learn to let peace rule, we’ll continue to be off and continue to be miserable. Again, it is possible to let peace rule or he wouldn’t have told us to do it.
Peace can’t pay the rent.
I am reminded by my good friend Keston, that peace can't pay the rent. That may be true, but peace is freedom from the terror of the rent not being paid. It prevents you from acting in desperation contrary to God’s principles. It permits you to seek God’s help. It permits you to listen to what the Lord is telling you through all this. It allows you to be clear of mind so you can make the best decisions and not do something crazy. Peace allows you to gather yourself and take steps in faith. And yes Keston, faith can pay the rent.
Conclusion
And this brings us all here. Jesus left us his peace because we’re going to need it. Some of you may already be in desperate need. Some of you may be facing situations where the peace of Christ will be the difference in surviving. We have tools available to us to allow us to thrive in any condition. Look over the verses I left you. I’m not making this stuff up. Jesus has left us his peace. His peace gives us the ability to put our souls in a better place. The Lord wants us to understand that we can’t be satisfied without being in peace because that is our calling. That’s part of his design. Believe him, trust him, believe what he says, Explore the new abilities you have in him.
Sooner or later, we’re going to have to start actually believing what he says and receiving all the benefits. Now would be a good time to start.
Lord, I believe what you have said, so I thank you for leaving me your peace. Thank you for what this means in my life. That I have new abilities and that I can keep my heart from being troubled and being afraid. I acknowledge that this is a peace that transcends my ability to figure it out and I am thankful that it protects my heart and mind from dwelling on things that I should keep away from. I am now committed to letting your peace rule in my life and making decisions that lead to peace. Help me put this to work and learn and grow in these new abilities you have given me through your Holy Spirit. Amen.
I would never say that suffering is good. However, I would say that suffering has yielded some mighty impressive benefits. For those of us who are children of God, we are aware that the suffering of the one called Jesus of Nazareth, who was the literal son of God, has yielded an incredible benefit to mankind. Because in that suffering is the forgiveness of sins for all who will believe it.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews says it this way:
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Hebrews 9:22 NIV
He is saying in essence, that without suffering there is no possibility of forgiveness. We sometimes think that God will just forgive and forget. But the reality of this existence is quite the contrary. Our universe and everything known falls under the authority of God. Under this kingdom order, there is no forgiving and forgetting. There must be suffering. Suffering is required for forgiveness. Suffering then has real benefits.
For those of us who are children of God, our present suffering yields the additional benefits of sound character. This is what Paul talked about in Romans when he said:
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4 NIV
Paul so understands the concept of suffering that he can look at it in a way to make him rejoice. Why? Not because he’s crazy, but because he sees what it produces. He sees the end of the road of suffering is perseverance, character and hope. He sees valuable spiritual assets produced from very negative experiences. And yes, this is sometimes God’s way. But he has been trained to look at it in a way that produces the very opposite of what we would expect. Isn’t that right. Isn’t the natural effect of suffering, despair? Notice in the realm of God, the outcome of suffering is hope. What a concept.
The hope produced from suffering is a very resilient hope indeed. Hope that has been birthed through suffering is something pretty rock solid. That’s the essence of what Paul says when he explains this hope as we look at the next verse of this passage:
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:5 NIV
What he’s saying above is we will not be disappointed in this hope, because it has been birthed by God through the Holy Spirit. Did you get that? So here is a key. It wasn’t the suffering that did the trick. It was the opportunity afforded God through the Holy Spirit to build something incredible in us. Let me put it another way. When we suffer as a believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has access to us in a way that he normally doesn’t. He has access to a deeper level of our beings. He has access to us to bring about core changes, to bring about the character of God in us. Can he accomplish this in our lives without suffering? That’s a good question. A better question is this:
Are you willing to face anything in your life that the Holy Spirit wants to show you? If not then suffering may be your best avenue toward real and lasting growth.
Enter Barrenness
Like suffering, I would never say barrenness is good. However, with our new found perspective, there must be another way to look at barrenness as well. First, let me define barrenness as follows:
Anything sound familiar? This is a good indication of what barrenness is. Is your life one of barrenness? Are you going through a period of barrenness in prayer, in your ministry, in your gifts, in your purpose, in your calling, in your outlook, in your hopes, in your motivations? Do you feel a sense of lacking? Does your spiritual life seem ineffective? Do you think you should be further along from what you’ve heard and read and now understand about God. Are you in a state of barrenness - or is it only me?
Help From Samuel
In order to understand this we need a little help from the book of 1 Samuel, so let’s go right to the scripture.
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
1 Samuel 1:1-2 NIV
So a certain man was named Elkanah. The scripture is so specific of this guy that we know his tribe, his father, his grandfather, his great grandfather and his great, great. There should be no confusing this guy. He had two wives. One wife named Peninnah gave him children and the other wife Hannah did not. Hannah was barren. And her barrenness did not occur for a short period of time. As we continue to read:
Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
1 Samuel 1:3-4 NIV
Now the word of God reveals the source of Hannah’s barrenness to us.
But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb.
1 Samuel 1:5 NIV
The source of Hannah’s barrenness was God himself. Did you get that? The source of Hannah’s barrenness was God himself. Let that one sink in for a moment. Had Hannah done anything wrong? No. Was Hannah in God’s will at this time? Yes. And amidst the relentless teachings on prosperity in our current era, was barrenness God’s will for Hannah? Yes. Did it hurt? Is barrenness painful? Is it confusing? Look back at the definition of barrenness again for a moment. And here’s some additional confusion. What do you think Hannah’s name means? It means “favored.”
And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
1 Samuel 1:6 NIV
Can you say persecution? Sounds like Hannah is being persecuted for a situation that she didn’t create. Sounds like the one named “favor” isn’t getting a whole lot of it. Again, how long did this last?
This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
1 Samuel 1:7 NIV
Year after year. A state of barrenness. A situation you didn’t create. A situation of pain. A situation where you question your value and your purpose. A situation where you don’t understand. A situation where your peers don’t understand. A situation with no resolution from the Lord. How long could you last?
Is this fair? Is this really God? We only know its God because scripture says clearly two times that the LORD had closed her womb. I am happy for all of us that the scripture makes this clear. Just think what we would be preaching if it wasn’t. Without the scripture no one has a clue. The Hannahs of this world have difficulty seeing past their pain. The Penniniahs enjoy their feeling of superiority. They think they have the answers because they don’t have the pain. They think they are the favored ones. But whose name means favor? They feel pity for the Hannahs. Nobody has a clue. Remember that for your test. Again, can this really be God? Yes. Is this really fair? I say yes because of this:
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV
All his ways are fair. Everything he does is perfect and right. The Lord wants us to understand some of the depths of his ways. His ways are not intuitive. Human intuition is irrelevant with respect to God. The only way to understand God’s ways are through his spirit. We require a translator. We require an explainer. Without that, we have no chance.
Supernatural Barrenness
Back to Hannah. If God had placed her in a state of barrenness, then no spiritual declaration, no spiritual confession, no spiritual impartation, no authority, no power is going to deliver her but the Lord himself.
Hannah is in a supernatural state of barrenness. Hannah wants to have children. Isn’t that a natural thing to desire? That can’t be too much to ask. Bearing children is part of her design. That would be ordinary. From my last lesson, I defined ordinary as “according to the natural order.” It would have been according to the natural order of things for Hannah to have a child. But God favors her doesn’t he? He favors her so much that he holds back the ordinary. Did you get that?
God favors Hannah so much that he holds back the ordinary.
This is God. This is so wonderfully counterintuitive. Our mind thinks that when someone is blessed everything goes right for them. That is modern teaching in a nutshell. However, the life of Hannah defies this teaching. Through Hannah’s life the Lord is showing us that he will often hold back the ordinary for those he favors. Why does he do this? Well we just went over it in the first section.
Let me put it another way. The Holy Spirit is a tunnel worker. He tunnels into our lives. He’s at work tunneling deep into our heart, the core of our being. Even though he has the power, he refuses to dig in areas that we have roped off from him. These are areas we are just afraid of seeing what will be dug out. Sometimes through our pain and suffering, we give him access to dig in areas that we’ve kept him out of.
So when God holds back the ordinary, he’s often giving the Holy Spirit more time. He knows that through our pain the Holy Spirit will have greater access. When God has greater access to the depth of our being, great things are released in the earth. How do we know this. Let’s continue reading.
Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.
1 Samuel 1:9 NIV
Hannah at this point will do and say anything. Her suffering has brought her to the brink. And this is what she prays:
And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
1 Samuel 1:11 NIV
She prays to the Lord that if she would have a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord. Here is the greatness of Hannah’s prayer. She’s telling God that out of her he can bring forth what he wants. Hannah has now unknowingly positioned herself in line with the Lord’s purposes. And it was barrenness that got her there.
So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."
1 Samuel 1:20 NIV
And we know about this Samuel who anointed the first two kings of Israel, King Saul and King David. Scripture speaks of the remarkable life of Samuel summing it up:
Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life.
1 Samuel 7:15
Samuel stood as the representative for God as prophet and judge all the days of his life. Samuel was no accident and neither was Hannah. Hanna was favored. The Lord wanted to do something special.
Can you see from Hannah’s experience that the Lord desires we view barrenness differently? When the Lord’s hand causes barrenness it means that he’s positioning us. It means that we have favor – not the opposite. It means the Holy Spirit is tunneling to new depths in our heart. It means he wants to do something outside of the ordinary in our lives. If we could just look at it this way, we could even rejoice in our barrenness. What a concept.
Remember again in Romans 5:3-5, the Apostle Paul comes to the conclusion that he can rejoice in the midst of suffering not because he enjoys it, but because he understands what the Holy Spirit can birth in him as a result.
The true benefit of barrenness is to move us out of the ordinary into the realm where the Lord operates.
Help from Hagar, Sarah and Galatians
The lives of Hagar and Sarah speak to us in a similar fashion.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.
Galatians 4:22 NIV
Paul is using the lives of Sarah and Hagar to represent two classes of people in the earth; those whose lives are limited to the ordinary and those who operate according to a different plan. There’s our word “ordinary” again. The son born by the slave woman was born in the “ordinary” way, or as I would say born according to the natural order. The son of Sarah however was born according to a different order - the promise of God.
Just like with Hannah, God created a distinction from the ordinary by bringing barrenness. Scripture tells us that Sarah bore Isaac after she and Abraham had passed the time for ordinary childbearing. Since the ordinary had been collapsed, there would be no doubt that this was the hand of God. This is one of his ways.
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead.
Romans 4:19 NIV
If the true benefit of barrenness is to move us out of the ordinary into the realm where the Lord operates, then the Lord desires that we live, think and become children of promise. And those of you going through barrenness right now think of it as birthing of God’s promises in you. If we can look at it that way, it changes everything.
Conclusion
See I don’t want to say that the main benefit of barrenness means something good is coming. That’s too easy. I want you to see that the benefit of barrenness is that real work is happening in you. It is the real work of the Holy Spirit that brings the good things later.
So here’s my new philosophy. When I think about my life and review my past failures, regrets and embarrassing moments (it amazing how many there are), I now have a bit of ammunition. I face the memory. I don’t avoid it. I acknowledge it and I ask the Holy Spirit to plant a seed in my pain, my regret, my failure and birth something of God. I really do. When I face any of life’s current challenges that bring fear or anxiety or powerlessness or anger, I don’t try to just think of something else. I face it. I feel the fear. I feel the pain. And I ask the Holy Spirit in this moment, to reach deeper inside me and release something of God.
And, in my times of barrenness, my times of being unproductive or unfruitful, in the times I feel lacking in capacity or mentally unproductive or when I am just not producing results, I remind myself that I will gladly suffer the ordinary to become a child of promise. I ask the Holy Spirit to use this time of barrenness to align me with God’s purposes. I ask the Holy Spirit to use this time of barrenness to break me out of the ordinary.
May the Lord help us see things this way. Amen.
The goal of this study is for you to begin a journey with me. I consciously started this journey just recently, but I am encouraging you to take part as well. I call it a healthy heart project. Scripture says the heart is our most precious component. Let’s look at the following verse:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 NIV
Now most of you would agree with this verse, but how much do you agree? Look at the verse again. This scripture is part of a group of instructions for living. Amidst all those instructions, this scripture bubbles to the top with the “Above all else.” You could rephrase it as “if you are going to follow just one instruction” or “before you go onto anything else get this one down first.” Get this one down first because from your heart your entire life takes its cue – your entire life.
Who are you really?
Let’s look at another verse.
As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 NIV
Our heart is who we are. I go over this in more detail in Seed Your Change. No matter what you look like on the outside, no matter what kind of education you have or upbringing, no matter what your country or national origin or ethnicity or style or physical attributes or charisma or wealth or health or anything else that can describe you – the real you is your heart. Make sense? I hope this isn’t too scary. Because this means that our conventional success in things like a job, in possessions or friends or accomplishments are NOT going to change who you are. We may lose ourselves in a whole lot of stuff, but that’s not going to change who we are.
So, when God looks at us, what do you think he’s looking at anyway? This is not a trick question. He tells us, plainly. Look at the next verse:
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV
I’ve quoted this verse in other lessons. This is what the Lord told Samuel when Samuel went out to select a king. Samuel had thought to himself that one of the impressive young men he had just met must have been the Lord’s choice. But the Lord spoke up and interrupted Samuel’s thought processes. And the Lord clarified himself for Samuel’s sake and our sake as well. The Lord looks at the heart. It is silly to say this, but the Lord doesn’t get distracted by any of the things that trap us. Who are we really? The Lord knows. If he looks at the heart, then that is who we are. Or that is what reveals us or reflects us.
Who are we, really? That’s what Jesus said when he discussed the good and bad trees.
"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. Luke 6:43-44 NIV
Jesus is using the analogy of trees and fruit to discuss people and their actions. But he makes a distinction between a good and bad tree. That distinction is made at the heart level – the core of the tree. What he’s saying is bad trees, like bad people, reveal themselves by what they produce. But and this is very important, why they produce bad fruit is the result of their heart. This becomes clearer in the next verse.
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 NIV
He’s talking about people now and he clearly says that good people bring good things out of the good in their heart and evil likewise. Look at this verse: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Matthew 7:18 NIV
This is a very disturbing verse conceptually. It says that there is no use for a bad heart to try to do good. A bad heart cannot do good. This is a slight diversion in our study, but for those who have not put their trust in Christ, there is nothing good that you can do to compensate for a bad heart. Nothing. There is a philosophy of the world that says if I only do enough good it will make up for the failings of my heart. That is ultimately a philosophy of denial. It is a philosophy that refuses to look at the true state of our hearts before a Holy God.
Here’s one last example for you. I’ve used this passage before to explain how Jesus went about clarifying or demystifying who God is and what he’s like.
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:21-22 NIV
Is this passage clearer after the previous verses? I hope so. What Jesus is saying is that simply refraining from murder is not enough. Can you see this? If the condition of your heart is anger and hatred, then you exist on the same heart level as a murderer. Just following the rules is not enough. The only thing that matters is what is on the inside. We think that we are good people simply because we haven’t committed the big sins. We have no clue. Why? Because God is looking at something different. God looks at the heart.
Tragedy in Being Out of Sync
There is tragedy in being out of sync. There is danger in guarding the wrong thing. There is danger in us not having a clue. When we don’t understand what is important then we won’t protect what’s important as well. When we don’t value what God values, we set ourselves up for a rude awakening; we impede our progress; we don’t function as intended. We become like the Laodicean church as described by Jesus:
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3:17 NIV
This is one incredible verse. This is the Lord talking to a people. These people thought they were prosperous. They thought they had achieved. They thought they were valuable. They thought they were content. The Lord sees something different. He sees wretched. It means worthless, despicable, and contemptible. He sees pitiful. It means lamentable, deplorable, woeful, and pathetic. He sees poor. It means lacking, deficient and inferior. He sees blind. It means lost, dull, unperceptive, and unaware. He sees naked. It means stripped, destitute and defenseless. Is this a description of our prosperity generation? This verse shows that some of us, many of us just do not have a clue. When we don’t see what God sees, we truly have no idea. This is the Laodicean church. Is this us?
A Healthy Heart Project
So, what is a healthy heart again? Good question. Sorry, but we had to lay the groundwork before we could get here.
I want to make this very simple. It’s the only way to approach something as complex and elusive as the heart of man. We can search the scriptures and still have a hard time understanding the heart. That’s something I can’t do - at least not today. There is an easier way though. Let’s then define a healthy heart by what a healthy heart does, not what it is. Sound good?
A healthy heart then fulfills its primary intended functions - of which there are arguably only three. These three are laid out specifically in scripture. Here they are in the following verse:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV
This is no trick or sleight of hand. The most important functions of the heart are faith, hope, and love. Say it with me. A healthy heart believes or trusts or has faith, a healthy heart hopes or looks to the future, and a healthy heart loves. Now if we can remember these simple three it will help us along in our project. Again:
A healthy heart believes, a healthy heart hopes, and a healthy heart loves.
In the context of teaching about spiritual gifts, Paul reminds the Corinthian church in chapter 13 how love gives value to everything. Stated simply, the absence of love is the absence of value in the kingdom of God. Paul also tells them that there will come a time when spiritual gifts will no longer be needed and the only things that will survive are the big three: faith, hope, and love. If the big three proceed from our hearts, then do you see why the heart is of such great value?
A Healthy Heart Believes
A healthy heart believes. This is not intuitive. Does the heart really believe? Yes. Paul says it in Romans:
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10 NIV
It says plainly, “it is with your heart that you believe.”
Faith is not an intellectual thing, is it? If that were so all the intellectuals would be believers. And we know that isn’t the case.
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1 Corinthians 1:20 NIV
From your experience you know this to be true. You didn’t believe because you examined all the evidence. You believed because something in you clicked and responded to the truth. Scripture says it was your heart. Now the mind comes in after the fact and adds a little understanding and knowledge to the direction your heart has taken.
Let us then become heart experts and learn to diagnose some problems. Do you struggle with faith or believing or trusting God in any area of your life? If this is your struggle, what kind of problem do you have? It is not a confidence problem where you are not claiming what is rightfully yours. It is not an understanding problem where you don’t know enough. It is not a scripture problem where you don’t read enough.
Since we have just seen in scripture what part of us believes, we must conclude that a lack of faith is a problem with the heart. Our capacity to believe is not dependent on our confidence or our will. Our capacity to believe depends on our heart. A healthy heart believes. Do you see?
A Healthy Heart Hopes
Of these three, hope may be the most misunderstood. I like to say that hope gives things their eternality. Hope is what cause things to last. Hope is all about the future. Hope is about tomorrow.
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? Romans 8:24 NIV
Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Why, because hope is about tomorrow. The Bible says that hope is one of the big three. After everything to do with this world has drawn to its conclusion, there will still be a tomorrow. God is a God of tomorrow.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV
God is a God of Hope. There will always be something to look forward to in God. One of my favorite passages that epitomizes this comes from the day of Pentecost. The disciples had gathered, waiting for the Holy Spirit of God who Jesus had promised. When that event occurred, they began speaking in languages unknown to them. The people outside thought they had been drinking.
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:13-17 NIV
Peter tells the crowd that what is occurring is the promise of the Holy Spirit. This is a great passage. It is a statement of hope. The Lord says he will pour out his spirit and this is how everybody will be affected:
The Spirit of God in people renews us in hope at every stage of our lives. God is a God of hope. Now that we are growing heart experts, if we are lacking in motivation, if we stop caring about things and people, if we start to give up, if we start believing lies like nothing can improve, what kind of problem do we have? Do we need to improve our attitude? Do we need to start looking at the bright side of things? Our ability to hope is not about our will or determination. If we struggle with hope, we have a heart problem. A healthy heart hopes. A healthy heart always looks toward tomorrow.
A Healthy Heart Loves
Let’s look at love another way as well. If faith is about believing and hope is about tomorrow, then let us say that love is about how much you can carry. What?
Think love, think carry.
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV
That law is the law of love. What does it mean to carry each other’s burdens? Burdens are weights. They are what limit us and keep us back. They are our frailties and our fears and our weaknesses. For us to carry each other’s is for us to put up with each other. It means we have faith in what God can do in each other. It means we have hope for each other in a better day.
A healthy heart will carry for as long as needed.
Think about it. To judge people, you must put down their load. To hate people, we must decide in our hearts that this person’s burdens are not worth carrying, that this person has no hope.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22 NIV
Peter said to Jesus how long must I carry a person’s burdens. When am I permitted to lay them down? When can I give up on them? What could Jesus say other than never? When would you want God to be done with you and finally set you down? Love is the willingness to carry.
So back to our diagnoses, when we are unwilling, or fed up with people, when we think it is not worth it to us to put up with them, when we judge or are critical, when we de-value or de-humanize people and we say that we will not waste our time with this person, what kind of problem do we have? When we refuse to carry people’s burdens anymore, what kind of problem is that? Fatigue? Nope. It’s a heart problem. A healthy heart loves. A healthy heart carries.
The Healthy Diagnosis
The first part of this study was to convince you that a healthy heart does three main things - trusts, hopes and loves. Therefore, if we have a problem with our faith, or with our outlook for the future or with our ability to carry the burdens of others then we have a heart problem. If we are struggling with faith or hope or love, then our heart is struggling. If this is you, then your heart is not working as intended.
Once we realize where the source of the problem is then we know where the work must be applied. What I want you to understand from this study is that if the problem is in the heart, then the heart needs to be fixed. Fix any other area and you may be able to fool some, but you won’t solve the problem.
Not too long ago there was this preacher who had to step down from his position in ministry because of some sin. I don’t want to pile on his tragedy, but something he said is very relevant to this study. He said that he began to preach more and more forcefully against the very things he struggled with as a way to combat his desires. I don’t want to be callous, but obviously this approach didn’t work. When we use the force of our will or even an accountability group to keep us in line, then we have our efforts in the wrong place. He had a heart problem. We have heart problems.
Fixing the Heart
I believe in the Christian life there is a lot of work to be done. There are ample teachings, declarations, and impartations, yet there is work that never seems to get done in our lives. Why? Because we as children of God must learn how to work differently. In the kingdom of God, God does all the work. In God’s kingdom, if God doesn’t do it, it doesn’t get done. If our hearts need repair and God doesn’t fix it, does it get fixed? No. If we could just eat these words, or maybe these:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV
In this scripture Paul is praising God. He’s praising God who can now accomplish things through us. How? “According to his power that is at work within us.”
How about this verse:
…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 NIV
How about this verse as a final witness:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 NIV
I’ll say it again and again. Christianity is not about great men and women who out of the sheer force of will lay hold of the great things of God. It is his power. It is what he does to us and through us. It is what he makes us.
What then is Our Role?
Our role is first to see. We must face our own condition. The Holy Spirit will let you get a peek at the condition of your heart if you only ask him. Let me warn you first, it could be ugly. If you are like many of us are part of the Laodicean church, it is going to be both shocking and painful. Why would he do this to us? Interesting question. Why would he let us see the true condition of ourselves? Is that the question you asked? Well maybe because he is the Spirit of Truth and that is how he operates. Maybe also he wants us to embrace our next role – that of enablers.
The Holy Spirit is looking for access into our lives, into our hearts, to fix, repair, replace. And of course, you’re not going to let him fix things if you have a Laodicean mindset and think everything is fine. Now, are you?
Do you see? The Lord wants to get us in the following mode:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
But we need to go there in reality not in pretend fashion. The funny thing about this verse is that God already knows our hearts. He wants us to get to the point where we are ready to see what he wants to show us. Once we see, maybe just maybe, we’ll be ready to get serious and give him access to change our heart.
Conclusion
So, a healthy heart trusts, a healthy heart hopes and a healthy heart loves. If we have problems with any of these then we have a heart problem. The only way to fix a heart is to work on the heart and that is God’s work. Our job first is to see the problem and then give him access to fix us.
Sounds too easy? The hard part is always in the seeing. Just like salvation. Salvation sounds more difficult. The hard part in salvation is in the seeing. Only after we see ourselves are we ready to accept Jesus’ work. Why would anything else be different in the kingdom of our Lord? Amen
