What God Has Joined Together

Some things are just meant to go together.

Sort of like jam and peanut butter, pizza and coke, and apple pie and cheese. My dad used to say, “A piece of pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.” Hmmm, I need to think of other examples beside food!

The Scriptures teach us that prayer and faith are meant to go together. Jesus taught that doubt cancels the purpose and power of prayer. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” *. Prayer without faith is just a form with no function.

Worship and obedience are meant to go together. Where there is no obedience, worship may still sound good but God has no interest in it. Worship without obedience, just as prayer without faith, is like talking on a mobile phone where there is no cell service. As they say, “Talk to the hand, ‘cause the face ain’t listening”.

Jesus reminded us of the marriage of worship and obedience when He commanded, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” **. Service is a visible expression of obedience.

King Saul’s disobedience to the Word of the Lord (through the Prophet) nullified the king’s sacrifice of worship. Saul’s worship was to be a key to maintaining his royal throne to give as an inheritance to his family. So, along with the destruction of his worship, his disobedience caused the disintegration of his inheritance.

Let’s determine not to allow our Sunday worship to be made useless by our Monday disobedience. Let’s not separate what God has meant to go together!

*James 1:6,7 **Luke 4:8

"Seal" the Word!

I love a good sermon! One that has eloquence, passion, humor, authority, and relevance. I like messages that are clearly based on, or expounding, Scripture. I like messages that have the unction and anointing of the Holy Spirit. And one more thing, I must admit that I especially like messages that state what I already believe.

We all tend to go where we will hear sermons we like. Every now and then, the Holy Spirit catches us listening and gives us a Word that we need to hear, like it or not! It may be a message about something we have forgotten, neglected, resisted, or rejected. It may be a message that causes discomfort or conviction. But deep in our hearts we know it is true and we need to receive it. This it the time when we must be sure the Word we have heard becomes sealed in our hearts.

Sealing the Word is determining, right there and then, how and where to practically apply the Word to your own life. Hearing the Word is good. Receiving the Word is better. But sealing the Word is best because this is where progress, change, and healing happen.

Good preaching becomes effective when it motivates and assists the listeners to seal the Word. Sometimes I write the words, “SO WHAT?” at the end of my sermons. This reminds me to lead my audience toward sealing the message. Even a great sermon can be quickly forgotten when it is not sealed in the heart of receptive listeners.

I pray that I will be a great preacher of the Word that the Holy Spirit speaks through me. But even more, I pray that I will be a great sealer of the Word the Holy Spirit speaks to me!

A Team!

A good team is hard to beat! Whether a ministry team, executive team, a sports team, a labor team, a medical team, or a husband and wife team.

However, a team is only a pretense and cannot function successfully when it lacks oneness of heart and spirit, of vision and direction. This “one-mindedness” is the critical thread in the DNA of a genuine team.

Concerning those who worked with him, the Apostle Paul wrote these words, “Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?” (2 Cor. 12:18) Paul was absolutely confident that any member of his ministry team would represent all of the other members both in spirit and in action. His team was no mere mirage of the real thing but a powerful world-changing force.

Dressing a group of individuals in a uniform does not make them a team. Where individual team members maintain a separate agenda and mindset the vision looses focus and becomes blurred. The goal looses its definition and becomes elusive. The similarities of the members of a true team are likeness of motivation and response, of understanding and direction, of message and discernment.

Individuals united by one dream, one goal, one purpose, one vision, one heart and one spirit; who are of one Faith, baptized into one Spirit, serving one Lord; are a Team that can attain unreachable heights, overcome insurmountable odds, conquer unbeatable foes, and secure incalculable treasures!

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Blessings!
GHB

Get out! And Stay out!

The Devil doesn’t fight fair! He is no “gentleman” opponent willing to fight according to an agreed code of fair conduct. He is a ruthless, hate-filled, unrelenting, no rules, merciless, vicious, and cunning predator.
Satan assumed Jesus would be an easy target when Jesus was alone in a deserted area for 40 days. But Jesus withstood each of the Devil’s temptations. The Bible tells us that at the end of those unsuccessful attacks, “The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.” (Luke 4:13 THE MESSAGE)
Satan continues to use this “guerrilla-attack” strategy against the followers of Jesus. Demonic spirits provide reconnaissance information with times and places of opportunity for Satan’s assaults. He is less likely to move when he sees that we are armed and prepared for battle. Instead, the Devil attacks when we appear vulnerable. When we are tired, weak, hurt, or sick. When we are frustrated, disappointed, offended, or discouraged. When we are lonely or estranged. Or when we are self-assured and overconfident.
When we are already having a bad day or heading the wrong way Satan will arrive to keep it going.
Here are a few strategies for success in resisting the Enemy’s attacks –

• Stay armed with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11). Don’t wait until the Devil starts to move against you. If he even flinches, take a swing at him with the Sword of the Spirit!

• Find a way to praise God in the very moments of Satan’s opportunity! (2 Chron. 22:20) Don’t wait until he starts to speak words of temptation or accusation. The instant his lips begin to move, slap his mouth with songs of praise!

• Don’t go it alone. Have a prayer partner. Gang up on the Devil and his demons! Remember two of God’s soldiers fighting together are 10x stronger than one fighting alone! (Deut. 32:30)

• And the bottom line is … Do not give the Enemy any place in the moments of your day. (James 4:7)

Make today a bad day for the Devil!

Songs of the Famous

I wonder what it would be like to have songs written about me. Songs that extol my extraordinary abilities and accomplishments. OK, the songs might be very short, but so what?
How would I react to hearing my name and my greatness fill streets and stadiums? Observation teaches us that fame may be intoxicating. Fame can cause lost emotional balance, compromised values, unrealistic assessments, uncontrolled desires, and can contribute to early death.
The people wrote and joyfully sang songs about King David of Israel. And there was lots to sing about. David was, indeed, not only a brave and brilliant warrior; he was a man of God. The Bible tells us “the Lord was with him”. (1 Samuel 18:12)
David could not be responsible for who wrote the songs or where and when they were sung, but he certainly was responsible for how those songs affected him. All of us have observed people who view their fame as a license to behave badly. Like so many others who have listened to lavish praises of themselves, David might have turned to the “dark side”. To a lifestyle of arrogance, rudeness, irresponsibility, belligerence, and extravagance.
Instead, the Bible tells us “David behaved wisely in all his ways.” (1 Samuel 18:14) At the end of the same passage of Scripture we read, “David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.” David is now honored for more than his exploits. He is honored for his character.
To be applauded for the types of things you do is great. To be esteemed for the type of person you are is greater!

Master's Principle #3

Have you ever wondered why some Christians just don’t get it? They attend the same services and hear the same Word but their only response continues to be an empty stare.
Well, I think I have an answer.
The disciples asked Jesus why, by speaking in parables, He made it difficult for some to understand His teaching (Matt 13:10). Jesus first reminds the disciples of the special place they hold in His plans and purposes. After all, they were the ones who responded to His personal invitation to follow Him and become “fishers of men”.
And then, Jesus continues by making, what on the surface, seems to be a perplexing statement. “Whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Matt 13:12) What in the world does that mean? Whoever has what?
Jesus' answer refers to the parable He had just told. It was the Parable of the Sower. The seed was offered to all types of ground, but only the “good ground yielded a crop”. Only the good ground had something to show for the seed it was given. When Jesus says, “Whoever has, to him more will be given,” Jesus is promising to provide more seed where the first seed has produced a harvest! And the promise they “will have abundance” refers to the continued yield of blessings from the continued sowing of seed.
This is the Principle of the Master. Just as productive ground will receive successive sowing of seed, so receptive and fruitful hearts will receive continued insight and understanding of the Word.
So, let’s listen up and respond the first time and we won’t be the ones leaving Church with the empty stares!
By the way, I just noticed that THE MESSAGE uses these words in its translation – “Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears.”

Protecting Your Pastor

“As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” (1 Samuel 14:45)
With these words God’s people declared their intention to protect the Lord’s Servant. The people considered the Man of God to be worthy of their loyalty and care.
My years of ministry have provided ample opportunities for me to experience both ends of the spectrum of Pastoral Care. I have known the joy, affirmation, and encouragement that came from being protected and provided by those to whom I have ministered. However, I have also known times when I felt abandoned, neglected, and disrespected.
Pastoral care is the term usually associated with the personal care Pastors provide for their congregations. Sadly, these providers of pastoral care are sometimes the ones who may need it the most.
The Lord’s Servants are, in fact, worthy and deserving of careful attention. The men and women who are called by God to a life of ministry, who give themselves to prepare and then go at God’s command, who faithfully study, teach, pray, and lead, should also be beneficiaries of pastoral care!
Those who “have worked with God” are the prime targets of Satan who knows that if the Shepherd is distracted, disabled, or destroyed, then the sheep will scatter. True spiritual leaders need to be surrounded by those who discern and defeat every attack of the Enemy. The Lord’s Servant must be protected from the destructive influence of people with lying tongues, divisive agendas, idle gossip, chronic complaints, argumentative mind-sets, and manipulative or controlling influence. Such people should not have ready access to the Servant of the Lord.
A Pastor (Teacher, Evangelist, Prophet, or Apostle) will minister much more effectively when he/she is free from the distractions of things like unavailable personal assistance, insufficient financial resources, and unreasonable physical demands.

The Lip Keeper

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)
“Loose lips sink ships” – and a whole lot more! They can sink marriages and friendships, churches and ministries, programs and plans, vacations and vocations. Words can be such a blessing and yet, more than often, words cause such trouble.
Offense, hurt, misunderstanding, embarrassment, confusion and dissention are just a few of the results of words that should not have been spoken. The Psalmist obviously recognizes the damage that his own lips can cause. David asks the Lord to assign a “Lip Keeper” to stand at the door of his mouth. Not a bad idea!
Perhaps this Divine “Lip Keeper” will remind David of the need for both knowledge and wisdom when opening one’s mouth. Knowledge helps us know what to say while wisdom helps us know when to say it and how to say it. Good words can lose their value when spoken at the wrong time or in the wrong way. And bad words, well, they’re still bad anywhere anytime.
A good self-discipline before speaking is to run a quick test by asking the “Lipkeeper” a couple simple questions like – “Should I say this?” and “Should I say this now?” If the answer is “Yes”, then there is still one more question we should ask before we speak – “Is this how I should say it?”
I guess if we all asked for the help of a Divine “Lip Keeper” there would probably be a lot fewer words spoken.
Sounds good to me!

Counting Thoughts

Have you ever counted sheep?
No, I mean seriously.
Neither have I.
Unless they were my own sheep and I knew the subtle individual characteristics of each one, counting them would be a pretty boring responsibility.
Counting imaginary sheep has become the symbol of an activity that can induce sleep. I’ve tried it a few times. I did eventually fall asleep but I don’t think the sheep-counting made any real contribution. Anyway, I can’t remember.
The Psalmist has discovered a more blessed activity to engage his weary mind. Instead of counting sheep, he counts the number of God’s thoughts toward him.
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.” (Psalm 139:17-18)
David has also discovered a predominant characteristic of God’s thoughts toward us. Each thought is “precious”. The predominant meaning of precious is “valuable or of significant worth”. THE MESSAGE translates this word as “rare and beautiful”.
Imagine with me, God’s thoughts toward us and each one rare and beautiful. Now try and count them.
What a God!
Good night.

He Knows Me!

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psa. 139:16)
God sees things that are yet to be and records events that are yet to happen!
He does not just imagine things. He actually sees them. Imagination is wonderful but seldom is very accurate. At best, imagination can only see how things might be. Unforeseen circumstances may substantially alter what was imagined and what is reality. But our God is unrestricted by the limitations of time. He is the eternal “I Am”. He “was”, and “is”, and “will be”, all at the same time! He is always fully present in the past, present, and future. Therefore, because He is already there, He can see what will be. He can see the real thing!
And He has already taken note of the activities of our days. Not just the possibilities or probabilities, but the actual events. He has journaled our days while those days are still blank spaces on a future calendar!
He sees and knows our end from our beginning, and yet He loves us. He knows every thought and sees every act, yet He loves us. And He chooses to surround us with His unfailing grace and mercy.
What a God!

Made by God

“You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” (Psa. 139:13)

The Spirit of Truth reminds us that the formation of the human body is God’s work. It is the supernatural Hand of God that facilitates the natural process of growth in a mother’s womb. God establishes every system, forms every organ, writes the DNA, designs every delicate and exquisite feature, and prepares the covering of flesh.
This verse provides one of the reasons I disapprove of abortion except where the physical health of the mother is at risk. Disposing of an unborn child interrupts and destroys a unique and special work of God.
When God is allowed to finish His works, each one is glorious indeed. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
What a God!

The Speed of God's Hand

I figured out why God is never late! It's because He can move so quickly.
"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." (Psa. 139:7)
The “wings of the morning” refer to the first rays of light that flash over the horizon. In a nanosecond the morning has arrived. Actually, scientists tell us that the speed of that light from its place of appearance to its appointed destination is 186,287 miles per second! In about 1 second, light can travel a distance equal to seven times the circumference of the earth. When asked why can’t we travel that fast, NASA scientists (the US rocket people) stated, “According to Special Relativity the mass of an object increases as its speed increases, and approaches infinity as the object's speed approaches the speed of light. This means that it would take an infinite amount of energy to accelerate an object to the speed of light.”
David says that if he could move at the speed of light and travel to the far reaches of the sea, that God would already be there! Even if David had a head start!
I know the Source of “an infinite amount of energy”. I know the One Who can outrace me to my place of need, never be late, dispel the darkness, and lead me into places of blessing and fulfillment.
What a God!

Running From God

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psa. 139:7)
What was David admitting? Had he really contemplated running from God? Had David actually tried to find a place where God’s Spirit could not find him?
I suppose we could reassemble or paraphrase the sentence to try and make David’s words more appropriate to the spiritual giant he was supposed to be. After all, he had the testimony of having a heart that was after the heart of God. He was known to pursue God's heart.
But this Scripture is clear and says what it says. David, the man who was known to run after God, admits that there were times when he tried to run from God! What in the world was David thinking?
The Scriptures teach that there remains in all of us a rebellious nature that must be resisted and subdued every day. I guess that’s why there have been times when each of us said or did things that made others scratch their heads and say, “What were they thinking?” Things that seemed so contrary to our testimony or reputation.
“If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” (Psa. 139:8-10)
I am so thankful that God is a faithful and merciful Heavenly Father who pursues His children who thoughtlessly run from His loving care.
What a God!

The Truth

“You can’t handle the truth!” has become one of Hollywood’s most memorable lines. Jack Nicolson spits out the line with iconic disdain.
Well, sometimes the truth is indeed difficult to handle.
Sometimes the truth wounds deeply.
Sometimes the truth shatters relationships.
Sometimes the truth destroys reputations.
Sometimes the truth crushes trust.
Sometimes the truth exposes painful memories.
Sometimes the truth ignites anger.
Sometimes the truth releases a trap door to a bottomless pit of despair.
The writer of the Psalms admits that he can’t handle the truth. Well, actually he says that he can’t get a real grip on the knowledge of God. I guess that should be expected. After all, the knowledge of God is far too complex and mysterious for any mere human to fully handle.
But it is not the complexity of the truth that exasperates the Psalmist.
The sixth verse of Psalm 139 reads, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.” The King can’t handle the truth because it is simply too wonderful!
The knowledge of the dimensions of God’s personal interest in each of us is a truth that the Psalmist just could not get his head around.
What a God!

Fresh Bread!

I heard a preacher last night. He was contemporary, but he was also relevant!
OK, I admit I worded that last sentence to catch your attention. It is my way of pointing out the foolishness of assuming that because something is contemporary that it is also relevant.
Contemporary is descriptive of a method, appearance, or presentation. Many have come to the false conclusion that if the method is contemporary the message must be relevant. The only thing a method can accomplish is to help or hinder the receiving of the message.
Like most people, I like bread. I especially like whole-wheat bread. But most of all, I like fresh bread. When it is still warm from the oven, it is heavenly. I will eat it no matter who serves it or what they are wearing. I will eat it no matter where they serve it and or what they serve it on! Why? Because it is fresh!
Bread that is stale is still bread. It has all the ingredients of fresh bread, but it does not taste the same. And moldy bread … well, forget it. But what if stale or even moldy bread is served in the most contemporary of surroundings in the most contemporary of platters? What if it is served by the most contemporary of waiters dressed in the most contemporary of clothing? The method does not make the bread fresh. Do you get my point?
Fresh revelation, however, is always relevant! By fresh revelation I am referring to the “Bread of Life” that has just been taken from the “oven” of the Spirit-filled Preacher’s soul. It is relevant because it is the specific Word that the Holy Spirit has for a specific people at a specific moment! Fresh revelation is not a Word that has been left on the shelf or packaged in a factory and then offered in a “contemporary” presentation.
Fresh revelation takes time to prepare. It is best prepared when the baker is on his knees listening to the voice of the Master Baker Who made all the ingredients and wrote the recipes. And because it is fresh revelation, it is desirable, powerful, and effective!
The “Bread” was fresh last night!

A Hedge and a Hand!

The Lord has placed a hedge around me and His hand on me!
That's exactly what the Psalmist declares. "You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
The hedge of the Lord’s protection was a great frustration to Satan when he was attempting to attack and destroy Job’s reputation. Satan confessed that the Lord had made a hedge around Job securing Job’s household and all that he had (Job 1:10).
The enemy has no easy access to what the Lord has given me! I need not live in fear, but in confidence that God will be faithful to protect the blessings He has given me.
The confines of a hedge can be a lonely place, so the Lord adds the Hand of His Presence!
The Psalmist says the Lord’s hand has been “laid” on him. This reminds me that the Lord’s presence in my life need not be a temporary or occasional experience. When I lay my hand on something, I am intending to keep my hand there!
He protects me and all that I have. He stays with me wherever I am. What a God!

He Knows Me!

Here I sit at our summer cottage in southern Ontario enjoying the Lord’s richest blessings. Today I am reading the first few verses of Psalm 139.
Take a moment and read the first four verses of this Psalm.
These verses remind me that my Heavenly Father’s knowledge of me is both intentional and incredible!
How wonderful it is to be reminded that the One Who knows all things still chooses to carefully search out all that concerns me. (“You have searched me and know me.”)
He takes note of my daily schedule (“my sitting down and my rising up”).
He hears my words, yet unspoken, observes my actions, yet untaken, and knows my path, yet unchosen.
Nothing about me is to insignificant for Him to wish to see, and nothing about me is to inscrutable for Him to be able to know.
What a God!