Author: swimmingmonk1980

Follower of Jesus for 40 years; Married 35 years; Father of 5; a continual recipient of God's saving grace; a contemplative; enjoy nature; eventually I overcome reluctance and take risks; the greatest joy is strengthening others by helping them become fully aware of the presence, power, purpose and purity of Jesus on their behalf

An Odyssey of Pursuit: Hunt, Hunted & Haunted

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

1 Tim.6:11

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world,

1 Peter 5:8-9

Halloween is around the corner.  Haunted Houses will spring up around the country to terrify adults and children.  Fear will parade itself in costume, haunting and trivializing death and the demonic.  

This above verse, Paul to Timothy, penetrated my heart.  We are commanded to “flee” the love of money and all the evil that can accompany this pursuit.  Paul also commands Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” and pursue God with pure-hearted Christians (2 Tim.2:22).  Money and passion are not inherently evil…however, ”the love of money” and “unbridled lust”, which is the love of pleasure at all costs or hedonism, can cause all kinds of trouble. 

“But godliness with contentment is great gain“…the sweet spot of quality living.  In particular the word “pursue”…it means” aggressively hunt”…Jesus taught they “hunted” Me, surely they will “hunt” or persecute you. Sooooo, the issue is ‘hunger‘ for the things of God.  

We can’t control the devil or God, we can control what we pursue with our time, talent and treasure.  Please understand, you and I, are being “hunted” by the devil. Our adversary, Satan, is not all-knowing, all-powerful or all-present.  However, he does know some things about our emotional, physical and intellectual algorithms.  He with his limited army of darkness, schemes and slithers and slinks with supernatural craftiness.  We must not fear the devil but certainly respect is important.  He is defeated and destined to a Lake of Fire by God’s eternal decree. 

The Loving Pursuit of God is our greatest weapon. Hunting season for  God is always open…HAPPY HUNTING!

Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.  

Hebrews 4:16

An Odyssey of Worship: Storms, Shipwrecks & Snakes

Our Worship of God Enables Us to Experience & Impart Courage, Hope and Love in All Adversity

Acts 27:23-28:6

23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”

27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for the day to come…42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape; 43 but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land…28 When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

*Orazio Alfani (Perugia, 1510 – Rome, 1583) and Leonardo Cungi (Sansepolcro, ? d.pre-1569) – The Shipwreck of Paul on the Island of Malta

The journey of the believer often involves sounding the depths like an ancient mariner. The challenge of sailing is both the water and the land…LAND AHOY!!! Thank God for lighthouses, GPS, fog horns and well marked harbors with deep water ports! The Scripture in James (the Lord’s brother) commands the Christian not to play around in the shallow waters of “double-mindedness” (Jm.1:8), which literally means “two-souled”. James bellows like a fog horn warning the Christian to not body-surf in the waves of friendship with the world (Jm.4:4) and in the kingdom of God… the risk of friend-SHIP with the world is you can end up dashed to pieces on the rocks soul-filled ruin or dragged to sea in a vicious deadly rip-tide of fear and unbelief. The time is always right to launch out into the depths of God’s love and say goodbye to the shoreline of syncretistic alliances with worldliness.

Paul’s oceanic odyssey from Jerusalem to Rome encountered deadly unexpected detours. Lucidly, Paul was not double-minded but clear on his missional work. God’s purpose can NEVER be guided by a democratic process, a bank statement, a biased pollster or the fickle winds of popularity.  The crushing power of raging abyssal storms, nor the venomous fangs of a deadly viper (Acts 28:3), can snuff out the light of physical life in a man or woman of God who have not finished their race of ministry. Prophetically, Paul knew eventually they would get to Rome, but the ship would be lost. 

Metaphorically (in some cases literally), The remarkable truth is ‘detours’ can release a new level of worship replete with opportunities to serve others who need to be strengthened with courage or  may have never known the goodness of God. The island of Malta was reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our losses can be converted into heavens gains! Deviations from our original course can frantically summon ‘all hands are on deck’.

Bended knee to the Lord, in willful surrender does not mean sticking our heads in the sands of denial like an ostrich. Worship often requires “sounding the depths” to determine how shallow the water is to avoid being shipwrecked if at all possible. Christian realism is important to fulfilling our ministry to worship and serve the Most High God. Philosophically, I consider myself a realistic-Optimist. Things often get worse before they get better (Rom.8:28). Evil may seem to win the day but God’s goodness will ultimately eternally triumph over evil and depravity (Rom.12:21). I am not a dualist and categorically reject it. Dualism allows a Star Wars-ish approach to spirituality…Good and Evil dual forever with no clear decisive victory. The Scripture is very clear, Hell or the Lake of Fire is not open for business yet, but be assured the devil and his armies will be the first to be sent to the flames of eternal punishment by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords (Rev.20:10).

Sometimes we should seriously attempt to determine the odds of our survival and pull on every resource. A bug-out-bag is wise in this dangerous day we are living in. Life, as we have known it, can evaporate like a blanket of San Francisco fog. Our sense of direction can be challenged during a crisis. Our emotions can be hijacked or driven off course by events, people and unseen forces. The hurricanes, jet streams, pandemic, fires, political unrest, unemployment , sickness and circumstances can drive us toward an uncertain end. The year 2020 has been a gigantic storm that has changed the direction of our vulnerable global village. Nearly everyone touted the “year of 20/20″ as the year of ‘Vision’…2020 has only proven our short-sightedness or even our blindness. Listen closely to Jesus in Revelation 3:

17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see”.

Current life in the United States feels a bit like the passengers, crew or prisoners tossed about on the deck of the Paul’s Alexandrian ship drifting toward destruction on the rocks of Malta. We are all in this USA-ship together and the defining moments will be determined by men and women who distinguish themselves as worshippers of God and have mastered the art of prayer during the crisis.  

What kind of ‘ships’ wreck? Friendships, Stewardship, Companionship, Passengership, Fellowship, Musicianship, Courtship, Bipartisanship, Discipleship, Sportsmanship, Dictatorship, Churchmanship, Apprenticeships…fill in the blank_______________!!!

Brokenness in life is unavoidable. Wreckage in our heart and soul can pile up like a wreck yard. However, God promises His healing presence in the midst of hard-ship…

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18 NLT.

{Click Link Below to View How to Worship during a Shipwreck!}

https://youtu.be/CBox5HLLyy0 

The hour we are living in desperately needs men and women of all ages to be mighty in the Holy Spirit and mighty in the Holy Scripture. By faith we must see God and His clear purpose even in the midst of the storm, bringing audacious words of undiluted truth…” all may be lost, but all will be saved” (Acts 27:22) to live another day. A Great Harvest of souls will be reaped along with a Great-falling away from the faith in this season. 

 “Sounding” is a derivative  from the English word “sund”, meaning swimming, water or sea; there is no relation to the word ‘sound’ in the sense of noise or tones, but rather to sound, a geographical term (Oxford  Eng. Dictionary, 2nd ed). 

Practically, and in light of our biblical narrative, “sounding the depths” is trying to find land under water to avoid running aground, to find a safe harbor or to map the invisible floor terrain of a large body of water. Acts 27:23 highlights Paul belongs to and ‘worships” God.  Paul knew he “belonged” to the Father. Paul believed he was so valuable that even a hurricane could not blow him of course from the Father’s will. Deep Worship is often born in the eye-of-the-storm. Peace is found in the arms of the Father ! 

I think Prayer is the child of worship.  Worshippers pray in the Spirit in all seasons and in the truth (Eph.6:18). Worship with prayer is the way a Christian sounds the depths finding godly solutions to determine the best course of action.  Paul’s worshipful heart, along with Luke and Aristarchus, changed the atmosphere from fear and hopelessness to courage, faith and prayerfulness.  

What is worship? Worship is a graceful dance between a ‘ bended knee’ and an ‘extended hand’. What do I mean? There are two different words in the original language of the New Testament translated worship and/or service. The majority of what I know to be true about the vital connection between ‘worship” and ‘serve’ I have learned from my wife Cheri. She can drop on a dime to enter into deep adoration and prayer. On the other hand, like Martha, she wholeheartedly loves serving in whatever capacity is needed. She is God-centered but people-oriented.

Worship: proskyneo– (from 4314 /prós, “towards” and kyneo, “to kiss“) – properly, to kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior; to worship, ready “to fall down/prostrate oneself to adore on one’s knees” (DNTT); to “do obeisance” (BAGD).

Serve: latreúō- (from latris, “someone hired to accomplish a technical task because qualified“) – properly, to render technical, acceptable service because specifically qualified (equipped). See Romans 12:1.

Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship (proskyneo) the Lord your God, and serve (latreúō) Him only.’” 11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him

Worship (proskyneo) is the fragrant expensive unique perfume released when an individual presents themselves prostrate or sitting at the feet of Jesus, the Incarnate God, in simple devotion to listen, adore and learn from the Master-Teacher. Two examples of this worship are the weeping sinner (Lk.7:38) and the contemplative  Mary (Lk.10:39; Jn.11:2). In Babylon, Daniel bowed down toward Jerusalem in worship and prayer 3-times per day.   Worship or service (latreúō) is also 3-men standing on the deck of a storm-tossed ship in the black of the starless night proclaiming they are servants of God and have a job to do in Rome. Hall of Fame football coach Bill Belichick of the six-time Super Bowl Champions developed a very simple culture of victory which demanded every player, coach and staff member to simply, “DO YOUR JOB”! 

The Father has poured out His Spirit into our hearts so we can bow before Him in loving submission. Next, we rise to walk and stand in loving courageous obedience in the midst of great adversity and opposition. 70% of Americans don’t like their job, we can in fact “Love our job”!  I think perhaps the biggest challenge is many Christians don’t know what their job is. My job has been boiled down to this fundamental assignment by the Holy Spirit…”strengthen your brethren”.  I clearly know if I am not bowing in submission my heart, my head, my mind, my soul and body, eventually I withdraw my hand of service. If we don’t kiss the Son, we will not bless the people, missing opportunities to be beacons of hope in a chaotic world. Mature worship integrates the heart, the head and the body. Passion, intellect and service are the pillars of fully flowered worship. Let me say it another way,

“Worship is never heartless, nor headless, nor faceless, nor handless”

Worship is like a fine exquisite wine blended with ‘being’ and ‘doing’. Our stride for Christ  must be rooted in our call to abide in Christ.  Heart and hand move in perfect symphonic love of the Father for your neighbor, for your wife, for your children, for your friends, for the sinner and even your enemies. 

This particular view of Worship stretches our understanding beyond the preferred integration of  instruments, timelines, songs, preaching, programs, small groups, large gatherings, religious calendars etc…”boy we are really worshipping now!”  Our preferences of ‘worship’ style in our church has very little to do with the true nature of Worship. Worship is primarily what happens  before we arrive and after we  leave the parking lot.

Currently, my favorite patriarch is Jacob. In particular, the brief commentary or summation of Jacob’s life found in Hebrews 11:21, “By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped(proskyneo)  , leaning on the top of his staff.” These sixteen words (koine greek) are so sweeping in their scope and application to authentic worship. The narrative of Jacob’s life in Genesis 27-37 is the longest of all patriarchs. If you include, the chapters of Joseph bringing Jacob and his family to Egypt you could and several more chapters. Hebrews summarizes Jacob’s 147 years in a single sentence.  The words chiseled into the tombstone of Jacob was,

“HE WORSHIPPED GOD”

Jacob’s life teaches us 4-essential requirements to worship God!

  1. Faith- A great bible teacher, Dr. Gene Scott, defined Hebrews 11 ‘faith’ with an acronym. Faith is “action based on belief sustained by confidence”.  According to Genesis 47:31, Jacob made Joseph “swear” to bury him in the promised land not Egypt.  The moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ we begin an ‘odyssey of worship’ as born-again followers of Yeshua. Our faith is solid, knowing death is a transition, “to be absent from the body is to present with the Lord”.  Our faith in God enables us to embrace the “temporary light afflictions” as promotions to greater Christlike glory! Jacob lived 17-years in Egypt, but he knew by faith and promise this was not his home, he was only passing through. Faith is a pilgrimage/odyssey from ‘faith to faith’, ‘strength to strength and ‘glory to glory’ (2 Cor.3:15-17). 

A- Action

B- Belief

C- Confidence

  1. Breath- You only need to be alive in Christ (Eph.2:5). Jacob was old and dying. Worship requires a pulse with an engaged will…let everything that hath breath praise the Lord and serve Him only!  Worship transcends gender, age, race and geography (John 4:23-24).

  1. A Family– Jesus said His Father seeks a community that is alive in the Spirit and living in the truth. Jacob, a father,  blessed his sons. He “spoke well” of them, literally, eulogized them. Some of the words were tough but they flowed from a heart tuned to God’s Spirit to bless! A person with faith in God’s Son Jesus Christ and life born of the Holy Spirit have a spiritual genetic to bless not curse. We are a part of the family of God through the new birth. Further, we are a part of the family of humanity, a single race, made in the image of God. Go and bless, speak well, speak goodness and bring prophetic grace to those around you! 

  1. A Weakness- Jacob was a dying cripple. Retirement would have been an unheard of concept to him. Likely, he could not easily bow down to earth because of the hip that was broken by God Himself during a wrestling match. Worshipper’s embrace their weakness and lean on God because they know they are weak but He is ever so strong. Someone has said, “never trust a man without a limp.” The “staff” Jacob was carrying was not a walking stick, though it served that purpose. The “staff” was a Patriarchal symbol of authority. Yet, with all the experience, wisdom, respect, and authority Jacob commanded, he fully surrendered to His God, the God of His fathers. Humility Is the one of the most crucial dispositions of those who are doing God’s work. Our sturdiness is grounded in the character and promises of God and His word not in our health, wealth or pedigree.

In conclusion, worship does not need physical sight but don’t be fooled; it sees with the eyes of the heart what is invisible, eternal and unshakeable…Faith diligently seeks, sees and worships the Creator and Redeemer of all things visible and invisible (Heb.11:1-3). This is a unique season to recover a SEEKING heart, our SIGHT our VISION of God who is high and lifted up above the stormy circumstances. Isaiah, saw the Lord in the year King Uzziah died (Isa.6). Worship sets the resonance in the midst of tragedy or irreplaceable loss. Perhaps the leadership, the mission priority or the team we expect  or feel entitled to in our homes, in our churches, in our businesses, in our government,  in our communities must be removed and replaced? Change and radical transition can solicit a much needed reset or repentance. Regardless of the results, we should refocus on the One who is worthy of all our worship and service. You be the judge…you be the servant-leader that is needed… this is your ship…you may not be in control but you can determine the tone of the conversation, the focus of the mission and the culture of the community! You belong to God and He accepts and loves your service!

True Worshippers Stand in the Storm with Courage, Swim for Shore with Hope after the Shipwreck and Shake off the Serpents into the Fire of God’s Love!!!

Enjoy A Song of Worship in Hebrew (click below) as you open your heart to the Sacred Call to Worship and Serve the Lord God!

https://youtu.be/eOYJr6lF_Bc

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An Odyssey: The Echo Chamber

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice!  Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.  6 My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption 8 And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Have you ever been in a conversation wherein somebody said, “I can’t even fathom that?”  You finished spilling your guts about your life, your marriage, your children, your workplace, a failure, or your pain and agony.  The best advice reeled up  from the depths of the heart of your companion is “that’s deep”.  Maybe you just finished sharing a deep conviction about something or someone really important to you and …crickets…click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8E_zMLCRNg).  Possibly, the person was simply trying to be sensitive to your situation not presuming they had full understanding.  They may have wanted to avoid giving a “pat answer” or they simply were not listening close enough and the phrase was a substitute for saying ,“ I really can’t figure out what you’re going through because I am dealing with my own issues”.  You have found yourself stuck in a personal “echo chamber’”with only your parched jittery voice bouncing off the canyon walls of your mind and heart. Perhaps, you  are living a life of ‘quiet desperation.’

 The Latin Vulgate entitled Psalm 130 , “De Profundis” , “the Depths”. The isolated Psalmist gasping for his final breath in an aquatic metaphorical grave shrieked,  “Out of the depths I cried unto Thee” (Ps.130:1). Note the entire Psalm is in the First Person, “I have cried…my voice…my supplication…I wait…my soul…I hope”. The Depths for the believer is an unavoidable dimension of our ODYSSEY with the LORD.  We all inevitably face profound seasons of loneliness, lostness, confusion, failure, hardship, adversity, abuse etc. Oftentimes we are our own worst enemies. The reach of human assistance is too short and too late. You are descending fast and the only hope is to look up to the LORD. Be encouraged that the LORD GOD is with you and closely listening. Further, the Father will raise you up from your depths in His way and is His timing!

The idea of the “depths” in the Bible is salted through the canon of salvation history. Over the next several blogs we will attempt to search the biblical narrative on the significance of the deep things or places of our lives and our God. It is imperative to navigate through these often unchartered waters to discover hope, faith and love and the encouragement  only harnessed through the Scripture, the Holy Spirit,  deep prayer and the buoyancy of grace. 

We are in a season demanding a turn FIRST to the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The cisterns of human strength, ingenuity, political activism, profitable conferences, stadium gatherings, and slick programs are insufficient to turn the tide of evil and human depravity. WE MUST BE WILLING TO LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP IN OBEDIENCE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. Read Amos 5:4-6:

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, “Seek Me that you may live. But do not resort to Bethel and do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity and Bethel will come to trouble. Seek the Lord that you may live,…”

The Holy Spirit is stirring up the depths of our hearts to bring to our awareness not only the deep love of the Father but expose our deepest fears, or our shoreline double mindedness and our unjustified anxieties. This crisis can only be met with an encounter with the unshakeable character of God built into the way we feel, think and behave.  We must know how to navigate in courage the waters of deep darkness, unhinged anger and the fear of death.

Romans 8:26-27: In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God…1 Corinthians 2:10-11: For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

I was very freaked out by the 1954 movie Creature from the Black Lagoon. My oldest brother Johnny made me watch it because he was charged with taking care of his two younger brothers and sister.  Like any good older brother he fulfilled his calling to lead the charge of  torturing me with fear most of my childhood. This movie set the stage for an inordinate fear of monsters by land or sea. I grew up as a competitive swimmer in Colorado, swimming my first race of 25 meters backstroke at the age of 4 for the Belmont Barracudas. As I grew older, I remember during practice I would look down at the drain grate at the bottom of the 10’ deep end. I would picture the face of the Creature from the Black Lagoon staring at me while grasping the grate with his hands. This vision deep in my mind would cause chills to run through my already chilled body. I imagined him tearing the grate off and ascending from the depths to capture me and pull me to his aquatic lair. Our past experiences can have a profound impact on our current mindset or choices. Fear of public speaking, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of success, fear of the unknown, fear of the future etc., can be arenas wherein the God of love wants to reveal Himself to you. 

II Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of love, power and a sound mind.”

 There are the depths of God, the deep things of Satan, the depths of human experience, the literal deep of the ocean etc. I have broken down the biblical narrative on the “the deep” into two categories. Like the movie, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, the “Deep” in the bible conjures up both positive and negative images and metaphors. Open the Scriptures and read these passages below.

Positive

·         Agricultural Provision (Deut.33:13)

·         The Void in Man only God can fill (Psalm 42:7)

·         The Sovereignty of God (Psalm 135:6)

·         The Love of God (Ephesians 3:18)

Negative

·         Barrier to Progress of Redemption (Isaiah 51:10)

·         Deep State Governmental Corruption (Job 12:22)

·         Man’s Sinful Nature (Psalm 64:6)

·         Persecution of the Righteous (Psalm 69:2-3)

·         False Doctrine (Revelation 2:24)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Alexander MacLaren,  Expositions of Holy Scripture, commented on Romans 16:20 says,  “Two antagonists are at hand-grips in every one of us, on the one hand, the ‘God of peace,’ on the other, ‘Satan.’ If you believe in the personality of the One, do not part with the belief in the personality of the other. If you believe that a divine power and Spirit is ready to help and strengthen you, do not think so lightly of the enemies that are arrayed against you as to falter in the belief that there is a great personal Power, rooted in evil, who is warring against each of us. Ah, brethren! we live far too much on the surface, and we neither go down deep enough to the dark source of the Evil, nor rise high enough to the radiant Fountain of the Good. It is a shallow life that strikes that antagonism of God and Satan out of itself. And though the belief in a personal tempter has got to be very unfashionable nowadays, I am going to venture to say that you may measure accurately the vitality and depth of a man’s religion by the emphasis with which he grasps the thought of that great antagonism. There is a star of light, and there is a star of darkness; and they revolve, as it were, round one centre.” (bold underline mine)

Psalm 130, a Psalm of Ascent, is not a Sunday Swim in your local church sanctuary. It is not a spiritual retreat to learn 7-steps to a highly effective Christian life. This poetic Psalm may have been born in a ‘near death’ experience.  This Psalm is a collision between the reality of God’s infinite love and mercy with the profound depth of human depravity and active evil. There is no grand jury or a jury of peers, it is a man or woman staring at the dark abyss they deserve and the firm grasp of a just, holy and angry God.  You are a sinner in the hands of an angry God. No human court can overturn your guilt, your conviction nor your sentence. The Psalmist has only the countenance of God to face. The deep darkness experienced by the Psalmist is the very prerequisite necessary to know the Radiance of God’s forgiveness, redemption and buoyant hope! 

    In conclusion, this abyss is the very underworld that Jesus Himself descended into upon His death and burial. This terrain of depravity and lostness is where He snatched the keys of Death and Hades. He is the Resurrection and the Life and nobody comes to the Father but through Him.  The wages of sin were paid in full by Jesus and He alone is able open access to the Father.

Our cry in the depths will be followed by our shout of joy in the heights of His redemption! 

Going through the depths and facing our deepest personal fears, in all their shapes and faces, is the very sacred ground upon which the LOVE OF GOD is imparted to the human spirit.

“FEAR NOT“, the most repeated command in the Scripture, is always followed by “I love you and I am with you.”

This love becomes the source of confidence to approach God, to obey God and to love others. The depths determine the scope by which we are able to receive and give love.

I John 4:17-19: By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us.

Do You Know the Season?

This teaching will help you identify God-ordained seasons in your life and help you know what to do!

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.

–I Chronicles 12:32

This teaching will help you recognize the seasons of the Lord in your life and help you know what to do!

This is perhaps one of the most critical seasons in recent history for the church “to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” As you know better than I, the sons of Issachar, knew the times and seasons of the Lord, and therefore were able to help Israel listen and obey the Lord in their generation. We too must “listen and obey” and proclaim to God’s people His word in season!  

There are so many passages of Scripture which underscore how important it is to recognize the unique nature of seasons in order to appropriately respond. For example, listen to the stinging words of Jeremiah 8:7, Proverbs 20:4 and Daniel 2:21,

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.

Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

The Sons of Issachar were only one tribe among many whom God raised up to TRANSITION the kingdom under Saul to  the rule of David (see I Chronicles 12). This transitional army had several key characteristics. These characteristics are crucial for us in our day to develop, possess and release, as we battle against spiritual darkness to prepare for the millennial coming reign of the son of David, Jesus, the Messiah.

  • Equipped and Trained (vv.2,23)

  • Valiant & Courageous (vv.8,28)

  • Unified & Peaceful (vv.16-18, 38)

  • Joyful (v.40)

I have attached a spreadsheet at the end of this POST covering most, if not all, the unique  3-month Biblical; seasons in chronological  order. In general, I have determined that the coronavirus pandemic has been a 3-month season worldwide, depending on unique national or regional exposure. For example, most Governors in the USA issued “shelter-in-place” orders in March for their respective states, thus, 3-months would be maturing in June of 2020 depending on how restrictions are being phased. Obviously, China, for example, would be ahead of this curve with their own 3-months seasons. You  may be better with the actual timing details than me. 

This pandemic is 3-month KAIROS, a divine opportunity for the church to transition to a new paradigm of expectation and obedience. We need to let go of some sacred cows and embrace the new thing He is doing to prepare us for holiness and harvest.

I BELIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT ASKED ME TO STUDY 3-MONTH SEASONS FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS DOING IN THE EARTH. THIS STUDY STARTED WITH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IN THE HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM DURING THE REIGN OF DAVID.

The major truth is God’s word has often revealed “seasons and times” which are in His hands. Though He does not necessarily cause all things , he certainly allows “all things” by His own sovereign goodness and steadfast love (Rom.8:28-29). I am not alone, this I am sure, of the many thousands (millions) who are seeking God, returning to the joy of their salvation, lifting up their voices for a “quickening” and “understanding” to fully glean ALL the Lord wants to teach us and deposit in us for the ever darkening days ahead. I believe great revival and awakening will parallel great adversity and falling away. 

It is incredible what happened during 3-month time frames in God’s word…Moses was born & protected…judgements were poured out…prophetic understanding was released…Churches were planted and encouraged…new mission fields were opened…revelation was released…sin was manifest…major transitions to greater God-glory was secured! I BELIEVE GOD HAS ADVANCED HIS GOOD PURPOSE TO A DEGREE THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT REALIZE! 

This study is to simply assist the body of Jesus, the Messiah, to hear what others have already heard and experienced in past seasons of salvation history as revealed by God’s Scripture. The Scripture is given to help the saints in unity “Persevere” in the midst of difficult times to glorify God(Rom.15:4-5). You can expand each of the 3-month biblical examples to overlay each unique situation. I believe these truths can ‘overlap’ to help us grasp the depth of what God is saying and requiring of us.

I simply pray we will allow the “pressure” of these days yield the ” the clear oil of beaten olives” for the lampstand of the church and the anointing of the Holy Spirit for ministry…“You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel. (Ex.27:20-21)

Open the 3-month Issachar spreadsheet, read and meditate on the salvation narratives which are being presented. I have left an open column at the end of each 3-month narrative for you to enter YOUR PERSONAL INSIGHTS.

May the Holy Spirit continue to open the eyes of your heart to everything God has prepared for you to embrace and walk in for the glory of God.

3-month-seasons.xlsx

Dealing with Delay God’s Way

This study reveals Five Encounters we should expect while we wait for the Second Coming of Jesus! In addition, several disciplines are uncovered to make the most of seasons of delay before fulfillment of God’s promises.

Dealing With Delay

48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising God.

Luke 24:48-53

The church world has been quarantined by respective governments into a kind of “upper room”  for the past several months due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Worldwide individuals, families, entire cities and nations have been ordered by their government to ‘shelter-in-place’ until this plague passes over us. I do not want to discuss the rightness or the wrongness of these government edicts. However, it has brought to the surface how human nature responds to DELAY and or DENIAL.

The Resurrected Lord Jesus after 40 days of appearing to His followers presenting proof that He was IN FACT risen from the dead. He ate bread and fish with His disciples. He showed up at their workplaces. He walked through locked doors to allow them to touch His wounds with their very own hands, in order to burn the fog of doubt away.  His primary focused message continued to be the kingdom of God. 

 In the end, He leads them from the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha to somewhere outside of Bethany on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Before He ascends, He commands them to preach the Gospel of the cross and the resurrection as the means of redemption and forgiveness to all nations of the earth.  The chief focus of the church was to “GO” and make disciples and model obedience for others to follow the example of Yeshua, Messiah Jesus. But first, they must “STAY” or ‘wait’ in Jerusalem for the promised power of the Holy Spirit to “clothe” them BEFORE they GO into the world to preach the gospel.

You may have heard it said, “ I hope it’s worth the wait?” I myself have murmured the cliche under the cloud of disappointment, “Delay is not denial.” I believe the opposite can be true, “Denial can cause unnecessary delay or even a detour.” I have been on several, shall I say, “deployments” or “tours of duty” forged in the fires of denying the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As soldiers, earning our stripes in the army of God is often found on the battlefield we thought we would never fight upon.  Fortunately, the Apostles taught that our ‘denials’ can become the very setting of new vista’s or horizons of humility,love,and purpose to glorify God and help strengthen others …thank you Peter…thank you John Mark…thank you Abraham and Jacob…etc.! 

Never  forget God’s “NO” is as important to your future as God’s “YES”! How we deal with the “no” often determines the depth of our maturity in the ways of God.  

As we reflect on and celebrate the Ascension of Jesus Christ to “sit down at the right hand of the Father” and the corresponding outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, let us receive afresh into our spirits the value of WAITING on the Lord while He fulfills His promises in His time!

What are you “waiting for”? The perfect soul-mate”? The job that will best tap into your potential?  Graduation? Retirement? The stock market to raise or fall? A much needed raise? Test results? Surgery? Vindication of your actions or words? Someone to fail? To be noticed, valued and included? 

The list could go on and on…….

Read the following familiar Ascension passages of Scripture (perhaps in a different translation or paraphrase) and ask the Holy Spirit to “open your eyes to behold wonderful things in Thy law” (Ps.119).

The Victory of Jesus Christ and His subsequent Ascension creates a path of life to encounter His Presence in 5 special ways!!!!!

 I have listed a quick focus of each passage to serve as lens to look through to gain insight:

  1. Mark 16:14-20: POWER-ENCOUNTER; The Power-encounter that flows from the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross…”he sat down at the right hand of God”…preach, heal and deliver!

  2. Matthew 28:16-20: TRUTH-ENCOUNTER; The Command  to “Go” make disciples…teach…no need to wait because all authority and power have already been given to Jesus. 

  3. Luke 24:50-53: SPIRIT-ENCOUNTER; the command to WAIT for the power of the Holy Spirit…the atmosphere of joy and celebration

  4. Acts 1: COMMUNITY-ENCOUNTER; The blessing of unity, corporate prayer and biblical study.

  5. Ephesians 4:7-16: GIFTS-ENCOUNTER; The release of gifted ministries to bring the body of Christ into maturity and full productivity.

Next, I have listed below several truths gleaned from the Gospel accounts and some relevant Biblical narratives which underscore how we can ‘deal with delay or denial’ in healthy fashion.   

Like a new shirt or pair of pants, try them on to see if you find God’s power for the job he has for you to do!

  • Realize & Embrace Quarantines as a Necessity: The premiere example is God quarantined the Israelites under the blood of the Passover Lamb to their homes in Egypt the night the death angel struck the firstborn of Egypt (Ex.12:12-13).  The future promise is we will be saved from the wrath of God to come having been justified by the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9).  We may go through the judgements of God but we will be saved from the wrath of God. The Laws of Leprosy in Leviticus teaches the need to quarantine houses or garments of linen and leather for 7 days to determine the nature of the uncleanness (Lev.13-14). Personally, I believe this Covid-19 pandemic was a critical opportunity to shelter-in-place to allow God to cleanse us from doubt, fear and sluggishness. It is time to awake from our slumber!

  • What Looks Like an Ending, is a Beginning: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven”(Acts 1:11)  WOW or shall we say, “woe”? Is this comedic or a warning? If we are not careful what appears to be an ‘end’ can freeze us in place.  We can become stuck by the gravity of what just happened to us or someone around us. Whatever it seems like we lost becomes an obsession to try and figure out what just happened. It takes two angels or messengers from God to break the bewildered gaze of the dumbfounded “men of Galilee”. The simple message that broke the stalemate between the First and Second Coming of Jesus Christ was the truth that the way things begin is often a clue to how things will end. Jesus will come again in glory to the Mount of Olives just as He departed to heaven from the Mount Olives. If we are not careful our Eschatological longings can paralyze us from moving forward into fulfilling His commands to apply His finished work to an unfinished world! The Ascension was the necessary completion of His work on Earth, in order to begin His ministry from heaven on earth. We now are seated together with Him in heavenly places far above all rule and authority. 

  • Stick to the Primary Sources as the Foundation of Your Message: Preach the word of God gleaned from Scripture no matter what is going on. Preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, raised, ascended and coming again! The entire counsel of God is found in the Scripture and we can address any human predicament from sound biblical study and application (2 Tim.2:15;3:15-18).

  • Waiting in Worship: The discipline of waiting is the ascent of the soul to God. The prophet Isaiah makes it very clear that ‘waiting’ releases ‘strengthening’… “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isa.40:31).  This language used by Luke in Acts 1 is both intimate and forceful. Jesus, face-to-face COMMANDED His disciples to wait in Jerusalem. Conversely, waiting on the Lord is the means by which God descends to the individual and community. Thus, in this vortex of ascending and descending the promises of God are fulfilled in perfect harmony with power. 

 4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The prohibition, “do not leave Jerusalem” is as important as the commission to “Go” into all the world. A mere 10 days of waiting produced years, centuries and millenniums of victorious power! How we wait has great bearing on the nature of how we perform for the glory of God!

  • Aim Small, Miss Small: This is used to train someone to shoot a gun at long ranges. Jesus gave a very  specific target to His disciples while they waited, “stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The focus was to get powered up by the Holy Spirit. During delays to the fulfillment of God’s promises to you…pick one area and draw a circle around it and wait on God to supply you with the power to do that work. HE WANTS TO POSSESS YOU WITH HIS PROMISE BEFORE YOU POSSESS YOUR PROMISED LAND OF PURPOSE! God wants to reach you before He reaches the world around you!What are you expecting will determine your level of faith, hope, love and joy! False expectations will fuel disappointment, unhealthy stress and debilitating depression. 

  • Receive Strategic Provision & Vision: Delay can often bring into focus tactical strategy along with the needed resources.  

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

A seasoned elderly prophetic brother recently came up to me at a home group meeting and said, “Jeff this delay has been used by the Lord to develop new skill sets and tools for the ministry which has been entrusted to you.”  Amen…I received that word of encouragement! Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, essentially said “God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply!” 

  • Be Aware of the False Narrative: This is the opposite of priming the pump of your primary sources of the Scriptures, the Saints and the Savoir. Unplug yourself from the false narrative or at least critically discern what you listen to , watch and read. Matthew 28:11-15 reveals a ‘fake news’ that was pushed by the Jerusalem Post which was driven by the Jewish religious leaders in bed with the Romans to squash the true narrative of the Resurrection of Yeshua.  Follow the money and you will find the source. In this day and hour, the Church of Jesus Christ must be thoroughly immersed in sound biblical truth and the true person and work of the Holy Spirit. We must stand united with a singular message to proclaim the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Disinformation during delay can spread like a coronavirus and create strongholds of fear and unbelief in individuals, families and entire people groups. 

  • The Centrality of the Scripture to Track the Wind of the Spirit..”This is That”: When the promise of the Father was given to the 120 disciples in the upper room Peter took the lead and quoted the prophet Joel. 

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Friends in Christ, these days demand that we be mighty in the Scripture and mighty in the Spirit. There is a desperate need aptitude to be able to rightly divide the word of God and wield the sword of the Spirit. When we are immersed in biblical study and meditation we will be able to better walk in the Spirit, speak with the inspiration of the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit, flow in the gifts of the Spirit and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. True Pentecostal power is demonstrated in supernatural communication, supernatural character, supernatural signs and wonders and a supernatural harvest of new followers to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Maybe you will enjoy this song!!!!   David Ruis, Every Move I Make