Category: Biblical Meditation

The Global Siege: Three Kings of Tyranny @ The End of the Age

The Roman Siege of Masada, Israel was in 74-73 CE

In this devotion you will identify the 3-kings who are building sieges to lockdown your witness for Jesus Christ. Discover the counter-attack of God’s Spirit to strengthening others with truth, love and perseverance in difficult times.

And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am [He]!’ and will mislead many.
Mark 13:5-6 (NASB)

…and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them.
Luke 21:8b

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:4-8)

These words of Jesus from the slopes of the Mount of Olives were given two days before His arrest and eventual crucifixion. He told His disciples Jerusalem would be destroyed in their generation. In 70 CE the Romans destroyed Jerusalem after a 4 year war with a siege. Tragically, many Jews fled to Masada and eventually committed a mass suicide rather than submit to the Roman yoke.

Is your life making things worse or better for people? Are you stirring people up toward strife, fear and panic? We must all find a way to stand strong and reach people with the love of Jesus in word and deed! We focus on bringing strength to our brethren. When someone spends time with you do they walk away filled with hope, courage, purpose and fresh resolve and joy to keep trusting and serving the Lord? Are they refreshed and healing or discouraged and beat up?

C.S. Lewis said Christianity “is a fighting religion”. We don’t fight with clubs, brass knuckles, swords, AK-47’s, M1A Abram tanks, cruise missiles, nuclear ballistic missiles etc….we fight the “good fight” with faith, hope, truth, grace, forgiveness and love! God’s forgiveness from the heart, based on the forgiveness Jesus has extended on the cross, can disarm a family member, a friend and a foe. Lewis was speaking of the ‘spiritual battle’ we are all in whether we acknowledge it or like it.

We are in a fox hole and we can play dead or stand up and charge into the fray with the standard of the gospel of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and His soon return. When somebody persecutes us, mocks us or rejects us, Jesus instructs us to “turn the other cheek”, but not ‘close our eyes’! We fight with the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. My father-in-law used to say, “we have a lot of fruits and nuts in the church but not enough wine and oil!”

This hour, this particular season, demands the mature fruit of the character of Jesus and the fresh oil of the Holy Spirit to live with extraordinary loving power, joyful perspective and peaceful courage. We need justice rolling down from the cross of Jesus bringing peace, unity and reconciliation with God and access to His throne of grace.

Jesus teaches we are in an asymmetrical war with the world, the flesh and the devil. We are being shot at from every direction. Things are increasingly getting out of whack, out of balance and society is crumbling around us. He is clearly warning His disciples things are going to get really dangerous spiritually, morally and physically. There are three main apocalyptic storms that are releasing their fury on the nations and God’s people. Like three-kings they sit on their thrones and seek to rule with deception, fear and urgency.

The Tyranny of Deception: Just because something has the name of Jesus attached to it does not make it true. Christian cults (Jehovah Witness, Mormons etc.) have emerged in unprecedented numbers in the last 100 years.

Like Eve before the serpent in the Garden of Eden… The first step of deception is distraction from truth. The second step of deception is a sound connection through lingering communication with the source of deception. The third and final step of deception is ingestion of the deception…you eat the lie…disobedience follows. People want to believe and follow something or someone.

The work of deception slithers from the den of Satan, the father of lies. The Deceiver hypnotically seduces humanity at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which is rooted in the soil of world wide social media, the international entertainment industry, many education systems, some religious institutions, and political platforms (only to name a few). Pick your poison! Like a mighty world wide Anaconda Python the spirit of deception slowly is suffocating humankind every time they inhale and exhale in the shade of knowledge bereft of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The only true antidote to the tyranny of deception is the full disclosure of God in the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ. We must study, behold, worship and obey The Way, the Truth, and the Life to avoid the counterfeit one world quasi-political-economic-religion beast emerging in these last days.

The credulity of unbelief, a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true, must yield to the Spirit of Truth and the standard of accurately taught biblical truth in love. Both the Scripture and the Holy Spirit are indispensable in making us wise to the faith and the salvation found only in Jesus Christ (2 Tim.3:15-17).

Naivety and gullibility must be refined from the church and replaced with discernment of spirits, grace and the Revelation of Jesus. The nobility of the Berean Christians, who searched the Scriptures to evaluate whether or not Paul’s teaching was accurate, is sorely needed in our day of a plerotha of teachers, prophets, so-called apostles parading their version of the gospel.

The Tyranny of Fear: Local, regional and international wars and potential wars are to be expected, “these things must be”. The response of the faithful apocalyptic-disciple is not to PANIC.

The Perfect Love of God Casts Out Fear—The Apostle John

The Greek word choice of Jesus for “frightened” in both the Luke and the Matthew narrative are synonyms (ptoeo {Lk}; throes (Mt.). He did not use the typical word for fear/phobos which is a neutral emotion in our soul that can be positive or negative. Luke’s word for “frightened” implies becoming so agitated by fear that someone can psychologically detach from reality. Like a startled herd of animals they break into full stampede mode at the perception or reality of a predator.

Matthew’s language for “fear” is the intense emotional uproar that manifests in irrational behavior, insanity and/or fits of terror accompanied by screaming. The fear of death is the strongest foe we can face in this life.

The asymmetrical persuasive presence of war, famine, pandemics, and natural catastrophes feeding off one another combined with amoral or immoral political, religious and economic leaders can crush a society with fear, throwing it into confusion and mass deception.

The primary general driving this “fear” is the news media. The Mass Media is king propagating both deception and fear. The ‘prince of the power of the air’ waves is tactically attempting to dominate the hearts and minds of all flesh/humanity with the constant stream of half-truths, fear-mongering, conspiracies, promotion of lawlessness, filth, wickedness, fashion, ungodly desires etc.

The Tyranny of the Urgent: Delay is not denial. What seems “slow in coming” to us is actually God working to transform us and to save the lost. His patience, He is slow to anger, provides an area of repentance and transformation.

Our Urgency Must Be Driven by the Spirit of God Not by the spirit of this World

The world-powers and the world of false religion are constantly trying to get you to buy, sell, read, watch, listen and join something to make your life more comfortable, more informed, more relevant and in “the know”. . Many will use the name of Jesus to promote urgency without discernment of the times and the seasons of the Lord. A crisis will typically create a sense of urgency. In the crisis you will be strongly urged to think, act or behave in a certain way.

How to War against the king’s of deception, fear and urgency?

Build on the Unshakeable King of Truth: Submit yourself to the Truth of Jesus Christ. Love the truth and speak the truth in love. The more we know and experience the ways, thoughts and character of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels, the Epistles and the Revelation…the more we will be able to see the counterfeit truth. We defeat deception by devotion to Jesus. Another way is to avoid lying like the plague. There is not ‘greater joy’ than when we walk in obedience the Spirit of Truth and Grace revealed in the glorious.

Shake-off Fear and Embrace The King of Love: Submit to the King of Love. God is love! Perfect love drives fear away. In the Gethsemane, Peter picked up a sword and swung it in fear…Jesus picked up a severed ear and healed the servant to the high priest. The love of God in our hearts can create a safe place in the midst of strife and death. The Resurrection of Jesus trumps all advances of fear upon the nations, our cities, our churches, our families and our individual lives. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ…nothing.

Shake out the Salt of Trust in the King of All Perseverance: Resist the tyranny of the urgent with humility and trust in the Lord. Love endures all things (1 Cor.13). Take your emotions off the market place and cultivate a quiet place of solitude, quietness and stillness in the presence of the Most High God. Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7) During the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, Isaiah said to king Hezehiah and the people of Jerusalem,


“ For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,” (Isaiah 30:15)


This world is under siege by the spirit of the anti-Christ, disingenuous leaders, deception, irrational fear and the urgent herding of the masses toward destruction. HOWEVER, the Spirit of the Lord is raising a standard of the Truth, the Love and the Perseverance of Jesus Christ. We must get to this high-ground and stand strong in the strength and grace of God. We must lead others to this high ground of the Most High God and bring as many people with us who are doubting, discouraged and lost…

Are you willing to fight the good fight with “rest, repentance, quietness and trust”?

The Journey of Joy (Part II): Digging Wells & Planting Gardens of Joy

In this study you will learn about the nature of joy, the truth behind joy and become a source of joy to others.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Joy of the Spirit is coming into play big time at the End of the Age. Endurance rises and falls on the joy of the Lord. I am always indebted to how Jesus was able to “consider joy”— a specific calculation—in order to “endure the cross”. How much more should we “consider joy” to prepare ourselves to face our greatest tests? Some of you have contributed to my “well” of joy…thank you!

As usual, these blogs are not simple proof texts with a catch phrase or two. I try to really do my in-depth exegesis to bring a accurate word of truth in season. Study is required.

Grace,
Jeff

(This photograph is of the ancient wells of Abraham, Issac & Jacob. Note the rope grooves in the wellstones from centuries of use)

“Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they argued with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. 22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.” (Genesis 26:22)

Jesus Already Dug an Artesian Well in Your Heart for His Spirit to Flow Into You & Through You

All the Patriarchs were well-diggers, altar-builders and tent-dwellers. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the “roots” of our faith.

Isaac was the promised supernaturally conceived son of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac means “laughter” or ‘bringer of joy’. Isaac was a well-digger, not a warrior like his father Abraham. Isaac is a clear type of Messiah Jesus who promised He would dig a well of eternal life in us through which His Spirit could flow and grow the fruit of the Spirit in our character.

Jesus, the Greater Isaac, is a Joy-Bringer. If you are at all like me, this well often gets plugged up with all kinds of garbage. We are either becoming a fragrant vineyard of joy or a putrid garbage dump of bitterness. Thankfully by God’s grace and our repentance, we can cultivate a new harvest of joy by trusting the Lord. We simply break up the fallow ground in our heart with the spade of graceful truth, sow seeds of faith in God, carefully water and watch God bring the growth.

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

I recently visited Yellowstone National Park. I thought of the wells of Abraham which became plugged up by the Philistines.

Joy is the Fruit of the Spirit Cultivated in Us by God’s Grace & Love

The will of God is for us to be continually filled with the joy of His Spirit. Joy is a fruit of love and is the work of God’s Spirit.  The Spirit is strongly warring against our flesh or carnal nature to bring forth the character of the Son of God on the branches of our lives. 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. (Galatians 5:16-17)

Like a well-watered garden, the Holy Spirit is building a “well of salvation” in our hearts in order to irrigate the soil and bring forth His fruit to help others and glorify Him. Joy will be a critical character quality we must draw from to face the deep darkness and difficulty at the end of the age. Jesus, our Chief Example, endured the cross because He understood the power of the resurrection would be evidenced in victorious joy over death, sin and the world.

We must protect our hearts from the toxicity, poison and garbage of this world.  

Joy is the awareness of God’s grace– His favor, His favorable disposition.  In the language of the New Testament, “joy” is ‘chara’ (khara).  The Greek for “grace” is ‘charis’. The Greek word for “rejoice” is ‘chairo’.  Grace, joy and rejoice are cognates, sharing the same root ‘char-’.  

  • Charis = grace= God’s unmerited favorable disposition 
  • Chara = joy = grace recognized
  • Charo = rejoice = joy because of grace

Joy is for All Seasons of Life

Certainly, joy involves the feeling of great pleasure or happiness. However, joy is deeper than emotional moments. The Spirit-joy is the perpetual awareness of the saving grace and presence of God in our lives. Joy is a deep spiritual disposition or a possession rooted and grounded in the full assurance of salvation and the resurrection victory of God. However, the fruit of joy is also cultivated by consistently yielding to the Holy Spirit.

Recently, it dawned on me joy is for all seasons flowing deep in the spirit by the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes I have to “consider it joy…” by dropping a bucket deep into the wells of salvation. Other times, joy flows effortlessly like an artesian spring of crystal clear water refreshing my soul.  

Saint Francis was a Troubadour of Joy

Saint Francis was much more than a sanctified bird-watcher. He was a radical disciple who suffered greatly with joy for the sake of Gospel.

Richard Foster commented about St. Francis and his life of perfect joy in Christ:

“Two things immediately strike me about the life of St. Francis: his merry abandonment and his instant obedience.

Francis was called ‘God’s troubadour,’ so marked was he by a carefree, happy exuberant abandonment to God. He tramped the villages and towns of his day, joyfully announcing the presence of the kingdom of God and wonderfully demonstrating its life and power. He also obeyed, without hesitation, any word he believed to be the command of Jesus Christ. The two are connected, of course. Only as we let go of all other loyalties and securities are we free to live obedient lives. Merry abandonment, instant obedience: excellent virtues for us to strive for in our world of a thousand competing loyalties.” (Devotional Classics, p. 319)

St. Francis describes where  the “perfect joy” can be found– in suffering for the sake of Christ and loving your enemies in that moment of pain. Clearly, I need a deep yielding to the Spirit of Jesus to bring forth this kind of joy in due season. 

May the joy of the Lord be your strength today.  May we spread the joy of the Lord to others. 

(Please read on for an extended deep dive into 28 reflections on joy.)

How to Dig Wells of Joy or Cultivate/Yield to the joy of the Holy Spirit:

A quick biblical survey of Joy is distilled for you. Like a wine tasing room, sample each bottle of joy. There are 260 verses on joy in the Sacred Scriptures. Many more verses could be given to support the truths revealed in this study. Each particular nuance of true joy is presented with a scriptural reference. Just like it takes time to fill up your car with gas, it takes time waiting on the Lord to fill us with His Spirit. Here is my suggestion on how to take advantage of this study.

Wells can be dug by hand with a shovel if the water table is high enough. You need soft soil in order to accomplish this difficult task. Artesian springs flow freely to the surface from the groundwater and only need to be controlled for easy access.
  • Read all points quickly. A couple may jump out, note them and come back later to meditate on those truths.
  • Read again slower and prayerfully.
  • Read again with Scripture reference, dig down into the biblical truth.
  • Write the Scriptures down for quick reference or memorization.
  • Kneel down and pray Jesus would fill you with His Spirit of joy.
    • Pray your joy will be His joy.
    • Pray the joy of your salvation will be strong and contagious
    • Sing in the Spirit
    • Sing songs with joy to Him without or with music.
    • Shout aloud for joy
    • Pray your joy will be mature in all seasons

Jesus said, 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one, after drinking old wine wants new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’” (Luke 5:37-39)

  • Joy is a communicable attribute of the divine nature to our human nature. It is part of the image of God in us.  Our Heavenly Father is gracious, and is therefore, effortlessly and eternally joyful.  As  born-again (re-generation) children of God, we have the capacity to receive, experience and give joy to others (2 Peter 1:4).  We can strengthen one another with joyful graciousness. 
  • God the Warrior declares His victory of us with joy in both quietness and jubilation (Zeph.3:17).  Listen closely to the shout of triumph of Jesus over your life battles. 
  • Joy is rooted and grounded in the exclusive soil of the love of God and His saving grace (Gal.5:22; Isaiah 12:3; Eph.2:8-10). “God is love”, joy is the fruit of His love. Ultimately, this fruit of joy  is deepest when we experience biblical fellowship together (Phil.2:1; Eph.3:14-21). 
  • The God of hope fills His people with joy and peace through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom.15:13).
  • The joy of the people of God is not contingent upon temporal results but the eternal inevitabilities of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection from the dead and the reward of God. 
  • Joy is the immediate and future reward of obedience to the will of God (Heb.12:1-3;Matt.25:21).  This joy requires pain, death to self and the resurrection power of the Father.  This is perhaps the deepest well of joy.  
  • Joy supplies divine strength to the human spirit to accomplish the work of God (Nehemiah 8:10).  This joy is experienced after an assignment of God is completed for His glory. 
  • Joy prophetically anticipates the impartation of wisdom and maturity through the necessity of trials (James 1:2).   When we can honestly surrender and humble ourselves to be refined in the fiery trials of life, joy eventually crowns our soul.
  • Joy embraces “anguish” as it’s fraternal twin. Our anguish over the severe dealings and seeming delays of God often gives birth to a deep joy in our hearts (Isa.53:11; Jer.4:19; Jn.16:21).  Israel’s ultimate apocalyptic millennial joy will be birthed for all the nations to see when the final judgments of God sweep through His people and a remnant emerges to rebuild the nations. 
  • Joy can find us in unexpected places and difficult times. Joy leaps where barrenness once existed. Joy is a supernatural provision of God. Joy can break out and  flow like an artesian spring in the desert (Luke 1:41; Isa.35:6).  Joy often flows in the places of our hearts that are secretly surrendered to the will of God and His word. 
  • Joy expresses itself in shouting, singing, dancing, serving, working and praying in all seasons of life. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, Rejoice!” (Phil.4:4)
  • Joy can fade, crumble or dissipate in the midst of sin and life’s challenges.  Therefore, the joy of  salvation can be restored through confession, repentance and cleansing. (Psalm 51:8,12)
  • The wells of consistent joy can be plugged up with the  spiritual garbage of this world. We can redig the wells of salvation like Isaac dug again the wells of Abraham. (Genesis 26)
  • Entire communities can be filled together with the Holy Spirit and joy. (Acts 13:52)
  • Redemptive joy defeats excessive sorrow and depression. (Is.35:10; 51:11)
  • The prophetic words of God bring joy to those who are alone and rejected. (Jer.15:15-17)
  • Joy is a crown of reward given by the Lord to those who lead others to the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil.4:1; I Thess.2:19)
  • The Father, the Vinedresser, will prune us in the winter to bring forth more abundant fruit (joy).  We must prophetically see our future joy under the careful hand and discipline of the Father (John 15). 
I talked to the vineyard owner a week ago in February of 2022. She said they were about to prune the vines in a month. They bring in a team of pruners to get the job done quickly. Hmmm…have you ever felt teamed up on?
  • Ultimately, “great joy” is the resurrection presence of Jesus Christ resulting from His victory through the cross over the enmity of the  world, the flesh, death and the devil (Matt.28:8). This “great joy” is the power behind all missionary endeavors.  Missionaries sharing the stories of God’s salvation coming to the lost can release great joy in the church. (Acts 15:3)
  • Joy is released in our spirit when the Father reveals something about Himself to us or we see His power set others free from demonic strongholds or sickness. (Luke 10:21)
  • Persecution for the sake of “the Son of Man” is a cause of rejoicing and reward. (Luke 6:22-24)
  • “No greater joy” is experienced when we see our children walking in the truth under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (3 John 1)
  • Repentance and faith of sinners toward God catalyzes great joy in heaven. (Luke 15:10)
  • The voice of the Bridegroom Jesus brings joy to His friends who are preparing for the wedding (Jn.3:29).  When we are truly “lovers of His appearing”, we become better listeners and anticipatory joy marks our journey. 
  • The crucible of affliction can be the source of abundant overflowing joy. (2 Cor.7:4; 8:2;I Thess.1:6)
  • Joy comes when we see someone we love face-to-face (2 Tim.1:4; 2 John 1:12).
  • Reading Scripture fills us with joy (1 John 1:4).
  • The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will bring inexpressible eternal joy (Jude 24; 1 Peter 1:8).  
  • Finally, there is always joy in the Presence of our LORD.  The Spirit of the Risen LORD always dwells in us.  Therefore, His joy has already been abundantly supplied to us.  We must simply continually draw, drink and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will dwell securely.

10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

11 You will make known to me the way of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16:9-11

Jesus: The Joy of the Journey (Part I)

This Biblical Meditation Will Refresh the Joy of Your Salvation, the joy of your journey and the ultimate joy in your future.

Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” Hebrews 1:8

True and consistent “joy” is the will of God for every follower of Jesus Christ in these difficult days. God provides His salvation everywhere-in the wilderness, in the valley, on the mountain tops. Yet at times, a genuine experience of a prolonged flow of pure refreshing godly joy can seem so allusive…at least for me. You? Thankfully, spiritual “thirst and hunger” to know God is essential for entering His kingdom of joy.

According to the High Priest and Apostle (Heb.3:1) of our confession, joy is one of the most powerful weapons we have to fight the good fight of faith at the end of the age.  The High Priest and sacrificial Lamb of God, Jesus endured the cross for the joy of resurrection and the subsequent release of eternal salvation.  We must learn to drop the bucket of joy into the wells of endurance and salvation.   As the Apostle, He was sent by the Father to place His joy in us. Listen carefully to His private passion for His disciples to understand and personally receive His joy:

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11)

Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy! Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you…Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. (John 16:20-24)

But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. (John 17:13)

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

Here are a few buckets of truth that keep “the new wine of joy” and the “oil of gladness” flowing out of the wellspring of our heart:

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Rev.22:17)

  • We must listen to and obey Jesus to find the path to His joy (John 15:11). Psalm 16:10-11, “You have made known to me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy and at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The extraordinary anointing of gladness Jesus walked under was because He loved to do what was right (Heb.1:8). Joy is the fruit of holiness which is rooted in the loving discipline of the Father (Heb.12:10).
  • Jesus wants His joy to be “your joy”. (John 15:11) The joy is the resurrection of Jesus in the believer. It is His promise, stand on it and receive a fresh importation of pure joy. This water of eternal life is free and can be drawn from without cost (Rev.22:17)…we are saved by grace. Jesus did not come to make us miserable curmudgeons but living miraculous wonders filled with the joy of His salvation.
  • Joy Matures Over Time: Joy can be an immediate surge of spiritual strength. However, joy can have a gestation process which matures like a child in the womb of its mother from conception to birth (John 16:20). The release of the joy of the Lord can take months or even years. “Consider it all joy…” when you are being stretched, pulled and pained in every way.
  • Joy is an Eternal Spiritual Disposition: Grief is transitory but the heavenly joy of the Lord will endure forever (John 16:20) and will wipe away every tear. The Spirit of Jesus the Lord prophesies both “anguish” and “joy”. Weeping is necessary for the dark night of the soul, but fresh joy comes every morning to the people of God. Joy is a deep well of strength to draw from even when things are not going well. Joy is the atmosphere of the kingdom of God (Rom.14:17).
  • Prayer Is the Irrigation Channel of Joy: The Mature overflowing Joy is the result of partnering with the Father through prayer in Jesus’ name. (John 16:24)
  • All the Joy You Need is Already Inside of You: The overflow of the Holy Spirit is the joy of the Lord’s salvation meandering through a Christian into the world around him or her. (John 7:37-29)
  • Spiritual Disciplines are the Drinking Cups of Salvation: Praying, singing, fellowship, giving, and serving can all be like cups of cold water to refresh others with God’s grace, strength and joy.
  • Joy is Knowing God Knows You Better than Anyone Else: “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20). When the world, family, friends and enemies write us off…the God of all grace writes us in. Perhaps, the most difficult “spirits”to subject are personal. They taunt us with condemnation an overwhelming vague sense of disappointment. These spirits can focus on our shameful blackest choices, “you don’t belong, you are lost , you are damaged goods, your a loser, you are alone, nobody really cares about you”. However, we can simply silence these demonic voices in others and in ourselves with a joyful word or shout “I am a child of God bought with the price of Jesus blood and My Heavenly Father knows me and I’m on my way to heaven and I’m going to take as many people with me as I can.” The truth is the Father knows everything about us and lovingly chose us to include us. The deep joy does include the spiritual battles we win on behalf of others. Perhaps the deepest joy is released when the we recognize the joy of His victory in our own spirit.

In conclusion, Joy flows from the heart of Jesus and His completed work for our salvation on the cross, in the grace and through the resurrection. His joy dwells in us by His Spirit. The fruit of joy is cultivated through us in all things because nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Psalm 142: A Caveman’s Theology

Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

I cry out with my voice to the Lord;

With my voice I implore the Lord for compassion.

2 I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare my trouble before Him.

3 When my spirit felt weak within me,

You knew my path.

In the way where I walk

They have hidden a trap for me.

4 Look to the right and see;

For there is no one who regards me favorably;

There is no escape for me;

No one cares for my soul.

5 I cried out to You, Lord;

I said, “You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

6 Give Your attention to my cry,

For I have been brought very low;

Rescue me from my persecutors,

For they are too strong for me.

7 Bring my soul out of prison,

So that I may give thanks to Your name;

The righteous will surround me,

For You will look after me.”

In short, this Psalm is contemplative prayer put to music to instruct the Israelites in the ways of God.  Godliness is often more visceral than vogue. This Psalm is off the charts for Emotional Intelligence Quotient.   In these difficult days,we must learn again to take any and all complaints, offenses and hatred directly to the LORD.  Like David, we must first learn to slay the hungry “bear and lion” inside of us!  The public intellectual battle for truth begins with the slaying of inner predators of unrighteous anger, immorality, unforgiveness, arrogance, toxic bitterness, unbridled greed and excessive grief…to name a few.

These seven verses, a Maskil, are dipped in the musical notes of  Pneuma-scholarship.  True theology is first forged in the fires of persecution, practice and deep prayer. Secondly, true theology ( the thinking of God’s thoughts and ways with God) is deliberately taught at the dinner table and  the Communion table.  Thirdly, true theology percolates into our Hymnody  and is sung vigorously and gratefully by the people of God.  Let me say this another way,  God’s truth is discovered by the pilgrim, tested by the soldiers in the battlefield, finally, composed by the chief musician to be sung by all in the Temple.  The good news? Eventually, our personal experience tested over time becomes an inspiration to others.  Our personal testimony, the blood of the Lamb inspires the community to lay their lives down for the gospel.   

The Scripture, in a nutshell, is the God-inspired history of salvation in the faith of Jesus Christ.  The Godhead simply desires to “dwell” with His chosen people everywhere by revealing Himself in the midst of  all the seasons of life (2 Tim.3:15-17).  Psalm 142 is the composition of the pilgrim David in a personal battle that eventually was sung in the celebrations of the entire nation! Men and women of God who love the word are highly intelligent in carrying out the will of God in a hostile world. 

 The most difficult and the lowest points of our lives  are the matrix of releasing hope and joy to others.  The uniqueness of this gut wrenching lament is that it was composed in a cave. This gusher of prayer is not simply David feeling sorry for himself, but he is perhaps literally stuck in a cave and completely alone in his misery with zero allies, no exits, no companions.  In other words, if God does not “rescue” him, he is as good as dead. Near death or death itself can bring about radical transformation of the worst parts of us or make the good parts even better. 

David’s experience was often used as a shadow to forecast the trials of Yeshua, the son of David.  The Incarnation of the Son of God is the final redemptive act that forever confirmed  eternal dignity to the singular human race.   Indeed we are “fearfully and wonderfully” created of dust invigorated by the breath of the Eternal Most High God from conception to death.  Speech is one of the highest faculties which the Creator wove into our soul.   Prayer is our soul breathing back our borrowed life directly to the Father.  Prayer is creativity in reverse, “Father you gave me your breath, I give my life back to you in prayer”…”not my will be done but Your will be done.”

 In particular, cave prayer is the loud boisterous cry of the human spirit in a kind of solitary confinement of the soul.  The fragrant incense of cave-prayer is offered up in a stinking  (used like a port of potty for humans and wild animals), moldy, musty, dank  and dark place.  There is no electricity, no microphones, no Bose speakers, no offering plates, no Holy Furniture,  no TV cameras, and  no audience….nobody and nothing.   Psalm 142 is the removal of the veil of a Secret Place to listen and observe how a true  pilgrim communes with God the Father in the midst of soul-crushing pressure. 

David was experiencing a protracitive season of rejection and persecution by then King Saul (1 Samuel 18- 2 Samuel 2).  Scripture reveals David’s forbearance with Saul required him to live in exile among the caves of Judea (Adullam & En-gedi), in various wildernesses and even among his sworn enemies.  Eventually, David is anointed King of Judah and all Israel.  This extended season of waiting, hiding, and trusting was necessary to prepare David for his kingship.  The rugged individualism and piety  of Davd in Psalm 142 is forged in the lifestyle of a cave-dweller living off-grid but online with the Spirit of the LORD through prayer, praise and contemplation of God. 

Unlike today’s political opponents, David was not throwing stones at his enemies, attacking the armies of Saul, or poisoning the waters of his enemies with bitterness, fault finding and envy. He was anointed king by Samuel years ago. An obedient heart to God was being fashioned in David during this time of rejection and persecution. He was not gathering votes, consolidating a party platform nor slinging journalistic mud on the garments of his political rival Saul. On the contrary, he was waiting patiently on the Lord to be lifted by His hand into the stewardship of his calling to serve the will of God in his generation. Caves of undetectable intimate isolation with seeming silence of God are necessary to prepare kings for their heavy crowns.

In our Covid-caves of today, our lesson is to reorient ourselves, if necessary, and embrace our eternal purpose to be conformed to the likeness of the Son of God.  This holy calling  both transcends and precedes our public service for the glory of God.  We never graduate from the school of Christ conducted in the chairless and couchless gloom of a cave.  At times, in necessity  we must seem to be on the brink of being extinguished before God distinguishes us. John the baptist, priestly cousin of Jesus, announced “He must increase that I  might decrease” (John 3:30).  This statement by the Baptist is not one of value but of purpose.  Unfortunately, all too often, we confuse purpose with value, thus, we fail tests that are given to both simultaneously transform us and validate us. We must learn to let go and trust God even when we don’t understand what is happening to us.   Gethsemane (though not a cave)  was clearly the private customary place of decisive victory wherein Jesus forged and eventually yielded His will to the Father and prayed for resurrection from the dead. 

In the days of His humanity, He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, 10 being designated by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:7-10)

This Greek word for “cry” (krauge), this is not voluntary crying but the involuntary “cry” that emerges as someone is ‘wrung out’ by extreme pressure or chronic searing pain. Jesus has agonized and wrestled with everything the human spirit can encounter. The rabbis had a saying (Barclay): “There are three kinds of prayers, each loftier than the preceding–prayer, crying and tears. Prayer is made in silence; crying with a raised voice; but tears overcome all things.” The loud vigorous private prayer life of Jesus was the watershed for the valley flow of the still waters of silence before Jesus accusers and adversaries.

 He has been excommunicated from the palace of Saul and is like a roaming convict, a prisoner in the land that he would eventually rule over as a king.  The sweet Psalmist of Israel was taking care of his family, defending defenseless villages, and training his small army of 400 distressed, indebted and discontent men. These soldiers would eventually distinguish themselves as the “mighty men of David ” ushering in a glimpse of the Messianic kingdom under Yeshua of Nazareth. 

The cave-fires of this period, like our fiery trials, refined the impurities of David’s heart by removing excessive pride, unforgiveness, vengeance etc. David was certainly not a push-over by any stretch of the imagination, but rather a hardened elite warrior. He was like an ancient Army Ranger who carried a sharp sword, a sling with laser accuracy, and an elegantly fashioned Gibson guitar. He allowed himself to be salted with the grace of God through his love and passionate heart for the Presence of God developed as a youthful shepherd boy. The memories of the soft wool of sheep inlined the heavy armor of his heart with an ephod of graciousness and compassion necessary for survival in deceptive, dirty and difficult days.

Psalm 142 Cave-Communion Lessons: Embracing the LORD in Difficult Days

(Use this section to help develop a strong spirit of prayer & submission to God the Father in the midst of all circumstances)

  • The Entrance & Exit is One in the Same…You enter crying and often leave crying with no immediate resolve or solution.  Find a place you can really let loose!  Confidently, draw near to the throne of Grace through the blood of Jesus. Caves are loud with anguish, arguments and the awesome Presence of the Father.  A cave is a place you can fully surrender to God free from any kind of religious performance. Let your heartbeat in your mouth and verbally pour out your soul to the Chief Shepherd and Guardian of your soul!
  • Cave’s are private moments between you and the LORD. In Psalm 142, twenty-nine times David says, “I…my…me”.  Thirteen times David sets his eyes on the veiled Presence of the LORD…”the LORD…before Him…You knew…give Your attention….rescue me…Your name”. It is OK to divulge to the LORD your thoughts, feelings and circumstances.  He is not grading your prayer on form.  The Father draws near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:4)
  • The deepest transformational truths are often discovered in what is NOT said.  After you “cry out”, take time to “selah” and pause to fill your soul back up with the intercessions of the Spirit too deep for words. Pray in the Spirit and with your understanding. Deep stirring, sighing, singing, and periodic silence are the atmosphere  of the cave. Caves can release deep healing from the presence of the LORD.
  • In Cave’s you often latch on to a single attribute of God (v1, Compassion) and pray through until you receive some sense of peace (v7) because the LORD in the end “will look after” you.
  • Cave’s are meant to be Temporary Address & a Transitional Season to Higher Purpose in the LORD.  We must not get stuck in caves beyond what is necessary.  We are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from “glory to glory”. We behold Him in caves but we don’t build temples in caves. Caves, Gardens and Mountains are where we bow our hearts and we bend our knees… before we bow our heads to receive the potential reward of His crowns at the Judgement Seat of Christ. 
  • The Patmos Principle: Revelation of God comes in short simple bursts of brightness in the midst of sorrow…My Refuge…My Portion. Prayer invites the Spirit of “revelation…and wisdom” into the true knowledge of Jesus Christ (Eph.1:15f)
  • Cave-talk often begins with complaining but will end with the Hope of His help. God may or may not Speak, but you will find His Presence.  Caves are places to tell stories directly to the Father  about the hunt, the hurt, the journey, the evil in the  world,  and the sacred encounters.  
  • Use a journal to write or draw, phrases, Scriptures and prayers than you receive into your mind. In the future, review these “cave paintings” and they will draw you back into a sacred and secret place for encouragement. Use your cave to write and draw!

In conclusion, Cave’s can liberate us from the limitations of human weakness.  These seeming  prisons can become refuges for our soul.  Deep Prayer, Exuberant Praise and riveting Revelation can be released to first help us and then to impart to others.  Moses’ cave, the Cleft in the Rock, was where he beheld the glory of the LORD and learned His name. Paul wrote the Prison Epistles from Rome.  In a cave, The Apostle John saw, heard and wrote the Book of Revelation from his room with a view in Patmos.  Israel was living in caves…Gideon’s cave was a “wine-press” of both complaint and revelation before  he transitioned to becoming a Judge of Israel.  Elijah fled from Jezebel to a cave wherein he was calmly given instructions from the LORD how to fulfill his ministry and finish strong.  John Bunyan, the English Protestant Reformer, wrote the classic Christian allegory Pilgrim’s Progress while in prison. Caves can become spiritual worm holes or portals to the heavenly places in Jesus Christ to discover the greatness of His power toward us who believe. 

Now is the time to cry out to the Father!!! WE must break the silence!

The Qumran Caves of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Bathtub Ring

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. *Judges 21:25

Now these things happened to them (Israel) as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. *1 Cor.10:11

Scripture Challenge: Read the Historical Narrative of  Judges 17-21; Ruth 1-4; 1 Samuel 1-4

Focus:  Ask the question “In the midst of the low watermark, how is God redemptively working through these difficult days of Israel? In my lowest seasons in life, how have I seen God work deep in my heart and in the lives of those around me that I influence for better or worse? 

Recently, I read through the above particular narrative of Israel’s experience. Judges 21:25 is the dirty “bathtub ring” of Israel after the times of the Judges (300 years)and before the Monarchy. The water was pretty dirty, but God did not throw Israel out with the dirty water. This period was one of the darkest in Israel’s history. The destruction of Jerusalem (400 years later) had to have been the lowest of lows for Israel. The Hebrew Scriptures are divided into 3-sections. The Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), the Nevi’im ( Former Prophets of Joshua, Judges, Samuel & Kings and the Later Prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel & the Twelve Minor Prophets) and the Ketuvim (the Writings). The Nevi’im Scriptures are important because the Jews see a single historical prophetic narrative from the acquisition and occupation of the Promised Land under Joshua to the eventual exile by the Assyrians (722 B.C) and the Babylonians (586 B.C.). Interestingly, in the final chapter of the Nevi’im in 2 Kings 25:27-30, the prisoner king of Judah, Johoiachin is granted favor in Babylon by the king. Jerusalem is a smoldering pile of rubble and in Babylon the king of Judah is finding favor with his enemies. The church of Jesus Christ is to learn from Israel’s example.

Allow me to pivot to the  personal application…No matter how “low we go” there is ALWAYS the hope of redemption by God’s gracious intervention, compassion and mercy!  There is a “silver lining” in clouds of darkness! Naomi, after the death of her husband and sons,  was given a wonderful daughter-in-law who married Boaz who would be the distant grandfather of David!   God raised up the prophet Samuel to transition Israel from the rule of charismatic judges to the rule of a king.  The Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, yet God was raising up a man after his own heart who would faithfully shepherd Israel.  Unfortunately, this desire for a “king” like the surrounding nations was a rejection of God as King in the midst of Israel (1 Sam.8:4-9).  God allowed this governmental “transition”  which through king David would become a shadow of the eventual millennial rule of Yeshua, Jesus as the King of kings! 

Lake Mead is formed by the Hoover Dam and filled by the Colorado River. Lake Mead is the largest man-made reservoir in the USA. We used to take our children there in the 1990’s for vacation.  Lake Mead, water for 25,000,000 people, is at its lowest point (33% capacity) since it was originally filled in the 1930’s.  The Hoover Dam Hydro-electric plant is down 25% (power for 8,000,000 people) due to the flow rate of the river.  Las Vegas receives 90% of its water from Lake Mead. The “dead pool” level (can’t flow through the dam) is 863’,  current level is at around 1070’.   With present evaporation and usage trends, the ‘dead pool’ level would be achieved by 2040 CE. Imagine the staggering crisis of no water for 25,000,000 and no power for 8,000,000 people?  The “bath ring” of minerals left on the shoreline is the height of the Statue of Liberty! Hoover Dam was built nearly a century ago. Hydrologists warned the Colorado River and the projected growth of the Southwest US would exceed what the river could deliver…the hydrologists were correct…the powerful elite and the politicians did not listen to scientific facts! 

This picture prompted me to ponder the seasons in my life when I was “filled” to capacity and overflowing in the Holy Spirit…the “high watermark(s)”? Certainly, surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ November of 1980, water baptism, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, marriage, the birth of my children etc. all qualify for ‘high watermark’ moments or seasons! The myriad of opportunities to serve the Father in prayer, teaching, preaching, serving and missions are countless! Vice versa, what was the lowest point in my life…the “low watermark”? The ‘dead pool’ moments of stagnation? For sure, loss of employment, the disappointment of children, personal failure and rebellion, bankruptcy, losing houses, cancer etc., all qualify for “low watermark” or “dead pool” seasons. At times, I remember sincerely being “so low”, I would never recover the “fullness of the Spirit” the Father intended for my life and the corresponding flow of the fruit and gifts…I was a perpetual “dead pool” no longer able to walk, talk or serve in the POWER and LOVE of the HOLY SPIRIT. But thanks be to God, He delivered me from my ‘wretchedness’ or “wanderings” and the “wilderness” and lifted me to a Rock higher than I could climb to in my own strength. He stirred me again by His Spirit in my captivity and gave me a mission to “strengthen my brethren ” and a song to sing and prayers to pray along the narrow path of life! He refilled me to overflowing with the precious gifts of marriage, family and friends!

King Jesus can do the same for you! 

A final thought…the Israelites lacked a king. The result was “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” THE GOOD NEWS IS we have a King in Jesus, the Messiah! We are called to “fix our eyes” on Jesus who fully demonstrated the life of a man of God (Heb.12:1-4). He is our example of total surrender to the will of the Father, a full capacity Spirit-empowered lifestyle and missional purpose! As earthen vessels, we all slowly leak, thus, we need to be filled again and again with His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). At some point, we must take our eyes off ourselves, off our dirty bathtub ring, off of those around us, off social media and the ‘breaking news’ of the day. The sooner we bow to King Jesus the better we run our race for His glory.