Is God Speaking?

The small group of men I deal with on a weekly basis have had many conversations lately about the dangers of the “prosperity gospel”. I’ve also been getting involved with Reclaim Ministries (ministry seeking to restore the hearts of men). And I’ve been trying to dig more into the life of a Muslim-turned-Christian, Nabeel Qureshi. All of these together have caused me to really start thinking deeply about “why don’t I hear from God?”

It's easy in American culture to rely on yourself in many ways. I may need help re-doing some plumbing, running electric, or putting on a new roof, but for the most part I can at least afford to pay an expert to do those things on my own. Even from a faith perspective, it’s easy to silo church events to fit them into our schedule, fake a deep relationship with God, and put up a “tomato cage” around our actually dead heart. To read of Christ’s miracles, hear of the power of God living in His followers, and be told contemporary stories from around the globe of physical healings, visions and dreams, all seems foreign and unreachable. So when you talk to someone who “heard from the Lord”, you can become immediately skeptical as your internal knee jerks.

But to dismiss the supernatural is foolish. Starting from the premise (or “truth” if you ask me) that the Bible is 100% accurate, then the supernatural isn’t a foreign concept, but it actually happens. So while hearing from God seems like a thing of myth and magic, it’s a thing. But if it’s real, why don’t I hear from Him?

I was lying awake last night, so I began to pray. As I prayed, a little understanding came over me. As I’ve walked through some deep, spiritual conversations with men lately, I’ve come to know my own heart a little more clearly. And as I’ve understood my own heart, I’ve realized how bent I am toward negativity, anger, annoyance, skepticism, self-righteousness, and the like. If it weren’t for my elementary knowledge of Biblical scripture, I would like people much less than I do with it. My mind is not geared toward love (other than to my wife and children – that comes naturally), but rather hate. So as I lay there praying, I theorized that the good thoughts I have could only come from God. If the bad thoughts I have come from me – that is, my sinful nature – and the good thoughts come only from God, then is it possible that the supernatural is actually more elementary than I’ve thought? (James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”)

If I could write down all of the times I’ve ignored that thing I should have done or should have said, but instead followed my own way, I could have filled volumes by now – possibly enough to line the shelves of my own library! I’ve decided I need to start being more intentional with my thoughts than I have been. If I can be actually conscious of my thoughts, take note if they are good or bad, and direct my actions based on that, I would think I’m actually listening to God speak through my heart. (2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”; Galatians 5:17 – “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”)

When I feel I should say something nice, I should say it.

When I feel I should pray for someone, I should stop and do it.

When I feel I should give to someone / something out of my abundance, I should give it.

The list goes on.

(James 4:17 – “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”)

I think it’s that simple. Be filled with Christ’s righteousness, goodness, and holiness, and you will hear from Him. And the good you hear, act upon that, and you’re living out the supernatural. But being filled with Christ’s attributes takes prayer, time in the Bible, and fellowship with the saints. With those “tools”, and only those, is one able to determine if you’re hearing from God or yourself (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 – “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.”; 1 John 4:1 – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”)

I think of a story a guy relayed to a group of men last night, about a guy named John Kavanaugh who sought out time with Mother Teresa:

“When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at ‘the house of the dying’ in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, ‘And what can I do for you?’ Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.

‘What do you want me to pray for?’ she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: ‘Pray that I have clarity.’

She said firmly, ‘No, I will not do that.’ When he asked her why, she said, ‘Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.’ When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, ‘I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.’”

Listen. Test. Trust. Don’t question… act.

Okay - I’m listening, Lord……

Remembering the Sabbath

This is something I've been pondering, but definitely not something I'm any better at than probably anyone else reading this. I realize that's a huge assumption since I don't know you, but based on what I see in the lives around me, the percentage is favor of my being right that we're alike here.

Though the Ten Commandments are only a portion of the Old Testament Law, we as Christians tend to hold these up as the exclamation point of the Law:

1) You shall have no other gods before me.

2) You shall not have any idols.

3) You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

4) Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

5) Honor your father and mother.

6) You shall not murder.

7) You shall not commit adultery.

8) You shall not steal.

9) You shall not give false testimony.

10) You shall not covet.

(ref. Deuteronomy 5:6-21)

Based on the fact that you're a living and breathing human being, there's a high likelihood that you already believe strongly that we shouldn't murder, cheat on our spouse, steal, lie, or covet - those are somehow hardwired into our innate morality. And if you have any sort of church-going history, you probably have an inkling that we should have no other gods before THE God, we shouldn't have idols (and that these come in many forms, like hobbies, jobs, and even our spouses), we shouldn't use the Lord's name in vane, and we should honor our father and mother.

So that's 9 of 10, leaving only the Sabbath. How do we observe that and keep it holy? Is it simply by sleeping in, fighting our children to get up and get dressed, getting to church late, coming home for a nap, then watching the football game? Others may also see it as a day to get some things done.

While both of these examples do appear different than most other days of the week (other than the second example could look a lot like Saturday for that person), is that really how we make it holy?

Now I'm not getting into an argument over whether the Sabbath is a Sunday or a Saturday, or any other day of the week really, but here in American Christian culture, that day has been traditionally set aside as Sunday. And the way we make this holy is by holding church services on that day.

What does 'holy' even mean? It comes from the Hebrew meaning "separate". So anything holy is to be separate, different, clean, and pure; sacred, consecrated, divine. So while it is to look different than other days of the week, and it does just that, making it holy is something entirely different.

Now I'm not trying to be legalistic here, but Jesus didn't come to abolish the law - he came to fulfill it. When you hear Jesus preach about lying, stealing, adultery, etc. in the Sermon on the Mount  (Matthew 5-7), he doesn't just suggest these things are still wrong, but that fulfillment of them goes beyond just the actual command. For instance, in Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment'. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."

So Jesus didn't say that murder was okay now, but that we just shouldn't be angry with our brother. I think it's clear he's still against murder. So "don't murder", but it's more than that - it's "don't murder, and don't even by angry with your brother."

Again, this isn't meant to be legalistic, but rather a barometer for our our hearts. If we can say "I've never killed anyone, but yeah - I'm always angry at my brother," then how are we fulfilling what Jesus says are the two greatest commandments: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind; and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself? This shouldn't be a "you're bad because you broke the rules, or yay - pat on the back for you. This is simply a heart-check to make sure we're aligning our lives with Christ.

But in the same way, shouldn't we be remembering the Sabbath and making it holy? And according to Christ's fulfillment of the law, shouldn't we be not only remembering it and making it holy, but going beyond that? Shouldn't the Sabbath be set apart, yet we should set our entire lives apart every day? This doesn't mean every day looks like Sunday, or that because we look like Christ every day we can ignore Sunday. If we aren't angry with our brother but still murder, it's still wrong. In the same way, I think our lives need to look different every day, but the Sabbath still needs to be there.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2)

On this Sunday, the Sabbath, the Lord's Day, I hope we can all find a way to set this day aside. That we can not only set this day aside as somehow holy, but to carry on throughout our week.

God Speed.

Standing Invitation

 This is a standing invitation:

                What: To read from the Bible and pray together

    Who: You? Anyone really, but namely God’s people, followers of Jesus Christ; but please, if you’re just curious, need any sort of comfort, etc… come. One exception (since this needs to be clarified in today’s world): if you’re sick, please stay home and join us in spirit from there.

                Where: My house

    When: Every Sunday evening, 6:00 p.m. (beginning TONIGHT January 10^th, 2021); come early, but no sooner than 5:30 p.m. please, but reading will begin at 6:00 p.m. sharp

                Why: Let me explain…

Whether you agree with the legitimacy of Biden’s presidential election, or you are on the side of Trump, you have to admit that this past week has surely been the exclamation point that we are in a period of political turmoil. And hopefully you see that it’s not just political turmoil, but the freedoms we have been afforded in this country and that we are now abusing to the point of sin, even within the Church, are leading us slowly into the shadows and eventual eternal death. By “Church” I DONT mean what’s being taught from our pulpits, but rather what’s happening and being excused in the hearts of those who profess loyalty and service to Christ the King: aka “Christians” aka “the Church”!! Search your heart – I know I’ve been evaluating my own a lot more recently – you have prideful, selfish sins like me too, ones that need repented of, confessed, prayed for.

One could argue that America, as a whole, is at the peak of human existence. We have more freedom and opportunity than ever before, financially, politically, spiritually, practically, leisurely – you name it! Though God is speaking of Solomon (the richest to have ever lived) and the temple, I can’t help but draw the parallels:

When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said… (2 Chronicles 7:11-12a)

Sounds somewhat like America, right? We’re (relatively) rich compared to the rest of the world as a whole, we have accomplished (relatively) everything we’ve set out to do, and the Church itself is thriving – in fact, there’s an intersection close by my house where until recently three different church buildings occupied three of the four corners!!!

So again, if you argue we’re at the peak of existence here, then here’s a shake-up:

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.

When I shut up the heavens so there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. (God – 2 Chronicles 12b-15)

Again, though this isn’t speaking of America, you can see some similarities. What’s going on right now is somewhat of a drought, a plague, or an invasion of locusts on our so-called “crop”. And since God doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8), what the above says to me is that if God’s people would humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and repent, even as with the above story, He will hear them, forgive them, and heal their land – His eyes will be open and ears attentive to their prayers.

So we need a revolution – not against the rulers of our time, or against frustrating neighbors, or that guy who cut you off on the highway, or ornery bosses – but against our own hearts and wickedness. The only way we can make a difference in this world is to seek God. Repent and go after Him.

So every Sunday, here’s what this will be:

·                Reading from the Bible (just like they did in Nehemiah 8)

·                 Prayer

·                 And if / when needed: confession

·                 Families – children will hopefully be participating, so we can pass this along to the next generation

What this will NOT be:

·                A sermon. We will simply read from the Bible together and pray – though feel free to linger and       discuss with others if necessary afterward.

·              Sitting in my living room with a copy of coffee and a Bible on our laps - dress for the weather, bring an umbrella or boots (my yard may be muddy), a chair, warm clothes…

·              American fellowship – eat before you come, or wait until you get home, but we won’t have a meal or snacks

·              A replacement for church attendance – if you regularly go to church on Sunday evenings, please don’t skip that to come here!

·              A political rally. We are leaving our political affiliations and the Constitution at home – this is for us to come together under the banner of Christ, and Him alone (what an opportunity)!!!

Remember, in the 2 Chronicles passage above, God seeks humility in our seeking Him, so this isn’t about meeting comfortably, but coming as you are and worshipping Him through our acknowledgement of scripture and communion through prayer with what we have when we’re here.

Obviously plans will be somewhat fluid and can / may change – meaning if there are only a few people and it’s pouring down rain, we can cram in the garage to stay dry. If there are only ten of us, we’ll prayer in a smaller circle – and if there are 200, we’ll have to split that up somehow. BUT – we will gather every Sunday evening at 6pm. And the bathroom will always be open for emergencies!!

Last thing I would ask is that you bring a physical, printed Bible. If at all possible, leave your phone at home, or at the least in your car when you arrive. If you don’t have a Bible, I will get one to you!!!

So mark your calendar for every Sunday and come. It’s a standing invitation. No need to RSVP. Just show up. I’m not planning anything other than scripture and prayer, which aren’t contingent upon the number of people who show up.

I pray God will awaken your heart to this goal of oneness. Just like Jesus himself prayed before he was arrested to be crucified: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:20-23) Jesus is praying for us – we’ve heard the message passed down by his disciples, and he urges us to be in complete unity.

Questions? Text 330-466-7411.