Seeking the Lord

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hearing the Lord's Voice

Do we only know how to recognize and listen to the voice of a man, such as a pastor, preacher, or blogger? Or do we know how to recognize and listen to the voice of the Lord? What have we been trained to do?

One of the most important aspects of seeking the Lord is hearing His voice. Every disciple needs to learn to do this as an essential part of making Christ central. Let's turn to the Scriptures and let the Word of God speak for itself.

Jesus said His sheep would know His voice
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (Joh 10:27). If you are one of His sheep, Jesus said you would hear His voice. It comes with being a sheep, and sheep are not very smart. So don't feel like this is beyond your ability to do.

Moses heard the voice of the Lord
The Lord spoke to Moses on top of a mountain in a burning bush. "When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look." (Act 7:31-32)

Peter heard the voice of the Lord
There was a time when God was about to direct Peter to begin taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Up to that point, they were only preaching to Jews. But God first spoke to a Gentile man, named Cornelius, who sent his servants to get Peter. "On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!' But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.' Again a voice came to him a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky." (Act 10:9-16).

Sometimes the Lord speaks to both parties, in order to prepare them for something extraordinary. In this case, He spoke to Cornelius and Peter to prepare them for what He was about to do in their lives, before they even met each other. I've seen the Lord do this over and over in my own life. For example, before and after we were married, the Lord has spoken to both my wife and I about many things, including ways He was directing us to serve Him.

Paul heard the voice of the Lord
When the apostle Paul was on the road to Damascus, sent with authority to persecute the disciples of Christ there, the Lord met him on that road in a vision and changed his life. "And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.'" (Act 9:4-6).

When the Lord speaks to you, sometimes He will ask you a question. He already knows the answer, but wants you to discover it yourself. So don't be surprised if the Lord asks you a question.

We must not harden our hearts when we hear the Lord’s voice
The writer of Hebrews stated: "He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 'TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.'" (Heb 4:7)

This teaches us that when the Lord speaks, you have a choice. You can either humble yourself and receive what He tells you. Or you can harden your heart. Be careful not to harden your heart. In order to avoid that, you will need to have faith and believe what the Lord is saying.

God’s Word is active and living
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12)

God's Word is alive. So when He speaks to you, it penetrates deep down inside of you, reaching places that even a surgeon could not reach if he were to cut you open with a knife. The Word is sharper than any scalpel. It's able to get into our soul and spirit and separate the two. It's able to show you your own thoughts and motives.

Israelites perished because they didn’t listen to the Lord’s voice
"For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, that is, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey." (Jos 5:6)

It's true that thousands of Israelites perished in the wilderness, because they did not listen and obey the Lord's voice when He spoke. So we need to be careful that we are not merely hearers, but also doers of God's Word.

The voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic
"Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!" The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace." (Psa 29:1-11)

When the Lord needs to utter His voice, He can make it loud and clear, if He needs to. It's powerful and majestic, and shakes the wilderness. So no matter where you are at, trust more in His ability to speak to you than in your ability to hear from Him.

Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord
Isaiah the prophet had an amazing vision of the Lord. Here is what the Lord said to Him at that time. He wrote: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" (Isa 6:8)

You see how the Lord asked him a question, as He did with Paul? The Lord was looking for a voluntary commitment from the heart, and Isaiah willingly offered Himself to the Lord for His service.

Samuel heard the voice of the Lord
Perhaps one of my favorite examples in Scripture of someone hearing from the Lord is Samuel. When he was just a boy, serving in the temple with Eli, the priest, "the LORD called Samuel; and he said, 'Here I am.' Then he ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, 'I did not call, lie down again.' So he went and lay down. The LORD called yet again, 'Samuel!' So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he answered, 'I did not call, my son, lie down again.' Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor had the word of the LORD yet been revealed to him. So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy. And Eli said to Samuel, 'Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, "Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening."' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for Your servant is listening.'" (1Sa 3:4-10)

As a little boy, when he first heard the Lord's voice, it sounded familiar, and he thought it was the person in the other room. But he quickly learned that it was the Lord speaking. When you go before the Lord, you should pray with an attitude like Samuel, "Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening."

The Lord has enabled us to know the mind of Christ
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." (1Co 2:16)

Who has ever heard of someone knowing what God is thinking? Yet that's exactly what happens when we are a disciples of Christ. We actually have His mind, and through prayer we can discover what the Lord desires in a given situation.

John heard the voice of the Lord
The apostle John recorded his experience on the isle of Patmos. He wrote: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, 'Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.' Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength." (Rev 1:10-16)

John clearly heard the Lord's voice as loud as a loud trumpet, and like the sound of many waters. He also saw visions from God. We have the book of Revelation today because of it. All that happened to him while he was in a lonely, desolate place, being persecuted for his faith in Christ. So when you feel alone, remember that the Lord may want to speak to you during that time when you are free of distractions.

When everyone is hearing the Lord, there is a common sense of expectation for God to move
The prophets Elijah and Elisha both knew God was about to take Elijah. :And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here please, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.' But Elisha said, 'As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they went down to Bethel." (2Ki 2:1-2)

Not only Elisha and Elijah knew, but the prophets at Bethel also knew God was about to take Elijah. "Then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?' And he said, 'Yes, I know; be still.'" (2Ki 2:3)

Because Elisha knew the God was about to take Elijah from him, he followed Elijah, so that he could be with him when it happened. "Elijah said to him, 'Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.' But he said, 'As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So they came to Jericho." (2Ki 2:4)

Even the prophets at Jericho knew the Lord was about to take Elijah from Elisha. "The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, 'Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?' And he answered, 'Yes, I know; be still.'" (2Ki 2:5)

Elisha insisted on staying with Elijah, knowing God would soon take him. "Then Elijah said to him, 'Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.' And he said, 'As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.' So the two of them went on." (2Ki 2:6)

I just want to point out that when all these people -- Elisha, Elijah, the prophets at Bethel, and the prophets at Jericho -- were all hearing from the Lord about the same thing, they had a sense of expectation. And the same is true today in the Church. When the Body of Christ is listening to the Lord's voice, we will all be hearing the same thing. Then we'll have a mutual sense of expectation for what the Lord is about to do.

Elijah heard the Lord’s voice in a gentle breeze
The prophet Elijah fasted for forty days after eating and drinking. "So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God." (1Ki 19:8)

The Word of the Lord came to him while fasting for forty days. "Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" (1Ki 19:9)

He spoke to the Lord of his zeal saying, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." (1Ki 19:10)

The Lord was not in the wind or earthquake. "So He said, 'Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.' And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake." (1Ki 19:11)

The Lord was not in the fire, but in the gentle breeze. "After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" (1Ki 19:12-13)

At that time, the Lord's voice was not in the tornado, and it was not in the earthquake or the fire. It was in a gentle breeze, and what Elijah heard was a still, small voice. Many times this is the way the Lord will speak to you. It's not dramatic. It's just a still, small voice in your heart. You need to learn to distinguish it. Often fasting will help you hear more clearly what the Lord is saying to you.

Putting it All Together
Moses, Peter, Paul, Isaiah, Samuel, David and John heard the voice of the Lord. So did the Israelites, but they perished in the wilderness, because they didn’t listen to the Lord’s voice.

When everyone is hearing the Lord, there is a mutual sense of expectation for God to move. Elijah and Elisha both knew God was about to take Elijah, as did the prophets at Bethel and Jericho. Because Elisha knew the God was about to take Elijah from him soon, he insisted on staying with him.

The voice of the Lord is powerful, majestic, and shakes the wilderness. John heard it as loud as a loud trumpet, and also said his voice was like the sound of many waters.

The Word of the Lord came to Elijah while fasting for forty days. The Lord was not in the wind or earthquake. The Lord was not in the fire. Elijah heard the Lord’s voice in a gentle breeze.

Jesus said His sheep would know His voice. That means you can hear the Lord's voice. It's not that difficult. The Lord has enabled us to know the mind of Christ. Many times the Lord’s voice sounds like our own thoughts. It will come to us as we quiet ourselves before the Lord in prayer and worship and reading the Word.

God’s Word is active and living. But we need to believe the Lord is speaking to us and act upon what we hear. If we don’t believe, we will not act. If we don’t believe or act, we will harden our hearts. We must not harden our hearts when we hear the Lord’s voice.

Let me encourage you today to listen for the Lord's voice. Get alone with him and quiet yourself. Worship and read His Word, and then wait upon Him to speak. He will be faithful to do it, and it will always agree with the Scriptures. Then just be sure to do whatever He tells you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading The Voice That Changed Everything, Inquiring of the Lord, Led by the Spirit - Part I, and Led by the Spirit - Part II. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Inquiring of the Lord

The Israelites began to inquire of the Lord many thousands of years ago. One way they did this was by the Urim and Thummim, which were stones the priests used in order to determine what the Lord’s answer was. They would go to a priest and ask him to inquire of the Lord for them. Another way they inquired of the Lord was through prophets. The Lord would answer them through the Urim and the prophets, and He would sometimes answer through visions or dreams.

This study looks at the practice of inquiring of the Lord, as it has been practiced throughout history. It reveals the importance of inquiring of the Lord, the dangers of inquiring of the Lord insincerely, as well as inquiring of false gods or mediums.

The Israelite people inquired of the LORD
We find numerous examples of the Israelites inquiring of the Lord:

Isaac and Rebekah inquired of the Lord about the twins struggling with each other in her once barren womb, and He answered her that two nations were inside her: But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. (Gen 25:22)
Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" (Jdg 1:1)
Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, "Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?" Then the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first." (Jdg 20:18)
The sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall we again draw near for battle against the sons of my brother Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him." (Jdg 20:23)
The sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, (Jdg 20:27)
The people inquired of the Lord in order to determine who should be their king: Therefore they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" So the LORD said, "Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage." (1Sa 10:22)

Going to a prophet to inquire of the Lord
At one time, long ago in Israel, people would go to a prophet to inquire of the Lord. "Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, 'Come, and let us go to the seer'; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called a seer." (1Sa 9:9). In fact, they went to Moses to inquire of the Lord, which is why he needed to delegate responsibilities to other leaders. Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. (Exo 18:15)

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, once advised the king of Israel to inquire of the LORD through a prophet of the Lord. He wanted to know if they should go up together in battle against a common enemy. Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the LORD." (1Ki 22:5). In response to this, the king of Israel gathered four hundred prophets and inquired of them. But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?" (1Ki 22:7).

The problem was that the king of Israel did not like the only true prophet who still knew how to inquire of the Lord. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." (1Ki 22:8).

Another example is when Ben-hadad, king of Aram, was sick, and he inquired of the Lord through the prophet Elisha: The king said to Hazael, "Take a gift in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'" (2Ki 8:8)

So it was very common to go to a prophet to inquire of the Lord in those days.

Priests inquired of the Lord
One of the roles of the priest was to inquire of the Lord. For example, Eleazar the priest inquired of the Lord for Joshua: "Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation." (Num 27:21)

Likewise, Ahimelech the priest inquired of the LORD for David:

"He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." (1Sa 22:10)
Saul then said to him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?" (1Sa 22:13)
"Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair." (1Sa 22:15)

King Josiah commanded his priests, as well as his scribes and servants to inquire of the Lord for him:

He told them, "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." (2Ki 22:13)
"Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book." (2Ch 34:21)

King David inquired of the LORD
King David was known as a man after God's own heart. He always wanted to know what the Lord wanted, and once he discovered that, He sought to do it with God's help.

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah." (1Sa 23:2)
Then David inquired of the LORD once more. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand." (1Sa 23:4)
David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?" And He said to him, "Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all." (1Sa 30:8)
Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." (2Sa 2:1)
Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." (2Sa 5:19)
When David inquired of the LORD, He said, "You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. (2Sa 5:23)
David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. (2Sa 12:16)
David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?" Then the LORD said to him, "Go up, for I will give them into your hand." (1Ch 14:10)
David inquired again of God, and God said to him, "You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. (1Ch 14:14)
Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time. But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD. (1Ch 21:26-30)

How many people are there today like David, who still inquire of the Lord about the matters that concern them? How many people inquire about the Lord before making decisions? May the Lord help us to have the heart of King David.

Inquiring of False Gods
People who inquire of false gods rather than the Lord do so to their own detriment. One example of this foolish practice and it's consequences was when Ahaziah, king of Samaria was injured in an accident at home. He inquired of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, in order to find out whether he would recover.

And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness." (2 Ki 1:2)

The Lord was so displeased with this that He sent Elijah to the king's messengers to ask the king why he was doing such a foolish thing. The angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?' (2Ki 1:2-3)

The messengers returned to the king and reported back to him. They said to him, "A man came up to meet us and said to us, 'Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'"'" (2Ki 1:6)

The king went directly to Elijah the prophet to find out about this word. So Elijah reiterated it directly to the king. Then he said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron--is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?--therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'" So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. (2Ki 1:16-17a)

Some things never change. There are still people today, including some of the Lord's people, who inquire of false gods. But they often find clever ways to explain it away. I need to tell you that this is still sin, and it comes with dire consequences, so please beware and avoid inquiring of false gods.

Dangers of Disobedience
Did you know that Jerusalem was burned with fire because of King Zedekiah's disobedience? The problem was not that he failed to inquire of the Lord, because he did inquire of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. The point of disobedience was that neither he nor the people listened to the words of the Lord:

"Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us." (Jer 21:2)
But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Please pray to the LORD our God on our behalf." (Jer 37:2-3)
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Thus you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come out for your assistance is going to return to its own land of Egypt. "The Chaldeans will also return and fight against this city, and they will capture it and burn it with fire."' (Jer 37:6-8)

So it's not enough to simply inquire of the Lord. We also need to obey the Lord in what He tells us to do. Jesus said that those who hear His Word but do not do what it says are like a man who built his house on sandy ground with no foundation. When the storms of life came, the man's house was destroyed. So the person who only hears the Word and doesn't do it will perish.

Warning Against Idolatry
Idolaters should not think they could inquire of the Lord with impunity. There are many warnings in Scripture about the consequences for idolatry. Consider these:

"For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person. (Eze 14:7)
"They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be, (Eze 14:10)

During the days of the prophet Ezekiel, the elders of Israel were guilty of idolatry. They had defiled themselves by sacrificing their own sons in the fire on the altars of idols. Then they came to the prophet to inquire of the Lord.

Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. (Eze 20:1)
The Lord told Ezekiel, "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you."' (Eze 20:3)
Here's the Word of the Lord that Ezekiel spoke to the elders: "When you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you. (Eze 20:31)

When they set up idols in their hearts, they separated themselves from God. Therefore, the Lord refused to play their game and would not be inquired of by them.

People still commit idolatry today. For some people, their idol is a statue, and for others it's their vehicle. Some people make an idol out of money or another person. Whatever it is you idolize, it separates you from the Lord. So you need to ask the Lord if you have set up any idols in your life, and if you have, you need to get rid of them completely.

King Saul's Failed Attempt to Inquire of the Lord
When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him: Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day. (1Sa 14:37). This happened again later. When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. (1Sa 28:6)

So Saul asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, rather than inquire of the Lord: Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor." (1Sa 28:7)

In doing so, Saul sinned against the Lord, since the Scripture prohibited anyone from consulting mediums. Saul committed other sins besides this, including not keeping the Word of the Lord that He had been given. In the end, it cost him his life. "So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it." (1Ch 10:13) He "did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse." (1Ch 10:14)

There are people today who consult mediums. It may be a spirit guide, a palm reader, a card reader, a horoscope, or some other medium. It could even be a departed loved one or deceased saint. Consulting mediums is a sin against the Lord, so if you've done this you should repent. Change your mind about it, agree with God's Word and ask the Lord to cleanse and forgive you. He is merciful and forgiving.

The Role of the Holy Spirit
Under the New Covenant, the Lord's people do not need to go to a priest or prophet to inquire of the Lord. Neither do we need to use the sacred stones. Instead, the Holy Spirit has now been sent to live in our hearts and speak to us. The Scripture teaches us that we have an anointing from the Holy Spirit.

The apostle John wrote: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth." (1Jo 2:20-21).

This anointing remains within you and teaches you about everything. John wrote, "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1Jo 2:27)

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would reveal to us everything we need:

"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. (Mar 11:24)
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (Joh 14:26)
"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. (Joh 15:15)
"All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. (Joh 16:15)
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. (1Co 2:10)

All Believers are now priests
You see, under the new covenant, all the disciples of Christ are priests of God Most High. So we can go directly to the Father through Jesus without the need for any mediators. Peter wrote, "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1Pe 2:9)

And since we have the mind of Christ, we don't need to go to someone else, such as a priest or prophet, in order to know what the Lord wants for our lives. The apostle Paul wrote, "For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." (1Co 2:16)

Putting it All Together
The Israelites began to inquire of the Lord many thousands of years ago, and the Lord answered through the Urim and the prophets, as well as through visions or dreams.

Those who did so insincerely were either not answered or in some cases punished. When Saul did not receive answers after inquiring of the Lord, he inquired of a medium, and it cost him his life. We should avoid consulting any kind of medium, even a seemingly harmless one or one that a has been "Christianized."

Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit has been sent to live in our hearts and speak to us when we call upon the Lord. We no longer need to inquire of the Lord through stones or other people. Every believer can inquire of the Lord directly, because we have all become priests. Through Jesus Christ, we have access to the Father in heaven. And the anointing of the Holy Spirit teaches us all things. We have the mind of Christ.

So if you already know the Lord Jesus Christ and inquire of Him, let me encourage you to keep doing so. He will answer you. If you aren't inquiring of Him to know His will for each area of your life, then I want to urge you to do so. You should seek to know his will concerning employment, marriage, child raising, money matters, and virtually every part of your life.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home Page, especially "Hearing the Lord's Voice," "The Priesthood of All Believers," and "Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical." You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Self-Help Gospel

There is a self-help gospel preached in the world today, which is not the true gospel at all. It is a gospel of self-improvement. Just look in the bookstores and you will find them stocked with best selling books about how to do this or that to improve yourself. I’m not saying that every “how-to” book is bad. I’m just saying that much of what is written in the name of the Lord is not what the Lord would say to us. Let’s look at what the Lord says in His Word.

Hollow and Deceptive Philosophy
The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians and said: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." (Col 2:8). That's a clear warning for us today, as well. We need to make sure we don't let anyone captivate us through hollow and deceptive philosophy. It doesn't matter who they are who teach it. This kind of philosophy does not depend on Christ, but on human tradition and the basic principles of this world.

He went on to challenge those among them who had already begun to fall for these teachings. He wrote: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” (Col 2:20-23)

Let's remember that Paul was writing to the Colossian church, not to non-believers. They had already died with Christ, and Paul is asking them a question. He asks: “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’” Essentially he is saying that they already died to the world, so why do they act as though they need to live according to basic, worldly regulations about what you can and cannot handle, taste, and touch?

We could ask the same question of the church today. Why do these self-help preachers fool the church? Why do we keep falling for their lies? These are simply the commandments of men and the teachings of men, as Paul puts it. He gives the reason why some people listen to them. He says that these things definitely have the appearance of wisdom. That’s why it’s so enticing. But he exposes it for what it really is: self-made religion, self-abasement, and severe treatment of the body. Let's explore those three things.

Self-made religion
The word in the original Greek language, which this passage was written in, connotes voluntary piety that is arbitrary and unwarranted. It also may connote sanctimony or will worship.

This brings up thoughts of many different practices we see today. For example, we see people exercising voluntary piety that is unwarranted and arbitrary. Outwardly they try to seem pious and sanctimonious. They are part of the “do not handle,” “do not taste,” “do not touch” crowd. Where the Word has given us freedom, they have chosen to forbid themselves and others.

Paul also refers to will worship. The best thing I can use to illustrate what I see as will worship is the phrase, “Believe in yourself!” Or the philosophy that “I can do whatever I set my mind to do.” People who live according to this philosophy essentially worship their own will. They exult in the power of their own will to accomplish good things for themselves. These teachings range all the way from positive thinking and positive confession to various humanistic philosophies that teach man to try and be a good person without God.

All of these are self-made religion. They are man’s attempt to worship according to a way that he in himself determines is right. But these fail to please God. They fail to save anyone or make anyone holy, because they focus on outward performance and outward appearance, rather than on a change of the heart within. They focus on what man can do, rather than on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He can do.

Self-abasement
This word for self-abasement connotes false humility. This is another aspect of the worldly regulations Paul is talking about, which entice us away from the Lord. These regulations may appear to make you humble, but they really don’t do so. You can deny yourself from eating or touching anything you like, and it may appear that you are extremely humble. But we’ll find out how humble you are when someone throws up on you. Some things can be put on like a mask and you can pretend, but under the right circumstances, your pride will shine through.

Only the gospel has the power to save. Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). And when Jesus prayed for his disciples, He prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (Joh 17:17). He didn't pray that we would be sanctified through the commandments and teachings of men, or through man-made regulations and traditions. Only the Word of God has the power to make you holy.

Severe treatment of the body
The word Paul used to describe severe treatment of the body literally connotes a kind of asceticism, austerity, and neglecting of oneself. The Christian monks of old were famous for sleeping on beds of nails or broken glass, taking vows of silence and depriving themselves the company of other people in order to achieve deeper spiritual lives. It appeals to some people, because it looks spiritual, and it seems so disciplined, orderly, and hard on the flesh. But Paul says that these regulations are of no value against fleshly indulgence. That’s the reality. It’s not that they have some or little value, but they have no value when it comes to dealing with the sinful impulses inside of man.

Again, only the gospel has the power to deal with the flesh, by putting it to death with Christ, and giving us new life in Him.

Food, Drink, and Holiday Police
Some people still teach that certain days are more special or holier than other days.

Paul wrote to the Colossians about such people, saying, “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Col 2:16-17)

If you aren’t in church or celebrating the festival or holiday on that day – whether its Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, or All Saints Day, you’re looked at by these people as if you are less spiritual. This is what happened to the Galatians. Paul wrote to them saying, “You observe days and months and seasons and years.” (Gal 4:10) Because of this, Paul was concerned that he had labored over the Galatians in vain. There is no Scripture that says you must celebrate the birth of Jesus or His resurrection on a certain day each year. If you love Him, you will worship Him every day.

And we should certainly not let anyone judge us and make us feel less spiritual with regard to the Sabbath Day or any holiday. I have no problem if someone wants to worship the Lord and hold their church meetings on Saturday, rather than Sunday. But when they claim it is more correct, more biblical, or more spiritual to do so, that’s all part of these worldly regulations.

Neither should we let anyone judge us regarding what we eat or drink. For example, there are some who teach that certain diets are scriptural or more spiritual, like being a vegetarian. I'm not saying the Lord condones gluttony or drunkenness. And I agree that some foods and drinks are more healthy than others. But when you are partaking of food or drink in moderation with thankfulness, and someone looks down on you because of it, that’s not the heart of God. It’s all just a shadow of things to come. But reality is found in Christ. Our focus should be on Him, not on the calendar, the cup or the dish.

All these things are part of the written code that has been cancelled. As Paul wrote: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col 2:13-14)

Paul speaks to disciples of Christ. He says, when you were in a place where you could do absolutely nothing for yourself, because you were completely dead in sin, it was then that Christ made you alive together with Him. It was then He forgave all your transgressions. It was then that He canceled out the written code that was against you with all its decrees and regulations. The Holy Spirit described it like this through the prophet Ezekiel when He said, “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!'” (Eze 16:6) It’s a picture of you lying there in their own blood, squirming and about to die. The Lord saw you there as He passed by and said, “Live!” By His mighty power, He made you alive with Christ. His Word has power! His cross has power! It was through no effort of your own.

The true gospel
This is the true gospel – repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 2:38; 16:30). Paul says to the Romans, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." (Rom 10:9-11). This means you need to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and confess Him as Lord of your life with your mouth. If you do so, you will be saved.

Putting it All Together
I think the Scripture is very clear about all this. Don’t let anyone judge your spirituality based on what you eat or drink or whether you observe certain festivals or Sabaaths. We’re not supposed to observe days and months and years on the calendar. And it’s not what you put into your body, but what comes out of your mouth that defiles it.

Don’t pay attention to those who preach the self-help gospel. They tell you not to taste, touch, or handle certain things. They are the ones who promote self-made religion, unwarranted piety, self-abasement and harsh treatment of the body. None of these things has any power to restrain the sinful nature with its self-indulgence. They deal with the outward performance, not the inward matters of the heart and character.

Instead, focus on Jesus Christ. Reality is found in Him. He alone can save you in your most depraved and helpless state. And it's only through the power of His Word and His Spirit that you can become more like Jesus.

For more on this topic, be sure and see the other posts in this blog, especially Righteousness, Peace, and Joy. There are also some other authors on this topic, including one by Mark Lauterbach, and another article by the American Presbyterian Church, with which I am not associated in any official capacity.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This "Seeking the Lord" blog has become very popular in France. The reason for this is uncertain, but I am humbled and delighted that it has generated such a great interest there. To God be all the glory! If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Friday, March 4, 2011

From Self-confidence to Confidence in the Lord

My five-year old son recently asked me what the word “confidence” means. That led to a great discussion around the dinner table. Confidence is trust or reliance upon someone or something.

There's a big difference between self-confidence and having confidence in the Lord. Self-confidence is believing in yourself. It’s like the little train that thought it could. It’s the attitude that “if I think I can do something, then I can do it.” It’s summed up by the expression, “You can do whatever you put your mind to.”

But you will find no place in the Word of God where we are taught to have such self-confidence. It’s simply not Scriptural. This philosophy comes from the world, and it’s quite a central part of today’s self-help, New Age teachings.

On the other hand, confidence in the Lord is knowing HE can do it. This is not semantics or a minor variation of self-confidence. It’s the opposite of it!

From Self-Confidence to Confidence in the Lord
Moses is a great example who illustrates this for us. At age forty, Moses was self-confident and killed the Egyptian. He already had the burden in his heart to deliver the Hebrew people from the cruel bondage of their taskmasters. But he went about it in his own strength. And being the bold, strong man that he was, he managed to free one Hebrew from one situation. But he was not yet ready to accomplish the mighty works God had prepared for him to do. He could not fulfill God’s purpose for his life yet, because there was still too much Moses in him. He was in God’s way.

Once he realized his crime was discovered, he fled for his life to the backside of the desert, to a place called Midian. There he married a woman and tended sheep for forty years in obscurity. But by age eighty, he had been humbled greatly. When God spoke to him from the burning bush, he was quite self-deprecating. The Lord told him to speak to the king and tell him everything the Lord spoke to him. Moses basically responded by saying, "Lord, you know I'm such a poor speaker. Why should the king listen to me?"

But the Lord assured him that he would provide a spokesman for Moses in his brother Aaron. The Lord also promised to back up His word with power. So Moses obeyed God and went before Pharaoh. He did so not in his own strength or in any kind of self-confidence. He had long ago given up on trusting in himself to do anything. In the end, God used him mightily. He successfully led the Hebrew people out of Egypt with great signs and wonders. And he proved to be one of the greatest leaders in the history of Israel. It was all through his confidence in the Lord.

Trusting in man
Perhaps those who trust in themselves are not aware of the warnings in Scripture about that. The prophet Jeremiah said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant.'" (Jer 17:5-6). No matter how you read this, you don't want to be found trusting in mankind or depending on the flesh, including your own self. Jeremiah continued to say that "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" (Jer 17:9). If your heart is more deceitful than all else, then why trust it? Why put your confidence in it?

Not that we are adequate in ourselves
The apostle Paul stated that he had no confidence in himself. He wrote to the Corinthians:

"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2Co 3:2-6)

So as he wrote, he did not consider himself adequate in himself and did not consider anything he did as coming from himself. Rather, his adequacy was from God. He said, “We have confidence toward God through Christ.”

We can do nothing without Jesus
Even Jesus knew that He could do nothing apart from the Father. He said, "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (Joh 5:30). He was completely dependent upon the Father who sent Him.

Jesus also taught that we can do nothing without Him. He said to his disciples, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (Joh 15:5).

We need to understand our relationship to Him. He is the Vine and we are the branches. A branch on a grapevine cannot bear fruit on its own. It must remain connected to the vine. The same is true of us. Those who abide in Jesus bear much fruit. But apart from Him we can do nothing.

I can do all things through Christ
So how can we do anything at all in life? How can we serve the Lord? If I can do nothing and I am confident that the Lord can do all things, shouldn’t I just sit back and wait for God to do it? Why should I attempt anything?

Well, Paul had the right attitude. He wrote: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phi 4:13). This is true, biblical confidence. Not a confidence in oneself, but a confidence in the Lord. And look at the fruit from Paul's life! He wrote half of the books in the New Testament Scriptures. He moved in miraculous power, healing the sick, raising the dead, and taking the gospel to every region of the known world.

Paul was confident that he could do all things, but not in his own strength. He said that he could do all things through Christ. He knew that it was Christ who strengthened him and through Christ, he could do everything.

This is how each disciple of Christ should live today. It should be with this same attitude.

Trust in the Lord alone
When you really get this and understand it, you will trust in the Lord alone. You will heed the words of wise King Solomon, who said, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding." (Pro 3:5). As wise as he was, even he did not lean on his own understanding, but trusted in the Lord alone.

When you do this you will be blessed! "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit." (Jer 17:7-8). When you trust in the Lord, you'll be like a tree planted by water, green and fruitful.

Putting it all together
Don’t listen to people who say, “Just believe in yourself.” That's a worldly, New Age philosophy. If you have that attitude, you may get some results, but you will eventually find that you cannot do all things. There will be something you cannot accomplish, and you will be devastated to discover that believing in yourself does not work. Don't trust in your own self, but trust in the Lord. He can do more in three minutes than you can do in a lifetime.

As long as Moses was self-confident, the Lord couldn't use him. Moses was in the way. But once he became humbled, the Lord used Him mightily and with great power.

A Scriptural attitude is "Lord, I can do nothing without you. But I can do ALL things through Christ, Who strengthens me."

One thing that no person can do for himself is to save himself from perishing. Only Jesus can save you. That's the reason He came to earth, died on a cross for you, and rose from the dead. Whether you have known Him for many years or have never known Him, I encourage you today not to trust in yourself or any man, no matter if that person is with the Lord in heaven or alive on earth. Rather trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This "Seeking the Lord" blog has become very popular in France. The reason for this is uncertain, but I am humbled and delighted that it has generated such a great interest there. To God be all the glory! If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Is the the Self-Help and Actualization Movement a Sham?

These days there’s no lack of self-help books and DVDs to teach you how to be prosperous, healthy, and successful. These teachers all claim to have the keys to help you fulfill your dreams. But not all that glitters is gold. So much of what they say is just human wisdom -- man’s philosophy, which does not square with the Word of God.

The fact that these teachings don’t agree with God’s Word, the Bible, may not bother you. But it should, especially if you claim to believe in Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except by Me.” (Jn 14:6). Yet countless throngs of people who consider themselves Christians are consuming the human wisdom in these self-help books, and while it may sound great, it’s actually leading them away from the Lord. What’s worse, many church leaders are reading these books and then teaching these things from the pulpit as though they were Biblical truths.

Here are some examples of what they teach:

Fulfillment of your dreams is only a thought away.
You originate from the core of your self.
You ultimately return to the core of yourself.
You need to believe in yourself.

Now for a reality check on each one!

They teach, “Fulfillment of your dreams is only a thought away.”
Human wisdom is to direct your thoughts toward the fulfillment of your dreams, and then your words and actions will follow until they are fulfilled.

Yet Jesus said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Mat 16:25). When he talked about trying to save your life, he wasn’t just talking about trying to protect yourself from being killed. He was talking about the human tendency to have all that you want in life. It’s the tendency to preserve your own way of life the way we you like things to be. Frank Sinatra sang, “I did it my way!” But Jesus said if you do that, you will lose your life. Instead, you need to lose your life for Jesus’ sake. When you do that, you will truly find it. And the life He gives is better than anything you could have imagined.

I once thought before I gave my life to Jesus that if I gave my life to Him, then I would no longer have any fun or happiness in doing the things I want to do. But once I did give my life to Him, I found out that the joy and fullness I experience now is incomparably better than anything I knew when I was living for myself.

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Joh 10:10). So if you want to experience this kind of abundant life, then give your life completely to Jesus. Don’t grasp onto your dreams and ambitions as though it’s up to you to fulfill them. Put your dreams and ambitions on the altar and offer them up to God, willing to let them die. When you do this, God will be pleased and bless you with much more than you ever thought was possible.

The psalmist wrote, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psa 37:4). You see, when you delight yourself in the Lord, then your desires are in line with His, and they will be fulfilled in due time.

Many people are consumed with a quest for what the world calls success – they want the food and clothes and other worldly things that humans hunger for. But Jesus said, “Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:31-33) So if you seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, before all else, then all the things you need will be given to you.

The self-help authors teach, “You originate from the core of your self.”
But the Bible says God made you. He is the source and author of your life, not you!

The psalmist prayed to God: “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psa 139:13-14). He understood that He was made by God and gave thanks to Him for it.

The psalmist went on to pray: “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” (Psa 139:16). He understood that all of his days were appointed by God in advance and they were all written in His book before one of them came to pass. Since this is true, then what good is it to try and be the master of your destiny and the captain of your own ship, directing your life the way you think is best? But men have been doing this for centuries.

This is why the apostle Paul wrote: “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Rom 1:25). People would rather serve the creature, like themselves, rather than the Creator. In doing so, they exchange the truth of God for a lie.

The self-help authors teach, “You ultimately return to the core of yourself.”
They often refer to this as the center that you need to always come back to for proper balance in your life. Some also teach that there is no judgment in this place deep within you. So basically they teach that in the end, it’s all up to you to decide right from wrong. This may sound good but it’s not true.

King Solomon wrote: “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (Pro 16:25). So you may think you know the right way to take, but it leads to death in the end.
That’s why Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” (Mat 7:13). In other words, the road to destruction is wide and many people go that way. But if you want to have eternal life, enter through the narrow gate, which is Jesus.

Jesus said, “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Mat 25:31-32). So He clearly taught that there will be a final judgment. The judgment is not up to you to decide at your core what is right. You will ultimately stand before God and the judgment will be up to Him. As the apostle Paul wrote, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2Co 5:10).

The self-help speakers teach, “You need to believe in yourself.”
This could not be farther from the truth.

Wise Solomon wrote, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.” (Pro 28:26). If you trust in your own heart to lead you, you're in for trouble. Living life that way ends in destruction.

As the prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). The human heart is totally depraved, meaning that it has no good in itself, then how can it be trusted? Even the apostle Paul said, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (Rom 7:18). Even this man who was a mighty servant of God said there was nothing good in himself! So why should you trust in your own heart or your own abilities. You cannot succeed this way any more than a man stuck in quicksand can pull himself up by his own bootstraps.

Putting it All Together
The multitudes will continue to follow authors like Wayne W. Dyer, Robert G Allen, Napolean Hill, Oprah Winfrey, and Norman Vincent Peale. But I agree with Steve Salerno who used the acronym SHAM for the Self-Help and Actualization Movement. He said it is not only ineffective in achieving its goals, but it's also socially harmful. I also agree with Christopher Buckley, who asserts in his book God is My Broker that: "The only way to get rich from a self-help book is to write one."

The basic premise of the self-help teachers is to seek your own good and fulfill your own dreams and ambitions. Yet in God’s Word it is written, “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” (1Co 10:24)

So when we follow man’s wisdom on how to be successful, we’re walking on thin ice. This is a dangerous place. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa 55:8-9). God's thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. That's why human wisdom will never save you or give you the keys to truly abundant life.

Let me encourage you to beware of these self-help authors and speakers. What they say may sound great and appeal to you, but it’s not all true. Much of it is half-truths and lies. Don’t practice what they teach. Instead, give your life to Jesus. Live for Him. Be a student of God’s Word and put into practice what He says. As Solomon wrote: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.” (Pro 3:5-8)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Loving God Who Bids Us to Come

When someone asks you to come over their house or to come and spend time with them, do they want you around? Of course!

But do you naturally think of God as someone who is interested in you? Do you think he wants you around? Or do you feel like He is actually not interested in you? Maybe you even feel like He is pushing you away? Let’s see what God says in His Word about this.

He is the loving God who bids us to “Come”

The LORD said to Moses, "Come up the mountain to me, and while you are here, I will give you two stone tablets which contain all the laws that I have written for the instruction of the people." (Exo 24:12)
Get ready tomorrow morning, and come up Mount Sinai to meet me there at the top. (Exo 34:2)
Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "I want the three of you to come out to the Tent of my presence." They went, (Num 12:4)
"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. (Isa 1:18)
"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. (Isa 55:1-3)
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. (Joh 7:37)
"Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. (Hos 6:1)
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (Mat 11:28)
Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Mat 14:28-29)
He *said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" (Mar 3:3)
But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mar 10:14)
Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Mar 10:21)
"And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. (Luk 14:23)
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" He *said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. (Joh 1:37-39)
The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, "Follow Me." (Joh 1:43)
He *said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here." (Joh 4:16)
When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." (Joh 11:43)
Jesus *said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. (Joh 21:12)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (Jam 4:8)
"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. (Joe 2:12-13)
When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." (Luk 19:5)

He Bids Us Come to Worship

"Three times a year all of your men must come to worship me, the LORD, the God of Israel. (Exo 34:23)
Out of the territory of all your tribes the LORD will choose the one place where the people are to come into his presence and worship him. (Deu 12:5)
"All the men of your nation are to come to worship the LORD three times a year at the one place of worship: at Passover, Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. Each man is to bring a gift (Deu 16:16)
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and sing joyful songs of praise. (Psa 95:2)
Come, let us bow down and worship him; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! (Psa 95:6)
Praise the LORD's glorious name; bring an offering and come into his Temple. (Psa 96:8)
Worship the LORD with joy; come before him with happy songs! (Psa 100:2)
Come, praise the LORD, all his servants, all who serve in his Temple at night. (Psa 134:1)
“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all your works.” PS 73:28

To Come to Him, Deny Yourself

When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Mar 8:34)
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (Luk 14:26)

Not Everyone Will Come

"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (Joh 3:20)
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. (Joh 6:44)

He Is Personally Knocking On Your Door, Pursuing you

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev 3:20)
Fling wide the gates, open the ancient doors, and the great king will come in. (Psa 24:7)

Conclusion
He is the loving God who bids us to “Come”. He bids us come to worship. To come to Him, you need to deny yourself. It's true that not everyone will come. Some will refuse. But each one has to make the decision for himself or herself.

He is personally knocking on your door, pursuing you. God lovingly bids you to come to Him, but He is gentle and will never force you to come. He’s bidding you today to come drink of the living waters, so that you will never thirst again. He bids you to come and die that you might truly live. He created you for a personal relationship with Himself.

Will you make the choice to open the door and let him in? Will you come and deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus? If you do, you will not regret your decision.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Seeking the Lord

Throughout God’s Word, we are admonished to seek the Lord. But what exactly does that mean? Is this a passive act? Does this mean attending a church meeting and singing some songs then listening to someone speak? Does it mean reading some prayers at home while dozing in and out of a nap? Or is it something very active and all consuming that requires all our heart, soul, mind and strength?

Let’s look at some passages to determine the kind of fervency that’s involved in seeking the Lord...

The Lord is searching the world over to try and see if He can find someone whose heart is completely His. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2Ch 16:9a)

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?" (Psa 42:1-2)

When we pant for something literally, it means our chest is heaving, as in short respiration or want of breath. It means figuratively “To long for; to desire ardently.”So we could translate this verse to say, “Lord, my soul desires you so ardently with such a longing that it’s like when a deer has been running and it’s heaving in short breathes, desperately trying to get enough air, searching for water from the brook to quench its thirst.”

The psalmist sought the Lord with all His heart. He said, "With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments." (Psa 119:10) "I sought Your face with all my heart; Be gracious to me according to Your word." (Psa 119:58)

He prayed, "My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. My eyes fail with longing for Your word, While I say, 'When will You comfort me?' " (Psa 119:81-82). How many of us pray that way? Do we search in His Word like we are searching for buried treasure, so that our eyes fail longing for His Word?

The psalmist lost sleep over his quest for the Lord, and he saw the late and early hours as prime time to cry out to the Lord, wait for Him, and meditate on His Word: "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word." (Psa 119:147-148). That's fervency!! That's ardent love!

He sought the Lord earnestly with a great thirst and hunger for God: "God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psa 63:1)

The prophet Hosea admonishes us, "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (Hos 6:3) In this verse from Hosea, the word for “press on” comes from the Hebrew word “rawdaf”. According to Strong’s it is a primitive root that means “to run after” (usually with hostile intent; figuratively). It also means, among other things “to chase”, “hunt,” or “pursue.” So with this understanding, we could translate this verse thusly: “So let us know, let us run after the Lord to know Him..." Or “let us pursue the Lord relentlessly, as though we were hunting for Him so that we might truly know Him.” God loves to be pursued by you, and if you seek Him this way you will surely find Him.

The apostle Paul pressed on toward the goal for the prize like a runner running a great race. "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." (Phi 3:12) And again he states, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phi 3:14)

The writer of Hebrews exhorts, "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God," (Heb 6:1) The word we translate as “Press on” here in this passage is “phero”. It means to “be driven,” in such a way that one is “rushing.” It implies a “reaching” for something ahead. So we could translate this verse like this: “let us be driven to maturity, in such a way that we are rushing after it and reaching out for it, not moving backwards and laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

So from God’s Word we can see that seeking His face is not something passive at all. Rather, it is very active and very aggressive. It requires our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The Lord is searching the world over to try and see of He can find someone whose heart is completely His. Is every ounce of your being completely His? Do you daily seek to surrender yourself completely to Him? Do you desire the Lord so ardently with such a longing that it’s like when a deer has been running and it’s heaving in short breathes, desperately trying to get enough air? Are you pressing on toward the goal for the prize like a runner running a marathon, determined to win? Are you running after the Lord to know Him? Have you lost any sleep over your quest for the Lord?

If you didn’t answer yes to these questions, then let me encourage you to pursue the Lord relentlessly, as though we were hunting for Him! Take advantage of the late and early hours of the day when everyone else is asleep to cry out to the Lord, wait for Him, and meditate on His Word. Seek the Lord with all your heart. Let me encourage you to be driven to maturity, in such a way that you are rushing after it and reaching out for it. This is not at all a passive act, but something that you give yourself to completely.

If you will do this, the wonderful promise to you is that the Lord will strongly support you. Not that I have already attained to perfection in this area, but I’m with D.L. Moody, who once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I will try my utmost to be that man.”

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: This "Seeking the Lord" blog has become very popular in France. The reason for this is uncertain, but I am humbled and delighted that it has generated such a great interest there. To God be all the glory! If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Seeking the Lord

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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hearing the Lord's Voice

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Inquiring of the Lord

Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Self-Help Gospel

Friday, March 4, 2011

From Self-confidence to Confidence in the Lord

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Is the the Self-Help and Actualization Movement a Sham?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Loving God Who Bids Us to Come

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Seeking the Lord