Downward Spiral; Upward Call

" Blow a trumpet in Zion; And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near..."
                                                                                                                        ( Joel 2:1)




     The Pew Research Center conducted an extensive study on the trajectory of world religions over the next four decades.  The positive aspect of this study is that, as of the year 2010, Christianity was the dominant world religion consisting of approximately 2.2 billion professing believers.  The negative conclusion of  this study is that there is currently a mass exodus of people leaving the Christian faith.  It is estimated that over the next forty years approximately 106 million Christians will change their religious affiliation, resulting in the largest net loss of the study.

     The author concludes with the fact that right now Christians are leaving the faith in droves and that this trend is not projected to slow down.  He juxtaposes this analysis with the fact that the religiously unaffiliated ( atheists and agnostics) are expected to see the largest net gains by adding more than 61 million followers into their camp.  This trajectory is in part based on the fact that in the last seven years atheism has almost doubled from 1.6% of the population to 3.1% of the population.

     One of the startling realities of atheism ( as well as agnosticism, humanism, and secularism) is that the worse the atrocities in the world become, the easier it is to convince people that there is no God. After all, what kind of God would allow such horrific brutality and suffering that we witness in the world today? And, even if He does exist, who would want to follow such a God?

     To make matters worse, this study shows that if the current demographic trends continue, Christianity will no longer be the dominant world religion.  Midway through this century, Islam is expected to catch up with Christianity and become the world leader in adherents.  ( They are currently in second place, with approximately 1.6 billion Muslims in the world).

     This downward spiral in Christianity is a disaster! And, it is happening concurrently with the highest level of persecution that has ever existed.  Todd Johnson, of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, states the current number of Christians martyred annually for their faith is one hundred thousand.  He declares that there is a global war on Christianity and that the casualties are staggering.

     Unfortunately, many Christians in this nation are woefully unaware.  Ron Stults of the Voice of the Martyrs's says there is not enough awareness today in the Western Church.  He adds, " Many Christians in the West either deny or are ignorant of it, but persecution is part of present reality."

     Yet, 1 Corinthians 12:26 tells us that we are all one body in Christ.  "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it".  Still, somehow we believe we are immune.  In this country, we do not suffer from:beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, female circumcision, lack of basic human rights, and even death. However, given the current climate in this nation this trend may or may not continue.

     As the atrocities continue to multiply around us, have we completely responded to the upward call of our Heavenly Father?  We know it grieves God's heart for these innocents to be brutally abused and savagely slaughtered.  James tells us that  "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God our Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." ( James 1:27).  Based on this definition, I wonder what the true statistics of Christianity really are?

     All the while, God is calling us to respond.  The trumpet is blowing... But, our ears must be trained and tuned in to hear it.  Will the Western Church respond or are her ears clogged by: denominationalism, orthodoxy, humanism, materialism, political policy, pride, creature comforts, entertainment, or sin?  Can we hear the cries of our brothers and sisters around the world?

     If we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the world, how should our lives glorify God in times such as these?  I believe that the prophet, Joel, provides the answers for us in this generation.  Joel's message is a somber one.  He prophesies national calamity juxtaposed to God's glorious eternal kingdom.

     The major theme of Joel's writings is the "day of the Lord" and the need for God's people to be prepared.  He refers to three important events, each of which he refers to as a "day of the Lord". There is an immediate day of the Lord ( Joel 1:1-20), which encompasses God's increasing judgments on a nation.  There is an imminent day of the Lord ( Joel 2:1-27), which forecasts a future invasion by a brutal army.  And lastly, Joel refers to the ultimate day of the Lord ( Joel 2:27-3:21), which is God's final judgment on the entire world.

     Joel describes three armies that will invade a nation as a result of God's judgments.  The first army is a metaphorical one that strikes with successive blows.  These strikes include: escalating drug and alcohol use, social ruin, agricultural ruin, environmental disturbances,economic ruin, and spiritual ruin.  God would allow national poverty and calamity to reveal the deeper spiritual poverty. It is at this point that Joel calls the nation to lament and fast and pray for God's mercy.

     The second army symbolizes a real army that invades the land.  Joel tells the people to start looking for the invasion of a fierce army coming from the North.  This army would bring abuse and death to the people.  Their weapons against this invading army could only come from repentance and prayer.  It also required faith in the promises that God had given them.  If they responded in this way, God would fight the battle for them.

     The third army is an unseen and dangerous one.  This involves a demonic host that invades the earth and is bent on destruction.  Many will be oblivious to this army, the most dangerous of all the armies.

     Joel describes a sequence of events that will occur before the final judgment of God, the day of His judgment, and what happens after that day.  Before the day of the Lord, Joel prophesies there will be: worldwide judgment, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and signs in the heavens and on the earth. In the Church, there will be apostasy.  For the nation of Israel, there will be an intense time of tribulation.

     On "the day of the Lord", judgment will fall on all the nations of the earth.  This judgment will be for how each nation treated Israel.  On this day, Israel's situation with the world will dramatically change from tribulation to victory.

     After the "day of the Lord", Jesus will return to earth and begin His millenial reign.  Glory will return to Jerusalem and it will be given a new name- Jehovah Shammah. This name means "the Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).  Joel promises a restored land, a cleansed people, and a glorious King.

     The prophecy of Joel begins as a tragedy but ends in triumph.  It warns us of the escalating nature of God's judgments on a nation that has departed from Him. It shows us that God is slow to anger but is progressive in the judgments He sends.   It also instructs us on how to reverse these judgments through a whole-hearted commitment to Him.

     This is a somber time in U.S history. The message of the cross is that there must be judgment for sin. Our culture is making a fatal mistake in confusing God's patience for tolerance.  I seriously wonder how prepared we are in America for the continuance of unfolding judgments. Do we see? Do we hear?  Or, are we so preoccupied that we are missing the harbingers that God is sending to us? John Piper says that " America is the first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death."

     My prayer is that as things continue to spiral downward in the world that the Followers of Jesus Christ will respond to God's upward call.  Please pray daily for our nation!!! Please be obedient to all that God is calling you to do. Don't put it off- time is too short!


" I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward."  ( Philippians 3:14).

    

Enthralled

" The saving love of God is doing whatever must be done, at great cost to Himself, and for the least deserving, so that He might enthrall them with what will make them supremely happy forever, namely, Himself."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                              John Piper



     When Jacob was close to drawing his last breath, he called in his twelve sons to himself so that he could bless them.  When he got to Joseph, this is what he prayed: " Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well ( spring or fountain), whose branches run over the wall.  Skilled archers have bitterly attacked and sorely worried him; they have shot at him and persecuted him.  But his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father, who will help you and by the Almighty [El Shaddai], who will bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings lying in the deep beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.  The blessings of your father [on you] are greater than the blessings of my forefathers [ Abraham and Isaac on me] and are as lasting as the bounties of the eternal hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was the consecrated one and the one separated from his brethren and [the one who] is prince among them." ( Genesis 49:22-26).

     Found within this paternal blessing is El Shaddai, one of the many names for God found in the Bible.  When we look at the meaning for this name of God, we find that it means that God is our provider.  The word, shad, means "breast" in Hebrew, which equates to "sufficiency" and "nourishment". 

     Translators of the Septuagint believe that Shaddai comes from the root word shadad, which means "to overpower or destroy".  The combination of these definitions portrays a loving Father who provides and nourishes and yet is powerful and Almighty, in order to defend His children.  This is a picture of One who is always dependable, as well as willing to bestow good gifts upon those who look to Him.

     In order for us to fully live the abundant life Christ died for us to have, we must come to know Jesus as our sufficient and satisfying treasure.  He is the treasure that commands our desires.  Our sufficiency will always begin and end in Him.  Since He is the source of life itself, it is all under His control and is held together by Him.  His ability is unqualified and unlimited.  He is in all things, and He is all things.  The only disqualifier is our unbelief.

     He gives us this promise: " And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need have sufficiency [ possessing enough, in abundance, for every good work]." 2 Corinthians 9:8

     To abound and overflow, we depend on God as the source of our supply and our sufficiency.  His grace saves, strengthens, and sustains us so that we can abound in every good work.  God is unchangeable and unshakable and it always His will to do good in the earth.  Our responsibility is to respond to His ability and to quit depending on our own.

     He is all-sufficient, in both good times and in difficult times.  While in prison, Paul penned precious words regarding the sufficiency of Christ.  He said, " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." ( Philippians 4:6-7).

     When we come to those times in our lives where we encounter a problem that has no earthly solution, we find that self-sufficiency is a lie.  Relying on the sufficiency of Christ is what will enable us to overcome every obstacle.  Even in the midst of bad news, we can still have joy if God is truly our sufficiency.  He is preiminent over all things and His worth and value remain constant.

     God is sufficient to get us through our troubles.  Most of us prefer for God to remove them altogether, but often He becomes our refuge and strength in the midst of them.  He counsels us "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." ( Psalm 46:10).

     Unfortunately, too often our hearts chase after worthless substitutes of God's presence in our lives. We settle for meaningless, transient outlets to the true desire God has placed within us.  We all have a God-shaped vacuum in our souls, but frequently we allow it to be filled with idols that rival Jesus' worth and value.  These idols will always prove to be a detriment in our walk with Christ.

     James Boice Montgomery described it this way, " Most people do not even know that it is God their souls truly desire.  They are seeking satisfaction in other things.  Others know God but do not cultivate His presence; they do not long after Him.  Is it not this above everything that explains the weakness of the contemporary Church?  Is it not this that makes us so hollow spiritually?"

     There are many countries accross the globe today where believers have to know that God is all-sufficient in order to thrive.  They are not distracted by other things because everyday they know their very survival is at risk.  They live each day knowing that today could be their last day on planet earth.  They are intentional in their pursuit of God.

     These believers embrace all the implications of the Gospel, not just the ones they prefer.  They understand their mission is to advance God's kingdom and they are willing to do so at any cost.  Even their own lives.

     This kind of passion and devotion can only be obtained when we believe and experience God's love personally.  When we have a personal connection with Jesus, He sees our greatest needs and provides for them.  This symbiotic relationship also brings the contentment that is our birthright as believers.

     Intimacy with God only comes when we pursue Him as our treasure.  This is what will: gratify our souls, edify the Church, and magnify God.  He pours out His Spirit upon us and we are enthralled! We respond like Paul did in his letter to the Church in Corinth: " Now thanks be to God for His Gift [precious] beyond telling [ His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]!"  ( 2 Corinthians 9:15).




                                                      Be Thou My Vision
                                                     (Fernando Ortega)

                                      Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
                                     Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
                                     Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
                                    Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

                                    Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
                                    I ever with Thee and THou with me Lord;
                                   Thou my great Father, I thy true son:
                                   Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

                                   Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
                                   Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight;
                                  Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high Tow'r:
                                  Raise Thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.

                                  Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
                                 Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
                                 Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
                                 High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

                                High King of Heaven, my victory won,
                               May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav'n Sun!
                               Heart of my own heart, whate'er befall,
                               Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Beauty For Ashes

" The Spirit of the Lord God [will] ...grant (consolation and joy) to those who mourn in Zion-
to give them an ornament ( a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit- that they may be called oaks of righteousness ( lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God), the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."       ( Isaiah 61:1;3).




     Tragedies. Traumas. Trials and tribulations.  At times, it seems the world is inundated with such as these.  We can experience seasons where sorrow and sighing are our best attempt in communication as we don a shroud of heaviness as the cloak we wear.  We search for relief and deliverance from that which plagues us, yet it would appear that there is none to be found.  There are some wounds that leave a scar on our soul that can never be eradicated- the only option is healing and transformation.

     When the wound we carry is deep and private, the lonliness adds an additional weight. This can lead to a feeling of anxiety and desperation. At times, it can even feel like God is nowhere to be found. Oftentimes, throughout the Bible, the outward expression of such desperation included the use of ashes. The symbolism for ashes includes: debasement, desolation, ruin, mourning, mortality, and penance.  Ashes were the outward sign of an inward reality of devastation.

     Job is an example to us of one man's journey through incredible trauma.  Through no fault of his own, Job's pain became so crushing that he wanted to die and so unrelenting that he wished he had never been born.  His questions far outweighed his answers and yet he still found comfort in holding onto his faith.  He said, " It is still my consolation, and I rejoice in unsparing pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One."  ( Job 6:10).

     At the apex of Job's despair, we find him scraping the ashes off his wounds with a piece of pottery.  He is crying out- not in words, but with tears and groans and an overwhelming sense of wondering and despair.  ( Interestingly, when tears and ashes combine, they form the caustic solution of lye). Despite such toxicity and and futility, Job still managed to say, "though He slay me, yet will I wait for and trust Him."  ( Job 13:15).

     Patience and unconditional trust in God were the choices Job made, even in the midst of sheer terror.  Even when every safe element of predictability had vanished.  Even when his life was irreparably shattered. Even then.

     It is fitting that ashes would be used to signify complete and utter distress. Ashes only exist due to:
fire, incineration, or combustion. In other words, the only way ashes can be produced is through a destructive process. And, a destructive process is also what they represent.

     It is exceedingly human at a time like this to ask the question, " Why does a loving God allow catastrophe in the lives of His beloved?" This answer could never come simply, and yet I do believe there are truths we can know with certainty from God's Word.  This is what God spoke to the prophet, Jeremiah: " Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know."  ( Jeremiah 33:3).

     If we are in Christ, we can be assured that we are never alone.  God promises us that He will never leave us or forsake us ( Hebrews 13:5).  We can also be assured that God never intends to hurt us or harm us.  He loves us, is compassionate toward us and is faithful to us ( Lamentations 3:22-23). However, there are certain lessons that can only be learned through suffering ( Hebrews 5:8).

     The things that happen to us never have the power to keep us in bondage.  It is our reactions and responses that keep us bound and tormented.  In extreme duress, many people become disillusioned and angry at God and walk away.  Others do not walk away from God,  but they can distance themselves emotionally from Him or fail to fully submit to Him. The best choice is to run to Him and cling to Him for comfort and knowledge and revelation.

     We can patiently learn to trust Him on deeper and deeper levels.  We can also learn to surrender, in faith, knowing He is omniscient and good.  When we hold onto Jesus, we will come to know Him as our: advocate, arbitrator, intercessor, redeemer, friend, healer, and deliverer.  This knowledge is the sustaining power in our valley of trouble.

     Even when we are at our most broken place, God has made us more resilient than any of us would like to imagine.  We can survive even the unimaginable.  His strength is perfected in our weaknesses and we are made whole.  His goodness promises that our suffering will not last forever (Isaiah 60:20).
God told Jeremiah, " I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow." ( Jeremiah 31:13).

     When your heart is heavy and your soul is crushed, here are some scriptures you can declare over your life:

1 Peter 5:10   "after [I]  have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called [me] to His
                        eternal glory in Christ, will Himself  restore, confirm, strengthen and establish [me]."

Psalm 34:17-20  "When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their
                             troubles.  The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
                            Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

Psalm 147:3   "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

2 Corinthians 12:9  " But He said to me, ' My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made
                                  perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my
                                 weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Psalm 23:3  " He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake."

James 5:16  " Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may
                       be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Psalm 30:11  " You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth
                         and clothed me with gladness."

1 Peter 1:7   " So that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes
                       though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor
                       at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

3 John 1:2   " Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it
                      goes well with your soul."


     God is faithful to turn our destruction into victory.  Beauty is exuded when God turns around our adversities, transforms us, and is glorified through our lives.  He wipes away every one of our tears with kind, gentle, and loving strokes.  Not one tear goes unnoticed by Him. It is in these moments that we get to know our Savior in ways we never could have understood had we not experienced the sorrow of this world.  This is the moment when heaven kisses earth and the great exchange occur-we lean in and God takes our ashes and gives to us beauty in its stead. His beauty. What a marvelous Savior we have in Jesus!


" The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us. "                                                                                                  Charles Stanley

    

Heal Our Land!

" Graciously consider the prayer and supplication of  Your servant, O Lord my God, to hearken
   to the [loud] cry and prayer which he prays before you today."
                                                                                                      ( 1 Kings 8:28)



     In the book of Deuteronomy ( Chapter 28 ), God clearly outlines for His people that there are blessings given in exchange for obedience and curses imposed for disobedience.  Both the blessings and the curses can have an individual effect, as well as a corporate one.  It is always God's will for us to walk in His holy law and do things God's way that He may shower His people with all that is good. The same is true for our nation.

     As we see the instability, turmoil, and uncertainties in our nation escalating, we need to know that the answers we seek are found in prayer.  This Thursday, May 7th, is our National Day of Prayer and it is coinciding with a time that is critical for our country.  It is essential that the people of God be united in acknowledging God's dominion over our circumstances and give a voice to our desperate need for His presence in all matters.

     A corporate blessing for our nation is what we need.  Individual blessings can only extend so far in their sphere of influence and it is now time for us to seek God regarding this serious issue. We can look to the Israelites as our example.  When God instructed Israel, His covenant children, He called them collectively as a nation.  He said, "If My people, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."  ( 2 Chronicles 7:14).

     Since we are now the covenant partners of Almighty God, we bear tremendous responsibility.  When we bend our knee to give Him honor, we recognize God's superiority over us and all that concerns us.  We worship, acknowledge, and stand in reverential awe of God's majesty and holiness.  We humble ourselves as those who are fully submitted to our King's authority. We bow beneath His mighty hand, as we seek and crave His all-consuming presence in our lives.

     In this passage in 2 Chronicles, the Hebrew word for pray means "to judge".  God is instructing us to pray a prayer of judgment over our own lives to discern what is in alignment with His Word and what is not.  This requires an exhaustive, truthful query into those murky places of compromise in our souls. This is not for the purpose of condemnation. Rather, it is an opportunity to invite God to be strong in those places where we fall short or miss the mark.  And, God is always faithful to do just that!

     The reason this requires prayer is because God wants us to connect with Him so that He can unleash His power through us.  This is the prayer that ushers us into the very presence of God.  He responds with an outpouring of His dunamis power that will forever change us, our families, our nation, and our world.

     Jesus models for us both a prayer for ourselves and a prayer extended to others.  Our personal prayer is found in the simple, yet profound, Lord's prayer.  He prayed: " Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed [kept holy] be Your Name.  Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven
[ left, remitted, let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against] our debtors.  And lead [bring] us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. "  ( Matthew 6:9-13).

     Jesus also describes a graduate level prayer that is designed to be prayed for others.  He said,
" Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.'  And suppose
the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed.  I can't get up and give you anything.'  I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need." ( Luke 11:5-8).

     Jesus concludes by saying:  " Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For, everyone who asks, receives; the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  ( Luke 11:9-10).

     When we are desperately willing to pray audacious prayers, God will respond and supply our needs according to His riches in glory.  When we come boldly into His throneroom of grace, He will never turn us away.  When we realize that of ourselves we have absolutely nothing to give to others, we will be empowered and given the provision we seek.  Prayer is the place that links our nothingness to His almightyness.

     There are so many people and situations in our world that need Jesus.  When we focus on the needs of others, we can never ask for too much.  John Newton ( who wrote the song, "Amazing Grace") said the following regarding prayer:
                                           " Thou art coming to a King
                                             Large petitions with thee bring
                                            For His grace and power are such
                                            That none can ask too much."

     God does business with those who mean business.  It will never be the lukewarm prayers that are answered in a mighty way.  There is no blessing without sacrifice.  There is no success without suffering.  Prayer is a discipline that must perservere, even when it seems like circumstances are getting worse.  Ultimately, each one of us must answer this question, " How big is God to me?"

     If we are to realize healing in this nation, it will begin with each of us.  God delights to give His children good gifts.  However, the gifts we receive will never outweigh the delight and fulfillment we receive from the Gift Giver.  Our journey with Him grows ever nearer as we worship, pray, and give thanks in our daily time with God. This is never more true than when we wait with the hope and expectation that brings thanksgiving even prior to receiving our answers.

     It is not always easy to sow good spiritual seeds, but it is always fun to reap the harvest from them.  If, as a nation, we sow to carnality, that is exactly what we will reap. If, on the other hand, we sow to the Spirit, we will reap abundant blessings from the Spirit.

     In the midst of the chaos and confusion in our nation, we are uniquely positioned to have great impact.  As we join together collectively, we will have an even bigger impact.  When we connect with God in prayer and agree with what His Word says, we may even be poised to be a part of the greatest revival this world has ever known!

This Thursday ( and always), please be strategic and pray! Perhaps, God will even heal our land!!!



"Nothing is more pleasing to our Father in heaven than direct, importunate, and perservering prayer."                                                                                                  Dwight L. Moody