Our Resurrected King

"There are also many other things Jesus did. If they should all be recorded one by one [in detail], I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room for) the books that would be written."
                                                                                                                                        John 21:25





Jesus' disciples had experienced the Triumphal Entry, the Last Supper, and the Crucifixion. Terror and confusion plagued them (John 20:19) and what they perceived as an horrific ending had, in fact, marked a beautiful and glorious beginning. However, much more revelation would have to be given for them to even begin to understand the mysterious ways of our God.

In Jesus' last recorded miracle, seven of His disciples were out fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Still reeling from the death of their Lord and Savior, they cast off for the territory that was familiar and comfortable to them- fishing. However, on this particular day, despite their skill and expertise, they were still coming up empty-handed. They did not yet realize that Jesus' death and resurrection had changed everything.

Suddenly, an unknown voice called to them from the shore. He said,"Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some" (John 21:6). Even though this seemed an illogical request given to them by a stranger, they still complied with the command. We are told that "when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish" (John 21:6). Stunned, John exclaimed to Peter, "It is the Lord!" (John 21:7).

Their recognition that this was Jesus came from two truths that they knew deeply: no one else could perform this miracle and they had seen Jesus do it before (Luke 5:1-7). Jesus' relationship with His disciples began and ended with a miraculous catch of fish, symbolic of the fact that He was calling them to be "fishers of men". Their success was assured when they were willing to listen to Jesus, obey, and receive His power, even if His request seemed foolish or counter-intuitive.

Blessings follow obedience when we walk in relationship with Christ. Sometimes there are times of silence from God, making trusting Him the hardest thing in the world to do. Ultimately, though, His silence will end and we will be given a greater revelation of who Jesus is and what greater objective He is accomplishing in our lives.

Miracles continued through the book of Acts (healing, raising the dead, conversions, deliverance from prison, signs and wonders, protection from vipers, as well as several people being struck dead because of their lack of obedience to God). As God released power from heaven through the Holy Spirit, there were also miracles that occurred simultaneously to the masses of peoples. God established His church and allowed them to be witnesses that testified of His works.

We, too, are witnesses that testify of the works of Christ. Some are big occurrences in our lives where we recognize that only the hand of God could have orchestrated particular circumstances to work in our behalf. Others are smaller blessings that require vision from the Holy Spirit in order for us to see. Either way, it is important that we learn to wait for God, hope in Him, and expect to see His goodness in the way He deems best for us.

God is constantly working in each one of our lives, even if we cannot see it or do not feel it. Our responsibility is to hold fast to the truths we know from the Bible and the truths we have learned from God, Himself. This comes from our relationship with Christ and the deeper truths we have come to know through walking with Him. The best way to always know the truth is to always know The Truth.

Often, we want to expedite God's timing and circumvent His ways. We hope and believe for instantaneous miracles and solutions when, in actuality, it is God's plan and purpose to teach us to trust Him more as He navigates us through life's storms.

When we journal or remind ourselves of things God has taught us or what He has done in us or in our lives, it gives us hope, encouragement, and a strategy for prayer. It also keeps us from having to repeat lessons we have learned previously so that we can avoid present and future pitfalls. The author of the book of Hebrews says, "It is crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off" (Hebrews 2:1).

God is delighted when His children live with an expectant spirit, continually assured that God will do what He says He will do. Expectancy is the attitude we need after we step out in faith that will carry us to the completion of God's promises. It is imperative that the people we listen to also have a spirit of expectancy because others can easily cause us to doubt.

Doubt comes when we view our circumstances through the eyes of our human perspective rather than through the eyes of faith. When the children of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho (Joshua, Chapter 6), God did not allow them to talk to each other. Is it possible that they could have talked each other out of their miracle?

Our leaders are to be those whose faith we can emulate (Hebrews 13:7). Similarly, our friends and closest confidants should be people who encourage us to live in expectancy. Likewise, we should continually offer an expectant spirit to those whom God has placed in our lives.

Live in wonder. Expect to see God in the little and the big things. Remember all that God has done in us and through us. As we become a people that learn to wait, hope, and expect to see God, we will become a people who will see our Resurrected King!


"Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord."
                                                                                                                             Psalm 27:14



                                                                                            

A Resurrected Life

"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."
                                                                                                              1 Corinthians 2:10-12




During this week in which we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection, it is important to focus on the benefits we have received as recipients of it. There are three distinct benefits that become our own when we accept Jesus as both our Lord and Savior. The first benefit is that Jesus overcame death, and because of that, He shares His righteousness with us. the second benefit is that we are already now resurrected to a new life. The third benefit is that Jesus' resurrection guarantees the future of our glorious resurrection.

The benefit I really want to explore today is the second one- that we are already now resurrected to a new life. It is Jesus' power that gives us this new life and it is also His power that enables us to thrive within it. Right now, Jesus gives His life to us so that we can enjoy fullness and freedom in Him.

Jesus said, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (John 10:10). The abundance in our lives comes from connecting with Christ and having a heart that receives fully from Him. Our relationship with Him, as well as being surrendered to His Lordship produces the abundant life that Jesus references in this verse.

The Greek word for abundance is perisson. It means "superabundant, superfluous, overflowing, over and above a certain quality, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate." This occurs when every aspect of our existence is changed by the power of Jesus. In missiology, this is called "redemption and lift".

In this current season of your life, I'm wondering if there are any areas that need to be redeemed or need to be lifted up? I know there are in mine. But, I also know that there is no better time to rise in faith than during the time we celebrate Jesus' resurrection!

To understand what Jesus meant by an "abundant life", we have to balance what He said about abundance by what He said about life. In the Old Testament, God said He wants us to turn from godlessness and learn how to live (Ezekiel 33:11). In the New Testament, we are told that Jesus suffered for us so that we would follow in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21). He also said that if we claim to be in Christ, we have to walk the way Jesus walked (1 John 2:6).

God looks at our lives through an eternal lens. One day when Jesus was praying, He spoke to His Father about our eternal life. He said, "And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), whom You have sent" (John 17:3).

As we grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ, we learn, practice, and mature. We also fail, recover, adjust, endure, and overcome. This is because we can only see things partially and not completely while we are on this earth (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Living an abundant life is all about what we receive as a gift from God and then living knowing that we are stewards of it. Stewardship is measured by what we give away. What has Jesus given to you? A word? A promise? A dream? Grace? Mercy? Peace? Joy? Wisdom? Salvation? Love?

Trust in His promises and cling to the abundant life Christ offers you. We must live in wonder of the greatness of God's plans for our lives. He will integrate every spoke in the wheel of our lives for our good and, ultimately, for His glory.

Living the abundant life has to do with the ability of keeping His commandments as we utilize the grace that He gives to us. The more we are in accordance with His will and His ways, the more we will enjoy the benefits of living a Christ-centered life. The life of God we live is abundant, despite our circumstances (Philippians 4:11).

We can learn to be content in all our circumstances (Philippians 4:12). This requires focusing on all the good God sets before us and faith that He will redeem and lift up the places that are currently devoid of His touch. Look for the small blessings that God gives us day to day.

When we seek Him, God will give us the revelation we need to be victorious in our lives. He will illuminate the dark places. He sets the course and He is in control, even when it would seem He is not. He has given us peace to rule in our hearts, and He will forever be our Advocate.

Our future is secure in His hands and we can trust Him with every aspect of our lives. We don't just have tomorrow to look forward to; we also have today to live in fullness and freedom. He promises that He will keep us from falling (Jude, v.24) and that He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). In other words, He has given us everything we need, now and forever, to live a resurrected life!


"Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, which have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."
                                                                                                                          1 Corinthians 2:9

                                       HAVE A BLESSED RESURRECTION DAY!!!!

Resurrected Love

"Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.'
                                                                                                                                  Psalm 143:8




Throughout our lives we learn the certainty that sometimes the people we love will fall and sometimes they will fail us. When we have been disappointed frequently it is not uncommon to hedge our bets, so to speak, by attempting to insulate our lives with the people we believe will never let us down. And yet, the inevitability of that will ultimately knock on the door once again. This is because humanity left unto itself frequently will make the wrong choice.

The true constant that we can take to the bank is that God's love for us is always unfailing. He never wavers or waffles or changes His mind. In fact, He is so intent on pouring out His love on us that He constantly woos us and pursues us, even if we try to hold Him at an arms length. Or, even further.

Sometimes we even emotionally distance ourselves from God without even recognizing the truth of it. We may still go to church, or be involved in Bible studies, or serve relentlessly until we are exhausted. At the heart of it we don't want God out of our lives, but we have lost the passion and intensity for Jesus that we once had.

This issue was addressed by Jesus in the book of Revelation. As He was speaking to one of the seven churches, He said this, "I know thy works and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou cannot bear those that are evil...Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick" (Revelation 2:2-5).

There are a myriad of reasons that cause us to pull away. In John Bunyan's book, The Pilgrim's Progress, he gives four primary reasons that people begin to pull back from their relationship with Christ. These reasons are: a mind that is not renewed, fear of man, pride, and refusal to acknowledge their sin and the danger coming to them if they do not receive forgiveness from the Lord.

When Bunyan referenced the mind that is not renewed, he said that the conscience had been awakened but that that was unsustainable until the thinking is transformed. When the power of "guilt and fear is gone, their desires for heaven and happiness die, and they return to their course again." Reformation without transformation will never endure, nor will it be productive.

The second reason that Bunyan cites is being overwhelmed by the fear of man. He derives this precept from the book of Proverbs where it says, "The fear of man brings a snare"(Proverbs 29:25). The snare is that they fail to recognize what they are losing and what unavoidable and unnecessary troubles they are allowing into their lives.

The third reason cited for falling away from Christ is pride. This means that they are unwilling to face the shame that comes from the world regarding the Gospel. When push-back from the world intensifies, instead of running to Jesus they actually run away from Him.

The last reason Bunyan gives for abandoning our "first love" is that we don't want to face our own guilt and sin and receive the grace and forgiveness that God lavishes upon us. Each time we refuse His mercies our hearts become harder and harder. To remain within this trajectory predisposes us to a heart of stone that opposes God altogether.

It is deceptive to believe that neutrality can coexist with our belief in Christ. Either we are for Him or we are against Him. Either we are moving forward in our walk with Him or we are moving backward. Either our love for Him is increasing or it is decreasing.

If we think back to that moment when we accepted Jesus into our hearts and began to understand just how much He loves us and has done for us, it provides the baseline of our love for Him. At that time, how much did you read your Bible? How much did you pray? What other things did you do to feel close to God?

When you look at your relationship with Jesus today, has your love increased or has it decreased? Do you read the Bible more today or do you read it less?  Do you pray more today or do you pray less? What are the things you do each day to feel close to God? To stay connected to The Vine?

If you find yourself in a place today that is less passionate than it was in the beginning, think about these truths:

a.) Friendship with the world makes us an enemy to God  (James 4:4)
b.) Littles "foxes" (compromises) destroy the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15)
c.) Neglecting our God-given responsibilities makes us weak (2 Samuel 11:1)
d.) Choosing temporal things over eternal things causes destruction (Genesis 13:11)
e.) Reformation without transformation doesn't work (Proverbs 13:20)
f.) We have to be connected and accountable to other Christians (Hebrews 3:13)
g.) We have to pray to avoid temptation (Matthew 26:41)
h.) We have to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
i.) We cannot allow failure to deter us (Proverbs 24:16)
j.) We cannot allow ourselves to be bitter towards God because of circumstances (Job 2:9)
k.) We cannot fight temptation; We must flee from it (1 Timothy 6:11)


Jesus provided us with the solution if we have strayed from our first love. He tells us to: Remember, Repent, and Repeat. We remember the love we once had for Him and we yearn for it once again. We repent for anything we have done or failed to do that has allowed a wedge in our relationship with Him. We open our hearts and receive His forgiveness and grace. Then, we begin to do again those things that caused us to be close to Him and passionate for Him. We believe God for a resurrected love for the Only One who is worthy of it!


                                         "We love because He first loved us."
                                                      1 John 4:19

Resurrected Faith

           "A dead Christ I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything for me."
                                             Andrew Murray, Jesus Himself




During this month in which we celebrate Jesus' resurrection, it is important that we find the connection between it and the circumstances in our lives. Just as Jesus' death was the ultimate expression of God's wrath for our sin, so His resurrection is the ultimate expression of God's love and acceptance for those of us who are in Christ. In fact, not only does God love and accept us as His own, but He has also given us His righteousness and declares to the world that He is well-pleased with His children!

The book of Romans explains it like this,"But the words 'it was counted to him' were not for his [Abraham's] sake alone, but for ours also. It [righteousness] will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 4:23-25; 5:1).

All we have to do is simply believe and learn how to connect the dots. In fact, visualize a giant-sized poster filled with thousands of dots. God has designed one for each one of us. And, when our lives on this earth are completed, we will look with amazement on the image it creates. In actuality, we will be beholden to the image because, if our lives are submitted to Him, it will actually be a breath-taking portrait of our Lord and Savior!

The challenge comes as we move from dot to dot. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the difference the Resurrection makes to the individual details of our lives. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the difficulties in our circumstances in light of the power and purpose that God displayed when He rose Jesus from the dead. Sometimes, the deadness seems to scream loudly instead of the Life that God has purposed in the midst of it. As confused as we can sometimes be, we can find solace in knowing that the first century church had many questions as well.

After Jesus died, people started seeing Him alive again. It wasn't that anyone disputed His death. No, there were far too many witnesses for that. The questions began to surface when a multitude of people began to testify that they had seen the Risen Christ.

The apostle, Paul, recorded that the Risen Christ appeared to Peter, then to the disciples, and then to more than five hundred other people (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)! Many of these witnesses had actually been hostile towards Christ prior to their encounter. Perhaps the most dramatic account, however, came to Paul, himself. This is how he described his encounter, "Then He [Jesus] appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of all the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But, by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect" (1 Corinthians 15:7-10).

Paul was completely transformed by believing Jesus and allowing Him to connect the dots of his life by His grace. This was not a superficial belief, either. It was a genuine faith that was forged by the Truth of God's Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only then could Paul begin to truly experience the mystery of Jesus' Resurrection and walk personally in the implications of it. He completed his journey by allowing God to paint an exquisite portrait of Christ through his life!

Part of Paul's success was found in the fact that he had insight. He described himself as "one who was abnormally born" and the "least of the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:7-8). These words were not of a man who was beating himself up. Rather, they ascribed the greatness of his life where it belonged- solely in the hands of Jesus!

True insight comes from Jesus and is Jesus, Himself. When we are intimately acquainted with Him, He reveals to us both wisdom and insight. In a letter that Paul wrote to the Colossians, he described Jesus in this way, "In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden" (Colossians 2:3).

Paul knew how to tap into the hidden mysteries of God, which are all found in the person of Christ. He learned how to see himself in humility and to also understand that he was passionately loved by God. This balance enabled him to be one of the most effective ministers of the Gospel that has ever lived.

Another part of Paul's success was that he truly understood God's grace and he knew how to apply it personally to his own life. Despite the familiarity of the uncomfortable process of stretching that God uses to bring about transformation, Paul did not resist it. Rather, he cooperated with the Holy Spirit so that God could complete the work in him.

Paul understood that he had inherited the most valuable treasure in the world- that is, the grace of God. The apostle, John, had described it as the abundant goodness and blessings of God bestowed as "grace upon grace" (John 1:16). In other words, God pours out blessing after blessing upon His children.

Paul was filled with the knowledge of God's will and given "all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9). His life was pleasing to God in "all respects" and he was able to bear fruit "in every good work" (Colossians 1:10).  He was strengthened with "all power" and able to practice "all steadfastness and patience and joy" (Colossians 1:11). He had learned how to continually receive from God's unending fountain of grace.

Finally, Paul learned how to connect the dots in his own life. He said, "By the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect" (1 Corinthians 15:10). His focus was solely on God and giving Him the glory. He had truly mastered a God-centered life.

Within the context of a God-centered life, Paul saw himself in truth and clarity. This means he saw his strengths and his weaknesses and learned how to apply the Resurrection of Christ to each. He saw the dots that made up his life's journey and applied the Resurrection to each of those, as well. Paul saw the power and purpose in Jesus' Resurrection and learned to view each aspect of his life through that prism only.

After he learned how to live in light of Jesus' Resurrection, he saw that his life had value and purpose in the lives of others. He understood the power of a Christ-centered life and the effect on those it touches. Paul first received everything from Christ and then shared it with those around Him. In this, he had a resurrected faith that really mattered!


                                          "I Am the Resurrection and the Life."
                                                            John 11:25

Inscrutable

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
                                                                                                                                 Isaiah 40:28-31




Our Lord is One that is both mysterious and knowable. If we spent every moment of our lives tying to full understand Him we would come to the end of our days still failing to realize our goal. And yet, He beckons us to draw close to Him so that we can receive His love and really know the goodness of His heart towards us. He desires that we know Him well enough to fully trust His character and know in our hearts that His intentions for us are always good.

When Jesus came to this earth in the form of a man, His life was a mystery. The devil tried to play detective and piece together clues and prophetic predictions concerning our Messiah. He decided that his best strategy was to murder Jesus and he probably felt a sense of pride and relief when he thought he had accomplished his goal. He unwittingly played the very role that God had orchestrated for him to play. Imagine his horror and shock when Jesus appeared in hell in our place and grabbed back the keys of death and hell. That must have been a very startling moment for this diabolical schemer!

God chose to hide both His mystery and wisdom in Jesus' crucifixion (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). Satan's worst nightmare was realized when he learned that we, too, died with Christ that day. His horror was compounded when Jesus was resurrected and the power of the Holy Spirit was released upon the earth.

The prophet, Isaiah, says that God's understanding is inscrutable. Webster's dictionary defines inscrutable as "incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable; not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable; incapable of being seen through physically; physically impenetrable". In other words, God can be hidden, incomprehensible, undiscoverable and inexplicable.

All of this changes, however, when we allow God to reveal His mystery to us personally. The apostle, John, refers to this phenomena when he tells the story of Jesus' first miracle. He says, "This, the first of His signs (miracles, wonderworks), Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory [by it He displayed His greatness and His power openly], and His disciples believed in Him [adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]" (John 2:11).

The Bible teaches us that when Christ lives inside of us that He reveals to us the mysteries that were hidden for many generations. When these mysteries are revealed to us, then they can be revealed through us as we share the Good News (Gospel) with others. Christ in us and among us is the hope of realizing God's glory (Colossians 1:26-27).

When God's glory is revealed, we find that miracles occur, wisdom is given, strength is released and favor abounds. Supernatural things begin to happen. In these manifestations, our eyes are opened to see God's preeminence, splendor, magnificence, majesty, and excellence.

God operates in the realm where the impossible becomes possible. Every circumstance and situation that we deem as our "impossible" is rendered ineffective when we add God to the equation. Luke says, "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

It is the virtues of patience, faith, and waiting on God that will enable us to experience His grace at all times. It is His grace that enables us to receive His love and miraculous touch that we desperately need. Each and every divine exchange that God offers to us enables us to give God our weaknesses and inabilities to instead receive His strength and His abilities.

More of God's children need to dare to ask God for a mighty move in their lives. Isaiah tells us that God says, "I will go before you and level the mountains [to make the crooked places straight]; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron. And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name" (Isaiah 45:3-4).

Make sure the prizes you seek are lasting and eternal. Temporal goals are meaningless in the end. In the letter Paul wrote to the Colossians, he said, "Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).

Take one small step at a time (to conquer your "impossible") and believe that God can accomplish the "possible" through you. We must not allow the enormity of our goal to stop us from starting toward our purpose today. Remember the story of David:
"And Saul said to David, 'You are not able to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth.'
And David said to Saul, 'Your servant kept his fathers sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it. Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the Living God!'
David said, 'The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine'" (1 Samuel 17:33-37)

David was not discouraged by the difficulty of his challenge. He knew that himself plus God was a majority. Peter said, "In difficult times, when it seems all hope is lost, try not to assess your circumstances from a worldly perspective. Don't ask, 'What am I going to do?' Rather, in a spirit of faith, simply say, 'Lord, what are you going to do?' (1 Peter 5:7).

Christ has the ability to make every "impossible" possible in our lives. We can accomplish everything He puts in our lives when we rely on Him for strength and wisdom. He understands the things that are unfathomable to us and has the key for victory to each and every "impossible" we encounter. God is perfect in wisdom and might (Job 12:3) and his understanding is inscrutable!


               "How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable are His ways!"
                                                            Romans 11:33

The Courage of Christ

"The wilderness  and the desert will be glad... It will blossom profusely and rejoice with rejoicing and shouts of joy... They will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart,' Take courage, fear not'. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, and He will save you."
                                                                                                                        Isaiah 35:1-4




When the prophet Isaiah penned the words above, it was quite likely that the Assyrians had ravaged the land of Israel. Their crops were destroyed and their highways were unsafe and impassable. The people were cooped up, afraid, and wondered what would happen next. There was a faithful remnant, however, that still trusted God's promises and were praying for His divine intervention. God heard their cries and He answered their prayers.

If God kept His promises to His people centuries ago, will He not also keep them today and in the future? His answer to us is similar to what it was to Isaiah and the faithful remnant. He promises during difficult times that He will bring forth more beauty and more fruit than our minds can even imagine. There will be rejoicing and shouts of joy and we will see the glory of our God!

The Lord admonished His people to encourage the people who were exhausted and to strengthen the feeble. He told them to tell the anxious and fearful to take courage and not to be afraid. This divine exchange only occurs when we give God our heavy burdens and receive from Him a yoke that is light and easy to bear (Matthew 11:30).

Right now, God is literally shaking the whole earth. The book of Hebrews says,"Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: 'Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the [starry] heavens.' Now this expression, 'Yet once more' indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be shaken- that is, of that which has been created- in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue. Let us, therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe; for our God [is indeed] a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:26-29).

We are witnessing a shaking in every aspect of our world: politically, economically, legally, educationally, racially, sexually, morally, internationally, and spiritually. The value of humans and the sanctity of life is being challenged throughout the globe. Terrorism and lawlessness are increasing at unprecedented levels.

In our country, we are beginning to witness a huge rift in the Church between those who choose to honor and obey Biblical precepts and those who do not. It is easy at times like these to wonder if God is still sovereign and on His throne. It can be easier to focus on the worrisome aspects of our culture than to proclaim the promises of our God

This is what happened to John the Baptist. While he was sitting in his jail cell, "John summoned to him a certain two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, 'Are You He who is to come, or shall we [continue to] look for another?' So the men came to Jesus and said, 'John the Baptist sent us to You to ask, "Are you the One who is to come, or shall we [continue to] look for another?'"...
So He [Jesus] replied to them, 'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Good News (the Gospel) preached to them. And blessed (happy- with life- joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from outward conditions- and to be envied is he who takes no offense in Me and who is not hurt or resentful or annoyed or repelled or made to stumble [whatever may occur]'" (Luke 7:19-20; 22-23).

Jesus encouraged John the Baptist, despite the very real difficulties of his circumstances. Jesus literally infused courage into John the Baptist to help him in that moment and to sustain him during his most difficult trial that was to come. Jesus transfused His own courage into John's very receptive heart.

John the Baptist was a Reformer that God used to prepare the people for the first coming of Christ. Today, we need many Reformers that will do the same in preparation for the second coming of Christ. The world is crying out for true Reformers in every realm of society and throughout the world.

Webster's dictionary defines reform as "to make better by stopping abuses". We do not have to look very far to see the myriad of abuses that occur daily. In order to bring about true reformation, there must first be a confrontation of the truth. God has entrusted us with the spiritual authority to rise up and challenge those in positions of natural authority that do not yield to the truth of God's Word. Restoration can never fully happen until there has first been a true reformation.

Reformers are bold, courageous, and outspoken. Biblically, we find such examples in people like Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, as well as John the Baptist. These men were God-centered and unwavering. It was not in their character to compromise. They did not bow down to people, idols, or the expectations or customs of their day.

Reformers count the cost and are compelled to persist, despite potential adverse ramifications. Jesus is the perfect example of this. Throughout His ministry, He taught us how to act, how to manage things, and how to think. He was preparing us for restoration, but first the reformation had to occur. Jesus reformed by: dying on a cross, grabbing the keys of hell and death, and then being resurrected so that we could receive His divine inheritance.

Jesus' goal was eternal, and so should ours be. Our life here is but a blink of an eye. After that, we will live forever and ever. In the meantime, every aspect of this generation must be touched by the hand of God so that His glorious light will penetrate and push back the darkness.

God always co-labors with people that are passionate for Him alone. What begins in the furnace of affliction can be transformed into a continual fire that burns in our souls if we allow The Refiner to have His way in our lives. This is the consuming fire that will change our nation and our generation.

In order to reach the maximum number of souls, we must be genuine and passionate and filled with God's holy fire. Courage will be required to stand against the vitriol that hates all things relating to Jesus. Not just any old kind of courage, either. In fact, in order to truly bring reformation and advance God's kingdom on earth, we need to be filled with the very courage of Christ!


      "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."
                                                            C.S. Lewis

The Refiner's Fire

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify... and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings... will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years."
                                                                                                                  Malachi 3:3-4




Under the law of Moses God provided three ways for people and things to be cleansed and made acceptable unto Himself: water, fire, and blood. In the case of a nation, God would cleanse the nation while He purified the spiritual leaders. Only then would their sacrifices be acceptable in His eyes. Prior to cleansing and purification gifts and sacrifices were not acceptable to the Lord.

While it is true that today we are under the New Covenant and that we can only be cleansed by the blood of Jesus, it is also true that the inherent rebellious nature of man's heart has not changed over the centuries. In the Divine Exchange, Jesus took our sins and our punishment and replaced it with His righteousness. By simply placing our faith in Jesus and turning away from our sin we are recipients of God's forgiveness and grace and we are made flawless in the eyes of God.

Even after we are saved we can still wrestle with our understanding of who God is and His ways. There can be fragments in our hearts and minds that resist (even unknowingly) what God is doing in our lives because His ways are so much higher than our ways. Our flesh can rise up and we can even begin to question the circumstances, callings, and trials we are facing. Especially, when we are in the furnace and God sits as our Refiner and Purifier.

Many before us have also endured the furnace and have even achieved victory in the midst of the fire. We can learn the lessons from people like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who chose to honor God in the midst of their fiery circumstances (Daniel, Chapter 3). Not only did they prove that their faith could be trusted, but they also brought glory to God in the midst of them, as will so often happen through persecution.

Through no fault of their own, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar because they refused to bow before the golden image of himself that he had erected. According to the king's law, they were to be thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to comply with his mandate. These three warriors, however, knew that God's laws were more important than their egotistical ruler. So, into the furnace they went...

"He [King Nebuchadnezzar] ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace" (Daniel 3:19-20).

The reason the king was so angry was because these men had the true faith to confront his idolatrous laws. They explained to him that it was against God's commands to fall down and worship a golden statue. Confidently, they refused to worship anything or anyone other than the One, True God.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also had the genuine faith to confess the Lord. They told the king that God was "the God of all gods, the Lord of kings"(Daniel 2:47). Calmly and respectfully, they used their adversity as an opportunity to give their testimony.

Because of their testimony, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego confounded their enemy. When the king looked into the furnace, he saw that not only were they not consumed by the fire but that there was another man in the fire with them! This theophany was an image of the pre-incarnate Christ that was right by the side of His people. The one true gift of a furnace experience is that God is right there and that He brings to us treasures in the darkness.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's genuine faith confirmed the promises of God for them, as well as for the other Jewish believers in that time and al subsequent time periods. Their faith proved that God is still on the throne, no matter how dire their circumstances were. They also proved that God will not forsake us and that we can rest in the assurance that one day He will fulfill every promise ever made.

When we trust and obey God in our furnace of affliction, He will be glorified and it will positively affect others. Even when the heat is being turned up to conform to the gods of this age, we know that God's grace will give us everything we need to stay the course and walk in victory. And for those of us who endure, God promises that He will give us the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

In the Refiner's fire, extraordinary temperatures are needed to make the precious metals moldable and shapeable and to keep them from cracking. When the metal is broken down, the Refiner can accomplish the work he has purposed to do. Never, ever, does the Refiner take His eyes off the metal, lest it be destroyed.

The ultimate purpose of the Refiner is to remove all the dross, or impurities. This is how God purges us of all that is not His righteousness. He ultimately brings us to the end of ourselves. Only then can we reflect His image.

Right now God is preparing a remnant in the earth that can be trusted to bring glory to His Name. He tests us in order to develop our faith because he knows that a faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. The apostle, Peter, addressed this when he said, "Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality as though something strange were befalling you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly]"(1 Peter 4:12-13).

Peter expounds this point when he talks about the purpose of our trials. He says that the purpose is "so that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested and that your faith which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:7).

In order to bring glory to God with our lives and to finish well, we have to start by trusting and praising God now. We have to draw close to Him and remember to: confront our challenges, confess the Lord, confound our enemies, and confirm His promises. This is how we yield to the Holy Spirit and submit to the Refiner's fire.


                             "When through the fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
                                   My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply;
                              The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
                                 Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine."
                                                                                Author Unknown