Thankfulness as a way of Living

 I know...it's been a LONG time since I posted here.  But, as we come to the Thanksgiving season, I hope you will indulge me writing a little longer article. I began thinking about thankfulness as a way of life instead of just once a year, and it led me on a search of someone who seeks to do just that.  His name is Chad.

 

I watched a YouTube video where one man (Ryan) donated part of his liver to his brother (Chad) to keep his brother alive…and then Ryan ended up dying from complications, though he had been totally healthy before the surgery.   It was moving story in which Chad, the recipient of this gift of life, chokes up at the thought of his brother giving up his life for him.  It goes on to show the gratitude of Chad’s children as they were talking with their cousins, (Ryan’s kids) and how difficult a situation it now was for them, since they ended up losing their dad.

 

It is difficult to watch a story that without being moved.  There is something compelling about a brother who loves so much that he is willing to risk his life for a brother that is dying.  There is something noble, something right, about a man who, when he finds out that he is a match, doesn’t hesitate to step up.  You can’t watch a story like that without being moved.  Yet, in looking at the comments on Youtube underneath this video, I am amazed at how many think he did the wrong thing.

 

“Now imagine the kind of guilt he has to live with. What a shame.”

 

“Die you son of... Pray to God that Ryan's children can forgive you. I can't imagine the embarrassment you must feel. I mean imagine knowing that your dad died because of your uncle and thanks to that baby that is 38 years old and still receives kisses from his dad, you will grow up without a father! IMAGINE!”

 

“If I were Ryan’s son I’d kill Chad. It would be a slow death --trust me.”

 

“And people believe in GOD hahaha eh......if_ this ain’t proof that there’s no GOD I don’t know what is........”

 

“The guy was being selfless and God just gave him the middle-finger. Meanwhile, we have child rapists and murders in prison getting three hot meals and a bed, living long lives.”

 

First of all, I find it amazing that there are so many people who can watch a 5 minute news story and then think to pass judgment on every person in it, believing that their opinion is the only one that matters…but beyond that, I think it says something about the human condition that has turned so selfish that the perspective is one of rage and revenge or another excuse to shake your fist at God and proclaim Him to be non-existent or Someone who doesn’t care at all.  Which is the first reason we have a hard time living a life of thankfulness.

 

We have grown used to putting our perspective above all others…including the truth.  When bad things happen, we rarely challenge our own thoughts as to their rightness or wrongness.  We simply assume that if we thought them, they must be right.  We have the arrogance to believe that we are the final authority what we see and we have little room for a change in perspective. We hold to our own opinions so tightly that we refuse to see any possibility that we just might be wrong.

 

A life of ingratitude is the result.  Nothing that happens around us can then be good enough to suit us.  Nothing is worthy of our lofty heights, and it is easy to dismiss it all with a sweep of the hand as being beneath us.  Then, when trouble comes, it is also very easy to fall into a victim’s role rather than a student’s role.

 

We complain and cry that life isn’t fair and that we don’t deserve all of this pain and often conclude that if there is a God, He must hate us to put us through all of this misery.  In short, our perspective has become our god.  And our perspective is what causes us to either make thankfulness a way of life or miss out on it. 

 

Either we see things from a perspective of being grateful, or from a perspective that leaves us wanting more and feeling like we not only deserve it, but that we are getting ripped off it we don’t get it.

 

Many of us are growing past the material side of things.  That is, we’ve seen that more material possessions won’t make us any happier, but we still want more.  We never seem to be satisfied.  A new computer. A new car.  A new sofa. A new job.  A new house.  You may say, “Nope…I’m satisfied.  Don’t want any of that.”

 

What about more power?  More influence?  More skill?  More money for the job you are being asked to do?  Nope…not me.  I’m happy.  Well…maybe a little more money.  But really, I’m good.

 

More intimacy in my marriage.  More time for doing what I want.  More respect.  More love.  More appreciation from others.  Are we getting closer to home?

 

We spend our lives thinking if only we had more of something then we’d be happy.  And while we know that’s not necessarily true, the fact is, we are right.  We do need more of something.  The catch is having more… of the right stuff. 

 

If we only had more of Jesus in our lives, we would be.  If we had more trust in Divine power and less trust in ourselves, we would be more settled.  If we had more belief that God really did love us and has our best interest in mind and less doubt, we could learn to relax in His care.  Again, it’s a matter of perspective.  And where do we get that perspective?  Let’s go back to the Word.

 

A few weeks ago, we looked at the first part of this verse—and I’d like to review it—but today, I want us to focus more on the last part.

 

 

Phil 4:6-7 NIV  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

 

Phil. 4:6-7 NLT    Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

I like the way that reads, don’t you?  It makes it readily understandable. Look at verse 6 again.   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Don’t worry, instead pray.  Now let’s look a little more closely at the last part of verse 6.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

 

It is not wrong to have needs.  God knows what you need—but He wants to hear from you.  He wants you to articulate what you need.  Not just what you want, but what your needs are.  See—we so often tell God what we want that we’ve often confused the two.  And there is nothing wrong with telling God what you want—but remember that He has only promised to supply what you need, though often He will go far beyond that to supply some of the wants as well.

 

Tell God what you need.  Do you really know what you need?  Is it truly more money?  Or is it a more trusting heart in God and a willingness to watch His provision?

 

Is it for your loved one to be healed?  Or is it for you to learn to yield yourself to the will of God?  Which do you want and which do you really need?

 

Is it for your kids to be kept safe physically or spiritually?  Sure, we want our kids to be kept safe physically—but we need our kids to be kept safe spiritually.

 

The very act of determining our wants from our real needs can help change our perspective. Tell God what you NEED.  Not worrying—praying.  Tell Him what you need, and then look at the last statement of the verse: and thank Him for all He has done.  Go back and recount what God has already done for you.  Not just a blanket, generic, “Thank you for all your many blessings”, but where you begin to realize that He has provided for so many of your needs and wants, starting with your greatest need—salvation, and working from there.  The perspective of gratitude gives you purpose.

 

Chad will live everyday with the realization that Ryan sacrificed his life for him, and that will put new perspective into each and every day that Chad lives.  When Chad gets up and looks at himself in the mirror, he knows that he must live this new day well because of his sense of gratitude to a brother that saved his life.  I would think that this perspective would add a new meaning and purpose to life.

 

You and I can live our days with that same purpose because there was One who took our diseases upon Himself, and our worst disease, sin, was enough to do Him in—not because He had to die.  He was perfectly healthy in every way.  It was we who were sick and doomed to die.  But when He began to do a character transplant, our sickness required so much of Him that it cost His very life.   With that realization should come gratitude that changes the way we live our lives.

 

Phil. 4:6-7 NLT    Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then notice the by-product. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

Those four statements can change your world. Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need.  And thank Him for all He has done.

 

That’s how you develop thankfulness as a way of life.  And the thing you are looking for becomes reality.  Peace.  You can have God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  And it is His peace that will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

Don’t worry.   Pray. Tell God what you need.  Thank him for what He has done.  That will change your perspective.  And that will bring you peace in your life.

 

May you have that thankfulness and peace in your life this Thanksgiving season!  Not only this season, but every day!

N 

Don't Pray for the Holy Spirit... if You Just Want to Warm the Bench

There’s nothing worse than mismatched timing.  It makes us uncomfortable.   It makes us nervous. 
Perhaps, it even makes us feel foolish.  Whatever it makes us feel, we know that something’s not right.

It's like a zoom call where the audio doesn't match the video.  It’s like a choir where the sopranos are three words ahead of the altos who are two notes ahead of the basses and the tenors are “ten or” twelve notes behind everyone.  What a noise!

A car doesn’t run well when the timing is off.  Baking bread either burns or is still raw when the timing is off.  It seems every time we try to use timed bake, the timing is off.  (Actually, I don’t think it ever comes on!)  Relay racers rely on good timing as they pass the baton.  Rock climbers have to have split second accuracy as they leap across a chasm to a miniscule ledge.  And preachers have to have good timing.  (Let ‘em out by 12 and you got it made!)  

But most of us don’t realize that  Christians have to have good timing too.  We need to be “in-synch” with God.  The problem is that many of us are so busy that we fail to recognize what God’s timing is.  And because we are “out-of-synch” with Him, we don’t get done what He’s asking and providing power for us to do.  So, what does it take to be “right on time” with God?

The book of Acts gives us a good clue. Let’s get some background.  Jesus was just about to return to heaven.  But before He left, He described again, to the disciples,  how the Messiah was to suffer and die, and then be resurrected.  He then promised to be with them as they shared these things with the world.

Acts 1:8   But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 

Luke 24:49   I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 

Jesus is saying that once you are a believer in Him, the first step to getting in touch with His timing is waiting.  Waiting to be clothed with power from the Holy Spirit.  And that’s what the disciples did.  But they did not wait in idleness.

Luke 24:52   Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. 

Acts 1:14   They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 

Neither Acts 1,2 or Luke 24 provide much more detail, and I wanted to find out more.  What was going on there.  The book entitled “The Acts of the Apostles” (AA) helps fill in the details.   In chapter 4, it’s as though the author, Ellen White, were adding color to a picture that was just a sketch.  Let’s fill out the picture.

First, she says (AA)P. 35  “In obedience to Christ’s command, they waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father-the outpouring of the Spirit.”    First, they waited.  

Second, (AA) p. 36 says, “As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief.” Wow... They humbled their hearts and confessed unbelief as a sin.

Third, (AA) p. 37 tells us, “The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ.  Putting away all differences, all desires for supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship.”  They prayed for a desire to lead others to Christ, and they put away all their differences and selfishness.

Continuing on-  (AA) p. 37  These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching.  The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. . . . They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls.  They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.”  They felt their spiritual need, and as a result, they felt a real passion for saving others. 

Then the Holy Spirit came.  Scripture gives us this scene in Acts 2 beginning with verse 1.  “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.   2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.   3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.   4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.   5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.   6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.”

(AA) page 38  “The Spirit came upon the waiting, praying disciples with a fullness that reached every heart. . . .Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, ‘Herein is love.’   They grasped the imparted gift.  And what followed?  The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief.  Thousands were converted in a day.”

There it is in a nutshell.  Wait in obedience for the Holy Spirit.  Humble your heart and confess your unbelief.  Pray with intense earnestness, claiming the promise that the Holy Spirit will be yours.  Accept the gift.  And then . . .warm the pew.    That’s right!  Ask for the Holy Spirit so that you can get that bench just a little warmer.  Yeah- It’s like a teacher of mine once said. . . “grab all you can-can all you grab, and sit on the lid while saying quietly to yourself, ‘I got the Holy Spirit!’ ”

If you think that’s it, think again.  Same author, different book.  A little book called “Christian Service.”    On page 253 it says, “The Holy Spirit won’t be poured out  while a majority sit still.”  Friend, if all you’re wanting to do is keep the pew warm,  they sell battery-operated stadium seat warmers.  You don’t need the Holy Spirit for that.  And my guess is, as long as the seat warmers are available, the Holy Spirit won’t come for that purpose anyway.  Don’t pray for the Holy Spirit if you just want to warm the bench.

(Paraphrase of AA p45) When the disciple were training under Jesus, they were led to feel their need of the Spirit.  He had promised it, told them they needed it, and told them what it was for.  Under the Spirit’s teaching they received the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework.  They were no longer ignorant and uncultured.  No longer were they a collection of independent units or men in conflict with each other.  They  weren’t looking for worldly greatness anymore.  

Instead, they were in harmony with each other.  ch 4:32 says they were “one in heart and mind.”  Christ filled their thoughts; the advancement of His kingdom was their aim.  No bench-warming here.  When the Holy Spirit is granted to  a person, there is no sitting still.  They have to do something.  They have to move.  That’s because the Holy Spirit is a moving agent.  

When Peter got done preaching that day, 3,000 people  came forward for the call.  The Holy Spirit moved through that crowd.   And verse 41 says they were all baptized that day.   I wonder what would happen to the Pastor that had that happen today.   No studies.  No commitment cards.   They felt the Holy Spirit working on them, and they responded.   And the disciples didn’t know any better, so they baptized them.

When the Holy Spirit moves on hearts, there can be no bench-warming.  Things will happen, and the work of God will not sit still, but will go forward with power and conviction.  Those who grasp the gift of the Holy Spirit cannot stay the same.  They will become like Jesus both in thought and in character. 

 Notice Acts 4:13 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”  What better statement can be made about a person?  

 The disciples were filled with an intense longing to carry forward the work that Jesus had started.  Not out of a sense of dreary, “I-know-I-ought-to-do-this-because-I’m-a-Christian” attitude.  Rather, they had hearts that were supercharged with a benevolence so full, so deep, so far-reaching, that it compelled them to go to the ends of the earth testifying to the power of Christ.

They had been brought, through the Holy Spirit, into such close communion with God, that their very words seemed to burn  into the hearts of those listening.  There was an excitement, an aliveness, about them.   The Spirit animated them and spoke through them.  The peace of Christ shone from their faces.  They had consecrated their lives to Him for service, and even their physical features were changed to give evidence that they belonged to Him.

Have you ever wished that could happen again today?  I have to agree with the author of  Acts of the Apostles  when she writes, pg 49 “The promise of the Holy Spirit is not  limited to any age or to any race.  Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end.  To all who have accepted Christ as a personal saviour, the Holy Spirit has come as a counselor, sanctifier, guide, and witness.  The more closely believers have walked with God, the more clearly and powerfully have they testified of their Redeemer’s love and of His saving grace.”

Do you know why we don’t see these things happening today?  I believe its because we don’t pursue holiness.  As far as God is concerned,  the time period we live in is not the issue.  Christ‘s promise to send the Holy Spirit hasn’t changed.  We have.  We have grown tired of hearing the “same old thing," and so we content ourselves with warming the bench, putting in our time at church, and then going home to watch TV on Saturday night  “where the real action is."   We don’t really appreciate the promise of the Holy Spirit.   We don’t think about Him; don’t ask for Him; don’t expect Him;  and as a result, we don’t get Him! 

And what happens?  The church dies for lack of fire.  No living water.  Spiritual drought and spiritual coldness.  And the tragedy  is,  we like it that way!   We don’t want it to change.    It’s no wonder,  in Rev. 3:16,  that God wants to spew us out.   We wouldn’t know what to do if the Holy Spirit really started a movement  here.  It’s possible that we would  rise up against and squelch it, considering it’s not prone to look like what we expect or have grown use to.  Really, what would you do if 3,000 people suddenly ran in to your church begging to be baptized right now?  

The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children.   We should be asking God daily for His Spirit, because His presence will give our words of truth a power that not all the honor or glory of the world could give.  Do you realize, that if we were a people empowered by the Holy Spirit, Seventh-day Adventists would be known for far more than just the church that  "worships on Saturdays."

We need to be a people known for our passionate pursuit of life lived by the power of the  Holy Spirit.  A people consumed with petitioning God daily for His grace and Spirit to continue working in our lives to make us holy.

Holiness is not just some euphoric experience:  “it is an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father;  it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting  in His love.” AA p51

Amid the confusion, the striving, the wrestling with life’s questions, the Holy Spirit wants to sustain and give you strength.  When you stand facing your failures and your mistakes, He offers forgiveness and comfort.  When you’re not sure if you want to accept Christ into your life, He pleads in tones of mercy and love.  And if  you’ve just sat warming the pew, He wants you to see that He is ready for action.  

Don’t pray for the Holy Spirit if you just want to warm the bench.  But if you’re tired of the same old dreary cycle of religious meanderings, then start praying.   If you want to be of service and become action-oriented, pray.  If you want power to proclaim and advance the Kingdom of God, pray for the Holy Spirit.  Pray and wait with a humbled heart, as you confess your unbelief.  Claim the promise of Jesus, and grasp the greatest gift since Salvation.  And once you have grasped it, you won’t be able to just sit and warm the pew.   You will be compelled, out of your fullness,  to advance God’s Kingdom.  To seek and bring  salvation to the lost.   To call others out of their boredom with a religious system, and into an aliveness that is true spirituality.

I challenge you to go  today, seeking that experience.  We desperately need those who crave that type of experience.  Those who will pray that God will send His Spirit to empower their work.  That’s when we’ll see a harvest.  That’s when we’ll see the work finished.  That’s when we’ll go home.    And when you talk about God’s timing,  it’s impossible to be more finely-tuned!   For the sake of the Kingdom, seek Him today.

The Wisdom of Worship

Feeling unsettled no matter how much you binge watch or play video games?  Always seem to have that dark sense of foreboding hanging over you when you stop focusing on anything?  Let me take you on a journey back in time, in light of this current coronavirus pandemic, to look at a story in Scripture that I think may help give you a much more peaceful outlook.  So…to the story.

In the early morning light, in the desert of Tekoa, a strange and fascinating scene was unfolding before the eyes of the soldiers as they stared at the oncoming army.  Usually by this time, someone would have sounded the command to attack, but they all stood transfixed in their ranks, listening to the unmistakeable sound of- a choir?  What would a choir be doing out on the battlefield?   Before their question could be answered, suddenly there came warriors out of nowhere.  Fierce. Big. Determined.  With a single slash of a blade, 10 men would fall.  Panic.  Run for your life.  Kill or be killed.  And the once formidable army became a terror-filled, “every-man-for-himself” retreat.

In the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, a fascinating story is recorded that every Christian should acquaint themselves with.   On different boards and committees, we often worry about what type of precedent a given vote might set.  This story contains a number of key decisions that I think would serve as precedents for the modern Christian.  So let me share with you 2 Chronicles 20 beginning with verse 1.  I’ve chosen to use the New Living Translation for it’s easy readability.

1After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites^a declared war on Jehoshaphat. ²Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom^a is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea.^bThey are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)

This was no run-of-the-mill army. These were long time enemies that wanted to settle old scores. These were the children of Esau wanting to do in the children of Jacob, now named Israel.   In fact, they wanted nothing less than to wipe the Israelites right off the map.  And now they had joined forces with other countries around them and were descending, even now to leave a path of death and destruction in their wake.  And word reaches Jehosphaphat, and the message is very clear…”YOU are a DEAD MAN Big J!”

Oh, great!  What a day-brightener.   Ever have one of those kind of days?  You’re doing fine until someone comes and says,  “There are three known cases of the Coronavirus that have been identified to have been in the same building you were in.”  Or “You’re  Corvid-19 test came back positive.” Or it could be more along the lines of general life, “You owe $4,000 more in taxes.”  Or “There’s been a terrible accident…”

No matter how it comes, bad news seems to always catch us off guard.  It causes our knees to go weak, our stomach to develop a pit of anxiety, and our mind to start racing.  We immediately start trying to… what?  Figure out what we are going to do.   We start checking our savings accounts, calling to see if we can get our credit limit extended, or looking for the name of the best doctor available.  Anything we can do to help us out of the bind.  And most of us won’t stop until we have arrived at some form of a solution.  But notice what Jehoshaphat did.

Precedent # 1.  v.3Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. Jehoshaphat was human.  He developed the pit in the bottom of his stomach.  But his reaction was far different than many of ours would be.  He begged the LORD for guidance, and then proclaimed a fast, so they could have clear minds to hear whatever God was saying.  In short, he took his problem to the Lord in prayer.  He didn’t just complain about what a difficult situation he was in and then whiningly hope that others would pray for him or that it would somehow work out.  He went directly to the Throne, himself.  Immediately.

 v.4 ⁴ So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help.

2Chr. 20:5      Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. ⁶ He prayed, “O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!

Notice his approach. (He first acknowledges God’s greatness.  He says, “I know that you can do anything.)  

 v. ⁷ O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? ⁸ Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. ⁹ They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war,^a plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’

(He refers back to a prior agreement that God had already made with His people.  He claims a promise, as it were.)

  2Chr. 20:10   “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. ¹¹ Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. (He acknowledges that he has neither the resources nor the strength to fight the battle.) We do not know what to do, (and here’s the kicker) but we are looking to you for help.”  

The New International Version says: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” Not focused tightly on the problem, but on God.   

Precedent #2.  They choose to wait.  They have made their request known to God, and now they wait and trust that God will do what He has promised.  Jehoshaphat knew that no matter what befell he and his people, if they would simply turn and seek the Lord, God would take care of things.  It takes humbling oneself, acknowledging that you have neither the answer or the direction, but enough faith to know that if you will but wait, God will deliver on his Word.  Not only the leader, but his entire people stood there before the Lord.

Nothing is needed more in the Church right now, than for Christians to stand humbly before the Lord.  No pretense.  No politics.  No power plays.  Just prayer and faith-filled hearts that He will provide.  When we wait, He answers.  Let’s go back to the story.

v. 13 As all the men of Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, wives, and children, ¹⁴ the Spirit of the LORD came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.

V15   He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!”

How do you respond to a message like that?  Wouldn’t it be great in the face of this virus and life’s uncertainty for the Lord to say, “Stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.”  I believe He is.  

But wait, Pastor Don…what was the point of going out if they didn’t need to fight?  What is the point of  taking up their positions and then standing still?

In the midst of the waiting, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have to do anything.  We need to continue to be obedient to what God has asked of us.  He has asked us to bring courage to those around us, and in the going out, or in this case, the staying home yet with peace and sharing that, that may lead others to find peace as well.  We practice common sense and precautions, yes, but it also means that we acknowledge we don’t have the resources, the knowledge, the wisdom, nor anything else to make a difference in the outcome.  We are trusting and waiting on God.  And in the waiting, notice how Jehoshaphat and his people respond.

Precedent #3.  They worship.  v.18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD. ¹⁹ Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.  

This wasn’t just half-hearted worship while wondering how the roast in the oven was doing.  This was full-blown, “we-have-an-answer-from-God-so-get-up-and-shout” type worship.  It was a celebration-type of worship-(of course I’m sure they didn’t use drums-ha).  But notice something here.  This celebration of worship happened before God had even delivered them. 

They got peace in their hearts on the issue and went ahead and rejoiced because they knew He would do what He promised.  They were joyous because they knew that no matter how scary the problem had seemed a few minutes ago, that whole picture just changed when God came on the scene.  Those Moabites and Ammonites and Meunites were a mighty big force, but when God walks in, their party’s over!

No matter how dark your picture looks, no matter how scary, or hopeless, or bleak, when God gives you an answer, it’s time to celebrate, because we know that He’s going to do exactly what He says.  Don’t sit there whimpering, “Oh, I hope it works out.  Oh, I hope He does what He promised.”   If you have prayed, if you have waited, if you have gotten an answer, from the wealth of promises in scripture, or from the Holy Spirit impressing you, then go ahead and throw a worship party. He’ll do what He promises when you can hold on by faith.

When you can learn that type of spiritual walk, the Holy Spirit will empower you to be a mighty, dynamic and effective witness for His cause. People will take note of the life you live.  Jesus wants to empower us to do His work.  He wants to make us powerful witnesses.  When you and I can learn to wait for His empowerment, trusting that He will make good on His promises,  great things will always happen.  Back to 2 Chron.

20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”  21After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:

“Give thanks to the LORD;

his faithful love endures forever!”

Now this just blows my mind.  The king consults the people and they all agree that the best thing they can do is put the choir out in front of the army.   They want to show that they are not worried about the Lord keeping His promise.   And some of the choir boys probably said, “Yeah, that’s easy for you to say”, but the very fact that they went out first speaks of their confidence in the saving power of the Lord.  They saw wisdom in worshipping.  They realized that their worship brought their salvation.  

Can you imagine the enemy army.  They look up through the clear desert air and see. . .a choir?  

“That can’t be a choir.   It’s a mirage- just a vision.  Fairly realistic though, because I can hear music too.   We been out here too long!”

 22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. ²³ The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. ²⁴ So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.

Precedent #4: They watched the Lord’s deliverance.

When God grants victory, He truly grants victory.  Did you know that in light of your own salvation, that’s all you can do?  Pray, wait, worship and watch.  Pray for forgiveness and seek deliverance from sin.  Wait as the Lord works in you to will and to do His good pleasure, worship Him for His goodness, His mercy and love, and watch Him take you to heights that have been unattainable to you.

Whenever you face trials of every kind, know you can find peace through His chosen route.  Pray for deliverance, wait, trusting in Him, worship Him, watch His mighty deliverance.   

In our current crisis, we have received the bad news. There is a new plague among us! We can panic and freak out, or we can practice the precautions we do know and turn our eyes towards God.  Are we praying?  And in the current crisis, there is nothing we can do but wait…it has been mandated.  But are you just waiting it out or waiting on God?  

What you do next will determine the amount of peace you experience.  Why not Worship?  I’m convinced if we would follow Jehoshaphat’s example, God would be able to bring about victory after victory in our life. Fears would melt away.  Doubts would flee.  Long-term rivalries would end, and forgiveness would begin to flow where once only grudges resided.  And yes, your trust in God would grow exponentially.  Worship takes us out of the present and transports us to the throne of Grace.  No matter what the circumstances, there is wisdom in worshipping God.   

There is no wiser course we can set but to worship.  Not  ho-hum worship, but worship that lifts the soul heavenward.  Worship that we participate in that allows us to experience God’s forgiveness, acceptance, love and yes, His peace.   Worship that has at its very core, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Worship that allows our hearts to dance with the joy of His victory.  And when you participate in that kind of worship, it will be said of you, as it was of the Apostles in Acts 3:13,  that “these men had been with Jesus.”

If we are worshipping, we are already demonstrating that we believe His deliverance is coming. Watch for His deliverance. It may not be in the form that we imagine…because God seldom does the expected.  It may not even be in the form of protecting us from the Coronavirus or from dying.  Even in the face of death, I can have peace knowing that God will bring about our ultimate deliverance!

Let’s finish our story.   25  King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing,^a and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all! ²⁶ On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing,^a which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the LORD there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.

27   Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, overjoyed that the LORD had given them victory over their enemies. ²⁸ They marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they proceeded to the Temple of the LORD.

29   When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the LORD himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. ³⁰ So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side. 

When you pray, wait, worship and watch, the Lord brings to you blessings.  And the most important blessing is the ability to have peace when everyone else is freaking out.  Had Jehoshaphat stopped with the collection of the plunder, he would have missed the greatest blessing of all.  But because he saw Wisdom in Worship, God granted he and his country the greatest blessing, peace on every side.   

And friend, if you’ll put into practice God’s way, seeing the wisdom of worship no matter how dark or scary your circumstances may seem, that’s exactly what He will give you.  I’m praying that peace for you this day!

Ask Anything?

I want to take a look at the role of prayer in the Christian's life, and there is too much to put into one post, so I'm going to spread it out a bit.

The question always comes, if God knows everything already, then why should I pray?  Or put another way, does prayer really work?  I’ve prayed and nothing happened—therefore, I’ve concluded that prayer doesn’t actually work and furthermore, there must not be any God.

Part of our problem with prayer comes perhaps, from a misunderstanding of prayer.  We read verses that seem to tell us that God will give us anything if we just ask. Matt. 7:7-11   “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matt. 7:9     “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Or Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Or John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

1John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.


We see all those “whatever you ask” verses and we say ok…I’m asking…but I’m not receiving.  And we wrongly conclude that God isn’t there because He didn’t do anything.

Ever asked your parents for something and were told no?  You didn’t conclude that since you didn’t get it, they must not exist.  They simply said no.  You might not have been happy with the answer, but you never questioned their existence.

Did you know that sometimes God says no.  Look a little more closely and notice something else.  Jesus actually taught that there were some conditions on prayer.  Go back to 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

Do you see the first one? If we ask anything according to HIS will.  Too often, we are asking according to ours.  He's not a vending machine...He is the God of the universe who wants RELATIONSHIP...with YOU!  More to come.

Thankfulness as a way of Life

When bad things happen, we rarely challenge our own thoughts as to their rightness or wrongness.  We simply assume that if we thought them, they must be right.  We have the arrogance to believe that we are the final authority on what we see and we have little room for a change in perspective. We hold to our own opinions so tightly that we refuse to see any possibility that we just might be wrong.

A life of ingratitude is the result.  Nothing that happens around us can then be good enough to suit us.  Nothing is worthy of our lofty heights, and it is easy to dismiss it all with a sweep of the hand as being beneath us.  Then, when trouble comes, it is also very easy to fall into a victim’s role rather than a student’s role.

We complain and cry that life isn’t fair and that we don’t deserve all of this pain and often conclude that if there is a God, He must hate us to put us through all of this misery.  In short, our perspective has become our god.  And our perspective is what causes us to either make thankfulness a way of life or miss out on it.

Either we see things from a perspective of being grateful, or from a perspective that leaves us wanting more and feeling like we not only deserve it, but that we are getting ripped off it we don’t get it.

Many of us are growing past the material side of things.  That is, we’ve seen that more material possessions won’t make us any happier, but we still want more.  We never seem to be satisfied.  A new computer. A new car.  A new sofa. A new job.  A new house.  You may say, “Nope…I’m satisfied.  Don’t want any of that.”

What about more power?  More influence?  More skill?  More money for the job you are being asked to do?  Nope…not me.  I’m happy.  Well…maybe a little more money.  But really, I’m good.

More intimacy in my marriage.  More time for doing what I want.  More respect.  More love.  More appreciation from others.  Are we getting closer to home?

We spend our lives thinking if only we had more of something then we’d be happy.  And while we know that’s not necessarily true, the fact is, we are right.  We do need more of something.  The catch is having more… of the right stuff.

If we only had more of Jesus in our lives, we would be.  If we had more trust in Divine power and less trust in ourselves, we would be more settled.  If we had more belief that God really did love us and has our best interest in mind and less doubt, we could learn to relax in His care.  Again, it’s a matter of perspective.  And where do we get that perspective?  Let’s go to the Word.

Phil 4:6-7 NIV  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4:6-7 NLT    Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

I like the way that reads, don’t you?  It makes it readily understandable. Look at verse 6 again.   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. This is the part we looked at a few weeks ago when we were talking about worry.  Don’t worry, instead pray.  Now let’s look a little more closely at this last part of verse 6.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

It is not wrong to have needs.  God knows what you need—but He wants to hear from you.  He wants you to articulate what you need.  Not just what you want, but what your needs are.  See—we so often tell God what we want that we’ve often confused the two.  And there is nothing wrong with telling God what you want—but remember that He has only promised to supply what you need, though often He will go far beyond that to supply some of the wants as well.

Tell God what you need.  Do you really know what you need?  Is it truly more money?  Or is it a more trusting heart in God and a willingness to watch His provision?

Is it for your loved one to be healed?  Or is it for you to learn to yield yourself to the will of God?  Which do you want and which do you really need?

Is it for your kids to be kept safe physically or spiritually?  Sure we want our kids to be kept safe physically—but we need our kids to be kept safe spiritually.

The very act of determining our wants from our real needs can help change our perspective. Tell God what you NEED.  Not worrying—praying.  Tell Him what you need, and then look at the last statement of the verse: and thank Him for all He has done.  Go back and recount what God has already done for you.  Not just a blanket, generic, “Thank you for all your many blessings”, but where you begin to realize that He has provided for so many of your needs and wants, starting with your greatest need—salvation, and working from there.  The perspective of gratitude gives you purpose.

 You and I can live our days with that purpose because there was One who took our diseases upon Himself, and our worst disease, sin, was enough to do Him in—not because He had to die.  He was perfectly healthy in every way.  It was we who were sick and doomed to die.  But when He began to do a character transplant, our sickness required so much of Him that it cost His very life.   With that realization should come gratitude that changes the way we live our lives.

Phil. 4:6-7 NLT    Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  (Then notice the by-product.) 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Those four statements can change your world. Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need.  And thank Him for all He has done.

That’s how you develop thankfulness as a way of life.  And the thing you are looking for becomes reality.  Peace.  You can have God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  And it is His peace that will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Don’t worry.   Pray. Tell God what you need.  Thank him for what He has done.  That will change your perspective.  And that will bring you peace in your life.